bad lighting

This afternoon I hung around with the pup and rested my legs. They got a little stiff, but that is only to be expected after 5 miles (for me, at least).

Got very hungry and had an apple with PB.

1 apple with 1 1/2 tbsp Smart Balance PB

And then around 5pm I got hungry again and I knew I wouldn’t be eating dinner until 7pm at the earliest (we had reservations). So I toasted an English muffin and ate it plain.

1 Thomas' Better Start Lite English muffin

Then we went out to a really fabulous dinner at a local seafood place. However, the lighting was terrible and I didn’t want to use my flash and attract too much attention (I’m still slowly letting people know about the blog and the restaurant was small and intimate so it would have been annoying to my fellow diners). I tried to enhance the lighting, but the pictures were just too dark. You wouldn’t have been able to see what anything was! So I will just tell you.

First I had a little too much of some amazing bread and basil olive oil to dip it in. I had 3 small pieces, but really should have kept it to 1! Then I had a house salad that came with my meal which was simply mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, hearts of palm, sunflower seeds, and a citrus vinaigrette. Tasty! Since it was a seafood place, I immediately asked our server if the chef could prepare anything vegetarian. She acted a little snooty and just pointed to a pasta and said “Get this without the shrimp, it is the only thing vegetarians eat here.” Well that was uninformative. The salads (even without the seafood) looked lame, so I ended up getting the pasta. It was a spinach fettucini tossed in a creamy sauce (very heavy) with capers, a little jalapeño, tomato, and artichoke hearts. I got a side of steamed broccoli to mix into the pasta to give it some more “meat”. It was a huge, rich portion so I have half of it for lunch at the office tomorrow!! I love that I’m stopping myself at restaurants now, I used to just eat simply because the food existed then find myself with an empty plate (of huge proportions) and a tummy ache.

So, I’m sorry photos didn’t work out. Maybe next time I’ll get brave enough to use flash?? Mona and Jeff didn’t know about the blog until recently but I think they’re getting used to the camera now.

BLOG SPOTLIGHT!! My friend Jeremy M. (not the Jeremy who is Mona and Jeff’s son/one of my best friends) just started a blog about music, movies, etc. It is pretty cool if you’re into learning about new music. And Jeremy’s a pretty cool guy, so check out Southern Space!!!

my first 5 miler!

What a great Sunday it has been so far and it should only get better! Jeremy is coming home for a couple days (Spring Break) so I will get to see him (he is one of my best friends, along with his twin brother, and I live with their parents, for those of you playing along at home).

Slept in and enjoyed a leisurely piece of toast in bed as pre-run fuel. Yes, I eat in bed.

1 piece multigrain bread with ~2 tsp Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter)

I took my time digesting and getting ready then headed out to Mt. Trashmore Park, site of my first (and only) 5k back in January and a landfill-turned-city park here in Virginia Beach. It is a popular place for runners and I put out an APB on dailymile asking if anyone wanted to join me. Well I got a hit! I am actually getting a free bike rack via a similar post on the website asking for recommendations and I was really happy when the person who responded was the same guy who is giving me a bike rack! So John, his wife Ruth, and their adorable son Theo met up with me this morning.

John is much faster than me, and Ruth is a little slower, so we all paced with her and enjoyed a leisurely run. After 3 miles, we left John and the running stroller (containing Theo) at the playground and Ruth and I forged on with a 5 mile goal in mind. We didn’t finish it all straight through, but with the pace we were going we enjoyed a nice, easy pace and great conversation. We took some walking breaks, but I stopped the Garmin for those We snuck in JUST under an hour with an average pace around 11:30 (ranged from 12:30-10:30 depending on the wind and how we were feeling).

Look at that calorie burn!! Love the heart rate monitor function

We did a warm-down walk to get back to John and Theo and then we all went our separate ways. I’m babysitting Theo tomorrow in exchange for the bike rack (I have a hard time accepting free things, so I made a deal) and I’m excited!

I packed a snack and a big water bottle and enjoyed stuffing my face on the drive back home.

Some grapes and the last 1/2 of a Luna Lemon Zest bar

I was so happy to have that snack waiting for me! I got home and took a quick shower (in the master bathroom since mine is still in pieces from the ongoing renovation). I am usually never in the mood for my leftovers so soon after the original food, but I was hungry and looking for something easy. So I added about a cup of baby spinach, put everything in the microwave, and had an instant lunch with wilted spinach (good nutrients!). I also mixed 3/4 cup of my new Organic Vanilla Almond Milk with some protein powder for some extra “oomph” in my post-run lunch.

