a magical weight loss journey

Friday, August 27th 2010

2010-08-27T23:46:00.000-07:00

Ate a lot today, but also exercised and tried not to eat TOO much after dinner. I'm weighing myself at 2:45 am, but still!

Weight: 149

Thursday, August 26th 2010

2010-08-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

I did okay today ultimately, but I ate a lot and gained .5 lb.

Breakfast/Lunch:

Tuna fish
2 pieces of toast

Extended dinner:

California roll sushi
2 pieces of Muenster cheese
Handful of croutons
Bites of pasta dish
Salad

Exercise: 10 miles on the bike

Weight:150.5

Update at 1 a.m.: 149.5! (Maybe it's because it's technically morning?)

Wednesday, August 25th

2010-08-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

Breakfast/Lunch:

2 pieces of toast with margarine
1 slice of Muenster cheese
1 spoonful of tuna fish
Orange Juice

Snack:
Carrots & celery
Orange Juice
1 Baby Bell cheese

Dinner:
Dumplings (greasy)
Pieces of bread
Wheat Beer

Drinks:
2 glasses of red wine
Orange Juice

Wow. I drink a lot of orange juice and eat a lot of bread & cheese. Interesting.

Weight: 150

Tuesday, August 24th

2010-08-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Breakfast:

Nothing

Lunch:

Bowl of steamed broccoli
Carrots & hummus
2 pieces of toast with margarine
1 slice of Muenster cheese

Dinner:

Indian food: (chicken, naan, lamb, spinach)

Snack:

Handful of croutons

Weight: 150.5

Back again.

2010-08-23T21:11:00.001-07:00

Oy vey. Don't know if anyone still has this blog up on their Google Reader, but I'm back and ready to start losing weight. Again. Such is life!

150.5 lb.

BACK!

2009-06-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm back all the way up to 149 but I'm not gonna hate on myself. (But I haven't been posting for that very reason).

Tomorrow - to the gym!

more about breakfasts

2009-05-11T19:08:00.001-07:00

More about breakfasts!

So I know in my last post, I was talking about savory breakfasts. Well, this time I am talking about NO breakfast at ALL. Oh, the horrors!

I am still committed to breakfast. Don't you worry. And I know all the studies say that you should eat breakfast, that it helps your blood sugar and gives you energy, and all that jazz. I believe it! However, when I start the day off eating when I am not hungry, it really sets off a bad chain of events. It's like I'm telling my body it's okay for me to force food in there when I don't want it.

So I'm really trying to listen to my body and if I'm not hungry in the morning, I won't eat. I did it today and yesterday and it was really pleasant. Later, I was actually hungry and I ate! Not only because it was time to eat (which it was) but because I was craving food.

I know that it's dangerous to do this because it leads to binge eating because you're so ravenous. I'm going to try to curb that by having snacks ready.

My aunt got me Rachael Ray's cookbook, which I was excited about, but there are very few pictures and many of the recipes involve things like ham, bacon, cream, almonds, tart-like things, etc. Sorry, RR. I'll have to go back to my favorite friend, Mark Bittman. Despite the lack of pictures, he uses words to make food sound so delicious.

Also, please excuse the spacey tone of this blog entry. I am currently sick and the cold medicine makes me zany. Back soon!

Breakfasts!

2009-04-22T20:43:00.001-07:00

Thanks for the comment, K! My "new" thing (there's always a new thing, but I think it's more like a journey towards happiness and fulfillment) does have to do with breakfast.

In the past, I've been gently teased for eating the following for breakfast:

- Weight Watchers frozen fettucini alfredo meals
- Chicken legs
- Chicken Soup
- String Beans
- Cookies

Okay, so the cookies aren't particularly healthy, but why do I have to eat traditional breakfast foods if I don't want to? It's silly! I've long since given up dry cereal, which I'm happy about, but even though oatmeal is yummy and hearty, there isn't too much protein there. And often I'm too lazy and tired to make an omelet in the morning.

So I hereby reclaim my right as a free individual to eat whatever the hell I want in the morning, as long as it's healthy and tasty. Vegetables, chicken legs, leftover cous-cous, here I come. Luckily, our favorite food friend, Mark Bittman, agrees with me:

SAVORY BREAKFASTS

BACK TO THE GYM!

2009-04-20T20:25:00.001-07:00

I went back to the gym today after a long hiatus.

(+) Exercising felt good

(-) I have very very short legs.

Straight Up Food Post

2009-04-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today was probably a typical day for me when I am NOT mindful about eating. Granted, I woke up late and then babysat, but it's still fairly accurate.

BREAKFAST
(too lazy to actually make anything)

1 glass of grapefruit juice
1 string cheese
2 spoonfuls of peanut butter

SNACK
1 Milky Way

LUNCH
1.5 pieces of matzah
1 glass of orange juice
3 spoonfuls of egg salad
1 Baby Bell cheese

DINNER
1 Chicken Burrito
7-8 greasy chips
1 Corona Beer

It's like, none of it is egregiously awful, but I just lived today in a very slapdash way. Plus the only exercise I did was playing jump rope and Skip-It with my charge.

I don't say this to be like, "Why aren't I losing weight??" because days like this clearly say why. But I just think that if I only post days where I do well, it will be a dishonest blog for myself (and my loyal readers: I love all five of you very much!)

So I just ask for your support in my ongoing journey, which has lots of peaks and valleys. There are times that I feel awesome about myself and my body, and other times not so much. But I think that's true of everyone and I just fall somewhere along that spectrum,

In that vein, here's a link to a blog about Michelle Obama's biceps:

http://firstguns.tumblr.com/

Narcissism, Etc

2009-04-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

So it's been a month since I posted last and it's been a yo-yo of a month. Busy, due to auf-rufs and weddings and out-of-town conferences on women's issues. I've used these events as an excuse to not exercise and it's done me wrong. But even though I got on the scale tonight and saw sad numbers, I'm not upset. I know that if I just go to the gym and eat well, I will lose weight.

My topic of choice tonight, as I return to this blog, is narcissism. (And it does have to do with weight loss). I have been trying to deal with my own narcissism and it comes up a LOT. I don't mean that I'm selfish or that I don't care about other people (I do!) but often I realize that what seems like insecurity is just plain self-centeredness.

For example, I am routinely un-tagging unflattering photos of me on Facebook. That's fine, I think most of us do that from time to time. But recently I realized that it was part of this trend where I am so concerned with how others see me that it becomes a bit preposterous. If I make a mistake or a social gaffe and I'm embarrassed and dwell on it, it usually doesn't dawn on me that most people are not particularly concerned with all Maggie all the time. And I think that's good lesson for me in general.

So the other day, there was a picture posted on Facebook of me, doing something cool and fun. But I hated the way I looked. I thought I looked fat and double-chin-y and bloated. But you know what? I kept it tagged. Because nobody is going to look at that picture and think, "Ha! I KNEW it! She's fat!" It's not a secret. Additionally, most people in my life know what I look like and can separate a good photo from an unflattering one without casting aspersions on my character.

And frankly, most people don't even care that much.

I hope this post didn't come off as depressing or bitter - I meant it in a liberating sense. I shouldn't be obsessed with what others are thinking of me, and should just focus on being the best Maggie I can be. There, now it's cheesy and uplifting. Hooray!

Oh, What A Tangled Web We Weave!

2009-03-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

So I before the weekend, I was actually back to 143.5, but I did go to a pretty bangin' kiddush at my temple and then have a gala party that involved tons o' brownies, and then today I ate leftover oreos and Thai food SO yeah, I don't know what my status is.

I do know I'm going to the gym tomorrow night, after I get back from babysitting (we're going to the Central Park Zoo!)

Anyhoo, it's a slow trek, but it'll happen... my dress for the wedding is super tight and I hope I look curvy and not like a sausage. I mean, a beautiful sausage, but still a sausage.

All of this is making me think about my future wedding, if I have one. I'm so excited! I want to have a really fun, down-to-earth, feminist-flavored wedding. Ideally I'd have it in my parents' backyard, but it might not be big enough if this crazy family of mine keeps growing.

I google-image searched "feminist wedding" but just got weird crap. This was the only thing that made my heart soar. Ah, love.

Argh

2009-03-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

I've been binge-eating for about four days straight.

p.s. That's the photo I got when I Google-imaged the word "SAD"

Thoughts

2009-03-04T20:46:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST/LUNCH

Peas and chicken and pasta
Probably something else, but I forgot

DINNER

Brussels Sprouts
Chicken Burrito

Sometimes when I feel good about myself and I'm looking in the mirror, I will get tripped up about how I'll never look like most of the women in movies or on TV or in magazines.

Normally this doesn't bother me - but I got to thinking about whether that affects men as much as women. I know women are really bogged down by this, but my idea is that men don't actually have unrealistic expectations about women. The media likes to say that it does, but I'm not convinced.

Thoughts?

On a slightly different, but sort of related note, I find that more men think Jennifer Aniston is hot and more women think Angelina Jolie is hot. Oh, science...

Oh, Hearty

2009-03-03T20:50:00.001-08:00

Hearty can't begin to describe my meals today.

Also, I made the mistake of going to Pinkberry after a yummy meal at Yaffa Cafe.

In fairness, Alison warned me that their yogurt is sort of "bitter" but I just couldn't imagine that dessert would be yucky. How wrong I was! It was so gross that I had to pacify myself with a candy bar. Yes, my second candy bar of the day. Meh. I'll have time to work out tomorrow, so that'll be good.

BREAKFAST/LUNCH (I didn't work this morning, so I just had one massive meal)

1 omelette (2 whites/1 yolk)
1/2 cup orzo
Green peas
Small sliver of chicken

SNACK

Milky Way

DINNER

Chicken breast sandwich with Muenster Cheese
Salad

DESSERT

Small amount of pomegranate frozen yogurt and chocolate chips
Another Milky Way

EXERCISE

25 minutes bicycle
10 minutes weights
Walk to work (1 mile)

So far today

2009-03-02T11:05:00.000-08:00

2 egg whites
1/2 cup of rice and beans

An entire box of frozen leaf spinach
100-calorie thing o' popcorn

Wedding Countdown

2009-02-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

Good - went to the gym today!
Bad - Didn't have a ton of protein. Ate lots of carb-y things. Had a midnight snack / extension of dinner. Also, back to 144 lb, but if I keep going to the gym, I know it will go back down...so I'm not too concerned.

