ROUGH WEEKEND

Weekends are hard for me. Especially when my girlfriend visits from Boston. It has nothing to do with her, because when we are together in Boston, we eat a good well balanced, calorie aware diet. I think it's my apartment.

My apartment has a lot of great qualities, one of which is not space. I do live in Brooklyn. My bedroom is spacious and my kitchen is kind of a walk through between two bedrooms. No living room or lounge space. Therefore, we spend a lot of time out of the apartment and eating most meals out, which we all know is horrible when attempting to restrict calories.

Her apartment is a home. Spacious, full kitchen, dining room, living room, back porch, no furniture (lol). There we cook a lot. Breakfast, lunch , and most dinners, eating out just some of the time.

I hate New York. Okay, I don't hate it. I would die without it, I am sure. Still, I am aggravated with New York at the moment.

So this weekend, my calories were way off the charts. Luckily, I tracked properly and I know I averaged around 2300 per day. (Again, eating out sucks!) I can at least be thankful for the data and the knowledge I have gained through the beginning of this experience.

This week is a busy one. Lot's of extra, pro bono projects at work, trying to maintain work out schedule, eat properly, and I am leaving Thursday to go camping for my birthday! I am not a camping regular, so I am gathering supplies, making list, plans, etc. Loads of fun, but lots of extra work to squeeze in this week.

I am excited. Sara (g/f) and I have planned out our menus, bought most of our food supplies and have a great plan for healthy eating, a little cocktail sipping, and lots of fun exercise like activities. APPLE PICKING!

Pabst (the dog) is super stoked too. I can tell you. You know, we communicate. He loves the outdoors! Swimming, hiking, adventuring around! Keep you posted!

CUT OUT ALL GRAINS



My favorite April post :


http://www.mprize.org/blogs/archives/2006/01/how_to_start_cr_1.html


"3. Cut out all grains. No bagels, pasta, rice, etc. Just stop. Stop putting sugar in your coffee -- if you must have something sweet, use Splenda. If you are addicted to chocolate, find the most expensive, fabulous chocolate you can afford, and eat a small piece when you really, really want it. Count the calories and enter them into your nutritional software."

I am not sure why I have been so reluctant lately to take this step. I guess looking at my CRON, I can easily fit in a couple slices a day on my easy, out the door sandwiches for lunch packing. But when you really take a good look, a closer look the bread just doesn't fit.

My macro nutrient levels are all off and my cravings reflect that. Last night's craving; ice cream. I don't have enough room in my diet to eat the food that I need to get 100% of all my vitamins and minerals, etc.

I have to get back to eating protein and veggie lunches only and leave the carbs for "special occasions" only.

So, here's my pledge;

No bread, pasta, rice, chips (anything carb gaky) for the next two weeks.

Okay; small goal, but I think smart. Not too overwhelming and easily achievable.

So tonight is soup night. I am thinking something like south west chicken. I have some tomatoes some chicken breast, some fire roasted corn, maybe black beans (although a bit carby, at least not from grains and still high in protein).

Hey whatever happened to everyone posting recipes? You guys probably have been doing it and I am just behind. Anyways, I will post full recipe and opinion on taste later. Any other non grain (other than salad) lunch packing ideas out there?

WEEK IN REVIEW

Thought I would share my weekly averages, as I actually tracked my intake daily and exercise (big step for me FYI and it feels great!)


So here ya go;

Average daily calories :1939
protein: 109 grams
fat: 72 grams
carbs: 222 grams
fiber: 31

89% Vitamins

low on folate, C, D, E

93% Minerals

low on iron and potassium

96% lipids

107% saturated
82% Omega 3
119 Omega 6
141% Cholesterol


Last winter when I was successfully practicing CR, I was averaging around 1600-1700 calories per day and I was much more disciplined. I certainly had my bad snack moments, but my "quotation diet" was perfect and I am having trouble getting back to that. However, I think doing these weekly summaries will mean so much more than just looking at individual days. Eventually, the monthly reports will be what I will reflect and analyze the most.

Now, here's what I personally have learned from this;

1. No more whole eggs (my girlfriend suggest weekends only), egg whites!
2. More VEGGIES!!!
3. Alcohol being virtually eliminated has helped and I will continue with that.


What do you guys see? Any warning signs? Also, how do you all feel about replacing my whole eggs in the morning with oatmeal and a little yogurt. I did that today and I was hungrier than normal earlier, but my hunger didn't last throughout the day. If anything, I am way lower with my calorie totals then I normally would be.

