I heard someone say the other day “You know the old saying: flat abs begin in the kitchen“. Well, I’d never heard this saying, but it does make sense that you’ll never see any kind of ab muscles if you’ve got layers of fat over top of them. So, diet is what it’s really all about.

Getting the diet clean is really going to be the key to success. That way, any time spent at the gym won’t be playing catch-up for something bad I gave in to, it will be get-ahead on burning the results of stuff I’ve given in to for years. Or something like that.

I do want to report a positive on the smoothie front this morning. I’ve cracked the code on adding powdered greens to my smoothies without the sewer water taste. One scoop, dissolved in a small amount of water, added LAST spoonful by spoonful.

This morning I made a great smoothie of fresh pineapple, banana, strawberries and peaches, put in a little yogurt, and a small spoon of flax and whey protein, and had it smelling just perfectly palatable. A taste made me add just a little honey, then it was perfect. Then… I started tainting its perfection with greens. In that method, the smell stayed the same, the color tinted just a little green, but not too much. And it still tasted pretty damn good afterwards.

I’ve recently started making a big blender of smoothie and dividing it for the day. I find drinking half as much as usual in the morning leaves me the other half for a snack later already made.

Because I’d been slack on climbing Monday, I got JamesT to take me to climb some last night. He wasn’t ready to climb himself, but he was happy to belay and advise. Last night the goal was to work some 5.8s that I either hadn’t tried or had previously been unable to do. 

The couple of short ones I hadn’t tried before I did manage, though they weren’t pretty. Another 5.8 in the corner I only finished because James managed to take most of my weight for the big transition around the corner, but it still wasn’t without some effort to get through the rest of it. I thought I was done done, but James encouraged me to rest a bit, then I did two more short 5.8s without too much trouble, but again without any grace or skill. Wobbly is the word I’m looking for I think.  

Another long rest, because again I was sure I was done, but James encouraged one more… a long 5.8 on the overhang wall. And… I struggled my way up to the overhang and wore out. Slipped off, but he caught me and had me hang and rest. I climbed back and tried a few more times, but eventually the hanging in the harness to rest my arms was putting my legs to sleep, and I gave up. It was a lengthy effort, though, so I wasn’t too disappointed.

Then we went upstairs for weights.

James had been encouraging me and Kit to do more weights when we came over during the day, but that time table hasn’t worked out for us in a while. So, he escorted me upstairs to “show me how it’s done” I guess. I think I may have blown his mind on the squat machine a bit, but my thighs are really strong. After all, I’m used to squatting at least my body weight. 

My ankles and calves, however, are another story, and that seems to be a big weakness in me trusting my feet on little holds to push my body up the wall. So we worked calves, and he suggested I should do this every night after we climb. I’m game. I’m hurting and feeling hobbled today, but I’m game.

Where does the time go, while I sit on my behind stuffing my face? Oh, but we have been “busy” as summertime is upon us, but before you know it it’s been weeks since a real workout and things are hanging out all over!

To catch up, finished off May with a push of Jazzercise classes to work up the energy to deal with a last minute trip over Memorial Day for neice’s wedding in Philly. That trip went very well, but came back feeling just wasted to the point that I just about stayed in bed for all of the first couple days I was home.  Feeling very week, dehydrated, and headaches almost to the point of migraines again. I’m pretty sure it was crappy nutrition and lack of sleep for the trip. We wore ourselves out working then wore ourselves out trying to have the “fun” we felt we deserved out of such a trip.

Thus June was off to a pitiful start, where I have yet to go back to Jazzercise. It’s been so ridiculously hot here that we decided to drop the dough on funpasses to the Gwinnett park system so we could use their aquatic centers. There is one near us and another one near Kit & Bob. Some combination of awkward laps and treading water has been a very pleasant and cool way to get some exercise lately instead. We’re still climbing a couple nights a week, but I really haven’t pushed it. I had intended to go back to Jazzercise this week, but my stomach has been in revolt today and I decided not to impose that on fellow jazzercisers.

