An additional candle on the cake
Today is my 28th birthday. It is hard to wrap my little head around the fact that I am actually 28. I know, I know- it really isn’t that old. I get that. My issue stems from the fact that time is speeding by! It’s scary! Last night my awesome friends had a party for me. I am in my second year of law school and I have met some amazing people!
I’ll take you back to last year first. Last year was a surprise! I walked into the 1980s when I walked through my friend’s door. It was such a great time. We even went to the bar later at night and had a blast. It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t give you visual:
Birthday 2010- sexy right?
This year Dominika (friend on the left) wanted another themed birthday. She takes my birthday very seriously. This year the theme was anti-Valentine’s Day but with lots of red and pink. It was a blast! I am blessed to have wonderful friends who sincerely care for me. Love you guys! Who knew all the tacky stuff looks so 1980? haha
2011 Birthday- me and my besties
Needless to say, it was a lot of fun. It matters who you are with the most. 
Now, I must get a little philosophical since I am officially a year older. This lesson comes from my one and a half year old nephew, Jasper. In sum, his lesson is to fear nothing. Jasper has no fear. Jasper enjoys climbing on top of tall things and standing on them. He cares not if he falls. He cares not if mom and dad say no and rearrange the entire house in order for it to be “climb free”. Jasper finds a way and the inevitable finally happened last week: he fell off the television stand and cut his stomach, causing him to get 10 stitches. Jasper’s fear did not stop there. My brother said he was attempting to climb the second they got home from the hospital. While his message isn’t to climb things (and him falling is not a good thing at all and my brother and his wife are child proofing for the 45th time but kids will be kids), his message is clear: you cannot fear things. You cannot sit back and constantly worry and you must fight that fear to accomplish your goals and be successful. The message is clear: no fear! This year has been filled with so many highs and lows so I take the baby’s message very seriously as I make my way through this coming year.
Fitness
I broke a boundary in running this week: I ran a total of 35 miles. More specifically, I ran 35 miles in 4 runs: 10 miles on Monday, 8 miles on Wednesday, 8 miles on Friday and 9 miles on Friday. I am proud of it.
I also went to Body Pump this morning. It felt fantastic!
Health
I have had a craving for sushi for the longest time. I do not know of a good place in my city so I settled for supermarket sushi. haha Although not the best sushi in the world, it certainly hit the spot- especially with strawberries for dessert.
sushi 'n strawberries
I love Trader Joe’s. There are no locations in Canada BUT I live right on the border so I am able to go on occasion. I picked up some goods on my last trek out to Ann Arbor yesterday. Sadly, I won’t be going out there anymore so I stocked up on some favorites and picked up some new things to try:
Trader Joe's finds
Trader Joe's snacks
I look forward to trying everything!
I am not huge on sweets but I get a craving from time to time. One of my favorite sweet treats is Chapman’s Dark Chocolate Frozen Yogurt. It is so delicious! I treated myself to a small bowl yesterday afternoon.
best frozen yogurt ever
frozen yogurt with blueberries
Lastly, thank you SO MUCH for the amazing comments on the photo I posted of myself. It felt really nice to read your kind words!
Have a wonderful day!
On Positivity
“Never, never, never give up.” – Winston Churchill
I love remarkable quotes. Winston Churchill got it right. When things are tough, they will get better with perseverance, hard-work and a positive attitude. I hope everyone had a great week!
Fitness
My week has been good, despite a few moments. I had very healthy and fit week. I have been running up a storm because running is just part of who I am. I have been averaging about 33 miles per week between 4 workouts. This week was no different. I actually am going to run later this afternoon and another tomorrow to complete my running goals for the week. I have also been strength training!
I feel so good physically. I am seeing some wonderful results in the mirror and on the scale! I will definitely discuss my weight loss once I reach my goal in the coming months and lay it all out in the open. I am in such a good place mentally right now for my weight loss. Once you’re mind is right, the possibilities are endless.
