What I learned today

Why hello there. You're all looking lovely this evening. Here, please, have a seat. Let's chat for a while and enjoy each others company. ;)

Today has been an "educational" day. Sort of. Let's just say I learned a lot. Let's recap shall we?

I learned that my pumpkin pie pudding mix is absolutely delicious in a hot bowl of oatmeal. Tragically this was last of it. I CRY!

BREAKFAST (meal #1) at 9:00am.

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup wheat bran
• 1 tbs flax
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 pumpkin pie pudding
• 1 tbs Trader Joe's pumpkin butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• dash pumpkin pie spice
• pinch salt

So, so, SO good!

I also learned that the top of my portable coffee mug is no longer functional. The first hint was the spilled coffee all over my shirt. The second hint was the coffee I spilled all over my keyboard. FUN! After several attempts to figure out the problem, I gave up and tossed it. So sad. I loved that stupid mug! :(


LUNCH (meal #2) at 12:00pm.

I also learned that packing lunch while hungry makes you pack way more than a normal human being can consume at one sitting. As delicious as it all was, I ended up sharing with Ann.

Lunch was leftover veggies from my veggie party last night and a FlatOut wrap with spinach and leftover butternut squash, which I mashed first. DELICIOUS!


I also learned that I dropped another pant size while shopping for clothes on our break today. Of course I immediately snatched up a new pair of jeans to celebrate. I also picked up a new bra, FINALLY! However, I wasn't QUITE as excited about dropping a size in that department, if you know what I mean. ;)

My Saturday Birthday outfit is officially halfway done. Now I just need to find a top. I guess I could just flaunt my sexiness in the new bra and jeans alone. HA! As soon as I thought of this I could hear a faint little voice inside me screaming. BAD IDEA ILDIE. BAD! Was it my conscience? Nope, it was my sassy little muffin top yelling at me to deal with reality and put a damn shirt on. :-O I concur muffy, don't worry!

Like I would ever go ANYWHERE without a shirt! Please!

SNACK (meal #3) at 4:30pm.

I almost had to skip my snack. Work really picked up at the end of the day. Last minute divas ruled my world from 3:30-5:00. Stupid, STUPID Divas! :)

I had a quick yogurt mess with plain Oikos, a Fuji apple and the last of the Back to Nature chocolate granola. Tragic! This granola was delicious!


I've learned that I don't ALWAYS want to workout after work. However, I've also learned that cardio does a body good so off to NASTY FAT BLASTY Cardio we went. HATE IT! We also did round two of the "inch challenge". Ann and I are challenging each other to see if we can raise up at ALL on a pullup. So far the max has been MAYBE 1" to 1.5". HA! Hey, it's something! The end of the year goal is to be able to do one solid pullup. WE CAN DO THIS!

WORKOUT!

Elliptical Cross Trainer, 1 hour, 5.14 miles, 716 Calories
1-2 min., (level 5)
3-4 min., (level 6)
5-6 min., (level 7)
7-8 min., (level 8)
9-10 min., (level 9)
11-12 min., (level 10)
13-14 min., (level 11)
15-16 min., (level 12)
17-18 min., (level 13)
19-20 min., (level 14)
21-25 min., (level 6)
26-30 min., (level 7)
31-35 min., (level 8)
36-40 min., (level 9)
41-45 min., (level 10)
46-50 min., (level 11)
51-60 min., (level 8)

WHOOOOOOOPED my butt. I looked like a sweaty red maniac. Dear lord. It was bad.

SNACK (meal #4) at 7:00pm.

I made a Green Monster Smoothie as soon as I got home because I've learned that they do a body good. And because I was craving one all day long.

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• small banana
• 1/4 cup frozen mangoes
• 4-5 fresh pineapple chunks

This was delicious! I missed adding Spinach to smoothies. I didn't buy enough to support the "habit" last week.

DINNER (meal #5) at 9:30pm.

I was craving a salad tonight. It makes no carb night easy as pie. I cooked up a single chicken breast, seasoned with salt, pepper and key lime powder. I tossed it on top of a bed of romaine, spinach, tomatoes, red bell pepper slices, red pepper flakes and sweet curry sunflower seeds. Of course I also added a drizzle of spray butter. It was amazing. I love a good salad.


Currently curled up on the couch with a nice cup of Coconut Chai Tea and my trusty remote control. Going to unwind with the TV for a while I think. I need some mind numbing therapy. ;)

Have a great night!!
Ildie

A green fix

I've decided to cloan myself. I have a master plan, you see. My other self can go off to work and I can stay at home and play all day. I can frolic in my pajamas until noon. I can spend all day cooking, writing, drawing, shopping, eating, napping and exercising at my leisure. Best of all, I'll be able to blog all the live long day. I like this plan. Where do I sign up?!

