I am currently raising funds for a donation to the Multiservice Eating Disorders Association of Boston. MEDA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating. MEDA's mission is to prevent the continuing spread of eating disorders through educational awareness and early detection. MEDA is not funded by the state and relies on donations and income from services to operate. Earlier this week, I posted about Jenni Schaefer's book, Life Without Ed. I'm giving you a chance to win this book and help raise money for MEDA at the same time! To enter, please make a donation by clicking on the paypal donation button here:
After you make a donation, leave a comment telling me you did so, tell your friends about the giveaway, and if you're on Twitter, please tweet about the MEDA fundraiser. I will pick a winner by random on Wednesday, March 3rd at noon. You have until then to enter. There's no set amount on what you have to donate, whatever you can do to help! I will be presenting the donation to my contact at MEDA later that week. Thank you for your support in this effort!
Showing newest 25 of 37 posts from February 2010. Show older posts
Showing newest 25 of 37 posts from February 2010. Show older posts
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
A Kitchen Success & Talking About Binge Eating Disorder
Hey y'all! How is your weekend going? I hope you're rockin' it out. I finally had kitchen success with spaghetti squash! A recipe I can believe in. Well, I wouldn't call it a recipe, but whatever. I just mixed a cup of spaghetti squash with one Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb wedge, stirred that sucker in and let it sit and thicken for about five minutes. Then I stirred in a spoonful of Greek yogurt. It was tangy, cheesy, sweet, and most importantly, delicious!
I grilled some broccoli and chicken in a pan with burnt marinara sauce. I only like marinara sauce if it's burnt to sh*t. Don't ask, it's a long story.
In other news, my face is still hurting me from my dental surgery. Just one side though, but it still sucks. Needless to say, Kashi GoLean Crunch is a no-go at the moment :(
I wanted to bring to your attention some facts about the most common, but least talked about eating disorder. When we think of someone suffering from an eating disorder, we usually think of someone suffering from anorexia or bulimia. It's not very often that we think of someone suffering from what is called binge eating disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, it's actually the most common eating disorder. Although it's not recognized as an official psychiatric condition, it's part of a recently proposed set of revisions to be included in the American Pychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders. If included, it could help sufferers get their insurance to pay for therapy. Let's hope it's included!
Some of the symptoms of binge eating disorder are:
Complications of binge eating disorder may come about from being overweight as a result of frequent bingeing. Other complications may occur because of unhealthy yo-yo dieting. Also, the food choices people make during their binges are often high in fat and low in protein and other nutrients, which could lead to health problems.
If you think you may be suffering from binge eating disorder, it's important to reach out and get help. You don't have to live your life this way! Make an appointment with your doctor, reach out to someone you trust to help you, or if you aren't ready to take that step quite yet, you can attend an Overeaters Anonymous meeting in your area. Start living your life free of ED!
Sources: Mayoclinic.com, helpguide.org, Overeaters Anonymous.
I grilled some broccoli and chicken in a pan with burnt marinara sauce. I only like marinara sauce if it's burnt to sh*t. Don't ask, it's a long story.
In other news, my face is still hurting me from my dental surgery. Just one side though, but it still sucks. Needless to say, Kashi GoLean Crunch is a no-go at the moment :(
I wanted to bring to your attention some facts about the most common, but least talked about eating disorder. When we think of someone suffering from an eating disorder, we usually think of someone suffering from anorexia or bulimia. It's not very often that we think of someone suffering from what is called binge eating disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, it's actually the most common eating disorder. Although it's not recognized as an official psychiatric condition, it's part of a recently proposed set of revisions to be included in the American Pychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders. If included, it could help sufferers get their insurance to pay for therapy. Let's hope it's included!
Some of the symptoms of binge eating disorder are:
- Eating large amounts of food
- Eating even when you're full
- Eating rapidly during binge episodes
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Frequent dieting, possibly without weight loss
- Frequently eating alone
- Feeling depressed, disgusted or upset about your eating
Complications of binge eating disorder may come about from being overweight as a result of frequent bingeing. Other complications may occur because of unhealthy yo-yo dieting. Also, the food choices people make during their binges are often high in fat and low in protein and other nutrients, which could lead to health problems.
If you think you may be suffering from binge eating disorder, it's important to reach out and get help. You don't have to live your life this way! Make an appointment with your doctor, reach out to someone you trust to help you, or if you aren't ready to take that step quite yet, you can attend an Overeaters Anonymous meeting in your area. Start living your life free of ED!
Sources: Mayoclinic.com, helpguide.org, Overeaters Anonymous.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Multiservice Eating Disorders Association Fundraiser - Donate And Win!
Thank you all for your supportive comments on my last post about my efforts to raise awareness about eating disorders and to help those suffering from eating disorders. I am currently raising funds for a donation to the Multiservice Eating Disorders Association of Boston. MEDA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating. MEDA's mission is to prevent the continuing spread of eating disorders through educational awareness and early detection. MEDA is not funded by the state and relies on donations and income from services to operate. Earlier this week, I posted about Jenni Schaefer's book, Life Without Ed. I'm giving you a chance to win this book and help raise money for MEDA at the same time! To enter, please make a donation by clicking on the paypal donation button here:
After you make a donation, leave a comment telling me you did so, tell your friends about the giveaway, and if you're on Twitter, please tweet about the MEDA fundraiser. I will pick a winner by random on Wednesday, March 3rd at noon. You have until then to enter. There's no set amount on what you have to donate, whatever you can do to help! I will be presenting the donation to my contact at MEDA later that week. Thank you for your support in this effort!
After you make a donation, leave a comment telling me you did so, tell your friends about the giveaway, and if you're on Twitter, please tweet about the MEDA fundraiser. I will pick a winner by random on Wednesday, March 3rd at noon. You have until then to enter. There's no set amount on what you have to donate, whatever you can do to help! I will be presenting the donation to my contact at MEDA later that week. Thank you for your support in this effort!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
NEDA Day 5- Being The Change I Wish To See In The World
Today is Day 5 of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week and a day to announce some big changes for MelissaNibbles. I've been stuck in a blog rut for quite some time now and was at the point where I just didn't want to continue writing it. I was beginning to feel like it was very narcissistic and boring to be writing about my daily workouts and eating plan. I mean, how many bowls of oatmeal can you look at? Especially if you read other healthy living blogs. We all eat the same things, do the same workouts, etc...I've also felt like I don't fit in very well with the healthy living blog world. It's a very supportive community and I've met a lot of wonderful people through it and received lots of free stuff from companies, but have struggled to really find my place in it.
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week has changed everything for me. Raising awareness for this important issue has always been important to me, but this week I received a lot of emails from women sharing their struggles with me, asking for advice, and thanking me for writing about the issues. I'm overwhelmed. You guys have helped me realize that THIS is what I want to use this site for. I want to raise awareness everyday, not just for a week and I want to do even more to help women and men out there suffering from eating disorders. This is my passion now! This is my place in the blog world and I have my readers to thank for helping me realize this. Also, the research I've done to create the content for this week's posts devastated me. I was a fool to think our society has been making strides in overcoming eating disorders, sadly things are only getting worse. Gandhi said that, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." This is my way of bringing change to eating disorder awareness and prevention.
So what does this mean for MelissaNibbles? There will still be the same posts with workouts, recipes, humor, etc...but from this point forward, any income earned from MelissaNibbles will be donated to the National Eating Disorders Association. I will no longer profit from this blog. Please click on the ad links on the sidebar as often as you can to help raise money for NEDA. That's not all! I will be having giveaways, auctions, bake sales, and running in races to raise money for eating disorder awareness. A few of the organizations I'll be raising money for are:
National Eating Disorders Association
Multiservice Eating Disorders Association
Walden Behavioral Care
Eating Disorders Coalition
The National Association For Males With Eating Disorders Inc
I'm still researching more to add to the list and if you have any suggestions, please email me. I hope you're as excited as I am about this!
My first fundraising effort is to raise money for the Multiservice Eating Disorders Association of Boston. MEDA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating. MEDA's mission is to prevent the continuing spread of eating disorders through educational awareness and early detection. MEDA is not funded by the state and relies on donations and income from services to operate. Earlier this week, I posted about Jenni Schaefer's book, Life Without Ed. I'm giving you a chance to win this book and help raise money for MEDA at the same time! To enter, please make a donation by clicking on the paypal donation button here:
After you make a donation, leave a comment telling me you did so, tell your friends about the giveaway, and if you're on Twitter, please tweet about the MEDA fundraiser. I will pick a winner by random on Wednesday, March 3rd at noon. You have until then to enter. There's no set amount on what you have to donate, whatever you can do to help! I will be presenting the donation to my contact at MEDA later that week. Thank you for your support in this effort!
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week has changed everything for me. Raising awareness for this important issue has always been important to me, but this week I received a lot of emails from women sharing their struggles with me, asking for advice, and thanking me for writing about the issues. I'm overwhelmed. You guys have helped me realize that THIS is what I want to use this site for. I want to raise awareness everyday, not just for a week and I want to do even more to help women and men out there suffering from eating disorders. This is my passion now! This is my place in the blog world and I have my readers to thank for helping me realize this. Also, the research I've done to create the content for this week's posts devastated me. I was a fool to think our society has been making strides in overcoming eating disorders, sadly things are only getting worse. Gandhi said that, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." This is my way of bringing change to eating disorder awareness and prevention.
So what does this mean for MelissaNibbles? There will still be the same posts with workouts, recipes, humor, etc...but from this point forward, any income earned from MelissaNibbles will be donated to the National Eating Disorders Association. I will no longer profit from this blog. Please click on the ad links on the sidebar as often as you can to help raise money for NEDA. That's not all! I will be having giveaways, auctions, bake sales, and running in races to raise money for eating disorder awareness. A few of the organizations I'll be raising money for are:
National Eating Disorders Association
Multiservice Eating Disorders Association
Walden Behavioral Care
Eating Disorders Coalition
The National Association For Males With Eating Disorders Inc
I'm still researching more to add to the list and if you have any suggestions, please email me. I hope you're as excited as I am about this!
