AmyM's Quest for a Better Bikini Body!

[lovinaz]

WORKOUT: Elliptical (45min)

I really had to talk myself into going to the gym yesterday, but I'm glad I did!!!! I also stopped by Trader Joes and of course they were out of my favorite fiber cakes. I did get some blueberry bran muffins, which is better than nothing I guess. And I did the right thing - I cut them in half and put them in the freezer so they are ready to go (and I am not tempted to eat a whole muffin, which is 2 servings!).

I put my stuff on FitDay and a couple things popped out. #1, my fiber is SERIOUSLY lacking! I was only at 15g yesterday, so I made the conscious decision to eat 1/2 bran muffin (taking the hit of 110 extra calories) to get up to 20g. I need to get this up to at least 25g per day, preferably 30g. #2, my calories might have been too low these past couple weeks. I had to eat almonds to get up to where I want to be. Yesterdays totals were 1427 cal, 61g fat (almonds were 19g), 89g carb, 131g protein, 20g fiber. I am going to try to stay between 1300-1400 to see if that helps, since I am working out so much lately. We'll see if this tweaking does the trick!
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Amy, I have taken hot water into meetings, and just held the cup. When that gets cold, I drink the warm water. Today it is 62 degrees in the office. TOO COLD! I actually wanted a girl beagle, but I wanted a tri and by the time we got there, the 1 female tri in the litter was already taken. So we're stuck with the Buckley freak show!!!

Anna, it is still way too cold here! I don't like it, I hope we get back to normal temps soon. All of our gorgeous hibiscus in the back yard are going to die I think. That is a shame, they were so beautiful! Hopefully we'll be able to find the same colors and replant some.

Tracy, I am talking about my chest in the girly way, not the internal/lung way. I just didn't want to be TOO graphic!

Tracey, TOM stinks! I got 1 half of the equation solved with my surgery last year, but my body still goes through the motions...

 

[toystoryduo]

Tracy, I am talking about my chest in the girly way, not the internal/lung way. I just didn't want to be TOO graphic!

Oops! I'm sorry about that, Amy.

I did go back and locate that recipe in your journal. Thanks! Maybe I can make that for lunch someday for the girls and I when my DH isn't home.... He's allergic to turkey.

Those muffins sound good!

Hope you have a good evening!

 

[lovinaz]

I tried my new recipe of the week last night - Caribbean Rice w/Shrimp (crockpot). All I can say is . Needless to say, I won't be making that dish again! I am also trying another new recipe tomorrow (to make up for my lack of a new recipe last week), hopefully this one will taste a little better!

Yesterday's totals were 1383 cal 32g fat 162g carb 113g protein, 20g fiber. I really need to get that fiber up there!

I had a near miss with travel yesterday. My boss said he'd made a mistake and he thinks I should have been going with him to the UK next week. WHAT?!?!? Finally after discussions with the people having the meeting over there it was decided that they could get everything done without me being there. That is a good thing, I really didn't want to go on such short notice, plus I will be going to Germany in a couple weeks anyway. Travelling really wreaks havoc on my eating/exercising. I need to find a way to get a grip on that if I am going to be successful.
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Tracy, I'm sure you could make the recipe with ground beef as well. The blueberry bran muffins are good, but I prefer the fiber cakes since they have 13g of fiber and only 80 calories each!! The bran muffins have 5g fiber and 110 calories per 1/2 muffin serving...

 

[traceycooper]

Hi Amy
Wow that would have been short notice if you would have had to come to the UK & to be honest you really dont want to be here at the moment with this lousy, depressing weather!!!
Sorry the recipe didnt turn out so good!
Hope the fibre tweaking works

 

[CACruisin']

Sorry the new recipe was not good. Hopefully today's will be better. Fitday has really helped me get a better picture on what I'm eating. I thought yesterday was pretty good until I got everything entered - then, not so good.

You will get the exercise/eating thing figured out with your travel. You'll find something that works for you, I'm sure.

Still way too cold here too. I have a plumeria tree in the backyard that is really not looking good. We have had it for almost 7 years so maybe it has a strong enough root system to recover, but it really doesn't look good now.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Too bad about the shrimp dish. I had a yucky crockpot thing yesterday, I ended up throwing out the leftovers! At least we tried right? And not eating enough calories can really backfire so its good you did the fitday thing. I need to bump up my fiber too. I wish we had a Trader Joes here, those blueberry things sound good. I wonder if I could get them at a Vitamin Cottage? I looked for something like that today at Sams but it all had too much sugar and carbs! You are really doing well, and making that extra effort to look into your food content and calories is very wise and will pay off on that scale reading!

