Food and Workout Journal for January 31, 2008

Ugh....didn't do too great today (diet-wise). Still, I know it's less than what I had been eating a month ago because I was shoveling it in all day then.

6:20 a.m.: 1 whole-wheat English muffin--1 side w/butter, 1 side with a slice of American cheese; small glass OJ, 1/2 orange

9:45 a.m.: 1 large sugar cookie (it was too pretty to pass up!)

12:00 p.m.: 3 (yes, 3) pieces of Rascal House pepperoni pizza....wow, was that tasty! Diet Coke

6:00 p.m.: 1 cup OHs! cereal with 1/2 cup 2% milk; 1/2 orange

WORKOUT: Cathe Low Impact Step on 6" step (knocked it down to 4" for last intensity blast)

Food and Workout Journal for January 30, 2008

6:20 a.m.: 1 c. organic Raisin Bran with 1/2 c. 2% milk, small glass OJ

12:15 p.m.: Key West Cafe with Michelle: Blackened grouper sandwich w/cajun mayo, French fries (a little over 1/2 the serving), Diet Coke

6:00 p.m.: Ham and cheese sandwich w/mustard on wheat bun, 15 thin organic pretzel sticks, small piece chocolate cake w/icing, water

WORKOUT:

• Cathe Basic Step on 6" step (30 minutes)
• Cathe Lower Body Sculpting (20 minutes)
• Cathe Stability Ball Abs (10 minutes)
  

Food and Workout Journal for January 29, 2008

6:20 a.m.: Bowl of CoCo Wheats sweetened w/raw sugar, 1 piece toast w/peanut butter, small glass OJ

12:30 p.m.: Panera Bread with Sandy: 1/2 Turkey Bacon Bravo sandwich (turkey, 2 tiny slices bacon, lettuce, Gouda cheese on ciabatta bread), small bowl of low-fat chicken noodle soup, small bag of chips, diet coke

3:20 p.m.: 1 piece chocolate cake (on the small side) with small glass 2% milk

WORKOUT:

• Cathe Basic Step - used 6" step (30 minutes)
• Cathe Upper Body Sculpt (20 minutes)
• Cathe Stability Ball Abs (10 minutes)
  

Food and Workout Journal for January 28, 2008

6:20 a.m.: 1 c. organic Raisin Bran with 1/2 c. 2% milk, small glass OJ

12:15 p.m.: Unplanned splurge--Went to the "Blind Pig" with my former boss (I had planned on eating my packed lunch). Had 4 tortilla chips with salsa, the Southwest Chicken Wrap (grilled chicken, Chipotle mayo, mild green chilies, Cheddar Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, corn, and a side of ranch dressing served in Cheddar jalapeño tortilla), French fries (about 3/4's of the serving), 1/2 of a pickle, and diet coke

4:15 p.m.: 2 Hershey caramel kisses, 2 Milky Way Minis

6:00 p.m.: Piece of chocolate cake w/chocolate icing (hearty size!), small glass 2% milk

WORKOUT: Cathe Body Fusion on 6" step

Okay, the diet didn't go so well today. I ate a lot of junk, and the lunch was unexpected. But I did do good with my workout tonight. Even though Body Fusion is one of Cathe's "easy" workouts, it was not easy to me. I was pouring sweat. It's definitely tougher than the newer Firms I've been doing. What I love about this video is there are so many options. It has Basic Step (30 minutes), Body Fusion (50 minutes), a 20-minute Upper Body Sculpt add-on, a 20 minute Lower Body Conditioning add-on, and a 10-minute Stability Ball Abs workout. Lots of options!

Am I out of my mind?!?!

I just signed up for a three-month study group for the purpose of taking the SPHR (Senior Professional of Human Resources) certification. Honestly, I'm not sure what came over me. I knew that someday I wanted to get this certification, but I figured it was 2 or 3 years down the road. Then I saw the study courses that the local chapter of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) was having (twice a week, 2 hours a session, for 3 months), and I hurried up and signed up before I could change my mind! OY!

The thing is, I probably should take the PHR (which is a lower level of the SPHR), but I figured "what the heck...go for the gold!" I'm starting to think I'm certifiable....for real!

I know I'm going to have to spend an insane amount of time studying for this. However, I'm committing to myself (and to whomever reads this), that I will not waver from my workouts and I will continue to journal my food. That's of the utmost importance. As much as I want to get this certification, I want to get fit more.

I'm excited about starting this, but I am scared that I'm in a little over my head! I just looked at some study questions, and I didn't know any of the answers. Hope those books come fast! The testing window is May 1st through June 30th.

Lazy Sunday

Ahhh....I love having lazy Sundays. DH and I have been really big into just hanging around the house this winter. Today, I spent the day cooking, baking, and reading in front of the fire. My two current books are Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy and The Key by Joe Vitale. I'm also burning my Circle E Bird of Paradise candle, which makes the house smell wonderful.

Tonight we'll be enjoying:

• Chicken and stuffing from the slow-cooker (I added some mixed veggies and used chicken broth instead of water)
• Homemade bread from the bread maker
• Organic winter squash
• and last, but not least, some Perfectly Chocolate Cake

Yeah, I know that last part is not the best for my weight loss plan. But I figured a lot of eating right is a matter of portion size and not having tons of leftovers (which I'll continue to eat). I used two 8"x8" pans and froze the other cake to use in a month or so. Hopefully it will freeze okay. With an 8"x8" cake, I figure it's about 9 small pieces. I'll most likely get two out of the whole things, which is fine. DH and his friends will eat the rest!

We just need more days like this.....

Food Journal for January 27, 2008

DAY OFF EXERCISE

9:30 a.m. Bowl of Co-Co Wheats w/raw sugar to sweeten, 1 piece toast w/peanut butter, small glass OJ, 1/2 orange

1:15 p.m. 1 Pizza Muffin (English muffin w/pizza sauce, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, 5 pieces pepperoni), water

2:45 - 3:15 p.m. Several licks (even a spoonful) of homemade chocolate icing.

