Temptation and a Possible Cheat Day 15

Hey, guys!  Things are going great.  I was super psyched about getting weighed.  I knew that my weight would be down.  And it was!  I was down almost 4 kgs.  I was going to tell you when I was about three, but then it just went down even more.  So happy.  Don't worry, still got lots of fat left on my butt and thighs (and the stomach, too).  We did the big technical scan, so it was nice to get the printout and see everything.  My total body fat is still really high, which is what I want to lower.  I can do it!  

After getting up, I chose something easy.  Tofu with dried salmon flakes, baby leaf salad with broccoli, puchi-natto, and a plain yogurt.  It was perfect for breakfast!  

Then I went to training.  I was almost there when I realized I had forgotten my protein powder and mixer.  :(  So sad.  Thought maybe I could pick up a protein bar or something individual from Yodobashi Camera (in the health section).  They didn't have what I was looking for.  But I did pick up another mixer for home, since Hideki and I are both using the one we have and that is why I forgot to put it in my bag.  While I was there, I found out they have a super selection of perfume, make-up and nail polish.  So I was super happy!  I can drop in there whenever I want. 

  I wanted to go look at Halloween costumes at Don Quiote, but first I knew I needed to eat and replenish my system with protein.  Mission:  buy sashimi and eat it for lunch.  Headed to the supermarket, Daiei, near Don Quiote.  It's really big and has a huge selection.  There were also so many yummy things I wanted to eat.  I added a few pictures below.  The first, pumpkin pudding (like custard pudding)...my fav!  And these yummy banana roll cakes.  I have been craving just a banana itself.  

Look at all the Halloween snacks!

So here is what I settle on:  fresh cut up salmon, maguro (tuna), hotate (scallop); and a chirimen (dried baby fish) salad.  I left a bunch of onion cuz it gives me heartburn and I wasn't sure how much I should eat.  Plus some fatty pieces of fish.  I only used a tiny bit of (non-oil) dressing.  

I enjoy going to Yokohama.  There are so many things to do there.  Shopping and entertainment, restaurants, you name it.  Here are just a couple pics for there.

Oh, here's the costume I decided on.  It was a cheaper one.  The really cheap ones were all sexy costumes, and when you work with kids, maybe not a good idea...  

My honey picked me up from the station and he went shopping for groceries.  Can you see him hiding here?  He's lost over 4 kilos too!

Headed home now.

I tried the costume on as soon as I got home.  (Even before putting away the groceries.)  It has an elastic waist which was not in the picture of the costume.  But I am so happy I already lost weight, otherwise it probably would be too tight!  Should be perfect by the end of October!  I've always thought of myself as a fairy-type.  What are you plans for Halloween?

We were obviously both very hungry by 4 o'clock and it was still too early for dinner.  So we had kanten jelly (sugar free, zero carbs, etc.)  and peach tea.  That was perfectly satisfying!

For dinner, I cooked sanma (saury) and miso soup.  And I mixed up some hijiki and beans with sesame oil, garlic powder, and soya sauce.  My trainer said that a good choice to eat was fish.  And so we did!  

I wanted to ask my trainer about the yogurt we were eating and the nutritional info.  I'll let you know about that.  

I had some protein powder in a shaker later.  Before adding the water, I did something different.  I added a big tablespoon of cocoa powder.  (That was so naughty, wasn't it?)  I thought since it had almost zero sugar in it and not a of lot of carbs it would be okay.  But the real naughty part was I didn't tell mention it in my report at the end of the night.  Was that really bad or acceptable?  He said before that it was alright to have something if it had almost no sugar or carbs.  So...  I think I will tell him next time.  Maybe in a few days, when I have it with milk.  (mmmn...yummy).  Hmm...  

After that, I decided to run over to Hide's parents because I heard there was a present for waiting for me from Hideki's niece.  I was a little curious.  I hoped it wasn't food.  I thought maybe cups or dishes or a decoration.  But wowie...was I surprised to see Annie Sui inside.  Not just this adorable bag with sparkly sequined letters in my fav colours, but also hand cream, eyelash curler (isn't it cute in black and purple?), nail polish (love the dress-shaped bottle), and a super cute hairband for when I do my makeup or put on my lotion.  Thank you my favourite niece!  LOL.  That was super sweet of her to buy me these gifts and from my fav store.  Yay!  Funny thing was that today in Yodobashi Camera, I stopped at the Anna Sui perfumes and was thinking such nice thoughts about Anna Sui...karma?  Who knows?  But what a perfect surprise!  

 

How do I look?

That was a lengthy post again, but I hope you enjoyed it.  Thanks for supporting me!  