Glad you don't have to travel next week!

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Amy,

I was thinking about maybe trying the recipe with ground meat..... Maybe I'll give it a try this weekend!

Have a great Thursday!

 

[lovinaz]

WORKOUT: Abs-n-Buns (30min); Cardio Mix (60min)

Boy, I really struggled to get through the cardio class last night. I just had NO energy! Usually it gets me tired from working hard, but I think PMS has zapped me a little these past couple days. Hopefully next week I won't be in such rough shape!

I think I may have had a breakthrough! The past couple days, I've actually felt like I am making some progress. The bloating around my belly has gone way down, and the scale has been going down too (but I won't say the number and jinx my weigh-in tomorrow!). My pants also fit better. And it occurred to me that I have changed 1 thing in my diet - no more cottage cheese. I love cottage cheese and usually eat it every single day, but we didn't make it to Costco last weekend so I didn't buy more. I am wondering if I have a sensitivity to dairy? The only other dairy I eat is yogurt, and I have a couple left. Once those are gone, I am going to see if the symptoms are still gone and if they are, I bet I found the problem. Maybe that is why I can't stand milk and had to force myself to eat yogurt - my body doesn't want it! I really hope I'm on to something here, I can only hope!!!

Yesterday's totals were 1391 cal, 56g fat, 101g carb, 129g protein, 26g fiber. I am getting the fiber in a better range! I found a great snack at Hi-Health, it's called Flax Snax - Cinnamon Nut Granola. It's big chunks of ground pecans, almonds and flax, sweetened with Splenda. It's a little dry, but it is yummy and has 177 cal and 11g fiber per 1/2c serving! I ate 1/4c and that was plenty, so I'm glad I found this stuff!!!
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Tracey, my boss can enjoy the UK rain, I'll stay here were it is cold and sunny! As for the recipe, I guess you win some and you lose some...

Anna, we have 20+ year old ficus trees in our yard and all the leaves are black. In fact, the whole city has the same problem. I just hope those fall off and the pretty green ones come back! They don't lose their leaves in the winter, it's such a shame... The weather guy said this week was the coldest it's been in 16 years!

Amy, I will probably end up throwing out the leftovers too. DH usually takes them to work, but this is still sitting in the fridge and I am definitely not going to eat it!!! Do you have a Whole Foods by you? I know you can get the fiber cakes there as well. They are made by Zen Bakery.

Tracy, so far everyone who has tried the mini meatloaf recipe has liked it! Let me know how it is with ground beef.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Hi Amy, you may very well be onto something with the dairy thing. It will be interesting to see what happens if you don't eat any of it for awhile. I think we do have a Whole Foods across town, maybe I'll look up Zen foods on the internet and see what I can find. I do have a Vitamin Cottage natural grocer nearby so maybe I'll call and see if they carry that brand.

You are doing really well, I am anxious to see your weigh in results tomorrow! And good job getting that fiber in!

 

[traceycooper]

Hi Amy
I hope you've found the problem, i love dairy foods i dont think i could manage without them - especially cheese!

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Amy,

Great job getting your workout in! TOM can be a real energy zapper... Way to go staying strong!

That's interesting about the dairy thing.... A few years ago, I tried to stop eating dairy and found some good soy cheese substitutes in a health food store. Let us know how you feel in the next couple of days...

Hope you have a great weekend!

 

[CACruisin']

Interesting with the dairy. You could definitely be on to something. I know several people who avoid dairy becuase it makes them gassy/bloaty. Don't over do on the exercise. Are you eating enough before class? Glad you found a new snack. It sounds yummy.

 

[lovinaz]

So there I sat, only 15 minutes left in my work day. I had avoided free bagels, brownies AND scones in the breakroom. Then I heard it over the cubicle wall. The dreaded phrase - "Are you sure this cheesecake is OK not being in the fridge?". WHAT?!?! There was CHEESECAKE over there now?!?!??!? Like a woman possessed, I ran over there right away. Game over... I did get the smallest piece and there was no crust. At first I felt insanely guilty, but then I decided to enjoy every last bite. And if I wasn't at work, I probably would have licked the plate too...

Anyway, after that little indiscretion, my weigh-in this morning was 140!!!!! I was a little disappointed since I was 139 yesterday, but I figure that the pound creeped back up because of pending TOM and the cheesecake. Speaking of the cheesecake, within 1 hour of eating it, I was bloated again. Cream cheese = dairy. Interesting... Totals for the day were a little high, but OH WELL, it was worth it!!! 1526 cal, 49g fat, 148g carb, 131g protein and 17g fiber.

