Weird.

Guess what I did yesterday?

That's my model face

I got out of the pajamas that I’d been in for 3 days! Making myself look decent changed my mood instantly. I looked better, therefore I felt better. Goes to show that clothes really can affect how you feel about yourself. If you dress like a slob, you will probably feel like a slob too!

Yesterday was a good day

After showering and putting on makeup, I drove around to do a few errands (the library was closed ) and came back to work on my blog! Right now, I’m in the process of deciding on a new name for it…it’s taking a while I want to make sure I pick the right one!

The rest of the afternoon was spent practicing my side crows pose. Remember my Lululemon goal?? With a little practice, I’ve finally got it!

Consider that goal accomplished (a month late, but who cares?!) ;)

Now I’ve just got to work on splitting those legs while I’m in that pose

Anywho, while I took pictures of myself doing yoga, Jason was on his way home! Once he was here, we headed to the gym together and here is what I did:

x=sets of

• 15 minute warmup on elliptical
• 3×10 tricep extensions 40 lbs.
• 3×10 bicep curls 35 lbs.
• 3×10 chest press 20lbs.
• 3×10 row backs 45lbs.
• 3×10 lateral pulldowns 55lbs.
• 100 crunches
• 40 side planks (each side)

Wheewwwwww…that was just what I needed! I love feeling sore after a good strength training session

Leftovers were for dinner (that vegan shepherds pie has got it going on, fo’ sho’)..Recipe to come soon!

So that was yesterday! And this morning, I woke myself up with a hot mug of green tea and a waffle breakfast

Waiting for this to settle so I can do some yoga from yogadownloads.com!

As of right now, I’d better get to work on the blog! I leave you with pictures that were taken during our fun in the snow It snowed 7 inches here this past weekend! Such fun!

Jason made a sled for me using the side of a washer and a dryer belt, haha

We went sledding with Jason and his two sisters, Sarah and Rebecca. It.was.so.fun. Can’t wait to do it again next year! That is, if it snows

Okay, now I leave you! Time to do some “work” Tootaloooooooo!

I listened to Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch while running this morning

“Come on, come on! Feel it, feet it. Feel the vibration-ohoh oh oh oh”

Okay, I’m finished singing to you now

Let’s get back to the reason why I’m here – to recap my week of veganism.

There are many topics I want to touch on but first things first.

In the beginning, I wasn’t really sure why I was going vegan. If someone were to ask me, I probably would’ve blushed and muttered something about animals rights and changed the subject of conversation. Now, after researching the benfits of veganism and the impact it has on the environment (you guys know how I am about research!), there is no doubt in my mind that this is the right lifestyle for me

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The beginning of the week was a bit rocky, but exciting none-the-less! As I went through all of my favorite items in our cabinets and refridgerator (cheese crackers, dark chocolate, ice cream, multi-grain waffles), the enormity of my decision hit me. Most of these things have dairy in them! What am I going to eat? I took a step back and thought: It’s just food. I’m sure there are vegan options out there that are just as yummy

During this process, I gave Jason the go-ahead to eat my favorite snacks and desserts. It felt freeing. As I said “No” to these products, I pictured a happy cow in a meadow somewhere, silently thanking me

The second night I had a meltdown. Jason and I were sitting down and eating dinner, when I asked him what he thought of me going vegan. His response: “It seems a bit extreme. Like torture. I don’t really understand why you are doing it, but if it makes you happy.”

 He also brought up a few points of how I may be “alienated” at family get togethers where food is present, or how he thinks veganism is just a fad becuase celebrities have made it popular.

I started to cry. I’m sure it does seem extreme to others to not eat animal products. I mean, come on. We were practically raised on them, it’s all that we know. But did you know that we are the only mammals that drink another mammals milk? No other animal in nature does that. I find that a little strange.

Did you know that in order to get a cow to produce milk, she has to be pregnant? A cow in nature would normally become pregnant once a year…a cow in a factory farm is kept pregnant continuously. And when her milk production decreases or isn’t the same, she is shipped off to be slaughtered for her “parts”. 90 percent of the male calfs that are born are used to make veal.

Do you know how veal is made? I’m not going to tell you, you can look it up if you like. It’s horrible.

And I’m now jumping down from my soapbox.

Anywho, Jason is right and wrong in a sense. Time to bring in the topics that I’d like to cover.

Alienation

Yes…I will probably be a little alienated (food-wise) at family gatherings and holidays.  That is ok with me though, I suggested to Jason that I make a couple of vegan dishes to share with everybody…that way, I’ll have a little something that I can eat, and I can also share a delicious, healthy meal with everyone else

Defending Myself

I know for a fact that I will be doing a lot of this. In the beginning of this journey, I was scared to defend myself because I wasn’t really sure why I was doing this..how in the world would I explain it to someone else?? Which brings me to my next topic:

Why I Am Becoming Vegan?

Because I love animals. I don’t want to eat them or their products. I don’t want to have any part in the mistreatment of them at all. This week, I’ve learned that our bodies can live without animal products. There are so many other, natural foods that give our bodies the same vitamins and minerals that eggs, dairy and meat do. And guess what? Those alternatives are better for us.

