Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Taking Stock

Today has been a strange day --

My big task of the day was to take my car in for servicing. It's been crying for one for quite a while but as usual I've been procrastinating. Dropping off my car was relatively painless, but the guy handling the paperwork really irritated me. He wouldn't give me straight answers about what the servicing would include or how much it would cost or when my car would be ready ... it was very frustrating.

Of course the car wasn't ready even when he said it would be and when he called me to tell me about the delay he listed several other things that he thought I should fix - so the original service which was going to cost $250 would end up costing $2,650! When I asked him if they were absolutely necessary (for safety issues) he said no. I had to bite my tongue to refrain from telling him what was really going on in my mind. He really, really pissed me off. I didn't want to go and see him again so I took my hubby along with me in the evening. Sometimes I think these guys at the garages don't take women seriously. At least I told him off a bit when I got to the garage but still not to the extent that I wanted to.

Anyway.

Since I was car-less for the day, I attempted my first day at vegging in front of the TV. I have to say, I'm not that good at just relaxing. I kept wanting to get up and do something but there really wasn't anything that absolutely had to be done. I literally forced myself to sit down for 3 hours and just watch TV. I know I needed the rest (the jet lag feels like torture) ... but I don't know how successful I will be at just lounging around. I think it's partly because I'm not stressed about my writing anymore so I don't feel like I need a break. I guess the good thing is that I'm on summer vacation now, so over the next few months if there is a day that I don't want to do anything - I have the luxury of relaxing. Anyway. I'm sure my attitude towards just sitting on the couch will change once I pop in Grey's Anatomy! I still have seasons 7 & 8 to watch!

My food was also a bit strange to do in that I didn't eat breakfast this morning (which is a meal I hardly ever skip) coz' I thought I'd just eat after returning from the garage. I didn't get back until around 10 a.m. and by that time I was starving. I decided to have an early lunch (leftovers from yesterday) but that had me full until around 4 p.m. I just had a breakfast bar and then waited for dinner. So my eating was a bit upside down, but well within my calorie limit for the day.

I spent quite a bit of time yesterday organizing my menu for the week and my general eating plan for the next few weeks. I've set my calorie targets at 1400 on a regular day and1800 on the days I workout. I even took the time to break down how many grams of protein, carbohydrates, fats, etc. I should be consuming on a daily basis. I've got my chart printed out, and I'm determined to keep track of all the foods I eat.

I also spent 3 hours in the kitchen taking stock of all the things I had and getting rid of all the food that has expired! I haven't sorted out my kitchen shelves in almost two years. It's clean but cluttered. Now my goal is to get rid of all the excess stuff and focus on arranging my menu around the things I already have in the kitchen. I'm a lot better stocked than I realized!

I really want to try to cut down buying unnecessary ingredients. There are some things that I buy in bulk because we can never be sure when the next shipment of imported goods will come. However, I've decided to be careful even with those things. I just want to focus on buying fresh produce and protein and use up the rest of the things that I have. Hopefully this will save me some cash as well!

I managed to come up with an exercise plan that will take me until July. It's not 100% fixed as yet because  I still need to double check the schedule for classes at the gym. There are so many different workouts that I want to tackle -- C25K, CrossFit, Boxing. I also want to get in a swim or two per week, Zumba, some sort of yoga/Body Balance class ... ya, there's a lot I want to do and I haven't figured out a sensible way to get it all in.

Although my intention was to rest until Sunday I actually got in an unintentional workout yesterday. It wasn't a workout per se, but I was helping out my parents with some things related to their move, and it involved a lot of walking (2 1/2 hours) plus quite a bit of lifting and moving boxes (1 1/2 hours). I know it's not a structured workout, but I tell you, by the time I got home I was completely wiped out!

8 comments:

  1. Ugh I hate that, they do the same thing here when you drop your car in for a service. You just have to be firm and tell them you want the service only unless it is a safety issue like you said.
    Calories in are so much easier when you have a plan, looks like you are really taking charge this week, way to go girl!

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    1. Now that I'm back I want to start off on the right foot. I hope that the planning pays off!

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  2. Err! I hope you gave that guy something to think about next time he fixes a women's car. I am glad you had your husband around to back you up.

    I am jealous at how organized you are, way to go! Have a great week.

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    1. Thanks :) I'm hoping that the organization works in my favor and doesn't end up being just another procrastination tool! :)

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  3. I so need to do the same: clear out my kitchen, plan my meals and follow :)

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    1. Following is key! I hope that I can stick to my plan!

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  4. Three things will upset me so much -- car mechanics, dentists and computer guys. I find it hard to trust any of them and wish I could find good ones that I can trust. Even recommendations from friends usually don't work out.

    I'm always "planning" to get organized. Someday. :)

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  5. I hate taking my car in to get serviced too! They always try to sell you something else. I always only get done what I went for. When they tell me I need other things done I tell them I'll wait and then go and ask my brother (who knows alot about cars) if it's necessary. Usually it's not!

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