BREAKFAST

1 cup of oatmeal

LUNCH

String beans
Small serving of spinach penne & mozarella cheese
1 small bag of chips (160 cals)

SNACK

Carrots
3 mini-tortilla wraps (100 cals each)

DINNER

Another mini-tortilla wrap. Why are they so good?
Carrots
Edamame Beans

MIDNIGHT SNACK

100-calorie bag of popcorn

EXERCISE

Walk to work & back (2 miles)
35 minutes bicycle
10 minutes speed-walk treadmill
5 minutes weights

Mirror, Mirror

2009-02-25T21:24:00.001-08:00

The mirrors at my gym are bonkers. Seriously - one set of mirrors makes me look like some sort of cellulite-ridden hobbit.

The other set of mirrors makes me look pretty sleek. Oh well, it keeps me on my toes.

BREAKFAST

Grapefruit

LUNCH (like 2 hours later)

More gnawing on mozzarella
Bites of tuna fish & pasta
Some salad
Piece of chocolate

DINNER

Tuna fish
String beans

2 bags of popcorn (200 cals in total, if I trust their calorie-count)

EXERCISE

30 minutes bicycle
15 minutes speed-walking treadmill
10 minutes weights/sit-ups

p.s. I'm back in a routine. I REALLY would like to be 140 pounds by next week. I think 3 pounds is not so crazy to try and lose fairly quickly. I'm going to really try!

Three weeks until my cousin's wedding, and I'd like to look a little svelter...

La la la

2009-02-24T21:38:00.000-08:00

I'm trying not to only post when I'm doing well, but also when I'm doing...poorly. I was at my parents' house this weekend and just gorged on all their yummy leftovers.

I'm so much better when I'm back at "home" in Astoria.

BREAKFAST

Leftover chicken
Something else that I forget...

LUNCH

100-calorie pack of Sun chips
Turkey meatballs

DINNER
Salad
Gnawing on a hunk of fresh mozzarella cheese (ate half of it, probably)
A couple bites of beans/pepper
2 100-calorie bags of popcorn

I know my dinner wasn't particularly "complete" but I really didn't need that 2nd bag of popcorn. It's so terrible that they're 100 calories. It makes me feel like I can eat a million of them.

EXERCISE

Walked to work (1.2 miles)

Ugh Sick

2009-02-17T19:39:00.000-08:00

Ugh. I am tired and sort of getting sick. I think it's due to lack of sleep and the fact that I have been dressing for 60-degree weather. And guess what? It's 40 degrees out. It's just that we had that one warm day and it tricked me and I stopped wearing a scarf or hat. Brrrr.

Today was carb-heavy and I feel ill.

BREAKFAST

1 Polly-o cheese
1 tortilla wrap (just the wrap, 'cause I'm weird)

LUNCH

1 small Moroccan Chicken soup @ Hale & Hearty
1 pc of bread

SNACK

2 pieces of bread from Cosi

DINNER

Edamame Beans
Spinach penne and ricotta cheese
Orange Juice

And nooo exercise except for some pained ice skating on a fake ice skating rink at the Natural History Museum. Oy. I need to get back to the gym. I'm back to 145 lb after my romantic weekend away, where I ate whatever I wanted.

Oh well, I'm not gonna get down about it! Instead I'll post a photo of Hayden Panettiere, who has really awesome muscular thighs. I'm surprised she doesn't get flak for it. I don't watch Heroes, but I think she's pretty cute.

Shabbat Shalom!

2009-02-13T14:54:00.001-08:00

Yay thanks for the tip, Risch - I've been told to weigh myself in the morning, but since I know one weighs less in the morning than at night, I always feel like my morning weight is a "fake" weight. (I know that's ridiculous). But it's true what you say about water weight.

I'm so glad I can be a part of your early morning internet enjoyment :)

Today I didn't go to the gym, which is lame. So far I've eaten healthy, but I'm going to a little shindig later that might involve snacks, so I have to try to pace myself when I get there.

BREAKFAST

Some leftover tuna
Oatmeal

LUNCH

1 Portabella veggie burger
Diet Coke

SNACK

Zone Bar
Salad

DINNER

Edamame Beans
1 Sweet Potato

I have a frozen challah in my freezer that I wanted to make tonight, but supposedly it takes five hours to rise, so that's not happening. Which is good for my "diet." But...mmm...challah...

UPDATE:

At the party I had:

1 Blue Moon Beer
2 cups of "punch" (a ton of alcohol and juice)
Some chips/pieces of bread/crackers

Regardless, I got home and weighed myself. 143. Wacky world!

Oh dear

2009-02-12T19:01:00.001-08:00

Today was bonkers because of work-related plans gone awry. I felt all achy due to my period, underdressing for the weather, the wind, and not eating for too long.

However, I avoided all the delicious food in Jackson Heights, ignored the bajillion Thai restaurants in Astoria, and instead purchased some healthy food at my favorite unfriendly grocery on 30th Ave. But yet -

Last night when I weighed myself I was 143 pounds. Tonight I'm 145.5. How does that happen? I know I didn't go to the gym today, but I ate so much less than I usually do and it was all healthy. Perhaps it's that I ate it all towards the end of the day, but still. I'm sad about this and hopefully tomorrow will be better. I know I shouldn't be so reliant on the scale but - argh.

UPDATE: I weighed myself again and it said 144.5. So maybe it's just feeling temperamental today.

BREAKFAST

1 cup of oatmeal

LUNCH

1 Zone Bar
1 Apple

DINNER

A couple o' servings of tuna fish
1 Portabella mushroom Gardenburger
Salad

EXERCISE

Walk to work and back (2 miles)

On a more whimsical note, here are some images that pop up when you Google the word "Zaftig"

Bouncing Back

2009-02-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

Today wasn't the healthiest day, but I also wasn't feeling very well so it was hard to really convince myself to have balanced meals.

I'm really trying to stop snacking late at night. I know that it makes a BIG difference.

BREAKFAST/LUNCH

Rice/chicken meatball/asparagus combo
Zone Bar

LUNCH

Plain roll

SNACK

Asparagus
Carrots
Salad

Diet Sprite

EXERCSE

30 minutes bicycle
10 minutes treadmill

I JUST NEED TO LOSE THREE MORE POUNDS IN ORDER TO BE A THIRD OF THE WAY THROUGH MY JOURNEY! I CAN DO IT! AND THEN I'LL LOOK LIKE THIS:

JUST KIDDING.

Unbalanced Day

2009-02-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

So today was weird because I forgot my lunch at home, which was annoying (I didn't have time to get anything healthy) and I got my period so I was all zoned out and in pain, but hopefully losing some bloat.

BREAKFAST

1 cup oatmeal
2 chicken meatballs

LUNCH

Sesame Bagel

DINNER

2 bowls of rice/asparagus/chicken meatballs
Some carrots
Zone Bar
Milky Way

I came home super hungry, obviously. But all healthy food, except my lunch.

Lastly, here's an AMAZING FOOD BLOG:

This Is Why You're Fat: Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks

Nostalgia Day

2009-02-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was another day that I almost ate a bagel, but then PUT IT DOWN AND BOUGHT A PROTEIN BAR. Oh, the joy of it all.

Today is a day of reminiscing about all the food I ate as a child. At some point, my family morphed into one of those very healthy households, although we never had much junk food around to begin with. The thought of Swiss Miss vanilla puddings, which I haven't eaten in probably ten years, floated into my brain this morning - so I decided to make an ode to meals past:

Breakfast Options:
- Corn flakes, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Cracklin' Oat Bran (I never eat cold cereal anymore, too tempting to eat 3+ bowls)
- Eggo Waffles with artificial syrup (or mini-waffles, also delicious)

Lunch Options:
- Big chunk of iceberg lettuce (I still enjoy this)
- Kosher Bologna
- Butter sandwich (Yes, my parents instilled in me that there was something called a Butter Sandwich)
- Polly-o string cheese
- Assortment of candy from The Milk Mart or Futtermans. (i.e. The Charleston Chew, one of the weirdest/grossest candy bars I took a liking to)

Snack Options:
- Green apple (still a favorite)
- Vanilla Fingers
- Nutter Butters
- Swiss Miss vanilla pudding

Dinner Options:
- Velveeta Macaroni and Cheese (this was my favorite)
- Lamb chops (My mom was a big fan of lamb chops)
- English Muffin Pizzas (these were delicious)
- Vegetables (still good).

Ah, memory lane. I think reclaiming English Muffin Pizzas might be a good thing, but most other things on that list are probably good to avoid. I try to abstain from anything that has high fructose corn syrup in it, and I'm sure the pudding and syrup is chockfull of that shit.

What are all your nostalgia foods?

Yesterday

2009-02-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I did a couple things that I was proud of:

- Went to the gym (okay, nobody throw me a parade for that)
- Got super hungry while doing errands. Went into a bagel store (specifically Brooklyn Bagel, which is DELICIOUS), then TURNED AROUND AND LEFT.

That's what's called mindfulness! I am really trying. I also drank whiskey and Diet 7 Up and Diet Ginger Ale and ate a Milky Way so it wasn't all positive, but I'm still happy with it.

BREAKFAST/LUNCH

1 cup of oatmeal

1 chicken leg

For dinner I'll probably go to Chipotle. I know I shouldn't but anytime I get close to Astor Place, I just am drawn, magnetically, to the beautiful wonder that is a chicken burrito with black beans, no sour cream or cheese.

Chilly

2009-02-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

It's SO COLD OUT. Granted, I'm thrilled that it's light out at 5pm. That is wonderful. But I was cold and tired and did not go to the gym. Blargh.

I'm watching Rachel Maddow and all the Republicans are driving me fucking crazy with all their stupid tax cut ideas and deregulation mumbo-jumbo. It would be one thing if they were conservatives, but they're NOT, they're just selfish and impractical. I'm so happy Obama called them out on how these ideas DON'T WORK and they are WHY WE ARE IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS IN THE FIRST PLACE. WTF.

Anyway, none of this is diet-related:

BREAKFAST

Tuna fish

LUNCH:

Whole wheat pasta and shrimp and tomato sauce

SNACK:

1 Zone Bar

DINNER:

Whole wheat pasta and shrimp and tomato sauce
Salad
1 Chicken Leg

SNACK:

Popcorn

And Lindsay Lohan, my favorite dumb-as-nails actress, looking beautiful and slightly athletic:

Wednesday

2009-02-04T15:14:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST

3 mini-quiches
A couple spoonfuls of cous-cous

LUNCH

Cous-cous
1 Zone Protein Bar

SNACK/DINNER (kind of blended into each other)

Leftover cous-cous
Leftover spaghetti squash

Bowl o' tuna fish

REST OF NIGHT

Diet Coke
Popcorn (I'm on a popcorn kick...)

EXERCISE

Leisurely walk to work and back - 2 miles
35 minutes bicycle
10 minutes treadmill
5 minutes weights

Lord knows I never want to be as large as Aretha Franklin is now, but look how cute she was in the 60's! I love this album cover.