I have been reading GreenSmoothieGirl.com’s book, which I’ve had for a while but hadn’t started. After a friend of a friend began a “green juice reboot” recently, I watched the “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead ” documentary and have once again become fascinated with green foods. After a bad first attempt, I pulled out my “Amazon Greens Gold Superfood powder” and tried another shake — this time just the powder and ice water, as suggested. It certainly blended better than just putting powder in my smoothie as before, but the taste is just beyond nasty. I don’t know how to describe trying to drink it other than my brain equates it with sewer water, so I didn’t get much down before I thought I was going to gag.  So, barring the purchase of a good juicer ($300) or a good greens blender ($500) I’m pretty much stuck with this greens powder and figuring out how to make it  palatable. Of course, a Google search for recipes using the stuff turned up nothing specific, other than apparently a bunch of people who enjoy the taste of sewer water.

I’ve bought the stuff, however, and I’m convinced of it’s nutritional value, so I’m determined to find a way to injest it. I found one suggestion to dissolve one scoop into 1 oz of water then add it to fruit juice or a yogurt and fruit smoothie which I plan to try before giving up. Must make a grocery store run to accomplish.

Lastly, I’m finding I’m either sleepy or hungry all the dang time lately. I’m hoping adding daily greens or just vitamins will help the sleepy, but as to the hungry… I found a chart to help decipher my food cravings: “Why Are You Hungry?“

Not suprisingly, back up another pound this morning for the weigh in. Yesterday I ate food, though better choices than I would have usually made at that location, still a lot of food. I also only did Jazzercise, no other workout.

So, it was Cinco de Mayo and all the friendslist could go on about was Mexican food and margaritas. I’d had a good shake for breakfast, tuna and crackers for lunch, later an apple… then Jazzercise. I came home weak, sore, and hungry… to find James wanting to go to Chipotle.

Chipotle is a calorie trap. Everything there is extra yummy because it’s all got more calories than you think. My backup blender was still sitting in the sink dirty from this morning, so I was hopeless for a quick shake to take the edge off. Thus, I caved. Salad, black beans, chicken, tomato & corn salsa, cheese, guacamole. And, little by little I eventually used that entire container of dressing they gave me.

Chipotle Nutrition Facts 
Amount Per Serving 
Calories 925  Cal from Fat 505 
% Daily Value* 
Total Fat 55g  85% 
Saturated Fat 13g  65% 
Trans Fat 0g   
 
Cholesterol 145mg  48% 
Sodium 2570mg  107% 
Total Carbs 63g  21% 
Dietary Fiber 21g  84% 
Sugars 22g   
 
Protein 53g   
Vitamin A  0%  •  Vitamin C  0% 
Calcium  0%  •  Iron  0% 
 
 
*  Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. 
 
INGREDIENTS: Black Beans,Corn Salsa,Tomato Salsa,Chicken (4oz),
Guacamole (4oz),Lettuce,Cheese,Chipotle Vinaigrette

What’s worse. By about 10pm, I was feeling really hungry again … a phenon I hadn’t experienced with the shakes for dinner, but often do in the evenings after real food. So I had another apple and a lot of water.

Today we’re off for a weekend in Alabama, so who knows where the food will go. I’ll just try to make good choices and stay active I guess.

Morning check in: Up 1lb, but drinking a gallon of water before bed will do that to you. Dehydration, seriously. Stupid girl.

If the morning emails can stop for a few minutes, I’m going to go try my hand at a better tasting smoothie this morning. Can’t be worse than yesterdays.

Quick check in…. just as I was thinking about going to make my morning shake, I realized James was home and thought maybe I could just have a light lunch with him instead. Then I made myself go weigh in. I’m down another 3.8lbs from yesterday. From YESTERDAY. WTF?

Whatever it is, I’m damned well not changing the plan right now. Smoothies for the win! At this rate I’ll crack 200 this week.

Evening update: So, the plan started normal enough, except I screwed up my morning shake. A lesson was learned here. The new container of “greens” I got to add to shakes is flavored already and I didn’t notice. Pineapple. Not the nummiest thing ever to overwhelm a delicious coffee-flavored shake, and it thickens to a strange consistency. Serves me right for not just getting more of the same. Reworked the smoothie with a bunch more ice and coffee to make it bearable, but only just.

