back in the game

Wow...it's been a long time since I've posted. To say that we've had a lot going on these past 6 weeks is such an understatement...happy times and sad times, but we're getting through everything and learning a thing or two along the way.

Today I'm starting my second Vegan Kickstart program...it's offered through the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and is free. I did it back in April (I think) and pretty much it's a 3 week plan to eat a plant-based diet. I enjoyed it before because it helped me try new foods and eat healthier, so I figured I'd give it another shot. I have the iPhone app and get daily emails with recipes and meal plans, so it's actually pretty easy to follow. http://pcrm.org/kickstartHome/

I've also started training for a half marathon...I'm following a plan by Jeff Galloway who promotes injury free running (which is super crucial for me since I have runner's knee in both knees). Pretty much I have 3 runs a week, 2 of which are 3 mile runs and the third run is my long run. The half marathon isn't until March so I have plenty of time to train, which is good because I couldn't run at all last week because I didn't feel good.

For dinner tonight we are making a lentil recipe from Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Life (I love love love lentils!). http://www.pcrm.org/kickstartHome/celebrity/silverstone/index.cfm

Less than one month to the wedding (holy crap) so it's time to be healthy!

this may be working

My new no-diet plan seems to be going well! I've eaten TONS of fruits and veggies this week and have felt really good. I've not been counting any points, just focusing on making healthy decisions. I even went to Uno's for lunch today and made what I think is a pretty healthy choice...veggie burger w/no bun or cheese (comes with guacamole and salsa) and a side salad with fat-free vinaigrette dressing. It was yummy. What makes me especially happy about all of this is that this has been probably the most stressful week at work since I started 2 years ago and I've still been able to stay healthy. And I feel so much less stressed about eating without counting anything...calories, points, whatever! So far so good. Hopefully I can keep it up this weekend...even while I am going to a wedding.

I've also been pretty good about exercising...I ran on Monday morning..."slept in" on Tuesday (til 6:15) so no work out. Yesterday I did p90x KenpoX (which was a great stress reliever...and I'm feeling it today!) and this morning I ran again. It was such a beautiful morning...I was actually chilly when I first started! Again a really good stress reliever. It's supposed to be nice again tomorrow but I don't want to run too much because it will hurt my knees. So my plan is to maybe take the dogs for a nice walk and then give them a much needed bath. Maybe do a little p90x in there, too. Saturday if my knees feel okay I may go for a run to try to counteract what I will eat/drink Saturday night at the wedding!

We're gonna get pho tonight...Vietnamese noodle soup. It's a favorite of ours and we haven't had it in awhile since it's been so hot. Then we're gonna watch a movie and relax. Relaxation is so needed! Thank goodness we go to Maine on Tuesday!!!

i may need to change the name of my blog...

If anyone read my last post it's not surprising that I've been struggling with feeling motivated. I've been doing some reflecting and realized that I am putting way too much mental energy into thinking about how I eat (is this healthy/unhealthy, feeling guilty if I eat something bad, etc). I don't want to diet. I hate dieting. I love food and I hate feeling deprived. I went out to eat last week with my dad, aunt, and grandmother. While we were out we stopped at a really cute little market in Vienna. It had lots of local, fresh produce and organic meats. I was browsing around and talking to my aunt and she was telling me about a book she's reading, "Eat to Live" by Dr. Fuhrman. So of course I went home and downloaded it on my Kindle and started reading it (the whole premise is that people should eat only foods with a high nutrient density...duh). I'm only on the second chapter, but it's helped me come to a pretty important conclusion: I'm not going to diet anymore.

A few years ago I lost a good amount of weight because I started running for the first time in my life. At the time, I was also reading Bob Greene's book, "The Best Life Diet," which is all about making lifestyle changes rather than dieting. I applied most of the principles in that book to my life and naturally lost weight. Since that time I've had a hard time losing any more weight because now it's more about toning my body and losing the rest of the fat that seems to want to stick around!

