weight loss

Today’s Accountability Report

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I’d originally planned to post pictures and measurements, but I hit the gym TWICE today and I’m too exhausted to move.

I weighed in this morning at 134.4, down 0.8 lbs from Monday. This seems like a lot, but considering I gained almost 6 lbs during a five day trip to NYC, I’m sad the number isn’t moving faster (which would indicate water weight). This leads me to believe I really did pack on some “insulation” during those few days.

Mathematically, it doesn’t add up (considering what I ate versus the excruciating amount of walking I did), but I guess that’s just my body.

Here’s how I did today:

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Yeah, I definitely overdid it. An hour of elliptical before work, two hours after, and just one short walk during the day.

Keep in mind my Jawbone Up tracks the movements of my arm as “steps,” so the three hours elliptical make up a HUUUUGE part of those 33k steps. That’s why those steps don’t actually count to my workout, because the mobile app recognizes that I’ve already given myself the credit from the elliptical exercises logged. I swear, I’m not walking laps all day, every day. Hahaha!

Here’s hoping the scale is a little better to me in the AM!

Bon appetit, my friends!
– Tori

P.S. For those curious about my breakdown of nutrients:

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I normally have a protein shake (whey protein, banana, strawberries, and almond milk) for breakfast, a pear or apple for a morning snack, a giant salad (no dressing) with grilled chicken for lunch, hummus and carrots for a mid-afternoon snack, grilled chicken or steak (or fish) for dinner with tons of veggies (cooked in salsa), and then a daily cheat of one glass of red wine (Malbec) and 1-3 pieces of chocolate.

Normally equates to 1,300-1,500 calories.

Accountability for the Day – Day Two

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Well, I survived the Three Kings dinner with my family with minimal damage.

Despite the insane temptations, I managed to eat only half of a chicken tamale, about half of a serving of torta espanola (an egg/potato/onion quiche thing), and just the topping of my piece of Rosca de Reyes, the Mexican version of fruit cake.

Despite wanting to go home and veg out, I kept my workout commitment with my girlfriend and we killed it at the gym:

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Boy, I wanted to quit after the first 30 minutes on the elliptical, but we hopped from machine to machine to keep ourselves from getting bored and it worked! Almost 100 minutes of pure cardio, plus a fun conversation!

I came home hungry, but only let myself have my pre-scheduled mini cheat (two pieces of chocolate, no wine) and a half slice of cheese. I wanted to scarf some leftovers, but it’s almost 11pm and I know I don’t need it.

Day two is in the bag!

Bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori

Day One Down, a Lifetime to Go!

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Yesterday was a success, with less than 1,350 calories consumed, every color of the spectrum of fruits/veggies, 12 glasses of water, and a kick-ass workout.

I feel good: slightly sore, but strong. I think my strategy of building in a small “cheat” each day is going to really help me stay on track. Last night’s glass of wine and two pieces of chocolate were so satisfying, and knowing I had them to look forward to in the evening kept my will power strong throughout the day.

Tonight will be a bit of a challenge, as we’re having dinner with the in-laws (Three Kings Day) and I doubt they’ll have the healthiest food options. So let’s hope my promise of wine and chocolate later in the evening will help me be strong!

Bon appetit, my friends!
– Tori

P.S. Weigh-in and measurements to come tomorrow!

Accountability for the Day

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Just to keep myself accountable, here’s the summary of my food log and workout diary:

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I am working out with my girlfriend, so there is extra motivation to hit it hard and stick to my clean eating.

I was perfect today: protein shake for breakfast, pear for a morning snack, big salad with grilled chicken (no dressing) for lunch, carrots and hummus for an afternoon snack, and lean flank steak with veggies (sautéed in salsa) for dinner.

My planned cheats? A small glass of red wine (Malbec) and two mini pieces of chocolate (70 calories for both).

It was a good day!

Bon appetit, my friends!
– Tori

Resolutions and Reflections

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Our vacation in New York City was AMAZING!

We ate way more food than we should have, but I loved every minute of it. I am definitely feeling the weight gain, though, and I’m grateful to be in a new year and finally able to return to my routine.

Despite walking 10-20 miles per day (yes, miles!), I put on a few pounds, weighing in at 135.2 lbs this morning. Yikes! Granted, I recognize that some of it’s water weight (I ate a giant, salted pretzel almost daily), so I’m hoping my true weight is closer to 132-133. It’s hard to imagine that I truly gained 5 lbs in 5 days (I was 129.8 the morning we departed on December 30th), but I’ll go with what the scale said this morning just to err on the side of caution.

For 2015, I am not setting any hard resolutions. No crazy diets, no goal weights. Basically, nothing that can lead me to obsessive behavior. I had a rough time with my eating disorder in 2014, especially during the late Spring/Summer when I fell into a bit of a depression, and though it got me close to my goal weight (I was down to 123), it was not healthy and I looked sick. I want to avoid that as much as possible in 2015, so I’ve set achievable, healthy aspirations for the new year.

