Wednesday, July 7, 2010

i've moved!

in case you didn't know, the priorfatgirls moved to a spiffy new site!

check me out at http://www.priorfatgirl.com/author/amanda
and then save it in your favorites or whatever you do :)

love love love!


Thursday, June 17, 2010

you can't even HANDLE this

yello!

let’s just get down to it. i finally did my june weigh-in at ww (or “dubs” as elizabeth and i so lovingly call it). i knew i was on the verge of being out of my lifetime (aka nonpaying) goal-weight range. i set my dubs goal weight at 149, and i’m allowed to be up to 151. above that and you pay for that week’s meeting.

huge reality check: i weighed 151.4.


the receptionist entered in the computer that i was 151 because i was soooo close and my clothes weighed at least 0.4 pounds. but still. maybe i SHOULD have paid. i would have felt like enough of a failure to myself that i’d never get out of range again! i suppose having it documented that i was back in the 150s was kick in the pants enough, though.

i’ve woken up at 149 and 148 the past two mornings, so realistically i am still hovering around my ww goal weight. HOWEVER, that’s not my real-life weight goal!!!! have i forgotten that???? i must have.

my real-life weight goal is 139. i was oh so close only a handful of months ago. 142-143 in february or so. and then multiple birthday outings happened … and out-of-town drinkyfoodyness … and mexico … and life. excuses excuses.

obviously i know i’m not a fatty anymore. i really do feel great about myself! and i’m a firm believer that it’s not about the number on the scale but the way your clothes fit. well, my tum tum is much bloatier than it was a few months ago, and my clothes don’t fit quite as nicely. sooo there's that. and my added poundage confirms that i haven’t simply shrunken my clothing.



after a month off, eliz and i are back into taking dubs seriously. well, as seriously as people who call it dubs can be. but we’re serious. seriously.

for instance! i volunteered at a river cleanup thing yesterday afternoon and was completely wiped afterward. i was sore just driving home from the event. i wanted to put up my feet and take it easy for the duration of the evening. that meant skipping kickboxing. BUT NO! I DID NOT SKIP! i kickboxed my little heart out even though my bod was tired and i had a headache beforehand.

result: my bod got over its tiredness and my headache decreased by at least 2/3.

i had mentioned to my coworkerfriend that i reeeeaaallly wanted to pick up pizza for dinner. hello! i would have earned it after volunteering AND kickboxing!!! but my mind decided something else as it drove me to subway instead of the pizza place. victory!

healthy decisions ftw!

the title of this post suggested you wouldn’t be able to handle something i was preparing to throw at you. well, here it is: MY NEW THEN/NOW PIC!!!!!!!!!!!!


maybe you can handle the difference. but you can’t, right?? i can’t! it’s crazy nuts awesome!!!!!!!!!


both pics were snapped by the same tree in puerto vallarta, mexico, and let me tell you i was a bit touched when i had the most recent one taken. that tree and i have a history, you know!?

anyway, i pretty much look like a different person in the now picture, and i love it :) i put them next to each other and might have screamed. or maybe laughed at the happy surprise. i know for sure i exclaimed “whoa!” a bunch of times.

i’ve analyzed every part of my old body versus the new, and it’s just nuts. NUTS I TELL YOU!


ok, time to calm down and take it all in, me.

dear, amandarin:
you are stunning. really. believe it.
you are the healthiest you’ve been in your life. be proud.
you have the best friends and family ever.
you are talented.
you are loved.
you rock.
love, amandarin

NOTE: priorfatgirl jen is spiffing up the pfg world a bit, and we’re hoping to see the results of a site revamp after this weekend. if some glitches happen between now and then, don’t worry your pretty little head. we’ve got this ;)

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

sporty spice

no one can predict what i’ll wear to work each day. heck, i can’t even do it. yesterday, for instance, my hair was down and curled beautifully. i wore a purple-and-black wraparound shirt, black pencil skirt and black pumps. i looked like a professional grownup!

today i am sporty spice.
(yikes i need to clean up that stuff behind me.
and take out my headphones if i'm gonna snap a pic?)

my ponytailed hair is held back by a bright green elastic headband. i’m wearing a dark gray and neon yellow puma jacket over a purple john mayer concert t-shirt, black skinny jeans and ’80s-throwback-patterned TOMS.

how do you describe the pattern of these besides AWESOME?!

fairly certain i’ve crossed the line of casualness at work today, but it’s raining, so sue me.

this ensemble has actually done me some good today! my outfit (in combination with this morning’s half-caf cold press coffee with a shot of white chocolate) has encouraged me to move faster and do more with my everyday tasks.

