Sunday, June 30, 2013

June 30: Daily Recap

And this is, of course, the day that the wheels feel off of the wagon. After dinner with my family last night, I stopped at a graduation party and was awake way later than expected since I needed to drive a friend to the hospital for stitches, and emergency rooms are paaaaaiiiiinnnnfulllly show. And I drank coffee while waiting in the ER, because the coffee machine, unlike the soda and water machine, took credit cards and I was, of course, without cash. So I was UP. Late.

Waking up at 6:30 with the kids was PAINFUL. I was exhausted and I knew I was in for a rough day when Mr. Kazoo told me he needed to be back at his parents' house for the day to continue to pack and move.

So...

Breakfast: No photo, but I made a bowl of oatmeal made with 1/3 cup old fashioned oats, 1/3 cup soy milk, 1/3 cup water, and a half of a banana. I topped the oatmeal with a teeny bit of peanut butter and strawberry jam along with a couple of raisins, dry roasted peanuts, and a sprinkling of granola. It sounds decadent, but having made this breakfast dozens of times in the past, I know that it clocks in somewhere around 350 calories.

And then, I'm not really sure what happened. I was hungry before lunch and decided to have a mini-meal of a very small bowl of chili, and toasted multigrain bread with cow cheese, but I didn't stop there. There were Ritz crackers and cow cheese, goldfish, and more 7-UP pound cake that went down the hatch before I briefly managed to get the kids down for the shortest nap ever.

Oh, and I didn't even bother TRYING to work out. Just keeping my eyes open was exhausting enough, thankyouverymuch.

Dinner: By now, I'd completely given up on my entire day, and I suggested that we head to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Cozumel, for my usual bean burrito, cheese enchilada, bean tostada and, of course, sour cream, chips, and salsa.

Did I stop there? Of course not!! After the kiddos went to bed, I finished the Bordeaux sundae from the other night with some more pound cake on the side, and then I called it a night.

I know that, after this weekend, tomorrow will be a struggle, but no, if you're wondering, I'm not fucking giving up.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

June 29: Daily Recap

Breakfast: Smoothie with soy milk, vega protein powder, a half of a banana, and frozen blueberries topped with granola and puffed rice.


Active Rest: My "rest" day involved many hours of helping my in-laws pack up and move. There was much lifting and walking back and forth. My back muscles were killing from yesterday's workout, so the moving was a little bit rough.

Lunch:Between trips from old house to new, we stopped at Panera for a quick lunch. I chose my favorite, the Mediterranean Veggie sandwich, and devoured sandwich, chips, and pickle in record time. What can I say? I missed bread.


Snacks: Before heading to have dinner with my family, I had some snacks. I only photographed the multigrain bread with cow cheese and the pistachios, but I believe that there was at least one more piece of toast, and a half of a chocolate cupcake.



Dinner: Morningstar chicken patty with provolone, ketchup, and mustard on a hamburger bun with oven-roasted potatoes. For dessert--7-UP pound cake. No photo. Not exactly *clean eating.*

Friday, June 28, 2013

June 28: Daily Recap

Breakfast: An overnight oat smoothie (from Kath Eats Real Food, recipe here) topped with granola, unsweetened coconut, and PB2 peanut butter.


Exercise: I'd planned to have an active rest day today, so I walked my usual route with the kids in the Bob. The walk took just over 51 minutes.

I suspect I ate something before lunch, but I can't remember what it was. It may have been a slice of toasted Breadsmith multigrain with a wedge of cow cheese, but I'm not 100% sure. I know that I kept lunch on the small side because of it, whatever it was.

Lunch: Azuki bean burger with ketchup and mustard with a side of roasted cauliflower topped with asiago cheese.


Exercise, Part II: When I managed to get both kiddos down for a nap at the same time, I seized the opportunity to do a quick circuit. I did five rounds with reps of 15, 14, 13, 12, and 11. I finished the circuit in just over 19 minutes. The exercises were:
  • Chest fly on ball  (8 lb dumbbells) 
  • Skull crusher on ball (8 lb dumbbells)
  • Bicep curl/shoulder press combo (8 lb dumbbells)
  • Standing side bends (w/ 25 lb. plate)
  • Plank jacks
 
Dinner: Basil pesto with buffalo mozzarella and roasted vegetables from Deagan's. Holy hell was this fantastic. I also had a glass of chardonnay, not pictured. I could eat this for dinner Every. Single. Day.


