Love or Run

NYC with a friend!

2012-02-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

One of my closest friends since Middle School has been living in Cambridge, MA for a few years now and I got to see her again, after almost a year. She was in NYC because her husband had a job interview, so we met up and I got to spend some time with her and her cutie son! He's a little boy now, no longer a baby like last time I saw him!

Here's the day in photos:

Breakfast for $4.25! Can we say "bacon"?

Flirting with me after his nap!

Caramel Macchiato!

Art at the MET. The Kiki Smith was my favorite.

Me and Ana

Me, Ana and Rafi!

Me and Rafi

Crumbs Cupcakes! Red Velvet and Fluff n' Stuff.

It was a pretty awesome day and quite frankly exactly what I needed! I've been so stressed lately with this whole trying to get pregnant thing, between the doctors and the insurance and the clearly incompetent people I've been dealing with, it was great to just relax and have fun for a day!

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

2012-02-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

Lately, my face lotion has been failing me. I have patches of dry skin and I've noticed by about 10 am that my skin is flaking! What is going on?! Flaking skin is not pretty. I already have adult acne (ok, maybe not, but it's close), I don't need flaking skin to add to the list! So, the other day I decided to go on a sample run. I like to try things out before I purchase, I take full advantage of skincare samples. First, I went to Nordstrom's (I love that store despite that I can barely even afford the Junior's section, let alone the clothes that actually come in my size) and got some Laura Mercier and Mario Badescu samples. Then I moved on to Sephora where I got samples for a day cream, night cream and eye cream.

From Laura Mercier I got Mega moisturizer for day and Tone Perfecting Creme for night, from Mario Badescu I got the oil free moisturizer for day and the Seaweed Night Cream.

And from Sephora I got Ole Henriken's Nurture Me for day, DDF Glycolic moisturizer for night and Shiseido Benefiance eye cream.

I started with the stuff from Sephora first and so far, I love the smell and feel of the Nurture Me, the eye cream is definitely a brightener, but it's a little heavy for day, it takes a long time to absorb. The DDF glycolic, I'm not sure about yet. It's nice enough, but I'll to see if I think it's actually making a difference. I do have a new huge red zit on my chin, maybe it's courtesy of that?? Hard to tell, my face breaks out like that's its job! I'm not sure about the Laura Mercier stuff after seeing the prices! I'll try it I guess though. The Mario Badescu products are definitely the most affordable, it'd be nice if they actually work too! We'll see.

Anyone have any products they can't live without?

Livefit Phase 2

2012-01-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

Monday starts Phase 2 of Jamie Eason's Livefit program and I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of excited! This last week has been kind of a mess. I was away on a little vacation until Tuesday and when I got back I was behind on workouts and also completely unprepared with meals. I combined Monday and Tuesdays workouts into Wednesday and then was so sore Thursday I just skipped it! I was supposed to try to fit the last 3 days into today, but that didn't happen. So, now I'm deciding whether I should do it all tomorrow or just skip it?! I definitely don't want to push back the schedule, but I also feel guilty skipping. But tomorrow I have a very busy day of studying planned. Maybe I'll just wake up early and get it done in the morning. I know, this is a real problem!
Anyway, Monday starts Phase 2 and I'm really hoping adding back in cardio will help me lose weight! I have definitely noticed that I'm getting stronger, but I've only lost 1 pound (as of last Saturday) and that's not that uplifting. Anyone else doing Livefit who didn't really lose any weight in the first phase? A girl can hope!
In an attempt to make my life easier this week. I've already prepped my kale and sweet potatoes for the week.

I still need to do some more prep work for the week though. And planning of specific meals. I'm going to cut out carbs after like 4 pm. This basically just means salads for dinner, which is fine, I do like my salads!

With the added cardio in Phase 2, I'm planning to lift in the AM before work and make my spin bike my cardio in the evening. I'm not really a fan of my gym in the evenings, it's been packed lately, so I figured I'll switch to AM lifting and use what I have at my house in the evenings. I might switch up the cardio once in awhile, but I own a Star trac spin bike, I should use it! I'll also be using my new gymboss interval timer to make the most of my workouts!

Cute, right?!

Okay, off to bed. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow! I'm finally finishing up my personal training course work!

Kale

2012-01-26T18:22:00.000-08:00

I've tried to get into kale for awhile now, but it always seemed to just stay in my produce drawer until it went bad and then got thrown away. I made it once I think and burned it. But last week I gave it one more try and bought a blend from Whole Foods and sautéed some in garlic as soon as I got home. And now I'm pretty much obsessed! I've eaten it as a side! Mixed in with my leftover mei fun noodles (amazing) and tonight with eggs on top! Which I've decided is going to be a regular breakfast for me. Bottom line, I'm now a serious fan of kale!

Let's talk about substitutions!

2012-01-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

****Forgot to hit post on this last week. Yeah, I have it together.

I've been working out, even lifting weights, for a long time but there are some exercises I don't do. And Jamie Eason's Livefit seems to have a lot of them! Tonight, it was dead lifts (one legged isn't even a possibility), barbell lunges, and a bunch of chest flyes on a bench. It's not so much that I can't do the flyes, it's just that lying back on the bench with my legs down hurts my lower back and the idea of putting my feet up and somehow staying on the bench and holding the weights just freaks me out. I realize I'm crazy. I think it mostly comes from my serious lack of balance. So, I just skipped the dead lifts and lunges and did the flyes on the machine. What can I do as a substitute? Any ideas? I'm trying to talk my husband into joining the gym so he can be there to initially assist me on the things that are totally awkward for me. But. so far it's a no go. We do have some weights in the basement though, I could do some of the things here. Does anyone else just feel awkward about certain exercises at the gym? I want to get better at the things that freak me out, but when the gym is packed and no one is really helpful (and no one seems to work there) it seems like it's going to take awhile.
In other news, lunch and dinner!

Black bean, red pepper, corn and avocado salad! It was seriously delicious and I'll be eating more tomorrow.

Grilled steak, sauteed kale and roasted sweet potatoes. Yum!

Yoga

2012-01-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

As I get older I realize that my body is changing and not for the better. I've never been what you'd call flexible, but it's definitely getting worse as my age creeps up. Plus, that whole Cerebral Palsy thing isn't helping. I know I've said it before, but I really need to start doing yoga on a regular basis. I used to go to a studio once a week and that really did help, but I stopped going and that studio has since closed. Causing me to lose the one yoga instructor I really liked! Oh, Paris where are you? The thing is, I'm already not flexible so I feel like I'm starting at a disadvantage. But, I realize that if I had stuck with it so many years ago, I'd have a whole different body now.

So, because I'm doing so well with Jamie Eason's Livefit, I'm going to also try to add in some yoga. I think I'll start with just 10 minutes before bed every night and work my way up from there. You have to start somewhere, right?

From Yoga traveler

Maybe one day I'll be able to do that! Which would be amazing since I can currently barely reach past my shins!

Breakfast & Pickles

2012-01-17T18:33:00.000-08:00

One of the hardest meals of my day is breakfast. I'm really bad at waking up early in the morning (or even on time) so breakfast is taking a hit. As in, I drank a protein shake this morning and ate a luna bar. No egg whites in sight. So, to remedy this I decided to make burritos to heat in the oven while I'm getting dressed in the morning.

Eggs whites, some whole eggs, a little mexican cheese blend and peppers on a whole wheat wrap from Trader Joe's!

And I'm also making pickles! They'll be done next week.

Polyvore!

2012-01-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

I've seen these postings on Pinterest for awhile and thought I'd try it.

Gym Attire

Gym attire by melinda-smith-flynn featuring cropped pants

American apparel hoodie
£40 - attitudeclothing.co.uk

Forever 21 crop top
$6.80 - forever21.com

Racerback tank
$28 - needsupply.com

Long hoody
$19 - tobi.com

Brunello Cucinelli oversized sweater
€299 - veryeickhoff.com

Cropped pants
£35 - spoiledbrat.co.uk

Nike sneaker
$85 - bloomingdales.com

Jack Spade canvas messenger bag
jackspade.com

Polar watch
$170 - saksfifthavenue.com

Week 3 of Livefit...Almost.

2012-01-15T11:01:00.000-08:00

Week 2 of Livefit is coming to an end and I have to say, I can stand to do better next week! My fitness was great, I upped weights on a lot of exercises, trying to push myself harder (and even worked out in the morning before work one day). But, my diet was really not so good. I wouldn't be surprised if I gained back the pound I lost last week. I blame it on not being prepared for the week like I should have been, a health procedure that was painful and I ate cookies after, and going out to eat. So, Week 3 starts tomorrow and I plan to be totally prepared. I've found a bunch of salad recipes to make ahead, plus I'll be making the turkey muffins again and the pumpkin protein bars.

Salad ideas:

Chicken Salad with Olive Vinaigrette
Tabbouleh with Chicken and Red Pepper
Spelt with White Beans and Artichokes
Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado and Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

I'm also making these fruit rollups for a healthy sweet and plus I just want to see if it works!

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but the Livefit 12 weeks will end the week of my 31st birthday and I really would love to start my 31st year about 20 lbs. lighter! That's not going to happen if I keep repeating weeks like this one so, I need to stay on track. No more eating out and my husband might have to move out for the next 10 weeks because he is a BAD eating influence! He said he'd do this program with me, but that's a joke, he won't even stop eating crap in front of me and he forces me to eat at Applebees! I kinda hate Applebees, I'm pretty sure all the food is heated in the microwave. But anyway, no more eating out.

A little motivation:

Jamie Eason

I'd like to fit into these pants!

2012-01-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

I'm on Day 6 of the Jamie Eason LiveFit challenge and it's time to talk about specific goals I have. I have a few pairs of pants that I really want to wear, but I don't fit in.

These are the jeans I was wearing the day I moved into my house. I remember that by the end of the day they were literally falling down from all the sweating I did while moving stuff into the house on June 1 (gross, I know). It has been over 5 years and I can't get these jeans past my thighs now. I want them to fit again.

These are Michael Kors khakis I ordered from Hautelook awhile ago, I ordered them in the size I thought I was and yet they are too small. This might be because I've been refusing to buy a bigger size for about a year now. I have a number in my head that I refuse to go beyond because I'm afraid once I start, I won't stop. I would like to wear these. They were not cheap.

Now, some people like to tell me I've gained weight because I'm not 20 anymore, but that's just an excuse I think. I mean, there are 30 year old women still wearing a size 4! It's gotta be possible, right? Throughout high school and even college, I was tiny and ate whatever I wanted. Sure, I worked out, but that was just because I liked muscles, not to keep my waist small. Then, once I started working at a desk full-time and especially when I turned 25, the weight started coming. But, I thought I just had to workout a little and I'd be fine. I didn't change my eating habits at all. Big mistake. I'm not obese, but I'm certainly not where I'd like to be as far as my body goes. So it seems that I can no longer eat whatever I want and still look like I did at 20.

I'm not gonna lie, I love food. It pretty much is what my day revolves around. So, I'm never going to be able to cut all those things I love out of my life for good, but I am trying to learn to limit it. It's not that I don't like things that are good for you, I just also like things that are bad for you! I pretty much love all food. I like to eat. BUT, I also like those size 4 jeans! So it looks like I need to change the way I eat. And so far, I'm doing a pretty good job. I'm trying to keep it simple and doable, nothing too crazy. I do like the plan that Jamie uses in LiveFit because it's sort of just an outline, it's not crazy specific. I can handle that.

This is today's breakfast. It's not super strict, but there's no pork roll or potatoes on that plate, so it's an improvement! It's 2 egg whites and 2 whole eggs (I'm not afraid of the yolk) and half an Ezekial english muffin with Trader Joe's reduced sugar raspberry jam and a little butter. I also had a cup of Jamaican coffee with cream and sugar. I think once my half and half is gone, I just won't buy more. I'll have to use almond milk or fat free milk or nothing.

It's definitely a process and I'm leaning into it. I'm excited to see if I lost any weight when I weigh myself Monday morning! Depending on that, I might get stricter on the diet. Speaking of food, I need to go make a salad for lunch! And look up some vegetarian recipes for the week. I'm all for protein, but I also want to eat more vegetarian options and not just chicken, chicken, chicken, turkey, turkey, turkey!

Live Fit Day 3

2012-01-05T09:39:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post. Still on track. Except I kinda skipped dinner last night. My evening didn't really go as planned and I ended up not eating dinner. I drank a decaf Americano (sp?) instead. But, all my other meals/snacks were good! And I got the workout in. Leg curls and Barbell squats are kinda awkward, but I guess I'll get used to them! Am I the only one who thinks the workouts are short? I'm pretty much in and out of the gym in 30 minutes, is that wrong? Maybe Jamie just doesn't want us spending our lives in the gym? Whatever, if it gets me results, I'll do what she says!

My lunch

You can't see it, but there's kale, spinach, and lettuce in there too!

Day 2 Live Fit

2012-01-03T20:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it might be safe to say that I'll be updating everyday about the Jamie Eason Live Fit challenge because it keeps me accountable!

Today, was back and biceps. Yesterday, was chest and triceps and I have to tell you that I was not expecting to even be sore today, let alone as sore as I was! I can only imagine what tomorrow is going to be like! The lifting isn't too difficult, most of the exercises I've done, but there are a few that are new to me. Don't tell anyone, but I actually did the lat pulldown behind my head for the first set, yeah I'm that girl. But, that was my only real snafu.

The food isn't so bad, I'm trying to keep it pretty doable, so today went like this:

Breakfast- 4 egg whites, 1 whole egg, half an Ezekial english muffin and like 4 strawberries.
10 am snack- protein shake with unsweetened almond milk.
Lunch- kale salad with cucumbers, baby sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, carrots and grilled chicken.

Afternoon snack- a small piece of grilled chicken and a tiny jazz apple.
Dinner- some tuna protein pasta salad ala Julie's from GoLean, and a turkey muffin. Instead of mustard and relish in the pasta salad, I went with a tablespoon of greek yogurt and Newman's Own light caesar dressing! Oh, and red and yellow peppers chopped in the food processor.

Plus, water with lemon and some raspberry leaf tea to "nourish my uterus" we'll see how that goes! Oh, and I must admit I had a cup of coffee after work with a splash of half and half and one sugar, I'm trying to ween myself off the sugar first, then hopefully the half and half as well.

I also made more grilled chicken for tomorrow!

In other news, we might be going to Vegas in April! I'd say that's a pretty good motivator to get in bikini shape.

Day 1 of Live Fit Complete

2012-01-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

I just got done uploading my before photos to www.bodybuilding.com (and I won't be showing them here until there are after photos). They were awful and honestly, it's a wonder my husband is still married to me! Why didn't anyone tell me how bad it is?! Jeezzuss.
Today, was pretty much the worst day to start an exercise program, the gym was packed! I probably won't make it tomorrow (since it's already almost midnight) but I'd like to start going in the AM before work to avoid the crowd. Also because some of these workouts are new to me and require moving benches and stuff in the weight area and I'd like to not have 10 large men staring at me while I struggle. I had to modify two of the exercises, but I think the result was the same. The food part wasn't bad until my parents held me hostage at Ikea for 3 hours so I was starving and ate a grilled chicken salad at Chick fil a as soon as we left. I figured it was better than the Ikea hotdogs!
I have salad prepared for lunch tomorrow with grilled chicken and I'll be eating eggs with half an Ezekial english muffin as my starch and some strawberries for breakfast. A smaller piece of chicken for am snack and a protein shake for pm snack. I plan to make the pumpkin protein bars, but I have to order the Xylitol first.
I'm excited to see what I can do with my body in 12 weeks! I also plan to look at those before photos on my phone anytime I want to eat crap or not workout! Ugh.

Best Body Ever

2012-01-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

I've been going back and forth on starting the Jamie Eason Live Fit program for awhile now, I was supposed to start the week of Thanksgiving but then the kidney stone I've had since college decided it wanted out. Then I needed time to recover and by that time it felt silly to start so close to Christmas when I knew I'd be baking (and eating) a ton. Then Bodybuilding.com announced their $100k 12 week challenge transformation competition and that sounded like pretty good incentive! Plus, I realized that if I started the program on Monday, Jan. 2, I'd finish the week of my 31st birthday! It would be pretty cool to turn 31 with a new body. I think I even talked my husband and sister into doing the program as well. My husband saw a magazine with Jamie Eason on the cover and suddenly he was willing to do the program, I think he thinks she's going to come to our house and train him personally!

Here are a few things to help me on my journey to a better body. My husband bought me a jacket to wear to the gym and put a new protein bar in my stocking, it's called Iron Girl, anyone tried it? I haven't tried it yet. My Momma bought me a Cuisinart immersion blender (in pink!) for smoothies. And between the two bags that I bought and one a friend bought me, I have 3 bags of oat flour for Jamie's protein bars. Plus, fitness magazines to give me tips and keep me motivated!

Good Riddance, 2011!

2011-12-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

I don't know about all of you, but I'm pretty over 2011 and can't wait for 2012! I wouldn't be exaggerating to say that 2011 was the worst year of my adult life. I don't need to get into all the gory details, but let's just say, 2011 blew. But, I'm optimistic about 2012 and of course I have a few goals for the new year! Let's get to the list...

1. Finally finish my PT cert., I should be done in the next couple weeks. I'm almost done with the course work and then I just need to get my CPR/AED certification.
2. Get my new website up and running (and in the process master Dreamweaver).
3. Give myself a break once in awhile, I expect a lot from myself.
4. Finish Jamie Eason's 12 week Live Fit Challenge (I start Monday!).
5. Have a baby. (I realize at this point that I have little control over this, but I do still hope it happens in 2012!).
6. Stop biting my nails!
7. Make my house look like a home. We've been living in our house for over 5 years and it almost looks like we just moved in, besides all the crap everywhere.
8. Get organized.
9. Pay off the rest of my credit cards. I managed to pay off a couple in 2011 and I'd like to pay off the rest in 2012.
10. Leave the country. It's been a couple years and it's about time.

Check out my pink sparkly nails for NYE! I figure if they look pretty I won't bite them.

New Curtains!!!

2011-12-17T07:28:00.000-08:00

I recently purchased these curtains after eyeing them for months on Urban Outfitters website. They were on sale, which made it even better! You would think I ordered a new Macbook Pro or something with how excited I am! My kitchen (which we totally redid) still has these old blind things from when we moved in 5 years ago because I'm awful at buying window treatments, so these curtains will be a vast improvement. Plus, my walls are a Tiffany blue, so these should be perfect, right? We're also going to change the window moulding to white, all the window and door frames are currently a dark brown wood. Maybe I'll post a photo of my kitchen soon. I finally finished grouting the back splash a few weeks ago. It only took me like 2 years to finish, but we won't get into that!

Urban Outfitters

When did my arms get fat?

2011-12-06T17:48:00.000-08:00

I got my pink Zara blazer in the mail today and all I can say is, "When did my arms get fat?"

Is it me, or do I have fat arms? I ordered a medium blazer and it's definitely tight in the arms. I'm pretty sure the biceps I once had just went straight to fat. It's gross.
I didn't start the Jamie Eason 12 week Live Fit program yet, due to the kidney stone and a cold I'm still fighting, but I'm hoping I'm recovered enough to start by next week. These fat arms are not working for me!

Zara Double Breasted Coat

2011-11-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

While looking for the pink blazer I came across the double breasted coat. Love. Unfortunately, the only sizes left are XS and LG! Bummer.

Zara

Zara pink blazer

2011-11-26T22:49:00.000-08:00

I saw this blazer on Pinterest a few months ago and loved it but wasn't too keen on the price (I'm cheap, what can I say?). Then tonight I was roaming the internet and came across it again. It's not on the site, so I googled it and found it on Ebay for $17.99, I paid that plus $16 in shipping. So, I got it for half the price I saw it for on the site a few months ago. This is my first time purchasing clothing on Ebay, so let's hope I actually get what I paid for!

Cute, right?

Kidney Stone

2011-11-26T14:59:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: I'll be posting a photo of my stone, so if that grosses you out, I'd close your eyes! Or don't read this. :)

So, to review, I woke up Sunday night in crazy pain and it just got worse from there. With the blood in my pee, I assumed it was kidney related and I had kidney stones back in like 2003 and only passed one, so I figured it might be a stone. Monday I went to the regular doctor, they gave me Percocet and told me to get an x-ray. My sister took me for an x-ray at the hospital that night and the stone was still up in my kidney. I called a urologist in hopes of a quick appointment and the woman literally laughed at me, luckily I didn't take no for an answer and she gave me another branch to call. I found out later they have TWENTY doctors at that location! But, I'm glad it worked that way, because I ended up seeing the doctor I did and I love him. He's nice, helpful, smart, and he dressed well. Seriously, I'm in love. Anyway, I saw the doctor Wednesday. He told me to get a CT scan Friday and then see him again with a plan to do that sound wave surgery to get the stone out next Thursday. But, when I saw him Friday my CT scan showed that the stone was now very close to my bladder so he could no longer do the sound wave surgery. He thought I'd pass the stone this weekend if I drank lots of fluids, but if not, he'd laser the stone out Monday which would give me a little window to possibly still get pregnant this month! See, he's awesome. But, no surgery needed because I passed the stone last night! It's pretty freakin huge and I am so happy it's out!

See, isn't it huge?! That thing has been hanging out inside of me for like 8 years! Crazy. Okay, now I have to go bathe before my husband gets home. Stinky me doesn't help my cause.

Jamie Eason plans thwarted by kidney stones

2011-11-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

I was planning to start the Jamie Eason Live Fit 12 week program on Monday, but Sunday night I started peeing blood and in the middle of the night, the pain came. Pain that brought right back to that night in college when I thought I was going to die. I literally thought I should keep the bathroom door unlocked so my roommates could get in if I died. Turned out to be 2 kidney stones. I passed one of them and as of this March when I was in the hospital for other reasons, the other one was still there hanging out. I was told it was rather large so it probably wouldn't move. Ha, guess they were wrong! I went to the doctor yesterday and of course they were barely helpful, gave me a prescription for percocet (which is not really helping the pain and only causing me to vomit) and Flomax to loosen my urinary tract and help me pass the stone more easily, but apparently my insurance company thinks only men get kidney stones and need Flomax, so I'm still waiting on special permission for that one! I also went for a stomach x-ray yesterday. Not that anyone told me what it showed. Tomorrow I go see a urologist. When I called to make an appt. the first woman on the phone actually laughed at me when I asked for an appt. today and told me that they are a specialist so I won't be getting an appt. for 2-3 weeks! I told her that was ridiculous and by then I'd probably no longer have a problem. She gave me the number of another of their offices. Funny how when I called there, that woman was helpful and personable and got me an appt. for tomorrow!
I'm pretty amazed that this kidney stone has decided to move this week of all weeks. This is my week for baby making after my last month of Clomid before I see a specialist! How I'm supposed to make a baby in this pain, I'm not so sure. Maybe this is my body's way of telling me a baby is just not in my cards right now or maybe it wanted to get rid of the stone before the baby. Because I definitely would not want a kidney stone while pregnant! So, I'm trying not to get too upset about the timing of it all.
The pain is a lot better today so far, so who knows, maybe I'm about to pass it! I'm going to drink lots of water today and hope it helps!
And Jamie Eason will have to wait until next week!

P.S. I'm super grateful for that woman at the Delaware Valley Urology Mt. Laurel office, she was helpful and nice!

My hair

2011-11-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

I change my hair style and color pretty often. I started with two face framing highlights at like 15 and have been going ever since! Whenever I feel the need for a change, I change my hair. If I don't like the color I can just dye it again and if I cut it, it'll grow back. Currently, I'm growing out this cut:

Ginnifer Goodwin

I cut it at the end of July and it's growing like a weed. I think I'm going to wait until next week and then get it cut into an angled bob. And dye it red (it's currently blonde). I'd LOVE to do something like the pic below, but my stylist will charge me a fortune for all those colors. So, I might go for just red or maybe I'll do it myself, it wouldn't be the first time!

From here.

On a side note, I want to start noting things I'm grateful for every time I post in hopes that if I make a conscious effort it'll eventually be part of all my days. Sometimes life gets in the way of the way you want to be and it's easy to forget. Today I'm grateful for my body. It has it's faults, but it has gotten me this far. I have Cerebral Palsy, but it could be so much worse. I can still walk, and ride a (stationary) bike, and lift weights like anyone else. Essentially, I can do all the same things as someone without a disability, I just limp a little while walking. In fact, I 'd say that my disability is the least of my problems! :)

Grateful

2011-11-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

I initially wrote a post (that I didn't publish) on my second (third altogether) round of Clomid not working and not understanding why I can't get pregnant (or stay pregnant). But, instead of getting into all that and dwelling on the negative, I want to talk about what I'm grateful for instead.
I managed to find the love of my life very early on in my life (we were 17 and in high school) and I'm so lucky I did. He loves me exactly the way I am, he deals with my crazy on the regular. He's kind, smart, giving, supportive, funny and let's be honest, pretty freakin adorable. I really couldn't imagine my life without him. I'm lucky to spend my life with him.
I also have an amazing family filled with a bunch of crazy people who I love so much and who love me just as much. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that any of them would be there for me the second I ever needed them. I'm especially grateful for my mother. I can only hope that one day I will have a child one day and have just as a good a relationship with my child as my mother and I have. My mother always supports me and gives me the room to be myself. She's more like my best friend than my mother, to be honest. I didn't really grow up knowing my dad and my step-dad and I never got along so well, but my mother more than made up for all of that. And my wonderful husband totally understands my need to spend so much time with my mother and never gets upset about it. Just another way he lets me be myself.
So, everyday I get to wake up next to my beautiful husband and our puppy (and sometimes our cat) in our house that we live in as a little family. There are a lot of things left to be done. But for now, so far, we've come a long way and I'm a very lucky girl. And if babies aren't in our future, I still have many things to be grateful for. Speaking of my cutie husband, I'm going to go cuddle with him now...

Still going strong!

2011-11-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

I went back to the gym last Saturday for the first time in months and I'm happy to say, I kept it up throughout the week! I initially planned to do cardio in the morning on my spin bike and lift Mon.-Thurs., alternating upper and lower body and then do a full body workout Saturday, but then I spoke to a trainer at my gym and also a guy I work with who is in like super shape and decided to change it up. I want to be effective as possible. So, the new plan is:

Cardio in the AM (I ordered a GYMBOSS to help me with HIIT)
Lifting 6 days a week
Monday- Back, Biceps, Abs
Tuesday- Chest, Triceps, Butt
Wednesday- Legs and Shoulders
Repeat Cycle Thursday - Saturday
Heavy weights first cycle and lighter second to switch it up

I'm setting a goal to stick to this plan until Christmas. By then I should see real results and then I can adjust things to keep from plateauing.

I even said goodbye to Chick fila for awhile, this is serious people!

First time in months

2011-10-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Recently, my friend asked me to keep her accountable for working out and this in turn, has motivated me to work out more. It's been quite awhile since I've set foot in the gym, but I finally got back in yesterday. The first thing I did was have my BMI and body fat measured, and let me tell you, it ain't good. Let's just say, it's on the border between FAIR and POOR. So, it's time to get back on track. I've been Pinteresting lots of fitness tumblrs in an attempt to motivate myself and I think it's working! Here's one from Healthy is the Way to Go.

That is pretty much my ideal body. Especially the abs. I've managed to get the shoulders and biceps in the past, but I could never get beyond the top row of abs.

This is what I did yesterday:

Leg extension- 3 sets of 15, 75 lbs.

Pec fly- 3 sets of 15, 30 lbs.

Abductor- 3 sets of 20, 55 lbs.

Adductor- 3 sets of 20, 70 lbs.

Leg press- 3 sets of 15, 90 lbs.

Heel press- 3 sets of 15, 90 lbs.

Bicep curls (dumbbells)- 3 sets of 15, 10 lbs. each arm

Shoulder flys- 3 sets of 15, 5 lbs. each arm

Chest press- 3 sets of 15, 45 lbs.

I tried to keep it pretty light since it was my first day back in awhile. I'm slightly sore today, so I'll probably be worse tomorrow. Plus, I went bowling for the first time in years today, so that probably won't help with the soreness.

And now I'm going to go make salads for lunch tomorrow (for myself and the husband) and go to bed so I can try to get up and ride my spin bike tomorrow before work! Night everyone!

I am that person.

2011-10-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

I'm perusing my email on my lunch, thinking about going to get a cherry coke from the vending machine because I forgot to bring a drink when I saw this ad in a sidebar on my email.

So, I of course clicked on it, because who doesn't want to look like that? (And clicking on it will make me magically look like that!) It took me to Smartwater's Facebook page. Where I found a funny video, which of course made me want to drink Smartwater even more!

Unfortunately, the vending machines at my work don't have Smartwater (or anything even remotely healthy) so it looks like I'll be drinking that cherry coke with my Amy's organic burrito for lunch! But, I will grab some Smartwater later, just in case it does work!

I want to move to Brooklyn

2011-10-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

It's not new that I've wanted to move to NYC for years. As I get older the dream gets less and less likely and the fact that we now own a house we'd need to sell or rent to move doesn't help either. Last night, my husband mentioned moving to NYC again and of course that got me daydreaming. I did a search for Brooklyn apartments and came across The Brooklyner and decided I need to live there. Never mind that the rent is like 3 times the cost of my mortgage.

Rooftop deck

A little tiny, but I think I can deal.

Living room

Bedroom

Bathroom

Um, I could definitely write a book from that desk with that view.

Who needs a gym membership when there's a gym in your building?

Perfect tan, here I come!

Isn't it amazing? Seriously, I don't think I'd ever move if I lived here. Now I just need to find a job in NYC where I make about 5 times what I currently make so I can afford it. A girl can dream.

Nikon 1

2011-10-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

Can I have this please?

Thank you.

The Philip DeFranco Show

2011-10-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I updated my Iphone and Ipad to IOS5 and so today I was trying to watch Gossip Girl with Apple TV Airplay. Apparently, Gossip Girl is not online to watch, which is annoying. But after trying to search for it on YouTube, I came across a video of sxephil in The Philip DeFranco Show and I gotta say, I'm in love! Yes, I know I'm married, but whatev, I love him (I also love mini apples, so don't get too excited). He's cute, smart, funny. I've only watched like three videos so far, but I subscribed to his show. And here's one of his videos. It combines my love for him and Steve Jobs and my desire to not do something I hate for the rest of my life!

Maybe We'll Just Move Away

2011-10-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've talked about it a little on here, but not too much. I'm never sure how personal to get on this blog, but whatever, here goes! My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for over a year now and it just hasn't quite worked out for us yet. I've basically been told by my midwife that I have 3 more months of trying (really 2 at this point) and if I don't get pregnant it's time to see a fertility specialist! It's funny, you spend all this time trying not to get pregnant and then when you want to, it just doesn't work. I'm not sure I can really handle this for all the years it might take.
Today, I was reading an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about a couple who sold all their belongings and is planning to travel abroad for a year. And I told my husband that if we don't get pregnant in the next few months we should sell our house (and everything else) and just move away. I mean, at that point it'll be getting closer to two years of trying with little success and a lot of heart break, so maybe it'll be time to switch gears? Neither one of us is in love with our jobs and our house is nice, but it's not our dream house. Moving away and traveling would not be a bad thing. It would definitely take our minds off of baby making. The only thing that would be an issue is being away from family but we're only talking about a year. I guess we'll see what the next few months bring!

Two Year Anniversary!

2011-10-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Today is my two year wedding anniversary! Here are some photos from the day...

All photos by Alyssa Maloof.

Scheduling

2011-09-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

I have a lot going on right now. I'm working two jobs, which take up most of my time, but I have other things I need/want to get done. I'm still trying to finish my personal training certification (I know, I know) and I really need to get back to working out. Plus, I have a list of things I just want to do and of course I want to do them now, while I have no time.
1. Learn to actually use my camera for everything it can do, and maybe take a class.
2. Learn CSS and maybe Perl. I can use Dreamweaver a little, but I'd like to learn more.
3. Blog more. I'd like to actually get to the point where people read this. Do people read this?
4. Hoist this freelance career off the ground.
5. Oh and I bought this month pass to a rock gym (a groupon or livingsocial deal, I forget) so I need to fit that in somewhere.
6. Meditate. This kind of includes cleaning out my back room to make a space for yoga and meditation (there are definitely still wedding gifts back there and out two year anniversary is in a few weeks).

So, I figure to get all these things done and stay sane, I need a schedule. I'm not too keen on having my life totally scheduled out, but I don't see any other way. And I'm pretty sure a schedule is the only way I'll be sure to sleep. Last week, I was up past midnight every night and that can only last so long.

First, I'm going to have to start preparing for the weeks on the weekends. Meal plan and grocery shop (the slow cooker is going to become my new best friend), maybe I should even start planning my outfits for the week (have I ever mentioned I am not a morning person and pretty slow moving in the AM?). In spite of this, I think I might have to go back to AM workouts.

Okay, let's write this out.

5:50 am - wakeup
6:00 am - get on the spin bike and spin, spin, spin!
6:45 am -shower
7:00 am - dress, eat breakfast or make it to go
7:30 am - leave for work
8:00 am to 5 pm - work job 1
5:30 pm - stop at Starbucks on the way home to get other work done and avoid some traffic
7:30 pm - drive home
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm - more work and dinner
10:00 pm to 11 pm - write or study

Ok, so that's a pretty full schedule and really not that exciting. Maybe I should work more on the weekends to free up some time in the week? Ugh. I'll be happy when I'm only working one job again. I'm aiming to work 40 hrs. at job 1 (because I have to) and 20 hrs. at job 2. That's 4 hours M-F or maybe I can do 4 hours Saturday and Sunday and 2 to 3 hours during the week? That sounds like a better plan. Ha, I've lost it. I need to add about 5 more hours to each day! On that note, I'm going to bed.

Writing

2011-09-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've gotten this urge to really put my all into making writing my career. It's always been my goal as a career, but it's also always been on the back burner of my life for the most part. But, something shifted, and I've decided I'm only going to do things to move toward that goal. I went to a writing workshop at my local library the other day and the author teaching the class was the same age as me and this really just made me feel like a loser, but it also made me realize I need to get it together and write. It's like I'm trying to get someone to buy a painting I haven't painted yet, as my boss put it the other day. And when you put it that way, it sounds ridiculous!
Today, I read this post on Orangette and it's exactly how I've felt through the years. I don't have this urge to write all the time (probably that would change the more I wrote) so sometimes I wonder if I should just let it go and do something else with my life, but then I remember that when I am writing, I'm feeling the most challenged and happy. When I went on my interview a few years ago for a freelance position at a paper (that is now defunct) it was the best interview I ever had because I was interested in what we were talking about and I knew what I was saying! For the most part, I've always taken jobs to pay the bills and except for that freelance job, they've been boring and meaningless to me and quite honestly, they've made me feel crappy on a regular basis. That's not how I'm looking to spend my life. Which is why I'm now only taking steps towards the life I want. That doesn't mean I can just quit my job tomorrow, but it does mean I can start laying the ground work to eventually write full-time and that's exactly what I'm doing!
Of course, there's quite a list of other things I'd like to be doing along with writing, but I'll get to that in another post!

Super Rich: A Guide to Having it All book review

2011-09-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

Since we've gotten rid of cable (I think we're breaking down and getting some sort of digital convertor soon) I've been trying to read more. I currently have about 10 books from the library and 15 samples on my Ipad. I just finished reading Russell Simmons' Super Rich: A Guide to Having it All and really liked it. I read his first book Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success a few years ago and found it to be very helpful. It helped me get my first paying freelance writing job! So of course, I had to read his second book. I was a little caught off guard with what the fact that it was mostly about meditation and yoga, but these are two things I've been wanting to get into. I did yoga years ago, but stopped and I've always been curious about meditation. For some reason, I found myself in tears for a lot of the book (hormones? who knows) but there were also some funny, refreshing parts with the way Russell explains things. The book really drove home the idea that you should work on being a giving person and not worry so much about what your getting. That once you don't dwell on the material things, you'll have everything you need. Russell also speaks about Transcendental Meditation which is something I remember hearing Howard Stern talk about.

I looked into a place in NYC to learn it back when I heard it from Howard Stern (the same place Russell apparently went to) but it's not cheap to learn ($1500 I believe), luckily Russell offers some tips in his book. I decided to give it a try for the first time today and unfortunately, I fell asleep. But, before I fell asleep I did feel like things got very quiet around me as I was humming in my head. I'm not really sure what's supposed to happen with meditation though, so this might have meant nothing. I'm going to keep doing it though. I'm sure I can get better.
The other things that Russell talks a lot about in the book is yoga. As I mentioned, I did yoga a few years ago. I loved my instructor, but I wasn't so great at the yoga. I'm not a very flexible person, so yoga kinda just stresses me out with all the things I can't do. I also have a metal rod in my big toe, making things like Downward Dog not very comfortable. (Though Russell mentions a woman he met at yoga who did the entire class on her knees because is missing one of her legs, so things could be worse.) Anyway, my instructor, Paris, was very good about modifying things to help me and he even did some Thai stretching with me sometimes at the end of class. He seemed very interested in helping me get better. And as the weeks went on, I did get better. But then I moved and just sort of stopped going. A few years later (he'd since closed his studio) I found him subbing at another studio and so we started again, but it didn't last long and now I'm trying to find him again. I would love to get started and this time stick to it, just to see what I can do. The last time I took a yoga class was at my gym and I was hating it the whole time. I've definitely gotten worse in the time that's passed. I'm hoping to find Paris, but either way I do plan to start yoga again. We have a spare room that currently houses junk and I'll be turning that into a yoga/meditation/relaxation room. The idea of becoming a calmer, clearer, more flexible person really appeals to me.
The book also talks about the idea that you can change your life, that it's like a Subway car, if you were going the wrong way, you wouldn't just keep going, you'd get off, cross to the other car and start going in the right direction. This has really opened my eyes and and me realize that I can change my life if I want to! I recently have been looking for more freelancing work as well as other job opportunities because I'm just not happy at my current job and the other day a temp agency called me for an admin assistant/office manager job that pays more than what I make now, but still has nothing to do with what I want to do. I almost went on the interview, but that's exactly what I've always done, taken the first job to come along even though it's rarely been something I've wanted to do. I decided to give myself a chance to find something better. Taking that job wouldn't have put me any closer to where I want to be in life. I read a quote recently that said something about how if it's not moving you closer to your goals, it's pushing you farther away. And that's the truth. So, it's about time I started moving closer. And Super Rich helped me to see that even better!

Babies

2011-09-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine had a little baby boy the other day and I got to meet him for the first time today. He might just be the cutest newborn I've seen to date. It's possible this has something to do with his full head of dark hair, I have a thing for babies with lots of hair. In fact, I'll pretty bummed if my own baby doesn't come out with a full head of hair! I was born with red hair and it fell out and grew back in white blonde. I'm not sure about my husband, I should ask his dad. But, based on the fact that we both have thick hair now, I'm willing to bet our baby will have hair from the womb! We both think it will be red because I was born with red hair and he has a reddish beard (but dark brown hair) and also my dad has red hair (not sure if that matters).
Getting to meet RJ today, hold his tiny little body and have him look at me with his big eyes, just reiterated my desire for my own baby soon. I mean, really, it can't be soon enough! Not to mention I also found out today that the new hospital delivers food to the patients like room service and it can be ordered from like 7 am until midnight! I'm not gonna lie, that sort of thing totally appeals to me! Ha.
I've always wanted to have a baby (or 2) even before I was sure I wanted to get married. In fact, I used to see my future with a baby, but never a husband. Now, I'm happy to say I have a wonderful husband who will make a great father and I can't wait until that happens! The idea of teaching a little baby how to be a good person really appeals to me. It's pretty much the main appeal, but the fact that babies are so cute doesn't hurt either!

Finances

2011-09-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it, I'm bad with money. I'm not awful, but I could certainly do better. And recently, my husband has been working less overtime and we're starting to feel it. So, I thought it would be a good time to start cutting back on our Whole Foods visits, cutting coupons and packing lunches (Brown Bag Challenge anyone?). We also got rid of cable tv and our house phone. We have cell phones, Apple tv, and Netflix, so we should be fine. We watch too much tv anyway.
I've definitely never had money to burn, even growing up and I just don't want to spend my life broke and in debt. So, before it gets too out of hand, I want to get rid of the debt and stop living paycheck to paycheck (living off credit cards in college, may not have been the best idea), I long for the day when I have one credit card that I never carry a balance on! I applied for the Citi Simplicity card to transfer all my balances to a 0% interest for 21 months. Citi card was my first ever credit card, I applied for it on campus just to get the free t-shirt for my now husband, BIG MISTAKE! If only I knew then, what I know now. But, I was hoping since I've been a customer of theirs for so long and I always pay my card on time, they'll approve me for this new card. We'll see. It would definitely help me get my finances in order.
In the meantime, I also got a second job to help get back on track quicker. It actually sounds pretty good and I'll be doing some writing and editing, as well as editing video. Which I've never really done but am excited to learn.
I realize that at my age and with the idea of starting a family on the horizon, it's time get things under control!
I was inspired by this blog post as well. And I even put The Total Money Makeover on hold at the library. We are also in the process of switching to an ING electric orange checking account. I've actually had the savings and checking accounts for years, but I never used the checking account. So, I ordered a new card with my new last name and added my husband to my account. There are no fees, unlike our current bank that charges us to use our debit card and take our money out of the bank and the overdraft charge is substantially lower than the other banks. When you're not rolling in it, sometimes you overdraft your account and most banks like to just kill you with fees if that happens. Basically, banks steal from the poor. It's no secret. For now, my ING account still needs to be linked to a regular checking account to deposit checks, but I'm hoping they figure out a way around that very soon because quite frankly, I hate my bank. And when I do finally start making some real money, I'll be sticking with the bank that didn't try to steal from me when I was broke!

Brown Bag Challenge- Day 1

2011-09-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

On the way home from vacation, I was perusing Twitter and I came across the Brown Bag Challenge. I have a tendency to eat out for lunch pretty often and it's not always the healthiest (Chick Fil a nuggets may be real chicken, but they're still deep fried!), plus it starts to add up in cost after awhile. Even if I only spend $5 a day that's $25 a week and let's be honest, it's usually more than $5 a day! So, I figured this would be the perfect challenge for me. And then I got home from vacation and kind of forgot about it. BUT, I happened to remember today when I looked at the date and saw it was September 1 and luckily I brought PB & J today! True, not too exciting, but it was quick and cheap. I'll try to make it more exciting once I go grocery shopping. Tomorrow it'll be egg salad though because my husband just bought a gazillion eggs.
I can't wait to see if I lose pounds and save dollars!

Vacation!

2011-08-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

On vacation, trying to get a little sun and plan my next step in life. Fall will be here soon and I've always thought of it as a new start. I have some new ideas in mind. Talk to you all in a bit!

My Body, My Temple.

2011-08-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago my husband and I watched "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and we just HAD to do the juice fast afterwards. Fast forward a few weeks and a rather expensive juicer and today was the first official (we juiced a little Friday as well) day of the five day fast we decided to do. By about 4 o'clock I was starving and wanted to hurt somebody. I almost gave up and ate eggs, but instead I opted for a smoothie made with greek yogurt, strawberries, banana, spinach, peanut butter, protein powder, chocolate soy milk and oats. Not juice, but not too bad. It kinda curbed my hunger. We'll see how tomorrow goes. I was thinking earlier today that I wish I didn't worry so much about being fat. I wish I could just make the right food choices and enjoy them instead of trying all these extreme things to lose weight. I usually end up giving up in the first few days (or day) and then feeling bad about it. Why can't I be one of those girls who has a good balance of diet and exercise going and a flat stomach?! Sucks.

Boots for Fall

2011-07-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

I went shopping with my mom today, I didn't really buy anything since I'm currently broke, but I did file some things away to buy for Fall. Here are some shoes I'm eyeing for Fall:

Ferrise from Aldo

These were super comfortable, cute and not narrow like some other styles I've tried on like these.

The mini Ugg in Navy or Cactus Flower

I should say that I have a serious love for Uggs, it took me awhile to understand how people could spend so much money on boots like these, but I tried them on once and was totally sold. I have pretty awful feet and I'm usually in pain, but my Uggs are so comfortable. I'd wear them everyday if I could. I even own the Ugg Gypsy flip flops (that I bought from DSW off the clearance rack for $22 with a coupon!). I also own the tall grey ones (my first pair) and a pair of chestnut minis ordered from China when I found out they were no longer making the minis, but it looks like they changed their minds. I'd love the two colors above and maybe a grey pair as well. I'm not kidding about my love for them. Really.

The big kid classic short in grey

These are between an adult short and mini.

The adult classic short in Pomegranate

I was serious about my love!

Steve Madden Miidori Buckles

Steve Madden Cablee

First Protein Shake with New Blender!

2011-07-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've added two things to my To Buy list:

1. A juicer. I've been eyeing this one.

The Breville Ikon Multi-speed Juicer

2. A blender. I had a gift card for Boscov's that still had $19 on it, so I found the cheapest blender they had on sale for $20. It ain't no Vita-mix, but it should do for awhile!

My first smoothie with the new blender.

PB&J Smoothie

skim milk (I know I need to get some soy and almond milk)

frozen strawberries

vanilla whey protein from Whole Foods

a heaping spoonful of crunchy Trader Joe's peanut butter

a packet of Truvia

I have to say, it's pretty delicious! Next, I'm going to try adding rolled oats.

Me & Ro Jewelry

2011-07-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I found myself in the emergency room not once, but twice in one week and lucky for me I have an Iphone so I could pass the time and ignore the pain while roaming the internet. One of the things I looked at was the Gilt mobile app I ha on my phone. At the time, there was a Me and Ro Jewelry sale and I saw a buddha necklace I loved. I think it was like $65. Did I mention it was also the week before my birthday? I should have just bought it because now I can't seem to find it. I was just looking at the site (okay, I still am) and I came across a few other pieces that I like. But, I still prefer that Buddha. Bummer.

The elephant pendant

"luck and prosperity"

Thousand arms pendant

"Thousand Arms of Compassion"

Ganesha

"Remover of Obstacles"

Tiny buddha

CLA supplement

2011-07-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

I just started reading, "This is Why You're Fat (And How to Get Thin Forever)" by Jackie Warner. I'm not too far into it yet, but I did read about the supplements that Jackie takes. I managed to pick up some CLA at Trader Joe's tonight. The woman who rang up my groceries asked me why I was buying CLA because she noticed a lot of people buying it recently and I told her I read about it and it's supposed to help you burn fat. Then she tells me her trainer friend takes it and it keeps the fat off her stomach. Well, that sounds pretty good to me, since all my fat is on my stomach! Really, all of it. I'm not gonna lie, I'm hoping for some kind of fat loss miracle, but that's nothing new! Anyone take CLA and think it really works?

Random post from starbucks on my iPad...

2011-07-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

So, I stopped at Starbucks for an iced b&w mocha before I head over to Trader joe's for some peanut butter and jazz apples, among other things. I've been having one of those weeks at work where I'm constantly being reminded that I need to move on. There's nothing there for me really, sure my boss is great, but the work is not challenging and I certainly don't make enough money. I wish I was lucky enough to just quit and find my way into something else. But, that's not happening. And if one more person tells me I'm lucky to have a job, I might scream! I realize I am lucky to have a job, when so many people do not, but that doesn't mean I should just exist everyday. I didn't go to college to be someone's admin forever! Maybe I should just go to grad school already. If I had done that 5 years ago when I was first miserable my whole life might be different by now! I'm so afraid to make a decision about the future and choose the wrong thing, but instead I'm just wasting away. Yeah, I'm lame.
Photos of my b&w mocha and my lunch to spice this depressing post up!

Tall iced B&W mocha

lunch

Day 1 of Abcentric

2011-07-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

I just wrote this in the Metamorphosis community, but I thought I'd post here as well. The diet is not too bad, the soup is pretty awesome and I still have the pudding left to eat.

But, the dance cardio is kind of a joke for me. I have zero coordination, balance, flexibility and Tracy does not stop to explain movements. I have a hard time even jumping so the dance cardio is really not for me. Then I went to the muscle work, again Tracy doesn't stop to explain movements and she moves pretty fast. The arms and abs were okay, but when it went to being on all fours, I got a lot of pain in my knees. I've always been sensitive like that, I have no fat on my knees (luckily) so even with a yoga mat, I'm still in pain. I don't know. I'm very disappointed. I want the body of Stacy from the website.

I want her body

I'm thinking about just going back to the old fashioned lifting weights and spinning. I don't know. I'm bummed.

Metamorphosis Abcentric

2011-07-10T18:51:00.000-07:00

I received the Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis Abcentric in the mail the other day and I'm starting tomorrow. I meant to start today, but I got up too late and didn't have any of the food made. But, I went to Whole Foods today and bought the ingredients I need for week one (well for 4 days of week one since my husband has decided to join me on this plan) and I got the juice guy (I kinda love him) to make me the juice for tomorrow. He basically told me it'd be cheaper to just buy a juicer if I planned to get 2 juices a day made for 7 days at $5 a juice. He's right I guess, but I wasn't planning on making a $200 purchase this week. I'm going to see how I feel about the juice tomorrow and then decide. He told me it was the darkest juice he'd ever made and that I should drink a glass of water after it and also plan to visit the bathroom after (not in those words exactly) great!

The kale, spinach, beet, apple juice.

The food is really time consuming to make, so I'm glad I have it for a few days. The only thing I didn't do was the apple sauce (I misjudged how many jazz apples I still had at home) I may just buy the all natural apple sauce and add some cinnamon and be done with it. And the veggie protein soup I plan to make for the first time tomorrow night and just make extra for the rest of the week. As for the chocolate pudding, I substituted blueberries for chestnuts (Tracy says it's okay) and nixed the coconut. I've literally been in the kitchen for hours today and I'm tired! There are a couple days this week I won't be doing the diet for dinner because I'm in a wedding on Saturday so I have a rehearsal dinner Thursday night and the wedding on Saturday, but I figure even I do it those other days I'll still (hopefully) see a difference!

The food (minus that cheese drawer of course).

I should also maybe mention that I have never actually done a Tracy Anderson workout, so this should be interesting! I'm still going to spin in the morning. I know Tracy only wants you to do her Method, but I could use that little extra cardio in the morning I think. I'll do the dance cardio and muscle work at night.

I'm really, really hoping this works. I wasn't sure about the diet, but I kinda like the idea of everything being made ahead of time for me and I don't even have to think about it during the week. I spend a lot of time thinking about, shopping for, and preparing food, so I think it'll be a nice change. Plus, it'll help me not cheat.

Okay, I'm off to go measure myself and bed!

Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis

2011-06-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

I've been sort of following Tracy Anderson since I saw her when Gwyneth was on Oprah. I haven't tried any of the workouts yet, but I read her book. I was afraid to start it because quite frankly, I like to eat and the meal plan was a little crazy. Not only was it a small amount of food it was also not foods I'd normally buy. I follow her on Facebook and Twitter though and still like to see what she's doing. The other day I saw someone else's results on FB and I was so surprised to see how defined her arms were with only 3 lb. weights. I use 10-15 lb. dumbbells, I thought 3 lbs. was a crazy idea! The thing about Tracy that I really do like is that she seems to shrink people, it's like she just pulls a string and cinches you all in. I'm not currently so small, but I used to be pretty tiny and I want that back. So, Tracy's Metamorphosis is on QVC now and for $100 I can get 5 DVDs and a meal plan (that's hopefully more realistic than the bootcamp menu). I kinda want to try it. I've recently had a lightbulb switch back on and I've been really good about spinning in the morning and lifting with more cardio at night. Could it be that I can stop all that and just do her DVDs and see results? I'd really like to shrink my entire body and get defined muscles as well. QVC has a 30 day money back guarantee, so I think I'll try it and see if it works and if not, I'll return it. Has anybody tried it and loved it, or not?

Let's not jinx it but...

2011-06-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

I've gotten every weekday morning since last Wednesday ridden my spin bike for 30 minutes or more and last night and tonight, I lifted weights and walked on the treadmill on an incline for 30 minutes. I lost 3 lbs. last week, I'm hoping for 5 more this week with the double workouts. Yay for having to be in a wedding in a little less than 6 weeks as motivation. It seems weddings are the only thing I get motivated about. Okay, I need to go to sleep now.

Forks Over Knives

2011-05-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

I just went to see "Forks Over Knives" with my Momma. I dragged her along in hopes that she might come away from it with a new outlook on the food she eats. Let's hope it worked! I thought it was a really informative movie, though slightly upsetting. It did get me thinking though. I think I'm going to take the summer to eat a more "whole foods, plant based diet" and see what happens. Maybe I'll some weight and my skin will clear up, who knows! I went vegetarian for about 4 months a few years ago, but it really didn't work me, I think the problem was I are a lot of faux meat rather than a lot whole foods. This time I'm gonna try to just eat more veggies and grains. Oh, and I'm going to stay out of Chick fil a for awhile. I probably average once a week (though I've had moments of eating it twice a day), so cutting it out for awhile will probably do wonders for me. And maybe if my mom sees me making a change, she'll try it too. The fact that the two main doctors in the movie were in their 70s but looked so young or one of the women they featured got a gold medal in a triathlon at age like 47, while battling cancer (which later disappeared) or that the one doctor's son made a career out of triathlons for over 10 years and then at 34 yrs. of age, decided to become a fire fighter (and could climb up the fire pole using just his arms) should be proof enough that there might something to the idea.

Posture

2011-05-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

I'm studying to get my PT certification (who knows if I'll ever use it, but I paid for it, so I want to get it) and I was just reading about posture. And it occurred to me that I have a Lordosis deviation.

Now, if you know me in real life, you probably know that I have Cerebral Palsy and this is most likely the cause for my deviation. It means that I have a tight lower back and hip flexors and possibly weak abs. Who knew all those doctors and physical therapists who told me I should stretch were right?! I'm now 30 years old and just realizing, hey maybe I should stretch! Maybe if I stretched I'd be in less pain on a regular basis, what a concept! So, here I am making a conscious decision to stretch everyday. When crossing your legs while sitting becomes slightly uncomfortable, it's time to make a change!

Bush excavation

2011-05-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

We've been living in our house for almost 5 years now and there's been this awful bush in the front yard since we moved in. It blocks most of the front of the house and I've always been concerned with strangers hiding behind it. Yes, I know I'm nuts.

See, it's huge. And really ugly.

It was a total of six different trees grown together, plus those awful tiny shrubs that are kinda sticky. It took all day for my wonderful husband to dig them out. One broken shovel and one lost (then found) wedding ring.

But look how much better it looks gone! Plus, no more chance for scary strangers to jump out from behind it! The only problem is now we have a dirt pit with a bunch of big rocks thrown in and I'm not sure what to do with it! I kinda want to put my raised bed there, but we get a lot of foot traffic on our street (I think there's a bus stop nearby) so I'm kind of afraid someone will steal my veggies or just ruin them for the hell of it! What do you think?

Lately.

2011-05-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty sad. I thought I had moved past it, but recently it's crept back in there and I'm not sure how to fix it. I think it's a bunch of things all rolled together, but I'm having a hard time seeing past it to something good. It's turning 30, it's personal loss, it's "hey, I'm not 110 lbs. anymore", it's having skin like I'm 15 again. It's just a lot. I wouldn't say my life has ever been easy, but I guess I kinda thought it was doable, and now I'm wondering, "Why me?" a lot of the time. I find myself crying a lot lately. I know it's my hormones probably mostly, but that knowledge doesn't really help me feel better about it. I'm really hoping the next few months are good, heck maybe even the next year!

Let's try again

2011-03-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

Awhile ago I started a high protein diet but then I stopped because of circumstances, but those circumstances have since changed, so I'm about to go back on the diet. The first week I did it. I lost 2 pounds, and that was without even working out really. In 4 weeks from Monday I'll be attending my joint 30th birthday party with my husband and I'd love to lose 10 lbs. by then! I'm thinking 2-3 lbs. per week is realistic, if I stay strict with the eating and the working out. Plus, due to the same circumstances changing we also plan to take a little vacation in May and I'd love to be bikini ready for that. We're thinking Mexico and that requires a bikini. What more motivation do I need? I'd post a before photo, but let's be honest, I don't want to scare people so maybe you'll settle for some after photos? Sound good? Good. In the meantime, I'd like these abs...

What? I'm not far from that...hahaha. Well, a girl can dream. Maybe I should go to the gym right now...

This is going to be rough, but I think I can do it if I stay strong and focused.

30th Birthday

2011-03-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my 30th Birthday and those cupcakes were sent to me from my friend Erin from Crumbs Bake Shop in NYC. They were delicious! My favorite was the Cosmo I think, with the pink cake and lime buttercream icing. I wouldn't have thought that would be my favorite because I'm not a big fan of lime, but it was an unexpected combo and delicious!
Those cupcakes really brought my spirits up, because so far this birthday month has been crap. But enough about the past, let's talk about the future.
I turn 30 tomorrow and I'm not really looking forward to it, but someone told me that 30 is the new 20, so let's hope that's true and I still have time to make something of my life. I've had a few awful things happen in the last couple weeks that have made me reconsider what's important in life. So let's talk about what is important. Let's list it.
1. Family- I have a great family and husband, but I want children of my own soon (asap people).
2. Career- I want to spend my days doing something I love, with a flexible schedule and financial stability.
I don't really think either of these things is too much to ask. I mean, not living essentially paycheck to paycheck would be nice. Believe me, I realize it could be a whole lot worse, but I also realize it could be better.

So, let's talk about what I see in my 30s:
I'll be happily married (still) and a mother of two children (preferably a boy and girl, ha). My days will involve taking care of my kids and running my own business. My business will either be owning a cafe/bakery or writing books/magazine articles/blogging or maybe all of those things. I like the idea of working on different projects and making a living. Maybe I'll even be using my personal training certification to train a little and write for fitness magazines. Or at least keep my ass small after those 2 kids! Most of all, I do not want to be turning 40 and wishing I had done more in my 30s. Time really does fly whether you're having fun or not, so here's to having fun and accomplishing things to be proud of in my 30s!

Shhh!

2011-02-26T08:59:00.000-08:00

I'm super excited! I can't talk about it yet though. I'll let you know when I can. Until then, have a great day! I am.

Yeah, it didn't work. FML.

Iphone for Verizon

2011-02-11T20:29:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting for the Iphone to come to Verizon for as long as there's been an Iphone. I'm pretty much an Apple snob. In my house there is an Imac, Macbook Pro, Apple tv, and number of Ipods. I will only buy an Apple computer. So, the fact that I've held out so long for the Iphone is kind of a big deal. But, I hate AT&T and everyone I know (pretty much) is on Verizon so it seemed silly to switch to an awful network for a phone. So, I waited. And it seems I'm still waiting.

Apple

Even once the Iphone was available for pre-order I questioned whether the purchase was practical since there will most likely be a new phone out in June. But, that's all based on rumors. And my current phone battery is slowing dying on me, so I took the plunge and ordered my phone on Feb. 9 at 3 am. Yes, 3 am. Only to be told it wouldn't ship until February 18! That's crazy! I tried to cancel the order (so I could just buy it in the store) but i was told that's not allowed. Then I saw that my phone was saying it shipped, but according to the guy I spoke with on the phone that wasn't true. And according to the woman who returned my email I sent requesting an explanation for the delay in my shipping, my phone would not be shipping until February 18. The thing is, this email came after another email telling me my phone shipped and gave me a tracking number. According to that email, my phone left Westchester, PA at 8:30 am this morning. I was hopeful I'd get it before the end of the day. I had it shipped to work since it required a signature. I checked tracking again at 3 pm, only to see the info. had changed to origin scan at 8:30 am and departure scan from West chester at 5 pm, except it was only 3 pm when I checked this! What the crap! Total mess. I've since checked again and supposedly it'll be delivered Monday. I've also since gotten a voicemail from the woman who emailed me telling me the phones started to ship on the 10th on a first ordered first shipped basis. I guess she got this info. after she emailed me telling me the opposite. Soooo, hopefully I can be done waiting by Monday. I really should have just gone to the store and bought one, but funny thing, when I was in the Verizon store last week I was told they wouldn't be in the store until the end of the month. I wonder how many other people were told this? Yeah, a total mess.

I am excited for my new phone though! Let's be honest.

Diet plan

2011-02-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here's that diet plan I was talking about the in the previous post.

Wake up:
Immediately have a a cup of Decaf Hot Green Tea prior to exercising. This will create a natural thermogenic environment helping you burn more calories.
Exercise (if this is a work out day)
Meal #1: (Post Workout Meal)
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal (measured dry)
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
small banana
Multi-vitamin
Meal #2: (2.5 - 3 hrs)
2 oz Raw Green Veges (broccoli, celery, peppers, etc)
0.5 oz almonds
Meal #3: (2.5 hours - 3 hours later)
2 cups Romaine Lettuce
3 oz. of whole complete protein (grilled chicken breast, turkey, tuna)
2 TBS Ground Flax seed (pick up a bag at whole foods)
Light, Low Cal Dressing (Don't expect you to eat a dry salad)
Meal #4: (2.5 -3 hours later)
Piece of fruit
(if needed - at the most 1 serving of whole wheat pretzels)
Meal #5: (2.5 - 3 hours later)
3 oz. complete whole protein (chicken, sirloin, salmon, turkey)
1/2 Serving of Carbohydrate - (1/4 brown rice, 1 oz. whole wheat pasta, 1 slice whole wheat bread, 1/2 of a medium sweet potato)
2 -3 cups green vegetables
Meal # 6: (2.5 - 3 hours later)
1 small container (serving) non-fat cottage cheese OR 1 small container plain nonfat Greek yogurt

It's not so horrible. It's just going to take a lot of preparation and willpower to not eat sweets. I'm not going to start right away because I just went grocery shopping and I don't want to waste stuff, but most likely by next week if not earlier. I want to find my abs!

It's not news

2011-02-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

I've been seriously lacking in the health and fitness department for quite awhile now. I'm not sure what my issue is but I'm lacking the motivation. And this might be fine if stores weren't already selling bathing suits and I didn't just order this dress for my cousin's wedding six sizes larger than my wedding dress just a year and 4 months ago.

Yeah. Not cool. So, something needs to be done. Plus, I've decided my arms looked fat in my own wedding photos so I need to fix that before I'm in more wedding photos. It's such a shame I like to eat so much. Especially sweet things. It's a real problem, which has become even more apparent with my ever growing waistline. I'm contemplating Weight Watchers or maybe just a high protein diet for a few weeks to get me started. My boss and his wife have been on this eating plan for months now and they both have slimmed down (not that they were remotely fat to begin with) but apparently you can see her abs now, so I'm waiting for him to give me a copy of her eating plan. I think it's along the lines of:

breakfast- 3 eggs, 1/2 cup oatmeal and banana

snack- greek yogurt

lunch- salad

snack- veggies and fat free ranch

dinner- lean protein, whole grains, veggies

Doesn't sound too bad. It's just about putting the effort in. Planning things ahead. Not waiting until the morning and grabbing a Jummy Dean D-lite sandwich as I run out the door.

Also, my wonderful husband finally moved my Spinner bike to my living room so I can ride it with no excuses. My plan is to ride my bike in the AM and lift in the PM at the gym. Maybe I can get that together this week. I managed to ride only 2 days last week. Ugh. I also bought new sneakers last week in hopes of getting some motivation.

Nike Free TR Fit

They are super lightweight, so I'm hoping they keep my toes from going numb like they've done with all my other sneakers.

Here's a bit of motivation.

Self

I'd like to reveal my abs. I lost them like 5 years ago and I want them back!

I'm putting it out in the Universe!

2011-01-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

I applied for a new job today, a job that will put me back on the right track in my life. A job that sounds perfect for me. A job I really, really want! And I know you don't get everything you want, but the thing is, I know I'd be good at this job. So, I'm putting it out into the Universe, I want this job! I'm going to get it!

Car accident

2011-01-17T18:52:00.000-08:00

Not much new going on with me. I got into a car accident a week or so ago. It was snowing and I slid into another car. I started to slide head first into the car, but we both managed to turn our wheels and only hit our back driver sides. Damage was minimal for both cars and although it was freakin scary, it could have ended up much worse. I am very lucky. Of course I'm totally freaked out about driving in the snow now. I'm currently driving a Hyundai Accent rental and it's snowing. If it's crappy weather when I wake up tomorrow, I will not be driving to work. I did not get the extra insurance on this rental and I'm not taking my chances! No thanks.

A new wardrobe would be nice too...

2011-01-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

If money was no object (or at least less of an object), I would wear things like these:

Wool Woven Tuxedo Jacket

Hancock Wool Blazer

Ramson Satchel

Ariana Convertible Satchel

Just Cavalli Sequin Dress

Michael Kors Resin and Rose Gold Watch

I need a new look

2011-01-06T19:38:00.000-08:00

My hair is getting long, too long. (Almost to my elbows) And the color could use some help as well. My hair stylist is a fortune, so I usually make an excuse not to go, but I think it's time to suck it up. Because I know she does a great job. I plan to keep as close my natural color (dirty blonde) as I can to cut down on the upkeep. Here are a few cut options:

I've had boy short hair before and my only qualms about doing it again is the growing it out later. It's not a good look growing out hair that short. But I don't know. What does everyone think? (Does anyone read this blog? Ha.)

Dear Breville,

2011-01-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

Can you please send me a Juice and Blend? I swear, I'd use it everyday! Thank you, Melinda.

Is it attached?

2011-01-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

This is our current thermostat.

I bought my husband (from our dog and cat) a new programmable thermostat for Christmas. He has a tendency to turn the heat off when he leaves for work and a few weeks ago it snowed like an inch and people forgot how to drive and it took HOURS to get home. So, by the time he got home it was close to 10 pm and our dog was shivering in the doorway to our room. Hence the gift from the dog and cat. The problem is, we're not sure how to get the thing off the wall! I did find the manual though, and I just emailed it to him. Hopefully he can figure it out. I have faith, he did install a whole kitchen without knowing what he was doing! I'll keep you posted.

The Game

2011-01-02T19:36:00.000-08:00

This might be slightly ridiculous, but I just found out that The Game is coming back! I watched this show on The CW and BET awhile back and got all into it only to realize it was no longer being filmed. It was a bummer. I like Tia Mowry (from Sister, Sister!) and Brittany Daniel (from Sweet Valley High!) and both of these ladies are on the show. I was flicking the channels the other day and saw they were showing it on BET and interviewing the cast in between and I thought that was odd if the show is no longer being filmed, so I looked into it and turns out BET picked it up for new episodes! Starts January 11. Can't wait. The Game is a spinoff of Girlfriends which I also watched like it was my job. My husband just made fun of me about it. Whatever.

Organizing the kitchen

2011-01-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

I ordered this from Walmart yesterday. I've been looking for one for awhile and the price and reviews were good. We redid our kitchen a few months ago, but I still need some more storage. I have my kitchenaid mixer, and a number of other small appliances that I don't necessarily use everyday, but don't want to pack away. Plus, I have large glass jars that hold things like sugar, flour etc. that I'd like to use the shelf for. I'm a total nerd, but i can't wait until I get it!

365 Project- Day 2

2011-01-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

Today this kiosk stole $2 from my husband. He was not happy about it! I wonder if the Philadelphia Parking Authority will reimburse him? Doubtful.

365 Project

2011-01-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

In hopes of succeeding at my goal to take more photos in 2011, I've decided to do this 365 Project and take a photo a day.

Day 1

This is my puppy Wiley (he's really 5) hiding under the coffee table amongst all our shoes. I told you we needed get on the whole cleaning thing. They are all my husband's shoes aside from the spinning shoes. Those do need to get worn more though.

Hello 2011!

2011-01-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

Twenty ten was an okay year. Nothing too amazing happened. To be honest, the year flew by! I really don't know where it went. I got married at the end of 2009 and then all the sudden it was the end of 2010. There were a few house renovations (a new kitchen built by my wonderful husband), new floors (also courtesy of my husband), a couple trips, my one year wedding anniversary was celebrated and one of my closest friends had her first baby in November. But, the truth is, there was a lot that was not accomplished in 2010. But, alas, there's nothing I can do about that now, so instead I'm going to concentrate on making 2011 my best year yet! Twenty eleven is kind of a big deal because I will be turning 30! I know, it's kinda crazy. I can't believe it myself. I'm sure you see why this year is so important to accomplish a few things. So, let's get down to it. I'll guess I'll go with the list.

1. Eat more vegetables and whole foods. Cut back on the processed foods. I tend to get lazy and just eat out for lunch and sometimes even dinner, but I really want to pay more attention to the quality of what I'm eating.
2. Find the door to my gym again. I have been really awful about going to the gym for like SIX MONTHS, ugh it hurts just typing that. I REALLY need to go back. Bottom line, I start tomorrow. I have no choice. The real goal here is to feel good enough about my body to be willing to go to the gym in just a sports bra and pants. Ha. So ridiculous, but it would be so awesome!
3. Keep my house clean. Usually, I clean on the weekends and by like Tuesday the house is a mess again. The thing is, there are only TWO OF US, and we live in a relatively small house, you'd think we could keep it clean! It's so annoying. I'm not perfect and I can be lazy, but my husband, it's like no one ever taught him to hang up his coat, put his clothes in the laundry, put his dish in the sink let alone the dishwasher. It's really kind of amazing and not in a good way. I mean, if we can't even keep a house clean now, what are we going to do when we have kids?! So, my goal is for the two of us to get it together and keep the house clean. I might have made a point with him earlier when I mentioned that if we could keep the house clean on a regular basis, we wouldn't have to spend our days off cleaning, I think he may have got it. We'll see.
4. Find a career I love. This is one that is very important to me. I'm not happy with my current job and I haven't been for quite awhile. I just don't see the point in spending my days doing something I don't find challenging or useful. So this it, this is the year I'm going to make that change and follow my heart to something I love to do.
5. Start an etsy shop. I like to bake. I do it a lot and I'm pretty good at it, at least that's what I hear. So I think it's time to take it to the next level. And I've seen other people with etsy bakeshops, so why can't I have one? This is something I hope to have off the ground by the end of January. What am I waiting for? Who knows, it could lead to great things!
6. Update my blog more often. I think this will come with living my life more fully and having more things to talk about.
7. Actually get my personal training certification. I signed up (and paid) for this in July 2009 and I still haven't done it! I have until July to finish it or I'm out the money I paid. At this point, it's just a matter of getting it done. It might be a good side job. Ha.
8. Clean out the back bedroom. Right now it's just a pit holding a futon, ten ton of books and cds, my craft table (that I never use) and wedding remnants (gifts and other stuff) but it's ultimately going to be a nursery (hopefully). I kinda have it in my head that if I clean out the room a baby will come. I hope so. I look forward to having a child to teach how to be a good person. But, let's not get into that now.
9. Use my camera more. I have a pretty nice camera that should be getting a lot more use. But, suspect it'll be getting more use with the start of my etsy shop and the increased updating of my blog!
10. Touch my toes. I know this is ridiculous, but I can't touch my toes. I mean, it's not even close. So, I'd like to change that.
11. Start a family. I'm not sure this can be a goal, since it's not really something I can control. But, the goal definitely is to add a baby to our little family in 2011. Right now it's just my husband and I along with our dog and cat. We feel like a baby would fit quite nicely in it. We might need to get a king sized bed for family day on Sundays, but that's okay! Until that happens though, I'll be concentrating on the other ten goals.
Here's to a great year!

What to do on NYE?

2010-12-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

I generally don't go out for New Year's Eve. I've never been a huge drinker and well, I'm cheap, so the over priced events of NYE don't really appeal to me! But, because we don't go out and we're old, we usually end up falling asleep before 12, so I've decided that this year we need to do SOMETHING. I think I'd be cool just going out to dinner (nowhere fancy) and maybe a movie (we're movie people), just something so we make it past midnight! God we're old!
I'm off Friday and I have a gift certificate to a spa from my anniversary, so I think I might make an appointment for a massage earlier in the day. A good way to start off the New Year I think.
What is everyone else doing on NYE?

Stomach and Head

2010-12-01T20:09:00.000-08:00

I'd be willing to say that I've had stomach problems forever. It was brought to my attention a few weeks ago that I could have a wheat allergy or another food allergy that has been causing my discomfort. I also have been getting dizzy a lot the last few months. So, I decided to go to the doctor and cover both those issues at the same time (one copay people). Oddly, my old doctor sold his practice (not that I ever got to see him, just his assistants) so when I called this time I saw a new doctor and I really like him! He seemed to really care about finding out what is wrong with me. In the past, the doctors have just kinda brushed my issues aside. I've been told I might have IBS, but never given any solution for it. I was sent for a full allergy panel including gluten as well as an ultrasound of my stomach and an EKG for the lightheadedness. I went for the blood work last week and I'm awaiting the results and tomorrow morning I got for the ultrasound and EKG. Part of me hopes there's nothing wrong and part of me hopes it gets figured out, especially my stomach because it's a real pain to have stomach issues EVERY TIME you eat! I'm off to bed soon because I can't eat or drink after 12.

Day 2

2010-11-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

It's no secret I haven't been so good with gym for a few months now. But, I've managed to get there both yesterday and today. Which doesn't sound like a big deal, but since I've been averaging about one day a week, I'm already doing better! I started packing a gym bag and going right from work. I'm easing my way back into it this week and just doing cardio. I'm visiting a friend in Boston this weekend, so I will be there Thursday to Sunday. I think there's a gym in the hotel, plus I'll be doing a ton of walking, so I know I'll be getting in some cardio. Then next week I'll start adding weights back into my workout. I have literally not lifted weights since June. Can't wait to feel that pain 2 days after I lift! It's gonna be super fun!
I do have to say that I have noticed since I started working out again, I have been feeling better, the guilt factor is low! So, the goal is to just keep it going and see where I can take it.
Today I ate:

Breakfast- Oatmeal mixed with Trader Joe's chunky peanut butter and reduced sugar raspberry preserves
Snack- A banana
Lunch- Amy's Organic enchiladas
Snack- Annie's cheddar bunny mix
Dinner- Farfalle pasta with a short rib ragu (short ribs, tomatoes, carrots, onion, oregano slow cooked)
Dessert- half of a mini cupcake (1 bite cupcake)

Not too bad, right? Ha, I suck at eating right. I just love food way too much. And I grew up eating whatever I wanted (most of it cheap crap food). I forgot that I'm no longer able to eat whatever I want and still be 110 lbs.

A little inspiration, who knew Claire Danes had such great abs??

I want these...

2010-11-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

J Brand

But, I just can't get over the $89 price tag! Plus, I'm not sure I can pull off the length. I don't wear heels (very rarely) so won't they look stupid with flats?? They are super cute though! Am I the only one who thinks $89 for jeans is a lot? What do you think?

Cameron Diaz

2010-10-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

I swear I used to look this...

Actually, I've been told I look like her. Which I think is totally crazy, but I did have her body shape. I'm getting it back! Ten pounds by Nov. 11! That's my goal. That's like a month, I think I can do it. And let's be honest, I don't really have a choice, all my clothes for work are too small! Fun!

Life.

2010-10-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

here

If only I could remember this everyday.

The Tracy Anderson Method

2010-09-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

I just got finished reading Tracy Anderson's new book, The 30-Day method and I'm trying to decide if I can handle it. Basically, it's a 30 day bootcamp that involves, her dance aerobics, her mat routine, and a menu for 30 days, 4 meals a day. The workout doesn't really concern me (despite that it's 7 days a week), it's the menus that are kinda freaking me out. First, let's just say it's not a lot of food, but also the recipes are for one portion and it's all different stuff. I'm afraid to buy like a bunch of broccoli and then only use like one chunk. I think I'd prefer less options since the recipes are for one serving. Tracy says not to substitute, but let's be honest it might happen. I'm not talking about substituting a cookie for a salad, but maybe picking some of her recipes and stick with them. Here's an example of her menus:

Day 1

Breakfast- Strawberry mint salad (No lettuce in sight, just strawberries, fresh mint and agave nectar)
Lunch- Tomato Minestrone Soup
Snack- Choco chestnut pudding (It involves cooked chestnuts, peeled and pureed and dates)
Dinner- Poached Cod and Roasted Asparagus

Like I said, Not a lot of food. And it's gonna take some serious effort in the preparation department. Do I really have time for it? I know it's only 30 days, but I have a full-time job and husband. I would like to look something like this though.

I want to be tiny and tight!

I bet it'd work at least slightly if I did the workouts and stuck to some of the meals. Cut out the Chick fil a weekly trips and the raspberry mochas and I bet I'd be good! Right?

On the Menu this Week

2010-09-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

I'm on a constant quest to make my life easier and also get everything I need to get done. Usually, this doesn't happen. I opt for my couch rather than the gym and Chick fil a, rather than a healthy home cooked meal. But, this week I'm trying to get a head start. I went to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods today and plan to get to Wegmans early tomorrow morning (before church gets out and the place is packed). So, on the menu for this week is:

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Kalamata Olive and Roasted Tomato pasta
Carnitas tacos w/ salsa verde
Carnitas on salad all week for lunch (trying to replicate the Chipotle version, including the rice)
Mushroom and Ricotta pasta
Homemade pizza
Red Velvet Cupcakes made with healthier ingredients

We also have dinner plans one night to go to Farmicia for Restaurant Week.

Should be a great food week! I plan to make most of the above tomorrow, so I can just reheat it throughout the week.

I'm also planning my workouts for the week so I can just get it done! Trying to get back in the groove and get that little trophy on my Polar HR Monitor!

Love

2010-09-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

J Brand

I saw this ad in the latest Harper's Bazaar while I was on the elliptical, talk about motivation! The photo is on the site, but oddly, I couldn't find the pants in the Shop section? I guess it doesn't matter anyway, because I probably would have to sell a kidney to afford them, but a girl can dream! While I'm at it, I'm dreaming of an ass to go with them. And P.S. I love the top as well.

I heart this shirt

2010-08-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

I might have to start working out twice a day just so I can wear it!

My new favorite movie! (aka and why my life sucks)

2010-07-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I have been trying to watch Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist for awhile, but it just wasn't happening, but I finally got to watch it last night with B. He slept through most of it, but I watched the whole thing and loved it! It made me wish I was back in high school when I was young and in love and ready to take on the world! It was super cute! Lately, actually for awhile now, I've been depressed about the current state of my life. Not so much my family or friends, but my job. This is just not where I'd ever thought my life would be at this point. Quite frankly, I did not go $40,000 in debt for a college degree so I can do data entry and drag an drop folders, which is, essentially what I do. It's ridiculous. The problem is, I'm afraid to take the plunge and quit. I have a car payment and a mortgage (not to mention those friggin school loans) and we're trying to be adults and think about the future and how can I handle all that with no job? But, is it really better to stay in a job I hate?? Ugh.

Also, I saw a picture of Drew Barrymore (I think) and she has a tattoo on her wrist that says, "Stay true to yourself" and I thought I should totally get that tattooed on my wrist (one of the few places I'd get a tattoo) to remind me on the regular that I need to do what makes me happy. Because, believe it or not, when you spend a lot of time doing something you hate, it's really easy to forget that there are other options in life.

I've lost my stride

2010-07-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

Before going to Jamaica (way back in the beginning of June) I was really good about going to the gym. Not anymore. I've realized I don't do well with the gym unless I have a direct goal in mind (wedding, vacation) and apparently "so I won't be a fat mom" doesn't work when I'm not even pregnant. I would like to lose weight and gain muscle, but I also really like my couch. It's a problem. The goal is to start getting up and doing am cardio, so far this week it hasn't happened, but tomorrow's another day. So, in the meantime, I'm going to pretend I'm buying myself all new workout clothes!

I'd really love...

2010-07-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

to be organized
to have all the rooms in my house done exactly the way I want them
to have the space for a large garden that I remember to water on the regular
to have a closet full of clothes I love and that I look amazing in
to perfect my face on a daily basis
to sleep in fancy lingerie, though I do love the flannel pjs and v-necks, my husband doesn't seem to
to go to the gym on the regular
to have six pack abs and SJP-like biceps
to be able to walk in heels
to eat less mashed and fried potatoes and more whole grains
to be doing something challenging with my life
to not be embarrassed to tell people what I do for a living
to buy Uggs just because I want to
to find the perfect skincare products to get me perfect skin
to spend at least some of my Saturdays with my husband
to own a beach house or maybe a regular house with an in-ground pool and a lounge a chair
to tan perfectly and not burn randomly
to stop biting my nails FOREVER and not just a few weeks
to figure out what to do with myself

Uggs!

2010-07-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

I used to think Uggs were a total waste of money. I mean really, over $100 for a pair of boots, when I could get ones for a lot less that looked the same? That is, until my husband bought me a pair for Christmas last year. I'm totally sold now. If I could wear them everyday, I would! Since getting my tall grey Uggs, I've recently purchased the Gypsy flip flops. Got them on clearance at DSW and with a coupon for $26!

Next, I'd like to buy the Ugg mini. I know they are no longer made, but you can still find them online.

And then maybe after that I'll go for these!

I love my Uggs!

My Saturday morning and afternoon...

2010-07-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to drop B off at work this morning (which would have required me to leave my house not too much later than when the sun rises) but my wonderful husband decided to let me sleep and just drove himself to work. I got up around 9:30 and texted my cousin to see if she wanted to meet me at the farmer's market, turns out she was just pulling into the parking lot, so I met her. Then she invited me over for breakfast. It was nice hanging out. I did, at one point, start to choke on my toast, it was not good. My coughing lasted quite a long time. But, I survived.

What I bought: yellow tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, yellow and green zucchini, red potatoes, bread, and kirby cucumbers to make pickles!

After breakfast, I came home and watched some tv and read a new blog and then made myself a yummy sandwich!

Turkey, cheese, mayo, cucumber, tomatoes, orange pepper and pickles. Of course as I sat down on the couch the pickles slipped off along with the roll top. But I rescued the roll and replaced the pickles.

Pasta salad on the side!

Okay, I gotta go to Faith No More with the husband!

And P.S. I want these...

2010-06-12T22:28:00.000-07:00

Mini Uggs!

Back on the wagon

2010-06-12T22:21:00.000-07:00

I went on vacation 2 weeks ago and last week I just pretended I was still on vacation (despite the whole having to work thing) so I haven't worked out and I've eaten like crap for 2 weeks. But, starting Monday it's back on track. Clean eating, lots of protein, protein, protein, veggies and whole grains! I also typed out my gym schedule for the next few weeks (until the end of the month since I used an Ical calendar to do it). Basically it's biceps/back,chest/triceps,shoulders/legs with 4 days of rest between each muscle group, an hour of cardio Mon.-Fri. and abs everyday (no weights just floor and stability ball work). I really hope staying organized and prepared keeps me on top of everything. I was doing pretty well before vacation, but I really want to step it up now. I have a couple motivators in mind. Before I got married I really wanted to do boudoir photos with my wedding photographer, but I never ended up doing them because the extra cost wasn't doable with all the wedding costs, so now I really want to do them as a gift for my husband for our first anniversary and let's be honest, there can only be so much photoshopping done so I need to drop some inches! I also am planning to have a baby sometime in the next couple years or so and I REALLY don't want to be a fat mom. I have a serious fear of becoming one of those women who gains weight during pregnancy and just never loses it after. So, I figure if I get in super shape before it won't be so hard to do after! That's my logic anyway. Ha.
This is going to take a ton of work, not to mention time, but I think my husband's on the same page so maybe it'll be easier if we're doing it together. We shall see. One day left to be lazy and then it's back on!

'Eat, Pray, Love'

2010-06-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Two summers ago my friend called me while I was on the bike at the gym and insisted I read 'Eat, Pray, Love'. She was so excited about it, I bought the book and started to read it, but soon got distracted and left it behind (kinda like that Eckhart Tolle book, 'A New Earth' still need to get back to that). Recently though, I decided I wanted to see the movie coming out, so I should read the book and what better place to read the book, but on the beach in Jamaica? And I have to say, I really loved the book the second time around. I now want to travel to all the places Liz went in the book and I also want to get back into yoga and learn to meditate. Meditating I'm not quite sure how to start, but I am going to go back to Tuesday night yoga at the gym and hope I get better at it, because I currently suck!

The goals:

Travel often

Do yoga and get flexible

Meditate and maybe gain some inner peace

Any suggestions on the meditating?

Jamaica!

2010-06-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

We just spent a week in Jamaica and here's a little bit of what we did...

Ziplining in Jamaica from Melinda S Flynn on Vimeo.

(and my first time posting a video)

Flip cam Ultra HD

2010-05-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

Just bought this for our trip to Jamaica! I also bought an under water case for it. I think we're going to go ziplining (if I've been sufficiently convinced I'm not going to fall to my death) and also swim with the dolphins, so I think the Flip cam will be a really fun thing to have. Plus, I'm sure we'll use it once we have a child so I doubt it'll go to waste after our trip. I did some research on all the Flip cams and it seems like the Ultra HD is the way to go. I ordered it from Amazon with a gc I had from Christmas and somehow I got another $20 promotion off, so you can't beat that! I did choose free shipping though, so it better get here in two weeks! Come on Amazon let's be speedy with this one.

Almost two weeks...

2010-05-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

until Jamaica! I've been doing good with the working out and the diet is getting better. The last two weeks I challenged a friend to eat super healthy and at the end, we'll compare pounds and inches lost! I need to put on a bikini people. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

My new Molcajete!

2010-05-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

Can't wait to use this tomorrow! Thank you Erin! Seriously one of the best gifts ever!

On a quest

2010-04-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

I'm on a quest for these arms.

The last couple weeks I've been lifting 3 days a week, usually one exercise per muscle, maybe two. But in order to get those muscles I think maybe I need to start splitting up the muscles a little and working them for longer with more exercises. So, I've decided to start lifting 4 times a week, 2 times a week for each muscle. That's the plan. Now I just need to figure out how to lose a layer of fat so all these muscles show! It's a small layer, so hopefully it won't take too long! Ugh.

Did I mention we are leaving for Jamaica in about a month?

Glass bowl, who knew?

2010-04-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

So, I was just watching Martha and I saw this! I have the mixer, that color actually, but I did not know they had glass bowls for it! Apparently, it's a 90th Anniversary special. I really want one, but unfortunately they are like $80, so it'll have to wait. But, isn't it awesome?! It would look really cool in blog cooking photos! Can you tell I really want one???

Feeling the guilt

2010-04-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

It's official, we are going on vacation the first week of June and I'm 95% sure it's going to be to Punta Cana. Which means I'm now very concerned about the current state of my body! I have a little less than 6 weeks to lose like 15 pounds! Okay, maybe not, but it'd be nice to lose the tire around my waist. And I've been reading a few new fitness/food blogs that are getting me inspired to move it. Actually, I think I write more later, I have to get off my couch and to the gym!

CANNOT WAIT!

2010-04-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Ipad

2010-04-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm kind of a Mac snob. I bought an Ibook in college and would NEVER go back to a PC. I don't even care if it means I'm using my Ibook for seven years until I can afford a new one! A couple years ago, my now husband and I upgraded to an Imac (I almost had a heart attack when he tried to bring his huge, crappy Dell computer to into our house) and a few months ago I became the proud owner of a Macbook Pro (it's to write my novel, I swear) and NOW I really want

an Ipad. I've been back and forth on a Kindle for awhile, not quite sure if it was worth it since, though I read a lot, I try to get a lot of my books from the library. But, once I heard about the Ipad I decided to wait it out and see what the Ipad was like. I went to check it out at the store last Saturday when it came out and I pretty much love it. I know it's more than a Kindle, but it also does a ton more. Plus, it comes with like 124 free books, from what I saw when I looked at it. I was still thinking, "Would it be worth it if I'd rather go to the library and get free books that don't take up space in my house?" Well, the truth is, I belong to two book clubs and I can't always get the books from the library, so I order them from Amazon, so why not just download them and not have to wait for them to be shipped and not have to lug around a big book? See? It is a good idea! I got money from father in law for my Bday (last month) and I think I'm going to put it toward an Ipad. Probably not right now, maybe in a few months. I'll let it work out any kinks and who knows, maybe I can get a refurb! haha. I am ALWAYS looking for a deal. There's even a pink case for it that would match the one I have for my Macbook Pro!

Chocolate Chip cupcakes w/ Chocolate Frosting

2010-04-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

I made these on Easter, not really for Easter, but regardless... Got the recipe from my Martha Stewart Cupcake book. Here's a few photos of the various steps in the process and all the chocolate involved in the frosting!

Baby time or not

2010-03-08T19:24:00.000-08:00

I've been married for 5 months now (but I should maybe mention that we've been together for 11 years and living together for 5) and I'm pretty sure since the day of the wedding people have been asking us when we are going to have a baby, especially my mother and who my kidding, my husband! It's not that I'm against having a baby, not at all, I just keep thinking that I can't decide after the fact that I don't really want a baby, so I want to be really sure. I describe it like this; I like the idea of having a baby, but I'm not totally sold on parenthood yet. I mean, once there's a baby my own life goes out the window. FOREVER. Not to mention my body, I'm already not that thrilled with it and the idea of it getting bigger and staying bigger does not make me happy. So, besides trying to get in shape to be a personal trainer, I'm also trying to get in shape so that it won't be so hard to get in back in shape after baby. But, if I'm being really honest, I'm afraid to get stuck at my job forever if I have a baby now. I DO NOT want to leave for maternity and have to come back to that job. I don't even want to be there long enough to get to maternity leave. Which is why I'm trying to change my job now. Some days, though, I wonder why we're not having a baby yet. It doesn't help that I recently got an adorable nephew. I kinda got the bug since then.

Becoming a Personal Trainer

2010-03-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

I'm in the process of studying to get my certification to become a personal trainer. It's taking me awhile, mostly because of other things getting the way (wedding, writing class) and oh yeah, I'm lazy, but I've finally realized I'm never going to get it done, if I don't do it! So, while I'm studying, I'm also trying to work out a ton and get in great shape, because really, who wants a fat personal trainer? Now, it's not like I'm obese, but I do have this tire around my waist that does not appeal to me at all. And I'm afraid the only way I'm ever going to get rid of it, is if I stop eating baked goods, but I love baked goods! (I'm eating a chocolate chip cookie as I type, it's from Whole Foods, but still.) I'm actually thinking about doubling my workouts (like twice a day) just so I can keep eating cookies. I don't think I eat so terribly, it's just the baked items get me! So far today I've eaten steel cut oats (less than a 1/4 cup because I cooked them too long and half of them got stuck to the pot) with Agave Nectar, green tea, blackberries, an EVOL shredded beef burrito, pieces of sourdough pretzel and that cookie. Is that horrible? I mean, it is only 1 pm, so maybe that is horrible, but I don't know. I sit at a desk all day, I get bored, I eat!
Anyway, this is supposed to be about me being a trainer! I've come realize that the trainers at my gym do not really make that much money and while life isn't all about the money, it's not fun being broke. So, I think I want to put in some time at a gym and then move on to having my own clients. Maybe I'll even have a little gym one day! I also want to write for fitness magazines and I figure being a trainer will make me more of an expert. Right? Ha. Plus, I'm a fan of sweatpants and I'm not allowed to wear them to my current job.

My new ice cream maker!

2010-02-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

This is my new ice cream maker

and this is the first thing I plan to make with it!

Deeply Chocolate Gelato

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (recommended: Pernigotti)
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 extra-large egg yolks
2 tablespoons Mexican coffee flavor liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Large pinch kosher salt
8 chocolates, roughly chopped, optional (recommended: Baci)

Directions

Heat the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar in a 2-quart saucepan, until the sugar dissolves and the milk starts to simmer. Add the cocoa powder and chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour into a heat-proof measuring cup.

Place the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and very thick. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Pour the egg and chocolate mixture back into the 2-quart saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. A candy thermometer will register about 180 degrees F. Don't allow the mixture to boil!

Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and stir in the coffee liqueur, vanilla, and salt. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard and chill completely.

Pour the custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. Stir in the roughly chopped chocolate, if using, and freeze in covered containers. Allow the gelato to thaw slightly before serving.

YUM!