Welcome Back Weights

Today was an emotional rollercoaster.

First up: sweat session.  I did a 20 minute, go-as-hard-as-you-can elliptical session followed by some weight lifting circuits.  I’ll say it felt great to lift again.  I didn’t lift while I was doing Insanity so it has been close to two months since the dumbbells and I had a date.  For this morning I did each set three times through.

• 10 body weight decline pushups
• Wall sits with 10 side-to-side rotations with a 10lb dumbbell
• 20 in-and-out abdominal crunches
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• 10 hip to chest slides with 2-10lb dumbbells
• 10 upright rows with 2-10lb dumbbells
• 10 body weight tricep dips
• 10 plié squats with 15lb dumbbell
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• 10 reverse lunges
• 25 “kayakers”
• 10 power jumps (courtesy of Insanity)

I was really tired by the end and with a 330 calorie burn I felt pretty nice.  After a shower, I made a chocolate breakfast cake and topped it with flax peanut butter and chia seeds.  I’ll admit it was nice to eat it at my desk rather than in the shuttle on the way to work.

It tasted delicious and it kept me full as I drove over to school.  I took my car today instead of the shuttle because I was going to the doctor’s office in the middle of the morning.  I did some work early though, and by work I mean I spec’d close to oh 80 some samples.  I also did back-ups for 79 of them (one didn’t qualify by volume alone) before heading to see the doctor.

The whole appointment went alright.  I’ll admit some conclusions were reached that were hard to hear and I’m not sure if I’ll share quite yet but know that I’m okay and I’m working through some things.  I actually have to go and get blood work on Saturday morning (it’s a three hour draw…ugh) to help further clarify some things.  Now, honestly, I would have taken pictures of lunch but I ate it half in the office room waiting for the doctor to come in and half in the car on the way rushing back to school for preclinic (which I made it to like twenty minutes late, thankfully my supervisors already knew that was a possibility).  I can, however, tell you what I had for lunch: a goat cheese and jam half sandwich, some grape tomatoes, and dried apple slices.  Delish.

After preclinic conference I devoted my time to calling out patient results and finishing letters.  There were a lot of things to fax, document, and discuss.  It was a rushed afternoon but it felt sooooo great to get rid of some charts (aka finish them off so they can be re-filed and off my shelf in the student room!).  So, with that in mind it was all sorts of productive.  I snacked around 3:30 after rounds on a cherry dark chocolate granola bar.

These things are seriously delicious I must say.  If you like cherries and chocolate (seriously, who doesn’t?) then these are totally for you and that stats aren’t too bad either: 120 calories and 5g of protein.  Later, Mitch and I closed down the student room with each other around 5 o’clock.  On the drive home I cranked up some music and tried to drown out my thoughts on the day.  I worked for a bit but when I got home they all came rushing back.  I was also pretty hungry so I figured I would eat something.  I was in no way wanting to prepare anything or wait for cooking time so I pulled out the leftover half of my Moroccan chicken salad sandwich from last night.  After the Yelp Elite party…

…a few friends and I went to a Moroccan “fast food” restaurant.  Basically it looks like a Subway set up but instead of sandwiches they have all sorts of great dishes, spreads, meats, and breads.  If it’s your first time there they give you a full sampler platter because they use of 150 types of spices so to describe the flavors in everything is incredibly difficult.

They would much rather you try it all for yourself and make your own decisions.  I chose to make a sandwich with the following: Moroccan chicken salad (a sweet version with golden raisins…it blew my mind!), cilantro pesto (holy moly yum), marinated mushrooms and artichoke hearts, fresh tomatoes, and chunk feta cheese.

Tonight for dinner I had the remaining half of it (the whole thing was very, very large) with a side of pretzels and probably seven more handfuls off camera.  It was just as good the night after as it was when I first tasted it.  I will definitely be back again to this place.  I wanted to have more of just about everything!  Plus the service rocked my socks.

After dinner, which was eaten early around 5:50, I ended up on the phone with mom some more discussing all that had transpired today.  I also loaded the dishwasher, did some other dishes, made food for tomorrow, and gathered up what I needed to clinic tomorrow.  Now I need to take my leave and go shave my legs so I can wear a dress in the morning.  Catch you later group!

Questions: When was the last time you got more than you bargained for at the doctor’s office?  What is your favorite chicken salad recipe?