Healthy Eating

2009-02-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

Future plans: Download song by T.I. Thanks boo

BREAKFAST

2 egg muffins / mini-quiches (egg, onion, mushroom)

LUNCH

Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce
Peas

SNACK

1 mini quiche
1 orange

DINNER

Mushroom Soup
Peas

SNACK

Popcorn

These are my confessions...

2009-01-29T20:06:00.000-08:00

These are my confessions
Just when I thought I said all I could say
My chick on the side said she got one on the way
These are my confessions

Just kidding, those are Usher's confessions. Mine are that I've been negligent in blogging and only blog when I'm doing super awesome. FREYA, do not fear. I don't usually eat just brussels sprouts for lunch. That was an off day, but I probably wrote because I wanted to curtail eating for the day and knew writing would help me do so.

Tomorrow I return to the gym. I've found a million reasons not to go this week that were all B.S. As of a few days ago (and I don't want to weigh myself tonight but I should), I was only two pounds away from having lost ten pounds since I started this Magical Weight Loss Journey. I seriously don't care how long it takes me to lose these pounds. The point is that I want to lose weight eventually and eat better and be stronger.

Also, tonight on her magical birthday, my anonymous roommate bought a vibrator. A new one was going to be a gift to myself when I reached 140 pounds. Yes, I can!

Good News/Bad News

2009-01-21T18:58:00.001-08:00

Good news:

- I bought a dress in a size 8 (although it's pretty tight and also a fancy brand that probably makes the buyer feel skinnier)
- I have figured out how to make tuna fish the way my dad does, so I now have a no-frills easy source of protein. As long as I don't eat it too often (mercury?) I figure it's a great food to add to my repertoire. Anyone have anything else to add about tuna, either negative or positive? It seems pretty healthy - I buy the kind that is canned in water and I add only a few dollops of light mayonnaise.
- I resisted buying a giant bag of chips today when I was at the supermarket and really hungry and it was terribly tempting. But I'm trying to practice mindfulness a la Dan Mishkin, Alice's dad, who eats (or used to eat) the same way I do.

Bad news:

- I am sure I gained weight at my parents' house this weekend because they have lots and lots of yummy food.

Back to the gym! I went today and did the usual.

My basic problem area is my thighs. Everything else I feel pretty confident about and am sure will slim down with time. But my thighs are all...jiggly. Meh.

Happy Obama day! In honor of our awesome president, here's L Magazine's Guide to getting as fit as Barack Obama.

Cold and Snowy

2009-01-15T15:31:00.001-08:00

Currently watching the first episode of "Friday Night Lights," a show I've heard some positive things about. It's also scored by Explosions In The Sky, which is a great instrumental/electronic (?) band. It's a really beautifully done show, but I hope it doesn't fall into the trap of making high school girls look 25 and act really slutty/seductive/overly confident. So far it's skirting on dangerous territory.

BREAKFAST

1 egg
1/2 cup of oatmeal

LUNCH

1/2 a bagel

DINNER

Shrimp and broccoli
Stir-fried zucchini
Salad

EXERCISE

Walked to work and back (2 miles)
15 minutes treadmill
10 minutes elliptical
25 minutes bike
Weights

Captain Obvious

2009-01-14T20:27:00.000-08:00

Argh. I hate how easy it is to lose weight. I don't mean that it's easy in actual practice, but that there are no real tricks to it. All you need to do is eat less and exercise more. And I almost hate how easy it is because then there's no real excuse for failure.

For example, I've really tried in the last two days to exercise and eat better. And of course, I lost a pound and a half. My body is surprisingly malleable - if I treat it well, it responds in kind. Unfortunately, I am...bad...at...that. I can do really well for a few days and then someone has a potluck and it all goes out the window.

Anyway.

BREAKFAST

2 egg whites, 1 yolk

LUNCH

Chicken soup with wild rice and barley
Piece of bread

DINNER

Salad
Broccoli and a few pieces of shrimp

DRINKS/DESSERT

2 glasses of white wine
Milky Way

Sauna Etiquette

2009-01-13T20:16:00.000-08:00

Today I did pretty well, aside from my sad lunch. I went to the gym (!) and had a very zen time in the sauna. What is sauna etiquette? I lay there by myself with a towel on my nether regions, leaving my top exposed. How naked is too naked in a sauna? I mean, I was by myself, so I wasn't offending anyone, but I'd like to know.

It was super relaxing.

BREAKFAST

1 egg white, 1 yolk

LUNCH

Zone bar

DINNER

Vietnamese food (Rice noodles, chicken, vegetables)

MOVIE SNACK

Twizzlers

EXERCISE

40 minutes bike
15 minutes treadmill
Weights

Other People's Food

2009-01-12T08:06:00.000-08:00

Being at AJ's is hard for me because I tend to snack on her food, which I feel entitled to because she doesn't pay me. I usually bring something healthy for myself, but get noshy and antsy. Today was case in point - chocolate was offered to me, and after she left, I ate some of her bread. BREAD! Thou art my enemy.

Breakfast:

1 apple
1 banana
1/2 a cookie

Snack:

2 mini chocolate truffles @ AJ's

Lunch:

Black bean, onion, green pepper stir fry
Miso Soup

Dessert:

3 pieces of chocolate

Snack

2 plain hamburger rolls...arghhhh.

PLAN for dinner:

Salad
Shrimp and broccoli stir fry

PLAN for exercise:

Go to the gym!

Leftovers

2009-01-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST

2 chicken legs (yes, I'm strange)

LUNCH

Brussels Sprouts

DINNER

Shrimp & mushroom stir fry
Leftover won ton soup
Diet Coke

EXERCISE

Walk to work & back (2 miles)
35 minutes bicycle
15 minutes treadmill
10 minutes elliptical

Small Victories

2009-01-07T18:56:00.000-08:00

A couple things have helped me lose my annoying holiday weight and return to my current 145:

1) Getting a stomach bug
2) Going back to the gym
3) Making small, good decisions. For example, today I passed by a Chipotle and I didn't go in and eat there. Even though I was somewhat hungry. And it was the same side of the street that I was on. Instead I kept walking - 35 blocks, as a matter of fact!

Now it's a matter of losing those next pesky five pounds. I'm going to the gym tomorrow and working my little tush off.

BREAKFAST

Mushroom omelette
Toast
A couple M&Ms

LUNCH

Spinach knish

SNACK

String cheese

DINNER

1 chicken leg
Edamame beans
1 apple

happy new year!

2009-01-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

So I didn't make "losing weight" a New Year's resolution because it's sort of pointless . I actually didn't really make any resolutions this year because I usually end up breaking them, which is depressing. Also, it was the first year where New Year's Eve felt like any other fun night and New Year's Day felt like any other lazy day.

I've been eating poorly for these last few weeks, but now I've got a stomach bug, so everything I'm eating is going right through me. It's pretty gross. When I feel better, I'm going back to that lovely gym o'mine. I really do like it there. It's clean, uncrowded, and I feel totally anonymous. No chance of running into preppy girls from my high school, although going to the gym with friends IS more helpful.

Anyway, time to head to bed, as I am exhausted from all the holiday festivities and all the pooping.

Happy New Year everyone!

L

Have a Holly Jolly...

2008-12-24T12:57:00.000-08:00

Back on track! Okay, I've been making up excuses to avoid the gym like the dickins (that's a phrase, right?). Here are a few:

1. I don't have time (not true)
2. I'm not wearing underwear today (true)
3. It's Christmas Eve! They close at 5! I won't get there until 4:30!

I mean, #3 is true, but I could have gone this morning if I had put a little thinking into it.

I have five pounds to lose before I hit even my first goal of 140 pounds. Why is it so hard? I know if I just get back on the exercise trail, it will be easier for me. I also need to go to sleep earlier. It makes me happier and it keeps me from late-night snacking.

11:00 AM

1 can of chicken noodle soup
1 piece of pita bread

3:30 PM

Panera chicken caesar salad (dressing on side)
Whole grain baguette

Plan for tonight? NO bread, lots of veggies. Let's see !

Thurz

2008-12-18T21:59:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST

Oatmeal

LUNCH

Cous-cous
Portabella burger
1 bag of Panera chips
3 bite-sized chocolate muffins

(When people bring treats to work, it's dangerous!)

SNACK

Carrots & dip

DINNER

2 chicken legs

EXERCISE

Walk to work and back (2 miles)

The scale says 144.5
Could it be?

Tomorrow = gym, and eating an egg white omelette for breakfast. Oatmeal is delicious, but it's pretty heavy in the morning.

Creeping Out My Friends*

2008-12-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

*I love you Rischa.

I'm so noshy!

BREAKFAST

Oatmeal
Clementine

LUNCH

Quinoa
Portabella Mushroom Burger

DINNER/SNACK

Street Hot Dog (hm, mistake...)

DINNER PART II

Green Peas
Chicken Noodle Soup

Lovestoned

2008-12-14T07:19:00.001-08:00

Listening to some awful(ly great) Justin Timberlake...

Okay, so I've been bad about posting my food intake and I think that's been detrimental, so I'm going to start again. So far I'm almost at the finish line of holiday parties that are heavy on the eating. I haven't done that great, but it's almost over...

OFFICE HOLIDAY PARTY: 2 slices of pizza, 2 garlic knots, 1 rice krispie thing, 1 glass of wine, 1.5 bottles of beer, a couple pretzels and a couple chips.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE MAKING PARTY: 2 mugs of hot apple cider, 2 cups of Coke (non-diet), lots of candy!

While at Rischa's, I did the creepy thing that I do which is go to the bathroom, take off all my clothes, and weigh myself on someone else's scale. It said 145.6, so that's all right. Gads, FIVE pounds, Maggie, you can do it! I went to the gym yesterday to work off the office party, so that was good, and I'm going to go again after work today.

And here's a video that still keeps me mesmerized. Nothing weight-loss related at all.

BREAKFAST:

1 string cheese
2 pieces of candy
1 omelette

LUNCH

1 slice of chicken pizza
Diet Coke

DINNER

Carrots
Salad
String cheese
2 cookies

EXERCISE:

Walked to work & back (2 miles)
15 min treadmill
15 min elliptical
15 min bicycle
Weights

Weighed myself: 147 lb! MEHHHH

Quickpost

2008-12-10T22:15:00.000-08:00

I'm about to fall asleep so a quick post:

- Forced myself to go to the gym today
- Ate pretty well, besides overdosing on some Kashi crackers
- Saw a loss on the scale.

If I can keep this up, I'll feel really good. Losing weight is SO motivating. Just seeing one pound drop makes me want to go back to the gym tomorrow.

Time for sleep.

