"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself." – Anna Quindlen

I'm still a bit under the weather, I'm moving and my stuff is all over the place, I can't juggle keeping the site current on top of it all.

Be back on the 4th.

"The way to succeed is never quit. That's it. But really be humble about it." - Alex Haley

Daily Weigh In: 189.2

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition
slices of turkey, cashews, soy milk

1 Gallon Water

More like .5

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 sessions 90 mins cardio, 2 1.5 sessions weights

Rest 7 hour sleep

Pretty much slept the entire day

********

Got caught in a downpour Monday evening and spent an hour soaking wet sitting in my car. Woke up feeling icky.

Daily Weigh In: 188.2 I have a theory about the mornings I'm I *think* there is a pattern. Will need a few more weeks to analyze

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- slices of turkey
- 2 hot dogs, lipton tea & cinamon roll
- frappachino

1 Gallon Water

More like 1.5

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 sessions 90 mins cardio, 2 1.5 sessions weights

15 mins weights (upper & abs)

Rest 7 hour sleep

About 5 hours, if that.

********

Time to reign in the weekend antics. Water and working out will be back on par, can't say 100% for food, no grocery shopping. I do have some eats on hand @ least for today. The next few days I'll likely be making Kroger runs once a day.

****

Too tired to truly recap or regale the day. If you want the behind the scenes on why for the last two weeks my life has been so hectic and emotionally trying, I talked a bit about what's going on.

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." – Andy Warhol

Daily Weigh In: 187.8

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD (ha! not after how I ate today
- lf cc
- sausage mcmuffin
- tomato, mozz cheese & spinach panini sandwich, slice of apple crumble cake, 2 glasses lipton sweet tea
- some cashews
- ice cream bar, semi sweet chocochips & cashews

1 Gallon Water

Barely got in 1 full bottle. First fill up, spilled 1/2 of it, IN THE CAR. Then was so thirsty on my drive home, stopped off to buy *frowns* another bottle. All in all got in about 1.5 liters, hence the sweet tea earlier.

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

On the road, running around, totally forgot to take them, then when I remembered, I had no water.

Training
Last week to do:
5 sessions 90 mins cardio; Actually done: 4
2 sessions weights; Actually done: 2

None. Got home too late to get to the gym for more than ½ hour. Plus I was too tired to make up a cardio routine.

Rest 7 hour sleep

********

All in all, fitness wise, yesterday was a wash. Which I kinda knew going in. I did my best to not make it a total meltdown, packed water, had gym clothes in the car, walked w/my vitamin cocktail. The only thing I couldn't properly plan for was food, I knew I'd be running around, and no grocery shopping this week, so I'd be eating out. By the time I got the panini sandwich, I was STARVING and saw the apple cake pie thingy first, b/c of course they put the desserts before food, and got that.

Considering all the other lunch items they sold, burgers, fries, etc, I chose the lesser of 3 evils.

My saving grace, I walked a lot and I did vigorous housework.

****

The upcoming week will be dicey, @ least food wise. Ok, I'm out, I feel like I'm not making sense and my brain is still asleep.

187.8lbs

Awwww...so close to another LOST episode, missed it by that much (.6lbs). Re: LOST, I didn't forget the incentive, I *earned* 3 episodes. As soon as time is back on my side, I'll get a chance to watch them...hopefuly by then I'd have earned 3 more

• Walk and run 250 miles (20.8 miles per week in 12 weeks)

Week 1: 17.32
Week 2: 11.21
Week 3: 16.59
Week 4: 8.83
Week 5: 3.17
Week 6: 20.51
Week 7: 18.93

Weeks to go: 5
Miles to go: 153.44 (30.68 miles/week)

"Rate the task above the prize; will not the mind be raised? Fight thine own faults, not the faults of others; will not evil be mended?" – Confucius

Daily Weigh In: 188.6

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc w/splenda
- broccoli w/ranch, laughing cow & cashews
- veggie chicken w/black beans, cheese, tomato, zuchini w/ranch dressing avocado
- turkey slices w/soy milk
- ice cream bar w/semi sweet chocochips and cashews

1 Gallon Water

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 4 3 2 1 session 90 mins cardio

45 mins elliptical - 2.62 miles
45 mins treadmill - 2.42 miles (7.5 running/37.5 walking)

Total cardio mins: 90
Total miles: 5.04
Total calories burned: 776

12 reps each/2 sets/5lb weights
shoulders - front & side raises
chest - chest flyes
back - (one arm row & lawnmower)
bicep - concentration curls (8lbs)
triceps - triceps extensions (8lbs)
abs - crunches
lower abs - reverse crunches
obliques - side crunches
quads - walking lunges (4 strides/24 total)
hamstring - leg raises (bent leg/str8 leg)
outer thigh - leg lifts
inner thigh - sweeping leg lifts
calves - calf raises (both legs)

Total weight mins: aprox 30 mins

Rest 7 hour sleep

********

Another thing being tired does, is make me forgetful. For the life of me I could not remember if I had a snack before lunch. I think it was broccoli. Oh well.

It's featured food friday...*crickets*...

What? I missed two Fridays?

::blink::

School is in session...

::blink::

You don't care...

::blink::

Well I do. Fall doesn't start till September 21st, so Summer Edition rages on.

Having already blogged about Red & Blue, this week is my most chowed down color: Green.

