Saturday, January 29, 2011

Hot Yoga and Blueberry Pancakes

Good evening!

I woke up this morning at about 8 am to go to Bikram Yoga. I have been doing Vinyssa Flow instead for a few months, and doing a Bikram class was nearly impossible. Although, boy did I feel ahhhh-mazing when class was over! I did in fact dehydrate myself though, and had a really hard time getting back to normal.

After Yoga,I went to the cafeteria and got some Blueberry Pancakes. I apologize for the lack of pictures in this post, but I forgot to bring the camera with me all day. Dinner was steamed broccoli, Turkey breast, and a piece of Cheddar.

Well,I’m all out of stuff to say, I’m planning on going to bed early.Goodnight!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Accent Vlog and The End of The Longest Week Ever!

Hey Guys!

Lets start with some fun stuff. One of my favorite bloggers, Caitlin Boyle (Operation Beautiful) posted a video called “the accent vlog” This is supposed to showcase the accent of the area you are from:

If you wanted to follow along, here is the list of words/questions for The Accent Vlog:  Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

  • What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
  • What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
  • What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
  • What do you call gym shoes?
  • What do you say to address a group of people?
  • What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped
  • body and extremely long legs?
  • What do you call your grandparents?
  • What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry
  • groceries at the supermarket?
  • What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
  • What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

I encourage other bloggers to play along!

I had the most delicious Chicken Ceaser Wrap for lunch, with chicken, lettuce,tomato,bell peppers, and dressing on a sundried tomato tortilla.With Parmesan cheese! I also had organic steamed green beans:

001After a few classes, Bestie Amanda and I went for a run outside( we’ve been running on the treadmill this whole time) It was nice. We did about 2.2  miles. Honestly, it was not that fun. I was cold, and my Shin Splints were killing. However, the after-run snack was worth it :

004

Sweet, crunchy apple with a mix of Justin’s all natural chocolate peanut butter( O-M-G) and Jiffy :)

005 I am spending my Friday night very leisurely, as it is the end to a crazy long week. I am going to go to bed early tonight and wake up at 7:30 for an 8 am Hot Yoga class. After, I am getting a hair cut and cleaning. woo-hoo!

have an amazing night, friends!

Inspiration

Good Evening/Morning friends,

I am having a small problem lately with this blog. I want to write about things that are important, not just what i eat and what i do. i want to tackle some big issues and make a difference. Problem is, I’m not quite sure where to start. I need your help coming up with topics to post about. So, if you have any ideas,or questions that you would like me to answer, things that upset you, etc….COMMENT!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A Long Week

Hello,

I have got to say, this is such a long week. I have been up way too late every night with this silly expression stuff. But, it snowed beautifully today. It looked like a winter wonderland:

022027

On the upside, my lunch was ahhhhmazing:

020 Mixed veggies that include broccoli(my favorite) cauliflower, and carrots. Burrito ( beans, red and green bell pepper, tomatoes, cheddar, sour cream) It was seriously so entirely delish.

Workout was 8 miles on the bike, and 1 on the treadmill, and I still have practice for expressions tonight from 10-12 pm woo-hoo.

Have a great night!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Injuries

Good evening,

I have to say, I am a little frustrated. I am injured. I have shin splints, and I can’t think of anything more annoying. Since we had Expressions( my school’s Social Club arts festival) practice last night, and had to dance for a few hours, they were worse than usual today. I tried to run my intervals, like I normally do, but I almost cried from the pain in my legs. I ended up walking at a 7% incline at 3.5 miles per hour. I kept my heart rate at the target (165),and did a mile and a half, but I am still so frustrated. I feel like I didn’t get as great of a workout in as I wanted to, but I have to dance again tonight.

Was it better to take it easy, and not risk more pain and injuries?

Comment!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Think Before You Snack..I Mean Act

My wonderful roomie went to her Grammy’s house on Saturday and made me a cookie bigger than my face:

SDC12964 I was trying to think of a post title, and roomie (Chelsea) said “what’s that in Mulan? think before you snack..I mean ACT!”  I replied “fantastic!” That goes with the monster cookie you gave me. My advice for today is to think before you snack…and act. I have been just eating one little bite of this cookie at a time , so i can spread the calories out over two days or so.

