fitness

Responding to Les Mills Motivational Posters

/ foodsweatandbeers / 5 Comments

Good evening ladies and gents!!

Today, after work, I had two things on my mind: Zumba and Dinner.

While shopping for dinner, I passed what I’ll consider a sign from the powers that be, and stopped thinking about food entirely.

Wine sale? Don't mind if I do.

Clearly, I had to do something really stupid, because when life hands you lemons (or carts full of discount wine), make lemonade (or buy it.)

That's right, Arbor Mist SUCKAS!

I picked up a somewhat classy bottle of Bogle Riesling (gotta celebrate the Summer of Riesling, right?) and an opposite-of-classy bottle of “Mixed Berry” Arbor Mist.  Because sometimes… well, you gotta throw back a bottle of ridiculously cheap wine, college lady style.  I’m hoping that my friend, Veronika, will wanna do a little wine tasting like we did before…. Then I can sneak in that Arbor Mist and see where the night goes!

Zumba Nation!!!!!

Zumba was a success, for the most part.  But I’ll be honest, by the end of the workout, I was feeling kinda ornery and tender in the ankle/knee region.  And as I walked outta the gym, I passed these godforsaken motivational posters that I always see.  Even though I love working out, by the end, I mostly end up hateful towards anything telling me to work harder.  These posters are no exception.  I thought I’d share with you my visceral reactions to these Les Mills Motivational Posters (note, these are all post-workout thoughts, I love motivation and Les Mills programs).

BodyFlow poster.

“Well, I guess… if today was different…. I’d spend most of it in the pose that you weirdos are doing. However, it’s not different, so I’ll try to continue it not looking like a tool. Thanks.”

BodyPump poster

“You’re right. This could be day one.  Day one of getting a massage once a week, day one of sleeping 10 hours a day, day one of PLENTY more things than being fit. I know that you want it to be day one of lifting way more weight than I’m comfortable lifting in BodyPump, but I think I’ll go for the massage. Thanks.”

BodyAttack poster

“You know what, BodyAttack?  The hardest part isn’t deciding to go. I think the hardest part is that damn plyometric track where you force me to jump back and forth doing single lunges in a room that’s so hot I think the ground is actively sweating.  Deciding to go… that was NBD.”

BodyCombat poster

“Well, I know what’s stopping the young lady on the left, and that is the harness built into her shorts.  As far as what’s stopping me… It might be a fear that the giant man in the back is going to kick me in the kidney, or the fact that the girl in front of me refuses to look back when she does those donkey kicks towards my face…  Take your pick.”

Though these posters always inspire me when I’m going into the group fitness room, when I see them on the way out…. Let’s just say that they’re lucky they haven’t been ripped off the wall.

I think I’ll take the day off the gym tomorrow, my ankle was acting up by the end of Zumba and I’d love some time to finally unpack after this wild wedding weekend.

In case you missed the recaps, check out the Wedding Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner!

Do motivational posters pump you up, or tick you off? 

For me, it’s a little of both…

My apologies

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

Hey all, and happy Sunday night! (sarcasm… I’m so tired.)

Sorry I fell off the face of the Earth this weekend, I forgot my computer charger in North Carolina (the wedding was in Pittsburgh) and… oh yeah, had to be a Maid of Honor on a wedding weekend!!

Everything was wonderful, and I’ll do a few recap posts in the next several days.  In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a few teaser pictures….

Oh, rest stops in West Virginia... you slay me.

Workout Substitution: Bikini tops are SORTA like a sports bra, right?

Everyone needs a little pampering.

It's all about the details.

It ended, as all good stories do, with fireworks...

 

More tomorrow, now we SLEEP LIKE ROYALTY!!

 

Twist and Shout

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

Happy lunchtime, y’all!!

This post will be a brief one, as I have loads of packing to do for the weekend!!  Knocking that checklist down, slowly but surely.

That being said, today’s workout was an early morning one, my favorite kind!  I headed over to the gym a little before 7 am for my favorite BodyAttack class at O2 Fitness .  The instructor, Javier, is FANTASTIC and always manages to pump me up despite it being over an hour before my average wake-up call.  Today, though, did not go as smoothly as usual.

My workout looked like this:

Notice anything different?

