Off again

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Cheryl Madliger

To Grandmother’s house I go…but not before a quick post…

Update on the post-Tough Mudder recovery–slow and steady?

After my post last night, I went to Yoga Shack for a sweaty hour of awesome stretching. We did all kinds of hip openers and even the splits — hello hamstrings — so it was pretty much perfection for my body! I got pretty emotional at the end of the class (it happens!) because I realized that it was my last class with Kat before she leaves for her next step in Sudbury. And that makes me sad ‘cuz she definitely helped me get over taking myself and yoga too seriously. Funny enough, I’ve done things in her class that I never could do when I was too busy TRYING to have fun and to explore stuff and risk falling over. That’s a pretty big lesson/reminder: it’s supposed to be fun, too! She also introduced me to Trevor Hall, so you know I owe her more props than I can describe…

Anyways, enough rambling.

Last night I had a bedtime snack and then went to bed (exciting?).

greek yogurt, honey, flaxseed

I also had some more chocolate. And when I laid down I decided on something: I’m going to bring back my food journal, cuz I think I’m off again in more ways than one. I know that since I’ve been embracing a more paleo-like kind of eating I’ve started eating different things. I know that I’ve also not totally embraced it. I know that when I’m nervous I still eat chocolate and dried fruit or whatever candy I can get my hands on and almond butter by the spoonful. I also know that this is FINE but that it’s not necessarily THE BEST. And that awareness comes first. Don’t worry, I’m not beating myself up, I’m just curious and I feel like I’m at a good point to hold myself a little bit more accountable. I don’t think getting a significant amount of my calories from chocolate and almond butter and coffee cream is all that healthy…and I think that’s what is going on. I don’t want to be at a healthy weight, I want to be HEALTHY — and there’s a difference there.

cute, simple, small food journal

breakfast = yogurt, almond butter, raisins, banana, flax seeds

I snapped a photo of my legs last night. Bruises keep popping up but it’s okay. It’s chilly and feels like fall (and I love it!) so I busted out some winter-y socks just cuz I can.

Bruises and scraped, consider yourself covered. Gosh I love socks–I think I have a problem. But of all things to have a problem buying, I guess socks are a small thing to worry about…

I’m hoping that we get a little bit of shopping in this week at my grandma’s too. There’s bound to be some good back to school stuff and even if I’m not going back to school I’d argue that it IS the season, after all!

I read a funny post over at The Great Fitness Experiment today about health regrets. I can totally relate (the cardio, the health food, etc.) but I also think that all those “regrets” taught me things–and that since I’m always trying to get better (if you’re not TRYING to get better, what are you trying to do?), I really can’t look back and wish I’d done anything differently. Still, I love Charlotte’s posts and I laughed when I read the post!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

What do you find yourself eating a lot of lately?
Do you have health (or other) regrets?
What’s a random thing you love to buy? socks for me!

Start it right

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Cheryl Madliger

Morning! I’m feeling particularly accomplished this morning.

I had three boot campers with smiles (or something like that) on their faces this morning, including Bee whose blog, Bee Goes Bananas, I’m sure you’d love if you aren’t already a reader!

After bootcamp, I decided to go for a morning run. It’s not uber hot out and I was feeling energized and pumped up (I guess my girls’ awesomeness rubbed off on me), but I was also feeling hungry so I had a quick energy gel and then hit the trails.

…and then the trails hit me.

It’s not as bad as that looks but I was dirty. I hustled home and to prove that there might have been blood and sweat but not tears, I snapped a photo. Girls don’t sweat, they glisten…remember?

If this isn’t a good look for me, I’m so shit out of luck because I glisten like a pig every time I work out! I think this morning I probably did about 5 or 6 miles (we ran in our bootcamp workout–the one I posted yesterday) but I’m not sure since my garmin was dead and I frankly don’t care.

