weekend worries *updated*

i have pretty much the same thing for breakfast every weekday. i devour a banana while my computer boots up at work. then, between 9:30 and 10:30 i make myself some instant oatmeal. right now i have a variety pack that contains lower-sugar versions of apples & cinnamon, maple & brown sugar, and cinnamon & spice. i close my eyes and grab a packet on the way out the door each morning. the silly pleasures in my life.

i prefer to make my oatmeal in a mug. i don't know why.

here's my newest vessel:

michelle and i bought them on sale at caribou coffee. she said to me the other day that everything's more fun when consumed out of a swirly party mug. i agree! my oatmeal has been downright rowdy since switching from a blah mug i won at dave & buster's.

i almost forgot about the best part!

here's the inside:

party mug 2010 woooooo!!!! (t-shirt lift)

ok ok enough with the funny business. time to get real. i have three things working against me this weekend, and i'd appreciate any advice y'all wanna throw at me regarding any/all of these points.

1. i'm heading back to my hometown for the long holiday weekend. i tend to eat like crap at my parents' house even though my mom is supernice and usually has bananas, other fruit and some veggies for me to eat. i tend to eat the bananas and bypass the other stuff.
2. i'm attending my cousin's high school grad party all day saturday. buffet-style eating is my nemesis because i'm such a grazer. i do know that they're having famous dave's food at the party, so maybe there will be some corn on the cob? i know there will be salad, but i'm fairly certain is like iceberg lettuce with carrots in it. yuck. i don't eat meat, so how will i be satisfied without pigging out on snacks and desserts all day?? oh yeah, i'm sure there will be beer, too.
3. i'm gonna be hanging out with friends ... and there will be adult-bevie consumption. nothin crazy, but increased cals nonetheless.

by the way, i'll probably be in a swimsuit on sunday and/or monday. i don't want to be bloaty from junkfood and drinkies!

if these are the worst things i have to worry about lately, i have a pretty good life :) i hate sounding like a pouty baby when things could be MUCH worse. i'd still appreciate your feedback, though ;)


lastly, i've been a vegetarian for 16 months as of today! loving every minute of it. i feel stupendous! happy 16 months to you, too, morgieborg!

UPDATED: check out michelle's blog to see the fun we had on sunday. i painted the best bowl evaaaaaaaaa!

i like to move it move it

i am such a weirdo. i wrote most of this last week and forgot to post it! better late than never …

i looooooove the way my body feels ever since i began kickboxing three days a week in early january. i see definition in my arms, my calves look fabulous (if i do say so myself), and i think my face must be thinner or something. i really haven’t lost more than a couple of pounds since january, but people who haven’t seen me for a few months are all like, “wow! you look great! you’ve lost more weight!” nope. i haven’t. perhaps my bod is just shifting?

ever since i started training for my first 5K last summer, i’ve realized that i would much rather be active for more days of the week than not. i mean, that’s how often we all SHOULD be active, but not everyone is.

if i need to miss a day of kickboxing during the week, i feel yucky if i don’t do some other activity instead. i missed last wednesday’s class, so i went hiking the sunday prior and attended a stretching clinic on saturday. the hiking was vigorous in a heartrate-accelerated kinda way; the stretching clinic was not. BUT they were both physical activities, nonetheless. gotta mix it up, people!

and then there’s the dreaded situation where you don’t exercise for a few days … which turn into a couple more … and then what??? i know that if i don’t get back into it asap, i’m a goner. thank goodness i have a set kickboxing schedule.

speaking of a set schedule, i need to get my butt in gear and start running again. i’m running my second 5K one month from tomorrow, and i don’t want to suck!

i seriously thought about going for a run after kboxing last night, even though it was crazyhot and humid … but then i REALLY got thinking about the heat warning that was in effect for the area, and i didn’t want to spontaneously pass out during my run. so, instead, i did the next most logical thing:

i met some friends at grumpy’s and had two hard ciders and a plate of tater tots.

really?? REALLY, AMANDA!!?? you’re sabotaging yourself.

this brings me to another point. i’ve felt pretty invincible for the past month or so … and not in a good way. too many crappy food choices have slithered their way into my diet here and there. i used to have more willpower.

but here’s where the problem comes in: i haven’t really gained weight. so more and more often i haven’t been making the healthiest food decisions. old habits die hard, indeed! i’ve only noticed that i’ve felt a little more bloaty over the past few days (or maybe a week), and i think it’s finally caught up with me.

and i’ve learned a powerful lesson in the process! (and isn’t that what it’s all about? besides the hokey pokey, of course.)