Why Green is Good
One reason is that they are packed with nutrients and phytochemicals-substances found only in plants that may help fight disease and improve health. Lutein (pronounced LOO-teen) part of the carotenoid family is a powerful antioxidant found in green leafy vegetables. It is being studied for the role it may play to help maintain good vision. Green vegetables are packed with lutein.

Indoles (pronounced in-DOLS) are another group of phytochemicals found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Indoles are being studied for their role in helping protect against breast cancer, which affects one out of every eight women in the United States, and prostate cancer, which affects one out of every six men in the United States. In a recent study, men who ate cruciferous vegetables at least three times a week had a 42 percent reduction in risk of prostate cancer.

Daily Weigh In: 188 the weight loss fairy blessed me today. Considering my routine is 3 attempts in a row, 2 out of 3 is the final answer. This was the first result I saw, knowing how I ran my mouth yesterday, I immediately hopped off, said, I'll take it and went about my way, lest my teeny turn into or worse a

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc (no splenda, ate this in the car and do not advise stirring splenda in a tiny cup while flying going down I85 @ 80 70 65 55 mph)
- hummus w/cheery tomatoes & lauging cow cheese & cashews (check out the easy to make hummus recipe Tacita posted today)
- my new value meal ...
- butterfinger minis (one day next week I'll tell the story, promise)
- ice cream bar w/whipped cream & semi sweet chocochips

1 Gallon Water

more like 3.5 liters

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 4 3 2 sessions 90 mins cardio; 2 1 session weights

The plan was to get in the final weight session for the week, but, your fat fighting heroine was exhausted. I had time when I got in to do weights, but the soreness was in overdrive, I opted to chat w/my aunt for what turned into over an hour and rather than do a lackluster routine just to get it in, I used the time to rest up. Took today as a rest day.

Rest 7 hour sleep

I'll give it to myself, even though it wasn't 7 str8 hours, it was still 7 total.

********

Sleeping 3 scant hours Wed nite and all the emotional stuff going on, I was exhausted.

I could barely keep my eyes open during Felicity s4e13 and vaguely remember climbing into bed. I was so tired, I woke up stupid. I swore today was Saturday. It didn't help that the AM show I normally watch as I piddle around trying to clear the cobwebs from my head, was the one they normally show on Saturday mornings.

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers

So I forgot my lunch today, well not so much as forgot as…um…it's rather complicated. One thing I *try* not to do is talk specifics, as much as I talk about how I'm feeling which is way more important.

But I barely ate breakfast, due to anxious tummy, and made pot luck snack that was pretty balanced, always good to have spare grub @ every place you spend time, but for lunch I was SOL.

On the way back from running an errand, not really thinking of what I'll eat as much as hungry or not I need to eat, I got the bright idea to go to the supermarket.

Now in ye olden days of last year, a trip like that would cost me:

6-12 chicken wings
1-2 packs of sweet rolls
potato salad and or/macaroni salad
slice of cake and/or cookies (more and than or )

So I had reason to worry.

I didn't feel like stopping @ a fast food joint and making it a one-fer meal since I need to have food on hand for tomorrow too. I went in and started shopping.

Daily Weigh In: 188.2 told ya yesterday was a fluke (me and my big mouth, watch me go up to 191 tomorrow)

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc w/splenda
- broccoli w/ranch & wedge of laughing cow
- ground boca w/black beans, cheese, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes & sour cream & celery
- more broccoli w/ranch
- single thai burger
(ok, I ate this burger in a rush and nuked it, vs. grilling it like I wanted to. I wont get a chance to eat it again till next week, but my initial thoughts were, "look ma, no crumbles")

Another note about last nite's eats: I forewarned this week was not going to be fun and am going out of my way not to emotionally eat, which is causing me to under eat due to stressing out and not having time, as I tend to business. Even though I may eat less, due to my tummy being in knots, I'm going to stick to eating every few hours and not skip meals...had I not settled for the thai burger, I would've skipped eating altogether.

1 Gallon Water

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 4 3 2 sessions 90 mins cardio; 2 1 session weights

60 mins elliptical - 3.79 miles
30 mins treadmill - 1.68 miles (7.5 running/22.5 walking)

Total cardio mins: 90
Total miles: 5.47
Total calories burned: 787

Rest 7 hour sleep

A better question would be, so how many hours did you sleep? Try 3.

********

Well I'll be.

The experts are right when they say throughout the day we constantly use our muscles. See, when you have excess pudge and haven't been lifting weights on a regular basis, you take for granted there's nothing but fat sloshing around inside of you, how wrong you are.

Take note:

"Man's main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is." - Erich Fromm

Mostly b/c I'm bored to tears w/my DVDs, but mainly b/c after seeing people doing weights hardcore @ the gym, I want to be just like them. So I did it, crude as it may be, my first weight training routine.

I got most of the exercises from a combination of workout DVDs I already own. Back in the day, I always filed it in the back of my head that Lee from MTG and Brenna from lexysmash.com were like weight lifting girls. I know of Krista from stumpuous.com and while I've browsed thru her workout routines, like calculating WW points, my eyes always glazed over. I even ventured to exrx.net, that site gave me a headache. So I made do w/my tapes and DVDS.

