Egads. As suspected from our very late night out last night, my darling children were CHA-LLENG-ING today. So a rough morning led me to thinking about treats, instantly. Any other day, I would have been lining up at Starbucks for a big latte and a piece of lemon loaf. Or coffee cake. Or a chocolate croissant...
Side note: Although I have managed to eliminate many "fast foods" from my diet, like I haven't been to McDonalds in more than a decade (my kids had no idea who Ronald McDonald was in the Santa Claus Parade) and I have maybe three cans of pop a year, I will still eat factory-made baked goods. Why is that? I can't figure it out.
Anyway, I sidestepped the temptation and got to work. Had a very good day of eating until it was time for Tasty Thursday. This is a weekly tradition at work, where we all take turns bringing in yummy stuff. I told myself that I wasn't going to miss out entirely, but that I should assess the quality of the offerings before making a decision. Well, the store bought croissants were easy to ignore, which left me with baclava or homemade brownie with icing. That brownie was CALLING my name! So I cut off a very small piece. Like 1/4 of what I'd normally take. And then I made myself a cup of coffee, sat down at my desk and enjoyed it. It was good. Not fantastic, but I knew I had the calories within my budget for the day, so that was fine.
Got all my steps in, but no workout today. Used my lunch to go and buy another sports bra. Still have a bunch of calories to use up tonight, since we just had soup for dinner, so I am going to make myself a yummy fruit smoothie with almond milk. I feel like I have to amend my rule about not eating after dinner, because as long as I'm tracking calories and not going over, it should be okay. Years ago, doing ye old Weight Watchers, I ate frozen yogurt every single night (within my points range) and managed to lose a whole bunch of weight. So there.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Better Than Before - Day Three
Okay, quick post because we were out all evening with the kiddos and I am TIRED. So here's the fastest recap that my naturally chatty nature can handle.
Killed my 10,000 steps before I even had lunch! That's because I did this cheesy fun dance-based workout class called... wait for it... Sh'Bam! It was silly. They played Lady Marmalade. We were supposed to pretend to be sexy. Enough said.
Had a very good eating day, but not as perfect as my last two. That's because some sugar/white flour was consumed. At first it was totally unintentional. I did my very best to pick only the healthiest options at my salad bar lunch spot, bypassing the ridiculously delicious noodles that I love, but the little scoop of curried chickpea salad tasted on the sweet side... And so did the two little falafals I had. But, not so bad, right? Well, then we went to see Rudolph onstage tonight. (The reindeer, don't ya know.) My girls and husband split a cookie before the show. None for me! But then they split an ice cream bar at intermission and I had a teeny bite. Truly, very small. So I was still feeling good!
HOWEVER, when we got home, I saw from my Fitbit calorie counter that my calories were low for the day. So even though I wasn't HUNGRY and I'm trying not to eat after dinner, I had a slice of this yummy whole wheat bread with pumpkin seeds (flour and sugar, for sure) with peanut butter (natural stuff, so no sugar there). That JUST happened. I don't feel bad about the calories, but I do feel bad that I did it even though I didn't feel hungry...
Anyway, I also drank all my water and made it to 7 hours of sleep last night. So pretty damn good overall.
Killed my 10,000 steps before I even had lunch! That's because I did this cheesy fun dance-based workout class called... wait for it... Sh'Bam! It was silly. They played Lady Marmalade. We were supposed to pretend to be sexy. Enough said.
Had a very good eating day, but not as perfect as my last two. That's because some sugar/white flour was consumed. At first it was totally unintentional. I did my very best to pick only the healthiest options at my salad bar lunch spot, bypassing the ridiculously delicious noodles that I love, but the little scoop of curried chickpea salad tasted on the sweet side... And so did the two little falafals I had. But, not so bad, right? Well, then we went to see Rudolph onstage tonight. (The reindeer, don't ya know.) My girls and husband split a cookie before the show. None for me! But then they split an ice cream bar at intermission and I had a teeny bite. Truly, very small. So I was still feeling good!
HOWEVER, when we got home, I saw from my Fitbit calorie counter that my calories were low for the day. So even though I wasn't HUNGRY and I'm trying not to eat after dinner, I had a slice of this yummy whole wheat bread with pumpkin seeds (flour and sugar, for sure) with peanut butter (natural stuff, so no sugar there). That JUST happened. I don't feel bad about the calories, but I do feel bad that I did it even though I didn't feel hungry...
Anyway, I also drank all my water and made it to 7 hours of sleep last night. So pretty damn good overall.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Better Than Before - Day Two
I am going to make some sort of contraption, so I can high five myself and my accountability partner because I had such a great day! And she is doing so well! And she emailed Gretchen!
