That's what I thought this morning when my alarm went off at 5:35am for the gym. I may have over-exceeded myself on my lift session yesterday and every part of my body ached. I knew I had to get up though! Now that it's the mid-morning, I am so happy I did! I didn't have to lug a big gym bag on the bus and train and I can go home after work and just relax before the BBQ.
Also, I have to thank Monster for getting up with me to go to the gym. That motivated me a lot too.
The issue I am having with working out after work is that we don't eat until 8:30pm or 9pm and I go to bed very full. I really shouldn't complain b/c last night's dinner was DELISH! We grilled bbq chicken (Sweet Baby Ray's!) and asparagus (EVOO and s/p) and had my favorite couscous (whole wheat with a splash of EVOO, parsley, dried cranberries and chopped walnuts) on the side. It was a great summer meal.
Tonight we are going to a BBQ with some friends and there is going to be lots of great food there! I made the famous Blue Frog pasta salad again per request and I'm finally getting the hang of this recipe. I have listed it below for anyone interested:
Blue Frog Pasta Salad
1 lb Ditalini pasta
1 Green pepper chopped
1 Red pepper chopped
3 Stalks of celery chopped
1 cup of carrots chopped
1/4 red onion chopped
3/4 cup of green peas
2+ cups of mayo
2 oz. white vinegar
2 T celery salt
1 tsp onion power
1 tsp ground white pepper
1. Cook the pasta and drain - set aside to cool
2. Chop all veggies in food processer and set aside
3. Mix mayo and white vinegar well and add in the celery salt, onion powder and ground white pepper. Adjust the celery salt to taste. If it's too bitter, add a bit more mayo.
Add all ingredients to a big bowl and chill. I think this would be very tasty with chopped bacon in the recipe too!
Have a great weekend!
PK
Friday, June 17, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Still Going Strong
I am on Day 4 of my challenge and feeling good! My foot has been bothering me so I am going to stick with some arm and leg exercises rather than cardio today. Gosh, this bum foot needs to be done. I am excited to go for a bike ride this weekend and maybe try out Zumba on Sunday too!! Working out 7 days in a row = you really need to change it up.
I have a funny confession... I am obsessed with a neighborhood bar and have been two days in a row. It's a little ridiculous, but the food is delish!! I have only tried a few of their items, but my go to is the Cran-Apple Chicken Salad. It has green apples, dried cranberries, grilled chicken, crumbled blue cheese, walnuts and a side of the cran-apple vinaigrette. This salad is super easy to make on my own. Maybe someday :). We also took advantage of the $3.50 appys which is their special every Wednesday. Their hummus is sooo good.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Egg white scrambler with soy crumbles and soy cheese
Lunch - Leftover cran-apple salad
Snack - Hard boiled egg before I hit the gym
Dinner - BBQ chicken. Yum! I want to pick up some asparagus to grill too :). Oh how I love our grill!
I plan on getting up early tomorrow for the gym b/c we have a bbq to get to after work. Hopefully the foot feels good enough for another cardio sesh.
Have a good day!
PK
I have a funny confession... I am obsessed with a neighborhood bar and have been two days in a row. It's a little ridiculous, but the food is delish!! I have only tried a few of their items, but my go to is the Cran-Apple Chicken Salad. It has green apples, dried cranberries, grilled chicken, crumbled blue cheese, walnuts and a side of the cran-apple vinaigrette. This salad is super easy to make on my own. Maybe someday :). We also took advantage of the $3.50 appys which is their special every Wednesday. Their hummus is sooo good.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Egg white scrambler with soy crumbles and soy cheese
Lunch - Leftover cran-apple salad
Snack - Hard boiled egg before I hit the gym
Dinner - BBQ chicken. Yum! I want to pick up some asparagus to grill too :). Oh how I love our grill!
I plan on getting up early tomorrow for the gym b/c we have a bbq to get to after work. Hopefully the foot feels good enough for another cardio sesh.
Have a good day!
PK
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Day 2
I debated last night on the train about going to the gym. I was pretty beat from Monday and just wanted a relaxing night. I had also thought about going for a run when I got home, but once the Belmont train stop approached, I decided to stay put and go to Paulina to hit the gym. I'm so happy I did. I realized as I was on the elliptical that I missed the gym and can't wait to beat my 7 day work out challenge!
After the gym, I had a lovely night. Monster is out of town, so I watched lots of my chick shows. I caught the end of Bachelorette and somehow managed to watch the RHOC reunion show part 2. Gosh that was an intense reunion. I hate Tamra.
I also made a tofu eggless salad which I brought to work with me today. It was pretty delish!! Recipe is listed below.
Tofu Eggless Salad
1 Containter of Extra Firm Tofu drained and crumbled
1/2 cup of light mayo - more to taste if preferred
1/4 cup of mustard - more to taste if preferred
2 pickles chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
I also added a few dashes of dill weed, parsley, sea salt and black pepper.
Mix and put in the fridge to chill.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Egg white scrambler with soy crumbles and soy cheese
Lunch - Tofu eggless salad on salad with veggies and hummus
Snack - Mini Babybel cheese
Dinner - TBD, I changed it up last night so I am not sure what I will go with tonight.
Anyone notice that I am on a huge soy kick? Wow, is that even good for my health??
PK
After the gym, I had a lovely night. Monster is out of town, so I watched lots of my chick shows. I caught the end of Bachelorette and somehow managed to watch the RHOC reunion show part 2. Gosh that was an intense reunion. I hate Tamra.
I also made a tofu eggless salad which I brought to work with me today. It was pretty delish!! Recipe is listed below.
Tofu Eggless Salad
1 Containter of Extra Firm Tofu drained and crumbled
1/2 cup of light mayo - more to taste if preferred
1/4 cup of mustard - more to taste if preferred
2 pickles chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
I also added a few dashes of dill weed, parsley, sea salt and black pepper.
Mix and put in the fridge to chill.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Egg white scrambler with soy crumbles and soy cheese
Lunch - Tofu eggless salad on salad with veggies and hummus
Snack - Mini Babybel cheese
Dinner - TBD, I changed it up last night so I am not sure what I will go with tonight.
Anyone notice that I am on a huge soy kick? Wow, is that even good for my health??
PK
Monday, June 13, 2011
7 Day Work Out Challenge
I know I know. It's almost been a month, but life has been hectic and I have been slacking on the blog, work outs and healthy eating.
Today is a new day though and I am doing a personal 7 Day Work Out Challenge. Starting today, I am going to work out every day until Sunday. I am really excited to try some classes at the gym and get my butt moving in the right direction again.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Egg white, soy sausage and cheese stacker
Snack - Light Babybel cheese
Lunch - Garden salad with soy nuggets and veggies with hummus
Dinner - Flounder from T. Joes and steamed veggies
Lastly, I want to share some highlights from the past month :).
Wedding in Davenport
Andrew Bell concert at Lincoln Hall
Moved out of Lincoln Park
Moved in to Roscoe Village
Visit from my Dad, Step-Mom and Nicole
Two cubs games
Birthday celebration for Nate and Hunter
Work trip to Syracuse for 4 days
Girls sushi dinner
Pizza party with the Hulls and Smaziks
Old Town Art Fair
BBQ with friends at the new spot
See!! I have been really busy :).
Game on,
PK
Today is a new day though and I am doing a personal 7 Day Work Out Challenge. Starting today, I am going to work out every day until Sunday. I am really excited to try some classes at the gym and get my butt moving in the right direction again.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Egg white, soy sausage and cheese stacker
Snack - Light Babybel cheese
Lunch - Garden salad with soy nuggets and veggies with hummus
Dinner - Flounder from T. Joes and steamed veggies
Lastly, I want to share some highlights from the past month :).
Wedding in Davenport
Andrew Bell concert at Lincoln Hall
Moved out of Lincoln Park
Moved in to Roscoe Village
Visit from my Dad, Step-Mom and Nicole
Two cubs games
Birthday celebration for Nate and Hunter
Work trip to Syracuse for 4 days
Girls sushi dinner
Pizza party with the Hulls and Smaziks
Old Town Art Fair
BBQ with friends at the new spot
See!! I have been really busy :).
Game on,
PK
Monday, May 16, 2011
One more down
Yup! 11.4 is the number. Gosh I get so excited when I lose. It makes the weekend much more enjoyable.
A few successes:
I traveled to Tampa last week for work and was able to stay on my diet.
I went for sushi with my girls on Friday and stuck with miso soup, salad and sashimi (this was so hard!)
As tired as I was on Saturday after WW, I hit the gym for 45 minutes of cardio and abs.
The next few weeks are going to be crazy and I can't wait for June 5th. I will have launched two markets for work and we will be moved in to our apartment. The travel should slow down after this date too. Yippee! I can't say that the gym will be my main priority during the next few weeks, but I hope to get there as much as I can. My goal is 2 - 3 times a week.
I didn't make it to the store yesterday b/c I don't want to stock the fridge until we move. We have plenty of food to get us by. Unfortunately I see a lot of eating out as well in the next few weeks...
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 2 soy sausage patties
Lunch - Salad
Dinner - Taco Salad
I hope you all had a nice weekend! When is it going to warm up outside???
PK
A few successes:
I traveled to Tampa last week for work and was able to stay on my diet.
I went for sushi with my girls on Friday and stuck with miso soup, salad and sashimi (this was so hard!)
As tired as I was on Saturday after WW, I hit the gym for 45 minutes of cardio and abs.
The next few weeks are going to be crazy and I can't wait for June 5th. I will have launched two markets for work and we will be moved in to our apartment. The travel should slow down after this date too. Yippee! I can't say that the gym will be my main priority during the next few weeks, but I hope to get there as much as I can. My goal is 2 - 3 times a week.
I didn't make it to the store yesterday b/c I don't want to stock the fridge until we move. We have plenty of food to get us by. Unfortunately I see a lot of eating out as well in the next few weeks...
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 2 soy sausage patties
Lunch - Salad
Dinner - Taco Salad
I hope you all had a nice weekend! When is it going to warm up outside???
PK
Sunday, May 8, 2011
WW Success and Tofu
How about that blog title for today!?!? Ha.
It's been a wonderful weekend and I am loving the weather today. It has been somewhat of a lazy day which is how I like my Sundays.
A quick recap of the weekend:
Friday: Dinner at Public House and Something Borrowed. I got the pulled chicken salad at Public House and I am trying to figure out another excuse to go back and have it again. It was delish!!! Last time I had it (I know) I requested the salad in a wrap. It was tasty, but I am staying away from carbs for a bit so the salad worked out just fine. Something Borrowed was AMAZING!!! I can't wait to for Something Blue to come out!! That was the best surprise during the credits, a quick clip of Darcy in London surprising Ethan!
Yesterday was extremely busy! I got up early and went to WW. The last time I went was after a few weeks of traveling and my mind was in a different place. I am happy to report that I lost 3.5 lbs since then and I am at -10.4 lbs finally!! I gave myself yesterday to have a cheat day, but starting today for the remainder of the week, I am staying away from the booze and carbs. We met friends at Rockit for a farewell brunch for my dear friend Kyle. Post brunch, I came home to relax before going back downtown to meet some friends for drinks at Sable. They have sexy drinks and I highly recommend this spot! We had reservations at Paris Club which was delish! We ordered a bunch of starters and I had ahi tuna for an entree. Yum! I don't need to rush back there, but it sure was good. After a small bar crawl, I crashed hard for the night.
Today I slept in until 10!! I made a healthy omelette for breakfast and then we ran errands around the hood. BBB, Akira, T. Joes and now I'm home. I have a ton of work to do and I am prepping lunches for the week. My friend Emily had a salad a few weeks ago that I needed to try! It had lettuce, brocoli slaw, dried cranberries, edamame and baked tofu! I made this last Sunday and had it all week for lunch. The tofu is in the oven as I type! It's super easy to make and I feel like I won't get sick of it!!
Directions:
Drain the extra firm tofu
Once drained, dice tofu into cubes
Spray a baking sheet and spread the tofu on the sheet
EVOO, garlic salt and pepper and then in the over at 400 for 30 minutes. Yum!
Off to fix my lunches and do more work. I hope you all had a nice Mother's Day and weekend!
PK
It's been a wonderful weekend and I am loving the weather today. It has been somewhat of a lazy day which is how I like my Sundays.
A quick recap of the weekend:
Friday: Dinner at Public House and Something Borrowed. I got the pulled chicken salad at Public House and I am trying to figure out another excuse to go back and have it again. It was delish!!! Last time I had it (I know) I requested the salad in a wrap. It was tasty, but I am staying away from carbs for a bit so the salad worked out just fine. Something Borrowed was AMAZING!!! I can't wait to for Something Blue to come out!! That was the best surprise during the credits, a quick clip of Darcy in London surprising Ethan!
Yesterday was extremely busy! I got up early and went to WW. The last time I went was after a few weeks of traveling and my mind was in a different place. I am happy to report that I lost 3.5 lbs since then and I am at -10.4 lbs finally!! I gave myself yesterday to have a cheat day, but starting today for the remainder of the week, I am staying away from the booze and carbs. We met friends at Rockit for a farewell brunch for my dear friend Kyle. Post brunch, I came home to relax before going back downtown to meet some friends for drinks at Sable. They have sexy drinks and I highly recommend this spot! We had reservations at Paris Club which was delish! We ordered a bunch of starters and I had ahi tuna for an entree. Yum! I don't need to rush back there, but it sure was good. After a small bar crawl, I crashed hard for the night.