Breakfast this morning was so very yummy, Pomegranate Berry Organic Yogurt from Stonyfield Organics with  Cascadian Farms Fruity O’s mixed in. Nom-licious:

SDC12962

Lunch was awesome too. Sadly, I forgot the camera, so you'll have to take my word for it. I had an omelet with Broccoli and Cheddar cheese in it, and a piece of 12 grain bread with peanut butter. YUMMM.

As far as a workout, the gym is closed on Sundays, so I couldn’t run.But, we had practice for Expressions tonight. Expressions is an event for social clubs at my school where each club puts on a mini musical for the community. Ours is about forbidden love and has some wonderful dance numbers that we practiced for two hours tonight. So lets just say I got my workout in :)

Alright, roomie is trying to sleep,so I will leave you with this; always think before you snack or act :) Goodnight!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Mother Earth Foods

Good Evening,
I discovered possibly the only organic foods store in a 100 mile radius of my school. Mother Earth Foods. I didn’t have a ton of money to spend there, so I just got a few organic yummies.
069
Cereal, Gummies, Chocolate Peanut and Almond Butter, Popcorn, and Yogurt.
I had a crazy day today! Bestie Amanda slept over last night, and we stayed up super late and got up at 7 am to go and clean the locker room at the gym ( my work study) after that, We went to Mc Donald's for breakfast. I know, you’re thinking EW! But, here’s a treat for you :) I got Oatmeal and Orange Juice:
057
058
This oatmeal was seriously so.yummy. I loved it. Best of all, it rang in at 260 calories. score! Next stop of our day was Mother Earth Foods, and after that we went back to the gym to run:
062 Stats: Treadmill- 2.2 Miles, 2.0 incline, 28 min. Intervals: 3.2,5.5,7.3
Stationary Bike: 5 miles, 10 min, resistance 7
063
After Cardio, We did 3 sets of Triceps, Biceps, and Back rows. We also did plank 3 times, a min each. After the gym, we went to Bruch in the Cafeteria ( I had an omelet with Bell pepper, onion, bacon and cheddar) Naptime followed :)
Well friends, laundry is calling me, so goodnight!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Save Three Lives!

Good Evening!

I gave blood today, and while I have a history of reaction to giving blood, I managed to make it out alive:) The last three times I’ve tried to give blood, i haven’t had enough Iron, so I have been eating tons of spinach( as you know) and taking my Multivitamin. The verdict? I needed 12.5 and i had 13.0. woot! I have some pictures, so here goes:

blood3

They gave me orange juice the whole time so i wouldn’t pass out. I totally love how awkwardly pointy my chin is in this one :)

blood5

I was cracking up because the nurse/attendant was making so many jokes. 

blood4

Yes, that is the actual needle in my arm.It didn’t hurt when they put it in, but it hurt like crazy when they pulled it out. Honestly, what hurts the most is the stupid finger prick for the Iron count.

I went straight to dinner and had a turkey burger with cheddar,tomato, and spinach.It rocked. I also had some spiced baked apples, and a banana. Oh, and chocolate milk :) I never have Choc. milk, but it made me feel better after blood loss.

turkey burger

Unfortunately, when I got back to my room, I felt awful, so I laid down and slept for 2 hours. I decided I needed to wake up and write to my loves, so I did. I hope you have had a wonderful day, and are having a wonderful night.

Goodnight, see you tomorrow!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Positive Energy!

