Great swim today and an excellent bike ride yesterday. I was pleased to find that I like the stationary bike and that I can read while I'm on it. I've found that reading is the only thing that can take my mind off of exercise--TV is not enough of a distraction. It does not engage my mind enough to keep me from staring at the digital readout on the machines.
I had to laugh today--I was swimming laps from 12:30-1:15 and was the youngest person in the pool by at least 4 decades. I felt like quite the star swimmer, blowing past the senior citizens!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Disappointing
I had a disappointing end to last week and kind of fell of the blog bandwagon. I skipped a few workouts, ate too much during the Super Bowl, and was generally feeling kind of down. And I had been doing so well!
I weighed in yesterday at 172.6. A gain of .4 lbs. Kind of a bummer since I was exercising. I do know myself, though, and I know that good food choices are more effective for me than exercise. The two combined, however, are very powerful! I need to be more disciplined.
I did get back in the pool last night and swam 30 laps. Swimming makes me laugh because I'll just go and go and go and feel fine because I'm suspended in the water. But the minute I get out--bam! My legs and shoulders were so sore! Felt good, though.
So I'll try to do better this week. Here's the workout plan:
Tuesday: swim
Wednesday: bike 2 miles
Thursday: swim
Friday: bike or walk
Saturday: stair stepper
Sunday: swim
Also, here's what I've been eating for breakfast this week. It is not an original recipe, so don't credit it to me!
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup milk (I used almond)
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
1 teaspoon slice almonds
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until warm. Eat! This is a tasty hot cereal option that is different from standard oatmeal or wheat cereals.
I weighed in yesterday at 172.6. A gain of .4 lbs. Kind of a bummer since I was exercising. I do know myself, though, and I know that good food choices are more effective for me than exercise. The two combined, however, are very powerful! I need to be more disciplined.
I did get back in the pool last night and swam 30 laps. Swimming makes me laugh because I'll just go and go and go and feel fine because I'm suspended in the water. But the minute I get out--bam! My legs and shoulders were so sore! Felt good, though.
So I'll try to do better this week. Here's the workout plan:
Tuesday: swim
Wednesday: bike 2 miles
Thursday: swim
Friday: bike or walk
Saturday: stair stepper
Sunday: swim
Also, here's what I've been eating for breakfast this week. It is not an original recipe, so don't credit it to me!
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup milk (I used almond)
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
1 teaspoon slice almonds
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until warm. Eat! This is a tasty hot cereal option that is different from standard oatmeal or wheat cereals.
Friday, February 4, 2011
What Do the Kids Eat?
As we embark on our attempt to improve our fitness and nutrition, we should take a look at what the kids are eating.
Breakfasts: My kids eat cold cereal most mornings at daycare. When we are home, they both really like oatmeal. I keep frozen blueberries on hand to cool it down quickly. We've also tried oatmeal smoothies, which have gone over pretty well. On Sundays before church they have Kashi cereal bars and a banana. They are easy and not messy!
Lunch: Five days a week, lunch is not my problem! On the weekends, we usually have sandwiches. Peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese with fruit on the side. We keep it reasonably healthy by using whole wheat bread, all-fruit spread, natural peanut butter, and cheddar cheese (not American).
Dinner: The rule around here is that the kids eat what we eat. Sometimes that means we eat "kid" food, but most times it means the kids eat "adult" food. When I make our menu plan, I try to choose one vegetable (broccoli, green beans, or peas), one lean protein (chicken, beans, lentils, usually) and one whole grain (brown rice, wheat bread or pizza crust) Remember that our bodies are designed to eat more in the morning than in the evening--kids usually have the right idea by eating a lot of breakfast and not so much dinner.
I'm no gourmet cook, but I have found that menu planning is the key to mealtime success. The other key is to remember that kids won't starve themselves--just keep offering and they will eat!
Breakfasts: My kids eat cold cereal most mornings at daycare. When we are home, they both really like oatmeal. I keep frozen blueberries on hand to cool it down quickly. We've also tried oatmeal smoothies, which have gone over pretty well. On Sundays before church they have Kashi cereal bars and a banana. They are easy and not messy!
Lunch: Five days a week, lunch is not my problem! On the weekends, we usually have sandwiches. Peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese with fruit on the side. We keep it reasonably healthy by using whole wheat bread, all-fruit spread, natural peanut butter, and cheddar cheese (not American).
Dinner: The rule around here is that the kids eat what we eat. Sometimes that means we eat "kid" food, but most times it means the kids eat "adult" food. When I make our menu plan, I try to choose one vegetable (broccoli, green beans, or peas), one lean protein (chicken, beans, lentils, usually) and one whole grain (brown rice, wheat bread or pizza crust) Remember that our bodies are designed to eat more in the morning than in the evening--kids usually have the right idea by eating a lot of breakfast and not so much dinner.
