Woof

I barely even have the energy for this post right now. Sports conditioning KILLED me today. Pushed me right to my edge. After one particularly hard set I was completely out or breath/borderline asthma attack feeling and legit thought I was going to puke. Jackson def pushed us tonight since almost everyone at some point either blacked out or was seeing spots. It felt sooo good though. I never get to that level in my normal workout. I actually wish this class was twice a week because I would be in badass shape. He said that to jack up my normal workouts I should switch machines every 20 minutes (so 20 minutes of treadmill, stairs, and row or bike) because it confuses the muscles and burns more calories. He also said that when I do the stairmaster I should walk on a high incline but turn the speed down low enough that I don't have to hold on to the safety bars. Makes you work your body more. Going to attempt to hit the gym tomorrow night as long as I'm not too sore, although I walked for 50 mins before the class and then Sam and I walked for probs 20 mins after the class to cool down so I should be ok.

For dinner I made some badass guacamole. I only had 1 avocado left and wanted to make a fair amount of guac, so I tried something daring and added two heaping tablespoons of plain greek yogurt along with a heaping tablespoon of roasted garlic salsa. It was soooooo good. The yogurt added and tanginess and a little extra protein. It also means I have left overs for tomorrow!!!

And finally, I am on to week 3 of not biting my nails!!! I can't remember the name of the Essie polish, and I'm too tired to get up and look, but it's grey and cute and I love how long my nails are getting!!!
One goal at a time baby.

Xoxo Sarah

PS random thought, but my favorite shirts for working out are plain Hanes v-necks. I think I want a bunch more white and black ones.

Holy sports conditioning

Wow, big workout tonight. I went to the Tuesday night sports conditioning class at 7pm with Erika and boy did I get my ass kicked!!! The instructor is a KPE major and a full back on the football team (and super hot) and he kicked our asses with intervals of cardio, legs/abs, and arms, all integrating different weights and medicine balls into the routine. My entire body was red half the time and I could feel myself shaking, but it felt good. I always say you can judge how good a workout is by the post-workout hair situation

I'd say that's pretty solid

The class really worked my entire body, and even though I know I will be sore as hell tomorrow, the class didn't kill me. It probably also help that I did a mile around the track afterwards (slowly) with Erika&Sam which helped keep my muscles loose, and then we did some yoga. Because I didn't die, I will def be doing the class again next week. And even though everyone says you should workout in the morning, I honestly enjoy working out at night. It helps relieve the stress of the day and eats up those sometimes boring hours of 6-9 when you don't really know what to do with yourself (because homework is obviously out of the question).
If I'm not in too much pain tomorrow I would like to attempt to run as much of 5k as I possibly can. Using this website that Coach Kelsey gave me I've been trying to build up my running game, but honestly have mostly been walking and I think it's about time to step it up. I hate running but love the idea of it and really want to be one of those people that can just be like "Oh ya I got up and ran 5 miles this morning so now I'm good to go fr the day". Mostly I imagine this happening on Thanksgiving so I can then stuff my face guilt free *whoops*.
As far asmy small goals have been going, I made it a week without biting my nails (well all but one, but I'm still counting it as a win) sooooo I got to paint my nails a new color tonight!!!

Essie "Mamba"

How white do my teeth look in that picture?? Holy cow! Anyway, I digress.
I also bought some solid healthy food for the rest of the week and am going to use some of the tips this book "Spark" mentioned here on certain foods (omega-3s) that combat cortisol, which is the cause for my belly fat (thanks stress!!). My friend Sam gave me some good tips, so big shout out to her!!
Xoxo love you all, thanks for the support!

