Summer has begun...

There has been a huge delay in my responses...my apologizes. If you are not a teacher you cannot fully understand the chaos that happens in the last few weeks of school. But school ended yesterday so I am back.

The family is still coming this weekend, even though they went back and forth a few times. My mom, dad and Shannon and are going to come tomorrow. I am going to take them on the free water taxi over to Canton for lunch or dinner depending on what time they arrive. I am planning on taking them to Mama's on the Half Shell. The seafood if always fresh and amazing there!

I have become slightly obsessed with the water taxi's this summer...

Mama's on the Half Shell

Saturday we will be watching the USA game!

GOOOO USA!

Sunday is the Baltimore Woman's Classic Run. Erin, Shannon, Meliss, Jess, and I will be running in the race.

And I'm back...

I had class on Thursday night, as you already know, but class was intense so I did not have five minutes to update. I shower at night because I like to get as much sleep as possible. Friday morning I didn't know if I could get out of bed and function without a morning shower. Day was off to a rough start...

I ran out of yogurt and blueberries so I just had my normal bagel flat and peanut butter for breakfast. Friday was the last full day of school for the year which is SUPER exciting!! As the kids were doing their morning work I was STILL cleaning up my classroom. It still needs about 3 more hours of work done to it, which is ridiculous!

For lunch I had a frozen meal, triscuts and laughing cow cheese and a 100 calorie pack of coffee cakes. This week I have been eating the same stuff, I need to go grocery shopping so I can switch it up! For snack I had a bag of pretzels.

My roommate got engaged a few months ago so we have been looking for one night to go out to eat and celebrate. Friday night was the night we picked. I had her pick, she picked Blue Agave. It is a Mexican Restaurant in Federal Hill. It is REALLY good.


I had a chicken burrito. Once I was full I asked for my plate to be taken away. I had two margaritas and let me tell you, they were soooo good! Kerri and I walked back to our house and we both were in a food coma for about an hour.

Only picture I could find of Pier 6 (we were walking at night though)

We then decided to go for a walk at 9pm on a Friday night. We walked around the Harbor to Harbor East and then to Fells Point. On the way we saw a concert going on at Pier 6. It was Earth, Wind, and Fire. We stopped for a little bit to listen. The next concert at Pier 6 is The Counting Crows on July 12. Kerri and I both agreed that we will be going to that show. We walked 3 1/2 miles last night.

Saturday June 19, 2010
Plan for the day... volleyball practice at 12:30, Target and grocery store

So I got a text from Meliss saying that practice was canceled because it was only going to be Meliss, Guttman, and myself. I then made myself breakfast, two eggs whites and one whole egg. I added a little bit of skim milk, salt and pepper, and 1/4 C. of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. It was VERY good! After that I got ready to go and run my errands.

I first hit up Target! My most favorite store ever! I only went looking for a few cleaning supplies and I spent over $100! I purchased three dresses but I am only planning on keeping one. Meg is going to come over later and tell me which one I should keep.

The three dresses I bought from Target...which do you like the best? They all have cinched waists even though you can't see it on the far right one.

I then went to the grocery store. I spent about $90 but look at all the food I got.

All my veggies

Everything else

By the time I got home I was starving so I had 10 triscuts with the roasted red pepper hummus that Terence left here. I am now getting ready to attempt to clean the disaster that is my bedroom and do some much needed laundry. My sisters and mom and dad are coming next weekend for the 5K race and it also happens to be the weekend before my 26th birthday! Due to the fact that it is 100 degrees I am going to run later on this evening.

Returning all three dresses...

5 more days....YAY!

5 more days of school and I cannot be more thrilled! 2 full days and 3 half days (the teachers have to stay for the whole day though). I again am very tired...this seems to be the theme of my June.

I had my normal 2 cups of tea and I have my normal breakfast today. I really wasn't a fan of the strawberries in my yogurt so I went back to blueberries this morning.

For lunch I have a frozen meal, triscuts and garlic cheese (laughing cow), and string cheese. For my snack I have the 100 calorie pack of coffee cakes.