Today I slept in until 10!! I made a healthy omelette for breakfast and then we ran errands around the hood. BBB, Akira, T. Joes and now I'm home. I have a ton of work to do and I am prepping lunches for the week. My friend Emily had a salad a few weeks ago that I needed to try! It had lettuce, brocoli slaw, dried cranberries, edamame and baked tofu! I made this last Sunday and had it all week for lunch. The tofu is in the oven as I type! It's super easy to make and I feel like I won't get sick of it!!
Directions:
Drain the extra firm tofu
Once drained, dice tofu into cubes
Spray a baking sheet and spread the tofu on the sheet
EVOO, garlic salt and pepper and then in the over at 400 for 30 minutes. Yum!
Off to fix my lunches and do more work. I hope you all had a nice Mother's Day and weekend!
PK
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Lazy Lazy Weekend
Happy Sunday!!! I can't remember the last Sunday I've had where I have nothing planned. I have a to-do list that is a page long, but I am thinking about tossing it aside and just chillin. I was able to cross off a few of the to-dos early this morning which felt nice, but now I'm going to catch up on some DVR and put my feet up.
Speaking of feet, my left foot is still bugging me. The strap feels great when I wear it, but when I put pressure on the ball of my foot, I could scream! I've been wearing heels most days because it feels much better than wearing flats. I'm sure since it's nice out, my flip flops will make an appearance soon, but as of now heels are my best friend.
My mom was in town this weekend with some girlfriends so I met them for brunch, shopping and dinner yesterday. I also decided to stay out until 2:30 in the morning which is another reason why I feel like I am going to be lazy all day today. I loved spending time with the gals though. Their trip went by way too fast!!!
A positive of having my mom here was using her car!! I picked up some boxes at Home Depot for our move and hit the grocery store(Aldi and Trader Joes.) I stocked up on some healthy items including veggies, chicken, salad plus more!
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Spinach and turkey omelette - yum!
Lunch - Turkey meatballs and a light chedder string cheese
Dinner - Veggie burger and salad
The gym will be happening this week! I am planning on going at least 3 or 4 times. I didn't make it to the gym this past weekend b/c work interferred which is a sad excuse, but I have been getting into the office very early so I can get a lot done before the phone starts ringing. I have quite a bit of trips coming up so I need to get back into my routine...
I am going to work on updating my blog as much as I can. It is on my to do list every day! It just usually gets pushed to the bottom.
Have a great week!
PK
P.S. This just in...T Joes on Diversey will be opened in 5 days! Just in time for our move...bust.
Speaking of feet, my left foot is still bugging me. The strap feels great when I wear it, but when I put pressure on the ball of my foot, I could scream! I've been wearing heels most days because it feels much better than wearing flats. I'm sure since it's nice out, my flip flops will make an appearance soon, but as of now heels are my best friend.
My mom was in town this weekend with some girlfriends so I met them for brunch, shopping and dinner yesterday. I also decided to stay out until 2:30 in the morning which is another reason why I feel like I am going to be lazy all day today. I loved spending time with the gals though. Their trip went by way too fast!!!
A positive of having my mom here was using her car!! I picked up some boxes at Home Depot for our move and hit the grocery store(Aldi and Trader Joes.) I stocked up on some healthy items including veggies, chicken, salad plus more!
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Spinach and turkey omelette - yum!
Lunch - Turkey meatballs and a light chedder string cheese
Dinner - Veggie burger and salad
The gym will be happening this week! I am planning on going at least 3 or 4 times. I didn't make it to the gym this past weekend b/c work interferred which is a sad excuse, but I have been getting into the office very early so I can get a lot done before the phone starts ringing. I have quite a bit of trips coming up so I need to get back into my routine...
I am going to work on updating my blog as much as I can. It is on my to do list every day! It just usually gets pushed to the bottom.
Have a great week!
PK
P.S. This just in...T Joes on Diversey will be opened in 5 days! Just in time for our move...bust.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Plantar fasciitis - Gross!
I finally made it to the doctor on Monday. After some begging, they were able to fit me in. Originally they said 2 weeks. WTF?
The results are in and I have...plantar fasciitis in my left foot. Here is some gross info on this issue.
The plantar fascia is a very thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. This band of tissue is what creates the arch of the foot. When the fascia is overstretched or overused, it can become inflamed. When the fascia is inflamed, it can be painful and make walking more difficult.
Risk factors for plantar fasciitis include:
•Foot arch problems (both flat feet and high arches)
•Obesity
•Repetitive loading on the feet from long-distance running, especially running downhill or on uneven surfaces
•Sudden weight gain
•Tight Achilles tendon (the tendon connecting the calf muscles to the heel)
•Shoes with poor arch support or soft soles
Plantar fasciitis typically affects active men ages 40 - 70???OMG!
I am blaming my injury on shoes with poor arch support or soft soles. I need to get like 4 pairs of boots fixed. I am pretty mad at myself about this, but for now I am stretching, wearing a foot strap and buying new shoes :).
I haven't stopped going to the gym. I just don't feel like I need to. It makes me feel better and keeps me sane. I don't want to give up on that. If my foot starts to hurt I just stop and move on to another exercise.
That's all my updates for the week. Sorry I have been ignoring the blog this week, but work is nuts and just going to get worse...
Have a good weekend!
The results are in and I have...plantar fasciitis in my left foot. Here is some gross info on this issue.
The plantar fascia is a very thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. This band of tissue is what creates the arch of the foot. When the fascia is overstretched or overused, it can become inflamed. When the fascia is inflamed, it can be painful and make walking more difficult.
Risk factors for plantar fasciitis include:
•Foot arch problems (both flat feet and high arches)
•Obesity
•Repetitive loading on the feet from long-distance running, especially running downhill or on uneven surfaces
•Sudden weight gain
•Tight Achilles tendon (the tendon connecting the calf muscles to the heel)
•Shoes with poor arch support or soft soles
Plantar fasciitis typically affects active men ages 40 - 70???OMG!
I am blaming my injury on shoes with poor arch support or soft soles. I need to get like 4 pairs of boots fixed. I am pretty mad at myself about this, but for now I am stretching, wearing a foot strap and buying new shoes :).
I haven't stopped going to the gym. I just don't feel like I need to. It makes me feel better and keeps me sane. I don't want to give up on that. If my foot starts to hurt I just stop and move on to another exercise.
That's all my updates for the week. Sorry I have been ignoring the blog this week, but work is nuts and just going to get worse...
Have a good weekend!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Yo Shorty, It's Your Birthday...
TGIF! I am so excited for the work day to end today! Even though I have zero plans tonight, I can't wait to get home and relax. Ever have those type of days? I bet all of you raised your hand.
Well it has been a great week and this week has been filled with birthday's!
My girl Macey's birthday was on Sunday. Macey is one of my best friends from college and I just love catching up with her. Unfortunately she is in Minny so we usually keep in touch via gchat and phonne. I almost always call Macey when I am driving a long distance b/c we can talk for hours!! One of my favorite Macey stories is from my senior year of college. We lived across the street from a Dairy Queen (dangerous) and one day we decided to drive there (yep) and then hit the grocery store(makes a lot of sense.) Macey decided to try my blizzard (I was in the back seat) while she was driving and before we knew it, we were driving on the median. LOL. It was hysterical! Oh the things we do for ice cream.
My Mom's birthday was on Monday. I am so lucky to have my Mom and I cherish our relationship so much. She is one of the coolest, prettiest, smartest (I could go on forever) ladies I know. The thing I love about my Mom is that she loves to learn. At the young age of 59, she has decided to get her PhD (from IA State...sick.) Since I can remember this was a dream of hers. I can't wait to celebrate Doctor Helene Grossman when she graduates in December. What I also love about my Mom is that she always puts others first. I have learned this great quality from her and I know I can always count her for anything. She's one special lady and I can't wait to celebrate her BIG 60 next year.
Yesterday was Lindsay's (Kenoe) birthday. Kenoe and I go way back to the sorority days as well. Even though we weren't extrememly close in college, we were insta-besties our first year our in Chicago. Kenoe and I used to live together and now we live in the same apartment building. Def helps when you need a cup of sugar :). We both share a passion for cooking, working out, sushi, new restaurants, celeb gossip, Bravo, etc. We are going out tomorrow night to celebrate Kenoe and paint the town red. Watch out Chi town! I love so much about Kenoe, but it is hysterical how she makes up words or uses a word or phrase in-correctly. She will hear a word from someone and use it in a sentance even if it doesn't make sense. (And then, yours truly said to me...so are you talking about you or someone else?) LOL.
Happy Birthday to a few of my faves!!
This morning Monster and I got up to hit the gym. I did 20 minutes of cardio, 15 minutes of arms and 10 minutes of abs. I haven't been to the gym on a Friday in months, so I deserve a huge pat on the back. As I limped to the bus, I decided that I have had enough of this foot pain and I was going to call a doctor. My appointment is on Monday and I pray it's nothing big. I just want to be able to walk again! Also, it's almost flip flop time so I need this bad boy healed stat.
I met an old pal of mine for lunch today at Chipotle. Gosh it's hard to make healthy decisions there, but I did the best I could!
As mentioned before, tonight is going to be a chill night and I can't wait. We need to cleap up the pad, but aside from that, nada is on the books for tonight.
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - 90 calorie cereal bar
Breakfast - I caved and get my favorite Starbucks sammy. It's been ages!
Lunch - Chicken burrito bowl. I have my own technique with this. I go shredded lettuce on the bottom, grilled veggies, chicken, hold the rice and beans, a tiny dash of cheese and hot salsa! I also get guacamole on the side and dip my fork in it. Yum!
Dinner - TBD. I think I may make a seafood salad with shrimp and the flounder from T. Joes. Doesn't that sound good?
I hope you all have a nice weekend! Pray for Spring weather!
PK
Well it has been a great week and this week has been filled with birthday's!
My girl Macey's birthday was on Sunday. Macey is one of my best friends from college and I just love catching up with her. Unfortunately she is in Minny so we usually keep in touch via gchat and phonne. I almost always call Macey when I am driving a long distance b/c we can talk for hours!! One of my favorite Macey stories is from my senior year of college. We lived across the street from a Dairy Queen (dangerous) and one day we decided to drive there (yep) and then hit the grocery store(makes a lot of sense.) Macey decided to try my blizzard (I was in the back seat) while she was driving and before we knew it, we were driving on the median. LOL. It was hysterical! Oh the things we do for ice cream.
My Mom's birthday was on Monday. I am so lucky to have my Mom and I cherish our relationship so much. She is one of the coolest, prettiest, smartest (I could go on forever) ladies I know. The thing I love about my Mom is that she loves to learn. At the young age of 59, she has decided to get her PhD (from IA State...sick.) Since I can remember this was a dream of hers. I can't wait to celebrate Doctor Helene Grossman when she graduates in December. What I also love about my Mom is that she always puts others first. I have learned this great quality from her and I know I can always count her for anything. She's one special lady and I can't wait to celebrate her BIG 60 next year.
Yesterday was Lindsay's (Kenoe) birthday. Kenoe and I go way back to the sorority days as well. Even though we weren't extrememly close in college, we were insta-besties our first year our in Chicago. Kenoe and I used to live together and now we live in the same apartment building. Def helps when you need a cup of sugar :). We both share a passion for cooking, working out, sushi, new restaurants, celeb gossip, Bravo, etc. We are going out tomorrow night to celebrate Kenoe and paint the town red. Watch out Chi town! I love so much about Kenoe, but it is hysterical how she makes up words or uses a word or phrase in-correctly. She will hear a word from someone and use it in a sentance even if it doesn't make sense. (And then, yours truly said to me...so are you talking about you or someone else?) LOL.
Happy Birthday to a few of my faves!!
This morning Monster and I got up to hit the gym. I did 20 minutes of cardio, 15 minutes of arms and 10 minutes of abs. I haven't been to the gym on a Friday in months, so I deserve a huge pat on the back. As I limped to the bus, I decided that I have had enough of this foot pain and I was going to call a doctor. My appointment is on Monday and I pray it's nothing big. I just want to be able to walk again! Also, it's almost flip flop time so I need this bad boy healed stat.
I met an old pal of mine for lunch today at Chipotle. Gosh it's hard to make healthy decisions there, but I did the best I could!
As mentioned before, tonight is going to be a chill night and I can't wait. We need to cleap up the pad, but aside from that, nada is on the books for tonight.
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - 90 calorie cereal bar
Breakfast - I caved and get my favorite Starbucks sammy. It's been ages!
Lunch - Chicken burrito bowl. I have my own technique with this. I go shredded lettuce on the bottom, grilled veggies, chicken, hold the rice and beans, a tiny dash of cheese and hot salsa! I also get guacamole on the side and dip my fork in it. Yum!
Dinner - TBD. I think I may make a seafood salad with shrimp and the flounder from T. Joes. Doesn't that sound good?
I hope you all have a nice weekend! Pray for Spring weather!
PK
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Cupcakes!
There is nothing worse than feeling like you are having a great week on your diet and someone brings 3 dozen cupcakes to the kitchen to share with the company...Man my will power was tested!
I saw these tasty treats at 8:30am when I was getting my coffee, 12:30pm when I was making my lunch and right now at 3pm when i was grabbing my applesauce and green tea for an afternoon snack. I usually give myself one day to cheat on my diet and I treat myself either on Saturdays or Sundays (sometimes both) and today just isn't the day. So I saw the cupcakes and they looked delish, but I passed. Also, why the f are they still here? There are plenty of people that work at my company, these should have been gone hours ago. This makes me believe that they were kinda sucky too :).
Sorry about my cupcake rant.