I refuelled with last night’s yogurt plus some kamut puffs and a banana. It was yummy, but it got yummier when I threw in some almonds and some chocolate soy milk. Oh hey, creating it as you go, you’re delicious! The hungries I felt after my run are just proof that cardio = working up an appetite. All of a sudden it’s seeming kind of weird that people start working out and training for marathons and triathlons and all that to LOSE weight. I eat MORE when I train — not only physically do I need the extra calories but I definitely justify some things (i.e. the chocolate in this break) based on the workouts I do. Hmmmm…thoughts?! I think it was in Gary Taubes’ book that I read something about this whole phenomena…about how silly it is that we take up endless endurance exercise to lose weight when people also work out in this way in order to “work up an appetite” for instance if they have a big dinner to look forward to. Very interesting. Still, I loved my run this morning, I like riding my bike, and I enjoy swimming…so since that’s not my motivation I’m not crazy, right?

Now it’s time for me to get organized and get down to business on my writing! I promise myself not to blog ALL DAY LONG but that doesn’t mean I won’t probably get distracted reading blogs and all that fun stuff…oh well! I have this spare time, I might as well enjoy it. Starbucks here I come. After my life coaching session, I’m going to hit up a yoga class since my workouts are done for the day. My main goal: stay upright, since I have a knack for falling over these days!

Have you ever bailed on a trail run? Did anyone see? No one was around when I fell so I had to laugh at myself instead of having the pleasure of providing entertainment for someone else!
What do you do with free time?

Bootcamp and can I get an amen!

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Cheryl Madliger

Tonight’s bootcamp was small. i.e. it was me and one guy who didn’t expect to get so much attention.

Seriously though, I would do this whether 1 or 100 people showed up. I decided to opt out of my planned workout and step it up a bit for this friend, who I know is in good shape and who I thought would like something a bit different than my normal routine. Plus, since there was just him, I could do something out of the ordinary so I went with it! And since I felt a little weird just playing personal trainer and full of energy myself, I did the workout with him.

Without further ado, tonight’s workout looked like this:

Warmup
With a jog to the playground looking for monkey bars.

Workout
10, 9, 8,…,1,10 each of pull-ups, sit-ups, pushups, burpees, and squats
10 minutes of running (approximate, there’s a nice loop in Canatara)

Cooldown

This might sound familiar because it’s a take on my workout from Monday. I thoroughly enjoyed it (again) and I think I perfected the order–heart rate stays up, arms aren’t dead dead dead, and you want to quit but can make it through it. Luckily tonight it was a bit cooler in the shade and with some breeze, so the workout flew by! I’m hoping for a bigger group tomorrow, but like I said, I’ll take everything with a smile.

After bootcamp, I’ve been sitting around reading and listening to podcasts and just enjoying a low key night. I had a bowl of greek yogurt/peanut butter mix and have a happy belly, happy heart, and is it bedtime yet?

I mostly posted because I’m I abso-freaking-lutely am having one of those “oh my gawd you took the words right out of my mouth” moments right now.

I’m listening to a Life By Design podcast from January. Go to number 29–”Turning Resolutions into Results”. These guys are speaking to everything that I’ve been realizing about focusing on the behaviours when you’re trying to get to a new goal instead of focusing on that end goal and that alone:

“It comes back to…Cause vs. effect. Your resolutions are not causes, they’re effects. You look at what you don’t like about your life, what you don’t like about yourself, you look at what you don’t like about yourself and you say, ‘I wanna change that,’ but you never actually change the behaviours that would actually lead to that.”

Whatever you’re doing, you should probably just be listening to this.

And now for my final move: the faceplant. Nighty night!

WIAW

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Cheryl Madliger

This post is going to take a different route and kind of sum up some of the stuff I’ve been snarfing lately. And snarf I have…the last stressful week left me eating kind of like a monster. You won’t see the chocolate and random nibbles in these pictures cuz they happened too fast for a photo BUT I am owning up. Last night was a fun night full of junk food (you’ll see) so I’m definitely feeling it and have the motivation to get back on the healthy train. All life is balance and in the past I’d have felt so driven and compulsive about eating “perfectly” to make up for a “bad” week but I’m looking at it with totally different eyes. Acceptance. That makes change possible, right?