These are my goals:

  • Drink at least 6 glasses of water per day. (I’m really bad about water consumption during the work day.)
  • Add more variety to my workouts: the goal is 2-3x per week of strength training, plus 1 group class at the gym added into my cardio-heavy routine.
  • Eat a salad daily. Doesn’t matter what meal of the day it is, but I need to consume at least one green, leafy salad per day.
  • Limit myself to no more than 250 calories of “junk” per day. This includes candies, desserts, etc. I’m not going to fully restrict them, of course, but I do need to reduce them if I want to see this chub come back off.
  • Focus on COLORS: try to eat at least one fruit or veggie in the color spectrum each day.

Ideally, I’d like to hit my goal weight (118 lbs) by my birthday (7.11), but I’m not setting any deadlines and I’m not going to measure my success by weight. I’ll post my progress as often as I can (weight, measurements, pictures, etc), but I refuse to focus on any one tool for success other than how I feel.

Below are some pictures of the delicious (albeit, not healthy) foods I ate in New York City on vacation:

 

And then here’s what I’ve had today:

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Much better choices today! 🙂

Bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori

New Year: The End to the Feasting!

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Whew. Holiday eating has been a BEAST!

Resisting temptation has been just about impossible, especially last week! Just check out this Christmas Eve spread:

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And there was actually more food, it just didn’t fit on this table. Cheese (my kryptonite) and seasonal desserts definitely did me in.

Amazingly, thanks to working out (Holiday Hottie Fitness Challenge!) and giving away most of the unhealthy leftovers, I made it through Christmas with minimal gain: I’m sitting at 130.8 lbs even.

Still way up from my summer-time low (of 123.8 lbs, *big sigh*), but not horrific considering the average American gains 12 lbs from Thanksgiving Day until New Year’s Day. I actually haven’t gained over the holidays – I put on my 8 pounds during the Fall (July 28th through October 31st, to be exact), when I tried to balance two full-time jobs!

I only have one more week of temptations to survive: I’m hitting NYC for the New Year! I absolutely CANNOT diet while in New York, of course, as this is really my only chance to try some of the delicacies of the city. Fortunately, I should counteract most of the bad food by the fact that I’ll be walking EVERYWHERE. My husband and I won’t use cab service (unless we have to travel completely across town), and we avoid the subways whenever possible, so we’ll be hiking around Midtown and the surrounding boroughs for a solid five days.

My husband and I did agree on a few rules in NYC to keep the weight gain at bay:

  1. If we can get it in Florida, we’re NOT eating it there.
  2. When dining out, we order one decadent meal and one healthy meal, then split them.
  3. If it’s not pouring rain or more than 2 miles, we’re walking it.
  4. We’ll drink at least 6-8 bottles of water per day. That’ll help with fatigue, cravings, and keep us hydrated in the colder weather.
  5. We’re not skipping breakfast. I actually found a few Groupons/Living Social deals for great breakfast eateries, so we’ll make sure we’re getting fuel into our bodies early in the day.

I plan to start 2015 with a lot of awesome memories and NOT worried about my weight, so I won’t start working on resolutions/ goals for my body and lifestyle until we get back on the 4th. 🙂

Bon appetit, my friends, and Happy New Year!

~ Tori

Ready for the Temptations to End!

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My goodness, the last few weeks have been difficult.

I’ve been working out less (keep skipping Friday-Sunday), and I’ve been eating a lot more.

Fortunately, my weight has leveled out between 130-131.4, so I’m not seeing the dreaded mid 130s like I was a few weeks ago.

I can’t wait for the holidays to be OVER, not because I am a Grinch, but because I can’t handle this much daily temptation. I’ve had so much happening on weekends (parties, work events, etc), that I’m not hitting the gym as consistently as I normally do, which is NOT like me.

We’re in the home stretch. It’s Christmas week. If I can survive this, I can survive anything!

Bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori

Simple, Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies!

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For those that don’t know, I am a writer for the nationally syndicated TV show, The Daily Buzz.

This is actually my personal recipe for paleo, grain-free chocolate chip cookies used on the show today!

Here’s the full recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup coconut flour (I love the organic coconut flour from Trader Joe’s)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tbsp of vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cups of Enjoy Life chocolate chips
  • pinch of sea salt
  • OPTIONAL MIX-INS: coconut flakes, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, or dried cherries.

Directions:

  • Preheat over to 350 degrees.
  • Combine all wet ingredients (including mashed bananas) in large mixing bowl. Stir well while folding in all dry ingredients.
  • Mix in chocolate chips.
  • On a greased cookie sheet, spoon out tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough approximately 2 inches apart. Gently press balls down, creating a 1″ thick cookie.
  • Cook for 20 minutes, or until browned. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then dig in!

Bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori