We’ve all heard the song (which you should definitely play while you read this post):
And since the #1 romance I have in my life is food, I figured I’d share my take:
I know I’m not the only one…
Who Doesn’t Like To Share Food
If I spend an hour making dinner after you’ve heated up your Ramen noodles, NO, you can’t have a bite. No, no, nope. Just, no.
Who studies menus online
I always look at menus before I go to a new restaurant so I don’t panic about all the choices once I’m there. Because heaven forbid I pick a dish that didn’t get rave Yelp reviews.
Who wants to get just drunk enough to press “Purchase” on a $300 dutch oven from Sur La Table
But…but…but…they’re just so beautiful. And think how many roux I can make with it.
Who completely understands food wrath
I think I’m the only one who has true empathy for Ross in the Friends episode when someone “accidentally” eats his sandwich. If someone ate my sandwich out of the work fridge, I would totally go Kanye West on them.
Who has a deep-rooted desire to have serious knife skills
Because being able to cook isn’t enough. I want to prep like an Iron Chef.
Who can’t eat salad in the winter
I can’t remember the last time I ordered a salad. I love veggies — but a cold entree? Not gonna happen in the months of December-March. It’s just not.
Here’s the way I see it: salads need a blanket in the middle of winter just as much as I do. Therefore the burrito was born.
And it was good.
Who has a growing addiction to food porn
Are there programs for this? Between Pinterest, Instagram, and now Food Network news on Snapchat, getting basic daily tasks done has taken a backseat. Fine, I’ll say it: food is sexy.
Sorry I checked out for a few days — I made an unexpected trip to the suburbs (the heat in our apartment doesn’t work too well and it’s been freezing in Chicago) and forgot my laptop. I probably could have blogged from another computer but I didn’t really do anything noteworthy anyway so yeah.
But otherwise my weekend was great–I woke up bright and early Saturday morning for Girls On The Run coaches training!!
I can’t tell you how excited I am to be involved with this organization! I’m sure many of you have heard about it, but Girls On The Run is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams. I’m going to be working as a head coach for a group of 10-20 girls twice a week, where we work through lessons about understanding themselves, valuing relationships and teamwork, and understanding how we connect with and shape the world. We’ll also do running each week, teaching the girls the importance of health and fitness. They’ll work up to a 5K at the end of the season. I’m pumped!
The rest of the day was pretty low-key: I went grocery shopping (a dream, as always) and FaceTimed with Kaitlin, who’s currently living in Mississippi. It was so nice to catch up with her and hear about her Mardi Gras shenanigans. Living so close to New Orleans has been good to her!
How adorable is she?
I spent the rest of the day just generally being lazy until dinner, when Colleen and I went out for pizza at Homeslice. All that talk about running earlier in the day really worked up my appetite. We sat on the patio, which was covered and heated. I can’t wait until they open it up for the summer but they did a really good job making it cozy for winter too.
One of the most endearing things about this place is that the owner’s french bulldog, Gary, runs around the patio the whole time. He was not the biggest fan of that giant balloon in the background so there was a pretty scared pup running around our feet the whole time. It was adorable!
We both started with the Pamarita: a pomegranate margarita with lime, soda, and jalapeno.
I went with the Schulz’s BBQ Bird, because barbeque chicken pizza is one of the most underrated foods on the planet. You can quote me on that.
After dinner we walked a few blocks to Sweet Mandy B’s, a famous bakery in Lincoln Park that I’ve always heard of, but had never been to. Because I hadn’t been before I went a little nuts, but it was all in the name of sugar. And Saturdays.
I left with chocolate cheesecake and three cookies: confetti (sugar), ranger (oatmeal with chocolate chips and Special K), and coconut cloud (coconut meringue). Bring on dat diabetes.
I had the confetti cookie this morning with my coffee and it was perfect. Definitely a new city favorite.
Sunday was a lazy day until the afternoon when I went to a CorePower sculpt class and finally got the age-old “Why won’t anyone sit by me?” question answered. Just kidding. My adorable personality makes up for the sweat stains.
