Exercise Session 62

 

To my surprise, I've been keeping up with exercise since I started in April. I like using this blog to document my efforts and to keep me motivated to continue. Yesterday's treadmill session, I was proud of myself for putting in extra time.

I finally achieved a goal (shout out to my old abandoned blog). I have not yet hit 50 gym visits to earn health insurance reimbursement (because I slacked earlier this year and since my reboot this April, most of my workouts have been on an apartment treadmill). However, I now do fit back into my mosquito pants!

Happy July 4!

I made it to the gym for exercise session 39. 

Then I liberated myself with:

CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE (tres leche perfectly captioned thanks to my bro)

My family made Independence Day panna cotta, inspired by a recent episode of MasterChef:

In keeping with the theme, my sister's pedicure:

The last pic is a holiday special for my BFF who is grossed out by feet but cherishes freedom!

Foiled by Double Chocolate Bread Pudding but not by High Fructose Corn Syrup

While I fit in exercise session number 35 yesterday, I also fell victim to this decadent dessert, prepared by my lovely sister, and served with a side of cookie dough ice cream.

Close-up to appreciate the beauteous texture:

The recipe calls for 1.5 cups of chocolate syrup, with Hershey's as the recommended brand. However, the first ingredient in Hershey's Chocolate Syrup is High Fructose Corn Syrup, followed by more Corn Syrup. Yuck. 

I googled "healthy alternative to chocolate syrup" and found this simple recipe for making your own chocolate syrup on this blog "Art of Natural Living." Not only was this version super simple to make, requiring only a few ingredients, it actually tasted better than Hershey's syrup!

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 c water
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 1 c cocoa
• 1 t vanilla

Directions
 
1.  Mix sugar and cocoa.
2.  Add water and bring to a boil,  pressing out any lumps with the back of a spoon.  Boil for a couple minutes.  Add vanilla.
3.  Cool and store in refrigerator.

Thanks to Art of Natural Living for this far superior alternative to store brand chocolate syrup. 

Replacing high fructose corn syrup, even in a double chocolatey dessert, made me feel better about indulging.

Sugar by the NYC Health Department

I reached exercise session 30 this weekend, of which I'm proud especially because I'm finally starting to see some improvement compared to 8 weeks ago when I started:

 
Unfortunately, I messed up really badly with my sugar addiction.

It began this lazy Sunday afternoon with this:

If only when I saw this:

I would realize it is actually this:

This is illustrated by this great ad by the NYC Health Department:

Green Tea Evolution & Fat To Burn

Green tea supposedly enhances fat burning but I'm not sure it can combat all this (Caramel Apple Pie & Banana Caramel Cheesecake Xangos):

I gave it a go anyhow! I thought this packaging was really cute:

Here's my BFF with the pretty purple manicure modeling tea prep:

Thanks B!

Asics Gel-Kayano 20 - Lite Show It Up!

Exercise session 26 happened today, against my sluggish Saturday afternoon malaise - thanks to motivation from a fit buddy across the country who squeezed in Pacific Standard Time 7 am exercise while his infant was sleeping - now that's commitment! 

I realized the need to invest in good running shoes after my feet were feeling the effects of even my fitness baby-steps. After a recommendation from another buddy, and reading rave reviews, I went with the Asics Gel-Kayano 20.

These are expensive but I splurged (including $10 extra for the glow in the dark version - hahaha, even though I never run at night or outside) fantasizing that my future fit body would be better off for them. 

Today's exercise session was the test jog - and it was totally worth it! Wow, what a difference a good pair of sneakers make! Each step was cushioned, as if I were moving on gel-enforced clouds - not flimsy insubstantial real clouds but heavenly angelic clouds that pave the way to the realization of dreams!

I'm not kidding. These kicks were all that.

Viva la Moules Pot!

Mussels may be considered a pretty healthy meal option. However, I'm fairly confident that dousing them in a creamy lobster sauce will frustrate weight loss but definitely not the taste buds. Thumbs Up for the Moules Pot Homard Style!

These tasty critters were served with crispy fries and a mayo-y delicious sauce.

The final nail in workout #20 earlier this afternoon was dessert. This photo and the undoing of my fitness goals are the only evidence that remains of their existence.