I have not eaten any added sugar (fruit is a-okay) or any white flour in TWO DAYS! Friends, I am a major sugar junkie, so this is big news. Also, I'm maxing out all the features on my Fitbit. Hence I hit my 10,000 steps today, helped by the fact that I had to go back home TWICE while trying to get my girls to school/daycare, because I forgot money/tokens and then my work computer. I also did a yoga class at lunch and then got off my bus early and walked an extra three blocks to get home. Take THAT!
I've also been using the food tracking/calorie counter on my Fitbit and stayed within my happy range these past two days. (My teeth are brushed, so nothing more tonight!) Woohoo! We had taco night tonight, but instead of having tortillas, I put all my fixings on a big salad. Which is not a sacrifice, because it's crazy yummy. My body has that light, contented feeling rather than bloated, yucky, worn down blahness.
I also drank 64oz of water each day. Woohoo!
Sadly, I went to bed super late last night. And my pre-bedtime time was spent looking at bad-for-me screens playing super dumb games on my iPhone. Boo! So my sleep tracker tells me I did not even hit 6 hours, which is really not good.
Hitting the hay with a book early tonight. Have to think ahead about tomorrow night, because we have an unexpected windfall of free tix for the fam to see a show. On a school night. Could be a really awful idea...
One more thing - even thought I have episode 7 of "Master of None" paused in front of me, waiting to start. I had a rough start to the day - see above about having to turn back twice. And later in the day I forgot my ATM card in a machine and it got cancelled. Normally I would have let those annoyances lead me down the path of treats, treats and more treats. But it didn't even cross my mind. Because I'm on this train, strapped in, ready to drive!
I have not eaten any added sugar (fruit is a-okay) or any white flour in TWO DAYS! Friends, I am a major sugar junkie, so this is big news. Also, I'm maxing out all the features on my Fitbit. Hence I hit my 10,000 steps today, helped by the fact that I had to go back home TWICE while trying to get my girls to school/daycare, because I forgot money/tokens and then my work computer. I also did a yoga class at lunch and then got off my bus early and walked an extra three blocks to get home. Take THAT!
I've also been using the food tracking/calorie counter on my Fitbit and stayed within my happy range these past two days. (My teeth are brushed, so nothing more tonight!) Woohoo! We had taco night tonight, but instead of having tortillas, I put all my fixings on a big salad. Which is not a sacrifice, because it's crazy yummy. My body has that light, contented feeling rather than bloated, yucky, worn down blahness.
I also drank 64oz of water each day. Woohoo!
Sadly, I went to bed super late last night. And my pre-bedtime time was spent looking at bad-for-me screens playing super dumb games on my iPhone. Boo! So my sleep tracker tells me I did not even hit 6 hours, which is really not good.
Hitting the hay with a book early tonight. Have to think ahead about tomorrow night, because we have an unexpected windfall of free tix for the fam to see a show. On a school night. Could be a really awful idea...
One more thing - even thought I have episode 7 of "Master of None" paused in front of me, waiting to start. I had a rough start to the day - see above about having to turn back twice. And later in the day I forgot my ATM card in a machine and it got cancelled. Normally I would have let those annoyances lead me down the path of treats, treats and more treats. But it didn't even cross my mind. Because I'm on this train, strapped in, ready to drive!
Monday, November 16, 2015
Better Than Before - Day One
Okay, this blog has been dormant for ages. Like, literally years. However, I'm reviving it for a very specific reason (and likely not publicizing its resuscitation). I want to have a spot to touch base every day regarding my Better Than Before goals that I'm working on with this awesome pal.
Anyway, on to the meat of this post. Namely, how my day went.
I didn't eat any added sugar! (Woohoo!) Even though there were brownies in the house. With salted caramel. I put them in a cupboard and ignored them while I worked from home. Take that, brownies!
Also despite working from home, I'm currently at about 9,500 steps, thanks to a mid-afternoon walk I snuck in. And I wasn't wearing my Fitbit when I walked the girls to school this morning, so I'm going to say I made it to 10,000. (Woohoo!)
I did not, however, do any sort of formal workout. (Boo!) Will pack my gym bag for tomorrow.
Also, I have not done my knee exercises yet. (I am 40 and falling apart.) I'm going to go and do those as soon as I post this.
I also met my sleep goal last night, clocking in at more than 7 hours! (Woohoo!) This was made possible by the fact that we all inadvertently slept in this morning.
And that's that! Blog resurrected!