About 15 minutes into the workout, during a little ski jump agility action, I twisted my right ankle.  Sort of like this:

You know what that feels like, right? MISERY!

Having broken that food in 10th grade (and the other foot 6 years later), I knew not to mess around so the second I twisted it, I fell to the ground, hobbled over to the side, grabbed my stuff, and left.

I finished the workout with some weights, situps/ab work, and even some pushups (hear that Michelle?! I’m trying!!) Here’s proof that I did pushups for once in my life without an instructor demanding them of me:

The proof is in the BEAUTIFUL picture!

I was feeling particularly snarky at the gym after twisting my ankle, when I saw the posters that encourage me to join a group fitness class.  And I decided that would make a hilarious blog post.  So expect it on the horizon, because sometimes… Jordan’s just gotta be rude and bwitchy.

Breakfast was provided by Meghann and Attune Foods from winning on the Healthy Living Summit blog.

De-lish!

The Uncle Sam cereal is delicious, I loveee the flax seeds in it, and it pairs nicely with some blueberries.

Ok, off to pack!!

Ever had a workout related injury?

Learn Something New Every Day

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

Good evening friends!

I loved reading about your opinions regarding the Bridal Party BYOB decision, I think that the final decision will be a fun six pack of beers, with a cheapy bottle of champagne for the fun of the trolley ride.  It’ll be good for pacing myself and even better for deliciousness and options.  I also plan on bringing some water bottles and a tasty snack or two.

So the day went swimmingly well, though not exactly as planned.  Sometimes that’s how the best days work, right?

Around 3pm, I had my work buddy drop me back off at Jiffy Lube.  I know it’s less than a quarter of a mile from my office but honestly, in this nasty heat, even that would’ve left my outfit so drenched in sweat it would not have been work appropriate.  They changed my oil, rotated my tires, and I had a coupon for $10 off.  I got back into the ol’ cav and it drives like a dream!!

Maybe not as good as it drove in 2006...But I definitely don't have many pictures of my car.

I have had my Chevrolet Cavalier for a while now (pushing on 9 years), and it’s gotten me everywhere I’ve needed to go, and back again.  However, it’s also dealt with its fair share of nicks and bumps and rear ends in the time, so it’s always nice when I can give it a little TLC.  I think it’s a girl car, so it wears one of my tiaras on the back.  And this princess is ready for her long journey to Pittsburgh and back.  960 miles on the agenda.  Luckily, though, that’s round trip.  And honestly, having done the 700+ mile trip to Ole Miss and back, I’m not too worried (except for the part where I have to wake the beau up before 6am… that won’t be pretty.)  Oh well, I started packing tonight and hopefully we’ll have everything ready by tomorrow so we can just wake up and go.  That’s the plan.

The plan for working out was AbSculpt followed by BodyPump.  Alas, AbSculpt turned out to be a totally different experience, as the substitute instructor was (GASP) a pilates princess.  Real talk, this woman was flipping her legs around and doing core workouts that my puny ab/back muscles struggled to handle.

Really, what person thought "Hey, this probably works out some muscles." then just did it? (Source)

The craziest part?  The woman instructing the class was just casually chatting the entire time, like she wasn’t even doing more than standing in line at a coffee shop.  Meanwhile, I was gasping for breath as I tried to “inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.”  Read: choke an occasional exhale out and sound like a pregnant woman in Lamaze class as you inhale… Cute, right?

What did I learn from the class? I learned that Pilates is HARDCORE. Much more than I ever thought. I definitely gained a new respect for Pilates…. as well as the desire to take BodyFlow, because I sense a challenge to my muscles (and my drive to have a stronger core… something I could really use.)  I learned that my abs…. they need a lotta work.

Since I got more of a muscle/core workout and less of a cardio blast in, I skipped Pump and hit the elliptical instead.  A hard fought 33 minutes later, and I was drenched and exhausted enough to head home.

610 calories, and I forgot to turn my HRM on until halfway through ab-class

I thought I would have some sort of protein shake or something like that when I got home, but all my Almond Milk was at the office… Next option?

Kiki the Kiwi. Wait, you don't name your food before you eat it?