If you’re in Chicago and have ever wanted to try CorePower’s Free Week of Yoga but aren’t sure which location/classes are worth your while, I highly recommend the Lakeview location. Ariel’s sculpt classes are the bomb — they’re set to faster-paced music, though, so if you’re looking for calm, relaxing yoga this ain’t your thing. But it does live up to it’s name and it will sculpt. you. up (because you can’t visit a pizza place and a bakery and expect things not to jiggle the next day).
I missed the Oscars because I worked the inventory night shift but I hope you all threw crazy wild viewing parties so I can live vicariously through you! Once again I said I would see all the Oscar-nominated movies and I didn’t see one. Crushing goals one day at a time over here.
Questions:
Did you watch the Oscars? What was your favorite movie in the last year?
Poor Jenn has taken a week off from the WIAW hosting duties. It’s sad that she started something so cool but people have taken advantage of it — using the platform as a way to share their own personal recipes or agenda. And while I stand in solidarity with Jenn and hope she comes back to the party soon, I couldn’t resist sharing my eats from yesterday, because I had Chipotle. And if you get Chipotle and don’t share it with the world, did it even happen?
I woke up bright and early yesterday for a staff meeting so breakfast was pretty sweet. Don’t you love it when other people feed you?
I had a cinnamon raisin bagel with a little cream cheese (not the biggest plain cream cheese fan but I went with it). The staff meeting was bittersweet because we were saying goodbye to our store manager who is moving to Minnesota next week. The lucky gal gets to work in the Mall of America, aka ride rollercoasters on her break.
Half of us look like we’re on our deathbed because we attended a 6am bootcamp before the meeting. Did I mention that? There’s nothing like taking an Uber at 5:30 in the morning. It’s hilarious because I think the driver expects you to be hammered and on your way home, when in reality I just rolled out of bed and needed a warm moving vehicle to get me to my workout or I never would have gone.
Here’s what yesterday’s tabata workout looked like:
Tabata w/ 8 Rounds of :20/:10 Work/Rest/Movement w/ 1min Rest Between of:
MAX Row Effort
Body Bar Front Rack Reverse Lunges
Pull Ups
Horseshoes from the box
Med Ball Ground to Overheads
MAX Sprint Runs
One Arm KB Thrusters (Alternating Hands/Round)
I’m in the waaay back doing ring rows. This girl is NOT ready for pull ups just yet. No way no how.
After the staff meeting I came home and did some writing before I had to head back to work for the night. Lunch included leftover pizza from Sunday night. I really want to stop eating it, but hey I spent the time and money on it and it keeps me from having to go grocery shopping for one more day.
Side of broccoli to make myself feel better.
I volunteered to stay late at work which brought my total to eight hours in the store yesterday. I know, I know…eight hours is the normal amount that most full-time people work every day. But have you ever worked eight hours in RETAIL? You’re ON for eight hours, no breaks, on your feet. The minute I walked out of the store there was nothing else I could do except, you guessed it, CHIPOTLE.
Taco salad with a brown rice, black beans, salsa, corn fajita veggies, hot sauce and guacamole on the side. I ate this in bed and immediately fell asleep. It was a great.
Not the most interesting day, but sometimes you live a semi-normal life and don’t think about how it will reflect on the blog 😉
Questions:
What’s your Chipotle order?
Are you a bagel eater? When I used to diet, I steered clear of bagels. Now, I love them!
So….apparently it’s Monday. I definitely knew that I just couldn’t get it together to write last night. I was up way past my bedtime thanks to the SNL40 Special, which was everything I hoped it would be and more. Did anyone else watch? What’s your favorite SNL skit of all time? I say anything with Kristin Wiig or Stefon. Or whenever Jimmy Fallon was in a sketch and he breaks out laughing (in other words, every skit he’s ever been in). Or when Justin Timberlake, the most talented man on the globe, makes an appearance. Or The Californians. Too many great moments to choose from!
It was such a full weekend — I spent almost every minute with friends.
Friday night I went home for my high school’s annual fundraiser. Every year they shut down for about a week and turn the place into a “town.” The hallways are completely decorated, the gym is turned into a casino, and each classroom is booked by local bands or comedy groups (usually parents and alumni). I’d been in the past when I was in high school (the under 21 crowd goes on Thursday nights every year) but this was my first year going on the weekend. Nothing like seeing your Catholic high school dean drunk in the hallways where she once yelled at you for not having your shirt tucked in. Good times.
