thinmints

So, today was a less-balanced eating day, which only includes two meals: 1) Left-over eggs + toast; 2) Turkey club sandwich [and a half] (3 slices bacon, one and a half slices cheese, two slices turkey, three slices tomato, lettuce, all the bread, and some mayo). Drank some Mike's Hard Lemonade, which I never finish anyway. (Don't call me a wimp, because I had the unfortunate challenge of eating moonshine cherries once.) Some sips of diet soda, too. Conclusion: I'm in need of a better meal plan for workdays. I have to figure out why my appetite is either "zilch" or "ravenous," because it's really messing with me. Some positive news: I took about a three mile walk today, which was a lot sweatier than expected. Damn near ruined my chambray shirt, but then again, what fool goes out in a chambray shirt to walk around when it's nearly 90?

I spend an unhealthy amount of time looking for recipes online. I've got a whole folder stocked with them. I usually search by whatever item I have on the counter that I'm desperately trying to use up before it goes bad. And yes, do substitute different types of butter; I love sunflower seed butter, but that may be too strong for ice cream. Almond sounds like a better compromise. Maybe you can add coconut milk and dark chocolate, too? Laundry on my end too, holla! I started reading Cheryl Strayed's Tiny Beautiful Things. I found a post-college book list that I'm looking to tackle. Besides that, I'm doing what I can to psych myself up to work out.

The Freelance Whales and Arcade Fire. I'm really slacking in the live music part of my life. I'm so jealous that someone saw LCD Soundsystem, and that y'all have seen Vampire Weekend!

Hey there! If you'd like to get to know more about me, check out my introductory post here. I also have two threads: an old challenge and a new one. This week's mission is to: 1) eat "better," i.e. unprocessed foods, food which I can identify, and food where I can more or less tell you what is in it without having to look at the package; and 2) go to the gym at least two days this week. 7/13: Let's talk about the first mission. Here's what I've eaten today: First meal consisted of...scrambled eggs + toast + fruit. Om nom nom. 1 1/2 eggs (the recipe called for three eggs, and I ate about half) 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt Dash of salt, pepper Butter spread (olive oil, sweet cream, salt) [i'd say it was about half a tablespoon] Slice of 12-grain bread Blueberries Water, green tea, lemon Second meal (or snack, I suppose) is something I have never tried before: peanut butter and honey banana ice cream, using a frozen banana. 1 large frozen banana 2 teaspoons honey 2 tablespoons peanut butter Throw it in a food processor (or blender, like I did) and freeze it. If you use the blender, I suggest adding some hot water while hitting the purée button to help break up the frozen banana. Third meal was made by a friend. I'll admit they're not the most calorie-conscious of chefs, but I can't say no to free food. Diced chicken prepped with olive oil, bottled garlic, chicken stock (?), salt and pepper More linguine than I anticipated putting on my plate Tomato sauce with (more) olive oil and beef Last meal was far from the healthiest or "cleanest" of eats, but I'm a sucker for protein and someone else who cooks because, as you may have guessed, I'm not the best at this whole "adult" thing. For now, I'm focusing on what I eat instead of the calorie count, because counting tends to drive me off the deep end. So, what are you up to on this lovely Sunday?

Alanna, here's my new challenge thread, and my battle log.

Welcome! If you're looking for my last challenge thread, you can find it here. In case you want to get to know me, give this a look. Since there's only a week left to the current challenge, I'll post my goals for the week only. Main Quest. I want to lose 15 pounds in the next two months and ultimately improve my diet/fitness routine. Beginner Missions. This week, I will tackle the following: 1. Drink at least 32 oz. of water five days this week; 2. Eat breakfast at least three days this week; 3. Go to the gym twice this week. Life Quest. Reduce negative thinking. This week, I'll focus on recognizing negative thoughts when they happen. Motivation. I want to take care of my body; it deserves to be strong and capable. Battle log to be posted soon. Hope y'all are hanging in there.

I'm glad this is exciting, ahah. Thanks for the advice. I understand that it's hard to avoid clichés, but I know where you're coming from and I appreciate the sentiment. I revised my old challenge; it's at the top of the page. I want to drink more water, eat breakfast, and start going to the gym. When does the next challenge start? I don't remember how any of this works. Graduate school is up in the air, since my university doesn't offer enough credits for full-time status. I'm thinking of working and taking classes part-time, but like most schools, part-time students pay out the nose per credit hour versus students who are full-time. And...what's a battle log? Sounds scary.

So, I fell off the face of the earth. A lot has happened in the last few weeks, so here's a re-cap of my life thus far. (Cue the Friends theme song): - My boyfriend broke up with me; - I graduated from college; - I now work a full-time job (not in my field); - I have lost weight (now 150 lbs or so); - I got a membership to a gym, but I'm too embarrassed to go; - My appetite totally lacks stability lately; - I'm hella sad. With all that said, I want to focus on fitness. Two chapters of my life are now closed for good. I'm dealing with guilt and shame concerning the relationship for reasons beyond my appearance. I won't provide too many details, but there were valid reasons on both sides to end one of the most rewarding, albeit challenging partnerships I've ever experienced. I also came to the startling conclusion that people move on without you. Who would have thought? I've decided to revise my goals and put my best foot forward. I'm really tired of how I look, and I think that (to some extent) contributed to the decline of my relationship. That is, my insecurities got in the way of my happiness, and I'm afraid of that ever happening again. GIANT SIGH. All I want to do is curl up in bed and never leave.

