Starbucks... my biggest addiction to date. "I just can't quit you!"
The average Starbucks drink will cost you $4.00. If you're me, you can find yourself paying $6.00 for 12-24 ounces of caffeinated goodness. And that's everyday. I go to Starbucks probably... easily... 6 times a week. That is almost $40 a week I spend on coffee (delicious, delicious coffee). That's scary.
What's more frightening is this...
The average Starbucks drink contains 200 calories, and that doesn't include the frappucinos. The average frappucino can cost you upwards of 500 calories... per drink! That's anywhere between 3-7 average-sized apples, 5 medium bananas, one 6" ham and turkey Subway sandwich WITH baked Doritos! 500 CALORIES IS A TURKEY BURGER WITH FAT-FREE MOZZARELLA CHEESE, A CUP AND A HALF OF GREEN BEANS, AND A SUGAR-FREE JELLO AND WHIPPED CREAM DESSERT! Essentially, you are drinking an entire meal.
And not in the good way, either.
I used to work for Starbucks, and I will be the first to tell you that it is an AMAZING company to work for. The benefits are great, they treat their employees awesome, and they do a lot of good in the community. But dang, their drinks are dangerous.
I would stop at Starbucks every single day before my 40 minute commute to work. I used to get a Venti Soy 1-pump Vanilla Chai, and I wore every single bit of those 360 calories. Then I switched to Venti Soy Sugar-Free Vanilla Lattes. It saved me almost 100 calories, but I was drinking it all day, which wasn't good. So then I switched to a Tall Skinny Vanilla Latte... Finally, 100 calories! But the secret weapon is the amount of sodium and sugar! 125mg of sodium and 13g of sugar!
I decided that I was giving up Starbucks this week. I haven't been there in 6 days, and I'm surviving. Actually, I feel really good. I have an extra $30 in my pocket to boot!
I won't lie when I say I didn't give up the Bux for the lack of nutritional value; it was all money. But then I got to thinking What could I eat for 100 calories? Well, that's an extra banana or apple a day, an extra few slices of protein-packed meat on my sandwich, an extra mid-day snack to help tide me over until dinner, or a small sweet treat at the end of the day. (OR an extra 100 calories to add to my calorie deficit each day!) For a food addict, I was really wasting my calories!
I urge you to see where you can cut unnecessary calories each day. This has been a trying week in many ways, so I'm focusing on challenging myself with this. I will say that I've also taken on the challenge of no sweets until June 9. I had a piece of cake today for a co-worker's birthday, and I'm done. There is this dress that Amber over at Live. Love. Fit! let me borrow, and I will wear it for Leah and Brett's wedding! If I can pull this off, it will be SIX sizes smaller than the dresses I wore when I first started this journey.
Let the challenges begin! How will you challenge yourself this week?
UPDATE: I still can't quit it. UGH!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
That's INSANE!
Two nights ago, with the help of a Graduate Assistant in my office, I started Insanity. I'm sure you've probably heard of it, but it's a program (like P90x) that is geared toward changing your body by completing 60-ish days of intense interval training. It's like Jane Fonda's Buns of Steel on steriods... and for your entire body.
I completed the Fit Test, which consisted of minute-long spurts of 8 different exercises (high knees, power jumps, power jacks, etc.) where you count your reps. You then do the fit test four other times throughout the process and compare your reps to see your progress. It's an interesting idea, and even the fit test was difficult. My reps weren't good on some of the exercises, but I was impressed with my outcomes on some.
If I choose to do the whole program, it will take me more than two months simply because I'm not going to double up on Melissa days with Insanity Days. I'm not THAT crazy. Melissa has sad before that what we do is basically Insanity-like procedures; I believe that. She also made a comment last night that Insanity isn't really designed for weight loss. I can see that, too. Even people on P90x don't lose that much weight doing the program because they are gaining so much muscle. I think the big difference between what Melissa and I do and what Insanity does is the intensity. Insanity is 6 days a week with the 7th being a rest day. With Melissa, we go hard two or three days, and the other days are strictly cardio days like running or walking or other exercises. We do the strength training, but it has to be combined with cardio.
I think that if I take anything from this journey, it has to be that too much cardio makes you start losing muscle mass, and too much strength training will not help you lose weight effectively. Yes, muscle helps you burn fat, but cardio boosts your metabolism, so there has to be a balance between the two to acheive results.
Updates for me include my additional loss of 8.8 inches last month. I may have already updated that, but I forgot if I did... so there you go. I haven't run at all since the 5k. That is definitely on my list of things to do this week as soon as it stops being cold and snowy outside (yeah, snow).
