Oh no, Poptarts...

Why did I let myself eat that Poptart for breakfast. I guess because I just couldn't see throwing away two perfectly good brown sugar & cinnamon Poptarts that my hubby left sitting on the counter when my daughter did not eat them last night. (wow, that was a long sentence!) Good news is, I only ate one! Of course, I did eat a couple of pieces of chocolate a few minutes ago so I don't know why I am fretting over the Poptart. Well, I'm off to pizza for lunch???? LOL

Shoes are in!!!

However, they are still in the box. I jumped at the chance to get online while my little girl naps so they will have to wait until she wakes up.

I have 1 hour and 19 minutes of cardio in for today. Only 11 more left. LOL I am thinking about a nice walk across the bridge or possible to the library. I'm not sure exactly how warm it is out this afternoon, so I will probably decide when I step out the front doors with Summer in the stroller. It is supposed to be in the 70's this weekend so I see some serious bike riding in for me! That should break up the cardio rut I have been getting into.

These past few days I have been doing Jazzercise for some of my cardio and it has been fun. It works my core so much too that I feel like it is a double whammy. Two for the price of one!!! I am teaching again tomorrow. I haven't been teaching much lately so it has been nice to get some of these workouts in rather than just walking on the treadmill and StairMaster every morning. Plus I have an extra half hour of cardio to do now, so that will be at least two separate workouts. That means some days I'll be working out three times a day. That sounds fun to me! My only problem is working it around me daughter sometimes she does not think it is as fun.

I have eaten perfectly so far today. Scrambled eggs, oatmeal, protein shake, peanut butter, and sushi. I have some green tea chilling in the fridge. I'm going to fix me a big glass when I get up. I have been drinking flavored green tea the past few days, and I am ready to go back to plain green tea for a few days. Of course, a sugar-free red bull also sounds pretty yummy, but I only have those on special occasions. I don't there is any special occasion today. I am still trying to decide on dinner. Chicken or fish? I think we are going to have some asparagus and possibly a spinach salad too. I might could use a day off from salad too though. Maybe tonight I will just put some spinach and tomato in my eggs for a special treat. It is amazing the foods I look forward to now. Oatmeal, eggs, a spoon full of peanut butter. Don't get me wrong, a cookie or piece of cake sounds nice and inviting, but they are really just the devil in disguise. Something that can destroy all my other hard efforts in less than a minute. I will not eat them anymore....at least until after the show (and maybe Summer's birthday if Julie lets me).

Did that sound convincing? :)

Just a little taste

This weekend went by quickly. I did NOT consume one drop of alcohol and I went to a party. With karaoke. Needless to say, I did not sing. My aunt kept asking me to get up there, but I just couldn't do it. I was trying too hard not to focus on the yummy cake sitting as the focal point of the room. :( Luckily it was not a chocolate cake, so the temptation was not too bad. Every time someone caught me looking at it or fixing my daughter a plate, they were all "You're not going to eat that for you." It seems like my mom has been bragging on me. :) My whole family now wants to come to this competition. No pressure though.

Anyway, I ate almost a whole Tyson package of Italian grilled chicken while everyone else ate hot dogs, chili, chips and cake, and some really yummy looking lemon cookies. I also ate 3 hard-boiled eggs whites. I also drank two bottles of water. Party on!!!

There were a lot of hot guys there which was a good distraction from the food. I'm pretty sure I kept looking around to see if there was one handsome face I had missed. :) Let's just say I am a big fan of cowboys and there was more than one man there in boots! And country music was the genre of the night. One guy, who was lucky he was wearing a cowboy hat, needed to PUT THE MICROPHONE DOWN already! Fun, fun.

Luckily I had the gym to go to. Not just once, but twice every day. I may have a day of "rest" this week when I only go to the gym one time. That is if I can figure out how to sit down and rest. LOL I just can't figure out how I stay so busy, but I guess I'm not one to sit around. I do have a pretty good chick flick calling my name. I have been neglecting my Netflix lately and maybe it is time to show it a little more attention. I have the Smurfs right now. I have only made it about half way through it, but maybe I can find some time to snuggle up on the couch with my little girl and watch it.



P.S. After a few hours at the party, I did have a little taste of the icing. It just kept calling my name.

Bound and determined

I have become more focused this week on the ultimate goal: placing in the competition. Winning is still a dream at this point, but I think I can at least place if I keep working as hard as I have (and not cheating on my diet). It is crazy, but I can't even imagine eating a piece of chocolate right now and it being worth it. I would just be thinking about how bad it was the whole time I was eating it. Plus it would be gone in about two seconds and the only lasting affect it would have on me is in the form a dimple on my butt cheek or thighs. LOL

I am glad I have become not only physically stronger, but mentally as well. I had a regular potato today (with salt & pepper only) and felt pretty bad. But, the restaurant we ate at had butter in the rice and veggies so I couldn't eat either of those. I needed a carb in the form of a sweet potato, rice or oats, but none was available. I didn't eat all of the potato either because I felt like I was cheating on my diet (which I am not sure I technically wasn't, but I wasn't trying to). I did need a carb at that meal and that was the lesser of the evils. Mashed potatoes are definitely not on my "can eat" list.