My first fundraising effort is to raise money for the Multiservice Eating Disorders Association of Boston. MEDA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating. MEDA's mission is to prevent the continuing spread of eating disorders through educational awareness and early detection. MEDA is not funded by the state and relies on donations and income from services to operate. Earlier this week, I posted about Jenni Schaefer's book, Life Without Ed. I'm giving you a chance to win this book and help raise money for MEDA at the same time! To enter, please make a donation by clicking on the paypal donation button here:
After you make a donation, leave a comment telling me you did so, tell your friends about the giveaway, and if you're on Twitter, please tweet about the MEDA fundraiser. I will pick a winner by random on Wednesday, March 3rd at noon. You have until then to enter. There's no set amount on what you have to donate, whatever you can do to help! I will be presenting the donation to my contact at MEDA later that week. Thank you for your support in this effort!
Three Things Thursday
Hi friends! How are you today? I'm in a great mood. Can you tell? Even though it's raining outside today, it's all sunshine in my headpiece. I hope you're in good spirits too! I started my day today with a 30 minute booty blasting workout on the elliptical. I've done the elliptical twice in one week now! I hate the elliptical so this is quite a feat. I plan on finishing my day's workout with some strength training in my living room after work.
Today's breakfast was the usual pumpkin oats.
1/2 cup oats, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, raisins, chopped cacao chips.
It's Three Things Thursday! This week it was tough to pick three things because there are only three things getting on my nerves this week. Here we go:
1. Keep In Touch. I hate when people say this in person or in an email after you've contacted them. It was me that kept in touch you dork. Another version is, "Don't be a stranger!" F-you. When was the last time you called me or emailed me? If you wanted to talk to me, you'd go ahead and do it. You wouldn't wait until I reach out to you. From now on, when someone tells me to keep in touch or not to be a stranger, I'm going to reply: "Doubtful. Have a nice life jerkoff."
2. People Who Twitter or Facebook About Their Lack Of A Dating Life. I'm not on Facebook anymore, but when I was, it used to annoy the crap out of me when people would update their status with, "Why aren't there any good men out there?" "My crush just looked at me!" "Am I going to be lonely forever? When will my Prince Charming Save ME?!" Twitter is even worse. People who tweet for dating advice, to talk about hot guys, etc...need to reel that sh*t in. Seriously, THIS IS WHY YOUR SINGLE. You're a Desperate Debbie. No one wants to date someone who's putting that stuff out there and what are they going to think when they eventually read your Facebook or Twitter account? Grow up a bit and dial it down a notch.
3. Too Much Twitter. Hey, I'm not afraid to admit I'm just as bad as the girls I spoke about above. I've been on Twitter way too much this week. I'm embarrassed for myself. I thought the following was important info to get out into the masses: "Burberry Fall 2010 RTW Collection is killin' it!", "I wonder if CSPAN will show the Health Care Summit in 3D", "Robin Thicke is almost as hot as his dad." Yeah, I tweeted that crap! Oh, get a load of this gem: "I wish Supermarket Sweep was still on tv." No one needs to know what goes on in my brain. I'm going to reclaim my air of mystery and only tweet my blog updates for the rest of the week. Well, that's a lie because I'll probably take to the Twitter to make fun of Elisabeth Hasslebeck every now and then. I can't help it. Hey, at least I'm not Tweeting about where all the good men have gone or that some guy just looked at me ;)
What's bothering you this week?
*Check back tonight for an exciting announcement. BIG changes are coming to MelissaNibbles!
Today's breakfast was the usual pumpkin oats.
1/2 cup oats, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, raisins, chopped cacao chips.
It's Three Things Thursday! This week it was tough to pick three things because there are only three things getting on my nerves this week. Here we go:
1. Keep In Touch. I hate when people say this in person or in an email after you've contacted them. It was me that kept in touch you dork. Another version is, "Don't be a stranger!" F-you. When was the last time you called me or emailed me? If you wanted to talk to me, you'd go ahead and do it. You wouldn't wait until I reach out to you. From now on, when someone tells me to keep in touch or not to be a stranger, I'm going to reply: "Doubtful. Have a nice life jerkoff."
2. People Who Twitter or Facebook About Their Lack Of A Dating Life. I'm not on Facebook anymore, but when I was, it used to annoy the crap out of me when people would update their status with, "Why aren't there any good men out there?" "My crush just looked at me!" "Am I going to be lonely forever? When will my Prince Charming Save ME?!" Twitter is even worse. People who tweet for dating advice, to talk about hot guys, etc...need to reel that sh*t in. Seriously, THIS IS WHY YOUR SINGLE. You're a Desperate Debbie. No one wants to date someone who's putting that stuff out there and what are they going to think when they eventually read your Facebook or Twitter account? Grow up a bit and dial it down a notch.
3. Too Much Twitter. Hey, I'm not afraid to admit I'm just as bad as the girls I spoke about above. I've been on Twitter way too much this week. I'm embarrassed for myself. I thought the following was important info to get out into the masses: "Burberry Fall 2010 RTW Collection is killin' it!", "I wonder if CSPAN will show the Health Care Summit in 3D", "Robin Thicke is almost as hot as his dad." Yeah, I tweeted that crap! Oh, get a load of this gem: "I wish Supermarket Sweep was still on tv." No one needs to know what goes on in my brain. I'm going to reclaim my air of mystery and only tweet my blog updates for the rest of the week. Well, that's a lie because I'll probably take to the Twitter to make fun of Elisabeth Hasslebeck every now and then. I can't help it. Hey, at least I'm not Tweeting about where all the good men have gone or that some guy just looked at me ;)
What's bothering you this week?
*Check back tonight for an exciting announcement. BIG changes are coming to MelissaNibbles!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Slut Pasta
I wanted to try my hand at Spaghetti Puttanesca aka Whore's Spaghetti (Google it!), but I don't like tomato based pasta dishes and I didn't have capers or anchovies. Boo :(
I decided to put my own twist on the classic Italian recipe and came up with Slut Pasta. This is called slut pasta because it's cheap and easy.
Slut Pasta
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup black olives
1 container plain Greek yogurt
salt & pepper (about a tsp each)
Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Cook pasta according to directions, drain and return to pot (do not return to heat though). Add black olives, salt and pepper. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Add Greek yogurt, top with a sprinkle of parmesan and serve.
You can add chicken, tuna or even salmon to this dish for added protein. I had grilled chicken and a side of steamed broccoli with my pasta.
Buon appetito!
I decided to put my own twist on the classic Italian recipe and came up with Slut Pasta. This is called slut pasta because it's cheap and easy.
Slut Pasta
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup black olives
1 container plain Greek yogurt
salt & pepper (about a tsp each)
Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Cook pasta according to directions, drain and return to pot (do not return to heat though). Add black olives, salt and pepper. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Add Greek yogurt, top with a sprinkle of parmesan and serve.
You can add chicken, tuna or even salmon to this dish for added protein. I had grilled chicken and a side of steamed broccoli with my pasta.
Buon appetito!
Volume Dinners & NEDA Awareness Day 4
Happy Humpday my friends. Thank you all for stopping by Shelley's blog again and giving her your love and support.
I started my day today with a fun 5 mile run on the treadmill. It was fun because after I warmed up with a few minutes of walking, I ran intervals of 1 minute and 30 seconds at 7.2 then 30 seconds at 8.0. The intervals kept me from getting bored and made the time fly by.
Dinner last night was fun as well. I steamed a cup of broccoli slaw, mixed in a little marinara and served it over 1/2 cup of cottage cheese.
Carrot fries on the side! It looks like I'm on a carrot fry kick this week. I'm trying to make more of an effort to mix things up in the dinner department, but I couldn't resist repeating the carrot fries tonight. Not only was it delicious, but I could eat a huge portion! This dinner filled the entire plate for not a lot of calories. I enjoy high volume meals like that. I didn't feel too full afterwards and the protein in the cottage cheese did a great job of keeping me satiated until my bedtime snack.
Today's topic for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is about men and eating disorders. When you think of someone exercising for hours, counting calories, and staring obsessively at their thighs in the mirror how often do you picture a man? I'm willing to bet never. However, women aren't the only one's that suffer from eating disorders. According to a 2007 Harvard University study, in a population of nearly 3,000 adults, 25 percent of those with anorexia or bulimia and 40 percent of binge eaters were men. Eating disorders in men often go undetected and unreported because men are less likely to admit they have a problem as it's a disease associated with women and they fear they will seem unmanly. The study also says men are less likely than women to admit when they've lost control over something. Dennis Quaid, Daniel Johns, and Matt Damon are male celebrities that have admitted to having struggled with eating disorders (Dennis and Matt after losing weight for roles and Daniel dealt with being thrust into the celebrity spotlight at a young age by immersing himself in an eating disorder). Hopefully, these celebrities sharing their struggles will help other men deal with their own.
I started my day today with a fun 5 mile run on the treadmill. It was fun because after I warmed up with a few minutes of walking, I ran intervals of 1 minute and 30 seconds at 7.2 then 30 seconds at 8.0. The intervals kept me from getting bored and made the time fly by.
Dinner last night was fun as well. I steamed a cup of broccoli slaw, mixed in a little marinara and served it over 1/2 cup of cottage cheese.
Carrot fries on the side! It looks like I'm on a carrot fry kick this week. I'm trying to make more of an effort to mix things up in the dinner department, but I couldn't resist repeating the carrot fries tonight. Not only was it delicious, but I could eat a huge portion! This dinner filled the entire plate for not a lot of calories. I enjoy high volume meals like that. I didn't feel too full afterwards and the protein in the cottage cheese did a great job of keeping me satiated until my bedtime snack.
Today's topic for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is about men and eating disorders. When you think of someone exercising for hours, counting calories, and staring obsessively at their thighs in the mirror how often do you picture a man? I'm willing to bet never. However, women aren't the only one's that suffer from eating disorders. According to a 2007 Harvard University study, in a population of nearly 3,000 adults, 25 percent of those with anorexia or bulimia and 40 percent of binge eaters were men. Eating disorders in men often go undetected and unreported because men are less likely to admit they have a problem as it's a disease associated with women and they fear they will seem unmanly. The study also says men are less likely than women to admit when they've lost control over something. Dennis Quaid, Daniel Johns, and Matt Damon are male celebrities that have admitted to having struggled with eating disorders (Dennis and Matt after losing weight for roles and Daniel dealt with being thrust into the celebrity spotlight at a young age by immersing himself in an eating disorder). Hopefully, these celebrities sharing their struggles will help other men deal with their own.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
NEDA Awareness - A Real Wake Up Call
I had a post prepared for later on this evening for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, but received some news that is a real wake up call.