You can’t tell but this picture was taken in front of my Freshman/Senior year locker. It was so funny to be there with a drink in my hand (let’s not even get started on the fact that there was a margarita machine in my old AP Government classroom).
Saturday was about as stereotypical as it gets — no shame.
Red Robin lunch date with Kari + the above movie. If you need me to explain then you’ve obviously been living on a rock so we can just move past that. All I’ll say is, if you read the books, it was a really good adaptation to the big screen. If you didn’t read them, you probably thought the world is going to hell in a hand basket.
I rushed back home to the city that night just in time for a romantic roommate dinner at Portillo’s, aka the one place that didn’t require a reservation.
I dove headfirst into the chopped salad because I truly believe it is made of sparkles and rainbows. I almost went for the famous cheese fries but knew I needed room for the real star of the show:
Love Is: CAKE SHAKE. For any non-Chicagoans out there, it is a chocolate shake with a piece of chocolate cake blended into it. And it is fabulous.
I made grand plans to go out on Saturday night but the windchill was below zero so I spent the night in front of a space heater, eating chocolate from my freezer and watching shitty Netflix movies.
I had to work on Sunday but once I was off I stopped by Trader Joe’s, got the fixins for make-your-own pizzas and headed to Spencer’s for the SNL special. It was a fun group of people and I ate my body weight in pizza, Ranch Wheat Thins (revolutionary!) and red velvet bundt cake.
My face hurt from laughing so hard during the three and a half hour-long show. I was a little sad that the “confirmed” N*SYNC reunion didn’t happen haha but there was way too much good stuff to even notice.
So all in all, it was the best kind of weekend. Minus the fact that I didn’t work out once…yikes. Back on that train today, I guess!
Other highlights from the weekend:
I tried Jimmy John’s for the first time and didn’t hate it
Taylor Swift finally put out the “Style” music video
I helped Whitney from this season of “The Bachelor” pick out yoga pants at lululemon. Don’t say I never did my part to change the world.
Questions:
Pizza: homemade or delivery?
Did you watch the SNL special? What’s your favorite sketch of all time?
This weekend I’ll be celebrating my first single Valentine’s Day since I was 16.
Crazy, right?
Even at 16 Valentine’s Day was still one of those things that didn’t matter very much. You got served heart-shaped cookies in the school cafeteria and everyone was buzzing about who they were going to ask to the Turnabout dance. Valentine’s Day wasn’t really a thing.
So for all my “adult” life, Valentine’s Day has always been a “couples” thing. Which was great because I have, for as long as I can remember, been one half of a couple.
This year, as the day approaches, it’s more of a fact than anything — I haven’t had any outward emotional reaction to it. I mean, I’ve had a few emotional moments this week that have come out of nowhere, and I have to assume the upcoming holiday is the cause. Not because I’m sad necessarily, but because it’s weird, I guess. Weird isn’t the right word but then again, there isn’t really a word for it. So we’ll go with weird.
But regardless of the fact that this year I won’t get a bouquet of flowers or a custom cake from my favorite bakery, I can’t be sad because I’m not alone. I don’t feel alone because I’m surrounded by love. Love doesn’t exclusively come from a romantic partner. I’ve always known that but I was never forced to see the love outside of a relationship because I had that comfort of one for so long. So now I see the love from others a lot more clearly now. I’m not alone.
I’m not alone because I have a family. I’m not alone because I work daily with people who love me. They don’t just coexist with me, they love me. I’m not alone because I have a group of friends who know me, the good and the bad, and they still love me. I’m developing loving relationships with new people every day: new coworkers, new roommates, blog friends. And lastly, I’m not alone because I’ve gotten to know myself a lot lately and, what do you know, I really like “me.”
Let’s go back to that “blog friends” thing. I feel so much love from YOU. This outlet has helped me meet so many people in the last few months and brought me out of my bubble more than I ever thought I could. Everyone who has ever commented, even the people I haven’t met and may never meet in real life, have been nothing but kind. You guys show me love every time you read the words I put down and care when I open up to you. People who have never even met me but still feel some connection to me. I feel love from you.
So even though this Valentine’s Day I’m no longer the other half in a happy couple, I’m not alone.
And regardless of your situation, you’re never alone either.
Now who wants to send me some chocolate-covered strawberries?
