OH...WHAT?!? I can't eat as much as I want?

Wha...wha...wha...what?!? Oh! I see! When you've cut down on your workouts due to injury you can't actually continue to plow through food at the same rate you did before! Got it! Yes, I'm feeling rather fluffy today. Clothes are a little too tight. Gotta make a change but where to start?

In some ways I feel like I should just eat about half the food I normally do and I'll be just fine because I honestly believe that's about how many calories I'm burning. I did work out yesterday though and also today but I'm so lacking on any cardio (meaning HIIT). Maybe I should go for a walk. Hmmm...good idea. I just want to move, ya know! But beyond that, my food/nutrition is off...way off! Ugh! I just feel like I'm really struggling. I was already having a hard time with post-comp food and "limiting" myself, etc. but now with an injury it's worse. I actually did pretty well with my food last week but still felt I was eating too much. I must come up with a plan.

Okay, it's done then. Tonight I write up a plan and STICK WITH IT! I'll give myself 2 refuel meals in the week just to be realistic. I don't HAVE to take them but they're there if I need to! Lower my food intake and if I'm hungry then it's veggies. Yep, all the veggies I want!!!! So anytime I reach for something to eat, it's going to be a vegetable. Lucky for me my BF bought me a BUNCH of kabocha. I love that stuff like it's my BFF. Hahaha! It's coming into season again. There's a time during winter when kabocha tastes really starchy and not so sweet but that is not the way it is right now so celebrate with me. Here's to KABOCHA!! Yay for kabocha!

After I create my plan I may or may not post it but I'll let you know how I'm doing even if I don't plan it. I have a couple of crazy weeks coming up since I'm having my floors going from carpet to hardwood. Basically it's like I'm moving. Yeah...super fun! Except NOT! Quite the opposite. But this is such a good case of "careful what you wish for". Not that long ago I was telling my friend that I needed to pretend that I was moving so I would get rid of all the unnecessary items I have and really simplify my home. And then look! I have to do just that...pretend I'm moving. I'm glad though. I already took a car full of stuff to Goodwill. I'm sure there will be many more trips there before this process is finished. It's going to be great though. Nice new floors and super clean home. Can't wait! YAHOO!!

So I definitely have to have a plan and definitely need to do some advanced meal prep or I'm going to become the Goodyear Blimp and we just can't have that now, can we?

So new plan, new mindset, new floors, new goals...WOW! New new new! Awesome. I feel like it's the beginning of something huge for me. You know how that feels? FANTASTIC, isn't it?

"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." ~Goethe


"What the caterpillar calls the end the rest of the world calls a butterfly." ~Lao Tzu

WOOHOO! 40 Followers! THANK YOU!

 

I just want to say thank you to all my followers and those of you that regularly read my blog. I love writing it and I'm glad some people out there find it interesting enough to read it on a regular basis! You are all awesome in my book!!

So, the lowdown....I did not go to the gym. My knee is almost back to normal so that's great! I slept really well last night so that's also great. I woke up feeling refreshed, knee felt pretty good, I could breathe (though I was sneezing a lot - allergies!). It was a good Friday morning for me. I will be hitting the gym tomorrow for the first time in over a week. Sooooo excited! Can't wait!

Yesterday I got my book I ordered the other day: Apolo Anton Ohno's Zero Regrets and I have to say that it is fantastic so far. It's highly motivating and helps me understand that I really need to live my  life with zero regrets. Go at everything in my life 100%. Decide what to do and then do the darn thing! That's it. There is no other way. LOVING this book BIG TIME! Wish I could read faster! Hee hee! He may not be for everyone but I find it HIGHLY motivating!

I'm ready for the weekend and I think it's going to be great. I have a lot to do in the next couple of weeks and beyond so I better get it started early tomorrow! Have a great day and an even better weekend!

“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” ~Vince Lombardi

MONDAY!!! It's here! Get excited!!

So are you pumped up now?!? I bet you are! Yes, it's Monday. Time to start again, reach for new goals, live and enjoy life to its fullest. Yep, it's THAT time! So do you have your weekly goals? Do you have a strategy and do you know what you need to do to make yourself feel good about YOU this week?

Okay, I'm owning it. I finally got on the scale this morning. I know it's just a number but it's definitely NOT the number I wanted to see. Even though I threw away the scale for the past month, I knew I was gaining weight. Some things you just can't lie to yourself about. You know it, right? Now this is where age plays a role. And what I used to be able to do to my body 20 years ago and then just straighten up slightly and fix I certainly can't do anymore. With that being said, I now know I'm going to have to make a concerted effort to lose some weight/fat. With age comes a change in hormones and a decline in muscle mass and bone mass. These are proven facts and not just my opinion. So with this knowledge you MUST have a plan of attack for getting older while still feeling good about yourself. For me this is a shift in thinking. I have the areas of nutrition, workouts, and lifestyle factors listed below and the changes I know I need to make there to reach my goal of losing a good 10-15 pounds.

So nutritionally what changes did I make to probably help contribute to this weight gain? I can think of two things that I probably need to reconsider. I have been eating dried fruit in my cereal and also I have been having some form of bread on mostly a daily basis. I think that's a bad combination for me. So new and refocused goals for food will be to eat raw (not dried) fruits and stick to one serving per day max. I love fruit and it has many benefits. Even dried fruits have benefits but I am not safe with dried fruits. We have too much of a love affair. And then there's bread....OH BREAD, HOW I LOVE THEE! But we also have way too much of a love affair. I'm not going to drop bread entirely nor dried fruits but I am going to limit them to 1-2 slices of bread per week and 1/4 cup dried fruit per week. That should be enough. And of course it's back to logging/accountability. So you'll be seeing what I'm eating as the weeks continue. Lucky you!

As for working out, one thing I don't want to do is feel like I have to work out twice a day. I think once a day 5-6 times a week is fine. So that is the plan. What exactly I'll be doing those days I have yet to determine. But I'll figure that out within the day and let you all know my plan. I'm seriously thinking about taking a week off of cardio and then bringing it back in HIIT style next week. I'll let you know. The more I read about steady state cardio the more I think it's not worth it and hard on your body. I'll keep you posted on that though. More resistance training and less but more intense cardio. I'm ready for a change in my cardio and I think my body is too.

