Julie, my kick ass FitBloggin roommate, is an awesome blogger and always puts a smile on my face w/ her humor-filled posts.
You rock, Julie!
Jared’s parents are visiting this weekend so my schedule is filled with restaurants and sight seeing. We had a great dinner at Jacob Wirths last night that I’m hoping to recap later this evening.
I’m going to miss Body Pump 72. This final week definitely worked my muscles. My poor mom sliced her thumb while changing the weights on her bar and missed half of the bicep track to go get a band aid. Despite the minor injury, I’m really proud that my mom increased her weight for a few tracks and really fixed her form during the dead lifts and rows. My mom and I both agreed the the instructor Julie makes the class a lot of fun. She’s so positive and energetic!
After working out, my mom and I had time to grab lunch together. I had a bowl of chicken soup.
Plus a grilled cheese.
I snacked on a Z Bar…every flavor is so yummy. I don’t care if it’s a kiddie snack; I love it.
Being a Friend of Harpoon, I attended a tasting of Harpoon Brewery’s new Belgian Pale Ale.
I’m not a true beer aficionado, but I really enjoyed Harpoon’s new release. The Belgian Pale Ale was pleasant to drink, with a slight bitter after taste. It had a nice nose; I could smell cloves, bananas, and even bubble gum.
Along with beer tickets, Harpoon gave everyone a ticket for “pomme frites.” Yum!
After the tasting, my group of friends headed to dinner at St. Alphonzo’s Kitchen in Southie.
We ordered calamari for the table. RI style, fried nice and crispy.
Plus an appetizer known as “The Big Cheese.” A block of mozzarella with house-made marina. We also shared several bottles of Le Croix de Queynac Bordeaux.
I ordered the Chicken Piccata. It came with a side of penne and asparagus. I devoured the pasta and asparagus but saved 1 piece of chicken for later.
By the time I got home, I was still showing my support for Harpoon, but instead of alcohol, I just wanted some “H two Ohhh.”
It was a great Thursday night, drinking at Harpoon and having dinner with friends. Plus after MUCH debate, a summer vacation with friends has been finalized. 
For 5 days last week, I didn’t eat “meat.”
For the most part, I felt like I was eating normally. I think dining at Longhorn Steakhouse was the only time it felt like a struggle. I didn’t crave meat. I didn’t feel like anything was missing from my diet. Just felt like a typical week.
So what did I take away from this challenge?
Successes?
Failures?
I did ok… in my opinion the good outweighs the bad. And even though it was later than planned, I did finally watch Food Inc.
My thoughts?
I really enjoyed Food Inc. It opened my eyes to a side of the food industry that I don’t normally think about.
What info from the movie stood out in my mind?
For the time being, I will continue to eat meat. But I will do my best to buy from respectful and responsible companies. I’d prefer to eat local, clean, and sustainable foods. I don’t want to fill my body with highly processed foods containing crazy chemicals. I also refuse to eat foods that were obtained in harsh ways. I want to preserve my body for my future. I also want to work to preserve the environment for everyone’s future.
It seems silly to fuel myself with artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners. I can eat a crisp red apple or any other freshly grown plant. I can add to my meal by choosing meats that do not contain extra hormones. I want to eat only the real deal! I found a great online resource, Sustainable Table.
I have a lot more reading and researching to do. I need to learn how to read labels. If something contains too many ingredients and too many words I can’t pronounce, it’s out. As the Boston weather improves, I’m going to try to shop at Farmers Markets and even plant my own garden.
Food Inc. gave me a lot to think about. But it didn’t give any instructions for what to do next. As a follow up to the film, I’ve just started reading Michael Pollan’s Food Rules. I’m also continuing my way through In Defense of Food. I’ve love to read The Omnivore’s Dilemma, but I may have to move away from Pollan so I can get another author’s opinion.
This was a really difficult post to write because I didn’t know how to summarize my thoughts. Though it was a 5 day personal challenge, I feel like I’m beginning another leg of my healthy journey. I’m enthusiastic and excited. I’m looking forward to discovering new and better ways to eat and exercise. Change is hard, but I’m willing to work on making personal improvements a little bit at a time.
I was really excited to make a Green Monster smoothie for breakfast. I blended:
(Can you see almond milk leaking from my blender? Oops, forgot to tighten the plug. I’m sort of a disaster in the kitchen!)
Sorry for the blurry picture. But as you can see, my smoothie was less on the green side. It looked more like a shaker of mud. Looks can be deceiving because it tasted awesome. Come on, it had dark chocolate PB in it. How could it not taste great?!?!
Cole asked to see a picture of my cupcake soap. Super cute, but I’m still tempted to use it cuz it smells amazing. It’s made from the “Rosemary’s Baby” soap from the Stella Marie Soap Company.
