Random confessions from the Rodeo...

Happy Monday blogging beauties. I hope you're all having a lovely day!

Mine has been more chipper than the norm. Very odd for a Monday! I'd like to thank Mr. Warm Weather and Miss. Sunshine for my joy filled state of mind. Spring is definitely in the air and it's sweet stench tickles my nose with fury. I'm loving every single second of it!

BREAKFAST (meal #1) at 9:20am.

The usual bowl of nutrition to keep my magnificent brain fueled at work.

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 wheat bran
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• dash apple pie spice
• pinch salt
• Splenda
• (Microwaved and topped with 1 tbs ground flax, 2 tbs sugar free cherry preserves, 1 tbs Better N' Peanut Butter)

Creamy crack goodness to power me right through my morning.

Random Confession #1 - Every time I use the bathroom at work, I do 10 plie squats and 15 "girlie" push ups off of the sink... HEY, every little bit counts. I sit on my butt all day at work and it feels good to get "something" in. I drink the a LOT of water so it adds up. :)

LUNCH (meal #2) at 12:30pm.

I brought in leftover sauteed veggies and edamame to make a quick and easy lunch! I swear they tasted even better than yesterday. I also had a Thomas's wheat bagel thin on the side with a bit of Spray Butter. I definitely got my veggies in today!


Work was a bit WILD. I felt like a rugged cowgirl trapped at a Buckin Bronco Wild West Rodeo Show. YEEHAW. I lassoed up Ann before completely losing my mind and we mozied on over to Barnes & Nobles for a bit of peace and quiet.


I read a few travel books on Ocracoke Island, NC for the upcoming vacation and sipped on a small African Autumn Tea. It was just what I needed to regain my inner peace.

I also found some intriguing leads with my research. :)


Random Confession #2 - Lately I've been having more than one cup of coffee a day. I was doing really well with just one in the morning there for a while. However, I've been craving them like mad lately. I guess it could be worse. If sipping coffee is the worst of my nutritious rebelling then I think I can go on living.

SNACK (meal #3) at 4:00pm.

I smothered a pile of fresh strawberries (maybe 1.5 cups) with plain Dannon Greek yogurt, cinnamon and a sprinkle of Udi's vanilla granola. YUM!


And then we busted out of the rodeo and went straight to the gym. Giddy up yall!

WORKOUT!

I did it a little differently today. I did 4 sets of each move instead of 3 and I started even heavier than usual, aiming for 8 reps of the 1st HEAVY set OR as much as I "could" do.

Tricep pulldown (cable with straight bar)
90lb x 8
80lb x 15
80lb x 15
70lb x 15
Bicep Curls (barbell)
45lb x 8
40lb x 15
35lb x 15
35lb x 15
Front Shoulder Raise (barbell)
30lb x 8
25lb x 15
20lb x 15
20lb x 15
Tricep Pushdown (plate loaded machine, I did the heaviest weight last on this one)
90lb x 15
90lb x 15
90lb x 10
100lb x 7
21's (barbell)
30lb x 21
25lb x 21
25lb x 21
25lb x 21
Standing Military Press (barbell)
40lb x 8
35lb x 15
35lb x 15
30lb x 12
Elliptical Cross Trainer
30 minutes, 2 min. intervals at levels 6 & 10, 2.73 miles

Total time at gym = 1:20
Max HR - 175
Average HR - 144
Total calories burned = 680

Good grief, this left me a sweaty hot mess. I was on the verge of disgusting! Like I walked into a shower with clothes on and then decided to walk around in them for fun. UGH! I flew home with all of the windows down and my sunroof open to "dry" off. HA! It was a GREAT workout though. I left feeling strong and energized.

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

I refueled with a nice cold smoothie. I was ready to bust out the blender again to make a frozen magical concoction. I've been taking the easy way out and just shaking a simple shake in my cup lately. I was craving something frozen though!

• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 1 cup water
• 1 scoop chocolate peanut butter whey protein
• 1 banana
• 2 cups ice
• 3 drops fudge brownie Capella flavor drops

Operation smoothiefication was a success. This filled me right up and cooled me down. Pulling double duty like a protein packed champ!