Do you have any good song recommendations for workouts?
Food
This week was quite busy so I did not spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. One of the highlights was the health nut macaroni and cheese I made in my slow cooker.
Ingredients for ‘healthy’ mac ‘n cheese:
- whole wheat macaroni
- fat free milk
- skim mozzarella
- whole wheat flour
- seasonings
- cauliflower
I forgot how great the slow cooker is! I have to laugh at the story that prompted me to pull it out! Back in December I had a Martini Party for my friends at the end of our exams and my good friend brought over homemade spinach dip in her crock pot! We laughed at her but it did remind me I had to dig mine out!
good old crock pot
Before I put all the ingredients in the slow cooker for the 2 hour cook time, I boiled the milk and flour for a few moments on the stove to thicken the mixture up.
delicious!
It was a really good meal! There is something about macaroni and cheese that brings me back to childhood. Next time I plan on adding more vegetables to add extra nutrition.
I love avocado. What about you? I love mushing it into bread or toast or wraps and topping it with salt and pepper.
perfect lunch
Eggs will never go out of style. They are seriously the perfect meal for a busy law student! They take very little time to cook, the clean up is minimal and they taste amazing!
egg-cellent
Along with eggs, the popularity of a salad will exist until the end of time.
greenery
I really have to switch up my breakfast next week. I am a bagel queen! If it’s not a bagel, it’s whole wheat toast with peanut butter. I ate peanut butter for breakfast every morning this week! Not that peanut butter is bad, but I need to diversify my breakfast! Any creative (easy) suggestions?
bagel
Life
Last weekend I attended the Barrister’s Ball, which is a law formal at my American law school, with some amazing friends. We had such a wonderful time. Below is a photo of me in my dress. What do you think?
me
Have a wonderful weekend! I cannot wait to catch up some blog reading in between assignments!
The Proverbial Curve Ball
..life throws them. What does one do aside from giving up? I am an optimist, so that definitely helps. I appreciate my life, so that helps too. But what does one do when in those moments of complete weakness (there can be many and at the oddest of times)? Because there are times when all the good in the world does not matter. Sorry to start out so philosophical. Life threw me a curve ball….a winding, uncatchable pass. But blogging makes me happy so here I am, blogging about health and fitness.
This week was exhausting! Law school is mentally taxing but I assure you, I am not complaining about it. Learning is exciting. I particularly love my US Securities Regulation class. I have an amazing professor who has so much “real World” experience, which comes with awesome stories! He has worked for the SEC, a private mutual fund and now the DoJ! I am a nerd- a geek- a whatever term you prefer.
Despite all the craziness in my life, I still kept up with my health and fitness routine. I have goals and I know I am going to meet them!
Fitness
The gym is my haven (and once the weather gets back to the way it should be, the unending road will be). I prefer running alone for the most part. It gives me time to reflect and just be at one. I do like to run with others from time to time though.
Here is what I did this week up until this point:
Monday: 10 mile run
Tuesday: day off
Wednesday: 8 mile run
Thursday: 1 hour elliptical
Friday: 8 mile run
As you can see, I did NOT diversify my workout as planned. The weather played a part as I wanted to go spinning of Tuesday. I am going to *try* to get to Body Pump Saturday but I may not make it as I have a Law Formal to go to tonight in Detroit! I am hope that event will lift my spirits! I have great dress! (I’ll show photos next week!)
I have taken to weigh myself once a week to see my progress. It’s so wonderful to see the number go down. I am not rushing it as I work out a lot (as you can see above). I am unwilling to cut back too much on calories for fear of fainting on the treadmill. I believe I have found a happy medium! I would like to meet my goal by May. This is attainable at my slow and steady pace. I really just have to start weight training. I am happy with twice a week. I will probably either do Body Pump twice a week or Body Pump once and a DVD at home once. Or, if I have time (haha), Body Pump twice a week and then a DVD at home once a week.