And then there's lifestyle. Where to begin? Okay, I need more sleep, less TV, less computer and much less Words With Friends!!! LOL! What is my deal with sleep?!? I always try to get in bed early. I tell myself I am but I really don't. So once again that is a goal of mine. I need to lessen my TV watching again. Just been watching too much. Same with the computer and WWF. So limit all those and do more reading and studying. Hmmm...let's see...I have to put a time limit on these things. I can watch 5 hours of TV a week and 30 minutes of computer at night as well as 30 minutes of WWF. That's it. Yep, those are going to be my new limits. I just printed up a log sheet so I can actually track this. I know...I'm RIDICULOUS! Hey! Whatever helps, ya know!Hmmm...I should print up a sleep log too. I think I'll do that. Okay, that's done! Hahaha!

So that about sums up my small goals and changes I know I need to make to see and feel the changes I want. I need to feel better about myself and this is how it's got to get done. Boy reality is sometimes hard to take and hard to accept. It's also challenging to implement change but if you don't like where you are or how you feel, only YOU can make those things happen. Nobody else is going to do it for you. Oh boy! REALITY!! Gotta love it and embrace it I guess! Have a great week everyone!!!

To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly. ~Henri Bergson

Go ahead! Challenge me...'cause I CAN find the good in the bad!!!!

Okay, long story short, I came home (around 9:00pm) from being gone most of the weekend, took one step in my hallway and SQUISH!!! What the?!?!? Soaking wet carpet...from WHAT?! I quickly investigate, pull back the shower curtain to find my tub completely full of nasty nasty nasty water!!! UGH!!! So nasty! Yuck yuck yuck!! Flooded out my entire bathroom and into the hall almost reaching both the living room and the bathroom. Can you say DISGUSTING?

So yes, I call the maintenance guy. "I'll be there as soon as I can. I'll be leaving in about 20 minutes." Yes, he is an awesome maintenance guy! Got there about an hour or so later and worked like a dog till almost midnight.

Next I called my building manager and left her a message. She returned my call. "So the maintenance guy is on his way there, right?" "Yes." "I'll give him a call to ask him to also pull up all the wet carpet. Do you want new carpet or hardwood floors?" "I'll think about it and call you back." Of course I chose hardwood floors eventually. That will be a nicer look, easier to maintain and better for an "allergy" gal like me! Yes, I will eventually have to buy some rugs but since we're coming into summer the "cold floor" isn't too much of a concern right now and I can take my time and find some I really like.

Next I pulled up the nasty bathroom rugs, bathmat, shower curtain, and liner and threw them in the laundry with about a quarter gallon of clorox! No, not really...slight exaggeration but you get the point! Of course the machine kept getting out of balance and I didn't realize it so it took a long time to do that laundry. Eventually finished it though.

When the maintenance guy finally left it was time for some cleaning of my own. I was very tired when I finally hit the bed around 1:30 or so! Oy! No, there was NOT going to be any early morning workout for me! Nope! Definitely not! That's okay. I'll workout tonight. It's all good!

So...things I am grateful for from this experience (AKA finding the good in the bad!):

1) My maintenance guy! He ROCKS!! He's efficient, kind and funny. We just crack up whenever he has to come fix something. Basically he takes the pain away from situations that would be much more intolerable with someone that is difficult to deal with.

2) Grateful I went home Sunday night and not Monday morning post-workout! Ewww...can you imagine? All rank from the gym and not able to shower? AND have to deal with getting the maintenance guy there? Thanks but NO.

3) NEW HARDWOOD FLOORS!! Yes, now I get hardwood floors instead of nasty cheap apartment carpet! I mean, that's pretty awesome, don't you think?

4) It was the tub and NOT the toilet!!! No explanation necessary! Hahahaha!!!

5) Fantastic reason for Spring Cleaning! Yes, now I MUST clean out some things to move my furniture around for the hardwood floors. And that means pulling things out and reevaluating my need for them in my life. I see a little money may be made here via my fave Craigslist. We'll see! Maybe and maybe not. But it will definitely help me get all the unnecessary items out of my place. So yeah for that!!!

6) My bathroom is ridiculously clean. Scrubbed with some fine toxic clorox! Yep, that's what works for me. Yes, it may be toxic but I wouldn't trust anything else to clean someone else's bath water, ya know?!?

That just about sums it up! Hahaha! I'm kind of tired today and I'm sure I'll be even more tired tomorrow but I'm pushing forward! Here's to a great week! Fun new workouts and such. I get to meet Jamie and her boyfriend (she's one of the girls from Gina's network)  face to face this week and see them compete this weekend. SOOO excited! Can't wait!

Kind of a long quote but great advice I think!

“Living with integrity means: Not settling for less than what you know you deserve in your relationships. Asking for what you want and need from others. Speaking your truth, even though it might create conflict or tension. Behaving in ways that are in harmony with your personal values. Making choices based on what you believe, and not what others believe.” ~Barbara De Angelis

I just want a little peace and quiet...

Ahhh...the pleasures of apartment living. A few months ago I got a new upstairs neighbor (hello new hardwood floors...could you be more annoying?!?) and then he mysteriously moved out. Well, guess what? Now I think I have a new couple living upstairs that are in the process of moving in. Now, correct me if I'm wrong but don't common sense and common courtesy exist?

Here's a little scenario for you: So, you're moving into a new place. Is your first thought, "Hey, it's 10:30 at night and I think NOW is a good time to start putting things away in my bedroom. Not only that but I think I'll continue that until AT LEAST 1:30 in the morning." I think not! I hope not!! Geeeeezzzzzzzzzzz!!!!! Where do these people get their manners or lack thereof?!? I had to pound on my ceiling. I was beyond annoyed and then I was all riled up and couldn't get back to sleep because I was ANGRY!!!!

Finally as I'm falling back asleep, the fine construction workers think it's a good idea to start honking their big semi-truck horns at each other. Seriously?!? Do you understand that you're working and we're all trying to sleep?

Luckily tonight I can sleep with earplugs since I don't have to wake up at any specific time tomorrow. You would think with the sound machine on full blast and lying on the pillow next to my head it  would be loud enough to cover up all the madness and mayhem happening all around me but sadly, it was not!