6:15 p.m. Medium serving chicken and stuffing casserole w/mixed veggies, 1/2 piece homemade bread, winter squash, 1 piece chocolate cake with chocolate icing, small glass 2% milk

Food and Workout Journal for January 26, 2008

10:30 a.m.: (yep, I slept in!) 1 cup organic Raisin Bran with 1/2 c. 2% milk

3:45 p.m.: Outback Steakhouse w/DH: Queensland salad (chicken breast salad on a lettuce with shredded cheese, bacon, diced egg, toasted almonds, and a side of Ranch dressing), 1 "loaf" brown bread (probably equal to 2 rolls), water

6:00 p.m.: 3 small York Peppermint Patties

WORKOUT: The FIRM Total Body Time-Crunch (from TransFIRMation series). This was a good workout. I find it amusing that it was 45 minutes and they called it "time crunch," yet most of the new FIRMS are less than that (30 - 40 minutes).

Food and Workout Journal for January 25, 2008

8:00 a.m.: 1 sesame seed bagel w/little bit whipped cream cheese, small glass apple juice

12:00 p.m.: 2 (fairly large) pieces of pizza - one plain cheese, 1 pepperoni, diet coke, 4 small pieces of candy (2 Hershey Nuggets, 2 Milky Way Minis)

6:00 p.m.: 1 cup OHs! Honey Graham cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, 1/2 orange, 3 small York Peppermint Patties

WORKOUT: Slim Series Cardio Core! Express

Food and Workout Journal for January 24, 2008

6:20 a.m.: 1 cup OHs! Honey Graham cereal with 1/2 c. skim milk, small glass OJ

12:30 p.m.: Lunch from Tomaydo Tomahhdo with Kathy: Grilled chicken, bacon, cheese, sauce, onion sandwich on foccocia bread (ate a little over 1/2 of it), 1/2 bag of kettle chips, few sips of strawberry-banana smoothie, diet coke

6:00 p.m.: Dinner w/DH: 2 baked chicken tenders (one large, 1 tiny), 1 mozzarella stick, handful of organic baked French "fries," mixed vegetables (carrots, bean variety), 3 mini Peppermint Patties, water

WORKOUT: Slim in 6 Ramp it Up! (minus the yoga at the end) - I bought this video for $3 + shipping off of a seller on Amazon. I love it. It's just perfect for where I am fitness-wise right now.

Food and Workout Journal for January 23, 2008

6:20 a.m. 1 c. OHs! Honey Graham cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, small glass OJ

12:45 p.m. Lunch at Case Western University: 1/2 ham, swiss, lettuce, and mustard sandwich on wheat bread, few chunks of melon, 1 small brownie triangle, diet coke

3:45 p.m. 3 small pieces of candy (1 Hershey Nugget, 1 Snickers Mini, and 1 Milky Way Mini)

5:45 p.m. Chipotle with DH: We split a chicken fajita burrito (chicken, peppers, onions, rice, cheese, salsa, lettuce, sour cream on two large tortillas), few swallows regular Root Beer

WORKOUT: The FIRM TransFIRMation Series: Cardio Inferno with Sue Mi Powell. The workout was okay, but it only clocked in at 30 minutes. That's fine if you're in a hurry. Also, Sue Mi's cuing is really poor...I can see why she never led a video before. I took a live class with Sue Mi in Columbia before, and she was much better in person. Her personality wasn't, but her class leading style was!

Food and Workout Journal for January 22, 2008

6:20 a.m.: 1 cup OHs! Honey Graham cereal with 1/2 cup 2% milk, 1 piece cinnamon raisin toast with little bit of butter, small glass OJ

12:00 p.m.: Ham, cheese, and mustard on wheat bun, 6 honey-wheat pretzel sticks, 2 mint "Oreos," diet coke

5:00 p.m.: 1 mini York Peppermint Patty

6:15 p.m.: Delmonico's Steak House with DH and "BP" (our financial planner):
According to the menu, I had this salad: ORGANIC BIBB ~ HYDROPONIC* BIBB LETTUCE, RED ONION, LEMON VINAIGRETTE, PINE NUTS
And this entree: PAN-ROASTED CHILEAN SEA BASS ~ COLDWATER FILLET, RED PEPPER COULIS, CAVATELLI WITH LUMP CRAB, ASPARAGUS TIPS & BOURSIN CREAM
The reality is, I had a salad, a piece of fish, and pasta. I'm sure it was more fattening than it sounds. I also had three small chunks of bread with herb butter. I fought the urge to have a Coke and dessert (that chocolate flourless tart was calling my name...screaming it....but I resisted). The meal was really very good. I just laugh to myself about the pretension.
*By the way, if you are wondering what "Hydroponic" means, it's the cultivation of plants in nutrient solution rather than in soil. I'm not sure why that needs to be described on the menu, but there you have it. Full disclosure.

WORKOUT: The FIRM Body Sculpting System 3 - Express Total Body Shaping with Pam Cauthen Meriwether

True Mom Confessions

Do you ever question your decision to be childfree? Do you ever sit there and think to yourself, “hey, my life doesn’t seem to have much meaning….I think I need to have a child in my life!” No? ME EITHER! (SNORT!)

But seriously, if you do happen to be on the fence and need a gentle push towards the childfree direction, all you need to do is take a look at the True Mom Confessions website. This is a site where mothers can make their anonymous confessions about what motherhood is really like. In fact the tagline they use is: “Motherhood is Hard. Admit It.”

Is there anyone out there who doesn’t know motherhood is hard? After browsing the site, I’m thinking there must be a huge population of those kinds of people. Did they never babysit? Did they not have younger siblings or nieces/nephews, younger cousins, etc.? Did they truly think it would all be Kodak moments?

Anyhow, an interesting feature of the site is they have a “me too” option where others can show that they felt this way too, or that they agree.

