Sorry for the Absence...

I have had this whole week off which should mean that I could have posted like cray-cray but instead I just hung around and didn't do much because I'm so used to being go-go-go all the time. It was really nice and I am not looking forward to going back to the daily grind tomorrow morning. BUT! A few updates, my running training is going well and my BeSt FrIeNd is coming to visit in 40 days! weeeeee!!!!!!!

On a last note: Drink protein everyday. Here is a SUPER attractive picture of me with my post workout shake... and post workout-no-make-up-6am face. SUPAH CUTE. I know.

A New Beginning

Tomorrow starts my attempt at a "body building diet". I found the outline on Muffin Top-Less, a blog/tumblr about a young woman who found herself in college and not proud of where her body had gone so she fixed it and got in the best shape of her life. I went grocery shopping tonight and then immediately made my tilapia when I got home. I used Jamie Eason's Fish-In-Foil Recipe which was super easy! I just sprinkled on garlic powder and a few slices of lemon. I weighed it to make sure they were in 4 oz quantities and then baked them in the oven. It came out pretty well! I''ll be pairing my mini meals with veggies throughout the day as well.

Pre-Oven, ready to go!

My little foil pockets of protein-goodness!

All done, and smelling pretty delicious might I add :)

Take time to breathe

It has been a crazy week meaning I have had minimal time to catch up on my meals and blogging and such. I suppose doing my laundry and sleeping are higher on the priority list. Anyways, I haven't been eating the best the past few days. I am a stress eater for sure. When things are going smoothly and I'm not stressed at work or about school or just worrying in general, it is really easy for me to stay positive, eat super healthy and get to the gym all the time. However, when going to the gym becomes a stress due to more hours at work, or feeling like I'm not making progress, I just self sabotage and eat bad food. If it's just been a long day and I want to mentally check out and un-wind there is nothing better than pizza and ice cream. However, this needs to not happen again for a while. My trip to maine is coming and I need to be in bikini shape!!!

Like I said, I have just been working a lot of hours. Probably close to 55 by the end of this week. And when I work that much, my free time is rarely productive. It normally just means I take naps and watch The Office on instant play, (and fail to update my blog). In some way, I feel like working so much merits me sitting around doing nothing. Almost like I have earned doing absolutely nothing. This isn't the case. I know myself, and if I stay moving, I have very active days. But if I keep succumbing to "one more episode"....let's just say it's a really good thing that I have enough underwear to last me two weeks without laundry (thank you 5 for $25 sales at Victoria's Secret). Speaking of underwear, I can't be the only person who has a mini battle everyday of deciding to wear the cute underwear because it's more fun to wear, or saving it for when your outfit is cuter or you're going out to dinner.

Ok, maybe it is just me. Because I'm a freak. Ah well. I will be posting some pictures of the crazy wild fires that have been going down in Boulder the past few days. But for now, it's back to work for me until about 3 or so. Then off to the gym to bust my ass.

Now back to our feature presentation:

Sorry about the couple days gap, I have been busy (what's new). I didn't get home on thursday until after 9 and yesterday I ran errands after I got out of work and then headed straight home to have some quality time with Netflix Instant Play. Judge all you want. There are times when you just need to sit back, relax and have some alone time. I have learned that lesson since I moved to Boulder and had to start working full time while taking 16 credits online. Which by the way, I do NOT suggest. Online classes are good for women who have kids trying to finish a degree from home while drinking their morning coffee. However, if you are working 50 hour weeks and trying to learn your material while taking an open book test....not so great. But I learned to appreciate my time to just take a deep breath and not be worrying about taking care of a customer or answering a phone.

On another note, I wanted to share this adorable picture of my little dog at home, in VT who got his wee little back leg run over by the truck and is now as my mom calls him "hop along cassidy" that determined little nugget has actually figured out how to get around pretty well with one leg all bandaged up. Apparently he is having surgery this coming week and having a kidney stone removed. My Family basically ended up with a problem child dog. He has lots of issues. But we love him all the same!

Well... shit.

Well today went from productive, to a little scary, to fine, to plain old shitty. I had a super productive morning before going to have a personal training session. I was on the last set of the last exercise and almost puked/passed out. It was a really good time. I then had a protein smoothie and went to work for a few hours, got a few things at the grocery store and came home to eat a salad and some red peppers with spicy hummus. I then just started getting frustrated about random things and worked myself into a bad mood. Great times.

On the bright side, I did get to talk to my bff Brit! we just need to set a good time for her to come visit to work around the half marathon.