It is a struggle to eat correctly in restaurants, but it is just something I have to deal with because every meal can't be home cooked (at least not if I'm gonna maintain my sanity). I do cook quite a bit though, especially eggs. LOL I have just about perfected eggs. I still can't really flip a fried egg very well, but I am getting a little better. One of my favorite ways to eat eggs right now is as an omelet with freshly wilted spinach and diced tomatoes. Yummy! It goes so perfectly with a bowl of plain oatmeal. Oh the joy I get from oatmeal. You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. It is one of my favorite foods that I can eat right now. Of course, any food that I can eat makes me happy.

Speaking of which, it is about time for another protein shake. I have four different flavors of protein right now. Three of them are chocolate which you would think would be the same flavor. But, it is not. Every brand tastes different and I consider each one to be a different flavor. I am in sad shape, aren't I? Who else even thinks about the flavors of protein? Well, I'm gonna get off here and have my 4th meal of the day.

I do have a birthday party to attend tomorrow. I am pretty sure I have the will power to go. I just need to make sure I have plenty of water to drink!!! That way I won't be tempted to have something of the alcoholic nature....

"You Might Win"

I received these words of encouragement from my husband today. Of course my response was, "Yeah right." But, just to hear those words come out of his mouth made my day. :) So, at this moment, I am determined to do my best. I've got some high heels on and need to take some pics so I can see the progress I am making. I think I am already a little late on the pic taking because I have lost at least five pounds since I started "dieting" at the beginning of January.

Well, I'm off here to find a ruler so I can measure these heels and see if they are 5" like my new shoes are. I really can't wait for them to get here so I can get used to wearing them and walking in them. I've got a lot of posing and practicing ahead of me. Right now my quarter turns suck! I need to get on YouTube and check out some videos so I can see how the "pros" do it. LOL I just hope I don't fall down on stage!!! Today I just might because my legs are still killing me! I can take the pain though because I know my body is changing for the better because of it.

Go me!!!

Oatmeal and Eggs

This is the breakfast of champions. It must be! It sure is was hard to give up my yogurt and cereal, but I have made the switch. I used to look at my husband in disgust as he ate plain oatmeal and here I am eating plain oatmeal. I wonder if after my "time is up" I will ever eat it this way again. I must say that I do look forward to it though. It is warm and filling which is better than nothing. The thing is, I only get to eat it on days when I work out with weights. This actually makes me sad because if I didn't get to eat it, I would just get to eat eggs. I guess I will be even more motivated to hit the gym now because it means I get to eat more.

I got my new diet on Saturday night while I was playing poker with some friends. I was NOT a happy camper. The next day was a friend's birthday party at which I was gonna have my cheat meal of the week. Well, according to my new diet, I am not allowed any more cheat meals. BUMMER!!!! I look forward to my pasta meal (usually) every week. And I was especially looking forward to eating my friend's home made lasagna and red velvet cake. I will just leave it at that and say that I started my diet yesterday. ;)

I am supposed to eat six meals and they are pretty set except for the types of meats and veggies I can consume. I hope I can stick with it for 18 weeks.

Did I mention no alcohol either?

I'll just have to keep telling myself, "I can do it. I can do it. I can do it. I can do it." Until I actually believe it. I hope that day comes sooner than later because right now all I can think of is would it be okay to have a bottle of champagne on Valentine's Day? Probably not. No chocolates either. I won't even get to eat oatmeal that day....unless I hit the gym in Gatlinburg which is where I will be for the weekend. Now there is something to look forward too!

Sore and hungry

Last night I could feel every inch of my legs. The teeniest touch sent pains through my legs. Today they are feeling much better. I have already done 30 minutes of cardio which I did a little differently today. I walked up and down the steps in and around my building. I walked up hills and over a little bridge. It was nice because not only was it different, but it was not cold. Now I need to go "study" for my class that I have to teach at 9:30.

Yesterday went pretty good diet wise. I actually ate an apple which I NEVER do. But, I figured it would help to fill me up because sometimes I just feel like I am starving even though I know I am not. Here is the pad where I write everything I eat. Obviously I am not starving.

My pad the day we left for Vegas. I never wrote in it while we were there which proves that vacations are NOT good for your diet.


I need to get off of here and order my shoes for the show. I think I'll do that now. Does anyone know of any low carb alcoholic drinks? I'm supposed to be playing poker tonight and I am gonna need to drink to dull the pain of losing. LOL



BTW- If you are interested in show I'm trying to be in, here is the link to the website:


http://www.tennesseebodybuilding.org/2009CHATSHOW.HTML



Wish me luck!!!

Temptation Island

Well, I am in Sin City this weekend and temptation is all around me. I walked into my in laws house to find a fridge full of cookies, chocolate and ice cream. Just great. Needless to say, I had to made a trip to the grocery store for some healthy food. I am trying to be strong and stay away from the cookies, but I must admit I had half of a sugar cookie yesterday that Summer had left laying on the counter. :( I also have been digging the pecans out of the the buttery pecan ice cream. But nuts are okay, right? LOL

Anyways, I'm not sure how good I'm gonna be while I'm here, but I am trying. I went to a Jazzercise class yesterday morning and think I'm gonna go again today, but I might just got for a long walk instead because no one else is up to watch Summer right now. I tried to pack in a good workout for my shoulders and legs before I left, but I am already missing the gym. I feel like I need to go workout, but I don't really have a gym to go to. If they are anything like trying to find a liquor store in Vegas, it may be next to impossible. Last night we drove around for 30 minutes trying to find one. Can you believe that? When we finally did find one, I told the guy I couldn't believe how hard it was to find a liquor store in Vegas. He said most grocery stores sell liquor. We passed a ton of those in our search...if I had only known. I am hoping Merlot is on the list of things I can have on my diet, but I doubt it. At least not the amount I consumed last night while singing karaoke. :) It was fun though and I am hoping all the dancing I was doing while singing burned away a few extra calories. I have heard though that once you start drinking, your body doesn't burn calories the right way or something. Not sure if that is true, but I should probably ask my personal trainer. I could ask her questions all day long, but I don't really want to be a pain so I will try to save them for when I go see her when I get back. I just hope I haven't gained a few pounds by then.

Well, I better get off here and find some sort of way to exercise so I can get on with my day and not feel like a complete slacker. But, isn't that what vacations are for????

Healthy Cooking

I have been cooking "healthy" since the first of the year. I cook my chicken breasts in a skillet with a little olive oil. I season it with onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper. Sometimes I may add a little dried minced onion. Then I cook some broccoli seasoned with salt & pepper and maybe a little garlic powder. Or I'll cook baked potatoes which we eat with just salt & pepper (Clint likes ketchup on his). Sometimes I make mashed potatoes with only milk, salt and pepper which are surprisingly good. Even with no butter in them! We might also have a spinach salad with grape tomatoes and carrots sprinkled lightly with homemade italian dressing (1 tbs. for me). Sometimes I also cook green beans and corn or some "noodles" for Summer and Clint. There is one recipe for a yummy veggie which I really like - Greek spinach. I'll share that recipe today in case anyone ever does start reading this blog and cares to have it.

Greek Spinach

1 tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 can spinach
1 can diced tomatoes
1 handfull white rice

First heat the olive oil in pot. Add onions and saute for a few minutes until they look cooked (kind of clear instead of white). Then add your spinach, tomatoes & rice. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is done. You can also add salt to your taste if needed.

Like I said this is one of my favorite dishes that my mom used to make growing up. I am sure you could substitute brown rice if you want to be even healthier. Beware the spinach is hot and may need to cool especially if you are serving little ones. Be sure to stir their spinach after a minute or two on the plate as it seems to be well insulated. LOL Enjoy!

Getting Fit (whatever that means)

I have been having a hard time committing to my fitness goal. I decided a month or so ago that I wanted to be in a figure competition. I knew it would be lots of work to hit the gym everyday, but I really don't mind at all. The hard part is the DIETING!!! What I mean to say was HARDEST THING I'VE EVER DONE.

The first week wasn't that bad. I ate pretty much perfectly (if there is such a thing) and seemed to be ready to achieve my goals. I had my first cheat day, better yet "meal," and went on my merry way with the dieting. Then I went to Bunco. Bunco was NOT a good thing for my diet. AT ALL. But, I had decided prior to going that I would take that as my cheat day for the week even though it was only Tuesday. I didn't do too horribly bad. That day anyway.

A day or so later I had a complete meltdown. I devoured 1/2 box of chocolate turtles, the rest of the cocoa chex mix, and a few hand full of miniature oreos. All just before bedtime. :( I haven't had that bad of a day since then, but I have been what I would call "cheating" a little. I mean even if you only eat two nacho cheese Doritos, it is still not good. Right?

To make up for it, I have been trying to attend more classes at the gym. Of course I need to be doing that anyway if I am going to be in a bikini in front of a row of judges and other spectators. So to get my body ready for the big day I have started doing some cardio after I do weights. I try to stick to a diet that consists of eggs, oatmeal, whey protein, chicken, fish, veggies, and cottage cheese. I try to only eat red meat twice a week. I try not to eat too many fruits. I don't eat breads. I have recently gotten addicted to trail mix. I don't think it is supposed to be on my diet, but like I said I am having trouble with that. I already am not allowed to eat my yogurt which I was so looking forward too. :(

Anyway, this is me on the start of my journey for the "perfect" body. LOL