Bucket List

So after living relatively near St. Louis for 4 years now, I recently realized that I have not done very many "St. Louis" things. There are a lot of touristy things to do, and I want to do them before I move away and make it even harder, so we checked another one off the list last weekend (backup a second, ice skating in Forest Park was the first one we did last weekend). We went to the Schlafly Brewery for their tour. We went with another couple and had a few beers in the Afternoon. It was fairly quick, but worth it! Their beer is delicious and our "tour guide" was funny and interesting!

 

 

After the tour & beers

Here's my current bucket list...I'm sure there will be more added

1. Outdoor ice skating at Steinberg Ice Rink
2. Grant's Farm
3. Anheuser-Busch BreweryTour
4. Schlafly Tour
5. Go to the City Museum
6. Endless Cardinals games!!
7. Go to a Blues game
8. Go to the Zoo
9. Go up in the Arch (I went once when I was a kid, but don't remember it)
10. Go to Six Flags (I've been plenty of times, but Craig and I have been trying to plan a trip)
11. Go to Citygarden
12. Go to the Botanical Garden
13. Run a race in Forest Park (I'm signing up today for a 10K in March!)
14. See a show at the Fox Theatre
15. See a movie at the Moolah Theatre 

......That's all I can think of so far. I'm running out of time!

My Special Valentine's Day

My diet has officially been thrown out the window!!! My social life has taken over. I guess it's a win-lose situation. For our "Valentine's Day Celebration" this year, we attended a $10,000 dance put on by a local church. The deal was $100 per couple, which included dinner, drinks, dancing, and a chance to win $10,000! There were other drawings throughout the night to win anywhere from $15-$200, but no one from our ~20 person group won anything!!!! Bummer. It was still a really fun night though!

Here are a few of the girls from the night :)

Sitting at the dinner table...my eyes are ALWAYS red in pictures! ugh.

So, since Craig lives roughly 2 hours away, we of course did not spend Valentine's Day together. Nor did he surprise me with flowers, candy, teddy bear, or anything else anyone posted on Facebook that day! hehe But he DID surprise me that next Saturday morning when he came to visit me! I woke up to him handing me these four envelopes..... :)

Sidenote: He also took me ice skating outdoors Friday night which I had been wanting to do all winter! I wasn't very good, so he held me up my hand for the majority of the time. What a sweetheart <3

Back to my surprise....

I only got to open one at a time throughout the day, and each one had 3 cards in the envelope. On one side, the side that I got to see, had "Breakfast 1", "Breakfast 2", and "Breakfast 3"....I went a little picture crazy :)

 

I had to choose a card before I got to see the other side. I chose #2 all day (it seemed to be lucky, but I don't think I could have gone wrong after seeing all of the choices). Breakfast #2 was breakfast in bed! We had already been awake in bed for a while that morning, so I wanted to get up. I made the coffee while he made the breakfast. I was happy with it! We had to do some studying and went for our 6 mile run--which went GREAT by the way!-- and then it was on to envelope #2! It ended up being a winery! We got ready and headed out... this is a picture I made him take of us before we left :)

 

We enjoyed a bottle of wine and then headed out, because my next envelope was dinner! #2 was "cook dinner together", which we usually do anyway, but since we both currently have roommates, it was nice to cook together when we had the house to ourselves. We both really like to cook, and to eat healthy. I have realized over time that we don't always make healthy meals, but I figure if we ate the same thing at a restaurant, it would have twice the calories as making it at home. Another major plus is that it's much cheaper and you can veg on the couch much quicker afterwards!! :)  I naturally turned to my Pinterest app to find something yummy to make, and we chose something I hadn't ever made yet - Three Cheese Chicken Alfredo Bake. We got some bread sticks to go along with it and it was delish! Needless to say, we continued the wine drinking throughout dinner making... and dinner eating. Did I mention my diet was long gone? Guess I'm going to sport the muffin top on the cruise -YIKES!

My final envelope turned out to be a massage. Normally, when I ask for a back massage, it's a ~1-2 minute mix between scratching, rubbing, and speed massaging while watching some kind of hunting or history show. I must say, this was a major change! It was a 10 minute, uninterrupted relaxing massage! Hallelujah!!! (Now, was that so hard?!! haha) I was VERY appreciative for my special day and my amazing boyfriend. Like I said before, I failed at the Valentine's Day present and it got to my house the day he left. I showed it to him via Face time, but he'll have to wait for a couple weeks to get it!