In other exciting news, Monster and I are going to the final Bulls game tonight. I really love going to these games and I bought us t-shirts today when I was at Sports Authority. We are going to wear our bulls gear loud and proud.
For dinner, we are going to Grahamwich before the game and I can't wait! I have been meaning to get to Grahamwich since it's not far from my office, but tonight is the night. I will have a review for you tomorrow.
Since I had no interest in bringing my gym bag to the United Center tonight, I skipped the gym. I could have gotten up to do kickboxing, but this foot is usually not ready to go until my aleve kicks in around 7:30am or so. (I know, I know. I need to go to the doctor.) I plan on going to the gym tomorrow and Friday morning and then hitting WW on Saturday am.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Egg beater, soy sausage and cheese sammy (I used the 100 calorie Earth Grain thin bun)
Lunch - V8 Butternut squash soup (about 3/4 cup) with a laughing cow and salad (my salad stunk)
Snack - Cinnamon applesauce with one splenda and green tea
Dinner - TBD. This menu looks ridic so I have no idea what to get! As mentioned before, reviews to come later.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
PK
Monday, April 11, 2011
My first run in months!
Happy Monday! Gosh yesterday was gorg out!! I wish we had an extra day of the 85 degree weather. The vitamin D felt amazing! I was able to spend some time outside with great friends (Hunter, Nate, Dragon, Kenoe, etc.) which got me very excited for summer. I really can't handle another day of snow or cold...
We walked all over the place yesterday too. That's what I love about Chicago! The weather gets nice and there are people everywhere! The restaurant patios get busy by noon and fruity cocktails come out for the season. We were going to do the fish bowl, but passed. I am not sure any of us would feel good today if we did that.
I do have to say that my legs were a bit sore yesterday while walking around. I finally got my booty to the gym for a run! It felt great. I should have gone outside, but I just wasn't sure what my foot could handle. Luckily the Aleve kicked in and I was able to get through 2+ miles. Seems like a short distance, but I do not care. It felt great! I also plan on going for a run/walk tonight with Kate.
I am excited for this week. I am not traveling, we are going to the Bulls game on Wednesday night, meeting some friends for dinner on Thursday and celebrating Kenoe's birthday on Saturday. I wish it were the weekend already :).
Even though it will be a busy week, we made it to the grocery store last night and I plan on eating healthy (cutting back on some silly carbs too) all week. I also packed my breakfasts and lunches for the week and have no reason to spend additional money on food outside of my plans :).
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Egg whites, soy sausage and slice of cheese
Snack - Pepperjack string cheese
Lunch - V8 Buttersquash soup and 5 Morningstar Buffalo Nuggets
Snack - Banana
Dinner - TBD. I have some veggie burgers at home that sound tasty, but we have some chicken in the fridge from our dinner last night. Looks like Monster and I may be cooking two different meals tonight.
Lastly, I would like to wish my mom a very happy birthday!! I wish I could be in DSM celebrating with her today :(.
Have a nice night!
PK
We walked all over the place yesterday too. That's what I love about Chicago! The weather gets nice and there are people everywhere! The restaurant patios get busy by noon and fruity cocktails come out for the season. We were going to do the fish bowl, but passed. I am not sure any of us would feel good today if we did that.
I do have to say that my legs were a bit sore yesterday while walking around. I finally got my booty to the gym for a run! It felt great. I should have gone outside, but I just wasn't sure what my foot could handle. Luckily the Aleve kicked in and I was able to get through 2+ miles. Seems like a short distance, but I do not care. It felt great! I also plan on going for a run/walk tonight with Kate.
I am excited for this week. I am not traveling, we are going to the Bulls game on Wednesday night, meeting some friends for dinner on Thursday and celebrating Kenoe's birthday on Saturday. I wish it were the weekend already :).
Even though it will be a busy week, we made it to the grocery store last night and I plan on eating healthy (cutting back on some silly carbs too) all week. I also packed my breakfasts and lunches for the week and have no reason to spend additional money on food outside of my plans :).
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Egg whites, soy sausage and slice of cheese
Snack - Pepperjack string cheese
Lunch - V8 Buttersquash soup and 5 Morningstar Buffalo Nuggets
Snack - Banana
Dinner - TBD. I have some veggie burgers at home that sound tasty, but we have some chicken in the fridge from our dinner last night. Looks like Monster and I may be cooking two different meals tonight.
Lastly, I would like to wish my mom a very happy birthday!! I wish I could be in DSM celebrating with her today :(.
Have a nice night!
PK
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
This blog is dedicated to Kristin Smith!
I had such a wonderful surprise today when I was in the locker room at the gym :). I heard some girls talking and looked up to see none other than K. Smith. The best part is that I said, "Hey Hot Stuff!" 2 times before she heard me. Haha. After catching up for a few minutes I went on my way and I heard Kristin shout, "I want a shout out in the blog today"...so Kristin, here is your shout out :).
My work out this morning went ok. I am still struggling a bit with this left foot so I decided to try a few machines out to see how the foot would handle it. I did 12 minutes on the bike, 12 minutes on the tread with an uphill climb and lastly 15 on the elliptical. I worked up a good sweat, but my foot is not feeling any better right now... If it isn't better by next week, I will schedule an appt with the doc. Sucktown.
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - 90 cal cereal bar
Breakfast - Egg beaters, laughing cow and soy sausage patty
Lunch - Salad with 5 Morningstar Buff Nuggets
Dinner - Cod and brown rice
I was able to get out today over lunch and run some errands. I stopped by T Joes and grabbed some Veggie Burgers and also picked up flounder stuffed with crab meat which comes individually packed in the frozen section. My cousin and aunt love this so I had a few bites while I was in NJ and yeah...it's amazing. Also, the price ain't too shabby. Only $2.99! I am going to attempt this tonight and will give you an update tomorrow.
I forgot to mention that Monster cooked an amazing dinner last night!!! He whipped up some pasta with shrimp and vegetable tomato sauce. I had a hard time letting him do all of the cooking so I chopped the onion and he handled the rest. It was delish!!!
Have a good day!
PK
My work out this morning went ok. I am still struggling a bit with this left foot so I decided to try a few machines out to see how the foot would handle it. I did 12 minutes on the bike, 12 minutes on the tread with an uphill climb and lastly 15 on the elliptical. I worked up a good sweat, but my foot is not feeling any better right now... If it isn't better by next week, I will schedule an appt with the doc. Sucktown.
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - 90 cal cereal bar
Breakfast - Egg beaters, laughing cow and soy sausage patty
Lunch - Salad with 5 Morningstar Buff Nuggets
Dinner - Cod and brown rice
I was able to get out today over lunch and run some errands. I stopped by T Joes and grabbed some Veggie Burgers and also picked up flounder stuffed with crab meat which comes individually packed in the frozen section. My cousin and aunt love this so I had a few bites while I was in NJ and yeah...it's amazing. Also, the price ain't too shabby. Only $2.99! I am going to attempt this tonight and will give you an update tomorrow.
I forgot to mention that Monster cooked an amazing dinner last night!!! He whipped up some pasta with shrimp and vegetable tomato sauce. I had a hard time letting him do all of the cooking so I chopped the onion and he handled the rest. It was delish!!!
Have a good day!
PK
Monday, April 4, 2011
For some moments in life, there are no words...
This past weekend I was in New Jersey for my cousin's funeral. Maris died at the young age of 34. I have to say this is one of the hardest life events I have ever had to go through. I miss her so much more today than I did yesterday and just wish I could have talked to her last week to tell her I missed her and loved her.
Last week when my Mom was in NJ for her mom's funeral, my cousin wrote on her FB wall: "For some moments in life, there are no words." 4 days later, my sister wrote this on her FB wall. RIP Maris Joy.
I am sorry for the sad post, but I really can't express enough that you need to tell your close ones more than less how much you love them. Even if you are having an argument, it's 100% worth it.
I haven't really had the time to pay attention to my diet or exercise this past week/weekend, but I will be picking up my work outs tomorrow morning. My foot is finally feeling better and I hope to get in 45 mins or so on the elliptical. I also decided it's time to start training for a run. I have always been intrigued by the Elvis is Alive run in Chicago. This may be my next challenge.
I am going to start fresh with 30 x 30 posts tomorrow.
Love you all!
PK
Last week when my Mom was in NJ for her mom's funeral, my cousin wrote on her FB wall: "For some moments in life, there are no words." 4 days later, my sister wrote this on her FB wall. RIP Maris Joy.
I am sorry for the sad post, but I really can't express enough that you need to tell your close ones more than less how much you love them. Even if you are having an argument, it's 100% worth it.
I haven't really had the time to pay attention to my diet or exercise this past week/weekend, but I will be picking up my work outs tomorrow morning. My foot is finally feeling better and I hope to get in 45 mins or so on the elliptical. I also decided it's time to start training for a run. I have always been intrigued by the Elvis is Alive run in Chicago. This may be my next challenge.
I am going to start fresh with 30 x 30 posts tomorrow.
Love you all!
PK
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
We are moving!!
A lot has happened since my last post. The biggest news, is that Monster and I are moving to Roscoe Village. Luckily this apartment will be passed down to us from wonderful tenants, Nate and Jodi. I am excited to explore a new neighborhood and finally have some peace and quiet!!! The big move will take place the end of May and I am counting down the days. We have mostly everything we need to furnish the place, but an Ikea or Target trip will absolutely happen. My mind is racing with ideas.
In other news, I am dealing with a bruised foot. I am going to blame poor shoes on this injury, but this is not fun! I took a few weeks off from the gym and went this morning to see what my foot could handle. I had to stick with the bike which didn't feel amazing on my left foot, but it felt amazing to sweat!! I finished up my work out with some arm exercises and abs. I hope this foot feels better soon or else a Doctor's office will happen. Ugh.
Next, my travel has picked up for work and I am really busy. It's nice to be busy because the day fliess by, but at the same time, I enjoy working casually through out the day on different projects that do not have a strict deadline. I also HATE traveling/flying for work. I am a home-body and do not like being gone for more than a day from my home base. I am not sure I can be in my current job and not travel so you have to pick and choose your battles. Having a fear of flying doesn't help the case either...
Further, my mom's mom passed away on Friday. She passed from kidney failure. I really have no emotion about this b/c we weren't close and I don't know her, never have. We didn't have the relationship that most grand-parents/grand-kids have. She lived in New Jersey and was absent from my Mom's life for a good chunk of my life. A few years ago, my mom reached out to her mom and they formed a new relationship. They would talk on the phone a few times a week and my mom would send pictures of her family. I spoke to her a few weeks ago when I was in KC and she sounded very old and couldn't understand what I was saying. I feel sad for my mom and wish flights to NJ were not $1K so I could be there to stand by my mom as she attends the funeral. RIP Sylvia.
Ok, on to other news...
My diet has been going well. I have been eating lots of fruits and veggies and have cut soda out of my diet. I crave soda about once a day around 2pm. I usually need some sort of sugar/caffeine kick at that time. If I feel a craving coming on, I usually fill up my water bottle and forget about soda for the time being.
Last night, Monster and I cooked dinner together. My sister made shake and bake on Sunday night and I picked up a box at the store yesterday. I decided to change it up and use chicken breasts dipped in bbq sauce followed by a dip in the shake and bake crunch. THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!! It was very easy and we will most likely become part of our staple meals. We served the chicken with white rice (cooked in chicken broth with italian seasoning and spinach) and corn. It was a tasty meal for a Monday night.
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - 90 calorie cereal bar
Breakfast - Egg beaters with soy sausage and laughing cow wedge
Snack - Strawberries and pineapple
Lunch - Veggie burger and salad
Dinner - Salad from Chipotle
We have a BOGO for Chipotle and I have been craving a Chipotle Burrito Bowl (sans tortilla.) I will be skipping the cheese and beans and just go with the veggies, hot salsa, corn salsa and tiny dollop of guac :).
I have missed blogging and plan on being more active on 30 x 30.
PK
In other news, I am dealing with a bruised foot. I am going to blame poor shoes on this injury, but this is not fun! I took a few weeks off from the gym and went this morning to see what my foot could handle. I had to stick with the bike which didn't feel amazing on my left foot, but it felt amazing to sweat!! I finished up my work out with some arm exercises and abs. I hope this foot feels better soon or else a Doctor's office will happen. Ugh.
Next, my travel has picked up for work and I am really busy. It's nice to be busy because the day fliess by, but at the same time, I enjoy working casually through out the day on different projects that do not have a strict deadline. I also HATE traveling/flying for work. I am a home-body and do not like being gone for more than a day from my home base. I am not sure I can be in my current job and not travel so you have to pick and choose your battles. Having a fear of flying doesn't help the case either...
Further, my mom's mom passed away on Friday. She passed from kidney failure. I really have no emotion about this b/c we weren't close and I don't know her, never have. We didn't have the relationship that most grand-parents/grand-kids have. She lived in New Jersey and was absent from my Mom's life for a good chunk of my life. A few years ago, my mom reached out to her mom and they formed a new relationship. They would talk on the phone a few times a week and my mom would send pictures of her family. I spoke to her a few weeks ago when I was in KC and she sounded very old and couldn't understand what I was saying. I feel sad for my mom and wish flights to NJ were not $1K so I could be there to stand by my mom as she attends the funeral. RIP Sylvia.
Ok, on to other news...
My diet has been going well. I have been eating lots of fruits and veggies and have cut soda out of my diet. I crave soda about once a day around 2pm. I usually need some sort of sugar/caffeine kick at that time. If I feel a craving coming on, I usually fill up my water bottle and forget about soda for the time being.