I really have no desire to work or go to class today.

Ughhhh..

Class got out late last night! I am exhausted! I would classify myself as a "I love sleep kind of person", the more the better! I went to bed starving last night. I woke up surprisingly okay.

I drank my normal cups of tea this morning...well it wasn't so normal. My tea bag exploded in my portable tea mug. As I was driving I was picking tea leaves off of my tongue. Ewwwwww!

This morning I had my Greek 0% vanilla Yogurt with strawberries and my usual 100% whole wheat bagel flat with 2 tablespoons of reduced fat peanut butter.


Today is the first grade field day and picnic. It is raining so we need to have all of the activities indoors. :( I have the same lunch as yesterday. Turkey on a deli flat (whole wheat) with laughing cow garlic herb cheese. For my snack I have my 100 calorie pack of coffee cakes and a string cheese. For my afternoon snack I have a 100 calorie popcorn that I will microwave. I hope it keeps me more filled than my cheese yesterday.

Tonight (if weather permits) we are practicing volleyball! YAY!

Luckily, the kids went outside for recess even though they couldn't have field day outside. My lunch was very good today. Some leftovers from last night's party were out but I don't like to eat food that has been sitting on a table and I am not sure who touched it, where my self-diagnosed OCD, comes into play. I popped my popcorn for my snack and I didn't burn it! It was delishhh! I am staying later after work again tonight to finish up some cleaning. Depending on the weather I am going to go for a run and play volleyball OR do Terence's circuit/weight workout and a 20 to 30 minute t.v. exercise video.

Shout out to Rachel for helping me out to figure out this blog stuff!!
Thanksss!!

By the time I got home it was already 6:00. I was cranky and hungry. I decided to make something quick for dinner. I decided on an omelet. It didn't turn to an omelet though...just scrambled eggs. Clearly my cooking skills are not up to par.

I added green peppers and green onions. Delishhhh!
Finished Product...
That's Crystal Light

The weather was kind of not nice so I decided not to go to volleyball practice. I did Terence's circuit workout.

So I made my goal for the day! YAY!

Goal for tomorrow...Eat only what I have prepared. I have class tomorrow night and she pushed the time up an hour so it really is impossible to workout.

And the battle continues...

Last night after my run and updating and trying to figure out this blog thing I ate a very quick dinner. I had two slices of turkey, 1 vitamuffin and one cheese stick. I was not going to force myself to eat when I was not hungry. I watched the Bachelorette last night. Wow, Kacey is CRAZY!! He will never ever get another date if any girl has seen him on the show! I am rooting for Roberto, Frank and the guy that walked her to her room when she was sick (I can't remember his name).

I was surprised when I did not wake up hungry this morning! I had usual cup of tea while I was getting ready for work and my other cup on the drive to school. I ate my greek yogurt and blueberries around 8:15 and I will have my 100% whole wheat bagel flat and two tablespoons of reduced fat peanut butter at 9:00am. I am in love with these bagel flats. I toast mine so my peanut butter gets runny. Delish!!

Breakfast

I have grad class tonight until 10pm so I will not have anytime to workout. I would much rather workout than go to class any day of the week.

Today for lunch I have packed a turkey sandwich on a whole wheat deli flat. I love condiments and I have found a great substitute. Instead of using mayo I now use the laughing cow garlic cheese. It is a prefect addition to a sandwich and much better than mayo. I have a seltzer water, a string cheese and 100 calorie pack of coffee cakes. For my afternoon snack later I have a light baby bell cheese.

Lunch

I am going to meet my goal today and not eat anything at Donna's party after school. I need to figure out what I am doing for dinner though....