Hello Loves,

I want to share with you another theory/idea of mine. Now, to be fair, I’m not the first person to come up with this one,but bear with me. Positive pictures, quotes, etc. in a living space fill that space with positive energy.Yes, I realize that this comes from the idea of Feng Shui, but I was pretty proud of myself anyway. All of this is because I wanted to show you the fabulous piece of art I have created for my dorm room wall:

wall chakra

I don’t claim to know anything at all about Feng Shui, but I know that this symbol makes me happy, and I can tell you why. This symbol is the Sahasrara Chakra,or thousand petaled lotus. This symbol is painted on all the walls at the yoga studio I attend, so i associate it with calming yoga-peace. Also, it is said that Sahasrara, and focusing on it brings you closer to God and wisdom. I love it :)

I completely forgot to take pictures at lunch and dinner, but I had a wonderful sandwich(same for both) with Whole grain bread, turkey breast, cheddar cheese, tomato, fresh spinach, and cucumber. It rocked my world, a lot.

Now, off to bed.I am giving blood tomorrow, and I want to be ready.

Goodnight Loves!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Right Back On Track

Good Afternoon Dears,
I realize I did not post anything yesterday at all. Sorry about that, I was just too tired when I got home.  Good news though, I am right back on track eating healthfully after my weekend of unhealthy eating and hurting tummy. Breakfast was a little cup of Organic Greek Yogurt (Blueberry):
Yummmmmm!
 I have a class called "Foundations of Fitness" and this morning we played Volleyball( My sport of choice), and after I came back I had to shower like lightning fast, and get to class. There is a blood drive on Wednesday, and I always get disqualified for low Iron, so I am trying my best to increase my Iron intake with daily multivitamins, and this delicious fresh spinach salad:
LOVE this dressing!
 In the salad: fresh spinach, red and green bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and the famous organic french tomato dressing.  I also had some green peas, steamed red potatoes and sliced turkey:
  Off to Yoga this evening, and playing inter-mural Dodgeball at ten tonight. wish me luck!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Bad food makes me feel bad... enough said

Hey, 
This is going to be a super short post. Basically, bad food makes me feel bad.You don't need to read about all the specific symptoms, but just know that my tummy hurts. I had movie theater popcorn at the movies last night, and I had pizza today, and went out with friends for dinner. We had Mexican. I  worked out today, 4 miles on the elliptical. But get this, it was awful. No joy whatsoever. I felt sluggish,dizzy,and all over miserable. I blame the food.I thought it would be hard to get back on track, but it turns out that my body cannot stand the food I used to eat all the time. It won't be hard at all to get back on track. Hopefully my tummy will feel better tomorrow.
Goodnight! 

The Green Hornet

Hey!
I went to see The Green Hornet tonight with the boyfriend:
It was so awesome! The action was kick-butt, and Seth Rogen was hilarious. I chose the elliptical for my workout today and the stats are as follows; 3 miles, 30 min, level 7, speed7.5-8.0. I truly kicked butt, in my opinion. Lunch was a grilled chicken salad with cucumber, tomato,romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese, grilled chicken, and organic steamed corn, with just a tablespoon of Ceasar dressing:

I am super exhausted, so I'll be going to bed now.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Motivation

Hey,hey!
I have a story for you. As I was lacing up my sneakers to go to the gym this afternoon, my bestie Amanda asked me a really great question. "How do you do it?" she asked. Laughing, I asked, "do what?". "stay motivated, and positive" she said. I had to think a while about that. How do I do it? Well, to start, I don't always. I am not in a constant state of positive sunshine. I get grumpy. I get anxious, and rude, and very down on myself. There are plenty of times that going to workout is the very last thing I could possibly want to think about doing. The best I could do was to give her the few tips I have. One of my biggest motivators is the way I feel after a really great workout. My skin gets all glowy, and I exist in a completely euphoric alternate universe. Another motivational thing for me, believe it or not, is cute workout gear. I wear super bright colors, and really fun fabrics. I love working out because it means I get to wear my favorite clothes :)Also, as with anyone, results motivate me. I love watching changes in my body,I like seeing muscles change and grow, it's very interesting to me.
So, even though I didn't have class until 1pm today, I got up at 7 am and went to work. I spent three hours chopping veggies :
Broccoli
  Miss Connie, who is super sweet, was standing on the other side of the counter icing cupcakes..which I did not eat:
Chocolate AND Vanilla!
 Lunch today was a baked potato bar, I added broccoli, cheddar cheese, green bell pepper, and a touch of sour cream. I also had green beans with Parmesan cheese, and cucumbers with my new favorite dressing (organic roasted french tomato- only 40 calories per serving):
Yummy!
After classes today, I went to the gym and repeated my workout from yesterday in contest form. Bestie Amanda and I decided we would both use a stationary bike for 30 min, with a 5 min cool down and see who got more miles in. She ended with 10.14 and I ended with 15.25 . I find contests like that to be fun and very motivational. I pushed much harder because I had someone to beat.
What motivates you?

