51ish weeks

The first picture is during the LDS General Conference, last April. The second picture was taken this weekend. You probably won't enjoy this as much as I did, but there ya go :) I should probably try to get even-sized pictures, but I think this will do for now.

Favorite foods

I thought I would share with you some items that are currently taking residence in my refrigerator.

I've really gotten on the greek yogurt bandwagon. It's so thick and creamy! If you don't like the tartness of the 0%fat then go ahead and stick with the 2%fat. I usually eat the yogurt with the granola (see below). Great way to start out the morning! Also, a good amount of protein for breakfast. Add some fruit for a little more nutrition. I tend to buy the bigger tubs of yogurt and serve it out when needed (whatever way is cheaper).

Oh cottage cheese. You do need to be a little careful with this one. The sodium can really get you. For 1/2 a cup you're looking from 350-500mg (about 1/5 of your sodium for the day). But you can use it for so many things. I use it as a binding ingredient in my turkey burgers, part of my protein pancakes, or as a veggie dip. If you're not watching what you eat, try scooping it on Doritos, but that may become addictive (thanks Keira).
Also a great source of protein. A little fact that I learned this week, if you smooth out the cottage cheese before putting it back in the fridge, it maintains it's creaminess.

I love grape/cherry tomatoes. They're such a great little snack. I love eating them with the cottage cheese. They're so good with they're firm on the outside and that juiciness on the inside. A little chilled and you're good to go. I've been extremely lucky to get some good ones at the store recently. But I can hardly wait to pick them fresh off my grandparents vine. I'm sure they won't mind.

This is my new favorite granola. It's low fat, high protein, and just enough sweetness to stave off the need of added honey/sugar. Crunchy goodness to boot! Again, add some yogurt and fruit and you're set.

Best little treat. Add to some skim milk and it helps with the sweet tooth without the added fat, sugar, calories. And the 2 Tbsp. serving size is plenty enough. Don't tell this to my 8-yr old self, who felt the need to fill the class half way with the powder to make it drinkable.

mmm Sweet Peppers. They're so crunchy! And sweet! And delicious! Scoop some tuna on them in place of the bread for a nice little change.

I had some really good strawberries the other day. I forgot how much I like them. Really all berries. I like when they're firm, but still sweet. Not a fan of the super mushy ones. And it's almost summer!

A couple others I failed to mention.. zucchini, alfalfa sprouts, celery, avocado.. that should do it for now.

Audience Participation: What are you favorite go to healthy snacks? What staples (besides bread, milk, eggs) are on your grocery list?

Gym pet peeves

I just need to vent for a minute...

Gym pet peeve #1 - sitting on the machines. People.. i know you need to rest in between your sets, but if you're sitting on the machine the whole time I'm on the elliptical doing my cardio... that's a little ridiculous. Share the love, share the machines. Get up and walk around and then come back.

Gym pet peeve #2 - Talking on your cell phone. I know sometimes you're expecting an important call and people need to get a hold of you. But honestly, if you're two machines away from me and I have my headphones in, AND I can still hear you, then so can the rest of everyone else. Get off the machine, go somewhere else, and finish your conversation. I feel like a nerd bringing my phone with me as it is, but have some respect.

Gym pet peeve #3 - PDA on the machines. In my 6 months of the gym I have witnessed 3 couples straddling each other on various machines. Seriously? Seriously! Come on people.

Gym pet peeve #4 - reporting broken machines. Granted I don't always do this, but if you get on a machine and it doesn't work, take 2 seconds, get the machine number and let the front desk know. They'll (hopefully, depending on who is there) put a nice out of order sign on the machine and, fingers crossed, maintenance will resolve it in a timely manner. That way, the person next to the broken machine doesn't feel like an idiot/broken record when they politely tell the next 40 million people who try to use that machine.

Gym pet peeve #5 - overwhelming onion BO. I was doing just fine, getting my cardio on, when I was SLAMMED with this insane rotten onion smell.. I couldn't pin it onto one person because 3 new people were around me. If you know you're going to sweat, unless your BO smells like sunshine and rainbows, be a dear and apply some fresh deodorant before you workout. Please and thank you.

I think that's all I can think of for now.. sorry for being a jerk

Here are some funnies that I have witnessed this week

Funny #1 - guy rocking out to his music, using the handlebars of the elliptical as drums.

Funny #2 - super duper gay guy chatting up leggy blonde girl about her boyfriend.

Funny #3 - me, dying on the elliptical, gotta love those mirrors.

I'm sure there were more. The gym is just so entertaining. The one advantage to the stair master is that it's above everyone else. You have the perfect view of the entire gym. Too bad I hate it.

Audience Participation - Did I miss any pet peeves? Have you seen anything excellent at the gym that just makes you giggle inside? Isn't people watching phenomenal??