Here’s a small sampling of some True Mom Confessions. Then you can decide if “it’s all worth it!”

01.22.08 4:44a
Why did I choose this life again?????
me too
(5)

01.22.08 1:48a
it has been over three years since I have been able to have even a single block of uninterrupted time for things I enjoy. My eldest is twenty eight months. I feel like a zombie. Just a few hours. Thats all I ask. Even just one night of worthwhile uninterrupted sleep. Or an hour of carefree me time. Why is she crying when I'm the one whos life sucks? Gotta go.
me too
(4)

Wow, a little anger here:

01.21.08 9:00p
What I say when hanging out with my teenagers-I guess I am going to finish reading my self help book and then go to bed. I love you guys........ What I feel when hanging out with my teenages-STFU! I wish you could go 30 minutes without compaining about something you don't have. I have busted my tail to get you the little extra things I never had at your age and I don't nag you too much about your sucky grades. You are an ungrateful little &^*# with a bad attitude and you have no idea how much life you have sucked out of me and your father. It doesn't bother us too much that you seem to hate us because when you are finally out of the house we plan on starting a new life and it does not include you so don't even think you can just come back home. I love you but I don't like you at all. Now I am going to bed because your constant whining gets on my freakin nerves
me too
(9)

01.21.08 7:19p
I want to be able to take a dump without an audience, eat my breakfast while it's still hot and when it's still considered "time" for breakfast, have an orgasm with DH -- not always with my vibrator and to read my book in peace.
me too
(21)

01.21.08 7:08p
I love my daughters. My 4 month old is the sweetest, smiley faced little person ever. My two year old is bright, beautiful and a joy. When the two year old is stuck on broken record (i.e. Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, what are you doing? ) and the 4 month old has a case of the don't-put-me-downs, followed by a crying jag that renders her red-faced and hoarse, I just want to scream at them SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE.
What's wrong with me?
me too
(18)

01.21.08 6:35p
Dear Universe,
Please give me the strength to cope with my kids. I feel like I'm beating my head against the wall every single day. I say things out of anger and frustration that I'm sure will cause considerable damage to their development. But what about my own development? I'm stunted. Stuck. I swear, I'm trying to do my absolute best. It just doesn't ever seem good enough. Ever.
me too
(11)

01.21.08 6:02p
I love my children, I really do. But sometimes I find myself thinking how much easier things would be if I hadn't had them and then when I think that I feel guiltier than hell because of how many women want to be mothers and can't. I really do love my kids, I think I just need a break!
me too
(15)

01.21.08 3:23p
This is not what I thought it would be.
me too
(15)

01.07.08 8:41p
I envy the childfree. I wish I were one of them.
me too
(43)

12.17.07 7:25a
Why didn't I just go with my gut instinct and not have kids? I really, really, really love them, but if I hadn't had them in the first place, I would be so much happier. I would have time, freedom, and money. I would actually have a LIFE. I had told my husband I wanted to be childfree, but he didn't believe me. Now I'm STUCK! I'm bored, tired, depressed, and jealous of those not in the smae mess I'm in.
me too
(15)

Mini Results Post

I have a really hard time seeing my weight-loss successes. I guess I'm just not that observant. Heck, I didn't even realize it was going on! But here are a few things that happened in the last few days that make me think what I'm doing must be working:

• DH came into the bathroom Saturday morning when I was dressing and said, "I can tell you are losing weight." This man is nothing if he's not blatantly honest, so I have to believe him.
  
• When I went to visit my parents that same day, the first words out of my mom's mouth were, "Hey! You're losing weight!" I had last seen her at Christmas, so it hasn't even been a month yet! My mom is a lot like my DH. Blatantly honest. Must be the German in both of them!
  
• Today when I was going through my skin-care routine I noticed that my face looked "better." I couldn't figure out what it was and then I realized, I'm losing some of my puffiness. My face is typically very small, and I have to be at my heaviest before I gain any weight there. But they say when it comes to weight loss, "last hired, first fired." I hadn't gotten a double chin and puffy cheeks until my most recent weight gain, so it looks like that's coming off!
  
• I think my jeans seem a little looser. It's so hard for me to tell, though. I'm sure the next time I wash them, they won't be so loose!
  

Anyhow, I'm very excited that I've had this much success in such a short time! My second weigh-in is February 1st, so I guess I'll see if anything registers on the scale!

Food and Workout Journal for January 21, 2008

6:30 a.m.: 1 cup OHs! Honey Graham cereal w/ 1/2 c. skim milk, small glass OJ

12:15 p.m.: (MAJOR UNPLANNED SPLURGE) Ate lunch w/old boss at Pacer's (divey-kind of bar): Cheeseburger w/ketchup, mustard, and onion; onion rings (didn't count them) and a couple of his French fries; diet coke. Whoops! I was planning to eat a lot lighter today and had even packed my lunch.

5:30 p.m.: 1 cup OHs! Honey Graham cereal with 1/2 c. skim milk (yep, again!), 1 orange, 3 mini York Peppermint Patties (had to get my chocolate fix!), water

WORKOUT: The FIRM Cardio Overdrive with Alison (from the TransFIRMation series)

Food and Workout Journal for January 20, 2008

10:00 a.m.: McDonald's Bacon Egg and Cheese Biscuit and little bit OJ (yeah, MickyDee's 2 days in a row).

2:00 p.m.: 1 cinnamon roll (made by DH's mom)

6:00 p.m.: Very small portion (probably 1/2 serving) Basil Chicken and Pasta, 3 small York Peppermint Patties , water. (I screwed up the dinner by using 1 pint instead of 1 cup heavy cream. DH still liked it....of course, I didn't tell him!)

WORKOUT: The FIRM Tri-Trainer Maximum Body Shaping (aka All Weights) with Tracie Long

Food Journal for January 19, 2008

Okay, besides this being my day off from exercise, I knew this would be a splurge day. DH and I were visiting our families, and we always eat out. So (except for breakfast) these aren't healthy choices, but still no "mindless eating."
7:30 a.m.: small bowl steel cut oats with cinnamon and raw sugar; 1 piece toast with peanut butter; 1/2 banana; small glass juice.