Reality Check and Self Control

Ok, so it has been a few weeks since I posted. I know I'm slacking. I think I've just been very frustrated with this whole process. I know diet is huge, which is really the biggest piece I'm not staying consistent with, but it's hard when A) you dont have a lot of $$ and B) when you're on a college campus and everyone around you is eating shitty food, a lot. Drinking doesn't help either.
I think the biggest thing is I needed a reality check, which I got the other day. I realized that if I keep looking at the big goal of 30 lbs, I'm going to fail because it just keeps seeming too daunting. Or I will have some buff chick dip and be like "fuck, I'm never going to make it". I realized the other day if I'm ever going to succeed I need to start breaking it down into smaller pieces because otherwise I feel like I'm losing control. And to prove to myself that I actually may HAVE some self-control, I gave myself a different challenge that has nothing to do with diet/exercise. As many of you know I bite my nails constantly. So I went out and bought a bunch of great nail polish (all by Essie)and did a really good job painting my nails. I'm going to keep each color on for 1 week, and if I don't bite my nails for that entire week then I will repaint my nails a new color. If I do bite my nails then I have to repaint it the same color until I can go one week without biting. Tomorrow will be the first week mark, and so far so good! I have gone a whole week without biting my nails, which helps me prove to myself that if I set smaller, more attainable goals that are also fun.
One thing that I set yesterday was my friend Erika and I are going to set a night every week (Weds) where we go to the gym together and work out for a solid 2 hours. We did it yesterday and it worked pretty well. We motivated each other to go long on the cardio, and showed each other some different toning up/yoga moves. I have been doing the Tone it up! Bikini Strap workouts 3 times a week and can really feel it in my chest, triceps and butt. I feel like if I make small weekly fitness goals (which, again, Tone It Up! is really great for) they then just naturally get integrated into my routine and I begin building up to better workouts. The toehr goal for this week is to get to at least one class at the rec a week. This week it will either be spin class tonight or sports conditioning tomorrow (hopefully both!).
My finally goal is to try and eat some sort of vegetable with every meal. Instead of making goals that are more like punishments (don't eat cheese, don't eat chocolate, don't drink coffee) I'm going to try a similar approach as with fitness: if I make small weekly goals that slowly build on top of each other they will naturally be integrated into daily life. So by eating veggies with every meal it means I will be eating more of them every day, and then can slowly phase out some of the less healthy foods.
Another thing I have to keep reminding myself is that coffee is NO GOOD. It costs me $$, dries me out, and only makes me more tired. I already have tons of different tea at my house, so it's stupid to waste all that. So when I'm craving coffee I'm gonna turn to water/tea (plus with the dryer cold weather my lips are getting chapped, and I know drinking more water helps keeping my mouth from looking like a dried out asshole).
Off to have some Kashi oatmeal and then rock it out to Dub Step on the treadmill!
Xoxo
PS this is just for fun :p

Word, from the lib

Weekend Warrior!

Wow, WHAT a weekend. After my pity party and then new found inspiration (along with some fantastic supporters) I got back at it this weekend. First, I bought some cheap but healthy food, along with a bunch of lean cuisines (JOD was so proud) and got some serious gym time in.

My new stash of LCs, along with some other healthy cheap food

I have been reading a lot of Health magazine, and one thing that I have really taken away (along with paying attention to what Bethenny Frankel teaches) is to find ways to be active/squeeze in work outs throughout the day besides just hitting the gym.  So Saturday I had a BIG workout sesh and then because we out for the great Her Campus Maine Breast Cancer event we did some serious dancing there and at the after party. Sunday I went for a walk in the woods with Cooper and captured these great shots

Today I hit the gym for about an hour (walked for 40mins and then did some different yoga and toning move from my Health magazine) and then discovered the most obvious but BEST small exercise to throw in randomly through out the day: DANCING!!! By playing music during my shower and actually dancing in the shower I was adding some extra core exercises. I also danced in my room while I was waiting for my hair to dry. It's really fun (who doesn't love dancing?) and adds a little extra to my activity level throughout the day.
The other way I'm switching things up is...gasp...not drinking. Saturday night I only had one beer the entire night. I kept myself going by having a red bull before going out and then getting a small coffe at T-Hos a 1am before hitting the after party. I cut way back on calories consumed by doing that, didn't feel like shit the next day, didn't binge eat, and was able to stay out until 4am (which is something I can never do when I drink because I get so tired!). My big pit fall this weekend? We did a real housewives of NJ watch party last night at JOD's and had some serious munchies (buff chix dip, mini weiners, fried ravioli and a delicious dessert concoction that Josh made). I tried to keep the buff chix dip somewhat healthy by using 1/3 less fat cream cheese, vegan mayo, fat free cheese and greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Today I gotta make sure to load up on veggies and water and keep that calorie count low. Hopefully this week I can fit in another 2 hour workout at some point (probs Friday), but until then I just gotta keep hitting the gym the best I can and try and squeeze in other small activities when I can!
XOXO

The Pity Party is OVER!!