Last night, Monster and I cooked dinner together. My sister made shake and bake on Sunday night and I picked up a box at the store yesterday. I decided to change it up and use chicken breasts dipped in bbq sauce followed by a dip in the shake and bake crunch. THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!! It was very easy and we will most likely become part of our staple meals. We served the chicken with white rice (cooked in chicken broth with italian seasoning and spinach) and corn. It was a tasty meal for a Monday night.
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - 90 calorie cereal bar
Breakfast - Egg beaters with soy sausage and laughing cow wedge
Snack - Strawberries and pineapple
Lunch - Veggie burger and salad
Dinner - Salad from Chipotle
We have a BOGO for Chipotle and I have been craving a Chipotle Burrito Bowl (sans tortilla.) I will be skipping the cheese and beans and just go with the veggies, hot salsa, corn salsa and tiny dollop of guac :).
I have missed blogging and plan on being more active on 30 x 30.
PK
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sunday Dinner
One of the traditions that we started and I love is making Sunday night dinner. I had planned on trying a recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes blog a few weeks ago and I never printed it out. Luckily, my favorite blogger, Iowa Girl Eats, found this recipe too and made it last week to share with her readers.
Here it is! Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole. It's different, but it was very tasty :) We paired our entree with steamed cauliflower and brocoli and also some garlic toast (with a thin bun.) Scrumptch!!
Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole
Gina's Skinny Recipes
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1/8th • Old Points: 8 pts • Points+: 9 pts
Calories: 367.2 • Fat: 9.5 g • Carb: 46.8 g • Fiber: 2.0 g • Protein: 20.9 g
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
4 cups water
1 (2.5 oz) sweet Italian sausage link, casing removed
10 oz (.65 lbs) 93% lean ground turkey (1/2 package)
1/4 cup onion, minced
salt and fresh pepper
5 oz frozen peas
16 oz homemade tomato sauce
1/3 cup egg beaters or egg whites
1/2 cup pecorino romano
cooking spray
4 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs, divided
1 1/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella
Cook rice in water according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, sauté sausage meat; cook until brown breaking up into pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add turkey and onions and cook until browned, breaking up as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add peas and 8 oz tomato sauce and simmer on low, covered, about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl combine rice, pecorino romano, eggs, and 3-4 oz tomato sauce and mix well. Rice should be a bit sticky.
Spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray, making sure to spray sides too. Add 2 tbsp breadcrumbs to the dish and roll around to coat the bottom and sides.
Take half of the rice mixture (a little more if needed) and cover the bottom of the dish and up the sides; press to form the bottom layer.
Add the meat and peas.
Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Top with remaining rice and press until even. Top with remaining 4 oz of sauce, remaining 2 tbsp breadcrumbs, and remaining mozzarella.
Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes. Cut into 8pieces.
Enjoy!
PK
Here it is! Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole. It's different, but it was very tasty :) We paired our entree with steamed cauliflower and brocoli and also some garlic toast (with a thin bun.) Scrumptch!!
Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole
Gina's Skinny Recipes
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1/8th • Old Points: 8 pts • Points+: 9 pts
Calories: 367.2 • Fat: 9.5 g • Carb: 46.8 g • Fiber: 2.0 g • Protein: 20.9 g
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
4 cups water
1 (2.5 oz) sweet Italian sausage link, casing removed
10 oz (.65 lbs) 93% lean ground turkey (1/2 package)
1/4 cup onion, minced
salt and fresh pepper
5 oz frozen peas
16 oz homemade tomato sauce
1/3 cup egg beaters or egg whites
1/2 cup pecorino romano
cooking spray
4 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs, divided
1 1/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella
Cook rice in water according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, sauté sausage meat; cook until brown breaking up into pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add turkey and onions and cook until browned, breaking up as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add peas and 8 oz tomato sauce and simmer on low, covered, about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl combine rice, pecorino romano, eggs, and 3-4 oz tomato sauce and mix well. Rice should be a bit sticky.
Spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray, making sure to spray sides too. Add 2 tbsp breadcrumbs to the dish and roll around to coat the bottom and sides.
Take half of the rice mixture (a little more if needed) and cover the bottom of the dish and up the sides; press to form the bottom layer.
Add the meat and peas.
Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Top with remaining rice and press until even. Top with remaining 4 oz of sauce, remaining 2 tbsp breadcrumbs, and remaining mozzarella.
Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes. Cut into 8pieces.
Enjoy!
PK
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Almost...
To the 10 lb mark!! I went to WW yesterday with a poor attitude. I thought it would probably be a small gain since I haven't been to WW in two weeks, but I was surprised when I stepped on the scale and saw a -2.4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This seriously made my weekend. I would have been a tad happpier with an extra .2 loss so I would finally be at the 10 lb mark, but I am so so so close.
Now I have a small confession. I have been slacking at the gym. I feel that I am a pretty routine person and have been great the past few months getting up during the work week at least 2 to 3 times and to hit the gym and also getting there at least one day during the weekend. I just am in a rut and have no desire to work out. I hope that this passes soon, b/c I really love the feeling of getting into shape and having a good sweat session. I will blame this slacking on my work schedule. Lately when I get up, I want to get to work and get moving on everything I need to do.
I am traveling this week to Rochester, NY from Monday - Wednesday and then in the suburbs on Thursday for a meeting with one of my clients. It's going to be a crazy week, but I hope after this week my travel will slow down and I can jump back on the work out wagon.
Unfortunately I will not have time to work out while I am in Rochester since our meetings start as early as 7am (which is 6am Chi time, ugh.) I will stay on track with my diet and count my points while I am on the road.
I want to hit that 10lb mark so bad next week so cross your fingers for me. 20.2 lbs more to go!!!
PK
This seriously made my weekend. I would have been a tad happpier with an extra .2 loss so I would finally be at the 10 lb mark, but I am so so so close.
Now I have a small confession. I have been slacking at the gym. I feel that I am a pretty routine person and have been great the past few months getting up during the work week at least 2 to 3 times and to hit the gym and also getting there at least one day during the weekend. I just am in a rut and have no desire to work out. I hope that this passes soon, b/c I really love the feeling of getting into shape and having a good sweat session. I will blame this slacking on my work schedule. Lately when I get up, I want to get to work and get moving on everything I need to do.
I am traveling this week to Rochester, NY from Monday - Wednesday and then in the suburbs on Thursday for a meeting with one of my clients. It's going to be a crazy week, but I hope after this week my travel will slow down and I can jump back on the work out wagon.
Unfortunately I will not have time to work out while I am in Rochester since our meetings start as early as 7am (which is 6am Chi time, ugh.) I will stay on track with my diet and count my points while I am on the road.
I want to hit that 10lb mark so bad next week so cross your fingers for me. 20.2 lbs more to go!!!
PK
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Missing In Action
I am so sorry followers (5 of you :)) I have been MIA. Work has been nuts and my tavel schedule has picked up. I also spent the weekend in Iowa to celebrate my Pops turning 60! His party was a blast and I am sad it's over.
When we got back from our trip, the fridge was empty. $185 later, we are all set! Aldi, T. Joes and Dominics hit the spot and emptied our wallets, ha.
I have been skipping my work outs b/c I am just having a hard time waking up! I have been so tired and since we have been back from our weekend trip, our neighbor has kept us up. I have also cut soda out of my diet which is killing me!!! But today...we got up and hit the gym! 45 minutes on the elliptical was my work out today. Tomorrow I plan on running 2 miles and doing some arm exercises.
As far as my meal plan, I have been trying to cut back on carbs a bit. Not 100%, but making sure I stay away from bread as much as I can.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 2 soy sausage patties and one string cheese
Lunch - SW veggie pocket and V8 Butternut Squash soup - I love this stuff!
Snack - I attempted honey greek yogurt from T. Joes and I hate it. I am just never going to adjust to that taste.
Dinner - Burgers on the indoor grill!
We have only used this grill once b/c we don't have the space for it, but I love it! Here are the deets: The DeLonghi BG24 Indoor Grill has an embedded heating element and a special M-shaped grill design so the entire surface area heats up and grilling results are more consistent. Its adjustable, detachable thermostat has five temperature levels. The grill surface itself is nonstick, so less oil is required and a nonstick splatter shield surrounds the edge of the grill to prevent splatter. The tempered glass lid fits over the grill to retain moisture.
The weather is getting nice and tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 60's! I love everything about that!!!
Have a good rest of the day!
PK
When we got back from our trip, the fridge was empty. $185 later, we are all set! Aldi, T. Joes and Dominics hit the spot and emptied our wallets, ha.
I have been skipping my work outs b/c I am just having a hard time waking up! I have been so tired and since we have been back from our weekend trip, our neighbor has kept us up. I have also cut soda out of my diet which is killing me!!! But today...we got up and hit the gym! 45 minutes on the elliptical was my work out today. Tomorrow I plan on running 2 miles and doing some arm exercises.
As far as my meal plan, I have been trying to cut back on carbs a bit. Not 100%, but making sure I stay away from bread as much as I can.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 2 soy sausage patties and one string cheese
Lunch - SW veggie pocket and V8 Butternut Squash soup - I love this stuff!
Snack - I attempted honey greek yogurt from T. Joes and I hate it. I am just never going to adjust to that taste.
Dinner - Burgers on the indoor grill!
We have only used this grill once b/c we don't have the space for it, but I love it! Here are the deets: The DeLonghi BG24 Indoor Grill has an embedded heating element and a special M-shaped grill design so the entire surface area heats up and grilling results are more consistent. Its adjustable, detachable thermostat has five temperature levels. The grill surface itself is nonstick, so less oil is required and a nonstick splatter shield surrounds the edge of the grill to prevent splatter. The tempered glass lid fits over the grill to retain moisture.
The weather is getting nice and tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 60's! I love everything about that!!!
Have a good rest of the day!
PK
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Hotel Gym Fail!
I am sitting here in my work out clothes and my ipod is still clipped to my work out pants. I got up extra early to hit the gym this morning at the beautiful(not) Hampton Inn and Suites in Tampa. I should have checked the gym out last night, but I was in serious work mode and never made it to the lobby.
As I walked through the door, I noticed a large white sign on the treadmill that said "Out of Order." Fail. I guess I am just annoyed that I didn't grab my Jillian Michael or p90x DVD's before rushing out the door yesterday, but I assumed a hotel gym would at least have working machines...even if they are from 1990.
So the treadmill is out of order and all of the weight machines don't have weights. It's not very fun lifting your legs on the leg press with zero weight.
I attempted a generic elliptical machine for 20 minutes and realized that it hadn't been maintenanced or cleaned since the Hampton Inn brought it in, so I left the gym and decided to get back to work. Hey, at least I tried!
Today will be filled with meetings, store visits and site visits. It should be a busy one, but I am looking forward to it.
It's tough to know what you will be eating while traveling for work, but I don't plan on eating much. I had fruit and some eggs for breakfast and I snagged a banana for my morning snack. We may skip lunch and do a late dinner (most likely at Applebees. Sick.)
I hope you are having a great week!!
PK
As I walked through the door, I noticed a large white sign on the treadmill that said "Out of Order." Fail. I guess I am just annoyed that I didn't grab my Jillian Michael or p90x DVD's before rushing out the door yesterday, but I assumed a hotel gym would at least have working machines...even if they are from 1990.
So the treadmill is out of order and all of the weight machines don't have weights. It's not very fun lifting your legs on the leg press with zero weight.
I attempted a generic elliptical machine for 20 minutes and realized that it hadn't been maintenanced or cleaned since the Hampton Inn brought it in, so I left the gym and decided to get back to work. Hey, at least I tried!
Today will be filled with meetings, store visits and site visits. It should be a busy one, but I am looking forward to it.
It's tough to know what you will be eating while traveling for work, but I don't plan on eating much. I had fruit and some eggs for breakfast and I snagged a banana for my morning snack. We may skip lunch and do a late dinner (most likely at Applebees. Sick.)
I hope you are having a great week!!
PK
Monday, March 7, 2011
Bug
This title has 2 meanings. The first is that Monster and I baby sat for Lexi "Bug" Edwards yesterday while her parents had to tend to some Baptism business. She is too cute for words!! Unfortunately she liked Monster more than me.
Second is that I am coming down with a bug. It hit me last night when I got home and I just faded so fast. My throat started hurting and my sinuses are killing me. This is never fun especially when I have to travel all week!!! At least warm weather will be a plus to this work adventure.
We set the alarm this morning to go to the gym and it didn't happen. I actually didn't even think twice about it and decided to sleep for another hour instead.
Work has been busy today trying to get prepped for my work trip to Tampa. This is actually my last day in the office this week since we are traveling to Iowa next weekend for my Dad's 60th birthday. I can't wait!!! There is a big crew coming out to celebrate Barry :).
We have no food at home so I'm not sure what our plan is for dinner. I think Sultan Market may be my plan :).
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 1 hard boiled egg and 1 soy sausage patty
Snack - string cheese
Lunch - my favorite salad from pockets sans bread
Dinner - TBD, but Sultans sounds tasty!! Or maybe some soup to help with this silly sore throat.
I will most likely be MIA the next few days into next week so I apologize in advance. I am bringing my work-out gear with me to Tampa and plan on getting in at least 2 work outs. Wish me luck!!
PK
Second is that I am coming down with a bug. It hit me last night when I got home and I just faded so fast. My throat started hurting and my sinuses are killing me. This is never fun especially when I have to travel all week!!! At least warm weather will be a plus to this work adventure.
We set the alarm this morning to go to the gym and it didn't happen. I actually didn't even think twice about it and decided to sleep for another hour instead.