Binge Eating!!

Ahh!! What is going on with me!?!? I don't know if it's been all the exams this week or what, but I have been binge eating like it's my job!.... so much for getting back on track!?! My training is still on pace, but I have got to reign in the food crazed monster in my stomach my cravings! Next week is much better for me in school, so it should be a good time to get back into my routine. I haven't had much time to go grocery shopping lately- I think that's my biggest problem. The other great thing about getting back on track is that next Friday I leave for my cruise!!!! Yayy!! I cannot wait!

Anywho, I have a big 6 mile run coming up this weekend, and Boyfriend will be here to run it with me - wish us luck! Tomorrow is a 3 mile pace run. I'm going to try and run it faster than normal since today was a rest day and I have been doing nothing but stuffing my face eating all week.

I'm SUPER excited for this weekend. I didn't get to see Craig for Valentine's day, so we're celebrating this weekend!  He says he has a surprise planned.... I'm not sure what he has up his sleeve but I can't wait! (pictures to come, hopefully...) I, on the other hand, am a terrible girlfriend, and took too long ordering his gift for it to get here on time. I guess I can still hope for it to be delivered tomorrow, but I can't track it on the website, so who knows?! I guess he'll have to wait a couple weeks for it!

My personal tips/goals for next week- start meal planning again!
I know that I eat so much healthier when I plan my meals ahead of time and buy enough groceries to last me through the week. Once I run out of things, or only have "scraps" left to throw a meal together, I decide I don't feel like cooking and end up getting food out. 


Random things from this week:
My new favorite website/subscription: retailmenot.com
My new discovery on my iphone: it has a LAP COUNTER on the stopwatch!!!! GENIUS!!! I have been wishing for this every time I run on the track!! Hallelujah!
My new personal goal: to be more positive. Positive people just make your whole day better!


Short post for a busy week, but next week, expect ZERO posts!! Cruise Time!!!

How to Stay Motivated

The big question.... How can I stay motivated through the weekends of eating and drinking??

Well, for starters....meet my pinterest board, Operation: Get Skinny

Not only old friends, but old boyfriends!! I would have gotten SO much motivation from this before I met my current boyfriend. I guess what they say is true - people gain weight when they find someone and are super happy :)  :) (Valentine's Day is tomorrow, just thought I should talk up my relationship for a second. He's wonderful)

I tell myself this a lot- sometimes it's my knees, sometimes I'm out of breath, sometimes I'm cold and miserable, and sometimes nothing hurts, I just don't feel like running. I have to keep reminding myself that I CAN run over 5, 6, etc miles, and that it just takes more effort than I'm willing to put in on those days. No one said it would be easy!!

The second half of my post has been deleted about 4 times now while trying to post this, so this is all you get for now...This photo is my new motto - I might post more about why later... when I can stop cursing at the computer  find more patience with my internet.

Major Diet....Fail.

I was doing so well all week! What happened!? My boyfriend and I stayed at my parents house Friday night, so I was trying to figure out something healthy enough for me to eat for dinner, but exciting enough for them to eat, while also avoiding a trip to the store. I was searching though pinterest for hours happened to stumble upon a recipe on pinterest, and it seemed decent. White Chicken Enchiladas it is. Now, I realize this doesn't seem like the healthiest choice, but the recipe is pretty basic, and we happened to have whole wheat tortillas (whole grain=healthy, right?) I had to sub ranch for sour cream, but it was a delicious mess. That was Fail #1. Saturday morning, boyfriend had his nose in the books studying for an exam, so of course I was elbow deep in pinterest recipes (God help us- I. Am. Obsessed.) I was attempting to find something yummy to make for breakfast, and a lot of somethings instead. First up- 5 min coffee cake in a mug. I had to sub cream cheese for sour cream (2 things to note: 1. My parents need to stock up on sour cream for all of my future visits 2. Maybe if I would stop attempting to make things that I don't have the ingredients for, my concoctions would turn out better. Enough with my "subbing") and the coffee cake turned out more like a rubbery hunk with a delicious melty brown sugar topping. Took one....okay, three....bites and gave it to boyfriend for all of his hard work. I know it was only a few bites, but that was fail #2. My dad ma biscuits and gravy-again! ....And I made scrambled eggs with some green peppers and sausage for my mom and I. I'm trying here! Saturday night we had a valentine's day dance to go to. My plan was to drink hard alcohol and skip the beer, but turns out beer is the only drink that is free. Beer it is. That + dinner was big time fail #3. On a positive note, everything I ate/made was heavenly and I'm still on track with my training! Saturday was my 5 mile run, and I weathered the cold and ran it outside. My knees were screaming when I was done, and my pace was slower than normal, but overall it was a really good run. Thanks to my supportive boyfriend who ran with me :) - felt like a really really long post, but I had a few days to catch up on! I also linked the recipe on an iPad, so if it doesn't work- I'll fix it soon :)