Today was another super busy day at work. Just one more day left. (I think I can.... I think I can.... I think I can make it without completely losing my mind....) ;)

BREAKFAST (meal #1) at 9:30am.

I tried a new oatmeal addition today. I found a can of sugar free, fat free, low calorie apple pie filling at the store last week. Naturally I had to pick one up to try.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Apple Pie Oatmeal.

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 wheat bran
• 1 tbs flax
• 240g apple pie filling (1/2 cup I think)
• 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• dash apple pie spice
• pinch salt
• Splenda to taste

It was tasty. Didn't knock my socks off like I was hoping it would but it was good! The smell alone is worth it. Smelled just like a warm apple pie!

After breakfast I got sucked into a black hole of emails. It was nearing 1:00pm before I was able to crawl out of it long enough to eat.

LUNCH (meal #2) at 1:00pm.

I've dedicated the last few days to veggies. I decided to declare today FRUIT day. I made a delicious fruit sandwich of sorts for lunch. I toasted an Ezekiel sprouted whole grain bun, smeared a wedge of light Laughing Cow cheese on top and added a few slices of Fuji apple. I topped it all of with a sprinkle of Splenda and cinnamon. SO GOOD! I enjoyed the rest of the apple on the side along with a small, juicy Tanjelo.


Fruity perfection! I love apple or pear sandwiches with Laughing Cow cheese like this. If you're not hip you should try it. You're missing out.

I didn't leave the office for a break again today. I just kept working to try and get everything done. Did I? Heck no! But tomorrow is another day. Le Sigh!

SNACK (meal #3) at 4:15.

The usual creamy goodness. Plain Oikos with fresh pineapple chunks and a sprinkle of sprouted, cocoa mole sunflower seeds from Kaia Foods. DELICIOUS!


Through the magic of hustling, juggling and working at the speed of light, I was actually able to leave work on time. I went straight to the gym and got a good workout in. YUCK! Cardio day again!

WORKOUT!

Elliptical Cross Trainer, 60 minutes, 4.98 miles, 698 calories burned

I did 4 sets of this ten minute interval session.
min. 1 at level 5
min. 2 at level 6
min. 3 at level 7
min. 4 at level 8
min. 5 at level 9
min. 6 at level 10
min. 7 at level 11
min. 8 at level 12
min. 9 at level 13
min. 10 at level 14

For the last 20 minutes I did the following 5 minute intervals.
min. 41-45 at level 5
min. 46-50 at level 6
min. 51-55 at level 7
min. 56-60 at level 8

This left me feeling nauseous! SUPER. Now I love cardio even more. HA!

It was ridiculously cold out when we left the gym. There's another winter storm moving through. It was the most miserable walk to my car ever. Being covered in sweat, in the middle of winter while hiking back to your frozen car in HIGH wind gusts while it's snowing is never a good idea. I got an instant headache. :(

SNACK (meal #4) at 7:15pm.

I made a recovery smoothie as soon as I got home and curled up on the couch under the biggest comforter I could find to try and warm up. My hands felt like ice.

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 tbs sugar free chocolate Torani syrup

I still had my headache. I actually think the frozen smoothie made it worse. I warmed up with a quick bath and dove right into dinner.

DINNER (meal #5) at 9:30pm.

Of course I ended up caving and gave into my my daily veggie desires. You didn't think I would forget did you? My body was screaming for it. I needed a GREEN fix and a salad with chicken breast sounded the best. I seasoned three chicken breasts with pink salt, rosemary and black pepper. I tossed them into a covered dish with Pam and a drizzle of honey mustard dressing. I cooked them on medium heat for about 20 minutes. They came out perfectly juicy and golden.

I cut one of the breasts (4oz or so) into bite size pieces and tossed it on top of a bed of romaine, cherry tomatoes, red & green bell peppers and avocado. I topped it all with sweet curry sunflower seeds, spray butter and red pepper flakes. So good!


Nick had the largest piece of chicken for dinner with a HUGE side of cheesy parmesan pasta. He made the pasta while I was working on the chicken. It smelled amazing but I stuck to my salad and resisted. Tomorrow is weigh in morning. I can't allow distractions! My salad was delicious though so I wasn't really tempted to tell you the truth.

I'm feeling drained mentally and physically tonight. I doubt I'll be up as late as usual. My bed beckons me with its soft, comfortable fluffiness and I'm about to fall under it's dreamy spell.

Have a great night. I'll do my usual weight loss update post tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow. It's FRIDAY! I'm SO excited. Looooooooooooooooong week is almost over!

XOXOXO!
-Ildie

Chicken Hater

Slow, forever dragging, stupid Mondays. You bother bother me! This past weekend flew by way too fast and I was not ready to deal with grownup reality this morning. The office felt like a frozen morgue again. As is typical for Mondays in our building. I should bring a fluffy blanket or a robe to work and wrap myself up in it while I type away at my desk. I wonder if they would get the hint? Would they even notice?