my continuous water-drinking causes many a bio break, and i’ve gone to the restroom two floors down each time. i hustle down the two flights effortlessly, but the two flights up get me a tiny bit winded. in my defense, i’ve heard that each flight in my building is actually 1.5, so my trip is equivalent to 3 flights each way … er something …

i’ve been walking faster than usual today. i don’t walk that slowly usually, but i've been told i'm “like a hummingbird on speed” when i have my occasional coffee. it feels good to walk fast! keeps my mood and energy up! if our bodies can handle it, why not? sure beats walking around like a mope on a rainy tuesday.

and here’s the out-of-the-ordinary thing my outfit (and coffee) inspired me to do. while printing a 124-page document, i did standing pushups against a file cabinet!


i decided to strip down to my sports bra and spandex shorty shorts while i did it, so i could feel the maximum burn. SO kidding. that’s not me in the picture. obv.

i loved that i was being productive while my item printed! it felt great, too. i was strong and pushupy. however, i was wondering the entire time what i’d tell someone if they walked in and witnessed my in-office workout. thankfully no one saw me … this time.

i rule that my too-casual outfit was just fine for today. other people in the office complained about being chilly, but not me! suckas.

last week's results regarding my SMART goal of working out five times per week: i worked out three times. so i didn’t meet my goal, but i did replace my canceled kickboxing class with a run. yay?

i’d use my sporty/caffeinated energy to go for a run this evening, but it’s raining and the treadmill … well, i just don’t like the treadmill anymore. i should probably just suck it up. i have a 5K to run in 18 days!!!!!!!! eek.

and now, to close things out, one of my friend jen and my favorite natalie dee’s that is so appropriate i could scream. you’re welcome :)


peace.

UPDATE: i was going to forgo the workout tonight (tsk tsk) because liz invited me over for dinner and a movie with her and cody. BUT i ran a 5k on the treadmill when i got home (at 9:45!) because i wasn't tired yet. rock on, me!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Wowza.

I made some great food decisions this weekend and several more fun ones. Haha! I was going to write “poor” decisions, but that wasn’t accurate. My food and drinks tasted great! All billion calories of them!

I had Mexican with my parents Friday night. I ate about a basket of chips with salsa, the vegetarian combo A (which means nothing to you, but I forgot what it included) and a 25-oz Dos Equis Amber. I was feeling a weeeee bit weighed down after all that, but I stayed active for the next couple hours while I shopped with mi madre.

I went for a 2-mile run on Saturday morning, aaaaand that was the only legit workout I managed to squeeze into my busy weekend. Sadface.

I didn’t do too well at my cousin’s grad party Saturday. LOTS of snacks, grazing and a few beers. But I was standing and walking around a lot, so that’s good?? I met my friends that evening at a riverside restaurant/bar and ordered a salad! And a beer.

We boated out to a sandbar afterward and camped out on the river. More beers were consumed. Many bugs bit me.


The next morning we headed back to the mainland for breakfast. I had an omelet with green peppers, onions and tomatoes (yay veggies!), hashbrowns and toast. And two Bloody Marys.

WOW! I swear I’m not an alchy. Sure sounds like it, though. Just being honest. And that’s not the end of it …

Since I slept MAYBE 30 minutes on the sandbar (I’m the worst sleeper EVER), I went back to my parents’ house for a shower and two-hour nap. Then I met my friends at a different Mex restaurant where they were just finishing up an early dinner (linner? dunch?). I ganked some free chips and salsa while they attempted to finish their humongous margaritas.


We returned to the sandbar to pack up tents and other leftovers from nights prior, enjoy the weather before it rained … and drink a couple more beers. The clouds were rolling in, so we went back to our friends’ apartment and chilled. We ordered Pizza Hut stuffed-crust pizzas that were sooo good and sooo bad all at the same.

It had been a tiring weekend in the sun and heat, and we had just eaten ourselves silly, but we eventually peeled ourselves off the couch and walked/yawned our way downtown. Is it sad I was excited for a 0.5-mile walk? Well, as excited as a superduper wornout person can get. My body was obviously craving exercise.

I had a Captain Diet and a MGD 64 while we were downtown, but I just could not wake up. We hung out awhile and played darts, but by midnight Liz and I were beat. We walked (yay walking!) back to the apartment and called it a night.

I actually slept eight hours that night! First time in a long time. I met my friend Heidi for lunch at yet another Mexican restaurant Monday afternoon. We sat outside and enjoyed the sun and some long-overdue girltalk. And here’s a first: We didn’t even finish a basket of chips between the two of us! Holla. I had a cheese quesadilla and a Pacifico with a lime. It really felt like summer, and I loved every minute of it.

I spent the rest of the day doing laundry and watching an NCIS marathon. I had never even watched that show before, so I obviously wasn’t invested in it. Why didn’t I go for a run, a walk, ANYTHING?! Meh. It felt so wonderful to just kick my feet up and lie on the couch at mom and dad’s … so I did that.