So, I've made a new plan. No more diets. No more counting WW points. No more strict vegetarian...I had chicken last night for the first time and I plan on eating some chicken, although sparingly. And I only plan to buy chicken that I know comes from a good place. We bought this chicken from a farmer's market in old towne Alexandria where we talked to the farmer and he told us exactly how the chicken was raised and killed (he does all the processing himself). It was very yummy and I felt good about eating it.

So here's my new plan:

-I will eat mostly vegetarian foods but incorporate some chicken into my meals (bought locally and organic)

-I will measure out portions (which I've gotten better at thanks to WW...if I don't measure I swear I could sit down and eat an entire pound of pasta)

-I will eat mostly fruits/veggies for snacks (another good WW principle)

-I will try to eat slowly and mindfully

-I will try to avoid processed foods and eat mostly foods that grow from the ground

-I will not count calories or points

-If I want something sweet, I will have something healthy like fruit and yogurt etc

-If I want something unhealthy, I will have it in moderation

-I will try to exercise 3-5 times per week, but I will not get down on myself if I don't follow p90x rigidly (so if I want to run a few times a week I will do that instead)

-I will try to buy mostly local, fresh foods

Now I'm sure people reading this (if anyone reads this) are thinking DUH. But it's not easy for me, or for a lot of people I'm sure. It's so simple to want a quick fix like a diet, but they are so hard to follow in the long-term. I will not be counting points for the rest of my life, so what's the point now (haha no pun intended)? I feel good about this because I know I'm doing what's right for my body and what will help me feel good physically. Hopefully weight loss is a by-product of this new lifestyle but I'm doing this to be healthy, not just to lose weight.

Here are a few things we've already been eating that coincide with my new lifestyle: =)

-TONS of fresh greens, including Chinese broccoli, baby bok choy, and collards (sauteed in garlic and olive oil)

-baby red potatoes with rosemary

-whole roasted chicken

-fresh tomato salad with onions, basil, and balsamic vinegar

-fresh cantaloupe, watermelon, mango, and peaches

-soy yogurt with a little granola and lots of blueberries and blackberries

-wrap with hummus, fresh tomatoes, hearts of palm, and cole slaw

So. That's my new lifestyle. I feel good about it now, but I'm sure tomorrow when I go to work and there are tons of temptations it will be difficult. My plan is just to focus on my health and hopefully everything else will fall into place. =)

feeling a little defeated

To say that I've gotten off track may be an understatement. Two weekends ago I was at a bachelorette party that kind of wrecked my week on Weight Watchers. But I still worked out all week so that was a positive. This last weekend for 4th of July we were at Lake Anna...which meant lots of lounging around, chillin in the water, and eating. And no exercising. Needless to say WW and p90x have been non-existent this week. I'm still trying to focus on being healthy but I am feeling pretty defeated.

Which got me thinking...I HATE how much time I spend thinking about what/how I'm eating and if/when/how I'm working out. I know it's such a societal issue, but I really wish I could just be at a point where I eat healthy, work out most days, and don't obsess about these things. It's just exhausting. I'm trying to get there and I think following some WW principles (eating fruit as snacks) and combining that with eating mindfully (which is so hard) would be the answer. It just seems like everywhere I turn there are either people talking about dieting, infomercials for new diets, or the complete opposite and temptations to get way off track. I know this all comes from self-control and will power (which sometimes I'm not sure I have any of). I just need to focus on being more mindful, eating slower, and really enjoying the taste of my food. I just get so frustrated with how much energy I (and people, society, etc) put into losing weight!

That's my soapbox for now. Clearly I'm not feeling too motivated these days.

still truckin along

I'm still truckin along with p90x and weight watchers. Last week I only worked out two days, so I decided to do week 6 over again. So far this week I've done core, cardio, and about 15 minutes of the push-ups video (I was NOT feelin it that morning) and ab ripper. Today I'm either going to run or do legs and back or kenpo. It's so nice out that I'd like to run, my the arch on my right foot is really hurting so I'm thinking I may do a p90x video to not have all that impact on my feet and legs.

