Dinner tonight was sweet and sour chicken with not-fried rice - it was quite pleasant, and I think I'll have it every few weeks from now on. I wasn't great on the exercise front, in part because I haven't been prioritising sleep; I had an abbreviated walk instead, and only took a couple of flights to work. - Alex
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Week 9, day 4 (day 60)
Tonight I tried the seafood pasta dinner for the first time - it combines fettuccine with salmon and asparagus. Though I like all these ingredients, it was a little disappointing, mostly because the asparagus was (after the initial cooking and then microwave reheating) a little un-crisp. It was fine, just not something I think I'll be ordering every week.
I ended the evening with a low calorie but comforting mug of hot milk with honey, cinnamon, and vanilla essence.
I had a very good exercise day, too - I did the Michelle Bridges Tight, toned and terrific DVD that I see I haven't reviewed yet, and managed to complete it. I walked for half an hour, including the Killer Hill, and then took the seven flights of stairs to work. I just need to keep this up and I'll be golden! - Alex
I ended the evening with a low calorie but comforting mug of hot milk with honey, cinnamon, and vanilla essence.
I had a very good exercise day, too - I did the Michelle Bridges Tight, toned and terrific DVD that I see I haven't reviewed yet, and managed to complete it. I walked for half an hour, including the Killer Hill, and then took the seven flights of stairs to work. I just need to keep this up and I'll be golden! - Alex
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Week 9 - day 2 (day 58)
Once again I didn't sleep well, but at least my scant four hours were in the morning, so I should be awake but not exactly crisp overnight.
I had the chicken schnitzel for dinner, around 3AM - this was my first sampling of this dish, and I quite enjoyed it. The tomato concasée was flavourful but not dominant, and the chicken was really tender.
Breakfast was vanilla crunch cereal with low-fat milk and an apple. It was also supposed to be two slices of grain and oat bread with margarine and Vegemite but, though I decided to follow the program to the letter, I think transfats are bad. Instead I had one of the slices with my post-stroll fettuccine bolognaise, reserving the extra sachet of cheese and later toasting that, with a little basil, on the second piece of bread. The other snacks were a slightly dry citrus sultana biscuit washed down with milk (to bring me up to the daily quota) and a chocolate muesli bar.
Lunch was new, Greek meatballs with Roma tomato and fetta salad. The meatballs I've had before - they're juicy and full of flavour, and though there were only two that was plenty. The salad was predominantly legumes, a combination of chick peas and lentils (which I've chosen to count in the vegie tally below). It was filling and quite pleasant, and certainly a change from the frozen bowls of rice, pasta etc.
I did the CardioWalk workout, which wasn't as exhausting as yesterday's killer circuit but which I had a little trouble keeping up with. I think this was partly because my muscles are a little fatigued, and partly because it was really humid today - warm, with a near-constant drizzle interspersed with outright rain.
I went for a walk in the rain, and voted in the state election. There was no queue, so I only stopped moving long enough to number the boxes. I popped in to the supermarket on my way home, and bought truss tomatoes (once I smelled them I couldn't face the bland ones provided, and will take them in to work instead) and basil.
I also bought a dozen Cadbury 40-60g chocolate bars, which were on sale at less than half price. I'll mail a couple to my sister overseas, where they don't have Snack; the rest I'll keep for when I modify my diet. In the past I've bought bigger blocks because they're cheaper per gram than the smaller varieties, but over the course of a day or two I'd nibble away the whole thing. This way I'll have recourse to a small treat every now and then, without eating an entire days' calories.
I intended walking the Horror Hill and the twenty 'cool down' (or 'try not to look I-spent-a-day-at-Kooyong-and-forgot-my-sun-screen scarlet') walk from there to work. I was also going to take the stairs. But I took a nap, and bed was too lovely to leave after only 80 minutes, and it was raining. So no extra walk, hill or stairs, today. - Alex
Fruit: apple, kiwi, sultanas, citrus peel
Vegetables: green beans, carrots, celery, chick peas, corn, cucumber, lentils, onion, sweet potato, tomato, tomato puree
Energy: 1713 calories
Fibre: 38.5g
Exercise:40 minutes CardioWalk DVD, 2 x 30 minutes walking on flat surface, 5 minutes walking uphill, 5 minutes of stair climbing, 20 minutes of hand weights
I had the chicken schnitzel for dinner, around 3AM - this was my first sampling of this dish, and I quite enjoyed it. The tomato concasée was flavourful but not dominant, and the chicken was really tender.
