As promised, here are the cousins I mentioned, plus my mother and me on Christmas Eve!
P.S. I did their hair. You can’t see K’s very well, but R’s is an ear-to-ear french braid that comes out looking like a headband!
Monthly Archives: December 2011
Playing to your strengths
I am a moderately social person. I’m no recluse, but I am no butterfly either. Still, my Myers Briggs has me as an ESTJ, with the E meaning extrovert. I like making friends, call up pals just to chat, and had a hard time with the mostly-working-alone part of teaching (when I was a teacher).
Yet, for some reason, I keep trying to work alone when it comes to workouts. I DO workout with a friend once or twice a week, which certainly motivates, and there is SOME social aspect of boot camp. But the “filler” workouts I mostly try to tackle solo.
Part of it is the efficiency queen in me. Working out with friends can lead to conversation before and afterward, waiting, talking, and downtime. If I have errands I’d like to run, or chores I’d like to tackle that same evening, a workout is difficult to get in anyway, let alone one that will overall take an extra 30-90 minutes round trip. Then again, knowing that someone is counting on me to show up prevents the “I’m too busy” excuse I tend to have if the plan is to work out solo.
So, to play to my social strengths where fitness is concerned, I signed up for four weeks of tennis with the girls! I love tennis. I love volleys. I really love my serve. But I also love the chat time while waiting in line for your turn at the drill. And, come spring, our little team does league play… And I’d like our team to do better this season than we did in the fall.
So that’s me… Keeping fitness social in the A.T.X. (Austin, Texas).
As for progress, I have lost 14 lbs… So a little regression from 17, though I only saw that on the scale one time. I would like to see another 50 by June. I keep telling myself that all I can do is give it my all!
Meal Plan 2011-12-30
Trying to incorporate the food list from Alton Brown in my meal plan for the upcoming week. I think I hit all the daily and three-times-weekly foods. Not entirely sure I hit all of the once-per-week items (red meat, alcohol, dessert). Also, I plan to incorporate green tea throughout the days. The only processed foods I have included are Basic 4 cereal, whole grain bread, and Catalina dressing. Would love to hear your feedback, recommendations or suggestions! Also, does anyone else type up their meal plans or grocery lists? If so, please share!
Saturday/Monday:
B1: Basic 4 cereal w/ almond milk
B2: Tunafish sandwich on whole grain bread w/ apple
L1: Roasted sweet potatoes
L2: Dark greens salad w/ tomato, green onions, ranch beans, Catalina dressing
D: Sauteed tofu w/ shredded carrots, broccoli, peanuts, soy sauce
Sunday:
B1: 2-egg scramble w/ onions and carrots, whole grain toast
B2: Greek yogurt w/ fruit
L1: flexible/on the road
L2: flexible/on the road
D: Sauteed tofu w/ shredded carrots, broccoli, peanuts, soy sauce
Tuesday:
B1: 2-egg scramble w/ onions and carrots, whole grain toast
B2: Greek yogurt w/ fruit
L1: Roasted sweet potatoes
L2: Dark greens salad w/ tomato, green onions, ranch beans, Catalina dressing and AVOCADO
D: Tuna croquettes, roasted carrots
Wednesday/Friday:
B1: Basic 4 cereal w/ almond milk
B2: Tunafish sandwich on whole grain bread w/ apple
L1: Roasted sweet cauliflower
L2: Dark greens salad w/ tomato, green onions, ranch beans, Catalina dressing and AVOCADO
D: Tuna croquettes, roasted carrots
Thursday:
B1: 2-egg scramble w/ onions and carrots, whole grain toast
B2: Greek yogurt w/ fruit
L1: Roasted sweet cauliflower
L2: Dark greens salad w/ tomato, green onions, ranch beans, Catalina dressing and AVOCADO
D: Tuna croquettes, roasted carrots
Grocery List:
Lemons
Whole Onions
Carrots
Apples
Berries or other fruit for yogurt
3-4 Sweet Potatoes
2 avocados (not yet ripe)
Tofu
2-3 crowns Broccoli
Peanuts or other inexpensive stir fry nut
Eggs
4 servings Greek Yogurt
Whole grain bread
Canned tuna fish
Ranch style beans (dry)
Catalina dressing
Green tea
Pushing Perceived Limits
Oh man, ya’ll. I’m on a 3 or 4 week hiatus from boot camp right now (because they shut down, not because I don’t want to be there), and so I was beaming when I received a kettle weight for Christmas. What is a kettle weight, you might ask? Well, it’s similar to a kettle ball, only instead of a ball, it looks like a dumb bell. And, it came with a DVD.
I did the beginner video. Lots of lunging, squatting and swinging. I expected some arm and shoulder tenderness, as this weight is heavier than my standard dumb bells I use at Camp Gladiator – 10lbs vs. two 3lbs. But noooooooo (think of a kid putting an emphasis on about the 4th “o”).
My ass hurts. It’s a good hurt. I walk funny, feel silly-slow while trying to sit on a chair, and even sitting on my super cushy sofa, the slightest move ignites a fire at the top of the backs of my thighs.
And I love it. I have not had this type of pain in a couple of weeks and I have a difficult time getting it outside of boot camp.