Ok, so I had a little bit of a pity party today. I was feeling pretty down about life, so I went over to my friend Sam+Creadles's house and we had a solid girls night. We all vented about shit that has hit the fan and gave each other some solid feedback. Since they are also poor grad assistants and fairly healthy eaters, they gave me some tips on cheap healthy eating. Sam said that celery and carrots are always cheap, and she buys them with a big cuke that she slices up and eats throughout the week. She also said yogurt and oatmeal is pretty cheap too. Creadles told me about apple cider vinegar and that it's supposed to help with weight loss. She started drinking it before every meal (1 tablespoon mixed with 8 oz water) and said that it not only makes you feel full but it also really flushes out your system. We then brainstormed some ways to make it taste better, like mixing it with a little Agave nectar or a packet of Emergen-C. This, combined with some super sweet support from my Floridian transplant friend Erin, really helped pull me out of my funk. We also made the most INCREDIBLE pasta-less eggplant lasagna (basically just layered eggplant parm), followed by "Raising Helena" and brownies with cream cheese frosting (hey, it was a girls night, we needed a little something extra).  We also drank martinis and discussed the finer aspects of porn, but that's besides the point. I really thank everyone for their support, and I was really inspired tonight to pick myself back off, shake off the rainy day blues (it has been overcast for 2 weeks now!!!! -_-), and take this weekend to get back on track. Tomorrow and Saturday are gonna be big gym days, and Sunday I'm going on a hike up by Dover-Foxcroft with a friend.
For now I'm just going to polish off my Emergen-C/Vinegar drink (which basically tastes like Kombucha) and hopefully flush out the brownies and cream cheese frosting I just ate cause HONEY BADGER DIDN'T GIVE A SHIT, IT WAS A HUNGRY LITTLE BASTARD!!!!

Frustration

Ok so I haven't posted in a while, I've been crazy busy and crazy stressed and crazy broke. Busy, stressed, and broke has meant no time for working out and stress eating. Stress eating is the worst. I;ve also been frustrated because I feel like I was working out and eating healthy and not really seeing results except in my fitness ability but not in weight/inches lost, but this past weekend was homecoming and we did some eating and drinking, and it seems like it undid all the work I had been doing. Like I just puffed up and gained weight after ONE weekend. What the hell?? Also being broke means not being able to get the healthy food I need. Kelsey made the point that there are cheap healthy foods like lentils, but I have $0 right now which means I'm just taking what I can get for food.  UGH being broke and busy and stressed just takes such a toll on my eating/exercising. Any suggestions? How can I step things up in a busy time??

Tone it up!

Tone it up! Is a FANTASTIC fitness blog for women! (@toneitup) It has all the tools any woman who wants to get in shape needs from workouts, healthy recipes, even a diet plan! It was started by two friends, Karena and Katrina, who are quickly becoming the "it-girls" of fitness. I think what they are doing is so great because it gives women a place to go and find all the resources they need to help get them on the right path! I have already started checking out some of their workouts and recipes, and it is definitely a tool I will be adding to my routine.
The other thing I found during the break was an article in Health by Bethenny Frankel that had her quick 15 minute power yoga routine. By doing this routine twice a day (I was thinking when I wake up and either before bed or during my workout) you can lose up to three inches of your waist! I tried the routine this morning and it was really great, definitely some challenging but invigorating moves.
Yesterday when I hit the gym I actually ran a mile on the treadmill (haven't had the motivation for it in a few weeks) and a major part was because the perfect mix of song came together on my playlist. While some obvious ones really put me in the zone (Run the World and Till the World Ends) a surprising perfect ryhtmic running somg is Lil Wayne's "Right Above it". Listening two it twice through got me through half a mile and really put me in the zone! So here is my new and improved running playlist:

If that isn't the face of Pumped Up I don't know what it

1. Super Bass (warm up)
2. Run the world (Girls)
3. Till the World Ends
4. Right Above it
5. Play your part (Pt.1)- Girl Talk
6. The Edge of Glory
7. Who's that Chick (feat. Rihanna)
8. Blow
9. Hands All Over - Maroon 5

It's short because I'm very particular about what songs I run to. They have to have the perfect rhythm/tempo and pump me up enough that I not only set my pace to it, but get lost in the song and forget that I'm even running.
It's the start of homecomimg weekend which means lots of drinking and hanging with old friends, so I'm going to have to make sure I moderate my drinking, avoid eating too much tailgating food, and try and fit in some workouts around hangovers and visiting friends (which is why Bethenny's yoga routine is so great).
GO BLUE!

