Try try again?

So...

Due to having received the 'Kathleen, diabetes is a horrible thing,'-chat from my mother for about the 3rd time in two weeks (along with the 'Kathleen, this is my new healthy lifestyle resolution,' from Dad), we're going to approach this differently. Against my more carefree, spontaneous nature, I'm going to be planning meals. :-\ Still not entirely sure how well this is going to work.

Still, since it's an increase-your-steps challenge week at work (on our little pedometers that give us cheaper health plans) and I won't be starting from zero by virtue of being new (and having succeeded in the previous challenge week), I figure this might be a good week to mix things up a little bit.

Also: since Mom brought pretty juice glasses and lamps from Grandma's house last week, Rachel and I went on a last-minute madcap dash to Jungle Jim's today, I received a weather alert radio and frame Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers poster for my birthday, and there was an IKEA stop for a couple end tables, I have a bunch of steps today from unloading my car and carting everything up 2 floors.

Anywho, enough babble--here's tomorrow's food (a "meatless" day, by Catholic standards--grin!):

I use caloriecount.about.com for calorie-tracking purposes; the image above is from my "Food Log" on that website. It's a nice way to count calories; I like that I can enter recipes, save meals, etc. Additionally: now that I have purchased my very own food scale, I can go back to using this with the same efficacy as I did while living with the beautiful Annika (grin).

My black bean and sweet potato burrito recipe is adapted from here,and was recommended by my friend Ash, an amazing lady who launches rockets for a living in Colorado (her adventures are detailed here). I think it looks delicious; looking forward to my suspicions being confirmed tomorrow evening. 

The breakfast is sort of a combination dish--I like yogurt & frozen blueberries (heated, of course!) on top of my waffles. I usually add a little splenda to sweeten everything up. There will almost definitely be Dunkin Donuts coffee tomorrow morning too, but since I lack milk until I go shopping tomorrow, it will be black and not really worth mentioning, calorie-wise.

In other related news, I have recently acquired a pair of solid-colored teal tights; although they are less fun than say, tights-w-crazy-patterns, they might be work-appropriate in spite of the off-the-wall color. I guess in one sense, I'm looking forward to winter.

Finally, I'm 309/776 pages into Gravity's Rainbow, which, since I've been reading it for two weeks now, seems like something worth mentioning on this blog-of-OCD-counting.

Hope everyone has a lovely Monday!

Back on the Horse

My sincerest apologies to our few, beloved followers.

I have definitely been neglecting this blog, and I'm sorry to say it's because I fell off the wagon. I didn't balloon, and they don't have to roll me around in a wheel barrow quite yet. I did, however, put those five pounds back on, and that makes for a very sad panda.

I would love to be able to blame my lack of commitment on some injury or insurmountable extenuating circumstance. However, I'm ashamed to say that life just sort of got in the way. Work got crazy busy, which left little time or energy for working out; and what's worse, I tended to decompress from work by going out to the bar with friends (not itself a bad thing) and relaxing with a few beers and great food (tragic downfall). As my colleague in this challenge will attest, the Wink is pretty freaking delicious.

"This is the last of that sort of thing. Now I'm cleaning up and I'm moving on, going straight and choosing life. I'm looking forward to it already." Best advice I could think to get from a Scottish heroin addict. It's true, though. I started out with a goal but no plan, and that method failed me as soon as some teensy inconvenience threw off the non-existent plan.

My new method is a little more me I should think. My true goal throughout this process has never really been about weight; I just thought weight would be an easy indicator of progress for me (hogwash and poppycock). What I really want is athleticism. I want to be run faster, jump higher, and be stronger than the next girl. I want to be the epitome of Mark Twain's "size of the fight in the dog" bit. I want to push my body to do all the remarkable things I know it can.

So to kick off this new (hopefully successful) method of changing my body, I'm going on a 30-day challenge. I want to work my ass off (quite literally) through swimming, running, rock climbing, lifting, and frisbee and see how much I can accomplish in 30 days. It's probably going to mean some early mornings in the pool and mustering the energy to run after long days in the OR, but I think I'm up for the challenge.

I'll keep you posted on the progress and try to post more recipes over the next couple weeks. 'Before' photo to follow tomorrow.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Just a quick update, before I run away to Boston for break:

Starting Weight: 169
Goal Weight: 120
Current Weight: 166

It's been a pretty good week, apart from the stress of finals. Looking forward to some time away from all of that this coming week. :)

Soup!

Starting Weight: 115
Current Weight: 110.5
Time Span: 4 weeks

The next couple weeks will be more of the same (i.e. running 3-4 miles after work a couple times a week), but soon ultimate tournaments will start again. The first is a big 3-day coed tournament in Virginia the first week of April and then a 1-day coed hat tourney in Cleveland a few weeks after that. For me, there are few types of exercise that are more joyful than playing ultimate on a bright, sunny day.