I had thought about getting up to take the 6 am Body Pump class or the 7 am Fusion Strength class this morning since I had a meeting scheduled during my normal Thursday BP session. Instead I chose sleep! I decided I’d try to recreate Body Pump on my own.
But when I got to work, I found out the meeting was postponed so I’ll be going to Body Pump after all. I even found out early enough that I called my mom and convinced her to come. She’s starting a 12 class pass today so I’ll be working out with my mom many times over the next month.
Sugar coated almonds for my morning snack. Hopefully I ate enough to help me power through Body Pump.
All day I’ve ben thinking it’s Thursday. I called home thinking my mom would be around to talk cuz she’s off on Thursdays. Nope. I was looking forward to a new episode of the Office. Nope. Gotta wait til tomorrow!
I made a Chobani blend for breakfast. I blended cranberry apple butter into plain Greek yogurt. I added a bit of brown sugar, fresh strawberries, and peanut butter. This was okkk. The plain yogurt was a bit too tart so I can’t consider it a real success. If I had used vanilla yogurt, it would’ve been amazing.
When you find something you like, eat it over and over and over… I only have 1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese left. Wahhh.
I ordered vegetable soup and grilled cheese. I ended up with broccoli cheddar soup. I wasn’t too disappointed because I wanted to try the broc cheddar. Until a few bites in… I realized I really didn’t like the soup. Oh well, you win some and you lose some. Cuz the grilled cheese was delicious!
I normally take a spin class on Wednesday nights, but I knew I couldn’t because I had plans after work. So I did a really laid back “spin” workout and pedaled the recumbent bike for 20 minutes while reading In Defense of Food. Really interesting! I stretched and did a short ab workout. And I left plenty of time to sit in the sauna for 10 minutes.
Unpictured afternoon snacks: strawberries, almonds, and a Special K bar!
I met Julie at Whole Foods for a very important business meeting. We’re roommates at FitBloggin so there was a lot to discuss. 
Plus I peer pressured Julie into grinding some fresh peanut butter (OMG, the smell was amazing) and we grabbed dinner from the salad bar.
I loved being at a big grocery store. Shopping in the city isn’t as spread out (traffic jams in the aisles) and doesn’t offer as much variety (really small shelves). I bought peanut butter and almond butter and spinach for tomorrow’s Green Monster. Oh and that blue bowl, well that was a gift from my lovely date. Thanks Julie! Shes trying to win me over so I don’t make her sleep in the bathtub.
Julie and I shared a few thoughts on Food Inc. and I asked her questions about being a vegetarian. I’m halfway done with writing my Vegetarian Challenge reflections. Don’t lose any sleep…it will be up tomorrow!
Today is my blog’s official Unbirthday!
(Source)
I’ve been blogging for 6 months. Wow things have changed since my first post. 
Thank you to everyone who reads my blog!!! I really appreciate the support!
For a bedtime snack, I had some French bread and olive oil.
Here’s what my instant oatmeal actually looked like. Less delicious looking than Quaker’s photo; mine were too watery. I beefed it up by adding extra raisins.
I snacked on baby carrots dipped in Laughing Cow cheese.
For lunch I ate each Arnold Thin as an open faced black bean burger. Yum! I loved making the black bean burgers during my Vegetarian Challenge. They’re something I’m going to continue to make at home. Glad I found a new fav food! 
I intended to do an interval run on the treadmill. After 10 minutes and 1 full cycle of intervals, I felt a cramp coming on. I took it easy and ran the remaining 20 minutes at a steady 6.5 mph. I was at a 9:13 for most of the run, exactly the pace I need to be at to accomplish my race goal. It’s really hard for me to stick to a training plan. I’m really proud that I’m 1 month into training and I’m on track.
When I got back from the gym, I recorded my workout on my paper calendar. Love keeping lists! I also snacked on an Amazing Grass Green SuperFood bar. I normally don’t love Amazing Grass bars, but I was really liking this one today.
I made leftover Pacific Naturals spicy black bean soup for dinner. I added too much chopped onions and carrots in an attempt to make it more filling. Plus some camera shy plain Chobani. It’s melted into the soup. I at half of the bowl before I got tired of it.
Since I gave up on my dinner, I made a filling desert. I started with plain Chobani. I added a few fresh strawberries, a hefty sprinkle of brown sugar, and a spoonful of peanut butter.
Now my stomach is happily full. I can relax, watch the Biggest Loser, and gather my thoughts since I FINISHED Food Inc.
I’m munching on a bag of baby carrots. I think I heard that carrots help you see in the dark. Probably a vegetable trick someone used when I was little.
Continuing to answer your questions….
Q: Do you and Jared have plans of ever getting married? Are you waiting on a proposal perhaps?
A: Getting married is actually something that has been discussed many times. Last weekend, 2 friends of our friend actually thought we were already married.
