Mental Health Day

Yesterday I took the day off from the gym. Work was extremely difficult and even though I knew it would probably make me feel better, I didn't go.

Instead I went and had sushi for lunch (not the worst choice, but not the best) and then came home and had a spa day. I felt a lot better mentally at the end of the night.

I know that I should have just bucked up an gone. I need to remember this feeling of regret/disappointment for next time I want to ditch out on the gym.

Keeping My Word to Myself

It is so easy for me to keep my word to other people. I will bend over backwards and give time and energy from my life to help others. But when it comes to keeping my word to myself, I am much more flexible, probably to my own detriment. But this week I am working on keeping my word to myself.

I weighed in this morning and was down .4 lbs. It's not a lot, but its something! Especially seeing as I was on vacation and wasn't really watching what I was eating back home.

Today I kept my word to myself on all fronts. I ate everything that I planned out and in the portions that I wanted. I gave up an opportunity to make a little money and spend time with my cousins (babysitting), both of which I would have loved. But I opted to pass to make time for the gym. I know that if I didn't go to the gym straight after work, the likelihood I would go would drop. So I went straight to work to the gym and jogged for 40 min burning 400 calories.

I am having a friend over for dinner and instead of going to Subway for dinner, even though its healthy, I am making a low cal/fat Mexican dinner for us.

I am hoping that I can continue to keep my word to myself for the rest of the week and keep making progress to a healthier me!

A Week at Home

In the car riding home from a week(ish) in Arcata. I definitely ate my fill of Los Bagels and drank a fair amount of wine/champagne. But I didn't go over board on eating out or filling my plate until its overflowing at thanksgiving.

I didn't do any exercise while on vacation (except doing the Wii with family).

I have already made a grocery list for Trader Joe's for tonight and am going to make a gym schedule tonight when I get home and try to keep on it. I don't work at the restaurant until Friday so I am looking to get in some serious gym time Monday-thursday.

It will be interesting what the numbers say tomorrow on the scale! :)

Heading into the Holidays

Weighed in yesterday and again no scale movement, at all, not even a .2 lb. I have been making better choices at what I'm taking home from work (I've had soup and salad like 4 days in a row, and plan on getting it again today). But I also have gone out for drinks with my roommate a few times this week. And sometimes drinks included dinner and I didn't make good choices.

Last night we had a talk about not enabling each other to make bad choices. We were both doing really well in the start of the year and summer, but have both been making less than stellar choices.  We decided not to ask each other to go to drinks or dinner and support each other in going to the gym more often. She also rides for "Team in Training" for cancer and her training starts in February so she is going to be totally back on the wagon after that and I need to follow suit!

I have decided to not deprive myself of a great thanksgiving meal when I go home, but I have decided to make conscious decisions about what I eat and how much I eat of it. I also need to not pig out Los Bagels and other yummy food from home.

While at home I am bringing some of my healthy recipe books and maybe some cooking light magazines to plan meals (especially dinners) for when I come back. I have Sunday and Monday night off from the restaurant and can shop/prep/cook items for the next week. I also need to find a way to work in the gym! I really do miss going, but am going to have to get up super early or go super late. But I need to go.

My friend Lance who is a personal trainer and all over fitness powerhouse got a fortune that he posted on facebook yesterday, "If you develop the habits of success, you will make success a habit." I need to get back in the habit!

Crazy Week Was an Understatement

Work at school this week was beyond insane. Students flipping desks, the teacher not controlling the class while feeding them cupcakes, poptarts, and candy (great idea, right?!). Needless to say I didn't make it to the gym at all this week. And even in my best attempts to have food prepared for lunch and dinner I did eat out more than I wanted to this week. I did take the time in the morning to prepare a scramble and english muffin every morning, which I felt good about.

I stepped on the scale to see what things looked like after no gym and not eating my ideal foods for weight loss. No movement. Good because I have not been vigilant in eating well or exercising.

Thursday started a 6 day run of work days at the restaurant. On Thursday night I got a free mini pizza (for free with my shifts) to take to school for lunch. Last night I brought home a pizookie (basically a big cookie). It was a bad decision but at the time chocolate sounded so good. I have made plans on my iPhone and the MyFitness app to get a Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Salad from work today after my shift to have with a half turkey sandwich. And have planned my calories for the day.

I also had time before my shift today to make a health conscious breakfast. I made a crustless quiche (which turned out great!).
Recipe:
1 egg
2 egg whites
2 slices diced canadian bacon
1 cup spinach
1 slice diced smoked gouda

I mixed everything together and put it in a small pyrex dish and baked at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the eggs were firm. I paired it with a fat free english muffin and some hot apple cider. I am feeling very full and satisfied from my homemade breakfast.

New Week, Crazy Week

Well I weighed in this morning and saw no scale movement. I kind of expected this. Although I am happy I made it to the gym as much as I did last week, I also ate out for dinner more than I would have liked to.

I was diligent about my breakfasts and lunches but totally was unprepared for dinner. Something to work on this week.

