2 Week Update

I know, I know. It has been a long time since my last post. I think I need to start allotting 5-10 minutes a day to devote to posting since I can't get into a groove.

As I promised, here is my monthly calendar from May. As you can see, I did not do that well. But, it is still better than I have done in the past:

June also got off to a rocky start between a conference in San Antonio and RWU's Alumni Weekend. I was able to workout one of the days in SA, but not at all until after alumni weekend was over and I was so burnt out from everything that I had no energy the entire following week. A bad sun burn from an hour lunch outside this past Monday put cardio on the back burner. I couldn't even think about wearing a sports bra, so I ended up doing Pump since it is all weights. But, it may have been a blessing in disguise because I have ended up going to bed earlier and waking up earlier, which has challenged me to start lifting in the mornings before work! The sun rises so early that I've been waking up anyways and I think I can put more effort into weight lifting than I can cardio that early in the morning. Friday was my first go at it and it was successful! I've even set an alarm moving forward so I wake up if the sun doesn't get to me first.

In other news, my second mother is visiting me tomorrow AND I get to go home next week (thanks mom and dad!), which will be a much needed getaway.

I will leave you with some more pictures:

Tim and I went to NJ over Memorial Day weekend and stopped by a greenhouse that had pineapple plants! I loved how tiny they were!

The Alamo was only a block from the hotel in San Antonio!

 At some point last week, I busted the bottom of my lamp with my weights. Whoopsies!

 Bristol is getting ready for the 4th! I really can't get over how beautiful this town is, especially this time of year.

 This is why Rhode Islanders do not like driving. Seriously. It took me 45 minutes to get to Trader Joe's this morning. If only they would build a bridge from the East Bay to Warwick...

 I can't get over this view! I just want to sail.

 If you like Indian food and you haven't had this, try it. It is by far one of my favorite frozen meals. Also, if you are well versed in Indian cooking and would like to teach me how to make Tikka Masala (or could share a great recipe), I would love you!

 Finally, Mr. Cat hanging out this afternoon. Yes, I am a crazy cat lady and I don't care!

21 Day Fix - Part 2!

I've started another adventure with the 21 Day Fix and I have two friends joining me this time! I am going to have a few obstacles to overcome this time, since I will be traveling for a conference then returning only to work 72 hours straight over the weekend. I don't want to risk my Shakeology being confiscated during security, so I am going to take some chocolate Shakeo protein bars I made down to eat during the conference. I will also be taking my workout clothes so I can do my workouts at the hotel! I did my double workout today so I can take my rest day on Tuesday; my hope is to go to the Alamo that evening since my hotel (and the conference) is two blocks away!

RWU is holding their 4th Annual Alumni Weekend Friday through Sunday and I am in charge of accommodations so I am pretty much required to sit in a room for 12 hours a day. Again, I will be taking my workout clothes so I can sneak away for an hour for a quick workout and shower. At least this time I can take Shakeo with me!

One of my friends has started making fun of me because I can't stick to just one workout program. It is a little absurd, I will admit. But, I guess I like variety. I've been using my friends T25 and LOVING it, so I am going to try and finish that entire program. It is a quick 25 minutes a day which is easy to commit to and there is a lot of variety within the program, like Turbo Fire, so it is enjoyable.

I've always preferred working out at home to going to a gym. I always felt like people were judging me and, while it shouldn't matter, it is a "fear" I still have about running outside. I do miss going to the park to run, but it became a process and I felt like I wasted so much time getting ready, going there, finding parking, and getting started. By working out at home, I am literally done in 30 minutes and able to jump in the shower right away. Definitely a perk for me!

I forgot to take a picture of my workout calendar before I left home, but I will post that soon. It was a pretty disappointing month compared to the prior one. But, I am back on track again. I am not perfect and will always be a work in progress. Compared to where I was two years ago, any workout is good!

Back On Track

It won't come as any surprise that I, yet again, let life get the best of me. I stopped focusing on my nutrition and it shows. While I am still working out fairly regularly, I haven't been eating as healthfully as I should be. I was asked to teach my favorite class at my alma mater two weeks ago and I spent a ton of unnecessary time getting an I-9 notarized - I've NEVER heard of getting one notarized and went to three different notaries in RI before finding a fourth in MA that would do it. Needless to say, it was extremely frustrating and stressful. That class started today, so once I am done getting ahead (I barely had time to get this weeks materials posted), I plan on sitting down and really revamping my 21 day fix meal plans into meals that are full of variety and sustainable. I would also like to play with a vegan diet again, with the exception of when I eat out, which will force me to eat more vegetables again. More than anything, that is the biggest thing I struggle with. 

I bought a dry erase calendar so I could see what days I work out, what exercises I do, and the reasons why I miss days. Last month, I worked out more than half of the days, which was pretty exciting! You can see there was an entire week I missed working out because of vacation and another week that was pretty bad because of work and wonderful taxes (working jobs in two different states sucks). 