Needless to say, when my alarm went off this morning I hit that snooze button hard 3 times before it even registered in my mind that it had gone off. So sadly...no, I didn't get my workout in this morning. It's okay though. I'll just go tonight or maybe even do my workout in my own home. At any rate I'll still get it done but it would have been useless to do it this morning since I felt soooo exhausted by the time I woke up! Ugh!! I did go back to sleep for about another half hour and then woke up and had a lovely breakfast so I'm good to go and feeling fine now. But at 5 am I would have been cranky all day long!

So it's life. My ANGER is slowly diminishing and will soon fade away completely. If they keep up like this though we're going to have to have a little talk. Hopefully it's just because they're moving in. We'll see...

My breakfast was very tasty though. I had one egg and 4 egg whites with salsa, a couple of tablespoons of light shredded cheese and 1/2 a very small avocado. Then my "breakfast dessert" was cinnamon raisin mochi!!! Yes, I brought it back! Kind of forgot about this little gem. I LOVE this stuff. Try it! I think you'll really enjoy it!!! I spread a smidgen of coconut oil on it and OH BOY! This is a tasty treat!!!!

I guess I better get back to work. Just wanted to rant a little. I feel much better now. Thanks for asking! Haha! I'm "rolling with the punches."

Happy people roll with the punches. They know from experience that everything changes. Today’s good fortune may vanish tomorrow, today’s crises may turn out to be tomorrow’s good fortune. ~Unknown

Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch!

Okay, yes, I have a confession to make! Yes, it's true. There are few food items that make me lose control but on that list are: potato chips, brown rice chips, saltines, bread with butter, french fries and...Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch!!! So, needless to say, I don't keep those things in my house because they are DANGEROUS and DISASTROUS for me! LOL!!!

Hello my little friend!

Well, since my nieces were visiting, my fine brother (their uncle of course) bought them a box of this cereal! So kind of him. Since they were staying with me the box was at my house and since they didn't eat it all, I was left with about half a box. Well, smart girl that I am I resisted but never threw them away. Then Tuesday night I don't know what happened but I thought I needed to get rid of that cereal. So what did I do? Put it in the trash?!? Oh no...that would be a sin! No no no!!! I am much smarter than that. I decided to have a bowl or two...or maybe in the end about SIX bowls!!!!!!! No, unfortunately I'm not joking. I'm pretty sure I ate about 6 servings of this deliciousness!!!!

So after such an incredibly amazing fall from grace I thought I would really have a bad workout the next day since I wasn't properly fueled but guess what? I didn't! I had the best workout I've had in a LONG time! So what does that teach me? Unfortunately not what I wanted it to. I wanted to feel bad, have a bad workout and just in general know that I shouldn't do that again. But I didn't get any of those feelings.

Don't worry...I know better than to do that again. I will not have such cereal in my house. That's just an accident binge waiting to happen. And I'm pretty sure we shouldn't do that. So while I suffered no ill consequences I know better but it sure was fun while it lasted!

Today I'm back on track and eating right. I started out my morning with a matcha green tea protein shake (so delicious...tastes like green tea ice cream so if that's your thing you're going to want to jump on THIS bandwagon!) and oatmeal with orange emulsion and almond butter with a side of fresh pineapple! Oh man! I LOVE pineapple! It's the bestest in the whole wide world! Hahaha!!

Up and at 'em this morning for a good 40 minutes of fasted cardio. Feeling good is all I can say. Feeling strong and motivated. What more could you want, right? Yes! Here we are rounding out the week. Tomorrow's Friday and it'll be all downhill from there! Have a fantastic day!!!!

“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.” 

~Oscar Wilde

Wednesday is here...and possibly more RAIN?!?

I never thought of Southern California as a monsoon kind of place but boy, it sure seems like it this year. It's crazy the amount of rain we've seen this year!!! Boy oh boy!!!

So as I was working out this morning I was thinking to myself, "Why again do I do all this working out?" You know when you're exhausted  and really pushing for those last few reps every once in a while you have to question why. Well, that was me this morning. Yes, why am I torturing myself and tearing down my muscles? Why?!? Hahahaha! Of course I know why but when your body is so taxed out you have to question your sanity slightly I think. I think I'd be more worried about myself if I didn't. I did my Saturday Hammies and Glutes today and it was fantastic! Great workout! I changed a couple of things, decreased some weight and increased others so let's see what I did:

Sumo Squat 3x8 95#
Bulgarian Split Squat 3x10 40# 50#
Good Mornings 3x12 65# 45#
Hip Thrust 3x12 45# 65#
Single Leg Bench Squat 3x10 12
Supine Sliding Leg Curl 3x10 (basically up in a bridge with feet on a towel and then sliding heels away from my butt and then pulling them back in - much harder than it sounds!)
Single Leg Back Extension 2x10 bodyweight only
Back Extension 2x10 bodyweight only 3x13 10# plate

I'm feeling pretty good this week. I kind of eased up on worrying about all my eating. Yes, I'm still eating clean and enjoying my food. And I think that's the point of life...to enjoy food. Isn't it? I'm pretty sure that's the sole reason we've been put on this planet. Just to enjoy food! I'm not weighing and measuring anything this week. I'm working out as much as usual. I don't do much cardio anymore. But I think I need to pick that up again since it makes a difference when I lift. The stronger I seem to be cardiovascularly, the better I seem to be able to lift without just completely sucking wind, particularly when I'm lifting heavy. I may take another break like I did about 5-6 months ago and just give my body a rest and see what happens. I'll keep you posted about it though.

Again, I must tell you that if you don't own any and haven't tried them, you must try the bakery emulsions from Lorann Oils. Their flavor is amazing! I particularly like the orange and lemon. And I love using the butter vanilla. They're really tasty. I use them in shakes mostly. But also if you like lemon stuff, try a little of the emulsion in some Greek yogurt with some stevia to taste. You'll die! It's so divine.

That's about it today.

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. ~Harriet Tubman

Tuesday - Meals 'n' Such and my day so far!