When I told people where I was heading to sweat today, multiple people asked me what Sproing was. And to that, all I could do was shrug my shoulders and say “I think it’s something like running on a trampoline?” It’s a bit of a mystery, because unlike other workouts that you can easily categorize (bikram yoga, barre, reformer pilates, etc.), this one is pretty outside the box. Unlike other studios, where you know exactly what you’re getting into, Sproing is one of those workouts you have to see to believe.
I walked through the front door and was immediately greeted by a clean, bright orange and white studio filled with other Chicago bloggers. I was immediately greeted by co-founder Paul and Matt, who were very down-to-earth, friendly, and excited to explain just what Sproing is all about.
I urge you to go to their website to really understand the workout, but I’ll sum it up for you here: it’s essentially a low impact workout that mimics a treadmill run + strength training, without all that unhealthy pounding on your joints that many of us experience because we don’t have the right running form. It feels like running on the beach! The workout helps promote the right running form and, in my opinion, would be the perfect supplement to any race training.
Since I’m a visual learner (and I’m sure many of you all are too) I found this pretty hilarious video of Sproing on the Steve Harvey show.
I started out by getting hooked up to a heart rate monitor. Now, I’m a bad runner and have never worn a heart rate monitor before. I’m “that person” who, when I first got my Garmin, just charged that bad boy up and left all the other techie stuff in the box (heart rate monitor included — whoops). I didn’t think I’d like the feeling of running with a device strapped to my chest, and have always been worried about it moving up and down while I move.
I hooked it up right under my sports bra and, surprise surprise, it didn’t move an inch during my workout. Plus I know that including a heart rate monitor is a great indicator of your intensity when running — they hold you accountable to push yourself. Numbers don’t lie, after all.
Soon we all gathered in the studio and were faced with a room full of treadmill-looking machines, chandeliers, and a giant timer. It was really a cool facility: half studio, half nightclub.
I will say it was pretty intimidating — the machines are like cushiony treadmills with straps and hooks all over, and you have to strap yourself in before you start. It was pretty funny trying to figure it out but the staff at Sproing was great about helping step-by-step. I really hope they give that much attention to all newbies, because I definitely don’t think I would’ve figured it out if there wasn’t a staff member specifically telling me what to hook up where. Luckily Erin was there to figure it out with me.
Before we knew it the workout began! We started with 15 minutes of explanations/warm ups and then dove right into a seriously intense 30 minute HIIT sequence of running (leaning forward), running (leaning back), inchworms, pushups, bicep curls, jumping jacks, squat jumps, etc. etc. We were instructed to follow our progress on the board and try to stay in the Orange Zone as much as possible (85% max heart rate or higher). I loved having a “scoreboard” like this! I’m terribly competitive so anytime I saw myself fall below the orange zone and into the green, I gave myself a mental push and kicked it into high gear.
This workout was tough stuff. We only had ten second breaks between rounds, but if you’ve ever done a HIIT workout before, you know that ten seconds really means five. But at the end of it all Erin and I absolutely crushed it in the Orange Zone!
Three cheers for being 5’10 aka burning the most calories aka getting to eat the most chocolate chips when I got home!
Because we spent more than 20 minutes in the Orange Zone throughout our workout, Paul took our photo (with a Polaroid camera no less) to put on their #dripwall. So basically we’re Chicago celebrities now. NBD.
#polaroidofapolaroid
We will forever live on in Sproing infamy.
I stayed afterwards to chat more with Paul and Matt and really grew to respect the brand. Paul is the former CEO of Bally Total Fitness and the other co-founder is a very accomplished engineer, so between the two of them they have the passion and the brains to really see this thing through. Paul put it very well: Sproing is unlike any other workout in Chicago. There will always be cycling, yoga and barre studios, but this is truly a revolutionary idea that I think should become more well-known in this city, especially one that is so running-focused.
I know that when I begin training for the Chicago marathon soon, I’ll consider making Sproing a part of my fitness routine. I would definitely put my trust in this machine to improve my form, my time, and my overall cardiovascular fitness. If nothing else, I can definitely see myself replacing tempo runs or other short runs with this workout. I’m much more likely to push myself when I’m doing it in a group setting.
For all my Chicago readers (and anyone visiting), Sproing offers a free first week so take advantage and see what it’s all about!