Work has been busy today trying to get prepped for my work trip to Tampa. This is actually my last day in the office this week since we are traveling to Iowa next weekend for my Dad's 60th birthday. I can't wait!!! There is a big crew coming out to celebrate Barry :).
We have no food at home so I'm not sure what our plan is for dinner. I think Sultan Market may be my plan :).
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 1 hard boiled egg and 1 soy sausage patty
Snack - string cheese
Lunch - my favorite salad from pockets sans bread
Dinner - TBD, but Sultans sounds tasty!! Or maybe some soup to help with this silly sore throat.
I will most likely be MIA the next few days into next week so I apologize in advance. I am bringing my work-out gear with me to Tampa and plan on getting in at least 2 work outs. Wish me luck!!
PK
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Feeling It
This week I have been following my diet very closely and strictly and I feel great!!! Last night when I was making dinner, I measured everything to make sure I wasn't over-eating or over-estimating. I have been using my bowls that are exactly one cup which has helped me with my portion control. I bought one of my bowls at homegoods and I love it.
It's interesting to think about portions when you go out to eat. Italian Restaurants always give you 3 to 4 times what your portions should be, but unfortunately when the food is so good, it's hard to stop! The next time I go out for Italian, I am going to ask for a to-go box so I can immediately add half to the box and have left overs for another meal or two. Now that is will power!!
Yesterday I had a so-so work out. I was really tired when I got up and the last thing I wanted to go do was work out. I did about 25 mins of cardio and leg exercises. My goal was to run 3 miles for my cardio, but my legs felt very "heavy" and I had no interest in it. That is when I turned to the incline walk. I love doing this and I sweat like a pig! The intervals make this cardio session go by pretty fast too.
This morning was much better. I got in 45 mins of cardio and some abs. I felt great when I left the gym. Everyone has those off days at the gym and unfortunately mine was yesterday.
My travel is starting to pick for work and the work outs on the road have never been easy for me. I plan on bringing my work out clothes and p90x DVD's when I travel to Tampa next week. If I can get in a work out both days I will be so happy!!!
Another issue I have on the road is eating out. This is when I need to use the to-go box approach. My client is a big fan of Applebees and Chilis so I need to be sure I am looking at the salads or healthy options.
Tonight I am going on a triple date to Seven Ten Lounge for some bowling. I can't wait! I love bowling and it's been ages, so tonight will be a good time.
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - 90 calorie cereal bar
Breakfast - Soy sausage patty and egg whites
Lunch - Potato/Cauliflower soup and Morningstar buffalo nuggets
Snack - Apple
Dinner - TBD. We may eat apps or go out for a bite after we bowl.
Have a great day!!
Peri
It's interesting to think about portions when you go out to eat. Italian Restaurants always give you 3 to 4 times what your portions should be, but unfortunately when the food is so good, it's hard to stop! The next time I go out for Italian, I am going to ask for a to-go box so I can immediately add half to the box and have left overs for another meal or two. Now that is will power!!
Yesterday I had a so-so work out. I was really tired when I got up and the last thing I wanted to go do was work out. I did about 25 mins of cardio and leg exercises. My goal was to run 3 miles for my cardio, but my legs felt very "heavy" and I had no interest in it. That is when I turned to the incline walk. I love doing this and I sweat like a pig! The intervals make this cardio session go by pretty fast too.
This morning was much better. I got in 45 mins of cardio and some abs. I felt great when I left the gym. Everyone has those off days at the gym and unfortunately mine was yesterday.
My travel is starting to pick for work and the work outs on the road have never been easy for me. I plan on bringing my work out clothes and p90x DVD's when I travel to Tampa next week. If I can get in a work out both days I will be so happy!!!
Another issue I have on the road is eating out. This is when I need to use the to-go box approach. My client is a big fan of Applebees and Chilis so I need to be sure I am looking at the salads or healthy options.
Tonight I am going on a triple date to Seven Ten Lounge for some bowling. I can't wait! I love bowling and it's been ages, so tonight will be a good time.
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - 90 calorie cereal bar
Breakfast - Soy sausage patty and egg whites
Lunch - Potato/Cauliflower soup and Morningstar buffalo nuggets
Snack - Apple
Dinner - TBD. We may eat apps or go out for a bite after we bowl.
Have a great day!!
Peri
Monday, February 28, 2011
Oscars
I was so excited for last night! I love the Oscars so much. We were able to watch all movies nominated, but Winter's Bone and The Kids are Alright. I still want to see these two, but we can only fit so many movies into a weekend! I love the dresses, the jewelry, the hosts of the Oscars, the speeches, etc. I'm bummed it's over, but now I can look forward to The Fashion Police on E and US Weekly with all of the best and worst dressed.
I hope you all had a nice weekend! Mine was extremely relaxing and lazy. It was kinda perfect. On Friday, we made some dinner and watched The Fighter. What a badass movie! I had to cover my eyes a few times during the bloody scenes, but the acting was ridiculously amazing! For dinner, Monster and I prepped the following from my fave blog, Iowa Girl Eats.
Whole-Wheat Gnocchi with Sausage & Spinach
Ingredients:
1 package pre-made whole-wheat gnocchi (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup gnocchi cooking water
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small shallot, chopped - I used half a white onion instead
3 links sun-dried tomato & basil chicken sausage, casings removed - I used 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey instead
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water before draining.
2. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until begins to soften, ~3-4 minutes. Add ground turkey and garlic. Break up turkey and sauté until cooked through. Add in baby spinach, toss and continue to cook until spinach is wilted.
3. Add cooked gnocchi into the skillet with the turkey and spinach, top with parmesan cheese, the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil and the reserved cooking water. Mix together.
On Saturday, we started the day with Toy Story 3 and then hit the gym. Now this was a cute movie. I got teary at the end (of course.) Those toys seriously went through hell and back to avoid getting eaten alive by the fire!!
After the gym (an hour of cardio and abs) I made a batch of Paula Deen's Monster Cookies. Gosh these were tasty!!! Not very healthy, but mighty yum. Here is the recipe in case you are interested.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
2. In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, baking soda and oatmeal.
3. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.
5. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.
On Saturday night, Monster and I had a date in Andersonville. We gave dinner at Kingfisher a 3 out of 10. The service was awful, food was eh and it was just a bad experience. It's nice that it is BYOB, but don't waste your time. After dinner, we walked to a bar down the road for some beer and dessert which was tasty.
Now yesterday I was a complete bum. At about noon I decided it was time to get outside and run some errands. But before we ran errands, Potbelly was calling our names! Gosh I love this place. Unfortunately I asked for extra hot peppers and my mouth was on fire for an hour after eating my skinny turkey on wheat sammy.
I wanted to make a soup that I could put in the fridge and bring to work with me for the week. I decided to try a low fat Baked Potato Soup recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes blog (http://www.skinnytaste.com/). The soup wasn't bad, but I think I may add some turkey bacon to it the next time I make it. Also, I love that it isn't 100%potato based, it's more of a cauliflower puree which is a yumo alternative. Here is the recipe:
Baked Potato Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 5 • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 207.6 • Fat: 7.8 g • Carb: 22.5 g • Fiber: 2.4 g • Protein: 11.9 g
Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes, washed and dried
1 small head of cauliflower, stem removed cut into florets
1 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth
1 1/2 cups 1% reduced-fat milk
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup light sour cream
10 tbsp reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 tbsp chopped chives, divided
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can use turkey bacon if you prefer)
Directions:
1. Pierce potatoes with a fork; microwave on high for 5 minutes turn over and microwave another 3 - 5 minutes, until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes.
2. Meanwhile, steam cauliflower with water in a large covered pot until tender. Drain and return to pot.
3. On medium heat, add chicken broth, milk, potatoes and bring to a boil. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
4.Add sour cream, half the chives, salt and pepper and cook on low another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from heat. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Top each serving with 2 tbsp cheese, remaining chives, and bacon
So much cooking!!!
After a two hour nap, I started dinner which was Chicken Enchiladas. I served these with Mexican Rice for him and spinach with grilled onions for me :). I loved this dish!!!
Ingredients:
1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Picante Sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 Fajita Size Flour Tortillas, warmed
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
Directions
1.Mix soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder.
2.Mix 1 cup picante sauce mixture, chicken and cheese.
3.Spread about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam-side down in 3-quart shallow baking dish. Pour remaining picante sauce mixture over enchiladas. Cover.
4.Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until hot. Top with tomato and onion.
These weren't your typical enchiladas. They were more creamy, but I loved them!!! I may need to make this a staple dish at home.
So I skipped the work out this am, but I plan on heading home to do the Jillian Michaels 30 min Shread. Monday mornings are rough to get up even when you have a lazy weekend. Atleast I made it to the gym on Saturday. I will also be heading to the gym the next few mornings.
I hope you enjoyed this blog and a few of the recipes!!
Have a great week!
Peri
I hope you all had a nice weekend! Mine was extremely relaxing and lazy. It was kinda perfect. On Friday, we made some dinner and watched The Fighter. What a badass movie! I had to cover my eyes a few times during the bloody scenes, but the acting was ridiculously amazing! For dinner, Monster and I prepped the following from my fave blog, Iowa Girl Eats.
Whole-Wheat Gnocchi with Sausage & Spinach
Ingredients:
1 package pre-made whole-wheat gnocchi (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup gnocchi cooking water
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small shallot, chopped - I used half a white onion instead
3 links sun-dried tomato & basil chicken sausage, casings removed - I used 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey instead
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water before draining.
2. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until begins to soften, ~3-4 minutes. Add ground turkey and garlic. Break up turkey and sauté until cooked through. Add in baby spinach, toss and continue to cook until spinach is wilted.
3. Add cooked gnocchi into the skillet with the turkey and spinach, top with parmesan cheese, the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil and the reserved cooking water. Mix together.
On Saturday, we started the day with Toy Story 3 and then hit the gym. Now this was a cute movie. I got teary at the end (of course.) Those toys seriously went through hell and back to avoid getting eaten alive by the fire!!
After the gym (an hour of cardio and abs) I made a batch of Paula Deen's Monster Cookies. Gosh these were tasty!!! Not very healthy, but mighty yum. Here is the recipe in case you are interested.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
2. In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, baking soda and oatmeal.
3. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.
5. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.
On Saturday night, Monster and I had a date in Andersonville. We gave dinner at Kingfisher a 3 out of 10. The service was awful, food was eh and it was just a bad experience. It's nice that it is BYOB, but don't waste your time. After dinner, we walked to a bar down the road for some beer and dessert which was tasty.
Now yesterday I was a complete bum. At about noon I decided it was time to get outside and run some errands. But before we ran errands, Potbelly was calling our names! Gosh I love this place. Unfortunately I asked for extra hot peppers and my mouth was on fire for an hour after eating my skinny turkey on wheat sammy.
I wanted to make a soup that I could put in the fridge and bring to work with me for the week. I decided to try a low fat Baked Potato Soup recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes blog (http://www.skinnytaste.com/). The soup wasn't bad, but I think I may add some turkey bacon to it the next time I make it. Also, I love that it isn't 100%potato based, it's more of a cauliflower puree which is a yumo alternative. Here is the recipe:
Baked Potato Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 5 • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 207.6 • Fat: 7.8 g • Carb: 22.5 g • Fiber: 2.4 g • Protein: 11.9 g
Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes, washed and dried
1 small head of cauliflower, stem removed cut into florets
1 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth
1 1/2 cups 1% reduced-fat milk
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup light sour cream
10 tbsp reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 tbsp chopped chives, divided
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can use turkey bacon if you prefer)
Directions:
1. Pierce potatoes with a fork; microwave on high for 5 minutes turn over and microwave another 3 - 5 minutes, until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes.
2. Meanwhile, steam cauliflower with water in a large covered pot until tender. Drain and return to pot.
3. On medium heat, add chicken broth, milk, potatoes and bring to a boil. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
4.Add sour cream, half the chives, salt and pepper and cook on low another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from heat. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Top each serving with 2 tbsp cheese, remaining chives, and bacon
So much cooking!!!
After a two hour nap, I started dinner which was Chicken Enchiladas. I served these with Mexican Rice for him and spinach with grilled onions for me :). I loved this dish!!!
Ingredients:
1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Picante Sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 Fajita Size Flour Tortillas, warmed
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
Directions
1.Mix soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder.
2.Mix 1 cup picante sauce mixture, chicken and cheese.
3.Spread about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam-side down in 3-quart shallow baking dish. Pour remaining picante sauce mixture over enchiladas. Cover.
4.Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until hot. Top with tomato and onion.
These weren't your typical enchiladas. They were more creamy, but I loved them!!! I may need to make this a staple dish at home.
So I skipped the work out this am, but I plan on heading home to do the Jillian Michaels 30 min Shread. Monday mornings are rough to get up even when you have a lazy weekend. Atleast I made it to the gym on Saturday. I will also be heading to the gym the next few mornings.
I hope you enjoyed this blog and a few of the recipes!!
Have a great week!
Peri
Friday, February 25, 2011
No Loss and No Gain!
I got my butt to WW this morning for a weigh-in. I truly dread the weigh-in when I haven't been for a few weeks. I got up early so I could get there for the meeting too. Before I stepped on the scale, I told one of the ladies behind the desk that I didn't want to know how I did. She just laughed and when she told me I stayed exactly the same, I felt so much better!!
I walked away from the meeting feeling really good and motivated! We are booking a flight to Ecuador tomorrow for July so I have lots of reasons to stay on track and get to the gym. Also, I need to get to my goal by September! I also walked away wanting to buy a food scale for my kitchen. I may need to venture over to BBB this weekend and check them out.