My meals yesterday:
1) 1/4 cup oatmeal, 1 scoop protein
2) 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal
3) 4 egg whites, 1/4 cup oatmeal, 1/8 cup walnuts, 1 Orange Cranberry Cereal Bar
4) 5 oz pork chops w/ sherry mushrooms with Smoky Spicy Mashed Cauliflower
5) 1/2 cup Voskos and 1 Orange Cranberry Cereal Bar
6) 4 oz broiled tilapia, Mighty Green Smoothie with 1/4 avocado
7) Peanut Butter Protein Shake with 1 scoop protein powder and 1 T peanut butter

Right on track. Maybe the cereal bars need to be knocked down to 1 a day but they're just really THAT good! LOL! My friend even told me that she has to stop making them. I asked her why? They didn't turn out well? And she said, "No, because they're so good I can't stop eating them!" Hahaha! Nice to know I'm not the only one that likes my creation.

I also did my Back and Plyo Legs workout yesterday and it felt great. When I don't do that workout I struggle at enjoying my back workout but that one for some reason I really enjoy. I switched it up a little since I have a new love affair with the Hammer Strength Iso-Lateral Row. LOVE it! So I put that in instead of the seated cable row. Also subbed Hammer Strength Iso-Lat Pulldown for the DB row and supersetted with controlled jumps holding a plate. Finally, I used a straight bar instead of a rope for the Straight Arm Lat Pulldown. Great workout and one I really LOVE. Felt great!

Today's meals have been good since it's a high carb day. LOVE my carbs. Always have and always will! I'll post my full mealplan later today or tomorrow. Also did my Hammies and Glutes workout and man! That workout takes it outta me!!! So hard! So so hard! But so rewarding and great when I'm finished. LOVE that too! Wow! I LOVE a lot of things today apparently! Hahaha!!!

Improvements and changes with that workout:

• Added more weight to my Bulgarian split squat but dropped the reps so 65# and 8 reps instead of 40# and 10 reps
• Increased my hip thrust weight to 60# for same reps (12) - Good job me! 
• Removed the supine lying ham curl and also the back extensions
• Kept in the single leg back extensions and increased from 2x10 to 3x8. TOUGH! 

Seeing and feeling improvements already which is always exciting when you're training. It is a good reason to track your workouts. That way you'll know if you're getting stronger.

I'm off to study. I'll be back though. You can't get rid of me that easily! Have a fantastic day!

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning. ~Benjamin Franklin

Saturday's Hammies and Glutes (and Quads)

Okay, really? 2 full days later and I'm still walking like a dingleberry!!! It hurts to walk, sit, stand, etc. etc.!!! I guess changing up your routine is really KEY! I'm not really doing any exercises that I was doing before for my lower body. So all this newness is causing some great growth both mentally and physically and I'm LOVING it!!

This was Saturday's workout:
Sumo Squat 3x8 95#
Bulgarian Split Squat 3x10 40#
Good Mornings 3x12 65#
Hip Thrust 3x12 45#
Single Leg Bench Squat 3x10
Supine Sliding Leg Curl 3x10 (basically up in a bridge with feet on a towel and then sliding heels away from my butt and then pulling them back in - much harder than it sounds!)
Single Leg Back Extension 2x10 bodyweight only
Back Extension 2x10 bodyweight only

So now I've switched up my Saturday and Wednesday workouts and I'm LOVING my lower body workouts! Now, however, my upper body workouts seem beyond boring! So if anyone has any great ideas of how to work shoulders, back, bis and tris, let me know. Looking for inspiration and motivation!! Please send some my way. If I come up with anything I'll let you know.

Hope you are all having a great start to your week! ENJOY IT!!! It's another week of living, breathing, loving and laughing. Get out there and make the most of it. It's your time. It's your life!

“Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.” ~Horace

Happy THURSDAY!! Hammies and Glutes!

Good morning one and all! How are you all doing on this fine Thursday morning?!? I am feeling good. I hopped into the gym for a nice 40 minutes fasted cardio session with 20 minutes on the stepmill and 20 minutes incline treadmill. It felt good. I've been slacking a little on the steady state cardio. And let me tell you what I think of that...it's a bad idea to slack. Yep! That's what I think of that. I noticed a significant decrease in my cardiovascular strength. So it's back to 2-3 days of steady state in the week so I don't feel like I'm dying while doing 40 minutes.

Of course yesterday I also did a great ham/glute workout so that would have a little something to do with it. In addition, I didn't eat enough yesterday. So maybe it's a combination of things. I have GOT to tighten up my nutrition. I seriously may have to go back to the daily accountability. It was really working!

Yesterday's Hammies and Glutes workout:
1) Smith machine squats - 1x12 40# then 3x8 90# - I am working toward full squats (no Smith machine) but I'm still a little leery with my back
2) Walking Lunges with DB - 3x12  60#
3) Deadlift - 3x10 95#
4) Single Leg Hip Thrust - 3x12 bodyweight only (deceptively difficult)
5) Back Extensions - 1x15 bodyweight only then 2x12 10# plate

So tonight I get to rest. No weights. I am going to bed EARLY! I'm telling you right now. Early it is! Great, now I HAVE to do it since I'm holding myself accountable right here right now! LOL!

Hope all of you are having a great day!

“Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.” ~Kahlil Gibran

Happy Weekend!

So yesterday was a weird day for me all the way around. I was just lethargic I think. Probably not enough sleep and it was a dreary day. So my eating was off yesterday. Below is what an "off" day looks like for me nowadays. And below that was an off day for me back in the day! You'll see that I've come a LONG way baby!!! LOL!

"Off" day meals:
1) 1/2 scoop protein, 1/4 cup oats
2) Ice blended "mocha" with 1 scoop protein, 3 T DandyBlend tea, almond milk and ice; 1 cup crispy brown rice cereal w/ 8 walnut halves
3) Breakfast burrito followed by 3 pieces of chocolate
4) Tortilla soup with all the fixings followed by my favorite treat (dried cranberries, chocolate chips, almonds) and then even after that 2 more chocolates
5) 3 egg whites, 1/2 chicken jalapeno sausage, zucchini, 1/4 cup oatmeal
6) Roasted veggie soup with rotisserie chicken
7) PB Protein shake with 1 scoop chocolate protein and 2 T peanut butter

Old School "off" day:
Breakfast: 2-3 whole eggs, 2-3 strips bacon or real sausage, 1-2 slices toast with butter
Lunch: Mexican food or some other high fat and calorie meal from a restaurant
Dinner: Thai food
Dessert: Jack In The Box Oreo Shake!!