Goal for today was….NOT met! :(

Why wasn’t this goal met? I was starving when I walked into the media center and apparently I do not have great control. What did I do to fix this problem? I used what I ate at the retirement party as my dinner. When I got home I did not eat anything else. What did I eat? 6 cocktail meatballs, about 15 chips and 3 tablespoons of salsa cheese. Did I make the best choices? No. Did I make the worst choices? Absolutely NOT! There were cookies and dips that had 5 layers of beans and sour cream and cream cheese. I stopped eating before I was actually full and I decided not to eat an actual dinner when I got home. What can I learn from this? I need to make better choices like picking fruit and veggies and no more dips. I need to make sure I am going to do what it takes to meet my goals. Will this get me off track? NO!

Tomorrow's Goal: Not to eat anything that I have not already planned for and to go for a run before I go and practice volleyball with my friends. That's two different times I am planning on exercising.

And so it beginsss

Weight is an issue I have struggled with my whole entire life. I have done programs like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig and I have even tried different cleanses to try and lose weight. I always end up taking off some my weight but it never manages to stay off. I feel like I am living in a constant circle.

Within the last two months, my sister, Erin, sent me a bunch of different blogs that she reads religiously, that help to keep her inspired and motivated. These blogs have helped me come up with different kinds of recipes and ideas to help me live a healthier lifestyle.

I am turning 26 in a few weeks and I want to finally have control over my “personal demon”…..my weight. After reading so many blogs I decided maybe this is a way I can help deal with my weight issue. It will help keep me honest and motivated. I know that weight is an issue that many people deal with and it is nice to know that I am not the only one struggling in dealing with it. I hope that when people read this they will know that they can try to lose weight and that they aren’t in this alone. My plan is to update my blog daily and let everyone know what I ate during that day and what I did to exercise. I am always open to suggestions and feedback.

Here’s a little background about me….

My name is Courtney. I am 25 years old (only for a few more weeks) and I live in Baltimore, Maryland. I am originally from Long Island, NY and that is where my family still lives. I am the eldest of four children. I ran cross-country and track in high school and rowed on a crew club team for one year in college. I have struggled to stay motivated in the working out department in the years after college. I recently started running two to three times a week with my friend Jess and my friends and I joined a summer beach volleyball league.

I am currently single. In the past year I have been on many dates to try and find the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. That has been a complete disaster! I have met some nice guys but I have also met some guys that are not so nice. I have decided to give up on dating for a while I focus on myself and my personal needs.

I have an awesome job that I love. I teach first grade in a suburban school in Maryland. There are only 7 more days of school left and I cannot be more excited! I am ready for the summer to begin! I usually teach summer school but this summer I am unable to because I am finishing up my Masters to become a certified Reading Specialist. I will complete my Masters at the end of July!!

I have a great group of friends here in Baltimore and all over actually. I studied abroad in Australia for 6 months and while I was there I met some friends from all over the country that I will treasure forever. I have some great friends from college and friends from NY. I like to travel with my friends. In 2010 I have traveled to Key West and New Orleans. I am planning on going to the beach this summer for a weekend and I am trying to convince my friend Meg to go to Cedar Point (I love roller coasters) with me for a weekend.

Natalie and I in New Orleans

Kara, me, and Meliss in Key West

My siblings…

Terence is 24 and lives in NYC. He is extremely fit and is working for a company that focuses on fitness and nutrition. Terence ran cross-country and track at Villanova University for four years. He is a huge part in helping me become a more healthy person and whom I am leaning on for a lot of advice and tips.

Terence sitting in a fountain?

My sister Erin is 21 and she just graduated from Villanova University and is living at home with my parents right now. She has an amazing paid internship in NYC and she is making us all so proud of her; she is such a hard worker. Erin is also extremely fit. Erin is an extremely talented soccer player. She played soccer at Villanova on a scholarship and continues to play on a team on Long Island. Erin has become a vegetarian and is very conscious of what she puts in her body. She has also been a huge help in my journey!

Erin

Last but not least is my sister Shannon who is 19. Shannon just finished her freshman year at Villanova (starting to see a trend?). Shannon has always been good at sports, she played lacrosse, basketball and soccer. She is not playing any sports at college but she works out every single day. Shannon was able to get a handle on her “weight issue” while she was in middle school and she looks amazing! Shannon also has become a vegetarian.

