How far would you go for your lunch?

So today, I thought I had all my ducks in a row, planned ahead and got outside to start up the car to let it warm a bit to clear off the windshield...  Put the dogs out in their pen. Gave goodbye hugs to Matthew and Jenna. Dropped my high schooler off at the bus stop and headed off to work - 8 minutes ahead of my usual time for all of this stuff...  Little did I know that I would end up being at work 20 minutes late...  Why you ask?

Well I got about 13 minutes away from home when it dawned on me that I didn't have my lunch...  The thought crossed my mind of trying to just stop out and get lunch... but when you eat a certain amount of calories every 3-4 hours - and those calories are in balance (protein/carbs/fat) it isn't that easy to just go pick up lunch...

I have stuff measured out in portions in ziploc containers like I have at the top of this post, and it is all planned out. I generally eat the same thing everyday during my time at work - and I like that... I like that it is consistent - it doesn't get boring to me - it just "works."

So I made the choice to return back home and get my lunch...  It made me be later at work than I wanted to be, but it is all ok - it worked out...  I survived... Work survived even with me getting there a bit later than usual...  And I think it was worth it...  For me going to the store to try to get replacement lunch, or to fast food (there are a *few* things out there that are balanced through a drive through) is just more temptation than I want to buy stuff that I don't need...

I am not seeing weight come off as much as I had hoped... Slow and steady is good, but I am thinking about where I could work things a bit more - and realizing the evenings have sort of been a "free for all" who cares that it is supposed to be 3-4 hours between eating - I have just been grazing...

So I am going to set a short term goal to eat my afternoon snack 3:30ish, have dinner at 6:30ish and then bedtime snack at 9:30ish... And not an endless supply of this and that - thinking it is ok if I just have "a little."  Well a little of this and a little of that can add up, and while I may be logging the calories of what all the "littles" are - I am not keeping my blood sugar in check and I am keeping my body from releasing stored fats and burning them through the evening and the night...

Here's to making the right decisions...

Nice article about my TrekDesk walking...

http://www.accountingweb.com/topic/technology/fit-and-focused-accounting-professionals-discover-trekdesk

I love how well written this article is... :)

A new low...

As of this morning - I am the lowest weight I have been in over 4 years... :)  That makes me feel pretty darn good...  It is only downhill from here - with the numbers - but not with the work/lifestyle that I need to keep up with to keep seeing results and maintain what I have worked so hard for...

This lowest weight is 34 lbs lower than 1/24/2011 when I recommitted myself to trying to get healthier and 44 lbs lower than my all time high...  While I am not comfortable sharing my actual weight on an open forum - the actual number on the scale isn't really the point - the numbers on the scale relative to each other are what matters to me - how much of a change I have been able to make in those numbers while making healthier choices.

I picked up a new-open-box scale yesterday at goodwill (people buy stuff at Target, open it - return it because they didn't like it and then Target donates it to Goodwill because the box/package is not in resale condition)... I got a scale that retails for $50 for $15 at Goodwill...  The other scale that I have been using is frustrating for me... I can get on it first thing in the morning and it will say one number, move the scale on the floor a few inches and it will say another number... Still later (after sitting at the computer for 10-15 minutes in the morning) I can step on it again and see another totally different number... All of these numbers are +/- 3-5 lbs of each other...  Yes consumption (of water and food) and time of day can cause numbers to fluctuate through out the day if you weigh yourself in the morning vs at night - but we are talking a maximum of 15 minutes apart and sometimes just a few seconds apart!  This has been annoying to me - and yes my husband had a simple suggest of just weighing ONCE on the old scale and then I would never have any concern about varying numbers... (Funny guy...)

So finding another scale was nice... I got on it several times this morning (like I used to do on the other one) and it was consistent every time I got on it...

Know another interesting thing about it?  It reads my weight as being 7 lbs lighter than the old scale...  I am not ready to record myself as having just lost an extra 7 lbs overnight - but I sure like the number it had on it!  It is below another threshold I had for myself that is exciting...  A few more days seeing that number and I think it will become "reality" for my mind...

I think I will switch over to the new scale totally as of the first of March - and just make notes for myself that I did - so I still have a valid amount of weight lost (back to the numbers relative to each other) for February and then for March using the new scale...

Fun, Fun, Fun...

The Revolution

The Revolution on ABC started about a month ago - and I am so happy to have found the show and promptly set my DVR to record the show, as I learn so much from watching it.