3/4 cup organic almond milk with 2 tbsp TJ's Organic Chocolate Hemp Protein Powder; leftovers.

The left-over 1/2 of last night's dinner (whole wheat orzo with Shortcut Cacciatore Sauce, 1 cup wilted spinach mixed in today).

Off to do laundry and some other super fun Sunday activities!

Italian cravingI

I had major munchies this afternoon!! I ended up eating the 2nd tangelo I bought (now I’m out and need to find more). This was seriously the juiciest citrus I’ve ever had, rivaling only a peach in its juicy fruity goodness.

Tangelo wedges

Not long after, I felt really strange and ravenously hungry, which is so weird! Usually in the afternoons I just get snack munchies, but I was dying for carbs so I listened to my body and ate an English muffin with a tiny bit of Smart Balance buttery spread. However, I was too impatient to photograph it, sorry. Just imagine me stuffing my face with an English muffin. Ready… go!

That, thankfully, kept me for 3 hours. I didn’t make dinner til 8pm! In the in-between time, I painted all my nails (toes are now tacky purple – for something fun – and the fingers are a nice, normal color). I also OD’d on Food Network (“Chopped” and “Iron Chef”) and had major polenta cravings. I had this great sauce planned in my head and then we didn’t have any polenta. Sad face. But I pulled it together and used whole wheat orzo instead. This sauce is my standard tomato sauce that I LOVE to make and it is super easy and tasty. I beefed up the protein (pun intended) by adding some TVP, or texturized vegetable protein (1/4 cup dehydrated that I rehydrated). I’ll put the recipe for the sauce in my Recipes tab up top

Whole wheat orzo with Shortcut Catcciatore Sauce

I ate 1/2 of this and saved the rest for tomorrow! Topped with more basil, some parmesan, and red pepper flakes.

I saved half of dinner for tomorrow. It was the serving size for the orzo but the sauce is kind of heavy so I felt super full. I’m definitely getting better at reading my hunger and stopping when I am comfortably full, rather than eating food just because it is there. Plus, this will make good leftovers for lunch tomorrow! And an added bonus: the majority of the ingredients just so happened to be organic and from TJ’s!

A couple hours later and I was properly digested and ready for dessert. But I wanted to keep it a little healthier than soy cream or a No Pudge brownie (very good dessert alternatives in themselves, but I’ve eaten a lot of that lately). So I went to an oldie but goodie that is a balanced dessert and will give me good fuel for tomorrow.

1/2 anjou pear (microwaved), 1/3 cup low fat plain yogurt, 1 heaping tbsp naturally sweetened granola, ~8 dark chocolate chips

For all those doubtful people out there, try microwaving an apple or a pear for an amazing treat!! If the pear is ripe, it needs 1-1:30 in the microwave, and if its an apple or an unripe pear, give it 2-2:30 to make it soft. Drain off any excess liquid if you want and top it with whatever you choose! I usually don’t put the chocolate in, but felt like living on the edge a bit tonight It got all melty with the hot fruit. True love.

Off to bed, I have an exciting run planned with not 1, not 2, but 3 running buddies! Details tomorrow!!

bike!!!!

I got my bike!! Details later… first the important stuff: food.

Woke up at 8am with no alarm. This seems to be the time my body naturally wakes itself up when I go to bed around 10 or 11pm. That way its not too hard to wake up at 6:30 or 7am for the gym. Also, I think I require a lot more sleep than the average person! I was NEVER able to do an all-nighter in college and the latest I ever stayed up (doing work) was 2am. I seriously cannot function on less than 6 hours of sleep, I don’t know how some of my classmates did it!! Cuh-ray-zeee.

I had no set plans for a workout and ended up sitting in bed on the computer for 30 minutes until I was inspired to get up. I really enjoyed not having a plan in mind, that way I wasn’t disappointed or left feeling like a failure when I couldn’t live up to my own expectations. No pressure! I am continuously anxious about graduate school acceptance (should be coming in the mail any day!) so I decided to go where I go when I’m feeling anxious or upset: the pool. Deep down, I still have the heart of a competitive swimmer.

Before I swim, as opposed to any other form of cardio, I can eat almost anything and my stomach is fine, so I had a small breakfast instead of a “snack”.