Yesterday, I asked you guys to head over to Shelley's blog to read about her amazing journey. Shelley lost a good friend that was with her in her outpatient program. Her friend, Brandi, passed away 2/20/10 from heart failure. This is the reality of eating disorders. Please visit Shelley's blog once again and offer her support and please, please do something today to spread the word on the dangers of eating disorders. Do not let Brandi's death be in vain.
Yesterday, I asked you guys to head over to Shelley's blog to read about her amazing journey. Shelley lost a good friend that was with her in her outpatient program. Her friend, Brandi, passed away 2/20/10 from heart failure. This is the reality of eating disorders. Please visit Shelley's blog once again and offer her support and please, please do something today to spread the word on the dangers of eating disorders. Do not let Brandi's death be in vain.
Monday, February 22, 2010
My Face Hurts And NEDA Awareness Day 2
Hi everyone. I hope you had a great start to the week. My day was okay. As usual, I started my day with a workout. I did a tough 20 minute interval routine on the elliptical trainer followed with a 5 minute cooldown walk on the treadmill. I hate the elliptical, but I like short workouts like that where you work hard and make the most of the time you have.
I went to work today, but left at noon. I emailed my boss, "My face hurts. I'm going home." He emailed back, "Okay, hang in there kid!" I almost went in and schooled him on the fact that I'm not a kid and that it's degrading to say that to a woman in the workplace. I decided to save it for next time. I just wanted to go home and didn't feel like having that discussion with him again. My face wasn't up to it.
When I got home I took some of my fancy painkillers, settled into bed and watched "Labyrinth" on my laptop. David Bowie is so HOT in that movie. It's my favorite movie and it was even better being all drugged up. I snacked on a wrap filled with bananas and White Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter in bed.
Not the best idea I've had. I could eat it just fine, but I was drooling all over myself and laughing at the movie. It was a messy meal. Tasted good though.
In the spirit of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I would like to guide you to a guest post that appeared on my blog a while back. This post was a guest post from Shelley at Finding Happiness And Health Please take the time to reread her guest post and visit her blog. Shelley's positive attitude, kind heart, and humor are what made her blog one of my favorites. Her strength and determination to beat ED makes her an inspiration.
I'm off to do some strength training in my living room and then make dinner. It's sweet potato night! Enjoy your evening!
I went to work today, but left at noon. I emailed my boss, "My face hurts. I'm going home." He emailed back, "Okay, hang in there kid!" I almost went in and schooled him on the fact that I'm not a kid and that it's degrading to say that to a woman in the workplace. I decided to save it for next time. I just wanted to go home and didn't feel like having that discussion with him again. My face wasn't up to it.
When I got home I took some of my fancy painkillers, settled into bed and watched "Labyrinth" on my laptop. David Bowie is so HOT in that movie. It's my favorite movie and it was even better being all drugged up. I snacked on a wrap filled with bananas and White Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter in bed.
Not the best idea I've had. I could eat it just fine, but I was drooling all over myself and laughing at the movie. It was a messy meal. Tasted good though.
In the spirit of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I would like to guide you to a guest post that appeared on my blog a while back. This post was a guest post from Shelley at Finding Happiness And Health Please take the time to reread her guest post and visit her blog. Shelley's positive attitude, kind heart, and humor are what made her blog one of my favorites. Her strength and determination to beat ED makes her an inspiration.
I'm off to do some strength training in my living room and then make dinner. It's sweet potato night! Enjoy your evening!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
NEDA
Hi everyone! I hope you had a fabulous weekend. I feel like I didn't really have a weekend, but that's okay, there are many more weekends ahead. Thanks for your support on my last post. It's funny how the anonymous people suddenly have nothing to say huh? To those of you who emailed me sharing your own stories of family/relationship problems and asking for advice, I'm not sure if I'm the right person to give advice, but I can relate and give you support with the issues you're going through. Thank you and I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to respond to your emails. I will definitely get back to you tomorrow morning.
I was excited to get back into my workout this morning. I took it easy and just did a slow and steady four miles on the treadmill. I didn't feel any pain in my face or mouth. I seem to be healing well. I continued eating mush all day. Check out my dinner:
1/2 cup cottage cheese topped with 1 cup of broccoli, cauliflower, portobello mushrooms, and marinara sauce. I had carrot fries on the side. It was kind of an unusual combination, but it was darn good!
Today marks the beginning of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. NEDA is an organization that provides education, resources, and support to those affected by eating disorders. They use this week to raise awareness of eating disorders and to get people talking about this very important issue. There are a lot of things we can do everyday to get people talking. To do my part today, I'd like to direct you to the website of author Jenni Schaefer. Her book, "Life Without Ed", is one of my favorite books that deals with the subject of eating disorders. Jenni not only shares her own struggle, but compares it to an abusive boyfriend that she had to break free of. She offers advice along with humor on how to overcome an eating disorder. Please check out her website and her book. I hope it can help some of you in your struggle or help you relate to someone that may be struggling.
Have a great night!
I was excited to get back into my workout this morning. I took it easy and just did a slow and steady four miles on the treadmill. I didn't feel any pain in my face or mouth. I seem to be healing well. I continued eating mush all day. Check out my dinner:
1/2 cup cottage cheese topped with 1 cup of broccoli, cauliflower, portobello mushrooms, and marinara sauce. I had carrot fries on the side. It was kind of an unusual combination, but it was darn good!
Today marks the beginning of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. NEDA is an organization that provides education, resources, and support to those affected by eating disorders. They use this week to raise awareness of eating disorders and to get people talking about this very important issue. There are a lot of things we can do everyday to get people talking. To do my part today, I'd like to direct you to the website of author Jenni Schaefer. Her book, "Life Without Ed", is one of my favorite books that deals with the subject of eating disorders. Jenni not only shares her own struggle, but compares it to an abusive boyfriend that she had to break free of. She offers advice along with humor on how to overcome an eating disorder. Please check out her website and her book. I hope it can help some of you in your struggle or help you relate to someone that may be struggling.
Have a great night!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Gym Tour!
Hi everyone. I hope you're having a fun weekend. Thanks again for your well wishes about my surgery. I'm glad you guys got a kick out of my dragon slaying story. Unfortunately, I didn't dream about him again last night. I'm planning on hooking up that goat cheese pizza soon though. I'm definitely craving it. That and sushi :)
I received a few anonymous comments (that I deleted) and a couple of emails from people asking why I seemed shocked that Christian drove me to and from my surgery and some people anonymously asked if he was an asshole who doesn't know how to take care of me. First of all, he doesn't need to take care of me and thanking him has nothing to do with him being any sort of jerk. I was very grateful because, like I said, he's swamped at work this week. I don't have a huge group of friends and at this point, most of them live out of state. My family lives close by, but they aren't people I can count on or rely on. The last time I talked to them was on Christmas day when they called me for two minutes before they hopped in the shower. They keep saying they'll try harder to be a part of my life, but it never happens. At this point, it's easier for me not to reach out to them for anything anymore. It's heartbreaking to keep trying just to be let down. I've found that if I don't try and don't have any expectations, I'm much happier and can't be let down anymore. It's their loss, not mine. It's been that way my whole life and I find it very hard to let people in and to trust people. I've worked really hard on changing that about myself. A couple of years ago, I dated a guy who was very good to me and I ruined it. I was constantly testing him, pushing him away, and making him prove that he cared about me. I broke up with him over something really silly and said hurtful things to him just to push him away further. When I tried to make things right, it was too late. It was a huge reality check and I learned never to treat someone that way again. I slip up now and then, but I really appreciate the friends and people that matter most to me in my life. As far as relationships, I don't need someone to buy me things, take me out to fancy dinners, buy me a house, or any of that stuff. Having someone there that I can trust and rely on means more to me than anything else because I haven't had many family, friendships or relationships in my life where I could truly trust and know that person would be there for me. Sorry to go on and on, but I was sad that people would get the impression that he treated me horribly or is a jerk. Christian is one of the kindest, patient people I know and I'm grateful that he's there and can be counted on. So, that's that.
I didn't eat anything noteworthy today, just mush. I'm hoping to have a more substantial dinner though. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I thought it would be fun to share with you guys where I go when I'm up in the gym, workin' on my fitness. I have a membership to a regular gym in town, but only go there for aerobics classes. I've had the same membership since high school and the price has been locked in since 1997. It's quite the deal so I've kept the membership so I can save money on my health insurance. Most days, I workout in my apartment complex's gym. It's included in the rent and a 30 second drive up the hill. Very convenient! Check it out:
I think it's a nice gym for being in an apartment complex. It has all the bases covered. I hope you enjoyed the tour and don't forget to tip your guide!
I received a few anonymous comments (that I deleted) and a couple of emails from people asking why I seemed shocked that Christian drove me to and from my surgery and some people anonymously asked if he was an asshole who doesn't know how to take care of me. First of all, he doesn't need to take care of me and thanking him has nothing to do with him being any sort of jerk. I was very grateful because, like I said, he's swamped at work this week. I don't have a huge group of friends and at this point, most of them live out of state. My family lives close by, but they aren't people I can count on or rely on. The last time I talked to them was on Christmas day when they called me for two minutes before they hopped in the shower. They keep saying they'll try harder to be a part of my life, but it never happens. At this point, it's easier for me not to reach out to them for anything anymore. It's heartbreaking to keep trying just to be let down. I've found that if I don't try and don't have any expectations, I'm much happier and can't be let down anymore. It's their loss, not mine. It's been that way my whole life and I find it very hard to let people in and to trust people. I've worked really hard on changing that about myself. A couple of years ago, I dated a guy who was very good to me and I ruined it. I was constantly testing him, pushing him away, and making him prove that he cared about me. I broke up with him over something really silly and said hurtful things to him just to push him away further. When I tried to make things right, it was too late. It was a huge reality check and I learned never to treat someone that way again. I slip up now and then, but I really appreciate the friends and people that matter most to me in my life. As far as relationships, I don't need someone to buy me things, take me out to fancy dinners, buy me a house, or any of that stuff. Having someone there that I can trust and rely on means more to me than anything else because I haven't had many family, friendships or relationships in my life where I could truly trust and know that person would be there for me. Sorry to go on and on, but I was sad that people would get the impression that he treated me horribly or is a jerk. Christian is one of the kindest, patient people I know and I'm grateful that he's there and can be counted on. So, that's that.
