WIAW

I love how fast Wednesday's have been coming lately!

Breakfast + Lunch

 

Okay, so that's actually my breakfast from Monday. Today I had apple cinnamon gluten free oatmeal with chia seeds, dry peanut butter ( a knock off PB2) and some stevia. I INHALE oatmeal. I also had some coffee with sugar free pumpkin spice creamer. So good!  I wasn't super hungry for lunch but knew I would be soon. I had a Think Thin protein bar, an apple and some yogurt. Think Thin is my favorite protein bar because it has 20g of protein and no sugar. It keeps me full for a LONG time. I recommend! I especially like the chocolate fudge, dark chocolate and brownie crunch varieties. (I might like chocolate just a little!)

 For my work snack I had a piece of toast with sugar free grape jam. It was so delicious that I didn't take a picture.

We decided to dig for dinner tonight. Kyle stopped by the store on his way home and picked up some sushi and some chicken for me. My ugly thrown together plate looked like this. This is why you didn't see any of my food last week...I am a bad food photographer and I eat a bunch of random snacks at just about every meal.

 

 Rotisserie chicken, apple and veggie rolls. Don't worry guys, I only had TWO apples today. I like to cut them up in to a million pieces because then I can enjoy it longer.

  

 I just finished off a glass of hot chocolate (sweetened with stevia) for dessert. I've been having a cup just about every night lately and it's so satisfying for my sweet tooth! Some people are salty people and some are sweet. I ,unfortunately, am both. 

 Now we are settling in to watch the return of a favorite from last year....

 

 My legs were really crampy last night and I didn't sleep very well so I took it easy today and just did thirty minutes on the elliptical plus some strength training in my living room  :) I'm all for listening to your body and doing what you feel like!

What's So Pinteresting?

Happy Tuesday ya'll! Just a little check in before WIAW this week. It's a gorgeous day out today....cool and cloudy...my favorite! For some reason I am kicking butt on getting stuff done today so I thought I would go ahead and get a little blogging done before work.

Workouts so far this week:

 Monday- 3 miles on treadmill

Tuesday- 3.25 miles on treadmill + 10 min cool down on elliptical

I decided to go ahead and get some running done back to back because of my work schedule this week. I still suck in the mornings but coffee + The Kardashians help. Some mindnumbing relaxation. Thursday and Friday will most likely be shorter work outs.

 Yesterday I came home a little stressed for really no reason and was just a mess when I walked in the door. It's hard being a girl because there is so much pressure on you all the time. Sometimes it just gets to you. That's when it's really nice to have an amazing boyfriend like I do to sit you down and tell you that you are awesome and too hard on yourself. Thank you!

Things I'm loving/lusting this week:

  Blend Retreat

 

For more information you can check out Janetha at Meals and Moves. She's one of the organizers. Or you can visit the website at Blend Retreat. Basically it's a fun retreat for bloggers + friends that includes yummy food, fitness and hanging out. A dream for me! The girls who are behind this are inspirations for me and I read their blogs every day! Unfortunately, a $400 plane ticket will probably be out of my budget range for at least 5 years. Sad face. I don't forsee any outdoorsy retreats happening here in Dallas either, haha. Double sadface. A girl can dream though!

I have been toying with the idea of doing an accent wall in our living room for a little bit so I finally asked Kyle about it and he's down. Thanks to pinterest, I'm thinking wide horizontal stripes for the big wall you see when you walk in our front door. 

Something like this:

 

 Or this...

 

 We already have some paint and supplies. Now we just need to actually DO it this time. My budget for house decorations is a little low this month but my desire to continue improving is as high as ever. Solution found!

Above images clearly stolen from Pinterest....so check them out there for original links!

 

 

Weekend Round Up

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! Nothing too exciting here but that is exactly how I like it.