I decided to stick around for dinner, and my dad grilled a veggie burger for me and hamburgers for himself and mom. It sure was a nice way to round out the holiday weekend.

Now, with all that eating, drinking, and minimal exercise, how much do you think I gained? A billion pounds?

I couldn’t bear to weigh myself Monday night after I got back to my apartment, so I waited until yesterday morning. And the damage was ..... 4 or 5 lbs. I weighed 153. Yikes! Haven’t seen that number in a long time.

I woke up this morning at 151.4. Better, but still no good. 0.4 lbs out of my WW Lifetime range, actually, so I will not be weighing in this week.


Now that I’m back in the groove of eating normally and actually drinking WATER, my weight and bloat is decreasing as I expected. I kickboxed tonight and went for a run afterward (to celebrate National Running Day!), and I just weighed myself at 150.2.

Believe me, I’ve been eating. More cals than usual but considerably less than this bender of a weekend. I blame the majority of the weightgain on water retention. Hello, three Mexican restaurants and numerous drinks! Thank goodness I’ve gotten back on track right away.

Let me say I’m AMAZED (and slightly appalled) after typing all that. I love holiday weekends, but come on, that was a bit ridiculous.

Holy crap long post. Peace out.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

weekend worries *updated*

i have pretty much the same thing for breakfast every weekday. i devour a banana while my computer boots up at work. then, between 9:30 and 10:30 i make myself some instant oatmeal. right now i have a variety pack that contains lower-sugar versions of apples & cinnamon, maple & brown sugar, and cinnamon & spice. i close my eyes and grab a packet on the way out the door each morning. the silly pleasures in my life.

i prefer to make my oatmeal in a mug. i don't know why.

here's my newest vessel:

michelle and i bought them on sale at caribou coffee. she said to me the other day that everything's more fun when consumed out of a swirly party mug. i agree! my oatmeal has been downright rowdy since switching from a blah mug i won at dave & buster's.

i almost forgot about the best part!

here's the inside:

party mug 2010 woooooo!!!! (t-shirt lift)

ok ok enough with the funny business. time to get real. i have three things working against me this weekend, and i'd appreciate any advice y'all wanna throw at me regarding any/all of these points.
  1. i'm heading back to my hometown for the long holiday weekend. i tend to eat like crap at my parents' house even though my mom is supernice and usually has bananas, other fruit and some veggies for me to eat. i tend to eat the bananas and bypass the other stuff.
  2. i'm attending my cousin's high school grad party all day saturday. buffet-style eating is my nemesis because i'm such a grazer. i do know that they're having famous dave's food at the party, so maybe there will be some corn on the cob? i know there will be salad, but i'm fairly certain is like iceberg lettuce with carrots in it. yuck. i don't eat meat, so how will i be satisfied without pigging out on snacks and desserts all day?? oh yeah, i'm sure there will be beer, too.
  3. i'm gonna be hanging out with friends ... and there will be adult-bevie consumption. nothin crazy, but increased cals nonetheless.
by the way, i'll probably be in a swimsuit on sunday and/or monday. i don't want to be bloaty from junkfood and drinkies!

if these are the worst things i have to worry about lately, i have a pretty good life :) i hate sounding like a pouty baby when things could be MUCH worse. i'd still appreciate your feedback, though ;)


lastly, i've been a vegetarian for 16 months as of today! loving every minute of it. i feel stupendous! happy 16 months to you, too, morgieborg!

UPDATED: check out michelle's blog to see the fun we had on sunday. i painted the best bowl evaaaaaaaaa!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

i like to move it move it

i am such a weirdo. i wrote most of this last week and forgot to post it! better late than never …


i looooooove the way my body feels ever since i began kickboxing three days a week in early january. i see definition in my arms, my calves look fabulous (if i do say so myself), and i think my face must be thinner or something. i really haven’t lost more than a couple of pounds since january, but people who haven’t seen me for a few months are all like, “wow! you look great! you’ve lost more weight!” nope. i haven’t. perhaps my bod is just shifting?

ever since i started training for my first 5K last summer, i’ve realized that i would much rather be active for more days of the week than not. i mean, that’s how often we all SHOULD be active, but not everyone is.


if i need to miss a day of kickboxing during the week, i feel yucky if i don’t do some other activity instead. i missed last wednesday’s class, so i went hiking the sunday prior and attended a stretching clinic on saturday. the hiking was vigorous in a heartrate-accelerated kinda way; the stretching clinic was not. BUT they were both physical activities, nonetheless. gotta mix it up, people!


and then there’s the dreaded situation where you don’t exercise for a few days … which turn into a couple more … and then what??? i know that if i don’t get back into it asap, i’m a goner. thank goodness i have a set kickboxing schedule.


speaking of a set schedule, i need to get my butt in gear and start running again. i’m running my second 5K one month from tomorrow, and i don’t want to suck!