Moving on.....

BREAKFAST (meal #1) at 9:00am.

A steamy bowl of the good stuff, naturally.

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup wheat bran
• 1 1/2 cup water
• tons of cinnamon
• dash apple pie spice
• dash sea salt
• Splenda to taste
• 2 tbs PB2
• Navitas Naturals cacao sweet nibs

While enjoying this tastiness, I found myself browsing hairstyle pictures online. Ann and I have hair appointments on March 5th and I'm not quite sure (other than coloring it dark) what route to go with the cut. I'm thinking DRASTIC! Ann always says I'm the rebel of the family. Perhaps I should prove it! My hair is VERY long (too damn long) right now and I find myself leaning towards the styles below. IF I can manage to grow enough balls by then and actually go through with it.


So uhm yeah... I'm sort of freaking out about it.

Our IT department was ALL over my office today. They decided to rewire the entire building (it's a nightmare) to avoid future issues and crashes etc... I would love to know why they chose to do this on a Monday instead of the weekend. I'm just saying. They're cutting into precious "find hairstyle" time!! Clearly work was on the slow side today.

LUNCH (meal #2) at 12:15pm.

I made a delicious veggie wrap with green and yellow bell peppers, spinach, bread & butter pickles and a wedge of light Laughing Cow swiss cheese. All rolled up into a honey wheat FlatOut.


I also had a Tanjelo and some more veggies on the side. I'm having one of those HUNGRY days again! BEWARE!


We decided not to leave the building for a break today. I spent it sipping green tea in my office while reading blogs and searching for more haircut ideas. I'm clearly going to obsess about this deeply until our appointment. It's a little Birthday treat to myself. I'll be turning the big 3-3 the day after the SCISSOR MADNESS. EEEEK!

SNACK (meal #3) at 4:15pm.

I indulged in a protein and carb packed yogurt mess. I have one more container of my beloved Oikos left at home. I could just cry. CRY!

• 4oz container of plain, 0% Oikos
• 1 banana, sliced
• sprinkle of Navitas Naturals cacao sweet nibs
• 1 tbs of Back to Nature chocolate delight granola

I thought 5:00pm would never arrive today. By the time it did I was already changed for the gym and ready to GO. YAY! (I was excited about getting to leave, not the idea of sweating for the next hour and a half).

WORKOUT!

Seated Chest Press (plate loaded)

60lb x 15

60lb x 15

50lb x 15

High Row (plate loaded)

100lb x 15 (3 sets)

Inclined Chest Press (plate loaded)

30lb x 15

30lb x 15

20lb x 15

Lateral Pulldown with straight bar (cable)

60lb x 15 (3 sets)

Seated Chest Press (cable)

50lb x 15 (3 sets)

Row Machine (cable)

60lb x 15

50lb x 15

50lb x 15

Rotary Torso Machine (cable)

30lb x 15 - per side (2 sets)

Elliptical Cross Trainer, 20 minutes, 1.75 miles, 252 calories

1-2 min., (level 6)

3-4 min., (level 7)

5-6 min., (level 8)

7-8 min., (level 9)

9-10 min., (level 10)

11-12 min., (level 8)

13-14 min., (level 10)

15-16 min., (level 8)

17-18 min., (level 10)

19-20 min., (level 8)

SNACK (meal #4) at 7:15pm.

I decided to try another one of the Jay Robb protein packets that I received last week. They haven't disappointed me yet.

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 1 Tropical Dreamsickle flavored Jay Robb protein packet
• 2 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
• 1 banana
• 1 packet Splenda

So good, so green, so pretty, so delicious!

Nick was already chilling on the couch waiting on me to get home so we could watch more Dexter. The show is like crack! We were up until 1:00am last night watching it with blood shot eyes. I'm not even sure if I blinked during the last 30 minutes. I was tired as heck but I didn't want to miss anything. HA!

DINNER (meal #5) at 9:00pm.

I haven't cooked chicken in a few weeks. You see, Nick is a self declared chicken hater. I should clarify. He only hates it when it's not deep fried and dripping with grease. HOWEVER, I thought a chicken breast salad sounded really good tonight so he's just going to have to deal with it! ;)

I pan seared the chicken with Pam, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne and Morrocan seasoning until golden and then popped them into the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 min! They came out juicy and perfect! I sliced the breasts into bite size pieces and lay them on a bed of spinach. I topped it all with cherry tomatoes, creamy avocado, sugar snap peas Kaia Foods sweet curry sunflower seeds and a drizzle of spray butter.


The salad was delicious! Nick enjoyed it too. Operation Chicken Hater, Annihilater is in full effect. The second phase shall commence sometime next week. Details to follow.

Alright my lovelies, time go hang with my other man (Dexter) now. Have a great night!

XO
Ildie