Hey y'all!
Well I figured now that it's almost March, I should report my progress in more tangible terms. So here are my new measurements and weight.
This morning's weight = 173.2 (down from 182 in January)
Total lost in 1.75 months = about8-9 pounds.
New measurements:
Waist 34.5 in (lost 1.5 inches)
Hips 38.5 in (-0.5)
Chest 37.5 in (-2)
Neck 12.5 in (-0.5)
Ribs 32.5 in (-0.5)
Bum 41.5 in (-1.5)
Thighs 26 in (-0.5)
So overall, I am down by at least a half inch in every measurement, so I am very pleased with that. Plus, I have reached half my weight goal. With the warm weather on its way, I think it will be easier for me to do more to get the second half of this challenge done. I have 3.5 months to lose at least 8 more pounds. So I need you guys behind me, pushing me all the way.
I am glad to hear that many of you have made at least some progress, if not great progress on your goals as well. Keep it up!!!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Mission accomplished
My first volunteer shift is done, and it was nice! I got to meet two Chinese students, one who's learning French and goes to McGill, the other who is studying engineering at Concordia. The kitchen coordinator / head chef is a girl from Peterborough with a story similar to mine. To boot, they always leave a little extra dessert for the volunteers, and it was my lucky day...brownies! I ate about the equivalent of half a brownie (mine was cut into tiny pieces), and I tasted a piece of a cornbread muffin as well.
As far as my duties, for the next few weeks I'm on the afternoon shift for lack of openings in the morning. This means I mainly help pack up desserts, meals and then clean the kitchen. If I can avoid washing dishes I'll be happy. This time I dried a lot, which is fine by me, and I mopped the floor and cleaned the counters. In a few weeks I will get to work the morning shift which will consist more of basic food preparation like making fruit salads, preparing ingredients for the meals, etc.
I walked home, so that was a nice 30 or so minutes of exercise, though my footsies are hurting a little now. I think that when it starts to get warmer, I will make it a tradition to go across the street to Cafe Santropol for lunch, or somewhere in the Plateau on a patio to enjoy my afternoons in the sun over a drink :)
Now I am back at home doing laundry and trying to get a hold of people to hang out with...any takers? hahah! Have a great Saturday everyone!
As far as my duties, for the next few weeks I'm on the afternoon shift for lack of openings in the morning. This means I mainly help pack up desserts, meals and then clean the kitchen. If I can avoid washing dishes I'll be happy. This time I dried a lot, which is fine by me, and I mopped the floor and cleaned the counters. In a few weeks I will get to work the morning shift which will consist more of basic food preparation like making fruit salads, preparing ingredients for the meals, etc.
I walked home, so that was a nice 30 or so minutes of exercise, though my footsies are hurting a little now. I think that when it starts to get warmer, I will make it a tradition to go across the street to Cafe Santropol for lunch, or somewhere in the Plateau on a patio to enjoy my afternoons in the sun over a drink :)
Now I am back at home doing laundry and trying to get a hold of people to hang out with...any takers? hahah! Have a great Saturday everyone!
Sunny side up
Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!
I hope you all had a fun Friday night! Personally, mine was great. I was planning on going to the movies, but since it started snowing, I decided to stay in and nap and watch TV and nap and watch TV...that's the good life! Ha ha!
Yesterday I also did NOT eat that lentil soup. I just don't love lentils enough to eat them more than once a week I think. I did buy a veggie sandwich with a side beet salad and a side pasta salad. It was delicious! For dinner, I made that gigantic steak, and now I know that it's more like the beef you use in stew, tough and dry. Since I had marinated it in teriyaki sauce it wasn't bad though, but definitely no filet mignon. I had a side of sauteed organic brocoli and red peppers, and the broccoli was delicious with the teriyaki sauce...mmmm.
I was up watching Canada narrowly win the game against the Slovaks (yay), so I went to bed fairly late, and had a lot of difficulty sleeping. But I woke up way before my alarm this morning so I went to the gym at 8. I did 30 minutes running-walking, lunges, ab exercises with the ball (though you all would have found the sight pretty pathetic as abs are never my strong suit and I felt particularly weak today), arm curls, squats, squats against the wall, and loads of stretching. I still have a stiff shoulder from my terrible serves at volleyball on Thursday (I've lost my magic touch).
Now I am getting ready for volunteering. I have to wear a baseball cap (sexy), and also ugly clothes because my clothes (especially my winter coat) have smelled ever since being in that volunteer centre for a couple hours last week. I smell like food. Thank god for Febreeze is all I gots ta say!
I'll keep you posted on how it goes. For now I am off to make a smoothie and an egg or two for brunch.
:)
I hope you all had a fun Friday night! Personally, mine was great. I was planning on going to the movies, but since it started snowing, I decided to stay in and nap and watch TV and nap and watch TV...that's the good life! Ha ha!
Yesterday I also did NOT eat that lentil soup. I just don't love lentils enough to eat them more than once a week I think. I did buy a veggie sandwich with a side beet salad and a side pasta salad. It was delicious! For dinner, I made that gigantic steak, and now I know that it's more like the beef you use in stew, tough and dry. Since I had marinated it in teriyaki sauce it wasn't bad though, but definitely no filet mignon. I had a side of sauteed organic brocoli and red peppers, and the broccoli was delicious with the teriyaki sauce...mmmm.
I was up watching Canada narrowly win the game against the Slovaks (yay), so I went to bed fairly late, and had a lot of difficulty sleeping. But I woke up way before my alarm this morning so I went to the gym at 8. I did 30 minutes running-walking, lunges, ab exercises with the ball (though you all would have found the sight pretty pathetic as abs are never my strong suit and I felt particularly weak today), arm curls, squats, squats against the wall, and loads of stretching. I still have a stiff shoulder from my terrible serves at volleyball on Thursday (I've lost my magic touch).
Now I am getting ready for volunteering. I have to wear a baseball cap (sexy), and also ugly clothes because my clothes (especially my winter coat) have smelled ever since being in that volunteer centre for a couple hours last week. I smell like food. Thank god for Febreeze is all I gots ta say!
I'll keep you posted on how it goes. For now I am off to make a smoothie and an egg or two for brunch.
:)
Friday, February 26, 2010
One day closer to spring.
A girl can hope and dream, can't she?
This warm(ish) weather is getting me psyched for spring, so that we can be one step closer to summer. Apparently it's also easier for the body to lose weight in warmer weather, so I need any help I can get! Plus, I need an effin vacation.
I had a good workout this morning. I did 20 minutes on the bike and about 15 minutes of walking. Then time flew by since I only managed to squeeze in leg lifts and the plank, and a bit of abs before 7 a.m. rolled around.
Cereal for breakfast, with a side spoonful of PB, one spoonful of yogurt and a glass of diluted pomegranate juice. I don't know what's with me, but I have cravings now for something salty, something sweet, something rich, etc., and have to have them all at once hahah! At least I'm not over doing it, I guess.
Lentil salad on the lunch menu, though I may go buy something to go with that because on its own this salad is pretty high in calories. I will just eat a bit of it and maybe buy a veggie sandwich or something. For dinner, I am defrosting a steak. It looks enormous though, so I'll have to be creative in reusing half of it tomorrow (in a salad perhaps).
I have my first volunteer shift at Santropol Roulant tomorrow afternoon. Since I couldn't find an opening for the morning shift (preparing meals), for the next couple weeks I will be packing the meals. In three weeks I will get to work in the kitchen, and when the weather starts to get better, I may sign up to do deliveries, since you can do them by bike or walking, which would be great exercise and an excuse to be out in the sun on Saturday afternoons.
Alright, I wish you all a very fast workday, and a frickin great Friday night!
This warm(ish) weather is getting me psyched for spring, so that we can be one step closer to summer. Apparently it's also easier for the body to lose weight in warmer weather, so I need any help I can get! Plus, I need an effin vacation.
I had a good workout this morning. I did 20 minutes on the bike and about 15 minutes of walking. Then time flew by since I only managed to squeeze in leg lifts and the plank, and a bit of abs before 7 a.m. rolled around.
Cereal for breakfast, with a side spoonful of PB, one spoonful of yogurt and a glass of diluted pomegranate juice. I don't know what's with me, but I have cravings now for something salty, something sweet, something rich, etc., and have to have them all at once hahah! At least I'm not over doing it, I guess.
Lentil salad on the lunch menu, though I may go buy something to go with that because on its own this salad is pretty high in calories. I will just eat a bit of it and maybe buy a veggie sandwich or something. For dinner, I am defrosting a steak. It looks enormous though, so I'll have to be creative in reusing half of it tomorrow (in a salad perhaps).
I have my first volunteer shift at Santropol Roulant tomorrow afternoon. Since I couldn't find an opening for the morning shift (preparing meals), for the next couple weeks I will be packing the meals. In three weeks I will get to work in the kitchen, and when the weather starts to get better, I may sign up to do deliveries, since you can do them by bike or walking, which would be great exercise and an excuse to be out in the sun on Saturday afternoons.
Alright, I wish you all a very fast workday, and a frickin great Friday night!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Now that's more like it
The storm has passed. Thank heavens!
Well, today was much better than yesterday. Though I wasn't looking forward to my over-Lentil-ized lunch, I only ate my leftover soup and left the lentil salad for tomorrow. I treated myself to a can of Diet Coke and a Sesame Snaps :)
I just got back from volleyball an hour ago, and ate a delicious meal. I have to give myself a pat on the back for dinner tonight. For one thing, I actually marinated my own fish instead of making pre-marinated fish (the only edible frozen fish is PC brand by the way). Tonight it was a piece of skinless Mahi Mahi, marinated in lemon juice, a dash of oil, salt, pepper and dill. I cooked it in butter, and it turned out fantastic. I normally prefer non-white fish with a stronger flavour, but this actually had a really nice, rich flavour to it.
My second success was making a delicious salad and dressing (I used pomegranate juice to change up my dressing recipe, and it was delicious). The salad was mixed greens, a small avodaco, cucumber and mixed tiny tomatoes. I am now enjoying a glass of wine and a glass of water (can't live without my water, especially not after a sport night), and watching the tube.
Volleyball was great. We got to play 2 on 2 for a bit, so that was a new challenge. Then when we were 3 on 2 (me on the team of 3), we practiced passing (1, 2, over). We're getting better, slowly, but it's coming.
So I am feeling much better today and though I am still craving unhealthy food, I am very much enjoying the dinners and breakfasts I've been having. Progress is slow, but it's still happening. Yay!
Alright. Back to TV. Goodnight :)
Well, today was much better than yesterday. Though I wasn't looking forward to my over-Lentil-ized lunch, I only ate my leftover soup and left the lentil salad for tomorrow. I treated myself to a can of Diet Coke and a Sesame Snaps :)
I just got back from volleyball an hour ago, and ate a delicious meal. I have to give myself a pat on the back for dinner tonight. For one thing, I actually marinated my own fish instead of making pre-marinated fish (the only edible frozen fish is PC brand by the way). Tonight it was a piece of skinless Mahi Mahi, marinated in lemon juice, a dash of oil, salt, pepper and dill. I cooked it in butter, and it turned out fantastic. I normally prefer non-white fish with a stronger flavour, but this actually had a really nice, rich flavour to it.
