Where I am today

Back to Square One.  I tried to be good by bringing my own lunch and pack salads but I have yet loose any poundage.  May be it's the middle age thing where formation of belly fat starts to get out of control.
I am very proud that I have not had any coffee for over 1 week now.  I thought I would drop at least a couple of pounds from not drinking coffee.  I drank green tea every morning instead of coffee.  I was reminded how caffeine isn't all that favorable to middle age women in so many ways.  Green tea was suppose to help me stay calm but I was having caffeine withdrawal headaches and people were getting on my nerves.
The only thing I can do is to start clean eating on Monday.   I really need to either get another polar watch or get an app that is able to read my heart rate and tell me how many calories I am burning.  I want to start posting calories burned to make my self accountable.
Next week's plan:

1. Drink 8 glasses of water/day minimum
2. Bring lunch 4 out of 5 days. (Salad with protein: fish or chicken)
3. Eat 6 small meals/ day
4. Workout 3 times/week minimum
5. Meditate 5 min/day am or pm

I read that I'm suppose to respect the body that I have today.  Thank you body for keeping me going for all these years.  I will do my best to listen to you and not ignore the pain signals you are sending me.  I love my body no matter what the scale says???

Happy 4th of July

This morning I was annoyed that my polar was not reading my heart rate at the beginning of Cardio core and more.  By the middle of the class, it flew off my wrist so I just stuffed in my bra.
It stayed put with all the star jacks and air jacks that I was doing.
I was dripping with sweat and by the end of class polar showed 250 cal.  I took kickboxing after and hit 618 total for 1: 45 min workout.

I was super hungry after the workout so had a bowl of non-paleo Korean instant  spicy noodle with eggs for breakfast.  I promised to drink extra water to flush out all the MSG I consumed.

Time to hang out with the family and chill in this hot weather.

Cardio/Weights: 618 cal.

Back to basic: H2O

As I've been straying away from healthy eating and drinking, I am slowly finding my way back to healthy life style and found this lovely article from Web MD on benefits of water.

It is amazing how this simple yet powerful molecule H2O is responsible for so many great things for our mind and body.  I've yet reached my goal of drinking 64oz per day but slowly inching my way to the goal.

6-reasons-to-drink-water

Key excerpt from the article

Here are six reasons to make sure you're drinking enough water or other fluids every day:

1.  Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.  "Through the posterior pituitary gland, your brain communicates with your kidneys and tells it how much water to excrete as urine or hold onto for reserves," says Guest, who is also an adjunct professor of medicine at Stanford University. When you're low on fluids, the brain triggers the body's thirst mechanism. And unless you are taking medications that make you thirsty, Guest says, you should listen to those cues and get yourself a drink of water, juice, milk, coffee -- anything but alcohol.  "Alcohol interferes with the brain and kidney communication and causes excess excretion of fluids which can then lead to dehydration," he says. 
2. Water Can Help Control Calories. For years, dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight loss strategy. While water doesn't have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.  "What works with weight loss is if you choose water or a non-caloric beverage over a caloric beverage and/or eat a diet higher in water-rich foods that are healthier, more filling, and help you trim calorie intake," says Penn State researcher Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan.  Food with high water content tends to look larger, its higher volume requires more chewing, and it is absorbed more slowly by the body, which helps you feel full. Water-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and beans. 
3. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that don't maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue. "When muscle cells don't have adequate fluids, they don't work as well and performance can suffer," says Guest. Drinking enough fluids is important when exercising. Follow the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for fluid intake before and during physical activity. These guidelines recommend that people drink about 17 ounces of fluid about two hours before exercise. During exercise, they recommend that people start drinking fluids early, and drink them at regular intervals to replace fluids lost by sweating.
4.  Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. But don't expect over-hydration to erase wrinkles or fine lines, says Atlanta dermatologist Kenneth Ellner, MD. "Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration," he says. "But once you are adequately hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete excess fluids."You can also help "lock" moisture into your skin by using moisturizer, which creates a physical barrier to keep moisture in. 
5. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. The main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine, explains Guest. "Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and ridding your body of toxins as long as your intake of fluids is adequate," he says. When you're getting enough fluids, urine flows freely, is light in color and free of odor. When your body is not getting enough fluids, urine concentration, color, and odor increases because the kidneys trap extra fluid for bodily functions. If you chronically drink too little, you may be at higher risk for kidney stones, especially in warm climates, Guest warns.
6. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function. Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation. When you don't get enough fluid, the colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration -- and the result is constipation. "Adequate fluid and fiber is the perfect combination, because the fluid pumps up the fiber and acts like a broom to keep your bowel functioning properly," says Koelemay.

5 Tips to Help You Drink More

If you think you need to be drinking more, here are some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of water:

1. Have a beverage with every snack and meal.
2. Choose beverages you enjoy; you're likely to drink more liquids if you like the way they taste.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our fluid intake comes from foods.
4. Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk, or in your bag.
5. Choose beverages that meet your individual needs. If you're watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages or water.