REST day!

I slept in today for the first time in a long time and I enjoyed it immensely. My bed is the best!!!

When I finally did wake up I took my time, made a yummy breakfast and then started my cleaning of my very messy apartment! I worked fiendishly and then lost motivation toward the end. No big deal. Just have a little more to do tomorrow.

Later I met my friend for dinner and then went to see "Couples Retreat". I thought it was a funny movie but that is probably because I am not married. Otherwise it might have hit too close to home. LOL!!!

It was a good and productive day all in all. Tomorrow back to the workout world.

Have a nice evening! Love this quote. Hysterical!

"Sometimes I lie awake at night and ask, 'Where have I gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me, 'This is going to take more than one night.'" ~Charles M. Schulz, American cartoonist

Yippee! The weekend is here!

Today completed my 12-day workweek? Not a lot of fun but I did fine and I'm happy to have a job with great people.

After my workday was complete I headed to the gym. I did Day 5 of the Half Body Workout that focuses on lower body. Following that I had the brilliant idea to hop on the elliptical for a 20 minute HIIT workout. Where was my head in that thinking?!? I must be nuts! Oh, I know, it's that 12 days of work that confused me! LOL! :-) I was exhausted when I finished but I actually didn't mind the workout at all. I had to keep reminding myself to be grateful that my body can do all that it can do with movement and strength. Amazing thing my body.

I followed my workout with a pina colada protein shake. It's so tasty!

Meals today:
1) 1 egg, 2 egg whites, zucchini, 1/4 c oatmeal w/ 4 walnut halves, 2 T milk, cinnamon, agave
2) 3 hardboiled egg whites, zucchini, 1/4 c oatmeal w/ 4 walnut halves and cinnamon
3) salad w/ sirloin steak and balsamic vinaigrette, 1/2 cup applesauce
4) pina colada shake
5) BBQ chicken pizza w/ chicken, tomatoes, red onion on oatmeal crust (Thanks Gina!)
6) one bowl pumkin pie w/ nonfat whipped "cream" - interesting...

I was having a craving for pumpkin pie so I just had to try something with what I had on hand. I know the best (and not surprisingly) and most unhealthy part of the pie is the crust. I decided I can live without it. I mixed 1/2 can of pumpkin, 1 egg, 1/4 scoop protein powder, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and put it in the microwave for about 3 minutes, stirring every 30-60 seconds. Chill it in the fridge and put nonfat whipped cream on top. Quite tasty. Would do in a pinch. Will definitely add some evaporated nonfat milk next time for creaminess. Nice treat though.

Today was a good day. Life is good.

"So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good." ~ Helen Keller

Back to work

I had an all right weekend in Vegas. Vegas I'm sure is more fun to go to when it's for fun than when it's for work. I did get to eat some yummy food though. Of course I basically stuck to my clean eating during the day as much as I could. However, at night, those were my yummy meals.

On the first night I had pork tenderloin in a pineapple mole sauce with some apricots and a pineapple tamal. Wow! It was surprisingly good and not too sweet. The mole was actually quite spicy with a hint of sweet from the apricots on top. And the tamal was really good!

The second night I got to go to my favorite place in Henderson called Todd's Unique Dining. It was so wonderful as usual. We ordered the Goat Cheese Wontons with Raspberry Basil Sauce. Delicious and beautiful presentation. I ordered the house salad and my friend ordered the Caesars. Also tasty. My main course was the Skirt Steak on Fire served with Chile Cheese Fries. OMG! This is the best thing ever for anyone who enjoys spicy. Loved it! The meat is ridiculously tender and cooked to perfection and the chile fries are like nothing you've ever tasted. Sooooo tasty!

Today I'm back to my usual work and working out. I actually went to work out last night after I returned from Vegas. So, I'm really dedicated right now! Good for me. I did Day 1 of the Half Day and today I did Day 2 and then 20 minutes HIIT on the elliptical. Hard but good. I enjoyed. Ate well today and enjoyed my meals. I'm trying a few different foods adding them back in. I did have a chocolate strawberry protein shake post workout that rocked. I put extra cocoa powder in and it was really good.

Tomorrow I will finally have time to go shopping. Look out Trader Joe's! Here I come.

Have a great evening and remember to enjoy life! See you in the morning.

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. ~William Arthur Ward, American scholar, author, editor, pastor, teacher

And then there was sun...

What a beautiful day! The rain cleaned the air and the sun was bright and warm today. Really pretty day!

I didn't sleep enough last night. I really need to be better about that. More sleep next week. That is my short term goal. I'm going to aim for a good 8 hours every night. Definitely in bed by 10:00pm.

Here is my food journal:
Meal 1: 1 egg, 2 egg whites, 1/2 red pepper, 1/4 cup oatmeal, 4 walnut halves, 1 t fish oil, calcium, vitamin D
Meal 2: 2 hardboiled eggs & 1 hardboiled egg white, 1/2 cucumber, 1/4 oatmeal, 4 walnut halves
Meal 3: vegetable stew (zucchini, corn, tomatoes, potatoes) w/ chicken, 1 slice Ancient grains bread
Meal 4 (post-workout): protein shake, 1/2 apple
Meal 5: Thai BBQ Chicken w/ Rice (from Whole Foods)

Workout: Day 5 of Half Body workout. I enjoyed this workout. Very hard and very quick.

