Happy Monday, all! This is my first blog post on my long road to dropping the extra pounds. I had a very busy weekend consisting of friends' birthdays, BBQs, and booze, where I ate and drank way more than I should have. It’s time to get back on track and whip myself into shape!
Photo Credit: Kzenon/iStockPhoto
Quick Tips:
Prep your meals on the weekend. Last Friday, I wrote down my grocery list with all of the meals I planned on making for the week. I’m obsessively organized, so this is a great way for me to make sure I’m eating healthy. Plus, I save money at the same time. On Sunday, I made my and Rene’s lunches for the week, chopping up all my fruits and veggies and packing them out into small snack bags for the week. I’m not messing around!
Count calories (without going crazy). I’m using the app called MyFitnessPal to track everything I eat. It's awesome because I put my weight and height in, and it tells me how many calories I’m allowed for the day (right now, I'm allowed 1370).
Remember that weight loss won’t happen overnight. I had my first weigh-in this past Saturday, and I was down just one pound since I was last weighed two weeks ago. It was really frustrating to see that, especially considering that Rene lost three and only worked out once this week! I've been trying hard, but this just means I need to work harder — more motivation for next week’s weigh-in!
Plan ahead for social situations. At my office, every Thursday is “Taco Thursday,” which is not a good thing for me! They make these fried fish tacos that are literally mouthwatering. But, instead, I ordered shrimp tacos, which just have shrimp, tomatoes, and avocado, and I ate them without the wrap. True, it wasn't as delicious as the fish tacos, but it was still satisfying enough. And while dining out with family on Friday morning, I simply ordered an egg white omelet with cheese, spinach, and onion – hold the home fries.
Vary your workouts. After my disappointing weigh-in, my trainer introduced some new intense workouts, and boy, did it feel good! When I walked out, I was already so sore that I could barely even make it down the stairs. I have a good feeling about this new plan.
Daily Diaries:
Monday, June 10: When I got to work, I made myself a skinny latte with nonfat milk and ate two hard-boiled eggs. For lunch, I had grilled chicken on a whole-wheat wrap with some avocado and reduced-fat shredded cheese. I heated it up in the microwave and had some watermelon on the side — it was delicious! Between lunch and dinner, I munched on raw baby carrots and about a cup of grapes for snacks. For dinner, Rene made a recipe I got from Weight Watchers, which consists of shrimp and sugar snap peas in a ginger chicken broth. I'm lucky he’s such a great cook and has dinner ready for me when I come home. It was so yummy!
Unfortunately, I did not work out today because... I was lazy and tired. Eating-wise, though, day one was a success!
Tuesday, June 11: I woke up this morning and couldn’t stop thinking about working out later (I hope this lasts!). I started the day with the same breakfast as yesterday. For lunch, I had some leftovers from last night’s dinner, and for dinner, I made another Weight Watchers-friendly recipe I found. It was amazing – chicken breasts rolled with prosciutto, fresh spinach and roasted red peppers in a lemon and olive oil marinade with whole-wheat bread crumbs. I served it over brown rice with a side salad, and it was perfect!
I did the first workout my trainer Bonne Marcus gave me tonight (twice through!), and it felt so good. The workout consists of five intervals of lower body, upper body and abs, so I'm really working everything. Rene did it once through with me and did really well, too, — it just took a little pushing.
Thursday: June 13: Today is my Friday! My company gives us summer Fridays, so we are off every other Friday in the summer. Of course, it’s going to rain tomorrow, but that just means I have no choice but to work out. For dinner, Rene and I went out for sushi, and I had a miso soup and two rolls. I probably shouldn't have eaten the rolls with the rice, but I couldn't resist. Unfortunately, I couldn't resist the half cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream I ate after that either. Ugh.
Friday, June 14: I got to sleep in until 9 a.m. this morning! I know it may not sound late, but I'm used to waking up at 5:30, so it felt amazing. I got up and did some work (on my day off, I know...), and hit the gym. I did a half hour on the elliptical and then did some shoulders, chest and biceps exercises on the machines. I spent the rest of the day relaxing with a friend. I ate my leftover sushi for lunch, and for dinner, I had a garden salad with tuna. We watched a movie and went to bed (crazy Friday night, I know!).
Saturday, June 15: Wake-up call at 8:30 for our workout with Aunt Bonne! Though my first weigh-in was disappointing, it just made me even more motivated for the following week. Bonne gave me a tough new workout routine. I'll share some exercises in the new routine next week. After the workout, I headed off to the beach to catch some rays with my girlfriend Nicole. Hope you all had a good weekend!
—Jennifer Crow
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