1 piece multigrain bread, 2 tsp IM Healthy Chocolate Soy Nut Butter; a few grapes

Clearly I was not starving. I got to the pool and a senior (high-school age) group was doing a practice so I got into the lane next to them. It really made me miss the good old days of swimming! I think it surprised them all when I could keep up with them. Just because I’m bigger than the typical swimmer does not mean I flounder around!! It makes me feel kind of proud to still be able to swim fairly well. I ended up swimming for 40 minutes and doing only 2200 m, but that is all I really felt like doing. Again, no pressure.

Came home not starving but needing a snack after my light breakfast, so I had a bowl of cereal.

1/4 cup Nature's Path Flax Bran, 1/4 cup Cheerios, 1 tbsp raisins, 1/3 cup skim milk

I completely forgot that I could have used my new almond milk in this until uploading the picture! I think the refrigerator swallowed it last night because if I had seen it I would have remembered. Oh well.

After some Olympic action and other morning activities, I busted out the tempeh for lunch. I was inspired by this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, No Meat Athlete. It is a great resource for a newbie vegetarian like me. Since I had heard that the tempeh had a taste that was “love it or hate it” or one that “grows on you”, I wanted to use a recipe instead of making up something on my own and hating it. I’m so glad I used inspiration from that recipe because I loved my lunch!

Marinated the tempeh in a "buffalo sauce" (spicy BBQ, hot sauce, honey, and lemon juice).

Buffalo tempeh quesadilla (buffalo tempeh, spinach, bleu cheese, white cheddar, TJ's small whole wheat and flax tortillas); 1/2 bosc pear; snap peas

After I let the tempeh sit in its sauce for a few minutes, I threw together a healthy quesadilla that was FANTASTIC. I would have liked it in a wrap, but my tortillas weren’t wrap size (they’re the baby tortillas) so I didn’t want to mess it up and have it look sloppy. I added 1/2 slice reduced fat white cheddar since there wasn’t a ton of bleu cheese left and you need cheese to make a quesadilla stick to itself (I lived in Mexico, I’m the quesadilla authority).

For those that want to know, here’s a definition of tempeh. I got TJ’s Organic 3 grain that has soy, millet, and something else I can’t recall at the moment… I think I could really like this stuff. Had a great, meaty texture that I’ve been secretly missing.

Then I went to pick up my BIKE!!! Mona let me borrow her SUV so I could get it (getting my bike rack on Monday). After I got it, I took it to the local bike shop so I could get a helmet. They ended up taking a look at the bike and recommending a “tune-up” or their basic maintenance package. They recommended this for used bikes (got it off Craigslist whoop whoop!) and I am more than willing to pay money for my personal safety. They’re going to adjust it to me (my height and preferences). Sadly I didn’t snap a picture before I left it there for its sleepover, but it should be ready around Tuesday. You’ll just have to wait. And, OF COURSE, I named him. I name everything, and everything is always a male. I know, I’m weird. Anyways, he is a Mongoose brand bike, so I have dubbed him “Rikki Tikki Tavi” in honor of childhood memories of my brother & I (10 pts if you get the reference).

Got home from my bike excitement and had a simple snack.

1 serving Kashi TLC Fire Roasted Vegetable crackers; 1 wedge Laughing Cow Original Light

Now I’m going to read or something. I like the having nothing pressing to do part of an adult Saturday. Really don’t miss the Saturday homework crunch of college!

breakfast for dinnah

After I uploaded my last post, I realized I needed to get a few things for my “vegan challenge” for Lent (try new vegan substitutes for non-veg/vegan foods I love). Since I didn’t have any of my Harris Teeter coupons, I didn’t want to go there. So where do you think I went?

TRADER JOE’S. Remember, he was my Valentine.

So, with my new budget in mind, I headed over to visit my buddy TJ. There were 2 things on my mental list and I knew I didn’t want to spend more than $10. I wanted to try tempeh and get a milk substitute. Since I’ve had soy milk before (and loved it) I wanted to try rice or almond milk. Well I found some organic vanilla almond milk and I was surprised to find that the nutrition information for all of the almond milk choices were better, in general, than the soy milk with the exception of protein (obviously soy has more). I figured almond milk would have tons of fat, too, since nuts tend to, but I was pleasantly surprised. Since the milk and 2 packs of tempeh were cheaper than expected, I got myself a treat of chocolate soy “ice cream”. I loved the Purely Decadent Vanilla I bought last week, but was happy when TJ had more flavors and bigger containers (quarts vs pints) of the stuff. And I got a mystery fruit, the TANGELO!

