My excitement has me posting like crazy. Hopefully I wont lose focus or momentum. I got the meal planning down for this week so I can start planning my workouts. I have a membership at my local YMCA and the facility is really, really nice. They have a full schedule of dance classes, yoga, pilates, water aerobics. There's a swimming pool, top notch equipment and weight room. The locker rooms are nice too - clean showers, steamroom and a sauna. I definitely don't take advantage of it like I should so I want to turn that around.
I've taken some dance classes there before. Caribbean dance was grueling but fun. African dance and belly dance were nice too. I've spent $15 on a african dance class before at a dance studio and the class at the Y was just as good. I'm interested in doing the boot camp fitness class too but I'm scared. I've always wanted to try boot camp fitness so I think I'm gonna go ahead and say eff it. There are two morning classes on mondays and wednesdays. 6:30AM-7:15AM. Thats super early but if my meals and gym bag is packed and my clothes are laid out the night before I really could do it. It's all in the planning. Tonight I'm going to caribbean dance then I'm going home to change and hang out with my friends. I seriously have to think about what drives me and what will get me to the gym when I dnnt feel like going.
Here's what my ideal workout schedule is looking like for next week
Mon - Boot Camp 6:30AM-7:15AM
Tue - rest
Wed - Boot Camp 6:30AM-7:15AM
Thu - Caribbean Dance 6:30PM-7:30PM
Fri - African Dance 6PM-7PM
Sat - rest
Sun - Belly Dance 2:30PM-3:30PM
I know half of my workouts are gonna be very demanding (boot camp, caribbean dance) but at least I know once I got the hard stuff out the way that I'll be able to have more fun with the other classes. The first week is always the hardest anyway so I'm glad I'll be home for most of the week. I'll have time to juice up something for my sore muscles. I need to find a recipe for that right now.
Planning is really giving me the edge I need. While food shopping last night it felt good to have a list to refer to. Even this morning it helped because while the food was prepared I was in a rush so I couldnt remember off top what was in the fridge. Having the meals stuck on the fridge made it simple to pack and get moving. I'll be planning all of my meals from now on.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Meal Plan
When I start working out I can always get the ball rolling and stay on task with going to the gym. I struggle with meal planning and making healthy food choices on the go. I also need to save money and cut back on spending so much on take out food. On average I can spend anywhere from $7-$15 a day on food. Times that by 5 and I spend anywhere between $35 to $75 for food during the work week. Thats not including dinner (~$7 a meal) or meals on the weekend. Thats too much damn money! Spending close to $400 a month on food for one person is irresponsible. I could be saving that extra money and using it towards paying down my debts, saving for a car or taking a nice vacation once I reach my weight loss goals.
I planned my meals for the next 7 days. I'm giving myself a budget of $30. From week to week I'll see what I can cut back on. Ultimately I want to plan my meals for the month and do bulk shopping for ingridients. Baby steps.
Meals
Fruit, peanuts and green tea
blueberry/blackberry/strawberry, soy milk and ice smoothie
whole wheat tortilla/english muffin, scrambled eggs and veggies
Fish, brown rice and steamed bok choy
Spinach and tomato salad
Vegetarian Chilli
Shopping list
Fish - I love red snapper but I need to stay within my budget
1 can of black beans
1 can of kidney beans
2 onions
6 large tomatoes
garlic
3 bell peppers
spinach
bok choy
strawberries
mangoes
soy milk
whole wheat tortillas or whole wheat english muffins
I'll be going to chinatown after work for the fish, fruits and vegetables. I'll pick up the canned beans, soy milk and whole wheat tortillas/english muffins at the supermarket near my house. When I get home I'll update and we'll see if I was able to stay within my budget.
UPDATE
I havent had this much fun food shopping in a long time. Here's what I got.
6 red snapper filets - $6.99
5 tomatoes on the vine - $2
5 bulbs of garlic - $1
2 green peppers - $1
2 lbs baby spinach - $1
1 lb strawberries - $1
2 lbs bok choy - $2.08
Silk Almond milk - $3.99
tomato tortilla wraps - $3.39
1 can crushed tomatoes - $1.89
1 can pinto beans - $0.89
1 can kidney beans - $0.79
TOTAL: $26.02
YAY! I stayed within the budget with $3.98 to spare :) Now I'm off to do all my cooking. I'll portion the meals out into plastic containers and stack them in the fridge. I'm even gonna make two smoothies and pour them into some empty vitamin water bottles.
I planned my meals for the next 7 days. I'm giving myself a budget of $30. From week to week I'll see what I can cut back on. Ultimately I want to plan my meals for the month and do bulk shopping for ingridients. Baby steps.
Meals
Fruit, peanuts and green tea
blueberry/blackberry/strawberry, soy milk and ice smoothie
whole wheat tortilla/english muffin, scrambled eggs and veggies
Fish, brown rice and steamed bok choy
Spinach and tomato salad
Vegetarian Chilli
Shopping list
Fish - I love red snapper but I need to stay within my budget
1 can of black beans
1 can of kidney beans
2 onions
6 large tomatoes
garlic
3 bell peppers
spinach
bok choy
strawberries
mangoes
soy milk
whole wheat tortillas or whole wheat english muffins
I'll be going to chinatown after work for the fish, fruits and vegetables. I'll pick up the canned beans, soy milk and whole wheat tortillas/english muffins at the supermarket near my house. When I get home I'll update and we'll see if I was able to stay within my budget.
UPDATE
I havent had this much fun food shopping in a long time. Here's what I got.
6 red snapper filets - $6.99
5 tomatoes on the vine - $2
5 bulbs of garlic - $1
2 green peppers - $1
2 lbs baby spinach - $1
1 lb strawberries - $1
2 lbs bok choy - $2.08
Silk Almond milk - $3.99
tomato tortilla wraps - $3.39
1 can crushed tomatoes - $1.89
1 can pinto beans - $0.89
1 can kidney beans - $0.79
TOTAL: $26.02
YAY! I stayed within the budget with $3.98 to spare :) Now I'm off to do all my cooking. I'll portion the meals out into plastic containers and stack them in the fridge. I'm even gonna make two smoothies and pour them into some empty vitamin water bottles.
Weight Loss 101 (Getting Your Mind Right)!!!
I found this amazing video series by BeautifulBrwnBabyDol. Some helpful tips on getting your mind right before embarking on your weight loss journey.
My name is Nikki. I'm a 24 year old from Brooklyn, I'm 5'7" and I weigh 245 pounds. In October I turn 25 and I want to embrace a new healthier lifestyle. I've been overweight since HS and I never made any real attempts at weight loss until 3 years ago. Between January 2008 and March 2008 I lost a total of 30 pounds.
May 2008 || 210 lbs
June 2010 || 245 lbs
At 210 I was my lowest weight as an adult. I lost the weight by juicing regularly and running 3-4 miles 5-6 days a week. It was hard but I stuck with it but once summer hit I lost my motivation. I've since gained all the weight back and some. This time I want to shed the weight for good.
I've done a lot of reading and research. One of the first books I read was 'Heal Thyself' by Queen Afua. It opened my eyes about what it truly means to be healthy. Another book I read was "The Truth About Beauty" by Kat James. I was amazed by how she broke down the science of being healthy and how it extends into all areas of our lives. The last book I read was "The 4 Day Diet" by Dr. Ian Smith. My aunt put me on to this book after she lost 50 pounds last year and kept it off. Dr. Ian's book is about making permanent lifestyle changes using clean foods and a diet that allows variety and flexibility.
After meditating on what I need to do next I've figured out what I need to reach my goal:
-planning. I have to plan my meals and workouts a week in advance. If I know exactly what I'm going to eat, at what times and when I'll be going to the gym I can shop, cook and pack my gym clothes accordingly.
-support. Having a support system is essential to staying on track. There will be days when I don't feel like going to the gym or when I want to eat something unhealthy. I need people to help me stay focused on my goal and offer words of encouragement when I need it. I also need to support my friends who are also on the path of health and change. Offering support to others keeps the positivity going.
-goals. I need to set realistic goals for myself and goals that arent necessarily weight related. Keep the goals visible and review them frequently.
Why do I want to lose weight?
I've really come into myself as a young woman. I finally learned to accept my body and I love myself. It took me a long time to be comfortable with my body but now that I am I want to push myself. I never really gave my weight loss a chance. If I lost 30 pounds in 3 months then imagine what I could do in 6-12-24 months. I've always admired atheletes and I've wished I could be more athletic. Theres only one way to become athletic - become an athlete! I want to be a life long athlete. Someone who trains and works out because it feels good and because it improves my quality of life.
I started a business 2 years ago and it has grown to the point where I am physically exhuasted. When I was working out in 2008 I felt totally different. I had more energy, more stamina, clearer thinking and sharper focus. Lately I've been moody, irritable, depressed and sluggish. I don't like it. If I want to take my business to the next level I need to take care of myself first.
There are more reasons but I'll list them as I blog.
At 210 I was my lowest weight as an adult. I lost the weight by juicing regularly and running 3-4 miles 5-6 days a week. It was hard but I stuck with it but once summer hit I lost my motivation. I've since gained all the weight back and some. This time I want to shed the weight for good.
I've done a lot of reading and research. One of the first books I read was 'Heal Thyself' by Queen Afua. It opened my eyes about what it truly means to be healthy. Another book I read was "The Truth About Beauty" by Kat James. I was amazed by how she broke down the science of being healthy and how it extends into all areas of our lives. The last book I read was "The 4 Day Diet" by Dr. Ian Smith. My aunt put me on to this book after she lost 50 pounds last year and kept it off. Dr. Ian's book is about making permanent lifestyle changes using clean foods and a diet that allows variety and flexibility.
After meditating on what I need to do next I've figured out what I need to reach my goal:
-planning. I have to plan my meals and workouts a week in advance. If I know exactly what I'm going to eat, at what times and when I'll be going to the gym I can shop, cook and pack my gym clothes accordingly.
-support. Having a support system is essential to staying on track. There will be days when I don't feel like going to the gym or when I want to eat something unhealthy. I need people to help me stay focused on my goal and offer words of encouragement when I need it. I also need to support my friends who are also on the path of health and change. Offering support to others keeps the positivity going.
-goals. I need to set realistic goals for myself and goals that arent necessarily weight related. Keep the goals visible and review them frequently.
Why do I want to lose weight?
I've really come into myself as a young woman. I finally learned to accept my body and I love myself. It took me a long time to be comfortable with my body but now that I am I want to push myself. I never really gave my weight loss a chance. If I lost 30 pounds in 3 months then imagine what I could do in 6-12-24 months. I've always admired atheletes and I've wished I could be more athletic. Theres only one way to become athletic - become an athlete! I want to be a life long athlete. Someone who trains and works out because it feels good and because it improves my quality of life.
I started a business 2 years ago and it has grown to the point where I am physically exhuasted. When I was working out in 2008 I felt totally different. I had more energy, more stamina, clearer thinking and sharper focus. Lately I've been moody, irritable, depressed and sluggish. I don't like it. If I want to take my business to the next level I need to take care of myself first.
There are more reasons but I'll list them as I blog.
Goals
weight goals
current weight - 242 lbs
short term goal - 227 lbs by 1/31/11
mid term goal - 200 lbs by 3/31/10
long term goal - 180 by 9/5/11
fitness goals
run 3 miles in 45 minutes - by 3/15/11
current weight - 242 lbs
short term goal - 227 lbs by 1/31/11
mid term goal - 200 lbs by 3/31/10
long term goal - 180 by 9/5/11
fitness goals
run 3 miles in 45 minutes - by 3/15/11
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