"Just Say No"

After refusing the biscuits and gravy last weekend, and the pizza yesterday, I thought I was home free until the weekend..... WRONG!

Today, I heard a knock at the door and found a package addressed to me! My grandma always puts my name in at her church to receive care packages around the holidays.... God bless her! Normally, I would be super excited about an arrival like this (on a night before a huge test, no less!!). Needless to say, I didn't feel so enthused tonight. The box was full of homemade cookies, brownies, fudge, and Valentine's Snickers and Reeses! Hold me back!! I immediately put the baked goods in the freezer to either save for a later date, or save for my boyfriend. :(

After seeing all of the goodies I couldn't have, I resorted to the ones I could have. Sugar free fudgecicles, peanut butter, and mixed nuts. I may have over-indulged a bit. I managed to stick to my south beach plan though!

Will Power

Day 3 of training today: 3 mile run + strengthening.

My original plan was to run outside in the morning, and do a Nike Training Club App workout at my house when I got back. I looked at the weather yesterday to make sure it would be decent, and it looked pretty good. I must have looked too early, because once I got geared up and stepped outside, there was snow on the ground. I immediately went back inside and changed for the gym. I usually run on the track at the gym, because I have a horrible time on the dreadmill. I decided to give it a try today (again), and failed (again). I barely struggled through a mile and had to switch to the track to run the other two. I can't figure out what it is that is so different!!! Frustrating.

Anyway, I had an awfully long day of class today. My professor for my night class is amazing and brings in dinner or treats for us about every other week. This would usually be much appreciated, and to the rest of the class it is, but to me it's torture!!! After sitting in class through breakfast, lunch, and dinner time, all I want to do is indulge! This is the second time she's brought pizza, and the second time I've sat quietly in the back row with my string cheese and nuts. I've learned to come prepared. I don't know where this new will power came from, but I sure do like it! I'm not sure how  many more "tests" I can make it through without giving in, but so far so good. :)

I must confess - I have "cheated" with my new favorite treat a few times this past week. Here it is. No picture, though, because I'm pretty sure I made it up.

1 Tbsp Reduced Fat Crunchy Peanut Butter
3 Tbsp Fat Free Frozen Cool Whip
1 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Stir it all together and savor! Yum.

It sounds a little weird, but it tastes like peanut butter/chocolate ice cream to me.

Best news of today is that tomorrow is my REST day!!! WAHOOO!! I have been excited about it all week! My legs have been feeling very fatigued lately, so I'm hoping this helps my running a lot.... wish me luck!

The hard part....

So a big part of why I started all of this, as I sort of mentioned before, was to get fit and lose the extra lbs! I figured that since eating is a huge component of that, I would start posting about my meals and weight-loss goals as well.

No matter how hard I--and everyone else for that matter--work out, it doesn't discount what I eat. Unfortunately, the biggest factor in weight loss is diet. I have a VERY hard time with this! During the week, it's normally not a problem. A typical meal is grilled chicken/fish and veggies. Test weeks (I'm currently in pharmacy school) and weekends are the tough part. Saying "No" to a drink or an appetizer or dessert is nearly impossible for me! Just last weekend, I stayed at my parents' house and my dad made biscuits and gravy for breakfast the next morning...SURPRISE! That is possibly my favorite breakfast food, and I sadly ate string cheese and black coffee instead. It seemed like a life changing decision at the time, but the rest of the day I kept thinking about how happy I was that I didn't eat it! Hello, Newfoundwillpower!