Questions:
Have you ever heard of Sproing before?
What’s the most unique workout you’ve heard of lately?
Well I officially went a full week without going out to eat! I technically did pay for a slice of pizza in the wee hours of the morning after last night, but that doesn’t really count, right? Because of this challenge I was able to force myself to be more creative in the kitchen and be better about prepping food the night before. When your veggies are chopped and your snacks are all in Ziploc bags in your purse, it makes #diningin so much easier. It didn’t even feel like a challenge, to be honest. That being said, OF COURSE I decided to do this challenge during RESTAURANT WEEK in Chicago haha. OF COURSE I did.
The best thing I ate all week (3 times, actually)?
Sweet Potato Nachos. Susie, I will forever be indebted to you for this inspiration.
I’m also back on a Vitatop craze. Have you ever had them? They’re 100 calories (chocolate chips not included haha) and they taste like a piece of chocolate cake. They aren’t the cheapest things in the world but they were on sale at Jewel so I stocked up on a few boxes to satisfy my ever-present chocolate cravings.
And instead of going out to brunch on Sunday, Megan and I had the brilliant idea of inviting friends over and making our own. It was the best idea we’ve had in awhile and for approximately $0 we had an incredible two hour meal full of eggs, potatoes, banana muffins, mimosas, and country music.
Don’t look at me like that. I worked up quite the appetite the night before dancing until dawn. My friend Kelsey was housesitting for a verrrrry wealthy family in Lincoln Park so we had a few drinks there before going out. We spent a few hours drinking nice wine, eating nice cheese, and taking “fancy lady” photos in their living room. And next to their elevator (that was IN the house). I honestly didn’t know places like this existed in Chicago.
Afterwards we met up with some friends for a girls night out in the River North neighborhood. We danced until the wee hours of the morning. Those are the best kind of nights — you start off at a Swift-level 2, just bopping around in a general fashion.
By midnight you start throwing some random arm motions in there, taking it to a Swift-level 5…
And then by 2am it’s a full-blown Swift-level 10, and you think you’re the hottest thing in the fifteen-mile radius.
So true.
On the workout front it was a pretty successful week. I’ve stuck to my goal of working out 5x/week in 2015, but haven’t been able to make it 6x, like I said I was trying to do lately. Oh well — 5 feels like a great balance, where I can still manage to work, write, have a social life, and workout consistently. I’m just going to go with it.
Weekly Workouts
Monday: Sweat Chicago (bootcamp #1)
Tuesday: 25 min HIIT
Wednesday: 5 mile run
Thursday: Yoga Sculpt (60 min)
Friday: Sweat Chicago (bootcamp #2)
Saturday: REST
Sunday: REST
Bootcamp #1
6 Rounds of :45 Work/:15 Rest at Each Station of:
Rowing
Box Jumps
5% Incline Walk (4.5 Speed) w/ DB Presses
Double Crunches
KB Goblet Squats
Plank Row to T Rotation w/ DB
Bootcamp #2
3 Rounds w/ 1min Rest Between of:
4min Incline Run (Increase Incline 1% EMOTM)
1min Rest
4min AMRAP of:
8 Push Ups
8 Tricep Box Dips
8 DB Bent Over Tricep Ext (Together)
8 DB Curl & Presses
1min Rest
4min AMRAP of:
8 Russian Twists (Per Side)
8 Sit Ups
8 DB Toe Touches
I’ve been attending Sweat a lot more lately, as I’ve grown close to the owner and a lot of the people who workout there. I love that it’s always a variety of high intensity exercises that last approximately an hour, but it doesn’t include Olympic-size weights. Now that I’ve officially lived in the city for just over two months, I’m going to calm down on the “try all the workouts in Chicago” approach and start being more consistent at Sweat. I’ve settled on what I love and what I don’t care for, and I know that at the end of the day, consistency is key to me being in the best shape. So Sweat it is!
Phew. Is it Friday yet? I want to do it all over again.
Questions:
What was the best thing you ate all weekend?
Vitatops: yay or nay?
Dancing: do you follow my Swift-levels theory or are you just an all-out amazing/terrible dancer?
I’m actually cracking up at this creative title I came up with. You’ll see how it all ties together below but just know in the mean time that I’m super proud of myself.