Breakfast was vanilla crunch cereal with low-fat milk and an apple. It was also supposed to be two slices of grain and oat bread with margarine and Vegemite but, though I decided to follow the program to the letter, I think transfats are bad. Instead I had one of the slices with my post-stroll fettuccine bolognaise, reserving the extra sachet of cheese and later toasting that, with a little basil, on the second piece of bread. The other snacks were a slightly dry citrus sultana biscuit washed down with milk (to bring me up to the daily quota) and a chocolate muesli bar.
Lunch was new, Greek meatballs with Roma tomato and fetta salad. The meatballs I've had before - they're juicy and full of flavour, and though there were only two that was plenty. The salad was predominantly legumes, a combination of chick peas and lentils (which I've chosen to count in the vegie tally below). It was filling and quite pleasant, and certainly a change from the frozen bowls of rice, pasta etc.
I did the CardioWalk workout, which wasn't as exhausting as yesterday's killer circuit but which I had a little trouble keeping up with. I think this was partly because my muscles are a little fatigued, and partly because it was really humid today - warm, with a near-constant drizzle interspersed with outright rain.
I went for a walk in the rain, and voted in the state election. There was no queue, so I only stopped moving long enough to number the boxes. I popped in to the supermarket on my way home, and bought truss tomatoes (once I smelled them I couldn't face the bland ones provided, and will take them in to work instead) and basil.
I also bought a dozen Cadbury 40-60g chocolate bars, which were on sale at less than half price. I'll mail a couple to my sister overseas, where they don't have Snack; the rest I'll keep for when I modify my diet. In the past I've bought bigger blocks because they're cheaper per gram than the smaller varieties, but over the course of a day or two I'd nibble away the whole thing. This way I'll have recourse to a small treat every now and then, without eating an entire days' calories.
I intended walking the Horror Hill and the twenty 'cool down' (or 'try not to look I-spent-a-day-at-Kooyong-and-forgot-my-sun-screen scarlet') walk from there to work. I was also going to take the stairs. But I took a nap, and bed was too lovely to leave after only 80 minutes, and it was raining. So no extra walk, hill or stairs, today. - Alex
Fruit: apple, kiwi, sultanas, citrus peel
Vegetables: green beans, carrots, celery, chick peas, corn, cucumber, lentils, onion, sweet potato, tomato, tomato puree
Energy: 1713 calories
Fibre: 38.5g
Exercise:40 minutes CardioWalk DVD, 2 x 30 minutes walking on flat surface, 5 minutes walking uphill, 5 minutes of stair climbing, 20 minutes of hand weights
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Week 9 - day 1 (day 57)
So it's day one, which hasn't gone off quite like I planned, because I've been awake since 4AM, which isn't really compatible with safe working overnight, and I rang in sick. Which doesn't fit in with the picture I had.
That aside, however, the first day of my week of eating and exercising optimally has gone well. The first days' food is usually pretty good, and this week was no exception - Bircher muesli and a multigrain muffin with margarine and Vegemite for breakfast, a salad topped with Thai-inspired beef strips and an apple for lunch, snacks of cheese and crackers, peach fruit cup, light fruit cake, and an Asian rice bowl (rice, chicken and vegetables).
More usefully, I tried the third of Australian Biggest Loser trainers Shannan Ponton and Michelle Bridges' work out DVDs, Calorie Killer Circuit. There's a more detailed review here, written after my second experience doing it.
Today was my first time working out to this intensive combination of circuit and pyramid (or ladder) training. It was also a fairly warm day, and between the two I was a fiery red of face, huffing, and damp everywhere I didn't have beads of sweat actively rolling south. I also kept up, though I couldn't quite manage every pushup or sit up.
It might only have been 50 minutes but, combined with three ten minute walks I got over the hourly minimum exercise requirement and felt quite chuffed for the rest of the day.