Tonight, it felt like I was having a gourmet meal!! My roommates and I are addicted to Pinterest and decided to make spaghetti squash lasagna. It was delicious! I made some asparagus with some parmesan cheese on top. Mmm Mmm Mmm!

Spaghetti Squash lasagna link! 

Training Day 1 & 2

As they always say, "You Gotta Start Somewhere!!"

Well, this is my official start to my half marathon training. Yesterday was actually supposed to be Day 1, but it was the Superbowl and I had ZERO time to myself. I know it's an excuse, and from here on out, I pretty much can't have those, but there it is. I don't feel that bad, because on Saturday I did a Nike Training Club workout with Jennifer, and Sunday was supposed to be "Stretch and Strengthen". I'd like to pretend that I was proactive and I did the workout a day early :). I'm actually just not counting that day at all and calling yesterday "Day 1" and today "Day 2".

So, Day 1 was a 3 mile run. Not too hard. I have ran 3 miles plenty of times, and recently just ran 5! Should be a cinch right? Wrong!! For some reason I was dead and felt like it took forever. I hadn't eaten much that day, so I'm trying to blame my exhaustion on that. I ran at my normal pace, 10min/mile, but it sure felt like I was bookin' it the whole time. So much for feeling fast. 

Aside from it feeling abnormally hard, there were some positives to it! I ran it on the track, which means the "weather" was great, and it was FLAT!!!! I am horrible about running hills/inclines, so I'll take a track day when I can get it. I usually get bored easily on the track and feel like stopping after 1 or 2 miles, but I think having the schedule laid out for me helped me stay motivated through the whole run. Hopefully this stays true throughout the 12 weeks!

Day 2 sounded like a super easy day, but turns out I was wrong again. The schedule said "5 x 400 5K pace", which is only 1.25 miles all together, and my 5K pace is 10min/mile so far. I felt like this would have been a huge cop-out, so I decided to run them as fast as I could (which turned out to be pretty slow). I also ran outside today, which may have attributed to the difficulty - it was pretty chilly. This is my new app that I'm going to be using for my running - it's called RunKeeper. I think I like it so far -

These were my splits for my 400's (0.25 mi) I DEFINITELY got slower as they went on. I guess it's where I'm starting, and I can only hope to get better from here!!! 

Sometimes quotes really help me stay motivated (usually only for a few minutes, but I feel like it's worth it)

.... here are a couple I've seen recently...

"Frustration is the first step towards improvement. I have no incentive to improve if I'm content with what I can do and if I'm completely satisfied with my pace, distance and form as a runner. It's only when I face frustration and use it to fuel my dedication that I feel myself moving forwards." - John Bingham

 My boyfriend told me this one night before I went to bed. I was already dreading my running plans for the following morning....

"We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment."

- Jim Rohn

My Stubborn Hate-Handles

Muffin Tops... Love Handles...Spare Tires... Oh My!

That is not me in the picture!

After years of complaining about my "love handles", I have decided two things.

1. That there is nothing to "love" about them
2. I need to do stop complaining and do something about them.

My solution:  (drumroll please...)   I have decided to run a half-marathon!
...and hopefully somewhere between now and then, I'll lose the handles. For the record, I have NEVER been a long distance runner. I used to dread running 1 mile, and now I'm setting myself up for over 13!! Why, you ask? Well, a couple of years ago, I had a rude awakening about my weight when I saw photos of myself and realized it was time to lose some weight. I started eating healthy and forcing myself to run, and successfully lost ~20 lbs. I came to not completely hate running. I try to like it, but let's face it. I have good days and bad days. Over the last year or so, I've gained some of that weight back, and yo-yoed up and down a lot. I realized that I'm the type of person who needs a goal and a plan to get there. Working out just to work out and running just to run doesn't last very long with me. Running a half-marathon is definitely a tough goal, but a well-structured plan will hopefully help keep me on track and get there!

Sidenote: I am a total rookie blogger, but thought this might help me stay motivated and on track with my new adventure! Although it will mostly revolve around my training, it will probably involve the rest of my life, too :)