July 31

FUEL:
730: Mixed Greens w/ Vermont Lite Cheddar, Balsamic Vinegar; Skim Milk & Honey Bunches of Oats (g)
945: 1/2 Peanut Butter Sandwich (cv)
1100: Honey Nut Cheerios; Dry Roasted Sunflower Seeds
100: Parmesan, Garlic, and Olive Oil Soy Crisps; Mixed Greens w/ Vermont Lite Cheddar, Tomato, Craisins
400: 1/2 Peanut Butter Sandwich
530-700: Chinese Squash; Tofu & 2 Egg Whites; Big Bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats w/ Skim Milk; Jalapeño Smokehouse Almonds; Mannnny Soy Crisps
1100: Mixed Greens w/ Balsamic Vinegar, Vermont Lite Cheddar (g)

FIT:
20 min Stairmaster (HR was already much elevated from having to digest lots of food, this workout was killer)
1:15 Abs

July 30

FUEL:
730: Mixed Greens w/ Vermont Cheddar, Sunflower Seeds, Turkey Breast, Balsamic Vinegar, Tomatoes (g)
915: Bigelow Cranberry Apple Herbal Tea
1000: 1/2 PB Sandwich (cv)
1245: Mixed Greens w/ Vermont Cheddar, Sunflower Seeds, Turkey Breast, Crasins, Tomatoes; 1/2 PB Sandwich
315: Honey Nut Cheerios & Sunflower Seeds
600: Chinese Squash; Lox, tomato, cheddar on Toasted WW Bread; Almonds; Celery & Tofu; Watermelon; Sunflower Seeds; Sweet Mung Bean Soup
900: Lots of 70% Dark Chocolate
1015: Peanut Butter; Skim Milk & Honey Bunches of Oats; Sweet Mung Bean Soup; Vermont Lite Cheddar

FUN:
Finished Harry Potter

Spells I've done on N.>
Wingardium Leviosa (pick her up)
Expelliarmus (pulled the pencil out of her hand)
Alohamora (just for kicks - funny to think what would happen if you did it on a person)
Lumos (cell phone)
Aquamenti (sneezed, couldn't help it)
Expecto Patronum (made stuffed, white, fuzzy "Sealy" float before us)

July 29

FUEL:
900: Skim Milk; Peanut Butter Sandwich (v)
1115: Organic Mixed Greens w/ Balsamic Vinegar; Egg White; Semi-pickled Veggie Medley of Cucumbers, Carrots, Turnip (chinese dish); Cherries, few almonds
200-600: Vermont Cheddar & Diced Tomato melted onto Flatout Bread; Far too much Peanut Butter, PB Sandwich, Onion & Garlic Almonds; Semi-pickled Veggie Medley of Cucumbers, Carrots, Turnip; 70% Dark Chocolate (g)
930-1100: Semi-pickled Veggie Medley of Cucumbers, Carrots, Turnip; 2 Bowls Sweet Mung Bean Soup; Dry Roasted Sunflower Seeds; Watermelon

FIT:
Kayaking> 30 min-ish, same dist as last time
Swim> somewhere btwn a 300 and a 400, maybe- tried open water for the first time, connected my kayak to my dad's- he pulled it while I swam alongside- w/ my head out of the water so not aqua-dynamic; it was exciting, water very salty, switched among free, and a little breast and back

July 28-p

FUEL:
900: 2 Egg Whites; Peanut Butter & Frozen blueberries, blackberries, raspberries on WW Bread (cv)
1100: Lettuce; 2 Egg Whites (boiled Chinese-style in soy sauce-like soup); sampled peach salsa on tortilla, and fiber one cereal bar -too sweet for me (c) (g)
200: Organic Mixed Greens w/ Tomato, 75% Lite Cheese Balls, Balsamic Vinegar (acidity slows down digestion and keeps blood sugar levels more stable), few Emerald Onion & Garlic Almonds :)
515: Lite Vermont Cheddar to not go into the party ravenous
645-1045: Tofu & Fish Dish; Tarot Root Pancakes; Lettuce Wraps stuffed w/ Sea Stick, Spicy Cabbage & other veggies, Shrimp, Scallops; Watermelon; Chinese Squash; Another Tofu Dish; 2 bowls of Mung Bean and other Hearty Grain Soup...
100: Cheddar Soy Crisps; Blueberry Yogurt; 70% Dark Chocolate

I guess I can start tracking my supplement intake. All are 1/2 doses.
(cv) = calcium/vitamin
(c) = calcium
(v) = vitamin
(g) = glucosamine

FUN:
Some waltz, singing in Chinese, Apples to Apples (I'm violent, virtuous, and something else)
Started reading the 7th Harry Potter

July 27

FUEL:
745: Lox, tomato, ff cheddar on Toasted WW Bread; Bing Cherries
900: Lipton Tea
1015: 1/2 PB Sandwich
115: 3 Egg Whites; Lettuce; PB Sandwich
330: Cookies & Cream Light Ice Cream Bar (Blue Bunny)
545: Tuna Wrap & Tuna Sandwich w/ Mayo; Seaweed; Carrots; Sunflower Seeds
930: Watermelon; Strawberry Yogurt w/ Grape Nuts; Cheddar Soy Crisps
1130: Bit of PB, few cherries
1230: Tuna, Egg White

Supplements:
At meals where I got no calcium, I take 1/2 a Calcium Pill (about 250 mg). Calcium carbonate's not nearly as good as the other kind of added calcium or even better, dairy. Vitamin D plays a big role, probably, and maybe protein or sugars found in dairy promote absorbtion. In any case, it's taken with food. So though some days it looks like I'm not getting my calcium in, I'm supplementing.

I take an average of 1.5 (75% recommended amount - I figure I'm about 75% of a person anyways) Move Free pills for my joints. I just to just average 1, but I stepped it up, and I think I'm doing better with the increased dose. As with the Calcium, I try to space it out, and it should be taken with food.

Lastly, I do 1/2 a multivitamin - the calcium added kind when I have limited or no dairy, and a non-kind when I already got dairy (cost issue). I take 1/2 because I figure I get tons of vitamins from many of the other foods I eat. And whatever vitamins I do get, since I take them with fat (big absorbtion helper) and have them spaced out (to the point where I avoid eating them at meals already rich in vitamins and instead take them with low-vitamin/fruit/veggie meals).
With antioxidants from tea, they're great anti-inflammatories (hopefully good for the joints), but it's recommended that you wait 2-hrs-ish after vitamin intake, if you want to get the full effect of the vitamin. Green tea kicks black tea's butt in Aox content.

Also, I try to avoid caffine. I might have one caffinated beverage on a paper night. Even with cramming for exam nights, I've begun to avoid it, since it would likely make me more anxious or keep me from getting the couple hours of sleep I could before test time. But being dependent on anything like caffine or drugs or alcohol (moreso even than I am on food sometimes) makes one weak, in my opinion. It's costly, since once you're hooked, that item's got a direct channel into your wallet for the rest of your life. I think it's sad. People might get hooked just because they do it at first to fit in or feel grown-up. In my opinion, you don't need that stuff. Want energy? Fuel up the right way, on nutrition-packed superfoods. Exercise - get that adrenaline (one thing I don't mind being addicted to) and endorphins going. Want release? Again, running or other sports - amazing. The normal high is great, and then it's taken to another level when you've got the team aspect going for you too - the comraderie and extra drive to push yourself and not let your teammates down is awesome. Singing is great too. Just my opinion... Oh yeah, my original point was that Green Tea has much less caffine than Black tea. Another reason to go green.

FIT:
Run> 2.79 mi, 22:34, 8:05/mi; 236 Cal
Abs> 45 min

July 26

FUEL:
730: Uncapped Turkey Sandwich w/ ff cheddar, lettuce, onion, tomato, horseradish dijon; Peanut Butter
945: Sweet Potato Chips
1100: Honey Nut Cheerios
1245: Full-Circle Ranch Soy Crisps; Uncapped Turkey Sandwich w/ lettuce, onion, tomato
245: Vanilla Yogurt (more sugar than the sweetener-saturated kind I usually have is more enjoyable and doesn't leave you with a funny taste in your mouth)
600: Salmon; Honey Wheat Toast w/ Peanut Butter; Cabbage, Broccoli, Onion, Carrot Lite Stir-fry; Watermelon
800: Honey Bunches of Oats w/ Almonds + Milk; Egg; Chinese Squash
1000: Soy Crisps

FIT:
Swim> 25 laps; 35:10 (tired and just wanted something light today)

GEAR GUIDE: Stability Ball

My Chair:
Mine doesn't get used too much. It's mainly used as a chair after workouts when I want to refuel but don't want to get real furniture nasty. It does feel strangely good to sit in it- strangely because it's really good for posture. Some suggest replacing your chair at work with it, since its instability activates abs more, so you're exerting yourself a little while you sit and unknowingly improve your posture.

Better on Body:
With some exercises, it provides the support you need, like with side crunches. With the stability ball between your knees, it doesn't hurt my legs as much.

Stretching:
At a spin/abs class, the instructor had us do some great leg/back stretches only possible on the ball. Felt good.

Stability:
It does provide a more effective workout, I think, and you can feel the increased crunch difficulty when you use the ball, not only on legs or whatever else but on the normal crunch muscles too.

Little Use:
Probably not the ball's fault. My plyos mat is at school, and here, I have the gym I can use so that I don't have to do abs on my carpet, so I stick with that most of the time.