Zoned Out

2008-12-08T14:41:00.000-08:00

So, I ended up wasting most of my calories last night on alcohol - I drank four beers, I think! Wow. I ate 2 pieces of pizza and 1 piece of (amazing) cake baked by my friend/domestic goddess Melanie.

I did weigh myself and I'm at 146, so I'm definitely gaining weight back and I have to nip it in the bud. Tonight when I go food shopping I'm going to bring along a couple recipes and the Zone cookbook Alice got us, so I don't just get the same things over and over again (chicken, frozen brussels sprouts, cheese, etc).

BREAKFAST

Oatmeal

LUNCH

Salad

SNACK

Celery and sunflower seed butter (yum!)

DINNER

Spinach
Cous-cous
M&M's

So I weighed myself and I'm just zooming all the way up there. I would be depressed about that, but I just watched "Taxi To The Dark Side" which depressed me so much that gaining weight seems fairly minor. However, I'm going to blame these pounds on my period, which just arrived today.

WORD OF WISDOM: DON'T WATCH A DOCUMENTARY ON TORTURE ON THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR PERIOD!

On the Scale

2008-12-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

I need to start weighing myself again. When I don't, I just over-eat and blindly hope that I'm not going to gain weight. Then I'm afraid to weigh myself even more because I know that I'll have put on pounds.

For a while I looked forward to weighing myself every night because I would hope to see a drop. It gives me something to work towards and I feel myself veering off track. Tonight, I will weigh myself and just deal with whatever number is there.

BREAKFAST

Salad
Leftover chips (I know, gross)

LUNCH

Panera salad with chicken, dressing on side
Piece of whole grain bread

DINNER (PLANNED)

1-2 pieces of pizza (@ pizza party)
1-2 beers
1 piece of dessert if it's super tempting, otherwise, skip it.

Drunk, economical post

2008-12-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST

Oatmeal
1 Cheese stick

LUNCH

1 cup chicken noodle soup
Celery and sunflower seed butter

DINNER

1 cheese stick

COCKTAIL PARTY

Multiple glasses of wine = drunkkkkk
3 cookies
3 pieces of bread & olive spread

POST PARTY SNACK

Tortilla Chips

Exercise

Walked around Flushing, Queens = 2-3 miles

The TMI Post

2008-12-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

I ate sooo much today. I've also been drinking so much Diet Coke that it soon it will run through my veins like blood. It's gross.

I think I'm turning into an old lady whose body can't process certain types of food. Both times I've gone to the local Thai restaurant, I've gotten sick afterwards, even though used to love Thai food. Tonight I got pancakes and eggs at the diner and spent a disgusting amount of time in the bathroom afterwards (and I mean disgusting. I'll leave it at that). What it could be? Pancakes and eggs seem like harmless foods. I'm wondering if I'm a tad lactose intolerant. When I was at my parent's house I ate cereal and milk, which I never do anymore, and had stomach problems then too. Alas, alack.

BREAKFAST

Oatmeal
Egg white omelette (with a touch of yolk)

LUNCH

Cous-cous with chicken & spinach
Apple
Piece of chocolate

SNACK

Carrots & hummus
WW String cheese

SNACK #2

Celery & sunflower seed butter

DINNER

Pancakes at the Neptune Diner [quickly ejected from my body!]
2 eggs

Sunflower Seed Butter

2008-12-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

So I've been bad about blogging because (surprise!) I've been bad about eating. I've just been in this unholy binge-eating mentality for a couple days now and it's been difficult to shake.

But I need to own up! Today wasn't terrible, but I did eat popcorn when I really wasn't hungry for it. When I have the noshing urge, I just want all carbs, all the time.

I went to the gym today, which was good. Tomorrow I have a complimentary training session, which I got when I signed up for membership.

Okay, so Mission (Im)possible: Coming up this month I have loads of social events that will inevitably involve eating. Pizza party, cocktail party, pot-luck party, my work holiday party... There are a couple strategies I've tried in the past and none of them have worked too well. I usually eat way more than I need to and the calories just pile on when you add beer and wine.

The only thing that has succeeded in even a minor way was trying to eat light all day before the event, so that my total intake for the day isn't ridiculous. I hate that when I'm at a party, I'm inwardly freaking out that the food will be gone if I don't go back for seconds and thirds. It's a sick mentality and it takes away from my enjoyment. But it's hard to break free. Any advice?

BREAKFAST

1 cup oatmeal
1 WW skim cheese stick

LUNCH

Panera salad with chicken
Piece of bread
100-calorie bag o'popcorn

DINNER

Carrots and hummus
Celery and sunflower seed butter (actually very good! Leftover from Talia)
(I know that's a terrible dinner, but I feel lazy)

SNACK

WW Cheese
Apple

EXERCISE

Walked to work and back (2 miles)
20 minutes treadmill
10 minutes elliptical
10 minutes bicycle
5 minutes weights

Happy Holidays! I enjoy the photo below because there is such a range of emotions going on. Wow. Santa.

Back on track-ish

2008-12-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

So I weighed myself and I am still 145...a miracle! So maybe I gained a pound during Thankgiving-palooza, but to still be at 145 makes me feel good.

I was sitting eating two giant bowls of cous-cous/chicken/spinach mixture, thinking about how healthy I was being despite my disgusting portions, when I stumbled upon this:

Yuppie Foodies Hoodwinked by "Health Halo"

Describes me to a T! Portion control ye are my nemesis.

Key Foods

2008-12-01T19:57:00.000-08:00

I didn't eat a very healthy or filling lunch today, but I think my body sorely needed a break from being overstuffed. Tomorrow - the GYM!

BREAKFAST

Apple

LUNCH

Tortilla chips
Some Mary's Gone Crackers oh dear lord they are so good

SNACK

1 Weight Watchers 1-point cheese stick

DINNER

Salad
Carrots & Hummus
1 more Weight Watchers 1-point cheese stick

SNACK

100-calorie snack bag o'popcorn

Back On The Wagon

2008-11-30T07:58:00.000-08:00

Man, being at my parents' house was like a black hole of food. I haven't eaten that much in a while. I realized that being there gives me this weird compulsion to NOT STOP EATING. I honestly don't feel that way when I'm in my apartment. Sometimes I feel "noshy" but I don't usually eat until I'm physically ill. Blech.

But now I've escaped and I'm back in lovely Queens, supplied with some healthy food donated by my mom. I didn't even weigh myself at home because I was too nervous to see what it would say, and I'm probably not going to weigh myself for another week or so. My sister said it was impossible for me to have gained back all the weight I lost...but I wouldn't put it past my quick-reacting body.

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH

Leftover turkey
Leftover risotto
1 clementine

LUNCH

Bagel

DINNER

Turkey
Risotto
Salad

SNACK

1 clementine
2 apples

The binge eater is backkkkkk!

Days Of Eating Poorly

2008-11-27T18:51:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that I've been eating terribly this week (due to anxiety and lack of sleep) I was still able to impress my grandmother with my minor weight loss. Yay!

"You look good," she said, wagging her finger at me. "Keep it up." This part was a bit menacing. "Keep it up. Get as skinny as a bean!"

Later, I made the mistake of admitting how I was really full from Thanksgiving.

Grandma: "It's all that bread!"
Me: "I didn't eat THAT much bread."
Grandma: "YES YOU DID!!!"

Was she watching me eat? Yeesh!

Luckily, my uncle (who is not psycho) also told me that I had lost weight. It was the first thing he said when I saw him, actually. This was nice. It makes me feel like this is working and it's not just in my head. I'm sure I've canceled it all out by this time, but I know I can get back on track. I eat so much better when I control my food. Right now I'm at my parents' house and it's just all-food-all-the-time.

Sleep/Food

2008-11-26T15:35:00.000-08:00

I haven't been getting any sleep lately so of course I'm eating terribly. I'm trying to blog even when I eat poorly, so here goes. Basically, I don't usually eat so much
A) Chocolate
B) Straight-up simple carbs (pasta)

BREAKFAST

1/2 cup oatmeal
1 egg
1 brownie

LUNCH

Carrots
Pesto pasta & chicken

SNACK

1 Milky Way
1 Brownie

DINNER

Pesto pasta
Vegetables

One Of Those Body-Issue Type Things

2008-11-24T22:32:00.001-08:00

I had a pretty weird/bad day of eating. I also haven't been to the gym in a while, mostly due to TIMING things. I've had lots of interviews/film screenings/social events to go to. In case that sounded too exciting, most of these interviews were along the lines of "Babysit my child for eight dollars an hour."

I'm not even going to weigh myself tonight because I can't imagine it's anything good. Last I checked, I was 144! I just want to think about that number and try to get back into the mindset.

Alice upped my self-esteem tonight when I modeled these black pants from the Gap that I got at the clothing swap. I guess they're flattering? I'm so used to hiding my body in skirts, it's really hard for me to feel confident in pants. I also have a tendency to wear like five bras. It's an addiction that comes and goes...I did it a lot in high school and now I'm back, a la Tobias Funke and his cut-offs. I'm so jealous of all the women out there with their perky boobs. That's why this is one of my favorite 30 Rock moments:

Tomorrow is another day. Sallyforth!

BREAKFAST

Egg white omelette
Rice & Beans

SNACK

15+ little Kashi crackers
1/2 Pomegranate

SNACK #2

Milky Way

DINNER

Chipotle Chicken Burrito

Overeating

2008-11-23T17:31:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST

1 cup oatmeal

LUNCH

Diet Coke :(

DINNER

2 Portabella Veggie Burgers
1 cup of couscous (A LOT)
Spoonful of rice & beans that I was cooking for tomorrow

Of course, with this uneven eating, I feel pretty sick right now. Blagh.

Stay The Course

2008-11-22T12:29:00.001-08:00

So yesterday I was pleased with myself because I went out for a friend's birthday and didn't drink at all. Not because I'm worried about alcoholism, just because I didn't want to spend money or waste carbs and calories on drinking. I can usually have just as much fun when I'm sober, and I did.

Then I found $2 in my pocket and got a chocolate bar. Oh, well. It was very yummy. For dinner all I had had were brussels sprouts and an apple, so I was hungry. Today I woke up really hungry and I had stayed the night at my friend's apartment in Park Slope. By the time I took four dumb trains back to Queens, I was really ravenous. So of course I've eaten loads today already.

Tonight I'm going out to dinner with a friend. I think my goal tonight is going to be: I MUST LEAVE A MORSEL OF FOOD ON MY PLATE.

This is my challenge - I always finish my plate regardless of whether or not I'm full. So...I've posted it here and let's see if I can do it.

LUNCH

Chicken noodle soup
2 clementines

SNACK

Oatmeal
Clementine

UPDATE: So I went to dinner and completely forgot about my little plan. However, at the fancy overpriced sushi restaurant, I ordered what I thought was a sushi roll, but ended up just being A PIECE OF SUSHI. One large piece of sushi. Or, rather, two large pieces of sushi. That's no meal (in my book). I also had miso soup.