Random Confession #3 - Nick is playing Modern Warfare again. I would just like to officially declare that I hate the game. I hate the running around shoot em up POW-WOW factor of it as well as the constant loudness blasting out of our surround sound. I've got something I would like to shoot. His X-Box. Oh please, oh please, oh please can I? HA!

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

Basically dinner can be summed up in one simple word. DELICIOUS! I sauteed a green pepper and an onion in spray butter and taco seasoning. I also microwaved one serving of Morning Star Farms grounds with more taco seasoning and stirred in 2 tablespoons of peach salsa. I added the grounds and half of the veggies into a honey wheat FlatOut along with some fat free cheddar cheese. I folded the wrap in half and toasted both sides until the cheese got all ooey and gooey. I guess you can call it a Quesadilla.


I had the rest of the veggies on the side and topped it all off with a tomato, 1/2 an avocado, fat free sour cream, more peach salsa and fresh cracked black pepper.


Yes, it's okay to drool if you want to. I did! I could barely contain myself long enough to photograph this sexy plate!

I think we're about to watch another episode of Mad Men. We just started watching the show but I'm digging it. Minus the sexist and completely inappropriate portrayal of weak and vulnerable women of the 50's. I'm so glad I live in the now. Though I do adore the fashion, the makeup, the hair and the cars.

Random Confession #4 - If I really like what I'm watching on TV I watch it smiling from ear to ear with my mouth WIDE open. Not just here and there. No! We're talking for the duration of like a 2 hour movie. I do it the entire time!! I've been caught doing this on numerous occasions by Nick and apparently it's hysterical. He has threatened to capture it on film. I'm scared.

Have a great night!
XOXO
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

Monday Voodoo

Something peculiar was going on today. Some sort of magical Monday voodoo. First of all, I woke up energized and happy. ON A MONDAY! It was mild out and raining instead of snowing and freezing. IN FEBRUARY! IN OHIO! Work was not a hectic, stressful or a panic fueled nightmare. DURING THE LAST WEEK OF THE MONTH!

I'm not sure what the hot heck is going on here but I'm just going to go with the flow. Shhhh. Pretend I never mentioned it. Don't want to ruin the good karma flow. Ohmmmmmmm........

BREAKFAST (meal #1) at 9:15am.

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup wheat bran
• 1 1/2 cups water
• cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice
• pinch salt
• Splenda to taste
• 1 tbs flax
• 1 tbs sugar free peach preserves (Smucker's)
• 2 tbs PB2

My coworkers always drool over my oatmeal breakfasts. Calm down everyone! It's just a magnificent bowl of warm oats that took me 5 minutes to prep. Anyone can do this. All you have to do is put a bit more effort in. I quickly shimmied past the drooling onlookers, shut my door and hid in my office. This oatmeal is mine and you can't have it. MINE YOU HEAR?! I had my usual sexy food photo shoot behind closed doors and then slowly devoured every last bite.

RANDOM TOPIC TIME:

I'm having some closet woes. I'm well aware of the weight loss vs buying new clothes rules. I watch enough What Not To Wear to KNOW that I'm doing it wrong! Waiting until I reach my goal before purchasing new clothes is unnecessary torture. I KNOW that I should reward myself for what I've accomplished already. However, funds can't allow me to splurge on a new wardrobe every 2 months. DILEMMA! Here's what I'm currently struggling with.

• Most of my pants are either to big or still too small. (I never let go of my smaller sizes from when I first lost weight YEARS ago. I know. This is another NO NO!)
• I'm SWIMMING in all of my gym clothes.
• My boobs fall out of my LARGE bras every time I raise my arms. This also happened with a sports bra at the gym the other day. HA! NOT GOOD!
• I look sloppy most of the time because of this.
• Winter is almost over. I feel like waiting for Spring might be a good idea. Can I do it? Not sure at this point.
• My closet is a nightmare!! I've got sizes ranging from Small to X'large and I'm completely out of room! HELP!

Anyways, I just wanted to rant a bit. All done now. If you have suggestions PLEASE SHARE. Perhaps a raid of the local Thrift Stores is in order!

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

I had a nice salad today. I went a little wild in the produce department last Friday and my fridge is FULL of fresh veggies. MUST EAT THEM ALL before they go bad!

