3 days of catch up

Ok well I have had a streak of over eating, which might soon become a problem. So now let me write it all out, expose my shameful behavior so I can be freed of my guilt and turn over a new leaf. DAYAM! It will be brief though since I can’t even remember what kind of shit went down.
I worked on Wednesday the 27th, and as far as I remember I had coffee from Bruno’s and then ate the lunch I packed (consisting of the usual sandwich). It was also made on the new kind of bread I got (a different live sprouted grain bread than the Ezekiel) shown below.

I went to the gym after work for a decent work out as I recall. I think it was most likely an elliptical day. Then I had another dinner extravaganza…dinners have been my problem area lately, ESPECIALLY after work. I hate it because I eat SO late and often feel full as I head to bed, which is one of my biggest pet peeves.

For dinner, I ended up having the sesame ginger tofu pieces on bread (open faced sandos). I had way more than I should have. I wasn’t even that hungry and yet I ended up eating 6 of the 8 chunks. That’s not bad on its own, but I also had 5 pieces of bread too. I also had a bite of this dip that I made the day before (just to taste it), but I didn’t have much.

I made the dip with ff sour cream, ff ricotta, ff Fage, spinach, and garlic salt. It is a good dip for crackers and veggies. I may try to liven up the recipe next time I make it because it was a little on the boring side.

As if that weren’t bad enough, then I decided to have a dessert consisting of pizza dough. This is one of the things I bought the other day and have been eyeing in the fridge and resisting over and over again. I knew it was only a matter of time before I caved and binged…as per my rule of “no finishing a container upon its opening” I had 1 full mini crust and then half of the 2nd. SO bad. (I had the remaining half the next night).

I was falling asleep as I was eating the last few bites and ended up falling asleep at 10 while Kyle finished the laundry. I was dead tired and planned on waking up early before work on Thursday.

I DID wake up early on 8/28/08…which ended up being POINTLESS (I think we all know why I woke up early to down 2 cups of coffee).

Here’s me at 4 am in my scrubs before work. I had 2 cups of coffee AND a Snapple lemon iced tea. Oddly enough, despite my early early wake up call to fill up with caffeine, throughout the early hours of my shift I was so hungry, I don’t even know how or why…I ended up nibbling on grapes (brought in for everyone by my patient’s family the day before). I must have had a freaking pound of grapes!! Needless to say that did the trick, system cleared – check! I didn’t bring my work out gear today because Kyle wanted me to take a day off and get home early(er), but then it turned out he forgot he had a Spanish lesson. Ugh. Normally I wouldn’t care, but I have the 10K run this weekend and I need to keep my training on track or I am gonna get my ass handed to me. I don’t want to be embarrassed at this run. In the end I walked home so I had a lame half ass active day off of the gym. Unfortunately, I ate my way through the day though, so it completely negated any self control I had the previous week.

Since I didn’t pack my lunch the day before, on my lunch break I walked to whole foods and bought this granola bar thing. Let me just say, I am in love. The ingredients are not even things that I would have thought I would like, but it just looked so TASTY, I decided to give it a shot. Initially I went to whole foods to get granola planks for my race day meal, but they didn’t have them (boo!) so I ended up getting this massive granola cube.

It had raisins, dried cranberries and cherries, rolled oats, honey, brown rice syrup, canola oil, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds, coconut, wheat germ, brown sugar, apricot and vanilla. And yes, you read that right I ate NUTS!!! (It is WAY bigger than it looks btw – it was seriously like a freaking tray)

Who would have thought I would consume bomb-bitters and not immediately hurl! I also bought a s’more flavored luna bar (NOT good btw), but I still ate the whole thing. I don’t know why. I also had an apple at lunch and then an iced coffee. I was pretty full, and only nibbled on the luna bar throughout the rest of the day. Since I was going to walk home I couldn’t help but get a snack for the road. So I got ANOTHER granola bar from whole foods…I swear, once I discover something I like I cant help but overdose. What is my f-ing problem. I also had 2, not one, but 2 iced ff lattes from the bucks on the walk home.