My second success was making a delicious salad and dressing (I used pomegranate juice to change up my dressing recipe, and it was delicious). The salad was mixed greens, a small avodaco, cucumber and mixed tiny tomatoes. I am now enjoying a glass of wine and a glass of water (can't live without my water, especially not after a sport night), and watching the tube.
Volleyball was great. We got to play 2 on 2 for a bit, so that was a new challenge. Then when we were 3 on 2 (me on the team of 3), we practiced passing (1, 2, over). We're getting better, slowly, but it's coming.
So I am feeling much better today and though I am still craving unhealthy food, I am very much enjoying the dinners and breakfasts I've been having. Progress is slow, but it's still happening. Yay!
Alright. Back to TV. Goodnight :)
Angst
Hi guys!
Just got back from the gym and I had a great workout. I did 30 difficult minutes on the bike (still feeling very groggy in the morning, difficulty breathing), but by the time I was awake, I pushed myself. I did abs, the plank, push ups, arm curls, lunges, dips, lots of stretching and squats. My legs were burning!! I didn't want to do too much arm work because I have volleyball tonight.
As some of you already know, I have been having a rather frustrating week. And I think calling me "moody" wouldn't cut it. Maybe I'm in bad carb withdrawal, or withdrawal from Diet Coke (if I'm not mistaken it's been about two weeks since my last full one...I occasionally steal sips from friends :), or something else...in any case, it ain't pretty and I tried to work it out of me at the gym.
I am now treating myself to a semi-indulgent breakfast. Instead of plain cereal with milk, I made a very liquid smoothie and put my granola cereal in that :) I made it with a tiny banana, a handful of strawberry slices and raspberries, pomegranate juice (about 1 cup) and my remaining plain yogurt. YUMMM! All this because my lunch is leftover curry lentil soup -- I worked from home yesterday so I had a tuna sandwich and tomato salad for lunch and BBQ chicken and Brussels sprouts with red peppers for dinner. I don't have enough time to make anything to go with my soup, so I may bring a lentil salad with me to work as a side.
I need a boost, seriously though. Oh, I forgot to tell you guys (I think) that I have lost 0.5 inches to 1 inch off every body measurement. I am focused on getting the scale to stick at 173 or lower, since that will mean I've reached more than half my weight target for June 15, but I am pretty pleased about the measurements...I'm shrinking, yay! I see it mostly in my face and the fact that my jeans are starting to feel loose mainly around the outer butt cheek and thighs. :)
Alright, have a great day, and wish me the strength to stay sane today.
Just got back from the gym and I had a great workout. I did 30 difficult minutes on the bike (still feeling very groggy in the morning, difficulty breathing), but by the time I was awake, I pushed myself. I did abs, the plank, push ups, arm curls, lunges, dips, lots of stretching and squats. My legs were burning!! I didn't want to do too much arm work because I have volleyball tonight.
As some of you already know, I have been having a rather frustrating week. And I think calling me "moody" wouldn't cut it. Maybe I'm in bad carb withdrawal, or withdrawal from Diet Coke (if I'm not mistaken it's been about two weeks since my last full one...I occasionally steal sips from friends :), or something else...in any case, it ain't pretty and I tried to work it out of me at the gym.
I am now treating myself to a semi-indulgent breakfast. Instead of plain cereal with milk, I made a very liquid smoothie and put my granola cereal in that :) I made it with a tiny banana, a handful of strawberry slices and raspberries, pomegranate juice (about 1 cup) and my remaining plain yogurt. YUMMM! All this because my lunch is leftover curry lentil soup -- I worked from home yesterday so I had a tuna sandwich and tomato salad for lunch and BBQ chicken and Brussels sprouts with red peppers for dinner. I don't have enough time to make anything to go with my soup, so I may bring a lentil salad with me to work as a side.
I need a boost, seriously though. Oh, I forgot to tell you guys (I think) that I have lost 0.5 inches to 1 inch off every body measurement. I am focused on getting the scale to stick at 173 or lower, since that will mean I've reached more than half my weight target for June 15, but I am pretty pleased about the measurements...I'm shrinking, yay! I see it mostly in my face and the fact that my jeans are starting to feel loose mainly around the outer butt cheek and thighs. :)
Alright, have a great day, and wish me the strength to stay sane today.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
sweeeeeet dude!
I am very mellow right now...got to sleep and extra hour and I slept really well. That is probably thanks to the Advil I took because I had an odd throbbing pain in my teeth (I think it's because of the humidity).
I tried to stay up to watch Joannie Rochette's performance, but couldn't make it. I am happy to read in the news today that she was strong enough to give the best performance of her career. Congratulations to her, and my condolences to her and her family...
Today I get to relax, maybe even veg at home for a bit...yay!
Have a nice day everyone, despite the gloomy weather. I'm not taking it for granted that it's warm!!!
I tried to stay up to watch Joannie Rochette's performance, but couldn't make it. I am happy to read in the news today that she was strong enough to give the best performance of her career. Congratulations to her, and my condolences to her and her family...
Today I get to relax, maybe even veg at home for a bit...yay!
Have a nice day everyone, despite the gloomy weather. I'm not taking it for granted that it's warm!!!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Zumba pt. 2
My legs are killing! But I think I released some pent up stress through my workouts today, thank god!
Zumba wasn't quite as fun this week since the regular instructor is on vacation and the stand in was teaching Zumba Gold: a more mellow version of the regular class, for the faint of heart. It was free though, since they're promoting this Zumba Gold class, so that was a bonus at least. I plan on going again next Tuesday for the regular class :)
I walked there and back, which is about an hour or a bit more of walking in addition to this morning's workout and the hour-long class, so I think I may take a day of rest tomorrow, and deservedly so in my opinion!
So I have been craving some seriously bad food this week, but I managed to resist temptation. I had my leftover soup for lunch (though I did have a couple pieces of dark chocolate in the afternoon since I was just about ready to storm into my boss's office and quit (ahhh le PMS does wonders doesn't it). For dinner I had the Salmon I had planned to have, but opted for a really great salad with mixed small, heirloom tomatoes, red peppers, mixed greens, avocado and a homemade dressing. Upon returning from my workout, I treated myself to a piece of cheese and some pomegranate juice, yum!
Alright, I'm off to bed soon, so have a great night everyone!
Zumba wasn't quite as fun this week since the regular instructor is on vacation and the stand in was teaching Zumba Gold: a more mellow version of the regular class, for the faint of heart. It was free though, since they're promoting this Zumba Gold class, so that was a bonus at least. I plan on going again next Tuesday for the regular class :)
I walked there and back, which is about an hour or a bit more of walking in addition to this morning's workout and the hour-long class, so I think I may take a day of rest tomorrow, and deservedly so in my opinion!
So I have been craving some seriously bad food this week, but I managed to resist temptation. I had my leftover soup for lunch (though I did have a couple pieces of dark chocolate in the afternoon since I was just about ready to storm into my boss's office and quit (ahhh le PMS does wonders doesn't it). For dinner I had the Salmon I had planned to have, but opted for a really great salad with mixed small, heirloom tomatoes, red peppers, mixed greens, avocado and a homemade dressing. Upon returning from my workout, I treated myself to a piece of cheese and some pomegranate juice, yum!
Alright, I'm off to bed soon, so have a great night everyone!
Tuesday
Okay, so I just realized not one person actually responded to my question last week...I asked you guys to give me an update on your progress with your respective goals (if you had one, or more). So I still encourage you to post a comment saying what your goal was and how it's going.
As for me, I am stuck at 174 lbs. I am still working out the equivalent of 6-7 days a week (I usually take one or two days off, but that's when I have an extra activity on a given day. Take today for example, I worked out this morning and instead of tennis (cancelled), I will be going to a Zumba class with a friend. So I may not workout tomorrow morning, depends on how I feel.
My eating was also pretty off for the last few weeks (mostly just last week) because I had run out of groceries and had birthday dinner after birthday dinner after night out, so I was eating all over the place time-wise. I'm also particularly moody this week if you catch my drift, so eating well is harder than usual.
My workout this morning was great though. I did 30 minutes on the bike (and I had two new friends working out at the same time this morning, aside from Mr. Treadmill). I did 30 push ups, 60 leg lifts on each side (30 leg extended, 30 bent knee touching floor), about 35 dips, 30 squats, stretching, some weights and a tiny ab workout. It was a great workout despite the fact that the last few days I've woken up with difficulty breathing, as if I have a chest cold with no other symptoms. I am about to do a Sinus Rinse, just to see if that helps.
Well, I'm going to finish up my bowl of plain yogurt and organic granola cereal (with some AllBran thrown in), and go finish getting ready for work. I am bringing Lentil Curry soup for lunch, and will have a piece of salmon and Brussels sprouts for dinner before Zumba.
Have a good one!
As for me, I am stuck at 174 lbs. I am still working out the equivalent of 6-7 days a week (I usually take one or two days off, but that's when I have an extra activity on a given day. Take today for example, I worked out this morning and instead of tennis (cancelled), I will be going to a Zumba class with a friend. So I may not workout tomorrow morning, depends on how I feel.
My eating was also pretty off for the last few weeks (mostly just last week) because I had run out of groceries and had birthday dinner after birthday dinner after night out, so I was eating all over the place time-wise. I'm also particularly moody this week if you catch my drift, so eating well is harder than usual.
My workout this morning was great though. I did 30 minutes on the bike (and I had two new friends working out at the same time this morning, aside from Mr. Treadmill). I did 30 push ups, 60 leg lifts on each side (30 leg extended, 30 bent knee touching floor), about 35 dips, 30 squats, stretching, some weights and a tiny ab workout. It was a great workout despite the fact that the last few days I've woken up with difficulty breathing, as if I have a chest cold with no other symptoms. I am about to do a Sinus Rinse, just to see if that helps.
Well, I'm going to finish up my bowl of plain yogurt and organic granola cereal (with some AllBran thrown in), and go finish getting ready for work. I am bringing Lentil Curry soup for lunch, and will have a piece of salmon and Brussels sprouts for dinner before Zumba.
Have a good one!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Peppers from Hell
So I tried to eat my lunch (my hands are fine now, again). The first few bites weren't bad, but it got so hot after a certain point that I just ate the half steak and threw out all the normal bell peppers.
I have now taken Rolaids Gas Relief and a piece of dark chocolate (in case it helps), and I ran downstairs to get a yogurt with berries, since yogurt and milk are the most effective remedies. It appears to be working.
Needless to say, I will need to buy gloves for the next time I use a pepper like that (they say to use dishwashing gloves, not latex because the oil burns through), and only use a teenie tiny amount. The hotness was almost bearable with the peppers removed.
As my friends have warned me (though I am already well aware), I need to look our for the burning ring of fire. I'll spare you the details should this occur ha!