Dessert: This picture is too hilariously blurry not to share. This is about a third of a Bordeaux sundae from Malley's. These sundaes are not too be trifled with.


Thursday, June 27, 2013

June 27: Daily Recap

I have to admit, it was super strange to wake up and stumble through my sleepy morning bathroom routine without getting on that scale. Also? My bathroom seems so empty without the scale in the corner. Everything about that room now feels...off.

In other scale news, I've decided to track calories for today just to see what I've been eating. I'm not going to let the fact that I'm counting calories change what I would eat for the day, I just want to know if I'm eating too much or too little or if, hopefully, I'm right on the money.

Breakfast: Smoothie made of unsweetened almond milk, spinach, vega protein powder, banana, and frozen blueberries, topped with Cheerios and Barbara's puffed rice cereal. Calories: 318.


I headed to the grocery store this morning to pick up some necessities like milk, bread, bananas, greens, plums, cheese, and baby food, as well as ingredients to make a giant pot of chili. Here's the haul:


Exercise: Another killer 5x5x5 circuit. I'm not sure I've ever sweated so much in a single workout. Here's what it looked like.
  • 5 min. spin
  • 10 bent over rows (w/ 10 lb plates)
  • 10 bent over flys (started with 8 lb dumbbells, moved to 5 lb when that got too tough)
  • 10 one-armed "kettle bell" swings, each side (used 10 lb plate)
  • 10 stiff-legged deadlifts (50 lbs)
  • 10 push ups (on knees)
  • Repeat circuit five times. The workout clocked in at just over 48 minutes. Calories burned: 460.
Post-Workout Shake (not pictured): Almond and soy milk (ran out of almond milk) with a scoop of Vega protein powder. Calories: 152

Lunch: Salad with spring mix, broccoli, cucumber, red bell pepper, hard-cooked egg, pomegranate seeds, smoked tofu, Amish butter cheese, and walnuts topped with Dijon mustard and honey. Calories: 489.


I broke from work on the early side today to start cooking a double batch of the Chili Sin Carne Al Mole from Vegan With a Vengeance (recipe can be found here). For some reason, on sunny and humid afternoons like the one we had today, I find myself craving a cold bottle of beer. I'm not even a huge beer drinker, but for whatever reason, on days like today, I want beer.

That said, I think alcohol is a waste of precious calories. If I'm going to consume empty calories while trying to lose weight, I want those calories to come from something really damn delicious, like cookies or cake. Beer? Who cares about beer?! Give me the sugar.

Dinner: A layer of mashed sweet potato topped with chili, steamed broccoli with a smidge of salted butter. Calories: 396. [I was so hungry that I dug into the broccoli before remembering to snap a quick photo. Please excuse the hideous place mat.]


There is a certain kind of full only gotten from bread, pasta, cake, and white potatoes. I was full after this dinner, but not bread full. In fact, I may have buried my nose so deep into a piece of B's uneaten Breadsmith multigrain toast that I probably ingested calories through my nose.

Interestingly, were I counting calories on a daily basis, I'd have eaten that slice of multigrain bread with a wedge of cow cheese with my dinner, since I really wanted it and I had the calories to spare. However, my focus right now is eating clean, and eating when I'm hungry as opposed to eating something that I'm craving, eating for comfort, or eating for entertainment. I wanted bread because I wanted it, not because I was hungry. And I need to learn to eat for fuel, not for fun.

That said, I caved about an hour later and ate...

Snack: 55 goldfish crackers. Calories: 140.


So, after tracking a *normal* day, I see that I consumed 1495 calories and burned 460 calories, for a net intake of 1035 calories. This is fantastic. Is it too low to stick with on a daily basis? Absolutely! But my plan is and has always been to be *perfect* Monday through Friday (with the exception of my Monday morning croissant), and to live a little on the weekends. With five days like today, I know that a *cheat* meal on Saturday or Sunday (or both) won't undo my hard work Monday through Friday.