But Jared believes a proposal is supposed to be a complete surprise. So I’m technically not supposed to be talking about weddings if I want a ring any time soon.
Q: Any secrets to your abs? I work out consistently, but can’t seem to slim down my middle. Any moves or food suggestions?
A: I think the biggest “secret” to my abs is genetics. Thanks Mom!
11 years of gymnastics plus 8 years of cheerleading didn’t hurt either. Spend your days doing dozens of back flips and your abs will be so sore it will hurt to cough or laugh!
Unfortunately it’s impossible to spot train. I do minimal abdominal work, just enough to keep the muscles strong. I also do core work. But doing at least 20 minutes of tough cardio a day and breaking a sweat is probably my best suggestion. Running is my go-to cardio if I really want to be able to see my abs. Sweating is the cheapest and safest way to detox!
In the past, I’ve controlled my diet and noticed a difference in my abs. Cutting calories is a lot of work and honestly, not that much fun. Especially if it leads to a disordered view of yourself and food! I’ve found a great balance now. I pay attention to what I eat and I do my best not to worry too much. (Stress can sometimes lead to stomach bloating!) I simply try to eat as well rounded as I can, drink plenty of water, and find lots of ways to stay active.
Q: What is your dream job? Are you on your way to achieving your goal?
A: Wow, this is such a hard question for me to answer. I can’t really narrow it down and come up with a specific job. I know I’d love to work somewhere in the health industry! I’d love to work in PR/marketing/event planning…and something that uses social media. I’m a firm believer in the Social Media Revolution.
I think I’m sloooowly on my way to achieving my goal. I don’t like using the economy as an excuse, but it is making things a bit difficult for everyone who wants to go off and chase his or her dream.
Noooooooo!
I forgot my SD card reader so no uploading photos until 5:30 tonight.
(Source)
I had a bowl of Quaker Instant Oatmeal, the raisin, date & walnut variety. My bowl didn’t look quite like this, but you get the idea.
Ask Me Anything continued…
Q: You are so skinny! Will you be mad if your children end up on the chunkier side?
A: Just this past weekend I declared I would NEVER have kids because pregnancy sounds too gross, scary, and painful. After thinking about it and realizing that in a few years I’ll probably change my mind, I expressed a few worries about my future children. And NONE of my worries concerned weight. I just want to make sure that I can raise happy and healthy children.
I believe my exact words were, “I don’t want to be the mom of ‘the smelly kid’ at school.”
I watched 1/2 of Food Inc. last night, and already have over a page of notes. I’m enjoying the movie so far and I can’t wait to watch the rest when I get home from work. Then I’ll be able to finish my Vegetarian Reflection later tonight.
I loved having lots of fresh fruit leftover from dessert yesterday. I added blueberries and strawberries to an otherwise boring bowl of cereal.
Plus ate more fruit when I got to work.
I made a salad with the only leftover piece of BBQ chicken from yesterday’s lunch. Plus I used greens, carrots, red peppers, grape tomatoes, and baby carrots. And for the first time in a while, I didn’t overdo it with the salad dressing!
I spread Laughing Cow cheese on a leftover corn bread muffin. Corn bread can be really dry so the creamy cheese was a great topping.
I hit the gym and chose to run 2 miles for speed. I remembered my plan to run a bit faster so this time I completed my miles at 7.5 mph. Yay for 8 minute miles! I was breathing heavy and had to push myself to make it through. I think I’ll stick with this pace for a little while until I get more comfortable. I had enough time to use the foam roller and then sit in the sauna for 5 minutes before getting ready to go back to the office.
Late afternoon snack. I get so hungry during the last 2 hours of my workday. A snack is essential!
I made a black bean burger for dinner and topped with with shredded cheese and pieces of celery. I didn’t end up liking the celery on the sandwich so I took it off and replaced it with some of the cucumbers I was eating on the side.
Someone had to eat the last piece of pound cake. I topped with with mixed berries and FROZEN Cool Whip.
So my Ask Me Anything post wasn’t very successful.
Q: Do you really think you’re “fashionable”? Half the clothes you wear make you look like a grandmother or a little girl. It’s very odd…
A: Bahahaha! I like clothes, I like to read fashion magazines. So I do have knowledge of fashion and style. But do I always dress my best? Hell no! I’m really lazy, I hate to iron, and I like to be comfortable. Most of the photos of my outfits are what I wear to work. So while I prefer to be called a librarian rather than a grandma, I know I don’t look amazing. It’s just fun to share what I wore w/ everyone who reads my blog. I’m not expecting everyone to love everything…though I do get compliments and I always appreciate them! 
Okkk, I’m off to watch Food Inc. (finally!!!) and gather my thought to write about my 5 days as a vegetarian. Oh and I might just have to see who Jake gives his final rose too. Gotta stay on top of the important news…