Here’s another thing I learned. I don’t really like kiwi.  I don’t mind it as a topping in my FroYo, or in a giant fruit salad…. but alone, it just doesn’t do it for me.  Oh well, so glad I only bought one.  Save those tasty oranges for the long trip to Pittsburgh.

Now I’m off to watch The A-Team… maybe I’ll learn what boys see in this kind of flick?  Luckily, I don’t need to learn what I see in it… I’ll give you a hint.

Ok, it was a big hint.

Hee hee hee….

Did you learn anything today?

Have you ever done pilates? TELL ME YOUR WAYS!!!

The Little Meal that Could

/ foodsweatandbeers / 14 Comments

Good morning friends, neighbors, and countrymen (and women).

Last night was a blast as Ry and I watched the first episode of this AWESOME new show called Alphas (which is GREAT, if you like sci fi [or syfy] or super powers like X-Men, or anything wild like that), and oops, I did end up drinking the last Endo IPA from Carolina Beer Company.  However, I was informed that they are now owned by Foothills Brewing (which I have a super sweet glass from, woo!) so maybe the beers will improve (thanks, Michael!)

Well, before I sat my booty down on the couch to watch the show and drink too many beers for a Tuesday night, I decided that it was a great day to Zumbaaaaaaaaaa at the gym!!  AKA I really wanted a chance to rock my new Zumba shirt:

You like? I like!

PS I promise, I was off the clock when I took this picture and that’s why I’m playing dress up in my office.

Anyway, the workout was fantastic, though it made me painfully aware that I am not a dancer and merely an athlete trapped in a Zumba-phile.  Oh well.

771 calories burned? Don't mind if I do.

Then, when considering the food left in the pantry post work, and after meeting up with the beau in the grocery store…. it hit me.  What to have for dinner.

Chicken Cordon Buffalo Bleu(s)!!

Here was my plan:

  • Take some chicken breasts, knife them hollow
  • Marinade them in some sweet Ken’s Buffalo Sauce Marinade
  • Dredge them in some egg mixture
  • Stuff em with some stuff (Laughing Cow Blue Cheese n’ bacon for me, cheddar n’ bacon for Ry)
  • Then panko bread crumbs
  • Fry them in some EVOO
  • Eat them up

Seems foolproof, right?  Woops.

I skipped the egg mixture, coated in bread crumbs, stuffed em with some stuff…. then went into the pan.

Well, the panko bread crumbs fell off nearly instantly.  And some of the cheese came outta the stuffed breast.  And this is what it looked like:

Beautiful? No. Delish. Mhm....

I’ll be honest, I won’t even bother giving you a formal recipe, because I think that you can kinda understand it was sort of a bust, appearance-wise. But trust me, it hit in all the right tastebuds.

I paired it with some steamed vegetables (corn/carrots/peas/green beans) and voila, dinner of champions.

Ok, worktime followed by oil change time.  Knocking that list down one at a time.  You love it. I love it.

Ever have any cooking blunders that ended up delicious?

Are you a fan of buffalo chicken anything?

I go nuts over the stuff.

Healthy Choices at the Airport

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

Good afternoon (or evening… really it all depends on when I get internet access at this point.

So it’s 3:08 pm as I start this post, my flight is scheduled to take off at 3:35.  However, since Murphy’s Law states that every time you really want to go somewhere, your flight will inevitably be delayed…  Guess what happened to mine?

As a fairly frequent flyer (1-2x a month, though this past April/May it was more like 3x), I am very accustomed to airport living.  Once, on a flight to visit Ryan for our 2 year anniversary, I got stuck in the Charlotte Airport overnight….  I learned quickly that you don’t have many options when you’re stuck, so you may as well make the best of it.

My bed for the night.... the floor was heated... so there was that.

In the summer months especially, and with the Healthy Living Summit right around the corner, I figured that some of y’all would be traveling.  And, if you’re an unlucky duck like me and thunderstorms in Tampa somehow prevent your flight from RDU to PHL (damn air traffic control), you might be doing your best to stay healthy and fit in the airport of your choosing (or the airport you’re forced to stay in for reasons beyond your control.)

Here are my best tips for Healthy Choices at the Airport:

1. Don’t Check Your Bags

Ugh, bag fees.