I have now taken Rolaids Gas Relief and a piece of dark chocolate (in case it helps), and I ran downstairs to get a yogurt with berries, since yogurt and milk are the most effective remedies. It appears to be working.
Needless to say, I will need to buy gloves for the next time I use a pepper like that (they say to use dishwashing gloves, not latex because the oil burns through), and only use a teenie tiny amount. The hotness was almost bearable with the peppers removed.
As my friends have warned me (though I am already well aware), I need to look our for the burning ring of fire. I'll spare you the details should this occur ha!
Relief
I am happy to report that after a night of agony, my hands are fine :) It did take two Advil and one hand on a cold compress all night, but today I am fine. Oh and I also lost those extra pounds, so I am back to happy. Still trying to work to get the scale to stick at 173.
I just got back from a decent workout. I am a little weak and tired from not sleeping very well, but I did 32 mins of treadmill (Mr./Mrs. Treadmill were mysertiously absent today :), and all arm training. I did dips, curls, and a bunch of other weight movements I don't know the names of. I did the plank and some stretching as well. I might be playing tennis this week, so I figure I need to work on my arms a bit more.
Alright, I am off to shower, then cereal breakfast (a welcome change), and my piping hot peppers and steak for lunch. I think I'll probably have a curry and lentil soup for dinner, but that is yet to be decided.
Courage to get through your Monday!
I just got back from a decent workout. I am a little weak and tired from not sleeping very well, but I did 32 mins of treadmill (Mr./Mrs. Treadmill were mysertiously absent today :), and all arm training. I did dips, curls, and a bunch of other weight movements I don't know the names of. I did the plank and some stretching as well. I might be playing tennis this week, so I figure I need to work on my arms a bit more.
Alright, I am off to shower, then cereal breakfast (a welcome change), and my piping hot peppers and steak for lunch. I think I'll probably have a curry and lentil soup for dinner, but that is yet to be decided.
Courage to get through your Monday!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
No good deed goes unpunished: Lesson burned
Well, I just did one of the stupidest things I have ever done, and I am paying the price.
You know those not-so-hot peppers I just mentioned? Well it turns out they're actually one of the hottest peppers around, and are from the habanero family. And apparently, you are supposed to use gloves to cut out the seeds, not your bare hands. And when you wash your hands after touching this particular breed, it doesn't take away the sensation of burning flesh.
I cut up one of the yellow (what I now know are Scotch bonnet) peppers, to accompany my yellow peppers and steak, and removed the seeds under running water. I then started coughing because of the heat (they are 100 times hotter than jalapenos), and started scratching my nose, also because of the heat. Not long after, my nostrils were burning, but that wasn't so bad after squirting some Salinex up my nose. The worst part is now the burning flesh on my hands (I actually have mild burn marks), even though I washed my hands about 5 times and put on 3 different creams. That failing, my friend looked up some cures (there are no immediate cures, yay). So then I soaked my hands in baking soda and water, followed by 10 minutes with my hands in Ziploc bags with plain yogurt. My hands are still burning like crazy in certain spots, and apparently it takes hours, if not days, to pass.
I did try eating one though (before this fiasco) and it wasn't disgustingly hot. So I removed them from my other peppers, but will still have my meal for lunch. Hopefully I wont need to be hospitalized tomorrow ha! If anything, they may induce vomiting, which will definitely help me drop a few pounds!!!
Wish me a speedy recovery please
- Desperate and burning hot in Montreal
Minor setback
Hey y'allz.
So for today only, I failed myself. But it's okay, there's always tomorrow to make up for it.
After a weekend of going out and eating out (no food at home), I have gained back two pounds. Today, I was a little down, and even though I bought groceries, I ate pretty badly. I didn't eat a lot, just really poor quality.
Tomorrow, I start again. I will lose those two pounds again shortly I'm sure. I did go workout this morning. I did 35 minutes of treadmill, breaking a great sweat. I did pushups, squats, the plank, leg lifts and all of this so that I was in pain (in the good way, meaning I didn't go easy on myself :). Tomorrow morning, back to healthy breakfasts and stable, vegetable-rich eating.
Speaking of vegetables, my "new" items of the month are some kind of Canadian cabbage, sea scallops and hot peppers. Apparently hot peppers help you lose weight, and I just never use them at home, so I decided to try some not-too-hot ones and enhance my cooking repertoire.
Alright, I'm about to cook lunch for tomorrow (half a steak and peppers) and watch the Canadian hockey team whoop the US's big obese behind.
Enjoy your Sunday of rest!
So for today only, I failed myself. But it's okay, there's always tomorrow to make up for it.
After a weekend of going out and eating out (no food at home), I have gained back two pounds. Today, I was a little down, and even though I bought groceries, I ate pretty badly. I didn't eat a lot, just really poor quality.
Tomorrow, I start again. I will lose those two pounds again shortly I'm sure. I did go workout this morning. I did 35 minutes of treadmill, breaking a great sweat. I did pushups, squats, the plank, leg lifts and all of this so that I was in pain (in the good way, meaning I didn't go easy on myself :). Tomorrow morning, back to healthy breakfasts and stable, vegetable-rich eating.
Speaking of vegetables, my "new" items of the month are some kind of Canadian cabbage, sea scallops and hot peppers. Apparently hot peppers help you lose weight, and I just never use them at home, so I decided to try some not-too-hot ones and enhance my cooking repertoire.
Alright, I'm about to cook lunch for tomorrow (half a steak and peppers) and watch the Canadian hockey team whoop the US's big obese behind.
Enjoy your Sunday of rest!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Halt on progress
Happy Saturday!
I am sitting, waiting to leave for my volunteer orientation session, so I thought I'd give you a head's up.
For a combination of reasons, I haven't been eating as well as I should. I desperately need to buy groceries (today or tomorrow, I just have to). I got home yesterday and though I felt motivated to go to the gym for a light walk (even though I'd already worked out in the morning), I decided to take a nap instead since I'd be out late. I went for Thai food with a friend in the Plateau, followed by a rock show at the Green Room. The DJ's music that followed the bands was old soul music, so I got up to boogie for about 30 minutes, then home.
This morning, since I wasn't sleeping too well and was having crazy dreams, I got up early, but only got out of bed at 8:30 to go to the gym. I did 30 minutes of mostly walking and a bit of running. I have to leave shortly, so I didn't do any more than that, but I might walk home from training, which would be about a 40-50 minute walk also, I think. I need to push myself more physically because now I am up on the scale by two pounds!! Until I get healthy food into my house, it's going to take that extra push.
It's probably going to be another late night tonight, so I will likely get home, do groceries then nap :) And that is why I love Saturdays.
Alright, have a great day everyone!
I am sitting, waiting to leave for my volunteer orientation session, so I thought I'd give you a head's up.
For a combination of reasons, I haven't been eating as well as I should. I desperately need to buy groceries (today or tomorrow, I just have to). I got home yesterday and though I felt motivated to go to the gym for a light walk (even though I'd already worked out in the morning), I decided to take a nap instead since I'd be out late. I went for Thai food with a friend in the Plateau, followed by a rock show at the Green Room. The DJ's music that followed the bands was old soul music, so I got up to boogie for about 30 minutes, then home.
This morning, since I wasn't sleeping too well and was having crazy dreams, I got up early, but only got out of bed at 8:30 to go to the gym. I did 30 minutes of mostly walking and a bit of running. I have to leave shortly, so I didn't do any more than that, but I might walk home from training, which would be about a 40-50 minute walk also, I think. I need to push myself more physically because now I am up on the scale by two pounds!! Until I get healthy food into my house, it's going to take that extra push.
It's probably going to be another late night tonight, so I will likely get home, do groceries then nap :) And that is why I love Saturdays.
Alright, have a great day everyone!
Friday, February 19, 2010
pollerific
So, according to my poll, no one "doesn't do projects", so that's great news!
Most of us are finding happiness or getting in shape. I am curious to know what your plans are to find happiness or get in shape, so please share your plan in comments form. I think you need to register as a "follower" of my blog to leave a comment.
I think it would motivate others to hear what each of you is doing...even the little things like cutting one bad food, reading more, playing a sport you like once in a while, etc.
For me, just to recap, here are some of the things I am doing for myself this year:
1. Working out and eating well to get my insides and outsides looking and feeling fantastic
2. Not polluting my body with toxic things :)
3. Reading more (well I've read one book in 2010, so it's a start!) to improve my mind and concentration
4. Volunteering (training's tomorrow) to improve my emotional state by feeling like I am doing something to help
5. Trying to maintain stability in my life by keeping to a strict-ish routine, and getting enough sleep.
6. Something I have been putting off for YEARS: Going to the clinic to see a doctor, TODAY!!!
So let me know all about your plans, however ambitious or minuscule they may be.
Most of us are finding happiness or getting in shape. I am curious to know what your plans are to find happiness or get in shape, so please share your plan in comments form. I think you need to register as a "follower" of my blog to leave a comment.
I think it would motivate others to hear what each of you is doing...even the little things like cutting one bad food, reading more, playing a sport you like once in a while, etc.
For me, just to recap, here are some of the things I am doing for myself this year:
1. Working out and eating well to get my insides and outsides looking and feeling fantastic
2. Not polluting my body with toxic things :)
3. Reading more (well I've read one book in 2010, so it's a start!) to improve my mind and concentration
4. Volunteering (training's tomorrow) to improve my emotional state by feeling like I am doing something to help
5. Trying to maintain stability in my life by keeping to a strict-ish routine, and getting enough sleep.
6. Something I have been putting off for YEARS: Going to the clinic to see a doctor, TODAY!!!
So let me know all about your plans, however ambitious or minuscule they may be.
Can't think of a title
My head is in space right now...
Volleyball last night was great. My serves left a lot to be desired in the beginning, but I regained my strength as the game progressed. The good news was that none of my serves veered off course, aside from hitting the net, so my aim has improved.
As I mentioned yesterday, I had salad for lunch at Laitue N Go, the Asian salad. There was a chip party at work in the afternoon, but I didn't have more than 15 chips in total probably, of all the flavours combined. Now that is self-control hahah! I didn't have anything more than an apple to eat before the game, so when I got home I had eggs, toast and a half-smoothie. I am likely getting groceries tonight, because rations are slim.
I just got back from my workout, which wavered between intense and mellow. I am really spaced out for some reason, so I would be going pretty intensely for a while, then wake up out of my daze and realize I'm out of breath and would slow down. I did 30 minutes of bike, what a shocker, and some leg lifts, inner thigh stuff and squats with toes pointing out, and lifting at the end to work my butt and calves. I also did the plank. I let myself off just a little easy today because of my very physical day yesterday.
Now I have to shower and head out early because I need to buy my breakfast today. Not sure what I will have though...Maybe a smoothie with the protein and slimming boosters :)
TFGIFB (thank effin' God it's Friday bizatches)
Volleyball last night was great. My serves left a lot to be desired in the beginning, but I regained my strength as the game progressed. The good news was that none of my serves veered off course, aside from hitting the net, so my aim has improved.