This up coming week is going to be rough for the gym. I am working all but two days at my restaurant job. Not only does this eliminate time for the gym (after commute time I only have an hour between the two jobs) but it is also going to be hard to turn down the free and fast food they offer at the end of each shift. After an almost 12 hour day it's hard to think about going home and making dinner, but I'm going to try my best. On the two days I don't work nights I am determined to go to the gym.

I'll keep you updated on my progress in this crazy week leading up to thanksgiving break!!

Wednesday: So Far So Good

Got things prepared for today last night. Breakfast lunch dinner gym bag. The works.

But when the alarm went off I couldn't pull myself out of bed. I thought to myself "I'll just grab a bagel at Noah's and sleep in a bit". I did sleep in and when I got up I went downstairs and decided "NO!". I will make my egg white scramble like I planned and be good. So I did. I also almost forgot to throw my bodybugg on but I ran back upstairs and threw it on.

I also fully intend on going to the gym after school (I remembered to put my ear phones in the gym bag). Today has gone well so far and I hope that it continues! :)

Below is a photo of my lunch. Grapes, rice crackers, fruit leather, balsamic spinach mozzarella salami salad. Yum!

Tuesday: Murphy's Day

Today I got up and going, I had packed lunch for today and put breakfast out on the counter, had the gym bag packed and was ready to go.

Work was hectic today, a run away girl, a kid got another in a head lock... hectic.

Off work and ready to go to the gym, and I realize I forgot my headphones. I know it doesn't seem like much, but I just couldn't go to the gym without them. I stopped by Target to get laundry soap for the billions of loads of laundry that is piling up on my bedroom floor. I think, well this is maybe a good turn of events, take a day break from running and not over do it getting back into the swing, and an opportunity to do laundry (I think I was on my last pair of socks).

I do the wash, put things in the two stacked driers and think to myself "Oh yay, they fixed the bottom dryer finally". I go back to get my dried clothes only to find that the bottom dryer clothes are still wet and cold. Crap. Put in another $1.25 and wait another hour for my clothes to be done...

I feel like as prepared as I tried to be today, things still went a little off course. But I put my head phones in my gym bag for tomorrow (instead of leaving them on the coffee table to forget in the morning rush), planned food for all three of tomorrow's meals, and did all my laundry (and now have socks for the gym).

Although today was not what I expected it to be, I am still pleased with how I worked around some 'issues' that came up. At least I didn't say "fuck it" and go to McDonald's because of how things were going (something I might have done last year).

Here is to being more prepared for Wednesday!

Monday: Good or Bad?

Sunday Night: Planned out breakfast (weight control oatmeal and a protein shake) and lunch (spinach salad with chicken and fresh mozzarella and minestrone soup) and packed a gym bag for after school. Best idea ever!

Monday morning: Got up and grabbed all my prepacked things and headed to work (after weighing in. I'm +14 from my lowest weight. A little discouraging, but at least it isn't 20, right? And I'm going to try to knock it down quick!). The teacher I work with took the day off and we had a sub. All hell broke loose and I ended up having to restrain a kid to keep her and others safe. It was a physically strenuous (she was super strong and squirmy), and emotionally draining. I thought about not going to the gym after school, but dragged my butt there anyways. I only ran for 30 minutes, but it's better than nothing. I started to feel a strain in my neck so I stopped running. I thought that it might be pulled from the restraint and I didn't want to make things worse.

Staying Healthy 10
Job                          -3
-------------------------
Total Day              7

Monday was an ok day over all. At least I'm in positive numbers

Is This Groundhog Day?

So I feel like the past week or two, has been living in the movie Groundhog Day. Not that I am living the same day over and over, but I keep redoing the same idea over and over. The idea being "I will be good this Monday". It just seems like things keep getting in my way. After my start two weeks ago, I got sick. I was sick for about a week and didn't go to the gym, and wasn't eating very well either. I also got news that a close family member was diagnosed with cancer, and that took down my energy level as well. I also stopped seeing Paul, and started talking to Steve again. It has been a crazy two weeks in my personal life to say the least. Not to mention the chaos that is happening at work. The school job is mentally exhausting and not my ideal job by any means. I have also been focusing on studying for the CSET. I took the General Science CSET yesterday in hopes of finding a teaching job one way or another to have my own classroom again.

I am hoping now that my test is over, my health is better, and my personal life has calming down a bit, that I will be able to get back to the gym and making good eating choices.

I haven't been planning my meals very well and as a result I've been eating out a lot more. Which is bad for my health because I haven't been making the best food choices, and it is bad for my wallet because I'm spending too much money.

I am over being in this Groundhog Day type cycle and am making a change THIS Monday. (I really wish this is the last time I say this).

Tools For Getting Out of This Cycle:
-Plan meals better (breakfast and lunch especially)
-Get my ass to the gym! Make an appointment in my phone to go to the gym and dont make excuses
-More effort to make good choices (stop and think, even if I'm tired, is this a good idea)