This one will be healthy both for your wallet, and your body.  Airlines are frequently the fastest/easiest way to get from point A to point B, and they know it.  They’ve got the monopoly on the sky, unless your daddy owns a jet (if so, I have a deep-seeded friend crush on you, and think we should make things official.)  They have been jacking up the prices on checking bags for a while now, and there’s no sign of stopping (unless you’re on Southwest…. which checks up to two bags fo’ free. and is awesome.)  However, if you can cram all your junk into a carry on bag or two, you’ll save anywhere from $50-$100 round trip, and you’ll be getting some awesome muscles, lugging your junk around the terminals.  Speaking of that, it reminds me of point two.

2.  Even if your bag has wheels, and is meant to be dragged behind you, BUCK UP AND CARRY IT LIKE A CHAMP!

Then your arms will be jacked, like mine.

It’s awesome to whiz around the airport without being the constraints of a wheeled parasite acting as an extension to your arm.  I’ve learned it makes me faster, it makes me able to turn on a dime, and it gives my biceps a good workout.  I like to pretend it’s my own little “Les Mills” class.  I call it Body (scratchout) BaggagePump.

3. Be a little late.

This symbolizes late... but also just a love of my new watch.

Now, this next tip is not for the faint of heart.  If you’re not prepared to deal with stress or chaos and you’re not familiar with the airport you’re in…. maybe steer clear of this one.  But I’ll be honest: I’ve never sprinted harder than those few times in my life where I’ve heard my name called and I was still in the security line at the Philadelphia airport.  It’s like an endless cavern, that airport, and maneuvering my way around rabid Eagles fans and jaded students coming home from Temple, UPenn, Drexel, etc. while carrying my (incredibly full) bags has left me sweaty, panting… and on the plane.  Extra challenge? Do it in flip flops (the only way to travel, IMHO).

4. Avoid this place.

Demon icing

Seriously, I’d recommend a daily snack of pretzels and whipped cream for 2 weeks before I’d suggest going to Cinnabon. Their stats are insane (as in disgusting), and their food ends up making you feel like a sticky faced food monster.  You’re better off without it.  Trust me.

5. Healthy snacks almost always make it through security!

Ah, that's more like it.

I like to always have a few snacks on hand, something to stave off cravings for $18 cheese fries and $6 bags of chips.  I reccomend fruit and vegetables, cut up or prepped.  Dips are a great way to add some flavor, and I got lucky enough this flight to have my boss decide she hates chewing carrots and eating edamame hummus.  JACKPOT! (I’ve even heard of folks who’ve brought overnight oats on plane… it’s worth it.) Other good choices: Fiber One bars, homemade trail mix, pre-popped mini bags of popcorn. Bad choices: Doritos Fiery Habanero.  It will burn your mouth and you can’t even get liquids through security.  And your fingers will be orange.  Don’t blow this one.

6. Stairs, if you dare

Epic climb.

Airlines are full of convenient things like moving sidewalks, elevators, and escalators.  Screw em.  Go the long way, take the stairs instead, do it twice.  I’ve switched to taking the stairs everywhere I go now, and it gives me a great feeling of superiority when I see all those people waiting on the moving sidewalk for the slowpokes to move to the right. Just being honest.

7. BYO(water)B(ottle)

Beware: if you're near me at an airport.... I'll take a picture of you.

Airports are great for water bottles, as long as that bottle doesn’t contain fluids.  Try this funky one that I creepily took a picture of, I bet it feels great on your hands.  There are water fountains all over the place. GO NUTS!

8. Don’t pull your hair out

Just drink me.

I know the airport can be stressful, but don’t pull your hair out… or your eyelashes and eyebrows (they have a term for that, and you should probably get it checked out if that’s your first option).  Baldies aren’t cute (unless they’re ________)  If you’re feelings really stressed, go grab a beer.  I’ll be so expensive you won’t have any money left to buy those $18 cheesefries I talked about, and they’re made from grains…. grains are healthy, right?

Well…. luckily that only took me 30 minutes to write (and that was with the constant distraction of sneakily taking pictures of airport shenanigans.)  Guess I’ll go try to think of something to do for the next 3 hours (UGH!)

Edit: It ended up being a 3.5 hour delay. bleak.

