HabitForge, My New Gold Star System?!

This Past Week's Results

The scale reads: 148 lbs. Goal: 127 lbs.

Reaching-for-the-Gold Goals
I thought I was maintaining a cool 146 lbs. Nope, I gained some weight. On a different, brighter note, the fitness highlights of this past week were:

1. Clocking in at least 10 minutes of physical activity on 3 days of the week
2. Reaching 15k steps on a single day

I'm slowly easing my way back to fitness gold.

Habits
After all the glory of fulfilling the PALA challenge, I did not keep up with the walking. I was hoping the challenge instilled the habit of walking at least 8k steps for 5 days out of the week to help me maintain weight. Nope, once the gold star system was out of sight and out of mind, the weight was out of bounds once again. Although I was successful in reaching my goal of completing the program, I can officially file PALA under the "(Mis)Adventure" category in the developing healthy habits aspect of the endeavor.

Did you really make it a habit?

I am guessing PALA did not work in making walking at least 8k steps a day a daily habit because I did not hold myself accountable for each day. There are conflicting numbers out there on the number of consecutive days it takes to establish a habit. However, due to the setup of HabitForge, I should will successfully cement a habit in 21 days. HabitForge does not use gold stars, but it has a vexing ring of unfilled circles (which resembles a package of birth control) that is begging you to fill 'er up.

What I like about HabitForge is that it doesn't give up on you if you fail to establish the daily habit. If you miss a day, the clock resets itself to "Day 1" and makes you try the 21-day endeavor all over again to really drill this habit into your daily routine. If you decide to put this habit on hold, it won't go easy on you and let you resume where you left off. Your history will be deleted and you really have to invest the effort in doing it for 21 consecutive days.

It's time to be a big girl and make it count daily. There's no shame. My progress is shared publicly to hold myself accountable.

PALA: Completed

Last Month's Results

The scale reads: 145 lbs. Goal: 127 lbs.

I can't believe 8 weeks has passed already! Look what I have accomplished within that time:

I've earned the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award!

See, I earned myself some golden stars!

I could've technically had 7 shiny, golden badges of accomplishment, but I had forgotten to keep track of my steps while I was in Southern CA (The first week of the challenge). I think I actually did more walking during that trip compared to the last 7 weeks of this endeavor. I guess it was silly of me to initiate the challenge before going on the trip.

Regardless, I'm content with the results because:

• I was able to reach my goal.
• I was dedicated to this endeavor and a positive result came of it.
• I got the award electronically. I wasn't going to dish out 6 buckos and some change to get the paper one with stickers and a badge.
• There were many stressful periods during the weeks, but I walked off most of the anxiety (as you can see with the completed stars).
• I was able to tackle this challenge while starting a new full-time position and a new school term.
• I have greater motivation to be more active from this experience because it was actually too easy to accomplish.
• I did not gain weight. I'm still at the mid-140 range, but this will change once I adapt to the my new daily work routine and can incorporate more exercise into my day. It's a wonder how I can get over 4000 steps in a single work day!

Week 3: MD Seafood, Engineering Marvel, and Another Challenge

Results for Week of August 28^th

The scale reads: 150 lbs. Goal: 127 lbs.

Miles this week: 32.72 mi.

ADT Progress: 98.63 mi.

Yikes! 3 weeks has gone by without logging my adventures.

Outside of my virtual adventures, I've had grand in-person adventures with my closest friends back home in Southern California. It was quite a visit with the historic blackout that stretched internationally from Mexico, San Diego County, southern bits of Orange County, to even Arizona. This event turned into a bonding experience with my dear friends, Cynthia and Daniel. We traveled northeast to find a casino that served hot meals and dizzying chances at slot. I actually didn't touch any machines that evening. I just enjoyed catching up with Cynthia.

Back to the virtual adventure:

See Food Diet (Actually, It is Seafood)

Image courtesy of The Maryland Store

Good ol' ADT website exclaims, "At Grasonville and Stevensville you have entered Chesapeake Bay country where you have the choice of many fine seafood restaurants."

What's a foodie to do, but Yelp! some fine seafood establishments in MD?

