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Pedometer Power January 26, 2012

Posted by cirellih in Exercise, Food, Goals, Health, Lunch, Motivation, Moving.
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I have recently acquired a pedometer. This may seem like a mundane piece of information, but it is shaping up to be a pretty exciting purchase.

The goal: 10,000 steps per day.

The reality: Trying to beat my record of 15,573 steps from the weekend.

Who would have thought a pedometer could be so addicting? It’s a great way to get motivated!

Apparently, I have not changed much since grade school. I was the type of student who lived for stickers. Tell me that I need to get a certain number of stickers on my homework to get a prize… I would do extra credit out the wazoo. A great student pencil for doing well on a test, I was so there.

Now on my pedometer, I have a little animated person who lifts their digital arms in the international symbol of victory:

This, my friends, is all I need to make me want to reach the 10,000 step goal each day. I only have 8,254 steps? Let’s go for a walk Oliver! It might seem silly, but it works.

For lunch today, I needed some power foods to get me through the afternoon. Lentil soup from my co-worker definitely fit the bill for a hearty, stick to you ribs kind of meal.

Curry Lentil Soup:

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tbsp non-hydrogenated margarine
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp cumin powder or seed
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 cube vegetable bouillon
  • 1 lb lentils

Directions:

  1. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil and margarine in a saucepan until tender.
  2. Add the spices and saute for one minute.
  3. Add the water, bouillon, and lentils.
  4. Cook until the lentils are tender. About one hour.

A side of garlic bread, and I definitely was ready to go on that extra-long walk in the afternoon. The soup was perfect. Nice and thick with lots of spices and onions. Great for a cold winter day!

Cue Copland’s Rodeo April 4, 2011

Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Exercise, Food, Moving.
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Indeed, beef- it’s what for dinner. This was particularly good timing as I had just sat through ‘Healthy Learning Paths’ with my third graders finding out the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats. What was number one on the unhealthy list? You guessed it… beef.

Now all I can think of it my arteries being filled with saturated fats. The woman who was running the program this morning demonstrated saturated fats by syringing Crisco into a straw. Delightful image indeed.

I tried to counteract the sat. fats by piling copious amounts of zucchini and radish on my plate. I must say though, the raspberry pomegranate marinade on the steak was delicious!

Now I’m off to the Y for some solid exercise.

The Family is in Town! March 23, 2011

Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Exercise, Food, Moving.
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They finally made their way from Central New York on a four-day trek to Colorado. Hooray! It’s so nice to finally have them on our new stomping ground.

We decided to take them to Eldora for some skiing/snowshoeing. Lucky them, welcome to Colorado… let’s put your tolerance of altitude to the test.

Mum, Dad and I went for a snowshoeing jaunt. Chris and Tim shredded some gnarly pow, or something like that. The weather was as good as can be expected for Eldora. A little windy on the mountain, but really nice in the trees for a hike.

For dinner we carbed it up with mounds of linguine and garlic bread. Scrumptious!!! Gosh I love me some pasta!

My Upstate New York roots must have come out in full force when my family arrived. All I wanted was some good old-fashioned Italian food!

Hitting the Slopes February 8, 2011

Posted by cirellih in Exercise, Food, Health, Moving.
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Nothing says Colorado like spending a weekend skiing. My husband’s family is spending the week in Breckenridge skiing the nearby resorts and invited us to come along.

We left Boulder in a SNOW STORM. It took 4 hours to get up to the condo! Once we got to Breck, it was all worth it. The town is adorable… definitely a skiing village. The snow was falling, the cozy lights were glowing from storefronts, it really was an idyllic evening.  We headed to Fiesta Jalisco for dinner. Two fish tacos later, and I was a happy lady!

The next morning, we prepared ourselves for a chilly day of skiing at Keystone!

It was definitely cold, but the views were incredible when the sun came out. In the morning, I made it down one run. It took an hour. Not the best time in the world, but there was only one fall involved, so I’m calling it a success.

Lunch was a well deserved combination of roast beef sandwich, french fries, carrots, clementines, and a bite of Toblerone. Delish and definitely the best tasting meal I’ve ever had. Must be something about the altitude and hard work!

I can now officially say that I have made it down a blue… the Wild Irishman. Mind you, I may have been swearing a blue streak the entire way down the mountain.

All in all, an amazing day on the slopes!

A New Beginning January 24, 2011

Posted by cirellih in Goals, Motivation, Moving, New Year, Weight Watchers.
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2011 has just started… resolutions have been in the works for the last few weeks, gym memberships are up, vegetable and fruit sales are increased, and people are desperately clinging to what they promised to themselves.

My resolution this year was to join Weight Watchers.  Done and done.  It’s a first step at least! Much more tangible and attainable than the other resolutions of “I’m going to lose weight this year” that I have attempted in the past. I have now been a member since January 3rd, 2011. I’m 7 and a bit pounds lighter and much more motivated to lose weight that I have been in a while.

I have decided to start this blog as a method of cataloging my experiences, and as a way to make sure I stay on track. Making sure that pitfalls that come up don’t derail my efforts, and being able to relish in my successes will hopefully keep me inspired to continue on my journey.

So enough of why I have started a blog, here’s a bit about me:

1. I graduated from Dickinson College in 2008 with a degree in Classical Art and Archaeology. Those four years have been some of the most memorable in my life (all 25 years of it).

That’s me on the right with my amazing friend, Satomi, at our rainy graduation.

2. Upon graduating, I married the most wonderful man in the world, Chris. We have been happily married since August 1, 2008.

3. I moved to Syracuse, NY where Chris was finishing his MBA at Syracuse University. It was there that my weight problems began. I worked for Target, didn’t know many people, and didn’t get into a routine of exercise right away.

I swear he’s in there!

4. In 2009 I was accepted as an AmeriCorps member in Baltimore, MD. I taught 1st grade in a Catholic School in East Baltimore. It was an incredibly stressful and rewarding year. I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I’m on the far left with the whole Baltimore AmeriCorps group.

5. At the end of 2010, the school I was working at, St. Katharine’s, was closed down. I made the decision to transfer to Boulder, CO for a second year of AmeriCorps service with the “I Have a Dream” Foundation of Boulder County. Chris’ family is from Colorado, so it’s nice to be close to them!

In Colorado with Chris and my brother, Tim.

That brings us to today… hopefully with the help of Weight Watchers and this blog, I’ll get below my college weight! Onwards to a Healthy Heath!