1:30 p.m.: McDonald's with Mom: Big Mac, medium fries, diet coke (I know, I know....it barely qualifies as food. But damn, it does taste good!)

8:30 p.m.: Sportsman's Paradise with DH, Mom and Dad (wasn't at all hungry): 3/4 grilled ham and cheese sandwich w/lettuce, onion, mayo (that wasn't even what I ordered, but that's what I got!), few homemade potato chips, just a couple of Mom's French fries, water

Co-Worker Pregnant?

So, one of the big topics of conversation today at work was, "Is Cathy pregnant?!"

Cathy works as an administrative assistant in our firm. She isn't the most pleasant person, and she isn't well liked. Cathy tends to be a very jealous sort of person and loves to make cutting remarks anytime she gets the chance. One of the other reasons she isn't liked is that she's a complete attention whore. She has one young child currently, and believe me, everyone knew every single detail of THAT pregnancy. And honestly, nobody really cared.

It's been rumored that she got sick of people fawning over all of the other pregnant women within the firm (we had a rash of them), and she did everything she could to get pregnant during that same time....and she succeeded. She was completely pissed off when nobody cared. Yeah, we ended up having a shower for her (which nobody really wanted to attend). And she (being her normal bad-mannered, low-class self) complained that she didn't get certain gifts she registered for ("What am I going to do with all of these diapers?!") and waited about 2 months to bother sending thank you cards.

So, after her baby was born she mentioned that they were going to try for another one. This is the person who is always complaining about the fact that they are just scraping by. This is also the person that complains anytime she hears that I (or any of the other childfree people in the office) am/are going to Hawaii, Cancun, a cruise, etc. Her favorite words are "must be nice!" Yeah, sweetheart, it IS! Choices, baby, choices.

The great thing is that she mentioned that if they have another baby, she wants to come back and work only four days a week. Because of the nature of her position, this simply isn't an option. So she said she would probably have to quit. We were fine with that and have eagerly been awaiting a baby bump!

It's been almost two years of trying, and we think they finally succeeded. Unbelievably, she hasn't announced it to the world. Yet, we know she has doctors appointments lined up, she stopped smoking, and she's stopped drinking coffee. She' a large girl, so you might not notice a bump for awhile. In fact the last time she said she was pregnant, I didn't believe it because she never looked it. She carries a lot of weight in her gut, so it was never obvious.

This is probably one of the first times I'm glad to hear that somebody is pregnant. And it's because I really don't like her. What does that tell you about my thoughts on pregnancy/child-rearing? I guess I'd only wish it on my enemies!

Childfree Survey

Help a fellow childfree person out!

Go to Childfreedom to get details on a survey regarding your feelings about being childfree. The results are going to be used in "Firecracker Mandy's" master thesis. This is for childfree women only.

Food and Workout Journal for January 18, 2008

7:50 a.m.: 1/2 of a very dry, styrofoam-tasting bagel w/tiny bit tasteless cream cheese from Cleveland Cafe. I'm DONE going there. That was just shameful. I also had a tiny bit of apple juice.

12:00 p.m.: Lunch at Scorchers with Susan: Grilled chicken pita with peppers, onions, and mozzarella cheese; French fries (ummm....the whole serving), diet coke

7:30 p.m.: 1/2 ham, cheese, and mustard sandwich on wheat bun, 4 honey-wheat pretzels, 1 mint "Oreo," 1/2 banana

WORKOUT: The FIRM BBS Maximum Cardio Burn Plus Abs with Allie Del Rio - had a nice, sweaty workout tonight, but I was pretty worn out afterwards. I did a lot of the beginner modifications (i.e., used the 6" step instead of the 8", didn't participate in the hop-fest, and of course I used my 12" tall box instead of the 14" fanny lifter. I'm not about to kill myself.). Also, I really started pooping out on a little bit of the standing leg work and more so on the ab work. I don't remember that being so hard. Still, I gave a good, solid effort during 90% of it.

Oh well, my husband and I are going out-of-town tomorrow to visit our families, so I'll have a day off of exercise Saturday (which I think I might need). I'll get back to working out on Sunday (even though that is my usual day off).

Food and Workout Journal for January 17, 2008

6:20 a.m.: 2/3 c. Organic cinnamon granola cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, small glass juice, 1/2 banana

9:45 a.m.: 4 donut holes (Entenmann's)

12:00 p.m.: 3 pieces (on the large side) of pepperoni pizza from Rascal House; Diet Coke (definitely did not need the third piece, but it was so good!)

6:00 p.m. Ham, cheese, and mustard on wheat bun, 8 honey-wheat pretzels, 2 Nature's Way mint Oreo-style cookies, water

WORKOUT: Slim in 6 Ramp It Up! (didn't do the yoga stuff at the end)

Not the best day diet-wise, but I was aware of everything I was eating (and enjoyed it!). I was not even going to eat dinner after that lunch, but I really was pretty hungry when I got home.

Food and Workout Journal for January 16, 2008

6:30 a.m.: 2/3 c. Organic cinnamon and raisin granola cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, small glass juice, 1/2 banana

12:00 p.m.: Ham, cheese, and mustard on wheat bun, 8 honey-wheat pretzel sticks, 2 Nature's Way "Oreo"-style cookies, Diet Coke

3:30 p.m.: 2 Hershey caramel kisses, 1 Milkyway "Mini" candy

5:30 p.m.: 1 mozzarella cheese stick, 1 breaded (baked) chicken tender, medium serving baked organic French "fries," small serving mixed vegetables

6:00 p.m.: WORKOUT - Leslie Sansone Walk Away The Pounds Express 2 Mile Brisk Walk - DH and I went to a Republican Straw Poll tonight, so I had very little time to do a workout. I did manage to do a WATP workout, and it actually was pretty nice for some more variety.

