5K Eve

Well, it’s almost time!  I’m starting to feel a little less nervous and more excited!  I drove through the course today to familiarize myself with it, so I feel a little better about where to go and what the run will look like.    I have to say that I’m a tad bit disappointed with the weather.  We are having a Nor’easter – rain, cold, wind.  Major yuckiness.  Not pleasant for running, but what’s a girl to do?  Drop out?  No way!  I’m doing it…no matter how nasty it gets!  How’s that for motivation?!  *okay, that was a total “fake it til you make it” move, but it sure sounded good, didn’t it?*  ;)

My stomach was a bit off this morning and I got a late start on breakfast.  I opted for a Chobani yogurt with lowfat granola and it was perfect…

I had some errands to conquer, then drove my course.  I got a Pumpkin Spice Latte to keep me company (didn’t have my camera on me – bad blogger, so I took my pic when I got home!)…

Lunch was ridiculously late by the time I got home from my gallivanting.  I whipped up a Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger, topped it with some arugula and Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade and put it on an Ezekiel Sesame Hamburger Bun.  I definitely needed some Sea Salt and Pepper Rice Chips for crunch on the side…

The daughters had friends over for the afternoon and I helped them put together a Halloween Gingerbread House, then left the room before the icing licking got out of hand!

It was pizza night for the husband and daughters, but I opted to eat from the freezer.  I heated up some Vegetable Lasagna along with green beans with evoo, garlic and topped with parmesan…

Who needs pizza ;)

Okay, the time is near.  Thank you all for your awesome comments!  One in particular that cracked me up was from Anonymous Paula telling me to enjoy myself and not worry so much cuz it’s not the Olympics!!  LOL!!!  True that!  But, in a way, it is my own personal version of the Olympics.  I have never done anything like this in my life.  I have never been athletic, never been in shape, never ran and heck, until about 2 years ago, never even like walking much!  So, I’ve come a  long way.  I’ve worked hard these past 2 years to lose 70 lbs., start and continue with a regular exercise program and slowly, but surely, work my way into running.  It’s been a struggle, but the results have been rewarding.  Although it’s scary, I’m looking forward to this race tomorrow.  No matter what the outcome may be, I can feel good about pushing myself to do something that I never thought I could.

Better get some rest.  Big day tomorrow.  Deep breath…

Pilates, Parks + Patience

Thank you all for your condolences regarding my breakup :) It's still a little rough going, but physically, I felt better today! You all had some great ideas for some coffee alternatives, too; I will definitely be checking them out!

The hips were still sore today and moving into feeling stiff, too. I thought it best to not do any cardio again and now, don't you know , I am craving running??!! But, my hips will not be happy if I pursue that, so I decided to try something new - Pilates. I bought a cheap-o DVD at Five Below that is a one hour basic Pilates workout. I planned on doing the whole hour, but needed to get in some breakfast first. I went with a quick bowl of cereal. In the mix...

• 1/3 c. Special K Protein flakes
• 1/4 c. Post Trail Mix Crunch
• 2 big ole strawberries
• 1/3 c. unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze

I stared longingly at the coffee pot and out of habit almost started brewing! I guess I have to put it away...

Instead, I micro-brewed some tea. I went with a China Oolong this morning. It made me oo-long for some coffee...

The tea bag tag had positive sayings on it. Mine said this...

Yeah, I 'd like to reward myself with a cup of coffee! *sigh* But, I went on to reward myself with a Pilates session. I have to say, despite the annoying voice of the instructor and the waif-like "level 1" demonstrator in the background, I REALLY liked it! It is hard, but not so hard that you want to quit. My muscles were shaking, but heck, you get to lie down for most of it, so I'm game! I made it through 45 minutes before I had to stop and tend to the daughters. I was pretty wobbly in the legs, so it must have done something! I'll definitely try this again.

Lunchtime rolled around before I knew it. I was in the mood for my good old 'wrap and chip' combo. I made a Cali Veggie Wrap using a high fiber tortilla, Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burger, Laughing Cow Light Cheese and lettuce. Trader Joe's Sour Cream and Onion Rice Chips and carrots were perfect sides...

After lunch, the daughters and I (and dog) went to the park for the afternoon. We did a little walking, playing and hanging on a blanket reading books. It was a great afternoon.

We got home just in time to get dinner started. As I was prepping some mozzarella cheese for the entree, I sliced and snacked...

I had to hurry up and put it away before I snacked away the whole block of cheese! How's that for being intuitive?! I intuitively knew I would eat the whole thing -lol!! Not funny, but I'm trying to make myself feel better ;P

Dinner was Grilled Chicken Antipasto along with salad and grilled bread...

I grilled thin-sliced chicken breasts then topped them with a mixture of tomatoes, diced mozzarella, a few Kalamata olives, 3 artichoke hearts (chopped), fresh basil, garlic and a tsp. evoo...

While cleaning the dishes, I fished for a dessert...

So, I'm feeling a little anxious about intuitive eating. I think I'm having a low point where I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing. I was feeling really strong last week, but this week has been up and down so far. I'm finding that this takes lots of practice. Lots and lots. I know it's going to take a long time to undo the dieting damage. I think it's okay to take a while, but I also think I have to be okay with maybe not losing weight while this changeover is occurring. And I'm not sure if I'm okay with that...

Patience. It's not a virtue that comes easily for me. But, to feel like I've given this the "old college try", I'll hang in there a while longer and do a progress report mid-Sept. to see where I'm at.

Have a great night, everyone!

Before I go... a Question of the Day... Have you ever tried Pilates?