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Stationary Bike - Not For Wussies.

Hey!
So,I think that Monday-Wednesday-Friday will be my favorite day of classes.Both of the classes that are actually for my major are on those days, Foundations of Fitness, and Personal and Community Health.I had a super yummy lunch of steamed broccoli, turkey,cheddar cheese,and a banana.Dinner was pork loin, baked red potatoes, and salad. My workout was hardcore today! I rode the stationary bike for 15 miles, resistance 12, rpm 90. It took me about half an hour, that's 30 mph!My quadriceps are killing, but I feel amazing.The stationary bike is very versatile in the fact that you can be a "wussie" and take it very easy, it's great for rehabilitation, or if you are new to exercise. However, you can also work your butt off and really get a great workout. Plus, if you need to read for class while you work out, you can do that!
I hope you all had an awesome day as well! Have a great night!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

I Love Sore Muscles... and Hate Snow

Good Afternoon!
I hope that your day is going well. My day started off fairly well, then took a turn to awful. I was in such a funk, and just could not get a positive image of myself. I changed my outfit at least eight times, and just could not seem to get to a good place. Anyway, I went to class, after fiddling with my hair forever, and God arranged for me to get lots of compliments to make me feel better, thankfully. Lunch was steamed green peas, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and turkey breast.After class I went to the gym to pump out a real fast cardio session, I only had 45 min. I came back from the gym craving salt like crazy, so I popped a bag of light popcorn, and ate about a cup or two of it. The other awesome this is that when I walked into the room, my roomie, Chelsea had put a note on my bed that said " First off, you are amazing, secondly, you are beautiful, thirdly, you are beautiful" amongst other wonderful things. It totally made my day, and I had to write about it immediately. Now, to get to the things this post is supposedly about, my abs are SORE from my triple workout yesterday, very sore. Breathing,laughing,talking...pain.It feels wonderful. I love it when my muscles are sore, because to me that means I did something hard. Also, I hate snow.I grew up in Louisiana, and it never snowed. Now, the stupid, cold, wet junk is everywhere. For a long time too. I like it when it's falling, but if it stopped there, it would be great. Oh, dear, I'm ranting. Well, goodnight if I decide not to post again.
Have a happy Tuesday Night!

Interesting Theories and Delicious Yogurt

Good Morning,
I should not be up this early, but my roommate had an 8am class,so up I am. Last night, right after I logged off of the computer for the night, I had a really interesting theory. I'm sure this is something that every person who has ever had weight loss success has already figured out, but here goes. I realized that trying to go about this with the mindset that I need to lose weight , and nothing else is really important, is not working. I have been actively trying to lose weight for a couple of years, but nothing drastic has changed. I think that it will be far more effective to keep the idea that I need to be healthy. Make healthy food choices, and exercise because it's a good, healthy idea. I think I need to stop being so terribly preoccupied with the size of my jeans or the number on the scale. If I go about with a healthy attitude, surely a healthy body will follow,right?I have this goal check list(above.) Note that it is entitled "Skinny Chick Goal Checklist", and while you all know that I highly approve of goals, I'm not sure that these are the particular goals I need to obsess about, you know?
On the food front, the Organic Greek Yogurt I got yesterday and Wal-Mart is awesome :
Crazy awesome and organic!
 I had a 4oz cup of this for breakfast this morning and loved it. I had never had Greek yogurt before the other day (I had pomegranate),but I fell in love with the creamy texture and how filling it is.
Alright, I'm off to  get ready for the day, but I will probably post again later.Please comment and let me know what you think about my theory. Happy Tuesday!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Triple Workout, and Subway, eat fresh!