Do you ever just have days when you don't even know why you're upset, but it's just not a good day?

It's the little things

Yesterday morning was without question the most productive morning I have had in months. After blogging, I went to the gym for a full hour of madness, (and by madness I do mean madness, I was already sore last night) and then came home to clean the kitchen, three meals to avoid cooking later, all while cleaning out some scary looking leftovers from one of the kitchen drawers, got ready for work, grabbed everything I needed for my errands and was off! My intention was to go register my car, but I couldn't find the place twice, my garmin brought me to the wrong location. It was almost time to head into work so I just gave up. And all my productivity was gone. Getting frustrated by one little thing just threw off my momentum.

I then got home around 7:15 from work and went into my bathroom so see an adorable note that Josh had left me from the night before when he was over for dinner, it really is the little things that make the day better. On sunday, while I was at work I was thinking about how I caught Joshua dearest wearing a shirt to work with three little holes in the back. He got all the black shirts at the same time from American Apparel and we literally just haven't had time to go to the mall and get him some new shirts. So on my break, I drove over to pearl st and bought him a couple new shirts

And with my mad folding skeelz, I made a little frog out of a very nice little note :)

I hope you all have a great day!

Top O' the Mornin'!

The alarm went off this morning at 4:30 and I just was not feeling the gym at 5am today. I am going to go one I finish updating my lurvely little blog and then I have many errands to run before I head into work at 12! AHHHHHHH.

Alright a few updates: My meals haven't been recorded on here as well as I wanted over the past couple days due to some technical difficulties. BUT I'm hoping it will work today so I can catch you up on all my foods!

This was my very lack luster dinner from a few nights ago. I wasn't very hungry, so ended up with an egg sandwich and some grapes.

I REALLY like red peppers and spicy hummus :)

If anyone wonders what I snack on, it's mostly veggies and some fruit (I try to keep the fruit to a minimum though). especially red peppers and spicy hummus. It makes my little world go 'round. I don't eat very big meals so I generally have a snack every 2-3 hours to keep my metabolism burning.
When I do eat fruits, I try to avoid peaches, and strawberries (as much as I love them, they are super high in sugar compared to blueberries, bananas...)

Saturday morning, I had THIS deliciousness for breakfast. It was homemade chocolate protein granola. I got the recipe from The best blog ever, aka Peanut butter fingers! I used less oats so there was less carbs but it was an awesome pseudo cheat breakfast because my body was craving some dense carbs.

Welp, it really is high time that I get my butt to the gym. Have a wonderful monday all of you! I will be posting more catch up meals later! :)

Happy Father's Day!

And a good Sunday morning to all of you out there! My day started with the gym for a cardio work out from 6-7. I spent 25 minutes on a stair master, elliptical thing and then went to a treadmill to run a little more than a mile and then a quarter mile-ish sprint. I have made a pact with my best friend Brit to train for a half marathon, even if I never actually enter one. She is hopefully (fingers crossed!) coming to visit in mid august and we are planning to go on a few runs and hikes together when she visits. SO, we are going to try to run 10-15 miles by the time she gets here. I know absolutely nothing about training for a half marathon but my mini plan is to try and increase my mileage by one mile every week. with the hope to be ready for about 10 miles or so by late august. We'll see.

Anyway, it is Fathers day! I am a WAYS away from my dad today but I tried to call this morning (no success :(  ) and sent a nice text. I'm assuming the family is out to brunch for the morning and I will hear back sometime later today. I really miss going out to brunch. It is definitely the best meal you can go out to. Anything goes. Whether you're in the mood for a smoked salmon and caper bagel, or prime rib, or cupcakes and other pastries, or you're like me and in the mood for all three, no one is going to judge! Anything from belgian waffles to steak and potatoes goes at brunch. Think about that next time you're somewhere in between meals on a Sunday and don't know where your tummy wants to take you. Most places have decently priced Sunday brunch buffets unless its a holiday.

OH! and while we are on the topic of brunch, at some point in your life, make sure to get to a Brazilian buffet called a Churrascaria. They serve pineapple juice which helps break down all the delicious meat they bring around to you so you can eat more food! Hey, if you're going to go out to eat, go hard. When I eat bad food, it's not eating a sandwich with chips. It's a cheeseburger and fries with ice cream for desert. There are pleasures in life like pizza and brownies that should be enjoyed. But not every week, certainly not ever day. But once in a while, go for it!

