You can run too! I posted in your journal how I started doing it. I forgot to mention that when I first started running again (weighing in at 217lbs), it took me several weeks to get anywhere at all. I'd say my run pace started out similar to a slow skip.

Here's a good tip someone taught me and its worked really well so far: Bend your elbows when running and swing your arms from the shoulder only to match your run. Don't ball your hands. Keep them relaxed. I started out just letting my hands be floppy and it made a huge difference. No idea why!

So... I use fitday.com to keep track of absolutely everything I eat, all the way down to the couple olive slices I might nibble out of the ingredients for a yummy pasta sauce. Yesterday, I added in my standard Starbucks drink and it wasn't until today that I discovered I accidentally entered in that I had drank a liter of coffee! Hahaha.... So I thought I had done pretty well on calories but really I fell way short. Oops.

What I thought I had: 1422
What I did have: 1278
No wonder I'm so tired after all that working out yesterday.

Its warm out right now. Very warm. I wanted to do some gardening but now I'm not sure I'll get that far today. Silly me.... I thought it was too warm out to do much outside but I decided to bake muffins and I have no AC in my house! , that wasn't very smart. I think it was cooler outside than in my kitchen.

I live up in the northwest and I have a lovely patch of dirt that faces North East. It gets a fair amount of sun during the middle to late part of the day.. I was thinking of planting Lavender there. Any great ideas? I'd plant a whole bunch of daisies... but don't I have to replant them every year?

I had a good start today. I woke up feeling decently rested and had 2 eggs over cream of wheat for breakfast. Simple but yummy. I followed that up with a trip to the gym and I think I got there at about the same time as a lot of the 4th of July rush. Clearly lots of people are off work today.

While I was at the gym, a guy who was lifting at least my bodyweight on one of the machines, smiled over at me as I worked on crunches at 45lbs. He looked so encouraging. It was actually kind of nice to have someone who probably doesn't have an inch of fat anywhere give such a warm and encouraging smile. I felt even more comfy in my own skin at that point.

Lunch consisted of Starbucks (the usual) and a salad from the salad bar next to the gym. Baby spinach base (and tons of it) with peas, corn, shredded carrot, egg, a dash of pumpkin seeds, a few olive slices, a sprinkle of ham, and some sliced artichoke. I sprinkled tabbouleh over the top instead of using the dressings they had available. I have no idea what the caloric count of that was, but I'm determined to find out.

Dinner will likely be another salad and 2 hotdogs (natural dogs with most of the fat removed. Makes them pretty low-cal). Gotta have a hotdog on the 4th! I'll take a few sips of someone else's beer, but I don't think I can have my own today.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th. I'll no doubt post in detail my food and exercise later. Oh! And I want to share the muffin recipe I made today. They were sooooo good and a great snack.

Sunny's Autumn Oat Bran Muffins:
(I call them autumn muffins 'cause they've got sort of a flavor akin to a soft apple cider. The original recipe was a plain oat bran muffin from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I changed it to suit my needs and I think it tastes way better!)

Oven: 400F
Bake: 16-18 mins
Servings: 12 muffins

• 12 Parchment Baking Cups (Non-stick spray can be used if you don't have the cups).
• 1 1/2 cups oat bran
• 1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 3/4 cups apple sauce (I prefer an organic applesauce that isn't very smooth. It adds some nice texture and a better flavor.).
• 1/2 cup fat free milk
• 1/4 cup honey (I recommend a blackberry honey if you can find one. Otherwise, orange-blossom is excellent or clover will do just fine. Also, molasses makes a wonderful version of this muffin. It gives it a deeper, richer flavor.)
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil (vegetable oil or canola/vege blend)
• 1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven and place parchment cups into muffin pan.
2. Mix your dry ingredients (except raisins) into a bowl, form a well at the center of the mix, and set aside.
3. Beat the egg and then add your other wet ingredients (except raisins). Pour into the dry mixture and stir ingredients until the flour is just moistened. It should be a little lumpy. Gently fold raisins into the batter.
4. Spoon into the baking cups and bake for 16 - 18 minutes or until light golden brown on top. Check the center with a toothpick to be sure the muffins are done.

Per Muffin:

• 148 calories
• 4 grams fat (1g saturated fat)
• 18 mg cholesterol
• 176 mg sodium
• 30g carbohydrates
• 2g fiber
• 4g protein

185 this morning. I didn't believe it. I weighed myself 3 times before I decided maybe the scale wasn't trying to trick me.

I'm starting my morning off with a muffin and some lemon Perrier. Yum yum!

those muffins sound wonderful nice job of playing w ith substitutions

Thanks mal!

I love muffins and this is one of the first I've been able to work into a low-cal diet. They're usually so packed with junk and sugar..

This one is lightly sweet (unless you use the molasses) and very filling for its size thanks to the oat bran. Yum yum!

I went and saw firework displays over Lake Washington in the Seattle area last night. I drove up through this little neighborhood on a hill that overlooks the lake directly and as it turns out, I was able to see the firework displays of 4 cities from there. I've never heard so many fireworks go off in my life. Even though there was a city-wide ban on personal use of fireworks, everyone had some and they were lighting them off. It sounded like a war zone... but it was incredibly beautiful.

It was even more spectacular than any firework display I've seen in Washington D.C.

Did everyone have a good 4th? I hope so!

Hey there Sunny!
Yes I had a great 4th, thank you. Me, the BF and housemates all went to Seabright beach and watched illegal fireworks (illegal in S.C., cops can't do anything). I don't like the smoke and pollution but whatever, they wanted to, I am a rag-doll. J/K! I did not get drunk but I drank champagne after my family's victory at the race, and had red wine at a dinner at my favorite Thai restaurant--of which was paid by the owner because he loves me! Glad your diet has been going well so far--don't ever be embarrassed if it doesn't, I'm always humiliating myself with slip ups and people encourage me nontheless!

Have a great night!

Hey Curvie,
Thanks for stoppin' by my journal. I think Thai food is a wonderful way to celebrate anything. Red curry..... so yummy...

I must have had a slip-up somewhere... yesterday the scale said I was a solid 185 and today it said 187 (again). Its a little frustrating. I'm quite sure I didn't eat over my caloric limit, so I'm not sure what happened. I'm just going to hope its something like water weight or something of that nature.

How can I eat in caloric deficit for two weeks and then suddenly put on 2lbs? Just seems so.... odd.

I think my scale is playing tricks on me...

Why The Scale Lies

Aww thanks for the link, hon. I feel better already. I had a feeling it was something of the sort, but its the first flux I've seen in two weeks. It caught me a little off guard. I did forget to drink water yesterday and I guess I did have one sodium-packed meal...

I know daily weighing is one of those terrible things. Fortunately, I don't go into an eating frenzy when I see the numbers going the wrong way. (I've had friends who did that...)


Why do cucumbers make me hungry??

LOL, I don't have a link for that one!
~Valerie

Hmmm - this explanation will only hold water if you are over the age of consent.

Cucumbers are very phallic
When you see a cucumber, you get reminded of other things that are phallic. :wink: :wink: :nudge: :Nudge:
that makes you crave -- ahem...

If -- ahem - - isn't available immediately then your thoughts turn to the next best thing - Food

and there ou have the explaination as to why cucumbers make you hungry

LOL! Oh that's rich!