You will have to bear with me, I am watching Good Eats while writing this post. Y’all know my love for Alton Brown.
I eventually dragged my lazy butt to the gym yesterday, after a lot of back and forth as to whether or not I wanted to go. I ended up going after telling myself I would do my speed work on a 0% incline to make it a little easier. Boy! Was it easier!
Duration: 50 minutes
Calories: 370
Max HR: 160
Avg HR: 140
I didn’t even round up, I just happened to get all even numbers! Here’s what I did for speeds:
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
3 minutes @ 4.0 mph
5 minutes @ 5.7 mph
10 minutes @ 1 minute intervals of 5.7 mph and 6.0 mph
10 minutes @ 1 minute intervals of 5.9 mph and 6.2 mph
10 minutes @ 1 minutes intervals of 6.1 mph and 6.4 mpg
5 minutes @ 5.7 mph
3 minutes @ 3.7 mph
2 minutes @ 3.2 mph
I probably could have gone faster, especially since there was no incline, but meh. I’m just happy I did it!
Haha, Alton Brown just went on a spiel about how he doesn’t trust oven temperatures. He says get a thermometer so you know the real temp!
Um.. moving on…
I had the last of the cheesy mango pilaf for dinner after my run. Still crazy delicious after sitting in the fridge for a few days.
I tried to have a garden salad on the side, but it was too much food. I didn’t have much of an appetite yesterday after Thursday’s Greek-fest.
I still managed to find some room for chocolate protein poose cookie though!
Zapped in the micro for optimal melty-ness. Mmmmm…
I wasn’t feeling my usual bedtime snack last night, but I still wanted to have a little something. Specifically, cereal. Sometimes you just gotta give in to what the tummy wants! Luckily, I just bought a box of Barbara’s Cinnamon Puffins that I had yet to eat as an actual bowl of cereal (rather than just munching on, like I’ve been doing).
These finally magically appeared at my grocery store! I will be checking back for the PB ones, but in the meantime, the cinnamon puffs are delish 
I just had one 3/4 cup serving mixed with almond milk and almond-hazelnut butter. Totally hit the spot. I’m glad I gave in to my craving.
I also had a great early morning breakfast today!
I mixed 3/4 cup muesli, 3/4 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup almond milk, leftover baked apples and left it in the fridge overnight. Best muesli yet!! It was probably because of the baked apples, but the texture was really thick and filling too.
Oh my, Mr. Brown just shoved a huge piece of cake into a glass of milk. That was unnecessary.
Ahem. So I finally found my love for the chocolate chip Clif bar this morning. Still makes me want chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream though.
I love Clif bars, but I have sooo many of them in my house right now. I have to stop buying them just because they are on sale…
I used my leftover salad from last night to make a pita for lunch.
With some deli chicken slices and provolone cheese. Provolone is soooo goooood. Droooool.
I paired this with a little extra hit of protein – 1/2 cup egg whites.
I’m still running low on fat for the day. I find that’s usually the case. Part of the reason why I eat so much nut butter! (apart from its obvious deliciousness)
I’m also happy to report that I haven’t tracked my calories in two weeks! It started as a little weekend break, and then my computer broke, and I just never bothered getting back into it again. I actually weighed and measured myself yesterday (something I rarely do) and I haven’t gained any weight or inches since I stopped counting calories. That definitely makes me more confident that I can be successful at maintaining my weight without analyzing every bit of food that enters my mouth. I still do the counts in my head (probably something I’ll always do) and I’ve been doing up the calculations on “new foods” (ie the cookies I baked). So far, I’m optimistic that I’ve found a comfortable way of eating and being active that will keep me at my “happy weight” forever
Speaking of being active, I forgot to check the pool schedule before making today a “swim day.” Apparently it’s closed for a meet. Darnit!! That always happens!! So I’m swapping today’s swim day with Monday’s weight lifting day. I’ve been feeling a little nostalgic for New Rules of Lifting for Women, so I think I may do one of the workouts from the book.
Oh, and my first day on my “real job” went great. I got my schedule for the next month and it’s a a good mix of day and evening shifts with reporting and working the news desk (I’m sort of like the “swing person,” they stick me where they need me). Plus, I’ll be getting two days off in a row each week!! I haven’t had that since my weekends off in high school!!! My boss stopped in and asked me if today felt any different. I said “no,” but it kind of did 
Okee, the squat rack beckons… Enjoy your Saturday!
Ooh, I need to try cinnamon puffins! I’m glad you have had a good experience with stopping calorie counting. I found it so freeing and have maintained my weight as well, sometimes I double check my nutritional stats just to see if I am getting enough protein and iron though. I hate arriving at the pool to find its closed for a meet, that always happens to me!
Great job on getting the eating down pat without tracking! I hope to be there someday.
I love the Puffins as well. Think I need to banish cereal for a little while from the house – I am getting too snacky with it LOL! I think I had one bowl with milk out of the whole box.
haha i love good eats. everyone makes fun of me, but im not ashamed of lovin’ AB! mmmm those cinnamon puffins look good, ive never tried them, but they are buy one get one free at my market right now, i think you’ve helped me decide to invest.. good job on maintaining while not counting. that is great!
I love Alton! He’s my Food Network true love!
I want to try the cinnamon puffins! I have tried the PB ones and didnt looove them, so i want to try those next!
Great job not counting calories and doing so great! I knew you would be successful!
Great post! Your museli looks fantastic! I haven’t had museli in so so long. I’ll need to pick some up I think. I always have trouble finding one without lots of added preservatives and sugars though.
I think I’m the opposite to you .. I definately eat a LOT of fat. I need to try to cut down.. it’s all the eggs, avocados and nut butter (fat is my favourite food group…!)
Well done on the calorie counting! I need to stop with it too I think. I find it such a drag these days. I just can’t be bothered logging it all.
i think i’ll try cinnamon puffins next time i’m at the grocery store – and with nut butter? how have i not thought of that!
It’s music to my ears that you have stopped counting calories and still maintained your weight. It really IS possible, then! Fabulous!
[...] I gave up calorie counting for good. It was an invaluable tool in my weight loss, but was not healthy to continue doing in the long term. Astonishingly, I lost weight after calorie counting, learned to love my body more than ever before, and have started indulging in foods again that I previously put “off-limits.” [...]