This weekend we have no definate plans. I want to see a few of the movies nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars so I think tonight we will watch The Fighter and tomorrow night maybe Toy Story 3. I also will be hitting the gym tonight, doing my Jillian Michaels DVD tomorrow and then the gym on Sunday.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 1/2 cup cottage cheese and cinnamon raisin toast
Snack - string cheese
Lunch - I am meeting my girlfriend for lunch at Cosi. I am thinking soup and salad today.
Snack - Orange
Dinner - Turkey sausage gnocchi - We will see how this turns out!
Have a great weekend and stay warm!
PK
I walked away from the meeting feeling really good and motivated! We are booking a flight to Ecuador tomorrow for July so I have lots of reasons to stay on track and get to the gym. Also, I need to get to my goal by September! I also walked away wanting to buy a food scale for my kitchen. I may need to venture over to BBB this weekend and check them out.
This weekend we have no definate plans. I want to see a few of the movies nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars so I think tonight we will watch The Fighter and tomorrow night maybe Toy Story 3. I also will be hitting the gym tonight, doing my Jillian Michaels DVD tomorrow and then the gym on Sunday.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 1/2 cup cottage cheese and cinnamon raisin toast
Snack - string cheese
Lunch - I am meeting my girlfriend for lunch at Cosi. I am thinking soup and salad today.
Snack - Orange
Dinner - Turkey sausage gnocchi - We will see how this turns out!
Have a great weekend and stay warm!
PK
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Leftys!!
I know I was all talk about going to the gym this week and getting on track, but I snoozed three times this am and skipped the gym! We talked about doing p90x tonight, but it is not going to happen. Oh well. Tomorrow am, p90x is on!!
The best part about getting ready at home today instead of at the gym, is that I could bring my left overs from dinner to work for lunch!! This dish was actually better on day 2!! The bitter lemon taste with the spicy red pepper flakes is just delish :). Even though I had leftys for lunch, I made it to T Joes to pick up some staples. Sad news friends...the soy nuggets have not made an appearance back in the store!! I asked the manager and unfortunately he had no news. Shucks.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Egg beaters on cinnamon raisin toast. I stole this concept from IGE. My girl Kristin uses a cinnamon-raisin bagel topped with melted, cheddar cheese, local bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup. It is sweet and savory and highly recommend trying it out!!
http://iowagirleats.com/2011/01/02/this-year-i-want-to/
Lunch - Leftovers from dinner and a 100 calorie english muffin with laughing cow
Snack - Pretzels and a glass of champagne. Haha, it was my boss's birthday so we got champagne to celebrate!
Dinner - I am feeling soup, but Monster is in charge of dinner tonight. He may be stealing a recipe from IGE too!!
I hope you have a nice day all! It's Thursday manana! Wow, this week is going fast.
PK
The best part about getting ready at home today instead of at the gym, is that I could bring my left overs from dinner to work for lunch!! This dish was actually better on day 2!! The bitter lemon taste with the spicy red pepper flakes is just delish :). Even though I had leftys for lunch, I made it to T Joes to pick up some staples. Sad news friends...the soy nuggets have not made an appearance back in the store!! I asked the manager and unfortunately he had no news. Shucks.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Egg beaters on cinnamon raisin toast. I stole this concept from IGE. My girl Kristin uses a cinnamon-raisin bagel topped with melted, cheddar cheese, local bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup. It is sweet and savory and highly recommend trying it out!!
http://iowagirleats.com/2011/01/02/this-year-i-want-to/
Lunch - Leftovers from dinner and a 100 calorie english muffin with laughing cow
Snack - Pretzels and a glass of champagne. Haha, it was my boss's birthday so we got champagne to celebrate!
Dinner - I am feeling soup, but Monster is in charge of dinner tonight. He may be stealing a recipe from IGE too!!
I hope you have a nice day all! It's Thursday manana! Wow, this week is going fast.
PK
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Slacker!
Sorry all! I feel like I have been slacking on my blog. It's been a busy few weeks at work and will continue to be nutty until Aprilish. I hope you don't think I am just being lazy and forgetting about all of my loyal readers (ha.)
This weekend was great! I actually had a 3 day weekend since my office closed for President's Day. It was lovely to just do whatever I felt like doing on a week day! This consisted of coffee in my big comfy chair, the gym with Kenoe and a visit with Lexi Bug and Ian!! It was a perfect day!
I was able to get to the gym on Saturday and Monday this past weekend so I felt pretty good. I have been incredibly sore from my work out on Saturday so cardio was rough on Monday. I was in pain for the first 10 mins and then got in my groove.
Monster and I hit the gym this am too. It feels so good to get the work out of the way. If you can get up and make this a habit, I highly recommend it!! I got in a light 15 minute jog before pumping some iron. I spent most of my time at the gym focusing on arms and abs, but I did do a few exercises for my back which I can already feel some soreness. I plan on going to the gym the rest of the week and trying to get in one p90x routine.
In other work out news, I decided to buy the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. Some work pals were raving about it, so I thought I would give it a shot. $11 bones later, the DVD is all mine and I am ready to get this 30 day shred going! I will most likely start on Saturday.
Here are some details:
Jillian will guide you through her exclusive 3-2-1 Interval System that combines strength, cardio and abs to maximize calorie burn for a dramatic shredded body. The DVD includes three complete 20-minute workouts which progress by level of intensity
Ok, so I am trying to be really good this week so my lunches that I packed for the week consist of soup...boring! I have some left over fruit and light english muffins which I can have for breakfast, but I feel like I need to hit up T Joes tomorrow to at least have better snacks or something to go with my soup. I usually look forward to my lunch, but today I dreaded it. Let's pray that the soy nuggets are back and fully stocked in the freezer aisle! I miss these and hate that T Joes are working on a new package design. I will stalk these nuggets and let you know when they are back!
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - cereal bar
Breakfast - String cheese and english muffin with laughing cow
Lunch - Mega Noodle soup and apple sauce
Snack - Chex mix - so random, but I was starving!
Dinner - Salad and Chili, Lemon, and Basil Shrimp with Israeli Couscous (recipe below)
I saw this couscous recipe on-line on thekitchn.com and had to make it! It was super easy to make and delish!!! Def try it out!!
Chili, Lemon, and Basil Shrimp with Israeli Couscous
serves 2
For the couscous:
Olive oil
1 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the shrimp:
4 large cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes, to taste
1 pound cooked shrimp, deveined and tails removed
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the couscous and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it starts smelling a little toasty. Add the lemon juice and stir until the lemon juice evaporates. (Reserve the lemon zest for the shrimp.) Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer then turn the heat to low and cover the pan tightly. Cook for 15 minutes, then take off the heat and let the pan sit, still covered, until you are ready to serve the couscous.
Yum! I can't wait to have this for dinner tomorrow night!!!
Once again I am sorry for being late on my blogs and missing a few days.
Have a great week!
PK
This weekend was great! I actually had a 3 day weekend since my office closed for President's Day. It was lovely to just do whatever I felt like doing on a week day! This consisted of coffee in my big comfy chair, the gym with Kenoe and a visit with Lexi Bug and Ian!! It was a perfect day!
I was able to get to the gym on Saturday and Monday this past weekend so I felt pretty good. I have been incredibly sore from my work out on Saturday so cardio was rough on Monday. I was in pain for the first 10 mins and then got in my groove.
Monster and I hit the gym this am too. It feels so good to get the work out of the way. If you can get up and make this a habit, I highly recommend it!! I got in a light 15 minute jog before pumping some iron. I spent most of my time at the gym focusing on arms and abs, but I did do a few exercises for my back which I can already feel some soreness. I plan on going to the gym the rest of the week and trying to get in one p90x routine.
In other work out news, I decided to buy the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. Some work pals were raving about it, so I thought I would give it a shot. $11 bones later, the DVD is all mine and I am ready to get this 30 day shred going! I will most likely start on Saturday.
Here are some details:
Jillian will guide you through her exclusive 3-2-1 Interval System that combines strength, cardio and abs to maximize calorie burn for a dramatic shredded body. The DVD includes three complete 20-minute workouts which progress by level of intensity
Ok, so I am trying to be really good this week so my lunches that I packed for the week consist of soup...boring! I have some left over fruit and light english muffins which I can have for breakfast, but I feel like I need to hit up T Joes tomorrow to at least have better snacks or something to go with my soup. I usually look forward to my lunch, but today I dreaded it. Let's pray that the soy nuggets are back and fully stocked in the freezer aisle! I miss these and hate that T Joes are working on a new package design. I will stalk these nuggets and let you know when they are back!
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - cereal bar
Breakfast - String cheese and english muffin with laughing cow
Lunch - Mega Noodle soup and apple sauce
Snack - Chex mix - so random, but I was starving!
Dinner - Salad and Chili, Lemon, and Basil Shrimp with Israeli Couscous (recipe below)
I saw this couscous recipe on-line on thekitchn.com and had to make it! It was super easy to make and delish!!! Def try it out!!
Chili, Lemon, and Basil Shrimp with Israeli Couscous
serves 2
For the couscous:
Olive oil
1 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the shrimp:
4 large cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes, to taste
1 pound cooked shrimp, deveined and tails removed
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the couscous and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it starts smelling a little toasty. Add the lemon juice and stir until the lemon juice evaporates. (Reserve the lemon zest for the shrimp.) Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer then turn the heat to low and cover the pan tightly. Cook for 15 minutes, then take off the heat and let the pan sit, still covered, until you are ready to serve the couscous.
Yum! I can't wait to have this for dinner tomorrow night!!!
Once again I am sorry for being late on my blogs and missing a few days.
Have a great week!
PK
Friday, February 18, 2011
I can smell 5pm
Gosh I am ready for 5pm! I know I said that in my last blog, but I need the weekend to be here. Ever have that feeling? :).
I didn't make it to the gym this am, but I am planning on getting up to go to a spin class tomorrow at 9am. A day off is totally ok.
I have dinner plans with some of the girls tonight and then CP's birthday dinner tomorrow night. I am looking forward to a fun weekend!!
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 100 calorie english muffin with cream cheese and a soy sausage patty
Snack - Pop chips - I love these!
Lunch - Potato and brocoli cheese WW meal and applesauce
Snack - Orange
Dinner - Gino's East! I think I am going veggie and light light cheese. Yum!
Have a great weekend! Sorry for the blah blogs this week.
PK
I didn't make it to the gym this am, but I am planning on getting up to go to a spin class tomorrow at 9am. A day off is totally ok.
I have dinner plans with some of the girls tonight and then CP's birthday dinner tomorrow night. I am looking forward to a fun weekend!!
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 100 calorie english muffin with cream cheese and a soy sausage patty
Snack - Pop chips - I love these!
Lunch - Potato and brocoli cheese WW meal and applesauce
Snack - Orange
Dinner - Gino's East! I think I am going veggie and light light cheese. Yum!
Have a great weekend! Sorry for the blah blogs this week.
PK
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
President's Day - Yes Please!
I can't wait to have Monday off (thank you Legacy for closing the office for President's Day!!) I actually just can't wait for Friday! I have been antsy this week and just excited to have a weekend in Chicago. We have a visitor coming into town from Des Moines which is exciting! Pic attached :).
We will also be celebrating Christina's birthday on Saturday at Chicago Q! Boom! Pic attached :).
Brunch plans were cancelled for Sunday, so as of now, Sunday and Monday will be a chillax time. I do have one important agenda item for Monday and that is to get over to see Miss Lexi Bug! I haven't seen her since she was 2 days old and now she is a month old and needs some Aunt P time.
I got up this morning and did a p90x workout. I just can't get enough of the p90x kickboxing! It's truly a great full body workout. When I have a good workout, I tend to think about vacation and goals. We have Ecuador tentatively planned for the end of July which makes me want to work hard at the gym. I may need to make a paper chain to start the Ecuador countdown.
I saw this today and it made me laugh.
http://studenttravel.about.com/od/springbrea1/tp/to_spring_break.htm?nl=1
How awesome was Spring Break in high school and college?? I have some pretty crazy memories from Florida, Cancun, Charleston, etc.
Anywho...
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 100 calorie english muffin with cream cheese and soy sausage patty (out of laughing cow)
Lunch - Asian chicken salad from Al's Beef. I tell ya peeps. Get there for lunch!! It's awesome. The salad may have been a tad much but I asked for it w/o cheese which helped.
Dinner - I have some chicken breasts thawing. I am thinking grilled chicken with either baked potatoes or couscous. I guess you will find out tomorrow!
Later,
PK
P.S. How is awesome is the weather today!?!?!
We will also be celebrating Christina's birthday on Saturday at Chicago Q! Boom! Pic attached :).
Brunch plans were cancelled for Sunday, so as of now, Sunday and Monday will be a chillax time. I do have one important agenda item for Monday and that is to get over to see Miss Lexi Bug! I haven't seen her since she was 2 days old and now she is a month old and needs some Aunt P time.
I got up this morning and did a p90x workout. I just can't get enough of the p90x kickboxing! It's truly a great full body workout. When I have a good workout, I tend to think about vacation and goals. We have Ecuador tentatively planned for the end of July which makes me want to work hard at the gym. I may need to make a paper chain to start the Ecuador countdown.
I saw this today and it made me laugh.
http://studenttravel.about.com/od/springbrea1/tp/to_spring_break.htm?nl=1
How awesome was Spring Break in high school and college?? I have some pretty crazy memories from Florida, Cancun, Charleston, etc.
Anywho...
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 100 calorie english muffin with cream cheese and soy sausage patty (out of laughing cow)
Lunch - Asian chicken salad from Al's Beef. I tell ya peeps. Get there for lunch!! It's awesome. The salad may have been a tad much but I asked for it w/o cheese which helped.