Also; working out. My basic routine over the last week has been one hour in the morning on the elliptical machine, level 15, burning on average 650 calories (or that's what the machine says at least). This week I will be incorporating some strength training as well. I am guessing to make my rounds on the machines at the gym, about another half hour of work.

Since I go to the gym in the morning, I was thinking of bringing back my old 15 yoga routine to wrap up the evenings. Flexibility is important, I know, but I am just not great at doing it on my own and my little yoga video helps. I just wonder if the difference between working out in the morning and then doing the majority of my stretching at night is harmful or just plain weird.

Thanks for reading and again, I welcome any and all suggestions......

Morning

Hey gang! Just wanted to post some information about my food today in the spirit of owning up and recording, tracking regularly.

Here's the meal plan and nutritional summary for the day;

Breakfast:

1 cup egg whites scrambles with
1 slice FF TJ's Swiss cheese
2 Morning Star Farms Breakfast Patties (yum!)

Snack:

2/3 Cup TJ's Granola
1/2 Cup TJ's Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt

Lunch:

Turkey and Swiss on
Flax Bread with
Spicy mustard
(I ran out of lettuce and tomato....boring!)

150 grams of carrots
2 tbsp hummus

Dinner:

8 large shrimp
2 cups asparagus (frozen)
Mixed up stir fry style. I will of course add garlic, some oil and some soy, so my information on dinner is not 100% complete.


Also I have stowed away with me 1/4 cup of whole almonds, just in case I get the munchies at work and they may work themselves into the plan somewhere so they are included in the nutritional summary below;

1488 calories
122 grams protein
130 grams carbs
54 grams lipids

32/35/33

Vitamins 95% (just low on D)
Minerals 95% (low on iron and potassium)

So, I am very happy with these numbers. My macro nutrient ratio is looking better all the time as I reduce my crappy carbs (bagels, breads, pasta, etc.) and my vitamins are up. I am able to find where I am low easier and make the necessary corrections.

I am also very happy with my exercise routine. Working out in the mornings is great. I usually do an hour on the elliptical machine, keep my resistance and pace up and burn around 600 calories (though I have been told those machines lie, I like to use that number to at least see improvement, up from around 400 calories per hour).

Strength training is next for me. I want to do some serious research and really learn how to do it right.

In other news, I am finally getting around to reading Food Politics. Didn't I hear some good discussion about this book this past winter? Thoughts?

Back from Sickville

So all last week I was pretty sick. Didn't post, because I felt really crappy. Being sick, I didn't go to the gym and didn't spend as much time and effort on eating well. I didn't do all too bad, but nothing to brag about either.


I can feel myself getting stronger, though and that is good. Stronger in body and mind. I am getting back into my routine life of attempting CR. I still find myself trying to cut corners and justifying a bagel for breakfast, etc, but at least I have chilled out on the beers and pizza and exercise has begun to become something I really enjoy.

More post to come!

Understanding Fat

Hey guys! Thanks for all the great comments yesterday. I appreciate the support and feed back. Now I need to pick your brains about fat!

Here's my plan for the day;

Breakfast:

1/2 toasted bagel with
2 tbsp hummus
sliced tomato
1/2 avocado
Large iced Coffee with milk and sugar

Snack:

1/4 almonds

Lunch:

Toasted whole wheat bagel with
4 slices turkey
2 slices muenster
lettuce
tomato
mustard
banana
1/2 cup dannon light and fit yogurt

Snack:

150 grams carrots
2 tbsp hummus

Dinner:

125 grams boiled chicken breast
1.5 cups steamed cabbage with
1/2 cup asparagus
1/2 cup chopped red pepper


Here's the crunch:

1752 calories
108 grams of protein (only 87% goal)
182 grams of carbs (140% goal)
71 grams lipids (146% goal)

My ratio is 24/40/36

90% vitamins - really low on B12 and Vitamin D

96% minerals - 75% on potassium

I am worried about my macro nutrient ratios. Any advice on this. Is that much fat bad, even though the majority of the fat I am taking in is good fats. I am really low on saturated and cholesterol. Should I worry?

I should also add that I am working out. I know there are a lot of carbs, but I think I need them based on my work out. Today I did one hour on the elliptical machine, burning around 500 calories. I would like to keep up that volume of exercise, but then should I change my calories and macro nutrient targets. Anyone have some sort of height, weight, exercise calculator?

