Fitchella 2012 It's GO TIME!

[faxman75]

Thanks Hanna, I hadn't thought of that and I had some regular unsweatened tea this weekend. That would work well. I'm taking a break from the tea all together for a bit. I finished the last bottle last night and i'm going to try sticking to water except on occasions when i'm out and traveling. I'm not even going ot have the one glass a day for a while. I'll come back to it more gradually next time and use your suggestion.

[Courtney]

Ok, if you all will indulge me for a bit, I am going to try something new this week and document exactly what I'm doing, because I'm in a rut and something really needs to change. I'm seriously frustrated and don't know how much more plateau I can take. Suggestions welcome!

WORKOUTS
jog, 30 mins
bicycle commuting, 40 mins roundtrip

FOOD

Breakfast: gruyere omelet, tomatoes and basil, hashbrowns, black coffee, 552 calories


Lunch: Brie and turkey bacon sandwich with arugula, papaya, and dijon mustard on whole wheat toast, 558 calories


Dinner: Seared blue marlin topped with caper, chive, dill, lemon juice and olive oil, over mixed greens and tomatoes, beer, 393 calories

[Courtney]

The old standard was 8-8oz glasses a day but now I usually read that you should drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces. I definitely need more than 64 oz a day. Even when I was a scrawny little kid I drank water constantly. I use 1 or 1.5 liter bottles, drinking 2 of those a day is more than enough.

Yes, I was starting to dip below 70 oz a day. I probably need about 125 oz. a day right now. Drinking that much water also helps with portion control and appetite as well.

YES. Me too on the water. I seriously drink a lot of water. But I get thirsty if I don't!

I have had some great great compliments about my appearance and weight loss the last couple of days. It's been really nice to hear so many compliments. I have to admit one co worker this morning was a bit too excited and made it rather embarrassing. She was just so loud about it and she kept repeating it over and over again and saying things like "oh my god" and "you really really look great". I don't do well with those. I can take a compliment and say thank you but the whole spectacle she was making made me uneasy and probably sound ungrateful. It was also very exciting for her that I was wearing a shirt tucked in. I felt like a kid who was getting slobbered over before heading off to church on Easter or something. Awkward!

Anyway, tomorrow is the completion of this months 30 days in a row of exercise. I will finally weigh myself either tomorrow evening or Wednesday. I don't physically feel like i've lost any more weight since the last time I weighed myself a week after Coachella. I think i'll always have that fat boy mentality though no matter how much I lose. I will say I haven't felt this good and alive in a very long time. I had a fantastic weekend and ate a bunch of food I should not have but I don't even get angry about that stuff anymore. I know that 99% of the time i'm making the right choices and more importantly I know i'm exercising every single day and being active and having a not so healthy meal isn't nealry as bad as eating that way every day and never exercising.

When I went to L. A. this weekend I made it a point to get in a jog on Saturday morning in N. Hollywood. It felt great. The weather was fantastic and it kick started the day in a great way. I knew I was going to be eating some not so healthy food too so the jog was definitely a priority. I followed it up with my first ever chicken and waffles experience at Rosco's in Hollywood. I had 3 chicken wings and a waffle. Delicious. In the afternoon I had some great Mexican food while visiting my roommate in El Monte. I don't remember the name of the place but I had an all meat burrito and a hard shell deep fried shredded beef taco. Again, delicious and I was stuffed. Then I drove back to phoenix and obviously wasn't hungry the rest of the day and night. Then yesterday I didn't eat anything all morning and afternoon. I went to eat some tasty BBQ for dinner though and that was the most full I felt in a very long time. Absolutely stuffed. I got a sampler which was bbq chicken, rips, briquette and slices of pork, mac n cheese and cheesy potatoes and TWO giant cups of homemade rootbeer. Damn that was tasty. As stuffed as I was I unnecesarily ate some hot cappy and provalone cheese around 10PM on a low carb tortilla.