Also, I now realize that becoming a vegetarian was only the first step in my animal-free journey. You guys know that I never liked buying eggs, but buying cheese and occasionally milk (to bake with) didn’t faze me in the least. I have learned so much about factory farming this past week. After reading some of the articles that I have, I don’t know how I couldn’t make a change. Some of the things that go on are just…heartbreaking. How we have gotten to this point as a society is totally incomprehensible to me.

Changes

You may be wondering if I’ve noticed any changes in my body since going vegan. The answer is yes! I feel lighter (my weight has stayed the same) after eating meals. Usually, I would stuff myself full and feel heavy and bloated for the rest of the night. Now after eating, I feel just right. Not too full but perfectly satisfied

My skin is glowing a little more (My rekindled love of Green Monsters may have something to do with that as well)

There are times when I have felt a little weak, but I’ve read that this feeling is natural. While my body detoxified from animal products, is natural to experience headaches, feelings of weakness and excessive thirst the first week or two. *I’ve only had the feeling of weakness two times this week*

Other Changes

I’ve stopped drinking coffee! I have been coffee-free for 7 days Yay! I used to think this would be so hard..practically the end of the world…but one night I was sitting on the couch and my heart started beating irregularly. And it kept on! My heart rate was increasing and I could sense a full-blown panic attack coming. After that little episode, I thought to myself  “That’s it. I’m done with coffee.”

It had gotten to the point where I would wake up and drink two cups without even thinking of it. There wasn’t even an urge, just a habit. I’ve replaced those two cups of coffee with one mug of green tea. And that’s my caffeine for the day (No more unsweet tea for me either, because it produces similar results) I think I’m more proud of quitting my coffee habit than I am becoming a vegan! Haha

I did have a major headache the first day I stopped drinking coffee, but after that- it was smooth sailing. I’ve been sleeping better and have been nightmare free as well

Cravings

You may be wondering if I have been craving cheese since I became a vegan. The answer is……..no. I don’t even miss it. When I first began this journey, I thought it would extremely hard to give up cheese. Do cheese-free meals even exist? But they do And I don’t think “Oh this would be great with some sharp cheddar” when I’m eating them either. Not eating cheese has caused my senses to open up to a whole new world (cue Aladdin music) of flavor. It makes me get creative with spices and mixes so that my meals taste just as great as a meal that is loaded with cheese I love the challenge.

Holier Than Thou

The people who know me well, know that I am not the type to push my beliefs or lifestyle on others. Nor do I think that I am better than anyone else just because I do not eat animal products. This is a personal decision for me. It was based on research, love and compassion. Is this lifestyle for everyone? Definitely not. If anyone has questions or wants to talk about veganism, I will gladly discuss it with you in a friendly, non-preachy manner

Exploring Food

…is exactly what I have been doing all week. I’ve read my Veganomicon book front to back twice. Along with “The Kind Diet” by Alicia Silverstone (twice as well). Some of the foods in the  books are hard to find in my area, so I’m trying to figure out a way around that. My recipes this week have been simple as I am a baby vegan and just learning which foods are vegan and which are not.

This is a growing/learning process for me. In time, I am sure that I will have another notebook full of vegan-friendly recipes to go alongside my notebook of vegetarian recipes that is sitting in my kitchen :)

Summing this up-  I am very happy  with my decision to go vegan. Wait, not only am I happy but I am excited as well! It feels very liberating I can’t wait to experiment with vegan recipes and find some favorites!

This topic is now open for discussion. What do you think about what I’ve said? Thank you for reading this far! And supporting me as well

I will be back on here later this week! Hopefully with a few recipe updates

Is everyone excited about  it being New Years Eve??

Jason and I had our first kiss on this exact day, four years ago! I can’t believe it’s been that long…feels like it was just yesterday

How are you guys going to celebrate? Be safe out there!

This morning I started out with a 45 minute power vinyasa flow from yogadownloads.com It was heavenly! And I even tried a few poses that I’d never tried before! OH and guess what? I have perfected my side crows pose! Remember, that was one of my goals from the Lululemon party

I’ll show you guys a pic soon!

Breakfast was had after my yoga session:

Pb and J toast with banana on top (I challenged myself to do 3,1-minute plank holds while these were toasting ) along with a huge mug of green tea – still no coffee for me!

I tried not to keep myself busy today, you know..fill up my schedule to the point where I don’t even have a minute to sit down? I took my time getting ready this morning, puttering around the house. I even sat down on the couch for an hour of tv watching, but all of the things I needed to do where in the back of my mind – therefore, I couldn’t relax until I had them done!

Before leaving to run some errands, I ate the rest of the leftover Indian food, as well as the rest of the leftover mashed potatoes Lots of leftovers! Just trying to do my part and eat some of them up!

Nom nom nom. It was yummy. I’m sad to see it go Hehe. I can always make more!

After lunch, I took Jason’s car for an oil change. I then proceeded to go to the mall to see if I could find any cute sweaters…no luck. Is it just me, or Forever21 a bit overwhelming?? Their items are all over the place! Everytime I go in there I do a walk-thru and just look around at some of the items. Then I do a second walk-thru and pick out things that catch my eye. I love that store. The clothes are so cute and playful

I was tired of being out in the crowd (I guess everyone is shopping for a New Years Eve outfit?? ) so I came back home. Not really sure if it’s the no-coffee thing or the cloudy sky outside, but I feel so sleepy! 

Trixie has been having a hard time with her illness. She wakes me up at all hours of the night hacking and coughing Poor pup.