Why CR? (or my own adaptation of it)


I was reading today on April's blog through some old post and found the TV appearances and watched them, perhaps searching for some inspiration. It's really interesting to me why people question people who would rather eat healthier, shed a few pounds, or train their body and mind to reach for an apple over a candy bar. Why is CR considered a "near starvation" way of life.

It got me thinking about my own personal goals, which I have shared on this blog many times as they change and adapt to my current feelings, issues, etc. For me, living longer has never really been a reason to do CR. I want to be healthier. Eat better. Make wiser decisions.

I have come to the conclusion, that I am definitely an emotional eater and drinker. When upset, physically ill, etc., I comfort myself with rich, savory foods. I convince myself for whatever reason, that I deserve to eat like crap and it won't effect my over all health if I just have one soda. Lies.

It does effect me, in many ways, but mostly in feeding that habit. Making that behavior acceptable.

There are thoughts that I have towards food that I know are bogus and these are the thoughts that I think help make food comforting in times that are tough. For instance; thinking fast food is fast. Associating healthy eating with being more of an effort. I can't think of anything easier than pulling out an apple, washing it off and taking a bite. Easy. Steaming some veggies, easy. Broiling some chicken, easy. And look at the nutritional benefit of eating like that compared to waiting in the line at the drive through, getting pissed off at poor customer service and feeling like crap after eating like crap, weighing myself or looking in the mirror and feeling guilty. My gut getting in the way of running up stairs or walking my dog faster or whatever. Creating a continuous circle of bad eating habits. A trap.

So I think I have to really change the way I thought process food to be successful at living a healthy lifestyle. I want the benefits of being healthy. I want to feel young for a long time. I want to be thin and attractive, active, etc. These are the reasons I monitor my food intake and attempt a CR lifestyle. These benefits can EASILY be accomplished by changing habits.

I guess to wrap things up; following CR, being aware of my intake for me is all about developing new habits. New healthier habits that will take me to another place in life where eating right is not an effort, but a way of life. Second nature.

I haven't posted in a few days, so to bring everyone up to speed; food has been so so for the couple of days. I went to Boston over the weekend to visit my girlfriend Sara. Pabst was able to go, as I had Sara's car and was able to drive, as opposed to taking the bus. Sara is a healthier eater and is beginning to read more about CR, so I have good support. On Saturday we ate very well. Sunday, we made a huge breakfast with her roommate, but remained healthy. We went out of ice cream and of course instead of making the healthy decision of frozen FF yogurt, I got two scoops (not one) of some ridiculous cake batter and cookie dough ice cream. Unfortunately, that just let to hot dogs on the grill for dinner and bit too much wine and beer to follow.

Yesterday and today are good though and I am happily back on track. Just have to figure out how to work the weekends a bit better. Again, good habits.

Today's food;

BREAKFAST:

3 whole eggs scrambled with cheese, topped with salsa
1 Medium Banana

SNACK:

1/4 cup almonds

LUNCH:

Sliced chicken breast and muenster, lettuce, tomato and mustard on whole wheat.
1/2 cup dannon light and fit vanilla yogurt

SNACK:

150 grams carrots, sliced with
2 tbsp of hummus

DINNER:

125 grams broiled chicken breast
1.5 cups sauteed cabbage
something else, not sure


Without the added "not sure" item for dinner my numbers look like this;

1505 calories
109 grams of protein
119 grams of carbs
62 grams of lipids (no doubt high because of whole eggs, i will 1 cup egg whites tomorrow)
92% vitamins
slightly low on folate, very low on D and slightly low on E
90% minerals
slightly low on calcium, iron and magnesium

Calcium chew would help with Vitamin D and Calcium.

MISS HARE


"Miss Hare" is what the counter person at Bally's called me this morning. Seems like there is some confusion with my new membership. When I joined a few days ago, I explained to the person signing me up, that I was going through a transition; changing my name and pronouns. The rep said, no problem.

Today when I tried to enter the gym, it was a problem. Access denied. I had to explain the whole situation again with the counter person. Apparently he got confused. He said (paraphrasing), "Don't worry, Miss Hare. We understand and will get you a new membership card with the correct name on it." He must have been confused. Perhaps thought I was transitioning from male to female (which is a good sign that I pass as a male). My current card has my name Calyb on it.

Anyways, funny story.