i seriously thought about going for a run after kboxing last night, even though it was crazyhot and humid … but then i REALLY got thinking about the heat warning that was in effect for the area, and i didn’t want to spontaneously pass out during my run. so, instead, i did the next most logical thing:

i met some friends at grumpy’s and had two hard ciders and a plate of tater tots.

really?? REALLY, AMANDA!!?? you’re sabotaging yourself.


this brings me to another point. i’ve felt pretty invincible for the past month or so … and not in a good way. too many crappy food choices have slithered their way into my diet here and there. i used to have more willpower.

but here’s where the problem comes in: i haven’t really gained weight. so more and more often i haven’t been making the healthiest food decisions. old habits die hard, indeed! i’ve only noticed that i’ve felt a little more bloaty over the past few days (or maybe a week), and i think it’s finally caught up with me.

and i’ve learned a powerful lesson in the process! (and isn’t that what it’s all about? besides the hokey pokey, of course.)

THIS IS MY LIFESTYLE NOW!

as long as i am active three or more days per week, a not-so-healthy meal and a few calorie-laden adult bevies every so often won’t really negatively affect me. as long as i don’t let it all spiral out of control. everything in moderation. pretty sure i’ve got a handle on it right now, but i still need to watch it.


i would really like to bump up my physical activity from three days a week to five, and that’ll NEED to happen if i want to rock my 5K. maybe i should count workouts instead of days? i can see myself running some of the same days i have kboxing. yeah. i’ll do that.

goal: work out five times per week

S: I will kickbox three days and run two days each week. If that isn’t possible, my workouts will total five (or six! for funsies) per week.
M: I will track my activities on my calendar for at least one month.
A: Heck yes it’s attainable! Because I rock. And it’s only adding two runs a week.
R: I can fairly easily head outside for 45 minutes twice a week instead of watching TV in the evening, or I can run before work in the morning.
T: I will do this for at least the month leading up to my 5K on June 26.

It’s on like Donkey Kong, folks.


PS I recently found www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com and I’m in love. It’s my new fav blog by a long shot. Totally my kinda humor, and Allie is a genius.

PPS Natalie Dee is now blocked at work :(

PPS Why did I start using initial caps after rockin the lowercase post up until my SMART goal? Nobody knows.

PPPS Happy Random LOLCats Post Day!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Because people like to say salsaaaaaa


May is National Salsa Month!!!! ­¡OlĂ©!

Salsa is one of my top five favorite foods … with chips, of course. I know lots of people who put salsa on baked potatoes, scrambled eggs, aaaand just about everything else. But me? I stick to the standard chips and salsa. Oh, and salsa on top of quesadillas. And in my burrito bowls. Alright, let’s just say I keep my salsa use pretty traditional.

PIC o’ de gallo
(I’m laughing so hard in my head right now.)

I LOVE pico de gallo. I go nuts for it. I can’t believe I haven’t started making my own yet! I would really like to get a Slap Chop (or similar device) instead of going through the hassle of dicing the tomatoes and onions. That’d also help with my guac. Yummm my mouth is watering.

But wait, is pico de gallo considered salsa? I think so. It’s right next to the rest of the salsas at Chipotle and wherever else, so I’m saying yes. Why am I even questioning this?

As long as you’re not gorging on cheesy “salsa” (which is TOTALLY not salsa, imo), I say go hog wild on salsa! It’s super low cal and low fat, and is a fun substitute for other toppings. Sour cream? Nah, I’ll take the jillion-times-more-flavorful salsa, por favor.

It’s the chips basket that makes the salsa not so waistline friendly. If you and your peeps can stick with one basket, more power to you! I prefer to just not go out for Mexican very often … and then when I do I’m kinda unstoppable on the chips and salsa. AND I ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

Like I said, chips and salsa is one of my top five fav foods (say that five times fast!), which also makes it a trigger food combo that I don’t make readily available at home. Come on now, that’s just asking for trouble. Although a chips-and-salsa-only dinner does happen in my abode every once in a while, I know that’s a horrible choice. And my tummy feels gross after eating so many stupid chips :(

I do usually have a salsa or two in my fridge, though. I like to keep ’em handy for topping my cheese quesadillas. I don’t really make those often either, and it’s not like a somewhat-soggy, microwaved cheese/tortilla sandwich is that fab of a dinner. But, when I do make them, I try to add some color (aka nutrition) to the otherwise-drab meal.

When my kitchen is ideally stocked, I top my creation with a bunch of beautifully green chopped romaine. (Iceberg lettuce is the lamest thing ever.) I really like to mix some chopped cilantro in with the lettuce, too. Next, I dice some tomatoes and onions and sprinkle on the lettuce. And then for my favorite part — salsa verde!

This is my go-to brand.
It’s tasty, but the real reason I buy it
might be that I really like to hold out
the rolling-R when I say Herrrrrrrrrrdez.