I did get my exercise in yesterday as well. I jogged for 1.5 miles on the treadmill in the late AM and then I spent a couple of hours in the pool in the afternoon. It was absolutely beautiful and perfect pool weather yesterday. I was doing laps and my arms are even a bit sore today. So i've found another active outdoor activity. I plan on swimming more this summer. I didn't step foot in the pool once last summer but it was such a great day, I would do laps and then read a book and get sun for a bit and then back in the pool some more and read some more. I felt like a million bucks after that.

I have been neglecting my bike for a bit, I was waiting to lose more weight before taking it out again and I think it's about time for me to do that again soon. Hiking, swimming, jogging and next biking! I feel like a different person with a whole new active lifestyle. It even sounds weird saying active lifestyle when i've been a non mover for so long. I have made my list of a few changes for this next month and I will review it. Tomorrow is day 30 so it's likely I will not push myself very hard during the week long break between 30 day challenges. I'm going to let my body recover a bit. I know for a fact though I won't be stopping everything during the short break.

How was everyone elses weekend? Hopefully you didn't eat as much as me but you got out and did some stuff!

Way to go Mark. You're seriously kicking butt.

I had a nice mellow weekend. On Saturday I went to a beach party thing and probably ate and drank too much, but I also did a lot of swimming and played some volleyball (poorly), so at least there is that. Sunday I spent most of the day walking around a nursery checking out plants, harvesting worm compost, and whatnot. I ate pretty well Sunday, but didn't workout.

I'm determined that this week is going to be AWESOME.

[faxman75]

Courtney, those meals look like works of art! I bet they are delicious too. Do you snack at all Courtny? I know at work I have a giant bag of raw almonds that I snack on all day. They tend to get a bit boring after a while and then I resort to this thing called "energizer mix" which is a small bag of raisins, other dried fruit and nuts. I seem to be averaging a bag of those a day. Stay determined!


I finally got on the scale today and i'm 253 lbs. I'm at the end of another 30 day challenge and as much as I want to give my legs a rest i'm not sure I will. The next week will definitely be a bit of a break. I'm going to Vegas this weekend but I even intend on bringing workout clothes and using the gym while there. It's likely i'll keep getting in a mile of jogging every morning and skipping the hike to let the leg muscles rest for a few days.

I plan on starting my new goals when the next 30 day challenge starts but i'm already starting on some of them like more water since I need to gradually build up to over 100 oz. anyway. I've been more tired than normal the last few days and spent almost the entire evening last night night in bed watching the West Wing. It was nice doing nothing for a change.

[ivankay]

Must get to Hawaii for excellent looking eats.

[chairmenmeow47]

i love looking at courtney's meals.

faxy, as far as the snack thing, is there a sprouts near you? they have all sorts of bins of different types of trail mixes like that. perhaps that would give you some variety? you can buy them by the pound, so you could try a bunch of different kinds without spending too much.

i do wish sprouts wasn't so far. i am in dire need of nuts. i've also been pretty broke, so i haven't been able to justify a big trip there recently. i've been going to trader joe's more, which is closer and has lots of pre-prepared stuff, but i would like to cook more now that i have the time to.

still walking, but this weekend i was bad. the coup helped get me motivated yesterday though i don't know how i'd walk without headphones.

[faxman75]

Ivy, the problem with me buying the very large bags of trail mix, is I tend to eat way more than I should. It's probabaly a good thing that I get it from the vending machine. Some days I don't have change so I skip it all together and when I do get it, it's only one small bag so I can't munch all day long at work on them.

I'm totally with you on the headphones thing. They are my lifeline when it comes to any/all hiking/jogging .

[chiapet]

Courtney, your meals look awesome. I definitely have a lot to learn about food presentation, most of what I cook tastes good but looks a little iffy.

How is your dinner only 393 calories? Isn't the beer alone like 150/200 calories?