Good day all in all. I still have to make some zucchini loaves, pack and get to bed fairly early (probably realistically 10:30pm or 11pm).

Watching Oprah today is a head-trip. It's amazing how many challenges people go through in their lives and what the human mind is capable of handling and how incredibly resilient people can be. Wow! Shocking!

"The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self." ~Marianne Williamson, American author and lecturer

And the rain keeps coming...

"Into each life some rain must fall." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American Poet

Fantastic! The rain is coming down and I just love the sound, the clean smell in the air, and knowing that it's helping everything grow and get renewed. I really wanted to sleep in today and just listen to the rain and be cozy in my bed but luckily I am emloyed so I got my little fanny out of bed and off I went to work. After a yummy breakfast, of course, of egg & egg whites, oatmeal w/ walnuts and a little agave and butternut squash with mushrooms. I drank my fish oil (Carlson's from vitacost: http://www.vitacost.com/Carlson-The-Very-Finest-Fish-Oil), took my calcium and vitamin D.

Have a great day and get renewed today!
"To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival." ~Wendell Berry, American Poet

And the rain comes down...

Tonight I did Day 4 of the Half Body Workout found here http://figureathlete.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/training/half_body_workouts_and_a_conteston the Figure Athlete website. It felt good but it was pretty tough. I'm definitely getting stronger though and that is a great feeling!

I also had 2 little squares of chocolate tonight. They tasted so good. It's been a long time since I just had a little chocolate. Those of you that know me know that I don't crave chocolate or really sweets for that matter. Chips and fries though? THOSE are an entirely different story!

Dinner was spaghetti squash with just a little olive oil and sea salt with tilapia. Delicious! I also had a few almonds before toddling off to bed. Now it's just floss and brush my teeth, put on face cream and into bed for a little reading and then deep, peaceful sleep.

Until morning...

"Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together." ~Thomas Dekker, English dramatist

Posture

Today I am focusing on my posture. And, believe me, it is NOT an easy task. One minute I'm up straight and the next I'm slouching again. I have an easy fix for it in my car and that is to keep my rearview mirror up high. At my desk at work however, I just keep sliding down to view my monitor that sits too low. Oh well, such is life.

Ate well today. It's very dark and gloomy outside. I feel pretty good. I slept really well last night and feel pretty strong today. A little tired but I think that's the weather talking to me. I just want to curl up with a nice cup of tea, my blanket, and a good book.

I'll write later after my workout and let you know what I learned today.

A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind. ~Morihei Ueshiba

Ahh...the sweet potato...

So tonight I did a little Energy System Workout. It was tough but quick so I liked that. Nothing like completing your day with a sweet potato, a little agave and some walnuts. Delish!

Just need to wash my dishes and I'm off to bed to rest and recover for another day of learning about me. Won't you join me?

Goodnight!

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. ~Irish Proverb

Yes! Today is yet another day, a gift given to me to make myself happier, take me one step closer to my dream and make me a slightly wiser, more enlightened person than I was yesterday.

Yes, it is gloomy outside and I know many people don't care for that weather but I love it. It means the earth keeps spinning on its axis and the seasons continue on to make this world better and better.

Back to work today since it's Monday. I'm grateful for that. I had a yummy breakfast. The oatmeal was even more tasty than yesterday. Sometimes it's such a treat. I had a yummy salad with tilapia and brown rice for lunch. Tonight I think I will have to have a sweet potato. Yummm!

Have a fantastic day! Ooh, I get to do energy system training tonight. Go me! Woohoo!

Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be. ~George Sheehan

Goodnight to all. Have sweet dreams and I'll be back tomorrow to share more of my life with you.

Birthday Fun Wearing Off

So I'm starting a blog today to get me off on the right foot each and every day for a year. It's yet another commitment I'm going to stick with. I really want to track what I do each day, the weather, my diet, fitness, and entertainment. How I spend my time and what I'm learning on a daily basis. Hopefully my sharing will be of interest to someone else.

Today was a great fall day. It was overcast in the morning and early afternoon. The sun came out for a little while and it was pretty cool - upper 60's. I ate quite well today. I had my usual egg and egg whites scrambled with zucchini. Then I also had some oatmeal with walnuts and agave. I took my calcium, vitamin D and fish oil. My second meal was cabbage with chicken and avocado. Tasty. I got to have my protein shake and half an apple post workout. For dinner I had some "stew" of corn, tomatoes, onions, garlic, chicken and tilapia. Kind of odd I suppose.

I did the Day 2 workout of the Half Body Workout. I decided that I'm not crazy about back squats. Other than that it was good though.

I learned today to not give up on your dreams, to find your passion and keep going with it no matter what obstacles and no matter who tells you no or that you can't do something. Persevere. That's the only way to get where you want to go.

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." ~Frederick Keonig