This marks my 4th week of the Return to Healthy Living of 2010. I've been getting some emails with questions like, "So, what are you doing anyway?," and "How is this time any different from your colossal failure from last year?" and "When will you blog about Omega-3 fish oils?" and "Can I borrow some money?"
All fair questions indeed, except possibly the fish oil one.
Here's the deal: I'm back to following the Weight Watchers plan. After having a complete physical and talking to my doctor, she basically stated that WW was one of the few plans she endorsed, mostly because it does encourage the end user to figure out how to eat within a certain range, and how to do it in the healthiest manner possible. Or at least that's the goal.
So far, so good. I have a bunch of past WW food favorites. Things like:
• Yoplait Fat Free yogurts—I have one at breakfast, and one after dinner most days. Mmmm. Sweet treat. However, in true OCD fashion, the only flavor I like is Banana-Strawberry. And that's it. And yes, I know that this whole low fat/no fat thing may backfire, but for now, let me love my yogurts.
• Weight Watchers Whole Wheat Bread—sure, High Fructose Corn Syrup is like the 3rd or 4th ingredient, and I can't even pronounce the others, but HEY, 1 point for 2 slices!
• Light string cheese—mmm, a little protein snack for 1 point.
• Blueberries—I cannot get enough of these right now. So good for you, too. Super Food!
• Frozen chopped broccoli—[insert choir of angels singing here] Oh. My. Jolly Green Giant. Seriously. So like, A) it's a known Super Food, and B) you eat a cup of it at zero points before you eat your other food and BAM! You will fill up faster. That, and I sprinkle a little of my new favorite salt derivative on it:
I don't have blood pressure issues, and I'm judicious with my sprinkling, but seriously? Yum. And it makes the whole notion of butter (or even 0-point spray butter) unnecessary.
For dinner most nights, I'm scouring the internet (and WW Online) for low points options, as well as going back to some of my tried and true favorites that with a little tweaking, come out to low points meals. Things like:
Lighter Beef Chili—cut the beef amount in half and use the extra lean variety, add around a cup of beef broth, and even a little tomato sauce. A hearty bowl is 5 points.
Chicken Posole—cut the chili powder to 2 Tablespoons, use half the chicken (I use the white meat chicken from one rotisserie bird from Target) and I don't add the water either. 3 points for 1 cup. Delish.
I like these two recipes because neither truly requires any toppings. I just add cilantro and lime to both when eating. No cheese needed people. But I truly believe that Penzey's Regular Chili powder is the key to both.
As far as fitness goes, I'm trying to do something every single day. So far, in the past 21 days, I've missed one day of excercise. Extreme much? Perhaps.
But here's the thing: there is no reason I can't move my body for 30 minutes out of a 24 hour day. It seems like a courtesy really. Like, "Hello, body... I'm really sorry I've treated you like utter and complete CRAP for years, when all along you've been doing pretty much ALL the work."
I'm trying to look at is as a simple maintenance plan for the bod.
Right now, I'm doing the treadmill. My workout goes like this:
1. Crank up the Adam Lambert (track one of my workout mix is "For Your Entertainment.")
2. Warm up for two minutes on 3 mph.
3. Start jogging at 3.3-3.7 mph for 15 or 20 minutes. I realize this isn't blazingly fast, but let me tell you this: I don't want to hold a conversation with you while I'm doing it. It is amazing to me how much easier jogging is now that I don't smoke. The other part that makes it easier? Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Green Day, Prince and Janet Jackson, to name just a few of the artists on my iPod shuffle mix. And on the days when my legs just don't want to jog, I walk as fast as I can.
4. Walk out the remainder of the time, occasionally mixing in more 1 minute jog bursts.
5. Every other day, add a 15 minute weight routine.
6. Wear my pedometer and shoot for 10,000 total steps.
Starting this month, I'm going to add in one yoga workout and one other workout each week (via video). I have Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred and something from that hot Jackie Warner of Bravo's Workout fame.
The overall goal is to integrate exercise as part of my life.
So that's the scoop, people. I'm not a fitness expert by ANY stretch. I'm just making a dent into a different kind of lifestyle; one that I hope will become like second nature and help me to live a longer, happier life.
I will check back with my monthly report and scrapbook page in about week and a half. I'm not going to say you'll see a dramatic difference in the photo I'll take, but you will see a woman who's proud of what she's trying to accomplish.
(And maybe my butt will look just titch less shelf like. Just maybe.)
P.S. Every time I finish a workout, I stretch out, and I listen to Down to Earth by Peter Gabriel, the theme song to Wall-E. I personally feel Peter was ROBBED at the Oscars last year, as this song was nominated for an Academy Award, and lost. Hearing Pete's magical voice soothes and rewards me for my efforts. Just thought I'd leave you with the picture of me, sweaty, rolling around on the ground, listening to this:
