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@fostermom4 300 grams of protien a day??? Boy is he a candidate for kidney dialysis. My, oh my!

The people I work with are just as nutty. Two to three of them have big jugs of protein powder in their cubes. We're very much an active bunch - working out and such, and we all do our best to watch our weight. These guys really do believe high - protien diets are the way to go. They think I'm so nutty eating "sticks and twigs". Meh, I don't care - it works for me and it shows

I believe my scale at home is an optimist at heart and wants me to feel good about myself. This morning it told me I weighed in at 167. A far cry from the 178 the evil scale in the workout room told me last week.

I have to thank myself for it all. I've been very focused since my return from New Orleans. Working out, watching what I eat and drink, concentrating on this WOE. Next week I'm on vacation and my BF and I are off to see a concert ( I <3 Brad Paisley!) and to Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. I'm really hoping to hold it all together while with my BF. He's the one that will put temptation right in front of me in the form of a lobster roll and blueberry pie with moose track ice cream on top! (This is the place http://theicehouserestaurant.com/) I'll start coming up with a plan now!

Today I'm skipping yoga for I feel a need to give my muscles time to recover. I've done two pretty good sessions that have worked out my chest, biceps and triceps and I think a 24 hour break may serve them well. I'll walk tonight after work.

So, till tomorrow...keep on keepin' on!

Happy Thursday Everyone.

I have a headache.

I have a headache because someone in the office made this awful egg, cheese, sausage sandwich thing that stinks to high heaven. I had to go outside to clear my head after, of course, I said loudly on the floor "something around here really, really stinks!".

Boy, have I turned a page. I used to love my egg, bacon and cheese sammies in the morning with a cup of joe. Just the smell of them turns my stomach! Now, I'm drinking Polar Seltzer (see here: http://www.polarbev.com/) and eatin' plain oatmeal for breakfast.

I'm real pleased with myself sticking to plan this week and last. I've taken off just a couple of pounds and I really do hope I can keep up the momentum. Lunch today was veggie sushi, spring rolls and pineapple. Hot yoga tonight and the vacation starts tomorrow at 4pm. Crossing fingers I can keep this up! Focus, focus, focus!

Anyway, keep on keepin' on and I'll talk to all of you real soon!

.

Chicken. Ick.

That is the one thing in this world I will not eat! Ug, are they dirty birds. And what those poor animals are fed! I always answer "you eat what they eat...and I'm not eating that" when people ask why I won't touch chicken.

Chicken has been reduced to cat food in my house. It's the only thing my poor cat can stomach. I've tried dry food, raw food, baby food, beef, pork, turkey....ah, chicken, we'll eat chicken and keep it down (if you know what I mean).

I think I would go out of my tree if someone made fried chicken in my house.

I’m back. Back to reality. Back to this crazy place that I work at in which they have, once again, laid off people. I’m really getting tired of it all. I’ve seen so many of my coworker pack up their desks and leave. I just had my 20 year anniversary last Friday. Bittersweet. I got a pre-printed certificate from the CEO. I guess I should be happy I have a job.

I could go on and on, but this is blog about food and not about corporate America and how they consistently shoot themselves in the foot and put good, excuse me, GREAT people out of work.

So. Vacation. It was wonderful. We went to New Hampshire and Maine. It was just lovely. The weather was perfect. We’re planning on a returning to Scarborough, Maine in August. We found some lovely uncrowded beaches with cheaper hotels nearby. Highly recommend.

I’ve got much more comfortable eating out these days and much comfortable speaking up when things aren’t to my liking. A waitress confused my veggie burger with a turkey burger since she didn’t want to write down our order when taking it. I promptly returned it when I found out what it was (it looked awfully pale to be a veggie burger). Another time I would have eaten it thinking it would have been “good” for me. Not anymore!

My boyfriend was around for the entire week. I’ve alluded in the past he’s a junk food vegetarian. He’s getting better, but he does like his junk – cheese, store bought hummus, beer, wine, brownies. It’s hard for me to have this stuff around and, yes, I do nibble on it. I hate to say, but I’m glad he went home so I can get back on track.

I did some yoga while away, checked out a new studio in the village. I’m going to take a class there once a week just to get exposure to other instructors and yoga styles. The instructor is really cute, too

I’m now biking. I found out the reason why I couldn’t air into my tire was ID-10-T error. End using error. If I tightened the who-zee-what-ee-thingy before putting on the air compressor end-thingy I would have been in business months ago.