 

Guilt free baked chicken

Oh My Goodness, once again I astonish myself with my stumble upon culinary genius. I bought a bunch of hannaford's boneless tenders (basically just pre cut strips of breast meat made for people like me who dont want to touch/cut raw chicken) and marinated it in balsamic vinegar and miso paste (OBSESSED with miso) and was just planning on baking it. But I REALLY wanted baked chicken with a crust, but I didn't have breadcrumbs and that wouldn't fit with my diet. So what did I do? I crushed up some of my Nut Thin gluten free crackers (made with pecans) and mixed in a little bit of parmesean chease, then rolled the chicken which was coated with dressing and miso in the crumbs and baked it on 375 for probabaly 15-20 minutes. It was SOOOOO good!!! Tasted just like regular baked chicken only way more flavorful and no eggs or gluten to weigh me down!!!! I would have taken a picture, but I ate it too fast because it was soo good. I'll make it again and take a picture so y'all can see how it's done ;)
So humble

New Week, New Goals

The best news ever is that I AM FINALLY OVER MY COLD!! That really put a damper on my work outs because it was hard to breathe and I couldn't stop sweating. But I'm over it and I took Cooper for a run last night and FINALLY did a morning workout today. My motivation was I went with my friend Sam and she gave me a wake up call at 7:45. Our original plan was to do this Crossfit running workout, but sadly the track was wet from them cleaning it and we didn't want to slip and die. However, we will be going back this evening to attempt it again (lucky me). We just did some inclined treadmill walking and gossiping, which is really what the gym is all about. Here is the workout:

1. Sprint 5 laps around the track, with 90 sec breaks between each lap
2. Try to to do each lap under 1 min 30 (easy)
3. Time each lap. Your slowest lap is your score.
4. Do this again in a week with the goal of having your slowest time this round be faster than your slowest time the first round

This sounds easy but it's pretty brutal, at least for people who don't run a lot (like myself). For more crossfit work out check out this site for a good work out of the day or my friend Monica's blog More Mojo, Less Nojo for other work outs of the day.
I have also gotten some great tips from people that I am really going to work into my routine. Coach Kelsey has left me some great comments about beating the hunger and stepping up my game that I will work into my day, and I had a nice talk with my aunt Julie this weekend and even though she really didn't say anything new (work out in the AM, change your eating habits but never deprive yourself) just hearing it from another person, and a family member at that, helped drive it home and motivated me to really try for it. So, on that note I think the best way for me to change my diet is go back to eating as Paleo as possible. Now last time it was great because I had a partner (shout out to Susan) but it was hard because we went strict Paleo. This time around I won't have a partner :( But I am going to allow myself some non-paleo foods so I'm not depriving myself which then leads to bingeing.

• one 3 oz serving of cheese a day
• my gluten free frozen waffles
• one latte a week (because I have issues)
• Quinoa or brown rice pasta
• 1 1oz serving of dark chocolate a day
• 1 cheat meal a week

I also must say that I feel really great today after that morning workout, so I want to try to keep that up even though I totally failed at it last week (womp womp so I love to sleep, sue me).  Having someone come with me really helps, so hopefully I can coerce Sam into coming with me the rest of the week!
Obvi I'll let you all know how it goes!

^^Ready to go                                                           ^^How fucking cute is that puppy?????

New Plan

So, this past week I have slacked, BIG TIME on both the exercise and eating front. I have been eating  like crap and not working out much. I blame part of it on being sick/tired/stressed, but I can feel myself slipping into the vicious cycle that is falling off the weight loss bandwagon. So, starting tomorrow I am upping the ante for myself. Here is what I'm gonna do:
1) Twice-a-days: i know this may seem extreme, but it's not what it sounds like. I have lots of time in the morning and am getting lazy only having to go into work at 10. SO I will be making myself actually wake up at a normal time (like 7am) and swimming from 7-8 and then getting ready and such from 8-9:30. Swimming isn't the most vigorous work out (at least when I do it), but I like the way it makes my body feel and it's a great full body work out. It's at least getting me up and active in the morning. And on days when I really can;t get motivated to leave that early then I will take cooper for a mile walk.