PS. I'm calling it day one, because I can. Last week was practise.
Anyway, on to the meat of this post. Namely, how my day went.
I didn't eat any added sugar! (Woohoo!) Even though there were brownies in the house. With salted caramel. I put them in a cupboard and ignored them while I worked from home. Take that, brownies!
Also despite working from home, I'm currently at about 9,500 steps, thanks to a mid-afternoon walk I snuck in. And I wasn't wearing my Fitbit when I walked the girls to school this morning, so I'm going to say I made it to 10,000. (Woohoo!)
I did not, however, do any sort of formal workout. (Boo!) Will pack my gym bag for tomorrow.
Also, I have not done my knee exercises yet. (I am 40 and falling apart.) I'm going to go and do those as soon as I post this.
I also met my sleep goal last night, clocking in at more than 7 hours! (Woohoo!) This was made possible by the fact that we all inadvertently slept in this morning.
And that's that! Blog resurrected!
PS. I'm calling it day one, because I can. Last week was practise.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Planning ahead
During our outing to the Riverdale Art Walk this past weekend, I couldn't resist buying a couple of gorgeous little dresses for Viv. Normally I find the prices from independent vendors a little too steep for our budget, but these ones were both on sale for less than half-price!
They're not going to fit her for quite awhile, but she's going to be damn cute (and chic!) when they do!
They're not going to fit her for quite awhile, but she's going to be damn cute (and chic!) when they do!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
36 random things about me at 36
Happy birthday to me!
1. I’ve learned all the words to 6418* songs.
2. I’ve come to terms with the fact that long hair does not suit me. But it can't be too short, either.
3. I fulfilled my dream of being paid to sing onstage.
4. I had the good sense to realize that being paid to sing onstage was no longer my dream.
5. I fulfilled my dream of working on a fashion magazine.
6. I had the good sense to realize that I didn’t enjoy trying to keep up with the fashion magazine crowd. (Rarely wore the latest trend/had nice nails/liked after-hours events. The swag, however, was pretty awesome.)
7. I realized there are other magazines out there.
8. I recognize the value of weight training and actually quite enjoy it.
9. I’ve given up on finding high heels that don’t make me want to cut off my own feet after 30 minutes. (Not that I’ll never wear them! Just that I’ll likely complain to the Husband about them the entire time.)
10. I can own the fact that pineapple is my favourite pizza topping.
11. I’m totally proud to have a song on iTunes.
12. I’ve accepted that a well-fitting bra costs (a lot) more than $19.99 and can make more of a difference than a ten-pound weight loss. Also that I need a professional to help me find it.
13. I’m never going to be a great housekeeper or a handy person. That’s okay. I’ve got other things to do, anyway. (I can, however, tidy and organize like a mofo!)
14. I love the following feelings: putting warm boots on after skating or skiing, drinking cold water after having a mint, being enveloped in a hug by the Husband, and putting my cheek on Vivi’s warm head.
15. My biggest challenge in life is inertia. Momentum is my friend.
16. I love to cook and bake, but I need the roadmap of a recipe. Although I'm getting better at taking some detours.
17. I do best with schedules and routines. Sometimes I really suck at going with the flow. Obviously this is a bigger problem now that there is a child in the mix.
18. I would rather be up early than stay up late.
19. My chocolate chip cookies are the best.
20. I keep thinking I should make a bucket list and then cultivate a plan to cross some items off of it. (See #15.)
21. I used to force myself to finish every book I started and read every magazine from cover to cover. I’m over that now.
22. I am too easily swayed by other people’s opinions. Always have been. Still working on that.
23. I miss blogging regularly.
24. If there were parallel universes, I would also pursue the following careers: photographer, shop owner (stationary store/bakery), broadcast journalist, television producer, bon vivant.
25. I’d like to stop caring so much about the unchangeable “unattractive” (according to the media) parts of my body, such as having short, wide nail beds and translucent skin that shows every little vein and pore. How do I do that?
26. I love, love, love buying art. And since discovering Etsy and the million other awesome websites that sell original art, I can’t imagine ever purchasing art from a chain store again.
27. I’m currently suffering from my first true health issue that gets in the way of doing everything I want to do. It’s stupid foot pain that may or may not be plantar faciitis. Physio is helping, but I still limp first thing in the morning, wear ugly Crocs around the house, suffer after long walks and cannot even conceive of going for a run. This is a good reminder that I better take care of this body or things could go downhill very quickly.