Hahahaha! I really think I would have done that! Isn't that just crazy?!? Gosh! No wonder I was a little hefty, huh?!? I guess you really can't eat whatever you want in life. You really do only get one body and it really IS your job to take the best possible care of it that you can! Don't you think?

So have a great weekend and worship your body! Treat it well and it will treat you well! But if you feel off, just accept it and know you have the next day and the rest of your life to feel good about the way you take care of yourself and your body!

"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself." ~ William Faulkner

Yesterday's Workout...Oh, yeah, I'm FEELING that!!

Holy Toledo! Owwwww!!!! I'm hurting today...to stand, to sit, to walk...you know the drill. Got my hams and glutes really well! And OW is all I can say! So congrats to me for targeting that so well. Good job me! Hahahaha!

And how are all of you doing today? Well, I hope. I'm feeling good, noticing some minor changes from keeping my eating super clean for the past couple of weeks. I still need to improve on my bedtime! Seems I'm taking two steps back. So I have 2 mini-goals for next week. Eat MORE veggies...yes, I've really been slacking here! And also get to bed by 10pm at the latest every day next week!! The thing about the early bedtime that I really notice is that I feel kind of flabby around my middle when I don't do my early bedtime. Maybe there IS some truth to that whole cortisol thing!

This morning I started out with 40 minutes of fasted cardio. But okay, let me just say that I was in pain while on the stepmill so I had to slow it down super slow (level 7!) for 20 minutes and then incline treadmill at 4.4 @ 10% incline for 20 minutes! Let me just say that I was happy when it was over. It wasn't so terrible but it was challenging!

Yesterday's meals were pretty good which I was surprised about since I had a HUGE wave of laziness hit me yesterday. I think one might even call it a TSUNAMI of laziness!!! But at least I ate. Hey! Priorities, right?

1) 3 egg whites, 1/2 chicken sausage, 2 T light shredded cheese, salsa, side of 1/4 cup oatmeal with 1/2 orange & 1 T almond butter
2) Ice Blended "Mocha" (2-3 T DandyBlend, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1 cup almond milk, 10 ice cubes), 1/4 cup oatmeal with 1/2 orange, 1 oz cocoa almonds
3) same as Meal 1 minus the orange and almond butter
4) Quest Bar
5) 2.5 oz tilapia, 4 oz tofu w/ soy sauce and fresh grated ginger, big bowl of edamame
6) 3/4 cup cottage cheese w/ 8 walnut halves, mint, scallions, hot pepper, cilantro, black pepper, grated cucumber
7) Orange "Rum" protein shake w/ 1 T almond butter

So there you have it. I will be having ONE of my refuel meals tonight and I CAN'T wait! I would tell all of you what it is but my BF reads my blog and it's a surprise to him. Don't fret though. I will be posting pics and the recipe and you can all drool. And then make it yourself! It's not what I would really call "clean" but sometimes you just have to have food that you enjoy and just marvel at the flavor! That's why I'll be having this tonight. I was craving it and it's an amazing meal! MMMMMMMMMMMMM.....CAN....NOT......WAIT!!!!!!!!!!

Have a fantastic day today! Enjoy!

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” ~Vince Lombardi

Dance, Glutes and Hams!!!

So last night I didn't go back to the gym for cardio. I wasn't in the mood for that so I actually did a Nia Dance video that I have. It was so enjoyable and I LOVE to be able to just move and be silly and not be "trapped" on a cardio machine. You know? That's the dancer in me. I grew up dancing and it seems it has never really left me. I just found myself smiling and having a great time. LOVED it!

This morning it was off to the gym to do hams and glutes! Let me just say that I KICKED my own BOOTAY!!! Holy smokes! I was going to do some HIIT after but at the end of my workout that just sounded like a cruel joke. I even headed downstairs to stretch and got the thickest, most comfy mat and put it on the floor. Then I proceeded to put my full body on the mat and I just thought that might be all the stretching I might do. I was BEAT! It was a really amazing workout!

HAMS and GLUTES WORKOUT:
Smith Machine Squats - 3x8 70#
Seated Hamstring Curl - 3x12 75#
Butt Blaster - 3x12 60#
DB Deadlifts - 3x12 60#
Side Lying Leg Press - 3x10 20#
Weighted Jumps with Low Squat with 25# plate - 3x12 (OW!)
Single Leg Bench Squat with toes on plate - 3x10 bodyweight
Raised Shoulders Hip Thrusts with 35# plate - 3x12

I know the weight I'm pushing is not that much but I've been really concentrating on my form as much as I can. I feel I get much more out of it. Today I really slowed everything down and MAN OH MAN, did I feel it? LOVED my workout today! Really!

Meals from yesterday:
1) 1/2 scoop protein, 1/4 cup instant oats
2) Protein shake with 1 scoop protein, 1 orange
3) 5 egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal
4)  5 egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal
5) Asian Seafood Veggie Mix with 1/2 cup brown rice
6) Chocolate PB Protein Bar
7) Cottage Cheese Pancakes (1 scoop protein, 4 egg whites, 1/4 t baking soda, LOTS of cinnamon) with 2 T NuttZo!!

Today's meals have been:
1) 3 egg whites, 1/2 chicken sausage, 2 T light shredded cheese, salsa, side of 1/4 cup oatmeal with 1/2 orange & 1 T almond butter
2) Ice Blended "Mocha" (2-3 T DandyBlend, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1 cup almond milk, 10 ice cubes), 1/4 cup oatmeal with 1/2 orange, 1 oz cocoa almonds - this was the BEST meal I've had in a long time!!!!
3) same as Meal 1 minus the orange and almond butter
4-7) we'll see...no idea!

So here it is the middle of the week. Hope your week is going well. Mine is going along quite nicely. Looking forward to my 3-day weekend this weekend. Woohoo! Time to just relax and chill. May go back to the gym later for some cardio and maybe not. We'll see how I feel. I have a lot to do today too so I may not have time.

It's off to get some stuff done! Stay safe, warm, dry, and most importantly...HAPPY! After all, happiness is the stuff of life!