I don't plan to make a habit out of calorie counting. I've counted calories off and on for years, and I now know my portion sizes, know balance, and feel like I know what I need to be eating. I just need a frame of reference every once in a while, just to make sure I'm on track. I'm really trying, these days, to stop obsessing over the numbers. It gets exhausting after a while and, I now believe, may be one of the reasons that I end up giving up after 6-8 weeks. It just becomes too much.

I have a freezer full of chili, overnight oats for an overnight oat smoothie are prepped in the fridge, I've got a long ride planned for the weekend, and I'm feeling good about my progress.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

June 26: Daily Recap

Breakfast: Oatmeal pancake (1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup egg white, pinch of baking powder, cinnamon, half of a mashed banana) cooked in olive oil and topped with fresh, organic peanut butter, sliced banana, and drizzled with maple syrup.


Exercise: Today was speed day. I used my interval timer and headed for a ride on my home to Hilliard route. I set a five minute warm-up followed by 10 intervals with 1 minute at high intensity followed by 2 minutes of recovery. After this 35 minute workout I turned my bike around and headed home, pedaling at a comfortable pace, enjoying the ride, the smooth road, the tail wind, and the slight downslope.

The Hilliard route might not be the *best* route for timed speed intervals, because the lights interfered with two of my high intensity intervals. I may either have to adapt it based on geographical markers or move the ride to the bike trail in the Metroparks and hope for less interruption. Otherwise, speed work may have to happen on my spin bike indoors.

The ride felt good. I used my usual "don't stop, get it, get it" mantra on the painful, fast portions. During recovery, I kept reminding myself that I needed to go out and get what I want. And I'm doing it. I'm not quitting.

Lunch: I wasn't up for my usual salad today. I also have social plans this evening, and I'm not sure what my options will be, food wise. I wanted something a little more substantial, and decided to focus my meal around these burgers that I discovered at Nature's Bin in Lakewood. The ingredients list is fantastic, and I was excited to try a convenience food that was not what I'd call a "processed food."


The burger was fantastic. I served it up with a side of roasted cauliflower and sweet potato (tossed in a little olive oil prior to roasting). I sprinkled some asiago cheese on the cauliflower, and put just a touch of salted butter on the potato. This was a fantastic and filling lunch that was a welcome break from the boring-ass salads that I've been eating every day.



I was able to snuggle some babies after work before heading to the 2 Wheels & Heels Ladies Bike Night sponsored by Crank Set Rides. A PTA friend joined me and we headed to ABC Tavern on W. 25th for a beer (Red Stripe, not pictured) before heading on a ride around Ohio City and ending downtown at Noodlecat. There, we had more beers (1 Black Label, not pictured) and some fantastic noodles. I chose the Szechuan Ramen (vegetarian) and loved every slurpy bite:


Afterwards, our group of ladies made the short ride over the Detroit-Superior bridge back to West 25th. The ride was absolutely beautiful, and had I not been with a group, I would have stopped to take pictures of the hustle downtown on and in Ohio City. I so love my city. Everyone was very friendly, and I look forward to more group rides in the future.

And...let me just add...people just love to see a group of women biking together in the city!

Ditch the Scale: Day 0

I'm an addict.

Despite the fact that I'd committed to hide the scale and avoid it for thirty days, I started the day as I always do, by using the bathroom, stripping down, and stepping on that futhermucking scale.

And getting PISSED by what I saw...

Weight: 186 pounds.

The exact same number I saw the morning before I said, "ENOUGH ALREADY!" and began documenting my food and deciding, once and for all, to finally go and get what I want.

The exact. Same. Number.

And though I know all of those wonderful, reassuring things I blogged about yesterday about the number being an arbitrary one that I can't control, about it not measuring my size or my body composition, about me not being able to control anything other than my behavior...I was pissed. Pissed and disappointed and angry and ready to quit.

No. More.

That scale is going in the closet. It's not coming out until Friday, July 26. For the next thirty days, I'll try and do the following:

1. Shave five minutes off of my Hogsback ride time.
2. Shave five minutes off of my Hobsback walk time.
3. Do at least one standard toe push up.

These are the things that I can and will control. These are the things that matter.


