Sunday, May 31, 2009

I WON!

Well after taking a year and half off from singles tennis, I played today and actually won. I played in the middle of the day and it went 3 sets, but I pulled it out. I still can't believe it. I was able to play some doubles while I was pregnant, until I was on modified rest, and then again after Hope was born, but not singles. I do love summer singles because it's not just about who is the better player, it's about who can pull it out. Being a runner helps me out so I don't get tired in the summer when I am out there for 3 hours when it's 90+ degrees. It was pretty warm and I will be taking the day off tomorrow, but I am so relieved that I won my first singles match. I was so nervous. Well my pre-match snack/meal was 2 big organic graham crackers with almond butter and banana. I love almond butter and banana as a pre-tennis snack is great because it's very filling and stays with me for hours, which was good because I was on the court 2.5 hours today.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Eating and Activity for Saturday, 5/30

So today happened to be more active than I had planned, which was very nice.

Breakfast - Kashi GoLean Crunch with Almonds and Flax, light soy milk, and some decaf coffee
Now according to the Eat This book, you shoul never have cereal with more than 12 grams of sugar (which is how many this Kashi cereal has), but it also says you should have a 2:1 ratio between sugar and fiber and this ceral has 8 grams of fiber so I put it down as a good cereal, but not one I eat everyday, maybe just once a week.

After breakfast and after Hope's first nap, the whole family went for an easy short (3 mile) run. It was nice, but definitely getting very warm.

Lunch - Hummus and veggie sandwich with reduced fat cheddar on whole wheat bread and some teddy grams. I know what you are saying, but I love sweets and after that savory sandwich I needed something sweet. I know fruit would have been better, but I love those teddy grams. :) While making my lunch, I did also snack on some leftover homemade blue cheese and walnut crackers too. Yum!

After Hope's second nap, Adam and I went to see my sister and her fiance' and to play some tennis. We had to take turns playing and watching Hope, but it was still nice to get some more practice in. I have a singles match tomorrow and I am very nervous about it.

Dinner - We ended up going out to dinner, but we walked so that made it nice. It was almost a mile walk each way so I had an appetite by the time we got there. We ordered some appetizers to split (cheese plate and calarmari), so I had a little of each, but was feeding Hope at the same time so I was hard to eat too much (she had smashed avocado, yum). For dinner, I ordered the sashimi tuna with veggies and rice. The portion wasn't too big so I didn't feel bad getting most of it, and with all the exercise I did today, I figured I was fine. Normally, I like to eat half and take the rest home, but tonight, that just wasn't going to happen. Adam tried my tuna and actually liked it. He's not a fan of fish that is not completely cooked.

After the walk back, we had to get Hope ready for bed immediately and now she is down for the count, so I am relaxing with a nice glass of red wine. I am not a big drinker, but I do like a glass of red wine every now and again. After all my activity today, I am sure I will be in bed early tonight.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Planned eating for Friday, 5/29

So I know I won't do this everyday by any means, but I will try to let you know what I am eating and any meanings behind it. I do eat a lot of the same things over and over, so there is another reason to not post this everyday. But for today, I plan (or have eaten):

Breakfast – Nonfat Greek yogurt with frozen raspberries and almond slivers mixed in, and my morning decaf coffee (2) with a little light soy milk
On Fridays I allow myself 2 cups of coffee instead of just one. Coffee is probably one of my favorite “foods.”

Snack – Low fat (no salt added) cottage cheese with a little bit of almond extract and a very small handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips mixed in
I have never been one to eat big meals but since I am still BFing and working out, I need lots of snacks. I was eating a granola bar here, but I am also trying to stay away from processed foods, so I found this recipe when I was reading my latest “nutrition/diet” book – Naturally Thin

Lunch – Almond butter and sweet potato butter on whole wheat bread and a pear
I had been using this bread for a while now, since it's got lots of fiber and low in calories, but I was also reading another "nutrition/diet" book and saw that this bread was on the Eat This side so I will continue to eat it. :)

SnackNonfat yogurt and a big handful of pretzels

Dinner – Cottage cheese (regular kind) and noodles and a salad with organic mixed greens, organic veggies, and probably homemade low fat balsamic vinaigrette.
I know that might sound weird to a lot of you, but this is a recipe that Adam brought to the marriage. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s yummy! On days when I work, I always make something quick and simple for dinner.