Food and Workout Journal for January 15, 2008

6:20 a.m.: 1 whole-wheat English muffin with a little bit of peanut butter, 1 small orange, 1 small glass juice

12:15 p.m.: Champp's with Larry: Southwestern Chicken Caesar Salad (grilled chicken, peppers, corn, and tortilla chip strips on lettuce with side of dressing), 1 garlic bread stick, Diet Coke

4:40 p.m.: 1 Hershey caramel Kiss, 1 Brach's Milk Maid candy

6:00 p.m.: 1 banana, 1 small orange, 1 small apple, 1/2 cup peanuts with shells (well, I didn't eat the shells! But they measured 1/2 cup with the shells on.) Strange "meal," but I wasn't ravenously hungry, and we have a ton of fruit sitting around.

WORKOUT: The FIRM Total Body Toner with Allie Del-Rio Pointer from the TransFIRMation series (add-on workout). This was a really good workout. It's about 40 minutes and Allie is one of the best at cueing, so you know when you can heavy up. Even though it was all weights, it moved fast enough that your heart rate elevates nicely (especially with the compound movements). I know I'll be using this one often.

Food and Workout Journal for January 14, 2008

6:30 a.m.: 2/3 c. Organic cinnamon raisin granola cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk; small glass juice; one orange

12:30 p.m.: Key West Cafe with the girls: Grouper sandwich w/cajun mayo on wheat bun; French fries (about 2/3 of the serving), diet coke

6:00 p.m.: Grilled cheese and bacon sandwich (1 and 1/2 slices colby cheese, 2 slices bacon, real butter, sourdough bread), small glass chocolate milk (2% milk with Hershey's syrup)

Okay, this wasn't the best healthy eating day. The difference is, though, that I was aware of everything I ate, and I let myself enjoy it. If I don't journal, I eat mindlessly all day, and I really don't even know what I'm eating (much less enjoy it). I'm not sure how many calories I hit today (maybe 2000?)....but I do know that it's STILL less than I was eating prior to January 1st (even on my best days).

Tomorrow I have another lunch out planned. I will try to eat something a little lighter for supper, though.

WORKOUT: Ahhh....pulling out Cardio Sculpt with Allie Del-Rio is a little like coming home. Sure, the setting is sterile and the music is sucky. But after I came (kicking and screaming) to the realization the the old Firm was no more, I grew to love this tape. It's pure, unadulterated AWT. Nothing too creative, but it does flow.

I haven't done the workout in probably two years, but I barely missed a step as it's somehow ingrained in my head. I was also able to use the majority of my old weight levels. I did modify the leg press by using a dowel instead of weights (and only using a 12 inch step, but that's normal for me). I think I'll have to do that for quite awhile as I'm heavy enough the way it is!

Food Journal for January 13, 2008

10:00 a.m.: Veggie and cheese omelet made with 3 eggs, 2% milk, peppers, onions, and shredded cheese (ate about 1/3 of the omelet; DH ate 2/3); 1 piece of toast with butter; 4 small pieces thick-sliced bacon; small glass fresh-squeezed OJ (2 oranges' worth)

1:30 p.m.: The other 1/2 Hershey's Cacao Reserve chocolate bar (100 cal.)

5:30 p.m.: Small salad of field greens, shredded cheese, 3 pepperonis, and light balsamic vinaigrette; small portion homemade lasagna; 2 small pieces organic roasted garlic bread; Hagen Daaz regular Strawberry ice-cream (probably around 3/4's cup); water

DAY OFF EXERCISE - WHOOHOO!

How Does She Do It?

I was in our company's conference room last week having a meeting with one of our consultants. In walks "Mary," who has an important position within the firm. I like Mary. She's a lot of fun and has one of the most contagious laughs you ever heard. Yet Mary looks like a total wreck. And I mean total. It's very difficult to get an executive position in a lot of companies (ours included) when you don't look the part. She was able to do it as she has the unique qualifications and there was some demand for her position. But day after day, week after week, she looks haggard, tired, and frumpy. She wears no make-up, her clothes are a wrinkled mess, and her hair is shades of Napoleon Dynamite. Even my boss (the CEO) has made comments to me about it. She's my age...and looks about ten years older. Still, this isn't a post about her looks.

Mary has five kids. Five. Under the age of seven. She has an important, extremely demanding position within the firm....and five kids. She came into the conference room to chat, and got to talking about her darlings. Now, you would think that because I'm a childfree woman, I'd have no interest in hearing about kids. And although it isn't my favorite subject, I still find it a little interesting. If only to compare the different lifestyles. She held us captive for at least a half hour. Listening to some of her trials and tribulations made chills of fear go up and down my spine. NOTHING about her personal life sounded like fun. Nothing.

After she left, the consultant I had been meeting with turns to me and says, "Five kids! How does she do it?" Unsaid, but on the tip of my tongue was, "A better question would be: WHY does she do it?"

Seriously. The woman has an MBA, certifications up the wazoo, a six-figure salary, and spit-up on her sweater. When she goes home at night from here extremely stressful job, she goes home to her extremely stressful home life. There is no rest for this woman....ever!

She called me at home one night. She was having trouble with one of her employees, and it was bugging her. I honestly don't mind getting calls at home on off-hours as long as it doesn't get out-of-control. Sometimes it's easier than discussing them at work. Anyway, she calls me around 8:00 p.m., when I'm laying on the couch listening to some classical music and reading a book. I pick up the phone and hear what sounds to be a zoo in the background. Our conversation might have lasted ten minutes.....and the entire time she was trying to get her kids to behave. It was horrible. I cannot imagine living like that. Really--WHY would you want to do this? I'm not sure we'll ever really know the answer.

Why DO you have kids? It's just what you do!

I get asked the following questions on an all-too-frequent basis:

1. Do you have kids? (My answer: No, we don't have any.)
2. Why don't you have kids? (My answer: Neither of us want them.)
3. Well, WHY NOT?!?!??!