I was full by now. So of course I decided to eat more. Stupid elise.
I didn’t take pictures because it wouldn’t have been pretty. I had the rest of the “Health is Wealth” chik’n nuggets. Also I had the rest of a tub of vegan “chicken” spread. Also I had the rest of the pizza dough. What’s wrong with me you may ask. Where to begin is my answer.
I may or may not have eaten more this night too, I just can’t be bothered to remember.

8/29/08 I worked my 3rd shift in a row. Lord knows I hate these days. I definitely didn’t want to go to the gym after work, but since I took yesterday off (by accident), I had to force myself to make it to the gym after my horribly long and exhausting day of work. Ok, but first back to the morning. I don’t know what I ate in the morning, I think I had another ff iced latte from starbucks on my walk to work. That makes 3 in less than 10 hours…

At lunch I walked to whole foods and got that same delicious granola bar again. I also had yogurt covered raisins and regular raisins and another iced ff latte. After work I went to the gym, kicked some ass, and headed to whole foods to stock up.

Here is the BOMB ass salad I made myself from the WF salad bar. It was delish so I had 2 bowls full. There was lettuce, peas, corn, cucumber, cranberries and tofu in it.

For dessert, which I did not need, I had a LOT of yogurt covered raisins.

Today I slept in because I wanted to get a good rest to start the weekend off right. I had 2 cups of coffee when I got up, and then went to the gym. I had a great work out. I only had an apple for lunch because I had to bolt off to midtown to get my race day packet from niketown before 5. I had lots of time to spare so I walked home stopping at starbucks on the way to get a ff iced latte and also pick up some groceries. I ate an early dinner since it was already 530 and I had only had an apple.

vegan “chick’n” salad from WF

PLUS

pre-made WF salad

EQUALS

What an amazing salad! The vegan “chicken” spread combined with the salad and an entire avocado was so YUMMY!

The rest of the spread I put on 2 pieces of toasted 7 grain live sprouted bread with avocado spread on top. Now I am REALLY full. I think I will try to do some yoga and stretching a little later.

So I hate to say this, BUT yoga sucks btw. I got about 5 minutes into some bullshit yoga for runners thing and got bored. If I want to deep breathe I will stretch and go to sleep, in the sheets – that’s where I do my yoga. So anyways, I made a delish sundae for dessert. Chocolate sorbet, plus an over ripe nanner, plus milk and vanilla creamer. Heaven. A little sweet, but that’s never stopped me before.

TA-DA!

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back to the grind?

Well, today was a good work day, and a good eating day UNTIL 10 pm…then I got the late night hunger pangs that wouldn’t release me. As strong as I tried to be, I failed. I was a bad girl – I opened and finished a few different containers in the same sitting. UGH! And I was doing so well, too. Damn it damn it damn it.

So, here’s how the day started. I had a coffee at Bruno’s (4 stars for today’s brew). I packed my lunch the night before (see the sando pictured below), and didn’t have anything after the coffee until lunch at 2:15 pm (yeah, kinda a late one, but that’s how it goes when I am working with Queen B…). I actually only ate the sandwich and some raisins, apparently my appetite just went into hiding? (not that I mind) Oh, and I had an iced coffee from Bruno’s at lunch. SO good. I made it with about a cup of ff milk and fake sugar (guilty pleasure).