I love her so. Jason and I plan on taking her back to the vet as soon as we have the money. The first two visits kind of tapped us dry. I feel bad that I can’t get her the medical attention she needs…like I’m a bad “parent” or something. Vet visits are so expensive though, and I don’t even have a job right now.

Anywho, I’ll keep you updated.

A pear and homemade granola bar was had while lounging on the couch.

"I spy with my little eye..."

So ripe and juicy! Yummy

As of right now, I am sitting on the couch..nodding off every now and then…while waiting for Jas to come home from work in 20 minutes. I have no idea what we are doing to celebrate New Years. We’ve tossed around the idea of going out to eat, or just staying home and having a date night IN.

I figure if I am going to go vegan, it wouldn’t be fair to try it for a week without eating out at least once. So, either today or tomorrow I will be eating out as a vegan and blogging about that experience. If we don’t go out tonight, we will surely be having “Spicy Tempeh Stir-Fry” for dinner. Here is an old pic of it:

*Sometimes we replace the tempeh with beans, still delicious!*

Well guys, I hope you have a great New Years Eve Please be safe and responsible out there! You going to make any new years resolutions???

I’ll see you in 2011 Have fun!

It is such a beautiful day here in N.C. It’s about 70 degrees out and there is a little breeze going, so pretty It’s the perfect fall day.

Too bad I’m too exhausted to get out there and enjoy it! — I know what you are thinking: This is going to be another whiny post! I promise you, it is not

First and foremost, let me say that the Secret Clinical Strength deodorant totally rocked. I still am a little shocked by how well it worked. I know it’s only deodorant, but it’s a big deal to me because now I don’t have to worry about pit stains or smelliness at the gym. No more missing out on my workouts because I’m too embarrassed or worried about my sweatiness! That’s major!

When I first opened it, I realized it was not the solid kind, it was a liquid…and that immediately gave me doubt. I had tried the liquid kind before and it seemed to disintegrate as soon as I put it on. I quickly put some on (was taken aback by how strong the scent was!) and headed out the door to my internship. It dried very quickly and I didn’t notice it for the rest of the day! I was even back in the pool area – where they keep the temps at about 80 degrees for the swimmers – and I didn’t sweat at all.

Around 4:30 I went upstairs to get ready for my Pilates/Sculpt class and wondered for a few moments whether or not I should reapply, but I chose not to. You guys- it was fabulous! I went through the whole sweaty, high-impact class without sweating under my pits once!

In a nutshell: It’s the best I’ve ever tried and definitely a keeper I’m willing to pay the extra few dollars for something that actually works…now I can focus on my workouts instead of focusing on my sweatiness! And that’s awesome

Moving on – Who’s ready for Thanksgiving??!! Me Me Me!

I’m mostly ready for Thanksgiving because I know that the weekend after Thanksgiving, we get to get out our tiny, fake Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!

I love that little tree. It’s been in storage all year and I can’t wait to bust it outta there! Along with my other Christmas goodies….such as my reindeer antler headband

It’s actually Trixie’s reindeer headband but she freaks out whenever I put it on her!

Yay for all things holiday-ish!!! By the way, Trixie is acting like she feels a lot better. Today is her last day of medication, hooray! She’s even started participating in our nightly race back to the house Every time Jason and I take her for her last walk during the night, we all race back to the house (with me announcing the person or dog that is in the lead) and usually Jason wins, except Trixie won last night! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her that energetic!

And yes, if you are wondering: we are dorks. 

Switching topics!

This past week was my last at the internship. I’ve gotten all of my hours (actually 10 hours over what I needed!) and I am now done with my co-op. And I am also one step closer to graduating! I wasn’t excited about it at first, but the closer it gets, the more freakin’ awesome it sounds! Jason keeps asking me how I’d like to celebrate and my first initial thought is always: Um, I’d like to celebrate by being accepted into the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ! That’s how! We will see about that though

I guess in the meantime, I could always use a weekend (or just a day??) in the mountains No cell phone, no computers…nothing but window shopping and hiking on the agenda…yeah, that sounds real nice.

This past week was a tough one – physically. Sometimes my insomnia doesn’t bother me that much, other times it’s like going through the day after being hit by a truck. My body begins to feel heavy and it takes so much effort to do even the smallest thing. That’s how it’s been this week. Even though I slept 10 hours last night, I woke up feeling utterly exhausted. It’s just one of those days and I’m not in a crabby mood or anything but this girl does not feel like doing anything.

Thinking it would give me more energy, I made a trip to the gym earlier and completed 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio (elliptical/stairs), 30 minutes of strength training and 15 minutes of abs…I left feeling even worse than before! It’s funny how that happens I guess the body knows when it needs rest

Anywho, I’ve been reading non-stop all morning…it’s the only thing I can think of to do that doesn’t take hardly any effort at all. Plus, I love to read. Right now, I’m reading this:

It’s just a tad bit scary; the type of book that I definitely don’t want to read before bed! It is well-written and suspenseful, a little sad too..I only have about 5 chapters left!

I’m snuggled on my bed – still in my workout clothes, no shower yet – with the computer on my lap and fuzzy monkey slippers on my feet..see?