[chairmenmeow47]

Ivy, the problem with me buying the very large bags of trail mix, is I tend to eat way more than I should. It's probabaly a good thing that I get it from the vending machine. Some days I don't have change so I skip it all together and when I do get it, it's only one small bag so I can't munch all day long at work on them.

faxy lemme clarify. you don't HAVE to buy by the pound, it's just priced that way. if you want to buy a handful, you can. it also helps if you buy those tiny little tupperwares or small baggies and divvy out your daily portions at home. then you only bring a small container to work. i generally keep a couple of small containers of nuts. so i know once i've finished the container, i'm done and don't keep snacking. that might help you, though i totally understand that sometimes you just need a visit to the vending machine.

[Courtney]

Courtney, those meals look like works of art! I bet they are delicious too. Do you snack at all Courtny? I know at work I have a giant bag of raw almonds that I snack on all day. They tend to get a bit boring after a while and then I resort to this thing called "energizer mix" which is a small bag of raisins, other dried fruit and nuts. I seem to be averaging a bag of those a day. Stay determined!

Thanks! I actually am a HUGE snacker, but it's just that yesterday I had meetings pretty from straight from 10am to 4pm, so there wasn't a lot of opportunity. If I had planned better, I guess I would have packed something I could munch on in between the meetings. But instead, I just ate an unusually huge breakfast, and that was that.

I love trail mix, but I find I have to be careful because it is so energy-dense (aka, caloric). I tend to go the route of a handful of nuts and a piece of fresh fruit instead, because I find the fresh fruit fills me up more than dried. But that's just me.

I finally got on the scale today and i'm 253 lbs. I'm at the end of another 30 day challenge and as much as I want to give my legs a rest i'm not sure I will. The next week will definitely be a bit of a break. I'm going to Vegas this weekend but I even intend on bringing workout clothes and using the gym while there. It's likely i'll keep getting in a mile of jogging every morning and skipping the hike to let the leg muscles rest for a few days.

I plan on starting my new goals when the next 30 day challenge starts but i'm already starting on some of them like more water since I need to gradually build up to over 100 oz. anyway. I've been more tired than normal the last few days and spent almost the entire evening last night night in bed watching the West Wing. It was nice doing nothing for a change.

Sounds like a good plan! I'm impressed about the working out in Vegas part. I find it difficult to stick to a normal routine while on vacation. Keep up your awesomeness!

Must get to Hawaii for excellent looking eats.

Yes. You must!

i love looking at courtney's meals.

faxy, as far as the snack thing, is there a sprouts near you? they have all sorts of bins of different types of trail mixes like that. perhaps that would give you some variety? you can buy them by the pound, so you could try a bunch of different kinds without spending too much.

i do wish sprouts wasn't so far. i am in dire need of nuts. i've also been pretty broke, so i haven't been able to justify a big trip there recently. i've been going to trader joe's more, which is closer and has lots of pre-prepared stuff, but i would like to cook more now that i have the time to.

still walking, but this weekend i was bad. the coup helped get me motivated yesterday though i don't know how i'd walk without headphones.

Man, I miss Trader Joe's. I find it so much easier to eat healthfully when I have ready access to things like cheap bell peppers, almonds, greek yogurt, and whatnot.

And yay for headphones What other kind of music do you like for motivation?

Courtney, your meals look awesome. I definitely have a lot to learn about food presentation, most of what I cook tastes good but looks a little iffy.

How is your dinner only 393 calories? Isn't the beer alone like 150/200 calories?

Thanks Heidi

I dunno on the dinner, but I calculated it out, and came up with 393. The fish was like 150, the beer was 150, the olive oil was like 60 or 70, and then all the green stuff was pretty nominal. I guess that's why Atkins works for people -- it's easy to be low calorie if you're not eating carbs.

faxy lemme clarify. you don't HAVE to buy by the pound, it's just priced that way. if you want to buy a handful, you can. it also helps if you buy those tiny little tupperwares or small baggies and divvy out your daily portions at home. then you only bring a small container to work. i generally keep a couple of small containers of nuts. so i know once i've finished the container, i'm done and don't keep snacking. that might help you, though i totally understand that sometimes you just need a visit to the vending machine.