I'm still sticking to weight watchers, too...as best as I can. Last weekend I went to a bachelorette party which included lots of beer and chips and ranch dip. And then Panera the next morning. I did not keep track of points (I was WAY over anyways) and the scale definitely showed that. I'm back on track this week but the scale is still higher than I'd like it to be. But I figure I'm definitely eating healthier and less than I do without WW so hopefully it will show one way or another (if not on the scale then in my clothes).

Today marks only 3 more months until our wedding! I can't believe it's that close. The next 3 months are just going to fly by! Last night we called around for rehearsal dinner places and found Dolce Vita in Fairfax and Carrabba's in Centreville could both work. It gives us a good excuse to go out to eat to try these places out. =) It seems like we still have a lot to do...order the wedding bands, figure out the reception music, order the tuxes, and have the final meetings with all the people. I got my dress fitted last week and I love love love it!!!

Anyways...that's all for now. There's been so much going on the past few weeks. Hopefully I can update more regularly now because it does help me stay on track. I hope I can keep things going in the right direction even during this holiday weekend! Happy 4th!

Veg Italian Night

Week 5 of p90x is almost over. So far I've exercised four days this week...hopefully I can convince myself to do either kenpo or legs and back tomorrow. This morning I ran with Bishop...I love love love running with him...he is so excited and happy to be outside that it makes my run more enjoyable. Plus, the fact that he is calmer the rest of the day is an added bonus. =)

Last night I made a really yummy Italian dinner (vegetarian of course)...I got some whole grain organic penne from Trader Joe's (which was so cheap...only like $1.39/lb) and a bag of their meatless meatballs. I sauteed some onion, garlic, and mushrooms and added some fresh parsley from the garden. Then I added a jar of sauce to the veggies (we like Classico Fire Roasted Tomato and Garlic) and put the meatballs in to simmer (all of this while the pasta was boiling). By the time the pasta was done cooking, the meatballs were warmed through! I mixed the pasta with the sauce and meatballs and then added some fresh chopped basil from the garden (all garden veggies are courtesy of Jan). Voila! It was really yummy. Jan and Chris were both here for dinner...both self-proclaimed carnivores...and they both loved it (or at least they said they did)! There was only a tiny bowl left of pasta (and one lonesome meatball) so I'm taking that as a sign that they really did like it.

I'm super tired right now. I had a hectic week at work and then had to sit through an LCSW prep class all day yesterday and half of today. It was definitely helpful...but boring. At least now I'm ready to really start studying so hopefully I can pass this exam in a few months and be done with studying foreve!!

taco night

I'm halfway through week 5 of P90x...and shockingly I'm still doing it consistently! For the past five weeks I've worked out at a minimum of 4 days each week...and I feel really good about that. I've also been doing weight watchers now for almost two weeks and that's going well, too. I'm finding that I can find a healthy balance between eating healthy and treating myself. It's great that I can eat as many fruits and veggies as I want, because I load up on the fruits during the day. I'm not feeling deprived...because if I eat something that is high in points then I just eat healthier at the next meal. I don't know if the number on the scale is moving (I haven't checked) but I feel better and that's more important to me anyways. I think that this is a good combination for me.

Tonight I'm going to make veggie tacos. I'm using morningstar soy crumbles...which I hope are good. I'll put some taco seasoning with those, and then make a mango salsa w/some mango, onion, lime juice and avocado to go on top. Chop up some onions and tomatoes and it's taco night!

Tomorrow and Saturday I have to sit through two full days of a prep class for my licensure exam. I'm not thrilled about it, but I'm hoping it will help prepare me to take the last test I'll ever have to take! We get lunch on our own, so I'm going to have to scope out some places around that have healthy options. I will be so glad when Sunday comes around so I can sleep in!