Tonight we are going to a dueling piano bar for my friend's b-day. I am going to hold it to 1 drink and we are eating at home before we go. I've been doing good all week, I don't want to blow it on 1 night out!
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Amy, I finally broke the 141 barrier! And guess what the best part is - my jeans are no longer in the snug category, they FIT!!! Did you check out zenbakery.com? It gives locations where to buy their products. I love them!

Tracey, I love cheese too. I am going to stay away from the cottage cheese and once my yogurt is gone (I'm too cheap to just throw it out!) I will stop with that. I think it might just be a milk product sensitivity. I also get itchy red bumps, almost like mosquito bites. I hadn't gotten any all week, but a couple popped up this morning. It'll be an experiment, that's for sure!

Tracy, I am just guessing about the dairy thing, I could be totally wrong. But it's worth a shot!

Anna, I usually do have a snack before class. I have been super tired all week, which sometimes happens at certain times of the month. Isn't being a woman AWESOME sometimes?!?!?!? I am going to Step and Muscle class tomorrow, hopefully I'll have some energy back by then. If not, I'll just have to take it easy...

 

[toystoryduo]

Did someone say cheesecake? Yummy! I love cheesecake! I think a cheescake treat is a good thing .... My grandma always says that she has to eat two pieces of cheesecake at a time.....One piece of cheesecake for each hip... She says she doesn't want to become lopsided!

Have fun at the dueling pianos bar for your friend's birthday! Your plan to eat at home ahead of time is a good one!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Ahh, cheesecake and jeans that fit nicely all in the same day, what is better? Congratulations on saying good bye to 141, may it never find you again! I need to go to the Zen sight, I had a lousy day yesterday and just got off kilter. I need to find those, I love blueberries and I need more fiber! Keep up your good work, you are doing awesome. And I really think dairy is not your friend. I am posting pics of Daisy this weekend, she's getting so big she won't be puppyish looking much longer!

 

[traceycooper]

Another cheesecake fanatic here too
I just got a lowcarb recipe off the internet for strawberry cheesecake, will let you know
Sounds like your onto something with the dairy food!
How did your night out go?
Did you manage to stick to the 1 drink?

 

[CACruisin']

Glad you decided to enjoy your cheesecake . Interesting about the dairy connections too. I'll bet you can give up the other dairy stuff, and accept the bloating for the occasional cheesecake indulgence. I hope your dueling piano night was fun. Great idea to eat beforehand. I hope you get your energy back for your exercise class or maybe take a day off to let your body rest.

 

[lovinaz]

No workout, my ex was 1/2 hour late picking up the kids and I wouldn't have had time to go, then shower and make dinner before we left. The bar was really fun. My friend turned 37. She has been battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma (she's a 3x survivor) and she rarely drinks, but she was really pounding them down last night! SHe was hilarious, and of course they got her on stage. I have to admit I did not want to go (it was cold and rainy) but I am sure glad I did!

I did make dinner (mahi mahi and broccoli) but I didn't stick to my 1 drink plan... It started with a couple glasses of wine with dinner then just went downhill from there... I forgot to mention that the other new recipe I tried last week was GOOD! It was called Presto Sausage Casserole. The kids loved it too. Now I have the daunting task of finding a new recipe for next week!
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Tracy, your grandma is a wise woman!!!!

Amy, you would love both the blueberry muffins and the fiber cakes. They are not dry and blah like most bran products. It's definitely worth the drive across town to Whole Foods! The best part is that they freeze well, so I always get a couple packs everytime I can. Can't wait to see the Daisy pix! And I hope my jeans still fit after the alcohol fest last night...

Tracey, I did not even come close to sticking to 1 drink. In addition to the 3 glasses of wine, I had 3-4 amaretto-n-Diet Cokes and 2 shots of something fruity (I think she said it was vanilla vodka, peach schnapps and pineapple juice)...

Anna, you are right, I am willing to accept a day of bloating for a piece of cheesecake!! And I'm not like you, I won't have any problems giving up milk products. The only thing I'll miss is my beloved chai latte, but I could always try some soy milk or something!!

 

[CACruisin']

I'm so glad you had a great evening with your friend. It was worth the extra drinks, in the long run. 3X survivor is impressive. Your right, there is no way I could give up dairy . I have cut way back on my milk, but I still get really cranky if I don't have at least one glass of milk every day.

Presto Sausage Casserole sounds good and the fact the kids liked it is even better. So what's the recipe?

 

[traceycooper]

Way to go on the drinking
If i'm ever out your way or your in Nottingham we must go out for 1 drink together
never tried amerreto & coke or the fruity one - off to experiment