Healthy Living Survey

Found this survey a few days on Tina’s blog.  Looked interesting and I was searching for something to do tonight to relax before hanging up my fun shoes and slipping into my work ones for the week.  Darn Sunday nights…

1. What did you eat for breakfast?

I tried some new pancakes this morning.  I found the recipe somewhere but I didn’t write it down because it was the simplest thing ever.  Two ingredients: banana and two eggs.  My banana was kind of small so I did one whole egg and one egg white.  In retrospect I probably could have used only the one egg.  I also added some cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.

So the pancakes turned out thin.  Not really my style.  I like my pancakes thick and fluffy.  Also, because they only had egg and banana going on, they tasted kind of like awkwardly scrambled eggs.  And the didn’t cook fast enough to flip without the bottoms being a bit burned.  Oh well.  The almond butter and maple syrup kind of helped.

2. How much water do you drink a day?

I drink at least 60 ounces a day, if not 80.  Fairly sure I read somewhere that you should shoot for half your body weight in water.  Well, I’ve got that covered.  A few of these big guys and I’m done.

3. What is your current favorite workout?

I don’t know that I really have a favorite workout.  I have workouts that I do but nothing that super calls to me, you know?  At this point I’m in the middle of Stage 5 of New Rules of Lifting for Women (NROLFW) and I guess the body weight matrix at the end of each 5A workout is pretty cool.  You do a full set, then rest, then do another full set.  I think I like it because even though it makes my legs feel like jelly, I am shaving seconds off and that feels pretty awesome.

4. How many calories do you eat a day?

Right now I’m shooting for 1500 a day.  I’d like to lose some weight before graduation and this seems to be working right now.  A pound of week is the plan.  When I’m not eating to lose eight I suppose my intake is around 1900-2000 some.  (Admittedly that sounds pretty scary right now.  Makes me nervous that I’d just gain weight as fast as you know when eating all that.  Also, some days it takes a lot just to get me to eat close to 1500.  What would I do with another 400-500 calories?)

5. What are your favorite healthy snacks?

Sweet potatoes with sunbutter.  Carrots with peanut butter and/or barbeque sauce.  String cheese and apples.

6. What do you usually eat for lunch?

Gosh, that really depends.  I love leftovers, hot ones.  Mostly that’s because my clinic site right now is incredibly cold, like all the time.  I also have been known to do salads a bunch while at school.  Or sandwiches…like today’s sunbutter and banana one!

7. What is your favorite body part to strength train?

Hmmm.  That’s a good one.  If I want to feel real strong, I’ll do my legs.  If I want to feel challenged (and subsequently proud of progress), I’ll take my shoulders.  YTWLs are killer.

8. What is your least favorite body part to strength train?

Hm, off the top of my head, nothing.  But I’m also sure that I probably haven’t done enough lifting to find an exercise that I really don’t like.  Come to think of it though, I suppose I really don’t like step ups.

9. What are your “bad” food cravings?

All the “normal” stuff: cake, cookies, frosting (straight from the jar), marshmallow fluff, Ben & Jerry’s…

10. Do you take vitamins or supplements?

I do.  Actually quite a few.  I take a multi; vitamins C, D, and B complex; extra virgin fish oil; zinc; potassium citrate (for my kidneys!); iodine; and one to promote healthy estrogen metabolism by the liver.  The kicker: I down them all in one gulp.  That’s how I’ve always done it.

11. How often do you eat out?

That really depends.  Lately, I haven’t been going out too much because I’ve been doing a ton of stuff for clinic and school.  However, a little over a week ago Jack and I went for froyo and just yesterday Jess and I went for lunch.  So I guess it’s probably close to once a week if you average stuff out, maybe less frequently this semester.

12. Do you eat fast food?

Not unless froyo counts as fast food!

13. Who is your biggest supporter?

I’m happy to say I don’t just have one.  I have plenty.  To name a few: my parents, Jack, my best friend Joshua.  They are all incredible and I couldn’t do half the stuff I do without them!

14. Do you have a gym membership?

No gym membership, just a fitness center at my apartment complex.  I have been really happy with that decision.  I think I’ll definitely put a complex gym on my must-have list for my next place.

15. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

I am an eight hours a night kind of lady.  I seriously don’t function on less than seven but eight really leaves me feeling satisfied and capable of doing my early morning workouts.  Thanks to my iHome, I even have the stats to prove that beautiful eight hour record.

16. Do you have a “cheat” day?

I don’t know that I would call them that.  It sounds so illicit. I know that I have days where I might eat more than my 1500 but I still try and stay within the amount of calories I’m allotted for the week (1500 x 7).  Part of that is out of fear of gaining weight, part of that is out of fear of losing control, and probably part is because I’m afraid of blowing all of my progress.  Its hard sometimes because I seriously love food (obviously if you’ve been around this blog for any length of time you get that) and being anxious about it on those days that I eat more than I typically do is really annoying and discouraging.  Some day I hope to be free of that anxiety, somehow.

17. Do you drink alcohol?

Sure.  I love wine and an occasional beer (like the bourbon one from a cool Tavern across town).  Amaretto is great and 43 is seriously some of the best stuff on the planet.  For as much as that sounds like, I have maybe a three drinks a month.  Except when I’m home, then it is a glass of wine every night with dinner.  =D

18. Do you have a workout buddy?

No workout buddy most days.  Not many people around this apartment complex brave the 5:45am cold gym.  I have been known to work out with Jack when we’re together, one of my classmates when we were at the national conference together, Joshua when he’s around, and even my momma (we do pilates together at her normal studio).

19. What is the best thing that has changed your life since coming to a healthy lifestyle?

Gosh, I don’t really know how to answer that question.  I suppose becoming the most fit I have ever been would be the best thing.  I played sports in high school and such but I have never had this much muscle on me or worked out this often, this consistently.  I like that sense of dedication, that commitment, that control.  I dare say that spreads throughout other parts of my life.

20. What was the last healthy thing you did?

In the grand scheme of things, I’d say that last healthy thing I did was decided to regain control of my eating habits after the past few months of craziness and holidays.  If we’re talking something a bit more acute, I’d say making myself a pretty balanced three bowl dinner was pretty healthy.  One bowl for salad: spinach, lemon pepper, and extra virgin olive oil.  One bowl for mashed sweet potato with cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of Stevia and salt.  One bowl for leftover chana masala. 

Ways To Spend A Weekend

1. Enjoying leftover strawberry (and peach) shortcake with ice cream after a lovely Sunday morning church service.  I had told myself I wasn’t going to have anything after church, and I wouldn’t have if it had been the normal Oreos-and-other-store-bought-cookies spread, but then these happened…and I caved, deliciously caved.

2. Catching up with the third book of the Fifty Shades trilogy.

3.Completing the third week of Insanity.  I can’t even believe it’s been 21 days.  Wowza!

4. Making your own Goddess dressing inspired by a trip to Trader Joe’s.  Since I’ve never had the actual stuff, I’m not sure if my copy-cat was close but I can say it was perfect on my salad.

5. Baking all sorts of gluten-free, sugar-free goodies for the family you work for.  On the list this week: chocolate chip cookies, peppermint swirl dough, sugar cookie dough, and sticky buns.

6. Eating waffles with an old roommate, her little man, and her fiancé.  I made some sour cream waffles and they were super topped with maple syrup and berries they brought to share.  We have a perfect time catching up.

7. Packing up for my trip to Myriad on Wednesday!  Can’t wait!

8. Cleaning my whole place.  You know how I love carpet lines.  I swear it even smells better after vacuuming. 

9. Trying out maca powder.  Mom found it and sent it to me in the hopes that it might support my body’s immunity and some womanly things.  It has a distinct taste on it’s own: vaguely chalky, sort of chocolatey.  I threw it into chocolate protein pancakes that I topped with peanut butter, syrup, and chia seeds.

10. Blistering in the heat wave around these parts.

11. Writing up patient letters for submission to my supervisor before I head out of town.

12. Registering for a race: Wine at the Line 2012!  Joshua and I ran this last year and this year we, or rather probably mostly me, has suckered a whole bunch of friends into running the race and spending the day with us.

13. Shining up my jewelry.  I cleaned my rings using a 3:1 warm water:dish soap mixture and a toothbrush.  I then used a silver cloth to get all the tarnish off my double helix that I wear on my necklace.  Note the very dark gray fingers in the after picture.  It took me forever to see straight silver again.

Last, but not least, Happy Father’s Day to all the daddies out there.  My dad has been such an incredible role model and influence in my life.  He makes me smile, me makes me cry (in a good, sappy, cute way), and most of all he makes my day, every day.  He’s never failed me.  I love you daddy!

Questions: Have you tried maca powder?
Have you ever attempted to copy-cat a recipe?

Pearly Whites

Another day another dollar, or so they say.  I certainly earned it today for sure.  I spent the whole day in the freezer room relabeling tubes.  Sadness but at least Phillip and I had some good conversation.  Funny topics are probably the only things that keep us sane during hours of scanning frozen tubes.

Anyways, the day started off with another grand breakfast cake this time topped with lots of Nutella and the other typical things like maple, chia, and flax.  Delicious.

Lunch break at work saw a red curry TVP salad sandwich, grapes, and tomatoes being devoured.  I mixed a tablespoon light mayo, a tablespoon greek yogurt, and a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of red curry along with some rehydrated TVP flavored with liquid aminos (soy sauce substitute), worchestershire sauce, sriracha, and onion/garlic powder.  The result was an incredibly tasty schmear.  =D

This held me over well through my afternoon activities, the most important and notable being my first dentist appointment in about two and a half years.  I know that sounds awful and believe me, it wasn’t planned.  It’s harder to see the dentist when they’re at home and you’re at college and moving and such.  So I was a bit nervous going today because I was afraid something would have gone wrong on the last few years without cleanings.  Anyways, I killed some time in the waiting room with some light reading.  I thought it was funny that I chose a page about popcorn while sitting in the dentist’s lobby…

When I went back for my cleaning everything was happily perfect.  I had a whole bunch of x-rays taken, 18 to be exact, and then a scrub and polish so to speak.  The doctor remarked that I had two late coming wisdom teeth that may need to be removed at some point in the future whenever I had the time.  No rush though.

In the end I walked out with a beautifully clean and cavity free smile.  That makes 23 years!

I walked home from the office and started some homework and then snacked on a whole wheat fig bar before heading to the fitness center.

I did a full 30 minutes on the elliptical followed by some intense weights.  I felt so good that I got a little over zealous and though I was only supposed to go through this supersets workout twice, I did it three times.

Sweaty and tired I went home for some scrumptious dinner.  I whipped up my own version of Jack’s dad’s sweet potato/bacon/red pepper dish from last Christmas.  I’ll be posting the recipe sometime this weekend so check for it then.  Until now Just check it out –>

I paired it with a tuna salad quesadilla.  I loved every bunch and I’m pretty pumped with my decision to make a big batch of the tuna salad because you can bet I’m having this tomorrow for lunch!

After dinner I showered and “met” or rather Skyped with my nutritionist Annette.  We talked about a whole range of issues and basically just touched base.  We hadn’t spoken in a while so it was nice to see each other tonight.  After the appointment I was hankering for something sweet so I went for a brownie with ice cream.  Fairly standard right?  Not when you soak the brownie in a bit of Disaronno.  Oh yea.

Now I’m going to ice my shins and get some shut eye.  Before I go though, I owe you a tune for Tuesday.  Check out this one that I jammed to in the shower.  Haha.

Questions: When was your last dentist appointment?
When was the last time you had a fig newton?

Playing Catch-Up

These past few days have been about playing catch-up with a variety of things.  First off, I needed to catch-up with and satisfy my walnut butter craving.  I have been wanting some for a while so I finally go myself some walnuts and whipped up some honey cinnamon walnut butter based on this recipe.

Four cups of nuts later I had warm and gooey walnut butter that I slathered on toast with some jam on top.  It was delectable.

Another thing I caught up with was my chickpea stash.  I put Vera to the test because right after I made the nut butter I set out to make cheesy hummus.  My Vitamix got angry for a few minutes and had to calm down but eventually it yielded some rather stiff cheesy, mustardy hummus.  I had some with celery and carrots a bit later and it was perfect.

Last night I caught up on my recent Nicholas Sparks obsession because I had finished The Last Song book but hadn’t seen the movie yet.  So I hunkered down with a bowl of chocolate covered cherries, uncrystallized candied ginger, and whole wheat fig newtons and watched the whole thing before bed.  I’ll admit the movie would have been much better if I hadn’t read the book.  There were too many things changed for me to appreciate the film.  I like the book better, period.

I also have caught up to the Easter season spirit.  Chocolate covered peeps will do that to you.  =D

I finally caught up with my award from the race a few weeks ago.  I won my age group!  I wasn’t around to accept the little trophy so Joshua had to pick it up for me and pass it off when we saw each other this weekend.

Ever since I moved to my new home my mail has STILL been playing catch-up.  Like today, a Christmas card arrived from my recently married cousin.  Great timing huh?  Too bad it didn’t come two days ago, then I could have called it an April Fools joke.

Also arriving today was a new book called Women, Food, and God.  It’s all about a healthy relationship with food.  I’m constantly striving to not let disordered thoughts about food so I figured this could help me catch up with those thoughts, reel them in, and restructure them…all in accordance with one of my New Year’s resolutions.

Last but not least, I’ll let you catch up with old friends in the form of song.  I know it has been forever since you’ve listened to The Spice Girls but I had to do it!  Forgive me.

Peace out, I’m off to catch up on my thesis work.  I need to write a cover letter for my survey tonight.  Hopefully I can be productive.  Right now being out on my balcony is not boding well for my concentration.  It’s too gorgeous out to do much of anything aside from bake in the sun.

Question: What are you playing catch-up to/with?