My routine is simple, 2 days a week, non cardio days. The first 3 weeks I'll do 12 reps/2 sets. The last 3 weeks, I'm adding one more set and will vary that exercise. That move is very body for life-esque. Like now I do chest flyes, in the last 3 weeks, the first 2 reps will be flyes, the last rep will be pushups.

Speaking of which, I suck @ pushups. Always fall flat on my face, so my end of year goal, is to do 10 solid pushups in a row. Each week from here on out, I will do 1 and add 1 more ever other week.

So like I was saying, based on DVDs I have and reading about weight lifting for as long as I have, I have a fair idea on how it should go and the major muscle groups I need to hit. My personal problem comes b/c I tend to overthink things. Shut up, I already know that.

So when I used to think of the ultimate routine, everything MUST be perfect for me, I'd think of all these obscure muscle, my wrist, my forearm, what about my lower knees…*sigh*

W/every fiber of my being, I had to resist the urge to make it all inclusive and be satisfied I get the major groups, knowing that as I do them, I'm using smaller muscles too.

All that in mind, this is what I came up with:

Daily Weigh In: 190.2 a few notes about today's weigh in, 1) I did it almost 2 hours earlier than normal (yea I really am up that early today) and I did weight training last night. I *vaguely* remember reading weights impact scale reading w/in a certain amount of hours. I'll give it a google over the weekend. Oh and one more, yesterday I ate a smidge bit more than usual, the *-ed items. But not 4200 (3500x1.2) extra calories folks, come off the ledge

OD'ing on chocolate will be best understood by my readers of childbearing years *cough*

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc w/splenda
- eggbeater w/cheese & mushrooms & celery
- laughing cow cheese w/cashews*
- ground boca w/black beans, cheese, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes & sour cream
- lf cc w/splenda
- hot cocoa* (semi-sweet cocoa w/splenda, 1/2 & 1/2, vanilla soy milk, whipped cream, semi-sweet chocochips and dash of cinnamon and sugar powder)
- turkey slices w/avocado, cheese & grilled onions, vine tomato & zuchinni salad w/ranch
- fudge stix w/whipped cream and semi-sweet chocochips

1 Gallon Water

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 4 3 sessions 90 mins cardio; 2 1 session weights

YaY ME! I designed my own full body workout...hee

12 reps each/2 sets/5lb weights
shoulders - front & side raises (my puny shoulder muscles cried a little)
chest - chest flyes (I could really feel these when I was done)
back - reverse flyes (not sure this hit the spot, may do back extensions next time)
bicep - concentration curls (I always feel so witty when i do these, next time try 8lbs)
triceps - triceps extensions (only b/c I'm bored to tears w/tricep kickbacks)
abs - crunches
lower abs - reverse crunches (in the beginning this move always makes me want to puke)
obliques - side crunches (these never feel like they hit the spot, but if I place my hand on the side I do *feel* the movement)
quads - walking lunges (4 strides one way, 24 steps total)
hamstring - leg raises (bent leg and str8 leg)
outer thigh - leg lifts
inner thigh - sweeping leg lifts (only b/c I love torture)
calves - calf raise (one leg w/5lb weight and both legs)

Total weight mins: aprox 25 mins

Rest 7 hour sleep

This was a given. I stayed up an extra 45 mins to finish watching disc 3 of felicity season 4 and I absolutely had to wake up ungoldy early today.

********

Inevitably, inexorably, predictably @ some future date, a world weary weight loser will stumble across Sundays stats, gawk @ the lb-age shed and shoot me a frantic email…"What is your secret?!?! What did you do?!?! I need to know!!!!"

You my friend, who's been following the latest saga, from @ or around mid July (of this year, those of you reading (if any are even left) from July of ought five are probably so thoroughly disgusted), will already know the answer, but as I furrowed my brow and scratched my chin, I wondered myself, just who do I give credit to?

"Mishaps are like knives, that either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or by the handle." – James Russell Lowell

Welp.

I've got some bad news, some good news, some great news and some disturbing news…all of which depends on your dietary preferences.

For my vegan/vegetarian readers, the news is bad: I can officially say, I don't like veggie breakfast meats.

For my meat eating readers, the news is good: I'll be back to taking real meat w/my breakfast eats.

For my pork eating readers, the news is great: I'll take my breakfast meats w/extra pork and pork by-products more pork sausages mom, please.

And lastly, for my carnivorous readers: Ick, get away from my site. You skeeve me out. Go on. Scram.

Onto the review.

Daily Weigh In: 189 funny weigh in this AM. My routine is, go to bathroom, piddle around a bit, go to bathroom again, then weigh. Feeling curious, I weighed first, 190.4. wow, that's a helluva fluctuation I thought. Did first bathroom trip, 189.8. Second trip, 189, now that's more like it

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc w/splenda
- eggbeater w/mozz cheese, mushrooms & morningstar patties (review forthcoming)
- ground boca w/black beans, mozz cheese, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes & sour cream
- lf cc w/splenda
- organic burger w/shredded sharp cheese, vine tomato w/ranch and avocado
- ice cream bar w/whipped cream

1 Gallon Water

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 4 3 sessions 90 mins cardio; 2 sessions weights (2 abs, 2 arms, 2 buns)

60 mins elliptical - 3.93 miles
30 mins treadmill - 1.66 miles (7.5 running/22.5 walking)

Total cardio mins: 90
Total miles: 5.59
Total calories burned: 789

Rest 7 hour sleep

Almost coulda been, but a freak lightning storm woke me up @ 11.