At Grasonville, The Narrows - a former oyster shucking house - captured my attention the most because of the glowing reviews tantalizing the taste buds with scrumptious, generous servings of crabcakes and cream of crab soup (Wow, I feel silly for not thinking this variety of cream soup existed. There could be cream of calamari and I bet a shiny penny that it'd be delicious!); drowning the imagination with picturesque harbor views; and flocking the ear canals with ducks and geese announcing the arrival of the seasons (or just making noise because of fresh boatloads of crabs, clams, and oysters making its way to the restaurant).

Random factoid: The Narrows' crabcakes and cream of crab soup have been served from coast to coast where meals have been prepared in California for several winemakers. It can be shipped anywhere in the continental U.S. thanks to refrigerated packing and overnight FedEx service.

Another noteworthy Grasonville eatery is the Harris Crab House and Seafood Restaurant. Reviews speak of MD's state crustacean, the blue crab, being excellent here and the all-you-can-eat crab is something you just can't turn down! The blue crab is a curious creature (well, from reading the Wikipedia entry) I'd like to try since it's widely heralded for economic sustenance in these parts. However, knowing that they are omnivores that would even consume human waste makes me think thrice. I just hope that the day I try blue crab from MD, my belly would turn into steel and take all the punches.

An Engineering Marvel Then and Now

Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Image courtesy of Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel

A good majority of my "travels" this week leads me to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (a.k.a. the Lucius J. Kellam, Jr. Bridge-Tunnel, which was named in honor of the man who made this marvelous vision into a reality from cradle to the grave). In 1964, it was considered "One of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World" and received a slew of awards for its engineering and construction achievements. It's definitely a marvel because it

• Cuts out 95 mi. of travel between Virginia Beach and points north of Wilmington, Delaware, making it an important East Coast travel convenience
• Is the world's largest bridge-tunnel complex measuring 17.6 mi from shore to shore
• Is unique in including a number of different structures (trestles, tunnels, bridges, causeways, manmade islands, and approach roads)
• Was accomplished under the severe conditions imposed by hurricanes, northeasters, and the unpredictable Atlantic Ocean

Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) Challenge

Presidential Active Lifestyle Award - Image courtesy of The President's Challenge website

Prior to breaking my exercising habits (even though I did reach 20k steps on one of my days back home) for a week, I found a challenge to keep me motivated.

The Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Challenge should be an easy boost of fitness confidence. Not surprisingly, I found out about this challenge through the periodic about.com walking newsletters I receive. I think the article summarizes the challenge well, but here's the abridged version.

Supposedly, it can be done by anyone at any fitness level.

It is an 8-week challenge put forth by The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (Did you know this council existed? I definitely didn't.) to keep Americans active and award them for their efforts.

Adults (Ages 18+) Challenge:

• 30 minutes of physical activity daily
  • For at least 5 days a week
  • For 6 out of 8 weeks
• Alternatively, you can take 8,500 steps daily on a pedometer

Kids and Teens (Ages 6 - 17) Challenge:

• 60 minutes of physical activity daily
  • For at least 5 days a week
  • For 6 out of 8 weeks
• Alternatively, girls can take 11,000 steps daily on a pedometer; boys, 13,000 steps daily

Its online tracking functions makes it easier to tackle the gold star system I wanted to initiate this month. Too bad I've already forgotten to log about 1/2 a week's worth of data. For the first week, I only have 1/2 a star :(. Well, that's motivation for me to walk my heart healthy for the next 6 weeks consistently. Hopefully, after the next 6 weeks I'll make this walking business into a habit.

It's horrible how the acronym of this initiative to fight obesity in America reminds me of a native American casino in Southern California that has an extraordinary buffet spread (which include a decent variety of seafood) that contributes to a sedentary and overindulgent lifestyle.

I'd Like a Midnight Snack
Let's see if I can refrain from a foodie post for the following week. All this talk of seafood makes me want to visit the fridge to see some food.

Week 2: (Not Hurricane) Irene Goes Through Maryland

Results for Week of August 21^st

The scale reads: 144.5 lbs. Goal: 127 lbs.

Miles this week: 33.04 mi.

ADT Progress: 65.91 mi.

Hurricane Irene wasn't the only Irene that started along the East Coast and made its way to Maryland. At least I wasn't destructive in any way or form along my virtual path. OK, maybe some mosquitos were slapped in the progress and I may not have realized there were some ants or other creepy crawlers that perished by "accident."

Week 2 Results. Yay, the first 1up!

I'm proud I reached 10k steps on 6 days out of the week. I'm surprised I conquered so many miles this week. There were more meetings this week that required me to be sedentary. My relatives are in town and that typically means more eating adventures. Where did I find the opportunities to sneak in these steps?

Virtual Beer Tour

Image courtesy of Great Brewers

I should have taken a 7 mi. detour on the first stretch of my virtual walk to the Dogfish Brewery and Restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, DE to settle the mental score of blueberry beers I've tasted. For the longest time, I had forgotten if I had tried Dogfish's Black & Blue or Sea Dog's (which is based out of Maine) Blue Paw. Facebook pictures show the latter. I need to try this Dogfish blackberry/blueberry concoction to augment my list of savory, fruit-infused brews I've experienced.

The Next Stretch
Maryland's stretch of the American Discovery Trail expands across 270 mi. Like Delaware, the first glimpse of Maryland is all open farmland in an unincorporated city called Hobbs (Supposedly, it's an area called "Ringgolds Green, a former community rich with folklore and ghost stories." I have yet to find any internet resources discussing these tales. Maybe it's such an isolated part of the U.S. that its residents don't want tourists flocking there and irking them with inquiries of paranormal activity?).

Image courtesy of Caroline County Office of Tourism

Trails and concrete sidewalks lead you to the town of Denton, MD, which is the county seat (I guess this is East Coast-speak for governmental administrative center for a county. From my limited travels, they call them "parishes" in Louisiana. From what I recall of Los Angeles, we just call them "the county.") of Caroline County.

Random factoids to the max: Texas has the most number of counties at 254. Good ol', little Delaware has the least number at only 3.

Caroline County is pretty intriguing and historically signifcant in my book:

• Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass lived in the county for some time.
  • Freedom seekers passed along the Underground Railroad through here to Delaware.
• It is one of the few counties in the U.S. that existed for more than 300 years being solely dependent on an agriculturally-based economy.
  • The county government is fighting to preserve the rustic quality of the area in response to the exploding growth (due to Chesapeake Bay folks wanting to retire here).
  • It is only 1 of 3 MD counties that do not have an interstate or U.S. highway.
  • It's the only Eastern Shore county that's land-locked - it does not touch either the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Ocean.
• The eastern border of the county is the Mason-Dixon line.
• John Smith took a look-see here during his 1608 voyage up the Nanticoke River.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

OK, I had to throw in something musical about walking through Caroline County. Blues/rock vocalist/guitarist George Thorogood of "Who Do You Love" fame (pictured right and singing the tune in a Chevy Camaro commercial) played Caroline County bars while in college at the University of Delaware before making hits that are "B-b-b-bad...bad to the bone."

To whet my museum and foodie appetites, I need to highlight The Lily Pad Café. This Gothic style structure was built in 1883 as a primary school and was accepted onto the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The school operated until 1925 and was purchased by the Women’s Club of Denton who owned and maintained the property until it was purchased by The Lily Pad Café and Catering in 2007. The menu is eye-catching because:

1. The California wrap does not include avocados, but include ingredients that does not make you think of California at all (Maybe the grapes may make you think of Napa Valley and all the vineyards in California?)
2. You can rent the facilities for a crab feast. (I guess this is the East Coast's equivalent to the south's crawfish boil or the answer to a really formal gathering at a place like The Boiling Crab or Joe's Crab Shack, but more dignified and proper?)
3. What?! No regular Reuben?
4. Their beer garden does not have a variety of local MD brews and a clam bake is involved
5. There is a 20% discount for active military - wow, I haven't heard of a restaurant doing that. Bless their heart!
6. The Pomegranate Spritzer is the most expensive beverage at $3.50 - huh! It makes me want to try it because it's almost too random even for me.

Let's see where my feet, taste buds, ears, and virtual eyes takes me next week.

Week 1: Almost Walked Across All of Delaware

Yesterday's Results

The scale reads: 147 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

ADT Progress: 32.87 mi.

Week 1 Results

I virtually walked through an entire state! Mind you it's not a Texas-sized state, of course. On a side note, I don't know where I found the time and motivation to log in so many miles this week, but I am pleased.

Growing up along the West Coast has made me ignorant of the East Coast. In my simpleton mind, Delaware appears to be swallowed up by neighboring states in physical and historical prominence. I had forgotten its historical importance of being the first state to ratify the Constitution (I guess I'm tipping my hat to the U.S. Mint for circulating commemorative coins of the 50 states in the order the state had penned their approval of this document so the general public can remember this bit of history?). Heck, I didn't know of its musical significance. Delaware's own native son, the astute entrepreneur Eldridge Reeves Johnson, created the Victrola Talking Machine Company and pioneered efforts in the sound recording industry. In addition to RCA, Johnson made Nipper, the dog staring into a phonograph, an icon.

Zwaanendael Museum - modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands

I would have really loved to see the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes, the first town in the first state. After the native Americans, the Dutch were the first Europeans to settle in the region in hopes of developing their agriculture and whaling industries. The museum showcases the Dutch's maritime, military, and social histories. I guess living in Southern California has made me partial to maritime museums because of exploring life near or in the sea.

Let's see what part of Maryland my virtual travels will take me to next week.

Random factoid: The fantastic Dutch "Z" word the colony and museum is named after means "valley of the swans."

Webwalking USA

Today's Results

The scale reads: 143 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

Image courtesy of
Rick McCharles

Webwalking USA. USA A-OK? A chance to traverse across America, the beautiful, without toughing out the elements and setting aside an $18,000 budget for the adventure? Where else but in America, or possibly Canada, could our family find such opportunity? That's why, whenever I see the Stars and Stripes, I will always be reminded of that wonderful word: flag! Ambulating across U.S. soil should instill greater appreciation/patriotism for the country, yes?

OK, I'm rambling senselessly because I'm awfully excited. What is the new ambitious undertaking adding a sudden verve in my steps?

It is conquering the challenge of (virtually) walking across the continental United States (from the Atlantic to Pacific) along the American Discovery Trail. That's 5,057 miles - one way - taking the southern route that goes through St. Louis.

Image courtesy of about.com

To truly motivate myself, I will walk the full 5,057 miles. I will not base it on 5,057 minutes, 505.7 miles, or even 505,700 steps. This challenge will help me focus on getting at least 10k steps/day. That means:

• Every week, I should log no less than 28 mi.
• Conservatively, I should finish this endeavor in a little over 180 weeks at this pace.
• In other words, it should take me no more than 3.5 years.
• Uh, that means I need to gradually log in 12k-15k steps/day so I don't get impatient with this endeavor.
  • This could end up being a 2.7 years endeavor instead.
  • I would need to walk 35 mi./week.
• I will not let this become a misadventure!

I'll report my weekly progress on Sundays. I'll follow the normal week by starting the tracking on Sundays and ending on Saturdays. For this week, I'm already at ~19 mi. Yes! The awesome pedometer will report 28 mi. by the end of Saturday.

I'll be using this as a marker for achieved milestones on maps. Isn't achieving a milestone like 1upin' yourself?

I'm inspired by this retired couple in their 50s that actually hiked the entire trail in 231 days (~20 mi./day). After the adventure, they created some kind of blog. To maintain my interest in this program, I'll scour the good ol' WWW for images and information about the major milestones I've reached and chronicle it on this blog. The trail connects 5 national scenic trails, 10 national historic trails, 23 national recreation trails, and many local/regional trails, and passes some 10,000 points of historic, scenic, cultural or natural significance. Being the foodie, museum, and aerospace junkie I am, I'll definitely highlight locales related to these topics near and dear to my heart.

As Lao-Tzu says, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Here goes my first 70 thousand steps this week!

10k Steps/Day - Not Enough?

Yesterday's Results

The scale reads: 146 lbs. (Digital scale - whoa oh, it's creeping back up. Darn you, Cici's Pizza Buffet) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 10731 steps (6047 aerobic steps for 69 minutes), 4.23 mi., 310 calories

Susy made a good point about the horribly, palpable (because you can feel the midsection jiggle) possibility of slacking off on the daily activity level if I set my sights on a weekly goal. I'm banking on that magical gold star system I mentioned in a previous post to keep me in check. September will truly test my mettle with maintaining a weekly goal. There will be more grubbing sessions then and a wedding to top it off!