Yeah, this is a great way to do it. I do it for nuts -- I get some ziplock snack-size bags and a measuring cup (ususally 1/8th cup) and then just portion out a bunch of servings individually so that they are ready to go.

[chiapet]

That's incredible... that looks like a lot of food for under 400 calories. Perhaps I need to look further into calorie counting. I just base my meals on how much I think I should be eating...

[locachica73]

Courtney, I think you need to go on food network and start your own cooking show, your food always looks so amazing and healthy. I would love to take a cooking with courtney lesson.

[faxman75]

Ivy, thanks for the tips. That's how terrible I am at portion control. I purchased a fairly large bag of trail mix this past weekend before the road trip. I'm fairly certain it said serving size 11. I ate half on the way to L.A. and half on the way back and I was worried that I was going to eat the entire bag on the way there.

Sugar-free red bull and trail mix is fuel on my road trips. I need to just add some beef jerky and cut back on the portions a bit.

Courtney, the caloric content of trail mix is what always scares me. My small bag of energy mix has the same amount of calories as a milky way, I think I mentioned that in this thread last week. Scary.

[Courtney]

That's incredible... that looks like a lot of food for under 400 calories. Perhaps I need to look further into calorie counting. I just base my meals on how much I think I should be eating...

Ha, yeah, I don't usually go through and calculate out all the calorie values of everything I eat. Normally I just eyeball it. But I thought I should try it this week as part of my effort to shake things up.

Courtney, I think you need to go on food network and start your own cooking show, your food always looks so amazing and healthy. I would love to take a cooking with courtney lesson.

Aw, thanks Audra I actually used to work at a cooking school, when I lived in Los Angeles. So I guess maybe some of that rubbed off into my home life.

But I will come cook for you anytime we're in the same city on the same day!

Sugar-free red bull and trail mix is fuel on my road trips. I need to just add some beef jerky and cut back on the portions a bit. .

Jesus. Sugar-free red bull sounds unusually horrible. I mean, regular red bull is bad enough. I had no idea that a sugar-free variety existed.

Sorry faxy, but ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

[chiapet]

Sugar-free Red Bull actually tastes a lot better than regular, to me anyway. I like it a lot.

[Courtney]

I think I will just have to accept that Red Bull is not for me. I'm an old fashioned, coffee-only sort of person.

[concertgoer]

Sugar-free Red Bull actually tastes a lot better than regular, to me anyway. I like it a lot.

I agree. I don't even like to drink regular Red Bull anymore

[faxman75]

Ha, I actually don't drink it for the flavor, I drink it for the feeling of being wired. I don't like risking being sleepy behind the wheel and I also like drinking vodka and SF red bull because it doesn't make me sleepy like other drinks do. I like it better than Rock Star, Monster and the myriad of other energy drinks i've had over the years.

I just purchased a snack from our snack stand downstairs. I got a Dannon light and fit vanilla yogurt....sprinkling raw almonds into this is even good. I sprinkle raw almonds on everything these days, I swear.

[chiapet]

I can't stand any other energy drink. And I drink it for the same reasons as Mark... it's not because I just want a beverage, I drink it where I need/want to be wired. (Drinkable) coffee is not available all the time, and coffee gives me awful heartburn if I drink it late in the day.

[concertgoer]

I most only drink Red Bull when I am at shows or I have to be up really early in the morning.

[chairmenmeow47]

i only drink red bull when i'm out of anti-freeze. unsweetened iced-tea is my crack

courtney, i try to listen to a lot of dancey stuff, which for me is hip-hop, dnb, robynesque shit. albums & dj sets are also good since i know i won't have to change the ipod. i also make a playlist every year of the songs i can't get enough of which i call "obsession 20XX" and end up listening to that a lot. really i'll listen to most anything, but i find when i need motivation, the dancey stuff does it for me.

i used to do audiobooks for awhile, but for one, my ipod is full and i have to remove stuff to add more stuff and for two, i'd find i'd get distracted for a part of a chapter and have to rewind. i reaaaaaaaally wish my school's textbooks had a better audiobook program. their idea of "audiobooks" sounds like stephen hawking.

i also try to use my walk to call people like my brother. lately though i've just wanted time with my headphones and have been slacking on my dialing.

and i do the tiny gladwares instead of ziplock bags because i can never close them properly.