Ty Pennington (from Extreme Home Makeovers), Tim Gunn (from Project Runway), an OB/GYN Dr, a counselor, and a celebrity trainer round out the cast for the daily show that shares all sorts of tips for making yourself healthier from the inside out... From dressing for your body style, to eating healthy, to training tips for toning up areas that you would like to take care of, to easy do it yourself design and home repairs, to walking through emotional problems from your past that keep you from meeting your full potential - this show is chocked full of interesting and educational material!  They also have a "hero" each week that within the 5 days of the week they show you her transformation over 5 months of the team working with her to get healthier...  They show her triumphs, her struggles, training, learning to eat better and working through emotional issues that keep her from being healthier...  It is such a neat concept that they have all of these stories to share with us and we can see the progress over a week - rather than a whole season of the show!

I rarely watch the news because there is so little material that is positive - so this show is a breath of fresh air with nothing but positive energy (if not positive - they help you learn how to turn it into one!)  It is the perfect compliment to my continued journey to be healthier...

If you haven't checked it out - you should!

Just chillin...

This weekend I did something I haven't done in a long time... I chilled out... a bit of cleaning here and there, but not much more than that... Normal laundry, TV watching, playing games with the kids... But for the first time in as long as I can remember, I did not do one thing - exercise...

Sometimes it is good to give your body a break, and a break I did give it!  While it felt good, I know that if I had done it for any longer, I would probably try to make it a habit. And a habit of not exercising is not good for my body, mind and soul...  It feels good to be back walking at my Trekdesk today - getting my body back into moving - what it really likes!

Be sure to give yourself a chance to rest from time to time - your body will appreciate it...

Move on...

Ever have a day that someone brings in a dozen donuts & you can't resist having one?
Ever go ahead and have something like this and then it turns out to not be "all that..." ?  Like it didn't really taste all that good, afterwards you are feeling like UGG... That wasn't worth it?

Well gotta just move on - no regrets, just bottle up the feeling of UGG and remember it for next time when you are faced with a decision like that again.

As you can tell - I ate a donut like above this morning & it just wasn't all that... the 210 calories I ate were not worth it, I could have ENJOYED something else for less calories and less regret...

But it is not the end of the world - I move on and make better choices going forward from here...  :)

One bite at a time, one decision at a time...

Water, Water, water

I usually drink 99% of my fluid as plain old water - water from the water cooler at work, or the well at home (no tap water for me - after drinking well water for so long, I can taste all the stuff that city water has added to it and it doesn't taste good at all...)  Anyhow I digress...

A general recommendation for water consumption is 1/2 ounce for each pound of your weight. I probably come close to that...  But by being in the right place at the right time last week, I have found a way that I am enjoying getting the water in me even more...  How you ask?  Well while shopping at Goodwill, I was looking at one of the treasured carts of "new stock" that comes in as markdowns from Target and Fred Meyer & I found a camelbak water bottle... It was only $3 - they retail for $9 - so it was perfect to give one of these a try. I normally am not a fan of something that uses a straw - but I LOVE this...  Only drawback to the one I found is that it only holds 17 ounces... The bottle had been using before this one holds 24 ounces - so I am refilling the bottle constantly...  I really enjoy drinking out of it so I just splurged and purchased a 1 liter bottle off of ebay for $16 - and I will have 32 ounces in a bottle at a time - it will be great... Not only will I be back up to using a larger bottle that doesn't need refilled as often (less stops while walking at the Trekdesk) - but it will take less bottles full to get to my goal in a day of how much to drink...

A win win all the way around...

That is what is great about fitness, dieting and getting healthier - different things work for different people. All of us are different, each of us have our own tastes, preferences and things that work for us. For me this water bottle and sipping from the sipper that is like the traditional camelbak bite valve works great & I find myself drinking more.  Some of my coworkers use water bottles that you have to unscrew the lid - me, before switching to the straw, I could only use flip tops - the thought of having to unscrew the lid constantly would drive me bonkers (and anyone that knows me knows that isn't a long drive... LOL)

Remember whatever works for you is what you should do - each of us are on our own journey to health & the paths we take are our own - sometimes seeing what is on someone else's path will help us with our own, but ultimately it is what works for YOU that matters...

Extra, Extra...

