Day ?????

I don't even know! This weekend was a blur of fun in the sun and family plans. I am ready for this week. The calendar is EMPTY. No doctor visits, no meetings, just good old EMPTY! That's my kind of week!

So Robin and I discussed perameters. While 1600 cal/ 45g fat looks pretty on paper, it won't always be realistic. And while nachos and brownies are certainly not healthy (Robin!!!), anyone can eat them and skimp the rest of the day and still slide under the radar!

SO, the plan is to make healthy, well-balanced choices, set a goal for the day, and stick to it! I'm stuck doing Zumba once, but I WON'T get stuck again!

6:00 a.m. walk with neighbor

8:00 a.m. Breakfast 300 cal/ 7g fat
1/2 bagel with 1oz r.f. cream cheese, yogurt

11:00 a.m. snack 275 cal/ 6g fat
pretzels with spicy humus, banana

Total: 575 cal/ 13g fat

Day 6

6:15 a.m. Walked the dog

7:15 a.m. went back to bed

8:30 a.m. breakfast (kinda) 140/4

10:00 a.m. snack 225/6.5
fruit smoothie, Ezekial bread, 1oz r.f. cream cheese

I am very tired today, still recovering from the allergy attack on Wednesday, but I am pushing through . . .

Total: 365 cal/ 10.5g fat

Day 5

I feel like poop.

7:30-9:00 a.m. Breakfast (it took me that long to eat it) 440 cal/9g fat
banana/milk/nesquick(sugar free)/milled flax seed smoothie, Ezekial toast with 1oz low-fat cream cheese

still feel like poop.
the rest of the day included a Fresco style Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco from Taco Bell as well as a cheese roll-up acouple hours later (starving with no other food around, BAD COMBINATION!), a couple delicious and very healthy saladsm and then . . .

I officially lost the challenge today. I didn't eat anything bad for me. I ate every 2-3 hours like I was supposed to. I worked out at the Y, even though I felt TERRIBLE. BUT, I went over on my calories by about 400. Right around 9:30, feeling misserable, having just cleaned up my bed (Charlie was mad at me and squirted some kind of lotion all over the bed, even moving the blankets around to make sure he got EVERYTHING saturated), and shoved all of the clean laundry to the side on my bedroom floor (Charlie also dumped the equivellent of 8 loads of clean laundry, all of it folded, most of it sorted, onto the floor in a massive heep), and put everyone to bed, except the two youngest, I turned on the tv and grabbed a fiber one bar. The baby wanted one so I got it for him. He didn't eat it in the end, but I did. I believe I also had a couple handfuls of r.f. wheat thins. so i am the loser. I have to Zumba. grrr. but that doesn't mean I give up.

Day 4

5:45a.m. quick workout at the Y (cardio/strength routine)

7:35 a.m. Breakfast 290cal/2.5g fat
banana, cherrios, 1/2c 1% milk, COFFEE (not much sleep for tony again last night . . . grrrrr)

off to the first doctor visit of the day . . .

10:00 snack 220 cal/4.5g fat
fiber one bar, yogurt

11:00 snack (part 2) 130 cal/7g fat
pepper jack cheese and ham

off to doctor visit number two
11:30 nonfat cafe mocha at mcdonalds (no whipped cream or syrup) cause I am so freakin' tired . . . the nutrition thingy said 280/5 but I couldn't find the info without the whipped cram or syrup. I know that it is no fat, but not sure on the calories. A serving of hershey's syrup, which is what they use is 100 calories and I have no clue on the whipped cream, 'cuz I don't BUY it! So I think I could fairly say 130/0 but I don't want to be too leaniant (shut up, Robin) with myself so I am going to say 180cal/0g fat

2:00 lunch 410 cal/11g fat
rommaine salad with grilled chicken (leftovers!), pico de gallo (it is now all gone and I am sad), light ranch, carrots . . . yogurt . . . and cheerios

6:30 dinner 395 cal/7g fat
leftover chicken (still amazing) in a low carb, whole wheat wrap with 1Tbsp bbq sauce, lots of asparagus (too mushy), and a banana

Total: 1625 cal/32g fat

TOO low on fat. not healthy. :-(

I feel like death. my allergies are aweful. On the bright side, my abs are getting a great workout with all of the sneezing. grrrr. i want to eat because i feel like dirt and i want the comfort of it. but . . . i really hate zumba and the thought of doing that is enough to send me to bed without eating anything else. . .
;-p

Day 3

Ooooo do I feel GOOD this morning! I had a terrible night's sleep, thanks to my little man, Tony. But, I can feel my body cleaning out and returning to normal already! It is amazing what eating well does for your body! AND your outlook!