Health
This week I have had many sandwiches. They are easy when I am on the run. I am not much of a meat-eater, as you can probably see from previous posts. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I am a vegetarian because I do eat chicken, turkey and fish on occasion. For example, I put turkey breast in my sandwich. I was a little leery of lunch meat (read: preservatives) but I found an amazing brand: Maple Leaf Natural Selections. Look at the ingredient list in the photo!
simple turkey breast- without the preservatives
turkey & cheddar sandwich on ww with the necessary side salad
I love sweet potatoes. I love homemade sweet potato fries even more. It’s so easy to make:
- cut the sweet potato into strips
- spray cooking spray on the pan
- place the strips evenly on the pan
- season the strips however you like
- lightly spray the top of the sweet potatoes
- bake at around 400 F for 10 minutes and flip them and bake for an additional 10
- enjoy
with ketchup, of course
So based on the comments, I am not the only one who loves Peanut Butter & Co peanut butter! Allie told me her favorite is Cinnamon Raisin Swirl. I knew I would like it so I picked some up yesterday. It is DELICIOUS! I think it is the best out of the three I have tried!
mmmm peanut, peanut butter
Last night I took time to cook something that took more than 15 minutes. haha I wasn’t following a recipe: I just threw together what I thought would taste good.
I steamed some cauliflower:
the good stuff
I chopped some veggies:
red & green bell peppers, mushrooms & onions
I tossed the veggies in a pan with low fat mushroom soup:
creamy
I George Foreman’d a chicken breast:
love the George Foreman
diced chicken breast
I put everything together in the pan. I also cooked quinoa:
tasty quinoa
And voila:
tasty dinner
This blogging a few times a week is really working out! I am so glad I am back at it!
Have a great weekend!
The Bee’s Knees
Growing up I never really cared for peanut butter. My brother, on the other hand, ate it religiously. I remember my mom buying vats of it for him and he would gobble it all up. My appreciation for peanut butter began later in life and unfortunately long after the Costco size peanut butter jars in the cupboard. I have seen Peanut Butter & Co peanut butter in many bloggers’ posts and last weekend while I was going up the health food and organic section of the grocery store, it caught my eye. It was about time I tried the delicious blends! I was just reading the label and I see that Peanut Butter & Co is “a cozy little sandwich shop in New York City.” I will definitely be dragging my boyfriend there the next time we’re in town!
I picked up two different kinds of Peanut Butter & Co peanut butter. The first of which is called The Bee’s Knees. As you probably gathered by the name, the peanut butter is blended with honey. The ingredient list is awesome: peanuts, evaporated cane juice, honey, natural honey flavor, palm fruit oil & salt! This peanut butter is heavenly! What a perfect blend- the honey is not overpowering at all!
delicious!
The other flavor I purchased was Dark Chocolate Dreams. Yes, peanut butter blended with dark chocolate! Brilliant! Another amazing, tasty spread for that lonely piece of whole wheat toast!
satisfy your craving
one slice Dark Chocolate Dreams, the other spinach cream cheese
Have you ever had Peanut Butter & Co peanut butter? Have you ever been to the Peanut Butter & Co sandwich shop in NYC?
So anyone who pays any attention to the news probably saw the forecast for “Snow-mageddon” or whatever other clever puns the newscasters were coming up with. I must say this is hardly something to write home about. We did get dumped on but this is nothing! I grew up in northern Ontario, where we were literally buried in snow-up to at least the height of the fence- and ‘snow days’ did not exist. It’s comical to me to see the hype over this snow. However, I do appreciate the day off of school! I was able to get up and go straight to the gym for an 8 mile run! There is something amazing about a deserted gym- it’s quiet and relaxing! Add that to my 10miler on Monday and I am up to 18miles thus far for the week!
I am a huge lover of roasting veggies in the oven with olive oil and spices! The other day I did just that with some zucchini I had in the fridge. I promised a good friend I would show her how! I have to remember to set up a cooking date!