Warm Brownie Sundae & Vanilla Creme Brûlée:

Yummy yum in my expanding tummy. The evening was especially delightful because of the company, my lovely cousin.

I'm definitely going to need to exercise tomorrow (and many other tomorrows) to pay for my crimes. 

TCBY, My Lust

I have surprised myself by sticking with the exercise, completing session 19 in this sixth week (still just cardio/treadmill - need to eventually fit in some muscle strengthening). 

The nutrition part is even more challenging. My current obsession is:

I don't kid myself that this indulgence is a healthy alternative. Unfortunately, this knowledge isn't power enough to quit. 

As my frozen base, I've recently swapped out Golden Vanilla

for the protein-infused Greek Yogurt, which is less sweet.

Then, unfortunately for my waistline, I go nuts with the toppings galore!

My concoction usually consists of:

Toasted Coconut

Extra extra crunch

A smattering of Heath Bar which I'm trying and failing to omit

Mixed Nuts - I left these out last time, cause they're pretty fatty

A dollop of Hot Fudge

I'll have to update this blog to show you the finished product, which I once again devoured before documenting!

UPDATE:

My Downfall

Despite completing 16 exercise sessions by the end of this fifth week since my fitness reboot, TCBY Golden Vanilla Frozen Yogurt, chock full of ridiculous toppings (such as heath, toasted coconut, mixed nuts, extra extra crunchies and hot fudge), is proving to be my downfall. I succumbed to this diabetes-provoking concoction twice this week.

I'll take a picture next time before (and also, by then, after) it hits my gut.

Get Physical

I finally made it to the doctor's office for an annual checkup, four years late. Here are some inspiring (and foreboding) messages that were posted on the walls:

Well damn. 

I'll get my results in about two weeks. In the meantime, I made sure to fit in exercise sessions 12&13 this week after four days of slacking. 

I Saw ... (after I Ate)

Boy George performing a Lorde song at the Billboard Music Awards. 

Following which Miranda Lambert & Carrie Underwood sang "Something Bad About To Happen" but their outfits, hair and makeup had already happened, as well as the creepy holographic Michael Jackson performance of a song he didn't consider worthwhile to release in his own lifetime. 

p.s. Exercise sessions 10&11 happened earlier this weekend (but not 12 this Sunday). Good thing, cause what I ate included:

BBQ Chicken Nachos

Bandeja Paisa (Colombian Platter)

grilled skirt steak, pork chicharron, white arepa,

rice & beans, fried egg, maduros, avocado, cabbage salad

Pernil (slow roasted pulled pork, marinated in Colombian beer, orange garlic mojo)

Fried seafood appetizer

Fish Tacos

Missing dessert pictures of the churros, tres leche cake, molten chocolate cake and banana caramel bread pudding, all served by the lovely Joanna at the Yelper favorite Bogota Latin Bistro.

Exercise Day 9 & DAP Movie #7: Madagascar 3 - Europe's Most Wanted

Done & Done.

This is part of my ongoing series of DAP posts.

Dreamworks Animation Movie #7
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
2012
Rating: PG
Budget: 145 million
Box Office: 746 million plus (even more than the sequel!)

IMDb Logline: "Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent - Madagascar style."

Lazy Review: Madagascar 3 was cute but 2 remains my favorite. 3 was less grounded as far as storyline which actually fit its circus theme. Running away with the circus also lent itself to really cool animated scenes. 

After the movie: I missed most of The Voice and am now in progress watching Christina Grimmie's major misstep singing Fun's "Some Nights." Too bad. 

Not exactly 10 minutes later: I'm not really loving Jake Worthington's rendition of Bryan Adam's "Heaven" either. Usher gave some helpful background on vocal issues that Jake has been suffering. This helps me to better appreciate, not hate. 

Exercise Day 8 & Grasshopper Class

And Gym Day 5. I ate a lot today. Happy Mother's Day!

I don't follow Oprah's Master Class on the OWN network but occasionally I catch shitty bits and pieces. There's something awfully pretentious about the enterprise, from the title, to the unnecessary and unflattering extreme close-ups - especially for Jay-Z:

It strikes me as not that removed from Brad Pitt's Chanel No. 5 commercials.