Man, I'm reading around the interwebs to see if there's a healthy weekly walking-for-weight-loss goal; my 10k steps/day doesn't cut it for long-term weight loss. Why didn't I come across this article when I first started this walking endeavor? The line "If you are already logging 10,000 steps a day and gaining weight or not losing weight, then the key is to add another 2,000 steps per day (and/or eat fewer calories)" struck the conscience the hardest. For the time being, I do not have the discipline to cut calories. I'm more revved up to engage in more physical activity. In addition to that article, I'm seeing more sites recommending trekkers to gradually work up to 12k-15k a day. I'll keep to my walking+dance aerobics combo.

My walking stride seems to be significantly smaller than the average person. One site said 10k steps is equivalent to 5 mi., but for me 10k steps is barely almost 4 mi. Based on third grade math and the 5 mi. figure from the site, a healthy goal would be walking 35 mi./week. Guh, I think counting steps is more feasible with my small, but confident stride.

Bottom line: Initially, keep on attempting the 10k steps/day, but achieve the 70k steps in a week and maintain at least 30 minutes of activity/day to get the gold star for the effort.

Doing Very Well for Vacation Mode

Today's Results

The scale reads: 140 lbs. (Analog scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

Reporting in: I'm still maintaining the weight even though mom's visiting and we grub a lot.

Last week, I logged in a total of ~47,000 steps (~22 miles). Maybe I should set a weekly goal of steps/mileage instead of daily ones? What do you think?

September's around the corner and I'm aching to start that calendar and getting even more physically active.

I Win!!!+Starting Over+Superpower Foods

Today's Results

The scale reads: 145 lbs. Ultimate Goal: 127 lbs.

Mother dearest has been in town for about a week now and I've gained 2 pounds. Not too bad! We did the weigh in this past Monday and I weighed 143. That's a 12 pound difference from the end of last summer.

I win! My wallet is feeling happy. It can now celebrate with a steak dinner <wink wink>.

My mom and cousins are game to compete for another year. It's time to step it up and try something new to make sure I get closer to 127 next summer. The competition won't start until the end of my mother's visit. So... starting in September, I'm going to try and implement a gold star system (described by a blog I follow) to motivate myself to get in the 10k steps or doing some dance aerobic for 30 minutes+ a day (I didn't spend all that mulah amassing my fitness DVD/video collection for nuthin'!). Every day I accomplish this, I'll draw in a gold star on a calendar of sorts.

Seeing a calendar full of "gold stars" would definitely feel good.

In the mean time, while my mother's visiting, my goal is to maintain my weight at a respectable (?) 145. I'm also motivated to maintain this weight or lose some more for the wedding in early September. I need to look somewhat decent as a groomsmaid, right?

Hmm, any suggestions on maintaining the weight while being on this pseudo-vacation with my mom? You know this is a challenge because we're a foodie family!

With the frequent travels across Houston in the last week, I've been feeling a little low on the energy levels. I probably need to incorporate more "superpower foods" into my diet. According to Valery Satterwhite, here are eight foods that help replenish what your body wants, slows the aging process and helps to prevent chronic disease:

• Walnuts - Contain lots of alpha-linolenic acid which turns into healthy omega-3 fatty acid once digested
• Salmon - Also rich in omega-3 fatty acids
• Yogurt - rich in calcium and the 'good' kind of bacteria that helps keep your digestive system healthy
• Raspberries - Packed with immune-boosting antioxidants, Vitamin C and pectic which has been shown to lower cholesterol
• Kidney Beans - Enriched with more antioxidant protection per serving than any other food
• Broccoli - has something in it I can't spell or pronounce that lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• Oats - major source of complex carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins to protect against degenerative diseases, especially cancer
• Pumpkin - Infused with beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lutein which your body converts to Vitamin A and can protect you from heart disease

These "Walk Outs"

Today's Results

The scale reads: 140 lbs. (Analog scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 10005 steps (3434 aerobic steps for 29 minutes), 3.94 mi., 274 calories

Other aerobic activities:

• Dance It Off and Tone It Up (10 minutes)
• Cheryl Burke's Disco Abs - Boogie Oogie Buns and Thighs (20 minutes)
• Leslie Sansone's "Cardio Slimdown" (20 minutes)
• Jane Fonda's Prime Time Walk Out (23 minutes?)