It feels so good to be back out on the bike. After 7 months of yoga, I found my back, shoulders, thighs and calved did not ache from a 6 mile ride last night. I’m really pleased with my performance.

Since we’ve had cut backs, I’m on the road tomorrow till Thursday performing software training. I’ll be driving and I have to say this is the FIRST time I am not concerned about food. I’ll stop at the supermarket and get some yummy snacks (grapes, baby carrots, seltzer). They’ll be stuff around town where I’m going. There’s a yoga studio nearby I can attend both nights, so all is good.

I’ll report from the road, I’ll be around at night.

So keep on keepin’ on y’all!

Happy Monday Everyone. I’m back.

Last week I was at a client site to perform two days of software training, something I have not done in over seven years and it all came back to me. Like riding a bike! I used to travel and train for 13 years. I’ve visited every state but Hawaii compliments of my job!

My eating was going ok. I found Wegman’s. For those of you that don’t know the grocery store chain, they have great food/buffet bars in which you can easilyprepare a fat-free vegan meal. I really enjoyed their veggie sushi and spring rolls. Delish. They're mostly located in NY, PA and MA. Good place to stop if you're heading up this way.

I ran into a situation at the client site. I didn’t know they were going to be catering lunch. Most places leave me to fend for food on my own in which I am very happy to do so. At 11:30am each day a platter of sandwiches (ham, chicken salad, tuna salad, roast beast), a bowl of pasta salad (with, of course, mayo and or oil) and cookies were delivered. Well, I was able to scrape / take a part / disassemble to make myself something that I could eat. It wasn’t much to say the least.

I really did not want to make lunch time a discussion on food, so I didn’t say anything. I really didn’t want to draw attention to myself. I’m just wondering if I should have let them know in advance.

In two weeks I’m heading to Atlanta (yes, Atlanta, in the middle of summer) for a week to attend training put on by the company I work for. With this, I am comfortable to ask the question “Do you know if meals are going to be catered, and if so, to whom do I express dietary restrictions to? I have severe allegeries to dairy and eggs (and plus I don't eat meat). Can you let me know?” I figure work can bend over backwards for me.

I figure I would say I have “severe allegeries” rather than saying “I’m a vegan” to avoid the “eye rolling” and “oh, how can you not eat meat / diary / eggs” conversations. We’ll see how I make out.

I mentioned I’ve stepped up my working out by adding biking. I’ve been biking almost every day, about 6 – 8 miles, in addition to my yoga. I’m starting to see more muscle tone in my legs. The yoga has done great toning up my upper body, my legs are surely missing some definition. I'm hoping this will build up my calves and thighs and hopeful shed some fat, too!

So I hope you are all doing well. Tonight I’m planning on cooking up some corn on the cob and roasting cherry tomatoes, zucchini and some yummy baby portabella mushrooms. I just love this time of year and all of the veggie availability!!

Keep on keeping on yall!

Way to go!

So, here's a pleasant email responce I got this morning in regards to my trip to Atlanta and food:

"Please let me know all your dietary needs and I will pass them along to the Dolce. The Dolce takes cares of all the meals. "

I responded with:

"I'll make it easy for the hotel. As long as they have fresh fruit, fresh or roasted veggies, salads (with greens - no dressing on them), potatoes, rice - I'll be good."

I really want to avoid having "lettuce, dust and cheese" that week. I'll probably will end up with "lettuce, cheese and dust" instead.

~~

Today is to get up to 94 - 96 degrees with full humidity. No yoga today. It's really too hot for it. Later tonight I'll ride my bike when it cools off.

I'm off to put out some fires and slay some dragons here at work. Have a good day everyone and do keep in touch.

My best ~

Happy Friday all. Hope you are doing well.

It's been a very interesting week for me. I've had the opportunity to take a yoga class Wednesday night with this dude: http://raghunath.org/ Seems he was a former punkster / druggie / hipster dude that got clean and pursued the world of yoga. He has taught to celebrities, in studios in NYC and has moved recently to upstate NY. I guess you would say he's pretty high on the food chain in the world of yoga.