Hey!

Delish Veggie Beef Soup
Greek Yogurt, Pom, carrots, and Clementines
I had the best day today! Registration for the spring semester was this morning, and all my classes worked out the way I wanted them.Then, came the first workout of my fabulous day. I went down the the weight room at school and busted out the first week of the Couch to 5K plan, and a little more: ) After, my bestie Amanda and I went to my very favorite Wal-Mart,where I had the most awesome lunch at Subway. The sandwich is Turkey, Tomato, Cucumber, and Lettuce on 9 Grain Honey Oat. Yummy. The soup is a 100 calorie bowl of Vegetable Beef, and I just loved the huge carrot pieces. After we ate, we decided to shop a little at Wal-Mart, and I picked up some “groceries", which just means healthy snacks, because I eat in the Cafeteria. I found these adorable little crinkle cut carrot chips, and I love them. I also got a bag of clementines, and a pomegranate. We also found Blueberry organic Greek yogurt that I just had to have, and I got a refillable, BPA free 5 gallon water container full of purified water there, because the water at school is yucky. There is a metallic penny taste I cannot stand. Anyhow, second workout of the day was Vinyassa Flow Yoga for an hour and a half after dinner (steamed green beans, cheddar cheese, and a plain bun-less burger). When I got home from Yoga, I somehow felt like I had not tapped in to the day's full potential, so I did 45 min. of Zumba Fitness on my Wii. I loved it, as usual. 
Ahhh-mazing 9 Grain Honey Oat
So, as you can tell, I had a great day fitness, food and fun-wise. Comment and tell me about your great day!
 










Sunday, January 9, 2011

My Favorite Running Gear!

Hey Guys!
I was sitting here thinking about my run tomorrow, and it struck me just how much I love my shoes. I know it sounds silly, and I know that they are only shoes, but they are made of solid awesome. I have a pair of shoes i have desired since they first came out. I have the brand new Reebok RunTone shoes, and boy do they tone. This led to a decision about a new blog post! I decided you needed to know about all of my very favorite exercise gear. 
Lets start with the infamous shoes, pictured below.
Reebok RunTone

As I already said, I love these shoes. They fit like a dream, they are cushy and soft, like running on air. Those nifty little ball things on the bottom do a marvelous job of making my legs all deliciously sore.
Yes, the shoes are in this picture too!

Next, you will get to see my clothes! The black jacket is Nike, so super warm to run in the winter, and is also equipped with DriFit technology and super cool underarm vents. The shorts are Nike also, and part of the LiveStrong campaign.The top is from Wal-mart, but don't let that ruin it for you. It has a built-in shelf bra, and a media pocket on the top right side that my Ipod fits in. Pictured right.
Ipod and Beautiful New Water Bottle
Finally, you get a look at another very important component of my exercise routine. My Ipod. I am a music nut. i listen to music all, day every day. It really helps me get motivated, and stay focused. I put my new beautiful water bottle in the picture too, Pictured left.
Comment and tell me about your favorite gear! Have a great night.

No Internet Means No Blogging and My Hatred for Road Trips

Good Afternoon!
So, I got back to school yesterday at about 4pm, only to find that the wireless was down,yay. This is the reason for not posting anything yesterday at all. Anyhow, I'm over it. All we did yesterday is drive, drive,drive,in the snow. We would go through these strange, random belts of practically blizzard conditions, then it would be completely clear. However, I did manage to eat fairly responsibly on the road,which is definitely a new life choice for me. Not a single bite of fast food!For breakfast I had a cup of mixed fruit, and ounce of sharp cheddar cheese, a BagelFull, and a bottle of orange juice. Pretty good if you ask me. Lunch was a Turkey/cheddar sandwich with tomato on a whole wheat bun, and a string cheese,Water to drink.
I hate road trips. I absolutely hate them. I am incredibly impatient. I just want to get where I am going. I hate sitting for so long, I get uncomfortable. I always get headaches, I always get carsick, and I always feel really dirty when I get where I'm, going, and now I feel really angry just talking about it, so lets move on.
I wish I had a camera to show pictures of things with. Any picture you find on here will have been taken with my phone, but it was dead for the entire trip yesterday. Dinner, however, was not a positive nutrition choice. The dining hall was not open when we got here, and may car is broken down. Unfortunately, that means ordering pizza to the boyfriend, so that is what we did. Pepperoni and Bacon from Papa John's, my favorite! 
On the topic of "New Years Goals", Mine are going fairly well, but not perfectly. Drinking three bottle of water is incredibly easy, so I'm not terribly worried about that one. I feel that I am keeping up with this blog well enough, and my food choices are acceptable. The two goals I am having a hard time with are moving everyday and praying every morning. I have not moved nor prayed yet since I've been back at at school(meaning today). I have been so busy unpacking and organizing that I have just not had any time.
Registration for this new semester starts tomorrow, and i am so excited for my new classes. I am taking Foundations of Fitness, and we learn about fitness one day of the class and work out the other two, it should be very fun. I also get to take a class called Personal and Community Health, and I'm pretty pumped about it.
Have a great Sunday, and COMMENT!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Back To School

Good Evening,
The Candy Bowl
Every time I come home for break, something epic happens. I have two sisters, one of them "step" and we have an amazing tradition. We have all- nighters. yes, all- nighters. We go to the grocer store and purchase the "goods", pictured below.
Rip It - Quick Energy

We then stay up all night, until the sun rises, then crash 'till afternoon. We usually don't do anything terribly exciting, just watch movies, etc. The point is, we do it all night :D  Then at 6 am tomorrow, I'm off to West Virginia again for school. Back to studying!

 Anyway, That's what I'm up to! Have an amazing night! Love You!
 

New Years Goals 2011

Good Morning again!
My Beautiful Water Bottle
I don't really like the term "resolutions". it sounds all too final. Far too much pressure if you ask me. Because in the off chance that you cannot meet your resolution, you feel terrible, and beat yourself up about it. That cannot possibly be productive. So in this post, we will go with the term "goals". I think "goals" is a great word, and furthermore, I think that it is very important to have goals in life, whether they are set at the new year or sometime mid-year. I suppose now that I've ranted about resolutions and goals,you will want to know about my New Years goals  for 2011. Well, here they are!
  • I got this beautiful hot pink Contigo AutoSeal water bottle for Christmas. It is 24oz , and I plan to drink three full bottles full of water a day. So far, 2 weeks into it, I am doing even more that that, four or five! and yes, it is BPA free ;)
  • I plan to make nourishment choices that positively impact my Mind, Body, and Spirit.
  • I plan to keep a detailed journal of my food and beverage choices.
  • I plan to move in some way every day. I also got a Wii for Christmas, with the Zumba Fitness game. We have a workout room at school, and I do Vinyassa Flow Yoga every Monday and Wednesday night.
  • I am a Christian. I plan to start every day with prayer, and to write my goals for the day. Maybe I will even blog my goals.
  • I plan to start (and keep up with) a blog about my weight loss, fitness, and nutrition journey.
So there you have it, my goals! What are your New Years Goals? Leave comments! 

The Beginnning

Good Morning!
 Expanding on the info section,let me tell you guys a bit about myself. I am 20 years old, and since I know people will ask this question, I weigh 203 lbs. presently,my BMI is 36.0. I go to school in West Virginia at Ohio Valley University.  I am a wellness major. What that does is set me up to get a masters degree in Dietetics and become a Registered Dietitian   This blog will serve several purposes. It helps me to stay accountable by posting what I eat and what I do in a given day. I'm also hoping that it will be useful for school at some point. I would love to get a ton of comments and a ton of tips. all the time, everyday. I will mostly be posting whatever comes to my mind, random as it may be, and I will try to post every day or every other day.