2) Drink more: But not in the alcoholic way (sadly). I was thinking today about how trying to eat more vegetables can be so boring, and a lot of times I feel like I just don't have the time to cook and either eat them raw or with hummus. But I LOVE smoothies, and a lot of times I put vegetables in my smoothies so I can sneak in an extra serving. Then while at Hannaford today I had the epiphany that I should just replace lunch with a veggie smoothie! I can do beats, spinach and cukes with a banana and almond milk and my Amazing Meal Protein powder for lunch with some gluten free crackers and hummus to munch on. That way I'll be getting my veggies in and it will be quick and easy! Something about drinking vegetables is just so much more fun than eating them.
3) As a short term goal, I'm going to do all of this everyday this week because this weekend I know that we are going to NH to see the Hinman Clan, and if I don't look like I've slimmed down or are in some kind of shape, Grandma will chew me a new one (as usual). So to avoid her death glare and weight ridicule I should really work hard this week and at least try and lose some of the puff. Then it will be on to the next short term goal!!
Two questions: What should teh next short term goal be? and How the F do you quickly get over a cold??
Kisses!
PS Everyone should watch this amazing lady gaga video! So inspiring

Update

Ok sorry it has been a while, this week has been fairly busy, and I seem to be coming down with a cold or just the typical first month into school sniffles/exhaustion. I've been teaching Family Interaction (Yay!) for the past few classes which has also kept me busy. SO here is a general update:

1) I have to admit, my eating has not been great the last 1.5 weeks. The stress has made me crave bad bad foods, and I seem to be in that phase where I'm just eating to eat; not really hungry, but just craving food. I think it's just out of boredom/stress, so if anyone has any suggestions for dealing with this and finding something to do besides eat, please let me know.
2) Last Sunday I hiked Cadillac Mtn in Acadia National Park. What a great hike! It was a gradual ascent but still a solid workout, and we took a different path down that required a fair amount of rock climbing, my arms were actually sore after the hike! I was really proud of myself for doing this hike, not because it is that difficult, but because as most people know you can just drive to the top of Cadillac, so there wasn't a whole lot of motivation to hike it. But we did and it felt really great, but was weird to get to the top with all these Euro and Asian tourists clamoring out of their tour buses. A far cry from the tranquility of the Bigelow hike, but a fun day none the less. However, I think the hike and gyming it and school caught up to me because I went to the gym and swam Monday, and afterwards I was completely exhausted. I almost couldn't make it through ASR. SO I took these past few days to chill out, and then hit the gym this morning and am going back tonight to swim/sauna.
3)Last weekend I also got to spend some time with the fabulous Kelsey and we had an active weekend of dancing (which I napped through), running, and tennis. Taking advantage of this fall weather to do outdoor activities is really great. I feel like i need to stock up on fresh air before winter sets in.
4) WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE: So while I haven't lost any pounds, I can tell that I am losing inches because a few of my pants and skirts and dresses that were tight before are beginning to fit better. Also my breathing stamina is getting better when I work out. I'm attributing my lack of pounds lost to the fact that my legs are more muscular then they have ever been. Almost to teh point of being too muscular. I have like, gladiator legs. Woof
5) Via recommendation of Kelsey's Mom I am now reading Spark by John Ratey about how exercise actually improves our brain function and can aid in preventing dementia, depression, and Alzheimers. Very interesting read, especially while at the gym.

That's all for now, more updates to come!!

Sugarloaf and why it's amazing

So as a follow up to that last point, I had a lot of time to think while I was hiking why I wanted to do this in the first place. And every time I thought about it, more then wanting to get healthy/get back to nature/try something new, I was doing it because of Sugarloaf. For 23 years my family has had a condo on Wangans drive and our living room window looked right out across at Bigelow, and for 23 years I have stared at the mountain range and thought about what it would be like to hike it.
Once I was actually on the range, every time I felt scared or in pain or super tired I just kept reminding myself that Sugarloaf was just across the valley which was a very comforting thought because it's is my second home. I just kept having this feeling of safety and security wash over me whenever I caught a glimpse of the mountain through the trees or coming over a ridge. The best was sitting at the top of West peak, looking straight across at the spot that inspired this whole trip where I had sat in our swivel chair with a cup of tea for 23 years dreaming of this moment. It was truly an overwhelming experience.
The whole trip made me realize how lucky I am to have such an amazing place in my life. When I have a family I definitely plan on having my own place at Sugarloaf so that my children can continue to be inspired too.