Here goes!

apple oats with raisins and walnuts and yogurt

rice cakes, almond butter, sprouts, and cranberries

mini meatloaf and brussel sprouts

yogurt and oats and coconut

oats and cinnamon and banana and yogurt and yummmmm

apple, kale, carrot, and grape salad with chicken

swiss chard, brussel sprouts, and sausage

pudding shots with baileys and kahlua om nom nom

oh lord, my coffee table is wild. pudding shots + sour puss gummies = the things you can only justify having as a student therefore needed to be consumed. guac and bacon wrapped figs from my friend who we’ll call martha! and havarti cuz havarti makes a party…

disclaimer: didn’t eat this all. but did dabble in a burger with peanut butter because how can you not at 2am?

failed protein pancake…delicious mess when it comes with a banana, honey, peanut butter, and flaxseed on top

It would appear that I love oats and yogurt. That’s the honest truth! Still, posting my eats make me realize I could use some v a r i e t y! I’m craving a bagel…

What’s something tasty you ate this week?
What do you eat a lot of?
Have you ever made pudding shots?

Shopping, school, sunshine, and sweating

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Cheryl Madliger

This morning I got all ready for school, excited even, and then headed up the hill to Brescia.

I made sure I had a good breakfast (cocoa oats with peanut butter and banana and egg whites) and the sun was shining.

Turns out my classmates and I were keeners and we only had afternoon class today.

I briefly thought about going for a blissful bike ride and was going to complain about having to teach spin and needing to save legs until I decided not to.

So instead I did what every girl in her right mind would do and went to the mall, where I proceeded to buy myself new shorts that fit (I had a tough time with this yesterday when my summer clothes–which are either a size too big or two too small so are not flattering and not serving me, really) and a bunch of cheap but cute bathing suits that I can mix and match with others in my closet.

I’m calling it back to school shopping and saying it was just plain necessary. To be honest, I have to say that it was needed. I was upset yesterday about going to the beach because I didn’t have anything to wear that fit comfortably, not because I didn’t want to be seen in shorts or a bathing suit. That’s new for me — even when the smaller stuff fit, I didn’t feel good. The picture from yesterday is one I actually love–and I take that as proof that this whole adjustment thing is actually happening. I honestly just needed clothes that make me feel comfortable. It’s not my body that I was upset over yesterday, it’s the fact that I didn’t have stuff to dress THIS body. And that made me feel wrong. And that’s not okay. Hence, those clothes aren’t serving me. And since I love shopping, buying new ones was easy as pie. I am not trying to brag, just to say that it does get easier to like your body. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops: I like how I look in a bathing suit! Weird tan lines, a little bit of pudge, strange bruises and all!

My eats today were random — an apple during shopping, a salad with carrots/sprouts/cherries/canned salmon for lunch that just didn’t do it for me. Blahhh. In fact it threw my stomach off.

After school finished, I met up with Andrew for a playground workout. It was kind of awesome to be swinging on monkey bars and playing in the sun, not to mention I haven’t run around like that in a while…

I was finally hungry after this workout so I had a quick dinner of a sandwich before heading to spin! The class was small but it was good nonetheless! Afterwards I went to the grocery store. Bad idea to shop when you’re tired. I think I took twice as long as normal! But if that’s the price I pay for having too much fun to go to the store this weekend then so be it.

When I got home, I immediately dove into the chocolate. I’m not going to lie, it might be subconscious stress over this summer school stuff/buying bigger clothes/being so happy (that sounds weird but it makes sense to me — though I’m reminding myself happy is where we are supposed to be)/the lack of an afternoon snack catching up with me, but I was kind of a chocolate monster tonight.

