Diet/Life Update

First, I have to be honest that last weeks diet adventure was a big fail.

Sean was having a rough week at work and needed some time away, so we packed up and headed to the coast. We ended up staying in this small, secluded beach town with very few dinning options. We did the best we could considering, but definitely not ideal.

To add to that story a little, we got a rather rude wake up call at 5:00am on Friday morning. Let me back up a little...

We went to bed Thursday night with the news of what was happening in Japan on our mind. We got back to the room late that night and had just found out about it on the news. I remember saying to Sean how crazy it was and I wonder if the waves could make it our way.

Fast forward to Friday morning at 5am. The phone started ringing and there was a really loud siren going off in the background.

Sean and I both shot out of bed and he answered the phone. Turns out it was the hotel basically telling us that there were Tsunami warnings on the coast and that if we wanted to leave we should pack up and do so now, as they were closing down the roads and stuff.

So we packed up and headed to my mom's. There wasn't a lot else we could do and traffic to Salem was A LOT better than traffic to Portland. We stopped and got some breakfast before heading to mom's. I was on the phone with her at 5:30am and it was kinda funny how worried she was, since they were talking about the waves being MAYBE a couple of feet.

Anyways, we got to mom's and spent the rest of the weekend with the family celebrating my sisters birthday and planning her wedding. So, needless to say, I didn't do so well with my eating.

Last night was better. We made turkey burgers on these whole wheat 100 calorie buns with spinach and onions on them. It was pretty tasty. Tonight has stuffed chicken with curried quinoa on the menu for dinner.

So time to get back on track. I'm determined to get healthy before my sisters wedding so I have to have the dress taken in A TON. That's my goal. We will see how that goes. :)

Review: The Fitbit

When Sean and I decided it was time to lose weight and get healthy, he started saying he wanted to BodyBug. Unfortunately, they are like $300 for the system, so I started doing some research into an alternative. After looking at reviews and prices, I found the Fitbit.



For about $100 you get the device, a clip that it can be put into to wear on thicker clothing, a charging station, and a band to strap around your wrist so you can wear it at night.

As part of the purchase price, you also get access to this fantastic tracking site.



In addition to tracking your steps, it also calculates your sleep efficiency, calories burned, and you can even track what you eat. It gives you a base calorie consumption based on your gender, height, and weight and then you input what you eat. It's so easy and I love that I can track it all in one place.

Pros:

I love being able to track everything in one place. The website it truly one of the best features of the device. It's very easy to use and all you have to do is plug your Fitbit into the charging station for it to sync up with the website. I also like the Friends feature. Its nice to be able to compare with my husband (who also has one). My competitive side takes over and I want to get more steps than him in.

I also like that its small, because I can wear it on my clothes easily and its not as noticeable as, say, the Body Bug.

It's very easy to read and shows calories burned, steps taken, and distance walked right on the screen. It also has a screen with a flower on it that grows as you become more active. I love this feature because it makes you want to be more active, just to see how tall the flower will grow.

Cons:

It's small size is a big plus, but its also the biggest con. I've thought I lost it a few times already and because it clips onto your pants like a clothes pin, it does feel like it could break easily.

I also don't like the band that it straps to for you to wear at night. It has to go around your wrist, so if you have sensitive skin its not ideal. And it falls out of the strap pretty easily, so your sleep efficiency is not always accurate.

Overall, I would definitely recommend it. It you get a lot features and it seems to be pretty accurate (as far as I can tell). I would not recommend it for people who tend to lose things, because it is extremely easy to misplace. Otherwise its a great product that does exactly what it says it will and for a reasonable price.

The "D" Word

We all cringe when we hear it.

That awful "D" word.



Yup, it's that time. Time to go on a "diet."

Though, not a diet in a traditional sense. I'm not going to deprive myself of the things I love. It's just time to get my eating habits back under control.

Step 1: Detox.

Thanks to one of my lovely sisters, I have everything I need to do a detox. Basically, going to cut a lot of crap out of my diet for 4 weeks, including caffeine and sugar.



If you know me, you know this is going to be a challenge. I love coffee and have a serious sweet tooth. But, from everything I've heard from Mandee, I will feel SO much better when the 4 weeks are up. So, in the end, totally worth it.

The ultimate goal?



No, but seriously...

The ultimate goal is to be healthy again. Something I can't say I really have been for some time now.

So, goodbye frozen yogurt... I will see you in a month (maybe....)

Pondering Vegetables

So lately I feel like everyone I know is going vegetarian. I tried this back in the early 2000's when I went away to college, and it went okay for about 2 years.



And then I realized something...

I am NOT a good vegetarian. I love chicken. I love Seafood (especially sushi and an amazing piece of salmon). And, if I am being totally honest, I dislike most vegetables. That, or I am just extremely picky about how they are cooked.



So being a vegetarian, probably not so much for me.

My younger sister, on the other hand, is trying to make this change. And she is blogging about it Vegetables Are What Food Eats.

Anyways, I'm not sure what it is that I dislike about vegetables, but so many of them just make me gag. Cook a carrot, and there is no way I can eat it. Put a plate of Asparagus in front of me, and I end up passing at along to Sean. I have gotten a bit more adventurous (I'll eat Zucchini and Spaghetti Squash, which is huge for me), but for the most part I've always been this way.

So all this makes me wonder, did I miss some herbivorous gene?