This past week my best friend and her boyfriend came out to visit, which was a ton of fun! We went whale watching and saw two types of whales, two types of seals, and dolphins. They were SO active - its was amazing! Check out my videos on Facebook, if you haven't already! There were tons of seagulls around and some of them would land on the whales mouths as they fed; I would like to think if I am ever (or was ever) a bird, I would be ballsy enough to surf on a whale!

We also went for a hike at Mount Hope Farm, which was beautiful! Here is a picture of the Bay looking out towards Mt. Hope bridge. Seriously, I am in love!

Our good friend, Kristie, took a picture of us, which makes me laugh because it totally sums us up. Robby was laid-back waiting for all of us, I was busy taking pictures every five minutes because you can never have enough pictures of the same water with the same bridge in the background, and Katie was looking for shells to take back for the children she babysits for. Needless to say, we couldn't have asked for a better day!

This was only the third time I had been to the farm (outside of the farmers markets) as I would usually go to the park to run. But, the farm is so much closer, so I think I am going to start going there after work once or twice a week to walk/jog. The other nights I will be going to the beach to study for the GRE then working out at home. I've already decided I will need to start taking dinner to work with me to eat at 4 pm so I am not eating at 8:30/9:00 at night. 

Spring, summer, and fall in New England are beautiful enough to make up for the crappy winters. Seriously, I've stopped considering moving south I love it here so much. I am sure I would reconsider at some point, but it is just so amazing here!

Let's Talk About Alcohol...

Vacation last week was AWESOME! Monday-Wednesday we hung out around RI and ate at some of my favorite spots as well as some new spots. The food was amazing, as always, and the company was just as good. Thursday morning (read 5:30 am) we left for Philly to see the Braves. It was nice finally crossing that stadium off my list, but it was a cold game. After, we did some shopping at an outlet/regular mall then took the train into NYC.

Our hotel in Chinatown was really nice - probably the nicest bed I've slept in at a hotel, minus the sheets that were half the length of the bed... That night, we walked around Times Square a little bit then headed back and crashed. One of the nice things about the weekend was sleeping in a little bit longer than we normally would've; we slept until about 9:15 every morning which really helped my body recover from all of the running around we did. Friday and Saturday night we went to see the Braves play the Mets which was a ton of fun! There were many "shenanigans afoot" over the weekend and more delicious food and beverage consumed. Have you heard of a baby Guinness? If you haven't I highly recommend you look into it...

Which brings me to my discussion on alcohol consumption.

Why am I always harassed for not drinking when I go out with people? I've never been a huge drinker; I can count on one hand the number of times I have been drunk and, while I enjoy certain beers/liquors, sometimes I just don't want to drink.

Most of the time it is because I am not hungry. I understand that this is a weird concept for many people - drinking has nothing to do with hunger - but it does. The liquid has to go somewhere and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that somewhere is my stomach.

I enjoy craft beers, but most of the time I prefer smaller amounts since I like heavy beers, so they frequently become warm before I can finish a glass.

I am cheap! This should come as no surprise for anyone who knows me. I don't want to spend $8 on a beer I don't like. I don't want to spend $13 on a mixed drink that sucks. I don't want to spend $xx on multiple beverages throughout the night, not only breaking my bank, but also adding numbers unnecessary calories.

I don't want the extra calories! I am on a journey to become healthier and while that doesn't have to mean eliminating alcohol all together, it is easier for me to avoid it because I don't drink much as it is.

So, why is it so hard for people to leave me alone when I order water at a bar? My lack of alcohol consumption does not affect you. If you want to argue that I am not as fun when I don't drink, I would argue back it is because I have to constantly defend my choice not to consume alcohol. It is annoying and it is going to make me grumpy, as anyone would become grumpy when defending a personal choice they've made that has no consequence for anyone else.

Please understand, this is not a dig on any of my friends, but concerns I have with society in general. It has been happening to me for the past 6 years and honestly, it has gotten to a point when I don't want to go to bars anymore because I get so much anxiety about how people are going to give me crap for my choices. My decision is not that big of a deal, so please don't make it one.

In other news, I've doubled the weight I am lifting with Pump and it is hard work, but I am loving it! Grocery shopping will ensue tomorrow so I should be back on track with my nutrition plan again. I tried to be conscious about what I was eating and trying to eat proportional meals, but sometimes we wouldn't eat until 8 or 9 pm which I don't love, but I understand it is the nature of the beast sometimes. Also, eating pizza at 2 am to get something in my stomach after drinking numerous shots/drinks didn't help, but it was a pretty amazing slice!

It Doesn't Get Easier, You Get Better

"It doesn't get easier, you get better" was the first thing the instructor said when I turned on the Upper Body Fix this morning; it really struck me. All too often I find myself bored with a program I LOVED just a few days before. I absolutely loved doing Turbo Fire, but now I am not as excited about it as I once was. I am not exactly sure why this happens, but that will probably be a post for another time. Regardless, I am pushing through. I've been doing Les Mills Pump a few times a week and started the 21 Day Fix workouts yesterday. I was so grumpy when I was doing the first workout (the whole body cardio) because I did not like the instructor, but it made me work and I felt it today. While I don't love her instructing style, she has energy and shows how to modify workouts from the start as well as during the workouts which I like. And, like I said, I felt it. While I hate being uncomfortable, perhaps my lack of enthusiasm for programs begins once I "stop feeling it." More than likely, I associate change with pain, and while I don't think this is a delusional mindset, it is one that I need to adjust. My body is still changing as the programs "get easier." But, it's not that they get easier, I get better. This is a mindset I really need to keep with me on my journey.

I am somewhat worried about how this week will work as far as exercise and healthful eating. I will be traveling to Philly/NYC Thursday through Sunday and want to enjoy the trip while still eating relatively healthy and balanced meals. My plan is to make some different muffins and protein bars to take with me as well as a baggie of carrots to eat throughout my time there. I am also going to portion out my Shakeology and just drink it with water every morning.

It's the last week of Phonathon, which means I will have my evenings back after this week! Going back to a regular schedule is going to be difficult, but the sun shining through my windows every morning has helped get me up and make me more alert. Needless to say, sunshine is a welcome change!

(Post) Weekend Update

It has been somewhat of a hectic week - as usual. Last week was fairly typical and I was able to work out Mon/Tues/Wed, but Thursday I worked a full day and we went to the Pawtucket Red Sox opening game, so I didn't get a workout in. Friday, I had attempted to work out, but was STARVING during it, so I stopped with the intent to finish after I ate. Long story short, I was looking into a deduction in my account due to a tax I wasn't aware of, called my father/the OH Dept of Tax, and by the time the debacle was over, I ran out of time to work out before I had to head to Providence. We were getting massages and the masseuse told me to drink more water and stretch more because I had so many knots in my shoulders; so many that she attempted to work them out and I was sore into Sunday. Because of that, I skipped my workout on Saturday and figured I would do a double on Sunday, but that didn't work out either - I was attempting to update my laptop OS which took FOREVER, so I didn't have enough time to workout and shower before heading into work because of all the time I spent messing around with the update (which I had read was supposed to take 20 minutes...).

Fast forward to this morning - I got a workout in! I've also gone from one extreme (eating few veggies) to the other (tons of veggies!) over the weekend and for this week. I bought: asparagus, brussels sprouts, beets, lettuce, spinach, sweet potatoes, various onions, fennel, zucchini, cauliflower, and cabbage for various different dishes this week and next. I planned on making: orange and beet wild rice salad, chipotle lentil veggie burgers, thai cabbage salad, masala tofu, indian spiced cauliflower, baked onion rings, and something else I can't currently remember. I may have gone a little overboard!

Beet and orange wild rice salad! This has been my dinner the past two nights.

I am obsessed with a chipotle honey sour cream our local fast food mexican place makes, so I bought some chipotles in adobo to make my own and can't get enough! I've been making egg wraps with black beans and red onions with this sauce:

I am hoping to get a workout in tomorrow, but I have a last minute dentist appointment in the morning; I had been scheduled for June but asked for any last minute cancellations so I could get in earlier and they weren't kidding when they said it would be last minute! But, I am glad I don't have to wait as long - it has already been WAY too long since my last appointment.

Final thoughts:
I want a micro pig. There is a pet store in town selling them, so I am going to stop by and pet them like a creeper and I am totally cool with it. I think Cat needs a friend! Awwwwwww:

I also took the Buzzfeed quiz "Where in New England Should You Actually Live" and got...Providence! Shocking...

And, this happened...good thing I can control myself when it comes to ice cream (pictures of the *5* pints will be posted after Wednesday)!

Because I am a crazy cat lady, I have to end with this picture of Cat (and me as a background creeper). Don't you think he needs a friend?!?

Spring Fever

Spring is around the corner - I can feel it! I love being able to walk out of work at 6:00 pm on a rainy day, expecting it to be dark, but finding there is a little bit of light left. It is very motivating! But, my spring fever has kicked into over drive which makes working until 9:15 pm a struggle. Switching back to my regular 8:30-5:00 schedule is definitely going to be an adjustment, but I am looking forward to getting home from work and laying out at the beach. I am also looking forward to working out in the evenings again; I miss working out right before going to bed and getting some of the best sleep I've ever had!

In other news, below is a picture of my progress that makes me feel great, but not exactly confident...yet! About a month after I moved, I had to buy size 16 pants again. My 14's had always been snug, but I eventually crossed back over into a 16. As recently as 6 weeks ago, those pants were SNUG - to the point where I was determined to do SOMETHING because I didn't want to have to buy MORE pants! So, after a 21 Day Nutrition Challenge and my somewhat successful attempt to maintain a workout schedule and eat healthful foods, my pants now are FALLING off of me! Even the new jeans I bought at Christmas are too big; I might have to invest in a belt for them for now. I love the feeling of being able to fit back into old clothes (the 14's fit again, but they are tight - I am going to wait until I am about 175 before I start wearing them since I am always afraid to bust a seam!), but continuing to wear baggy pants is a bummer. I am in that odd stage where it seems I am in between sizes, so I would rather stick it out for a bit longer and wear baggy clothes than force my way into pants only to rip them at some point.

How do you celebrate your little successes?