Snack – Ice cream
I don’t always eat after dinner, but sometimes I get nervous that I will be starving if I don’t, again because I am BFing (can you tell, it runs my life, but I love it J). I used to have dessert 2-3 times a week. Now it’s more like 5-6 times a week. I almost always get low fat ice cream and my favorite brand is Breyer’s. I like Breyer’s because it’s what I grew up on and I can pronounce most of the ingredients. Right now we have Edy’s Loaded because in the Eat This book, the Edy’s Loaded was on the eat this side, because they use skim milk. I was at the store yesterday and always assumed the Edy’s Loaded would be very high in fat and calories, so I stayed clear. So for variety, I bought this one.

Now I try to make my eating balanced, but some days are better than others. I know I didn’t do a good job at my veggies today, and I have never been a big meat eater, so I get a lot of my protein from dairy. Other than coffee, I pretty much just drink water.

My first post - all about ME

Well I have never blogged before, but I love reading everyone else's blog, so I thought it was time for me to start my own. So I guess I should start off by telling you a little about me. First off, I am married to a wonderful guy (Adam) and we have a beautiful baby girl (Hope) who was born late last year. They are the most important things to me! My world revolves around them.

We will talk a little bit about Adam now – We have been together since early 1996 and have been married since 2004. We are about to have our 5 year wedding anniversary. I am so excited! I can’t we have been married for 5 years, but honestly I can’t remember not being married to him now. J We have been together for 13 years now so we have been through a lot. I am a very cheesy person, so I am counting down the days to when we have been with each other longer than not. I know, total cheese!


Ok, now Hope – Adam came up with her name one night (Feb. 16, 2007). Long story, short, my mom was very sick (end-stage cancer) and we were already trying to conceive (TTC) and he said that us getting pregnant would be the next “happy” thing for my family after my mom’s passing, so if we had a girl, we should name her Hope. We did get pregnant, but not for another year (we had difficulty TTC, but that’s another post) and we had a little girl. By the end of it, Hope was very fitting (between my mom, not being able to get pregnant on our own, and then the worries from my pregnancy (and that’s another post too J)). Hope is amazing! We love her so much! I do breastfeed her and she started solids at 6 months. So far, I have made all of her baby food. It’s very easy and I love to cook so I don’t mind being in the kitchen a little more.


So before Hope, I obviously had a lot more time on my hands. While in grad school, I started running, and really enjoyed it. Now, I have always been very athletic. I was a gymnast for more years than I wish to count, and even did Club gymnastics in college. After college, there is not much interest in gymnastics, so I started playing tennis. Both of my parents had played tennis and I took some lessons every summer, but nothing past that. Since 2001, I have played on a team and really enjoy it! But I have also been running since 2002 and really like that as well. I have completed several half marathons (HM), but haven’t done the big full marathon yet. I hope to soon. I have also completed several 3-Day Walks for Breast Cancer (60 miles each time). I have started getting back into training mode which has been great! I love training for things. It give me a purpose. I just ran my first pace since Hope was born, and was 3 seconds off my personal record (PR), 24:28 was my time. It was the Race for the Cure 5K race in May. Next up, Peachtree Road Race 10K race in July.


Ok, nutrition time. I have always been a healthy eater, but now I have taken it to a whole new level. I guess since my mom was first diagnosed with cancer (1997), I really started looking at nutrition. Since then, I have read a lot of books about it and plan to talk a lot about nutrition on this blog. I have always been a slim person, but that is from diet and exercise. And I don’t mean diet, like I am on one, I mean diet like this is how I eat. I have never liked beef and convinced my parents at age 7 that I didn’t have to eat it anymore (thanks to an article by Mary Lou Retton in my gymnastics magazine). I do happen to like a lot of fruits and veggies so I am lucky in that respect, but my weakness is sweets, especially ice cream. Since I am still breastfeeding and working out, I have ice cream a lot because I am expending so many extra calories and can afford to eat ice cream most nights. I am sure once I stop breastfeeding, I will have to cut down on the ice cream (or up my mileage). J But I do feel like nutrition is important. I will try to let you know what I plan to eat (and let you know if I veered from the course that day). I am not perfect when it comes to eating, but I try to do well. Also, since I have read so many different things on nutrition, I have picked out what I think is the best from each book and have my own plan. So I hope to share some tips with you and hear about some of yours.



Cooking – I love to cook, but made more exciting things before Hope was born. For the most part now, I am making quicker, simpler meals, but still very healthy. Like I said earlier, I am making Hope’s food too. She has done really well making the transition from solely breastfeeding to breastfeeding and eating. I am so proud of her (mom gush). I make dinner almost every night and I pack a lunch for myself (when I am working) and Adam every night. I also love to host parties, so I get the chance to make different kind of dishes for that too. It’s fun!

Well I think that is about it. Thanks for reading!