That wasn't fun

You guys, I survived!! If you've been living under a rock (or have blocked my annoying facebook status updates) you'll recall that I have been struck with a bad headcold. I actually went 3 days STRAIGHT without going to the gym. This is the longest I've gone since starting in September (even over Christmas break). It was horrible. But I really really didn't want to pass out in public. And the fact that I could hardly breath made me accept my fate.

I also ate a ridiculous amount of carbs over the weekend. I had pancakes Friday and Saturday, and not my regular protein ones. These were the full fledged Krusteaz Buttermilk pancakes. And they were oh so good! With the diet out the window and the non existant workout, I was sure I had gained weight. I gave myself a 4 lb window. I knew it was just 3 days, but I wanted to give myself some cushion before I freaked out. Low and behold, I had actually lost 4 pounds. Hmm.. maybe the head cold wasn't that bad after all.. This also means that I broke the 300lb barrier on the gym scale too. It weighs differently than my home scale, so this was a big deal. If I play my cards right, I should be hitting the 100lb mark by the end of the month, but you know, who's keeping track.

I have slowly made my way back to working out. I would say I'm probably at 85% of where I was before the plague attacked. I cancelled my session for Tuesday, having the awesome (sarcastic tone) idea that I would slowly start weaning myself off of having a trainer. I have about 6 weeks left and I want to prove to myself that I can do this whole working out thing by myself. Granted I'm there 4/6 days by myself so it's not that hard, but those days I do cardio and the strategically placed machines. This is more, okay I'm going to do a leg workout, what exercises am I going to do, type thing.

I planned everything out, what machines to use, how many sets/reps, and any special adjustments. For the most part things went well. I stayed on task with the machines and then I went over to do my lunges and core. I don't know what's more important, spending the time or finishing all the exercises. I did one set of lunges (back leg lunges, front lunges, side lunges) and then I really didn't want to do anymore. Plus, I had put my hour in. I decided I would do one more set of front lunges and a set of core (leg lifts, reverse crunches) and call it good. I used Tuesday more of a recovery session instead, but I think I still did a pretty good job. My legs are actually tired today.

Now hopefully the congestion will all go away and I'll be back to my normal self for a full training session on Thursday.

MAJOR props to every who works out on their own. For reals. You guys rock!

Audience participation- How do you motivate yourself to do your own workout?

I'm sick

I have a blasted head cold.. just in time for the weekend. And I had fun plans this weekend too. Feel free to take that last post and ignore everything that I said. I don't know what it is about being sick, but I am on a total carb binge. It's bad. I hope all this sneezing and blowing my nose are burning some calories because I'm going on day 3 of not being at the gym. Longest stint yet. It's driving me crazy. I just don't want to pass out on the machines, and the fact that I can't breath out of my nose isn't helping either. What's worse is that the dayquil isn't helping either. So I'm on drugs, but still congested, lovely. That's all. I needed to vent to the blogosphere. Hopefully it will run its course quickly and I'll be back on track soon.

Eating Healthily

I remember a time, living in Germany, where my sisters and I were grounded because someone ate one of the leftover cream puffs. That someone was me. But I wasn't about to say and suffer the consequences. No sir! My sisters weren't to happy with me, because let's face it, I was always the one sneaking the food.
Lately, I feel like my relationship with food has changed. Yes, I still get the chocolate cravings, I love a good cheesecake, and I probably indulge more than I should. But, I've also made friends with the fresh produce, lean meats, and fat free sorbet.
I feel better about these choices. It gives me the energy I need for my workouts and sustains me throughout the day. A few months ago my go to Friday night dinner would be DiGiorno's stuff crust pizza and a pint of Ben & Jerry's. No joke. The thought of that actually makes me sick right now (that and I'm actually sick). It's hard to put into words the feelings that I have because of this progress.
I believe that if I really try, my will power is stronger than the instant gratification. Last Friday was a real eye opener for me. We had birthday cake at work and there were leftovers. I went back TWICE (they were small pieces, but still). Then that night we had birthday cake for my Uncle. I felt sick, like physically sick. It actually scared me because I felt like I was sneaking the extra cake at work. This brought me back to my "previous life" where I was sneaking food here and there, hoping people wouldn't see me, judge me for stuffing my mouth.
I've been able to make better choices for me. I can read a menu and actually make a good choice, as opposed to glazing over the contents and just hoping that what I choose will fill the void or the momentary craving.
I still have my weaknesses, I still have my cravings, but I know of the progress that I've made along with painful remembrance of where I came from. My mom has been trying to eat better these last few weeks and she'll call and we'll talk about the different choices she can make. I like this extra knowledge that I have and that I can pass on, support and encourage others. So many people have helped me, it feels good to reciprocate. I'm excited to have this new, improved outlook with food and not just using it for comfort.
Audience participation - what's your go to snack, indulgence, favorite fruit/veggie, any helpful tips when eating out? And go.

A little gem

My friend at work showed me a nice little picture today that I thought I'd share with you all

This is me August of last year.

This is me this weekend.

I freaking love it.