Thanks for your suggestions, everyone. Some updates. I didn't go to the gym twice this week. However, I did interval running yesterday, and I think it was a success. It was not as intensive as previous sessions, since my partner was experiencing joint pain. We did two laps instead of four. It's a good thing too, because it started pouring! So, 50% mark on that goal. I hope to do better this week and exercise two days instead of one. Water consumption was all over the place. I did drink water at least once a day, so I count that as a small victory. I'll give myself a passing grade for now (65%) with the expectation that I'll increase my hydration over time. On the bright side, I did find my reusable water bottle, which holds 32 oz. of water. I have to remember to bring it everyday. Maybe a note on the bathroom mirror or light switch will do the trick. As for the sugar, I need to be more specific in my goal. I'm weaning myself off of diet drinks. Maybe I'll focus on any beverage with added sugars or sugar substitutes. I had iced tea and Sprite this week, but I also drank a diet soda, some reduced calorie orange juice (Trop50), and sparkling cider. The cider doesn't contain added sugar, but the orange juice and diet soda contain sugar substitutes, and I want to avoid those. I would say I was relatively successful, although I could scale back on the cider. Also, no refills on sodas at restaurants. I give myself a passing mark for this category (65%). If you average these scores, I earned a 60% for the week. I'm happy with some of the progress that I've made, especially drinking more water, but I have to 1) exercise more; 2) continue to cut back on the sugary drinks and practice moderation; and 3) keep up the water intake. I did learn some valuable information. For one, I kind of collapse on Sunday. It's my day to catch up on work and plan for the week, and sometimes it feels very overwhelming. I resort to eating whatever's at hand to cope with the stress, and that's not an effective strategy. I also don't know how to plan a week's work of healthy meals. In fact, my cooking skills show room for improvement. Yes, I've made myself meals before, but I'm used to picking things up on campus or eating out. It's jarring to have to think about life after college, when I'll make my own meals and hold down a job. Where do I start? I'm also exhausted after my internship. I get up at the crack of dawn, and it makes it difficult to find the motivation to go to the gym. I'm feeling pretty lousy about myself, too. I read an article on a more realistic models in magazines, and the comments at the end of the page made me sad. When people see me, they make judgments about my eating and exercise habits; they presume that I don't do enough to keep myself in shape, and maybe they're right. They perceive me as less valuable because I'm not as healthy as I could be. It's hard to accept that information without sadness. Don't let me get you down. We're all fighting our own battles, and I'm not so different. I'm choosing to let excuses lead me, and I don't know how to break that cycle.

Thanks! I don't know; that's a good question. I'll pretty much eat anything, or at least try it. I sometimes bring a list, but I could be more proactive. How would I start Paleo? I know that, for the most part, it involves eating meat, vegetables, fruit; foods you can identify without looking at an ingredients list, more or less. I'm afraid I couldn't stick with it. I love bread, dairy, and potatoes, and a life without these things in my diet makes me sad. With that being said, I do want to eat better. No, I don't eat meat and potatoes every night for dinner. I usually settle for a hot-pressed sandwich from my campus cafeteria. Update. 32 oz. of water unlocked. I had diet soda yesterday, and since it contains aspartame, I think I should count it towards the "sugar added" category. Then again, I had orange juice, too. But that's 100% juice. Any experts on sugar?

Update. I drank my 32 oz. of water. I couldn't find my water bottle with the measurements already on it, so I used a Polar seltzer bottle. It holds roughly 33.8 oz of fizzy water. So, I met my hydration goal today. Gold stars all around. I had some iced tea yesterday, so I'm only allowed one more sugary drink this week. I can't decide on what day to have it, and whether I should include diet soda as part of this mission. Maybe replace diet soda with seltzer? I've done it before with mixed results. As for my gym mission, I'm thinking Thursday and Sunday will be my workout days this week. I'll keep you posted. Also, any recipes for college students looking to eat healthy on a budget? I never really know what to eat, and I usually choose whatever's convenient or familiar.

I'm studying literature, although I'm not sold on it yet. I do need a plan. In my introduction, I talked about how I always go on the treadmill. It works for a while, and to be honest, there are times when I've felt the urge to go running. I'm looking for ways to mix it up, though. I've never used weights or anything of the sort, so I'm a beginner.

Hi! I might keep a journal, but it never seems to work out for me. Any suggestions? Also, I like the daily mantra idea. I'm afraid that if things went south, though, I'd rip it off the bathroom mirror.

Hi, y'all. If you'd like to get to know me, read my introduction post here. Brief synopsis: I lost weight, I gained weight, now I want to lose it again. I'm about 150 lbs. at the moment. Now, let's get to the hard stuff. Main Quest. I want to lose 15 pounds in the next two months and ultimately improve my diet/fitness routine. Beginner Missions. During these six weeks, I will do the following. 1. Drink more water (32 oz. or four 8-oz glasses per day); 2. Eat breakfast at least three times a week; 3. Go to the gym at least two days per week. Life Quest. Reduce my negative thinking and recognize both my strengths and weaknesses. Motivation. I want to take care of my body; it deserves to be strong and capable.

I'm fine with you following me around. You mean I'm not unique? Damn. I better revisit my playlist. Thanks, and I'll look into structuring my meals. Now I have to know what you found on Google. Update: Yeah, that's accurate.