Dear Diary
August 31, 2009
OMG!!! Orientation starts on Wednesday. So excited and not as stressed as last week. I’m training for my new job in the school library today and tomorrow, which compounds my busyness. I ate breakfast (the usual) and had some cookie pizza, and a burrito for dinner. I am running around working 2 jobs…so tired, on my feet all day! Good news is that I’m paired with another library worker, whom I worked with at a previous library! Yay!
Made a decision – booked a date next week with a nutritionist/trainer! Big changes!
Eat Yourself Sexy
There is a new Canadian TV show coming to the W Network from the host Gillian McKeith of “You Are What You Eat” (see my post here about her and the show). The new show is called “Eat Yourself Sexy” and takes 13 unhealthy-eating women and teaches them how to eat themselves sexy.
Her approach is interesting – she’s not easy but she makes sense.
“Q: How do you define sexy?
A: Sexy can mean a lot of things, but from my experience it’s believing in yourself. It’s not so much what you look like, but having confidence, inner confidence.
Most of the ladies, when they first come to me, don’t like themselves. They tell me they hate the way they look and hate everything about their bodies. I tell them they’ll have to work hard to get to a place where they can look at themselves and like what they see.
Q: Is that why Eating Yourself Sexy is the ultimate goal? And not Eat Yourself Skinny?
A: I don’t care about the skinny part. Women need to stop weighing themselves and stop becoming fixated on how many pounds they’ve lost that day. That creates a negative relationship with food. If you eat the right foods, your weight will eventually take care of itself.
Q: What links eating well with feeling sexy? Anything to do with chocolate, oysters or other aphrodisiacs?
A: If you eat food with a high nutritious component, you are going to feel better. Food affects mood. Food affects how you think. Food affects how you feel. And food certainly affects how you look.
I know from my ladies – I’ve been doing this for 20 years – if someone is eating rubbish, they feel like rubbish. They’re tired, lethargic, they have all the ailments of the day. And when they switch the other way (to eating healthy food), these ailments lessen or eradicate, they have more energy, they feel better.
Click here for the rest of her interview.
10 Weight Loss Tips
From Men’s Health, go to link to see their reasoning:
- Weight yourself often
- Turn off the TV
- Pray (religous men are more active than non)
- Beware of tastebu betrayal
- Snack on almonds
- Grab the day (summer days easier to loss weight)
- Cereal for lunch
- Accupuncture
- Eat diary
- Gamble on your weight loss
Make Your Meal!
This is fun. Click on the link and it takes you to a meal builder. You pick your protein, then pick your flavour – Mexican, Japanese, Spanish and it brings up a simple recipe. Try it!
IWMSB on Twitter!
Follow me on Twitter here!
Dear Diary
August 26, 2009
Dear Diary,
I am posting for today and yesterday. I am crazy busy – I’m planning orientation (by myself!) for my school and next Wednesday is the day it all begins! So I’m running around, checking, double checking, assembling welcome kits, making schedules, meeting with people, helping panicking new students, having meetings, filming a video….etc….!!! All this while trying to regain my health from that nasty cold I had last week.
I did make it to the gym yesterday and I’m sore from it and Monday’s workout. I didn’t go today because I went an bought my textbooks and school supplies, and lugged box upon box of welcome kit items from the basement to the assembly room.
Tuesday
Breakfast: oatmeal, bee pollen, wheatgerm, ground flaxseed, berries with peaches, 2 scrambled eggs, coffee, water
Snack: 1/2 my lunch (roast beef, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots)
Lunch: Other 1/2 my lunch
Snack: The Zone bar
Dinner: cottage cheese, light caesar salad, protein shake with bee pollen and wheat germ
Snack: light caesar salad, roast beef and cottage cheese
Wednesday
Breakfast: oatmeal, bee pollen, wheatgerm, ground flaxseed, berries with peaches, 2 scrambled eggs, coffee, water
Snack: 1/2 my lunch (roast beef, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots)
Lunch: Other 1/2 my lunch
Snack: The Zone bar, diet coke
Snack: protein shake with bee pollen and wheatgerm, berries and peaches
Update: Damnit! Dinner was wedges, chicken breasts…and carrot cake.