Do you fly often?  

What’s your favorite airport?

Are you flying anywhere anytime soon?!

http://bit.ly/nwc9Du

Quick Update: Confession Edition

/ foodsweatandbeers / 12 Comments

True story….  I just have a moment to write this before I head off, but I really needed to share this with everyone.

On my lunch break today, I rushed home for a quick workout.

This is what I look like when I am a sweaty moster:

Instagram did its best to make this picture cute. A for Effort.

Can I just say how difficult it is to workout listening to stand up comedians on Pandora?  Laughing builds abs, right?

Speedy Demon

377 calories in 28 minutes, Mama likey….

Second confession:

Whipped Cream. A dangerous canister.

My snack today was a Southwest Airlines bag of pretzels and whipped cream with sugar sprinkles on top. Much more whipped cream than this was consumed.  Having access to a full canister is dangerous business.

Life’s all about balance, right?

Bull City Burger and A Beer Blunder

/ foodsweatandbeers / 11 Comments

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and a happy end of Monday to all!!  I must admit, today was certainly not the best day I’ve had in a while.  An early morning meeting, a dash of stress when it came to work -related stuff, a rogue pebble chipped my car window, and my fitness class of choice was (groannnnnnnnnnnn) BodyCombat. You may be asking yourself, “If you hate the class so much, why do you do it?”  Well, I do it for this.

Sweaty Betty

I rocked out 777 calories during the workout, which is actually not as high as I was expecting but, at the end of the day, the class kept me sweating, and left me panting in only the sexiest possible way.

You know…. like an overheated puppy.

Speaking of sweating, I always find myself sweating in the weirdest possible ways at the gym.  Here was the real winner tonight:

Shin sweat... nectar of the gods.

Super cute.  However, I did get to kick it in my new Under Armour goodies I picked up at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, so I was a happy camper combater.

Afterwards, I figured it was as good a time as any to use my TryItLocal Voucher (it’s sort of like a new version of Groupon… or LivingSocial or ANYTHING like that.)  It was for Bull City Burger, and I figured I’d take the beau out for some  BEEF!

This quality Durham restaurant and brewery, brewing their own beers and focusing on a “farm-to-fork” process, working with North Carolina farm raised beef, hormone and antibiotic free. They also have all-beef hotdogs, and they work with local farmers for their produce such as tomatoes, cukes (for pickling!), and lettuce.  BCB makes their own condiments as well, though I didn’t try any (alas… next time.)

After putting in our order, I grabbed a soda, while Ryan waited for his Roger Lager (made by BCB!!).  I normally wouldn’t get soda out, but this was a special occasion… they had Boylan Soda… not in bottles… IN A FOUNTAIN!!  For $1.75, you get unlimited refills in a beautiful mason jar.  I went for the Black Cherry, and was NOT disappointed.

Black Cherry Cola, more delicious nectar of the gods.

Seriously, this started the meal off on the absolute right note.  Boylan bottled sodas normally go for something like $3 a bottle when my brother would get their birch beer, so I felt like I was committing highway robbery: soda style.

Shortly after our order, our meals came over to the table.

Burger Bliss

Since my burger over Independence Day weekend was a little burnt, I was elated to try a perfectly cooked patty.

Ryan ordered a Chili burger with cheddar cheese, and I ordered the Green Monster: A burger topped with Gruyere, raw onion, and roasted poblano peppers.  We also split an order of Dirty Fries: Russet potatoes, skin on, fried in peanut oil.  The fries were SPOT ON!  Very crispy, well salted, paired nicely with the ketchup (Heinz Simply Ketchup, gotta love it).  The bun was fantastic, crisp outside, soft and delicious inside.  Ry was initially worried about how small the patty was, but after realizing that the Chili packed a punch, he realized that it was definitely enough meal.  My burger was delightful. My only complaint was that the roasted poblano peppers were not warm, something that I expected.  They were still tasty, but I think they would’ve been more enjoyable with a little temperature increase.  They were probably roasted and cut, then just kept in a little container waiting for unsuspecting girls like myself to order them… HOODWINKERY!

Clearly, it didn't bother me too much. This was about 5 minutes into eating....