What exactly is a tangelo??

I ate it for a snack this afternoon and it was very yummy. The tang of a tangerine but the sweetness of a good orange. Apparently they’re also called “minneolas”. As always, citrus goes perfectly with chocolate.

Tangelo with some 60% dark chocolate chips

A relaxing afternoon later, I really wanted to cook dinner for Mona and Jeff since they both had long days. I had planned a fun Indian dinner, where I would employ my new tempeh and make chicken for them. But when Jeff got home, he started talking about breakfast for dinner. Obviously, a better idea. So I did most of the work and Jeff helped me with the eggs since I am really, really bad at scrambling eggs. The texture just doesn’t turn out right when I do it! But I sauteed some peppers and onions and cut up an avocado for fun egg toppings. And of course I used some hot sauce!

Scrambled eggs topped with onions, red pepper, avocado, and hot sauce; whole wheat naan with natural pear butter; grapes!

Tasty!!!! I love that natural pear buttah.

After an exhilarating curling match between Canada and Sweden, I was devastated that women’s curling is over for another 4 years (I kid, I kid). To drown my “sorrows” (ie, celebrate the fact that curling is finally over… jeez!), I pulled out the chocolate soy ice cream from TJ. I loved it! And the nutrition stats for TJ’s brand are better than the Purely Decadent one. I’m game!

TJ's Organic Soy Creamy Chocolate

1/2 cup TJ's Soy Creamy with 1/4 homemade brownie

I can really get behind a dessert that has such good nutrition stats, especially the comparatively low calories and fat! And a decent amount of fiber and protein for a dessert! And I really don’t think I’ll be buying any more tubs of normal ice cream. This stuff tastes so much cleaner! I’ve said it before that I don’t know how a food can taste clean, but this does. And I don’t really like chocolate ice cream, but the taste of the soy really works well so its a mellow chocolate flavor. Not too sweet either!

After I took the picture, I added these guys to my dessert. Clearly I was on a TJ’s chocolate kick!

5 TJ's dark chocolate edamame

I am making no exercise plans for tomorrow. I will, of course, do something but I will see how I feel when I wake up and decide instead of making plans tonight and getting mad when they don’t work out. Sleeeeeeeeeepy time!

Oh and I’m definitely getting the bike, possibly tomorrow! Now I gotta go buy a helmet Safety first, kids!

thankful

This morning I woke up really sore from yesterday’s awful yoga class. It wasn’t that the class was anything new and different, but I guess since I hadn’t done a lot of the poses in a couple weeks I’m just sore from that. However, my shins were killing me which I couldn’t figure out. What yoga pose did I do that hurt my shins? It might have been from Crow, but I’m not entirely sure. Regardless I was in a foul mood and was feeling rather cranky about my planned 4-5 mile run.

I grabbed half of a Luna Lemon Zest bar on my way out the door. I love anything flavored with lemon, so this bar was a winner!

1/2 Luna Lemon Zest bar

The whole drive over I was concentrating on the fact that I wouldn’t be able to do my planned run because of my shins and I was getting upset since my 10k is just over a month away. But when I got to the Y, I was rushing into the locker room so I could secure a treadmill when this sweet old lady with a walker was moving a little slowly. She stopped me and asked if I could help her get her coat on. I, of course, stopped and helped. She was so appreciative and sweet and kept apologizing for making me late (apparently, I really looked like I was rushing around). I kept telling her that it was no problem and finally we got her settled with her coat, bag, and walker and on her way.

It really made me stop and think: why am I complaining about my shins being a little sore when I should be merely thankful to have working legs?? I take so much for granted! I am thankful that I am relatively healthy and active and that I can have legs to move me and help me to reach my goals. So what if today didn’t go as planned? I still got a few miles in on the treadmill and the Apocalypse didn’t come because I couldn’t go as far as I wanted. I can’t believe how self-absorbed I am sometimes.

I got onto the treadmill in a much better mood and did 2 fairly easy miles. I still sweat like a pig, but my face doesn’t turn QUITE as red after only 2 miles. That is progress right? I am thankful that I was in good enough health to wake up, get to the gym, and leave with a smile on my face.