- oil & spices
yummy
During the last trip to the grocery store, I was looking around to find quick and easy options that were different from the norm to switch up my diet. I came across hummus and tzatziki and thought how great it would be to have some to dip my veggies in. I really forgot how good hummus is!
perfect with veggies
My meals have been very veggie packed the last little while. I also enjoyed two pappadums with one meal. I am sure I did not use them probably as I am not sure what you are supposed to cook with them. Can someone help me out? They were very tasty!
any suggestions on what I can cook with these?
veggie-filled meal
My love for eggs is still growing strong! I am also stuck on having a massive salad with almost every lunch and dinner with whatever veggies I can find in the fridge, croutons, maybe some cheese and some good dressing. Lately, I have had a thing for ranch.
fried eggs, toast, gigantic salad, veggies & hummus
Last night I took it easy because getting up at 5:30am makes one tired by the end of the day. I must say though, I am absolutely loving getting up early to study. My mind is most alert, it’s quiet and I am able to focus. Great way to start a busy day!
I had many, many veggies for dinner with veggie spring rolls. I also had quite a few unpictured snacks. Isn’t it funny how some days your body wants more food than others?
dinner
Thanks for all of your comment love! I really love reading what others have to say on my posts! Have a fantastic day!
For the Love of Dill
I forgot how great strength training feels. I just finished working out to a Women’s Health DVD. I guess the problem stems from the fact that I do not have a lot of free time and the free time I do have is spent doing something I love: running. I know that in order to improve my running, I must make time for other physical activities like strength and core work. I have gotten in the habit of using my planner so in addition to filling in my class times, I added some gym appointments to diversify my workout next week!
I hope you all have had a great weekend! My weekend was quiet but great. I ended up running on both Friday and Saturday for a grand total of 32.50 Miles for the whole week. I am a running machine! It amazes me to see people with higher mileage counts for the week on the Nike Running website- some are double mine, which equates to a hell of a lot of running! Granted, I do only run 4 days a week but still!
My boyfriend loves Whole Foods. His love for Whole Foods can sometimes lead him to buy more than is absolutely necessary. Yesterday I offered to cook and his response was “only if you use the dill and parsley in my fridge”. I opened the fridge to find 2 fresh bushels (for lack of a better word- what is the proper word??) and 1 of dill. I thought “okay, this is enough to make 50 meals out of” but I decided I needed to come up with something because I was taught never to waste.
broccoli, parsley, dill and stewed tomatoes
broccoli
fresh herbs
in the pot
after cooking for 30 minutes
I put the veggie mix on top of whole wheat couscous. It was SOOOOOOOOOOO tasty! Two thumbs up from both of us!
delicious dinner
There is no question: I love tomatoes. I had another tomato-influenced meal for lunch today. Quick and easy is the way to go so I chopped up cherry tomatoes, put them on top of a whole wheat wrap and added mozzarella cheese. I nuked it in the microwave for a few moments and added steamed broccoli to the side. Very tasty!
lunch
For those of you who are attempting to lose weight (actually, anyone who is attempting to eat healthier) how do you keep yourself accountable?
I have been down this road before and honestly the best tool is journaling. I keep a ‘food and exercise journal’ just to keep myself apprised of what I am putting into my body. I am not counting calories or anything along those lines- I simply write down what I eat. I don’t think we realize all that we put into our mouths until it is laid out before us. It makes me feel better to look back and see that I am providing my body with the vitamins, nutrients, and exercise it needs to stay healthy.
Share your tips!
Thursday Night Stupor
Good Evening! It’s been a long week for me so I am sitting on my couch in a stupor- a welcomed rest.
This week’s menu consisted of a whole lot of variety. If you are like me and do not always have much time to prepare meals, you learn to improvise to ensure you are eating nutritious and delicious meals!
I love breakfast. Breakfast offers so many great foods. In fact, I am a fan of eating breakfast foods at unconventional times.