THIS IS MY LIFESTYLE NOW!

as long as i am active three or more days per week, a not-so-healthy meal and a few calorie-laden adult bevies every so often won’t really negatively affect me. as long as i don’t let it all spiral out of control. everything in moderation. pretty sure i’ve got a handle on it right now, but i still need to watch it.

i would really like to bump up my physical activity from three days a week to five, and that’ll NEED to happen if i want to rock my 5K. maybe i should count workouts instead of days? i can see myself running some of the same days i have kboxing. yeah. i’ll do that.

goal: work out five times per week

S: I will kickbox three days and run two days each week. If that isn’t possible, my workouts will total five (or six! for funsies) per week.

M: I will track my activities on my calendar for at least one month.

A: Heck yes it’s attainable! Because I rock. And it’s only adding two runs a week.

R: I can fairly easily head outside for 45 minutes twice a week instead of watching TV in the evening, or I can run before work in the morning.

T: I will do this for at least the month leading up to my 5K on June 26.

It’s on like Donkey Kong, folks.

PS I recently found www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com and I’m in love. It’s my new fav blog by a long shot. Totally my kinda humor, and Allie is a genius.

PPS Natalie Dee is now blocked at work :(

PPS Why did I start using initial caps after rockin the lowercase post up until my SMART goal? Nobody knows.

PPPS Happy Random LOLCats Post Day!

Because people like to say salsaaaaaa

May is National Salsa Month!!!! ­¡Olé!

Salsa is one of my top five favorite foods … with chips, of course. I know lots of people who put salsa on baked potatoes, scrambled eggs, aaaand just about everything else. But me? I stick to the standard chips and salsa. Oh, and salsa on top of quesadillas. And in my burrito bowls. Alright, let’s just say I keep my salsa use pretty traditional.

PIC o’ de gallo
(I’m laughing so hard in my head right now.)

I LOVE pico de gallo. I go nuts for it. I can’t believe I haven’t started making my own yet! I would really like to get a Slap Chop (or similar device) instead of going through the hassle of dicing the tomatoes and onions. That’d also help with my guac. Yummm my mouth is watering.

But wait, is pico de gallo considered salsa? I think so. It’s right next to the rest of the salsas at Chipotle and wherever else, so I’m saying yes. Why am I even questioning this?

As long as you’re not gorging on cheesy “salsa” (which is TOTALLY not salsa, imo), I say go hog wild on salsa! It’s super low cal and low fat, and is a fun substitute for other toppings. Sour cream? Nah, I’ll take the jillion-times-more-flavorful salsa, por favor.

It’s the chips basket that makes the salsa not so waistline friendly. If you and your peeps can stick with one basket, more power to you! I prefer to just not go out for Mexican very often … and then when I do I’m kinda unstoppable on the chips and salsa. AND I ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

Like I said, chips and salsa is one of my top five fav foods (say that five times fast!), which also makes it a trigger food combo that I don’t make readily available at home. Come on now, that’s just asking for trouble. Although a chips-and-salsa-only dinner does happen in my abode every once in a while, I know that’s a horrible choice. And my tummy feels gross after eating so many stupid chips :(

I do usually have a salsa or two in my fridge, though. I like to keep ’em handy for topping my cheese quesadillas. I don’t really make those often either, and it’s not like a somewhat-soggy, microwaved cheese/tortilla sandwich is that fab of a dinner. But, when I do make them, I try to add some color (aka nutrition) to the otherwise-drab meal.

When my kitchen is ideally stocked, I top my creation with a bunch of beautifully green chopped romaine. (Iceberg lettuce is the lamest thing ever.) I really like to mix some chopped cilantro in with the lettuce, too. Next, I dice some tomatoes and onions and sprinkle on the lettuce. And then for my favorite part — salsa verde!

This is my go-to brand.

It’s tasty, but the real reason I buy it

might be that I really like to hold out

the rolling-R when I say Herrrrrrrrrrdez.

It serves so many purposes on my homemade quesadilla. It provides yummy flavor from tomatillos. It gives that little extra spicy kick that makes me forget I made this thing in a microwave. AND, if you spread the salsa verde on before anything else, it makes the lettuce stick to the tortilla! (Yes I’m a dork that gets excited about stuff like that.)

I was at the grocery store last night picking up some veggies for work and realized I needed to grab some din din fixins. I recalled that I had some shredded taco cheese at home, so I thought quesadilla. But then I remembered that I didn’t have any Herrrrrrrdez at home. And then I couldn’t find it at that grocery store!!!! The horror!

There were a bunch of other green salsa options, but I had a better idea.

I recently bought some green Tabasco (the newest addition to my guac recipe … with which I might be obsessed). I splashed a few drops onto the top of the quesadilla. And then a few more splashes. And then a few more. Then, I threw on some lettuce/cilantro mix, cut it into six triangles, and ate my tasty masterpiece whilst watching last week’s Glee. The green Tabasco rocked! I’m very happy I opted for that this time.

But, Tabasco is not salsa. It is jalapeño pepper sauce, and we’re not celebrating it this month. So enough of that.

Happy National Salsa Month!