This is a little taste of what the Churrascaria is like. People in big gaucho pants bring you spears of meat. It's amazing. If you're like me, and are a complete carnivore, this is the place to be!

Until next time everyone! And remember, be thankful for your dad today! 

WhOlE FoOdS iS dElIcIoIoUs

I ended up working the whole day at work on thursday and didn't have any food with me, so I went over to whole foods during my lunch break for some grub. It was super nice out, so I was able to eat outside and enjoy my delicious salad.

This was a bed of spring greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, baby corn, some regular corn, red peppers and balsamic vinaigrette. On the side I had some kung pao tofu which was AMAZING. And a three pepper spring roll. (not so healthy but oh so good).

PS I don't know about the whole foods anywhere else in the U.S. but the one on pearl st in Boulder is like a watering hole. Everyone just wants to find true love while looking over some organic strawberries. I may be the only weirdo out there that reads the missed connections on craigslist because I think they're hilarious, but there are so many from wholefoods! If you make eye contact, it's over, you may as well have proposed right there on the spot.

Life can be one, big bowl of cherries!

As promised here are pictures of me playing with my food. Because the only thing more fun than eating, is being a tool while you're doing it :)

Look at me! I'm 5!!

I just love cherries. That's all there is to it.

I hope that my childish pictures didn't disappoint on this lovely saturday morning!

My guilty pleasure today :)

Yesterday due to the lack of food in my house that can be to-go I stopped at the grocery store and picked up some oatmeal and a big bag of black cherries which I finished today. Last weekend while working at the Honuman festival in boulder I saw people walking around with bags of black cherries from the farmers market and ever since I have been craving them. On top of craving sweetness for the past couple days (thanks diet) I broke down and got some. And boy were they delicious. Just one right after another of amazing sweet fruitiness. And thanks to the pits, it kept me from eating them too too fast. But unfortunately my phone won't let me upload pictures from my camera roll of my obnoxiously enjoying my cherries. SO I will upload tem later. Until ten, enjoy the idea of me acting like a 5 year old with me food :)

Happy Friday....if it meant something.

To those of you who have the weekend off, Happy Friday to you!! However, it has been a while since friday meant anything to me considering I work all weekend at the office I work at. It's almost funny when practice members call over the weekend, on a sunday for example and sound surprised when I answer the phone "Samantha?? You work all weekend long??" Yes, I do. I have proved that there really is no rest for the wicked. Anyway, I figured I would give a mini lesson on carbs this morning. To  people (especially women) who are trying to lose weight, the best way to lose fat is by going on a low carb diet. If you want the research click Right Hizz-ere! There are risks to eating low carb, high protein diets for an extended amount of time, but for short periods of up to 12 weeks or so, it can't do a lot of harm. One of the risks is high cholesterol, which can easily be avoided by not eating red meats all the time (even though I love me some Bison) and eating only the whites of eggs. Many people also have super thwarted ideas of what good sources of protein are. (Yes this is a side bar, I know I was supposed to be talking about carbs) Nut butters, such as peanut butter do have protein, but should NOT be considered a source of protein. They are a source of fat. The protein is an added bonus. Almond butter especially is a great source of healthy fats, and has some fiber, but not a whole lot of protein compared to the amount of fat.
          Back to carbs, Many people are under the impression that you need carbs for energy. Which is generally true. Under normal circumstances, and what is recommended by many nutrition text books (including my college nutrition text book from last semester) is that about 60% of your diet come from carbs. NO NO NO NO!! I will try to find the online article but, especially women do better with a low carb diet. If you didn't read the awesome link I added, or didn't really get it, basically, when you drop your carb consumption, your body goes from carb burning mode, to fat burning mode. Why don't our bodies do this naturally you might ask? Well I found a nifty little article to explain it all, because I wouldn't trust me either Yeeeuhhhh another link. Once again, if you didn't read my awesome link, in a nutshell, our bodies store fat to keep from starving, and if we can draw from that instead of the new fuel we are putting in our body, it means losing that muffin top before you know it!
    
And I will leave you with this adorable picture of piggies.

Happy Hump Day!

It is wednesday morning, a wednesday with a very interesting start for me... Anyway, I don't have to go into the office at all today so I am going to run some errands like getting my colorado drivers license and car registration done. This will be my first time wearing jeans in more than a week. Oh the joys of working in an office.

Oh! And here are the pictures of the high fiber tortillas I use. I used one this morning for my little egg-wich!

Have a great day everyone!!