June 25: Daily Recap

Breakfast: Coconut breakfast quinoa topped with banana and walnuts. I definitely prefer the quinoa with berries and cherries. This was just too much mush, even if tasty.


Lunch Salad of baby spinach, cucumber, and red bell pepper topped with smoked tofu, egg, and Amish butter cheese, dressed with honey and Dijon mustard.


And here's where the crazy started.

I'd planned on the following 5x5x5 workout:
  • 5 min. spin
  • 10 push ups
  • 10 donkey kicks w/ 8 lb. dumbbell
  • 10 hammer curl/shoulder press combos (was planning on doing separately, combined for time)
  • 10 left lunges
  • 10 right lunges
  • Repeat circuit 5 times.
I managed to make my way up to the lunges portion of the third circuit before circumstances prevented me from finishing.

And I lost it.

I lost it because I'm not sure how in the hell I can do this. I don't know how to do it with a dog that's lost her shit because my other dog died, with two kids and their constant demands, with a job that requires a lot of mental and emotional energy, with a house in turmoil after renovations, with a sick and grieving parent, with a one-man support system and battle after battle after battle at every turn that seems to be preventing me from doing what I need to be doing.

Not finishing that workout broke me a little bit. I refused to eat because I told myself that I could not eat. I couldn't eat not because I wasn't hungry or because I was fighting horribly with Mr. Kazoo, but because with last night's crazy brain, eating dinner meant another failure and, after failing to finish my workout, I could not take one more failure. Another failure on an *ideal* day (no social obligations involving food, no visits with my family) at home meant failure forever. It meant fat and unhealthy forever, and I just can't live with that. I can't.

So I didn't eat. And I suffered through a rockin' headache thanks to almost nine foodless hours before bed and a whole lot of tears.

I suppose this is why so few people succeed and why so many people, after their first success, revert back to their old selves. I'm now realizing how difficult this will be. That every day will be a struggle. There will be some easy day, sure, but I'll have to fight on more days than I coast. Success will mean changing a lot of things about my life. My relationships will change. And I'm beginning to doubt myself. Doubt whether I can make it happen. Doubt whether or not I can deal with the fallout.

The best that I can do is wake up tomorrow and do what I need to do. All day. Try as hard as I fucking can, just for tomorrow. And then wake up the next day, and do the same thing. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other...right?!

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

On the Scale

I'd love to say that my battle with what I call the "Scale Tailspin" is over, but I know that it's not.

Even now, I struggle not to let that number define how I feel about myself and how I measure success. This morning, for instance, I stepped on the scale to discover that I'd gained two and a half pounds in the last two weeks. Two. And. A. Half.

I had prepared for this moment. I made a promise to myself that I would view a gain, after all of this hard work and clean eating, as a success. I'm working my body hard and eating right, I told myself. If I gain, it's because I'm gaining muscle.

The number on the scale does not define you, I reminded. It does not tell you how fast or strong you are. It does not say how many vegetables you ate or how much water you drank. It does not measure your worth or your body fat or your success or your failure. It is an arbitrary number that you have no control over.

And yet...I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed because I know that I'm still very overweight. I'm about forty pounds higher than I want to be or about four jeans sizes larger than I want to be. I want to be lean and, though I know that the number on the scale will not tell me how lean I am, I know that, at some point, it has to go down if I'm going to reach my goal.

I'm struggling to feel optimistic. There is a small part of me that is glad that I'm this overweight because the before and after pictures will look fantastic. When I reach my goal, it will be truly impressive and it will be so visible.

But I want it now. And as much as I hate to admit it, that number on the scale was discouraging. Part of me wonders if I will ever get there. Part of me wonders if I'm not doing enough. Should I slash calories? Should I work out twice a day? Will this ever work? Should I just give up?

I know this is ridiculous. I can't go from my all or nothing lifestyle, from dieting for eight weeks and binging for six months to eating clean 80% or more of the time and exercising 5-7 days per week and not reach my goal. It's just not possible. I just need to believe, and I need to stick with it.

And I need to let go of the fucking scale already.

So...I'm going to do just that. For an entire month. First, I will have Mr. Kazoo help take my measurements. I will weigh myself one last time. I will then put my scale and my measuring tape on my tippy top-most shelf in my closet, and I will leave it there...for THIRTY. Whole. Days.