As I mentioned yesterday, I had salad for lunch at Laitue N Go, the Asian salad. There was a chip party at work in the afternoon, but I didn't have more than 15 chips in total probably, of all the flavours combined. Now that is self-control hahah! I didn't have anything more than an apple to eat before the game, so when I got home I had eggs, toast and a half-smoothie. I am likely getting groceries tonight, because rations are slim.
I just got back from my workout, which wavered between intense and mellow. I am really spaced out for some reason, so I would be going pretty intensely for a while, then wake up out of my daze and realize I'm out of breath and would slow down. I did 30 minutes of bike, what a shocker, and some leg lifts, inner thigh stuff and squats with toes pointing out, and lifting at the end to work my butt and calves. I also did the plank. I let myself off just a little easy today because of my very physical day yesterday.
Now I have to shower and head out early because I need to buy my breakfast today. Not sure what I will have though...Maybe a smoothie with the protein and slimming boosters :)
TFGIFB (thank effin' God it's Friday bizatches)
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Shreddin!
I forgot to mention that I slept terribly last night, in case you were wondering ha!
I went to sleep at 10 pm, but I got up twice to see Shaun White obliterate the competition in the half-pipe snowboarding event. Seriously, even though I know nothing about the sport, watching him is like watching Wayne Gretzky, Tiger Woods or any other record-breaking talent. He is also super cool because he looks really dorky and sweet and has this crazy retro-cut long shaggy red hair! Love it!
Anyway, he's awesome, just wanted to share that.
And afterward, I kept waking up all night about every hour, how annoying.
I went to sleep at 10 pm, but I got up twice to see Shaun White obliterate the competition in the half-pipe snowboarding event. Seriously, even though I know nothing about the sport, watching him is like watching Wayne Gretzky, Tiger Woods or any other record-breaking talent. He is also super cool because he looks really dorky and sweet and has this crazy retro-cut long shaggy red hair! Love it!
Anyway, he's awesome, just wanted to share that.
And afterward, I kept waking up all night about every hour, how annoying.
Big day!
Hey yallz!
I am sitting here, eating a very unhealthy breakfast. Yesterday, a friend brought over the BEST pepperoni pizza this city has to offer, and I had already eaten dinner, so I just took a piece to bring for lunch today. However, I figured it's better to eat this crap (delicious crap) in the morning so I work it off the rest of the day and eat salad for lunch, full of veggies.
I just had a great workout. I stepped it up a notch on the stationary bike, I did side squats, lunges, push ups, dips, arm weights a little, the plank for longer than ever, crunches on a bench and stretching. I even did that thing people do in boxing training where they punch in circles in front of their face (or against a small punching bag, normally). I was energized! I even sang and danced a little when Mr. Treadmill and Wife left, because I'm cool like dat.
Tonight I have volleyball, and oh how excited I am. We haven't played in weeks, so this is going to be great.
Yesterday, for lunch, I had vegetarian sushi, and for dinner, I ordered another delicious meal: a chicken/pesto sandwich and carrot, lentil and ginger soup...mmmm. I really need groceries though...
Oh and for the first time, I saw the numbers 1-7-3 appear on the scale. I wouldn't say I am at 173 yet, because it was 173.8 lbs, but it's cominnnnnnngggg!
Okay homies, peace out.
I am sitting here, eating a very unhealthy breakfast. Yesterday, a friend brought over the BEST pepperoni pizza this city has to offer, and I had already eaten dinner, so I just took a piece to bring for lunch today. However, I figured it's better to eat this crap (delicious crap) in the morning so I work it off the rest of the day and eat salad for lunch, full of veggies.
I just had a great workout. I stepped it up a notch on the stationary bike, I did side squats, lunges, push ups, dips, arm weights a little, the plank for longer than ever, crunches on a bench and stretching. I even did that thing people do in boxing training where they punch in circles in front of their face (or against a small punching bag, normally). I was energized! I even sang and danced a little when Mr. Treadmill and Wife left, because I'm cool like dat.
Tonight I have volleyball, and oh how excited I am. We haven't played in weeks, so this is going to be great.
Yesterday, for lunch, I had vegetarian sushi, and for dinner, I ordered another delicious meal: a chicken/pesto sandwich and carrot, lentil and ginger soup...mmmm. I really need groceries though...
Oh and for the first time, I saw the numbers 1-7-3 appear on the scale. I wouldn't say I am at 173 yet, because it was 173.8 lbs, but it's cominnnnnnngggg!
Okay homies, peace out.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunshine in a glass
I don't have much time to write since I have to get to work early today, but I did not go workout. Instead I got some needed rest. I am not in pain from yesterday, but I can feel my muscles, so that's a good sign.
Last night after blogging, at the suggestion of my friend, I made orange juice with these oranges I havent been eating because I hate peeling them. So Right now I am enjoying the last bowl of Kashi cereal in the box, my last drops of milk and a fresh-squeezed glass of Florida sunshine.
I hope you all have a very nice day!
Last night after blogging, at the suggestion of my friend, I made orange juice with these oranges I havent been eating because I hate peeling them. So Right now I am enjoying the last bowl of Kashi cereal in the box, my last drops of milk and a fresh-squeezed glass of Florida sunshine.
I hope you all have a very nice day!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Uno, do, tre, quatro Zumbaaaaa!
What a great class! If you've never tried Zumba, it's worth a shot for a not-too-intense-but-still-a-decent-workout-and-super-fun class.
The music is great. Mostly latin music, and a mix of aerobics, latin dance and a sprinkling of African dance as well. A lot of hip and booty shaking and pumping! We went to Bamboofit (see Bamboofit.com). It's just north of Sherbrooke on St-Laurent, and the studio is fantastic. They have two massive studios with antique furniture lining the long brick walls. Hardwood floors and large loft windows. And it was only $5 tonight, but normally is $10 for drop ins I believe. Not too expensive for multi-class passes too.
I don't know if I'll be able to get up tomorrow morning for another workout, but I got a great workout tonight! I highly recommend Zumba if you're looking for something just a bit new, and really fun to do with friends.
The music is great. Mostly latin music, and a mix of aerobics, latin dance and a sprinkling of African dance as well. A lot of hip and booty shaking and pumping! We went to Bamboofit (see Bamboofit.com). It's just north of Sherbrooke on St-Laurent, and the studio is fantastic. They have two massive studios with antique furniture lining the long brick walls. Hardwood floors and large loft windows. And it was only $5 tonight, but normally is $10 for drop ins I believe. Not too expensive for multi-class passes too.
I don't know if I'll be able to get up tomorrow morning for another workout, but I got a great workout tonight! I highly recommend Zumba if you're looking for something just a bit new, and really fun to do with friends.
Good news!
Morning people!
I just got back from my workout and getting ready for work, and I am very happy to report that the scale read 174 lbs this morning...What has been happening is that every time it drops a pound lower, it takes a few days for that weight to stick without going up a few pounds and back down. So my weight at night has been 177-176 and my morning weight today, an even 174...sooooo happy about this. I love seeing those numbers drop!
I almost worked out again last night because I had energy to kill, but I decided to rest so I could workout this morning. Instead I chatted with friends and watched TV. This morning I went down about 10 minutes later than usual, and I did 30 minutes of not too intense biking, and then mostly arm work like push ups, dips, curls, etc. Along with a little plank-age.
Yesterday I had peanut butter toast for breakfast, cucumbers with vinegar as a snack, and treated myself to Amir (only good at the Eaton Centre) for lunch mmmmmmm. The meal I take is a chicken shawarma with potatoes and cucumber and tomato salad. It was hard to enjoy since I had to rush through it--there was this uber creepy man who came to sit legs open on a stool facing me, so that if I turned to the left I'd have an eyeful of perv crotch...nasteh!-- Then, since I had a sizeable lunch, for dinner I cut my marinated chicken breast in half and ate that with veggies (saving the rest for lunch today). I also had almonds in between lunch and dinner.
This morning I am having cereal for breakfast, and lunch will be leftovers. Since I don't have much food left at home, I will probably have a tuna sandwich or pasta for dinner, we'll see. I have Zumba tonight, so I am really looking forward to that!
Alright, don't give up you guys, keep working at yourselves because it feels f-ing fantastic when you finally see some results!
I just got back from my workout and getting ready for work, and I am very happy to report that the scale read 174 lbs this morning...What has been happening is that every time it drops a pound lower, it takes a few days for that weight to stick without going up a few pounds and back down. So my weight at night has been 177-176 and my morning weight today, an even 174...sooooo happy about this. I love seeing those numbers drop!
I almost worked out again last night because I had energy to kill, but I decided to rest so I could workout this morning. Instead I chatted with friends and watched TV. This morning I went down about 10 minutes later than usual, and I did 30 minutes of not too intense biking, and then mostly arm work like push ups, dips, curls, etc. Along with a little plank-age.
Yesterday I had peanut butter toast for breakfast, cucumbers with vinegar as a snack, and treated myself to Amir (only good at the Eaton Centre) for lunch mmmmmmm. The meal I take is a chicken shawarma with potatoes and cucumber and tomato salad. It was hard to enjoy since I had to rush through it--there was this uber creepy man who came to sit legs open on a stool facing me, so that if I turned to the left I'd have an eyeful of perv crotch...nasteh!-- Then, since I had a sizeable lunch, for dinner I cut my marinated chicken breast in half and ate that with veggies (saving the rest for lunch today). I also had almonds in between lunch and dinner.
This morning I am having cereal for breakfast, and lunch will be leftovers. Since I don't have much food left at home, I will probably have a tuna sandwich or pasta for dinner, we'll see. I have Zumba tonight, so I am really looking forward to that!
Alright, don't give up you guys, keep working at yourselves because it feels f-ing fantastic when you finally see some results!
Monday, February 15, 2010
hoooahhh!
Pump it, louder, pump it loudah, pump it loudah!!! Yes, this is me, hyper, singing the Black Eyed Peas at my computer.
I had a lot of trouble sleeping last night because all these great ideas just started popping into my head. Naturally, I had to get up and write some of them down so I don't forget, things like a great design for a shelving unit. I still managed to get up this morning to go to the gym, tired but willingly.
I was actually in a bubbly mood, so it didn't bug me that Mr. Treadmill and Mrs. Turtle were swapping the machines again. I get to do treadmill on weekends now and occasionally at night (though I have become Ms. Treadmill for this guy who keeps coming at the same time as me at night, even though I never go at the same time, and leaves because I am on his machine, ha ha suckaaaa).
I did 30 minutes of stationary bike, and increased the resistance just a smidge for the entire ride, since I find myself getting too used to this cardio I've been doing. Afterward, I did a short but intense workout of halfway-but-fast push ups, circle kicks for inner thighs, side leg lifts for inner thighs, side squats and the plank. I also did some stretching. I always stretch for about 3 minutes before my workouts, so afterward I just do targeted stretching in my thighs and calves and hips mostly, so I am not stiff later on.
I am off to shower now and start the rest of my day. Have a good one!
I had a lot of trouble sleeping last night because all these great ideas just started popping into my head. Naturally, I had to get up and write some of them down so I don't forget, things like a great design for a shelving unit. I still managed to get up this morning to go to the gym, tired but willingly.