Dinner - I have some chicken breasts thawing. I am thinking grilled chicken with either baked potatoes or couscous. I guess you will find out tomorrow!
Later,
PK
P.S. How is awesome is the weather today!?!?!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentines Day!
What a weekend! Monster and I left Friday morning via megabus for Des Moines. This experience on the Megabus was the best we have had. We left on time, stopped for food, arrived in DSM on time. It was great! I kinda dreaded the drive back on Sunday, but same deal. We left on time, stopped for food and were back in Chicago at 2:15, home by 3pm. It was lovely!
We saw some family, had fun at the baby shower, shopped and that's about it. It was a very quick trip. I was happy to get home and have some time last night to relax before the work week started.
We had plans to go out for dinner tonight to celebrate Valentines Day, but decided to stay in and cook together instead. We are going to make Shrimp Scampi (we love this meal!) and I am going to make Monster's favorite dessert - scotcharoos, for dessert. I also want to hang my new art work that Monster picked up yesterday! Luckily Urban is right around the corner. I can't wait to see how it looks!
How cute is this quote?? I saw it today on one of my favorite blogs and think it's worth posting.
I hit the grocery store last night and stocked up on healthy food for the week. I plan on going to the gym at least 4 times this week and maybe this weekend too since I will be in town. I need a good loss at WW this weekend!
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - English muffin with raspberry jelly
Snack - banana with reduced fat peanut butter
Lunch - WW meal (santa fe rice and beans) and an apple with laughing cow
Snack - TBD, maybe an orange or string cheese
Dinner - Shrimp scampi and salad. I am going to keep it light and healthy and watch my portions tonight
I hope you all had a great weekend!!
PK
We saw some family, had fun at the baby shower, shopped and that's about it. It was a very quick trip. I was happy to get home and have some time last night to relax before the work week started.
We had plans to go out for dinner tonight to celebrate Valentines Day, but decided to stay in and cook together instead. We are going to make Shrimp Scampi (we love this meal!) and I am going to make Monster's favorite dessert - scotcharoos, for dessert. I also want to hang my new art work that Monster picked up yesterday! Luckily Urban is right around the corner. I can't wait to see how it looks!
How cute is this quote?? I saw it today on one of my favorite blogs and think it's worth posting.
I hit the grocery store last night and stocked up on healthy food for the week. I plan on going to the gym at least 4 times this week and maybe this weekend too since I will be in town. I need a good loss at WW this weekend!
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - English muffin with raspberry jelly
Snack - banana with reduced fat peanut butter
Lunch - WW meal (santa fe rice and beans) and an apple with laughing cow
Snack - TBD, maybe an orange or string cheese
Dinner - Shrimp scampi and salad. I am going to keep it light and healthy and watch my portions tonight
I hope you all had a great weekend!!
PK
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Mildly obsessed with...
Wall art. It's very random, but I am obsessed with 3 different pieces of work that I can't wait to buy! If I had space on my walls in my small apartment, I would have all of these hanging.
I am for sure getting this cute one this week. I continue to look on-line at it and just need to purchase it. It's pretty cheap and I have a great spot for it, so now I have to just get to urban and purchase.
The other two will have to wait, but I have to let you all see :).
This one will hang in my kitchen at my next apartment. I saw this on two of my fave blogs today: http://collisinchicago.tumblr.com/ and http://www.thekitchn.com/
This other one will hang in my dining room one day. Check out Matthew Lew Art when you have a second. I bought one of his prints at CB2 last year and he is extremely talented! Local artist too!
Here is the link: http://www.matthewlew.com/#featured-artwork/3
And that was my random rant...
I slept through my alarm today. I had plans to do the p90x kickboxing, but my snooze button decided to go off 4 or 5 times...
I am not really in the mood to hit the gym tonight. I keep thinking about how dirty my place is right now and I want to do a deep cleaing. That may take place tonight instead of the gym. Not a bad thing.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 1 1/2 Egg and cheese omelette with a mini whole wheat bagel. We have zero food at home so this was random.
Snack - choco chip granola bar
Lunch - Chili and pita chips with hummus
Dinner - I set out chicken and a whole wheat pizza crust. I am thinking bbq chicken pizza for din.
I hope to make it to the gym tomorrow morning. It's just the coldest day of the year and I have no interest today...
Hope you are more motivated than me today!
PK
I am for sure getting this cute one this week. I continue to look on-line at it and just need to purchase it. It's pretty cheap and I have a great spot for it, so now I have to just get to urban and purchase.
The other two will have to wait, but I have to let you all see :).
This one will hang in my kitchen at my next apartment. I saw this on two of my fave blogs today: http://collisinchicago.tumblr.com/ and http://www.thekitchn.com/
This other one will hang in my dining room one day. Check out Matthew Lew Art when you have a second. I bought one of his prints at CB2 last year and he is extremely talented! Local artist too!
Here is the link: http://www.matthewlew.com/#featured-artwork/3
And that was my random rant...
I slept through my alarm today. I had plans to do the p90x kickboxing, but my snooze button decided to go off 4 or 5 times...
I am not really in the mood to hit the gym tonight. I keep thinking about how dirty my place is right now and I want to do a deep cleaing. That may take place tonight instead of the gym. Not a bad thing.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 1 1/2 Egg and cheese omelette with a mini whole wheat bagel. We have zero food at home so this was random.
Snack - choco chip granola bar
Lunch - Chili and pita chips with hummus
Dinner - I set out chicken and a whole wheat pizza crust. I am thinking bbq chicken pizza for din.
I hope to make it to the gym tomorrow morning. It's just the coldest day of the year and I have no interest today...
Hope you are more motivated than me today!
PK
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Chicago Q
Hi All!
Chicago Q rocked last night! I am so excited to go back in a few weeks for CP's birthday. The events coordinator at Chicago Q was wonderful. She was able to give us "tastes" of everything we wanted to try before making a final decision on the menu. The hush puppies were something else and the corn bread?? Wowza! The 19th can't come soon enough.
This morning, I tried the P90X - Plyo routine. I didn't give myself enough time to do the work out and get reaady, so I only managed to get through half of it. I'm sure tomorrow will be tough to move around, but it felt great. Lots of jumps...
If you aren't sure what plyometric movements are, here is some info: Plyometric movements, in which a muscle is loaded and then contracted in rapid sequence, use the strength, elasticity and innervation of muscle and surrounding tissues to produce greater strength, more speed and explosive power.
The p90X plyometric workout contains five sections of four movements; the first three last 30 seconds, and the final movements typically last 60 seconds.
If you are considering trying p90x, do it! It's a nice change from the gym.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Soy sausage sammy with laughing cow spread
Lunch - Chicken sandwich from Brett's Kitchen - this place rocks!
Snack - choco chip granola bar
Dinner - Monster and I are going to Deleece tonight for din. The menu looks awesome! I am going with either the turkey burger or a salad.
Stay warm!
PK
Monday, February 7, 2011
Recap from the weekend in KC
Monster and I took off on Friday night for Kansas City, MO to spend the weekend with my family. My brother and his family drove in from Hutchinson, KS and my mom and sister drove in from Des Moines. It was half way for both of them and a quick flight for me to get there. We had a wonderful time. From shopping on the Plaza, spending some time with Bethie and a solid BBQ experience from Oklahoma Joes, it was a perfect weekend.
The wins from the weekend:
Seeing my family
Spending time with Maggie and Sammy
Monster and I exchanging V-Day gifts
Eating Oklahoma Joes BBQ - This restaurant is in a gas station! Check out the pic.
Working out on a Saturday am on vacation
My losses:
Failing on my diet...
One thing my family never does is starve while on vacation. Food is always the topic of conversation while on a trip. It's hard with children b/c they always need to eat. You can't skip a meal with them. Our whole day revolves around where we are going to eat and what time. I was stuffed last night when I went to bed!
When we got back yesterday, we rushed to Kyle's to watch the super bowl. The spread there was awesome too! Someone made a ridiculous pulled pork in the slow cooker. There were plenty of dips, chips, sweets...you name it!
I was ready to start my Monday with a good work out and healthy diet. Xport was calling my name. I did about 40 minutes of cardio and abs this morning before heading into work. It was so nice to sweat it out!
I am trying to eat light today as tonight I am meeting CP for din at Chicago Q. I have been so excited to try this new restaurant. I will have a full recap for you tomorrow on the menu items we try.
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - cereal bar
Breakfast - Soy sausage sammy on ww english muffin
Lunch - soup and salad
Snack - I brought an orange, but not sure I will be hungry for a snack
Din - CHICAGO Q!!!
Talk to you tomorrow!
PK
Friday, February 4, 2011
Rough Week, but...
I lost .2 today. I was a tad worried stepping on the scale this morning, but it ended up being a loss which I am very happy about.
I am almost to 8 lbs and my goal is to be at 10 by the time Feb is over.
We are heading to KC tonight after work to spend some time with my fam. I can't wait to snuggle with Miss Mags and see Binks!! They really make everything better :).
Sorry for the short blog today and lack of blog posts this week, but I hope to start up next week again!
Have a great weekend all :).
PK
I am almost to 8 lbs and my goal is to be at 10 by the time Feb is over.
We are heading to KC tonight after work to spend some time with my fam. I can't wait to snuggle with Miss Mags and see Binks!! They really make everything better :).
Sorry for the short blog today and lack of blog posts this week, but I hope to start up next week again!
Have a great weekend all :).
PK
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Post #100
Yay for me! I hit post #100 today. I had no idea this blogging thing would be something that I enjoy doing. I love to blog over my lunch hour for a quick break in the work day and just zone in on my meal thoughts and my work out plan. Today I changed it up. I am sitting on my couch watching Fashion Police and under my comfy blanket just relaxing. I didn't have time today to blog and I kinda missed it. So here it is :).
The weather today is absolutely crazy!! I looked out the window of my boss's office around 1:30pm and shrugged off this blizzard rumor. When I got up to get water around 3:30pm it was a completely different story. Monster actually had to fly out today for a work trip around 1pm and he got out with zero issues. Good for him, but bad for me. I have lots of anxiety when anyone travels in this weather. Luckily he got to Duluth, MN safe and sound and missed/will be missing this blizzard going down in Chi.
Before bed last night I started to put together my work out bag and thought to myself...I'm going to do p90x in the morning. I slept for an additional 30 minutes which was heavenly and got up and ready for an hour of kickboxing. Monster decided to join me today and it was probably the funniest experience ever. First of all, the space we had to do kickboxing in was tight. We had about a 5 x 4 square if that for kicks, punches, jumping jacks, etc. Also, Monster had a ton of energy this morning. It was just a goofy time, but very happy to get a work out in this morning and out of the way.
I had a good amount of energy today post work out and put in a full day at work before hailing a cab to bring my home in this snowy mess. One hour in a cab + $30 = home safe avoiding a crowded bus!
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - egg beaters with laughing cow wedge, soy sausage patty in half a whole wheat pita pocket
Snack - CCPB granola bar
Lunch - Salad with dried cranberries, cherry tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese - maybe 1 tablespoon not a lot, a few croutons and 1 tbsp honey mustard dressing plus 3 stuffed shells from dinner on Sunday.
Dinner - Campbells Mega Noodle soup with a few oyster crackers, Morningstar BB burger on half an english muffin
The 45 - 50 mins of cardio I did today allowed me to eat a few more points than my daily amount. That's actually one of the biggest reasons I force myself to go to the gym in the morning. I like that I could eat a few more points if I wanted. It's nice to have the option.
Hope you are staying warm!!! TTYL.
PK
Monday, January 31, 2011
Pumping up With Hans & Franz
Remember this skit? I sometimes think about this when I am at the gym pumping some iron. Ha. I am still having some trouble moving around today since I worked on my legs during my Saturday work out. I focused on arms and abs today and will get back to cardio tomorrow.
I had to post these two pictures. First of all, how awful and how random! Swayze and Dre?
I'm sure everyone has been hearing about this crazy snow storming that is supposed to hit us tomorrow. Doesn't it sound just miserable? Why couldn't this snow storm happen during the weekend when you can stay in-doors in comfy pants while watching movies? I'm sure my office will allow us to work from home if it's terrible outside, but I guess we will see. I have no interest in treking through the snow to get to the gym, work and home. Go away snow!!
I hope you all had a nice weekend. Mine was nice and chill. I was able to stay on my diet, get to the gym and not spend a ton of money. Perfect weekend in my eyes.
I spent yesterday at a Bridal Fair in Oakbrook which was interesting. I met my clients there to roam around and see some vendors. It was nice to see some new hot trends in the wedding world. I got home early enough to cook dinner and mentally prepare for the week.
Today has been super nutty at work! Lots of meetings and I am now working on an RFP that's due on Monday at noon. I would be fine never seeing an RFP again! It's been crazy since the New Year and I really just want to get moving on my market planning. Hopefully next week.
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - Kellogg's 90 calorie blueberry cereal bar
Breakfast - Whole wheat EM with low fat peanut butter and grapes
Snack - Animal crackers
Lunch - Healthy Choice garden vegetable soup with oyster crackers and 5 buffalo chicken nuggets - Morningstar style
Snack - CCPB granola bar
Dinner - I made stuffed shells last night with a salad and garlic bread and we just so happen to have plenty of leftovers. I think I may just stick with a salad though. I have lots of fresh veggies at home that I picked up at Stanley's and this sounds like a perfect din.
I hope you all stay warm and have a great night!