I tried the apple and I literally had one bite and the apple was mush and bruised inside, so I chucked it.
I went to the gym after work and did a nice 60 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. Stretching and ab work was minimal because I just wanted to get home. I wasn’t even hungry (actually I really just didn’t know what I wanted). So I went to our whole foods and got a bunch of crap. I’m actually pissed about what followed, so I will be brief because the memories sting. How about I just use the photos as evidence with the preface: this is only half of what I actually consumed. (bad elise bad elise)

First of all, I started with dates (I had about 25 in all honesty)…

Then I moved on to a tofu and bell pepper salad (pictured above), which was actually quite light and nice. I’m not typically the biggest fan of onions and peppers because they make me burp which is why I tend to avoid them (I got that weird thing from my mom). Notice my camera is getting worse and worse…

Then I moved on to the plain bread (ALWAYS a bad sign). Bread is a dangerous territory and one I can rarely navigate my way out of safely. I had just bought a new type of bread (Food For Life 7 grain). I had 2 ½ pieces (I am counting the end piece of the new loaf as a half because it was small). On the 2 Food for Life pieces I spread the vegan “chicken spread” – and yes, I finished the spread. I really love that stuff, but at 11 pm, after 4 other dinners, it is just excessive….this is when I really should have called it quits.

But I didn’t.

This horrible picture is one of a couple bowls (oatmeal, raisins, bananas, syrup)…there was WAY more trust me, but it is not pictured because I was going at a rate that couldn’t be reckoned with. I had celery sticks still left over which I finished dipping into the “chicken” spread, thus polishing off 2 things in the fridge. And now I am sitting here, with a full stomach, and yet what am I doing – craving the rest of the freaking yogurt covered raisins that are hiding in the fruit bowl across the room. Nooooo! I would say I need to practice self control and this is my test, but clearly I have already failed that test. So the game starts again tomorrow. I think it is fair to say my string of attempting moderation ended.

Let me prepare a game plan for tomorrow so I feel like I am taking a big step back in the direction I was originally going.
1) Sleep in (I mean hella sleep in)
2) Coffee
3) Gym
That’s all I got…
4) Cycling class at night? (union square gym)

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Gym day

I slept in big time today. It was really nice since I stayed up so late last night after my pm eating sesh. So I had 2 full cups of coffee today, which I made nearly latte-like with ff Lactaid that Kyle picked up for me on his way back from the gym (since I left him a million different notes). For some reason the other milk smells funky. No pictures because its not exciting, just coffee. Then I went to the gym and did 60 minutes on the elliptical followed by abs and stretching. I came home for a super late lunch (if you can even call it that since it was 4 pm).

I used the tofu that I made last week (baked with sesame seeds and soy sauce). It was good, but maybe not meant to be part of a sandwich.

I halved the tofu on the last (almost) of the Ezekiel bread.

Then I added some ff Fage.

Then I added some sprouts, and voila – done!

Of course that wasn’t quite enough, so I had some yogurt covered raisins/carob covered raisins.

I didn’t like the chocolate ones, so I decided to instead have a few more handfuls of the yogurt raisins…maybe too many? I wasn’t full, but I definitely was NOT in the mood to exercise AGAIN. But I swore to myself after I ate all that food last night that I would make today a two-a-day work out day. So I decided to leave early and walk some of it off on the way to spinning class in union square. I made it to 55th street and then hopped on the subway for the rest of the way there. Since I was early I did a few minutes of cardio warm up, followed by some more abs and stretching. The class didn’t disappoint. It was a male instructor this time and he did some of the work out with us, he also sang to some of the songs (even the techno stuff) which was quite amusing, otherwise he was good at pumping me up and keeping me motivated. Once I got home I wasn’t really hungry but I also knew that I should eat before it got too late and then I did a repeat late night binging sesh. That was no good. I was stumped on what I wanted, mostly because I wasn’t really in the mood for anything at all. Weird, I know.

I decided on some vegan chik’n nuggets made by Health is Wealth and a Gary Null’s veggie burger (those things are starting to become a major part of my life it seems!!).

I was still hungry for a carb type thing, but resisted my temptations for the following (pizza dough, dates, more yogurt raisins, etc.) and had an apple instead.

It worked. I love it when I trick myself. Ok, off to bed, Kyle is in there getting antsy waiting for me. Work tomorrow, ugh.

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Sunday sunday sunday

So after starting out the day looking at my favorite food blogs, I have decided I NEED to try this new restaurant called Candle Café (on East 79th and Lexington). I could order the entire menu in a heartbeat. Looks like I have another thing for my to-do list.