Jason just called across the house: “What time are we grocery shopping?” Bugger. I forgot about grocery shopping! And we have to go  today because if we don’t, we will be eating dried cereal for dinner. Boo. Better get my game face on! I’m sure the stores are swarmed with folks that are trying to buy Thanksgiving Day ingredients! BUGGER AGAIN. I was given the chore of putting together all of my recipes and making a grocery list out of them! Crap.

I better get started before he comes in here and see’s that I’m lollygagging By you guys! Have a wonderful/pretty weekend!

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Everyday Sometimes I daydream about being able to see the Grand Canyon at sunrise.

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Sometimes all it takes is some rolling around on the floor with my dog for my sour mood to go away.

Sometimes ice cream is the first thing that comes to mind when I’m deciding what to eat for breakfast lunch and dinner.

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Sometimes I want to trade in my 4 mile run and opt for some dancing in high heels around my house.

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Sometimes I wonder if I’ve chosen the right career path. Culinary school seems very tempting.

Sometimes the kind of person that I used to be makes me want to cringe.

Sometimes I wonder if peanut butter-flavored almond milk will ever be invented.

(source)                                                              This                                            +                       This

Sometimes I want to buy a hotdog from the vendor at the corner store just because I feel sorry for how desperate he looks for customers. And I don’t even eat meat. (One time he tried to wave me down to buy a hot dog)

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Sometimes I wish there was a national “Cook In Your Kitchen” day, where you can spend all day in the kitchen experimenting with different foods and hold taste-testing for yummy recipes

Sometimes it feels like my brain is splitting in half. Literally.

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Sometimes I laugh uncontrollably during serious situations.

Sometimes I want to shove a sock in Jason’s mouth when he snores!

Sometimes my cat and dog really get on my nerves. Sometimes it’s like I have two toddlers running around that I have to clean up after.

Sometimes I surprise myself.  (You are looking at my Test grades for Tests 1 and 2 for Chemistry…um 96 and then 100?!? Who am I?!)

Sometimes I feel like I form stronger bonds with animals than I do with humans. Sometimes I feel like a weird-o saying that!

Sometimes I wake up with the strong urge to dye my hair pink and get oodles and oodles of tattoos all over my body. (Identity crisis much?)

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Sometimes I shout “BOO-YAH” after winning a game of UNO.

Sometimes I wish I could straighten my hair in less than 2 hours.

Sometimes I envy Jillian Michael’s ability to scream and yell at people, and tell them how it really is. I’d probably get punched in the face if I tried it.

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Sometimes I watch Spongebob while working on Chemistry homework.

Sometimes I try to dance while I run…and it’s not very pretty…but it is fun!

Sometimes I have many different outlets, but writing is usually my best one

This past week has just been so……off. You ever have one of those weeks when you don’t feel like exercising at all? For some reason, my appetite has been nonexistent as well. :/ Weird.

I think the stair-climbing that took place last Sunday was a bad idea. Well, let me rephrase that: I should have picked a different work out. My legs and butt muscles hurt all week..it really did a number on me. The yoga session we did on Wednesday at the Blend party was very much-needed, but my muscles were still sore the next day. The soreness didn’t go away until Friday

So, in a nutshell: I’m just now getting back on track with my exercising! It’s really weird though because I haven’t felt hungry in 2 days. Of course I’ve been eating and what-not, but my stomach hasn’t growled or anything.

Today I did a 4.5 mile run with some muzzzzaaaacccc :D It was a slow run, and kind of mentally challenging because Jason wasn’t there with me and I had a billion things to do today and that’s pretty much all I thought about during my workout. Don’t ya hate that? Luckily, I had my handy dandy running playlist to accompany me! (Loving some Rhianna lately!)

And that’s my playlist What’s on your playlist?

I usually like classic rock when I’m running, but I like rap and girly songs when I am strength training! Anywho, moving forwards….

This weekend was a pretty busy one (aren’t they all?! ) but guess what???? I slept for 11 hours on Friday night!!!! My body’s war with insomnia was full-fledged last week, most nights I only slept for about 4-5 hours. (That could explain why I didn’t feel like exercising!) On Friday night I was exhausted. Jason and I did some quick strength-training at the gym, but my heart wasn’t into it. We watched a movie later that night and I crashed. Out like a light. I woke up the next morning at 10:30 a.m.!! Can you believe it?! I haven’t slept in that late since high school!

It was pretty cool Saturday was devoted to us. No homework, no chores, no work. Just “us” time.

We decided to go to our favorite deli for lunch: H&M Deli in Cramerton! –Seriously guys, if you are ever in my neck of the woods, go here.–

I took pics of the decor while we waited for our order to be called out

I ordered my usual: the Mediterranean salad (mixed greens, artichokes, roasted red peppers, egg, cucumber, feta cheese, onion, minus the black olives) with raspberry vinaigrette dressing on the side.

Nomnomnom. It was yummy (as always!). Annnndddd Jason and I also shared our usual dessert: Carrot cake!

Guess what, carrot cake? You’re goin’ down. Haha

After eating lunch we decided to go look at laptops (since we’ll be needing one when I start the R.D. program this summer!!), but what seemed like a normal laptop-looking afternoon suddenly took a turn for the worse….dundundundunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!! <–insert scary music here

WTH? I turn around from the computers to find my boyfriend squatting on the floor looking under a washing machine. Oh dear God, it’s happening. We are going to be in here for hours! Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Jason is butt-face crazy about appliances. It’s his job to work with appliances (and he is quite good at it, if I say so myself ) so anytime we go somewhere that has any sort of appliance…it’s over. The man can spend hours looking at them as if they were pieces of art.