Sleep and Food Mood Journal

4

Breakfast

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

AM Snack

• Blueberry Light and Fit
• Pink Lady apple

Mood Before:

Tired and running on adrenaline.

Mood After:

Ready to go back to sleep.

Lunch

• 2 chicken tenders (like the last couple of days)
• Broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots

Mood Before:

Hungry. I need a more substantial meal.

Mood After:

Satisfied.

PM Snack

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

Dinner/Supper

• Chips and salsa
• Adobe Avocado (stuff avocado with chicken)
• Spanish rice
• Refried beans
• Tilapia

Mood Before:

Rushed.

Mood After:

I overdid it. Wishy-washy.

Evening Snack

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

In the last couple of years, it seems like the public is embracing walking with the outpour of walk out DVDs, Shape-Ups, Reetones, 10k steps/day plans and so forth. Yeah, I can say I totally jumped onto this bandwagon especially with my obsession to get in my steps. However, the walk out DVDs hasn't really piqued my interest like the other Wal*Mart or Target varieties.

This evening I finally tried a Leslie Sansone with ExerciseTV. Not a fan. At all. Her laugh reminds me of a Nicole Sullivan character from MADtv. Her enthusiasm doesn't seem genuine. I didn't really break out a sweat.

I thought good ol' Jane wouldn't let me down. Oh, but she did. My thoughts echo this Amazon review.

Have you tried one of these "Walk Outs?"

Was I naive in my thinking that walk workouts could be an equal amongst my high impact or multi-interval aerobic library?

Jillian Michaels "FREE" Offer... Hmm?

Today's Results

The scale reads: 141 lbs. (Analog scale - Yay! A new low on the analog scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 15404 steps (6593 aerobic steps for 67 minutes), 6.07 mi., 451 calories

Other aerobic activities:

• Jane Fonda's Complete Workout (35 minutes)
• Knockout Body (20 minutes)

Sleep and Food Mood Journal

8

Breakfast

• Nature's Own™ Healthy Multi Grain with Peter Pan™ creamy peanut butter
• Raspberry Light 'n' Fit yogurt

Mood Before:

Forced against my will. Do I really have to eat breakfast?

Mood After:

Neutral.

AM Snack

• Mango

Mood Before:

Pressured. Didn't want it to go to waste.

Mood After:

Shocked. It took me 21 bites to finish this "small" mango.

Lunch

• 2 Lemon chicken tenders sans sugar and curry sauce
• Broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots with garlic and herbs

Mood Before:

Annoyed.

Mood After:

Satisfied.

PM Snack

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

Dinner/Supper

• 2 Lemon chicken tenders sans sugar and curry sauce
• Broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots with garlic and herbs

Mood Before:

Rushed. Hungry.

Mood After:

Satisfied and ready to bust out the Jane Fonda.

Evening Snack

--Skipped (since I had more than 80 bites today)--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

Image courtesy of ty.rannosaur.us

While reading fitness, I couldn't help but notice an ad for free copies of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and Shred-It. I've always heard her name in magazines, ExerciseTV, and random talk show segments. I never watched The Biggest Loser so I have no idea how her harsh, demanding intervention works with weight loss.

Shreddy shred shred. Why did she decide to call her workout "The Shred?" I think of a weak, bumbling fool. The Shredder. Shredder never effectively shred anything with those metallic spikes.

Anyways, I don't know if it's worth the $5 S&H gamble to get

• 2 "free" DVDs
• 2 "free" weeks access to the online diet and fitness plan (It typically costs $4/week and you're automatically billed quarterly if you forget to cancel during your free trial. It's a total of $208 if you forget about it the whole year.)

What have you heard about Jillian Michaels? Would you take up this offer?

80 Bites

Yesterday's Results

The scale reads: 143 lbs. (Analog scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 14821 steps (3796 aerobic steps for 39 minutes), 5.84 mi., 415 calories

Other aerobic activities:

• Cheryl Burke's Disco Abs - That's the Way I Like It Abs (5 minutes)
• Paula Abdul's Cardio Dance (25 minutes)

Sleep and Food Mood Journal

7

Breakfast

• Nutella™ on a slice of Nature's Own™ Healthy Multi Grain bread

Mood Before:

Reluctant. I have to force myself to eat? Just because it's breakfast?