It serves so many purposes on my homemade quesadilla. It provides yummy flavor from tomatillos. It gives that little extra spicy kick that makes me forget I made this thing in a microwave. AND, if you spread the salsa verde on before anything else, it makes the lettuce stick to the tortilla! (Yes I’m a dork that gets excited about stuff like that.)

I was at the grocery store last night picking up some veggies for work and realized I needed to grab some din din fixins. I recalled that I had some shredded taco cheese at home, so I thought quesadilla. But then I remembered that I didn’t have any Herrrrrrrdez at home. And then I couldn’t find it at that grocery store!!!! The horror!

There were a bunch of other green salsa options, but I had a better idea.

I recently bought some green Tabasco (the newest addition to my guac recipe … with which I might be obsessed). I splashed a few drops onto the top of the quesadilla. And then a few more splashes. And then a few more. Then, I threw on some lettuce/cilantro mix, cut it into six triangles, and ate my tasty masterpiece whilst watching last week’s Glee. The green Tabasco rocked! I’m very happy I opted for that this time.

But, Tabasco is not salsa. It is jalapeño pepper sauce, and we’re not celebrating it this month. So enough of that.

Happy National Salsa Month!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

walkie talkie

I apologize for my sporadic posting habits. I dislike that I go for a week or more without posting. Sometimes I have stuff to write but not enough hours in a day. Other times I am free as a bird with nada to say. C'est la vie.

www.nataliedee.com

This is what Anonymous commented on my last post:

why do you never blog anymore? i know you're busy.. so if you're too busy to blog why not just get rid of it?

Here’s my multipart answer:
  1. I work on a computer all day, so my body doesn’t want to sit down for an hour (or longer) and write a post when I get home. I’d rather be kickboxing, running, hanging with friends — you get the point. But, sometimes I do feel like curling up with my computer, and that's when I post.

  2. It’s my blog and I do what I want. I write this thingy more for myself than for all of you. It’s an outlet that allows me to project my excitement/frustration/jubilance/self-pity/etc. My journalism background is not being utilized in my current job, so this is one of my only opportunities to write. If y’all enjoy reading my quasi-diary, too, go ahead — snoop around :)

  3. No matter if I post something new every day or every six months, why would I get rid of a venue where someone could find inspiration or motivation for his or her own healthy lifestyle? I know it was helpful to relate to others in the blogworld when I began to take control of my life. Heck, it still is!

  4. Why comment as Anonymous? Your questions were legitimate and I’m not easily offended, so please share your name next time. Love ya!

Wow. Explanations over.

I’m gonna be a walking machine this weekend and I’m pumped about it! I’ll be grooving my bod AND helping some great causes.


Saturday morning I’ll be trekking the 5-mile Walk for Animals. I’m the co-captain of Applause for Paws — our team that, as of right now, has raised $1,110 for the Animal Humane Society! Wahoo!!!!!!!!!!! Many MANY thanks to any of you generous donors who also read this :)


Sunday morning I’ll be walking 6.5 miles with CBK Team Hope 2010 at Walk MS. My team has raised nearly $10,000! That’s a lot of money in support of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society! Warms your heart that there are so many giving people out there, doesn’t it?

Also ... I told Alexa a while ago that I wanted to be part of her Sunday walking group, and I reeeeeeaaalllyy want to attend the inaugural walk on Sunday evening, but I’m not sure my leggies will be up for it. Como Lake is my favorite place to walk/run, and we’re only doing one 1.5-mile lap, so I should go. I’ll leave the decision to my gams, though. If you’re in the area, you should hit up the group! There are so many lakes to stroll around in the Twin Cities, and the schedule’s already been made for you. I’m sure it’ll be a pretty sweet group of peeps, too :) Check out the deets HERE.


Tonight I’m going to be Dining Out for Life — an annual fundraising event that raises money for AIDS service organizations. This event takes place in more than 55 cities nationwide. According to the DOFL website:
More than 3,500 restaurants donate a portion of their proceeds from this one special night of dining to the licensed agency in their city. Nearly $4 million dollars a year is raised to support the missions of agencies throughout North America. With the exception of the annual licensing fee of $1,000, all money raised in these cities stays there.
I’ll be at Azia in Minneapolis tonight, and they will donate 35% of our bill to The Aliveness Project, a local nonprofit organization that provides on-site meals, food shelf and other supportive services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

Check out if restaurants in your area are taking part HERE! Thursday, April 29, 2010 only!

WARNING FOR THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT MY POSTING FREQUENCY: I will definitely not be blabbing about anything new until after the weekend. I’ll will (eventually?) tell you all about my walks, though, and I still need to share my adventures in Mexico!

Be love.