I am including this photo because I had a couple handfuls on the late night as a snack. I think I only got hungry because Kyle was making a monstrous ice cream chocolate peanut butter milkshake. So even though I was on my 8th Snapple I decided something salty would be the perfect way to end the evening.

I again relaxed and watched TV and drank coffee with my baby cakes this morning. I had one cup and 2 sips from the second cup. I was MASSIVELY soar from yesterday’s run. I simply couldn’t stretch enough to ever feel normal. Every single muscle in my legs (including new ones I never knew I had before) was agonizingly unable to function. So I decided the gym trip would be short and sweet. I stretched for the first 15 minutes and did some ab work, and then did reverse elliptical work for a little over 3.5 miles (maybe 40 minutes). I’m still totally soar.

For lunch I got fresh fruit from the market on the way home from the gym. I also had some activia light vanilla yogurt with dried cherries from our whole foods. The dried cherries were SO delish I had a few more handfuls plain on their own. SO good. Basically it was a fruity lunch, so now I am all sugared up for the day.

After lunch we went to the Natural History Museum for a couple hours of educated wandering. Nice Sunday afternoon activity. I had a snack of more of the dried salty edamame before dinner. For dinner I had a veggie soufflé (Healthy Delites’ roasted vegetable soufflé is all natural and fat free and a good source of fiber). Also, I had a vegan sushi roll from whole foods. I love the yummy texturized vegetable protein!

I had all 6 pieces in the roll. SO great. Plus the veggies soufflé is so healthy and is only 120 kcals! I still wanted a little bit of something, so I had another handful of edamame.

It looks as good as it tasted. Plus it is so colorful J I also stole some of Kyle’s corn that he made for himself.

Of course I needed some dessert later on in the evening, because I needed a pick-me-up before the work week. I have an intense schedule this week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) so I am getting myself all geared up. I figured 50 yogurt raisins and a cup of chocolate sorbet was the way to go.

Yogurt covered chocolate raisin deliciousness!!! Mmmmm…although I am kinda rocking a mega sugar high now.

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fake anniversary – 4 years and still going…

We slept in forever today. Seriously, it was 11 am when we finally dragged ourselves from the bedroom to the couch. It was nice and relaxing to just veg out with coffee and my baby. I had one and a half cups, and then we decided to hit up the gym. But then we had a change of plans, the weather was so fabulous outside that we had to go for a run in the park. I charted the run on mapmyrun.com and it was a little over a 10K and I ran it in less than an hour. So now I am feeling pretty good about the nike 10K coming up. When I got back I stretched a bit, downed propel water, and showered.

Lunch was a Gary Null’s veggies burger on a slice of wheat bread with honey mustard. I ate the edges of the veggie burger off so it was a rectangle and thus fit the bread that I cut in half, so that’s how I got the left picture into the pretty sandwich on the right.

It wasn’t quite enough to fill me up, but I just wanted a little something sweet, so I had the sf watermelon jello and then an organic yellow apple.
Time to get ready to go to Brooklyn!

For dinner we took the subway down to Park Place (bottom tip of Manhattan) to walk across the Brooklyn bridge and then hit up our fav Thai restaurant, Joya. Happy anniversary to us! There was a concert in City Hall park when we got out of the subway that happened to be Ashanti performing. We stayed for maybe 35 seconds and then headed across. The views were as beautiful as always, Manhattan is such a pretty island, and I just love getting out and about in the city on nice days. The weather was great, not unbearably hot, but not yet cold, like goldilocks it was “just right” – plus there was a nice breeze from the water.

We arrived at Joya around 630 pm and were seated right away. Kyle ordered diet coke and I stuck with water (but stole the lemon from his DC and squeezed it into my water). Look how good and healthy I am (no soda for me!!). We got the Fresh Thai Summer Roll as an appetizer to share. The picture of it is HORRIBLE but the lighting and my camera were not cooperating.