Here are some pictures of my for really real breakfasts:
whole wheat wrap with peanut butter and strawberry jam
plain bagel with peanut butter and cheese
I have been very diligent about eating all the veggies I re-stocked my fridge with last Friday.
roasted eggplant with spices and olive oil
I love adding a salad to my plate- especially if it includes a tasty salad dressing and shredded cheese!
roasted eggplant with mixed green salad and turkey burger
I am in love with Trader Joe’s veggie burgers! They are AMAZING!! Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike love them!
veggie burger, cottage cheese and mixed green salad
The obsession with eggs continues….
sliced cucumbers, omelette, roasted eggplant, mixed green salad
steamed broccoli, omelette, english muffin with avocado & pickles
sliced cucumbers, avocado, cottage cheese, steamed broccoli & brown rice with soy sauce
I am a snacker. I love eating smaller meals, like the ones above so I can incorporate snacks throughout the day. I always have a piece of fruit or granola bars in my backpack.
Another of my favorite snacks is Annie’s Cheddar bunnies:
I can honestly say my energy levels have gone up since I re-vamped my diet. It is quite remarkable how much people we feel when we eat right. I also drink a ridiculous amount of water each day! Water is the best drink in the World.
I had a great week in the gym.
I have now dubbed Monday, ’10 Miler Monday’- I ran for another 10 miles on Monday. Truth be told, it did not feel the greatest. I thank my undoubted stubbornness for the completion of that run.
Tuesday I took a much needed day off from anything physical.
Wednesday I completed an AMAZING 8 mile run. All my runners out there- you know the type of awesome run I am talking about.
Today I spent one hour on the elliptical. I attempted to read Constitutional law but I find it so difficult with the movement.
I am thankful it is the weekend! Time to read and spend a bit of time relaxing!
Have a wonderful evening,
Melissa
On Weight loss
Happy Sunday! I am sitting at my large dining room table a.k.a my workspace and the warmth of the sunshine peeking through my window is fantastic! The warmth may be a bit deceptive because it is rather cold out of doors! Hello winter! I guess it could be worse because in my hometown it has been minus 45 degrees Celsius the last few nights! How is that for cold??
So this past week has been an amazing health and fitness week for me! Despite the incredible workload (and thank you everyone for your kind words, I really do appreciate it!!), I have made time for things that make me very happy: healthy eating and exercise!
Check out some of the eats from this past week:
I am a bagel fiend. I legitimately have 15 bagels floating around my freezer because when one lives alone, 3-4 bagels out of each package end up in the freezer. I recently did an inventory of my freezer and mentally noted that I must finish all of the frozen ones before I buy another fresh package.
cinnamon raisin bagel with peanut butter and apricot jam
There is no question that I love eggs. I especially love topping my fried eggs with fresh pepper.
Eggs!!
You can never go wrong with peanut butter and banana slices
best combination ever
I don’t usually drink enough milk. I made a milkshake some point this week with fat free milk, a frozen banana and frozen mixed berries. It was really tasty! I have a fancy little smoothie blender and I have been using it more and more lately!
"milkshake"
I love cheese so wherever I can add it, I do. One lunch I made a delicious wrap!
whole wheat wrap with veggies and cheese
To complete the meal, I had some sour green grapes and some DELICIOUS dark chocolate. One trick my boyfriend showed me is to keep the dark chocolate in the freezer. I am not a huge chocolate fan so my freezer is full of that too! LOL Sometimes my eyes are hungrier than my belly.
mmmmmmmmmmm
Another bagel made it into a meal this week:
sesame bagel with Atlantic salmon and mixed veggies
It’s a wonder what you can find in your freezer when you take time to look:
dark chocolate muffin (homemade)
Friday I took time to visit the grocery store to load up on fresh fruits and veggies. I am proud to say that the only thing I bought outside of these items was whole wheat wraps! As I mentioned in a previous post, my cupboards are full and I am really trying to use up everything before I replace it!