************************

Our topic for day: Why I blog. Not to be confused w/why I write.

I always say, well not always, maybe once or twice a year, the purpose of me having a site to log my daily doings, is, whenever I'd read a success story, I'd wonder how did the person handle daily temptations or set backs. Yes it's motivating to see someone your current weight make it to their goal weight. And it's a start to see a sample workout routine and daily menu, but losing weight is a long process, so when I was sitting around, just blankly staring @ the wall, it hit me.

Last week is a perfect example of what the end goal of this site aims to be.

"Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments, but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures." – Joseph Addison

Daily Weigh In: 189.6 heh, no worries, I was due for an upward fluc @ some point. I'm still down from last week.

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc w/splenda
- rotisserie chicken leg & 2 wings w/broccoli & cherry tomatos w/ranch dressing & wedge of avocado
- ice cream bar w/whipped cream and semi-sweet chocochips
- celery w/hummus
- ice cream bar w/whipped cream and semi-sweet chocochips
- rotisserie chicken leg w/black beans, shredded cheese & sour cream & wedge of avocado
- fudge stix w/whipped cream and semi-sweet chocochips
This is the first Sun in many Sun's I've been home all day, and ended up noshin. Well that's what I blame for the 2 early ice cream treats, I usually save for post dinner. Plus it was hot and I have a bad habit of wanting to sample every single item I pick up from the grocery store...Todays sample, the ice cream bar and extra creamy whipped cream, which I think is all hype by the way.

1 Gallon Water

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 4 sessions 90 mins cardio; 2 sessions weights (2 abs, 2 arms, 2 buns)

22 mins recumbent bike - 7.93 miles
22 mins stationary bike - 7.93 miles
2 mins stairclimber - .18 miles/8 flights
22 mins elliptical - 1.58 miles
22 mins treadmill - 1.25 miles (7.5 min run/14.5 min walk)

Total cardio mins: 90
Total miles: 18.87
Total calories burned: 596

Rest 7 hour sleep

This is ree-damn-diculous...I purposely slept less hours Sat nite to make myself nice and tired yesterday. I resisted w/all my might any afternoon snoozing just so I could be extra drowsy by bedtime, only to end up tossing and turning for almost 2 hours...jeebus...I just gotta accept what I'm resisting...going to bed Sun nites sux!

************************

Now to recap the tale of the 'nana.

Man, it was only 7 days ago but last week seems like a hazy blur. The entire week was horrible for me, let's just say Sunday AM started out w/a crying jag, which set the tone for the rest of the week. I had to dig deep down and focus on getting certain things done, and each day was an emotional rollercoaster as I sat and waited to see how things were going to turn out. Thursday AM I got some of the best news all week and went to meet a lady.

You ever have someone offer you food and you turn it down and by the third offer, you have an inkling if you say no again, they'd be offended? Well that happened to me. Not that I let anyone feeling bad make me eat, I was just so distracted and caught up in the moment.

"Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns. I am thankful that thorns have roses." – Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

Daily Weigh In: 189.4

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc w/splenda
- eggs w/turkey, mushrooms, cheese & sour cream
- laughing cow cheese & cashews
- laughing cow cheese (a diff't flavor) and rest of cashews
- turkey pizza...hee...i keed, i keed
(actually it was slices of turkey, sprinkled w/cheese and some topped w/tomato, others w/mushrooms)
- fudge stix w/whipped cream and semi-sweet chocochips

1 Gallon Water

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 sessions 90 mins cardio; Actually done: 3
3 sessions weights (3 abs, 3 arms, 3 buns); Actually done: 0

22 mins recumbent bike - 7.93 miles
22 mins stationary bike - 7.93 miles
2 mins stairclimber - .18 miles/8 flights
22 mins elliptical - 1.69 miles
5 mins treadmill - .31 miles (running)

Total cardio mins: 73
Total miles: 18.04
Total calories burned: 504

Rest 7 hour sleep

************************

In what must be a reneegetsfit.com first, I was tossed out the gym...for being there too long!! Bwah!

Read on my pretties…

189.4lbs

You know what's funny, I'm so wrapped up in other #'s, I'm barely registering the lbs one, only when one of you gals leave a comment (the sole guy just happily lurks ) that I do a double take and am like "Oh" But quickly go back to tracking minutes clocked, miles hoofed, calories burned. Doing it that way helps w/the whole, "Bu-bu-but I'm not loooooooooooooosing weight," whine I tend to eat w/my cheese...

****

Especially loving the new system of checking off my daily goal vs. posting what I did do and not making it. That single change of saying "my water goal is 1 gallon did I make it yes/no?" vs. "how much water I drank" made me drink 1 gallon of water 5 days this week and 4.5 another day!

So if I do my 90 mins cardio 5 days a week, keep my calories modest, I *should* consistently lose

Oh and hey, thanks for the support, I don't ask for it much, my comment policy prolly scares the piss outta most folks even saying peep...hee!...I'm really a sweet girl...but the little cheering on here and there helps!