Friday, April 16, 2010

craptastic.

first off, i love you all :) just wanted to share my love.

secondly, no mexxx recap today for the following reasons:

yesterday after work i'm transferring pics from my camera to my computer. we're talking nearly 450 pictures from early-february through mid-april. i took the time to eliminate the red eyes and such from all the pre-mexico pictures and then created a facebook album. i was halfway through tagging my friends and captioning the 75 photos when my internet crapped out. awesome. no i hadn't saved.

kinda frustrating, but i just went back in and started over. as i hit the halfway point again, i saved and then proceeded. JUST as i got to the end of tagging and captioning, ye olde virus from a couple of months ago reared its ugly head. come on! i thought that crap was history.


i putzed around the comp a little more to try and stop it, but i knew in my heart of hearts it was already too late :( my computer-savvy coworkerfriend matt talked me down from the ledge and we agreed that matt would take a look at my infected laptop at work today. (well, last night it would have been tomorrow, but you get it.)

i still needed to purchase veggies for the next day's carrot club at work, so i headed out. i drove all the way there, started walking into the store and realized something pretty important. i literally said to myself aloud in the parking lot, "crap. your wallet's in your other purse."


i gritted my teeth, hopped back in the car and tried to stay cool while i drove all the way home to pick up my wallet. all the while, i was thinking about why this happened. because i know why and it sucks.

i talked to my mom on the phone after the computer virus reappeared and we weren't even talking about the computer anymore — we were talking about eating dinner — and then i started getting snotty about gaining a few pounds over the past few weeks. my mom hadn't done anything wrong, but i misdirected my frustrations at her and then left the conversation feeling completely crappy.

and then the wallet thing happened. all because i was snotty at my mom for no reason. karma's a b.

anyway, i drove back to the grocery store, purchased my veggies and headed home. but where did i stop before arriving at my homestead? little caesar's. riiiiight. because THAT'S what i needed. well, it WAS approaching 10 pm and i had yet to eat dinner, but little caesar's? really? as great as pizza and crazy bread was going to taste at the time, i knew i'd be pissed about it afterward. and i was this morning when i stepped on the scale. just another crappy thing to add to the list.

matt worked on my computer today and got rid of the nastiness, buuuuut we also thought that two months ago. he talked to some other geeks (and i mean that as endearingly as possible), and they have seen this virus before and know it's likely gotten so deep in my system that it's prob necessary to reformat and start my computer from scratch. grr.


i know i wrote in february that i'd be backing up all the files on my computer ... but i never did. this living on borrowed time sure leads to a downward spiral. i'm gonna hit up best buy tonight and scoop an external harddrive with a 10%-off coupon i just got (hollaaaaa), so at least that's a positive. i'll still need to fork over the dough (which i'm not pumped about after having already spent bookoo bucks on my vacay), but the money-saving will be a reward. and i've gotta do it. oh, and i'll prob need to buy new antivirus software because obviously mine is acting less than awesome.

transferring files will be time-consuming, and i have a ton of other things i'd rather be doing, such as cleaning, enjoying the weather or doing pretty much anything else. but i suppose i have a bunch of recorded tv shows i can watch during the process.

one more thing i'm not happy about: i'm not running the 5K tomorrow that i had planned. i just can't do it. well, i know i CAN do it, but i've decided not to. i haven't been running lately, and when i have, i've been getting sideaches that i haven't figured out. i also don't want to pay the registration fee. and lastly, i just don't want to wake up that early since i haven't been sleeping well for the past couple of weeks. i feel like i'm letting myself down, and i hate that.

meanwhile, boys are stupid, my apartment is too small and my google reader shows 1000+ unread items.

i can say one thing for sure: i am SO pumped for kickboxing tonight. it'd better be a tough class because i need to punch out my frustrations.


note: all photos from this entry are from nataliedee.com, my absolute favorite site.
it's sure to bring a smile even on the crappiest days.


Thursday, April 15, 2010

¡Hola!

i can almost still feel the ocean breeze.
i miss you, puerto vallarta.


lo siento, mis amigos. it's been three weeks since my last post, and that is ridics. BUT i have an excuse. i was superbusy before mexico, and then i was in mexico, and i've had a lot to do in the past 44 hours since i've been back. but here i am now!!!

thanks for the few emails and comments saying that you missed me. that was just so cute, and i felt really bad for not hopping on the computer sooner.

and i feel bad again because this post is kinda a sham. i just wanted to shoot y'all a line and let you know that i'm alive and i'll be writing a REAL post tonight. don't hate me! your patience will be rewarded with some sweet pics and stories :)

here are some teasers for the time being!

gorgeous view from our favorite place: bar los burros
yep, that's a pirate ship.

happy/dorky pic before my first time snorkling
(i can't help giggling when i look at it!)

i've missed you, my loves! come back soon for my legit mexxx post :) ¡adios!