• Sweet butter lettuce
• Sugar snap peas
• Cherry tomatoes
• Orange bell pepper
• Black Bean Burger (from Morning Star Farm's)
• Drizzle of Spray Butter

We had the most exciting break away from the office today. WAIT FOR IT..... WAIT FOR IT..... I fueled up my car. Can you handle the excitement? Then we.....WAIT FOR IT..... WAIT FOR IT...... went to HomeGoods and roamed around aimlessly for about 30 minutes. We both left empty handed. WILD right?

SNACK (meal #3) at 4:00pm.

My beloved Oikos and I were reunited once again. I think we both realized that we can't go more than a few days without each other. Why fight it? We're meant to be together. I diced up a sweet Bartlett pear and topped it with cinnamon infused Oikos and a sprinkle of Back To Nature chocolate delight granola.


WORKOUT!

After work it was off to the gym for back, chest and cardio day. Not one of my favorites but I rocked it. The leg still feels funky so I struggled on the Elliptical a bit but worked through it. I kept the resistance down. I hope it gets back to normal by Saturday so I can do my complete lower body workout. I only half assed it last Saturday! :(

Lateral Pulldown with V-bar (cable)

70lb x 15

60lb x 15 (2 sets)

Seated Chest Press (cable)

75lb x 15 (2 sets)

60lb x 15

High Row (plate loaded)

90lb x 15 (3 sets)

Seated Chest Press (plate loaded)

60lb x 15 (2 sets)

50lb x 15

Low Row (plate loaded)

50lb x 15 (3 sets)

Advanced Chest Press (plate loaded)

30lb x 15 (3 sets)

Elliptical Cross Trainer, 2.6 miles, 30 min.

Interval Training, levels 6-8, 356 calories

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

I made a delicious smoothie to refuel. It perked me right up. I was starving by the time I got home. Having another one of those BOTTOMLESS PIT DAYS today.

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1/2 cup frozen banana
• 1/2 frozen mangoes
• 1/4 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/2 ice
• 1 cup Spinach

So SO good!

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

I decided to make another veggie loaded dinner. Are you at all shocked? Oh I bet not!

Cauliflower mock mashed potatoes

• 1 head of cauliflower, boiled, drained and mashed
• 2 tbs fat free sour cream
• 1 tbs Spray Butter
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• S+P to taste
• 2 tbs Parmesan cheese
• 1 serving Feta (28g)

Once the cauliflower is nice and tender, drain it and toss the florets into a big bowl. Mash them until desired texture is reached. Some people like them chunky. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and enjoy.


Sauteed sweet and sour vegetables

• 2 bunches of broccoli
• 1 zuchini, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 2 cups white mushrooms
• 2 tbs Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs teriyaki sauce
• splash lime juice
• 1 tbs rice vinegar
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 packet Splenda

Toss all of these ingredients into a large, deep frying pan (or Wok) with a lid and cook until all the veggies are tender on medium heat. Takes about 10-15 minutes. Couldn't be simpler.


Flax and wheat bran crusted Mahi-Mahi

• 2 fillets of Mahi-Mahi (roughly 4oz per fillet)
• 1 egg white
• S+P to taste
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 wheat bran
• 2 tbs flax

Pat the fillets dry. Make sure to remove as much moisture as possible. Whisk together the egg white, soy sauce and the salt & pepper in a shallow bowl. Blend the wheat bran and the flax together in a shallow bowl. Dip the fillets into the egg white mixture and then into the bran/flax mixture. Bake them in a preheated 400 degree oven for 13-15 minutes.


Diner was ridiculous! Seriously, seriously ridiculous!


Time to unwind with an episode of Dexter now. I didn't get to bond with him at all this weekend. I miss his blood lustful ways. Have a great night!

XOXOXOX
Ildie

"P" is for Productive

Hi everyone. I hope you're all enjoying Saturday. I know I am! I've done so much today! I set my alarm so I could wake up early and get a head start on everything. I know this seems crazy on a Saturday but sometimes I feel like I'm sleeping precious hours away. I stumbled downstairs and immediately brewed a delicious cup of hazelnut flavored espresso. I swear coffee tastes even more delicious since I cut back to one cup a day. Mmmm!