• Walk and run 250 miles (20.8 miles per week in 12 weeks)

Week 1: 17.32
Week 2: 11.21
Week 3: 16.59
Week 4: 8.83
Week 5: 3.17
Week 6: 20.51

Weeks to go: 6
Miles to go: 172.37 (28.73 miles/week)

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." - Mother Teresa

Daily Weigh In: 189.4 hoe...lee...shyte...

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc
- egg bowl, today w/crab, mushrooms and tomatoes
- ground boca w/navy beans, 1/3 cucumber w/ranch dressing, wedge of laughing cow
- 2 packs of cashews
(for the first time in a long time I felt hungry, like stomach growling hungry, right in the middle of my workout and all of a sudden, i wanted nuts, cashews to be exact )
- 6 turkey/avocado wraps (sliced deli turkey w/chunks of the 'doh)
- fudge stix w/whipped cream and semi sweet chocochips

1 Gallon Water

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 4 3 2 1 sessions 90 mins cardio; 3 sessions weights (3 abs, 3 arms, 3 buns)

45 mins elliptical - 2.92 miles
45 mins treadmill - 2.49 miles

Total cardio mins: 90
Total miles: 5.41
Total calories burned: 763

Rest 7 hour sleep

horrible, horrible nite. drove 2 hours round trip to pick someone up from the airport, didn't get back till almost 12:30

************************
(ignore the bad typing, i'm beat and still recovering from yesterday)

a few notes about yesterday, that 2 hour trip to the airport was major suckage, i hate driving @ nite and was very tired. rather than park @ the airport and pay, i tried to time it to get there when they got outside, and as per usual, i was early. i stopped the exit before, to pass time in a parking lot. mcdonalds. i wasn't hungry, but i was emotionally upset. for a brief moment i just wanted to get something, anything to eat. but kept my butt firmly in place. i watch people go in and out, i was there almost a ½ hour, and thought i could get a chicken sandwich and toss the bread. then, i dunno, i thought of yesterdays weigh-in, and how long and hard it took to burn 700+ calories, i may trick myself into thinking it's 'fun', but it's grueling. the two #'s and the fact that the chicken sandwich would vaporize my deficit, and i am trying to get a handle on thsi emotional stuff, helped me resist, for that moment in time.

all in all, this week has been insane and i'm trying my best not to let it derail me, by either eating out of control, or being too upset to workout. next week will bring it's own dose of insanity. i truly hope this week wasn't a fluke

"Then give to the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you." - Madeline Bridges

Daily Weigh In: 190.8

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc w/splenda
- egg bowl: w/tomatoes, mushrooms too
- my most eclectic, yet filling, lunch ever!: raw broc & cherry 'matoes w/ranch dressing, wedge of laughing cow, 1/2 avocado, another lf cc
- organic 'nana (the culprit! more below)
- celery
- best burger evah!!: organic burger w/shrooms doused in A1, topped w/sour cream and wedge of avocado on the side
- 2 fudge sticks w/whipped cream and semi-sweet chocochips

1 Gallon Water

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 4 3 sessions 90 mins cardio; 3 sessions weights (3 abs, 3 arms, 3 buns)

*groan* I'm not going to make weights this week. It's all good being that it was a tentative anyway, if-I'm-a-perfect-girl schedule anyways. That'll be what I strive for, but starting next week I'm dropping it down to 2 doable sessions, more Sunday. I totally meant to hit the gym, bags packed and all, alternate plan, but something came up. More below.

Rest 7 hour sleep

Too keyed up to sleep, got about 5 hours.

************************

I had a story about the 'nana missing gym, but am EXTREMELY busy today. Didn't want to go ghost, especially after yesterdays cussfest. Weight-fitness wise, I'm fine. Life-wise, mucho is going on. Bear w/me, I'll fill y'all in shortly.

Gotta jet, have a great weekend!

"When I do things without any explanation, but just with spontaneity... I can be sure that I am right." - Federico Fellini

Daily Weigh In: 191.2

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc w/splenda
- egg bowl
- raw broccoli & ranch dressing
- boca ground beef w/navy beans & slices o' squash w/wedge of avocado
- naked strips w/green beans
(got home late, too late to wash dishes and cook and eat @ decent hour, plus sat in a movie theater for 2 hours resisting the urge to drown my emotional stress in candy, considering all of that, I did good, plus they gave me 6 instead of 5, I ate 4, and they threw in a biscut, despite the fact I purposely did NOT order the value meal, ignored that too.)
- fudge stix w/whipped cream & semi sweet chocochips
(really wanted to eat 1 more just to *feel* better but I didn't)

1 Gallon Water

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
Rest day

Rest 7 hour sleep

********

Oh wise ones, just take a guess what day today is.

"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself." – Harvey Fierstein

Daily Weigh In: 191.8

Yesterday's Stats
Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc w/splenda
- egg bowl w/raw broccoli & ranch dressing
- celery w/hummus
- boca ground beef w/navy beans & slices o' squash
- wedge of laughing cow cheese
- done in canola oil: organic burger w/grilled onions tomatoes & 'shrooms, slice of veggie cheese & slice of canadian bacon w/wedge of avocado
- 2 fudge stix w/whipped cream (1 w/semi sweet chocochips, 1 w/natty pb) (I was HON-gry!)

1 Gallon Water

And then some more like 4.5 liters!