I didn't eat anything noteworthy today, just mush. I'm hoping to have a more substantial dinner though. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I thought it would be fun to share with you guys where I go when I'm up in the gym, workin' on my fitness. I have a membership to a regular gym in town, but only go there for aerobics classes. I've had the same membership since high school and the price has been locked in since 1997. It's quite the deal so I've kept the membership so I can save money on my health insurance. Most days, I workout in my apartment complex's gym. It's included in the rent and a 30 second drive up the hill. Very convenient! Check it out:
Lots of free weights
Strength Training Pulley Tower
Benches and leg/back machine
Another leg machine
Cardio Row
I think it's a nice gym for being in an apartment complex. It has all the bases covered. I hope you enjoyed the tour and don't forget to tip your guide!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Comfortably Numb
Thank you for your comments and emails wishing me well during my surgery. Y'all are too kind! Really, it helped relieve the stress I had about it. Thank you!
I was able to sleep until 6:30 this morning. I'm glad my body cooperated with the alarm clock and didn't wake up on it's on at 4:30 like it always does. It would've been torture to have to sit around and not eat or drink anything. I woke up stretched, showered, and was out the door. I had a monster headache on the way there and wasn't my usual chatty self. I'm always super chatty in the morning, to the point where it's annoying! If I don't have my coffee, I'm a completely different person. Christian was kind enough to bring me to surgery. This is a very busy time at work for him and my surgery was very bad timing. I really appreciate that he took a few hours off to help me. I know it was difficult for him to do so thanks Christian! The entire procedure, start to finish, was probably about 2 hours. After checking in and waiting about 10 minutes, they took me in, hooked me up to an IV and I was out. I had a dream about slaying a dragon for a goat cheese pizza and then I woke up. Any dream interpreters out there, interpret that and holla at me!! I felt like I was drunk when I came to. The nurses were walking me to the recovery area and I was laughing and going, "Goat cheese PIIIZZAAAA!" "Goat cheese PIIIZZAAA!" Then I fell asleep against the wall. Christian tried talking to me, but I think I just kept going on about dragons and goat cheese pizza. When he dropped me off at the apartment, I was excited to have my drugs!
Weee! Drugs!
Dinner tonight was a gourmet plate of mush.
Half a roasted acorn squash, portabella mushrooms sauteed with spinach and tomato in balsamic, and steamed brussels sprouts. I had difficulty chewing the brussels, but was happy to be able to eat a full dinner.
The right side of my face is starting to swell, but my lip is starting to go down. I already have full lips, but I kind of like them even fuller. Don't worry, I won't be getting injections anytime soon. I'd do my boobies first. Okay, I'm logging off now because the pills are doing the typing at this point. I feel like Paula Abdul all hopped up! Clap clap clap! Good night!
I was able to sleep until 6:30 this morning. I'm glad my body cooperated with the alarm clock and didn't wake up on it's on at 4:30 like it always does. It would've been torture to have to sit around and not eat or drink anything. I woke up stretched, showered, and was out the door. I had a monster headache on the way there and wasn't my usual chatty self. I'm always super chatty in the morning, to the point where it's annoying! If I don't have my coffee, I'm a completely different person. Christian was kind enough to bring me to surgery. This is a very busy time at work for him and my surgery was very bad timing. I really appreciate that he took a few hours off to help me. I know it was difficult for him to do so thanks Christian! The entire procedure, start to finish, was probably about 2 hours. After checking in and waiting about 10 minutes, they took me in, hooked me up to an IV and I was out. I had a dream about slaying a dragon for a goat cheese pizza and then I woke up. Any dream interpreters out there, interpret that and holla at me!! I felt like I was drunk when I came to. The nurses were walking me to the recovery area and I was laughing and going, "Goat cheese PIIIZZAAAA!" "Goat cheese PIIIZZAAA!" Then I fell asleep against the wall. Christian tried talking to me, but I think I just kept going on about dragons and goat cheese pizza. When he dropped me off at the apartment, I was excited to have my drugs!
Weee! Drugs!
Half a roasted acorn squash, portabella mushrooms sauteed with spinach and tomato in balsamic, and steamed brussels sprouts. I had difficulty chewing the brussels, but was happy to be able to eat a full dinner.
The right side of my face is starting to swell, but my lip is starting to go down. I already have full lips, but I kind of like them even fuller. Don't worry, I won't be getting injections anytime soon. I'd do my boobies first. Okay, I'm logging off now because the pills are doing the typing at this point. I feel like Paula Abdul all hopped up! Clap clap clap! Good night!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Splinted
Howdy folks! It felt like Friday all day today because it is my Friday! Yay! I went to work late this morning because of a dentist appointment, so my day was even better. I hope you had a great day as well.
At my dentist appointment, I picked up my new dental splint. It's a pretty funny looking contraption. Check it out:
That is HOT. I need to wear it all day and at night for 6 weeks, then only at night after that. It will correct my bite and relieve tension in my temporomandibular joint. Hopefully relieving some of my neck and shoulder pain. We shall see!
After my appointment, I came home and made a quick lunch of leftover roasted vegetables, 1/2 cup of brown rice, and 2 tbs of Babbah Gannoush (sp?).
It was a delicious lunch and a welcome change to my usual wrap or salad. I think it's going to be fun coming up with different lunches to get my healthy fats. YUM! Later in the day I had a vanilla Chobani with almonds and Kashi GoLean Crunch, but I didn't take a picture of that.
I have oral surgery tomorrow morning at 7:45 and can't eat or drink anything for 6 hours before. It's going to be difficult to wake up and not guzzle water. I'm always dehydrated in the morning. I'm nervous I'll forget. I even took the extra step of making a hydrating dinner. Of course all foods contain water, but foods like vegetables and meats have a higher water content than grains or soups high in sodium. I decided to make broccoli slaw with baked chicken.
Yum! I mixed a little tomato sauce and plain Greek yogurt in with the slaw and made baked chicken stuffed with Laughing Cow and pickles. Yum!
Well, I'm off to watch a few episodes of The Wire and probably eat another snackie before bed. I'm nervous about this surgery tomorrow. I've never even had a cavity so I don't know what to expect in terms of pain or healing time. I'm sure I'm making much a do about nothing, but I'm scared....waaaah!!!! *said in Snooki's voice*
At my dentist appointment, I picked up my new dental splint. It's a pretty funny looking contraption. Check it out:
That is HOT. I need to wear it all day and at night for 6 weeks, then only at night after that. It will correct my bite and relieve tension in my temporomandibular joint. Hopefully relieving some of my neck and shoulder pain. We shall see!
After my appointment, I came home and made a quick lunch of leftover roasted vegetables, 1/2 cup of brown rice, and 2 tbs of Babbah Gannoush (sp?).
It was a delicious lunch and a welcome change to my usual wrap or salad. I think it's going to be fun coming up with different lunches to get my healthy fats. YUM! Later in the day I had a vanilla Chobani with almonds and Kashi GoLean Crunch, but I didn't take a picture of that.
I have oral surgery tomorrow morning at 7:45 and can't eat or drink anything for 6 hours before. It's going to be difficult to wake up and not guzzle water. I'm always dehydrated in the morning. I'm nervous I'll forget. I even took the extra step of making a hydrating dinner. Of course all foods contain water, but foods like vegetables and meats have a higher water content than grains or soups high in sodium. I decided to make broccoli slaw with baked chicken.
Yum! I mixed a little tomato sauce and plain Greek yogurt in with the slaw and made baked chicken stuffed with Laughing Cow and pickles. Yum!
Well, I'm off to watch a few episodes of The Wire and probably eat another snackie before bed. I'm nervous about this surgery tomorrow. I've never even had a cavity so I don't know what to expect in terms of pain or healing time. I'm sure I'm making much a do about nothing, but I'm scared....waaaah!!!! *said in Snooki's voice*
Three Things Thursday
Good morning friends! I hope the day is treating you well. I started my day with a 45 minute interval jaunt on the treadmill followed with some abs and stretching. For breakfast, I made something different....what?! No pumpkin oats today. I mixed 1/3 cup oats with a vanilla Chobani, added some cinnamon, bananas, and chocolate chips.
Please excuse the tupperware. It was delicious, kind of tasted like cookies and cream ice cream...with oats haha! I used to make this often, I'm not sure why I stopped. The pumpkin oats had me hooked I guess.
Today is Thursday and you know what that means. Three Things Thursday! If you're new to the blog, let me explain. I'm not a person who likes to go around complaining all the time and you certainly don't want to read that. However, everyone has things that drive them crazy during the week so I take this one day to vent my frustrations and then it's your turn in the comments. Okay, here we go!