Nut up or Shut up weekend Fall 2011

Wow, what a weekend. Having been an avid Sugarloafer all my life, I have always looked across the valley at the Bigelow mountain range and dreamed of hiking it. While I've done many hikes before, I've never done a big overnight hike (but I have done wilderness trips) so this was a first for me. I had also never hiked with a large pack before. Since I didn't need much for an overnight hike, my bag mostly consisted of sleeping gear, warm clothes, food and water.

In order to get some of the prehike jitters out, I went with my cousin and a friend to do chick hill, which is in east bumf*@k, Maine and it is a very short but steep hike. It was hard and I was seriously huffing and puffing, but it felt great and I knew I was ready for Bigelow....or so I thought.

We completely underestimated how much hiking we would have to do and how steep it was going to be. We ended up hiking about 14 miles in 2 days, and that was cutting out a major chunk of the end part of our hike. The real challenge of the hike was mentally moving past the pain and fatigue in my body. Hiking that much is hard on your legs anyway, but adding a 25lb bag to it really ups the ante. And it seemed like every time we came up out of the woods onto another peak we still had so far to go. I can't tell you though how amazing it was to reach the top of our final peak, see Sugarloaf in the distance, and see how far we had come in just one day.

In order to get through to our campsite we had to move at a fairly fast paced with a few short breaks after each steep (10 minutes max). I literally had to just block out every thought of pain or misery, get in the zone and barrel on. When we made it back to the car Sunday afternoon I can't even begin to describe the feeling of accomplishment. Even though we didn't do the entire loop we had originally planned we still did an insane amount of hiking in two days, especially since two of us hadn't done any hiking this summer.

The whole experience really just made me realize I can overcome any obstacle, mental or physical, if I just set my mind to it and truck on. It was also so amazing to connect back to nature, and it has definitely inspired me to do more hiking. This hike challenged me so much and pushed me so far out of my comfort zone that it really showed me what my true potential is. I truly feel like I can do anything right now. It has also inspired to keep working hard with my weight loss goals by challenging my self physically, eating healthy, and trying to get back to some of the things that keep me grounded.
I encourage everyone to get out there and do something that really pushes your boundaries. It will make you a better person.
And yes, because I know you're all wondering, I did shit in the woods.

<<Our water supply

<< From the dip in the
mountains to this spot in one day!

Coming out the >>>
woods on Sunday!!!

Rain on my parade

Today was a first folks, I actually ran in the rain! Usually it's hard for me to even get to the gym in the rain, but I went to the gym and like an idiot forgot my sports bra, so I drove home. And then when I got home I was like "Sarah, Nut up or Shut up. You've got a big hike this weekend!!" So I threw on a sports bra, put my iphone in a ziplock bag and ran the mile loop around my house and it felt great!

That is the after shot. Not too bad! Also found these sweet rice chips that are gluten and fat free and they come in honey dijon and are sooooo good with hummus! Now I'm ready for my double blindish date tonight and my cousin is coming up for a couple of days so I'm pumped to hang with him, maybe take him to chick hill for a little warm up hike!
PEACE

Delish Side Dish recipe

One thing I have become obsessed with is sliced tomatoes with cheese on top broiled in the oven so it's melty and delicious, and it has been made even better with our home grown tomatoes and my dad's homemade pesto. There are two varieties for the recipe: healthy and more healthy.

Ingredients-
1 to 3 tomatoes, cut into 1/2 in slices
3/4 cup non fat ricotta cheese (healthy) or Tofutti cream cheese (healthier)
1/2 cup grated extra sharp cheddar (healthy) or 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (healthier)
Pesto
Salt and pepper

First, slice the ends of the tomatoes and then slice the tomatoes in 1/2" thick slices and lay on cookie sheet (covered with aluminum foil)
Next, mix together the soft and shredded cheeses of your choice and season with a little salt and a lot of pepper
Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the mixture onto each slice
Top the scoop with a dollop of pesto
Put the sheet under the broiler (set to high) and keep an eye on the slices. It should take about 8 minutes, but make sure to watch it and pull it out when it gets bubbly and brown, otherwise you may burn them.
Eat and enjoy!