As always, I punched my Clean Plates Club card, and headed back over to the fountain.  I had to try a few more sips.

Boylan Paradise!

The birch beer was not my favorite, but the cream soda… oh heavenly angels!!  It was so creamy, and so so very great.

While the burger prices were fairly steep ($6 plain, up to $10 specialty, or more if you add your own toppings), the soda and fries were definitely at the right price point, and everything was made locally and made well.  A great date night spot…

We had pipe dreams of heading to Fullsteam for a little dessert (namely, their Cherry Imperial Stout commissioned by Northwest Cherries).  Alas, our late arrival resulted in the bitter disappointment of learning the keg had been KICKED (not tapped, like I originally said… that was at 4 pm).   DEPRESSION FACE!

Ry saw the sadness in my eyes, and brought me somewhere to cheer me up: Total Wine.

Foothills Hoppyum.... served in a Foothills glass!

Foothills Hoppyum, a hop-head’s dream come true, served in the brewery glass courtesy of another awesome evening at Rockfish…  I guess I’ll just have to head there tomorrow before dinner.

I’d say darn…. if I was even the least bit disappointed!

Time for another glass before bed, and another episode of 24… we’re addicted to all the Jack Bauer drama we can get!!

What would be your perfect burger?  And what would be on top of it?

BodyJam: Booty Blast Edition

/ foodsweatandbeers / Leave a comment

Good morning lovely ladies and gentlemen!

It’s a GORGEOUS Sunday morning and, after looking at a forecast for nasty weather all weekend, I’m happy to say that was the opposite of what really happened.  It has only deepened my belief that I can trust the weather man/woman as far as I can throw them (which, despite how jacked I am, is not very far).

Maybe the weather person weighs 10 lbs? If so, I'm set.

After a quick breakfast of cinnamon cranberry pancakes (using the complicated recipe of Hungry Jack Pancake and Waffle Complete Wheat Blends + cinnamon + Ocean Spray Craisins) and some sugar free syrup, I was fueled enough to hit the gym, and hit it hard.  Despite having just spent my rent’s worth of money on workout clothes at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (which starts July 15, GET YOUR SHOPPING SHOES READY, FOLKS!), I donned my normal workout attire, not really expecting too much from this workout.  You know how sometimes you go into the gym and it feels almost like your duty?  This was one of those days.

Well, a few minutes into the BodyJam class, that opinion quickly changed. The class was with Alison C., my favorite instructor at O2 Fitness in Chapel Hill because she makes everyone so comfortable in getting down and dirty with their dance moves.  We were popping, we were locking, dropping, dripping, snapping, spinning, I think maybe someone taught us how to dougie (if you don’t know how to dougie, use this instructional video.everyone will think you’re cooler than you already are, especially if they watch you practicing.)

Those peaks? Probably dougie-ing.

We finished the class with a house/tribal set that DESTROYED my booty.  There were a lot of kicks, jumps, and a weird scoop leg move that blasted my booty.  The whole rest of the day, every time I sat down/stood back up, I got that sore reminder of how smooth my moves were.  Fantastic booty burn.  I complimented that blast with 30 minutes on the reclined bicycle, reading my book du jour, The Justice Game by Randy Singer. It was great because I didn’t even realize how long I was riding, and VOILA it was pool time!

Before the pool, we stopped by Quiznos where I picked up a small toasted Veggie Caprese and some baked Lay’s.

Poolside Gourmet

More pooltime, more sunshine, more reading, and it was time for dinner! (I know, my life revolves around food.)  Having burned over a thousand calories at my workout earlier, I felt as though I had some room to indulge.

99 cent margaritas? Don't mind if I do.

Which, of course, was followed by an UNBELIEVABLY GOOD meal.

Chicken Quesadilla, Chile Relleno, and beans (the magical fruit.)

This has inspired me to make a chile relleno of my own ASAP! I don’t know what I’ve been doing avoiding these my whole life but peppers + mexican fillings = dream come true.

We migrated to Roth Brewing Company (which will be a separate post entirely), had a blast, and finished the night off with some serious dance battles on XBox Kinect.  Never in my life have I enjoyed playing a “video game” before!!  I whipped out a few of those BodyJam moves, and (of course) went undefeated.