It's in between times to eat and you feel yourself wanting to reach for something to munch on... Do what I do, grab some gum... It gives your mouth something to do & tricks you mind into thinking you are eating something (since you are chewing), but without calories or spikes in sugar!  That's all good in my book...

I have one of these packs on my TrekDesk, in my purse and in the car in order to have them handy whenever I need them... I will also pop in a piece of gum while cooking so that I am not tempted to nibble on what I am preparing for dinner...

The only thing that chewing gum hinders for me is my water consumption - because the gum never seems to taste as good right after I drink - so sometimes I will take it out of my mouth, take a drink of water and then pop it back in and it is all good...

Any way about it - it is one of the tricks I have learned in order to limit my snacking...

Pants on the ground... Almost...

Anyone that has been a fan of American Idol in the last few years will remember the guy that came in and sang about pants on the ground...  And we all know how silly the young men look that purposely wear their pants big and their underwear are showing instead of pulling their darn pants up...

Even though the tape measure isn't really showing that much of a change in the inches on my braline, waist or hips - well maybe a little bit, but my clothes are really telling the story...

I am wearing my "favorite" pants today - they are a nice pair of slacks that are cotton & light in weight so I don't roast while I am walking at work... But they are driving me nuts today... They have gotten really baggy in the legs and I can take them off without unbuttoning them...  Luckily the hips are keeping them from falling off on their own, but if I had another pair of pants with me - I would be changing...

Don't get me wrong - I really like having this issue - but until I am able to take them off and put on a better fitting pair of pants...  It's about time to go through more of my closet and see if I can rotate out some more of the larger stuff and perhaps pull down some of the too small ones that were stashed away to shrink into...

This is all good!

Pushed through...

Today my foot and ankle were not feeling good, and even though they weren't feeling good - I pushed through... Not sure if this was the best decision to push through the pain (with the help of a bit of advil) but I can't stand sitting & standing seems wrong, so I just did what I know how to do WALK while I work...

Hoping a weekend of not walking on a treadmill, and a few other activities for exercise will help my foot feel better...  I think I am caught in a bit of a catch 22 that will require a bit of pushing to get out of... I think my feet will feel better when I get a bit more weight off my frame, but I have to walk and exercise in order to get that weight off... So for now I cautiously continue on...

Learned something new...

So today I posted my daily walking miles on www.dailymile.com - where I always post them... I have a few online friends that also walk while they work, and we follow each other's progress on walking. Today I made a comment about bumping up my speed for walking & how I hoped to see an increase in calorie burn...  Joan on there pointed out to me that it is not the case that I will burn more calories - that walking at a slower speed will burn more calories...  I immediately took off my bodymedia armband to look at my burn data for the day - setting out to try to disprove her.  But you know what?  She was right...  I was showing 24-30 calories less per hour of active walking when I was walking at 2.2 MPH vs the 2.0 that I was walking before...  I was amazed!

She sent me to this online calculator - http://walking.about.com/library/cal/uccalc1.htm  which shows that walking 2.0 vs 2.5 burns more calories - and she also explained a little bit of why it burns less calories at the faster speed - because of the built up momentum when you are walking faster - so it takes less kinetic energy to move your body at the faster speed.

Now this only seemed to pan out when I used the calculator for comparing walking my normal walking distance of 5 miles at 2.0 vs 2.5 vs 3.0 - when I used the 5 miles and put in 4.0 MPH the calorie burn went up. But I don't plan to walk much faster at my Trekdesk and still be able to manage to do my work.

So I will be taking my speed back to 2.0 and playing with the incline (as much as my foot can tolerate) to get a bit more of a burn (or to keep my body guessing...)

Not going to do it...

I won't let this basket of candy that is in my office right now win... No, No, No...  I won't!

There is a class that is going to be going on here tomorrow so there are extra things in the office that are goodies for the people that will be at the class tomorrow...  This basket is sitting on the stairs - just 50 ft away from me...  There are many things in there that look soooo good, and would taste really good as well - but no - I am not going to give into the basket...

Yes, I do have candy from time to time - er almost daily - but in moderation...  15-20 plain m&ms are only 60 calories and I can savor the flavor of them in my mouth and really enjoy them (as opposed to a candy bar where it is hard to eat in really small amounts and savor the taste...)  And I could eat one or two of these candies in moderation - but it just isn't worth it - not worth the spike in my blood sugar that could happen if I ate it without balancing the carbs/sugars out with protein and the like...  The same blood sugar spike that would tell my body to store it's fat, that it has immediate sugar energy it can use instead of releasing fats to burn - and help me get healthier...