Mood After:

Indifferent.

AM Snack

• Blueberries

Mood Before:

Excited. Yay, antioxidants!

Mood After:

Skeptical. How long did I have this carton of blueberries?

Lunch

• Yellow squash with garlic and herb
• Chicken fajita

Mood Before:

Rushed. The blueberries didn't hold me over.

Mood After:

Relieved.

PM Snack

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

Dinner/Supper

• Lemon chicken tenders sans sugar and curry sauce
• Cherry tomatoes
• Mango

Mood Before:

Excited.

Mood After:

Satisfied.

Evening Snack

• Small pink lady apple

Mood Before:

Stressed.

Mood After:

More calm.

Inspiring graduation speeches (like Conan O'Brien's recent Darmouth College address or Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford University address) not only move people to find a suitable career, but to find the courage to pursue other ventures even though there maybe naysayers and hiccups along the way. I'm my own naysayer at times and I've definitely experienced self-imposed hiccups during this weight loss endeavor. I just haven't really made it a priority. With less than a month to go before the weigh in, I need to make this a priority.

That means saying to better portion control to food items like:

King's Biergarten wienerschnitzel with a variety of sausages

Brick House's fried zucchini with sriracha

Brick House's prime rib sandwich with garlic tater tots

Pappa's BBQ Endless pork ribs

Wings 'n' More Fried Twinkies

Wings 'n' More Monte Cristo with chips

Bakkhus burger with Parmesan fries

Captain D's stuffed crab, Gulf Coast shrimp, and fried fish filet

80 Bites - The App
If my phone were smarter and part of the "i" family of Apple products, I might give the 80 Bites app a chance to help with portion control. According to Fitness, it helps stop mindless eating by tracking bites. Yes, bites. To reach your ideal weight, "experts" say, you should take no more than 80 bites per day.

What if you chomp your food? What if you're a nibbler? I don't know if this 80 bites business works for everyone. What is considered the average bite size for each person?

I'll try to count my bites. Let's see how many bites I take a day.

The Sleep and Food Mood Journal is Kind of a Drag

I've noticed through this logging of my hydration, sleep, and food that I'm a big-time Debbie Downer to myself. Whenever I'm getting all right sleep I subconsciously mess it up with inactivity or eating to combat some minuscule stress I'm experiencing (In my mind, I'm exaggerating how horrible my current dieting and exercise levels are).

I will work on getting at least consistent hours of sleep, drinking more water (to keep me awake when it counts), and eating when I'm not an anxious wreck. I'm really a grumpy, anxious person as of late whenever I finish eating. I guess I am more of an emotional eater than I would admit.

Yesterday's Results

The scale reads: Didn't weigh myself today Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 11253 steps (6686 aerobic steps for 71 minutes), 4.44 mi., 319 calories

Other aerobic activities:

• Jane Fonda's Lower Body Solution (35 minutes)

Sleep and Food Mood Journal

7½

Breakfast

• Kellogg's™ Frosted Mini Shredded Wheat with 2% Milk (in an 8 oz. cup)
• Nutella™ on a single slice of Nature's Own™ Healthy Multi Grain bread

Mood Before:

Bordering on cranky.

Mood After:

More motivated to start the day.

AM Snack

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

Lunch

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

PM Snack

• Cantaloupe
• Lenny's Sub Sour Cream and Onion chips

Mood Before:

Edgy.

Mood After:

Drowsy and tired.

Dinner/Supper

• HEB Chicken fajita
• Yellow squash with garlic and herb

Mood Before:

Dizzy and disoriented.

Mood After:

Charged up to do some aerobics.

Evening Snack

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

June 26^th's Results

The scale reads: 147 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 4108 steps (0 aerobic steps for 0 minutes), 1.62 mi., 117 calories

Sleep and Food Mood Journal

10

Breakfast

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

AM Snack

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

Lunch

• Captain D's fried Gulf shrimp (6)
• Captain D's stuffed crab
• Captain D's fried fish filet (1)
• Broccoli
• Fried okra
• Cocktail sauce (used on the seafood)

Mood Before:

Disoriented.

Mood After:

Sluggish.

PM Snack

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

Dinner/Supper

• 2 pieces of ribs
• Spanish rice
• Potato salad

Mood Before:

Overwhelmed.