I've never in my life managed to go so long without weighing myself. I weigh myself approximately 3 times EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I have no idea how I will be able to not know what my weight is on a daily basis, but I'm going to try.

I've ditched a lot of unhealthy habits in my life. Seven years ago, I quit smoking. Two and a half weeks ago I quit (for what I hope is the final time) my diet soda addiction. And now...the scale.

I will try and focus on how I feel. On how my clothes fit. On how much faster I'm getting when riding or walking up Hogsbitch. On how many more pushups I can do without stopping. On how many servings of vegetables I eat in a given week. These are healthier measures of success than the number on that wretched scale. They won't leave me naked and biting my lip in the bathroom every morning, afternoon, and evening, wondering why I'm failing.

Thirty days. Tomorrow will be day 1. Let's do this.

Monday, June 24, 2013

June 24: Daily Recap

Breakfast: My usual Monday morning breakfast, two fried eggs and a croissant from Cleveland's finest cafe.


Exercise: Monday may become my official climb day. This week I headed back to Hogsback, but this time decided to make 5 climbs on foot rather than by bike. I made five trips up (and four down) in 52.39.9. The workout was not easy, but not brutal. It was rather long and boring and I don't imagine ever getting overly enthusiastic about it, yet I'm still compelled to find out whether or not I can cut five minutes off of my time. Next week's Climb Day? Ten trips up the steps at Huntington Beach, for time. That one should be a doozy!

I'm going to continue to train for my century as if I'm actually going to go through with it. I'm still not 100% committed. I will try to fit in five hard workouts per week, leaving two days for active rest (walk, leisurely bike ride, swim, something like that). My five hard workouts will look something like this).
  • 1: Climb Day (bike, stairs, or hills)
  • 2: Circuit Day
  • 3: Speed Training (HIIT on roadie or spin bike)
  • 4: Circuit Day
  • 5: Distance Day (on bike)

These days, I much prefer the circuit days, but those workouts are *generally* indoor (I suppose I could do them outdoors, but it would require some pre-planning on my part. With a job and two kiddos, sometimes I need to just get in and get out). I heart my CLE, but beautiful summer-like weather is hard fought for around these parts, and I need to get my fill of hots and sunshine while I can, otherwise I may hate myself come February. So, I'll save my desired 3-4 circuit weeks until then.

After my walk, I cleaned up, suffered the ill effects of my processed eats yesterday on the toilet (TMI? Never!) and sat down for some...

Lunch: This was the salad that I packed and never ate yesterday. Mixed greens topped with carrot, green bell pepper, cucumber, smoked tofu, local Amish butter cheese, a hard-cooked egg, and a few walnuts dressed with honey and Dijon mustard.


Dinner: Leftover cavatelli with marinara from Caffe Roma, steamed broccoli with a touch of butter. I may need to make it my mission to recreate this sauce. I could practically bathe in the stuff, I love it so much.

After the kiddos were in bed I had some work to do, and pulled out what I *thought* had been a bottle of sparkling water that I'd purchased at Earth Fare. Then I realized it was spring water. I was not pleased. Sparkling water with frozen grapes sounded fantastic. Spring water with frozen grapes just sounded...weird.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

June 23: Daily Recap

Exercise: Though I was mentally willing to engage in another brutal workout, I've been a bit rough on my body this week and decided that I needed an active rest day to allow a little time for recovery. I chose to head out for an early 45-minute walk around the neighborhood.

Breakfast: Coconut quinoa topped with cherries, strawberries, and shredded coconut. This is still a delicious and refreshing summer breakfast, but I think I'm ready to mix things up a bit and try some new flavors. Overnight oat/smoothies may make an appearance when this batch of quinoa is finished.


Lunch: The kids and I spent the day with my family today. I always struggle to make healthy food choices when I'm around my family, and today was no different. Though I'd prepared and packed my usual salad for lunch today, I *tasted* these veggie chips dipped in Aladdin's hummos. This *taste* led to one handful, and then another. Before you know it, I'd eaten my fill of chips and dip and, well, salad never happened. Imagine a much larger pile of chips than the one pictured.