It will look similar to this,minus the bread, and the pesto will be on top

The importance of snacks and running dogs

Today was a good lesson learning day.
Lesson #1: Always make sure to give your dog exercise, otherwise he will be full of piss and vinegar and will royally piss you off by keeping you awake and dumping out the garbage can. By running him, you are not only burning off his energy but also getting some good exercise yourself. I took Cooper for a 1.83 (according to Walkjogrun.net) run and it was so motivating! I ran for a while, and then would walk to catch my breath, but he would keep tugging on the leash so I was like "Oh ya you little shit? You wanna tug on the leash? Well then we're running again!". I would say I ran a solid mile, if not more, and it was all on pure spite. Afterwards I felt like I still had energy and needed to do more so I hit the gym and did some weighted squats/lunges and then did a quick 10 minute walking cool down. By the time we got back to the apartment though Cooper STILL had energy so I took him for our short .25 mile loop around the block, except we ran it HARD cause no way was that little bastard barking at me at 3am again. That felt really good, especially since I am gearing up for an overnight hike this weekend on Bigelow Mountain Range.
Lesson #2: Snacks are soooooo important for eating healthy! I had a healthy breakfast this morning and came home for a healthy lunch (around 1:30) and figured that would last me until class got out at 6pm. WRONG. By the time class started and 4pm I was hungry, and by 5pm I was cross eyed with hunger. All I could think about was poutine and Blue zones from OHOP and everything bad that I'm trying to avoid (although I will say I haven't been craving chocolate that much. ?) and I caved and stpped at KFC/Taco bell on the way home to get a side of mashed potatoes and a taco because I just couldnt even stand to wait the extra two minutes to drive home and microwave a tofu pup or something. So, lesson learned. I will from now on head to class with an arsenal of snacks like trail mix, yogurt, fruit with cheese, or veggies with hummus. After the work out I resisted the urge to eat anything else and just drank a mix of my Get Lost iced tea and Trader Joe's Beet and Purple Carrot Juice and then a SkinnyGirlDaily cleanse packet.
This week/weekend will definitely be all about nutting up or shutting up because I need to get in gear for this hike!! More posts to come on that, can't wait to post pictures!
Here is where I'm going:

 I have stared across at that range from Sugarloaf for 24 years of my life and now I will finally get the chance to conquer that bitch!

Flour is the enemy

So I just came to the realization that i I want to SERIOUSLY lose weight, I have to ditch flour/gluten. I was having a snack of sesame flat bread crackers with some left over guac, some farmers market cheese, and then the little bit of left over homemade mac and cheese from Sunday night and it was like, even though I didn't eat that much, I just felt super full afterward and not really energized. And I was looking at it thinking like, "I could be having this guac with sliced peppers, and I could have this cheese on some fruit, and the mac..well.. i could probs just do without that (even though I used whole wheat pasta)". So I think I gotta just rip off the band-aid and chuck everything that has flour in it. There are some gluten free rice crackers at hannaford, but I think even with crackers I have to portion myself.
Gonna hit the gym after class today, and since I did circuit training yesterday I'm going to do 20 mins of cardio, 20 mins of squats/lunges/abs and then 30 mins of swimming because I fee like swimming ties everything together nicely, and I just love to play in the water

Food is the original social media

Today was the OFFICIAL first day of school, and I must say it was fairly uneventful.  SC wasn't in the office breathing down my neck and when I got all my work done I just went home, which was great because I got to make a healthy lunch wrap and take Cooper for a walk. I had a pretty good work out today: 30 mins cardio, 20 mins of circuit training and then about 10-15 of abs/stretching. I swear there is nothing in this world better then a good butt stretch after the stair master and walking on an incline. I even had a healthy light meal of 2 tofu dogs with Guacamole and freshly sliced tomatoes with moz cheese before heading to lead my first Athletes for Sexual Responsibility class with Mr. Swag_Boy himself (obviously we rocked it even though I'm not an athlete and he's not sexually responsible). But then my friend Matt invited me to get OHOP with him cause Mondays is 2 for one pizza, and I realized what my major diet downfall will be: the sociality of food.