“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be” ~Marcel Pagnol

Shoulders & Upper Chest...CHECK!!

Gotta love taking an extra rest day! Good for the mind and GREAT for the body! That is what I thought this morning. I got up and was wrestling with the thought of getting right back in bed. But since I didn't work out yesterday I knew I had to get up or ELSE! LOL! So I did just that. I got up, had my shake with instant oats, got dressed and headed to the gym. Got to the gym and guess what?!? Oh, yes, you all know this one I'm sure...NO IPOD!!!! Oh boy! And wouldn't you know it? Just last week I was thinking I needed to charge my Shuffle just in case I forget my iPod some day! But did I? No, I forgot all about it! So no music. So sad...:-( :-( :-( But fear not! I put on my Shuffle and headphones anyway. I don't need to be bothered with other people thinking I can hear them. Hee hee. And guess what happened? I had a FANTASTIC workout! Hmph! Who would have thought?

Here's my Shoulders & Upper Chest Workout:
3 sets of 8 for all:
DB Shoulder Press
Front Raise with Cable
Single Side Lat Raise
Machine Shoulder Press
Rear Delt Flyes
Arnold Press
Pushups off DBs (3x12)
Incline Chest Press

So I felt good after my workout and so far I've had 2 meals, well 1 1/2. I'm feeling good. I think I really killed myself on Saturday's workout and needed that extra day of rest. Feeling much better today so it's time to KNOCK IT OUT!!!!

Oh! And last night I made myself an Orange Rum Protein Shake! OMG! It was ridiculously good! I'm tellin' ya! If you want to add some great flavor with no fat or calories then go for the Bakery Emulsions from LorAnn Oils! You will NOT be disappointed. I used the Orange and Rum Emulsions in my shake last night with some almond butter! I'm salivating as I type this! Memories...like the corners of my mind...HAHAHAHA!!!!

Bakery Emulsions from LorAnn Oils -the loves of my life

“You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction.” ~George Lorimer

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ~Winston Churchhill

Digging Deep

I don't know what's up with my year so far but I don't seem to be very consistent. I had a great and fun and GROWING weekend. I ate more than usual though and things I haven't been eating like candy and french fries. So even though last week was supposed to be my clean eating week, I don't think it really worked out like that. So here I am feeling less than good about myself and my body and knowing that I know better. Okay, chalk up another one for lesson learned. I can't eat whatever I want whenever I want without some consequences in how I feel. So, now my plan of attack.

Since I started out this week feeling under the weather, I have to regroup now. I don't really like it when I get off to a rocky start on Mondays. With that being said, I now how room for improvement this weekend, right? So I have a plan and it is this. I will be cleaning up my nutrition through the rest of this week and do more cardio than I have. I was aiming for 3 days a week but I think I was only getting in two. I will also do weight training 4 times this week. With this plan in mind I started out my day with 45 minutes fasted walking on incline treadmill 4.6-4.8 @ 12.5-15%. Felt good. Wish the stepmill were working though because I really like breaking up my cardio more. Tonight I will be going back to the gym for weights. So here's my plan for the rest of the week:

Tuesday (today)
Cardio: 45 minutes steady-state fasted morning
Training: Heavy shoulders, abs

Wednesday
Cardio: 30 minutes steady-state post training
Training: Back & Plyo Legs

Thursday
Cardio: 45 minutes steady-state fasted morning
Training: REST

Friday
Cardio: 30-40 minutes steady-state fasted morning
Training: Shoulders, Triceps, abs

Saturday
Cardio: 30 minutes steady state post-training
Training: Heavy Hams and Glutes

Sunday
REST and FOOD PREP for the following week

My nutrition aim is 6-7 meals per day. I will be cleaning up my eating as the week progresses and come next Monday I will back to my clean eats. Not because I have to but because I want to and I know I feel better when I eat better. I'll give up my mealplan over the weekend for next week.

See? I feel better already having it laid out for me. My training and cardio mixed up with some healthy eats and I'm good to go. I'll keep you posted. Hope you all have a fantastic day and your week is off to a good start!

Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action. ~Napolean Hill

  

“Reduce your plan to writing. The moment you complete this, you will have definitely given concrete form to the intangible desire.” ~ Napolean Hill

  

Happy 2011!!!

Yeah, it's here! Another year! Yep, that's right. Another year to do what YOU want to do, what YOU set your mind to and have accomplishments even YOU didn't believe you could accomplish! So did you write up your goals? Do you have an action plan? Did you hit the ground running yesterday? If not, why not start today or even tomorrow?

Oh, before I forget, this is another video we watched and cracked up about that I forgot to put in yesterday's post. Hysterical quirky cat Maru! Too funny!



I, myself, didn't really hit the ground running and have decided to make January 3rd my new year. I think I needed to regroup after being on vacation and wasn't really good about jumping right into my goals and eating right again. I'll admit it. And no, I'm not ashamed nor guilty. I haven't been eating terribly but just not extremely clean. On Friday night I was going to make Chile Verde. Still haven't made it but have every intention of making it this week. I'm going to lighten up the recipe since it is normally made with pork shoulder which is quite fatty. I'm going to try to make it with pork loin or even tenderloin so I will let you know what happens and post the recipe as soon as I make it. At any rate I was definitely in a Mexican food mood so my BF and I decided to head to Armando's in Monterey Park. I LOVE this restaurant. It's delicious and has super spicy salsa - you know I love that! I ordered Albondigas and it came with rice and beans. It's not the nasty, flavorless red yucky rice that a lot of non-authentic Mexican restaurants serve. It's a deliciously flavored light orange rice that's clearly made with some garlic and onions and oil of some sort. So delish and the beans are delish as well. The Albondigas was so tasty and so great for warming me up. I don't know what's going on but I'm finding it hard to warm up here in So Cal!! LOL! Who would have thought?

We had a nice and quiet New Year's Eve. We got up and had a nice leisurely breakfast. Basically it was a bastardized Huevos Rancheros with chipotle sausage. I had leftovers from the night before and our fantastic waiter sent us home with extra salsa and about 5 tostadas (fried tortillas). I placed one of those in the bottom of a big bowl, made some over medium eggs (2 whites, 2 full eggs), topped with salsa and sausage! Divine! So, so tasty!!! YUMMY! I actually overcooked the eggs. Don't worry though. Today I redid that breakfast and didn't overcook the eggs. To die for! I actually could eat this for breakfast anytime I want...and you can too! Just bake a tortilla of choice that's been sprayed with olive oil until crispy. Then make your eggs or egg whites, top with salsa and have some chicken or turkey sausage on top. Yep, still clean and really tasty! Try it...you'll like it!