He offered a two hour workshop in the village I live in. Kicked my butt. I did a headstand and handstand for the first time since I was kid (with help, of course). The first time I have been seriously sore from a yoga class in months. It was amazing to watch him do poses. He had so much strength and balance and grace...and his philosphy was very inspriring. He's like a poster child for good health. I think he may be a vegan, if not, a vegetarian.

Wow. Seeing this instructor in such good shape physically and mentally really got me thinking about some stuff. Thinking about being healthy, exercising, eating well...

I keep thinking how we just all saw this week another FDA approved drug to lose weight (and maybe an arm or a leg). There is so much information and technology out there to enable people to get healthy, but yet, it seems we use what know, without purpose, to disable people instead. (Like drive-through windows for ATMs, food, pharmacys...people need to move! Get out of your car!)

Gosh, all this great, free information from Dr. McDougall, Dr. Campbell and Dr. Esstelyn...wow...people just don't want to put the work into it...yet...when you see the beautiful, amazing results of clean eating and living, who wouldn't want to be all that???

Gets me really thinking sometimes...

Anyway, my exercising and eating has been very good this week. I skipped a yoga class last night since my right glute is sore from Wednesday's class. My boyfriend is here for the weekend and I have the house and fridge full of yummy McDougall-legal foods that I have prepared last night and got at the grocery store. I roasted pototoes, cherry tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and greenbeans in garlic last night. Yoga, walking, bike riding are in the plan for the weekend.

I wish you all the best this weekend. Keep on keepin' on!

Hey VegSexy!

I just read your journal and must say it is so inspiring! Well done on your weight loss, and commitment to yoga.

Keep going - you're doing great.

M34

Thanks M34 for the kudos. Glad to know people are reading my blog and are getting inspiration from it. Makes me want to write more

=====

Well, I just had the protein conversation with a coworker. He has some really nice clean, whole foods in his cube and I made a nice comment about how well he looks to be eating. He’s lost over 50 pounds doing the paleo diet (sigh…) Of course, you know, we got talking about how eat and it went like this.

Me: “So, um, I’ll say it, I follow a vegan diet”
Coworker (CW): “You do? Where do you get your protein”
Me: “From that stuff” (pointing at his veggies)
CW: “What? From vegetables?”
Me: “Well, yeah, where do you think cows get it from?”
CW: “Oh…”

I am really surprised how people are brain washed to think the only ONLY source you can get protein is from eating flesh of dead animals. He was really surprised to hear broccoli has more protein than beef. People have no clue.

====

So, here I am, this week. I had a rough weekend, per se. I had to rummage through some boxes of stuff from my previous marriage which brought up a whole lotta negative feelings. Oh boy, a whole bunch of them. Then, my BF took pictures of me at all of the wrong angles while we were out on Sunday. I could see every ounce of fat on my body. My self-esteem took a huge dive into the toilet. Layered on top the feelings I have about my employer and how they have created a miserable work environment. I spent Sunday bursting into tears over all of this stuff.

The good news is that all of this can change. I can resolve the stuff in the boxes and quickly put them away, I can update my resume (working on it) and start looking for a new job and I can take a closer look at what I’m eating and make changes. Doing so.

So, I know, I eat too much in the “fringe.” Oh a bagel here and there. Oh look, chocolate, let’s have a piece. Cheese? Sure I’ll have a bite (or two or three). How about a glass of wine? How about a glass of wine and some beer? Hey, is that store-brought, fat laden hummus? Let’s have some. You know the story, I’ve written about this before - you think it won’t matter or count when you have “something” and it does and shows (at least for me on my hips).

Grrr…no wonder the scale isn’t budging and I feel like do-do when I see myself in pictures.

This week I’ve switched things up and am making a conscious effort (once again) to watch what I eat (again). I’m focusing on more veggies in my diet. No more cereal and fruit for breakfast, I’m having salad consisting of greens and berries and vinegar. Lunch has been home-made fried rice with veggies (without the oil) and beans. Dinner the same. The test is always the weekends when there is no structured eating times like during the week at work. Makes me really cranky knowing I know how to do this and instead I self-sabotage myself. Bang head here ->

Other than that, my yoga and bike riding are going well. I’m real pleased with my physical performance of late and I don’t want to change anything in which I am “less” of what I am in strength, tone and endurance – that I can count on.