I was actually in a bubbly mood, so it didn't bug me that Mr. Treadmill and Mrs. Turtle were swapping the machines again. I get to do treadmill on weekends now and occasionally at night (though I have become Ms. Treadmill for this guy who keeps coming at the same time as me at night, even though I never go at the same time, and leaves because I am on his machine, ha ha suckaaaa).
I did 30 minutes of stationary bike, and increased the resistance just a smidge for the entire ride, since I find myself getting too used to this cardio I've been doing. Afterward, I did a short but intense workout of halfway-but-fast push ups, circle kicks for inner thighs, side leg lifts for inner thighs, side squats and the plank. I also did some stretching. I always stretch for about 3 minutes before my workouts, so afterward I just do targeted stretching in my thighs and calves and hips mostly, so I am not stiff later on.
I am off to shower now and start the rest of my day. Have a good one!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
An open heart and a poll dance
Well, well, well...here we are, on yet another Valentine's Day. Personally, I am pro anything that promotes hugs and love-giving (including chocolate giving - not cheap crap though), whether between lovers, friends or family. So here I am, eating a delicious tiny steak and frozen beans (have no fresh veggies left) and sending you all big squeezy hugs.
Before I get into my weekend activities, I demand to know why no one has answered my poll. I have been trying to come up with poll ideas for weeks, and I know this isn't a very good one, but I encourage audience participation nonetheless! Otherwise, I will just remove polls altogether (so there, she says like a whiny toddler with arms crossed and severe grimace).
Okay, and now back to regular programming: On Friday I had a fantastic workout before going to meet a friend to watch the Olympic opening ceremonies (Okay, how lame was that! Apparently 90% of Canada is Aboriginal, and the other 10% is Viking/Scottish fiddler.) I was only really excited about the musical performances and seeing the athletes. I didn't get to watch the whole thing because frankly, I lost interest when I saw a dude flying over virtual prairies for about 10 minutes!!!!
In any case, that night I walked to and from downtown to go out. In the morning, I had a cereal breakfast and headed off to my friend's cottage. I didn't workout on Saturday because I hadn't taken a day off in a while I think, but I did end up nibbling more bits of food than I should have. I wasn't that bad, but enough to make me way more careful today. After relaxing at le chalet, we came back today and I went to the gym almost right away, for an hour.
This time around, there was a breakthrough. Running has suddenly become much easier, and I was able to run for almost 20 of the 30 minutes I was on the treadmill (though I do stop in between sets to walk for a couple of minutes). I did really tough leg lifts and this bended leg lift that makes my rump muscles burn. I did my newly regular 10x3 push ups, and some crunches and some dips and some weights. It took more pushing to get me out of breath, but once I reached that point, I was pumped!
I am officially at 175lbs now, and I am really starting to feel better about my body because things are slowly but surely moving back to all the right places. I am very excited that I've reached the point where I am self-motivated and where I am able to push myself harder without becoming discouraged (which is what was really holding me back this year).
This week I will have to fit in getting groceries (a task I love...naaaht, like Borat says...), among other plans. So until then, I need to me mindful of what I buy for lunches.
I think I have virtually talked your ear off, so on that note, get lots of rest tonight and treat yourself to something nice tonight if you're alone. If not, I wish you a not-so-restful night. Opaaaaa!
Before I get into my weekend activities, I demand to know why no one has answered my poll. I have been trying to come up with poll ideas for weeks, and I know this isn't a very good one, but I encourage audience participation nonetheless! Otherwise, I will just remove polls altogether (so there, she says like a whiny toddler with arms crossed and severe grimace).
Okay, and now back to regular programming: On Friday I had a fantastic workout before going to meet a friend to watch the Olympic opening ceremonies (Okay, how lame was that! Apparently 90% of Canada is Aboriginal, and the other 10% is Viking/Scottish fiddler.) I was only really excited about the musical performances and seeing the athletes. I didn't get to watch the whole thing because frankly, I lost interest when I saw a dude flying over virtual prairies for about 10 minutes!!!!
In any case, that night I walked to and from downtown to go out. In the morning, I had a cereal breakfast and headed off to my friend's cottage. I didn't workout on Saturday because I hadn't taken a day off in a while I think, but I did end up nibbling more bits of food than I should have. I wasn't that bad, but enough to make me way more careful today. After relaxing at le chalet, we came back today and I went to the gym almost right away, for an hour.
This time around, there was a breakthrough. Running has suddenly become much easier, and I was able to run for almost 20 of the 30 minutes I was on the treadmill (though I do stop in between sets to walk for a couple of minutes). I did really tough leg lifts and this bended leg lift that makes my rump muscles burn. I did my newly regular 10x3 push ups, and some crunches and some dips and some weights. It took more pushing to get me out of breath, but once I reached that point, I was pumped!
I am officially at 175lbs now, and I am really starting to feel better about my body because things are slowly but surely moving back to all the right places. I am very excited that I've reached the point where I am self-motivated and where I am able to push myself harder without becoming discouraged (which is what was really holding me back this year).
This week I will have to fit in getting groceries (a task I love...naaaht, like Borat says...), among other plans. So until then, I need to me mindful of what I buy for lunches.
I think I have virtually talked your ear off, so on that note, get lots of rest tonight and treat yourself to something nice tonight if you're alone. If not, I wish you a not-so-restful night. Opaaaaa!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Weekend, weeeeeeeeeee!
SECOND POST OF THE DAY!!!! Though I nearly posted this afternoon when I was disgustingly bored, dying to find something to do. I spared you this time.
Just got back from a pretty tough workout. The cardio part wasn't too tough, because these workout pants have been giving me a rash when I run (yes, they've been washed, and not with any different products than I usually use). But I did some painful side squats, lunges, pushups, free weights, leg lifts and abs.
I am now cooking my curried chicken (which smells delish...smells like one of my favourite dishes my mom makes, called chicken divan). I have made grilled red peppers and rapini to go with that. Unfortunately, when I cut into what I thought was zucchini, I realized it was an English cucumber... half of which I then proceeded to eat.
I am going out tonight for a quick drink, then it's off to the cottage tomorrow morning until Sunday. I am looking forward to more downtime, because this week was all over the place sleep-wise, and next week is looking to be even worse. I have Zumba on Tuesday, volleyball on Thursday, seeing friends during the week, birthdays galore and I am going to a volunteer orientation session on Saturday.
That's right, I am going to volunteer, finally. I have been meaning to for years, and even signed up to volunteer translation work for the Parkinson's Society, but they seem to have forgotten about me, despite me contacting them several times. So this time, in keeping with the theme of my challenge, I have decided to try out working in the kitchens for Santropol Roulant. Among other things, they do Meals on Wheels service, and apparently deliver really nice food. So it's a 2-in-1 deal for me: learning how to cook different and healthy meals and at the same time improving my life by helping others and meeting people. So step 2 in my lifestyle challenge will begin next week.
What, did you think I just wanted to be super hot??!! hahah!
Just got back from a pretty tough workout. The cardio part wasn't too tough, because these workout pants have been giving me a rash when I run (yes, they've been washed, and not with any different products than I usually use). But I did some painful side squats, lunges, pushups, free weights, leg lifts and abs.
I am now cooking my curried chicken (which smells delish...smells like one of my favourite dishes my mom makes, called chicken divan). I have made grilled red peppers and rapini to go with that. Unfortunately, when I cut into what I thought was zucchini, I realized it was an English cucumber... half of which I then proceeded to eat.
I am going out tonight for a quick drink, then it's off to the cottage tomorrow morning until Sunday. I am looking forward to more downtime, because this week was all over the place sleep-wise, and next week is looking to be even worse. I have Zumba on Tuesday, volleyball on Thursday, seeing friends during the week, birthdays galore and I am going to a volunteer orientation session on Saturday.
That's right, I am going to volunteer, finally. I have been meaning to for years, and even signed up to volunteer translation work for the Parkinson's Society, but they seem to have forgotten about me, despite me contacting them several times. So this time, in keeping with the theme of my challenge, I have decided to try out working in the kitchens for Santropol Roulant. Among other things, they do Meals on Wheels service, and apparently deliver really nice food. So it's a 2-in-1 deal for me: learning how to cook different and healthy meals and at the same time improving my life by helping others and meeting people. So step 2 in my lifestyle challenge will begin next week.
What, did you think I just wanted to be super hot??!! hahah!
I said brrrrr, it's cold in here!
Ahh, well I feel just dandy! I slept in today, and will work out after work this evening.
Yesterday I ate little, in preparation for a restaurant dinner. I had cereal in the morning, an apple in the afternoon, half a bowl of pea soup (ick, and the rest is my lunch today), and a handful of almonds. Later on, I was feeling exhausted (from the late sleep the night before), so I took a little siesta!
I went out at 8 pm to L'Assommoir, which is a really nice place. Unfortunately, the service was very slow, so we didn't eat until about 9:30 I think, but our waiter was Bono's (from U2)doppelganger, or sosi as the French would say! I found this amusing.
I shared a bunch of small appetizers with my friend, including very light spring rolls, some caramelized raw salmon, plantain chips with salsa, lamb kafta, fries (yes, fries, mmmm) and meat skewers (though this one doesnt even count because it so tiny). It wasn't too heavy, and I only had one martini at the beginning, an Espresso martini to bring me back to life.
I will be heading to my friend's cottage again tomorrow, so I will have to make sure I get a good workout in tonight, and keep up all the stuff that I can do without equipment at her place. For tonight, I am marinating a chicken breast in yellow curry, plain yogurt, pepper and dehydrated onions, and I will probably sautee some red peppers, zucchini and rapini to accompany that dish. MMMMMMM! Looking forward to it.
So if I don't post tonight or tomorrow morning, have a great Friday everyone and stay healthy!
Yesterday I ate little, in preparation for a restaurant dinner. I had cereal in the morning, an apple in the afternoon, half a bowl of pea soup (ick, and the rest is my lunch today), and a handful of almonds. Later on, I was feeling exhausted (from the late sleep the night before), so I took a little siesta!
I went out at 8 pm to L'Assommoir, which is a really nice place. Unfortunately, the service was very slow, so we didn't eat until about 9:30 I think, but our waiter was Bono's (from U2)doppelganger, or sosi as the French would say! I found this amusing.
I shared a bunch of small appetizers with my friend, including very light spring rolls, some caramelized raw salmon, plantain chips with salsa, lamb kafta, fries (yes, fries, mmmm) and meat skewers (though this one doesnt even count because it so tiny). It wasn't too heavy, and I only had one martini at the beginning, an Espresso martini to bring me back to life.
I will be heading to my friend's cottage again tomorrow, so I will have to make sure I get a good workout in tonight, and keep up all the stuff that I can do without equipment at her place. For tonight, I am marinating a chicken breast in yellow curry, plain yogurt, pepper and dehydrated onions, and I will probably sautee some red peppers, zucchini and rapini to accompany that dish. MMMMMMM! Looking forward to it.
So if I don't post tonight or tomorrow morning, have a great Friday everyone and stay healthy!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Where's the beef?
Yo yo homies!
So, much to my surprise, I DID workout this morning. I am surprised because last night I went out for dinner at 8 p.m. at a Brazilian restaurant called La Milsa on Bishop.
The place was very fun! Aside from some attitude from the hostess, the many waiters who each brought us a different kind of meat, were friendly and sweet. There was even a dancer and tambourine man, and she was doing that ridiculously impossible to recreate booty shake with feet moving at the same time, crazy! I could not stop staring at her behind!
So, we each ordered "Le Tourniquet", which means they come to the table every few seconds with a new kind of meat on a skewer, which they shave off pieces of for you. There are also side salads, rice, sweet potatoes and pineapple/ice cream dessert. I tried not to eat much all day to make room for that. I was very full, but didn't overeat I think.
So I got to bed late, and was convinced I would just workout after work tonight, but since I didn't sleep very well, it was easy enough to get up. I went to the gym and did 30 minutes (15 bike, 15 treadmill) and then 30 push-ups (in sets of 10), 30 abs, 30 side squats for inner thighs, 30 dips and some stretching. All in all, a great workout.
Oh and I got my hair cut last night, and dyed a very pretty dark brown, so that gives me a little boost too! You know how girls are with their hair :)
Alright, I am off to shower now, a demain!
So, much to my surprise, I DID workout this morning. I am surprised because last night I went out for dinner at 8 p.m. at a Brazilian restaurant called La Milsa on Bishop.
The place was very fun! Aside from some attitude from the hostess, the many waiters who each brought us a different kind of meat, were friendly and sweet. There was even a dancer and tambourine man, and she was doing that ridiculously impossible to recreate booty shake with feet moving at the same time, crazy! I could not stop staring at her behind!
So, we each ordered "Le Tourniquet", which means they come to the table every few seconds with a new kind of meat on a skewer, which they shave off pieces of for you. There are also side salads, rice, sweet potatoes and pineapple/ice cream dessert. I tried not to eat much all day to make room for that. I was very full, but didn't overeat I think.
So I got to bed late, and was convinced I would just workout after work tonight, but since I didn't sleep very well, it was easy enough to get up. I went to the gym and did 30 minutes (15 bike, 15 treadmill) and then 30 push-ups (in sets of 10), 30 abs, 30 side squats for inner thighs, 30 dips and some stretching. All in all, a great workout.
Oh and I got my hair cut last night, and dyed a very pretty dark brown, so that gives me a little boost too! You know how girls are with their hair :)
Alright, I am off to shower now, a demain!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Feelin' good
Well well well, I don't want to get over eager because I know I've been fluctuating, but the scale got one pound lighter today, at 175. Until this morning, I had been unable to crack the famous 176 mark (the weight at which I always, without fail, plateau). I have not been lower than 176 for years and years, except a very brief moment last year when I reached 172 because I wasn't eating properly.
So, I am excited today about this one pound, and looking forward to many, many other pounds gradually melting off. Now I have 10 lbs left to lose by June 15. It's going slowly, but I think I will make it. People keep sending me food tips, which is helpful, and though I have ups and downs in terms of the effort I feel like putting in to my workouts, I AM working out, period. I tried hot yoga, I'm still doing volleyball whenever we have enough people to play, and I will be trying Zumba next week. In any case, the first step in my challenge is accomplished: I am almost always motivated to go to the gym, and motivated 70% of the time to actually push myself hard. Secondly, my eating is fairly under control. I allow myself to have what I want when I want, just in very tiny quantities, and I eat much more of the healthy stuff. I have been roughly watching my caloric intake and the amount of salt, sugar and fat I put into my body. Lastly, I have managed to balance getting enough protein, fruit, veggies, dairy and carbs, now I just need to cut back on fruit a bit and replace those with veggies.
All in all, I am on my way, so I am less discouraged today and just keep facing forward.
Carpe diem
So, I am excited today about this one pound, and looking forward to many, many other pounds gradually melting off. Now I have 10 lbs left to lose by June 15. It's going slowly, but I think I will make it. People keep sending me food tips, which is helpful, and though I have ups and downs in terms of the effort I feel like putting in to my workouts, I AM working out, period. I tried hot yoga, I'm still doing volleyball whenever we have enough people to play, and I will be trying Zumba next week. In any case, the first step in my challenge is accomplished: I am almost always motivated to go to the gym, and motivated 70% of the time to actually push myself hard. Secondly, my eating is fairly under control. I allow myself to have what I want when I want, just in very tiny quantities, and I eat much more of the healthy stuff. I have been roughly watching my caloric intake and the amount of salt, sugar and fat I put into my body. Lastly, I have managed to balance getting enough protein, fruit, veggies, dairy and carbs, now I just need to cut back on fruit a bit and replace those with veggies.
All in all, I am on my way, so I am less discouraged today and just keep facing forward.
Carpe diem
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Erratum
There seems to be some confusion about my last post.
Just to be clear, I have not actually lost anything beyond the initial 5 lbs (hence my discouragement). I weighed myself with something supporting my chest area, to see how much I would weigh without my boobs. I weigh ten pounds less with my boobs supported by something else. So without breasts I am 168 lbs. That's what I was excited about.
My actual weight is still 176-178 lbs depending on the time of day.
I am getting a little discouraged because I really am watching how I eat, and working out every day, and not seeing the usual progress I have seen at this point in the past. I am not doing anything drastic though, because I want this to be lasting, but I guess I shouldn't expect drastic results overnight.
In any case, I just wanted to clarify so that nobody expects to see me suddenly a lot thinner hahah!
Just to be clear, I have not actually lost anything beyond the initial 5 lbs (hence my discouragement). I weighed myself with something supporting my chest area, to see how much I would weigh without my boobs. I weigh ten pounds less with my boobs supported by something else. So without breasts I am 168 lbs. That's what I was excited about.
My actual weight is still 176-178 lbs depending on the time of day.
I am getting a little discouraged because I really am watching how I eat, and working out every day, and not seeing the usual progress I have seen at this point in the past. I am not doing anything drastic though, because I want this to be lasting, but I guess I shouldn't expect drastic results overnight.
In any case, I just wanted to clarify so that nobody expects to see me suddenly a lot thinner hahah!
p.s.
I am 10 lbs lighter sans boobs!!! (168 lbs)
Well that makes me feel much better about my weight ha!
On that note, hasta manana!
Well that makes me feel much better about my weight ha!
On that note, hasta manana!
Strugglin'
Morning all (I say with squinty eyes and little energy)!
Well, starting with yesterday, after my delicious breakfast consisting of eggs, grilled tomatoes and a piece of grilled black forest ham, I took off for work. Though my breakfast was "of champions", I felt very tired as the day progressed and missed the energy I get from my morning workouts.
Since I was going to hot yoga in the evening, I was told to drink as much water as possible. Since I already drink industrial quantities, I wanted to up the ante so I brought vegetable soup for lunch. I walked 20 minutes to get to the yoga studio to meet my friend. Overall, the yoga was nice. It wasn't anywhere near as hot as it was when I tried it years ago, but just nice and toasty. Though I came out feeling extremely relaxed, the workout was painful and I had to sit out for a lot of the movements where we had to hold our bodies up by our arms a-la-push up. I also couldn't do all the ab work my friend was able to do. But overall, I still did a lot of the postures. I am just not sure if I am in good enough shape for that right now, I think I need a few more months of work.
Getting home rather late, I prepared my marinated steak (small) with rapini. I used garlic and butter to cook the rapini, but it was extremely bitter, so I cut it with a little sprinkle of organic raw sugar. The steak was perfectly cooked and delectable.
Probably due to a very late dinner, I had crazy dreams all night. This morning I had to literally (in the truest sense:) coach myself out of bed. All I wanted was to sleep more, but I had to tell myself I probably wont want to workout tonight, and I need the energy today. Unfortunately, I could not move my muscles fast enough to really break a sweat, so I did 30 minutes of light cardio (bike+treadmill) and tried to do hand weights but gave up. I am so weak today from yoga, and for some reason the back part of my ribcage is hurting ha!
I promise I will try harder tomorrow, and I will go to bed earlier and eat dinner earlier. I'm still not seeing much progress, but I am going to keep at it until I do damnit!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay you guys have a great day!
Well, starting with yesterday, after my delicious breakfast consisting of eggs, grilled tomatoes and a piece of grilled black forest ham, I took off for work. Though my breakfast was "of champions", I felt very tired as the day progressed and missed the energy I get from my morning workouts.
Since I was going to hot yoga in the evening, I was told to drink as much water as possible. Since I already drink industrial quantities, I wanted to up the ante so I brought vegetable soup for lunch. I walked 20 minutes to get to the yoga studio to meet my friend. Overall, the yoga was nice. It wasn't anywhere near as hot as it was when I tried it years ago, but just nice and toasty. Though I came out feeling extremely relaxed, the workout was painful and I had to sit out for a lot of the movements where we had to hold our bodies up by our arms a-la-push up. I also couldn't do all the ab work my friend was able to do. But overall, I still did a lot of the postures. I am just not sure if I am in good enough shape for that right now, I think I need a few more months of work.
Getting home rather late, I prepared my marinated steak (small) with rapini. I used garlic and butter to cook the rapini, but it was extremely bitter, so I cut it with a little sprinkle of organic raw sugar. The steak was perfectly cooked and delectable.
Probably due to a very late dinner, I had crazy dreams all night. This morning I had to literally (in the truest sense:) coach myself out of bed. All I wanted was to sleep more, but I had to tell myself I probably wont want to workout tonight, and I need the energy today. Unfortunately, I could not move my muscles fast enough to really break a sweat, so I did 30 minutes of light cardio (bike+treadmill) and tried to do hand weights but gave up. I am so weak today from yoga, and for some reason the back part of my ribcage is hurting ha!
I promise I will try harder tomorrow, and I will go to bed earlier and eat dinner earlier. I'm still not seeing much progress, but I am going to keep at it until I do damnit!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay you guys have a great day!
Monday, February 8, 2010
just woke up
argh! I guess being very tired doesn't suit me. I set my alarm for 6:55 instead of 5:55 am. Then I even wanted to snooze until 6:10 and realized it was already almost 7am...So I guess no workout for me this morning!!!
In any case, I am going to hot yoga tonight with a friend, so I shouldn't feel too bad!
I am groggy and still half asleep, so I'll write tomorrow about hot yoga and my workout tomorrow morning.
Have a great Monday!
In any case, I am going to hot yoga tonight with a friend, so I shouldn't feel too bad!
I am groggy and still half asleep, so I'll write tomorrow about hot yoga and my workout tomorrow morning.
Have a great Monday!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
I got sunshine, on a clowdy day, when it's cold outside...
Heyyyy! Long time no write! Well worry not, the Leanne-ster is back and cooler than ever, clearly.
So needless to say, Friday morning was a write-off workout-wise. Surprisingly though, after a painfully boring day of work, and right before taking off to my friend's cottage for the weekend, I managed to squeeze in a short workout of 30 minutes running-walking on the coveted treadmill.