Why is it that it takes a personal trainer, boot camp, or something with a “coach” that makes me push myself to this point? Why can’t I push myself to this point without the help of an expert?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be hard on myself here, just trying to understand. I often do long cardio workouts – 40-60 minutes on an elliptical or treadmill at 4-6 incline. No, I don’t run a 10 minute mile, but the duration is there. When I do weights, I push myself. I do planks, angry penguins, pushups, triceps dips, crunches, toe touches and all the weight machines available to me (and more).
For now, I will keep wondering. I would like to get to the point where I am my own personal trainer – where I can push my body to exhaustion and soreness, so that my muscles rebuild stronger than before, where I’m pushing myself as much as a boot camp trainer would push me. Until then, and even beyond, I will gladly attend boot camp where I’m pushed beyond my known limits, and discover just how far I can go.
Yes, This Happened
My mother and I walked into a Southern Thread (sort of like American Eagle with a more western twist) today. I eyed a pair of cowboy boots I wanted and needed to determine the price. That’s when this happened:
Salesgirl: They are $279
Mother: She can’t wear them. She has fat calves.
Me: Shut up! (Smacks mother on arm)
Salesgirl (clearly uncomfortable): Well, you never know until you try them on!
Mom: What? You DO have fat calves! You inherited them from your father.
Me: Oh my God, this is getting worse! Not only do I have fat calves, but now they resemble that of a man? I’m out of here!
Mom: What? I don’t know what I did wrong!
Ugh.
Consolations and Desolations
My consolation for the week: seeing my 2nd cousins Kennedy and Reagan, on the outskirts of Austin. Picture to follow soon!
My desolation for the week: my bank account balance! 
Stating the Obvious
“How much we eat predicts how much we weigh. Sometimes the most obvious explanation turns out to be the right one” -David A. Kessler, The End of Overeating
My drive to lose weight started with an article by blogger One Twenty Five; she stated that after years of “trying” to lose weight, she had to suck it up and realize there was nothing wrong with her. She simply was eating more than she burned. Plain. Simple. Truthbomb.
Why is it that we (ok maybe its just me) spend so much time thinking that there is some OTHER reason we have put on weight? Is it possible? Certainly. Probable? No.

I am not suggesting that if you feel something is wrong with your body, you shouldn’t ask your doctor about it, but at the end of the day, it’s calorie in and calories out.
When I first started, I was super concerned about the distribution of my calories, the times I was eating, the stuff I are, etc. These are definitely important, but I overcomplicated my efforts and struggled earlier on. Tracy warned me to just focus on the calories part and weave in the extra bits down the road. Stubborn at first, but I did it.
If you are walking along the same road as I, know the obvious. Live it daily, weekly, always. If you’ve just started, focus on what you can. I’m not saying don’t dive in, but if you’re struggling, go back to the obvious stated earlier.
My cousin Reagan drew the picture of me today. She included some “obvious”. What similarities do you see?
Alton Brown’s Food Plan
My friend Tracy drew my attention to an article on Dr. Oz’s website: Alton Brown’s Food Lists for Weight Loss. What it comes down to, Alton Brown lost 50lbs and did so using some guidelines he created – 4 food lists. Check them out:
Foods to eat DAILY:
- Dark leafy greens
- Nuts
- Carrots
- Green tea
- Whole grains
- Fruits
Foods to eat THREE TIMES A WEEK:
- Yogurt
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Sweet potato
- Avocado
- Oily fish
- Tofu
Foods to eat ONCE A WEEK:
- Red meat
- White starch
- Desserts
- Alcohol
Foods to NEVER EAT/AVOID AT ALL TIMES
- Soda
- Processed meals
- Canned soups
- “Diet” anything
This last is one I could stand to improve on. Also, did it strike anyone else that consuming protein was not a priority on these lists?
Anyway, there they are. If you read the article, you’ll get a lot more information as to why these items are on the list (I didn’t want to steal the whole article!). Hope you enjoy!
Recipe Review: Hungry Girl Tuna Croquettes
Monday, as I was preparing my meal plan for the week, my new 200 under 200 cookbook sort of fell open to this recipe. I’m a big fan of crab cakes and salmon cakes, so a Tuna Croquette, especially a recipe that has several small ones for under 200 calories, really caught my eye.
How could a fried fish cake possibly be good for you, you might ask. Well, having never made the “real” thing, I’m not really sure what all is different. Though, I’m betting the real thing doesn’t use Fiber One cereal as the crispy ingredient. Other ingredients included tuna from a can, egg whites (but Ii used the whole egg), scallions, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
The cooking did not go so well. The recipe described “mounds” of tuna mixture, but this is what I got.
I was supposed to coat the outsides of those with crushed Fiber One, but as you can see, ahem, they weren’t exactly solid. Still, I managed, threw them in the frying pan, and went with it.
And….? They were surprisingly good! The Fiber One made them look kind of weird, and they could have used some salt (for my incredibly salty pallet), but they eventually solidified. I’m excited for left-overs tomorrow night.
Next time I make them, I might use Ritz crackers or something my friend Tracy told me about, called Panko. Still, not too shabby!
Gear

I feel like such an athlete in my new discount athletic gear!