The night before we had decided to go to Santa Barbara for the day. We set out about 12:30 or so and of course there was no traffic and we probably got up there around 2 or so. We drove around beautiful Montecito and then went to walk on the beach by the Four Seasons Biltmore Hotel. This is a picture of the beach we walked along from the Four Seasons website.

It was sunny when we got there but then it was cloudy and cold but it was so beautiful and relaxing and so rejuvenating to have peace and ocean waves. We checked out the tidepools, watched the little sandpipers run up and down the beach eating the sandcrabs, checked out the sea anemones and their "catch" (lots of broken shells!), and saw a beautiful starfish. It was really, really great!!!

We ate Mr. Lee's sandwiches which we had bought in Monterey Park. They were the grilled pork (banh mi I think it's called) so they are made on a French baguette and stuffed with carrots, jalapeno, cilantro, daikon, and grilled pork. They are yummy! Then we walked around on State Street a while and popped into a couple of shops. Had a drink at Coffee Bean and then headed back to L.A. On our way back we wrote up our 2011 goals or all that we could think of at the time. I still have to finalize my goals and make an action plan. This may or may not happen today but definitely whatever doesn't happen today will be solidified by Thursday. So watch out world 'cause here I come!!!

So to answer my questions from the beginning of my blog...yes, I wrote up my goals...no I don't have an action plan and no, I didn't hit the ground running. But am I going to? Yes, absolutely! Last year being the first time I ever really wrote up any goals/resolutions AND an action plan I know the power of these now and realize that I must do it again. I wrote them at the beginning of the year and throughout the year. It's really the only way to go. Otherwise there's a lot of dreaming and talking and not a lot of doing. I've decided that I don't want to be just a dreamer and talker but a doer. I started this in 2010 and will continue it until the day I die. It's a much, much better way to live and gives your life much more meaning. And the best part is that at the end of the year you can look at all that you accomplished in the year. It's a great, great tool!!

Here's to another great year! Write up your goals and get the wheels in motion! Make them big but doable and break them into pieces so you don't get discouraged when you don't see forward movement. Here's to 2011!!! ENJOY!!!!

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” ~Larry Elder (aka "the sage from South Central" American radio Speaker, b.1952)

“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” ~Jimmy Dean

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.” ~Albert Einstein

Yes! December! We made it!

And now the craziness really begins! First of all, let me apologize for being MIA. This is what happens when you have a houseguest and are just too busy running around and enjoying their company! It was a great holiday weekend and we had so much fun. I love friends! They rock! So we ate a little more than usual, I think. Well, maybe not actually. I'm so used to eating 7 meals a day that I think I didn't eat that much more than usual but ate out quite a bit and also ate more at the meals that I DID eat. At any rate, my weight remained the same over the holiday weekend and I'm just hovering around 135-136. Great! That is FINE by me! I'll take it.

So what did we do while my friend was visiting?

1) Santa Monica Stairs: We ran the Santa Monica Stairs on Saturday. I did 9 rounds and my friend did 8. But she's much crazier than me so she actually RAN them a few times. When I say we "ran" the stairs I actually mean I walked them but you understand what I mean I'm sure! At any rate...it made us OLD...very, very OLD. Not while we were actually doing them but for the days following. We were so sore that we didn't work out again. We went for walks on Sunday and Monday which were very nice and the air was super clean because it had been windy but it is unusually cold this year. So we hobbled along with our calves that were as tight as the tightest rubber band you could ever find!!! Yes, it was painful!

2) Thanksgiving Dinner: Yes, you all know me and my rules for Thanksgiving. Well, I followed them to a T. Thank you very much. On the menu - turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry salad, candied yams, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pecan pie, apple pie, green bean casserole, steamed green beans, monkey bread. I think that about sums it up. And yes, I had a good portion of all of those and they were DELICIOUS!!! It was good food and grand company! Great Thanksgiving!

3) Shopping: Oh, yes, my friend can shop! She is going to keep LA. going with her fine purchases. We hit several stores and had some good finds. I am not really a shopping gal but I enjoy going with her because she really loves shopping/fashion/home decor. So it was fun.

4) Ate out: We went out to eat at some of our favorite haunts that include A Votre Sante (we went for salad and ended up with some Mexican or Southwest scramble that was very yummy), Bombay Cafe for yummy Indian, and Cafe Midi (I got the Salad with Grilled Steak With Shrimp, Asparagus, Avocado, Organic Greens & Feta - they have really delicious steak!). I also had to take her out for Chinese Dumplings so we headed to Dean Sin World in Monterey Park with my BF. We ordered Steamed Pork Bun, Wonton in Spicy Sauce, Pan Cake with Beef, Beef Noodle Soup, and Shrimp Wonton (wontons in broth). DELISH!! And so homemade tasting.

5) Worked out: We headed to the gym the day after Thanksgiving. We did shoulders and back and jumped rope after. Yes, my friend was subject to my jumprope addiction! I felt sorry for her. Just kidding!! We had a great workout together. It makes me wish I had someone like her to work out with regularly. That would be awesome!!

6) Relaxed: Need I say more? We both got to unwind and relax. Just hang out and just be. Talk, laugh and enjoy each other's company. Nothing is better than that.

Of course I had to make some things for her that I wanted her to try. So I made my Cranberry Orange Cereal Bars, Zucchini Loaf and Pumpkin Souffle. Oh, yes, she liked them all. I think the Cereal Bars might have been her favorite though.