On Friday night, Kyle and I had first planned to finally go check out the food truck park at Heritage Village. However, after Kyle made it home from work we reconsidered. The crowds for  TX/OU weekend were already really bad and we didn't feel like messing with it. So instead we went to Alligator Cafe for dinner, had some frozen yogurt for dessert ( I had pumpkin spice and it was soooo good) and then went to the movies. A perfect, quiet, low key date night. 

 

Overall this movie was not too scary. It had the right amount of things popping out at you to make you jump but not so dark that you leave feeling disturbed. Much better than Insidious too which we thought was the most ridiculous waste of money ever. No scary movie is going to win film of the year but predictable with a few good jumps is just what I like. 

Saturday was another low key day. I think the only major outing we had was a trip to Farmer's Market specifically for apples. I love going up there for anything.

Today we went out to Kyle's moms house at Cedar Creek Lake to watch the Cowboy's game. It is so incredibly pretty out there. Today was a beautiful day so I hope you got to get out and enjoy it a little!

This week I work in the afternoons so I have to do my workouts in the morning. I love being able to take a shower afterwards to get ready for the day instead of two showers but like I mentioned in the last post, I suck at life in the mornings so we'll see how that goes. I don't have my week planned out but I'm planning a run at the gym in the morning. My mom is giving me her treadmill so I'm pretty excited about that. Even though the only place I have to put it is in the smelly cat room. Oh well. 

I wish I had a deep post to share or at least some excitement but honestly, these are my favorite kind of weekends.  We are just relaxing and anxiously awaiting the series premiere of this awesomeness......

If you are not watching this show, turn your computer off and go get started. You have a lot to catch up on before tonight.

Thursday Thoughts

How do you like the new look? I'm really happy with it. As my blog grows, I hope to add some more pages that newcomers can check out. I personally like reading more details about the writer on blogs that I frequent, but that will come later. I will also at some point add a blogroll so if you get sucked into this blogging world, you can check out some of the ones that I love and frequent.

This week has flown by! I've had a lighter work schedule so I'm sure that is part of it but I am so glad that tomorrow is Friday! No huge plans for this weekend yet, but I'm sure we will think of something.

Yesterday I got my haircut by the fabulous Kirsten who is now at L.A.R.C. salon. It's brand spanking new and conveniently located next to Kozy Kitchen! I love the new place, very relaxed! I get a lot of inquiries about my hair so there you have it! If you are looking for a new stylist, she's your girl! I used to be a crazy change your hair all the time girl but ever since I got this cut, I just can't let it go! Someday I'm sure my long hair will return. Maybe. Lately, I've been contemplating growing my bangs out a bit (not all the way, I have a fivehead). We'll see!

  In honor of breast cancer awareness month, I got a mammogram today! I know, that's super exciting news for all of my creepers (that's you). You might say "You're only twenty-five!" Yep, and that caused quite the ruckus today too. But I actually had a lumpectomy a few years ago to remove a akfjddshfmngoiuergyha ( I have never been able to remember the diagnosis but it was not cancer don't worry) Alas, that means I now get mammograms yearly. I'm high maintenance. It takes a lot of work apparently to keep me up and running, as evidenced by the million and one surgeries and doctor visits I've had ( You've been warned Kyle).  For all of you that are under 35, let me assure you it is the easiest thing I have ever done. So do it! P.S. Men can get breast cancer too!

And now on to the most exciting part of my week....I got a new toy in the mail yesterday.

 

I decided to get serious about my workouts (and experiment with different routines) so I got myself a heart monitor. I don't have a whole lot of change to spend on such a thing but I didn't want to get a totally crappy one either. So I got a middle of the road version and tried it out today! It was pretty easy to set up and pretty easy to use on my treadmill run today. I also finally decided that I am definitely an afternoon worker outer. I work out in the morning when I have to ( when I know I definitely won't do it in the evening or just don't have time) but my cardio totally sucks in the morning. I've tried giving myself more wake up time, eating a bigger breakfast, all that jazz. Nope, I suck in the morning. On Tuesday morning, I did a three mile run and was pretty sure I was going to die. This afternoon I ran at least 4 miles ( I was running a little faster than the treadmill speed and fell forward, turning the machine off and wasn't paying super close attention to what mile I was on. Oops. That's the second time I've fallen on the treadmill.) So now I do the opposite of what most people do I think. More strength based in the morning and cardio in the afternoons as my schedule allows.