Mid-afternoon I went for the tuna and crackers again, but it was only shortly thereafter that the headaches I’ve been getting in the evening came on strong. I took a couple tylenol and shut my eyes for about 10 minutes, but no help. I went back to work and tried to ignore it, no good. At last I thought, maybe I’ll just have something else… a few more calories, something to crunch on. I was prepared, so I picked up an apple. Felt a bit better after.

It was late when James was finally done and ready to try climbing tonight, and he said he was starving beforehand, but wanted to wait. I was feeling ready for dinner myself, so I had some diet soda and a rice cake before we left. At the gym, I was sweating my ass off and feeling pretty weak. Didn’t push it on anything too difficult, but climbed 6 short routes. Afterwards I was so shaky and so headachy I decided to go for more actual food, so Wendy’s salad & chili. I felt kind of better after, but still really headachy, so James suggested I might be dehydrated. Three big containers of water later the damned headache is gone. I can be such an idiot sometimes.

So, I won’t go expecting another 3.8lbs in the morning, but I’ve learned a couple things about how to continue in this plan. Plus I really don’t feel like anything I indulged in today was derailing to the effort.

So, I was down 2lbs this morning from yesterday. Motivating? You betcha.

Same meal plan today… mid-morning shake of the tiramisu variety, mid-afternoon can of tuna and crackers, mid-evening shake of the pb & banana variety.

Again, James wasn’t feeling up to climbing and felt he needed to work on fireworks layouts, so I went to the late Jazzercise. Left there not sure I was even going to be hungry, but arrived home to find James making his own dinner *yay* out of the supplies I picked up today in the “James dinner for one” category. Of course, the smell of it did make me kinda hungry, so I made my second shake for the day.

Oh, I killed a blender this morning. It was old. It had a good life. I already picked out another one on Overstock designed for smoothies, comes with six blending cups to fit it, so you don’t have to clean the damn thing twice a day to have two shakes.

Also, since I have yet to actually make a weekday morning Jazzercise with work — which is still just crazy busy — I’m going back to my notion of doing my own workout video in the mornings, so I can try to do it earlier. That morning class which puts me gone from 9:15 until 10:45 is just the busiest time of the morning for me. If I could be DONE by 9, life would be easier.

I will note, I’m really not feeling hungry, but I am having cravings based on food I see. I’ve sworn off all the usual cooking, cake making, etc. competition shows that I usually love. I do worry I’m not drinking enough water since I’m not feeling hungry. But anywho.. another day down. So far so good.

The plan today went okay. Made two modified Abs Diet smoothie recipes, breakfast and dinner, but went with a small solid food lunch which was today a can of tuna and a handful of crackers. Modified smoothies with added whey powder, much fiber, and some greens for vitamins and minerals.

So far, I have to say I never actually felt hungry today. I had cravings — especially after catching a glimpse of something in a food commercial, but if I actually closed my eyes as soon as I realized what I was looking at, it seemed to help.

First time back at Jazzercise tonight in over a week, with all our traveling. It was really tough. If I feel like somebody kicked me in the stomach tomorrow, it’s not any food I’ve eaten’s fault. I am feeling pretty tired, though. James decided to put off climbing tonight for tomorrow, since it was just us and he had some fireworks stuff to work on for Pete. Can’t say as I complained about the break.

Must go to the grocery store tomorrow for supplies. I’m anticipating that to be a difficult chore, as I tend to mentally talk myself into “healthy choices” there, which end up being just “extra food I ate” rather than “food I ate instead of crap food.” I’m thinking smoothie supplies – yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, bananas, and maybe some more canned tuna. And if I get crazy, I’ll throw in a bag of apples for when I go insane for something to snack on. Yes, I realize I said “when.”

I will be going to Philly the last weekend of this month for Phatass’ wedding, so let’s see if I can keep up this plan for May at least. That is my short term goal — no weight goal, just a “stick to the food plan for a whole month” goal.

I have considered, however, that I may need to be flexible on our traveling weekends this month, which are 2 of the 3 before the wedding weekend. This weekend in Alabama will have to be the metric to see what is feasible to do away from home. McD’s smoothie’s come to mind. Take my own blender and whey protein? We’ll see.

