mrinkysplaytoy’s BodyBlog

I have 5 more days to go. I miss my morning oatmeal. this week’s diet change called for 4 eggs (1 whole, 3 whites) and a whole sweet pepper of any color, grilled or raw for breakfast instead. It is a good breakfast, but it leaves me hungry. The day is packed with veggies and protein, I’m just craving bad food a lot this week. I need to hold out until Friday when I will see some family I haven’t seen in awhile.

On the up side, I am really pleased with my progress in the last month. There is a big difference in my progress pics from Oct. 20 to Nov. 20. I’m really hoping to continue this trend. Clean eating+scheduled food+working out regular= results!

Doing some cardio today. It should be more fun today, I mixed up my playlist and downloaded some new music onto my MP3 player.

Hope everyone is having a good Monday!

~L~

One month since taking the pics for the Off the Couch! challenge and let me tell you, slim is in. I am so happy I can see and feel such a change. Two more months to go. Let’s see how far I can take this. Game on!!!!

~L~

Literally. I don’t think I fully believed that most of this comes down to diet, diet, diet, then working out. I’m on week three of this super clean eating diet. After the third week I am supposed to add about 300 more clean eating calories per day (mostly protein) and keep the eating schedule. Only two weeks and I am slimming right through the middle. I am shocked that large amounts of asparagus, zucchini, spinach, celery, plain salad, oatmeal, chicken and fish can produce so much results in so little time. No bread, no butter, no sugar, and very little added salt are key. I also upped my green tea and cut coffee. I am surprised, nay, I am flabbergasted. I never really and truly with all my being believed I had to completely and totally clean up my diet while trying to lose the fat. Even my cheats are cleaner versions of things you shouldn’t have much of, and they are rare. I tried on that bikini again last night and low and behold, more slimming, more shape…in short, progress!

Always before I held back when it came to diet. I kept certain things I really loved. I ate carbs (bad carbs) late at night. I ate small treats occasionally. I never fully gave a super clean diet a chance. I never fully committed. Let me tell you, if after more than ten years of trying everything else, clean eating obliterates this fat, there is no going back for me. I am hooked.

Hooked on healthy. Have a great weekend everyone!

~L~

I was rudely interrupted by an impatient Mrinky last time I tried to write this blog…thus the empty last blog. I must admit when I saw it later it made me laugh; especially the comments. Definitely room for potential.

The point being, is just this: I have been told over and over again that I have such "potential". This word has come to take on a mysterious and mythical connotation to me. What use is potential if you don’t live up to it? Potential is a fancy word for "you have a lot of room for improvement" and "why don’t you do what you know you can do?" I am tired of this supposed potential I have  - I want to fill it with a different word. Accomplished. Fulfilled. Driven. Pushed it to the limit. I want to push until the word "potential" dissappears.

I have one week left of the three week diet and I am doing well. Craving carbs a bit lately, but staying on course and seeing changes.

~L~

I am drinking loads of green tea to make up for the fact that I have been off coffee for 4 days now. I noticed before when I went off coffee I did better. When I wake up it’s the worst until I eat and make some tea.

Yesterday I was bad and went off menu. :0 Breakfast and snack was fine and on menu and schedule. Life got in the way for lunch and it was late and we were out without my food. We went to a Chinese buffet where I ignored the buffet lol. I had a bowl of hot and sour soup, some veggies (green beans and mushrooms) and two sushi rolls. They were tempura shrimp in the middle topped with eel, avocado and masago (little orange fish eggs). They were divine. I also had two pots of tea lol.  Later that night I had an orange and a small bowl of popcorn while watching a movie with the fam. So I was bad, but I don’t feel all that guilty for some reason. :O I am back on schedule and menu today. I am at the exact halfway point for the rest of this diet. Doing good (except for yesterday).

Today I am switching up my cardio and doing some of my bellydance videos and some light weights.

~L~

Of the variety that you package yourself beforehand. Yesterday was my first time taking my food with me to a family get together. Good thing it was just a visit to my mother-in-law’s so mrinky could help her with a few things around the house. But still, it was hard to eat my food when she had such a good dinner for us. Meatloaf with gravy, mashed potatoes ans summer squash casserole. The summer squash casserole is the bomb. The best stuff. I did have a half cup serving of that only with my fish and veggies. She also had pumpkin chocolate chip cookies ( they are soft and chewy ) . I didn’t even have a taste. *sigh* I just have to picture how that bikini looks and bam! I don’t want junk anymore.

My waist is almost what it was a month and a half ago. Mrinky says my thighs are slimming alot which would be a major accomplishement - they are as stubborn as my booty. WOOHOO! I am very happy this is working so nicely. It is great incentive to keep my diet very clean. Can’t wait to see what it will be at the end of the diet… and one month after that..

Have a great weekend every one!

Long-sightedness is a handy trait to have when you are attempting to reshape your body. A view that sees not what is, but what will be; and with that the focus to remain on the path that will get you there. It’s like faith. "Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld."(Hebrews 11:1) Any way. I was thinking about focus. And this kind of focus really helps propel you along towards your goals and keep you afloat when having difficulty. There are many ways to apply it, and I am used to applying it in a religious way, but haven’t applied it very well to my physical goals.

I have lost almost 2 inches off the belly again and took a few quick shots last night in the bikini. It looks better than the first pick (whew!) and I really can see the value of a strict clean diet. I think most of us don’t want to believe that we really have to crack down and count calories as well as watch what types of food we are eating. Many of us believe the myth that what we are eating really isn’t that bad. The reality is, at least in my case, is that it IS that bad and needs to be vigilantly watched. I think the main derailer in my case is bread and butter. My mind thought  "what’s  one piece going to do?" The answer: a lot. Keep me from reaching my goals and blasting all the fat that I possibly can. This journey is like a constant ephinany of deeper understanding and application.

Well, I will get out of my preachy mode and report that my diet is going well and exercise is good. This week is a change of menu and I’m sticking with it. I’m enjoying preparing it ahead of time, it makes things so much easier! Having a menu is something I am going to continue with after the diet is over. Hmmm. That is going to take some planning.

I posted my latest progress pics last night. Have a great weekend everyone!

~L~

Wow. I am pleasantly surprised I am making it through this without too many mishaps. I am sticking with the diet and today adding a short 30 minute weight routine to the cardio. I’m shooting for the weights 3 times a week and cardio every morning. I have lost some muscle tone over the last two months and don’t relish the thought of losing more seeing as I really hadn’t built up that much yet. So just trying to maintain during the diet, not add more.

There is definitely something to be said for perserverance and will power. Not giving into impulsive eating. I am doubly impressed with myself because the day after I started this "Off the Couch" challenge my monthly visit (sorry guys) started as well. I have been tired, but I pushed through it. I have been wanting chocolate like you wouldn’t believe, but I resisted and conquered. And I really would have enjoyed a nice marghuerita on the rocks, and yet again, I said no. A nice result of sticking with the morning cardio is that I haven’t had any cramping which I normally have at least one bad day where I do nothing what-so-ever. That did not happen this time. They say exercise and good clean eating really works and I believe it. I am really starting to enjoy being tough on myself.

So it’s off to do 30 min of weight training followed by some cardio because I woke up late today. But I am getting my work done.

~L~

Yesterday’s events lead up to my oatmeal conversation this morning.

Yesterday morning went smooth, I got up a little late but did my 45 minutes of elliptical (580 calories burned yay!) and then on upstairs to the oatmeal I had prepared the night before. The whole family joined me in my oatmeal breakfast. It is gratifying to know that even a five year old will eat steel cut oatmeal without junk in it. But anyway, on to Sunday morning meeting and afterward had to head home because I didn’t get up early enough to pack my food for the rest of the day. SO we all eat lunch at home and then pack the mid-day snack and go for a beautiful walk in the park nearby. It was an unexpectedly balmy almost warm day. I wore my coat because I didn’t want my cough to return; the breeze was very mild, but it seems to affect my chest lately.a nice leisurely 2 mile walk and then a quick stop at Trader Joe’s for some almond butter and brown rice. Then, on the way home I was so proud of myself because mrinky and the little one were hungry. We all stopped but I had ONLY coffee and ate my scheduled food when we got home. But then, my cough started acting up and I slept in this morning. Got up at nine and missed my early workout. I soak my oatmeal overnight so it doesn’t take as long to cook, but by 9:30 I was ravenous because by this time I usually have eaten and worked out. We picked up some awesome artisan country French bread at Trader Joe’s and while my oatmeal was bubbling, I was so tempted to eat some slathered with butter. It didn’t help that I had it out and made some for mrinky. So my eyes were going, oatmeal - toast - oatmeal- toast. I had to call up the picture of bread and butter equals fat and tell my oatmeal how much I loved it before I made the proper choice.

So, I had a GREAT day yesterday, but it left me a little suseptible this morning. Despite that - I conquered and stuck with it. I am a little chesty and coughing a bit this morning as well, but I am staying in. I think it is just a warning that it is too early for me to be out in the wind. All is well and I will accomplish my cardio this afternoon.

Happy Monday all!!!

~L~