I made a DELICIOUS stir fry last night, which included coconut milk and oriental seasoning. I put it atop brown rice. SOOO good!
step one: chop
step two: cook
step three: cook some more
step four: enjoy!
Last, but certainly not least is one of my absolute favorites: homemade sweet potato fries and ketchup!
heaven
In addition to eating well, I had a GREAT week in the gym. I ran 4 times this week for a total of almost 51 KMS! (31.55 miles). I also spent two one hour sessions on the elliptical trainer this past week.
I feel so re-energized today because I began incorporating weight training this morning. I went to the Body Pump class at the gym. I eased my way back in by opting for lighter weights. This will become a regular thing!
So the title of my post is “On Weight Loss” and if you are the average woman, you are very familiar with the subject. (And men too!) I am very familiar and have been down the road quite a few times. This time is different though because I am making an entire lifestyle change so in the future it will never be about weight loss and it will solely be about healthy living.
The area of health and nutrition has always interested me and I have a pretty extensive book collection. As a result, I am pretty attune to what I am putting in my body (whether good or bad :-p). I am not talking about calorie counting or any of that jazz. My focus is solely on the healthiness of a food and what nutrients and minerals it can offer me. However, if this is your first trip down this road or you don’t feel you are as knowledgeable, then calorie counting may be an option to give you a better sense of the nutritional make up of things. At the end of the day, it is about calories in and calories out. But the largest caveat is ensuring you are picking the best things for the “calories in” side of the equation. For your health now and in the future, I highly recommend taking the time to read and be informed of ingredients and what foods are a must in your kitchen. I realize some foods are more obvious than others but take time to explore! I have in recent years and have discovered some amazing things like quinoa and roasted eggplant! By no means am I suggesting you give up your favorite foods. I suggest adding new and wonderful things and reducing things that are not as healthy.
Successful weight loss comes to those who are in the right mind frame. What I mean by that is, those individuals generally want to change their lifestyle and are not just looking to lose weight. I have seen it on so many blogs! Never underestimate the power of a healthy lifestyle! I swear my energy levels are up, my skin is clearer and I am just happier!
I will continue to talk about this subject in future posts and provide some advice. I am not a doctor or nutritionist- I am just a health nut who has taken time to read. Obviously, there is not one simple answer for everyone but I do know I enjoy reading about other people’s prospectives for some great tips!
Have a great week!
Melissa
A Healthier Me
It is amazing how wonderful I feel when I choose the healthy lifestyle road. The consciousness of consumption coupled with the amazing exercise routine is truly the key to success. I think it is also just beneficial for my overall mindset. Being a law student is challenging and brings with it many other trials and tribulations so that extra confidence boost from my health and fitness successes is just what I need. Quite honestly, I already feel changes in my body. These changes feed the desire to continue working.
On Saturday, I made a last minute trip to Tameek’s house in order to pick up (over-priced) textbooks I had shipped to his house. In the normal fashion of a student, I arrived at his house and immediately began studying. He stepped out to run a few errands and to the gym after he finished work and I kept working. Sounds pretty exciting , right?
I finally took a break around 9pm to do something I enjoy: cook! Tameek had a request based on ingredients he had in the fridge. He wanted homemade pesto. In fact, he wanted pesto so bad that he went out to Bed, Bath & Beyond to purchase a mortar. I absolutely LOVE basil & pine nuts so I was pretty excited to get in the kitchen for my first attempt at homemade pesto!
grinding fresh garlic cloves
the addition of pine nuts and fresh basil
final product
We used parpadelle noodles to make the dish complete.
so tasty
perfect meal
Another great dish I made this week involved the cauliflower head in my fridge, celery soup and mozzarella cheese.
To make a complete meal, I made some whole wheat couscous, tomatoes & avocado.