I am perfectly eating healthy if I just eat all the healthy food I buy, don't drink, and don't go out to eat unless it's sushi or salad. Fat chance. Half of the battle with food is that it's such a social thing. My whole plan with Matt was centered around food. It wasn't just to hang out, it was specifically to do it around food because of a specific pizza deal. And I know come football season it won't just be come over to watch the game, it will be go somewhere to get wings, beer and watch the game. So how does one stay healthy in a world where often times being social= getting food? I think will power is going to have to play a key roll in overcoming this obstacle. I did ok tonight, I only had two pieces of pizza, which honestly for me is pretty good since BBQ chix pizza is my fave and I could honestly take down an entire pie. In the future, I think it should just be one piece. Or if it's to a bar for a game, get either beer or wings, but not both. Portion control and not over indulging is gonna have to be the winning strategy.
On a different note, having a dog in the house has def upped my activity level, because I always feel so guilty when I leave him that every time I come home I take him for a quick walk, and usually one long on in the morning, plus my gym time. They say the best way to get in shape is not just to hit the gym 5-6 days a week but to up your level of physical activity throughout the day. I certainly am feeling like I have more energy!

Good night all, thanks for following my progress! Should have a weight loss check in by the end of the week!

First weekend back and my inspiration

In order to overcome any challenge, you gotta have inspirations.  One thing that really inspired me is the book "Where Men Meet Glory" by Jon Krakauer, the story of Pat Tillman. He was an NFL player who left to join the army after 9/11 and was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. He was someone who was always learning, always striving to be better, and always pushing to reach his potential. He is truly an inspiration. I'm also inspired by the lessons I learned at NOLS about overcoming challenges, tolerating adversity, and digging deep to find your inner strength. Whenever I work out and start getting tired, I always think "Dude, you kayaked for 5 hours a day for 3 weeks straight, 10 more minutes on the stair master ain't nothin!!" It also makes me realize that I'm the only person standing in the way of my success. I can end my work outs early and go easy, or I can push myself to go harder and make the most of my workout.

 So it was the first weekend back,and it was definitely a mix of successes and pitfalls. I bought really healthy food and made healthy food and got some good exercise in between gyming it, painting and putting my room together, and walking cooper. But both Friday and Saturday night I drank....a lot....and Friday night got into some buffalo chicken. Womp womp. I think if I am going to accomplish my goals I need to avoid these three things:
1) Excessive drinking- it leads me to feel sluggish, it's full of sugar/calories, and it usually makes me eat really bad food.
2) Buffalo chicken- it's fried, it's salty, and it comes with blue cheese. BAD BAD BAD and the more I eat it the more I want.
3) Chocolate-similar to buff chix, the more I eat the more I want. This is my true weakness. I'm going allow my self small amounts of dark chocolate because otherwise I risk binging, but I really need to steer clear for the most part.
Little Joshy poo said he's going to bust my balls about keeping it "real" on the blog and is def on my ass about the cleanse.......but I guess that's where he likes to be ;)
Tomorrow is the start of classes!!!! Gonna make sure to pack a healthy wrap for lunch and hit the gymski before Atheltes for Sexual Responsibility.
xoxo

PS this is why I shouldn't drink..... Nom nom pumpkin bombs

Kickin' things off right!

It's the start of Fall semester and the start to  my new weight loss goal! I figured if I made my journey public it would be good motivation to not quit because A) you all are holding me accountable so I don't want to embarrass myself and B) If I know I have to post things, hopefully it will motivate me to do more.
 So here it goes! I have 4 months to lose 30 lbs. Now I know that may seem like a lot, but I figure if you aim high then you will achieve more than you hoped. I also know from my NOLS course that I can pretty much do anything I set my mind to and overcome any challenge that comes my way.
So here's what I will be sharing with y'all:
1) goals and progress
2) Work outs
3) Recipes
4) Challenges and obstacles
I hope it's interesting, and if not I don't really care because I'm doing this for me, not you ;)

I have started doing Bethenny Frankel's SkinnyGirl Daily cleanse and weight management supplements that you can learn more about here. So far it's making me feel pretty good, and I can't believe I'm not craving any bad foods (except chocolate a little, but that's always a given). I was going to hit the gym, but my roommate's dog had already torn up the trash and my tortilla chips, so I figured he needed a little exercise (and punishment) too. This is the route I ran, almost a mile, but I was pretty proud that I ran almost the entire way, and even threw in a few quick sprints. Running outside and with a dog is much different then running on a treadmill. For dinner I made chicken fajitas and washed it down with a Kombucha and a glass of the cleanse mix. I've been eating pretty well the past few days, so here's to keeping up the healthy eating and exercise, even with a Hurricane on the way!