So I took this picture really quickly & walked away from the basket & smiled as I pushed start on my treadmill and got back to walking at my TrekDesk...  It is all good... Another good choice checked off!

One choice/decision/bite at a time...

Bumping up speed...

Yesterday on a whim I pushed the speed up button 2 times to make my speed that I am walking go from 2.0 MPH to 2.2 MPH... Yes that may seem slow for being on a treadmill - but I am at a TrekDesk and working at the same time!  Most people are comfortable with 1-1.8 MPH and I have always done 2.0 MPH and felt good about it...  Yesterday & all of today, I have bumped up the speed to 2.2 and I feel good - I feel like I am pushing myself a bit more, while still managing to do my work at the same time... It takes a bit of getting used to, but it is working...  :)  Hopefully I will see a difference in my caloric burn for the day as well...

Something else that happened yesterday... I got BUSY at work with lots of stuff outside of my office... I didn't complete my 5 mile goal for the day at work (for the first time this year) - but I was sure to finish it out at home last night! While my absolute goal for myself for this year is to do 5 miles at my Trekdesk per workday, there may be days like yesterday that it just doesn't work out...  I was bummed about it, but when facing the choice of staying at work longer just to complete my miles AT WORK, and going home to finish them out, I chose finishing them out at home...  :)  So before dinner I fired up the computer in front of my treadmill at home (with the makeshift desk at it) and I surfed the internet, and got in the remaining 1.57 miles that I needed to meet my 5 mile goal...

Weight history

Found this picture of me from 1996 - it was in a flyer for the place I worked for at the time (thus the black and white) - this is me at my heaviest - I was at that weight from about 1996 to 2002

 I am amazed as I have looked back over the pictures and the weight history I could find for myself, amazed to find that I stayed at my highest weight for over 6 years, through two pregnancies!

Dec 2010 - at my heaviest in 5 years

 This is one of the only pictures I can find from just over a year ago, when I was at my highest weight since losing over 100 lbs in 2003-2004...  I was about 10 lbs lighter in this picture than I guess I was in the black and white one...  I wore smaller clothes than I did near my heaviest because I was/am more toned, but still the scale didn't lie that I was way too close to being at my all time heaviest again...

Dec 2011 - about 26 lbs down

A year of TrekDesk walking and changing my eating habits, and I am down over 32 lbs from Dec 2010 - just a few pounds away from being my lightest in over 3 years...  When I hit that point,  I will post another picture...

I love looking back and stuff like this, it shows where I have been & where I don't want to go back to...

I have also looked today back over my history since I started tracking body fat percentage (when I learned more about why it is important taking my nutrition certification class) - and since September I have lost 11 lbs and maintained my Lean Body Mass - so all 11 lbs were of fat!  That is good, means I am doing what I am supposed to do - eating correctly to release and burn stored body fat!

No, No I can't do that...

Started out in a good mood, as the sun is shining and they are forecasting that it is going to stick around for several days into the future... :)  That always makes me :)  Then there were a few communication break downs at the office - a major pet peeve of mine, and I found myself frustrated and down...  My mind kept thinking about what I could grab to eat as a "comfort."  But my mind also knows that comforting myself with food is not what I should do...  I need to break the cycle for myself of comfort eating...

There are lots of ways that I am trying to combat the comfort food cycle... The biggest help is not having junk around that I could comfort myself with... At work that really isn't a problem - because I simply don't have anything other than my meals with me to eat...  (Home is another story with kids in the house, and a hubby that is able to eat just about anything and maintain his waistline...)

Along side not having the junk around to eat, at work I am able to just get into a "zone" and work on stuff by  getting my treadmill going and starting to walk at my TrekDesk - and I can't forget the headphones at the same time - they are an integral part of the "zone..."

All of what I am talking about are simply choices - choices to eat better, choices not to cram food in to drown out my frustrations or stress... Finding a different way to deal with the stress is forming a good habit - rather than continuing on the path of bad habits and comfort eating.

There are so many ways to deal with stress other than eating through it...

• Take a walk
• Walk away from the area where the stress started
• Take deep breaths
• Talk it out with someone
• Exercise
• Read a book
• And so many more...

Thought this was cute - as I usually have salad for dinner each night & am working hard at making good choices on the toppings for the salad - to keep the salad "healthy"