I'm going to have dinner with my old co-workers this evening. I haven't seen them for almost 2 years now. It is a reunion of sorts. I used to work for a small biotech company, and we were like a small family since there were only about 50 people total in the whole company. The old owner treated us so well (RIP Helga) and I do miss working there sometimes. I don't really like the way I look right now but oh well can't do anything in less than 8 hours to get fit lol. I'm just going to try to find an outfit that won't make me look so fat. :0P
I'm going to go to Whole Foods Market before I head to the restaurant. I've been wanting to go there for awhile. I figure I can kill 2 birds with one stone by running multi-errands today lol. Although it can get expensive shopping there, they are all about being natural and organic with no preservatives. I'm trying to become more "green" so I'm going to buy a Sigg bottle (an aluminum water bottle) since plastic water bottles (even the sturdier ones) don't seem as safe anymore especially with all of the discussion about the chemicals that can leak out. I'm trying to lessen my use of bottled water too so this will be a good thing to use while at work and during workouts. :0)
I'll let you know how the reunion is. I'm sure it will be lots of fun especially since I have to play catch up with many of my old co-workers. We will be having dinner at El Torito, a Mexican restaurant that is really close to where our old job was. I think it's going to be a buffet style dinner (???) so we'll see how that goes...lol :0P
Side note: My sister's birthday dinner was fun and very yummy! The restaurant we ate at was very good and the servers were very nice. I felt bad for my sister though because they over cooked her filet mignon and asked them to take it back. They were very gracious about it. They should be considering how expensive the plate was lol. I actually ordered outside of my normal comfort zone. I usually like to order a steak. I decided to order the black sea bass (that was scrumdiliumptious!) and a starter of the ahi tuna tartare. My parents and sister were actually surprised at my choices since I normally don't go "outside of the box" especially with eating raw fish. My taste buds have been changing as I grew older. I used to be very picky with what I eat, but I've become more and more open to trying new foods out and giving things a chance before not wanting to eat it. Dang! I'm growing up!!! HAHAHA :0P
Today is my sister's birthday, and I'm anxious to leave work already! Luckily I'm leaving in less than half an hour (I was able to leave an hour early! WOO HOO!!!). My parents, sister and I are going to eat dinner at a French fusion restaurant in the city. I've eaten there for lunch before, and I had honestly one of the best burgers E-V-E-R! It was sooo moist and juicy and their fries were perfectly cooked. I can't wait to eat their food again!!! YUM!!! :0P
My sister and I decided we would get dressed up (aka wear a dress). Luckily the dress I bought while in Denver still fits me (although it is a little more snug in the waistline than before). I wish I got a pedicure so I can wear some really cute sandals, but my peep toe shoes will just have to do for tonight. I don't know what else we're going to do after dinner since my mom is working tonight (unfortunately..). I'll give the dish later on how it went either when I get home or tomorrow for sure! Today is definitely not a diet day lol
Happy Friday everyone! Hope you're not too superstitious of what today is...heheheh... Time for me to close up shop! Hasta luego! :0)
I was reading the SF Examiner on my way home from work today and read a 3 minute interview with Cheryl Burke. I first got to know of her when she was competing on Dancing with the Stars. She ain't the 2-time champion for nothing! She just opened her first dance studio in San Francisco in April. I think it's really cool her studio is in our mutual hometown of the Bay Area. LOVE IT! :0) I would love to take some group classes there one day. I like how you don't need to have a partner to take a class like salsa or tango either. There are so many different classes being taught that I don't know which class I want to take first lol. :0P
I've been thinking a lot about how I want to reach my goals. Why not give myself incentives that will help motivate me to reach each of them? :0) Here is what I have so far (and they might change as my journey progresses)...
Goal # 1 - weigh 270 lbs = get a pedicure and buy a pair of cute summer sandals (After I reach this goal, my mini goal will be to get a pedicure after every 10 lbs I lose thereafter to pamper myself.)
Goal # 2 - weigh 250 lbs = buy myself an iPod Nano and the Nike accessories for it that will track my progress (I bought Nike shoes that can hold the Nike censor)
Goal # 3 - weigh 225 lbs (aka 2008 goal) = mini makeover with a drastic haircut (I've been digging Heidi Klum's and Katie Holme's new 'dos), maybe a massage/spa day, and buy a very cute outfit for my birthday (which is in January. Perfect timing! :0) ).
Goal # 4 - weigh 199 lbs (aka bye bye 200s! HELLO Onderland!!!) = buy myself a very nice bag (bag to be picked once I get closer to reaching this goal...)
Goal # 5 - weigh 175 lbs = get my lower back tattoo that I've been wanting for ages but didn't want to get because of my back boobs (lol) and a mini trip to the Camarillo Outlets (near Los Angeles) for a mini Coach shopping spree... (I have a little thing for Coach bags...)
Goal # 6 - weigh 150 lbs (aka ULTIMATE GOAL) = a dream tropical vacation (place TBD) where I can wear a B-I-K-I-N-I (or at least a one piece without covering myself up)...
I am saddened by the death of an actor in the Philippines, Rudy Fernandez. I grew up watching his movies with my dad. He had died of periampullary cancer over the weekend. It is a rare form of cancer (of the bile duct) that affects 100 out of 100,000 people. I didn't even know his cancer had become so aggressive. :0( My heart goes out to his family during this difficult time because I know how it feels to lose family because of this terrible disease. Although I didn't know him personally, from what I saw, he was a sweet, funny, and very humble man who loved his family and friends and was always willing to help others in their time of need. I wish I could have met him while he was alive...
It hurts to know so many people I know (personally and celebrity-wise) has been affected by this. In both sides of my family, I have family members who are currently dealing with various forms of cancer while I have had to deal with the loss of two of my relatives. Knowing how genetics, health, and environment can play big parts with cancer, it makes me want to take better care of myself. I have heard of people who don't even have a history of cancer and was lean and healthy who got breast cancer. It is scary to know how many people get it more and more now! :0( I really do hope and pray there will one day be a cure for all cancers, and all these people whose lives have been cut short will not have died in vain.
I apologize if this blog might be somber, but I had to get it off my chest. Cancer has been a part of mine and my family's life in one way or another for many years, and it is always hard to hear about other people who also have to endure it. All I can do is be there to support those I know who are also going through it as they have done for me...
I've been wanting to utilize the treadmill that my sister bought last year and was able to find an actual treadmill workout that isn't just about walking on the treadmill at the same speed for 30 minutes. It not only breaks it down by days but also has specific instructions to each daily segment. LOVE IT! :0)
WEEKS 1 THRU 4
Monday - Cardio Walk
Tuesday - Speed Intervals
Wednesday - Cardio Walk
Thursday - Incline Intervals
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Power Mix
Sunday - Rest
[I love how the instructions are very detailed! :0) ]
WARM UP (5 minutes)
Walk slowly (1.5 to 2 mph) for 1 minute. Slow your speed (to no more than 1.8 mph), and walk on your toes for 30 seconds, then switch to your heels for 30 seconds. Repeat the toe and heel walking one more time. Raise your incline to 6, and stretch your legs by taking longer strides for 1 minute. Lower the incline to 0, and speed up to 2.5 to 3 mph for 1 minute.
COOL DOWN (5 minutes)
At the end of your walk, reduce your speed to 2.5 to 3.5 mph, and walk for 3 minutes. Then slow down to 1.5 to 2.5 mph, and walk for 2 more minutes.
STRETCH
To avoid tight calves, try this stretch: Standing on the edge of a step, gently lower one heel. Hold for 45 to 60 seconds, then switch legs.
CARDIO WALK
After warming up, walk between 3 and 4 mph. Choose a pace that has you breathing harder but still allows you to talk without gasping. Remember to cool down afterward.
Weeks 1 to 4
Walk for 20 minutes. Total workout time: 30 minutes
SPEED INTERVALS
After warming up, walk at a moderate pace (3 to 3.5 mph) for 5 minutes. Now you'll begin your intervals: Increase to a fast walk (3.5 to 4.5 mph; see below for durations), followed by a 5-minute moderate pace (3 to 3.5 mph). You'll repeat the fast/moderate intervals a total of three times. Finish with the cooldown.
Weeks 1 to 4
Do 1-minute speed intervals. Total workout time: 33 minutes
INCLINE INTERVALS
After warming up, walk for 5 minutes at 3 to 4 mph with your treadmill at a 0 or 1 incline. Then increase the incline (see below for specifics) for 5 minutes. As you raise the incline, you may need to slow your speed to maintain good form. You'll repeat the flat/incline sequence a total of two times. Then walk for another 5 minutes at 0 or 1 incline before cooling down.
Weeks 1 to 4
Increase your incline to 4 or 5. Total workout time: 35 minutes
POWER MIX
After warming up, try this sequence. Always cool down afterward.
Speed
Pyramid Walk for 30 seconds at 3.5 mph; increase to 4.5 mph for 30 seconds. Walk for 45 seconds at 3.5; increase to 4.5 for 45 seconds. Walk for 1 minute at 3.5; increase to 4.5 mph for 1 minute.
Incline
Pyramid Start at an incline of 4, and walk for 1 minute. Elevate to 5 for another minute. Continue to increase the incline every minute up to an incline of 8, and then decrease the incline every minute, back down to 4. Try to maintain 3 to 4 mph throughout.
Recovery
Walk at 3 to 4 mph (0 incline) for 5 minutes.
Weeks 1 to 4
Do the workout one time through. Total workout time: 28.5 minutes.
I'm going to print out the article when I get to work tomorrow along with printing out bigger versions of the instructions to post on the wall. I'm also going to create a weekly log on Excel too! lol
I'm really excited to begin this tomorrow! My mom and sister are also interested in this workout plan so maybe they'll both also get to utilize the treadmill more too.
Wow! Even after everything I ate yesterday, I was still able to lose 1.2 lbs for the week. Not bad, but I know I can do better than that! I need to be more disciplined this week especially with my sister's birthday coming up on Friday (the 13th) and dinner with my old co-workers on Saturday. We're supposed to go to a really nice restaurant to celebrate my sister's birthday. I've been there once for lunch and had one of the best burgers in my life, so I know dinner will be very good (yet not very diet-friendly). On Saturday, I'm supposed to meet my co-workers at either El Torito or else a really good Italian restaurant (not totally diet-friendly at either spots too). I will have to make sure I eat really healthy during the week so I can splurge a little on Friday and Saturday. It is feasible especially if I eat a lot of fruits and veggies to help cleanse my system beforehand.
Here are my goals for the week:
Eat a protein-rich breakfast in the morning (so I won't lose steam and get tired easily during the day)
Bring my lunch to work that is portioned with lots of veggies and some form of lean protein.
Drink between 6-8 cups of water a day.
Drink at least a cup of milk a day (got to get more calcium in my system).
Walk my dogs after I get home from work (it's supposed to be warm this week).
Start walking on the treadmill. (I found a treadmill plan online that I would like to try).
Try not to munch on a lot of junk food throughout the day (at home/work).
No eating past 7pm (so I won't feel so full before I go to bed).
Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night (I haven't been sleeping as well as I should lately).
Water aerobics starts tomorrow, but I haven't received my bathing suit as of yet. BOO! :0( I'm trying to get my sister to come with me so we can try it out together. I know she wants to tone up too. :0)
Here's to a new week! Hope everyone has a great one!
Today definitely wasn't a diet day that's for sure! I have such a food coma right now I shouldn't even be sitting down writing this blog lol. One of my weaknesses is a Filipino appetizer called lumpia shanghai (a variation of the egg roll). I helped my mom with making and even frying them today. It is so hard to go on a diet when my mom makes food that I love (that isn't very diet friendly at times). Along with the lumpia, my mom made popcorn chicken (so much better than KFC's that's for sure!) along with a chocolate cake. My will power to not eat any of it wasn't there today. The only healthy thing I had today was some sweet watermelon lol. I will pay for it tomorrow when I weigh in. Guess the diet starts on Monday at this point! :0P Now I just need to stay vertical so I won't succumb to my food coma... *sigh*
What will they think of next? I happen to see this article this morning http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/smartspending/archive/2008/06/05/get-em-while-they-re-hot-and-free.aspx. Apparently it is National Doughnut Day today. OH GOODNESS! It's not good for someone who does love to eat those sinfully delicious yumminess (not all the time of course). Fortunately, I ended up not going to work today so I didn't have to worry about looking for that kind of temptation (especially with Krispy Kreme giving out free doughnuts). Unfortunately, I did buy these raspberry filled little doughnuts from Trader Joe's yesterday (D'OH!) and yes...I did try some and they were divine (double D'OH!!!). I know I'm going to pay for that on the scale this weekend when I weigh in. *sigh* I really need to stop these temptations and cravings from occuring. Food has always been my comfort especially when I was emotional and/or bored. It's definitely a hard habit to break but I'm trying my best to stop. I need to stop going to the store and roam around looking at everything. I need to just go in, get what I need, and go straight to the check out. Old habits do die hard though, but I will break this bad cycle. I know I can do it!!! :0)
HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!! Hope you all have a great weekend!!!
When you look outside my window, you would never guess it is spring/almost summer in the Bay Area. It looks more like Fall or Winter actually. It is soooo windy this evening that our power went out briefly. It's pretty cold right now so much I'm about to grab a sweater from my room. It's been this way the last few weeks. This weather makes me so unmotivated unfortunately. It doesn't help that I have been extremely tired to boot. I feel like hibernating all weekend long and trying to catch up on sleep. :0( I'm hoping I'm not coming down with something I'm feeling so rundown right now. I'm soooo glad tomorrow is Friday!!!