This last question may deserve a long discussion (and I'm peppering my blog with the many reasons that I am glad to be childfree). Yet sometimes it's better to answer a question with another question:

WHY DO YOU HAVE/WANT KIDS?

To date, anytime I asked this question, I never understood the responses. I guess they just never made sense to me. Here are some of the responses I've heard (none of which seemed a very good reason to take on a 20+ year commitment which translates into a life sentence in my opinion):

• I didn't want to be lonely. (Well, get some friends.)
• I heard my biological clock ticking. (Really? Is that a real reason? Eventually, if you don't keep winding them, clocks stop ticking.)
• Babies are such a blessing! They are so cute! (Umm....you do know that they don't stay babies, right?)
• I needed to carry on the family name! (Dude, your last name is "Jones." I think your lineage is safe.)
• It's just what you do!

Ah. That last "reason" deserves a little extra attention. It's just what you do! Is it? Who has made this rule? Society? Do you need to do only what is expected by society? Are you a sheeple? This is the "reason" that always gets stuck in my craw. I guess I don't see the necessity of following convention when this form of convention causes a lack of freedom, financial distress, and overall misery.

I can give you some very good reasons why I am childfree. None of which include "It's just what you do!"

Some pictures of my workout room

Here are some pictures of my workout room! You'll see a couple of my personal trainer, Tinky. She HATES getting her picture taken. Don't ask me how many videos I have. I refuse to count them!

Food and Workout Journal for January 12, 2008

9:30 a.m.: 2/3 c. Organic cinnamon raisin granola cereal with 1/2 c. skim milk, small glass juice

12:00 p.m.: WORKOUT - The FIRM Hard Core Fusion with Allie Del-Rio Pointer. I had a really good workout today. This is a pure AWT workout clocking in at about 55 minutes. They used the silly 3- and 5-pound TransFIRMation weights, but Allie did combine them a lot to make 8 pounders....which told me I could use 10 or more pounds. I can generally go heavier on the post-BBH Firms than the instructors do, even though I haven't worked out in so long. But for some of the "power" cardio moves (like plyo jumps and other high impact moves), I kept it low. I have too much weight on too small of a frame to risk it right now. Even then, I was good and sweaty. She had a lot of dancier-type moves in the cardio (especially towards the end). I actually prefer to do basic step moves to get my heart rate up, but once I get the moves down, I'm sure it will be more enjoyable.

1:15 p.m.: 1 piece bread w/peanut butter (spread thin), 1 apple, water

3:30 p.m.: Carrabba's w/DH: 3 small pieces bread (probably equivalent of 1 1/2 pieces regular bread) dipped in pesto/olive oil dip, Chicken Bryan (grilled chicken w/goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil lemon butter sauce) with cavatappi amatriciana (ummm...pasta with tomato sauce!). Gave about 30% of the pasta to DH. Left feeling satisfied, but not too full.

7:20 a.m.: 1/2 Hershey's Cacao Reserve chocolate bar (100 cal.)

Food and Workout Journal for January 11, 2008

8:00 a.m.: From Cleveland Cafe--Large sesame seed bagel w/regular cream cheese (spread very thin), small glass apple juice

12:00 p.m.: Lunch brought in for meeting from Mustard Seed Cafe--1/2 deli-meat chicken sandwich w/dill mayo and lettuce on foccocia bread sandwich; 1/2 sun-dried tomato and mozzarella on foccocia bread sandwich; large handful of sea-salt kettle chips; 2 cans diet coke (whoops! I really am trying to cut back).

7:00 p.m.: 1 Pizza Muffin (English muffin w/pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and 6 pieces pepperoni), 2 Nature's Way "Oreo"-style cookies, water

WORKOUT: Today I did The FIRM Super Cardio Sculpt with Nancy Tucker, which was an add-on workout to The FIRM Body Sculpting System I. It's about 40 mintues. I had actually intended to do Cardio Overdrive, which is one of my new FIRM workouts. However, I had a really mentally exhausting day at work, and I didn't want to try to learn new steps. I haven't done Super Cardio Sculpt in probably two years, but it was easy to get right back into. I never did the add-on workouts that often because they really seemed too easy at the time. Tonight, they seemed just about right. I can stick with those for awhile if I end up not liking my new ones.

Food and Workout Journal for January 10, 2008

6:20 a.m.: Whole wheat English muffin - one side with little bit of butter, one side w/melted American cheese, small glass juice

12:15 p.m.: Fat Fish Blue w/Susan: Grilled chicken sandwich w/ pepperjack cheese, lettuce, little bit of mayo, and BBQ sauce; sweet potato chips; diet coke (GREAT MEAL!)

7:30 p.m.: 1/2 sandwich - ham, cheese, and mustard on sourdough bread, 4 honey wheat pretzel sticks, 1 Nature's Way "Oreo"-style cookie, water

WORKOUT: Tonight I did The FIRM High Def Sculpt with Annie, which is the workout that is suggested for your first use with the TransFIRMation System. I can see why. It's an extremely easy workout, even for somebody who's pretty out-of-shape. I literally did not break a sweat the entire time, and I'm sure my heart rate never got raised. At the beginning the instructor tells you to have two sets of weights available: a light pair and a medium pair. The light ones that they are using are 3 pounds, and the mediums are 5 pounds. We never used the three pounders (thank God), but 5 pounds for the majority of these exercises was really a joke.

That said, I don't think it's a bad workout. What was really nice was that it moved slowly enough that you could easily change your weights and heavy up. I did that on some of the exercises that I knew I'd need a heavier weight for. The problem is when you do a workout for the first time, you have no idea what's coming so you have to err on the side of caution. But believe me, you can go heavier on most everything. This wasn't the most creative workout, which was fine by me. I wasn't in the mood to learn a ton of moves, and this was fairly straightforward. However, once you get more advanced, even with heavy weights this workout may be a little too easy as they don't have a ton of reps for each exercise.