Needless to say it was delish. It was filled with tofu, shrimp and fresh veggies with a tamarind sauce. Kyle removed the tiny cucumber slivers so I had extra doses of those.

Next was dinner, I got the Tofu Pad Khing, which was sautéed tofu with mushrooms, peppers, cabbage, carrots and onions in a fresh ginger sauce. WOW!!

It was borderline amazing. The tofu chunks were so savory and full of flavor. The veggies were sautéed to perfection and the sauce was so light and yet so good, with subtle ginger flavor that occasionally burst through in certain bites, but never in a way that was too powerful. The rice was a nice sauce-soaker-upper. I thought there was no way I could eat it all when they set the plate down, but lets be real, I cleaned house! (see below)

Kyle got the Kang Panang Gai, which was sliced chicken with peppers and crushed kaffir leaves in a panang coconut curry sauce. He was also in love with his. I think he could have drank the leftover sauce and would have if it were socially acceptable!

After dinner we went to the Brooklyn promenade and watched the sunset over the Manhattan skyline. Also we saw the waterfall from the backside, then it was back home!

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friday FUNday

Hooray for the end of the week arriving! And, even more for Kyle working a half day and joining me for the afternoon. So, I had a NOT good cup of coffee when I woke up. I really put it off for a while because I wanted to finish my book, and I think that re-heating the left over coffee from yesterday was not the best idea. I didn’t get the ratio of milk to coffee right at all, plus there was a funky Irish-cream-like after taste that I was not into. Enough said. I did not finish the cup. I went to the gym and did the same old on the elliptical, still felt fresh and good after an hour. Then I did abs and stretching. Once I got home it was already 1:30 pm and yet I wasn’t starving, so I took a nice long shower and then made lunch. I had no idea what I wanted, so I went for the economical decision, finishing things already in the fridge. I heated up the Ezekiel bread with a layer of ff Fage and then made the same “chicken” spread with the honey mustard and ff Fage added for more spread-ability. Then I topped it off with fresh organic sprouts. Notice the bite mark – I couldn’t help but sample it before picture time 🙂

Of course, I needed a little something sweet after, so I opted for the latest obsession, yogurt raisins. The picture below is probably only 1/3 of the amount I actually had. They are just too good! No words.

Don’t worry I am continuing my “fluids-or-bust” approach to life, so I am downing Snapple and propel water like its my job. Kyle got home around this time, so we hung out for a bit and then he went to the gym and I went and got a mani/pedi. It was a weird experience, I think I will stick to one at a time from now on. The pedicure is hot pink and I love it. The manicure is the worst piece of crap I have ever seen. In a word – hideous. Then Kyle and I went to walk in the park and pick up some last minute groceries for our bbq.

Pre-bbq marinated eggplant

Bbq-ed chicken

Bbq-ed leeks and corn

Bbq-ed fish (the last of the striped bass that Kyle caught on his fishing trip)

My plate of goodies (grilled eggplant and portabella mushrooms). Yes, I couldn’t resist topping the eggplant off with some ff ricotta “cheese.” I had another plate too because I couldn’t fit everything on mine the first time around. The corn was super tasty (oops, no picture because I ate it too fast), but the onions were WAY too onion-y. I don’t think they got cooked long enough because normally they don’t taste like that. They were so strong I couldn’t even finish (see them below neglected on the side).

I’m so full right now, it is fabulous. I changed into my pajamas, but then had to get back into normal clothes because we decided to go buy lottery tickets (95 million in the NY state megamillions). Now I’m back in my p.j.’s though…Olympics until bed time.

Ok, I actually got a little hungry again on the late night, so here’s my (healthy) pm snack. It could be worse, right? Yes, as we all know, it could be a jar(s) of peanut butter worse!

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test day – will school ever end?