Thursday, March 25, 2010

yogging

Readers of this fine blog often ask me how tall I am, and sometimes I'll answer in the comments or with a personal email. That's pretty silly of me, I realized, because I'm not sure how many people actually go back and read the comments section of a post after they comment. (I know I don't on other blogs.) Also, an email only gives the answer to that particular reader.

So here it is, folks. My height ...

www.nataliedee.com

5 feet 5 1/2 inches!

Exciting, I know. And not freakishly tall ... but I had you goin' for a second, right?

I calculated my BMI today and then crunched the numbers for what it was before I lost weight. (Thanks for the idea, Mama Laughlin!) Using my height and today's weight of 145, I am happily rockin' a 23.76 BMI, putting me in the Normal Weight category. Hollaaaaa! I'm healthy :) ME! Feels darn good.


Just think, I had a 35.92 BMI when I decided to improve my lifestyle. I was in the Obese Class 2 category. My risk of weight-related health problems and even death was SEVERE. Yikes yikes yikes. Scary. Not a good place to be. So happy I'll never be there again!


I don't think BMI ranges should be your only basis for healthiness, but I do find them to be a helpful guide. What do you think?


I'm thinking about going for a run after work. I kind of want to, but I kind of want to just take it easy before going to Alia's for dinner and Vampire Diaries. (That's right. I admit it. I watch that show.) HOWEVER, now that I think about it, I really NEED to go for a run because I have a 5K coming up in only a little more than three weeks!


I randomly jogged 3.1ish miles a couple of weeks ago, but when I went for a jog a week ago I I started walking after only a mile. I think it was just due to boredom, though, because it's not like my legs or lungs hurt. I'm gonna push myself today after work. Decided. No getting bored and walking.


Here's my run/walk schedule for the next few months:

Geesh, I've got my work cut out for me! But it's all worth it because they are fab causes :) Yay for helping people and animals!

Goals

  1. My goal for the April 5K is to finish without walking. Keepin' it simple.
  2. The five-mile walk in May will be a piece of cake compared to the 5Ks, so my goal isn't fitness-related. My goal is to raise at least $500 for my favorite cause, the Animal Humane Society.
  3. My goal for the June 5K is to increase my speed. I'm not going to set an exact how-much-faster speed, but faster than my 33:47 from my first 5K last year.

www.nataliedee.com

Here's another reason why I should run after work: I have three, count 'em, THREE birthday's to celebrate this weekend. Party in the MSP!


Tomorrow evening I'll be celebrating the lovely Jennifer's birthday, which was actually yesterday. We're going downtown ... so drinks will be consumed and much fun will be had by all. Saturday afternoon I'm going to Dave & Buster's for Michelle's golden bday. I've never been there before, but I'm thinking I'll just be extra intense while playing the games and I'll burn some extra cals. (Kidding ... kind of.) And I'm not sure what we're doing Saturday evening for Leah's birthday, but it'll prob involve food and/or drinkies. Thanks for being born, my friends! Love y'all.


I've already made plans to attend Rollerdome on Sunday because I love rollerskating ... and I'll need to work off Friday and Saturday's funtimes :) And then I have dinner Sunday evening with the gals before the Michael Bublé concert. THE FUN NEVER ENDS!!!

Also, Twin Cities peeps, don't forget about the Open House with free stuff and drawings this Saturday. I'll be there for a little bit! Read more about it HERE in case you missed the deets.


And now it's time for me to peace out.


Monday, March 22, 2010

Open House in the Twin Cities!

So you know how I'm pretty into kickboxing? I've boasted about it here and here and here and here, so I don't see how you couldn't :)

I'm whipping up this post before tonight's class, and I'm excited to go. I had kinda a drab Monday and could really use it. You see, if I'm tired or in a bad mood before class, I still go and then VOILA! I'm energized and happy.

Some might say the same thing about working out in general, but that's not always true for me. I can enter the gym for a treadmill-and-weights workout and exit with the same crappy mood. Kickboxing's different. It doesn't feel like a workout! Well, my muscles would beg to differ, but what I mean is that it's so fun you don't dread it.

Do you have a particular workout about which you feel the same way? Hollaback and maybe I'll give that a shot, too. Any exercise that puts me in a good mood and doesn't feel like work is A-OK in my book.

ATTN: TWIN CITIANS

There's going to be an open house from 12-4 PM this Saturday, March 27, at my kung-fu studio (151 Silver Lake Road, New Brighton)!

But wait! There's more! This open house isn't just for American Kung-fu Studio, but it's also for Style 151, Tan I Am, and Mind, Body, Sole. Man oh man, this open house combines some of my favorite things: kickboxing, massages, getting my hair done, tanning, and freebies! Sounds like a great time. You really should go! (I'm talking to you, Mpls/St Paulies and Liz who lives in New Brighton.)