Dinner: The grazing continued until dinner-time, when I feasted on a Morningstar "chicken" patty with ketchup, mayo, and American cheese on a hamburger bun with macaroni salad and barbecue chips. Not pictured was the remaining mountain of barbecue chips and mac salad that I ate both before and after dinner. And for dessert? A cheesecake-filled cupcake.


Dessert: Yeah, that's right. Not pictured was a half a cupcake that I ate before dinner and another half a cupcake eaten at home before bed...with another bowl of Snickers ice cream.

Now, weekends have always been a struggle for me. In the past, after a day like today, I'd have beaten myself up for "undoing" all of my hard work and clean eating for the week. I'm realizing the ridiculousness of this attitude, however, and have a new outlook.

I tend to be an all or nothing dieter. Either I'm eating perfectly and working out ALL OF THE TIME, or I'm eating whatever the hell I want (fast food, fried food, giant portions, daily dessert) and not exercising at all. Now, after an amazing week of eating and exercising, I'm not going to sweat over a day like today. In fact, I don't feel like I'm undoing anything. The choices that I made today were my "status quo" choices. They are the exact choices that I would have made were I not actively trying to lose weight. My status quo choices are what got me where I am today and are what would keep me here if I made them on a daily basis. So long as I'm not making these same choices every day, so long as I'm making the other, healthy choices the majority of the time, I'll get where I want to be. I will not stay here. It's just not possible. One bad day or one bad week, even, does not mean failure. Failure is allowing that one bad day or that one bad week to defeat you and cause you to give up completely.

I've often been hopeful but, ultimately, fatalistic about my ability to ever reach my goals. I'm no longer pessimistic about what I can accomplish. I know that I can do this and I know that I will do this. I don't know how long it will take, and I can't really be expected to know something like that. I have no real control over how long that it takes. It may take me six months, it may take me six years. I don't know and I don't care when it happens. I can't control the scale, my size, or time. All I can do is make my body as healthy as I can. I can nourish it with healthy foods and water. I can move it and make it stronger and faster with exercise. I can heal it from the years of abuse that I've put it through. I can learn about how to make it better. I can love it and appreciate it and be grateful for it.

But I can't and won't make fruitless and ultimately damaging goals like, "I will lose 10 pounds this month." To even want or expect some arbitrary number on the scale on a specific date is preposterous and is nothing but a recipe for disappointment. Nobody can fucking control the number on the scale, nomatter how vigilant one is about food and drink and exercise. We are not robots. The human body is complex and every single one is different and operates in its own way.

I now look at my body as a testament to my success or failure at a particular skill set, and that skill set is healthy living. And it is clear, when looking at my body, that I have some work to do. I'm strong and disease free (that I know of, at least) and I am so, so grateful for that. But right now I need to work on consistency and discipline. I need to live every week like I lived this past week. If I can do that one simple thing...be consistent...you will read that consistency on my body. My body will be a testament to that consistency and that discipline.

It's not exciting. It's not all that fun, either. But it's...exciting. I've wanted this for a long time, and I know that I'm finally closing in on it. and I think that I'll really be proud and amazed, thrilled and beyond grateful for all that I will achieve.

I lived well this week. I worked hard and I took excellent care of my body. I am satisfied with what I've achieved. Here's to another week of healthy living!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

June 22: Daily Recap

Pre-Workout Fuel: One slice of toasted Breadsmith Marathon Multigrain with peanut butter.


Exercise: I needed that fuel to power my planned 90 minute bike ride that commenced at 6:00am. It took me some time to settle on a route, but in the end my desire to avoid traffic lights took precedence over my desire to avoid bugs, and I headed down into the Rocky River valley for a ride on Valley Parkway.

I avoided the bike trail in favor of the roads, since it was early enough that very few people were driving in the park. Normally, I'm not a fan of the Parkway as the roads are windy and narrow in places, there is no shoulder to speak of, and the section of the road I like to stick to in traffic is pretty rough. Instead, I chose to ride farther into the middle of the lane than usual, which made for a decent ride.

...that is...for the first hour.

Again, I'm not sure that long-distance cycling is for me. That said, it was a beautiful day and I powered through 20.2 miles in just under 95 minutes. The bad thing about my chosen route is that I'm stuck riding back up that bitch, Hogsback, when I'm already gassed from a long ride. I had my heart rate monitor on this morning, and saw that my heart rate peaked at 174 on my ride to the top.