I gave up on the plain chocolate and decided to make it into a substantial/kind of more nutritious snack by adding in greek yogurt, cocoa, and coconut.

Success!

Well, with a home made coffee/cocoa concoction, success. I think I’m done with the chocolate for the night…

One thing I know: this isn’t a reason to beat myself up. It’s not a binge. It’s not proof that I’m out of control. It might be proof that I’m normal, in fact!

Anyways, as you can tell I’m getting delusional. And it’s another school night — so I think I’m heading to bed (if the sugar rush lets me sleep, that is).

How do you deal with chocolate cravings?
Do you like bathing suit shopping?
Have you ever realized you like your body and wanted to shout it from the rooftops?

PS – I added a new page with a bunch of inspirational cheese. Enjoy!

How much is too much?

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Cheryl Madliger

So, looking back on my eats, one thing stands out. I am loving the high fibre cereal right now.

Last night, post-spin, I had yogurt with All Bran Buds.

This morning, I combo’d more of the buds with Kashi and berries and soy milk for breakfast before swim.

I had a snack that was not cereal–an apple–and after swim I ate a big salad with turkey, sweet potato, maple vinaigrette, dried cranberries, and pecans.

I also did some core work and stretching with my swim because I’m nervous about my back of the knee pain. I thought it was in my hamstring, but now I think it’s in my calf. And I had calf pain last year similarly, so I know I can get through it. Nonetheless, blasting these songs is necessary:

And I’m moving on. I had a snack of more All Bran (but the original kind, so there’s the variety I know is important) with you guessed it, yogurt when I got home from ~~texting and reading blogs at Starbucks~~ studying. Tomorrow’s exam is worth 20%, is open book, and is a Writing exam. I’m not sure what to expect because I’ve never had one of these before! So I’m studying a bit, staying calm, and trying not to worry (recall epiphany?).

I’m just about to gear up for a ride. I hope my calf cooperates but I’m ready to do whatever I need to to take care of this/nip it in the bud! I think there’s a massage in my future and I’ll be stretching extra with all my spare time, rather than compulsively googling “back of the knee pain” etc. etc. and freaking myself out. Tonight I’m planning on seeing some friends, perhaps eating some fro yo, and on making sure I don’t eat All Bran for dinner! My fibre intake for the day is already over 50 grams, which is double the recommended intake. Yes, I am regular, thank you very much!

PS On my walk home today, I had time to slow down and notice some pretty flowers. Sometimes I get so in the zone and have my headphones on and my mind racing, but today I tried to walk and enjoy it! And tah-dah, look what stared me in the face!

Do you ever get in food ruts?
Do you know if you eat enough fibre?

14 hours fly by

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Cheryl Madliger

…when you’re uber busy and having fun!

Yesterday started with a good ol’ sweat session at the gym, including some riding on the spin bike on my own and a class with Sarah, one of my fav. people/instructors whose class I haven’t been to in what feels like ages!

Riding inside with 20 other people really didn’t compare to Thursday’s ride, which I got to take with Mel. Who lights up my life. Seriously. I was NOT loving life at first, but then the sun was shining and Mel was smiling and I would classify our ride as the best and most rejuvenating hour of my week. JUST what I needed.

Actually, it started with breakfast (All Bran, Kashi, banana, yogurt, honey, walnuts, deliciousness).

After my spin I immediately wanted to eat everyone in the gym.

I settled on a Kashi bar instead.

After my shower, fuelling up my gas tank (holy schnikes gas is getting expensive!), and grabbing a starbucks for the road (obviously), I headed for Sarnia!

My sister, my mother and I put our turkey in the oven and headed over the bridge for a shopping adventure.

I was snarfing my peanut butter/carrot combo while we drove over the bridge. There was miraculously no delay at the border on a holiday weekend, so luckily stuffing carrots down my face on Easter weekend seems okay.