I present to you, my BFF

Side note: This is my adorable friend Brit who lives in Nashville far away from me :(

Girl Loves her Auntie Anne's!!! 

Meals, the gym and...Wild fires?

Before work this morning at 10:30 I decided to make a mid-morning snack to hold myself over until I got out at 3:00, so I ate this little guy

which consisted of a mini fiber wrap (I'll post a picture of the bag) which are awesome because they only have 50 calories and almost all the carbs come from fiber which is super important for having enjoyable poops AND to help lose weight believe it or not. Anyway, it was a mini fiber wrap, one egg and a sprinkle of reduced fat cheese. If anyone ends up buying the tortillas, I suggest microwaving it for a minute first because it's made with predominantly oat fiber not flour, it has a weird texture until its a little crispier. 

Yum!!!

Alright moving on, Apparently in Colorado, there are a lot of forrest fires due to the general lack of rain and dry climate. This is a very sub-par picture of the flatirons clouded by smoke. Wish I could have gotten a better shot, but seeing as I was driving and trying to take a picture on my phone at the same time, I'm not too sorry.

AAAAnd now for dinner. For lunch, the office bought us all salads and soup from Mad Greens which was delicious. For dinner, I had a small salad and Chili that I made yesterday. 

It may not look like much, but that Chili is one of the secrets to my success. I modified the HCG diet recipe for Chili and it is AMAZING. Like I actually crave the taste of it and it's really healthy. I use a big fry pan and throw in 1 pound of ground beef or preferably bison, but bison is $10 a pound if you don't get it costco so I had beef this time. Half of an onion sliced, and a big spoonful of minced garlic from my Costco sized jar of garlic. Yes. I am too lazy to mince it fresh :P. Then I wait until the meat can be broken up and is browned. I then add one can of diced tomatoes, and about a quarter cup of water. I then throw in 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne depending on how spicy you like it, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and oregano leaves and let it simmer until the water has cooked off. Do a taste test and add stuff as needed. Tobasco is a good addition as well. 

That's all for now! Time to watch the office on netflix :)

Starting off right!

I woke up this morning around 4:15 am...and then went right back to sleep. I used to get up to go to the gym every morning from 5-6 but now that I do a lot of work for the office from home, and don't go in until 10:30 at least, I see no reason not to get my beauty sleep. Anyway, I started off my morning with 1 packet of original oatmeal, cooked with water, and added 1 tsp of brown sugar and a splash of almond milk.

   Yum!!!

Alright off to get my morning started! I hope your weather is as wonderful as mine today, 80 and sunny! :)

The most expensive piece of cloth I have ever bought.

I recently went to a Bassnectar show at red rocks which was AWESOME. Anyway, being the lame obnoxious person I am, I had to buy a shirt and of course the one that grabbed my attention was this little number. I spent $25 on easily the smallest and thinnest article of clothing I may ever own. And it was completely worth it.

I know what you're thinking, "THAT DIRTY WHORE! who wears that in public??" But I solemnly swear to never wear this with jeans out in public, especially not places where there is food being sold or consumed. Unless I get a tan six pack, then all bets are off. Sorry.

This is me and my lovely Joshua before the show. We were one of the first people there. We are one of those couples that gets to the movies a half hour before it starts. Judge all you want, we always get good seats.

Let us begin.

Good evening!
This is the first of hopefully many posts in my third started blog. The other two haven't been so successful. Let me rephrase, I haven't been so successful with the last two. Like all the diaries I started when I was younger, I wrote religiously for two weeks, and then just didn't have anything else interesting to say. However, I am hoping that this blog will be more ongoing considering there will always be something to write about in my fitness/food life.

With that said, the main topic of this will be workouts, eating healthy, my never ending sarcasm and me talking about how much I love junk food. Fun combo right? I thought so. So without further ado, the very brief version of how I started working out....

My gym adventures started two novembers ago (november of 2010). It was right after my senior field hockey season ended and thus the end of organized sports for my foreseeable future and I started going to the gym to stay in shape. I also started paying more attention to what I ate and started seeing great results. Unfortunately, I didn't know anything about nutrition or how to work out, and wasn't getting enough protein, or calories in general and was over training every time I went to the gym. All I did was cardio and count calories. I didn't care about the content of the food, I only cared about how many calories were in it. Needless to say, within two months, I was right back where I started because I didn't lose weight the right way. Now, with the help of my boyfriend who helped me put together a work out plan and better nutrition, I am on the path to a great body and health in a much safer way.