I Did NOT Want to Workout Today

Today's photo is another healthy meal made by my "chef" friend Cindy. Today we have Curried Chicken Spears. Mmmm that looks delicious.

This week has been a little tougher for me. First of all, I'm HUNGRY more during the day. Secondly, I haven't felt like working out. And thirdly, I've been tempted to stop at McDonald's on the way home, or to order an entire pizza just for me! What is happening??

As far as the daytime hunger goes, I could resolve that by eating more at breakfast. I cut my Egg Beater portions in half, and I've also eaten oatmeal with fruit and yogurt, so I'm not eating a whole lot of calories in the morning this week.

The workouts- I'll just have to force myself through them, making sure I have good music. The first 20 minutes are always the roughest. The muscles in the front of my ankles hurt, causing me to have to slow down to under 3.0 mph- very disheartening! I guess I have to warm up for a much longer time than I've been willing to. During those first 20 minutes I've had to talk myself out of quitting. My reward for sticking it out is that my ankles suddenly stop hurting, the music seems to get better, and I find a walking style that is less awkward, and off I go! Usually when I hit that point, the workout is awesome and I am disappointed (and surprised) when 45 minutes have passed. Before that magic moment, though, I am uninspired and my leaden feet seem to be slamming the treadmill like Bozo the Clown! Maybe I have weak ankles.

The third problem- wanting to stuff myself with junk food- is probably more a function of missing the "fun" foods as well as missing the comfort I got from eating them. I think feeling lonely plays a role- most of the people I care about don't live near me. Food was my companion during a stretch of childhood when I felt isolated, and so it became a reliable "friend" during rough times in my adulthood. Healthy foods, no matter how good they taste, just don't offer that same sense of "you're not alone" for me. It helps me a lot to continue to go to the gym, and I hope to get active in other ways soon- playing racquetball again, going bike riding, playing volleyball, etc. When I work out, I see junk food as a waste all the effort I just expended, so workouts and sports are a good junk-food deterrent for me.

Anyway, another workout has come and gone and guess what? I've lost three more pounds! I can't log them on SparkPeople because it didn't happen until the day after weigh-in, but as long as I don't regain them I'll be fine. I would say at least a pound of that loss is water weight, because I can see my ankle bone again!

I've got two new goals to think about now: incorporating weight training into my workouts, and setting a date to go all vegetarian (my prelude to returning to raw). I'm thinking of doing Monday/Wednesday/Friday for weights, and to start them at home. I don't go to the gym on Monday and Friday, so that's perfect. Wednesdays I'm thinking can be an a.m. cardio/ p.m. weights day.

I should probably eat more vegetables and fruit before I go to bed, even though it's after 7 pm.

breakfast
Steel Cut Oats, dry, 0.25 cup
Dannon Light & Fit Vanilla, 6 oz, 1 serving
Fruit Salad, 2 cup

lunch
Campbell's Condensed Beef w Veg & Barley 1/2 cup condensed, 1.5 cup
Einstein Bros Everything Bagel, 0.5 serving

dinner
Atlantic Salmon (fish), 4 oz
Gorgonzola Crumbles, 2 tbsp
Spinach, fresh, 2 cup
Salsa, 0.5 cup
Kraft Zesty Italian Salad Dressing, 1 tbsp

snack
Cashew Nuts, dry roasted (salt added), 1.5 oz
Almonds, 0.25 oz (24 whole kernels)

Calories Fat Carbs Protein
1,461 186 53 79