Stopping a Binge

The past few days did not go well. I ate like a maniac.  Well as much as a girl with a 12oz pouch  can.   I gained about 2lbs in the past week. Partially because I had to get back into my usual routine of walking everywhere that I do when JB is back home.  After driving and being ridden around for almost a month, I walked about 7 miles in 3 days.   It didn't really tire me out, my feet hurt a bit and I was so so hungry!  I ate a few things I shouldn't like 3 donut holes (120 cals, 10 grams of fat)  but I think today I finally shook the last bit of bingeful lust. Basically  I started drinking water when I wanted to eat and got of my tail to exercise and the cravings went away.
I'm finally back to 100%, over the sickness.  So it's time to get back to exercising. I exercised 30 minutes yesterday and so far have exercised about 20 minutes today.   I've been doing a lot cleaning today too, which is a useful way to burn calories.  I'm aiming for 60 minutes of activity a day, including walking for transportation. There's not really much excuse for me not to exercise, I have just about every kind of workout video ever.  Then there's HULU and their bevy of streaming videos.  In fact I plan on doing some yoga later on today. Even though I have just about every style of video I could want, I still want Disco Abs so I decided once I lose 10lbs I will buy myself a copy.

Diet-wise I have to admit my binge wasn't too bad, it was just too many calories in one day. Aside from the donut holes I was mainly eating flatbread,  flavoured soymilk, and toast with lowfat cream cheese.  Basically a carb binge.  I need to plan more carbs in my diet so this doesn't happen every couple of weeks.  Tonite I'm going to fix some chili lime tofu with barley. Yummy!  While I was in bed this weekend trying to recover I wrote a food and exercise plan for the next week.  It's posted on my message board where I see it constantly. It's on notebook paper so I can take it with me on my days out and about.  Those days are about to increase since I will be going to school soon.  I'm look forward to school though, I tend to eat out of boredom and that's going to be hard to do when I'm in school 4 days a week all day long.  

I won't bore you with my eating plan for the week but here's my exercise plan:

• Monday: 200 ball crunches, 20 minutes of yoga, 20 minute zumba
• Tuesday: 10 minute ball workout, Arms of Envy (on Hulu)
• Wednesday: 200 ball crunches, Leslie Sansons 5 mile Fat burning walk video
• Thursday: 10 minute ball workout (hulu) , Stripeaerobics 
  
• Friday:  200 ball crunches, 20 minute zumba, 20 minutes strength
• Saturday: rest
• Sunday: Neena and Veena Belly Dance Video, 10 minute ball workout
  

 It may sound ambitious but I already exercise on average 4 times a week for about 45 minutes.  Besides I'm in it to win it!

Change:  Gained 2lbs due to binging. Drinking about 2 Litres of water a day now!

Have you ever made any original recipes?

A few. I think my first ever was a blueberry lace cookie, that's when I was seven. In recent years my favourites include: Vanilla Almond cupcakes, Vegan chocolate cake, red velvet "oreos", and White Macaroni and Cheese with asparagus.

Ask me anything

What is your favorite color?

Pink is my favourite colour but I'm often seen in my second favourite: blue.

Ask me anything

Back to the books

In my first in what should be weekly updates on my job search, I need to tell you about the classes I´m going to be attending in a few weeks at a local college. Like alot of underemployed people I decided to go back to school. Though I haven´t decided what I what I want to get my Master´s in and I can´t get financial aid for a second Bachelor´s. I heard about a program to help young adults in their job search, particularly in the green job field which is hot hot in California right now. It´s a free 10 week program and some of what it covers includes:

• Energy efficiency standards and weatherization principals: Remodeling and new construction of homes and commercial buildings; all aspects of: energy efficiency, design and systems of weatherization.
• Introduction to technical and economic operating principles of electrical and mechanical devices for making cost-effective decisions and energy-efficient choices: Use of energy analysis software tools such as Energy+, Cal Arch, DOE 2, and others.
• Introduction to basic concepts of Customer Service as applied to the skilled trades: installers, designers, estimators, and sales persons.
• The Sustainable Built Environment covers principles, strategies and techniques in the fields of water and resource conservation, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Upon course completion students will be fully conversant in the trends and opportunities in green building, and will understand the terms and concepts for successful employment in the green building industry.

The curriculum is aimed at those wishing to get a skilled labour position or obtain an associates degree.  So why is a B.S EET so excited about this program?  Those of you who know me, know I love the hands-on, hard-hat, getting dirty part of engineering. Also you get a certificate of completion so that can only add to the reasons a person should ¨Hire Jasmine¨.  I´m really looking forward to going back to school, albeit a little nervous.  I do keep my mind sharp, especially being a tutor but it´s always good to learn as much as you can.  I´m sure in the weeks ahead I will be posting more about it.

As far as the job search goes I must confess since I am starting school my job search has narrowed abit. I am applying to the big companies for positions for new grads and also for part-time positions in the restaraunt industry as a cook, baker, assistant to pastry chef. So if you hear of any openings in Oakland, Berkeley or San Francisco (for SF it has to be during public transit hours so no morning bakery positions)  please let me know!

Health update 1: configuring the pantry

Well this year is off to a neutral start. When I returned to Oakland I got some crazy bug coupled with jetlag, I literally was in bed for 2 days. The only good thing to add is that of course when you're sick, you really can't gain weight. I'm starting to feel better now and so we headed to the mega asian mart. Ranch 99 is probably favourite grocery experience ever. Sure I love Nijiya in Japantown because I can actually read the labels on most the products but Ranch 99 takes food stamps, I mean come on. I still will shop at Ranch 99 when I stop being a hobo though. Their produce is tops and just across the way is the best bakery ever. Ranch 99 has a in-store bakery that accepts EBT but Sheng bakery's bread is just heavenly. Yes I still eat white bread and white rice for that matter, I just can't get behind brown rice (most of the time when I'm cutting back I just forgo the carb at dinner time) and most of the wheat bread I can afford is just coloured white bread.
I do however love wheatberries, quinoa, shredded wheat for breakfast, rye flats, and barley. Just that with asian food, nothing compliments it the way simple gohan does. One of the reason there's a marked decrease in the amount of asian food I eat when I diet. However this is suppose to be a lifestyle change so I just have to figure another way to eat the food that is as comforting me as grits.
Today at the grocer I aimed to stay away from junkfood and get lots of simple wholesome ingredients for some great meals this week.

My grocery list

• Snow peas
• Snow pea greens
• Grapefruit (great breakfast and snack food)
• baby carrrots
• tofu (79 cents a pound!)
• chicken gyoza (6 gyoza for 170 cal)
• gyoza tsuyu
• mirin
• edamame (good source of protein)
• miso (high on sodium but low calories)
• zuchini
• White bread
• Vermont curry (for the quick meals)
• senna tea (for regularity)
• green tea
• shoga
• Pork buns (for JB)
• shrimp
  
• Tamanegi

I have to note that I have ridiculously low blood pressure so I don't watch my salt intake perhaps as much as I should.

Change so far: no weigh-in since 31Dec2010. Measurements the same, drinking a lot more water now.

New Year's Resolutions and how to stick to them

1. Get a full time job, constantly updating hirejasmine.com, refining my CAD skills, networking and going to any job fair I can within a 50 mile radius. updates on Wednesday
   
2. Get out of the plus-sizes, reduce alcohol and sugar consumption, exercise 60 minutes a day 3-5 times a week. Avoid synthetic foods. updates on Monday.
3. update the blog more. By updating on my year resolutions on a weekly basis.
4. Stay in California, by completing goal 1