Things food and workout wise have been going good for the week. Last night, I did an online calculation of the number of calories I needed daily to maintain my weight. The computer calculated somewhere around 2500. Yesterday I had a total of 2400 calories and burned 240 at the gym. Calories were high yesterday. I went out after work with a friend and ate pizza and drank a few beers.

Today, there will be no beer. On average, I am drinking it about once a week, so I feel good about that and am not worried about last night at all.

My plan today is for somewhere around 1600 calories, to start. I will no doubt have to add more (probably at dinner) because I burned 360 calories this morning on the treadmill. (I know there is no way for these machines to be 100% accurate, but I like the idea of knowing roughly) I am going back the gym again tonight to have a physical assessment done as well. That should be interesting.

Here is my food outline for the day;


Breakfast:

1 cup scrambled egg whites
2 Morning Star breakfast patties
1 slice American cheese
2 tbsp salsa
iced coffee

Snack:

1/4 cup almonds

Lunch:

Turkey and American on Flax bread
with lettuce, tomato and spicy mustard
Diet Coke

Snack:

150 grams carrots
2 tbsp. hummus
2 oz. mozzarella cheese

Dinner:

I am thinking tuna salad with black beans, tomato, balsamic
Green Salad

Not sure. Going to have to add some thing green to get my vitamins up and I am still low on Vitamin D. Some sun would help, but it's cloudy and rainy here in NYC.

Also want to add; I know it says a lot about diet coke and coffee, but I am also consuming AT LEAST 64 oz. of water per day. AT LEAST! I woke twice last night and had to go to the potty, so I know I am getting plenty of good fluids as well!

So, how's everyone doing with exercise? Any news?

GOOD AND BAD ADDICTIONS


Getting back into the swing of CR has been difficult over the past three months. Mostly because I really didn't put forth any effort. Short cuts here and there. Not record keeping properly, etc. What I have come to realize is CR for me is an addiction. A good addiction.

Naturally, I am an addictive person. Cigarettes, beer, food, people, etc. It's the way I operate and the only way for me to really maintain a healthy lifestyle is to become addicted to it.

The first addiction for me is the CROM. When I really start tracking what I am eating, it's gets exciting. I find myself getting up while reading a book or conversing with friends via phone to make simple adjustments to my next day's plan. Last minute ideas popping into my head that might help reduce fat, but raise vitamin levels.

I like this addiction.

New addiction I am working on is working out. I joined a gym yesterday and got up (not entirely eager) at 6 am to go and work out. At first I was a bit reluctant, but mid way through I felt almost high and 30 minutes later when I came off the machine, I knew this was going to be a good day.

When I got home from the gym, I fed my dog and took him for a walk. We ended up walking for 20 minutes. Usually in the morning, I am groggy and not into the walk, so I take him to the green spot that is within a few blocks and let him do his business and then right back home. It felt great to have more energy and even better that the extra energy was a benefit for Pabst.

I made breakfast, packed my lunch, drank some coffee and more water and am at work. Full of energy, smiling and excited about the rest of my day!

I think my exercise addiction will come easily and I am excited!

Food wise, things are good. I am maintaining around 1600 calories per day. This morning I burned around 200 at the gym and I may do some weight training tonight. If so, I will have to up my calories a bit.

So, how was every one's morning?

New Introductions


Things in "food land" have been going good. I have been tracking all week, cut out all beer (only had vodka cocktails one night) and have been able to maintain a 1700-1800 daily calorie average.

I am happy with that, seeing as how far off track I had gotten. Almonds in hand, ready to battle the bulge!

Something else, I have not discussed with fellow bloggers (other than a couple and you know who you are) is my gender identity issue. Actually, it's becoming less of an issue as I allow myself to open up about it and portray my masculine identity to all.

I go by the name Calyb (Caleb) and am using non gender specific pronouns or male pronouns only. If anyone has links to my blog, please correct my name and when speaking to me or addressing me directly, again, I would prefer either non gender specific or male pronouns.

This is a change in my life that may take people time to adjust to and I am open to that. I am also aware that some people may disagree with it and not support me and that is fine. I welcome all into my life.

Thanks for letting me share. Happy blogging!

ALMONDS

On my trip to Dominican Republic I had many adventures. One that sticks out in my mind the most now is the almond lady.