So now we're into December. What are you doing to keep on track? To not go too crazy? I have made a decision for myself to just say no to the goodies on the table. I know how one can lead to another and so on and so on...You know how it goes. So just say no. I may take a few things to freeze and just have them when I want and deserve them post-holiday season. But for me this season I say no to the goodies that will most certainly fill the break table at work! That will keep me happier in the end. Yes, I'm sure they will be tasty and yes, I'm sure I will WANT them but no, I don't think I'll miss them terribly and no, I won't be sorry come January when I feel good about me, my body and my mind! Oh, by the way, I don't include my caramels in that say no category. But I do have only one to three at a time now and only a couple of times a week. That way I am safe. It's all about knowing what you can and can't eat and how to make it work best for you without losing your mind. Whatever you do don't tell yourself no for everything because that will most certainly end in a fine binge!! And no one wants that!

Make December a good month for you. Finish out your year strong. Enjoy your time with loved ones and find the joy in the season amidst the craziness.

My coach Gina put this on her site today and I thought I would share since I liked it so much. Enjoy!

“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.”~William Arthur Ward 

Okay, get ready...Holiday Season is in full swing!!!

Good morning everyone!! Here we go...HOLIDAY SEASON IN FULL SWING! So do you have a plan? Are you ready for the bombardment of food, drinks, and parties? Make sure you're ready. Get your mind and body ready for it because it's here. Make sure to get your workouts in, eat less during the day on "party" days. Just say no to those holiday treats that will most likely be at every corner you turn from here throughout the rest of the year. Yes, it will be there sneaking up on you but don't let it catch you by surprise!! Be ready. Be prepared. And most importantly...ENJOY!!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and got into the holiday spirit. It was a great holiday for me. Lots of cooking and lots of eating. It was great to spend time with my family and friends. There was a lot of laughter and good conversation! We all put into the day and had a great time.

Here we are the day after. My visitor and I are going to go hit the gym and then probably hit some shopping. She's VERY good at that so of course we will have to do that. She's one of those people that always gets good deals. ALWAYS! It's kind of ridiculous but she always gets some good deals. I'll have to let you know what she gets this time.

Have a great Friday and enjoy the holiday season with all its craziness. It only comes once a year. Don't let it make you crazy. Just enjoy it and know that it's really only about 6 weeks of the year so have fun and enjoy all the craziness it brings. Why not? What are you going to do? Fight it? I don't think so. It's going to happen all the same so you might as well find a way to make it as enjoyable as it can be. Embrace the craziness and just go with it.

“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” ~ Calvin Coolidge

BACK in the gym...oh, and superset plyo legs with that!!

So I'm back at it and LOVING my workouts. So so glad I took a break! If you ever question if you need a break...probably you do! That's the lesson I learned here. Wow! It makes such a difference. Now I feel energized, creative and focused. I LOVE it!!

Started out this morning with my 5:30am workout! When I do circuits or weights in the morning now I've decided I need to eat something so I've been eating a protein shake and 1/4 cup oats. However, this morning did I do that? NO! Oops! I forgot! Well, I remembered while I was warming up but just couldn't bring myself to get bundled up to go back out to my car. It was COLD this morning...brrrrrrrrr! LOL! Anyway on to my workout...an oldie but a goody. Here is what it was!

BACK AND PLYO LEGS SUPERSETS
All back exercises were sets of 12 and the plyos were sets of 20 (or 10 each side)
3 of each Superset:
Wide grip lat pulldown
SS w/ jump squats

Underhand grip bentover row
SS w/ jumping split lunges

One arm row
SS w/ straddle jump up onto board (10 staying low in squat basically and 10 with height - getting air)

Seated cable row
SS w/ straightleg deadlift with plate (only 15 NOT 20)

Lat pulldown with rope
SS w/ side step squats returning to center each time

So it was a little bit of a struggle to get through with my lack of fuel but I managed and had a shake directly after leaving the gym! Now I'm headed into Meal #2 and right back on track I am. I LOVE taking a break! I really do!

Oh, and  just thought I would let you know about how my weight was affected through my break and until today. I purposely didn't weigh myself during my break but when I was finished I did and it was 138. No big deal since I was sitting at about 136 before my break. But the next day I weighed myself again and it was 140! Small minute of panic and then reminded myself that I had gone back to the gym and my muscles were probably holding a lot of glycogen, etc, etc and I talked myself down off of THAT particular ledge! This morning I was feeling tighter again and more back to my normal self so I thought I would weigh again which I won't do now for another week and it was 134. Whew! Back to normal. And again these weights were taken Saturday, Sunday, and Monday...and THAT'S why weight is a tricky thing. Do you really think I lost 6 pounds yesterday? I think not!

Have a great short week and I hope you all are ready for Thanksgiving. I'm going to THROW DOWN!!!!! I LOVE Thanksgiving and I eat more than I should and I really don't care because it's only once a year that I eat pretty much all those foods so I'm okay with all that. So delicious and such a great day in general. For me Thanksgiving is all about food, football, and food comas!!! ENJOY!

Giving thanks this week so I'll start with my friends. Any of you that are my friends, the above quote is for you. Thanks for being my friend and supporting me through my competition journey and way, way beyond!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

 

 WOOHOOO!!!! It's my birthday! In celebration I got up early and headed to the gym for some HIIT! Yep, 5:30 and some pretty hardcore HIIT on the stepmill with speed intervals. Low interval was level 14 and high interval was level 18!! Woot woot!! I don't think I've ever done level 18 so good job me!!

So I come into this birthday weighing less than I've weighed on birthday EVER!!! LOL! Kidding of course but weighing less than I ever have at this height (about age 15)...a mere 29 years ago!! And feeling just as good if not better than I did then!! Can you believe it? Honestly a year ago I would not have believed it.

I already know that I'm getting birthday cake later today. My friend and coworker brought me my fave - white cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream frosting from Phoenix Bakery !! Oh man!! I can't wait! I think I may be over my quota on all things good today since I started out with 2 truffles from Sprüngli in Switzerland.

My boss's wife just got back from Switzerland and brought a box of these! Their chocolate is the BEST! I don't know what they do to their cows but I love, love, love Swiss chocolate and butter. And when you go to Sprüngli in Switzerland you have to get the pretzel bread sandwich with BUTTER and ham! TO DIE FOR!!!! I love butter, to be honest. And yes, even though I rarely eat it now I still love it!!

BUTTER RULES THE WORLD!!!!

Mmmmmmmmmm........

Well, I better get back to work ! Hope you all have a GREAT and FANTASTIC day! Here's to birthdays!! They're fun!

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” ~Abraham Lincoln