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 4 3 sessions 90 mins cardio; 3 sessions weights (3 abs, 3 arms, 3 buns)

55 mins elliptical - 3.15 miles
35 mins treadmill - .92 miles

Total cardio mins: 90
Total miles: 5.85
Total calories burned: 798

Rest 7 hour sleep

Today I'll give it to myself, it wasn't a solid 7, I woke up a few times, but I feel rested enough.

********

I promised to keep it real, @ all costs, around here...but I lied to y'all.

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Carl Bard

Season three of NBC's hit reality show "The Biggest Loser" will feature 50 contestants representing every state in the country when the new season premieres with a special two-hour episode on Wednesday, September 20 (8-10 p.m. ET).

[snip]

hosted by Caroline Rhea ("Sabrina the Teenage Witch") [bwah! even NBC calls her StTWA, okay they forgot to add 'Aunt']

[snip]

Bob Harper returns as the blue team trainer and new to the show this season is red team trainer Kim Lyons.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ::gnashes teeth::

Where is my Devil Girl…how dare they not have Lucifer incarnate, Jillian?!?!?

This really bums me out. I don't even want to watch that stupid show anymore. But, I know you guys live for my recaps so, I'll be brave. My heart will go on.

Team…*whimper*…red…*sniffle*…all the way….*sob*…fare thee well Jillian….*honk*

For old time's sake:

Daily Weigh In: 192.2 tempted as I am to call in my LOST chips, it's the weigh in on Sunday that's official in these parts. But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm uber excited to see I'm .2lbs away from seeing Entourage too

[update @ 6:20pm] Change of plans, it's always been a bit awkward to update the daily post during the day. Starting tomorrow, I'll post the current weigh in w/the complete stats from the day before.

********

As I promised last nite, an explanation on the naked strips and green beans dinner.

I went out w/my aunt and my godson to get the kid some new kicks for school, we went after I came back from the gym, around 6. He's diabetic and must eat his dinner and have his insulin around 6:30, 7 at the latest, and being out so late, he needed to be fed.

That's also my dinner time and because medically his needs come first, I deferred to my aunt to pick the place to eat, figuring so long as I get some protein and roughage I should be good. The kid picked Popeye's and away we went.

I took a looooooooong time to order and almost gave up. But if I sat there while they ate, it was too late to take him back w/the food, I'd cave from hunger and overeat. I remembered they used to promote a "carb friendly meal" and saw it was still on the menu: "Naked chicken strips w/green beans". I immediately removed the biscuit and not being a fan of diet drinks, instead of lemonade and sweet tea!!!, had water.

Folks, the inner debate and choices I made are a bigger victory than this AM's weigh in.

****

Eons ago, when I was 160-sumthin' and thought myself fat enough from my 130-140 range, I attempted to go on a diet and lose weight. W/o getting into the gory details, the fact that I have this site and stats you see in the middle column should tell how that story went.

My whole way of eating has been pretty wacked out, came out the birth canal w/issues, call me one day I'll regale you the tales, so extreme structure is a no go for me.

Along the way, I dabbled in a few methods of eating and whittled it down to the 3 systems I relate to the most, make the most sense to me, are fairly sound and aren't radical. I smooshed all 3 systems to make my eating a bit more flexible vs. following one way of eating to a tee.

"When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time." – St. Francis De Sales

Daily Weigh In: 194.4 *squeals* 1 more lb till I see me some LOST!

Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc w/splenda
- celery w/olive oil hummus
- egg bowl w/ranch broccoli (egg beater w/ff turkey slices & shredded cheese w/raw broccoli mixed w/ranch dressing)
- few more celery stalks *so tasty*
- naked chicken strips w/ranch dressing & green beans (more on this meal tomorrow)
- fudge stix w/natty pb and whipped cream & semi-sweet chocochips

1 Gallon Water

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 4 sessions 90 mins cardio; 3 sessions weights (3 abs, 3 arms, 3 buns)

45 mins elliptical - 3.15 miles
15 mins treadmill - .92 miles

Total cardio mins: 60
Total miles: 4.07
Total calories burned: 542

Rest 7 hour sleep

Meh...better yesterday, but not 7 solid hours either. I noticed something, I'm not very used to going to sleep, as much as I am conking out due to exhaustion, so though I'm tired, my eyes are drowsy, I toss and turn a bit. Plus, knowing my goal is 7 hours, I start counting time. This may take a few more weeks of trial and error.

********

There's just something about the first day of school, regardless of where one resides, that makes the air smell crisp and life feel like the first day of fall. Even in Hotlanta.

To all the grade/high schoolers returning to school, I offer you a hearty BWAHAHAHA...and to the parents, and likely readers of my site, ::high five::

"Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." – Steve Jobs

• Walk and run 250 miles (20.8 miles per week in 12 weeks)

Week 1: 17.32
Week 2: 11.21
Week 3: 16.59
Week 4: 8.83
Week 5: 3.17
Weeks to go: 7
Miles to go: 192.88 (27.55 miles/week)

Daily Weigh In: 195.4

Nutrition - Phase 1 SBD
- lf cc w/splenda
- slices of ff turkey breast w/laughing cow cheese
- slices of ff turkey breast w/ff veggie cheese
- organic burger w/grilled onions, tomatoes & 'shrooms w/wedge of avocado
- fudge stix w/whipped cream and natty pb

1 Gallon Water

3 liters

Vitamins/Supplement Cocktail

Training
This week to do 5 4 sessions 90 mins cardio; 3 sessions weights (3 abs, 3 arms, 3 buns)

22 mins recumbent bike - 7.94 miles
22 mins stationary bike - 7.93 miles
22 mins elliptical - 1.88 miles
22 mins treadmill - 1.3 miles (5 min run/17 min walk)

Total cardio mins: 90
Total miles: 19.05
Total calories burned: 602

Rest 7 hour sleep

Kinda...sorta...but not really. Went to bed early enough, but my pre week jitters had me tossing and turning, again, for hours.

