Friday, June 18, 2010

Back in the Game

Well, well, well ... surprise, surprise. I let the game of life get in the way of me posting to my dear blog. But I'm BACK ... even though it is the end of the week.

I got a fresh start today with 90 minutes of Yoga this morning, for Thursday wasn't my best performance. Despite starting the day off bicycling around my neighborhood and beyond for 45 minutes, my mid-afternoon cravings kicked in (thank you PMS).

I chart my daily food and calorie intake via SparkPeople and have been doing so for a little over a month. Lately, the weekends have been a struggle, but I've stuck to it throughout the week. Well yesterday, all I wanted to do was snack from 3pm until dinner. It seems like I grabbed anything I could find, like Quaker's Cheddar Cheese Mini Rice Cakes. Pop Chips, and peanut butter. While I stuck to the serving size of three chips for the Pop Chips (ugh!), I bent the rules and had three servings of the rice cakes. Although I used reduced fat Jif and only one slice of whole grain bread, the peanut butter sandwich put me and my calorie count waaaay over the edge. BOO!

My husband and I had a great dinner, with flank steak and cooked, sliced carrots. I've been trying like mad to measure absolutely everything, thus my flank steak was only the size of a deck of cards and I had about a half a cup of carrots. But we topped that off with some ice cream from the neighborhood creamery down the street. I know you are a beloved established around Roscoe Village, Scooter's, but I really shouldn't be your friend. Ice cream kills me in the summertime. Desserts in general do. I told my husband last night that that was my last hurrah in dessertland. Seriously. It's just too tempting and such a distraction when it comes to analyzing my overall goals of getting fit.

On Monday, I visited my primary care physician for a follow-up appointment for my allergies and I brought up my weight issues. That's where the bicycling comes in. She has provided me with an exercise challenge of bicycling for 45 minutes five times a week. Typically, I shoot for three times a week of exercise, but since I've loved riding my bike since childhood, I am going to do this five-times-a-week thing! So far, so good. Bring on next week, baby!

But if it rains, my back up plan is the Wii Fit. I fell in love with the Wii Fit in April, when my husband and I were getting settled into our new place in the Windy City. I did it regularly for an hour four times a week for nearly three weeks, but then my dedication started to wain. I am committed to fighting against that now, for the summertime weather makes it much easier to be outside and ride. Come a rain day, the Wii Fit will provide enough of a variety, I believe I can stick to it.

My doctor also suggested I start logging my exercise and times like I do with my meals. I should have been doing this all along. The tandem thing is perfect for my organized, having a plan-centric brain, so I am committed to making this happen. She says I should be able to lose 15 pounds in three months time. I am definitely good with that.

Ok, I'm 5'1 and I'm tipping the scales at 153, which is my heaviest. My mother has always been thin and not much of a foodie, since she's a smoker and has IBS issues. But I LOVE FOOD! I love hummus and pita bread, cheese, cake and pie, beer, wine, and other stuff you shouldn't eat regularly. But I don't have to be a size 4, although I was for a hot minute in college (all that biking around campus really helped!). I just want to feel good and fit into some of my cute clothes from my days working in New York City. Ideally I'd love to be a healthy size 8, but would be ok with being a 10. I'm so close ... but not close enough.

Alas, here I am ... fully committed and determined to have a much better day today. I am a snacker. It's one of my many weaknesses. But if I keep myself busy, I can avoid thoughts of snacking. I am heading out this afternoon for a haircut and a facial, and then I am going to soak up the Chicago sun for as long as it lasts ... more rain coming this weekend.

Here are some helpful suggestions, courtesy of the exercise challenge provided by my doctor, to fight against the urge to snack:

- Take a nap or go to bed early
- Read a book or a magazine
- Do a Sudoku or crossword puzzle
- Do an exercise video
- Pain your nails
- Listen to the radio or audio book
- Call or email a friend
- Write in a journal
- Look through old pictures
- Brush your teeth and/or floss
- Be creative: knit, paint or draw

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