Learning to Kick My Own Butt - July Challenge!
Hi all! I've been on the lazy train for a couple of weeks months. I've been true to my word and have not taken on extra work projects until the fall. I am 82% Type A so having a lot of down time drives me crazy. Instead of taking the day by storm, I tend to sit with my thoughts for too long, which sends me down a road I don't want to travel. I'm not even a TV junkie, but the web on the other hand... I don't know where all of my motivation went. I'm thoroughly sick of reverting back to old habits. We are half way through the year and I don't have much to show for it.
Manhattan Bridge Recap
I swear this is not a photo blog! I'll be back soon with a "real" post but until then, here are some shots of our walk over the Manhattan Bridge (from 5.30.09):
The views are absolutely amazing. Not many people at all. It just might be better than the Brooklyn Bridge, but we will see. I wasn't really looking forward to this walk, but I'm so glad we did it. We had lunch at a great place right off of the bridge in Chinatown and made out way back to our car on the Brooklyn side. I recommend parking in Brooklyn as it's almost impossible in Chinatown.
One big down side is definitely the noise. The train passes very frequently and right next to the walk path. On the plus side, the walk path and bike paths are separated. There were only a few stray bikers to watch out for. Next up, the Brooklyn Bridge!
Williamsburg Bridge Walk - recap
It was a lovely day. The bridge span is 1.4 miles each way. We speed walked (spedwalked?) at times but the view was just too beautiful to ignore. We walked around the neighborhood under the bridge and rested at a park before making our way over.
Commencing Bridge Walk 2009
Last week's 5K event has sparked a goal-setting craze in me. There was something about starting and completing the event that has given me a feeling of accomplishment. Something I miss since finishing school. I've decided to keep the good vibes going for as long as I can.
The weather here in New York City couldn't get any better. Now is the time for us New Yorkers to get out and enjoy the city for all of its glory. One thing I've always wanted to do is walk/jog over all of lower East River bridges which include the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. I plan on making this a reality over the next couple of weeks.
I'm starting with the Williamsburg Bridge because it's always intrigued me. My family lives nearby in Manhattan and I feel it's the lesser known/respected of the three bridges. I plan on jogging in both directions with a stop over in Williamsburg for lunch with the hubby.
I encourage everyone to walk/jog your local bridges. I've walked the Brooklyn and George Washington bridges before and loved it! It's a great way to enjoy beautiful scenery and burn a few calories. I might expand this to other crossings. Stay tuned for pictures!
Run For The Wild - My First 5K
As I type this right now, my calves and shins are punishing me for the beating I laid on them yesterday. We arrived at The Bronx Zoo at 7:30am to check-in and received our tees. The first mistake I made was not eating breakfast before we left. I was hoping there would be food for sale. There was only free coffee, which I was very grateful for after 5 hours of sleep. The weather was absolutely perfect. Mid-fifties at the start of the race. A sponsor held a yoga session to stretch us out, which totaled at about 3,000 people!
We stayed at the back of the pack with the children and strollers. I had no intention of running. We speed-walked 95% of the way with a short jog in the middle. My second mistake was wearing leggings that kept creeping down! I had to constantly pull them up which definitely slowed me down. It's unfortunate because my legs actually felt better while jogging. The scenery along the walk was wonderful. We had glimpses of animals and bird songs to keep us going. The walk was hilly and curvy at times which definitely worked out my thigh muscles.
Everyone was in a wonderful mood. The last mile felt like an eternity. My shins and calves were on fire for the first 2 miles. My legs felt better during the last mile but my lungs began to burn. We made a turn and finally saw the '3 mile' sign. We finished! A radio station was at the finish line to greet us with cheers, and jokes. I forgot to check our time, but I'd say we ended in around 1 hour. Tables were set up with goodies and food! I was totally surprised when I saw fruit, yogurt, breads and water. Everyone received a goodie bag with a free toy (an eco-friendly themed Diego toy), organic body wash and smaller freebies. My face was a nice shade of red but I was very surprised at how well I felt. I was back to 100% after the snacks.
Tiki Barber ran and later signed autographs. There were also free massages. The lines for both were way too long so I snapped a few shots of Tiki and we moved on.
We made our way to the Congo exhibit since we received free tickets. We went to see what we huffed and puffed for. The biggest gorilla sat right in the middle of the display window for us. He seemed very relaxed and just gazed at us as his family strolled and played in the background. He was probably more worried about 'mastering his domain', but he just might have been thanking us. Ok, maybe not.
I'd say it was a complete success being it was their first annual 5K and they managed to raise a decent amount of money. I will definitely do this event again and will sign up for other 5K events. I've taken away a couple of lessons such as:
Get enough sleep!
Wear comfortable (and fitting) clothing.
Eat a nutrient-rich meal beforehand.
Stretch before and afterward thoroughly.
Take a painkiller before bed.
On top of the 5K, my family and I took an impromptu road trip up to Bear Mountain State Park. We picnicked and enjoyed the gorgeous weather and scenery. My husband and I were tired and are paying the piper today but it was a great day!
Link Love - April 24, 2009
- Stevia - The New "Green" Sweetener? - That's Fit
- The 22 Healthiest Fast Foods - SparkPeople
- Take a Peek at a Healthy Eater's Meal Plan - Daily Spark
- 56 Simple Ways to Live Just a Little Bit Greener - Roni's Weigh
- Get Michelle Obama's Arms Sans Gym - Never Say Diet
5K Run for the Wild - Bronx Zoo - April 25, 2009
Run to help save Gorillas in 2009. We need your help in protecting a species that is at great risk of extinction. Sign up now for Run for the Wild and start the race to save Gorillas. Or if you can’t participate in the event, you can still take action by making a pledge!