1. People Who Don't Do Their Jobs. You might surprised I'm annoyed by this seeing as it seems like I don't do very much work at work. Well, that's not true. I do my job, do it well, but there just isn't a ton of actual work that I have to do during the day and the majority of the day is waiting for people to get back to me with their part of the project or waiting for them to sign off on it. My file clerk is a different story. This woman works 4 hours, 4 days a week and her only job is to file. If she finishes all her work before her time to go home, I let her go home and pay her for the full day. Well, yesterday, I walked into the file room in the basement and there were just stacks and stacks of manilla folders from floor to ceiling. I ran back upstairs and she was sitting in her office filing her nails. When I asked her about the files, she said she just hadn't gotten to them yet. WHAT?! I asked her what she had been doing, if someone gave her another project to work on? She says, no. I told her to get the filing done by tomorrow afternoon and she rolls her eyes at me. This woman is in her late 60's! I don't condone violence, but I wanted to punch her in the face. I knew she couldn't do it all by herself so I sent an intern to help her. I check back an hour later and the intern is the only one in there. I found her in her office drinking tea and eating a scone. I was SO pissed. I sent her home and told her not to put the hours on her timesheet because I wasn't paying her for it. She got all teary and started apologizing and I just walked away. Like I said yesterday, DO NOT CRY AT WORK. Especially if your 60 years old. I won't feel bad for you and if you're in an entry level position, I will NEVER look at you the same again and it'll always be in the back of my mind when you're up for a promotion. I don't want people on my team who can't keep their emotions in check. Anyway, the intern ended up getting all the filing done by 4pm. I felt bad for her since she doesn't get paid or anything so I used petty cash and bought her a gift certificate to the restaurant across the street. It's not the greatest restaurant, but at least it's something. You may ask why I didn't notice that the filing wasn't done. Well, the way it works at my job is as long as you do your job, people leave you alone, you can leave early if you need to, run errands if you need to, etc...as long as your work is done. We've never had a problem before and no one wants to run around micromanaging each other. Now I have to I guess. Do your damn job lady!
2. Health Insurance. Health insurance in America sucks. I pay out of my paycheck every week for health and dental. You would think that it would cover more than $400 a year for dental considering I pay $50 a week for it. That's a lot more than $400 a year...am I wrong? It's bull. Obama better drop the hammer and get this mess straightened out soon. I'm in the poor house!
2. Ask Me Anything. Don't get me wrong, I like the ask me anything thing that a lot of other blogger's are doing. It's fun learning about bloggers and their lives. However, I don't understand why you would be surprised that when you let people ask you ANONYMOUS questions, they ask personal or rude questions. You're opening yourself up to people on the internet to ask you ANYTHING. Of course they're going to be assholes. You just opened the door for trolls to walk in. Hello!! And come on, admit it, you just wanted to see what rude questions you'd be asked.
What's up your craw this week?
Please excuse the tupperware. It was delicious, kind of tasted like cookies and cream ice cream...with oats haha! I used to make this often, I'm not sure why I stopped. The pumpkin oats had me hooked I guess.
Today is Thursday and you know what that means. Three Things Thursday! If you're new to the blog, let me explain. I'm not a person who likes to go around complaining all the time and you certainly don't want to read that. However, everyone has things that drive them crazy during the week so I take this one day to vent my frustrations and then it's your turn in the comments. Okay, here we go!
1. People Who Don't Do Their Jobs. You might surprised I'm annoyed by this seeing as it seems like I don't do very much work at work. Well, that's not true. I do my job, do it well, but there just isn't a ton of actual work that I have to do during the day and the majority of the day is waiting for people to get back to me with their part of the project or waiting for them to sign off on it. My file clerk is a different story. This woman works 4 hours, 4 days a week and her only job is to file. If she finishes all her work before her time to go home, I let her go home and pay her for the full day. Well, yesterday, I walked into the file room in the basement and there were just stacks and stacks of manilla folders from floor to ceiling. I ran back upstairs and she was sitting in her office filing her nails. When I asked her about the files, she said she just hadn't gotten to them yet. WHAT?! I asked her what she had been doing, if someone gave her another project to work on? She says, no. I told her to get the filing done by tomorrow afternoon and she rolls her eyes at me. This woman is in her late 60's! I don't condone violence, but I wanted to punch her in the face. I knew she couldn't do it all by herself so I sent an intern to help her. I check back an hour later and the intern is the only one in there. I found her in her office drinking tea and eating a scone. I was SO pissed. I sent her home and told her not to put the hours on her timesheet because I wasn't paying her for it. She got all teary and started apologizing and I just walked away. Like I said yesterday, DO NOT CRY AT WORK. Especially if your 60 years old. I won't feel bad for you and if you're in an entry level position, I will NEVER look at you the same again and it'll always be in the back of my mind when you're up for a promotion. I don't want people on my team who can't keep their emotions in check. Anyway, the intern ended up getting all the filing done by 4pm. I felt bad for her since she doesn't get paid or anything so I used petty cash and bought her a gift certificate to the restaurant across the street. It's not the greatest restaurant, but at least it's something. You may ask why I didn't notice that the filing wasn't done. Well, the way it works at my job is as long as you do your job, people leave you alone, you can leave early if you need to, run errands if you need to, etc...as long as your work is done. We've never had a problem before and no one wants to run around micromanaging each other. Now I have to I guess. Do your damn job lady!
2. Health Insurance. Health insurance in America sucks. I pay out of my paycheck every week for health and dental. You would think that it would cover more than $400 a year for dental considering I pay $50 a week for it. That's a lot more than $400 a year...am I wrong? It's bull. Obama better drop the hammer and get this mess straightened out soon. I'm in the poor house!
2. Ask Me Anything. Don't get me wrong, I like the ask me anything thing that a lot of other blogger's are doing. It's fun learning about bloggers and their lives. However, I don't understand why you would be surprised that when you let people ask you ANONYMOUS questions, they ask personal or rude questions. You're opening yourself up to people on the internet to ask you ANYTHING. Of course they're going to be assholes. You just opened the door for trolls to walk in. Hello!! And come on, admit it, you just wanted to see what rude questions you'd be asked.
What's up your craw this week?
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tea Time!
Hi everyone. I hope your day went well. Thanks for your encouragement on my strength training progress. It means a lot to have my readers in my corner and supporting me. While it can be frustrating, it's still a little fun figuring out what works and doesn't work for your body when it comes to strength training. I think this experience will help me relate to my clients once I'm done with school and am a certified personal trainer.
Something I know that does work for my body (at least my tastebuds) was tonight's dinner.
A simple turkey wrap on a whole wheat tortilla and carrot fries. I filled the wrap with turkey, pickles, grilled mushrooms, spinach, and a Garlic & Herb Laughing Cow. I was starving and this hit the spot quick!
Yesterday, I told you about my new favorite tea. A few of you had mentioned that you'd be interested in trying it for yourself. Great news! Erin from Teekanne contacted me and wanted me to let you guys know that for a limited time, Teekanne is offering a FREE sample of herbal wellness tea to anyone who joins the Teekanne "Wellness Community." All you have to do is visit www.teekanne.us.com/whatsnew.aspx and enter the promo code: HEALTH to receive your free sample! You can also visit www.favoritetea.com for a chance to win a wellness weekend in Vegas baby! Go get your free tea!
I just asked Christian what he's giving up for Lent, he didn't even look in my direction and deadpanned, "I'm giving up Lent for Lent." I burst out laughing. I'm probably going to hell for laughing so hard. Have a great night!
Something I know that does work for my body (at least my tastebuds) was tonight's dinner.
A simple turkey wrap on a whole wheat tortilla and carrot fries. I filled the wrap with turkey, pickles, grilled mushrooms, spinach, and a Garlic & Herb Laughing Cow. I was starving and this hit the spot quick!
Yesterday, I told you about my new favorite tea. A few of you had mentioned that you'd be interested in trying it for yourself. Great news! Erin from Teekanne contacted me and wanted me to let you guys know that for a limited time, Teekanne is offering a FREE sample of herbal wellness tea to anyone who joins the Teekanne "Wellness Community." All you have to do is visit www.teekanne.us.com/whatsnew.aspx and enter the promo code: HEALTH to receive your free sample! You can also visit www.favoritetea.com for a chance to win a wellness weekend in Vegas baby! Go get your free tea!
I just asked Christian what he's giving up for Lent, he didn't even look in my direction and deadpanned, "I'm giving up Lent for Lent." I burst out laughing. I'm probably going to hell for laughing so hard. Have a great night!
Strength Training Update
Hey guys! Happy Wednesday to you all. I hope your week is going by fast. This morning I began my day with a strength training workout followed with 20 minutes of interval running on the treadmill.
My strength training routine today went as follows:
As you know, I began a strength training program about a month ago in an effort to gain some muscle weight, improve my strength, and add some feminine curves to my body. The time has come for an update! Unfortunately, I'm not very happy with the results at this point. I've actually lost more weight and I'm not sure why. I've cut back on my cardio and added more calories to my diet, so I'm having trouble figuring out where I went wrong. After emailing with a few friends that are personal trainers, I came up with a new plan of attack for the next four weeks of my plan. At the end of the four weeks, we'll see where I stand and adjust from there. It's difficult to figure out exactly what our bodies need and how they'll react to certain changes. It's never an exact science and everyone is different. Over the next four weeks, these are the changes I'll be making to my plan:
Training: For strength training, I've been doing a full body workout with high reps low weights. That's great for toning, but to add mass, I need to lift heavier. My new plan is broken up into a split routine with one day focusing on bi's, back, legs and the other on shoulders, tri's, and chest. I'll be lifting heavy weights with low reps to build muscle.
Food: Rather than just eat more in order to gain weight, I'll be adding more healthy fats to my diet. For example, mixing tuna with hummus instead of plain Greek yogurt, using hummus in turkey wraps instead of mustard, adding almonds to my yogurt along with the cereal, replacing fat free cottage cheese with 2%, etc...I could easily just drink a protein shake, but I just don't like them. I hate the gritty aftertaste and just can't get into them at all. I prefer to eat whole foods. Some people like protein shakes, there's nothing wrong with them, but I just can't stomach them. I'm also going to try to eat more on the weekends. I'm never hungry on the weekends for some reason. Even at dinner! I don't know if it's because I wake up later or what, but I really need to eat more on the weekends. Maybe a dapper gentleman will take me for an ice cream sundae!
I'm hoping these small changes will make a difference over the next four weeks. I'm going to be honest here and say that I've been feeling kind of down over this. I don't feel attractive in my own skin and I've been working hard at trying to gain weight. It's very frustrating not fitting into my clothes. I hope the next four weeks bring better results.
How are your training plans or resolutions going?
My strength training routine today went as follows:
- Bicep Curls: 5lbs 15reps, 8lbs 12 reps, 12lbs 10 reps.
- Overhead Press: 3lbs 12 reps, 5lbs 10 reps, 8lbs 8 reps.
