August 27

breakfast: cornflakes

lunch: hummus, cabbage, tomato, avocado, small piece Devil in an Apron's chocolate covered pecan pie

dinner: cranberry beans, sauerkraut, bok choy, potato

August 26

breakfast: cornflakes

lunch: cranberry beans, tomato, swiss chard, zucchini, potato

dinner: 2 grape leaves, marinated artichoke hearts, mozzeralla balls in pesto

I don't really have anything new to report. The only thing I can think of is that I went to a new farmer's market and found someone who has the best flavored produce - all organic. Everything appears to be picked when ripe rather than picked days or weeks to early. There's such a big flavor difference between produce picked when ripe and that picked green. I think most farmer's either don't know the difference or they intentionally pick it too early to promote longer shelflife. Overall, it's the consumer that suffers. You buy produce that looks like it's ripe, might need a couple of days (or in the case of pears - weeks) to ripen, and then when you go to eat it, there's nothing remarkable. Sometimes, there isn't even any flavor. But when produce is grown in the right kind of soil, the best quality seeds are used, and then when it's picked at the peak of flavor, it's unbelievable - it's hard to go back and eat anything else because it's so unsatisfactory. Your taste buds are so sentillated that you need much less food to satisfy you. It's heaven.

August 25

breakfast: gluten-free banana-date bread, raw milk

snack: apple pie larabar

lunch: utthapam with tomatoes, carrots and mushrooms

dinner: cranberry beans, potato, tomato, zucchini, swiss chard

August 24

breakfast: oatmeal with banana and peanut butter

lunch: seaweed tofu, chinese greens, carrots

snack: blackberries, peanuts

dinner: carrot and cabbage salad, cranberry beans, gluten-free pizza roll

The pizza rolls had way too much potato flour in them. They just turned to mush as you ate them. It's one thing if you're expecting to eat mashed potatoes. It's another thing if your dish turns into mashed potatoes.

My back is about 75% better, so hopefully I'll be able to begin working out soon. I really hope I haven't damaged a disk. I haven't wanted to see anyone about it because I don't want to find out if that's happened. I know too many people with herniated disks, had surgeries that didn't work, etc. I'm just thinking it's out of alignment and as the muscles relax it'll go back into alignment.

Gluten Free

I've learned I have to cut all gluten out of my diet. Thrilling! It feels like so much has been eliminated and eating out is virtually impossible. I know that in the long run and short run I need to stop eating gluten. My health will definitely improve all around. But to actually do it, it's depressing.

It happened again!

breakfast: protein drink

lunch: baba ganoush, hummus, french fries, Devil in an Apron chocolate pecan pie

dinner: cornbread, beans, sauerkraut, tomatoes, zucchini

I woke up Sunday and my back was bothering me again - worse than ever. I'm not sure what happened. It just got better and now this. It doesn't make any sense. I've never had back problems until the past couple of weeks. Weird!

I tried Devil in an Apron's chocolate covered pecan pie today. It is sooooo good. Devil is a good word to use for it. It's basically pecan pie without the crust covered in dark chocolate. Almost all of the ingredients are organic. It kind of reminds me of a chocolate turtles, but with a soft caramel. It's so worth every bite, and even though they're small, you can definitely get more than one serving out of them. I think if I were to eat the whole thing at once it would be too rich, just wouldn't be able to do it. But a couple of bites of that gooey, chocolatey, toasted pecan flavor...I don't think I'd ever grow tired of it.

Callanetics Bootcamp - Day 4

breakfast: peanut butter cookie larabar

lunch: sauteed baby bok choy, tofu, carrots

snack: grapes

dinner: green beans, zucchini, tomato, buffalo mozzarella

Yeah, I'm done! It's so nice to know that I can rest tomorrow. My muscles are definitely sore, but I can see a difference. Whoever said you can't spot reduce has obviously never tried Callanetics!

Callanetics Bootcamp - Day 3

breakfast: granola

lunch: salad

dinner: almonds, buffalo mozzarella

workout: Callanetics 10/10

I wasn't hungry today. I think I really only ate because I felt like I should eat something.

I was so tired I almost didn't workout, but I figured I started this bootcamp and I'm halfway through, no point in quitting now. I ended up only doing half the reps for each exercise, but I did it. My posture seems to be improving. My legs are changing shape, especially the quads and inner thighs - still a long way to go on that last part, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

Callanetics Bootcamp - Day 2

breakfast: granola

snack: white nectarine

lunch: tomato-provolone sandwich

snack: almonds

dinner: tomato, swiss chard, buffalo mozzarella

workout: Callanetics 10/10

I can already see results! My stomach is definitely tightening and pulling in. Every muscle in my lower body is sore. I've really been concentrating on form and working to my max. It's amazing to see results already. I really wish I had taken measurements before I started.

Another positive: I think I've finally gotten the inner thigh squeeze down. I've never really felt much with it before, but today my inner thighs are the sorest part of my body.

Callanetics Bootcamp - Day 1

breakfast: banana, strawberries

lunch: cucumber salad, peanut butter cookie Larabar

dinner: brown rice pasta with zucchini, tomatoes, and feta

workout: Callanetics 10/10

I tried the peanut butter cookie Larabars today for the first time. They are sooo good! You can't tell they only contain dates, peanuts and salt. The peanuts actually taste like a peanut butter cookie. The bars are very filling, quite surprising for something so small.

I started the Callanetics bootcamp today. I probably should have taken measurements before I started, but I didn't even think about it. Even 1/8" loss is a step in the right direction. It's just only visible from a tape measurerer - such a loss won't exactly cause your pants to start falling down.

Callanetics Bootcamp?

breakfast: melon

snack: almonds, raw milk

lunch: caprese salad

dinner: roma beans, potatoes, cucumber

When I hurt my back, Jessi sent me a great site filled with a ton of information on Callanetics and comments from trainers. I've learned a lot since reading through it. One of the things a trainer mentioned was that you shouldn't go three days without doing Callanetics or you'll begin to undo some of the results. If you go three days without doing it, you should do it for 3-4 days in a row to get back into shape.

This reminds me of T-Tapp. You're not supposed to go 3 days without doing at least the BWO+ or you'll start to lose muscle. Whenever you're just starting T-tapp or have missed a week, you're supposed to do a full workout for at least 4 consecutive days. I don't remember all of the scientific reasons, but it's somehow supposed to change the physiology of the body and make it start producing results.

When I hurt my back, I missed over a week of Callanetics. I started back up last week, doing it a couple of times, but I didn't do it for consecutive days. Tomorrow, I think I'll try a 4-day Callanetics bootcamp and see what happens. I'll probably do the regular Callanetics 10 years younger program I typically do, although I'm sure I could do CardioCallanetics or Callanetics Evolution with similar effectiveness.

August 9

breakfast: avocado, banana

snack: apple with almond butter

lunch: vegetable quesadilla

dinner: green beans, zucchini, raw cheese

workout: Ballet Conditioning

It's so nice to look at what I ate today and feel good about it. To look at it and see how healthy it is - so many fruits and vegetables. It all tasted so good and was truly what I wanted. Okay, I'm proud of myself. I'll admit it.

August 6

breakfast: protein shake

snack: herbal tofu, raw cheese

lunch: pasta, vegetables

dinner: potatoes, green beans, tomatoes

workout: callanetics 10/10

I've been too busy to post lately. It's weird how sometimes things seem to blow up in all directions. Not just one or two things, but everything...in giant, apocalyptic, billows of smoke. And, yet, all the normal events of life still take place and have to be maintained. It really shows how no matter what's going on around you all the normal events of life are still taking place. It makes you wonder if any of it really matters. In the grand scheme of things, surely not. The world still spins. Life goes on. And yet things can seem so important to us or to others, but no matter what they are, do they really matter? Whenever you see someone, you never really know what's going on with them, in their lives, in their minds. You never know if their actions are being affected by something else, causing them to do things that they normally wouldn't do, to do something that even now, they don't even realize they're doing it. It makes me think of a story I once heard about a man who was allowing his children to run wild on the subway. They were bothering everyone and he wasn't doing a thing. When someone finally mentioned it to him, he responded, in a daze, "Oh, sorry. Their mother just died and I don't know what to do."

Not the Greatest...Not Sure What To Do

breakfast: granola

snack: popcorn

lunch: lasagna

dinner: atter kik, steamed broccoli, potatoes

I didn't eat as well as I could have, should have, today. Definitely a lot of carbs and fat in there. Need to up fruits and vegetables again. I don't know why trying to increase fruits and vegetables gets so boring. I do like them. I don't like salads, but I try to eat them. I'm sure if I liked them, I'd eat them more often, thus effortlessly increasing my vegetable intake.

I haven't been wanting to count calories because I know it doesn't work. Yes, you can get fast weight loss, but you end up hungry, moody, and ultimately gain all the weight back. I don't like being hungry. I don't want to go through all of that pain and suffering only to gain everything back and more. Then be in a worse situation than I am in now. But...there's the whole promise of actually seeing the scale move faster. It's like a catch-22. I don't know.

Beautiful Day

breakfast: apple

lunch: bean and cheese quesadilla, salad

dinner: lasagna, zucchini, green beans

Today was such a beautiful day. I went for a drive through a national forest. Such amazing views. There are gorgeous rolling hills that just make you think, boy, wouldn't it be nice to have a house there. Surrounded by nothing. Able to see in every direction for miles. Just amazing.