IWMSB Chicken and Almonds – Kraft.com
From Kraft.com, this looks yummy and is simple to make!
Ingredients:
- 4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
- 1/4 cup KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade, divided
- 1-1/4 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup instant white rice, uncooked (no reason you can’t use brown!)
- 1/4 cup PLANTERS Sliced Almonds, toasted, divided
Directions:
Cook chicken in 2 Tbsp. dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 4 min. on each side or until evenly browned.
Stir in broth, garlic powder and remaining dressing; bring to boil. Cover; simmer 5 min or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove chicken; cover to keep warm.
Add broccoli to skillet; cook, uncovered, 3 min. Stir in rice and 3 Tbsp. nuts. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 7 min. Serve chicken over rice; top with remaining nuts
Note: Substitutions are available on the webpage here.
What Is My Target Heart Rate for Best Results?
From EverydayHealth.com:
Q: When I’m doing cardio, my target heart rate is supposed to be at 85 percent. How do I know what that is, and how do I measure it during my workout?
A: To determine your target heart rate, you should first figure out your maximum heart rate (MHR). This is done by subtracting your age from 220. For example, If you’re 32, check it out: 220 – 32 = 188 (so now you know your MHR is 188). Then take 85 percent of 188, which gives you 160, so that’s your target heart rate — the ideal number of times your heart should beat in one minute when I’m training.The easiest way to keep track of your heart rate is by wearing a heart rate monitor. If you don’t want to spring for one, no problem — just find your pulse, either on your wrist or on your neck (usually right next to your larynx), count the number of times your heart beats in 6 seconds, and then multiply that number by 10.
That said, it’s pretty tough to keep your heart rate at 85 percent, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t at first. Work your way up to it. There will also be times when your heart rate will reach 100 percent of your MHR — if this happens, don’t worry. It’s not unhealthy, it’s just VERY difficult to sustain over 45 to 60 minutes of cardio — which is why 85 percent is the magic number for cardio training.
One footnote before you start doing all the math: If you’re on medication for a heart condition, talk to your doctor. Your healthy heart rate range might be a little different than you’d expect.
My MHR: 220 – 28 = 192
My THR: 192 x 0.85 = 163.2 bpm
That is high! Gotta get up there in my intervals!
Healthy Food Combinations
Mmmmm healthy food combinations. Pair these foods and reap the benefits. Find out why the combinations work here.
- Tomatoes and avocados
- Oatmeal and OJ
- Broccoli and tomatoes
- Blueberries and grapes
- Apples and chocolate (weird combo!)
- Lemon and kale
- Soy and salmon
- Peanuts and whole wheat
- Red meat and rosemary
- Turmeric and black pepper
- Garlic and fish
- Eggs and cantaloupe
- Almonds and yogurt
Here is the recipe for the tomatoe-stuffed avocado in the picture above:
Ingredients:
- 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, quartered
- 1 teaspoon fresh basil leaves, julienned
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 medium ripe avocados, halved and pitted
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
Directions:
In a large bowl, gently toss the tomatoes, onion, basil, salt and pepper. Spoon into avocado halves; drizzle with lime juice. Yield: 4 servings.
Dear Diary
August 24, 2009
Dear Diary,
I finally am feeling better. Still waking up with a wicked headache and coughing, but feeling overall better. I biked to work today although I was slower than normal. I did a more relaxed version of my usual workout (chest, back, abs, cardio). I did eat though. Getting my appetite back.
Breakfast: oatmeal, wheatgerm, ground flaxseed, bee pollen, berries, coffee, water
Snack: The Zone bar
Lunch: The Zone bar
Dinner: wedges, chicken breast, water
Snack: maybe carrot cake…..
I Want My Sexy Back! 