I noticed that the calorie count for today was higher than 1,800; given that the dinners aren't identical in energy content, with the current options ranging from 317 (steak with creamy mushroom sauce) to 481 (chicken with satay sauce), and the need to offer options, I imagine it evens out to an average of 1,800 per day over the week. And since reading Winning by Losing earlier this year, I think that's probably a good thing. This is the first time I've thought about it, though, so tracking calories this week will be an interesting exercise. - Alex
Fruit: apple, dried apricots, stewed peaches, sultanas
Vegetables: broccoli, capsicum (green and red), carrots, champignons, corn, coriander, ginger, green beans, potato wedges
Energy: 1,975 calories
Fibre: 33g
Exercise: 50 minutes circuit/pyramid training DVD, 3 x 10 minutes moderate intensity walking (flat surface)
That aside, however, the first day of my week of eating and exercising optimally has gone well. The first days' food is usually pretty good, and this week was no exception - Bircher muesli and a multigrain muffin with margarine and Vegemite for breakfast, a salad topped with Thai-inspired beef strips and an apple for lunch, snacks of cheese and crackers, peach fruit cup, light fruit cake, and an Asian rice bowl (rice, chicken and vegetables).
More usefully, I tried the third of Australian Biggest Loser trainers Shannan Ponton and Michelle Bridges' work out DVDs, Calorie Killer Circuit. There's a more detailed review here, written after my second experience doing it.
Today was my first time working out to this intensive combination of circuit and pyramid (or ladder) training. It was also a fairly warm day, and between the two I was a fiery red of face, huffing, and damp everywhere I didn't have beads of sweat actively rolling south. I also kept up, though I couldn't quite manage every pushup or sit up.
It might only have been 50 minutes but, combined with three ten minute walks I got over the hourly minimum exercise requirement and felt quite chuffed for the rest of the day.
I noticed that the calorie count for today was higher than 1,800; given that the dinners aren't identical in energy content, with the current options ranging from 317 (steak with creamy mushroom sauce) to 481 (chicken with satay sauce), and the need to offer options, I imagine it evens out to an average of 1,800 per day over the week. And since reading Winning by Losing earlier this year, I think that's probably a good thing. This is the first time I've thought about it, though, so tracking calories this week will be an interesting exercise. - Alex
Fruit: apple, dried apricots, stewed peaches, sultanas
Vegetables: broccoli, capsicum (green and red), carrots, champignons, corn, coriander, ginger, green beans, potato wedges
Energy: 1,975 calories
Fibre: 33g
Exercise: 50 minutes circuit/pyramid training DVD, 3 x 10 minutes moderate intensity walking (flat surface)
Friday, November 26, 2010
Day 56/weigh in
I knew it had been a while since my last update, but didn't realise it had been just under a month. So it's been 8 weeks, and I've lost 7.7kilos from my starting weight, which is a reasonable kilos per week average (though a little disappointing for those of us accustomed to Biggest Loser numbers). It doesn't help that I've been exercising only sporadically, and being a little more liberal in my diet than I ought.
I added the breakfasts a couple of weeks ago, to give them a try, which means I now get two eskies delivered a week! There are a few variations on a theme, including a weekly eggs and bacon treat (which I've passed on, suspecting the eggs aren't free range) and a ham, cheese & tomato sandwich one morning. Generally, though, the breakfasts involve a 30g serving of cereal (which is not a lot, and makes me realise how more generous my routine Weetbix and muesli bowl was), plus a piece or two of multigrain toast, often with Vegemite but no spread, and fruit.
Today marks the beginning of a seven night stretch at work, and I'm throwing myself into the program properly, to see what I can do when I apply myself. The disadvantage of nights is that there's very little time to do much except eat, sleep and work - I leave at 8PM, start work at 9, finish sometimes between 7:30 and 8AM, and arrive home between 8 and 9.
The advantage is that a long stretch can help you stick to a regular and uninterrupted routine. This week, that means only eating the provided Lite'n'Easy food (including, sadly, their anemic tomatoes, which are at least ripening in the fruit bowl instead of loitering palely in the fridge). It also means drinking a pot of green tea when I go out for breakfast over the weekend with my mother, and having the provided fruit muesli, spreadless Vegemite toast and dried apricots when I get home.
I will also be doing between one and two hours of exercise each day, a combination of DVD workouts (bellydancing, cardiowalk, Biggest Loser and circuit programs) and walking. There's a monster hill on the way to work that's 500 steps (I'm a compulsive counter, especially when walking); I take a hundred steps a minute, and that's rough five minute climb that I'm sure counts as interval training, as indicated by my 50 breaths per minute toward the end! I cool down a little on the remaining walk in, for a total of around half an hour of walking, and ramp it up again by climbing stairs to my floor - all 168 of them. Instead of only doing this every now and again, this week I'll do the walk every night, with a potential caveat for heavy rain.
I'm also going to prioritise sleep over reading and TV, and make a more concerted effort to drink more water - a glass an hour at work, plus one on rising, one on arriving at work, one on getting home, and one just before sleeping, will total 3.5L.