- Hammer Curls: 5lbs 12 reps, 8lbs 10 reps, 12lbs 8 reps.
- Pulldowns: 12 reps 30lbs, 10reps 35lbs, 8 reps 40lbs
- Cable Bicep Curls With Rope: 12 reps 10lbs, 10 reps 20lbs, 8 reps 25lbs
- Abdominal circuit of crunches, stability ball crunches, and planks (20 reps and 1 minute plank done as a circuit twice).
As you know, I began a strength training program about a month ago in an effort to gain some muscle weight, improve my strength, and add some feminine curves to my body. The time has come for an update! Unfortunately, I'm not very happy with the results at this point. I've actually lost more weight and I'm not sure why. I've cut back on my cardio and added more calories to my diet, so I'm having trouble figuring out where I went wrong. After emailing with a few friends that are personal trainers, I came up with a new plan of attack for the next four weeks of my plan. At the end of the four weeks, we'll see where I stand and adjust from there. It's difficult to figure out exactly what our bodies need and how they'll react to certain changes. It's never an exact science and everyone is different. Over the next four weeks, these are the changes I'll be making to my plan:Training: For strength training, I've been doing a full body workout with high reps low weights. That's great for toning, but to add mass, I need to lift heavier. My new plan is broken up into a split routine with one day focusing on bi's, back, legs and the other on shoulders, tri's, and chest. I'll be lifting heavy weights with low reps to build muscle.
Food: Rather than just eat more in order to gain weight, I'll be adding more healthy fats to my diet. For example, mixing tuna with hummus instead of plain Greek yogurt, using hummus in turkey wraps instead of mustard, adding almonds to my yogurt along with the cereal, replacing fat free cottage cheese with 2%, etc...I could easily just drink a protein shake, but I just don't like them. I hate the gritty aftertaste and just can't get into them at all. I prefer to eat whole foods. Some people like protein shakes, there's nothing wrong with them, but I just can't stomach them. I'm also going to try to eat more on the weekends. I'm never hungry on the weekends for some reason. Even at dinner! I don't know if it's because I wake up later or what, but I really need to eat more on the weekends. Maybe a dapper gentleman will take me for an ice cream sundae!
I'm hoping these small changes will make a difference over the next four weeks. I'm going to be honest here and say that I've been feeling kind of down over this. I don't feel attractive in my own skin and I've been working hard at trying to gain weight. It's very frustrating not fitting into my clothes. I hope the next four weeks bring better results.
How are your training plans or resolutions going?
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Fashion Week!
I was overwhelmed with your comments on my last post. It was a great discussion and I read and reread every one of your comments. Thank you to those of you who opened up and shared your own struggles with dieting, food judgments, and weight maintenance. I wish this were a topic that was discussed more openly in the real world. I think one thing we all agreed on is that the meaning of the word "diet" has been changed by media and society in general to be something bad. I hope that by having discussions like this, we can turn that around.
I had a busy morning at work, but the afternoon was kind of slow and I fell asleep on my desk! It wasn't for a long time, but I was out like a light. I hope I'm not getting sick because I'm having that tooth yanked out of my head on Friday morning and I don't want to be all sick during the surgery. I can't wait to have these teeth yanked. Is that weird?
I wanted to make sure I had some yummy broccoli slaw "pasta" before Friday because I don't think it'd be the best thing to eat after my surgery because the slaw can sometimes get stuck in your teeth. I whipped up some slaw "pasta" for dinner tonight.
2 cups broccoli slaw steamed and mixed with 2 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt and topped with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. I served the slaw "pasta" with honey mustard bbq chicken and a side of peas.
Have you guys been following Fashion Week at all? I love New York Fashion Week! I love the clothes, the designers, the celebrities, everything! I check WWD everyday all day to see pics from the shows after they happen. My favorite so far has been Badgley Mischka. I've always loved their looks. They're always glam, beautiful, and like something every woman could wear. Check out the amazing Fall 2010 Collection. I plan on wearing this to the next blogger meetup. And tell my lawyer to put it in my will that I'll be buried inthis.
I had a busy morning at work, but the afternoon was kind of slow and I fell asleep on my desk! It wasn't for a long time, but I was out like a light. I hope I'm not getting sick because I'm having that tooth yanked out of my head on Friday morning and I don't want to be all sick during the surgery. I can't wait to have these teeth yanked. Is that weird?
I wanted to make sure I had some yummy broccoli slaw "pasta" before Friday because I don't think it'd be the best thing to eat after my surgery because the slaw can sometimes get stuck in your teeth. I whipped up some slaw "pasta" for dinner tonight.
2 cups broccoli slaw steamed and mixed with 2 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt and topped with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. I served the slaw "pasta" with honey mustard bbq chicken and a side of peas.
Have you guys been following Fashion Week at all? I love New York Fashion Week! I love the clothes, the designers, the celebrities, everything! I check WWD everyday all day to see pics from the shows after they happen. My favorite so far has been Badgley Mischka. I've always loved their looks. They're always glam, beautiful, and like something every woman could wear. Check out the amazing Fall 2010 Collection. I plan on wearing this to the next blogger meetup. And tell my lawyer to put it in my will that I'll be buried inthis.
Stop Dieting, Start Living?
Good morning! Back to work for me today. Boo! I woke up this morning determined to have a better run than yesterday. It didn't happen though. I was feeling sluggish the whole time so I stayed at a slow and steady pace and finished 4 miles. It definitely wasn't a record time, but I'm happy that I got my workout in. Some weeks are just off I guess.
I refueled with the usual pumpkin oats. I'm still not sick of this!
1/2 cup oats, 1/4 cup fat free cottage cheese, 1/4 pumpkin, cacao chips, raisins, pumpkin pie spice. I ate it while watching last night's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashian's. Scott was druuuunk! Loved it.
Good news everyone! After months of searching, I finally found a tea I like! Can you believe it? It's Teekanne Honey Vanilla Bliss.
It's not as sweet as I would like, but then again, I want something that tastes like I'm pouring frosting down my throat. The tea is very smooth and not spicy. I don't like spicy teas. Every vanilla tea I've tried before has had a bit of spice to it or tasted nothing like vanilla. This tea is awesome. I found it at Shaw's so I assume it's available in all major grocery stores. Check it out!
I saw a commercial last night for Weight Watchers (I think it was for them, not 100% positive though) where the tagline was, "Stop dieting, start living." I said to myself, "What world are they living in?" Seriously. I don't know a time in my life when I haven't been on some sort of a diet. Even if I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm still eating healthy foods, monitoring my portion sizes, and staying away from high fat foods and sweets. Aren't we all really? I've tried intuitive eating and it just doesn't work for me. I wish I was one of those people who could whatever they want, whenever they want, but I'm not. I know men don't have it as easy as we women tend to think, but I'm friends with a lot of guys and they have no problem eating eggs and bacon for breakfast, subs for lunch, and whatever for dinner. It seems like men don't even think about what they put in their bodies. They just eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full. Like I said, I know this isn't always the case. Anyone, regardless of gender, can have food issues. I'm just saying that's what I see among people I know. Like I said, I'm not on a diet or have "food rules", but is that true? Is watching your portion sizes, avoiding artificial sweeteners, and staying away from high fat foods a diet in itself? Is eating a 90% clean diet and 10% indulgences a diet? Aren't those food rules in themselves? As a society, we sort of prevent others from "living." People always make comments about what people should or shouldn't be eating. Personally, I'm always super annoyed when people comments about what I eat at lunch or out to dinner. It makes me self conscience for the rest of the meal. Doesn't this prevent me from "living?" Another example would be a husband or wife who harps on their significant other because they ate a meatball sub at lunch. Aren't they preventing them from living as well by making them feel bad for eating a sub? Is it really possible to stop dieting and start living?
I refueled with the usual pumpkin oats. I'm still not sick of this!
1/2 cup oats, 1/4 cup fat free cottage cheese, 1/4 pumpkin, cacao chips, raisins, pumpkin pie spice. I ate it while watching last night's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashian's. Scott was druuuunk! Loved it.
Good news everyone! After months of searching, I finally found a tea I like! Can you believe it? It's Teekanne Honey Vanilla Bliss.
It's not as sweet as I would like, but then again, I want something that tastes like I'm pouring frosting down my throat. The tea is very smooth and not spicy. I don't like spicy teas. Every vanilla tea I've tried before has had a bit of spice to it or tasted nothing like vanilla. This tea is awesome. I found it at Shaw's so I assume it's available in all major grocery stores. Check it out!
I saw a commercial last night for Weight Watchers (I think it was for them, not 100% positive though) where the tagline was, "Stop dieting, start living." I said to myself, "What world are they living in?" Seriously. I don't know a time in my life when I haven't been on some sort of a diet. Even if I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm still eating healthy foods, monitoring my portion sizes, and staying away from high fat foods and sweets. Aren't we all really? I've tried intuitive eating and it just doesn't work for me. I wish I was one of those people who could whatever they want, whenever they want, but I'm not. I know men don't have it as easy as we women tend to think, but I'm friends with a lot of guys and they have no problem eating eggs and bacon for breakfast, subs for lunch, and whatever for dinner. It seems like men don't even think about what they put in their bodies. They just eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full. Like I said, I know this isn't always the case. Anyone, regardless of gender, can have food issues. I'm just saying that's what I see among people I know. Like I said, I'm not on a diet or have "food rules", but is that true? Is watching your portion sizes, avoiding artificial sweeteners, and staying away from high fat foods a diet in itself? Is eating a 90% clean diet and 10% indulgences a diet? Aren't those food rules in themselves? As a society, we sort of prevent others from "living." People always make comments about what people should or shouldn't be eating. Personally, I'm always super annoyed when people comments about what I eat at lunch or out to dinner. It makes me self conscience for the rest of the meal. Doesn't this prevent me from "living?" Another example would be a husband or wife who harps on their significant other because they ate a meatball sub at lunch. Aren't they preventing them from living as well by making them feel bad for eating a sub? Is it really possible to stop dieting and start living?
Monday, February 15, 2010
If You Have To Cry, Go Outside...