So, to all of you – have a wonderful and enjoy this path we’re all for good health. Keep on keeping on and I’ll let you all know how I make out this week. My best…

woo-hoo!! I WAS ABLE TO LOG ON!!!!
(Have had recurring computer problems--with two computers and the laptop too ).

OK, VegSexy, let's hear what's happening today!

Let's kick butt and lose some weight!

You (and I) can DO it!

Ok…round two entering in today’s journal. I took all morning to write today’s entry and I got logged out and lost everything.

So, Fostermom3, good to hear from you. I was going to post something last week, but a coworker came by and I had stop / remove / delete what I was doing. My laptop at home is on the fritz, my cat keeps sleeping on the keyboard (if it’s not made for sits, why is it made of warm?) and has disabled / broke a lot of keys! Now I have an external keyboard and a new laptop in the future…

I was to go to Atlanta this week, trip got cancelled and now I get to stay home and focus on my eating. There is a threat I may have to go to Argentina next week for a day, but I think I can do everything remotely. The plane tickets are well over $2,500 and I only need to be there for an install – so I don’t think the cost and what I need to do are justified by being there in person. South America is beautiful, I’ve been to Peru, I would love to see Argentina –maybe later on different terms.

Good news. I’ve lost 5 pounds since last week by simply changing up my breakfast. No more cereal and almond milk. I’m now having a breakfast salad (spring greens, berries, diced pears and balsamic vinegar.) I’m 2 pounds away from where I was at from the completion of the biggest loser competition. I’m confident I’ll be there no later than next week.

So, I was at 176 last Monday, 173 the end of last week, 171 today. It really does come down to eating clean, whole foods and avoiding fat to lose weight. And focus. No more fridge eating. No more cheese, chocolate and hummus!

I’m still doing my yoga and I’m still biking about every other tonight. Tonight I’m resting from yoga and will bike about 8 miles. The biking is toning up my thighs more so than the yoga – seems the top layer of fat on my thighs is disappearing and my skin is tightening up, too. This getting old stuff is for the birds!

Office gossip -> My biggest loser counterparts have announced they have gained all the weight back they lost and then some. They’re complaining they’re clothes don’t fit and aren’t feeling well. Now, they’re looking into diets and workout programs to get back in shape. Good for them for wanting to move and eat better, I support them. I just don’t know what they think they are accomplishing by eating egg, bacon / ham / sausage and cheese sandwiches in the morning and then going out for a run during lunch I remember I was there, do the same thing, eating the same thing and getting no place. Thank you Drs. McDougall, Esstelyn and Campbell for freely posting information.

Well, I’m off to row with the rest of slaves here at work. (We’ve had more layoffs. Another department was eliminated yesterday. 6 fabulous people will be without jobs at the end of August. )

Keep on keeping on everyone!

A rant, if you please.

Today we had a company meeting and a bbq. Prior to the bbq, a survey was sent asking if you would be attending and to proveid anything worthy of mentioning. Well, as you can guess, I wrote I appreciate a veggie burger at a minimum (thinking I would get more…mistake…)

On the buffet line:

Chicken
Sausage
Pasta and some tomato sauce thing
Corn on the cob (it actually looked liked cow corn)
Baked Beans – questionable fat content
Small slices of watermelon
Hamburgers
Cheeseburgers
FROZEN Veggie burgers that would take 12 minutes to cook
Condiments (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mustard, relish)
Soda, Diet Soda
Sweet Tea, Sweet Lemonade
Ice Cream

On my plate:

A scoop of the baked beans. Couple slices of watermelon, the best picked over piece of corn, romaine lettuce and sliced tomatoes, pickles. Nothing to drink. I don’t drink that stuff. Haven’t in years.

I ordered a veggie burger with no roll and no cheese. The guy just stared at me and then told me it would take 12 minutes for it to cook. They why not put some on the grill in advance??

What irks me the most, is the thinking of serving a plate of “lettuce, dust and cheese” is good enough for those of us that, with purpose, decline to eat foods found on the SAD. With intention, I do let the organizers know my food preferences. They ask, I tell. If I knew what I was going to be served – I would have ran to our local grocery store and got some pure vegan spring rolls and veggie sushi rather than the made up plate of condiments and garnish.

Now, I’m going to hungry for the rest of the day (I didn’t blow away off plan at all – how could I with what was there to chose from – thank goodness I have balsamic vinegar in my cube for my “salad”)

Ok – rant off.

Rant justified.