Food and Workout Journal for January 9, 2008

6:20 a.m.: 2/3 c. Organic cinnamon raisin granola with 1/2 c. skim milk, small glass OJ

10:00 a.m.: 1 orange

12:00 p.m.: Ham, cheese, and mustard on sourdough bread, 8 honey wheat pretzel sticks, 2 Nature's Way "Oreo"-type cookies, 1 can Diet Coke

3:15 p.m.: 5 Hershey's Caramel Kisses

6:15 p.m.: 1 Grilled lime/garlic marinated chicken breast, 1 serving roasted pecan & garlic whole grain blend (rice, bulgur), bean variety, water

EXERCISE: Short walk (south loop, approx. 35 min.), The FIRM Prime Power: Fat Burning Workout w/Stacy Millner-Collins

Food and Workout Journal for January 8, 2008

6:30 a.m.: 2/3 c. Organic cinnamon and raisin granola cereal with 1/2 c. skim milk, 1 banana, small glass OJ
12:30 p.m.: 2 medium pieces of pizza (one pepperoni, one plain), bottle of diet coke
6:00 p.m.: 1 piece cornmeal/Parmesan coated flounder, small serving organic mac-n-cheese, small serving organic corn, water
7:15 p.m.: The FIRM Prime Power: Lower Body Sculpting w/ Kim Bartlett - I had a decent workout tonight. A little on the easy side, though. I was thinking about adding another short tape (like a 2-mile Leslie Sansone), but I just wasn't THAT motivated! PPLBS is "diptastic"....I couldn't count how many times we dipped. Good thing I like dips!
9:00 p.m.: 1/2 whole wheat English muffin w/little bit of peanut butter, small glass juice

Food and Workout Journal for January 7, 2008

6:15 a.m.: 1 whole wheat English muffin w/little bit of peanut butter, 1 banana, small glass OJ
12:00 p.m.: Ham, cheese, and mustard on wheat bun, 8 honey wheat preztzel sticks, 2 Nature's Way "Oreo"-type cookies, 1 can diet coke
6:00 p.m.: Grilled hamburger w/cheese, ketchup, and mustard on wheat bun, medium serving of organic French "fries" (baked), 1 orange, water
6:30 p.m.: Medium-length walk (about 45 minutes) - South loop plus one cul-de-sac w/DH. (I couldn't resist a walk tonight. It was close to 60 degrees outside!)
7:30 p.m.: The FIRM Prime Power: Fat Burning Workout w/Stacy Millner Collins - This was a surprisingly good workout for me tonight. I remember this being way too easy. But with me being out-of-shape, and given that I had a 45-minute walk beforehand, it was perfect in intensity. You have to get past the psychedelic jungle/beach set and completely bizarre music and Stacy's sometimes-off cuing though. I'm doing Prime Power Lower Body tomorrow, and then I just might pop this Fat Burning one in the player Wednesday. I have so many new tapes I want to dig into, but this was really good tonight.

Food and Workout Journal for January 6, 2008

No workout for me today, thank goodness. Don't get me wrong....I'm enjoying getting back on the wagon. But my body is TIRED. So it's the perfect day for a break....and to get my Christmas tree down.

Here's the food journal:
9:20 a.m.: Small bowl of Coco Wheats sweetened w/raw sugar, 1 piece toast w/little bit of peanut butter, 1/2 orange, 1/2 banana, small glass OJ
1:00 p.m.: 2 tiny pieces of pepperoni pizza (left over from Carrabba's meal), small glass Ovaltine made w/skim milk, 2 suck candies
4:00 p.m.: 1/4 cup (1 serving) Plain M&M's (couldn't help it....I needed something chocolate BAD. At least I didn't sit down with the whole bag!)
6:00 p.m.: 2 slices roasted turkey, 1 serving stuffing, few mixed vegetables, 1/2 slice cranberry sauce, water
7:00 p.m.: 1 suck candy

Today's Workout (1/5/08)

I did The FIRM Cardio Sculpt Fusion (aka Total Body Lite) with Emily Welsh. Even though this was an easier workout (or a "recovery" workout), I was sweating pretty good with it. This is my sixth day in a row of working out, and I' m looking forward to my day off tomorrow. My body is starting to feel tired.

I received my TransFIRMation System last night, and was really excited about it. The workouts look good. I wish I hadn't had to buy the whole kit-and-caboodle, but you couldn't buy the workouts without the silly little weight kit (which was a joke). I have all of the weights I need, and these (while nice) are just a gimmick. You can make them into one pounders, three pounders, or 1 five pounder. Pretty silly. Still, I was excited to get it and I'm really motivated to keep going.

I'm considering doing The Firm Prime Powers (Lower Body and Fat Burning) on Monday and Tuesday. I'd rather just start using my new workouts, however those two tapes are easier workouts which tend to never get used after I start advancing. I always thought to myself that if I was ever to get out of shape again (umm...yeah, I'm there), those tapes would be decent workouts. Otherwise, they collect dust. So I'll probably do those again and then start with my new Firms.

Today's Workout (1/4/08)

Tonight was my last WHFN FitPrime workout for awhile. I did Lower Body Burn with Melissa Grill. I think I only did this one once before, and I remember it being ridiculously easy. Well, I didn't think it was easy tonight, but it definitely wasn't too hard (except for the bridge thing they did with a yoga block under your butt....my butt is so big that even when I do lift it, I'm still touching the freaking block!).

The thing I forgot about this one was that there was a move with a towel called "the Sassy" which totally cracked me up. How do you get sassy with a towel? Hmm....Sassyfitnessbug may have some ideas!

This one also had Tamela mugging it up, but she wasn't nearly as bad as she was in Lean.