I'm a little surprised that my rides have been so slow. 12 miles per hour is a decent pace on Ol' Bessie (my mountain bike), but I feel that I should be faster on my as-yet-unnamed-roadie. I will try and add some speed work into my routine at least once a week for the next six weeks so that my century time is not horrific.

Breakfast: Coconut breakfast quinoa topped with strawberries, cherries, and shredded coconut.


At which time I headed to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo with the kiddos for a birthday party of one of the Niblet's besties. Though I said I wouldn't after that bike ride, I pushed both kids up the GIANT hill in the Bob up to the playground area, and my legs were jelly. JELLY, I say.

Snack: I managed to refrain from eating the squishy PB&J on Breadsmith bread, the bags of chips, and the princess cookies and, instead, had a fruit kabob and a piece of string cheese. Victory!


Lunch: By the time I returned home, I was overheated and exhausted and hungry and, after I put the kiddos down for a nap, I was not up for the challenge of chopping veggies for my usual salad. Instead, I blended up a smoothie of banana, spinach, strawberries, blackberries, and Vega protein powder. I dumped the entire thing in a bowl, topped it with a handful or two of Cheerios, and dug in while watching TLC's Say Yes to the Dress marathon. I watched for about five minutes...until my Sweet Pea woke up screaming and it was back to work with me.


Snack: I can only ignore the siren song of princess cookies for so long, and when I loaded Sweet Pea up to take her to Earth Fare, I saw the princess cookies that we'd taken home from the birthday, and I ate this half. 

And then I ate the other one and a half (not-pictured). Cookies happen.

Dinner: We headed to our favorite little Italian restaurant with the best red sauce in Cleveland, Caffe Roma, to join our friends for dinner. I started with a salad with their house dressing before digging into my usual plate of cavatelli with marinara (I only ate half of the pasta portion). Not pictured are two mozzarella sticks (damn you, husband!) and a glass of red wine. Fantastic meal!



Dessert: Usually, we try and keep Sunday night our *dessert night*, but it was hot and we had to pass on gelato after dinner (sleepy baby), and so after the kiddos were in bed, we watched the season premier of True Blood while digging into this Snickers ice cream.

Friday, June 21, 2013

June 21: Daily Recap

Breakfast: If you can even believe it, I had coconut breakfast quinoa topped with strawberries, cherries, and shredded coconut. SHOCKER!


Lunch: More mixed greens with green bell pepper, carrot, savory tofu, mozzarella cheese, and hard-boiled egg dressed with agave and Dijon mustard.


Exercise: I did another 5x5 workout with exercises utilizing the Swiss Ball. Here's how it looked.
  • 5 minute spinning
  • 10 chest flys on ball (8 lb. dumbbells)
  • 10 skull crushers on ball (8 lb. dumbbells)
  • 10 upper back rows on ball (8 lb. dumbbells)
  • 10 ball passes (ab exercise)
  • 10 ball glute curls
I then repeated the entire circuit five times and I was a sweaty, dripping mess afterwards. I love circuits like these!

Dinner:  Pad Thai with one piece of Zen Sweet and Sour Chicken with a side of cauliflower roasted in olive oil and sprinkled with asiago cheese.


Thursday, June 20, 2013

June 20: Daily Recap

Breakfast: Coconut breakfast quinoa topped with strawberries, cherries, and shredded coconut.
 

 Lunch: Mixed greens with savory tofu, mozzarella cheese, broccoli, carrot, walnuts, and green bell pepper dressed with honey and Dijon mustard.


Exercise: I grabbed the road bike and headed out on a loop that that takes me from my place on the west side of Cleveland to Hilliard, Bradley, Lake Boulevard, Wagar, and then back home via Hilliard. The loop is a solid 23.25 road route with plenty of traffic and lights, and I completed the loop in 1:52:57.1. I'd love to slice my time on this to about 1:40:00.

I was having some trouble with my left foot on this ride, and I found myself asking myself repeatedly why in the hell I choose to do long bike rides. Sixty minute rides are fantastic, but any more than that and I start genuinely hating life. I'm questioning my goal of riding my first century in early August.