PK
Friday, January 28, 2011
Cross the X and on to the Next
Haha, I love this phrase. Lindsay and I have been saying this a lot over the past week and I think it's hilarious. I think it's better when you actually use your hands and make an X when saying this phrase. (LK, picture this in our movie.)
This phrase is how I felt about this week. My work out buddy was gone all week which really didn't motivate me to go to the gym at all. I managed to do P90X one day and I ran one morning at the gym too, but I like the routine of getting up each morning, hitting the gym and crossing it off the list.
So I skipped WW this am too. I went out last night and had a few drinks/apps and I just wasn't feeling the weigh in. I plan on getting back on track with the gym tomorrow and eating well/not drinking a lot next week and hopefully having a successful weigh in next Friday.
So...Cross the X (this week) and on to the next!!
Yesterday I wasn't available to blog because I had a meeting at Land of Nod in Northbrook. We have been challenged by our New Development team at Legacy to look for new clients and when we set up a meeting we are incented with dinero. I asked about 12 of my friends last year to pass along an email to their Mar/Comm department in an effort to set up a meeting. Unfortunately, companies have cut back on their marketing dollars and have been doing everything in house. A lot of major companies are not interested in working with an agency which is a bummer, but understandable.
I did get in touch with one contact that helped me to set up a meeting for yesterday. It went well, so hopefully we will form a good working relationship and get some new business in the next year or two.
So...I skipped the gym this am and so antsy for this week to get over that I am skipping tonight too. I should be able to get to the gym tomorrow or Sunday since I have very limited plans this weekend.
Tonight, I plan on making dinner at home and catching up on The Office, RH of BV Reunion and Jersey Shore! I sure missed a dramatic night of TV last night. Thank God for DVR!!! Can you imagine still setting up the timer on your VHS player to tape shows? Haha. You would pray that you had enough space on your VHS tape to tape everything. A friend of mine in high school used to tape Young and the Restless every day and watch it when they got home. Awesome. I love Y & R - guilty pleasure.
Tomorrow my plan is to hit the gym, maybe stop over to hang with Lexi Bug for a bit and then help clear out the Nice. Plans for tomorrow night are still TBD, but I think we may be heading out with a few friends for a chill night.
On Sunday, I will be heading to a bridal fair at the Hyatt Lodge in Oakbrook with my client, Moira. I plan on spending a few hours at the fair to check out some vendors for Moira and Joe's big day. Moira really wants a photobooth so hopefully we find a good company for this. If anything, I'm sure they will have some champagne to enjoy while browsing!
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - whole wheat english muffin with laughing cow spread and soy sausage
Lunch - Half pita with veggie burger patty - T Joes style and soup with 20 or so oyster crackers
Dinner - TBD
I really want to make Buffalo Mac and Cheese tonight. I saw this recipe in a magazine a few months ago and ripped it out so I could make it. I had the recipe floating in my purse for months. It finally made it to my recipe binder and I set it out for dinner tonight.
Ingredients:
1 pkg. (12.6 oz.) KRAFT HOMESTYLE Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Classic Cheddar Cheese Sauce
1-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 Tbsp. Frank's Buffalo Sauce for Buffalo wings
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped green onions
Directions:
Heat oven to 425ºF.
Prep dinner in large saucepan as directed on package except do not top with Bread Crumb Topping.
Toss chicken with pepper sauce. Stir into Dinner; spoon into 1-1/2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and crumb topping.
Bake 5 to 10 min. until cheese is melted. Top with onions.
Um, how great does this look??? I love Buffalo sauce in anything, so I will love this dish!
Have a great weekend all!
PK
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Deming Place
I have officially decided that I hate my apartment. Last night my sleep was interrupted by the miserable neighbor/cat upstairs. This cat is crazy. Literally its on drugs and runs around the apartment at all hours of the day. Too bad this apartment is only 650 sq ft. That is unfair to a cat and should not be allowed!
I have stressed in previous posts how much I hated my old apartment in this same building, but this situation is getting bad.
I decided to email my Property Manager this morning to ask about their animal policy. The email chain is pretty miserable. Please read:
Me: What is your policy on animals in the building? The tenant above me has a cat and i hear it run around like crazy at night. I also hear her scream at the cat. It actually woke me up 3 times last night.
Just curious how an apartment building which such poor insulation would allow this.
PM: Small animals and cats are allowed in all Lakeview Associates, Inc. properties. We do not accept dogs of any size.
Me: How do you recommend I handle this issue?
PM: I would recommend discussing it with your upstairs neighbor.
Awesome. My plan is to get one or two glasses of wine in me tonight and be brave enough to tell the tenant upstairs that her cat sucks and that she needs to be cognizant of how awful the insulation is and that I CAN HEAR EVERYTHING!!!
Oy. I was up at 5:30 so I decided to get to the gym early. I did 45 minutes of cardio - treadmill intervals, arm exercises and then some abs. It was a great work out. I was grumpy most of the morning and now slowly fading from my lack of sleep.
On a fun/side note...I am having drinks tonight at Hub and already thinking about dinner there too.
My meal plan for the day:
Pre-gym - Kellogg's cereal bar - 90 calories
Breakfast - Whole wheat english muffin with laughing cow wedge and soy sausage patty
Snack - Baked cheetos
Lunch - Veggie burger in half a whole wheat pita and a garden salad with 1 tbsp of ranch.
Dinner - TBD. I like Hub's salads so I may just go this route.
Sorry for my apartment complaints, but this is getting a little ridiculous!!
Have a good day!
PK
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Snooozeee...
This morning I set my alarm for 6am. The plan was to snooze for 15 minutes and then get up and hit the gym. For some reason I continued to hit snooze every 5 minutes until 7:45am!!! So silly! This couldn't have been enjoyable sleep considering I was awoken every 5 minutes by a miserable alarm ring tone blaring from my cell phone. Why was the snooze button even created? It really just screws everyone over big time.
I did come across an article that I thought was pretty interesting. It just so happened to come on a day where I was annoyed with myself for not waking up.
7 Ways to Restart A Day
By: Kathryn Matthews
O, Oprah Magazine
As Soon as the Alarm Rings...
Spend your first 15 seconds awake planning something nice to do for yourself today. "This can really set you up in a good mood—even if it's just going by the farmers' market and getting fresh strawberries," says Alice Domar, PhD, author of Be Happy Without Being Perfect: How to Break Free from the Perfection Deception.
Get Up
The longer you lie there, the more you ruminate, the darker your outlook is likely to become, says Christine Padesky, PhD, co-author of Mind Over Mood. So get vertical and make a cup of coffee, take a shower, feed the cat...
Drink...
...make that two glasses of water upon awakening, the time when our bodies are dehydrated, says Susan M. Kleiner, PhD, author of The Good Mood Diet. Dehydration causes fatigue, which affects your mood.
Move It
You already know the number one way of chasing away a bad mood: exercise. A workout at the gym sure helps. But even just a few minutes of movement—a fast walk, for example—raises energy and reduces tension, says mood expert Robert Thayer, PhD, professor of psychology at California State University, Long Beach, and author of Calm Energy.
Investigate
When you're dogged by anxiety or the dread you woke up with, try to pinpoint what's causing it. Did someone say anything the day before? Do you have a meeting today you wish you didn't? Was it the dream you were having when the alarm went off? "If you can figure out why you're upset, that's halfway to feeling better," says Domar.
Be Kind and Thankful
This isn't exactly news, but generosity and gratitude are both big contributors to happiness, according to Todd B. Kashdan, PhD, who directs the Laboratory for the Study of Social Anxiety, Character Strengths, and Related Phenomena at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Do something nice for a stranger or friend and see if you don't feel better about yourself. Also, jot down three things that you're grateful for. It seems so simple, but counting your blessings just has a way of making you remember the sun is shining.
Laugh at Yourself
The best comedians point out the mundane aspects of life—relationship strife, a boring job, a closet full of too-tight clothes; they exaggerate those circumstances, and give us a perspective we can laugh about, says Mark Ridley, owner of the Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, Michigan. Look at your own life and try to appreciate the absurdity of what doesn't go exactly according to plan (the diets, the men, the buzz cut). Acknowledging how little control we actually have over what happens is sometimes a most freeing gift to yourself.
I am going to take this article into consideration tomorrow morning if I decide to snooze 20 times again.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - 1 hardboiled egg and 1 soy sausage patty
Lunch - Trader Joes bean and rice burrito with a tbsp of light sour cream and 2 roma tomatoes sliced
Snack - Baked cheetos (this snack is the same amount of points as my breakfast today. Probably not the best choice for a snack.)
Dinner - Salad and Veggie Burger - T Joes style
Have a good one!
PK
Monday, January 24, 2011
Homemade Chili and Cornbread
I know this is awful, but yesterday I didn't care about going out for the Bears game. On Friday and even Saturday it sounded like a great time, but yesterday I was in a jammies kind of mood and wanted some comfort food to enjoy while watching the game from my couch.
The menu for the day included Sweet and Spicy Chili and Corny Cornbread both from my favorite blog - Iowa Girl Eats. (recipes below) Nate brought over some great Mexican Dip which I couldn't keep my hands out of. It was very tasty. Let's just say I used my extra 49 points yesterday :).
I'm excited for this week. Work should slow down a bit and it's not bitter cold out. I saw on the news that we should actually see sun for a few days which makes me happy. I will be hitting the gym each day as well.
I decided to sleep in a bit this morning and pack my breakfast and lunches for the week. I will hit the gym tonight for an hour or so and meet up with some friends to watch The Bachelor. This show is like a bad accident to me. I hate that I look forward to it each week. I just can't stop!!!
My goal for this week is to eat lots of veggies, drink lots of water and not cheat since I used my fun points yesterday.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Whole wheat english muffin with egg beaters and soy sausage
Snack - Pita chips - i'm obsessed!
Lunch - Chili and cornbread
Snack - Carrots
Dinner - Salad - maybe from pockets??
Recipes:
Sweet and Spicy Chili
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 small white onion
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
2 - 28 oz cans tomato sauce
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 can of Bush's vegetarian baked beans - do not drain
1 small can of whole kernal corn
2 cups of whole wheat spiral pasta - cooked, add into chili once done simmering
1 tsp each of onion and garlic powder
1.5 tbsp of chili seasoning - I got this from the spice shop in Old Town and love it!
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
Brown Sugar - 2 tablespoons
Directions:
Saute onion (salt and pepper to pan as well) and ground turkey in 1 tbsp of olive oil
Once browned and onions are soft and translucent, transfer to a soup pot
Add in tomato sauce, black beans, frank's bush beans and corn and mix well
Add in brown sugar and all spices. Adjust spices to your liking. I love spicy chili so I add a tad more of the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes
Mix well and simmer for 20 minutes until ready to serve
Add in the cooked pasta when you are about ready to serve
Top with shredded cheese, oyster crackers and sour cream
YUMO!
Corny Cornbread
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
1 (14.5oz) can cream corn
1 (14.5oz) can kernel corn, half drained
2 eggs
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
1/2 stick butter, cut up
Directions:
Lightly butter an 8×8 dish
Mix together corn, eggs and corn bread mix
Pour into casserole dish, dab with cut up butter
Bake at 350 degrees for 60-80 minutes uncovered
Enjoy the recipes and have yourself a great Monday!
PK
The menu for the day included Sweet and Spicy Chili and Corny Cornbread both from my favorite blog - Iowa Girl Eats. (recipes below) Nate brought over some great Mexican Dip which I couldn't keep my hands out of. It was very tasty. Let's just say I used my extra 49 points yesterday :).
I'm excited for this week. Work should slow down a bit and it's not bitter cold out. I saw on the news that we should actually see sun for a few days which makes me happy. I will be hitting the gym each day as well.
I decided to sleep in a bit this morning and pack my breakfast and lunches for the week. I will hit the gym tonight for an hour or so and meet up with some friends to watch The Bachelor. This show is like a bad accident to me. I hate that I look forward to it each week. I just can't stop!!!
My goal for this week is to eat lots of veggies, drink lots of water and not cheat since I used my fun points yesterday.
My meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Whole wheat english muffin with egg beaters and soy sausage
Snack - Pita chips - i'm obsessed!
Lunch - Chili and cornbread
Snack - Carrots
Dinner - Salad - maybe from pockets??
Recipes:
Sweet and Spicy Chili
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 small white onion
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
2 - 28 oz cans tomato sauce
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 can of Bush's vegetarian baked beans - do not drain
1 small can of whole kernal corn
2 cups of whole wheat spiral pasta - cooked, add into chili once done simmering
1 tsp each of onion and garlic powder
1.5 tbsp of chili seasoning - I got this from the spice shop in Old Town and love it!
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
Brown Sugar - 2 tablespoons
Directions:
Saute onion (salt and pepper to pan as well) and ground turkey in 1 tbsp of olive oil
Once browned and onions are soft and translucent, transfer to a soup pot
Add in tomato sauce, black beans, frank's bush beans and corn and mix well
Add in brown sugar and all spices. Adjust spices to your liking. I love spicy chili so I add a tad more of the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes
Mix well and simmer for 20 minutes until ready to serve
Add in the cooked pasta when you are about ready to serve
Top with shredded cheese, oyster crackers and sour cream
YUMO!
Corny Cornbread
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
1 (14.5oz) can cream corn
1 (14.5oz) can kernel corn, half drained
2 eggs
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
1/2 stick butter, cut up
Directions:
Lightly butter an 8×8 dish
Mix together corn, eggs and corn bread mix
Pour into casserole dish, dab with cut up butter
Bake at 350 degrees for 60-80 minutes uncovered
Enjoy the recipes and have yourself a great Monday!
PK
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