When the customs officer who asked who was the best shopper, all eyes pointed to me, and I lived up to it. I got a couple of shirts from TJ Maxx, a new pair of running shoes (now that I’m running again!), and a buttload of cereal. JK. But I did get a box (or three) and some Clif Bars in flavours you can’t find back in the motherland. Part of it informed an afternoon snack.

I also found a dress for Thursdays’ Gazette/tri club festivities! 15 dollars at JC Penney. I figured what the heck.

Now I need black heels, because I found these ones first and didn’t buy them.

Also on the didn’t buy but really wanted to list: new jeans. It seems silly to buy ANOTHER pair right now, when I hardly wear them and when summer is coming! I’m putting these on my Christmas list. Or the maybe I’ll buy these when I get my next paycheque list…

Our turkey was waiting for us when we got home. Even though I sampled the green bean casserole, had a bit of stuffing, and a few sweet potatoes, my plate was less of the traditional and more of what I was craving–a turkey schmamwich, cranberry sauce, and a big ol’ salad.

When I got back to London last night, after checking out my sister’s wedding photos (so pretty!) it was almost 11. I put on Cinderella Story but only made it to the best scene…

And I had sweet dreams of Chad Michael Murray.

Long day. But lovely!

How did you spend your Saturday?
What’s your favourite cheesy movie scene?
What’s your favourite part of a turkey (or ham/holiday) dinner?

Sleeping in, getting serious, and a shocker

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Cheryl Madliger

After staying up late last night to plug away at my essay, I slept in til about 7 instead of going to swim.

My pre-library breakfast was oats, yogurt, maple syrup, raisins, and an apple.

After a bit more progress on the paper, I had an appointment with the dietitian. I’ve been feeling like I’m picking at food a lot and have been a bit over-anxious about my choices, so I was grateful to have someone to talk it out with! To be honest I was feeling a bit overwhelmed this morning and I’m uber sore from yesterday, so my plans to head to the pool for a short swim post-appointment were abandoned in the name of more essay work…and lunch!

Since it’s chilly out, I embraced the opportunity to have some chili. Plus I walked past Tim Horton’s and had a craving for it when I saw someone getting it! Mine’s the PC Blue Menu vegetarian kind, and it was awesome with toasted whole grain sourdough bread.

My dessert was an apple and more essay.

Guess what?!

The writing part’s done. Now to cite, cut down four pages (or not, thoughts on going over and handing it in?), and look for people willing to read over it for me.

Actually, now to the shocker part of the title.

This article about beetles in starbucks drinks came up on my Facebook news feed today. As the article says, it’s nothing new. I never knew, though, that there were beetles in that food dye that is in so many foods! I guess it’s a bit more reason to eat more real foods, don’t you think?

I read a blog about the issue from a vegan who pointed out that eating bugs is wrong. Then a friend posted a link to an article about how bugs might provide the protein the world needs to deal with hunger, and I thought about how there are a lot of answers and was reminding of Eating Animals and the shocking suggestion that really shook me that eating dogs would be logical. Read an excerpt on it here (but only if you’re ready to seriously consider going vegetarian and probably to cry).

And hopefully that’s enough distraction to keep you occupied for a while since the next few days might be a whirlwind for me. Right now I’m off to physio…wish me luck! On the agenda tonight: I’d like to cook, finish these citations, and get to yoga.

Do you ever have strawberry frappucinos? Will you still?
Did you know about that food dye?
What do you think about the excerpt from Eating Animals?
How do you know it’s time for a day off from the gym?

(relatively) wordless recap/wiaw

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Cheryl Madliger

It’s essay time but I thought I’d do a quick post so I have less things on my list of “what I’d rather be doing”…

So here ya go:

yogurt, all bran buds, honey, banana, and walnuts

kale chips, tempeh sandwich (with light mayo and sprouts on ezekiel bread)

coffee -- lucked out that they ran out of soy so i got to crack open a mini almond milk! YUM

messy but delish

hummed and ha ed but decided to have nut butter twice (in decent amounts) today--a la Nancy Clark suggesting if you eat foods that "have power" over you enough, they lose that power...to own that decision, and to NOT have peanut butter fingers after this meal. and I did it. HA! empowering.

one, not all

decaf coffee = essay fuel

And what all that food went to fuel today:

Plus a massage. Oh my hips love my RMT. And so does my soul, cuz she’s one of the coolest people I can think of.