Before I could start whining about how I’m tired though not really and my feet hurt though not really and about how I think I’m coming down with something, like malaria or typhoid fever, I see my obsession peeking at me from behind a refrigerator.

Is…Is that a cabinet?

And…and a stainless steel stove?

Oh myyyy…and…and a stainless steel fridge??

And a whole play kitchen just for me?!

Yipppeeeeee! Honey, take as long as you want. I’m gonna play pretend while you look at washers and dryers

*Sigh* One day…one day I will have a great kitchen (not that I don’t already, but one day I’ll be able to have it my way! Just like Burger King)

We finally picked out a laptop! Since both of us are going to be online students this summer, it’s definitely a must-have.

It’s 11:30 p.m. right now.

A book and my cozy bed are calling!

A-ble-ble-ble, that’s all folks!

I put on some work out clothes, drove to the grocery store and bought a 24 pack of bottled water. I filled a cooler full of ice and shoved the bottled waters down in there so they would get nice and cold. I then proceeded to drive to the greenway, set up my cooler near the front and hand out waters to everyone that was exercising that morning. It was 8 a.m.

I could have stayed in bed. I had a million other things to do that day, but I wanted to give back in a small way. I wanted people to have a small reward for getting out of bed themselves and making the choice to exercise.

At first I got some really weird looks from runners and walkers. Like: Why is she just giving out water? A few people couldn’t believe it was free and offered to pay me for it! Others called me sweet and said “Thank you” many times over. And that made me happy One older lady was extremely nice and kept telling me what a sweet girl I was and I think she was about to start pinching my cheeks until her husband caught her attention, haha!

It took 45 minutes to give out all of the waters, which was a little shorter than I had planned (I had even brought a snack with me!). Once it was over I packed my cooler back in my car and drove home. With a smile on my face It made me feel so great to give to others. Even if it was only a bottle of water. I felt like, in some small way, that I had encouraged them to get up early and exercise again next weekend.

I got to thinking that day.

About how wonderful our bodies are, and I’m not talking about look-wise. I mean, I have imperfections everywhere. One huge birthmark on my leg, another on my stomach. A few pimples on my face every now and then. Stretch marks on my hips and maybe a little cellulite on my arse (:D). But inside, I think my body is beautiful.

I think I’m sounding pretty hippie-ish right now, but that’s okay

My body carries me day in and day out. It allows me to place my feet on the floor in the morning when getting out of bed. It gives me the strength and flexibility to do a back bend during a yoga session. It allows me to chug uphill on a long run. And sometimes at the end of the day it tells me to relax and soak my muscles in a hot bubble bath.

And so….I try to do things that will make it happy.

Like staying active…

Feeding it ice cream when the craving hits…

or going the other way and loading it up with veggies…

My body loves that first sip of coffee in the morning..

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and it also loves the many cups of water that follow throughout the day!

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My body is happy when we take Trixie for a walk in the park…

or when I take it up the mountain for a hike..

It’s also happy to get the occasional beer or glass of wine

And did I mention dark chocolate? It goes crazy for the stuff!

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It’s happy when we complete 13.1 miles together

My body loves getting hugs from my fur-child…

…and from my not-so-furry boyfriend

It’s happy to stand in the kitchen for long periods of time while I cook up a  nutritious meal to feed it..

..and it’s always happy to get some rest when it can…

I’d like to think my body is pretty happy with me and the way I’ve been treating it It may even stick around for years to come if I keep up the good work!

My Philosophy?

Put good things in so that good things will come out. Challenge your body on a regular basis. Test your strength and go beyond what you think are your limits. Find new boundaries and discover a whole new comfort zone that you never thought could exist. Buy a new vegetable that you have never cooked with once a week. Experiment in the kitchen with healthy baking recipes. Find time to try something that you have always wanted to try. Explore. Discover. Experience.

What have YOU done to make your body happy today?

[I am getting glasses today! A happy body is one that can see where it's going, right?? ]

In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Kerry Walsh was seen wearing a mysterious, bright-colored tape on her shoulders while competing in the volleyball division.

What is that tape? It’s KT Tape! And its wonderful

This weekend I had a chat with my friend (whom is a personal trainer and in school working on her Masters in Clinical Exercise Physiology <–in other words: She has credibility!) about my knee injury and how down I was about not being able to run more than 3 miles at a time. When I was finished complaining,  she mentioned that she had the same injury and that she used KT Tape on it and Poof! It was gone! No pain, no swelling..she could run again, just like that!

Ohmygah. Get me some KT tape and get it to me NOW! Right after “work” I went into Sports Authority and found it in the middle of an aisle. Oh the colors! Pinks, greens, blacks, browns, reds, blues…I chose pink, of course

Now, I’m a bit skeptical when it comes to “miracle cures” and what-not. But since my friend is a marathoner (3 times over, I think?), runs avidly and is in school for the stuff, then I chose to give it a try. Coming from anyone else, I probably wouldn’t have run off and bought it an hour after hearing about it

But what does it do, you ask. How does it work?

According to the website:

• KT Tape is a revolutionary sports medicine solution for treating and preventing common sports injuries such as ITBS, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, knee pain and more. Ultra-light, elastic, and strong, KT Tape is highly effective at providing pain relief, stability & support, & faster recovery for injured or sore muscles and joints-without sacrificing comfort or freedom of movement.