Shannon

My parents…

My parents are both 55 years old. They have been married for 30 years. I find it amazing that they have been married for more than half of their life. My mom and dad are both very healthy and active people. My parents have an elliptical and a full body gym in their house. My parents workout 5 to 6 days a week. My parents do not look like they are 55 years old because they have taken such good care of themselves.

Now that you have background on me, I guess let’s start this journey together…

Monday June 14, 2010

I woke up this morning pretty refreshed. Last week I was struggling to fall asleep but I think I caught up on my sleep this past weekend. I did some pretty heavy drinking this weekend so I am going to try and stay away from the alcohol for a while. These next two weeks are going to be pretty rough because the PTA gives us breakfasts and lunches; we have retirement parties and end of the year dinners. It is going to be hard but this is life and I am going to need to deal.

I started my morning just like every other morning. I drink two cups of tea (little bit of skim milk with one sugar in each). I drink one while I am getting ready and one while I am driving to school. I eat breakfast while I am at school because the tea fills me up. This morning I knew breakfast was being served so I only brought a Greek Vanilla 0% Yogurt and blueberries with me. I wanted to make sure I was going to at least eat something healthy. The breakfast was filled with donuts, cinnamon buns and sausage. The donuts and cinnamon buns looked amazing but I decided to steer clear of them. I found the only option that was going to work for me, fruit. I had two appetizer plates filled with cut up cantaloupe, strawberries and blueberries. The cantaloupe was amazing! I am going to have to go to the grocery store and buy some at some point this week.

Lunch today was being sponsored by the PTA. We have a great PTA at our school. Lunch was a potato bar. I had one medium baked potato with two scoops of light sour cream and a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese. I had one scoop of beanless chili (so good!) and one scoop of steamed broccoli. I had one soft (small) chocolate chip cookie for dessert. I drank water with my meal.

I have no idea what I am making for dinner tonight. I think I may make a turkey sandwich to get some protein in but that all may change. I am staying after work late tonight to start organizing my classroom for summer school, which will be taking place here. I would like to get a run in this evening because I did not run on Saturday or Sunday.

I forgot my afternoon snack on my kitchen counter so I needed to go and use the vending machine (dum dum dum…). I chose Snyder’s mini pretzels (fat free and all natural). One package has 160 calories, 0gs of fat, and 1g of dietary fiber. If I didn’t eat a snack now I would have pigged out as soon as I walked in my house because I would have been starving. I am much more controlled at school because I pack my lunch and breakfast everyday. I find the night time to be much more difficult to make “good” choices. School ended at 4:05 and I went straight to my classroom to clean it up! I was so productive! I was moving nonstop so I didn’t even realize that it was 5:45 already. During that time I finished my nalgene. I really love water!I fill my nalgene up every night halfway and put it n the freezer so I can drink cold water while I am at work.

On my ride home from work I called my mom and my sister Erin. Erin and I have have really become awesome friends! I then had to stop and deposit a check at my bank (tuition reimbursement) and drop off my friend Jess’ clothes. She decided at the last minute to come out on Saturday night so she had to borrow a dress. By the time I got home it was 6:45, that’s way later than I usually get home. I was starving. I had a cheese stick, 10 triscuts with red roasted pepper hummus.

As soon as I finished eating I put my running clothes on and reached my goal for the day! I went for a run by myself. I left my house at 7:04 and got back at 7:34. I ran by myself! It was a painful run with the humidity and the fact that I was running by myself but I DID IT!

running around the Inner Harbor

I think that I am going to take a shower now and then eat some dinner and go to bed!

My brother tells me that you need to make a goal for each day. My goal for today was to email him, not to eat a bagel and to go for a run! MISSION SUCCESS!

Tomorrow's goal: Do not eat at Donna's retirement party and keep track of what I ate for the day.

Things I am considering my:
2 week goal:
3 month goal:
6 month goal:
year goal: