Well, yesterday was a bummer! After helping Manish and Neha move, we went to Eleven City Diner for dinner. Where I was proud to have ordered the deli scramble, two eggs scrambled with a slice of corned beef and a slice of pastrami and some cheddar. I figured that out to be 8 points. But then we got cheese fries for the table and I probably used up all the banked points I had on at least six creamy bites. What's silly is that they don't even taste that good when you think about it, it's just the creamy texture that really does it for me. So I'll have to watch out for that going forward. But, as the book says, don't get absorbed by the momentum of slipping. A lot of times, I tend to say, "Oops, I slipped once, I may as well take the rest of the day off." When in actuality, I should say, "Oops, I just slipped. I better stop slipping now."

So okay. The good news is that I picked up a sashimi party platter at the Korean grocery store yesterday. On Wednesdays, they go on sale from $32 to $20. An amazing deal, especially when you split the whole thing with a girlfriend. I dropped Sandra's half off at work this morning. With the exception of the salmon, any sashimi is 1 point for four pieces. I had four pieces for breakfast and mixed it into a salad again for lunch. Tonight, I will likely make myself some sushi and miso soup. Yum.

Food Diary:
B -
4 slices sashimi, 1 pt.
coffee w/ cream, 1 pt.

MMS -
string cheese, 1 pt.

L -
salad w/ sashimi and dressing, 4 pts.
bean jelly, 2 pts.

MAS -
2 wasa crispbread, 0 pts
1 wedge laughing cow cheese, 1 pt.

Activity Diary:
rest day

Weight:
rest day

Dragged myself out of bed this morning...one of those days where I'm just really dragging. I think it's probably the onset of PMS though, as next week it's that damn TOM. I did manage to slog through a 2.1 mile run on the treadmill and weight training. There's this strategy I'm reading about in the Thin Commandments, called Box It In and Box It Out. Boxing in foods means allowing yourself to indulge in treats only in specific situations. For example, only eating cupcakes at birthday parties. And to not feel guilty about it when you do eat that cupcake. I think I may try that and allow myself one double-cheeseburger from Byron's when TOM comes over. At least I'll have something to look forward to. Boy, wouldn't that change things. Box It Out is a strategy for foods that are super trigger foods that you can't stop eating when you start. For a lot of people, it's cookies, chips, etc. I think for me, it might be white wine. Not any other kind of alcohol, not even sangria. But once I have one glass of white wine, I can't say no to another. *sigh* I may have to just Box that one out too.

Food Diary -
B:
Blueberries, milk, ice, splenda, blender, 2 pts

MMS:
Egg, 2 pts

L:
Salad and salmon sashimi w/ 1 T sesame ginger dressing, 3 pts
String cheese, 1 pt
Pita chips, 2 pts

Activity Diary -
2.1 miles, weights, 5 pts

We're helping Manish and Neha move this evening, then heading over to the Jewish deli across the street. If I'm good, I just may have some of their mac and cheese!

Why is there always a wall? There are so many days where I look at my wall and think, "Now that's impossible." Every cell in my body is yelling for a puffy Cheeto, a Big Mac, a full-on beer ferchrissakes! I wish I could eat a ribeye and drink a bottle of cabernet without counting points and laughing the whole time.

Newsflash to me, I'm not young anymore. The older we get, the more we have to be conscious of our bodies, if we want to stay slim and seductive, that is. Of course, I see lots of women that are larger and seductive, but for me personally, I want to be able to run far and fast. It's more about me, I think, than what society thinks I should be. Yet at the same time, I'd like to be thin and healthy for me, not for society.

And that's why I threw out the Victoria's Secret catalog with the great deals on bikinis. I'd like to look hot for me, and I'd really like to run 3 miles without sweating. At all.

I wonder, are there women out there who really live life trim and healthy, without having to work at it?