I had been feeling sick all week, and thought I was allergic to something at work maybe, like the carpets, but weirdness happened this weekend and I had a lot of trouble breathing. That too may have been an allergic reaction since I spent the weekend playing with a cat, three of my friend's dogs, and even spent 20 minutes petting two ADORABLE shih-tzus (getting teary eyed again :) at the pet store.
Basically I think I need to become a hermit and shut out the outside world...but that ain't gonna happen!
So on Saturday at the cottage, I did some ab work, light yoga, squats, lunges and took a nice relaxing walk and even played in the snow for a little bit. We ate fairly well compared to the junk I normally buy to go up there. We had shrimp and asparagus last night for dinner which was delicious, finished off with a chocolate fondue (extra dark chocolate and fruit, so not as bad as it could have been hahah). Today I didn't eat too well, but I didn't eat a lot either. I am now having a smoothie and almonds for dinner since I'm not that hungry but need something filling so I don't get hungry later.
Even though I slept very badly last night (woke up at 1:30 am in a panic because I couldn't breathe normally), and despite being completely tired, I went to Tremblant while my friend skied, and I walked around for an hour until we met for lunch. Then after lunch, I went to a gym there to go in the steam room, twice. When we got home an hour or so ago I went straight to the gym for about 45 minutes. I started right off with running, but soon my exhaustion caught up with me, so I walked for the rest of the 30 minutes. I did 30 (men's) push-ups, some light ab stuff and loads of stretching. That's about all I can muster tonight.
So I will be back on track tomorrow morning, since I'll be crashing early this soir.
I hope you all had a fantastic weekend like me, and please keep your comments coming and do let me know how you're coming along with your respective workouts, diets, challenges, etc.
Bisous!
So needless to say, Friday morning was a write-off workout-wise. Surprisingly though, after a painfully boring day of work, and right before taking off to my friend's cottage for the weekend, I managed to squeeze in a short workout of 30 minutes running-walking on the coveted treadmill.
I had been feeling sick all week, and thought I was allergic to something at work maybe, like the carpets, but weirdness happened this weekend and I had a lot of trouble breathing. That too may have been an allergic reaction since I spent the weekend playing with a cat, three of my friend's dogs, and even spent 20 minutes petting two ADORABLE shih-tzus (getting teary eyed again :) at the pet store.
Basically I think I need to become a hermit and shut out the outside world...but that ain't gonna happen!
So on Saturday at the cottage, I did some ab work, light yoga, squats, lunges and took a nice relaxing walk and even played in the snow for a little bit. We ate fairly well compared to the junk I normally buy to go up there. We had shrimp and asparagus last night for dinner which was delicious, finished off with a chocolate fondue (extra dark chocolate and fruit, so not as bad as it could have been hahah). Today I didn't eat too well, but I didn't eat a lot either. I am now having a smoothie and almonds for dinner since I'm not that hungry but need something filling so I don't get hungry later.
Even though I slept very badly last night (woke up at 1:30 am in a panic because I couldn't breathe normally), and despite being completely tired, I went to Tremblant while my friend skied, and I walked around for an hour until we met for lunch. Then after lunch, I went to a gym there to go in the steam room, twice. When we got home an hour or so ago I went straight to the gym for about 45 minutes. I started right off with running, but soon my exhaustion caught up with me, so I walked for the rest of the 30 minutes. I did 30 (men's) push-ups, some light ab stuff and loads of stretching. That's about all I can muster tonight.
So I will be back on track tomorrow morning, since I'll be crashing early this soir.
I hope you all had a fantastic weekend like me, and please keep your comments coming and do let me know how you're coming along with your respective workouts, diets, challenges, etc.
Bisous!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Now that's what I's talkin' 'bout!
Well I am all Toque-ered out! And what a night it was! For lack of time, I'm going to jump right in to what we had last night, and let your imagination carry you away.
We walked in, they seated us in the corner, next to a window at the front. It was empty, so they were at our beck and call. To start, they offered us aperitifs. I chose their special cocktail of the evening, which was raspberry, vermouth, and I can't remember whether it was Cointreau/Kir Royal/Crown Royal...In any case, it tastes like wild berries and was quite strong. A great way to kick off the event!
My dining partner opted for the two glasses of champagne, which they explain so you can compare. Delish!
Next they brought bread, so we tried to restrain ourselves to save room for the "tasting menu", which we both ended up taking. We chose this seven-course tasting menu because they ask you specifically what you don't eat! I was allowed to say I don't like raw onions, and they adapt for me! I took the option to try five different wines and my partner took the five Prestige wines, so we could try both.
The amuse-bouche was a puffy bread-like pastry with Gruyere cheese lightly baked into it. Yum.
So, dish number one: Mollusks with a peanut, coriander and ginger garnish, with soya sauce and oil, served in a shell of some kind. You are supposed to take out the food from the shell and put it into the bowl to mix with the oil and sauce. This dish was amazing! My partner had asked to avoid certain types of seafood, so his was served with a white fish, of which I can't remember the name. This came with two delicious white wines.
The next dish, also served with white wines, was a Monkfish liver mousse/pate with gelee. It was surrounded by very finely chopped garlic, cucumber, and something deliciously crunchy, with a Sake dressing. My god how I loved this rich but oh-so-light dish. The crunchy stuff really went amazingly with the smooth gelee.
Dish No. 3 was a plate of four scallops (Halibut in my partner's case, though I almost preferred the halibut because the skin had such an incredible flavour), in a pea mousse, with a raspberry caramel and some sort of creamy mousse. It also had crunchy (as in fried) sprouts of some sort, which again was an amazing touch. This dish was one of my favourites. Again, served with another white wine.
Dish No. 4: This was a heavier plate, with a generally smokey taste. It had a piece of Quail, some ham, some delicious sausage and blood pudding in my case, and not in my partner's. Some sort of light but crunchy vegetable that looked a bit like white radish was there to neutralize the overpowering smokey flavours. This was soooo delicious, and the blood pudding was something new for me (along with mollusk). This was of course served with a delicious red wine.
Dish No. 5: A tiny bowl with delicious and so tender deer meat. It had green onions in it, which I removed :) It also had some leafy garnish, like coriander, and lots of garlic, which is just wonderful in my books! This was served with our final glass of red wine.
Dessert, which my partner accompanied with a dessert wine, and myself with a coffee (I was drunk and needed to wake up), was the most unique I've ever seen, and so, so delicate. It was essentially a bowl: In the bottom was a strawberry mousse. This mousse was hidden beneath an array of crunchy flakes (dark chocolate, white chocolate and raspberry flakes). This alone made it really colourful and fun. On top of that was a spoonful of strawberry sorbet. All together, it was a fine, delicate and scrumptious dessert!
The sommelier was incredible. He told us the stories behind the people who made all our wines, and that made the evening that much more fun. All in all this was an incredible experience for me, since I have never been to a place where the food is art. I truly appreciated every single little bite. And I behaved, unlike the people beside us who busted out the big camera to take photos of every dish (which I considered doing but restrained myself ha!)
Alright, munch on that for today...
We walked in, they seated us in the corner, next to a window at the front. It was empty, so they were at our beck and call. To start, they offered us aperitifs. I chose their special cocktail of the evening, which was raspberry, vermouth, and I can't remember whether it was Cointreau/Kir Royal/Crown Royal...In any case, it tastes like wild berries and was quite strong. A great way to kick off the event!
My dining partner opted for the two glasses of champagne, which they explain so you can compare. Delish!
Next they brought bread, so we tried to restrain ourselves to save room for the "tasting menu", which we both ended up taking. We chose this seven-course tasting menu because they ask you specifically what you don't eat! I was allowed to say I don't like raw onions, and they adapt for me! I took the option to try five different wines and my partner took the five Prestige wines, so we could try both.
The amuse-bouche was a puffy bread-like pastry with Gruyere cheese lightly baked into it. Yum.
So, dish number one: Mollusks with a peanut, coriander and ginger garnish, with soya sauce and oil, served in a shell of some kind. You are supposed to take out the food from the shell and put it into the bowl to mix with the oil and sauce. This dish was amazing! My partner had asked to avoid certain types of seafood, so his was served with a white fish, of which I can't remember the name. This came with two delicious white wines.
The next dish, also served with white wines, was a Monkfish liver mousse/pate with gelee. It was surrounded by very finely chopped garlic, cucumber, and something deliciously crunchy, with a Sake dressing. My god how I loved this rich but oh-so-light dish. The crunchy stuff really went amazingly with the smooth gelee.
Dish No. 3 was a plate of four scallops (Halibut in my partner's case, though I almost preferred the halibut because the skin had such an incredible flavour), in a pea mousse, with a raspberry caramel and some sort of creamy mousse. It also had crunchy (as in fried) sprouts of some sort, which again was an amazing touch. This dish was one of my favourites. Again, served with another white wine.
Dish No. 4: This was a heavier plate, with a generally smokey taste. It had a piece of Quail, some ham, some delicious sausage and blood pudding in my case, and not in my partner's. Some sort of light but crunchy vegetable that looked a bit like white radish was there to neutralize the overpowering smokey flavours. This was soooo delicious, and the blood pudding was something new for me (along with mollusk). This was of course served with a delicious red wine.
Dish No. 5: A tiny bowl with delicious and so tender deer meat. It had green onions in it, which I removed :) It also had some leafy garnish, like coriander, and lots of garlic, which is just wonderful in my books! This was served with our final glass of red wine.
Dessert, which my partner accompanied with a dessert wine, and myself with a coffee (I was drunk and needed to wake up), was the most unique I've ever seen, and so, so delicate. It was essentially a bowl: In the bottom was a strawberry mousse. This mousse was hidden beneath an array of crunchy flakes (dark chocolate, white chocolate and raspberry flakes). This alone made it really colourful and fun. On top of that was a spoonful of strawberry sorbet. All together, it was a fine, delicate and scrumptious dessert!
The sommelier was incredible. He told us the stories behind the people who made all our wines, and that made the evening that much more fun. All in all this was an incredible experience for me, since I have never been to a place where the food is art. I truly appreciated every single little bite. And I behaved, unlike the people beside us who busted out the big camera to take photos of every dish (which I considered doing but restrained myself ha!)
Alright, munch on that for today...
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Toqué Thursdays!
Ooooh today is gonna be a good day!
I am already in a good mood because I got to bed at 10 p.m. last night and managed to literally hop out of bed when the alarm sounded for gym time. I actually felt like doing the bike today, so I was in luck because Mr. Treadmill and wife had assumed their usual positions. It wasn't an intense workout, but I wanted to go easy since I have volleyball tonight.
In food news, yesterday I had fresh salmon, Cajun style, with a side of grilled yellow peppers. I later had a couple rice crackers with hummus because I was still hungry (after expanding my stomach with Vietnamese the day prior). Since the salmon was huge, I cut it in half and will eat that for lunch with the remaining lentil curry soup from yesterday.