[chiapet]

I love the small reusable gladware type things. They are really great for snacks, and I use them even for leftovers in order to have small portions handy.

[chairmenmeow47]

i sometimes use them for olive oil or soy sauce, though i have found all the gladwares leak a little if tipped over. and they are a pain in the ass to put in the dishwasher. they inevitably turn over, collect water. i should just wash them by hand.

[Courtney]

WORKOUT
bicycle commuting, 40 mins roundtrip

FOOD

Breakfast: Poached eggs with shaved parmesan and pistou on toasted sourdough, orange, black coffee, 562 calories


Snack: Vanilla lowfat yogurt with sliced strawberries and wheat germ, 186 calories


Lunch: Seared blue marlin over arugula with new potatoes, red and golden tomatoes, red onion, green beans, olives, and topped with a dressing of capers, dill, chive, fresh lemon juice and olive oil, 440 calories


Snack: 20 chocolate-covered raisins, not pictured, whoops, 78 calories

Dinner: Soy-tamarind marinated steak, okra with ginger, scallions and thai chili paste, brown rice, 344 calories


I ended up skipping the gym and also snacking on some chocolate today, so probably not the best of days, but it could have been a lot worse. It's also good to remember how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE okra when it's actual fresh okra and not just the frozen stuff. I don't eat it enough.

[fatbastard]

I'm gonna scream. I'm going to go make a bowl of cereal. Damm it.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

God damn, Courtney. You are going to make the most amazing wife someday.

[SONR801]

This thread is awesome and after seeing it last year it really inspired me to work out and get in shape before the next chella.

I started last week on the 16th and have already noticed a change in my mood, energy levels and how productive i can be in a day. Been switching between rest days and days where i do H.I.T's to help boost my metabolism. In a notebook ive been keeping track of my activity and food intake which has helped me realise how much i use to eat that i didn't need and how much could easily be replaced with healthy food like fruits and veggies (which i already love, so its great)

this time last year, i weighed in at 302 lbs, heaviest ive ever been. I weighed myself in when i started my "Fit-Chella" program and was 275.1.....after a week of working out and just getting out more(the park/walking around the mall...etc) i came in at 268.4. My goal is to lose close to 10 pounds a month before chella and try to get under 200 pounds for the first time in my life since i was 14. 75 more pounds and 11 months to go

Knowing this thread is even here gives me that much more want to keep it up and share my experience with those who have inspired me..hopefully i can get a camera soon to start tracking my progress visually.

[chairmenmeow47]

i think we're going to need some "cooking with courtney" videos. preferably in a cute apron.

yesterday i was supposed to walk with rick, but we got some glorious news at work and my boss took us out to celebrate. still though, when i got home i managed to walk for a half-hour which was good. i've been trying to eat more yogurt in the morning. i got sick of hard boiled eggs & i need to stop going to fast food for breakfast. unfortunately i apparently got coconut yogurt instead of vanilla and it is fucking foul. so hungry am i!!!

and welcome, SONR801! best of luck

[SONR801]

^thank mate, glad to be apart

Its funny you mention that you got the coconut yogurt instead of the vanilla, I did the same thing and absolutely hate coconut but cant let it go to waste.

Try mixing the yogurt with about half a serving of cereal and some fresh berries of your choice, ive noticed raspberries with some special k cereal mixes well with the coconut and tastes pretty dang good

[chairmenmeow47]

i generally mix my yogurt with almonds. it was just gross. i'm glad i only bought one pack of four. i need to mix it up though and start mixing in cereal, granola, or even fruit *gasp*. i'm not big into fruit, but mixed in with yogurt might be a good way to get me to eat it.