The second morning of our trip, my Aunt, niece and nephew and I drove out of the city of Puerta Plata on our way to Jarabacoa. We took a windy back road and stopped at various fruit and coffee stands, attempting to talk with the natives. It's customary in a country like DR to stop when you see someone walking and offer them a left. (hitch hikers thumb out, not required). Of course, my aunt wanting us to experience all DR had to offer, insisted that we pick up the next walker we saw. We wound around a few curves and eventually ran across a middle aged woman on her way to Santa Domingo, that graciously accepted our offer through broken English.

We again stopped at a fruit stand, this time picking up tiny bananas that the entire crew shared, including our new passenger. Additionally, we passed around bottles of water, coffee, juice, and my trusty bag of almonds that I packed. As I was planning for an 8 day trip, it was a rather large bag (think full quart). I offered around my almonds, everyone declining, except the little Dominican woman. She again, graciously accepted my offer, not by taking a handful of almonds, but by snatching up the whole bag! It never occurred to me that almonds would be such a delicacy in a place like DR, but I probably handed that woman $40 worth of almonds (in DR), more than she would make in a long and hard days work (way more).

I started a few days ago trying to pick one of my biggest pit falls in trying to ease back into CR. Why was it so difficult. What was I missing and then I remembered almonds. They are actually quite hard to find in my own neighborhood and I used to by them at Trader Joes when I was "practicing" CR. Thinking back on the last time I bought almonds was how my mind traced back to my DR almond story.

I have to get somewhere and buy some almonds! I have tried everything else under the sun to start my day and nothing is working. Not cottage cheese, not egg whites, nothing! I must figure out a way to get over my missing almonds and move on.

Other than almond snatching, life has been great. I took my new girlfriend home to NC to meet the folks and all went well. Of course it would; she is very lovely.

My dog is doing super. He went through a rough patch of allergies (skin allergies, gross!), had his little neutering surgery, and is healing. He also went home with me to NC to meet the folks for the first time. Of course being the great dog that he is, the family adores him!

LONG TIME, NO POST

At this point, not sure how many readers I will get. Been ages since my last post, but in my vacation time, I have come to realize somethings;

1. Beer = A lot of Calories
2. The more I post, the more I own up to the calories I take in, the better I do.
3. When on CR, I feel the best I have ever felt in my life. Period.


If you are reading this; Thanks. It's keeping me honest.

Here's today's info;

Breakfast:

2 Packs (4 crackers each) cheese on cheese crackers
Diet Coke
Mid morning Banana snack

Lunch:

Ham and Provolone on Oatmeal Bread with lettuce, mustard and pepper
Gala Apple
2 oz. Pretzels

Afternoon Snack: (could have done without!)

Snickers

Dinner:

Salsa Chicken
(basically chicken sauteed with peppers, garlic, fresh salsa, black beans and frozen corn)
1 tbls Sour Cream
1 Flour Tortilla
48 oz. Beer (holy shit!!! calories and carbs!!!)


And for the results;

2231 Calories
86 g Protein (my goal is around 120g)
A WHOPPING 274 g carbs
45 g lipids
63% daily vitamins
88% daily minerals

Okay, so obviously, these numbers sucks and there is much room for improvement. I think the mistake I have been trying to make lately is jumping in full force into CR again. What I think really needs to happen is some strategy's. I need to track for a week again, analyze my patterns, and see what small changes can be made, one at a time to bring about some good change.

I think the first most obvious answer is beer. When I was serious CR before, I either didn't drink at all or when I did drink, I stuck to vodka and soda water. Very low calories with a hell of punch.

Second thing to work on; protein. When I was able to properly balance the right proteins and fats before, I was my most successful. This is a huge key for me. Less fruit and chocolate and more egg whites and almonds.

Now, I must admit. CR and extended life seems very lovely, but I have other motivations. My motivations are a trimmer waste line and feeling great on a daily basis. Not feeling sluggish. Feeling full of life and energy. Forget living until I am 120. Who can plan that far? I can barely keep up with my weekly schedule. Let's get real and be honest about my goals, then we will see about sticking to them.

Thanks for all who read!

DAY NUMERO UNO

Okay so is this like take 3? Well I was slow to start, but today I really feel prepared to battle.

Here's what I have planned out for myself;

Breakfast (at home - shocker!):

1 cup Kashi Go Lean
1/2 cup Soy Milk

My plan was actually to get up and make a great veggie omelet, but sleep took priority this am.