Mood After:

Overwhelmed.

Evening Snack

• Klondike™ Heath bar

Mood Before:

Sweet tooth.

Mood After:

Relieved. I shared it with Chris.

June 25^th's Results

The scale reads: 147 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 8799 steps (3814 aerobic steps for 36 minutes), 3.47 mi., 231 calories

Other aerobic activities:

• Cardio Tease (20 minutes)
• Get Into the Move: Get Up and Dance (20 minutes)
• Get Into the Move: Cardio Challenge (20 minutes)

Sleep and Food Mood Journal

8

Breakfast

• Pancake (3 small ones)
• Turkey bacon
• Grapes
• Strawberry

Mood Before:

I'm not hungry, but everyone else is eating.

Mood After:

Neutral.

AM Snack

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

Lunch

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

PM Snack

• Cheetos Flammin' Hots Limón
• Fritos with Tapatío

Mood Before:

Needy.

Mood After:

Still needy.

Dinner/Supper

• Spring roll (1½ rolls)
• Super meat combo pho

Mood Before:

Stressed and hungry.

Mood After:

Calm.

Evening Snack

• Popcorn

Mood Before:

Bored? Needed something to munch on as I watch a movie.

Mood After:

Regretful. I practically ate an entire 3.5 oz bag.

June 24^th's Results

The scale reads: 145 lbs. (Analog scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 10869 steps (5944 aerobic steps for 57 minutes), 4.28 mi., 295 calories

Other aerobic activities:

• Jane Fonda's Step Aerobics (45 minutes)

Sleep and Food Mood Journal

5

Breakfast

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

AM Snack

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

Lunch

• Chicken club sandwich
• Pasta salad

Mood Before:

Rushed.

Mood After:

Foggy.

PM Snack

• Coffee Oasis' spiced hot chocolate

Mood Before:

Excited that I'm alone with Chris at this local coffee place.

Mood After:

Fulfilled.

Dinner/Supper

• Bakkhus burger
• Parmesan fries
• Piece of gyro with fire feta

Mood Before:

Indecisive.

Mood After:

Satisfied.

Evening Snack

• Dunn Bros. Amaretto Frappe-like thing
• Coconut porter

Mood Before:

Sluggish.

Mood After:

Impatient with myself. I drank a lot of empty calories tonight.

June 23^rd's Results

The scale reads: 144 lbs. (Analog scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 11203 steps (4757 aerobic steps for 55 minutes), 4.42 mi., 335 calories

Sleep and Food Mood Journal

5

Breakfast

• Banana
• Nutella on Nature's Own™ Healthy Multi Grain bread

Mood Before:

Tired.

Mood After:

A bit more energized.

AM Snack

• Cantaloupe
• Blueberries

Mood Before:

Wishy washy.

Mood After:

I need the fruit.

Lunch

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

PM Snack

• Pringles Cheddar Multigrain chips
• Hot dog with spicy mustard

Mood Before:

Famished.

Mood After:

Satisfied.

Dinner/Supper

• 1 glass of sangria from Chelsea Wine Bar

Mood Before:

Rushed and guilty.

Mood After:

Not happy with my low tolerance.

Evening Snack

• Fried Twinkies (1 ½)
• ½ of a Monte Cristo with chips
• St. Arnold's Summer Pilsner

Mood Before:

Sociable.

Mood After:

Remorse. I wish I ate a more substantial dinner so I didn't go crazy with the calories this late.

June 22^nd's Results

The scale reads: 144 lbs. (Analog scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 8019 steps (3578 aerobic steps for 38 minutes), 3.16 mi., 224 calories

Sleep and Food Mood Journal

7

Breakfast

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

AM Snack

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--

Lunch

• Dumplings with soy sauce and garlic

Mood Before:

On edge.

Mood After:

Relaxed

PM Snack

• Soy sauce chicken (2 pieces)
• Soy sauce egg
• Chinese vegetables
• Rice

Mood Before:

Cautious.

Mood After:

Grateful.

Dinner/Supper

• Lenny's Sub roast beef sandwich

Mood Before:

Prepared.

Mood After:

Relieved and grateful that my aunt sent me off on a full stomach before the event.

Evening Snack

--Skipped--

Mood Before:

--

Mood After:

--