That's me cutting a rug at my best friend, Cait's, bachelorette party.

Best night I’ve had in the Triangle in some time, and was filled with friends, food, and (luckily for my waistline) fitness!

Do you like to dance?  If so, where? The club? The Discotheque? Group fitness classes? Dance studios?

Have any good recipes for stuffed peppers?

Enjoy this stunning day, and the tail end of your weekend!

Wake-Up Call

/ foodsweatandbeers / 24 Comments

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Wow.  So once, going through pictures and trying to find the one of me doing yoga at all, I found this one.  Taken in Las Vegas, right as I was coming off of a summer of sloth following a wicked lame pre-summer foot break that incapacitated me, right outta college graduation, the caption on facebook of this was “My dream wedding.”

I think, in my mind, the joke was not only “wow, she just got married in the middle of the day, in vegas, in a full wedding gown, and is playing penny slots” but “and also, she is fat.”

However, reflecting on this picture (this was probably the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life) I am blown away by my own appearance.  Because, after losing almost 50 lbs, I look at this and think “there are two people in this picture that are overweight, not just one.”

Talk about your belated wake up call…

I have to say, this isn’t a post to call anyone fat (even though I did just say that I considered both people in this image overweight), more to evaluate the change in my thought process.  Because honestly, while I was happy as a clam that weekend, I can’t help but think I’d have had such a better time if I were my current weight.  And while I didn’t THINK I was overweight at all at this time in my life, it’s like…. wow.  Now that I see it having lost the weight, I can’t believe I just allowed myself to have all those extra pounds on my body.  I remember once, at a UNC football game, I was loudly cheering for my team, waving my pom poms around like a locopop (GO HEELS!!! TAR HEEL BORN AND TAR HEEL BRED!!) when a random viewer at the game mentioned, off hand to her friend, that I should “calm my fat ass down because it was jiggling in [her] face”.  That hurt.  That hurt, so friggin’ much (I’d say another f word, but I’m unsure if wordpress monitors these supah hard.)  I think that was the first time I thought to myself, “Wow.  This whole ‘being overweight’ thing is miserable, horrible, and people mock you for it.”  At the time, I was a happy, fun-loving UNC student, who got hit on a lot (just saying, for a while, that’s how I measured my self-worth) and looked sexy in clothes (in my opinion at the time.)  How the HELL could some girl call me a fat ass?  Well, now, looking back, I see it, and I believe I might think the same thing about old me now a-days.  That’s harsh, right?  Jeez.  But I’m… just being honest. (Andre 3000, 2003).

The change is monumental. And my life has just changed so much.

I think about my health, my weight, my diet, my fitness…. so much. Like, constantly.  Everything I put in my mouth, everything that comes out of me (TMI? whatevz), everything I do with my body, every activity I plan…

I was talking with my beau about how, despite the fact that we’ve both lost over 25 lbs since we initially decided to get healthified, we think about our weight/fitness more than we ever did when we had those extra lbs on our body.  I guess it’s just part of adapting your awareness regarding your body.

Tomorrow, I’ll be heading to Ocean City, New Jersey.  It’s my home away from home, and my favorite place on the face of this planet.  And once, 2 years ago, my grandma mentioned to my mother how terrible I looked on the beach.  It’s stuff like that which make me so so happy to have decided to make the change, not because of her, not because of what anyone has ever said, but because I knew that if I wanted to live a long/healthy life, I couldn’t continue living the way that I was. And because of the changes I’ve made, I’ll be able to spend time indulging in my favorite treats, while enjoying my mornings being more active than I used to be.  It’s all about balance and, as evident by that earlier picture, I’m all about balance (except for the fact that my balance is HORRIBLE due to breaking both my feet at different points in my life.  I’m basically on a constant teeter totter.)

To sum it up: I’m so excited for this weekend.  And I won’t feel guilty about anything I do.  I will go to the gym tomorrow, I will enjoy strolling/powerwalking on the boards the rest of the days, and I know that I won’t look back on pictures from this weekend and think negative thoughts about myself.

It’s all because of a little wake-up call.

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Have you ever had a wake-up call to health?  Regardless of your answer, what boosted you into a healthy lifestyle?

Do you wish that you could snuggle with me?  (duh.)