DINNER

2 pieces of sushi
1 bowl of miso soup

DESSERT

Milky Way

(I've been having so much chocolate-craving lately!)

Snail's Pace

2008-11-20T15:39:00.000-08:00

Holding steady at 145...I need to work a little harder at losing these next five pounds. Today is a good example of me eating a lot of dense foods even when I wasn't that hungry. On the plus side, I haven't snacked late at night in a long time.

Thanks for the exercise thoughts, Risch! I definitely feel good about myself when I exercise, because at least I'm burning some calories and doing something productive. Maybe when I do some actual running on the treadmill, I'll feel those magical endorphins. I used to get them when I really lost myself in exercise, like when dancing up a storm. I miss Dance Dance Party Party but it's held on Sundays, when I work at the Museum.

Lastly, every woman's hero (Tina Fey) used to be quite a bit heavier. As if I couldn't love her more - she had a weight problem. Sigh. Here's an excerpt of an interview with her:

Speaking of pumpkins, are you a healthy eater?
I try. When I was 29 — I am 36 now — I lost about 35 pounds. I did it through Weight Watchers. That's when I learned how to eat properly for the first time. Before, I used to be one of those people who wouldn't eat anything all day, then eat a piece of cake at 4 p.m., McDonald's at 10 p.m., and then go to bed.

Well, if Tina Fey can do it, I can too.

BREAKFAST:

1 string cheese
Oatmeal

LUNCH

Chicken caesar salad (dressing on the side)
Whole-grain baguette

DINNER

2 Chicken legs

SNACK

Bowl of oatmeal

EXERCISE

Not much (leisurely walk to work and back - 2 miles)

Mehhhhh

2008-11-19T16:59:00.000-08:00

I know exercise is supposed to give you endorphins, but I exercised today and it made me sad that I didn't feel happier. What a vicious cycle. I also ate a big dinner because I had meant to eat a snack mid-day but it didn't happen.

BREAKFAST:

1 cup oatmeal
1 egg

LUNCH:

Quinoa
Brussels Sprouts
1 String Cheese

DINNER:

Salad
2 chicken legs
Quinoa Pasta
1 string cheese

EXERCISE:

20 minutes treadmill (alternating running and speed-walking, per K's suggestion)
15 minutes bicycle
Weights

My latest procrastination tool is watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Man, that show is awesome and super feminist, at least most of the time. I have such a soft spot for the old episodes.

Noshy

2008-11-18T07:18:00.001-08:00

Another day of eating a lot of cheese (albeit "skim" and "low-fat"). Why is cheese so good? Alice just told me that her idea of eating a lot of cheese is eating a block of cheese surrounded by more cheese. So maybe I'm not doing too badly.

Today I had some thoughts about body dysmorphia (another word I'm apparently spelling wrong). I used to not comprehend how anorexics could look in the mirror and think of themselves as fat. Now I sort of understand it. When I look in the mirror, I can't look at myself objectively. It's a complete mystery to me what other people think when they look at my body. I almost want to give random people a survey: "How Would You Describe This Woman?" Fat? Chubby? Plump? Average? Obese? Round? Curvy? Normal?

I shouldn't worry about what other people think. But it's difficult. The hardest part of starting this blog was admitting that I had to lose weight. I was under the misguided notion that if I didn't tell anyone I was overweight that NOBODY WOULD KNOW. Hence, the "secret" dieting that always seemed to fall apart a week later. I'm hoping this is more sustainable.

And thanks Katie for the exercise suggestion! I am going to try adding some running to my repertoire, as long as it's in (very) short spurts.

BREAKFAST:

Zone Protein Bar (Caramel, not that good)
2 Egg Whites

LUNCH:

Salad
Low-fat/skim Polly-O cheese
Portabella Mushroom Burger (yummmmm)

SNACK:

Polly-O cheese

DINNER:

1 Chicken Leg
Brussels Sprouts
1 cup Oatmeal

EXERCISE:

25 minutes treadmill
30 minutes bicycle
Weights

Weekend Update

2008-11-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

So I haven't been eating oh-so-well this weekend, but that's mostly due to alcohol. I've been trying to get better at protein consumption, and I've bought some eggs in order to make sure my breakfast is proteinous. (I thought that was a word?)

For instance, Saturday night I had the most sugary, carb-y drinks imaginable. Two margaritas and a Blue Moon beer. By the time I got to Hannah's, I was REALLY feeling those drinks, so when I went to the bathroom, I promptly took off all my clothes and weighed myself on her scale. It said 145 pounds! This makes me happy because it confirms that my scale isn't TOO crazy. It also means that at least as of Saturday, I have lost 7 pounds since I started this "magical weight loss journey" and slow-but-steady wins the race.

Also, with the exception of today, ever since I've joined the New York Sports Club, I've worked out EVERY DAY. Hooray! I don't run on the treadmill, I just speed-walk really fast, but I figure it's better for me to break a sweat doing something low-impact for 30 minutes than run for 3 minutes and give up. But am I wrong? Should I pushing myself a little harder? Keep in mind that I hate exercising.

Today's video is a hearkening back to the woman who inspired me to start this blog, Jennette Fulda. I know I posted a video of her before, but I don't think I posted this interview. I just think she's smart, pretty, and sassy and I love her blog.

BREAKFAST

Chicken noodle soup (I know, I'm weird but: PROTEIN!)

LUNCH

Zone protein bar
Low-fat/skim mozzarella stick

DINNER

Mushroom pizza slice
1 glass of Coney Island-inspired Beer
Diet Coke

DESSERT

Brownie (grrrr Alice you make delicious things)

Kind of a cheesy day, but onward and upward. Tomorrow = GYM!

It's fweaky

2008-11-13T19:57:00.000-08:00

I got on the scale at the gym today and it was one of those doctor's office scales where you have to balance the weight. I find those confusing. The scale also said I was heavier than I thought I was. This made me depressed. But I also don't know if I was doing it right. I just want to know for sure how much I weigh! When I think I'm losing weight, I eat so much better because I'm excited and motivated. So today felt like a bummer, but go forth I shall.

Thanks for the support, Soph! I miss you!

In celebration of working out, I'll post a totally ridiculous music video I watched at NYSC while cycling, featuring one of my favorite people, Cornell Haynes Jr. (a.k.a NELLY)

BREAKFAST

1 cup oatmeal

LUNCH

Sweet potato
Vegetable bean soup

SNACK

Yogurt
Salad

DINNER

Quinoa pasta & Quorn meatballs
Salad
Wine

DESSERT

Yogurt #2

EXERCISE:

Leisurely walk to work & back (2 miles)
30 minutes bicycle
15 minutes treadmill
Weights

Day One of Actual Exercise

2008-11-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

Today was the first day of hopefully many days at NYSC. It was nice and uncrowded, but I felt sort of awkward with all the weight equipment. I am small-statured so sometimes I think the machines should be adjusted for me, but I don't really want to mess with it. But I worked out for about an hour and it felt pretty good.

BREAKFAST

Oatmeal

LUNCH

Brussels Sprouts
Overpriced protein bar

DINNER

Quinoa/Kamut pasta with Quorn meatballs

EXERCISE:

Leisurely walk to work and back (2 miles)
30 minutes treadmill
30 minutes bicycle
Weights

I'm sure I'll have a snack later on as well. I was on my way to Key Food, my usual chain grocery store, but I wanted quinoa, so I ducked into the local organic store, Kai Organics. I'd never been in there, but I was swayed by the sign on their door: "THE BATHROOM INSIDE IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL HUMAN BEINGS. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY." And then some Buddhist quote. I really respect that. Everyone should be able to have urinary freedom.

Anyway, in addition to regular quinoa, they had these quinoa/kamut pasta twists, so I bought that as well. Ah, quinoa. Protein-filled miracle grain.

p.s. I just realized that I don't think my NYSC has ellipticals. TRAVESTY!

Thoughts on gyms and self-image

2008-11-11T20:08:00.000-08:00

So I joined a gym! Thanks for your input, Rischa - I was especially concerned with contracts due to the fact that I might travel next year and don't want to be stuck paying for months that I can't use.

I ended up picking New York Sports Club for a couple reasons. First, this is the birthday present from The Folks and since they're paying, I thought I could rule out Lucille Roberts. It's a decent club, but sort of run-down and their weekend hours were really limited. (I think they close at 3 pm on weekends). The Rock (near me) was super expensive. Also, my father told me he recommended NYSC because then I could use it in different locations. Since he's paying for this gift, I figured I should go with his suggestion. The registration was $59 and then I think it's $60/month. So while it's not cheap, I do like the atmosphere and layout and classes and I think (hope!) it will be worth it. I've lost five pounds so far by trying a little harder to think about what I am eating, so I think the next five pounds might be lost through actual exercise. Who knows?

In celebration of embarking on this new step of physical education, I shall post one of my favorite and most gratuitous/ridiculous music videos about a workout class:

On a more serious note, I want to lose weight to look and feel better, but for another really important reason as well. When I look at slender or fit women, I get really jealous - but not because I wish I looked like them.

The reason I'm jealous is because I assume that these women don't spend 75% of their day worried about their bodies. I can't help but think that their weight is NOT what takes up most of their precious brain-time. I have so much useful energy that gets wasted because I'm freaked out about how I look! It must be so nice to put on shorts and just go outside - or to have a bathing suit be just another form of attire. It's possible that I'm romanticizing the lives of others (it's a habit of mine) but I have to say, losing some mental baggage is something I'm looking forward to and hopefully working towards.

Good Fat

2008-11-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

I need to get some good fats in my life - tomorrow I'm going to pick up some salmon. Eating salmon is like a shot in the arm, so good! I'm also going to check out New York Sports Club.

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH

Chicken
Salad

LUNCH

Protein Bar
Diet Coke

DINNER

Brussels Sprouts
Popcorn
Wine

Yeesh, what a weird eating day!

The Girl's All Right With Me

2008-11-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

DONE! My parents asked what I wanted for my b-day, I requested a gym membership, and they said "Great." So tomorrow I think I'll check out a gym on Ditmars. It's called The Rock (grrrr!) and it looks stupid expensive, but it's also open 24 hours during the week (which I like).

What do you all pay?

I'm sure I could talk them down a bit, but it seemed like there was a high registration fee, like $200. Then it was something like $80/month. I think NYSC was $70 a month and it didn't have a ridiculous registration fee. Thoughts?