My week so far has looked like this:

Monday- 30 Day Shred

Tuesday- 3 miles on treadmill

Wednesday- 30 Day Shred

Thursday- 4/4.5 miles on the treadmill

Friday- Decide when I wake up

Hope you're all having a great week so far! Happy almost Friday!

What Kyle Ate Wednesday

Wednesday Already?

Since my eating habits have been super boring lately..I decided to dedicate this WIAW to Kyle's incredible sandwich making skills. He makes the BEST sandwiches on the planet, I swear. We are huge sandwich fans in our house ( poor young adults maybe?!?!). First, there was the epic double sided sandwich. It turns out if you make your sandwich one way on one side and another on the other, whatever side is facing up when you eat it is what you will taste. Then you get to eat two sandwiches in one!

This week Kyle decided to make tuna salad sandwiches ( and plenty of tuna salad for snacking for the week). Here's What Kyle Ate Wednesday.

I, of course, couldn't eat those gluten filled rolls but I had bites of the tuna salad and it's the bomb. My small contribution was boiling an egg. Yes, my kitchen skills are incredible. If someday we win the lottery and I get to open my food truck, we will sell gourmet sandwiches. If you are looking for a great gluten free bread option, Udi's makes the best. Each kind is delicious but cinnamon raisin is my favorite. They now sell it at most major grocery stores in the freezer aisle!

Things I'm loving/lusting this week:

Animal Print

I know I'm late to the party on this one but I really want some new glasses. Warby Parker is calling my name. I can't wait to try the "try on at home" deal. That's genius!

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin

If anyone would like to make me some pumpkin treats, I wouldn't say no. Just sayin'.

P.S. I saw a sneak peak at my blog facelift and it looks great! Can't wait to show you.

The Crazy Art (obsession) of Dieting!

Something that has been getting under my skin lately are all of the diets that are so in fashion right now. Yes, even you Paleo followers.

Here's what's wrong with dieting ( for me and in my opinion, in general). You can't keep up with a diet for the rest of your life. It's impossible. Yes, you might lose that weight on Atkins or Weight Watchers, etc. But then what happens? You probably gain it back. Here's where the Paleo fanatics come in.... They say but Paleo isn't a diet! It's a lifestyle change! In my opinion it's a diet because it's still super restrictive. For someone like me who can't eat gluten, it's already stressful enough to go to a party or a restaurant and pick out the gluten free options. I can't imagine having to survey the food options and have to add " is this Paleo?" Gah, shoot me. I'm high maintenance enough already. The other thing I take issue with is that some of the outlawed foods are good for you. I love grains. Gluten free non processed grains. I love dairy. Yes, it is weird that we are the only animals that drink another animals milk. I don't actually drink regular milk anymore because it's hard on my stomach and lactose turns straight to sugar. I'm a soymilk fan. However, I would die without my yogurt and some cheese. The probiotics in yogurt keep my body functioning top notch and let's face it, cheese rocks. Plus if you were really eating like a caveman, you'd just go out and hunt and scavange for whatever you can find in a ten mile radius everyday. Let me know how that goes!

I, like so many of you, watched the documentary Forks Over Knives and I have to say that I believe in it one hundred percent. If you haven't seen it....basically it's about how awesome being vegan is. I totally believe that food is the key and the best medicine we have. However, I love meat. Without a ton of protein in my diet I feel fatigued and just yucky. I know in general it's not the best for you but it works for me.

It's all about balance. I know myself really well and being super restrictive can lead me down a deep dark hole mentally. I don't want to be burdened with guilt when I eat carbs or fall off the Paleo train. That leads to obsessive behavior and disordered eating. Some of you can handle it. Some of us can't. 

