Vacation goal

So I am going to Jamaica at the end of March with my Mom. She is going as a business trip so the whole trip is paid for! I am so excited!!!!

I want to set a goal to weight 170lbs before I go. That means I need to lose 5lbs in 4 weeks. I know this is possible but I have to stay focused.

As of this morning I weight in at 175.2lbs!

New toy

Today I purchased this...


It's a road bike. I've been looking for one of these for a long time but I didnt want to put a lot of money into it. This bike retails at $1,200 and let me assure you I paid less than half of that. It was a lot of money to spend but I am confident I got a good deal.

I love spinning and the thought of being able to ride outside on a nice day sounds wonderful. I even got a helmet thrown into the deal!!!

Now all I need is a good day to ride. I am hoping the weather is nice this weekend and I can take her out!

Weekend and excuses

I had another weekend out of town. As much as I love traveling it's hard sometimes to be on the go all the time. I spent well over 12 hours in the car but it was worth it to see friends and family.

I am having a hard time getting motivated to go to the gym. I need to go to the gym because I think it will be good for me to break a sweat and I'll feel better about myself. The weather is just gloomy here and all I want to do is go to bed.

Can someone help me find my motivation???

Recipe Friday

Happy Friday everyone! I am headed out of town this weekend to visit my Valentine. He was sent away from work for a few weeks but luckily we are spending the weekend together.

I wanted to share one of my favorite healthy recipe with everyone:

It's a whole wheat pasta with broccoli and tomatoes!

Ingredients:

• 12 ounce(s) whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 large bunch broccoli cut into florets
• 12 ounce(s) hot Italian turkey sausage
• 1 pint(s) grape tomatoes each cut in half
• 1/2 cup(s) fresh basil leaves (loosely packed) chopped
• 1/4 cup(s) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Heat large saucepot of salted water to boiling on high. Add pasta and cook as label directs, adding broccoli when 3 minutes of cooking time remain. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water; drain pasta and broccoli.

Meanwhile, thinly slice sausage on the diagonal. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook sausage on medium 7 to 8 minutes or until it begins to brown, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes longer, stirring.

Stir pasta, broccoli, and 1/4 cup pasta cooking water into sausage mixture in skillet; heat through, adding additional cooking water if needed. Remove from heat; stir in basil and cheese.

1 serving: Calories 505; Carbohydrates 74g; Cholesterol 71mg; Dietary Fiber 10g; Fat 13g (Saturated Fat 4g); Sodium 760mg

Let me know what you think or one of your favorite healthy recipes!

High Metabolism Diet

I found this article on MSN today. I highly recommend reading it. The reason I wanted to post about it is so I can keep it in my archives.

The article talks about the High Metabolism Diet. Here is what it says:

To really make your metabolism soar, couple the workout with our High-Metabolism Diet, developed by Dan Benardot, PhD, RD, an associate professor of nutrition and kinesiology at Georgia State University, and Tammy Lakatos, RD, coauthor of Fire Up Your Metabolism. Start today and you'll sleep better, have more energy, feel firmer, and notice your clothes are looser in as little as 2 weeks. Here's how:

Eat Enough

You need to cut calories to lose weight. But going too low delivers a double whammy to your metabolism. When you eat less than you need for basic biological function (about 1,200 calories for most women), your body throws the brakes on your metabolism. It also begins to break down precious, calorie-burning muscle tissue for energy, says Dan Benardot. "Eat just enough so you're not hungry—a 150-calorie snack midmorning and midafternoon between three meals (about 430 calories each) will keep your metabolism humming."

Rev Up in the Morning

Eating breakfast jump-starts metabolism and keeps energy high all day. It's no accident that women who skip this meal are 4 1/2 times as likely to be obese. If nothing else, grab a yogurt. Or try oatmeal made with fat-free milk and topped with nuts for an essential protein boost.

Drink Coffee or Tea

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily java jolts can rev your metabolism 5 to 8%—about 98 to 174 calories a day. A cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12%, according to one Japanese study. Researchers believe the antioxidant catechins in tea provide the boost.