Yes, I am sore from the spinning class. Yes, I am sick of studying. Yes, I am eager for the weekend to come. So this morning was uneventful. Same routine I have been having lately, coffee, gym, heading to the hospital for half days. Actually I had to really study before I went to ACLS today since I was being tested, or so I thought. As usual, I was an overachiever and could have slacked off and still passed easily, but that’s not my style, so I did the practice test this am and read the entire book given to us yesterday (nerd alert – haha). What I did enjoy this morning was the Olympic final women’s soccer game (USA vs. Brazil), even though the USA played like CRAP. They won in overtime 1-0 and after they scored early in the first overtime, I could barely breathe the second period, I was so nervous. I didn’t want to leave the gym, even though my work out was over because the overtime was still going on…in the end I watched the rest at home, because I felt guilty for not studying. My work out was a 60 minute elliptical session, with changing intensities to keep me on my toes. It was fine because I did spinning the day before, so it wasn’t as repetitive as my past cardio.

Moving on – here’s my lunch. I wasn’t that hungry (odd since it was nearly 12 and I only had half a cup of coffee).
I made soy bacon (5 strips) and used the fat end piece of the whole wheat bread that Kyle bought yesterday to make an open faced sando with smart deli “turkey” and soy bacon and honey mustard. Note: I had an extra bacon strip that I gobbled up before it made it’s way to the sandwich 🙂 Then I finished my practice test and decided I should have the way overly ripe pluot before it turned into jam sitting in the fruit bowl!

Yes, that’s the sink I am eating it over – that’s how JUICY it was!!

Hooray, I passed the ACLS test with flying colors. I am a smarty pants, I know. I treated myself to a Bruno’s iced coffee after (stomach was growling by then!!) and then headed uptown to meet Kyle. He was fresh out of a hair cut appointment, so I walked him to get his dinner and then back to work. Still, a fun treat to see him mid-day. Then, I walked all the way back home doing errands on the way. I got a few things for dinner too, including organic mixed salad, organic alfalfa sprouts, organic dried cherries, organic raisins, and the same amazing Gary Null’s veggies burgers. I had been craving the sprouts all day and I thought one burger would be good protein to mix into the salad. I used all the ingredients (see below) and it was FILLING!

Look at that beautiful final product (salad dressing was vinegar, milk, honey mustard all mixed together). Mmmm…oh and I had an apple later for dessert.

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a half-day of "work"

So this was a picture of the lunch I packed the night before. But all I brought to work with me was the apple and the dried soy beans. I also stopped on the way to work to get a HUGE bag of my newest obsession (yogurt covered raisins).

Anyways, let’s start from the beginning – back to the early am…so I got up with the sun (just kidding it was like 8). But after so many days of no alarm, it was my first rise and shine in a while. I was excited at the idea of being on my new medication and NOT waking up with the immediate onset of terror, scared of what the day would bring, and how my GI tract would/would not be able to handle it (and let’s be honest, it would not). I have been feeling so great lately, like a normal person. And today was just as great! I had a mug of coffee misto (ff milk), and I don’t even think I finished it all. I swear, stopping birth control has completely returned me to normal. My appetite is more normal and I am not crazy hormonal, or wanting to stuff my face with food every second of every minute of every hour…you get the point. So nice to be getting better. Did I mention yet how glad I am to be feeling so normal?! Anyways, I had some time before I started work, since I knew I was going to wait until after work to go to the gym, so I watched the Olympics, studied ACLS, and then got ready to go for my half day of work. I wasn’t really wanting lunch yet because it was still only 11 when I left, so I did some errands knowing that I could get something while I was out and eat it on the subway. I dropped off my other prescription and went to our whole foods (to pick up the yogurt covered raisins as I mentioned I did before). God I love those little things. I also picked up a cup of fresh fruit at the market. It was a pound of fruit consisting of apple slices, grapes, kiwi, and melon (honeydew and cantaloupe). Actually there were also orange and grapefruit pieces that I threw away, no shock there, right? I ate a few pieces on the subway, but that proved way harder than I thought it would be. So I went to Bruno’s (my second favorite place besides whole foods) where I got a snapple and ate the rest of the fruit (and a handful or four of yogurt raisins). No picture since I was out and about…
Work was so easy. I never even had any patients, really, until 5 pm. So I ate my snacks throughout the day (apple, dried soy beans, and yogurt raisins). I got out of work early too, so I arrived at the gym at 7 on the dot, and since I was feeling impulsive, I made a daring decision. I joined the spinning class!!! I was nervous but excited. The class instructor was so great though, she helped me set the bike height, taught me the positions, and told me the proper technique and kept me motivated throughout the class. It was only 45 minutes, but it felt like the perfect length of time. I was sweating like a mo fo!! I loved the way she talked through it, telling us what was coming up, telling us when to rest and recover our breathing and get hydrated, and still pushing us to really work ourselves. So great!! I may have to make that a new part of my weekly work out regimen because I am sure it was so good for my body to have a change up after so much of the same old same old. I stretched after and did some abs, but mostly I was done after the spinning class. Whew! I bet I will be soar tomorrow.