How does it work?

• KT Tape is applied along muscles, ligaments, and tendons (soft tissue) to provide a lightweight, strong, external support that helps to prevent injury and speed recovery. KT Tape works differently for different injuries. KT Tape can lift and support the knee cap, holding it in place for Runner’s Knee. KT Tape can support sagging muscles along the arch of the foot, relieving the connective tissues for Plantar’s Fasciitis. And KT Tape can lift the stress off of shin splints to allow pain release and give the body a better opportunity to recover. Depending on how it is applied, KT Tape supports, enables, or restricts soft tissue and its movement. By stretching and recoiling like a rubber band, KT Tape augments tissue function and distributes loads away from inflamed or damaged muscles and tendons, thereby protecting tissues from further injury.

• By applying KT Tape over affected tissue, athletes experience an external support which helps to prevent further injury and allows the body’s damaged tissue to rest and heal naturally despite continued activity. KT Tape also reduces inflammation and increases circulation which prevents muscle cramping and lactic acid buildup.

• Kinesiology tape, treatments, and application techniques have been used by healthcare professionals such as orthopedics, chiropractors, physical therapists, and athletic trainers for over thirty years. KT Tape is the first brand of kinesiology tape ever to be offered to consumers through local sporting goods retailers, and to be widely adopted by healthcare professionals and teams. The development of KT Tape was a highly collaborative effort that included Healthcare Professionals, our Medical Advisory Board, elite and everyday athletes, and our product design engineers. Together they developed the most advanced sports tape ever offered.

Um, SOLD! 

I at least had to give it a try. These 3 mile runs aren’t cutting it for me anymore. I want to train. I want to race.  The website provides instructional videos on how to place the KT tape on your leg (or wherever your injury may be). I lay on the floor of our office and patched myself up

Fashionable? I think so! I could not wait to try it out!

There is a 4 mile route in Cramerton I used to do that is packed with hills, so I thought it would be best to try it out there.

You guys…I felt no pain the entire run. No comfort issues. It felt totally normal, like it used to! There was no knee pain at all!!!! I was so happy I wanted to cry. You know what this means: races, look out, because here I come!!! I’m slowly going to start increasing my speed and endurance, and maybe…just maybe shoot for a marathon in December A little crazy? Yes! A lot of fun? YES!

I was so excited about my run that I came home and did ninja moves in our front yard:

Hiiii-yahhhh! Take that knee pain Oh, and I also made up a song too *sung to the tune of “I’m a Believer” by Smashmouth*

“Oh KT Tape/I’m a believer/Not a doubt of pain/ In my kne-ee/I’m in love/I’m a believer/I couldn’t run without you if I tried/”

Hehe Okay! Enough about my love affair with KT Tape! Let’s talk about the rest of my weekend, shall we?

Apple Festival 2010

My mom, Jason and I went to the apple festival in Lincoln County this Saturday! It was our first time going and we were amazed at all of the vendors that were there! And the people! (They estimated 4-5,000!)

We started the festival off by sharing a caramel covered apple with nuts!

Actually, Jason hogged it all. I only got about 2 bites and it was gone! What a meanie!

Gosh I look so attractive when I’m eating things that are bigger than my face.

After the apple, it was time for some veggies!

Yay for local produce! We picked out a few items and then headed over to the crafts section of the festival. I was a little disappointed to see that most of the crafts were quilts and woodwork Not that those things are great, it’s just not what I was looking for. Oh well, maybe next time. We did, however, come home with a painting of the waterfront Park in Charleston It reminded us of our trip!

Around 2 o’clock we started to get a little hungry so we headed over to a diner that was in the vicinity of the festival. The Capital Grille offered a few vegetarian items, and I chose the unhealthiest one -I’m sure you are finding out that this day was definitely a foodie splurge day! It doesn’t happen often but when it does, it’s oh-so-sweet -

The veggie pita consisted of sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms under a bed of shredded lettuce and tomato. This pita was dripping butter and oil all over the place! It was really tasty, but when paired with the fried onion rings, caused a terrible stomach-ache later in the day It was very tasty at the time though!

There was only an hour left in the festival after we finished with lunch, so we all headed to the other streets that we hadn’t been down before. There were a lot more antiques on the last two streets, and that was pleasing I love looking at antique things! Too bad there was no money left in the budget after buying the painting!

My stomach was so full I felt like I needed to be wheeled around in a wheelchair…ugh. But then I saw a chocolate dipped frozen banana stand..and just had to have one. Hey, it’s fruit, right?!  My mom offered to get me one even though there was no room in my tummy for it anywhere!!

*Hard time keeping a straight face while taking this picture!*

I ate every bite. The buttons on my pants were threatening to pop off and take someone’s eye if I didn’t stop eating, so I obeyed and finally stopped eating for a while

The festival came to an end. Stuffed with food and satisfied with our finds, we found our way back to the car and headed home. Well, once I got home I realized I had a ton of energy. Perhaps it was the onion rings, the bites of caramel apple, or the entire chocolate-covered banana that I just ate..but I was wanting to burn some energy! I hopped on the bike and did 40 minutes of my own spin session :D

Switching the levels back and forth between hard and medium every 5 minutes. (Tomato face!)

It felt so good to sweat. My stomach ache went away for a little bit too. The bike ride + the 3 hours of walking we did really tired me out. When dinnertime came around, Jason and I realised that we weren’t that hungry. I was craving vegetables like a madwoman and he wanted something light, so we both decided on making Mediterranean Couscous with Grilled Vegetables.

And we used our produce from the festival!

This recipe is really easy to make. Jason and I usually grill the vegetables, but we didn’t feel like fiddling around with the grill, so I sautéed them in a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Here is what you need:

• 1 zucchini, 1 squash
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3/4 lb. grape tomatoes halved (or in this case, 1 medium tomato, chopped)
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup couscous
• 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 tsp. salt, pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• dash of cinnamon
• 3 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (we used goat cheese!)

Saute veggies in a pan. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in different pot. Add couscous and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon). Cover and remove from heat, let sit for about 5-8 minutes. Stir in veggies and remaining ingredients.

That’s it! This whole meal probably takes 20 minutes to cook, and then it’s done!

My serving, along with a side of ‘book’ By the way, the veggies that we got from the festival tasted amazing. Not at all like what you would get at a grocery store, the flavors and colors were wonderful! Oh, and I’m really liking “Ape House” as well! “Water for Elephants” is one of my favorite books, so I was pretty sure I would like this one too.

*Sigh* There is more to discuss, but I should go for now! Jason will be here any minute to commandeer the computer for homework!  Two things before I go:

• Is it too early to have my sights set on a marathon in December?
• I’d Rather Be Running is going to have some changes this week! Anything you want to see on the website?

Okay loves, I’m outtie. See ya later in the week!

     2.     Someone asks you “Do you know what I mean?” and you say “Yes“. But what you really mean is “What the heck are you even talking about? Where am I?!”…

     3.     You miss your turn because you were daydreaming about running into Michael Cera at the grocery store…

    4.      If your childhood nickname was “Spank-Me-Please”. Nuff said.

    5.      You get huffy if you’ve been up for 30 minutes already and still haven’t had a cup of coffee…

    6.      You can deal with poop, spit up and puke just fine…but when bread pudding comes around, it’s all you can do to keep from throwing up…

    7.      You  make a snack of celery with peanut butter (you don’t even like celery!), intending to eat all of it, but only lick off the peanut butter in the end…

    8.      You wish that every city had walkability…

    9.      You refuse to pay over $30 for a pair of jeans..

   10.     You are screaming across the house to ask the boyfriend “Have you seen my shoes/socks/tank top/running shorts/hair tie/sunglasses/BRAIN??!!”

   11.     You ride in a car with someone who has been talking to you for the last 20 minutes, and it’s only when they are finished talking that you realize they had been talking that whole time, and you didn’t hear a damn word that was said…

   12.       You throw clothes out of your pajama drawer while mumbling “Where is my dang Aerosmith 1989 concert tee? Aughhhhhh!!!!!! I have to wear it tonight! It goes perfectly with the plaid capris that I’m going to wear to bed!”

   13.        You have no idea what Scientology is….and you kind of just don’t give a crap anyway…

   14.        You secretly wish you could scream at people Jillian Michael style…

   15.        You believe that it should be against the law to go to work on a pretty day….

   16.        You had a meltdown in the kitchen after the sauce for your veggie stir-fry came out too brown (though, it’s supposed to be brown) But this particular day, it was too brown

   17.         You claim to be a rock-n-roll kind of girl,  but you have no problem listening and dancing to the old Britney Spears and N’Sync music..(as long as nobody is home and all of the windows and blinds are shut)

   18.         You’ve ruined two cell phones within a 2 month period by dropping them both in the toilet…

   19.         Even though you know it’s kind of gross, you like to talk on the phone while you pee…(please see above)

   20.        You daydream about you and your boyfriend being able to dance like Baby and Johnny in “Dirty Dancing”…

   21.         You threw up in the theatre while watching “Saving Private Ryan”…

   22.         While shopping in Sports Authority, you realize you have to pee and make a mad dash for the bathroom. It’s only after coming out of the stall and seeing a high-school aged fellow peeing in a urinal that you realize you’ve gone into the wrong bathroom…

  23.         And then you stand there and start apologizing to the guy that’s still peeing when you really should just get out of the bathroom..

  24.         You say words like “Dang it”, “Cog Flammit”, and “Ohmygah”…

  25.         You go through most of your childhood and semi-adult life saying “Arkansas” just the way it is spelled…(It’s not your fault that no one corrected you!) They probably just felt sorry for your lack of education…

  26.         Violent video games and horror movies make you want to cry…

  27.         You’ve made a pact with your sisters that no matter how old, forgetful and uncool you get, you will never never ever ever ever be one of those little old ladies that have blue/purple hair. Never.

  28.        You have a neighbor that comes out in her underwear probably 5-6 times a day…and the underwear are wayyyyy too big…

  29.        You swear that you’ve looked everywhere for something you’ve misplaced, when really all you’ve done is taken a peak under the couch…

  30.        Singing to the top of your lungs in the car is a MUST. So what if the windows are down and little kids start to cry? That’s their problem…

And now, you’ve got to stop blogging because you need to study for a Chemistry test! But not before do a “Tomorrow-is-Friday” dance Woot woot!!

PS. I’ve got some GREAT things coming up for the blog Wink wink

It’s been a busy, but fun weekend! Jason and I started our weekend by having a date night on Friday.

(Is it possible to look cute while chomping on a tortilla chip that’s almost as big as your face? Probably not. But I can still try!)

–the handsome date–

Just look at that game face. I’m about to DESTROY that froyo fo’ sho’.

After our date, we traveled back home to lounge on the couch and watch a few episodes of LOST, Season 6. This is our first time seeing it! The only thing I don’t like about the “last seasons” of any show, is that the writers feel the need to fill us in on everything we already know! Some of the episodes have been cheesy and mushy. Like, why reiterate Sayid’s love for Nadia? We already know they love each other! LOL, I guess I’m just impatient. I just assume the people who are sitting down to watch the last season have already seen the other seasons too! I digress

Saturday morning we woke up in a fog. Er, I mean to a fog

We may have had some sleepy morning weather, but that doesn’t mean I’ve been sleeping well! For some reason, these past few nights I’ve slept very lightly, waking up at 7:30 or 8 What’s up with that?!

Sleepy weather calls for early morning candles

Ahhh, my first pumpkin candle of the season! Hooray!

While Jason lay snoozing (lucky guy) I decided to go ahead and start on breakfast. Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake!

Oh wait. We are out of blueberries and brown sugar. Boo Then I guess it’ll just be a coffee cake!

..with a nice dose of cinnamon sprinkled on top! Yummy! The smells in the kitchen were amazing. Cinnamon, pumpkin, bread and coffee…oh my!

The recipe is under my ‘Recipe’ tab at the top of the page. Just take out the blueberries and brown sugar to make it a plain coffee cake

That’s when Jason came lolling out of the bedroom. I guess he couldn’t resist the smells either

The star of breakfast this morning:

My two favorite guys. Oh, how I love them

3 slices of coffee cake smothered in pb&j + a sliced pear + a cup of coffee = Filling and delicious breakfast!

(Can I get an ‘Amen’ for the return of pears? Amen.)

After breakfast, it was homework time. Jason sat at the computer all day doing his engineering stuff and I sat on the couch doing my chemistry stuff, that was the majority of our morning!

Lunch came and went, nothing worth blogging about though! Just a Morningstar burger with leftover green beans and 2 homemade cookies for dessert.

–Oh, and have I mentioned that I now have to bribe my dog just to get her to go for a walk? Trixie has become a very lazy, unmotivated dog these past few months. She never wants to go for walks. Ever. After making sure that nothing was physically wrong with her, I decided that she just needed a little motivation.–

After all, don’t we all get stuck in an exercise rut every now and then?

Alright. In order to do this, I’m going to have to play dirty. I go to the store and buy a bag of steak-tasting treats and drive back home. Trixie greets me once I come into the door. I let her smell inside of the bag, put her leash on her and take her on a walk down the street. The bag stays under my arm the entire time. Welp, that took care of that. Trixie is walking just like usual. Sniffing things, going to the bathroom, pulling me along just like the old times. 

She still stares at the bag from time to time, so once we reach our turn-around spot, I give her a treat. It’s been 6 months since she has walked willingly like this!

I know, I know. It’s a food bribe, but I have to do what I have to do! I can’t have my dog lying around forever and ever. She’s got to get some exercise! I’ve decided that I’m going to use the treats only for when she walks, and after 6 weeks of giving them to her, I’m going to see if she will walk without them. Wish me luck!

Moving on…

Dinner time quickly arrived and I’m thinkin my itch for a great Mexican meal hadn’t been scratched just yet…Mexican food was heavy on my mind, and my taste buds were saying “Yes, please!”

Corn and Cheese Enchiladas

These are so easy to make! All you need is the following:

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Stack tortillas, wrap in foil and bake until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.

While tortillas are baking, oil a 7-by-11-inch glass baking dish. Warm 1 Tbsp. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in corn and milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Remove tortillas from foil. Set aside 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of corn mixture in center of a tortilla. Sprinkle with a heaping tablespoon of cheese. Roll up tortilla and set in dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas, overlapping them slightly. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.

This dish goes along great with a simple side salad!

Consider my Mexican tooth satisfied   I may try adding black beans and zucchini to the enchiladas next time just to get some variety in there.

Stuffed, Jason and I went back for some more LOST action before heading to bed.

Today has been a day of errands, a meeting at the Y and a run. On the third mile of our 4 mile run, my knee started to hurt again Instead of letting it get me down, I just took it as a way of my body saying that it’s not fully recovered yet. Which, still sucks…but what can you do? 3 milers seem to be my limit as of right now, but that’s better than nothing! I’ll take what I can get

This Just In:

–Jason is in the living room watching the football game and screaming at the TV (why do men do this? I find it hilarious). Poor Trixie is scared out of her mind, she’s probably thinking that he has finally lost his mind. (No puppy, not yet…but he’s getting there) HAHA –

Whenever Trixie gets scared, she goes under the desk in the office and hides. I just happened to be sitting here blogging and felt something furry slide by my legs.

That’s her “I’m scared!” pant She is so cute sometimes!

Okay, that’s enough air-time for the dog And just so the cat doesn’t feel left out, I’ll post a couple of pics of him too!

(He likes to blog too.)

Time to go hunt for a snack! Toodle-oo bloggie buddies See ya next time!

Do you have an unmotivated pet?