Snack:

1/4 cup whole almonds
1/8 cup sunflower seeds
4 oz. no fat cottage cheese


Lunch:

215 grams turkey breast sauteed with
100 grams asparagus
tsp olive oil
soy sauce

Snack:

3 cups oil popped pop corn

Dinner:

It's not part of the nutritional data below, but will probably be a repeat of lunch or some baked tilapia that I have in the fridge. Possibly dinner out with friends, sushi, no rice!

Here's the crunch on things:

General (70%)

Calories 1135.1
Protein 91.8
Fat 51.1
Carbs 89.8
Fiber 22.9

*So here you can see that my fat is pretty high, but seems to be a lot of Omega-6. I need to back read some blogs and books and find out what's the best out come for the Omega-6,3 ratios.

Vitamins (73%)

A 64%
Folate 69%
B1 66%
B2 176%
B3 40%
B5 51%
B6 61%
B12 178%
C 49%
D 178%
E 77%
K 182%

*Still the B's that I have a problem with. I hate mushrooms!!! Although, the new girl in my life really likes them and I have eaten a few around her that were not so despicable. So, we shall see!

Minerals (90%)

Calcium 156%
Copper 161%
Iron 62%
Magnesium 109%
Manganese 177%
Phosphorus 170%
Potassium 37%
Selenium 136%
Sodium 180%
Zinc 99%

*Is Iron and Potassium that low something to be concerned about?

Lipids (51%)

Saturated 34%
Omega-3 36%
Omega-6 149%
Cholesterol 33%


As boring as this maybe for some people to read, I believe I have to post this daily. When I was doing this more regularly, I was more honest with myself and able to follow CR a bit more rigidly. You can easily see how the posting helps others. Look at how successful Robin is with her CR routine and look at her blog. She bares all.

Now, I have no shame in admitting that CR has helped me to loose extra pounds that I have packed on over the last couple of years. I really want to strictly adhere to my CR routine because by the end of the summer, I would like to have lost another 15 lbs. My trip home to NC is scheduled for the 2nd weekend in September and that's plenty of healthy time to loose the weight and feel great about it!

Okay all, have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!

30 DAY CHALLENGE (TAKE 2)

Okay so my challenge has not going as well as I thought it maybe and I have been searching for reasons and answers as to why I am having such difficulty getting back into the grove of CR. Then I read http://www.crdiary.blogspot.com/ Mary's blog today and things started to make a bit more sense for me.

"This is a big mind shift for me. You have to quit eating just for it's own sake, eating as entertainment - to do CR. You must eat to feel good afterwards. If you do this, you will do good CR and feel really good about yourself as well"

I definitely agree that you should enjoy what you eat and eating with friends and family is just as entertaining as it is nutritionally necessary or fulfilling. However, what Mary says makes a lot of sense. (read the post) She battled with a taco salad, eating more and more of the shell the more often she ate the salad. Tasty, but made her feel really crappy. When she prepared herself and packed a healthy homemade salad for lunch, she not only was completely satisfied with what the ate, but she physically and mentally felt better.

Lately, I have been battling with taco salad too. Well maybe not, but I have been battling with pasta, bagels for breakfast, peanut butter, etc. I am not eating too terribly unhealthy, but I am not paying attention. I am not recording. I am not being attentive to whether or not I am getting adequate nutrition. AND I feel like crap. I am extremely exhausted at work. I am struggling to get out of the bed in the morning. My mind is fuzzy and unfocused.

And why? When I know better, why do I chose to eat the things I know make me feel like this?

"I've eaten too many things for the fun of eating them - even though I didn't feel my best afterwards...."

So true. So very true. For the fun, the comfort, the ease, whatever.

Okay so let's start this 30 day challenge over.

FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS I WILL:

Record and track all intake using COM
Maintain a calorie level of 1600/day (give or take a couple)
Reduce alcohol intake by 50%
Have only 1 Diet Coke per day
Have only 1 Coffee per day
Take a full 1 hour lunch in the park or at home daily
Morning yoga routine 3 times per week, minimum
Take the stairs. No elevator use in my office (which is broken down 1/2 the time anyways)

Thanks, Mary for posting what you did. I needed to hear your story and excitement this morning!

30 DAY CHALLENGE

Hey guys! Thanks so much for all your comments yesterday. Definitely got the ball rolling in my mind. I am not able to continue that post as of yet, but stay tuned.

I really wanted to post a challenge to myself here. As you all know, April was vacation month for me and it's been weeks since my return, but I am having a really hard time getting back into the smooth groove of CR and other general things in life. So, I am hoping to put into print some really basic principles to stick to and rely on the encouragement and support of my fellow CR bloggers, to help me regain my focus.

So here it is;

FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS I WILL:

• Record and track all intake using COM
• Maintain a calorie level of 1600/day (give or take a couple)
• Reduce alcohol intake by 50%
• Have only 1 Diet Coke per day
• Have only 1 Coffee per day
• Take a full 1 hour lunch in the park or at home daily
• Morning yoga routine 3 times per week, minimum
• Take the stairs. No elevator use in my office (which is broken down 1/2 the time anyways)

So, I have no problem admitting that I have enjoyed my CRON experience, not only for the feeling of it, but also for the physical plus. Since being off the CRON wagon, I have not necessarily gained any weight, as a matter fact, I have continued to loose or stabilized for the most part. However, I do not feel as mentally sharp. My moods swing a bit differently and I have been battling a bit of cold. I really miss the way that I felt when I was practicing CRON (or my version of CRON) strictly.

So there you have it!

In other news; I found a huge bag of frozen artichoke hearts in my freezer. Any idea what I can make with that?

BLOGGER HELL

I woke up this morning thinking I would share a song with you all. I noticed yesterday that Mary had posted a www.youtube.com video on her site and I thought, brilliant. However, being somewhat technically challenged, I couldn't make it work.

So, here's a link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd3dgB_ocQs

This song is great and will certainly get your feet tapping a bit this morning!

Okay so now that music has been shared, what else?

I have been thinking a lot lately about a post I have been wanting to write. I just have not taken the time to do the proper research and writing. So, I have another idea. Why not throw out a simple statement and see how the peanut gallery reacts. Maybe this will motivate me a bit.

So I read this;

"Sitting down to dinner is a trap, not something to enjoy."

-Julia Child circa 1989

How does that statement make you feel?

DIRTY LAUNDRY

Yes, I have tons and yes I need to take care of it.

However, this post is not really about dirty laundry, but missing laundry. You see.....

I drop my laundry at the corner wash house and pay per pound to have it washed, dried and neatly folded each week. I have been going to the same place since I moved into this new apartment in September. I really liked these people, until....

My favorite pair of jeans is missing AND my favorite T shirt, too!!!

These were the jeans that I blogged about earlier, finally being able to fit into them again and loving them!! I have worn these jeans nearly everyday since late January. Okay, not everyday, because that would just be gross, but you get my drift.

I am beginning to question my loyalty. After all there are wash houses on every corner in this town!

So the last week and half without my jeans has been kind of rough. I have had to really search through and dig through my closet to find the perfect fit. No such luck. However this morning....

I dug out an old pair of jeans that I like to refer to as "the bone crusher". These jeans are so f ing tight. So tight that the few times I did wear them, I had to give up breathing, sitting, eating, anything that would cause pain.

Well this morning I pulled them out and thought, let's just see.

THE JEANS FREAKIN FIT!

So I know I am doing something right as far as loosing the extra pounds I packed on. Now I really need to get focused on tracking through COM better and focusing on the ON.

In other news, I read that Miss M will be leaving us. I love reading your post and will be sorry to see you leave.

Seems like everyone is slowing down a bit on the blogs here. I read a lot about how people feel like it interferes with their life and I remember feeling that way one time before when I was really allowing blogger to interfere with my work. For me, I just had to learn how put aside a certain amount of time per day for blogger and stick with it. My schedule for the last month has been a little sticky with vacation and this new romantic interest, but I will get back into posting and reading more often. I heart my blogger (CR) friends! So to all those that are holding back or disappearing completely, please keep in touch. Email or a comment from time to time!

VACATION FROM MY VACATION


Not really, but it would have been nice. Someone told me once that you actually need 3 times the length of your vacation to really enjoy it. My vacation was 10 days and the saying is right. I prepped hard for a good 10 days prior to my vacation (stressful), I actually vacationed for 10 days, and I have been in a state of recovery ever since (more than 10 days!).

I have not completely bounced back into CR at the moment. I haven't even really had a good shopping trip to restock. I came home to a few CR staples; egg whites, almonds, yogurt. Now, most of those have run out and the other holes have not been filed either. I made a mad dash to the store one evening, but it was the store in my neighborhood that is packed full of processed, frozen trash and sugary sodas. I think I did pretty good though. I bought whole wheat bread, some canned tuna and white beans, sliced low fat deli turkey and a few pieces of fruit.

Last week I ate mostly sandwiches at lunch in the park with a piece of fruit and low cal egg white salad for breakfast. Dinner was usually a stir fry or simple soup. I know that my caloric intake has been decently low, but I have not been up to par on the ON part of things. I am not worried. At least I can see a change in my poor eating habits. I just need to some time to properly plan and get back on track.

The good news to this all;

I have been out of sorts and at home at lot less because I have met someone. I actually met her in March at a bar when out on the town with my friends that were visiting from NC. We chatted it up quite a bit and then met up again last weekend when I got back from my trip. That weekend was fabulous and so was the past. She lives in DC, so it's harder for us to see each other more often. The distance certainly sucks, but I know is healthy for me in the long term. I am sure you all have heard the lesbian joke....

"What do lesbian bring on a first date?"

A U HAUL!!!!

HA!

So life is good! Just gotta get the dog and the CR up to speed.

Okay enough posting. More later, going to read what everyone else is up to!

CR TROUBLE IN THE DR

Hey gang! Thanks for all your well wishes while I was away and yes, the vacation was a total blast. Pics to come soon!!

Highlights:

White water rafting, but first getting a bee sting in my butt on the trip up the mountain. Cool mountain water was a great fix for that one!

Waterfall jumping. Not one, but 7!!! Hilariously lost my shorts on the way up. Good times!

The most beautiful, sandy beaches I have ever seen. Really, they were amazing. One of the one's we visited was just voted one of the top 10 in the Caribbean and is still very natural and untouched. The bad news, a South African resort company has purchased all of it. I feel very blessed to have seen that beach before the destruction.

Almost no other American tourist! Most people that were visiting were French or Italian. Friendly folks! We were really there just after peak tourist season, so on most days, we had our lovely guides to ourselves and were not bombarded with huge crowds. It was as if we had the whole place to ourselves (well, plus the natives!).

FRESH FISH!! As in caught and cooked right on the beach.

The last 5 days that we were there, we stayed in a great little beach front cabana with a "full" (but small) kitchen. I could have done a bit better with CR, but really it just got totally thrown out of the window. I did cook breakfast everyday and it was fairly healthy. Typically scrambled eggs, fruit, and papas (potatoes). Lunch was typically sandwiches (great little Italian deli in the area) and dinner some sort of fish or pasta.

I didn't keep track of anything and the worst part of it all; beverages. Bottled water was not always available and you can not drink the tap water, because it's just filtered ocean water and still way too salty. Diet soda, forget about it. Many days I had anything from juice, to Pepsi or even a pino colado.

Oh well, it's vacation, right?!?! Now trying to get back on track.

Things have gone pretty well since my return. Actually, things have been great! Not necessarily relating to CR, but in general. My boss and I have been getting along very well at work (awesome!), I had a date (freaking amazing woman!) , met a new friend, my dog is looking great and healthy, etc. etc. Now, I just need to get some rest and get focused.

So fill me in. How's everyone doing? I have been trying to catch up on all that I missed on your blogs, but dang that's a lot of reading.

RESURFACING, BUT NOT FOR LONG


No (but thanks for asking) I have not left for my vacation as of yet. I actually leave tomorrow bright and early and will return the following Thursday. HELLS YES, I am excited!!

Wrapping up the week and getting prepared for this trip have proven to be a bit time consuming, not to say that my mother's last minute visit had anything to do with that (HA!). Pabst is all good to go. He fortunately gets to go back home for a visit with his bio mommy and seems to be quite excited about that.

Good news. Since my digital camera got stolen, I have been a bit in the dumps and obviously a bit less colorful. My mom has loaned me her's, so get ready for beachy cool pics.

I agree with Deb. CR bloggie traffic seems to be a bit low. So give us a shout, ya'll! What's everyone been up to lately?? Anyone fallen off the CR wagon (slightly beginning to raise my own hand)?? Boyfriends? Husbands? School? Work? Tell it!

Yo Emily!!!! If you are out there, give us a sign. March 20th? That was like eons ago. Miss you and hope you are well!

Hazel, your once a week plan makes perfect sense. Blogger addiction is serious. As a matter of fact, I am thinking of starting a support group. No doubt, I will get addicted to the support as well. Sheesh!

For all the others; Deb, Christina, April, and other daily bloggers - Thanks so much for keeping the fire burning! I look forward to reading many more post.

Okay guys! Have a wonderful week and keep warm!

PS: April.....you need a vacation.....sure you don't want to hop in my suitcase?