Homemade Soup on Day 14

Yay, woo hoo!  Celebrate!  My tummy is looking much skinnier now. :)  (Though I am still not ready to show you yet.)  I ended my last blog like this, but it's true again today.  I have a good feeling...that my weighing tomorrow is going to rock.  (No need to cross your fingers...)

My (upper) butt is feeling so sore, guys.  He really did a number on me.  I noticed during bath time that I actually have a bruise on my upper left cheek.  So, maybe I will tell him to ease up a little next time.  There is still a lot of fat there, so maybe he didn't realize how hard he was going??  

Anyhoo, on to breakfast.  Nothing special.  Leftover maguro.  Plain yogurt.  Baby leaf salad with cucumber and broccoli.  And non-fat sesame dressing.  Yum!    

Lunch was nice and spicy.  I made the moyashi and sasami (bean sprouts and white chicken meat) dish again with tobanjan, ra-yu, sesame, garlic, and soya sauce.  It was so good, cuz I put a lot of ra-yu in it.  ラー油 (ra-yu is like Chinese oil that we use for gyoza sauce with vinegar and soya sauce...but it's good for cooking too).  And I had hot miso soup leftover from last night.  I love my thermos and it's great for fall!

I was still hungry after lunch, to be honest.  I think I am getting into my tired/eating phase.  I was so tempted to buy anything unhealthy today...or even something not so unhealthy but not on my eating list.  Dark chocolate...which went higher in cacao percentages...70%, 85%, and even 99%.  Bread, cake, cream-filled grain cracker sandwiches, dark chocolate covered raspberries, sweet bean dessert.  But I resisted.  Instead, I did buy a Pepsi Nex.  Zero calories, zero sugar, zero carbs.  I don't care what they make it with.  All I know is that is what kept me from eating something I didn't want to need to.

And then, my real snack was 5 almonds.  And a few tiny pieces of dried squid.  And that satisfied me until I got home for dinner.

I have been wanting to make a soup for dinner with chicken.  But it called for flour, starch, potatoes, and mixed vegetables.  I decided to make it anyways.  I just substituted the ingredients and omitted others.  I also made only one serving.  You can see how I cut up 1 piece of sasami, a tiny bit of onion, snap peas, mushrooms and spinach.  First, I put about 70ml of water in the pot.  I added my bouillon cube (which probably made it a little more salty than I needed, but if it were for two people, no problem) and let it dissolve.  Then I added the onion and chicken.  Stirred it a bit while it cooked.  Added the snap peas and mushrooms.  And after that, spinach.  My liquid was getting low, so I added about 150ml of milk.  My spices that I had on hand were garlic powder, pepper, salt, and basil.  It was the best soup I've ever made (on my diet).  Really, it was super good.  I was so proud I could still make it in my diet.  The only thing I worried about was the milk, but I didn't use more than a cup and it was fat-free.  I also had some baby leaf and broccoli with a tiny bit of cottage cheese.  

So I guess I was worried if that was too much dairy in one meal and the last meal before bed.  I felt so satisfied with the meal that, once again, I can say it doesn't matter.  I didn't cheat on my diet.  I ate the right things.  And I still feel skinnier!  I do feel other parts getting smaller too.  Tomorrow is my next session and I will be measured and the results compared with my initial ones.  Looking forward to it!!

Update: 

シェリーさん本当に料理好きなんですね。

糖質として、目立つのはヨーグルトと朝のサラダにかかっているドレッシングだけですね。

Sherri, you really like cooking!

In regards to sugar, I only see yogurt and the dressing you put on your salad.

でもヨーグルトは量しっかり調節してるし、ドレッシングもシェリーさんの事だからノンオイルのしっかりしたやつだと思いますのでOK。

But you are regulating (the amount of) yogurt you have, and, because it's you, I know you are only using non-oil dressing so it's okay.  

たんぱく質がささみ以外に目立った物がないので、別の何かを入れるか、プロテイン飲むようにすると良いですね。

I don't see anything othere than chicken, so try adding something, or better off, drink protein, in addition.  (My trainer says I should be taking in a bit more protein than I am.)

That Hurts in my Butt Day 13

A good morning today. I love it when you wake up and feel skinnier. Now I know I am getter fitter. My weight is gradually dropping and my stomach is looking flatter/narrower. Bring it on!