********

I revamped my daily check in, to tie it back to what I wrote on Friday. I usually start out w/a rough system, then tweak it over time to make more sense. This way, I check off the things I need to do daily, vs. ending the day seeing what I did or didn't do.

****

I don't do good w/food, never have, prolly never will, I can try and whatnot, but that's my reality. I do however, when I get my groove going, do pretty good w/the physical. My daily goal is to burn 500 calories via working out, and I'm only going by the cardio burn since the machines give me readings. I know it's not 100%, but it's close enough and whatever I burn doing weights will net me 500, even if what I really burned cardio-wise was say, 350 and not like today 602.

500 calories burned off 7 days a week ='s 1lb. In theory. Plus it'll be interesting to see, so long as I am moderately successful w/food and doing phase 1 is pretty doable for me, if the calories burned over a 6 - 7 day period match what the scale sez.

****

I never did well w/ "if I lose 5lbs I'll buy myself a McMansion, if I lose 10lbs, I'm renting a space shuttle" sorta goals. For one, too broke, for two, I dunno, being broke ain't no joke. And who knows if this'll have the desired effect, but I came up w/a modest reward system for every 2lbs shed.

195.4lbs

"The secret to success in any human endeavor is total concentration." -Kurt Vonnegut

Daily Weigh In: 194.6

Nutrition
- egg sammich
- slice of pepperoni pizza
- garden salad w/ranch dressing

Water
2 liters

Vitamins/Supplements
Nope/Check

Training
30 mins elliptical - 2.22 miles
15 mins treadmill - .95 miles

Total cardio mins: 45
Total miles: 3.17

********

If you've been reading my site since around May, you may be wondering, what the hell happened to [insert challenge name here] challenge? Or. Wasn't she doing [insert new workout routine name here]. Or. Wasn't she eating [insert new food regime here]. Or. Wasn't she supposed to [blah blah blah, blah blah, blah]?

To which I'd answer, Yes. No. I think... Huh? What? Get off my back already.

But then I'd really answer thusly.

Daily Weigh In: 194.6

Nutrition
- eggs w/sausage

Water
.5 liters

Vitamins/Supplements
Check

Training
15 mins weights - buns

********

My stomach is KILLING me. Not sure what I ate that disagreed w/me last week, but for the last 3 mornings I've had some viscious rumblings...*groan*...and the bitter taste of food in the back of my throat when I hiccup.

****

Ya kno, I left last week, fleeing from a bit of family drama, and it completely sucked my energy to get myself smack dab in the middle of it when I returned. That made me feel so tired and lethargic. Plus I'm still recovering from driving str8 in on Tuesday. A 3 hour/200 mile commute is not cute. I said it on last nites podcast, but I had no plans to go to Golds the rest of the week, I've been crashing every afternoon.

And it's a horrible cycle, too tired to plan and even drink water, which lack of planning means I haven't had much of an appetite and am a bit dehydrated, which is making me even more tired and feeling too tired to plan.

It'll all get righted this weekend.

"Saints are sinners who kept going." - Robert Louis Stevenson

Daily Weigh In: 194.2 it's consistent. vacay gain (or bloat, post restroom it was back @ 193.8, but 1st weigh in stands) = 1.2lbs.

Nutrition
- grapefruit, lf cc
- plain burger
- chicken breast w/mozz cheese

Water
1.5 liters

Vitamins/Supplements
Check

Training
15 mins weights - arms

********

Two reasons I felt the need to get out of town @ the last minute last week, 1) I was feeling tired. While a 3 hour/200 mile jaunt isn't the most relaxing thing to do, I needed to get out of town for a bit. Clear my head.

2) I had a bad dream that my aunt and cousin were out to get me, got some stuff subconsciously going on. I told my mother the dream and she said b/c it was so specific and literal, I wasn't predicting something, just suppressing what I was already thinking and to yeah, come over, I can play with the cats.

Wha- the?

I am a grown damn woman. What on earth gives her the idea that I!!! play!!! w/cats!!!???

"No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings." - William Blake

Daily Weigh In: 193.8 (considering most vacays net me a 3 to 4lber (and I DON'T mean fish) being up only .8 since last weigh in and nearly a lb from 7 days ago, I'll take it.

Nutrition
- lf cc w/grapfruit*
- same as above
- plain hamburger

Water
2 liters

Vitamins/Supplements
Check

Training
none.

*not sbd, but i got quite a bit of food that i want to polish off before they go bad. i didn't have the heart to toss my two grapefruits from last week, so today i'll consume them.

********

FYI

Sunday – pSyched for the upcoming week

Monday – still Motivated for the week ahead

Tuesday – Trying to keep focused about the week

Wednesday – all Whaaaaa-t-everrrrrr about the rest of the week

Thursday - Bored & Tired of the gotdammed week

Friday – eFfff this long ass week

Saturday – Sulking that I didn't make it an entire week

So depending on the tone of what I post based on the day of the week,
please refer to this handy dandy chart to see what mood Renee is in.