Breakfast of (Busy) Champions
I just cooked a small batch of pancakes (yes, at 8pm) for my husband. He's gotten into the habit of cooking breakfast the night before. He always assumed pancakes during the week were out of the question because they take too much work and time to make. On a recent trip to the supermarket, I picked up a box of Fiber One Complete pancake mix. The look of hope on his face said it all. "But, it will take too long to cook in the morning." I showed him the 3 steps and two ingredients (mix and water) and he fell in love. Since no dairy is added, he can probably mix a batch, cook in the morning and leave in the fridge for a couple of days. I was surprised at how well he makes them. They come out nicely browned and fluffy. I'm lacking in the pancake making skills department to say the least.
I'm not a pancake lover. I'm not even an egg lover unless they're over easy with home fries and turkey bacon. My breakfast of choice is a parfait aka strained yogurt, pecan praline granola, and sliced strawberries. I love fage but the price is too high. I buy a couple of tubs of low fat plain yogurt and strain it in my fridge over night. I sweeten it with a little pure cane sugar. This is also my dessert of choice. Granola is a bit high in calories so I might try muesli soon. My standbys are farina and my favorite cereal of all time, Raisin Nut Bran with 2% milk. I've been eating this since I was in my tweens. My choices are not the healthiest but are better than most options out there...and delicious.
What's your breakfast of choice?
Getting (Wii) Fit
I had a $40 certificate for Best Buy and had no idea what to buy...until I remembered the Wii Fit! I called ahead and had one put aside. I intend on using it in conjunction with my regular workouts at the gym. I'm going to try for 30 days straight and then I'll alternate days or do a double workout if I'm feeling energetic.
The games are fun and gave me a nice burn in my legs. The short distance run left me out of breath. I exercised this morning so that might be why it was difficult for me. I really like the balance games and have yet to try the yoga poses. I might do the yoga in the morning to start my day.
Here are a few more exercise games for your Wii:
Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009
Golds Gym Cardio Workout - 3/31/09
EA Sports Active - 5/19/09
Hi, Remember Me?
The good news is I'm down a pound from my pre-vacation weigh-in. I was actually up 4 pounds when I got back which I'm sure was due to sodium and dessert overload. Spring is around the corner so it's time to kick back into high gear. I'll start tracking and planning meals tomorrow.
Side note: I just re-discovered Fage yogurt. I tried it once without a sweetner and was overwhelmed by the tart taste. I decided to try it again with Splenda (yea, I'm weening myself off) and my usual granola. It is DELICIOUS! It's expensive but if it makes me look forward to breakfast than I'm all for it.
Video: The Truth about Splenda/Sucralose!
Eek! This guy is making a lot of sense. But oh how I love Splenda. The idea that it is made from sugar always made me feel safe. Come to find out it is a highly altered chemical. I've tried agave nectar (not sweet enough) and cane sugar. I really like cane sugar but it's just empty calories. I'm very interested in Stevia and may pick some up soon.
Video: Weight Loss Tips: Muscle!!!
I've begun to (very slowly) incorporate weight training into my routine. Muscle is extremely important for revving up our metabolisms and (eventually) maintaining weight loss. Beginning in March, I will add a weight training routine two days a week at home in addition to my usual cardio workouts.
How NOT to Sabatoge Your Weight Loss on Vacation
My husband and I will be vacationing and visiting fam in the Carribean next week. It's nerve-racking thinking about all the ways I can sabotage myself. I've always threw caution to the wind on vacations and returned with at least a couple of pounds gained. Our last vacation was all-inclusive which is a dieter's worst nightmare. To avoid the debauchery, I'll actually have a plan of attack this time.
It turns out there are no all-inclusive hotels in the area of the island we're visiting. We booked a room with a kitchen and dining area. What's even nicer is there's a deck at which we can eat our meals facing the water. The first thing we'll do after checking in is hitting the supermarket. We'll cook ALL of our breakfasts, some lunches and stock up on bottled water, fruit and snacks to bring with us on outings.
Because we'll be in the Caribbean, I'll try to have as much (steamed/baked) seafood and fruit (mmm mango!) as I can stomach. It will be difficult to stay strong as most dishes are fried on the island but I'll try to keep my meals, especially dinner, as healthy as possible. I'll allow myself 3 dinners that I won't obsess over. Drinks alone can easily put me over my calories for the day. One Piña Colada can easily top 700 calories! I'll stick to light beers and wine (and maybe one Piña Colada.) I'm bringing my laptop in hopes that I'll have a connection and can track my calories.
We'll be on the coast for 5 days and the mountains for 4. I'll be packing my sneakers to have long (1 hour minimum) walks on the beach and then in the mountains every other day. I think it'll be a great way to explore our surroundings, snap pictures and keep active. My aunt is vegetarian and a very healthy (and excellent) cook so I'm pretty excited to see (and taste) what she cooks up. I missed her famous shrimp soup the last time I visited because I was sick. I'll be the first one at the table if she makes it again.
Valen-birthday Weekend and New Workout Gear
Happy Valentine's Day!
Here are some healthy and decadent desserts to enjoy!
Beginning to Love the Treadmill
"I only have ONE body and one life." wait, is that from a commercial?
"They're just legs, they can take the beating!"
"I will look so much better in my 30's than my 20's."
"I will be a MILF one day!"
"I want to be the old lady that still exercises."
"I am stronger than I think I am."
My weight loss has slowed down a bit but I'm happy that I had a loss this week. I exceeded my calorie limit by a little bit a couple of days and I skipped a couple of workouts. I had a stressful week but I'm back on track and looking forward to a great weigh-in next week.
EDIT: I knew that first quote was from a commercial! Check it out here. Boy, talk about TV affecting the subliminal mind. LOL