Now compare to this:

 
Could this be any more fake? Has Justin been practicing delivering bad acting monologues? Does affecting a subdued tone convey mastery? How phony is this "confession" preceded by pause for a beat, sideways glance, cue: "I've never told anybody that Michael story." 

Why not? Why is this such a secret? Did Michael touch you in a private place when he made his recording request? You didn't tell your manager? a friend? your mom?? not one person that Michael Jackson was interested in recording a duet with you? You are such a liar I can't stand you!!!!

There's also this piece of dookie he overdramatically offers in another clip: "I was going to make a career doing exactly what everyone told me I should not be doing."

JT's spiced vanilla is far from renegade. The Star Search to Mickey Mouse Club (including Brit, Christina, JLoveHewitt, Ryan Gosling) to Boy Band to Solo Career under the guidance of record company giants and big money management is not exactly trailblazing albeit wildly successful in JFake's case. Sure, he's achieved an accomplished career, celebrity and wealth, but does this all, at the ripe old age of 33, a Master make?

Instead of Master Class, just call it Oprah's Self-Serving Monotonous Celebrity Profiles.

Exercise Day 7

and Gym Day 4 - done! 

Watching Cinnaholic on Shark Tank. I want some... NOW!!!! 

I love this show. TGIF!

Exercise Day 6 & PlaySCOOP Limit Stud

I was about to drive past the gym straight home but against the odds, I actually logged 35 minutes on the treadmill at the gym (making day 3 at the gym - 47 to go for gym reimbursement).

Then, I had a (lentils, onion, garlic, red pepper, tomato and spinach) soup prepared by my Mummy - it was delicious! I need to learn how to make this:



Afterwards, because there weren't any No-Limit Holdem PlaySCOOP tournaments available tonight, I partook in PlaySCOOP Event #12 Limit Stud for the Low buy-in of 20K, joining 45 minutes late. I have never played Stud poker before and so I figured this would be an interesting experience, and also why I did not buy-in to the 2 Million High game, and also why I pitifully blinded my way out to a loss.

American Idol is down to the Top 4, having them perform 3 songs each in one show (and multiple Lady Gag-a songs) - which is totally stupid. As Dani Voz from The Voice before her, Jessica Meuse performed the kiss of death in a televised singing competition: a weaker than Pink version of a Pink song. I'm forecasting Jessica's almost certain elimination. 

Jena Irene's final song of the night, also playing piano, was a "spell-binding"* version of Elvis's "Can't Help Falling In Love." I didn't watch the entire show tonight but this performance was definitely worth catching. I expect it to go viral. 
*(adjective used by judge Keith Urban, baby)
 

Exercise Day 5 & Poopie PlaySCOOP

Why do I feel more out of shape on day 5 than day 1? I have not had dessert... yet. 

In poker news, I busted out of the High and Low games of PlaySCOOP NL Event #9 tonight, joining half hour late because of fitting in the treadmill after work. Pocket Aces cracked by KJ in the Low, and flush draw completed to beat my middle pair in the High. I should have raised more pre-flop with the Aces, but I think I made the right post-flop all-in move short-stacked in the High Game. Now my series record is 4 of 8 - shoot.

Myfitnesspal for once does not reflect a deficit in my daily calories bank:

Lo, exercise lets you eat more!! Which is convenient because exercise makes me hungrier! Now, how to spend this gift? Anything I desire kills me. 

Exercise Day 4 plus Good Eating

The proof (and on a Saturday no less):
 

The stats are not much to brag about but I'll take it! That's day 2 in the gym - 48 more to go for membership fee reimbursement. 

In an attempt not to sabotage my efforts again, I decided to make a healthy chili for dinner. Cooking is rare for me but I was unusually motivated.

Here's how it came together:

99% Lean Ground Turkey Meat:


Chili spice kit (but I did not add the red pepper powder because I'm tame like that):











All natural no sugar added tomato sauce:

Accessories included mushrooms, seeded red pepper (but I think I was supposed to use green), low-fat cheese to sprinkle on top and fat-free sour cream.

The finished product (after I ate some):

My Momma made lunch the next day and it makes for a pretty picture so I'll add that also - wild sockeye salmon and veggies (after I ate some):

For dessert:
I shouldn't have (especially at 200 calories and 12 grams (7 saturated) a pop) but I also nibbled on this: