Guest Post: Nadia & Her Weight-Loss Mission

Hey guys! Please welcome Nadia’s sixth guest post detailing her progress with her weight-loss mission to lose 25 pounds and take over the world! This one is of special use to LA folks, as it’s got great tips on wear to work-out in the outdoors!
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Without the grind of a 9 to 5, it’s easy to get real lazy real quick. No structure or permanent schedule means you have the freedom to do what you like, when you like. As a result, the last week has been a bit haphazard. I’ve been trying my best to focus on writing and acting, while still looking for work and maintaining a busy social life. But, unlike last week, with my extra time, I was able to go exploring around L.A. and find some great places to workout:

*Runyon Canyon -
[photo cred]
Extremely popular, Runyon is located in the middle of Hollywood. The trails take you up to a point where you get a fantastic view of the city, and you can make the climb as difficult as you want by using shortcuts through the brush. My issue with Runyon is that it is, and has always been, very crowded. Finding a parking spot is a nightmare, and you are constantly either behind or in front of someone. Plus, it’s dog-friendly, which is great if you have a dog, but kind of a pain if you’re on your own trying to work up a sweat.

*Balboa Lake - Situated in Van Nuys, this recreational park was full of people in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday. I guess that’s summer vacation for you! However, since this nice little piece of lake is so close to my house, I’ll definitely be making another trip here. There are a few tracks for running/biking, as well as sidewalk around the lake, which is where I ran. Be careful of angry looking geese. Seriously, they looked super pissed that I was anywhere near them.

*Fryman Canyon - Another place to hike that’s closer to my home in the Valley, Fryman is less popular than Runyon, but still sort of hard to get to. The best part is that once you’re at the top, you get a completely different view of the city than you would elsewhere. I suggest entering from the street side as opposed to the gate – the way I hiked it, I ended up walking the hardest part in the sun first, then walking downhill in the shade. It’s also a great place to take a workout partner, since you’ll have plenty of time to chat.

I’m also going to note that this week, I tried a radical experiment in keeping with my new “no schedule” freedom: I did not write down everything I ate this week. Everything else was the same – I slept for 7 hours or more, I worked out, I ate fairly healthy, and I maintained my part-time vegetarianism. By not writing down everything I ate, I did notice that I was more inclined to eat more though. For example, I would eat a few extra bites of dinner, or another cookie, or so on. I was sure that at the end of the week, I would have gained weight – but alas, no! Miraculous? Perhaps. Or maybe I’m just learning how to eat better and make choices that are good for me and my body.

In any case, I’m going to see if I gain weight a second week of not writing everything down. The minute the number on the scale creeps back up, I am forcing myself to write down everything and count calories for another month. This way, I’ll (hopefully) keep myself in check and not indulge too greatly.

Best Meal:

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie: I bought a cheap blender to help combat my financial woes. You see, smoothies are an efficient way to make a meal without spending a lot of money. For this recipe, use 1/2 cup skim or nonfat milk, 1/2 banana, 2 tablespoons peanut butter (go for organic, it’s better for you), and 1 cup Trader Joe’s Honey Greek Yogurt. Throw it all in and blend. Simple and delicious!

Worst Meal:

Komodo Food Truck Tacos and Fries: I attended an outdoor screening of Swingers in downtown this past weekend, and part of the festival’s shtick is that there are food trucks there to replace the traditional concession stand at a movie theater. I ate at the crowded Komodo food truck, which puts a special twist on old favorites. I chose two tacos – one skirt beef with corn salsa, the other grilled shrimp in a spicy chipotle sauce with lettuce. They were amazing, but of course, I have no calorie count on such food items, so I am playing it safe by assuming they were not good for me. To top it off, I had french fries as a side – Parmesan french fries cooked in truffle oil. I implore you, Cranky Readers, how the hell could you say no to that?! [Cranky One: LMAO]

Food I Didn’t Realize Would Be Bad:

Trader Joe’s Chicken Lasagna: So it turns out this lasagna is made with bechamel sauce instead of tomato sauce. This makes it taste great, but it also makes it horrible for you in terms of calories and saturated fat. Make it an absolute special event meal if you must, otherwise just stay away.

How I Worked Out:

Running, hiking, and swimming at all the lovely locations I mentioned at the beginning of this post.

What Did We Learn?:

Getting out in the great outdoors is good for you, even when you’re not keeping record of every little thing you eat. The biggest thing to remind myself is to not be lazy! Get out there, enjoy the sunshine, and enjoy not being stuck in a cubicle while I can!

This Week’s Goal:

I’m a natural spendthrift, and have been honing my “eat like a poor person” skills for a while now. But the fact that I’m faced with unemployment really forces me to reexamine just how much I spend out eating. This week, using what is in my fridge, what I buy at the grocery store, and what I eat when I go out (including beverages, snacks, whatever), I am placing a $75 spending limit on myself this week. This seems like a LOT, I know, but when you consider how much a weekly grocery bill is, plus how much eating out costs, I think this is a safe target.

Let me know what your money saving tips are! I’ll still be on my smoothie kick – what do you do to help scrimp on food without sacrificing flavor or healthfulness?

Start Weight According to Crappy Target Scale: 143.4

End Weight According to Crappy Target Scale: 141.0

Ask me and Ana questions on Twitter at @nahdeeeyah and at @feedmeimcranky1!

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My dear Nia, if my calculations are correct, you’ve lost a total of 9.2 pounds! That’s insane! You’re doing so well at learning how to make this healthy thing a lifestyle. I actually really love the idea of being able to NOT count calories and still meet your weight-loss goals — you’re learning to listen to your body and make smart decisions. Sweet!

To see Nadia’s first update, click here; her second, click here; her third, click here; her fourth, click here and/or her fifth, click here.

<3,

The Cranky One

Tags: balboa lake, fryman canyon, los angeles, outdoor workouts, places to work out, runyon canyon