When I got home I made myself a nice healthy dinner. I bought a tub of carrot and celery sticks at Barzini’s along with another vegan “chicken” spread. It is kinda a given that I have at least one container of this vegan spread in the fridge at all times…the stuff is SO good. Still, I always get the same kind. I’m such a wuss because they have all these options of spicy, dill, curry and tons of other flavors, and yet, I have only ever tried the “chicken” and “turkey” flavors. They are all vegetarian and vegan and require NO preparation time (2 thumbs up for healthy ready to eat products). Anyways, I used that spread and then added raisins (regular and golden), ff ricotta cheese, ff Fage, and honey mustard. Then I dipped the carrots and celery in it. It was SO yummy. See the final spread all together (from the separate ingredients) below.

I didn’t even have dessert I was so content after that dinner. Plus it was a bit late, since I went to the gym after work. I still managed to stick to my no eating after 10 rule though.
Off to bed early, hooray!

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ACLS – psyche!

Coffee, see photo, was good. What was even better was that I enjoyed the company of my boyfriend while having the coffee…that is rare, so it was quite a treat! I didn’t even finish one cup (see the picture is actually the rest of the not drunk coffee). I pretty much hit the gym up right after the coffee and decided to try to jazz up the routine. I only barely changed my elliptical work out, but it did feel different, and thus better. I went for the random setting, which wasn’t as random as I wanted, but still was better than the boring plateau I have been on. I’m going to still keep trying new things, but atleast I think this work out focused on a variety of muscle groups as it changed heights and resistances. So then I did some stretching and ab work, and actually got a few different ideas for new activities by watching the trainers (toe touching with a weight while balancing on one foot, etc.). Maybe I will try that tomorrow?

LUNCH!!! (steps 1, 2, & 3)

Deliciousness!!!
I went with an open faced vegetarian “chicken” spread on Ezekiel bread with ff Fage and avocado layers. This is the usual spread I get at our whole foods, and it was just as good as I remember. Maybe one day I will have the courage to try one of the spicy flavors or Cajun ones or salsa flavored. Then again, probably not – because I am a chicken and a creature of habit.

I also had this perfectly ripe, juicy, cantaloupe at lunch. It was SO perfect, I was in heaven. Unfortunately, I then had to get my butt in gear and head to ACLS. I packed myself lots of food and snacks because I knew I was going to be there from 2 til 10 pm. So I brought the last of the yogurt covered raisins, along with plain raisins. I also made a sandwich with smart deli “turkey” and ff Fage, honey mustard, and organic baby romaine lettuce. I had lots of other snacks too, but in the end, the class ended at 5, so all had to snack on during the whole time was the raisins. For dinner I used the sandwich I had already made and added some fat slabs of baked tofu I got at whole foods in Columbus circle on the way home. I decided that getting off work early was a rare opportunity and took advantage by meeting up with Kyle at his work, then we both walked to whole foods to get din din together (or at least additional ingredients for my uneaten lunch).
The sandwich was great, especially with the added height and taste of the baked tofu. I LOVE baked tofu. Love love love it. So much so that I made myself a second one open faced with only ff Fage and Ezekiel bread. But after 2 bites I realized it was going to be too much and the flavor of the Fage and the tofu alone didn’t really work. So I just ate the tofu (see below).

