2011 - Week 26 In Review

I've been in a really off place these last few days, which is why I haven't posted anything.  I figured it was better to keep my mouth shut than to blather on about things that probably wouldn't make much sense to anyone else.  Heck, they didn't really make sense to me!  Even with my being off, my week was relatively on, so that's something good.

Exercise:  I did 5 cardio sessions this week and they all felt pretty good.  Two of them were for 80 minutes, while I watched Damages (2 episodes per session).  Another was on the stairmill with a new audiobook.  With my 6 days of working out, I topped 4000 calories for the second week in a row!  I'm pretty sore from yesterday's training session, but doing okay.  My shoulders hurt with a few of the exercises (pain, not burn), so I had to modify those movements.

 

I'm not sure how my workouts will go for this week.  Because of being off work today and tomorrow, I'm packing my appointment into 3 longer days.  On top of that, I've got people visiting tomorrow so I may be with company the entire day and not be able to exercise.  I'll still aim for at least 4 days of cardio, but they might not be for as long given what I'm able to squeeze in.

Food: Everything was clean up until dinner last night when we went out for a meal with my cousins.  I didn't turn it into a huge binge or anything and it wasn't horribly "dirty" or anything.  I felt good about what I ate, enjoying the tastes, and leaving the table without feeling uncomfortably full.  My cousins did give me a GIANT bar of Cadbury's chocolate (my favorite) and I had thought about opening it for a dessert last night.  However, knowing myself, once I open that packaging I'll just keep going back for more until it's gone.  Last time, I ate the entire bar in two evenings, and this is 14oz of straight chocolate!  I think I'll save it for my trip to Vegas, which is a planned cheat for 4+ days.  I figure I can have some on each flight and then nibble on it in the hotel room (which we'll hardly be in anyways).

This week's food will be straight-forward again, except for tomorrow.  Today, we're going to my in-laws for dinner.  I've already told them to not bother preparing anything particular for me as I'll just bring all my own food.  I think that's easier than trying to weigh out and portion my mother-in-law's cooking.  And it saves me from having to defend why I'm not eating something that she considers "clean."  Tomorrow, I'll probably be spending most of the day with friends and family.  I may meet up with some friends in the morning, in which case I'll try to bring my own foods or at least a bottle of spray salad dressing if we go out for lunch.  Then the afternoon and evening are with my cousins (including a baseball game that night).  I figure this will be my cheat meal for the week, since my cousin and I HAVE to have our funnel cakes!  Given that the rest of the week is straight-forward and that my husband is out of town for the whole weekend, it shouldn't be too difficult to keep it clean.  I prefer to save my cheat meal for later in the week, just in case something arises, but I'm prioritizing time with my family here and that's what's important to me.

Overall: I think I just got to feeling burned out and overwhelmed by the end of the week.  I've been trying to be everything to everyone and I just don't have the time or the energy to do that.  And when I feel as though other people are expecting this of me and then not appreciative (or even critical) of what I do offer, I begin to feel resentful.  I was feeling tired, drained, and run-down by the end of the week, so everything seemed like a criticism.  I was getting rubbed the wrong way, no matter what.  Part of my frustration was that the scale didn't seem to budge at all this week (kind of a "let down" after last week).  I try to not put too much stock in the specific number, but when I'm already worn-down and feeling irritated it's hard to not focus on those stupid numbers.

I've been so exhausted these past few days, despite getting a full night's sleep each night.  I took a couple naps yesterday (one was unintentional while I was  reading my book) and I tried to let myself sleep-in as much as I could each day.  I don't think this is from the changes in my diet or anything specific.  Rather, I think it's my body telling me that it's exhausted (physically and, more so, emotionally) and that it needs to take time for itself.  I'm trying to speak up for what I need from others.  I'm trying to set limits for what I'll do, both for others and for myself.  Why do I feel like this is what I'm always working on?

 

SATURDAY
Food Log:

• Meal 1
• 3 egg whites
• 50g dry cream of rice (cooked in water)
• Meal 2
• 0% flavored Chobani Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Meal 3
• 3 oz chicken
• Green beans
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Meal 4
• 3 oz chicken
• Green beans
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Meal 5
• 0% flavored Chobani Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Exercise: 

• Time:  80 minutes on the elliptical
• Calories:  750 (problems with HR monitor getting accurate read)

Weigh-In: 145.7 / 145.3

 

SUNDAY
Food Log:

• Meal 1
• 3 egg whites
• 50g dry cream of rice (cooked in water)
• Meal 2
• 0% flavored Chobani Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Meal 3
• 3 oz chicken
• Peppers and onions
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Meal 4 - CHEAT at Chinese Restaurant
• 1 pan-fried dumpling
• 1 spicy-tangy wonton
• Mandarin Chicken (white meat, breaded and sauteed)
  
• White rice (maybe a little more than a half cup)
• Meal 5
• 0% flavored Chobani Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Exercise: 

• Time:  1 hour strength training with personal trainer
• Calories:  350 (again, problems with HR monitor getting accurate read)

Weigh-In: 145.8 / 145.2