On another note, in the spirit of clearing out my fridge and freezer to prevent waste, I have been on a huge smoothie kick! I recently cleaned out my freezer and found tons of frozen fruit- blueberries, mangoes, bananas, strawberries, blueberries & raspberries! The madness! I have been teaming the fruit up with yogurt, juice and smoothie powders mixed with water. What a perfect snack!
So, what’s your favorite food? We get asked that often and when I am asked, I find it hard to choose. However, I must put eggs up there in the top 5! I have used eggs in a few meals over the last 5 days:
As I mentioned, in addition to eating well I have been on top of my running game! A huge motivating factor has been the Nike Challenges I am involved in on the Nike Running Website. If you aren’t familiar with it, you should check it! The Nike kit tracks your running and reports the results through I-Tunes to the Nike running website. The challenges are amazing and the members are from all over the world!
Running is my outlet. Running allows me to be one with my thoughts. Running allows me to listen to my favorite music without interruption. Running gives me confidence and energy. Running provides me with that amazing feeling of accomplishment.
My running stats:
- Friday: 8.02 miles
- Saturday: 6.38 miles
- Sunday (no run- 1 hour on elliptical)
- Monday: 10.04 miles!!
- Today: day off
Good Night!
Back to Basics
Happy New Year! I have missed the blog world very much. I have thought long and hard and I realized the only way I can maintain the blog and juggle my hectic schedule, I must limit my posts to once or twice a week. I figured once or twice a week is better than nothing at all.
The last few months have been challenging, to say the least. The challenges have led to the commitment to my health and fitness being put on the back burner. I realize, in retrospect, that this is never a good idea. One must find a balance no matter the events that take place each day. My daily events happen to center around law school on two sides of the border. Last semester proved to be the most challenging thus far. The challenges springs from the time consuming studying and attending class. Near the end of 2010, I was pretty much not working out at all and my diet left much to be desired. Upon completion of my final exam, I slowly got back to what I love: health and fitness.
Now that we are in 2011, I have strengthened that commitment by instituting a dosage of “clean eating.”
I have several motivating factors for my dedication to health and fitness, which include:
- getting into tip-top shape for my first full marathon in the fall
- regaining my full confidence- when I comfortable in my skin, I am most confident
- boosting my energy levels
- prolonging my life span
- fitting back into my amazing wardrobe
What have you re-committed yourself to?
Given that I plan to blog only once or twice a week, I decided to include photos and discussions of several of my favorite meals from the week in addition to discussions on health and fitness.
Last weekend I roamed the grocery store aisles finding food items in their most natural forms. Read: I had to be able to read and understand every single ingredient listed on the label. It proved to be a successful trip. An aside, all my meals will not include the “cleanest” food because I still have food in my refrigerator, freezer and cupboards that definitely need to be consumed. I do not waste food.
I love vegetables. I mean, if I had to give up everything else, I would. In an effort to increase my intake of “healthy oils“, I sauteed green pepper, mushrooms and tomatoes in olive oil. I added some dried basil, my absolute favorite herb.
I also cooked some bulgur to pair with the vegetables. Bulgur is such an amazing grain with so many healthful benefits. In addition, the cook time is roughly 5-7minutes! Not bad for a woman on the move!
I accidentally made way too much bulgur. However, leftovers just mean a quick and easy lunch for the following day. I added tomatoes, onion, green peppers, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. This was a very tasty combination- especially because I let it marinate it over night.
Oatmeal is back on the scene. How did I let it escape my diet? My boyfriend eats it on a very regular basis, it keeps me really full, you can add amazing toppings, and the health benefits are desirable!
I made plain quick oats and added a tablespoon of peanut butter one morning this week. I was so full for hours after!
I was in vegetable heaven this past week! I had one of my favorites one night this week with one of my meals: steamed green beans! I absolutely love the taste of ground black pepper on green beans. I added some pickled beets to the plate. My parents are on a pickling spree! My dad thoroughly enjoys it now that he is retired and he knows how much I love beets so he pickled a few jars for me. To completed the meal with a Trader Joe’s veggie burger (which I must tell you, is arguably the BEST veggie burger I have ever had!) and a dollop of fat free cottage cheese.