Post-Workout Snack: This ride was a rough one, and I was pretty spent and shaky afterwards. I refueled with a smoothie of almond milk, Vega protein powder, banana, and frozen blackberries.


Dinner More leftovers. This is Pad Thai based on the Brooklyn Pad Thai recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance (recipe here). I filled the other half of my plate with steamed broccoli with just a touch of butter and salt.


Snack: Despite the fact that I ate plenty today, I was still hungry before bed and had more 2% cottage cheese with pineapple. That ride really took a lot out of me, and my appetite was raging!


A note about my leftover Pad Thai--I'm doing something unusual for me in my efforts to get my body healthy and fit,--I'm NOT counting calories. Usually, I weigh and measure and record every morsel that passes my lips, but now I'm just trying to eat clean and healthfully and ignore the numbers.

That said, this Pad Thai isn't the *cleanest* recipe in the world, but I'm ok with that. First, I had these leftovers in my fridge and I did not want to waste them. And second, foods like this will never disappear completely from my diet. Yes, I want to reduce processed and fried foods from my diet, but sometimes I will eat out, and sometimes I will want Pad Thai (or lasagna, or mashed potatoes, or what have you) and I'm going to permit myself to eat it so long as half of my plate is filled with veggies.

Generally, I'm trying to stick to an  80/20 rule. Eighty percent of the time, I will eat clean, unprocessed, whole foods that include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. The other 20% of the time I can permit myself to eat things like rice noodles, pasta, and, hell, even cake. This plan is liveable and I truly believe that it will help me reach my goals. Only time will tell!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

June 19: Daily Recap

Breakfast: Coconut breakfast quinoa (surprise, surprise!) with strawberries, cherries, and shredded coconut.

Post-workout: Scoop of chocolate Vega protein powder with a bunch o' supplements. I try and down a protein shake after work-outs that are heavy on the strength training. I want to add muscle mass so, as much as I sometimes don't want the extra calories, I know my future muscles will show up and thank me!


Lunch: Ah...salad. Mixed greens, bell peppers, carrot, cucumber, walnuts, mozzarella cheese, savory tofu. Topped with agave-dijon dressing.



Dinner: Roped into having dinner at Edgewater Yacht Club, where clean, vegetarian options are laughably absent from the menu. I went with their beans and rice dish, ate half of it, and then ate the plate of plain steamed broccoli and carrots (no more rice) displayed behind the beans. It was terribly boring and not what I'd have liked to have, but sometimes, the Yacht Club happens.



Snack: 2% cottage cheese and pineapple this time. I'm creative with my food choices, aren't I?

 

Exercise: I did a 5x5 workout, which is five minutes of cardio followed by a circuit of five exercises, which I will then repeat five times. It clocks in at a sweaty 45 minutes of strength and cardio intervals, and I loved every second of it! Here was the entire circuit:
  • 5 min. spin
  • 10 squats with alternating side kicks
  • 10 shoulder raises (L-raises) (2 8-lb dumbbells)
  • 10 stiff-legged deadlift/row combo with 25-lb plate
  • 10 narrow chest presses with 25-lb plate
  • 10 overhead lat pulls with 25-lb plate
To reiterate, I'll do the entire list of exercises in that order and then repeat the whole circuit five times. I was a hot, sweaty mess!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

June 18: Daily Recap

Breakfast: Coconut breakfast quinoa topped with strawberries, cherries, and shredded coconut.


Lunch: Mixed greens with cucumber, green bell pepper, carrots, savory tofu, mozzarella cheese, and a hard-boiled egg topped with honey and dijon mustard.


Dinner: Left-over steamed white rice and four chunks of Zen Sweet and Sour Chicken from Szechuan Garden in Lakewood, my favorite Chinese restaurant with lots of meat-like dishes. Served with a side of steamed broccoli with a touch of butter and salt.


Snack: Another case of the late-night munchies had me digging in to another bowl of 2% cottage cheese with a diced peach.


Exercise: Active rest day. The kiddos had me busting my hump today, so I only managed to ride my bike to the Lakewood Library to get my book-club on after dinner. It was a short yet enjoyable ride.