That’s all…

How was your Wednesday?
What’s the tastiest thing you ate today? (squash)
Did you work out today?

Maybe awesome

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Cheryl Madliger

Random awesome…

…I love love love magnolias. In March they’re an even awesome-er sight. It’s cold today but still, Spring is near!

This post is going to be random, and maybe awesome, too.

If you’re worried and want to read something certifiably—not maybe—awesome, check out this

an excerpt from Marion Nestle’s book that comes out next week (Why Calories Count)–>takeaway:

“Despite widespread concerns about the health and economic consequences of obesity on the one hand and undernutrition on the other, correcting calorie imbalances presents social and economic challenges that few countries are prepared to meet. Calories, therefore, affect societies in ways that are political as well as personal.

Calories, of course, derive from food. But calories are a convenient way to say a great deal about food, nutrition, and health. For this reason, and because calories are so poorly understood, we thought it would be useful to research and write about calories in all of their dimensions — personal, scientific, and political. And because we are both consummate “foodies” who derive enormous pleasure from eating, we liked the idea of using calories as a way to think about these aspects of food.

Let’s be clear from the beginning: This is not a diet book with a breakthrough scheme for losing weight and keeping it off. Instead, we try to provide an appreciation for what you are up against if you want to control your body weight in today’s “toxic,” obesity-promoting — or as we like to call it, “eat more” — food marketing environment [2]. We intend this book to give you the information you need to interpret food labels, diet claims, and your own reactions to this food environment. Knowledge, we argue, is not enough to counter the biological urge to eat or the subtleties of food marketing. But it is a powerful first step in developing weight-management strategies that work for your particular body, lifestyle, and food preferences.”

my latest article on Runners Feed about the benefits of going meatless…10 benefits. get on this. I expect to see plenty of clicks for this bad boy…

Anddddd, onto the recap.

Sometimes I feel like I’m swimming in yogurt. After last night’s post spin snack and this morning’s pre swim repeat (yogurt with a sprinkling of oats), I realized there was more yogurt in my (blurry) chocolate overnight oats, which I added a nanner to!

Breakfast was awesome today because I got to have it with my friends at Weldon. We are getting excited for our road trip to Kingston this weekend for a triathlon at Queens. I am doing a relay with a friend (a speedy runner who I hope I can do justice in the pool and on the bike).

Now I’m plugging away at the Gazette. I just ate my lunch (spinach/artichoke hummus sandwich and a spinach salad with sprouts and sundried tomatoes) and am thinking about all the work I want to get done before bootcamp tonight!

Monday’s munchies…

This post is wildly disorganized.

Swim yesterday was good, my day was busy (though not with my essay, I did get my bike in for a tune up, replaced my broken spring jacket, and taught spin/did a 15 minute run without pain). My hip hurt after the fact and I iced it and got up for swim this morning even though I REALLLLLLY wanted to sleep in! We were supposed to have a staff meeting today so I had a short swim, but when I heard it wasn’t on, I finished up with some more swim (mostly pull) and did 2700m when all was said and done!

I’m pooped.

I’m frustrated that my hip’s not getting better. I finally have that appointment for my bone scan, though I’m wondering if I shouldn’t have an ultrasound instead? I am also going to a new physio on Thursday. This is getting ridiculous. 12 weeks! No answer!

My brain is like this post: in 1209102901 different places. This is not good!

I’ll be back, and hopefully my head will be screwed on the right way soon!

Happy is the new healthy

Tag Archives: yogurt