28. Vivi inspires me to sing every day, multiple times, which I hadn’t done for many years. Feels good.
29. Every time we buy a lottery ticket, I really, truly think we’re going to win.
30. I have a couple famous-ish friends and plenty of famous-ish acquaintances. I have no shame about namedropping.
31. I don’t have the vision to turn other people’s garbage into my treasures. I wish I did.
32. Shopping for pants is incredibly hard on my self-esteem.
33. I’ve cultivated friendships that keep me happy, challenged and, most importantly, sane.
34. I found one of the good guys and tricked him into marrying me, buying a house with me and bringing me flowers now and then.
35. I gave birth to a cute kid. I hope she always likes me as much as I like her.
36. So far, every year has been better than the last. Bring on the next 36!
*This number could be a little high or could be grossly underestimated. I’ve never kept hard data, but turn on a car radio and I can probably sing along.
1. I’ve learned all the words to 6418* songs.
2. I’ve come to terms with the fact that long hair does not suit me. But it can't be too short, either.
3. I fulfilled my dream of being paid to sing onstage.
4. I had the good sense to realize that being paid to sing onstage was no longer my dream.
5. I fulfilled my dream of working on a fashion magazine.
6. I had the good sense to realize that I didn’t enjoy trying to keep up with the fashion magazine crowd. (Rarely wore the latest trend/had nice nails/liked after-hours events. The swag, however, was pretty awesome.)
7. I realized there are other magazines out there.
8. I recognize the value of weight training and actually quite enjoy it.
9. I’ve given up on finding high heels that don’t make me want to cut off my own feet after 30 minutes. (Not that I’ll never wear them! Just that I’ll likely complain to the Husband about them the entire time.)
10. I can own the fact that pineapple is my favourite pizza topping.
11. I’m totally proud to have a song on iTunes.
12. I’ve accepted that a well-fitting bra costs (a lot) more than $19.99 and can make more of a difference than a ten-pound weight loss. Also that I need a professional to help me find it.
13. I’m never going to be a great housekeeper or a handy person. That’s okay. I’ve got other things to do, anyway. (I can, however, tidy and organize like a mofo!)
14. I love the following feelings: putting warm boots on after skating or skiing, drinking cold water after having a mint, being enveloped in a hug by the Husband, and putting my cheek on Vivi’s warm head.
15. My biggest challenge in life is inertia. Momentum is my friend.
16. I love to cook and bake, but I need the roadmap of a recipe. Although I'm getting better at taking some detours.
17. I do best with schedules and routines. Sometimes I really suck at going with the flow. Obviously this is a bigger problem now that there is a child in the mix.
18. I would rather be up early than stay up late.
19. My chocolate chip cookies are the best.
20. I keep thinking I should make a bucket list and then cultivate a plan to cross some items off of it. (See #15.)
21. I used to force myself to finish every book I started and read every magazine from cover to cover. I’m over that now.
22. I am too easily swayed by other people’s opinions. Always have been. Still working on that.
23. I miss blogging regularly.
24. If there were parallel universes, I would also pursue the following careers: photographer, shop owner (stationary store/bakery), broadcast journalist, television producer, bon vivant.
25. I’d like to stop caring so much about the unchangeable “unattractive” (according to the media) parts of my body, such as having short, wide nail beds and translucent skin that shows every little vein and pore. How do I do that?
26. I love, love, love buying art. And since discovering Etsy and the million other awesome websites that sell original art, I can’t imagine ever purchasing art from a chain store again.
27. I’m currently suffering from my first true health issue that gets in the way of doing everything I want to do. It’s stupid foot pain that may or may not be plantar faciitis. Physio is helping, but I still limp first thing in the morning, wear ugly Crocs around the house, suffer after long walks and cannot even conceive of going for a run. This is a good reminder that I better take care of this body or things could go downhill very quickly.
28. Vivi inspires me to sing every day, multiple times, which I hadn’t done for many years. Feels good.
29. Every time we buy a lottery ticket, I really, truly think we’re going to win.
30. I have a couple famous-ish friends and plenty of famous-ish acquaintances. I have no shame about namedropping.
31. I don’t have the vision to turn other people’s garbage into my treasures. I wish I did.
32. Shopping for pants is incredibly hard on my self-esteem.
33. I’ve cultivated friendships that keep me happy, challenged and, most importantly, sane.
34. I found one of the good guys and tricked him into marrying me, buying a house with me and bringing me flowers now and then.
35. I gave birth to a cute kid. I hope she always likes me as much as I like her.
36. So far, every year has been better than the last. Bring on the next 36!
*This number could be a little high or could be grossly underestimated. I’ve never kept hard data, but turn on a car radio and I can probably sing along.
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