A Mini Milestone

Today I reached last stage (Stage 12) from the book "Run Your Butt Off.  I ran for a full 30 minutes without stopping.  Even though I went to bed late -- I had to finish up my students' report cards.  Last Sunday, I took some photos of the park I where I do my morning run.  It is nice to feel like I have the whole park to myself...oh and with the deer.  Yep, that deer has been returning for the last few days.  Yes, I managed to get a photo of that deer also.

Today was also the last full day of school.  Tomorrow is a half-day.  It will be THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL for the 2010/2011 school year here in NYC.

Well, I'm going to end this entry now, I want to go to bed to have the strength to get up early.

I'm back...sort of.

Quick entry.  After going hog wild a for a few days last weekend, I'm back to trying to get in shape.  I had stopped my morning jogging for about three days last weekend, but I returned last Tuesday.  Currently, I'm at Stage 11 following the "Run Your Butt Off!" plan.  Today I ran for 14 minutes, walked for 1 minute, then I repeated again.  The run was okay, so much so that I ran an extra three minutes.  If the weather cooperates, I will reach Stage 12 on Monday.  Stage 12 is running for a full 30 minutes without a walk break.  Although it is taking some getting used to dragging myself out of bed, I do look forward to the morning run.  And now that summer vacation is almost here, I really do need to keep up the morning run routine.  My new plan is going to try to build up to running for an hour each day this summer.  I really can't afford to return to my lazy sleep away the summer routine.  Oh, and I also need to get a handle on my eating habit.  Without the liquid diet, I'm slowing gaining back the pounds I lost.  I'm now up to 222lbs.  Right now however, my focus is on finishing up the school year.  Next week is the last week of school. 

I better go.  I need to get ready for bed soon so that I have to strength to get up for my morning run.

Wicked

Yesterday was my second Broadway show.  I almost missed it.  I was returning to my "eat/sleep away the weekend" mode.  I wasn't in the mood to see the show.  But since I already had my ticket and I was the one who had planned the social networking event, I decided to go anyway.  Once again, no one signed up, so I was going solo. 

I arrived with a minute to spare.  I paid for an obstructed view, so my ticket was a bit cheaper than others.  The view wasn't  that bad.

Anyway, at 2hrs and 45minutes (almost three hours), I thought the show was very nice.  I'm not really a musical kind of guy, but I thought it was a nice show.  I enjoyed "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" more.  For someone like me, I need a hook to enjoy a musical (for the "Desert" it was the songs).  For "Wicked", I enjoyed the retelling of a familar story most know so well.  Now, I want to read the book.  After doing a Google search, I just discovered that there are about 40 stories of Oz adventures.  From Wikipedia, I learned that the original author wrote about 15 of the first part of the series.  Another author wrote the next 15 books in the series.  And various other authors wrote the remaining books in the series.  I had no idea this book was a series or a cash cow.  I did a quick search  on Amazon.com to see if they had a complete collection of the series.  Yes, they did.  However, the bound books are a collection minus the illustrations.  I think I would like to have the series -- only the first part written by the original author.  I'm not interested in the cash cow continuation.  I'll have to try reading the original book I bought a few months ago.  I was bored by it then.  However, I'll see if I can get into the book again.  If I can enjoy the first book, then I think this would be a good series to get on an electronic reader.  I'm still holding out for an e-reader.   The Stephen King book "The Dome" is also on my to read list.  However, I don't want to get an e-reader until I finish reading  the paperback books I already have.  And yet, I keep buying more books.  It will be quite awhile before I get an e-reader, unless I buy one on an impulse.

Anyway, I was entertained by the show.  And I was lucky enough to have a seat right by the exit with the bathroom.  With my second Broadway show, I'm learning that it pays to leave quickly to reach the bathroom, or you will have to wait on a long line (although not nearly as long as the women's line).

After "Wicked", I walked to 42nd street to see "X-men: First Class". I enjoyed the movie, despite the rowdy crowd in the theater.  It has been a long time since I've been in a theater where people talk loudly during the movie, and making loud comments during the movie.  As for the movie itself.  I thought all of the characters were well casted.  If you can get past the "creative license" the movie takes with the origins, then I think most sci-fi fans will enjoy the movie.  It isn't a great movie, but I think it is an enjoyable one.