Today's goal: 1800 cal/45-60g fat

6:00 a.m. 1 hour walk the my neighbor
fiber one bar 140 cal/4.5g fat

8:15a.m. Breakfast 410 cal/10g fat
1egg/2egg white cooked in 1Tbsp virgin coconut oil, 1 slice Ezekial bread, 2 Tbsp pico de gallo, coffee with fat-free creamer. (LOTS of coffee, remember the terrible night's sleep!) **all my coffee added about 120 calories. I am weening back on the creamer again. **

Headed to the zoo now with the boys to meet friends!
11:45p.m. Lunch 445 cal/15.5g fat
my AMAZING "taco" salad (but bigger)

3:00 p.m. snack 150 cal/1g fat
grapes
cherrios

4:30 snack 200 cal/12g fat
pb&j
5:15 workout at the Y (back workout)

8:30 dinner 450 cal/9.5g fat
crockpot chicken (some herb/wine seasoning packet and about 1/2 c white wine, omGOSH! delicious!), mashed potatoes (made with some low-fat milk and NO, I repeat NO, butter), and steamed garlic cauliflower (I can't believe I ate that and LIKED it!)
Totals: 1795 cal/ 52.5g fat

Day 2

8:30 a.m. Breakfast 385 cal/8g fat
Steal-cut oatmeal with 1 Tbsp milled flaxsee, 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup, 1/2 banana, 1 c 1% milk. A smidge of the milk goes in with the oatmeal. This is SUCH a yummy breakfast! Also a POWERHOUSE of nutrition. I'm struggling a bit because after last night my brain wants to just eat, eat, eat! When I am in the zone, this breakfast is very filling. So I shall pop in a peice of gum and drink that water! I am determined to make this a good day! (I seriously hate Zumba, people!)

10:45 snack 135/10
yellow pepper strips, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, low-fat ranch,m and a reduced-fat cheese stick.

12:45 Lunch 345 cal/14.5
salad (broccoli slaw, chicken breast, reduced-fat Feta, roasted red pepper dressing), reduced-fat wheat thins

3:30 snack 190 cal/4.5g fat
Fiber One bar and an apple
5:15 Workout at the YMCA (track warm-up, chest workout, and 20 minutes on the elliptical)
8:45 p.m. dinner 350 cal/ 12.5g fat
1/2 c fat-free refied beans, 3oz chicken breast grilled in southwest seasoning (Mrs. Dash) and 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil, pico de gallo, 1 Tbsp reduced-fat Feta, 1 cup shredded rommaine, and 2 Tbsp. tortilla strips. DELICIOUS! I want more! but I am full so I will walk away! but oh baby, will I do that tomorrow!
Total 1405 cal/49.5g fat

Note to Robin: 45g of fat is pretty tight for me, given all of the healthy fats I try to eat every day. The numbers don't lie. I'm going to shoot for between 45 and 60g of fat per day, leaning on the 45 side. I looked at it for today and I ate really well, but barely squeaked by!

How was YOUR day?!

Day 1

8:00 a.m.

45 minute Turbo Jam workout



9:45 a.m. Breakfast 360 cal/15.5g fat

Egg omlet with coconut oil, yellow peppers, and onion

1 sl. Ezekial bread

4 oz o.j.



12:15 p.m. Lunch 385 cal/11g fat

Turkey and Pepperjack roll-up

1/2 c steamed broccoli

banana

1 c 1% milk

3:45 Snack 150 cal/3.5g fat

raisins

laughing cow cheese and crackers

6:00 Snack 200 cal/7g fat

soy nuts and a pear

7:30 Dinner 480 cal/9g fat

Baked Chicken, spaghetti, asparagus

8:00 cleaning up from dinner, grazing off of the kids plates . . . 100cal/2g fat

totals: 1675 cal/ 48g fat

looks good, right? WRONG

See, Eric came home from getting Simon and brought a box of chocolage cupcakes with him. (Thanks, Mom. You are the ultimate sabature. angry face.) I'm not gonna lie. Between dinner and bed I ate FOUR of them. (sad face) they were so incredibly good. I couldn't stop myself. It was like I lost all control of my senses. THEN, I raided the freezer and ate two Resee's PB cups (again, thanks, mom.) Now that I think about it, I also eight about 8 lemon sugar wafers (another gift from my mother). What the flip is wrong with me? So in the end I had about 3000 calories and about 100g of fat. All I can say at this point is THANK THE GOOD LORD that Sunday is a day of grace.

I will be calling mom today to talk about her latest habit of dropping of all of these treats. I know waht she will say. They are for the kids! Not you! doesn't matter. For whatever reason, I have no self-control right now and am in a messed-up emotional place. I'm telling her that if she brings it, I will pitch it. period.

Now, I need to get serious because Monday is NOT a day of grace and I'll be darned it I lose to Robin on the first real day!

It is ON!

So here it is, the challenge to beat all challenges! My dear friend Robin and I have thrown down the perverbial gauntlet in a battle of wills to see who can control their eating habits the longest in our journey to healthier lifestyles.

The rules:
-Our nutritional goals are 1600 calories and 45g of fat per day.

-Sunday's are our "Day of Grace," basically an off day.

-We shall not go 100 calories or 5g of fat over our target for the day.

-The winner choses the losers next workout.

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This is just the motivation I need to stick to healthier eating habits. You see, dear people, Robin LOVES Zumba and Marti HATES Zumba! No way am I letting her win this one!

If you follow this blog then you know that I really struggle with my eating habits. I love good food and bad food alike. I also turn to food to deal with my emotions, even though I know that this is counter-productive in the end. But Robin knows that I love a good challenge AND how I feel about Zumba!