Hey guys! How was your day? If you had the day off, I hope you got a chance to relax and recharge your batteries. My day consisted of a lot of reading for my bio class. I'm glad to have it out of the way for the week. I ran 5 miles on the treadmill this morning. I'm not going to lie, it was tough! I had a hard time getting into the run. I tried changing my playlist, running different intervals, but eventually just gave in to the fact that I wasn't enjoying it and just ran until time was up. It happens. Tomorrow's another day :)
The rest of my day was spent catching up on General Hospital, trying and failing to take a nap, and eating Chobani mixed with Kashi GoLean Crunch
And then, at 5, I had a massage! I love my new massage place. They're super friendly and my masseuse has magic hands. The relief is temporary, but the relaxation lasts. I feel mellow as I'm typing this.
After the massage, I made dinner. Monday is sweet potato night in my 'hood.
Baked sweet potato with chicken stuffed with Laughing Cow and pickles (high class) and steamed brussels. Tasty tasty!
Okay, I'm obsessed with all things Kelly Cutrone. She's a ballsy PR lady who doesn't take sh*t from anyone. If you don't watch her show, you need to start. It's on Bravo tonight at 10!
I'm reading her book, "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside ... And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You". It's awesome. Cutrone gives advice on how to deal with sexism and making it in the world on your own terms. Her advice is based on her own experiences in the business world, but covers everything from jobs to relationships. Some of my favorite quotes: "Get over the emotions and into the work. This is not a glee club." and "You're not smart, you're not special. Don't show up to work expecting to be celebrated, just show up with a pen." My favorite piece of advice is the title of the book itself, "If you have to cry, go outside." GET THIS BOOK!
What is the best piece of career advice you've been given?
*Check out Adrien's chocolate giveaway!
The rest of my day was spent catching up on General Hospital, trying and failing to take a nap, and eating Chobani mixed with Kashi GoLean Crunch
And then, at 5, I had a massage! I love my new massage place. They're super friendly and my masseuse has magic hands. The relief is temporary, but the relaxation lasts. I feel mellow as I'm typing this.
After the massage, I made dinner. Monday is sweet potato night in my 'hood.
Baked sweet potato with chicken stuffed with Laughing Cow and pickles (high class) and steamed brussels. Tasty tasty!
Okay, I'm obsessed with all things Kelly Cutrone. She's a ballsy PR lady who doesn't take sh*t from anyone. If you don't watch her show, you need to start. It's on Bravo tonight at 10!
I'm reading her book, "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside ... And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You". It's awesome. Cutrone gives advice on how to deal with sexism and making it in the world on your own terms. Her advice is based on her own experiences in the business world, but covers everything from jobs to relationships. Some of my favorite quotes: "Get over the emotions and into the work. This is not a glee club." and "You're not smart, you're not special. Don't show up to work expecting to be celebrated, just show up with a pen." My favorite piece of advice is the title of the book itself, "If you have to cry, go outside." GET THIS BOOK!
What is the best piece of career advice you've been given?
*Check out Adrien's chocolate giveaway!
Portsmouth, NH & Blue Mermaid Review
Saturday I spent the afternoon and evening in Portsmouth, NH. The day started with a hike in the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Before the hike, I had a bowl of oats mixed with cottage cheese, peanut butter, and raisins
I also had a shower.
Not really. It was just an old timey barrel shower thing. Cute right?
The trails were covered in ice and snow, but my sneakers had good grips so I was able to walk the trails at a slow pace. The trails led down to the Great Bay Estuary. The snow made for a pretty view.
There was a replica of an old lobster fishing boat that I couldn't resist climbing into.
A boardwalk leading down to the other side of the estuary was easier to walk on than the icy trails.
Check out the birdie nest!
After the hike, I showered up and made myself pretty for dinner. I was looking forward to dinner because we were eating at the Blue Mermaid Island Grill. I had eaten lunch here a few years ago and it was amazing. I was excited to try their dinner menu!
Unfortunately, my dinner experience at Blue Mermaid wasn't as good as my lunch experience. After being seated, it was a good 10-15 minutes before anyone came over to pour water. It was a Saturday night, but it wasn't extraordinarily busy. There were even some empty tables next to us. After our waitress came and took our drink order, it was another 10-15 minutes before she served our drinks and took our dinner order. I'm just glad I had great company and good conversation to fill the time. For dinner, I ordered the Spinach Salad w/shrimp. I asked for the shrimp to be cocktail style not grilled. It took about 20-30 minutes for our dinner to arrive. During that time, our waitress never refilled our water glasses or asked if we wanted more to drink. When our dinner arrived, my salad arrived without the shrimp. The waitress said she'd be right back with them and I reminded her that they were just cocktail style not grilled. Another 15 minutes later she arrived with grilled shrimp. I was going to eat my arm off at that point, so I just took them.
I was dissappointed that the salad only came with four shrimp. For the upcharge, I expected more. Despite the slow service, the food was delicious. I really enjoyed my dinner and the company. We weren't in a rush or anything so we didn't let it ruin our good time, but we won't be returning to the Blue Mermaid anytime soon. With all the other seafood restaurants in the area, I'd rather go somewhere else.
It was a fun day in Portsmouth. It's one of my absolute favorite places to go on a daytrip. There's so much to see and do. You can look forward to more Portsmouth adventures when the weather warms up!
Before the hike, I had a bowl of oats mixed with cottage cheese, peanut butter, and raisins
I also had a shower.
Not really. It was just an old timey barrel shower thing. Cute right?
The trails were covered in ice and snow, but my sneakers had good grips so I was able to walk the trails at a slow pace. The trails led down to the Great Bay Estuary. The snow made for a pretty view.
There was a replica of an old lobster fishing boat that I couldn't resist climbing into.
A boardwalk leading down to the other side of the estuary was easier to walk on than the icy trails.
Check out the birdie nest!
After the hike, I showered up and made myself pretty for dinner. I was looking forward to dinner because we were eating at the Blue Mermaid Island Grill. I had eaten lunch here a few years ago and it was amazing. I was excited to try their dinner menu!
Unfortunately, my dinner experience at Blue Mermaid wasn't as good as my lunch experience. After being seated, it was a good 10-15 minutes before anyone came over to pour water. It was a Saturday night, but it wasn't extraordinarily busy. There were even some empty tables next to us. After our waitress came and took our drink order, it was another 10-15 minutes before she served our drinks and took our dinner order. I'm just glad I had great company and good conversation to fill the time. For dinner, I ordered the Spinach Salad w/shrimp. I asked for the shrimp to be cocktail style not grilled. It took about 20-30 minutes for our dinner to arrive. During that time, our waitress never refilled our water glasses or asked if we wanted more to drink. When our dinner arrived, my salad arrived without the shrimp. The waitress said she'd be right back with them and I reminded her that they were just cocktail style not grilled. Another 15 minutes later she arrived with grilled shrimp. I was going to eat my arm off at that point, so I just took them.
I was dissappointed that the salad only came with four shrimp. For the upcharge, I expected more. Despite the slow service, the food was delicious. I really enjoyed my dinner and the company. We weren't in a rush or anything so we didn't let it ruin our good time, but we won't be returning to the Blue Mermaid anytime soon. With all the other seafood restaurants in the area, I'd rather go somewhere else.
It was a fun day in Portsmouth. It's one of my absolute favorite places to go on a daytrip. There's so much to see and do. You can look forward to more Portsmouth adventures when the weather warms up!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Make It Happen
Bebbeh and I returned from Portsmouth around noon today. I unpacked, snacked on a Chobani, then hit the gym for a workout. I definitely DID NOT want to workout today. I've been having some stomach issues for three days and I didn't sleep well last night, but I was hoping a workout would get my endorphins running.
It was a strength training day and here's a confession: I listened to "Make It Happen" on repeat by my girl Mariah to keep me motivated while I was lifting. I used to listen to that song all the time when I was younger. I used it today to inspire me to lift to have perfect boobies like Mariah. Whatever gets you through a workout right? haha! My lifting routine today was as follows:
Lateral raises: 12 reps no weight, 10 reps 3lbs, 8 reps 5lbs.
Tricep Extensions: 15 reps 40lbs, 12 reps 50lbs, 10 reps 60lbs
Chest Press: 12 reps 10lbs, 10 reps 15lbs, 6 reps 20lbs
Upright Row: 12 reps no weight, 10 reps 3lbs, 8 reps 5lbs
Tricep Kickbacks (one arm at a time): 12 reps 5lbs, 10 reps 8lbs, 8 reps 12lbs
Crunches, Russian twists, Leg raises: Done as a circuit 12 reps, 2 sets.
I followed the strength training with 20 minutes on the elliptical then stretching.
For some reason, I don't like cooking complicated dinners on Sundays so dinner was very simple. Simple, but delicious of course!
1/2 cup brown rice, roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots with a blob of spinach & artichoke hummus.
I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day and were able to spend it with the one's you love. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my Portsmouth recap!
It was a strength training day and here's a confession: I listened to "Make It Happen" on repeat by my girl Mariah to keep me motivated while I was lifting. I used to listen to that song all the time when I was younger. I used it today to inspire me to lift to have perfect boobies like Mariah. Whatever gets you through a workout right? haha! My lifting routine today was as follows:
Lateral raises: 12 reps no weight, 10 reps 3lbs, 8 reps 5lbs.
Tricep Extensions: 15 reps 40lbs, 12 reps 50lbs, 10 reps 60lbs
Chest Press: 12 reps 10lbs, 10 reps 15lbs, 6 reps 20lbs
Upright Row: 12 reps no weight, 10 reps 3lbs, 8 reps 5lbs
Tricep Kickbacks (one arm at a time): 12 reps 5lbs, 10 reps 8lbs, 8 reps 12lbs
Crunches, Russian twists, Leg raises: Done as a circuit 12 reps, 2 sets.
I followed the strength training with 20 minutes on the elliptical then stretching.
For some reason, I don't like cooking complicated dinners on Sundays so dinner was very simple. Simple, but delicious of course!
1/2 cup brown rice, roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots with a blob of spinach & artichoke hummus.
I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day and were able to spend it with the one's you love. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my Portsmouth recap!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Headed North
I'm headed to Portsmouth, NH for the day. Look who's coming for the ride!