As you were.

"I am what time, circumstance, history have made of me, certainly. But I am also much more than that. So are we all." - James Baldwin

I wanted to ♥ these links...*sobs softly*...I really did...*honk*...

If one word can sum it up, that word would be: bleahyuck! If you need more words, keep reading.

I'm back.

Feels like I never left.

Ok ladies and the sole guy that read my site , I'm going off the beach for a few days, heading to the marshy low country of SC to be exact, where curious kittens await my finger poking hands…

...oh wait…my mom is there too

Now, here's the thing. I can be all magnanimous and proclaim I'll walk the str8 and narrow eating wise the entire time I'm gone or I can be direct and say, "I don't know what will happen. I do know I really want to eat @ Ryans while I'm there."

Daily Weigh In: 193 had I gone w/what I originally saw yesterday, today would've been a to counter yesterday's it's also not that deep

Nutrition
- lf cc

Water
1 liter

Vitamins/Supplements
Check

Training
TBD

********

Well then.

After extolling the virtues of one Boca chili, I was flabbergasted, flabbergasted I say, to flip the box over and discover it's intended audience is phase 2 and phase 3 south beach diet peeps.

I flew into a homicidal rage.

I wanted to hop in my '03 Corolla, down a bottle of tequila, drive all the way to Malibu (from Atlanta), promptly get pulled over by a 19 year old sheriffs deputy @ which point I'll launch into a incoherent tirade, hurl racial epithets as I ogle the other male deputy and ask him, "What the hell are you looking at sugar dick?"

But I didn't.

"Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever." – Isak Denison

See him in action:

Daily Weigh In: 192.6

Nutrition
- lf cc
- 2 spoons natty pb
- boca chili w/mushrooms, ½ cup black beans, shredded cheese, dollop of sour cream & wedge of avocado
- 2 fudgsicles w/whipped cream (this blasted heat!)
- best hamburger ever! organic burger w/grilled vine tomato & onions, topped w/veggie cheese & slice of canadian bacon and wedge of avocado
- another fudgsicle w/whipped cream

Water
4 liters

Vitamins/Supplements
Check

Training
Rest Day.

********

Such a weird drop this morning. First weigh in said 193.8, which would've been a from yesterday. I shrugged and thought, No biggie, I did eat a few more servings of peanut butter than usual and had a few more dollops of whipped cream and an extra fudgsicle, figures right?

Then I sat down to do my AM computer routine when my tummy started grumbling something awful. After an unexpected trip to the bathroom *cough* I felt, um, lighter. Just for giggles I hop back on the scale and saw 192.8. What tha... hopped on again: 192.6 Crikey and again: 192.6 okay then.

I'm firmly bracing myself for an upward tick mañana.

****

So far SBD is faring better than my first attempt @ it 2 years ago. Back then I was all about my processed/fast foods and 1) wasn't going to be cooking and b) it seemed too expensive.

But I, and life, have changed a lot in 2 years. A big difference is a ton of info online. Lots of SBD forums where people share recipes, it's where I found the flaxseed omelet pancake and peanut butter cup. But the biggest change has been in me.

"Ambition and patience make a powerful team. Ambition gives you the drive and the enthusiasm to get things started, and patience sees them through. Without ambition, you would never get going. Without patience, you would give up long before the goal was reached.

When you choose to develop and activate both your ambition and your patience, you've created a relentless combination. For not only will you be effective, that effectiveness will continue to be applied over time.

With enough ambition, you can make just about anything happen, but not right away. The most effective effort is continuing effort, and that is what patience makes possible.

You never have to choose between ambition and patience. You can live with them both at the same time, and when you do, great things will happen.

Success comes to those who know when to push and when to wait. Balance ambitious effort with a deep, underlying patience, and the results you achieve will be truly amazing." – Ralph Marston

This week, I was going to attempt to make my own chili...then I fell over on the floor cackling @ the absurdity of it all, acted like I had some sense and bought pre-made chili.

I got veggie style chili for a reason. True indeed I'm a hippie @ heart, but I'm not that far-gone. Yet. Scroll back a few days and you can see I've been eating beef burgers for a few weeks now. The vegetarian road is a path I want to go down @ some point in time. When I can, I pick veggie over meat.

That said, let's get to the review on how this tasted.

Daily Weigh In: 193.4

Nutrition
- lf cc
- hummus & raw broccoli
- boca chili w/extra black beans, sour cream and shredded cheese
- celery w/wedge of laughing cow cheese
- sugar free fudgsicle w/natty pb and whipped cream
- eggs w/boca sausage (bleahyuck!) veggie cheese, mushrooms and slice of avocado
- yet another fudgsicle w/natty pb and whipped cream

Water
5 liters

Vitamins/Supplements
Check

Training
30 mins elliptical - 2.08 miles
15 mins treadmill - .81 miles (5 min run/10 min walk)

Total cardio mins: 45
Total miles: 2.89

********

Right now, what I'm most proud of is managing to take my vitamin/supplement cocktail for 3 weeks str8.

"Experience is what allows us to repeat our mistakes, only with more finesse!" - Derwood Fincher