So, today I made soup. Not just any soup, but I made Udon noodle soup with a poached egg on top. From scratch. :)

I know what you're thinking. It sounds delicious but fancy and complicated. Fortunately, it took me only about 20 minutes to make, and it was as easy as throwing things into a pot (considering that's pretty much what it was...). I was a little nervous about using star anaise considering how much I dislike licorice-flavored things, but I was pleasantly surprised by how all the strong flavors in the recipe blended together perfectly. Here is the super-delicious end result.

Tell me it doesn't look fantastic!

I've linked the recipe below:
Udon noodle soup with bok choy and poached egg

A long overdue update...

Hello friends! Afraid I've been MIA for the past couple weeks. Most unfortunately, attempts to evade the ever-growing homework monster have left little time for blogging. Still, one more big push this week (with a brief break on Wednesday night), and then off to Boston on Friday (excitement!!!)!

Diet-wise, the weekend before this one was really bad. I think I stress-binged 2-3 lbs. worth of junk food, but this week has been better--mostly due to stress-not-eating, which, admittedly, isn't super healthy either. Hopefully, once finals end, I can begin to get back on a more nutritious diet. Over Lent, I'm planning to exercise more frequently. I expect i'll begin by walking 3-4 miles every couple days (while reading a mystery novel--because multi-tasking makes me awesome), and eventually begin to incorporate more running until I can run 3 miles again.

Non-diet-wise, I've really been enjoying Val McDermid's Tony Hill novels and also Kostova's The Historian. I also may or may not have sent a relatively cracked-out-on-caffeine e-mail to some of my Olin friends about the BBC miniseries "Jekyll". It may or may not have sounded something like this:

"IT IS SO FANTASTIC AND WRITTEN BY STEVEN MOFFAT AND WONDERFUL AND SORT OF DOING FOR ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON WHAT THE RECENT SHERLOCK SERIES DID FOR CONAN DOYLE!!!!!!111!!!!11!!!

(might watch it again and again and again--not unlike what I've done with "Sherlock")  

YOU SHOULD ALL WATCH IT!!!!!1111!!!!11!"

Anywho, looking forward to the Arlo Guthrie concert with Mom, Dad, and Em tonight, trying the chocolate truffle flavored coffee I may have appropriated from our pantry here at home, and my trip to Boston next week. Love to all (but especially Tess)!

Three Weeks Down: Tiny

It's been just over three weeks since I started this adventure, and I can definitely see the progress I've made so far. In three weeks, I've lost 3.5 lbs. It's not necessarily on track with my goal, but progress is still progress, so I'm happy. Plus, I can see my body start to change and feel my strength and endurance improve. To be honest, that feeling is much more rewarding than seeing a number on a scale.

Goals for this week:
 - run farther than last week
 - don't overeat at dinner
 - no eating after 10p

Skipping the gym to go grocery shopping and do laundry today. Hopefully, I will make something delicious (and healthy) for dinner and can share the recipe with you guys!

Mopey Wednesday

WARNING: This post is full of whining and self-pity. Proceed with caution.

Today is just one of those days. I woke up feeling awful, and none of the clothes I put on seemed to look right. I was a very self-conscious Tiny today. I couldn't help it! Every time I caught myself in a mirror, glass door, or generic reflective surface, all I could think about was how disproportionately GIGANTIC my hips are compared to the rest of my tiny frame. That's my main demon. I've never felt overweight, and rarely have I felt fat; but I've always always always felt disproportionate. And, unfortunately for me, my hips seems to be the last place my body wants to slim down.

*whinewhinewhine* I have hips like whoa. Etc. etc.

On the plus side , that distinctly "full-figured" image in the mirror is giving me just the extra motivation I need to work really hard at my run today. Hopefully, in another month or two, I can proudly say that I no longer feel so oddly shaped.

Ultimate Does a Body Good

Weighing in a little early this week to talk about ultimate.

For those of you who don't know (which I'm assuming is the majority of our readership), this weekend in Cleveland included not only the renowned Groundhogs Tournament but the CDA Winter League Tournament as well. Groundhogs is an overnight indoor tournament for which rounds START at 9:30p Friday night and END around 7a Saturday morning. It's intense to say the least. My team Makeout Club broke seed to finish a commendable 7th out of 16 with our only losses to the tournament champions, Case Western Reserve, and Cookie Monster - a tried and true coed club team.

After sleeping from about 10:30a to 6:15p on Saturday, I woke up to go play my last game of the season with the best winter league team ever - the Angry Clocks. Having been placed in the lower half of the lineup after a few close but important losses, the Clocks played a hard fought game against Team Jacob. Neither team was certainly at full strength. We came with only 5 playable men, and they were only able to play one girl. BUT, despite our smaller numbers, the Clocks pulled out a narrow 10-11 victory over Team Jacob to clinch 5th place overall.

So after pretty much a day and a half of as much ultimate I could want, how did I measure up?

Two pounds lighter ^_^

Current Weight: 112.0
Last Weigh-In: 114.0
Original Weight: 115.0
Goal Weight: 100.0

Basically, ultimate does a body good.