BREAKFAST (meal #1)

I was going to have something different this morning but all my body wanted was the usual. I caved into my oatmeal addition and made a delicious bowl of goodness.

• 1/2 old fashioned oats
• 1 tbs ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup wheat bran
• 1 cup vanilla almond breeze
• 1/2 cup water
• cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice
• PB2

I topped this steamy sexy bowl with a dash more cinnamon and dove in.


Oh my! SO GOOD! I ate it out of my new glass bowl. Awe snap! I like it but it got a bit too hot to handle (just like me, HA) after about 20 seconds. I improvised and wrapped it in the blanket that I was also curled up in. It worked beautifully. Like a warm oatmeal cocoon.

After breakfast I tossed a load of laundry in and changed for the gym. It was still nice and early and I was excited about getting it done and having the rest of the day to relax.

WORKOUT

Seated Leg Curl (cable)

90lb x 15

90lb x 15

80lb x 15

Leg Extensions (cable)

90lb x 15

90lb x 15

80lb x 15

Leg Press (plate loaded)

200lb x 15

200lb x 15

200lb x 15

Hack Squat (plate loaded)

40lb x 15

40lb x 15

40lb x 15

Squats

x20

x20

x20

Plié Squats (plate loaded)

x15

x15

x15

Stiff Leg Deadlifts

45lb x 15

45lb x 15

45lb x 15

Elliptical - Interval Training - 30 minutes

Resistance 6-8

2.52 miles

364 calories burned

My legs were like JELLO today. I was going to up the resistance but my wobbly legs were screaming NOOOOO so I stuck with 6-8. I called it quits after about 30 minutes. WHEW! This was a good one!

After the gym I ran to the pharmacy and the bank. I was getting things done and it felt great. It wasn't even 11 yet and I was already done with most of my errands. YEAH! By the time I got home I was starving!

SNACK (meal #2)

I made a delicious, thick and creamy protein shake.

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 1 small banana
• 1/2 cup frozen berry mix
• 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
• handful of ice cubes
• 1/4 tsp xantham gum
• 1/4 tsp guar gum

This was my first time using both gums together and it made the shake super thick and creamy. I swear it was almost like pudding. I know that sounds sort of weird but I liked it. I can easily see how adding more ice can magically turn a smoothie into "ice cream" and I can't wait to try that next.

After my smoothie-pudding I took care of the laundry, ran the dishwasher and took a nice long bath. All before 1:00 might I add. I was loving this long and productive day! I was enjoying it so much that I decided to get dressed and get my grocery shopping out of the way today as well. WHY NOT? I spent a fortune people! SIGH!

LUNCH (meal #3)

I'm addicted, what can I say. I give you the always delectable and delicious breakfast concoction. Also known as my new obsession. HEY, at least I put it in a pita instead of a FlatOut wrap this time. It's a TAD different right? :)

• 4 egg whites seasoned with salt & pepper
• Trader Joe's cilantro and jalapeno hummus
• Sriracha sauce
• Baby spinach leaves

All of this was stuffed into a whole wheat & flax pita. Accompaniments included english cucumbers, baby carrots and a cup of green tea. Simple, clean and delicious. Like the new plate? 79 cents at Le Target Baby! YEAH!


After lunch Nick and I decided to go catch a matinee movie. We watched The Book Of Eli. I liked it. Actually we both liked it. I don't want to give anything away so I'll just leave it at that. You should check it out. ;)

By the time we got home it was nearing dinner time and we were both HUNGRY! We needed something quick and we needed it NOW!

DINNER (meal #4)

Nick decided he wanted pirogues with smoked sausage. Nothing else would do. While he prepped his MUST HAVE dinner I started on mine.

I kept it sweet and simple and tossed the leftover chicken breast and sauteed veggies from dinner the other night onto a bed of spinach and added cherry tomatoes. Yep, dinner was served in less than 5 minutes.


And somehow, by accident (so strange), I found myself with a glass of wine. OH MY, how did that happen?


Hello lover.... I've missed you!


Time to snuggle with the Mr. Have a great night everyone.

Confession, currently on glass #2. UH OH!

XO
Ildie