So how do I really eat? I try to eat 80/20 clean. 80% clean. 20 % not. I like whole unprocessed food. I also like cupcakes and Mexican food. I don't feel restrictive and I don't feel guilty. It works for me. I feel good when I eat good food. 

I know people are pretty crazy hardcore about their diets. I guess I'm feeling feisty this week with religion and dieting back to back! Stay tuned tomorrow for my thorough thoughts on this presidential race! Just kidding. That's pointless and you all know who I'm voting for anyways.  In this and in all things, find what works for you!

Balancing Act

I've decided that for now this blog will be a little bit of everything. Participating in things that I enjoy, like WIAW, but also diving into some deeper stuff when the mood strikes me. Ultimately, I have decided to write this blog as an accountability partner for myself.

I generally refrain from speaking on politics and religion on the internet these days, as they are both such hot topics. And as John Mayer sang "Everyone believes in how they think it ought to be. Is there anyone who ever remembers changing their mind from the paint on a sign (Kyle just ragged on me for quoting JM but the song is true and I think celebrities have fake public personas for privacy reasons but that's for another post). I used to be a lot more vocal about my particular opinions but I got rather tired of being defined by them. However, when my mom sent me this list, I couldn't help sharing it.

I really do believe that everyone should believe and follow what works for them. Unless you are Charles Manson. In my opinion, a lot of people are comforted by having a set of black and white rules that win them their golden ticket to heaven. My brain has never worked like that. Some days I wish it did. Having to defend my beliefs at many points in my life really forced me to flesh out exactly what I believe and I'm thankful for that.

So here goes....This is borrowed from a church website that I would link to if I knew it. But just FYI..I did not write these. My added thoughts are in green.

1. Jesus Christ was, and is, absolutely real. He performed miracles (duh: he was God); he sacrificed himself on the cross so that everyone could be forever reconciled with God; he rose from the dead; he left behind, for everyone, the Holy Spirit.
2. Christianity is supposed to be all about living a life of love, compassion, fairness, peace, and humility. That’s it.
3. The Bible isn’t just one thing. It’s a bunch of writings done by a ton of different people over about a zillion years. It’s poems, songs, history, allegories … the whole thing is just crazy dense. To really get whatever you’re reading in the Bible, you have to know something about whatever time and culture that part of it was written in. Also, the people who wrote the stuff that eventually made it into the Bible were just people. Through the Holy Spirit, God was definitely working through them as they wrote. But it only stands to reason that not every single word that made it into the Bible is exactly what God would have texted, or whatever. People who make the actual words of whatever translation of the Bible they’re looking at more important than the message of the Bible are totally missing the point.
4. Church and state should be separate. Fair is fair.
5.  It’s Christianity, not Paulianity.
6. God’s not male or female. He’s both. He’s all. People who have to have God be a “he” need to let it go.
7. The only way to think being gay is a sin is to never actually know any gay people.
8. No one religion contains all of God.( In my words- there's more than one way to get to God. You can call him Allah if you'd like)
9. Where in “No one comes to the Father except through me,” does it say you have to be a Christian in order to get into heaven? ( "me" could actually be more than one person or entity. It's God. Why not?)
10. If you’re worried too much about the afterlife, you’re not worried enough about this life. Living a life of love means not having to worry about hell.
11. God wants to forgive and teach us, not judge and punish us.
12. God can handle converting people. Our job is to love people.
13. God doesn’t want women “submitting” to anyone.
14. Evolution being true doesn’t mean there’s no God. The two aren’t incompatible.
15. What really matters most about a person isn’t how they define God. It’s how well they treat others.

This is really how I try to live my life. I consider myself spiritual (not religious. I don't believe that Jesus' intention was to build a church. There's too much room for people influence.) This blog is about how I balance my life. And this is one part of it. It works for me. It's what's in my heart. It might be a bleeding heart but it's mine.