After the movie I stopped at Midtown Comics Shop to use the 25% coupon that was in the free daily paper.  My last stop of the evening was dinner at Tick Tock Diner on 34th Street.  I had their BBQ bacon burger with waffle fries, soda, and pie with ice cream for dessert.  I won't even count the calories for that meal.  Since I haven't exercised this weekend, and I've been eating nothing healthy for the last three days,

I guess you could say that (in a way), I've been Wicked.  

I asssumed that picture taking wouldn't be allowed, so I didn't bother to take my camera.  the only photo I took was during intermission when others were taking out their cell phones. I took a photo of the stage screen.  The logo attached to this entry was taken from the internet.  My photo is the small one. 

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back...

Quick update.  Once again the title says it all.  Thursday morning started off rainy, but I didn't let that stop me.  I rode my stationary bike to keep up my daily morning exercising routine.  Unfortunately, I've had a couple of setbacks in the dieting department.  The day before,  I had a spaghetti dinner with a 5 piece chicken tender appetizer (with BBQ dipping sauce).  Friday evening I went to a retirement party for a couple of colleagues who will be retiring this year.  I ordered a baby back ribs and chicken combo plate (with a large piece of chocolate cake).  After returning home, I fell asleep on the couch and now I'm up at 2am.  Old habits die hard.  So far I haven't missed a morning of exercising since I started at the beginning of this month.  I'm about to head off to bed, and see if I have the strength to run in the morning.  If I do the run, I want to move up to a modification of Stage 9 (walk for 3 minutes/run for 12 minutes and repeat).  If I can keep up with the running routine, I should be able to run for a solid 30 minutes by next weekend.

 Later on today, I will be attending a social networking event that I planned.  The event is to see the Broadway show "Wicked" and see "X-men: First Class" afterwards.  Unfortunately, no one signed up, so I will be seeing the shows alone.

Quick Update

Quick update.  Yesterday, I didn't do too well with my calorie consumption.  I did better, but still over my maximum daily goal.  Yesterday I had a total of 1,790cal.

Today was a bit better.  I told myself that I had to stop eating with my old habits of trying to fill up the belly.  Results?

7am - 200cal. Quaker Instant Grits
11am - 70cal. V8
12pm - 200cal. Campbell's low sodium Chicken Noodle Soup
7pm - 730cal. Healthy Choice Steamer (Spicy Chicken), Minute Rice(cup), & Stonyfield smoothie.
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Total = 1,100 calories

I am also still sticking with the running.  I am currently at the 9 minute run / 3 minute walk (repeated 3x).  Oh, and today, I saw a young deer walk onto the sport's field as I did my running.  It keep an eye on me as I ran around the perimeter of the field, but it didn't run away. 

Now, I'm going to head to bed. 

Summer vacation is almost here.  Yippee!!!

The attached photo was taken off of the internet.  However the deer I saw was very similar. 

The End

This blog entry will be short.  The title says it all.  I knew it.  Once I had the taste of food, the liquid diet was history.  Today, I decided to end the liquid diet.  I was dying for something hot, greasy, and fattening.  KFC was calling. Once the idea popped into my head, I couldn't get it out.  For dinner, I had a KFC dinner, and needless to say, I went over my daily calorie limit.  Below are the damages:

1, 440cal. - 2pc. chicken dinner (leg and thigh with a biscut)
570cal. - mashed potatoes with gravy (less than1cup)
640cal. - Cole Slaw (also about less than a cup)
80cal. - Green Beans
250cal. - Soda (about 16oz.)
300cal. - Welch's Grape Juice (about 16oz. [I was still thirsty])
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Dinner came to about 3,280cal. alone

Today I also had an imitation (store brand) Ensure and a V8
250cal. ShopRite Energy Drink (8oz.)
70cal. - V8 (11.5oz.)
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Total Calories consumed today (assuming I don't eat or drink anymore tonight) is
3,600cal.