Sleepy

2008-11-06T15:43:00.001-08:00

Today was a nice healthy eating day, but with very little exercise. When I stop myself from eating out, I eat SO much healthier. Today I was very hungry (and tired) on the way back from a meeting. I kept thinking, "Chipotle! Pizza! Neptune Diner!" But I just walked home (also I didn't have any money on me, which was good), where I ate some yummy real food. Then I cooked some stuff for tomorrow, which will also prevent me from eating out too much.

BREAKFAST:

1 cup of Oatmeal

LUNCH:

Salad
Italian Vegetable/Noodle Soup
Bread

SNACK:

2 hard boiled egg whites with hummus

DINNER:

1/2 cup Israeli cous cous
Spinach

DESSERT

Chocolate bar

Yes I Can!

2008-11-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

I am so exhausted from the past few days. I haven't really written because I've been eating poorly. I ate a TON when I was canvassing in PA. That Obama campaign sure knows how to feed people!

Sophie & Katie - thank you so much for your feedback. I shall be asking for a gym membership for my birthday and I will just have to make sure I use it. I do need to get more actual exercise. The walking is helping me maintain my weight, but it certainly isn't getting rid of any flab.

I ate okay today, except for lunch.

BREAKFAST

Leftover turkey sandwich

LUNCH

Apple
3 cookies

DINNER

Salad
Sushi

Okay, time for bed. All this history-making has made me sleepy.

I LOVE YOU BARACK OBAMA! AND I LIKE YOU A LOT JOE BIDEN!

Gobama08

2008-11-02T18:19:00.001-08:00

This election is making me noivous. (That's "nervous" for all of you out there who lack New Yorker grandparents).

LUNCH

Oatmeal
Vegetable Soup

DINNER

Salad
Vegetable Soup

SNACK

Popcorn

EXERCISE

Walked to work and back (2 miles)

SCALE UPDATE: Hm, my funky scale says I lost the three pounds I had gained yesterday. Confusing. I shall weigh myself at my parents' tomorrow and get the real deal.

Daylight Savings

2008-11-01T22:08:00.001-07:00

So Halloween has come and gone and I've survived mostly unscathed. I think I need to up my weight loss commitment...it's reached a plateau, in case you hadn't noticed. I think I try to avoid eating junk in my every day life more so than I did in the past, but I haven't done enough to burn more calories than I eat.

I'm afraid to weigh myself tonight because I think I'll see a definite uptick. But I'm going to do it anyway.

LUNCH:

2 chicken legs
Israeli couscous

DINNER:

Salad
Sushi!
Grapefruit juice

LATE NIGHT SNACK:

Salad
Popcorn (but not the 100-calorie kind, the regular kind).

EXERCISE:
Walked to work and back (2.5 miles)

See, that doesn't seem SO bad but I'm really not exercising enough. Tomorrow I shall walk, as that's really good for me to do. I'm working from noon to five, so after work I should just go. If I come home to drop my stuff off or change into "jogging" clothes I'll lose momentum.

This Is Halloween, Everybody Make A Scene

2008-10-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is an incomplete food diary, as I am about to go to a Halloween party that is bound to be full of treats (and tricks). I will try not to overindulge, but parties are trickkkkky!

BREAKFAST

Scrambled egg & mushrooms
Sauteed cauliflower

LUNCH

Panera Chicken Caesar Salad (dressing on the side)
French baguette

DINNER
Vegetable Soup
2 baked chicken legs

My All-Hallows-Eve costume:

HALLOWEEN PARTY CONSUMPTION:

- 2 beers
- 1 glass of wine
- 2 doughunts
- 3 pretzels
- 2 cookies
- 1 Hershey's mini-chocolate

BLAGHHHHH I JUST CAN'T CONTROL MYSELF AT PARTIES! ANY TIPS?

Trick or Treat

2008-10-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

Oof Hallowen will not be good for my "diet." My boss brought candy in today. Everyone passing by said, "Ooh, candy! Can I have some? I mean, I really shouldn't, but..." and then of course we all ate a ton.

BREAKFAST:

Chicken noodle soup

SNACK

4 Hershey's mini-chocolates (like 300 calories, I think)

LUNCH:

Panera salad with chicken (no dressing)
Whole grain baguette

DINNER

Salad
String beans
Cauliflower

1 glass of wine

SNACK

2 hard-boiled egg whites & hummus

EXERCISE

Walked to work (1) mile, walked in the city (probably another mile) = 2 miles

And in celebration of the upcoming holidays, Ms. McCurdy's favorite film:

Blarghhhhhhhhh

2008-10-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

Got my period today blarghhhhhhhhhhhhh I got really sick. Yesterday I was at my parents'. I ate a ton, but it was all pretty healthy.

BREAKFAST

2 bowls of Shredded Wheat + 1% milk
Apple

LUNCH:

Turkey
Salad
String beans

DINNER

Mo' turkey

DESSERT

Chocolate bar!

SNACK

Beer

Shake It

2008-10-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

Today I went with AJ shooting around New York. We stopped in Madison Square Park, where she treated me to a burger from Shake Shack. I had always wanted to go and the burgers are yummy, but kind of small. I had a cheeseburger. This made me ask myself a simple question:

WHY HAVE I SPENT SO MUCH OF MY LIFE NOT EATING CHEESEBURGERS??

Is it because I was faux-kosher growing up? Because I hated mixing ingredients? Perhaps because I did not like pleasure/happiness/love? Cheeseburgers are SO good.

Whew. Got that out of my system.

BREAKFAST:
Orange Juice
Luna Bar

LUNCH
Cheeseburger
French Fries

DINNER
Sushi
Salad

Now I am drinking tea! For real!

EXERCISE:
Walking around Manhattan...probably a mile or two.

Nibble nibble nibble

2008-10-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

I had a nice cozy morning, which resulted in some nice cozy snacking. Then I went to my friend Melanie's going away party, which was a soup party = amazzzzzing!

BREAKFAST
2 hard boiled egg whites + hummus
Apple

SNACK
100 calorie pack of popcorn

LUNCH
Chicken and broccoli (Alice's leftovers)

----> It doesn't seem like that much, but I ate all of that between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

DINNER
Curry soup & pea soup
2 pieces of bread
3 glasses of wine

DESSERT
Vanilla ice cream

Saturday

2008-10-25T08:25:00.001-07:00

I didn't write yesterday, but I ate pretty well, except I didn't eat breakfast. And then I ate a lot of other stuff - okay, it's 3:00 am and I can't really remember at this point.

Tonight I ate a TON with my parents and it was delicious: fettucini with meatballs at this Italian restaurant, and then a small Tasti-D-Lite. Then I went out dancing and drinking (just one Gin-and-Tonic).

In celebration of Saturdays, here are my favorite men (David Wain, Michael Ian Black, and Michael Showalter) in all of their glory:

Popcorn

2008-10-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

Since I spend a good part of my day talking about how much I love popcorn and how much I miss my Whirl-A-Pop, Alice recommended those 100-calorie packs of popcorn. They really do the trick - there's quite a bit of popcorn in there and I'm surprised it's only 100 calories.

Today was a weird eating day. For lunch I had a portabella burger, which was DELICIOUS! It was this brand:

Then due to a change in plans, I didn't walk to the movie, but I did walk to the M60 bus after, up the Upper West Side - from 49th and 7th to 106th and Broadway. So it was 3 miles instead of 4, but still a nice walk.

BREAKFAST
Egg white omelette

LUNCH
Portabella burger (no bun)
Spinach

SNACK
Carrots and Hummus

DINNER
Chicken soup
Veggie stir-fry thing

SNACK/DESSERT
Popcorn
Mini chocolate cupcake

EXERCISE
1 mile walk home + 3 mile walk in NYC = 4 miles walked

Lesbos

2008-10-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

Yassou, friends! A website just told me that is how to say "hello" in Greek. My lovely sister just came back from the land of hot sun, Mediterranean waters, wine, and olive oil. Yum. I'm so happy she's back.

I ate better (much better) today than yesterday. But I still ate a lot.

I've been walking to work and back every day, which has got to count for something. It is a mile each way, which Google maps tells me should take me 23 minutes, but I usually leave forty because I'm such a dawdler.

Tomorrow I'm going to see/write a review of The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, which looks like your average charming Holocaust movie. The screening room is in Times Square, so I think I'll just walk there from work. It will be a four mile walk, which is great. I'm making this commitment online, so it's got to mean something!

BREAKFAST:
2 hard-boiled egg whites with hummus inside (a Zone diet recommendation, very yummy)

LUNCH:
Whole wheat pasta/veggies/chicken mix

DINNER:
Salmon
Whole wheat cous-cous
Spinach

DESSERT:
Mini-Milky-Way (note to self: buy Alice some chocolate)

LATE NIGHT SNACK:
Green apple

Burritos, Margaritas, Oh My

2008-10-21T21:21:00.001-07:00

Oh man, I really stretched my stomach to the limits tonight! To be honest, I think my stomach HAS shrunk a little bit since I started watching what I'm eating. I do eat less because I have to write it down. But I gave myself license to just go nuts tonight and I feel like I'm going to barf.

I ate lightly today in preparation for the great Burrito/Margarita Outing to celebrate Helen's temporary return to the city.

BREAKFAST:
Spinach-and-onion mostly egg white omelette

LUNCH:
Spinach
1 cup of Chicken veggie soup

DINNER
1 chicken burrito (without cheese)
2 frozen margaritas (yum)
Endless tortilla chips?

Bah, I'm not even going to weigh myself tonight because I'll be depressed about it - but if I pay attention to what I eat for the rest of the week, I know I'll see at least a maintenance, if not a loss. I've already ensured that by cooking some stuff tonight for the week, including salmon (which should be fairly edible, thanks to Alice), hard-boiled eggs, soup, etc.

Despite eating a busload of food, it was a lovely night to reunite and get drunk and talk about Haiti and politics and children of celebrities.

The Perils of Obesity!

2008-10-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Sigh! So recently I've been noticing an increase in skin tags on my otherwise adorable face. I thought maybe it was genetic (my father has a ton of them, whereas my mother has none), but I was doing a little online research and found an uncomfortable explanation for them.

While nobody really knows where these little non-cancerous lesions come from, there have been links to age (not applicable) and obesity (blahhhh!). I know I'm not morbidly obese, but I do weigh an inappropriate amount for my height and I'd be really sad if that is where these came from.

I won't post any Google images of skin tags, because they're pretty gross.

BREAKFAST
Egg white onion omelette

SNACK
Chocolate blahhh

DINNER
Popcorn
Salad

I know, I know, that dinner is PATHETIC, but I ran out of time for dinner and I was going to a movie and I love popcorn. A medium popcorn at this particular movie theater was 420 calories...not a trifling amount, but not as much as I thought.

I'm sure I'll see it reflected on the scale tomorrow, but as for now, I lost .5 lb. So that's good. I always weigh myself at the same time every day (before I go to sleep) and I know my scale is fairly wonky, but it usually reflects how much I've been working (or how little).

And lastly, the movie I watched tonight was "Changeling" which starred Angelina Jolie. You can check out my review for it on Critic's Notebook, where I like to hear myself talk. The one thing I can say is that she is one actress who does NOT look good skinny! She is a gorgeous woman, but she looked like freaking skin-and-bones in this movie and it made me sad.

THEN:

NOW:

Wild Weekend

2008-10-19T16:54:00.000-07:00

Man, it was a wild-ish weekend. I won't write about Saturday, except to say that veggie pizza is DEFINITELY the way to go. Usually, I can't stop at just one slice of pizza, but we had veggie pizza and it was so loaded down with vegetables that I was stuffed after one slice. Which is good (I think).

I did eat a bunch of bite-sized candy bars, but I stopped myself after 1 oreo, which was truly difficult for me. Then I walked 4.5 miles to the Whitney Museum. And walked around the city aimlessly, waiting for midnight to see The Shining, downing caffeinated beverages. I also had a burrito.

Today, I ate really well, except for some chocolate chips that I decided would make a great snack. I also did yoga at Yoga To the People, which was really good and I think I'll continue.

LUNCH (I slept through anything that would remotely resemble "breakfast")
Egg white spinach omelette

SNACK
Chocolate chips

DINNER
Spinach
Chicken Soup
Quinoa

TGIFZ!

2008-10-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the encouragement, Rischa! I lost a pound, so I think I'm back on track...?

I stopped by Lucille Roberts on the way back from work, because they were having a sale. It's $10/month for two years, but I know I'm only going to be here for another year (if I go to China next year), so that didn't sound ideal. For one year, it was $20/month plus a registration fee, which is still a great deal, but I wasn't sure if I could make the commitment. I can't afford it right now, so I'd have to ask for it for my birthday present from my parents. And what if I didn't use it?

Who here goes to a gym? Worth it? How much do you pay and how often do you go? This gym was kinda run-down, but had all the equipment I would need, plus classes. And it's a ladies gym, which is pretty nice. The sale is over tomorrow, but I think even a non-sale price there is fairly reasonable.

BREAKFAST:
1 omelette

LUNCH:
Lasagna
Cookies (They didn't turn out quite right, but my co-workers seemed to enjoy them)

SNACK:
Diet Coke
Cookies... :(

DINNER:
Chicken
Brussels Sprouts
Quinoa

EXERCISE:
Walked to work and back, took half hour walk while laundry was going: 2.5 miles

PMS Blues

2008-10-16T13:30:00.001-07:00

I think I'm getting my period soon. I am SO extremely tired. I've also gained back a lot of weight, so that makes me sad. Today was carb-y, but I bought some brussels sprouts & spinach, and made some chicken - so the next few days should be healthier.

BREAKFAST:
Egg (1 yolk/1 white)

LUNCH:
Lasagna

SNACK:
1 challah roll.

DINNER:
1 piece of chicken
Lasagna

"DESSERT":
4 cookies
(I was making cookies for my co-worker...I had to try them, right?)

EXERCISE:

Walk to work and back, took a walk around Ditmars: 2.5 miles

Yawn

2008-10-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

Tired. I hope I'm not getting sick.

BREAKFAST:
Omelette (1 yolk, 1 white)

LUNCH:
Tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread

SNACK:
Veggies
Sweet potato

DINNER:
Spinach
Lasagna

EXERCISE:

Walked to work and back (2 miles)

Time for...debate 08!

Wild Day

2008-10-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

So today I had to be at work early, deal with Long Island high schoolers (who were actually pretty lovely), and then come home, eat some celery & peanut butter, and dash off to Pennsylvania to try to get Barack Obama elected! I also met my future mother-in-law, possibly! Good story for a later time.

BREAKFAST:
Eggs (1 yolk, 1 white)
Toast

LUNCH:
Apple
Celery & peanut butter (I forgot my lunch)

SNACK:
Pink taffy candies (prob 4+ but they were small)

DINNER:
Burger King hamburger
Medium fries
Celerrrrry & peanut butter (at home)

Monday, Monday

2008-10-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

Today was a fairly okay day, a little heavy on bread and treats.

After work, I walked from Whitehall Street up to West 4th to meet Hannah at Dojo's. I ate a delicious turkey burger and salad. Hannah ordered a big pasta dish with chicken and broccoli. The thing I've always noticed about Hannah is that she stops eating when she's full. She'll often leave quite a bit on her plate. Something I've also noticed about Hannah is that she has a pretty great figure. I wonder if the two are related! Could it be!?

I need to start practicing leaving food on my plate. This will be very difficult for me, as I hate wasting food, and I also tend to eat every meal like it's the last one I'll ever have. When I was a kid, I had to remind myself, "Maggie, you WILL have cinnamon toast again in your life, I promise." If I have to blame this on someone, I'll blame my mom, as she tended to pack emergency food for any car trip that was going to last more than 45 minutes.

BREAKFAST

1 pc of chicken
1 pc of whole-grain bread

LUNCH

2 pcs of chicken
Tortilla chips

DINNER

Turkey burger

DESSERT/SNACK

2 (!) pieces of whole grain bread
1 package of Twizzlers

On my (weak) defense, I did have a terrible chocolate craving, which I tried to take down a notch by buying Twizzlers.

EXERCISE:

4 mile walk

Post-Festivities

2008-10-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

So, for my party I was just going to write "TONS OF STUFF" or "EW" or "A MILLION COOKIES" but I actually decided to think about how much I ate and write it down, approximately.

BRUNCH:

1 piece of pita bread
1 apple + peanut butter

DINNER:

Sweet potatoes
Piece of chicken

EVENING:

2+ glasses of wine
2+ glasses of cider + rum
1 glass of Jerry's wintry creation drink
1 soy-chocolate-oatmeal cookie
8 (?) chocolate chip cookies
1 piece of No Pudge Brownie
Baby carrots & hummus

I have not a hint of a hangover, but I do feel a little gross that I ate so much.
A little photo of the festivities last night:

TODAY'S UPDATE:

BRUNCH:

1 small piece of chicken
1 piece of pita bread
1 cookie

DINNER:

Sweet Potatoes
Salad
Small piece of chicken

Exercise:

Walked to Union Square & back = approx 5 Miles!

Fridayz

2008-10-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was Yom Kippur and my break-fast included a major amount of food that I won't list here, and some wine, and some other stuff. Blech. It was delicious but I did eat a lot.

While I was home, I re-read some journals, including one from sophomore year of college, in which I said something along the lines of, "I need to lose weight so badly! I'm 135 pounds. That's SO MUCH! Oh my gosh!" It's funny to look at that now that I'm 147 pounds. I'd just love to be 135 pounds! It's also a good wake-up call for me. For some reason, I decided that I was unbelievably, deliriously happy the first two years of college. It's good to remind myself that I had some low points (my journal makes it seem pretty dire!) and that I tend to romanticize my past.

BREAKFAST

1 bowl of Shredded Wheat cereal & 1% milk
1 piece of low-fat cheese

LUNCH

"Protein power" thing at Starbucks, which was awesome (Grapes, cheese, peanut butter, apple slices, mini-whole-wheat bagel)
Diet Coke

DINNER

2.5 pieces of pita bread
Grapes

Ughhhhh carby day! Tomorrow I shall eat healthfully & LIGHTLY since I am planning on drinking all night long and spending loads of calories on that.

Tomorrow, my goal is less along the lines of college frat party and more along the lines of Charles Bukowski.

Get excited!

Pre-Fast

2008-10-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

I started the day out strong, but lack of control over my afternoon/evening options left me weak of willpower. In the morning, I had my usual healthy breakfast (which DOES need some fruit/egg/yogurt added in the future) which strangely held me until about one o'clock. I wasn't hungry. It was weird.

Around 2 pm, my mom picked me up from work to come home for the High Holidays. At this point, I was hungry. She had brought me lunch, which came from a place in New Rochelle called "Poultry Time." When I was a kid, we ate Poultry Time a LOT. If you had asked me if I ate fried chicken, I would have said, "No way! Gross!" But one day it dawned on me that the chicken we got there was as fried as fried can be, even if it didn't come from Popeye's or something.

The point is that it's fucking amazing chicken.

Then I came home and took a nap and later my mom made a delicious dinner that was very carb-y. Challah, pasta (delicious) and chicken and brussels sprouts. Even though I ate a lot (but slowly), my rationalization for it is that I'm not eating for most of tomorrow.

BREAKFAST

1 cup oatmeal

LUNCH

2 (fried) chicken legs
1 apple

DINNER:

Challah
Soup
Chicken/Pasta
Brussels Sprouts

EXERCISE:

Zip, zero, nada

Oy vey

2008-10-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

What a strange day of eating. Last night I cooked up some yummy veggies, but then made the mistake of adding in this fake meat that Talia left in our freezer. I don't think it's actually gone bad, I just think it's gross-tasting. But I realized that too late...I brought it for lunch and ate most of it, but was still noshy, so I snacked on Amy Jo's tortilla chips. It's strange, it's like, I binge-ate Cinnamon Toast Crunch for a couple years to the point that I now don't really think about it or want it. Then again, people don't put out Cinnamon Toast Crunch at parties the way they do with chips. (Maybe I should start a trend...)

Anyway, I hopefully burned off a couple chips when I walked from 57th Street/7th Ave to Queensboro Plaza. Then I came home and made a totally bizarre dinner. And now it's time for the debates! I've been reading "Dreams From My Father" and my crush on Obama has intensified to an almost creepy degree.

BREAKFAST:

1 cup Oatmeal

LUNCH:

Veggie/fake meat stir fry
Tortilla chips :(

SNACK:

Some baby carrots
2.5 rice cakes

DINNER:

1 egg
TONS of Spinach

EXERCISE:

2.5 mile walk

p.s. I lost another pound! If I trust my funky scale (which might not be the best idea). I shall weigh myself at my parent's for Yom Kippur and see what's what.

Carbfest 08

2008-10-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

I still feel terribly confused about what to eat. Alice gave me the rundown on how carb-y some of my food choices are. Not that carbs are bad, ("Carbs are your friend!" says Alice, who is sitting next to me as I type this). But carrots having carbohydates? What? So confusing!

These are the only type of things I used to think had carbs:

But now I find out that apples, for example, are fairly high in carbs. If you have known me at all, you know that I adore green Granny Smith apples. Woe is me.

BREAKFAST:

1 cup oatmeal

LUNCH:

Chicken/veggie stir fry

DINNER:

Rice cakes
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes**

EXERCISE

2 mile walk in Astoria

** Katie, you got me hooked on sweet potatoes. I love them!

Sunday

2008-10-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

I ate "meh" today and did a lil bit of exercise. Man, I really lost vigor on this - I gotta step it up!