I got home and had one more thing to look forward to:

Almost-empty jar of Smuckers Natural PB

What could I possibly do with this??? OIAJ (Oats in a Jar)!!!!! I don’t think I’ve featured this on my blog since it went “public” since I haven’t had an empty jar opportunity! I picked this up from several of the blogs that I read and it is the smartest use for a jar like this. Why waste time scraping it all out when I can just make a pot of oatmeal right inside it? Heaven.

OIAJ: 1/3 cup rolled oats, 2/3 cup water, 1 banana, ~1 1/2 tbsp natural PB, cinnamon

There is something so fun about eating straight out of a PB jar, isn’t there?? Makes me feel like a kid again!! And the hot oatmeal just scrapes a lot of the PB off on its own so you make use of all the little scrapings. I made my old stand-by favorite oats, sans fancy egg whites, protein powder, or anything else whacky. And it was perfect.

After breakfast, I got a lot of productive stuff done like unloading the dishwasher, washing dishes, and making a BUDGET! Impressive, right? I have a fancy Excel spreadsheet with columns like “Foreseeable Expenses” “Saving Acct. Projected Interest” and other exciting, fiscally responsible ideas.

Finally the bathroom construction noise got to me and I had to get out. There is a loud, screechy noise from some piece of destructive equipment going on and I cannot take it. The dog is doing surprisingly well with it, so I left her at home and escaped to Panera for a yummy lunch. Not surprisingly, I ordered one of my staples from Panera (I always get You Pick Two with some combination of Med. Veggie Sandwich, Garden Vegetable Soup, and Classic Café Salad). I’m predictable.

Small bowl Garden Vegetable Soup with Basil Pesto, half Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich (on wheat instead of tomato loaf), and an apple!

There is a lady next to me who ordered a big salad “to be healthier” (her words, not mine) and is literally picking all the healthy stuff (ie, vegetables) out of the salad. Instead she is eating the cheese, saucy chicken, and croutons. I applaud her for trying, but come on now! I love people watching at Panera. Seriously a fun activity if you are looking for something to do.

Speaking of healthy choices, etc. I have some semi-exciting news. I try not to blog about my weight too much since it isn’t about a number but a lifestyle and being healthy. However, being healthier, in MY case, requires losing some more weight. I’ve been stuck over the past couple weeks and haven’t lost anything, but I finally dropped a couple pounds this week! I seriously cannot remember the last time I saw this weight decade. Sometime in high school for sure.

Off to be THANKFUL for my healthy lifestyle and for the choices I have made. And thankful for all of YOU lovely readers and everyone else who has supported me!!! You guys are the best!

****Fun contest: http://onehealthyapple.blogspot.com/2010/02/give-it-away-give-it-away-give-it-away.html go here to enter to win chia seeds!!! They’re something I’ve been wanting to try but haven’t found in-store yet (and don’t want to pay the shipping). Yes, chia like Chia Pets! But they’re actually good for YOU and not just your bad Christmas present!

oh, cananda

After my walk this afternoon, I had to have some tea to warm myself up again! And after the tea, I subsequently needed to get cold again (naturally). So around 4:30pm, I had myself a nice snack!

~1/3 cup Purely Decadent Vanilla non-dairy "ice cream" with 2 tbsp naturally sweetened granola.

Yes, I ate it out of the container. And no, I’m not ashamed. Who am I to ruin the environment and waste water washing another dish when I can eat it straight up like this? And the granola is so good! I bought it from that cool bulk/natural food store near my mom and it is sweetened with organic cane syrup and agave nectar. Purrrty cool, if you ask me.

I’m finally getting used to eating dinner so late. I am glad I am on this schedule, but it also makes it hard to NOT snack around 6 when I used to eat. And sitting and watching the Olympics is really giving me a run-around. All that well-placed food advertisement makes me hungry! Grr!

But around 7pm, I finally made dinner. I decided to try TJ’s mushroom fettucini and it was good. There are supposedly 3 servings in a bag and they come in these cute little “pasta nests”. There were 10 in the whole bag, so I grabbed 3, making it ~1/3 of the bag, so a serving (~1 cup after it was cooked). I would have preferred a whole wheat pasta, but it was still tasty. And I paired it with a big serving of sauteed zucchini and snap peas, sauteed with 1 tsp of roasted garlic olive oil (amazing!!!), salt, and pepper.

