Are the aches and pain worth the gain ?

I have just finished my first serious workout since starting this journey. Okay, it was my first workout period, but I did 30 minutes of Cardio. I know it is not much, but I am proud of myself :) Ladies and gentlemen, I have a new mission. I must loose 5 - 7 kgs in the next three weeks. So, I am going to buckle up (or down, I can't remember how the expression goes) and I am going to shed some weight, isA. Come on, if the biggest looser contestants can loose double digits in the first week, surely I can get rid of 7 kgs in three. That's just an average of 2.5 kgs a week. Of course it's doable !

Okay, I am not delusional (at least not yet). I know that it will be a very difficult objective to achieve, but I still have to try. A big part of me wants to prove to myself that I still have the perseverance and will to make it happen. Further proof to my un-delusional state of mind, I know that no one follows my blog. I am not writing these posts to share with others, it's more for  self inspiration and motivation. I also want to have a record of the promises I make to myself, so I can hold myself accountable. Again, I am not delusional !

The plan is to make sure that I eat right. I have started eating three regular meals I day. I have been doing this for a couple of weeks now, since I have completed all my fasting requirements. I am snacking on apples and nuts. But I think I need to up the ante in the eating department. So for the next three weeks I have the stay clear from temptation. No chocolate, no hard cheese (bye bye my beloved cheddar), no soda drinks, and less carbohydrates. I will also try to increase my green tea intake to 2 cups a day. I have visited Emtinan, a health shop (www.imtenan.com). I add a teaspoon of barley brain to my daily breakfast smoothy and I drink a daily cup of celery and parsley tea. These two products are marketed as helping weight loss, guess I will find out if they actually work in the next three weeks.

As for my non existing exercise regime, that must change. I have vowed to do a 30 minute workout everyday, with the exception of Fridays. I would like to exercise in the morning. I will try to getup at 6:30 to give me enough time to work out before work. I will also try to increase my footsteps. Every once in a while I wear a pedometer, and I take on the average 3000 steps a day. As per the internet - wa Allah a3lam - an adult female in my age range should take around 10,000 steps, daily. So, I am way behind.

It seems that I have a plan in place. But as any project manager worth her PMP knows, a plan does not guarantee results. It is going to take a lot of work, diligence, and of course a contingency plan. If all fails (meaning that the first week goes by and I still haven't lost any weight), I will have to resort to the only diet that has worked for me in the past. It is what some people might call a chemical diet, but it is good to shed about 3 kgs. I know that dieting will not getting me to my ultimate goal - but maybe, just maybe I can loose some weight. So stay tuned (pls read my blog).

Exercising vs. Eating Right ! How to choose when you have to

A few days have gone by. So far so good :) No, not really. Again my worst enemy is boredom, but I will get to that later. 

Last Wednesday I was faced with an interesting predicament. When I got home, I discovered that dinner was not ready, so I had to either cook or order takeout. Logic and common sense dictated that I cook dinner. I did my best to cook something healthy, but with limited ingredients it was a tough choice. I ended up making pasta with tomato sauce, I used all the vegetables I could find on hand. I know pasta is not a good food choice when I am trying to loose weight, but we have established that I am lazy so I had to make the best with whatever I had handy. Anyway, after chopping, dicing and cooking, I ended up having dinner around 19:30. By the time I was done with the dishes, I was too tired (and probably too bloated from the carbohydrates) to exercise. I know, just another excuse from a lazy person. Moreover I must live with the facts that I am lazy, I don't enjoy exercising, and it'll take me a couple of months of regular training to get to point where my body does not ache from the physical activities. If I don't put this into perspective I will definitely fall off the figurative weight-loss wagon, as I have done numerous times before. Therefore I need to leverage my strengths while addressing my weakness in order to achieve my goal. As a result I started to analyze the situation further and I wondered if I was really better off cooking diner and not exercising. The other alternative would have been ordering takeout. My biggest issue with ordering food is the lack of healthy choices. Sure I could order chilis "Guiltless" plates - but the chicken is over cooked, the vegetables are under cooked , and the beans come from a can. Pls explain to me, how can this be healthy. My second option would be foul and ta3meia. I think this is a great choice for a quick dinner! But I would probably prefer to pick it up on my way home than order it by phone, to guarantee that the food remains warm and yummy. As I ventured further into the various alternatives, I came to the conclusion that I would have probably been better off eating a simple hamburger happy meal while keeping my exercise schedule. 

Now I am not arguing that happy meals are healthier than home made pasta (they are probably both as bad) - but I think my weight gain is due in large part to my sedentary lifestyle (largely attributed to my office job). I need to move more. I need to get off my ass, and shake the fat off ! As a conclusion, whenever I have to choose between exercising and food, I will get up and move! On the bright side, if I order a happy meal, I will get a toy to reward my efforts :)