He doesn't even own hiking boots. I'll be rolling his ass all over Mt. Washington. Dumb Bebbeh!!
He doesn't even own hiking boots. I'll be rolling his ass all over Mt. Washington. Dumb Bebbeh!!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Not Tracy Flick
Good evening. I hope your Friday went by fast. Mine was good. I was nervous about my class for nothing. We didn't have to talk to anyone and everyone looked my age, so they were probably all about 18. Haha! Anyway, I received a few emails today asking why I never talk about school or how it's going on the blog. I didn't realize I don't talk about school. I don't avoid talking about it or anything, there just isn't much to say about it right now. I'm only taking a biology class and it's pretty easy. It's online and all I do is about an hour of reading a day (at work!), login to my class when I'm supposed to, and show up a few times a month for lab. If it were causing me stress, I'd probably talk (bitch) about it more. I was quite the Tracy Flick in high school when it came to school and I grew out of it in college. I don't ever want to be that way again. I was either studying, at shitty baton twirling practice, or at work (I've been working since age 14 because my parents thought I should have a job if I was old enough to work. Awesome right?). I was always stressed out and put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect. When I went away to college and had less on my plate, I was able to calm down and enjoy life. I've been able to carry that into my adult life and while school is a priority, it's not a life or death situation for me anymore. Hopefully I'll take a more interesting or challenging class over the summer session and have more to tell you guys about :)
Dinner tonight was down-home comfort food. I whipped up healthy mac & cheese, vegetarian baked beans, and steamed broccoli.
Okay, I didn't whip up the vegetarian baked beans. They were from a can, but SO GOOD! You just try and get this meal at KFC!!
Okay, I ate about a cup and half of that pasta with beans and broccoli. I didn't need to eat that much. I feel yucky...Have a great night! Were you or are you now a Tracy Flick?
Dinner tonight was down-home comfort food. I whipped up healthy mac & cheese, vegetarian baked beans, and steamed broccoli.
Okay, I didn't whip up the vegetarian baked beans. They were from a can, but SO GOOD! You just try and get this meal at KFC!!
Okay, I ate about a cup and half of that pasta with beans and broccoli. I didn't need to eat that much. I feel yucky...Have a great night! Were you or are you now a Tracy Flick?
DIY Money-Saving
Happy Friday!! I'm so excited it's the weekend, you have no idea. This week has dragged for me. I work for the weekend. I have a dentist appointment and a lab at school and then I'm FREE!! I started the day with a five mile run on the treadmill. It was kind of tough because all I could think about was everything I need to get done today. I couldn't shut my mind off. I added a new song to my itunes that helped me get through it. It's called "Say Something" by Timbaland ft. Drake. Not my typical fare, but I've been getting into more pop music lately so whatever right?
I've found a spaghetti squash recipe I can get into as well. Plain with Greek yogurt seems to be my thang.
Spaghetti squash with peas, a few dollops of Greek yogurt, and bbq chicken. I think the less flavor combos going on, the better I like it. Success? Sure.
I'm nervous about my lab today. I don't know anyone in my class and I'm nervous about meeting new people. Especially younger college kids. I look like a teenager so maybe I'll just pretend I'm a younging. I could always try to make friends by offering to buy them beer (joking). Snacking on this before class will calm me down though.
Food for ladies. YUM!
Since going back to school and having a few unexpected expenses come up recently, I've had to cut back on the money in my budget that I call my "play" money. You know, the money you use to pay for haircuts, makeup, clothes, random Target binges, etc...I figured an easy way to do this was obviously to stop spending so much time wandering around Target and to try to do some of things I spend money on myself. It seems like everyone has tips their Nana taught them or things they figured out along the way. I emailed a few friends and looked through old magazines for ideas. I wanted to share a few with you guys today. Maybe you can save money too!
I've found a spaghetti squash recipe I can get into as well. Plain with Greek yogurt seems to be my thang.
Spaghetti squash with peas, a few dollops of Greek yogurt, and bbq chicken. I think the less flavor combos going on, the better I like it. Success? Sure.
I'm nervous about my lab today. I don't know anyone in my class and I'm nervous about meeting new people. Especially younger college kids. I look like a teenager so maybe I'll just pretend I'm a younging. I could always try to make friends by offering to buy them beer (joking). Snacking on this before class will calm me down though.
Food for ladies. YUM!
Since going back to school and having a few unexpected expenses come up recently, I've had to cut back on the money in my budget that I call my "play" money. You know, the money you use to pay for haircuts, makeup, clothes, random Target binges, etc...I figured an easy way to do this was obviously to stop spending so much time wandering around Target and to try to do some of things I spend money on myself. It seems like everyone has tips their Nana taught them or things they figured out along the way. I emailed a few friends and looked through old magazines for ideas. I wanted to share a few with you guys today. Maybe you can save money too!
- Waxing my own eyebrows: When I was analyzing my budget, spending money on weekly or biweekly eyebrow and upper lip waxes seemed silly to me. I knew if I tried, I could probably do it myself with a drugstore product. The upper lip seemed easy to me, but the brows were intimidating and something I always felt was best to leave to a pro. I had been getting by with just tweezing out strays for awhile, but I skipped a few days and soon my brows were out of control. I needed a wax so I decided to be brave and just try it myself. I used Sally Hansen Microwaveable Eyebrow, Face & Lip Wax. The kit came with wax, small and large application sticks, after-moisturizer, and stickers to use as guides. I simply warmed up the wax in the microwave and used the small stick to apply the wax on the areas where my brows were overgrown, pressed down on the wax, then pulled it off. It was easy! I did the same thing on my upper lip with the large stick and that was even easier. I have enough wax to last probably until the end of the year. Seriously, the pot of wax is huge. The whole kit cost less than one visit to the salon. Totally worth it!
- EVOO eye makeup remover: When I was thinking of more ways I could save money on beauty products, an old article I read in Elle Magazine about the health and beauty benefits of olive oil popped into my head. I remembered it saying that you could use EVOO as an eye makeup remover. I figured it was worth a shot. You simply put a small amount of EVOO on a cotton ball, swipe over your eyes and watch your makeup disappear! Since I've started doing this, I've noticed that the skin around my eyes is extra moisturized and my normal morning puffiness has decreased as well. Bonus!
- Yogurt Cucumber Facial Mask: My friend Kara gave me this recipe for a facial mask that leaves your skin soft and smooth. I've done it once a week for three weeks now and have to say the results have been amazing. I've only had to put moisturizer on my face after washing at night. The recipe is as follows: Blend 1 tbsp each of plain yogurt, cucumber, and parsley (very finely chopped) together. Apply mixture to your face after washing with your favorite cleanser. Leave the mask on for 15-20 minutes, rinse with water, and apply moisturizer.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Three Things Thursday
Happy Thursday! The snow we were supposed to get yesterday didn't arrive until about 6pm last night. We ended up with about 8 inches in my area. I'm glad I got my run in yesterday because I was able to avoid having to clean my car off until I left for work. I worked out in my living room to Cheryl Burke's Disco Abs off Exercise TV. It was silly and fun as always. I plan on lifting when I get home.
My dinner last night was very good. I had been craving a big turkey wrap for two days, so that's exactly what I had.
I stuffed a whole wheat wrap with turkey, romaine, bread & butter pickles, tomato, feta, and spinach & artichoke hummus. For my side, I roasted brussels sprouts and carrots. A dollop of Greek yogurt and ketchup on the side for dipping. Very satisfying, but I was uncomfortably full after eating. I need to slooooow down when I eat.
As you know, it's Three Things Thursday. Let's jump right in!
1. New And Improved! How can something be both new and improved? If it's new, nothing came before it so how can it be improved? If it's improved, a lesser version exists. How can it be new? I'm confused.
2. "My husband is watching the kids." I hate when women say their husbands are watching their kids. It's not watching if they're his kids you idiot! I want to get all Chris Rock on their ass and say, "Oh he takes care of kids? What does he want...a cookie?! You're supposed to take care of your kids!!"
3. Closed off people. They're very frustrating. I understand if you're shy (I'm shy too!) or protective of your intimate feelings (we all are), but there comes a time where you're going to have to put forth the effort to let people in. Whether it's revealing the way you feel, putting effort into a relationship or simply getting up and going out for an evening with friends. Relationships and friendships can't be one sided. I'll say the same thing I say about exercise, you only get out of it what you put into it. The day is going to come when the other person is going to stop trying and, even worse, stop caring and walk away. And why shouldn't they? You're not giving them any reason to stick around. There are plenty of people out there willing to share (sometimes overshare) their lives. Being friends with a brick wall isn't fun.
What's bothering you this week?
My dinner last night was very good. I had been craving a big turkey wrap for two days, so that's exactly what I had.
I stuffed a whole wheat wrap with turkey, romaine, bread & butter pickles, tomato, feta, and spinach & artichoke hummus. For my side, I roasted brussels sprouts and carrots. A dollop of Greek yogurt and ketchup on the side for dipping. Very satisfying, but I was uncomfortably full after eating. I need to slooooow down when I eat.
As you know, it's Three Things Thursday. Let's jump right in!
1. New And Improved! How can something be both new and improved? If it's new, nothing came before it so how can it be improved? If it's improved, a lesser version exists. How can it be new? I'm confused.
2. "My husband is watching the kids." I hate when women say their husbands are watching their kids. It's not watching if they're his kids you idiot! I want to get all Chris Rock on their ass and say, "Oh he takes care of kids? What does he want...a cookie?! You're supposed to take care of your kids!!"
3. Closed off people. They're very frustrating. I understand if you're shy (I'm shy too!) or protective of your intimate feelings (we all are), but there comes a time where you're going to have to put forth the effort to let people in. Whether it's revealing the way you feel, putting effort into a relationship or simply getting up and going out for an evening with friends. Relationships and friendships can't be one sided. I'll say the same thing I say about exercise, you only get out of it what you put into it. The day is going to come when the other person is going to stop trying and, even worse, stop caring and walk away. And why shouldn't they? You're not giving them any reason to stick around. There are plenty of people out there willing to share (sometimes overshare) their lives. Being friends with a brick wall isn't fun.
What's bothering you this week?
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