I completed the Fit Test, which consisted of minute-long spurts of 8 different exercises (high knees, power jumps, power jacks, etc.) where you count your reps. You then do the fit test four other times throughout the process and compare your reps to see your progress. It's an interesting idea, and even the fit test was difficult. My reps weren't good on some of the exercises, but I was impressed with my outcomes on some.
If I choose to do the whole program, it will take me more than two months simply because I'm not going to double up on Melissa days with Insanity Days. I'm not THAT crazy. Melissa has sad before that what we do is basically Insanity-like procedures; I believe that. She also made a comment last night that Insanity isn't really designed for weight loss. I can see that, too. Even people on P90x don't lose that much weight doing the program because they are gaining so much muscle. I think the big difference between what Melissa and I do and what Insanity does is the intensity. Insanity is 6 days a week with the 7th being a rest day. With Melissa, we go hard two or three days, and the other days are strictly cardio days like running or walking or other exercises. We do the strength training, but it has to be combined with cardio.
I think that if I take anything from this journey, it has to be that too much cardio makes you start losing muscle mass, and too much strength training will not help you lose weight effectively. Yes, muscle helps you burn fat, but cardio boosts your metabolism, so there has to be a balance between the two to acheive results.
Updates for me include my additional loss of 8.8 inches last month. I may have already updated that, but I forgot if I did... so there you go. I haven't run at all since the 5k. That is definitely on my list of things to do this week as soon as it stops being cold and snowy outside (yeah, snow).
Monday, April 2, 2012
5k? CHECK!
The day after my first 5k... I never thought it would come.
When Melissa told her You First clients (back in January) that we were all running a 5k on April 1, I think we thought it was an April Fool's joke. Well, it wasn't. We all ran, and we all ran really well!
The course was, as she put, the most difficult you'd find in the area and surrounding areas... I believe it. I'd tell you where we ran, but unless you're from here, it will make no sense. I'll just say that there were a LOT of hills. Then again, running outside in West Virginia isn't the easiest thing.
That's why I was fine with a time of 56:29. I did 3.1 miles a week before in 51:00 flat, but I was also running on a treadmill. I'd be interested to see my time on a flat course, but overall, I'm very, very pleased with how things went.
I ran about a mile and a half before I stopped to walk for a bit. That also was when the first substantial hill came, so there you go.
All in all, my philosophy was to just keep moving. Other than the 10 seconds I stopped to tie my shoe, I didn't stop. I knew if I stopped, I wouldn't start again.
Well, it's sideways, but here I am crossing the finish line (I know it doesn't look like I'm running, but I am)
I'm hooked. I can't wait to do more 5ks this spring/summer. I figure that if I can conquer this course, I can do about any other course around. I am already committed to doing The Color Run on Sept. 22 in DC (www.thecolorrun.com), but I know there's a few festival 5ks in the area this summer, as well as a mile run for a festival in the town I work in. I'm going to seriously sign up for every single one I can.
I don't think anything can beat the feeling of doing something that you never thought you'd be able to do. A year ago, 50 pounds ago, 35 inches ago, I would have never imagined I would ever be able to run, let alone enjoy it. There, I said it. I love running. It might hurt, but it's a good hurt.
When Melissa told her You First clients (back in January) that we were all running a 5k on April 1, I think we thought it was an April Fool's joke. Well, it wasn't. We all ran, and we all ran really well!
The course was, as she put, the most difficult you'd find in the area and surrounding areas... I believe it. I'd tell you where we ran, but unless you're from here, it will make no sense. I'll just say that there were a LOT of hills. Then again, running outside in West Virginia isn't the easiest thing.
That's why I was fine with a time of 56:29. I did 3.1 miles a week before in 51:00 flat, but I was also running on a treadmill. I'd be interested to see my time on a flat course, but overall, I'm very, very pleased with how things went.
I ran about a mile and a half before I stopped to walk for a bit. That also was when the first substantial hill came, so there you go.
All in all, my philosophy was to just keep moving. Other than the 10 seconds I stopped to tie my shoe, I didn't stop. I knew if I stopped, I wouldn't start again.
Well, it's sideways, but here I am crossing the finish line (I know it doesn't look like I'm running, but I am)
I'm hooked. I can't wait to do more 5ks this spring/summer. I figure that if I can conquer this course, I can do about any other course around. I am already committed to doing The Color Run on Sept. 22 in DC (www.thecolorrun.com), but I know there's a few festival 5ks in the area this summer, as well as a mile run for a festival in the town I work in. I'm going to seriously sign up for every single one I can.
I don't think anything can beat the feeling of doing something that you never thought you'd be able to do. A year ago, 50 pounds ago, 35 inches ago, I would have never imagined I would ever be able to run, let alone enjoy it. There, I said it. I love running. It might hurt, but it's a good hurt.
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