I am a huge fan of a diverse plate, like the one pictured above. LOVE what you eat!
I have a love/hate relationship with yogurt. Some days I love it, and some days I have no interest in it at all. Given the great health benefits, I have incorporated it into a few snacks this week. I added some blueberries, to add some fiber.
Leftovers can be such a time-saver! They can be even more appealing when you can alter their original form and add other ingredients to come up with entirely different meals. Bulgur made a third appearance this week. I topped it with Newman’s Peach Salsa aka the greatest salsa in the world! If you have never tried it, I highly recommend that you do. I made enough green beans for an additional meal. It was a great combination.
It wouldn’t be a good week, without a giant plate of veggies! I love raw mushrooms! I also had green peppers, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and avocado.
I had a large zucchini and brussel sprouts in the fridge so this evening I decided to roast them after tossing them in olive oil and a sea salt-garlic salt spice.
I added cheese pirogies and tomatoes to the plate to complete the meal. It was delicious!
With the simple, healthy diet changes, I feel really good. I also drink ridiculous amounts of water each day. I have eliminated Diet Coke and cut back on my coffee consumption.
My exercise routine has definitely contributed to my overall feeling of good health. Words cannot express the love I have for running. One of the goals I have for 2011 is to run a full marathon! I have 9 half-marathon under the belt plus many 10 milers and 10km. I love having goals and am up for the challenge of transforming my body into that of a marathon runner.
This past week, I have run on three separate occasions: 6.51 miles, 7miles and 8 miles. I also had a session on the elliptical one night.
In the coming weeks, I plan to introduce strength training back into my routine. I also want to bring yoga back.
Healthy body, healthy mind!
I’ll end with some photos of the gorgeous roses my love gave me for our one year anniversary.
These are a few of my favorite things
Good Morning Thank you for the kind words on the Veterans Clinic. The world needs volunteers so I encourage everyone to do what they can.
I am currently enjoying a break in-between classes. What a perfect opportunity to write a post!
The cooler weather has increased my craving for oatmeal because it always warms me up. My schedule does not allow for meals to be eaten at home so I am constantly putting things together as I race out the door. Yesterday morning was no different with my favorite instant oatmeal: 1 packet of Kashi Go Lean Oatmeal and 1 packet of Trader Joe’s Apple Cinnamon Oats
mmmm oats to go
I was not feeling so well yesterday. I sneezed about 600 times and had to make a quick drug store trip for the lotion kleenex and a few other supplies. I went straight to bed after class and slept for an hour and a half. It was an amazing rest. This is unbelievable to me because I am not a napper because I have issues with sleep, sometimes taking hours to even fall into a deep sleep. Oh my down filled comforter is so glorious this time of year!
I woke up hungry! In the spirit of not wasting, I had another Caesar’s salad with chicken breast. So tasty!
After a few hours with my nose in a textbook, I decided a quick trip to the gym was something that would clear my mind. I was still suffering from low energy so I got on the crosstrainer for 45 minutes. I am hoping to get a run in tonight because I am feeling better today.
After the gym, I was in need of snack because of the light dinner. I opted for a plate of veggies with ranch dip, Trader Joe’s pita crackers & cheese. I love cheese. Do you?
*I do eat lunch but I think it’s rather boring to re-cap lunch with no photographs
This morning it was hard to convince myself to get out of bed. I was so warm and comfortable and felt that if I could spend all day in bed, I would have. I say this but that probably wouldn’t happen even if the opportunity presented itself. haha
Breakfast required coffee and my one of my favorite foods of all time: a bagel. I pulled a cinnamon raisin bagel out of the freezer, warmed it in the microwave and topped it with strawberry light cream cheese.
Full tummy = happier Melissa