1 small zucchini and ~1/2 cup snap peas, 1 tsp roasted garlic olive oil; 1 serving TJ's mushroom fettucini with 1 tsp parmesan.

I was captivated by the women’s hockey final game and learned a lot about the sport from Jeff. I understand the frustration of the USA team for losing their game, but SERIOUSLY LADIES. Perk it up a bit. You just won a SILVER MEDAL at the OLYMPICS. Smile a bit and recognize your huge achievement! I don’t care what color the medal is, I care that you played well and that you are incredible athletes. Rant over. Canada played a great game, though, and they did their country proud tonight! Is it unpatriotic of me if I like their national anthem better than ours? It is more upbeat and shorter — ideal for my attention span! Sing it with me, “Oh, Canada…”

After the game ended, I wanted to pre-fuel for a long, planned run tomorrow morning. So I had the last of my locally grown red roma apples and some PB (Smart Balance with flax… not my favorite, but it will do). I have big plans for the scrapings of natural PB left in the Smuckers jar… can anyone guess??

1 red roma apple with 1 1/2 tbsp PB

Sadly, for all the fiber, protein, and fat content in this snack, I was hungry again 30 minutes later. I didn’t snap a picture, but please put on your imagination hats and picture me eating a handful of Nature’s Path Flax Plus and swigging skim milk straight out of the carton to wash it down. It did the trick, though! I love this cereal. It might be kind of bland on its own for some people, but I like it with a few raisins and ice cold milk.

Off to bed! No alarm set and no huge plans for tomorrow. Also, cross your fingers that things work out because I might be getting a GREAT deal on a bike on Craigslist!!! I scored a free bike rack through an athlete I follow on Daily Mile and I’m pretty excited. If I like the additional pictures being sent to me tomorrow, I’m getting it!

things to do, puppies to see

After breakfast, I spent some boring Internet time researching various things. Seriously, my Google search history is a little ridiculous. Good thing hardly anyone ever uses my computer, they’d think I was nuts!

I was jonesing for good veggies for lunch, so I busted out an amazing salad with tofu for protein and a very necessary sweet potato. Since squash season is nearly over, I will resort back to my favorite sweet potatoes. You can get these most of the year, right? I think so….

Microwaved "baked" sweet potato wedges and a big ol' salad

1 cup romaine lettuce, 1/4 cup fresh green beans, 1/8 cup alfalfa sprouts, 1/2 (very) small avocado, 1/4 cup soy sauce tofu

I wanted some tofu for protein but since I HATE plain tofu and salad dressing (generally), I used my head and sauteed up the tofu with soy sauce (~2 tsp, low sodium). There was a little extra in the pan so between mixing in the tofu in the salad and the pan “drippings” I had a nice, light dressing. And the avocado never hurts. I love healthy fats!

1 sweet potato, cooking spray, salt, pepper

I just put these in the microwave for 3 minutes, flipped them, and put them back in for another 2 minutes. ¡Perfecto! I was having trouble with my focus (see the first picture for evidence) so I was playing around and snapped this “artsy” food shot. Aren’t I cool??

After lunch, Sophie was being her usual hyper, obnoxious self so I took her on a long walk to burn off some energy. Still not sure it was entirely effective, but at least we both enjoyed the sunshine! Still chilly out, but I love seeing some blue sky!

Dragging me to go sniff a leaf (each and every leaf must be smelled separately)

She's a camera ham. And there's my giant shadow.

Like any good wannabe blogger, I of course had my camera ready!

After the walk, I cleaned my room and finally did laundry!! The machines have been un-plugged since Monday for the bathroom/laundry room renovation. Unfortunately they did not tell us they were taking them off line again, so no one did laundry on Sunday! Whoops… Well I finally have clean underwear again and non-smelly gym clothes. A huge sigh of relief was just breathed by my fellow gym-goers.

bad yoga

I never knew there could be such a thing as a bad yoga class until this morning! What a disappointment!

Last night I glanced at the Y class schedule and saw there was a “multi-level yoga” class. Well, obviously yoga from a studio is going to be better, but I figured it couldn’t be but so bad. And besides, I haven’t done yoga in 3 weeks now because I’ve been going to the gym on Tuesday mornings (to shower) instead of practicing with the instructor that comes to the house.