And then I had dates for dessert. Like 15. or so. I think I am sleeping in tomorrow. Gym after work so I can get a bit of shut eye. Hast luego!

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fluids, fluids, fluids

Yep that’s the name of the game. Fluids. Today was a fairly productive day, as far as days off go. Although the day’s news was mostly bad, (GI appt, OB/GYN appt, employee health appt since I had to get clearance to return to work…) I am still optimistic that I have now hit rock bottom and from here on it is only going to get better. So, that said, I started the day off nice and early today (had to compensate for yesterday’s sleep in) with an ff misto/latte with homemade starbucks coffee and a new type of milk. They were out of the skim plus lactose free kind at the grocery store last time I went so I went for the next best thing. It is antibiotic free, no hormones added – so even though it isn’t organic, it is almost as good. I only had one cup rather than the typical 2, also I am out of vanilla ff creamer, so I used a bit more milk than usual instead, which is why I surprised that I only had one cup.

Isn’t that a delish looking mug full of caffeine love.

Then I had a handful of dates before I headed off to start the day outside the apartment. I didn’t take a picture though, sorry!

After my doctors’ appointments, I was kinda bummed out, so I decided to treat myself to some sushi. I got this yummy roll at our whole foods and it is vegan, wheat free, and very good. I have had it before so I knew exactly what it tastes like. It is made with organic brown and sweet rice, organic carrots, organic kale, toasted nori, texturized vegetable protein, and some other good stuff. It wasn’t quite enough to fill me all the way so I popped a few more dates in my mouth and then I was good to go.

Another view…

Also, the doctor told me to increase the fluids in my diet (hence the title of this entry) so I had a Snapple and propel water with lunch. I am trying to be a good obedient patient after all. Then after lunch I headed right back out for more errands. I stopped on the way home and bought myself a pretty bracelet at urban outfitters as a present for getting through the day (after the kind of exams I had to have, I think I deserve a little gift). By the time I got back home I needed a little pick me up before I went to the gym. So I had some more of the yogurt covered raisins I got yesterday as well as some dried cherries. The dried cherries were WAY good. Even though they kinda make me feel full (code for bloated), they are totally worth it because they are so good, especially between handfuls of the yogurt covered raisins.

I know I forgot to take a picture (again), but I had already downed them! They were THAT good…

After that little snack, I was good and ready to hit up the gym, so I waited an hour to digest, and then hit the road to run my heart out. My work out was fair, again. I don’t know what is wrong with me lately, but I feel like I’m not getting the work out I used to. I maybe need a change up in routine or something, I feel like I have hit a plateau with the elliptical. I need to inject some life into my work out somehow. I am still pondering taking classes, but I am nervous about looking like an idiot and I also don’t want to make reservations, which are required at most of the classes and times I am interested in. It is too much of a commitment for me, I need flexibility in my gym time and also bathroom allowances! Either way, I have to find something new and soon. Blah can only last so long before it turns to bored. And I have the 10K coming up, so I really have to get my buns in gear. I don’t want to get my ass handed to me on the 31st – and that is super important!

Here is my masterful dinner creation. It is a salad of organic baby romaine lettuce, tofu, carrot slaw, and dried cherries. The rest of the tofu is below, which I put on the second plate of the same salad I made. It was quite good. I used plain balsamic vinegar as dressing. It will be a repeat dinner in the future, I can guarantee it.

Laundry under way and Olympics playing in the background, I began thinking about what dessert should be for tonight. And, yes I had even MORE fluids at dinner too. Snapple and propels aplenty.
Dessert=dates…mmm…

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