Finally, I realise I haven't mentioned anywhere that I suspected I was anemic, and the week I began Lite'n'Easy I started taking an iron supplement, plus 1g of vitamin C (to aid iron absorption) every day with breakfast - I feel so much more energetic and am markedly less breathless on exertion, which I think has far more to do with this than to a sudden increase in aerobic fitness. It does certainly make me feel happier about exercising, and healthier in general, though perhaps I should have had a proper check up first. And now, on to the week of focus! - Alex
I added the breakfasts a couple of weeks ago, to give them a try, which means I now get two eskies delivered a week! There are a few variations on a theme, including a weekly eggs and bacon treat (which I've passed on, suspecting the eggs aren't free range) and a ham, cheese & tomato sandwich one morning. Generally, though, the breakfasts involve a 30g serving of cereal (which is not a lot, and makes me realise how more generous my routine Weetbix and muesli bowl was), plus a piece or two of multigrain toast, often with Vegemite but no spread, and fruit.
Today marks the beginning of a seven night stretch at work, and I'm throwing myself into the program properly, to see what I can do when I apply myself. The disadvantage of nights is that there's very little time to do much except eat, sleep and work - I leave at 8PM, start work at 9, finish sometimes between 7:30 and 8AM, and arrive home between 8 and 9.
The advantage is that a long stretch can help you stick to a regular and uninterrupted routine. This week, that means only eating the provided Lite'n'Easy food (including, sadly, their anemic tomatoes, which are at least ripening in the fruit bowl instead of loitering palely in the fridge). It also means drinking a pot of green tea when I go out for breakfast over the weekend with my mother, and having the provided fruit muesli, spreadless Vegemite toast and dried apricots when I get home.
I will also be doing between one and two hours of exercise each day, a combination of DVD workouts (bellydancing, cardiowalk, Biggest Loser and circuit programs) and walking. There's a monster hill on the way to work that's 500 steps (I'm a compulsive counter, especially when walking); I take a hundred steps a minute, and that's rough five minute climb that I'm sure counts as interval training, as indicated by my 50 breaths per minute toward the end! I cool down a little on the remaining walk in, for a total of around half an hour of walking, and ramp it up again by climbing stairs to my floor - all 168 of them. Instead of only doing this every now and again, this week I'll do the walk every night, with a potential caveat for heavy rain.
I'm also going to prioritise sleep over reading and TV, and make a more concerted effort to drink more water - a glass an hour at work, plus one on rising, one on arriving at work, one on getting home, and one just before sleeping, will total 3.5L.
Finally, I realise I haven't mentioned anywhere that I suspected I was anemic, and the week I began Lite'n'Easy I started taking an iron supplement, plus 1g of vitamin C (to aid iron absorption) every day with breakfast - I feel so much more energetic and am markedly less breathless on exertion, which I think has far more to do with this than to a sudden increase in aerobic fitness. It does certainly make me feel happier about exercising, and healthier in general, though perhaps I should have had a proper check up first. And now, on to the week of focus! - Alex
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Calorie Killer Circuit - Shannan Ponton & Michelle Bridges (2008)
Cover blurb:
Get ready for a whole new dimension with the efficient and effective The Biggest Loser Calorie Killer Circuit DVD.
Australia's much loved trainers, Shannan Ponton and Michelle Bridges, guide you through a seriously fun calorie-burning workout that's sure to get you moving and into shape! Specially designed with fat burning and strength conditioning in mind, you'll push your body to the limit - it's perfect if you're really serious about getting into your best shape ever and really driving your weight loss into turbo mode!
What I liked: I'm discovering circuit training suits me - knowing that I've only got to do x number of reps or continue the exercise for x amount of time makes it easier for me to commit to it and work hard, instead of holding back because I don't know how much reserve I need to keep.
There's a nice emphasis on technique, particularly with the standing leg work, and the trainers mention several times that it's important to keep going and lower the intensity if necessary, rather than just stopping.One of the participants consistently performs low-impact versions throughout the program, and this is frequently pointed out - I didn't buy that it was because she had a sore ankle, though, and don't know why they'd bother pretending this was the case rather than stating they'd included a lower impact alternative for beginners or viewers with mobility issues.
What could have been improved: there's very little notice of what's coming up next, particularly once the program moved out of the circuit section.
Overall: I quite enjoyed the workout, and think I'll be better at it after a few repetitions, once I'm familiar with the program. - Alex
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