I'm no gourmet cook, but I have found that menu planning is the key to mealtime success. The other key is to remember that kids won't starve themselves--just keep offering and they will eat!
Friday Food Journal
Breakfast: giant frosted, creme-filled doughnut (our office has doughnuts every Friday...can't resist!)
Lunch: leftover shredded beef sandwich, light string cheese, blueberry muffin (intended breakfast)
Snack: 5 vanilla wafers
Dinner: Popcorn chicken, waffle fries, Crystal Light
Binge: (Can't even call it a snack) 3 M&M cookies
Workout: Walk/run 3.2 miles. Again, did this in 45 minutes. I ran on a treadmill today instead of on the track. It was okay, but twice my treadmill shut down and reset itself for no apparent reason. It was fine, but I lost my distance and time data each time it happened. I guess today it is a good thing that I keep a close eye on those numbers!
Lunch: leftover shredded beef sandwich, light string cheese, blueberry muffin (intended breakfast)
Snack: 5 vanilla wafers
Dinner: Popcorn chicken, waffle fries, Crystal Light
Binge: (Can't even call it a snack) 3 M&M cookies
Workout: Walk/run 3.2 miles. Again, did this in 45 minutes. I ran on a treadmill today instead of on the track. It was okay, but twice my treadmill shut down and reset itself for no apparent reason. It was fine, but I lost my distance and time data each time it happened. I guess today it is a good thing that I keep a close eye on those numbers!
Giveaway
My kids enjoy products from Annie's Homegrown. They like the cheddar bunnies and graham bunny crackers. Annie's is giving away a kid's gardening kit to anyone who has purchased 2 Annie's products. Click here for more info.
Our family tried our hand at gardening last year with poor results. I'm developing a new plan for this year--hopefully we'll have more success!
My kids did grow green beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes at daycare last year with success and really enjoyed it. I'm hoping to keep them interested in vegetables again this year.
Our family tried our hand at gardening last year with poor results. I'm developing a new plan for this year--hopefully we'll have more success!
My kids did grow green beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes at daycare last year with success and really enjoyed it. I'm hoping to keep them interested in vegetables again this year.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Thursday Food Journal
Breakfast: whole wheat blueberry muffin; coffee with creamer
Snack: 4 Wasa flatbread; light string cheese
Lunch: Turkey sandwich with cheddar on wheat bread; sparkling water
Dinner: 5 BBQ sliders (shredded beef, cheddar cheese, bbq sauce, whole wheat buns)
Snack: Nestle Chunky bar (190 calories); raspberry Crystal Light
I had my first swimming experience today and it was awesome! I was on the school swim team in junior high and I always thought I'd like to go back to it. Turns out, I was right. I had a moment of clarity and thought "THIS is why people exercise--it is supposed to be enjoyable and not drudgery. It should be fun and not full of clock-watching for 30 minutes." It was a good revelation.
Snack: 4 Wasa flatbread; light string cheese
Lunch: Turkey sandwich with cheddar on wheat bread; sparkling water
Dinner: 5 BBQ sliders (shredded beef, cheddar cheese, bbq sauce, whole wheat buns)
Snack: Nestle Chunky bar (190 calories); raspberry Crystal Light
I had my first swimming experience today and it was awesome! I was on the school swim team in junior high and I always thought I'd like to go back to it. Turns out, I was right. I had a moment of clarity and thought "THIS is why people exercise--it is supposed to be enjoyable and not drudgery. It should be fun and not full of clock-watching for 30 minutes." It was a good revelation.
Food Journal: Wednesday
Breakfast: whole wheat blueberry muffin; coffee with creamer
Snack: 2 oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (office treats will be the death of me!)
Lunch: 1 cup corn chowder; 3 Wasa sesame flatbread crackers; 1 light string cheese; 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
Snack: 1 light string cheese
Dinner: 1 baked pork chop; 1/2 cup applesauce; 10 waffle fries with ketchup
Workout: Run/walk 3 miles. I did a mock 5K last night to see what my "baseline" time would be...it took me 45 minutes! I ran more than I walked, but it was probably a 60/40 split. I was disappointed that it took so long, but I was proud of myself for sticking with it when I wanted to quit so many times.
Snack: 2 oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (office treats will be the death of me!)
Lunch: 1 cup corn chowder; 3 Wasa sesame flatbread crackers; 1 light string cheese; 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
Snack: 1 light string cheese
Dinner: 1 baked pork chop; 1/2 cup applesauce; 10 waffle fries with ketchup
Workout: Run/walk 3 miles. I did a mock 5K last night to see what my "baseline" time would be...it took me 45 minutes! I ran more than I walked, but it was probably a 60/40 split. I was disappointed that it took so long, but I was proud of myself for sticking with it when I wanted to quit so many times.
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