It’s a new month. Previous goal was a lack-of-follow-through failure. New goal is simpler. Turning to meal replacements, inspired by BrandyM — though not ready for P90x.

Want to:

1) try to make the morning 9:30-10:30 Jazzercise classesm Monday through Friday.

2) avoid running outdoors for a bit, because my allergies just can’t handle it right now, BUT

3) Protein, fiber and vitamin balanced meal replacements should help with allergies and immunity. And end the debate of “what can I eat.” Not buying shakes to start, making them by recipes. 

4) Weekends still up in the air. I guess, if we’re visiting someplace, say Alabama, I won’t fuss about it — just eat what “we all” eat. A weekend of regular food should be doable, but must take along vitamins and always consider the McD’s “smoothie” option when away from home.

Mood has been terrible — on the verge of shut-down. Just don’t want to tackle anything. I haven’t been Jazzercising since the “foot incident” at Stone Mountain, which was 8 days ago. I’m feeling achy and sore all over, but mostly with random mystery foot, ankle, shin and knee pain, and an even bigger trend toward swollen feet from standing or walking. Even in bed my feet are so hot and aching, contributing to some miserable sleep for oh about 8 days now. Even the bed I love at mom’s wasn’t kind to me.

Sunday in Bristol Mom, Joyce & I did mom’s trail at the park by the dam. It was about 2 miles, and we kept up a brisk pace, despite the “verge of downpour” weather, the cold, the mud, and the ups and downs of the path. Afterwards, my foot was swollen and in pain again — so much that even though we packed the car to leave just after, I just drove us to Johnson City where we hid out at a Barnes and Noble so I could sit in peace and put my foot up a while before we hit the road. The bright side of a blue mood is that it’s been pretty easy to eat less, even if that less did include some birthday cake over the weekend. Scale was still down afterwards.

Problem is, I cannot seem to find any energy at all anymore. I just don’t have it. I don’t want to be anywhere. I don’t want to do anything. I really just want to crawl in a hole and hibernate a while — until I’ve completely lost this job and everything has been repossessed, I guess. This weather isn’t helping. I need some sun ASAP.

My shitty things list:

1) My mother, a size 18 since my birth, is wearing size 14 jeans. Good for her, but walking behind her and Joyce on the trail was a rude awakening of who the “fat one” is these days — it’s me.

2) Despite my hair, makeup, clothes and effort toward confidence and social coolness I tried to exhibit at the recent party for my niece and her fiance, the  pictures posted yesterday just show the same fat, shiny aunt that carries around spare tires and can’t take a good picture if she stole from a museum.

3) I had a “my life is a sitcom” moment Saturday night as I notice James about to send a funny but wildly inappropriate message to my niece across the dinner table, and I have to remind him that he has to go home with me before he realizes that it might be an uncool thing to do. She’s cute. He’s awkward around cute people. Don’t I feel special every time I get to witness it.

4) Despite how much I enjoy Jazzercise, I find the 3 available class times per week day to be insanely easy for me to miss. Then I spend hours sitting around kicking myself because I can’t go to a class during that time, and by the next class time something will surely have come up.

5) In a desperate attempt to find more energy without snacking, I’ve started adding supplements back into the mix. I haven’t bought any new ones, just finishing off bottles I already have. I did also, however, decide to try a 30-day system cleanse which I started this morning. It promises better health, immediate weight loss, and more energy when you clean out all the junk mucking up your intestines. Can’t hurt, I guess.

6) Do I want to climb today/at all lately? No. Am I going to this lead climbing class? Sure. Is James going to understand if I’m just using the climbing gym membership to get on an elliptical machine? Doubtful.

I just wanted to make a quick note that I’m doing that freezing to death after exercise thing again. It’s usually well after I get home, but I’m actually shivering and my fingernails are kind of blue. I’ve got a quick work call to do, but then I’m considering a really really hot soak. But… wtf? Does anybody else ever do that? I’m drinking a ton of water, as usual, so I’m not sure what it’s all about.