Here's the schedule for the day:

12-1:00 PM
chair massage; chiropractic exam; paraffin hand wax/foot bath detox; qigong healing

1-1:30 PM
kung Fu & self-defense demos

1:30-2:30 PM
chair massage; chiropractic exam; paraffin hand wax/foot bath detox; qigong healing

2:30-3:00 PM
kung Fu & self-defense demos

3:00-4:00 PM
chair massage; chiropractic exam; paraffin hand wax/foot bath detox; qigong healing

Along with free product samples and snacks, you can enter to win:
  • 1 month free kickboxing or youth kung fu
  • free hair product/$25 gift certificate at Style 151
  • free month unlimited tans/free ultra bronz
  • free bottle of tan lotion
I'm going to try my best to make it there in the early afternoon before hitting up Dave and Buster's for Michelle's birthday. I can't resist free stuff! I know the idea is to get new people into these businesses, but I REALLY want to win the free month of kickboxing :)

So, who's going? Mark it on your calendar now and do it. Kthxbye.


Thursday, March 18, 2010

don't stop 'til you get enough

Hey hey hey! I've had a great week since my last post; how about you?? I've worked out 4 of the past 7 days. Go me!!!! Considering I'm usually a three-times-a-week girl, I'm pretty pumped about this.

I'm still doing the kickboxing thang Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and I'm lovin' every minute of it. Last night was big night in class. I GOT MY GLOVES!

In January I started off with bare hands, then after a week or two I stepped it up to some hand weights kinda like these.

And last night my instructor gave me my new weighted gloves! Woot woot!

I felt like a real part of the class once I switched from socks to my sweet black PUMAs, but now I'm REALLY real. I was punching harder than before, but let me tell you, they are A LOT hotter than the other weights. It was hotter than usual in the studio last night anyway (think sauna), and I was a sweatmonster. Sexy, I know, and soooo worth it. I'm seeing some arm muscles, my legs look better, I look thinner, and I FEEL stronger. It's amazing.

Onto my next whimsical adventure: Roller skating.

That's right, roller SKATING. No blades for this girl. I just don't like 'em. My parents bought me some inline skates in fourth grade, and I skated around the driveway that summer, but I just never really liked doing it.

Then last year Michelle invited me to Rollerdome at the Metrodome. We thought we'd have a choice to rent roller skates or blades, but that was false. It's sponsored by Rollerblade, after all, so blades are it.

Last March at Rollerdome (~173 lbs, btw)

I fell three times in about 1.5 hours. (Not bad for not doing it for 15 years, right? Haha just agree with me.) It was fun, but I was reminded that inline skates aren't for me.

So this year I bought a couple of Groupons for discounted Rollerdome. I knew I didn't really want to rent Rollerblades again, so I hit the interwebs and tried to find out who sells roller skates. Dick's Sporting Goods had a bunch online and, surprisingly, so did Target. I popped into the stores only to find that they don't stock them in store. And why would they?? Seriously, who roller skates?

Well, I do :) I went to Roller Garden, an indoor rink in St. Louis Park, and made my big purchase.

Take a look at these beauties!

I took them out for their inaugural run on Saturday at Rollerdome. Didn't fall once! I'm not fast or anything, but I REALLY enjoyed it. Michelle and I skated about 7 miles, and we're gonna do it again Sunday. Come on out if you live in the Cities!

Last Saturday at Rollerdome. (30 lbs less than last year!)

Now I just need my own helmet and wrist guards so I can venture outside on my own. Man, I'm gonna be the coolest kid in St. Paul this summer! Oh, roller skating, my new love :)

And now for something that totally surprised me.

It was GORGEOUS outside on Sunday, yet I had inside plans with friends. I got home around 7pm, threw on some workout clothes, and headed outside ... for a run! I figured out that I hadn't run outside in 4 or 5 months, let alone run at all. It had probably been 2 or 3 months since I'd hit the treadmill.


The conditions were perfect: The temp had cooled to the 50s, the sun was setting, there was a slight breeze, I was in a pretty great mood, my iPod was reading my mind. I didn't even walk first like I used to. I just started running. And then I couldn't stop!


I used mapmyrun.com when I got home and I had run 3.12 miles. HOLY CRAP, I'VE STILL GOT IT! That's a 5K, my friends. Thank you, kickboxing, for making me strong enough to handle an impromptu run! I'm thinking about hitting up my old Como Lake run this evening for funsies. (I hope stalkers don't read this.)


My regular workouts have finally kicked in, by the way. I started my kickboxing routine at the beginning of January and weighed 149-150. This morning I saw the lowest number I've seen in 10 years. 142.4 lbs. Wowza. (That means I'm down 76.8 lbs. Can't believe it.) I am hoping to be 139 by April 7 when I go to Mexico. Wasn't sure I would really do it, but now I know I will!!!!


What a great day :) Be love.