So, what is the next step now?

The liquid diet is dead for now.  I will still stick with "being on a diet".  My goal now is to count calories and grams of sugar.  I will try to stick with the calorie numbers I've been working with while one the liquid diet.  And barring any injuries, I will of course continue with the morning running.

Relapse

I lost about 14lbs.  I've been keeping up with the running, I'm now at Stage 6 (walking for 3 minutes, running for 7 minutes, repeating 2x).  As for the liquid diet, I was doing okay until today,  for some reason I couldn't take the liquid anymore.  I had a bit of an eating binge.  For dinner, I had 2 Healthy Choice Dinners, and one Stonyfield smoothie.  In total, I ate about 1,000 today.  I'm a bit disappointed, but not too upset, since I managed to stay within my target daily calorie intake goal.  Hopefully, I will be able to get back on track for the liquid diet.  My plan was to finish this Friday.

Quick Update

Quick update.  For those that are interested, I am still on my diet/exercise routine.  To keep with the new schedule, I haven't been going online.  In the past, a quick online visit would usually throw off my motivation, and a quick visit turns into several hours later.  Even now, I should have just prepped for bedtime. 

Quick Summaries:

I'm not doing my run/walk in the neighborhood park.  I walk/run around the two baseball fields.  My body has been adjusting to the walk/run a bit too quickly.  By the second day, I start to lose focus and motivation.  Now, instead of stickly with the book's pacing of one stage per week, I'm going to move up the stages every two or three days.  Tomorrow, I'm going to go to stage 4 (30 minutes of 3 minute walk, 3 minute run [or what I've been calling the "turtle trot"])

On an impulse, I visited one of the old social networking sites and replied to a profile that I've replied to before.  Much to my surprise, he responded.  It turns out the guy lives in the very next block.  We walked around downtown for a couple of hours, we had a lot in common.  It would have been cool to have someone in the neighborhood who shared similar interests.  Unfortunately, we had different ideas about friendship.  After my refusal to see friendship the way he did, I think he lost interest. After first planning to do another walk around, the epal ended the last text message with "have a great day".

My new black backpack arrived within about 3 days.  There was a bit of a mixup at the post office, but I finally have it.  The bag looks nice, however, I am a bit put off by the number of buckles and clips on it.  I'll try it out and see how it is.

Well, I better go.  I should have been in bed, but I thought I should do a quick entry letting the two or three people who read this blog know that I am still in the game so to speak.  I started my liquid diet on June 1st, and I still have managed to stick with it.  The problem?  Even though I am staying withing the suggested calorie intake of 1,784 calories per day, I don't seem to be losing weight.  The morning walk/run really isn't burning many calories (probably due to my body needing to adjust to the running.  I am going to try to use my stationary bike starting tomorrow in the evenings.  Once I'm able to do a consistant cardio workout for 30 minutes or more, I think I'll start to see the results.

Day 2

Day 2 of my diet and exercise program.  I did my exercise (walking and running) in the neighborhood park.  Bed time now...so I can be able to get up about 4:45am.

Day 1

After a bit of a restless night, I was able to get up and start the running program.  Stage 2 (walk for 4 minutes and run for 1 minute, then repeat four more times).  I started about 5AM and finished about 30 minutes later.  I'm glad I started at Stage 2, I don't think I would have had the strength to do Stage 3 (walk for 3 minutes and run for 2 minutes).  Basically, I ran up and down the residential block I live on.  There is a small park very near me, but unfortunately, it is on the side of a mountain, so the whole park is basically built on a slope.

After the walk/run, I decide to relax by soaking in the bathtub.  With a full day to go, I didn't want to stiffen up.  After the bath, I was moving slow, but I wasn't in any pain.

I also started my new liquid diet today.  My goal is to use the liquid diet to break old eating habits.  After the two weeks is over, I'm hoping I'll be able to retrain myself to better portion controls.  In total today, I drank about 1,140calories today.

It is getting late.  I need to end this entry now, so I can get to bed to repeat the workout for day two.