Ah, that was nice. Went to the gym expecting a step class, and I mixed up my days and it turns out tonight was kickboxing. Excellent! I haven't taken a kickboxing class in about 8 months, and I've forgotten how much fun it is. Tonight's instructor was a bit peppy for my taste...perky boobs, bob and ass with a dash of slouchy socks and high-top reeboks...but it was a good cardio workout. Got home, ate a salad with salmon sashimi and am waiting for snow crab to steam. I love summer in Chicago, primarily because Jewel and Dominick's pretty much alternate between $4.99/lb. snow crab.

Here's a before picture:

Here's where I'd like to be, this was me three years ago and probably 10-15 pounds lighter?

Second SSLD...yesterday wasn't too bad. Stuck to my guns and just had broccoli cheese soup for dinner, but I also had a couple slices of bread with that. Though, I did walk from work to a meeting at school, so that activity will probably even out the bread. I also tried a Revolution Tea, which was really nice. Smelled incredible, just like raspberries, and was light and refreshing. Also good to know that I'm not putting any more high fructose corn syrup into my body than I have to. :)

Today is the second day I need to stick to low points.

Food Diary
B -
1 light multi-grain Thomas english muffin, 1 pt
1 slice FF Kraft single, 1 pt
1 boca sausage patty, 1 pt

L -
salad w/ 2T blue cheese, 4 pts
Idahoan mashed potatoes, 2 pts

Activity Diary
Going to step class tonight, 5 pts

Weight: 151 lb.

For dinner tonight, I think I'll add some sashimi tuna to the salad fricasse I picked up at Costco last weekend, and steamed snow crab ($4.99/lb at Jewel!), and a glass of wine. All after a step class, of course. Doing okay on the water intake, have had 1/4 my daily requirement. I feel pretty good, but I felt better when I threw out the victoria's secret catalog of impossibilities. :)

My first SSLD (super super low day). According to the CJ plan, this is the first of two days during which I need to bank 10 points per day (including food and activity).

Think I'm on track so far, I made sure to eat something for breakfast before going to the gym. Then after the gym, I had a mid-morning snack...and I'm aiming to drink half my weight in water to flush out the yuckies. So that would be 75 ounces of water per day. Ungh. So far, I've had 15 ounces.

Food Diary
B -
South Beach Denver Burrito, 2 pts
Coffee w/ FF cream, 1 pt

MMS (mid-morning snack)
Hard boiled egg, 2 pts
String cheese, 1 pt

L -
1/4 C egg noodles, 1 pt
1/4 piece center loin pork chop, 3 pts
cucumber salad, 0

Activity Diary
Ran 2.25 miles, 24 min
Weights: Upper back, 30 min.
6 APs

Weight: 151.25 lb.

Tonight, meeting Dave and the Kellers at Millenium Park to listen to Yo Yo Ma, will probably have soup from Soupbox. Will order Broccoli Cheese to use up the rest of my food points, and the one extra activity point. Yum. Will also stick to water all day.

A NEW BEGINNING
This blog is intended to hold me accountable to weight loss. About six years ago, I weighed 171 lb. And none of that was from weight in the right places. I never really minded until my parents said, "You've gained a lot of weight, and there's no way you're going to be able to lose that weight."

It wasn't in a mean or derogatory manner, it was just a statement. That's when I first looked in the mirror, and that's when I first realized that it wasn't all that much fun being in my 20s and wearing a size 12 or 14. I joined Weight Watchers and ended up losing 35 pounds in 10 months. I felt great and had two pairs of size 4 jeans from Banana Republic. (Okay, maybe they are cut more generously, but it was still an ego boost.) I was 136 pounds and very proud of myself. :)

Now I'm back up to 151 pounds. I'm still a size 8, and I think some of the weight gain is actually muscle mass from running and lifting 5 days a week. Some of it's also probably changing metabolism as I get older. Ideally, I'd like to get back down to 140 lb., and this blog is intended to keep me accountable to that goal.

I'll post food logs and weigh-ins starting Monday. I'll be changing it up a bit this time and following the CJ plan, which is supposed to kick start a stalled metabolism. Guess we'll see! :)