I went to a lovely street fair in Brooklyn today along Atlantic Avenue, where I ate some yummy snacks. The street fair was a mile long, and then I walked from 36th Ave in Astoria to my apartment, which is also a mile.

BRUNCH

1 Cup Oatmeal

Chicken/veggie stir fry

SNACKS

1/4 of a giant cupcake
2 cookies from Trader Joe's
1 small Spinach Pie

DINNER

1/2 cup beans
Chicken/veggie stir fry

Exercise: Walked 2 miles

Off The Rails

2008-10-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

I did pretty badly today, but the difference between Old Maggie and New Maggie is that I used to binge eat and then just feel guilty or decide that the next day I wouldn't eat anything (which obviously never worked). But now I just realize that I need to offset it by actually exercising and moving my body.

So I binge-ate today but I also made myself walk from Union Square to 59th Street, which is a little more than two miles. So...there's that.

BREAKFAST:

1 cup oatmeal
1 Apple

SNACK:

A million slices of bread!! Help! (Realistically, probably 6-7 slices)

DINNER:

1/2 cup beans + sauteed mushrooms

DESSERT:

A million oreos!!! (Realistically, about 7-8)

EXERCISE:

Walked 2+ miles

Tina Fey = every girl's super-hero. I adore her.

TGIF

2008-10-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

I really haven't been getting a lot of exercise lately, but I plan on doing some serious walking tomorrow to make up for it. I also am planning on going to yoga, and I have one more dance class at Alvin Ailey.

Today I did okay, except for snacking on some french fries that were offered to me by my co-worker. To quote "Oklahoma!", I'm just a girl who can't say no.

I ate lunch early, around 11:45 or noon, so by the time 4:30 rolled around I was pretty hungry. I stopped in at this Venezuelan place that I always pass, Arepas Cafe. It always looks so enticing, but nobody is ever in there. I keep telling myself I'll go in there to both try an arepa and also to give them some business, so today was that fated day.

Arepas are cornmeal patties filled with meat/cheese/veggies, a Venezuelan specialty. I picked a chicken one. It was definitely yummy, but also really greasy, which I didn't care for.

BREAKFAST:

1 cup of oatmeal

LUNCH:

Turkey-and-horseradish sandwich on whole wheat bread
Apple
10-15 french fries

DINNER:

Chicken arepa
Brussels Sprouts
Update: & Two pieces of bread (SO DANGEROUS TO HAVE THIS LOAF IN THE HOUSE!)
Diet Coke

Lastly, I saw "Volver" tonight and I find some sort of weird, twisted solace in the fact that no matter how thin I could get or how much Spanish I could learn, I could never, ever be Penelope Cruz.

Wow.

Cheap Eats

2008-10-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

BREAKFAST:

1 cup of oatmeal

LUNCH:

1 Apple
Brussels Sprouts

DINNER:

Turkey burger (yum!) @ Dojo

SNACK:

Apple

Exercise:

Some walking around the Lower East Side. I stopped in at Babeland to check out their awesome supply of vibrators. I think when I lose a certain amount of weight, like ten pounds, I shall reward myself with a new one. Since I don't have a man in my life to provide the lovin, I am not afraid to do it myself!

So pretty, but so expensive! ($185!)

More along my budget ($48)

Apples (sans honey)

2008-10-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

And we're back on track! (Sort of). Thanks for commenting, Katie, and for the good tips.

BREAKFAST:

Orange Juice

LUNCH:

Turkey and horseradish sandwich on whole-grain bread
Apple
Diet Coke

DINNER:

Turkey sandwich (my grandma gave me a lot of leftovers)
Orange juice

SNACK:

Two (!) pieces of bread. Oy.
Apple

EXERCISE:

Barely anything. I was supposed to take a long walk in the city, but it was raining and gross out.

Above is a photo of Lindsay Lohan at what I consider to be her most beautiful. Red hair, full figure, excellent movies (Freaky Friday, Mean Girls, Prairie Home Companion...), a little before her dramatic weight loss, drug use, bad movies, and general dumbassness. I'm glad she's gay now because it makes her more interesting, but she's not really any smarter or classier.

Get it together, girl! Let your hair be red, let your skin be pale, and even put on a few more pounds!

Shanah Tovah!

2008-09-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

Shanah Tovah everyone! It feels good to start a new year. Unfortunately, it's been CONSUMED with over-eating lots of luscious food. So in true new year fashion, "the diet starts tomorrow."

However, I am thinking of it differently - "taking care of my body" instead of denying myself things. So here's to eating well and exercising...tomorrow. (I am currently eating some challah - it's just too good)

Scales...of JUSTICE

2008-09-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

I bought a digital scale at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $25, but I probably should have just bought the regular scale for $10, because Alice is convinced that mine is kind of funky. (It told her she lost five pounds, then gained ten, all in one day or something). She could very well be right. I weighed myself this morning because I was bored, and it said I weighed 146 lb, but I don't know if I trust it. (Plus, I weighed myself at a different time of day than my previous "weigh-in" so that's always a bad idea). So I'm going to go ahead and say I'm 149, just to be safe. And I'll weigh myself at my parent's when I go home for the holidays.

I'm about to go to a pizza party for work. I was going to restrict myself to one slice (i.e. "Girls on diets don't eat more than one slice of pizza") but I think I would just end up eating four million cookies to compensate. So I think I'm just going to tell myself: Eat slowly. Enjoy your food. Drink a lot in between bites. Don't get stressed out that all the food will be gone. 1 slice is fine, if you have two, so be it.

UPDATE: FAILURE!!!

Oh man, I was AWFUL at this (wonderfully fun) party. I binged like none other, in a truly compulsive way. "There are still a few slices of pizza left," said my friend, "so don't be afraid to have seconds or thirds or fourths." So pushing any intelligence away from my brain, I went to have my third slice. And now I feel sick. It doesn't feel good to binge eat - why can't I remember that?

I saw this on a blog: "Eat With Dignity." I need to keep that phrase in mind. I also have to remember that I didn't gain all this weight in one day - I'm not going to lose it in one day. So I shouldn't get discouraged with slip-ups, but should keep going strong.

BREAKFAST (late, more like brunch)

1 cup oatmeal
1 plum
1 piece of cheese

LUNCH:

Broccoli & sesame seeds
Diet Coke

DINNER:

THREE slices of pizza
1 glass of wine
2 beers
1 root beer float

EXERCISE:

1 beginner hip hop class @ Alvin Ailey.

Weekender

2008-09-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

Another rainy weekend day. I spent the morning cozy in bed with the New York Times, my computer, a bowl of oatmeal, and a candle that says it's mulberry scented, but I can't vouch for that because I have no sense of smell.

Then I took a glorious walk to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, supposedly to see "The Big Sleep." It was a long, windy, sometimes ugly, sometimes pretty walk that culminated in me getting a bit lost and then deciding to just skip the movie and come home. By the time I backtracked, I only had ten minutes until the film started and I am very anal retentive when it comes to seeing the beginning of movies. Regardless, I walked from Queensboro Plaza in Long Island City to Fort Greene, Brooklyn in the gray mist. The walk was a little less than six miles.

When I got home, I watched "Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room" , which was pretty fascinating, then downed some Rum & Diet Cherry Pepsi and went out on the town for a bit.

Lastly, this post is dedicated to Aebra (I'm so happy you liked Fat Rant!), who has the kind of body I've envied since the day we met. Unfortunately, I don't see a lot of gymnastics/rugby/weight-training in my future, but if I ever somehow get a figure half as toned, fit, and beautiful as hers, I'll be happy. You're hot! Keep it up!

BREAKFAST:

1 cup of oatmeal
1 plum

LUNCH:

Protein bar (230 cals)
Baby carrots
1/2 cup beans

DINNER:

Cous-cous
1 package of brussel sprouts (See, I'm a glutton, but a healthy glutton)
1 plum

Rum and Diet Coke

EXERCISE:

Almost 6 mile walk!

Rainy Days

2008-09-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

Ah, what a rainy, glum day. Although I did have a fun day at work, and some yummy (if rushed) pizza. I made the mistake of ordering it with mushrooms. In my mind, mushroom pizza = mushrooms EMBEDDED in the pizza. Every single slice of pizza I've ordered in the borough of Queens has just canned mushrooms plopped ontop of the slice. It's not enticing. Right? Am I crazy?

Fat Rant

Even though I do think we have a bit of an obesity problem in the U.S. and personally I am trying to lose weight, I'll always have a lot of love for Joy Nash. Every time I watch her video, I like it even more. There's a lot of truth in there, especially when it comes to using fatness as an excuse. Plus, she is just beautiful!

BREAKFAST:

1 cup of oatmeal
1 small hunk of cheese (Note to self: BUY OWN CHEESE)

LUNCH:

1 slice of pizza
Diet Pepsi

SNACK:

A bunch of baby carrots
2 plums

(I'll add more later)

EDIT:

DINNER:

Salmon
Sweet potato (!!)
Broccoli

DESSERT:

Tasti-D-Lite

Walk Like A Man

2008-09-25T17:50:00.001-07:00

Today was a pretty good day for me, despite giving in to my two absolute favorite things:

- Free Food
- Bread

At work they were having a professional development day for teachers, and my boss ordered food from Panera. Afterwards there were all these yummy baguettes left over and a couple of us went up to the break room to be scavengers. You can probably tell where this story is going. Two-ish delicious thick soft pieces of bread later, I sort of stopped myself.

But! I think I made up for it because later in the day, I walked from the U.N. (I went to a Darfur rally) up to 125th Street, and then took the bus to Astoria. That's four miles! I tried to figure out how many calories that is, but the internet made it seem pretty confusing. Anybody know?

On my way home, I started to feel like I was getting sick (chapped lips, stuffy nose) plus I was getting noshy, so I stopped at a place called Healthalicious and got some matzah ball soup to go. I just finished eating it now and it was only okay. Not like my mom or grandma makes, and it wasn't particularly cheap either. But soup is soup, it usually does the trick.

BREAKFAST

1 cup of oatmeal
1 slice of cheese (Full disclosure: Alice, I ate a piece of your cheese)

LUNCH

Bread
Green Apple

(I know that's a really pathetic lunch, I didn't plan my day very well)

DINNER

Matzah Ball Soup
Salad
Diet Coke

Tomorrow is the last day of work for two of my co-workers, both of whom I like very much. So I am sad about that, but happy because we are going for pizza tomorrow for a farewell lunch and I have been craving pizza for so long! So, I will report back on my exciting Friday! Au revoir, everyone.