 P.S. I have another big tournament coming up on the first weekend in April, so I'm setting myself a mini goal of trying to lose 7lbs before then. 

Life's Little Victories

So despite the fact that I have been terrible about working out this week and have pretty much felt like a bump on a log, I decided to wear my skinny corduroy pants to work today. Guess what! They slipped on without a hitch. Like magic. Black Corduroy Magic. So, hurray for life's little victories.

I'm hoping this and the fact that that I bought a brand new bathing suit yesterday will keep me focused and motivated in this challenge.

Catalina's Favorite Salad

Currently enjoying my favorite salad ever (for the second day this week since baby spinach is only sold in 24 oz. packages at our local grocery)! It looks like this:

Kathleen's Favorite Salad

It's pretty basic, but so delicious! Pan fry a couple pieces of chicken tenderloin or a single chicken breast in a tiny bit of oil (I season with ginger and pepper--sometimes my roomie Annika's lemon-pepper, which is magic and wonderful). Usually, I cut before cooking--since that way it cooks faster. Once the chicken's done, I throw some spinach in a bowl, spoon a few mandarin oranges in, sprinkle on some almonds, throw in the chicken, and some crunchy rice noodles (which it occurs to me I forgot to add to the pictured dish). To finish things off, I pour on some fat-free poppyseed dressing. 

Relatively healthy, pretty tasty, and, unlike my lean creamed spinach recipe, not requiring the milk-I-forgot-to-buy-this-week (Tess you should be proud--I'm drinking black coffee this week).  

Week 1 Summary: Tiny

Week 1 did not go as well as hoped. Some roommate-related stress in the middle of the week led to a couple nights of skipping the gym and extra trips to Starbucks. I managed to get life under control, though, towards the end of the week with trips to the track on Thursday and Friday and winter league on Saturday.

The goal is to start this week off with a more positive attitude. I have a ton of healthy food in my fridge and cupboards INCLUDING my new favorite indulgence - honey cinnamon almonds (Thanks, Weston!). They're about 150 kcals for a quarter cup, and they instantly kick any sweet tooth-related cravings.

Favorite purchases for the week:
- honey cinnamon almonds
- chipotle sweet potato soup
- 3c. rice cooker (Megan, Eddie, and I probably make rice a couple times a week; and this seems easier than trying to babysit a pan all evening)

Goals for this week:
 - run 3 miles every day
 - eat more vegetables (I've been living off of fruits, white pasta, eggs, and brown rice lately...)
 - ACTUALLY start taking my multi-vitamin.

Current weight: 114.0
Starting weight: 115.0
Goal weight: 100.0

Week 1: Catalina

About to enjoy girls' night watching Bones with my dear roommates, Holly and Annika. Apart from the requisite in-episode Prius commercial, it should be good. And no, none of us are watching the series because we think David Boreanaz is (or ever was) the hottest thing ever. Sorry, Mr. Sass, but we disagree.

As to my new campaign for better physical fitness (and increased rocking of cute tights), things are going pretty well on the food/calorie-tracking front; however, due to a gross cold/flu/death affliction and sleep-reducing amounts of homework, the exercise hasn't happened yet. 

And so, disclaimers having been made, it's time for my weekly weigh-in. 

Initial Weight: 169 lbs

Current Weight: 167 lbs

Goal Weight: 120 lbs

Also, Claudia Black is still super-hot, even 6 years post-Farscape (recognized her in the episode of NCIS Annika had on pre-Bones). 

Day 1: Tiny

First day on the new diet wasn't so bad. I definitely need to eat more for breakfast in the morning though, so I don't end up binging on leftover pizza for dinner. All in all, 1123 Calories for the day with a 2.5 mile run in the evening. 2.5 miles at a 9:20 pace isn't great, but it's not a bad place to start.

Bring on Day 2!

Introducing: Tiny!

I apologize for the poor picture quality.
My phone sucks at taking pictures. 

Super Powers: Cooking, Running, Ultimate Frisbee, Swimming, Rock Climbing, Coffee Drinking, Kitten Petting

Weaknesses: Chocolate, Cheese, Pizza, Ice Cream

Starting Weight: 115lbs - 02/14/201

Goal Weight: 100lbs - 05/01/2011

Goals for this Week:

 - Go running 4x

 - Eat a real breakfast every morning this week

 - Be diligent about food-journaling

Also: you should probably note my AWESOME Batman tights. Just sayin'.

Introducing: Catalina!

About:

Enjoys patterned tights, independent rock concerts, B-scifi movies, and detective fiction; currently struggling to live around her writing addiction and accept vague inclinations to learn banjo.

Strengths:

Loves spinach and broccoli, occasional idiot savant at cooking, definitely OCD about logging things on social networking sites.

Weaknesses:

Pizza/chocolate/beer-binging when stressed, increased appetite from meds, and severe avoidance of walking-to-the-gym.

Starting weight: 169 lbs on 2/14/2011

Goal Weight: 120 by 2/14/2012

Short-term goals:

Eat breakfast every day this week

Exercise 3x this week

Track calories this week