Breakfast this morning (once I decide) will either be a smoothie, cereal or toast. I'll have to see when I get out of the shower. **I ended up going for a bowl of cereal with a handful of almonds and a handful of raspberries.
And here's the most exciting news: I am going to the restaurant Toqué tonight!!! This is one of Montreal's top restaurants, and I have been waiting to go for about a year now (we have a gift certificate for $300, so you can imagine what the prices are like :). So right after volleyball I will be showering and heading over there. Naturally, I may not be able to workout tomorrow morning, but I will try at night au pire.
By the way, I have posted a bunch of links on the bottom right of my blog. You may find some of them interesting or helpful. I've posted some workout videos recommended by a personal trainer, the Canadian Food Guide, the CMHA, the link for my old gym where I saw a personal trainer, and other sites recommended to me by you guys. Enjoy!
Alrighty, wishing you all a nice day.
From an extremely eager food lover!
I am already in a good mood because I got to bed at 10 p.m. last night and managed to literally hop out of bed when the alarm sounded for gym time. I actually felt like doing the bike today, so I was in luck because Mr. Treadmill and wife had assumed their usual positions. It wasn't an intense workout, but I wanted to go easy since I have volleyball tonight.
In food news, yesterday I had fresh salmon, Cajun style, with a side of grilled yellow peppers. I later had a couple rice crackers with hummus because I was still hungry (after expanding my stomach with Vietnamese the day prior). Since the salmon was huge, I cut it in half and will eat that for lunch with the remaining lentil curry soup from yesterday.
Breakfast this morning (once I decide) will either be a smoothie, cereal or toast. I'll have to see when I get out of the shower. **I ended up going for a bowl of cereal with a handful of almonds and a handful of raspberries.
And here's the most exciting news: I am going to the restaurant Toqué tonight!!! This is one of Montreal's top restaurants, and I have been waiting to go for about a year now (we have a gift certificate for $300, so you can imagine what the prices are like :). So right after volleyball I will be showering and heading over there. Naturally, I may not be able to workout tomorrow morning, but I will try at night au pire.
By the way, I have posted a bunch of links on the bottom right of my blog. You may find some of them interesting or helpful. I've posted some workout videos recommended by a personal trainer, the Canadian Food Guide, the CMHA, the link for my old gym where I saw a personal trainer, and other sites recommended to me by you guys. Enjoy!
Alrighty, wishing you all a nice day.
From an extremely eager food lover!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Breakthrough!
Wow, what a morning!
I actually woke up fairly easily today since I went to bed early, and to my delight and surprise, Mr. Treadmill wasn't there...Mrs. Turtle, on the other hand, was. She was on my treadmill. And just as I was about to hobble onto the bike, she said:
"Tu veux tu l'elliptique?"
"Non, ca va merci!"
"Tu veux tu le tapis?" (insert angel music ahhhhhhhh)
I'm thinkin' "Ben oui j'veux l'esti de treadmill", but I say: "oh ce serait parfait merci!"
She offered me the treadmill and I couldn't have been happier! So I mostly walked, then ran a little too, for 30 minutes. Mr. Treadmill eventually showed up, and I felt a little bad, because I think he's a pushover to his mouthy (and thoughtful) wife. I followed with some new inner thigh moves, hand weights and abs (I will post some YouTube videos shortly demonstrating the thigh workout I did (shown to me by my ex personal trainer).
I went grocery shopping last night and bought a ton of fruit and veggies, some meat and fish, and some snacky foods like yogurt and nuts. My "new vegetable of the week" is Rapini. I've had it before in restaurants, but I've never bought it, so I thought I'd add another option to the menu.
I went out for dinner to celebrate my friend's good news last night, and I was bad. We went to a Viet-Thai restaurant and I had to have the meal I love, General Tao on crispy noodles. I didn't think it was too bad since I only had fruit and toast for breakfast and then at lunch I nearly threw up when I started eating the tuna wrap from Cultures (why do I even bother, I always hate their food). So I ended up eating nothing but tomato and cucumber salad and a beet salad.
This morning I started off with Kashi high fibre cereal with a small handful of almonds thrown in. I am bringing a Commensal Lentil Curry soup to work, which I may eat over two lunches, and I've just put a piece of salmon in the fridge to marinate in soy sauce and Cajun spices for a favourite treat this evening.
Alright, I am off to work now, have a great day!
I actually woke up fairly easily today since I went to bed early, and to my delight and surprise, Mr. Treadmill wasn't there...Mrs. Turtle, on the other hand, was. She was on my treadmill. And just as I was about to hobble onto the bike, she said:
"Tu veux tu l'elliptique?"
"Non, ca va merci!"
"Tu veux tu le tapis?" (insert angel music ahhhhhhhh)
I'm thinkin' "Ben oui j'veux l'esti de treadmill", but I say: "oh ce serait parfait merci!"
She offered me the treadmill and I couldn't have been happier! So I mostly walked, then ran a little too, for 30 minutes. Mr. Treadmill eventually showed up, and I felt a little bad, because I think he's a pushover to his mouthy (and thoughtful) wife. I followed with some new inner thigh moves, hand weights and abs (I will post some YouTube videos shortly demonstrating the thigh workout I did (shown to me by my ex personal trainer).
I went grocery shopping last night and bought a ton of fruit and veggies, some meat and fish, and some snacky foods like yogurt and nuts. My "new vegetable of the week" is Rapini. I've had it before in restaurants, but I've never bought it, so I thought I'd add another option to the menu.
I went out for dinner to celebrate my friend's good news last night, and I was bad. We went to a Viet-Thai restaurant and I had to have the meal I love, General Tao on crispy noodles. I didn't think it was too bad since I only had fruit and toast for breakfast and then at lunch I nearly threw up when I started eating the tuna wrap from Cultures (why do I even bother, I always hate their food). So I ended up eating nothing but tomato and cucumber salad and a beet salad.
This morning I started off with Kashi high fibre cereal with a small handful of almonds thrown in. I am bringing a Commensal Lentil Curry soup to work, which I may eat over two lunches, and I've just put a piece of salmon in the fridge to marinate in soy sauce and Cajun spices for a favourite treat this evening.
Alright, I am off to work now, have a great day!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
:)
Morning!
I decided not to workout this morning. I had set my alarm to get up, but I just couldn't do it. But that extra hour of sleep really helped. I fell asleep around 10:30 and got up at 7 a.m. :)
I will start up again tomorrow morning, hopefully with more energy than I've had for the past two days. I can't wait for nicer weather so that when I don't want to go to the gym, I can take a walk instead.
Since I have no food in my house, I went downtown early to get a bowl of fruit and toast from Premium.
Tonight my friends and I will be celebrating one of my good friend's biggest accomplishments and desperately awaited news: she got accepted to work for the Red Cross! Some of you may have no idea how good this news is, but trust me, it's big for her!
So congratulations to her, and a nice day to you all!
I decided not to workout this morning. I had set my alarm to get up, but I just couldn't do it. But that extra hour of sleep really helped. I fell asleep around 10:30 and got up at 7 a.m. :)
I will start up again tomorrow morning, hopefully with more energy than I've had for the past two days. I can't wait for nicer weather so that when I don't want to go to the gym, I can take a walk instead.
Since I have no food in my house, I went downtown early to get a bowl of fruit and toast from Premium.
Tonight my friends and I will be celebrating one of my good friend's biggest accomplishments and desperately awaited news: she got accepted to work for the Red Cross! Some of you may have no idea how good this news is, but trust me, it's big for her!
So congratulations to her, and a nice day to you all!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Tired.
When are these dark mornings going to end aghhhh! By the looks of it (according to the Weather Network), the sun won't start rising much earlier until about April, so I am screwed.
Last night I had salmon and asparagus for dinner. Yummy, but my rations are disgustingly low and my fridge has about five items left in it...though it has never looked cleaner ha! I then watched the Grammys, so stayed up until 11 p.m., which made waking up to workout this morning oh so difficult. However, I loved the performances, so it was worth it.
And alas, I did get my chubby ass out of bed, reluctantly, to go to the gym. And in my extremely upbeat morning mood (insert deadpan look), I was greeted by Mr. Treadmill and what I now assume to be his wife, Mrs. Turtle, a.k.a the beatch who takes the treadmill after her ball and chain.
So, out of sheer spite I did 40 minutes on the bike, and ten minutes on the treadmill when they finally got out of my gym ha! I didn't do any weights, legs or other because I was just too tired.
I made myself a Swiss cheese omelette for breakfast, using whatever is left around this place. For lunch, a not-so-healthy but not super bad Subway sandwich, and for dinner, since it was too late to eat a proper meal when I got home from out with a friend, crackers with avocado and hummus. And that's it, no food left for breakfast, lunch or dinner chez moi.
I am going to bed in a couple of minutes, because my eyes are puffy and I need energy to get up tomorrow. I'll see tomorrow morning if I'll make it my day off, but if I do that I have to workout the rest of the week with no break, so I may save that for Thursday or Friday around volleyball.
By the way, I've put this out there to a few of you already, but I am looking for people to do fun activities with sports-wise. So, if anyone wants to come play beach volleyball (indoors) with me on the weekend sometime, just to hit a ball around even, it is $10 for the day to drop in at the place I go to. I would love to have a playmate. Or if anyone out there plays squash, I am totally in. Let me know...
For now, goodnight and a demain (she says groggy, dying to get into bed).
Last night I had salmon and asparagus for dinner. Yummy, but my rations are disgustingly low and my fridge has about five items left in it...though it has never looked cleaner ha! I then watched the Grammys, so stayed up until 11 p.m., which made waking up to workout this morning oh so difficult. However, I loved the performances, so it was worth it.
And alas, I did get my chubby ass out of bed, reluctantly, to go to the gym. And in my extremely upbeat morning mood (insert deadpan look), I was greeted by Mr. Treadmill and what I now assume to be his wife, Mrs. Turtle, a.k.a the beatch who takes the treadmill after her ball and chain.
So, out of sheer spite I did 40 minutes on the bike, and ten minutes on the treadmill when they finally got out of my gym ha! I didn't do any weights, legs or other because I was just too tired.
I made myself a Swiss cheese omelette for breakfast, using whatever is left around this place. For lunch, a not-so-healthy but not super bad Subway sandwich, and for dinner, since it was too late to eat a proper meal when I got home from out with a friend, crackers with avocado and hummus. And that's it, no food left for breakfast, lunch or dinner chez moi.
I am going to bed in a couple of minutes, because my eyes are puffy and I need energy to get up tomorrow. I'll see tomorrow morning if I'll make it my day off, but if I do that I have to workout the rest of the week with no break, so I may save that for Thursday or Friday around volleyball.
By the way, I've put this out there to a few of you already, but I am looking for people to do fun activities with sports-wise. So, if anyone wants to come play beach volleyball (indoors) with me on the weekend sometime, just to hit a ball around even, it is $10 for the day to drop in at the place I go to. I would love to have a playmate. Or if anyone out there plays squash, I am totally in. Let me know...
For now, goodnight and a demain (she says groggy, dying to get into bed).
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