This morning, decided to take my new friend's example and make an omelette.  I cut some yellow and red pepper, about 33g, and some green pepper and lightly fried them in my omelette pan. If you haven't seen one, it's rectangular-shaped and works like a charm (see pics below). Remember to always use extra virigin olive oil when cooking healthy.  You don't need much. It's more expensive, but is worth it! (And it's healthier.) Then I mixed two eggs with some soya sauce and Mrs. Dash. I just poured this mixture over the peppers and let it cook until I could see the bottom cooking (until it was almost done). Then flipped it in half from front to back. And I flipped again (it's sideways in the picture though) to get any extra that started coming out. It looked yummy! With this, I had natto and yogurt.

For lunch, I had chicken breast on salad (lettuce, cucumber, broccoli) and wakame soup. Lately, I put just enough ingredients in a small container and add it to hot water at work. Here, i brought consomme soup base, sesame, and dried wakame. I love having soup now the weather is cooler.

On my break, I went to see the chiropractor and got the 整体 course again. He was a lot stronger this time. That, plus I was so stiff from training. He said my upper butt was especially stiff and gave me a heavy massage (doesn't that sound wrong?) Believe me, I did not enjoy it. I let him work on my muscles all the while writhing in pain. It felt like he was poking me with sharp instruments. Other than that, it was really good. I don't like the sounds when he cracks anything though. We'll see if it helps with performance next session. I know there will be squats for sure.

Snack today was dried fish and pickled wakame.

Dinner should be fish, preferably sashimi. So I bought maguro. I also picked up snap peas, which I blanched, and spinach, which I added to miso soup along with tofu, mushrooms, and bean sprouts. Yummy dinner!

I had a good feeling today!  

Update:  

お食事はOKです。

Your meals are okay.

朝食で5gの糖質、12gのたんぱく質

昼食で15gのたんぱく質

夕食で18gのタンパク質。

For breakfast, （you intake was) 5g of sugar and 12g of protein.

Lunch - 15g of protein.

Dinner - 18g of protein.

あくまで目安ですが。。。

That's just my approximation...

(I think this means I need more protein...it's hard to get enough sometimes.)

I'm a Weakling Training Session 3

On Wednesday, I went for my third session of weight training.  In Japanese, we say kin-tore (筋トレ or muscle training).  Well, my muscles were not having it.  I think it was a combination of already sore muscles and tiredness, even though I got lots of sleep the night before.

He asked right away if I had been to the chiropractor again.  It was important to realign my hips and help my muscles for weight loss...or something like that.  Well, the basic idea seems to make sense.  We briefly talked how Japanese women gain weight in their stomach area, whereas western women (generalizing here) tend to gain on butt and thighs.  But he thinks that because I can lose weight well on my upper body, which is true, while I find it hard to lose weight on my lower body might be due to my hips, etc.  So we'll be going to practitioner for that on Friday.  Anyways,  we'll see how it goes.  I am slightly curious to see if it's going to pay.  Not forgetting that during our ''prime birthing years'', women tend to store fat on their hips to prepare for birthing.  (It's hard to fight nature.)

On to a weigh-in, my number was only slightly lower than last session.  But it was the evening and I had eaten before going.  I hope the number is lower next time!  :) Checking the scale this morning, I suspect it will decrease by then.

The muscle groups were chest, shoulders, glutes, and abs.   We always start with a warm-up with the barbell only.  That alone is like 20kg.  And then we do three sets with added weight, each time decreasing if it's impossible for me to lift.  I say this because as I tried to lift it.  It was pretty much impossible to get past five.  I needed my instructor's help.  Then he says just worry about form, not lifting.  Afterwards, he said that he thought I would be able to lift more than I could.  And that my goal was to bench-press 40kg.  Okay...got a few more weeks till then.  Wish me luck!
The shoulders were almost the same pattern.  He said that my frame was bigger, therefore I had more muscle/muscle capability.  I said maybe it was just fat!? (lol)  But he said no, I had potential.  I just needed to get back my strength and power.  Okay!

Squats next.  First, warm-ups and then, three, no four more sets with weights.  I wanted to cry it was so heavy.  At one point, I was shaking my head and ready to run away.  I felt like a baby.  And a total weakling!  But I could feel it in my glutes.  I did learn that if I was feeling a burn in the front of my legs, by readjusting my balance to my heels I would switch the focus to my butt.  Yay, that's what I am targeting!

Lastly, abs.  This time, we combined the crunches, sides, and leg pull-ups again, and added what is called lying butt bridges (I googled it).  You probably know what this is.  Laying on your back with your knees bent, lift your butt/hips in the air and squeeze your glutes.  They were easy enough.  But I was finding some pain/discomfort in my lower back during the side crunches and leg raises.  He said I should let the chiropractor know that.

