Thursday thoughts ...

I went to water aerobics last night. We had a substitute so it wasn't quite as intense as usual (in other words, I didn't feel quite so wobbly on the half-mile walk back to my office and car), but it was still a good workout. I went to the farmer's market at lunch yesterday and loaded up on zucchini, onions, portabello mushrooms and some fruit. I avoided the kettle corn (man oh man -- I love kettle corn). I grilled lots of the veggies for dinner last night. Yum-oh (as RR would say).

I have an appointment with a personal trainer this evening at my gym (per Tisha's advice, I'm hoping he's hot to help with my motivation). :) I'm actually a little nervous about doing this trainer thing. I hope he considers my advanced age and lack of physical condition. :)

More good news ... Oroweat's sandwich thins(brand name Arnold's in other parts of the country) have finally made it to northern California. I love bread and I've been waiting for these 1-point wonders.

The bad/surprising news: I love salt and discovered (on a friend's recommendation) seasoned pepper (this is actually good news). Yum-oh. In addition to the above mentioned veggies, I also used the seasoned pepper on an avocado last night (waiting for the veggies to grill). 10 points for a whole avocado. I really did try to only eat half. Yikes. Oh well -- track it and move on.

Have a terrific Thursday.

Updated: Definitely in the good category is a giveaway - a gift card for Whole Foods!! Go check out Feed Me I'm Cranky's blog!

Looking for my mojo

Why is it so easy to fall off track? I was out of town over the long weekend and had a great time. It included good friends, good food (which for the most part included healthy choices on my part), spa treatments, too much tequila (ugh!), sunshine and pool time, fireworks, baseball. Unfortunately it did NOT include any activity. When I got back home Sunday evening, I was pooped. And I've used the "tired" card each day since.

So, I'm taking a page from other bloggers (like my pal, Tisha who has signed up for an intense physical challenge) and signing up with a personal trainer. I need the accountability. I need to be pushed. I need help.

I am planning on water aerobics tonight. The location of 24 Hour Fitness near my office (which is not the one I usually frequent) has water aerobics class that leaves my arms and legs feeling like jello. Constant moving for one hour. (I discovered this class during our last heat wave when exercising only seemed possible done in the water. Much to my surprise, I loved the class. Despite the intensity.)

I already feel better writing down my plan! Have a good day.

The power of a good Weight Watchers meeting

I attended a different WW meeting today because it is more convenient for some of my coworkers (some of the group that was part of my WW at work before it folded). And I enjoyed it. The leader is great and the group is interactive. Plus I knew five other people in the meeting who are also great and interactive. Today's meeting invigorated me on this program. Yay for good meetings, good leaders and good fellow attendees.

At the meeting, one of my friends was telling me today about how he uses his iPhone (I gotta get one of those) to track his food on mobile.weightwatchers.com. Lo and behold (with his encouragement), I can do the same thing on my blackberry. I have no excuses now for not journaling.

Finally, another of my fellow WW-ers mentioned the sandwich/salad joint that we frequent here has nutritional info on-line. I had never checked since it's a local place rather than a chain. Since it's definitely one of my go-to lunch places, this is good to know.

I love blogging for the great community, encouragement, advice and tips. Today I found some of those same attributes in my real-world WWers. Clearly I need to get off the internet and out in the real world more. :)

(It's still hot here, but my AC problem was minor. Yippee.)

It's too hot to eat

Summer arrived in northern California this week with a bang. It's 8:30 pm and it's still over 100 degrees. And my air conditioner isn't working as well as it should (I have an appointment for repairs tomorrow morning - keep your fingers crossed that the repair bill doesn't break the bank). Yuck.

This heat wave is another lesson in planning ahead. It really is too hot to eat so I've been filling up on popcorn and watermelon and raw carrots. I need to pick up some other hot weather friendly foods, but there is no way I'm going out to purchase said foods in this heat. Altho I am considering a run to buy a fan to get me through the night. Maybe a trip to Wal Mart so I can do both?

I did play golf this morning and was melting by the time we finished at 11 am. I even took a break and skipped one hole as the heat was definitely getting to me. I was embarrassed to skip the hole, but didn't want to pass out. I did wonder if my playing partners attributed my struggles in the morning's heat to my weight. On the good side, we did walk the 9-hole game.

Finally, no pictures from my "weekend walk" this weekend. I did go to San Francisco yesterday (where thankfully it was cooler than Sacramento but was really warm for the city that is generally quite cool in the summer) to see Wicked. Awesome show. And it was a 1.5 miles each way to the theater from the ferry building where we started. The shopping enroute didn't allow for a good heart rate, but it was definitely fun and better than driving.

Stay cool!

RIP

In 1983, I used my new VCR and recorded the 25th anniversary of Motown and then watched it over and over. At the time, I remembered the special more for Diana Ross snubbing the Supremes, but both Michael's music and dancing are absolutely captivating. RIP Michael. Your music -- all of it, but especially that early Motown music -- is a big part of the soundtrack of my life.

Eating and walking in ruts!

First of all, when did the price of a quick lunch creep up to almost $10 (at least here in northern CA)? Secondly, I sure get in a rut with all my meals, but especially with lunch. Sometimes I bring a frozen entree, but usually I run out to pick up a salad or something at a nearby eatery. A friend suggested going to PF Chang's (which is usually much more of a sit-down restaurant and also not usually very point friendly) and getting their side order of sichuan asparagus and a side of brown rice. I got a half order of the rice and the whole thing was only $3.20! And it only cost 7 points. And, I'm not hungry.

Speaking of a rut, I'm bored silly with my walking route. I usually leave my house and then go one of two ways in a 3-mile loop. So I spent some time this morning on gmap to map out some possible alternatives. It's just too easy to keep going the same way - I know the route and the distance (and where to shave off distance if I hit a time constraint).

What are you doing today to mix things up -- either exercise-wise or food-wise?

I am not hungry; I am not hungry; I am not hungry

My "full" switch has not worked correctly for many years. I'm a volume eater. Even last weekend when I was at a ballgame, I kept eating food that I didn't even LIKE (which is actually rather rare; I'm pretty easy to please food-wise). The full switch was never triggered. Despite eating many calories, I was not satisfied.

Today I found myself eating a sandwich (low-fat tuna - not made w/mayo - on wheat) and wishing for chips and something sweet. I can't be hungry. I just finished a sandwich. But I'm not satisfied. So, I'm repeating the above mantra - I am not hungry - and drinking water until the feeling passes.

This week I'm going to focus on cutting back on alcohol. I really enjoy alcohol in social settings and maybe I'm socializing a bit more these days so it seems I have a drink or two a bit more often than previously. When I began WW, I allowed myself only one drink (rather than my customary two) when I did imbibe. This is yet another habit that has gotten sloppy. I'm back up to two and they're not always the best choices (fattening fruity margaritas or non-light beer). Being aware of this habit should help me eliminate a few empty calories over the next couple of weeks.

Maybe the mantra should be "I am not hungry; I do not want a drink; I am not hungry; I do not want a drink."