Today's Workout (1/3/08)

Tonight I did WHFN FitPrime Upper Body Burn with Kelli Roberts. Some comments:

• I think I got a decent workout, and this was certainly more challenging than Lean (wouldn't take much, though).
• Kelli seems to make the same comments over and over (i.e., "it's about creating an illusion).
• About 3/4 of the way through, we did a long stretch....I thought it was over! That's really irritating. Anna did that in some Firms too, and I don't like the "tease."
  
• After the 1st stretch, we went into some Yoga thing. Being that I'm not Yoga-enlightened, I wasn't impressed....it was extremely repetitive. (Sun salutation, tall lunge, plank, downward dog, tall lunge, sun salutation, over and over and over).
• You definitely get a lot of lat rows in this workout.
• NO TAMELA screaming "LOOK AT ME!!! I AM AN ATTENTION WHORE!!!"

Tomorrow is WHFN FitPrime Lower Body Burn with Melissa. After that, I'm done with these for awhile.

Today's Workout (1/2/08)

Today I did WHFN FitPrime Lean with Kelli Roberts. A few comments:

• The workout was really too easy, especially the first half. I started sweating a bit in the last half when there was a leg press/dip move, but I don't think the workout had enough cardio in it to consider it cardio.
• Tamela Hastings. Oh my. WTF is she DOING?!?! I do remember doing these workouts a few years ago and thought she was completely over-the-top, but I tried to ignore her. Tonight I wanted to smack the shit out of her. There were some moments that she actually looked like she was auditioning for a porno with some of the facial expressions. And it's pretty obvious that she didn't know the moves very well....she was quite often "off."
  
• Kelli Roberts is a really good instructor, and I wish this workout was something I could use more often. But if I feel it's too easy now (and I'm completely out of shape), I can't imagine that I'll be pulling it out again.
  

Another Book: A Short Guide to a Happy Life

I received this book as a Christmas present from a consultant I work with. It's literally a 1/2 hour read, but an excellent book to start the New Year with.

I sat on the couch, in front of the warm fire, with a howling blizzard outside, reading through this with a feeling of gratitude....for all I have been blessed with my whole life. Touching and poignant, it makes you understand the value of life and the many, many little things that are so easy to take for granted.

Cheers, and welcome to the New Year!

Today's Workout (01/01/08)

Today I did WHFN's Fitprime Pump with Heidi Tanner. Great Workout! I broke a good sweat with this one. So far, this is my favorite of the FitPrimes.

Food Journal for January 1 - 5, 2008

Tuesday, January 1, 2008
9:45 a.m.: 1 cup Organic Raisin Bran w/ 1/2 c. 2% milk, 1/2 whole wheat English muffin w/ little bit of peanut butter, 1 slice pineapple, small glass fresh OJ
10:45 a.m.: WHFN FitPrime: Lean with Heidi Tanner
1:30 p.m.: Ham and cheese sandwich with mustard on bun, 8 honey-wheat pretzel sticks, 1 small glass 2% milk with ovaltine, 1 orange
4:00 p.m.: 2 pieces fudge (medium)
6:00 p.m.: Medium-sized bowl of taco chicken soup, 1 cornbread muffin, small glass 2% milk with Ovaltine

Wednesday, January 2, 2008
6:15 a.m.: 1 cup Organic Raisin Bran with 1/2 c. 2% milk, 1/2 whole wheat English muffin w/little bit of peanut butter, few pineapple chunks, small glass OJ
11:45 a.m.: 2 pieces Rascal House pepperoni pizza (large squares), 2 wings, 1/2 cookie, 1 can Diet Coke
6:15 p.m.: 1 Tilapia fillet w/artichoke and red pepper dressing, medium serving organic mac-n-cheese, small serving corn, 1/2 orange, 2 small pieces of fudge, water
7:45 p.m.: WHFN FitPrime Lean w/Kelli Roberts
Notes: Even with the not-so-healthy lunch, I did better today than I have been. The problem is, I'm really hungry...even pretty much directly after supper, I was hungry.

Thursday, January 3, 2008
6:30 a.m.: Whole Wheat English muffin with little bit of peanut butter, 1/2 orange, small glass OJ
12:00 p.m.: Lunch w/Sheri K. at Scorchers: Grilled chicken pita w/mozzarella cheese (not much!), peppers (hardly any), and onions (a few), french fries (almost the whole serving, but they didn't give as much as usual), diet coke
6:15 p.m.: Crispy chicken breast made w/French's onions (ate about 3/4's), 1 Omaha Steak's stuffed baked potato (ate about 3/4's), few mixed vegetables, water, 2 small pieces of fudge
8:00 p.m.: WHFN FitPrime Upper Body Burn w/Kelli Roberts

Friday, January 4, 2008
8:15 a.m.: Sesame seed bagel w/regular cream cheese from Cleveland Cafe, small glass (1/2 serving) apple juice

12:00 p.m.: 1/2 buffalo chicken wrap w/ lettuce, shredded cheese, and dressing, little bit of salad w/lettuce, walnuts, apple chunks, and poppyseed dressing, diet coke (food brought in for training)

3:00 p.m.: 3 Hershey caramel kisses

5:30 p.m.: Ham and cheese sandwich w/mustard on bun, 8 pretzel sticks, 1 orange, 1 tiny piece fudge
8:00 p.m. WHFN FitPrime Lower Body Burn with Melissa Grill

Saturday, January 5, 2008
9:45 a.m.: 2/3 c. Organic Granola cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, small glass OJ, 1 banana
11:30 a.m.: The FIRM Cardio Sculpt Fusion (aka Total Body Lite) with Emily Welsh
1:00 p.m.: 1 piece bread with little bit of peanut butter, small glass 2% milk with Ovaltine, 1 orange
3:15 p.m.: Carrabba's w/DH: Caesar salad, 4 small pieces bread (probably equal to 1.5 pieces of regular-size bread) with pesto/olive oil for dipping, 4 small pieces wood-fired pizza w/ little bit pepperoni and onions (probably equal to 2 regular-sized pieces), water
9:00 p.m.: 1 suck candy