So that ends my third session.  I felt defeated and tired.  I had a protein shake afterwards in the locker room, where I made friends with a fellow fighter.  She was also on her third session and she spoke English really well!  We talked for a while and exchanged contact info, so we could support each other and confide our complaints/hardships.  It really lifted up my spirits at the end of it all.

I went home and promptly went to bed.  Sleeping like a baby and drooling like one too!

Hidden Meaning and a Birthday on Day 12

Hey there!  Hope you had a good day!

All in all, mine turned out to be okay.  Well, it started out slow, got even slower, and ended on a high note.  :)  First off, before I had even woke up...I had been dreaming of cockroaches.  Not just normal cockroaches.  Cockroaches in all different sizes, including giant ones.  And they were all in my humongous clear bag of protein powder.  All I could do was scream at them ''Get out of my protein powder!!!''  Yet did not listen.  Because it was a dream.  And my protein is in a silver foil bag attached with a ziploc.  Whatever, not a great start.  So  either I needed to wake up and get protein after my training the night before.  Or the cockroaches were meant to be obstacles that were trying to prevent me from achieving my goal and slow me down on my journey.  I hate cockroaches.

So anyways, today I have a lot photos and things to say (I'll try to keep it short)...  just read on to see.

Breakfast:  Tofu with dried salmon flakes, a boiled egg, cucumber and konbu, and a plain yogurt.  I also had protein powder (necessary and cockroach-free), water (also necessary), and coffee (very necessary).

Lunch:  So this looks a lot smaller than when I made it this morning.  And trust me, that is exactly what I thought when I opened my lunch to eat it too.  Did it shrink or something?  Anyways.  I cooked some chicken breast in a little bit of soya sauce and water.  Then I also blanched my pepper and mushrooms.  I put them on some mizuna.  It was good, because I love vegetables, thankfully.  I also took some mix for a mug of miso soup (in my container I added dashi, miso, and dried wakame).  Wakame is my new best friend.  ;)  The other mug in this pic is, of course, coffee.  

Oh, I didn't mention it, but I so hungry before lunch.  And starting to get a headache.  I thought it was because we were listening to children's music at a volume way to loud...especially since there were no children present.  Or because they were all varying Halloween songs.  (And I enjoy Halloween)  Then I thought it was because it was too hot.  And then, I remembered I started to feel this way on Monday.  Like I was really really hungry, really thirsty, or really tired all at once.  I now think this is what it feels like after lots of strenuous training. 

Anyways, I decided to leave early and prepare for the evening.  It was Hideki's birthday and I was so excited to make some yummy, healthy, mind you, dinner and buy cake (for him).  Here is the picture of me carrying the yummy, delicious cake with excitement and anticipation.  I was terrified I was going to trip, be bumped, or drop the cake and it would turn to mush.  But, alas, I made it home safely.  All the meanwhile, I was thinking I should have picked it up after going grocery shopping, but oh well.    

This morning I had asked my trainer what kind of steak would be a healthy choice, if at all.  I thought it would be okay if I picked the right one.  If not, I could always grill chicken or fish for myself.  Hideki loves steak, if I didn't mention already.  So in the end, without a reply from my trainer, I checked the net, and I think I saw sirlion steak isn't bad, so that is what I went with.  Just to let you know, Japanese sirlion versus imported sirloin is completely different.  Japanese sirloin is laced, shall I say, with fat throughout.  It is, in fact, considered yummier to have more fat on your meat.  Suffice to say, I went with a nice-looking Australian imported pack of 2.  Yes, two.  I decided to eat the steak.  Or at least half of one.  

After getting home, I was so hungry and slightly headachey.  Since I would be eating steak, I skipped a protein shake and just had a piece of cheese.  That really satisfied my desire to have something.  I also made myself a cup of ginger and lemongrass tea (the last bag) and I felt much more relaxed.  I knew I could only take a few moments to myself before I started preparation for dinner.  Plus I was also doing laundry and dishes.

While I was cleaning up, I saw that my ivy plant had died.  Like super dead died.  The poor thing hadn't received water.  It's hard to kill ivy, if you didn't already know.  And on top of the soil coming up from the pot were little mushrooms.  Isn't that incredibly wierd?  I didn't even dream this.  I decided to throw it out.  But I thought did this mean I would fail at following through with something, aka my diet/training regime.  Or did getting rid of it and the mushrooms have to do with shredding the old and making way for the new??  Already my day was so much more meaningful.... or I am just over analyzing.  

I forgot the first thing I actually did when I got home was marinate the steaks.  Hideki's was put in rubbed in garlic and sprinkled with salt and pepper and soaked in soya sauce.  The other one had garlic, salt and pepper, and a tiny bit of soya sauce.  You guess which one I would be eating half of?  Can you see the price of these two steaks?  Just over 1000 yen for two big steaks, not bad, I think.