Before I left for the gym, I wasn’t terribly hungry but I figured I would need something in me or I’d die after cardio and yoga. So I had the remainder of the Apple Pie Lärabar from yesterday. What a great bar!! Fun fact: they’re vegan, too!

1/2 Apple Pie Lärabar

At the gym I warmed up with 20 minutes of a moderate incline/resistance on the good ol’ elliptical. It got my heart rate up and a little sweat action going on, so I felt it was an adequate workout for a “rest day” (I feel guilty about true rest days, any one else?? I know I shouldn’t, but I do!). I then changed, grabbed my mat, and found the group exercise room for yoga, which was interesting.

To make a long rant short, let’s just say the instructor was less than stellar. She mixed up Warrior 1 and 2 and the class format was so CHOPPY! I hated her transitions between the poses, they were super weird, and she told us that swan-diving into a Sun Salutation was “bad form” and not “correct yoga”. Well every yoga instructor I’ve EVER had has used a swan-dive into a Sun Salutation. And they didn’t include Chatarungas! She had us doing this weird pose, almost like Child’s Pose. And she got a room of 60 year olds (and me) to try Crow, which she mistakenly called Prayer pose (they are very, very different). I have done Crow before but was totally out of my element and not in the yoga-zone, so I couldn’t manage crow today. All in all, a disappointing class. At least I had cardio before!

Showered and got home, craving oats (as usual). But – GASP – there are no oats left in the house!! When/how did we let this happen?? So since I still wasn’t that hungry, I had PB toast.

I try to avoid sugar substitutes as much as possible. I would much rather eat raw sugar, agave nectar, honey, etc. than put even more chemicals in my body. But I’m realistic and know that with my lifestyle and budget, I will get refined and fake sugar in some things. I just want to monitor my intake. However, Crystal Light is one area where I really can’t compromise. I hate plain water and have yet to find a more natural water flavoring that I like. I don’t get enough liquid throughout the day if I don’t drink a couple glasses of Crystal Light or Diet Snapple, so I suck it up and have 1-2 a day. It (hopefully) won’t kill me and it gets some extra water intake so I’m not dehydrated. You win some, you lose some.

yay!

Finally my week has a “yay”!!! I had a phone interview for a summer job (same job I had this past summer) and it went really well. It is for a Spanish immersion “camp” that I did in high school (funded by the Virginia DOE) and I went back and worked on staff last year and hope to again this summer. But it turns out the new director was one of my teachers when I was there in 2005 and she remembered me! Fun!!

So I hung out on the couch and napped this afternoon. I loved napping in college, why shouldn’t I do it now that I’m in “the real world”?? When I woke up, I had myself a fun snack. I wanted fruit, but I was cold so I wanted something hot. Conundrum. So I chopped up a pear and microwaved it for a couple minutes. Of course I topped it with copious amounts of cinnamon and a bit of Special K cereal for crunch. A lovely snack and it hit the spot.

1 bosc pear; 1/4 cup Special K cereal; cinnamon

That was around 5pm and when Jeff got home an hour later, he invited me to a jazz concert. I really wanted to go, but I had the phone interview right in the middle of it and had to decline. I wasn’t starving for dinner, but I wanted to eat and prepare for my 45 minute interview at 7:30pm, so I went ahead and ate for scheduling purposes. I have been craving eggs all day so I made an omelet with 1 egg and 1 egg white. And I used the vegan cheddar “cheese”, and it was really good in this use. I think I like it on sandwiches and melted in the hot eggs like this. My omelet flipping skills were lacking tonight, but it looks semi-good and tasted fabulous.

1 piece multigrain bread with 1 tbsp natural apricot preserves; 1 clementine; 1 omelet (1 egg + 1 egg white, 1/4 cup red pepper, 1 piece vegan "cheese", ketchup, hotsauce)

I hid myself in my room for 45 minutes of quality Spanish conversation and emerged to find the Olympics on! Poor Lindsey Vonn And watching Julia Mancuso cry was heart-wrenching. I hope she has a good 2nd run! After watching all that snow, I wanted some more of my vegan “ice cream” so I pulled it out of the freezer. Once again I wasn’t terribly hungry, so I just wanted a small taste. And yummy toppings, naturally.

1/4 cup Purely Decadent dairy free "ice cream", ~7 dark chocolate chips, 1 tsp chocolate soy butter

Off to watch some more of the Olympics and catch some Z’s… no work tomorrow, so I can sleep in a bit. Big plans to go to a museum tomorrow