Fight Fat with Fiber

Research shows that some fiber can rev your fat burn by as much as 30%.Studies find that women who eat the most fiber gain the least weight over time. Aim for about 25 g a day—the amount in about three servings each of fruits and vegetables.

Buy the Big Bottle

German researchers found that drinking 6 cups of cold water a day (that's 48 ounces) can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily—enough to shed 5 pounds in a year. The increase may come from the work it takes to heat the water to body temperature.

Go Organic

Canadian researchers report that dieters with the most organochlorines (pollutants from pesticides, which are stored in fat cells) experience a greater than normal dip in metabolism as they lose weight, perhaps because the toxins interfere with the energy-burning process. Other research hints that pesticides can trigger weight gain. Always choose organic when buying peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, and pears; they tend to have the highest levels of pesticides.

Always Include Protein

Your body needs protein to maintain lean muscle. Add a serving, like 3 ounces of lean meat, 2 tablespoons of nuts, or 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt, to every meal and snack. Research shows protein can up postmeal calorie burn by as much as 35%.

Eat Iron-Rich Foods

It's essential for carrying the oxygen your muscles need to burn fat, says Tammy Lakatos, RD, co-creator of the diet. Until menopause, women lose iron each month through menstruation. Unless you restock your stores, you run the risk of low energy and a sagging metabolism. Shellfish, lean meats, beans, fortified cereals, and spinach are excellent sources.

Get More D

This vitamin is essential for preserving metabolism-revving muscle tissue. Unfortunately, researchers estimate that a measly 4% of Americans over age 50 take in enough through their diet. Get 90% of your recommended daily value (400 IU) in a 3.5-ounce serving of salmon. Other good sources: tuna, shrimp, tofu, fortified milk and cereal, and eggs.

Skip the Second Cocktail

When you have a drink, you burn less fat, and more slowly than usual, because the alcohol is used as fuel instead. Knocking back the equivalent of about two martinis can reduce your body's fat-burning ability by up to 73%.

Drink Milk

"There's some evidence that calcium deficiency, which is common in many women, may slow metabolism," says Lakatos. Research shows that consuming calcium through dairy foods such as fat-free milk and low-fat yogurt may also reduce fat absorption from other foods.

What of these tips to you guys do???

New Weigh-In

So I've joined a Biggest Loser type competition at work. To be more accurate they are calling it the "TALK IS CHEAP NOW GET OFF YOUR BUT AND MOVE" Competition. Today was the beginning weight in. It wasn't horrible but I wasn't very excited about weigh in with a bunch of co-workers. We did weight, body fat % and BMI. They had a personal trainer there for any questions.

First of all I weight in at 180.2lbs with all my work clothes on and my shoes (I wanted to weight in at my heaviest!). My body fat % was a 33. I briefly spoke with the instructor and he said the ideal percentage for a woman my age would be 25%. So I did some research online and found this:

General Body Fat Percentage Categories

Classification	Women (% fat)	Men (% fat)
Essential Fat	10-12%	2-4%
Athletes	14-20%	6-13%
Fitness	21-24%	14-17%
Acceptable	25-31%	18-25%
Obese	32% plus	25% plus

Now I will admit that being in the Obese category hurts a little. I know I am only at the edge of Obese but I was really hoping to be acceptable. I knew I still needed to lose weight but I want to leave the obese category ASAP.

Our TALK IS CHEAP competition is for 12 weeks. So by the end of those 12 weeks I would like to see anything plus or minus a pound at 170 and I would REALLY like to see a body fat of 30%. According to the calculations online I would have to weigh 154lbs to have a 30% body fat. I dont know how accurate that is but I know I cannot lose 26lbs in 12 weeks.

Back from my hiatus

I doubt anyone is still reading this blog but I am determined to get this puppy up and running again.

I am recommitting:
To myself
To my weight loss
To my healthier eating habits
To my blog

I have no more excuses. This blog has helped me through so much and kept me on track before. I have an official weigh in tomorrow. By the end of the week I want to get a new look and set some goals.

Hiatus is over!!!