I also picked up this big bag of sasami (white chicken meat) and it was so cheap!  There are seven pieces of ささみ in it for less than 300 yen.  I like shopping at OK! (the supermarket).

Then I took pictures of me while cooking.  I call myself, Glam Cook.  My mom gave me this apron.  And I like it.  

Now, here is where we start the game of who ate it.  

The first dish:  mushroom soup (Campbell's)?

Hideki ate it!  Not me.  

Next dish:  the Main Entree 

A)  Steak, potatoes, onion, mushrooms, broccoli

B) Steak, mushrooms, onion, broccoli

If you haven't already figured it out...I ate A and Hideki ate B.  Just kidding!  

And for dessert, strawberry mont blanc cheesecake?

Since it was Hideki's birthday, I let him have this one.  ;)

I had mikan kanten jelly and coffee, instead.  It was quite good. 

Oh, and I almost forgot to give him his present.  I got him a new man bag.  And he loved it!  Just what he wanted he said.  :)  And I felt really really good.  Great birthday at home achieved.   Apart from the present, I only spent 1500 yen on the steaks and cake too.  (Eating at home and being healthy really pays off.) 

Now just to see if I made the right choices for my meal.  But I think I did a good job.  I didn't go crazy, eat a whole steak, or even a bit of birthday cake.  Whatever he would say was fine by me.

Update:  

ステーキは問題ないですよ。毎回は脂質の問題で難しいですが、一回くらいなら問題はないです！

脂身を除くのもいい事ですね。

There's nothing wrong with havin steak.  If you ate it everyday, you would have high fat intake, but once in a while, it's okay.  

It's good to trim the fat, too!

デザートも寒天ゼリーで済ましてますし、問題ないですね。

There was no problem having kanten jelly for dessert, either.  

お酒は大丈夫でした？

You didn't have alcohol?  (I didn't.)

Eating on Day Eleven

Hey Y'all! Training Day! Woke up ready for action. Going to sleep early was a good plan. My weight usually looks good in the morning, but I would be weighed at night, so probably it would be higher. Breakfast: green beans, tofu (150g）、ぷち納豆（natto）, and plain yogurt. I have decided I will have yogurt everyday now. Lunch: salmon, asparagus, lettuce and sprouts, and wakame soup. No snack today. Planned on eating something before training. Pre-training: lettuce, sprouts, and ささみフレーク（white chicken meat). I used 青しそdressing. It's non-oil. After training, I had a protein shake. I went straight home and directly to bed. Tomorrow was Hide's birthday, so I was thinking of what I could make him. I think it might be steak, but could I eat that too? Check back to see tomorrow!

Preparing Healthy Snacks

I wanted to share how I prepared my healthy snacks. Recently my boyfriend and I went shopping and we bought a lot of things that are low-to no fat, high in protein, and generally, nutitious. Wakame, dried squid, seaweed, dried fish, nuts, and cheese. As pictured below, we bought kuki-wakame （茎わかめ), niboshi （にぼし）, yaki-nori (焼きのり）, atarimeka （あたりめか), almonds (アーモンド), and cheese (チーズ）. We had the roasted already at home, so we used that. To be careful of, nuts and cheese can be high in fat, but are okay when consumed in small portions. Five almonds, at most. I put everything in small, easy to grab serving sizes so I would not have to make snacks everyday. I cut the squid and seaweed into bit-sized pieces. The seaweed went with the fish in containers. The cheese is still on the fridge. Anyways, I won't be eating it much. But,still, nice to have. What do you like for a healthy snack?

Feel Tired Today at Day Ten

So today was alright.  I was not in much pain, except my butt and shoulders a bit.  Just bit uncomfortable, but nothing to complain about.  I only felt tired today.  It hit about lunchtime.  Incredibly tiredness.  And continued to the evening.  I ended up going to bed a little after a nice, long bath at nine.  Hoping to be re-energized for tomorrow.  

I weighed myself and I was like, wow!  But, as normal, it was higher at night.  But still losing!!  

Breakfast:  three sticks of asparagus, natto, a boiled egg, and a plain yogurt cup. 

Lunch:  Miso Soup, Salmon, Egg, and Veggies (Chingensai and Mushrooms)

Snack:  あたりめか (dried squid), yum!  It was so very chewy and hard, so I only had a piece between classes and another on the way home.

Dinner:  Grilled Chicken Breast, Miso Soup, and Cucumber with Konbu.

Hoping for strength...training tomorrow!