It’s been a good week. So that calls for some Friday Favorites, aka the best things I’ve come across the past few days. I’m still 5/5 with my #diningin challenge so that’s reason enough to celebrate. Seeing my bank account stay relatively the same for a full five days is pretty inspiring and it makes me excited to take control of my spending habits in the future.
Jimmy Fallon Saved By The Bell
Did you guys see this? How great is Jimmy Fallon??
This is the greatest thing to happen on TV since, well, ever. I may have teared up a little. Sidenote: it’s scary how people these days look the same, if not better, than they did 20 years ago. I see it all the time and it just freaks me out!
Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip
I mentioned on Monday that my favorite part about the Super Bowl (besides Katy Perry and the avocado commercial) was all the buffalo chicken dip I got to eat. Now, this isn’t even the worst in the world of dips. After all, it’s chicken-based, right? But I wondered, why can’t I eat this more often than once a year? I love it so much! My coworker and I were talking about it the next day and she shared this recipe with me, so I’m really excited to give it a try! Maybe buffalo chicken dip will become a new weekend staple? 😀
The Definitive Guide to Healthy Eating
I was dying reading this. It pretty much encompasses everything that’s frustrating about mainstream “dieting” knowledge. Read it and weep, ya know-it-alls!
A snippet from the post:
Gluten is the devil. The actual devil. Unless you test negative for gluten sensitivity in which case it’s perfectly healthy and should be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet and eaten on the reg.
If you test negative for gluten sensitivity IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT GLUTEN IS NOT DESTROYING YOUR GUT AT THIS VERY MOMENT, IT’S MOST LIKELY CAUSING IRREPARABLE DAMAGE THAT WILL EVENTUALLY KILL YOU.
Grains are the true devil and should be avoided at all costs, they will cause your gut to leak, destroy your relationships and they will make you fat and quite probably cause diabetes. Unless you soak them overnight before cooking in which case they are slightly less toxic.
Grains are the best and only way to receive enough carbohydrates for your body to function properly, one should make whole grains a regular part of one’s diet without fail. Without them you will become a shadow of yourself and die.
Free Massages
We had the folks from Exhale Spa come in the store yesterday and give complimentary chair massages. I took a bullet for the team and went first so that the guests would be intrigued and hopefully want to do it too. I’m selfless.
Holy crap mother of god. I always forget how amazing massages are. It was less than ten minutes but I felt like a new woman (not to mention the masseuse said she was surprised I was functioning with how tight my shoulders were — apparently there was a “boulder” in my shoulder. — so I’m extra glad I got some work done on it). But what kind of person could possibly have a bad week when it included a free massage?
And last, but certainly not least:
Magic Mike XXL Trailer
No explanation necessary. I only love this movie for my all-time celebrity crush Channing Tatum. So the first 50 seconds of this had me giggling at my computer, alone, like I was 15 and just got my first kiss. Straight up giggling.
He is such an incredible dancer. That’s all I’m gonna say about that.
Remember the other day when we talked about saying yes? Sometimes it’s easier said than done. Saying yes is easy when it’s “Wanna meet at Portillos after work?” or “Wanna stay in, curl up on the couch and watch a Chopped marathon?” But what about things that push you out of your comfort zone?
It sucks. Saying “yes” when you’re happier opting out can be uncomfortable, awkward, and downright risky. But what kind of life lesson would it be if we just said yes to the things that were easy?
So today I’m thinking about the things I’ve done lately that have pushed past my comfort zone.
Group workout + Networking event
On Tuesday night I attended a group workout and networking event held on the west side of the city. Now, usually anything west of the highway means I won’t go. I’m a bit of a hobbit in this way — I have my “zone,” and I won’t venture out by myself. Not only was it a hike via public transportation, but it was a workout followed by a networking event (drinks/appetizers/cool new health products). Networking is not my strong suit. Contrary to what it might seem like on this blog, I don’t like talking about myself, and sometimes I psych myself out when meeting new people and get nervous. But it was a wonderful opportunity to support a lululemon ambassador from Shred415 and I knew the store was looking to have presence there, so I said yes.
I basically faked it til I made it but it was awesome! The workout was held in a giant warehouse/studio space and even though it was only 20-30 minutes it was great. As you know I love group fitness in any form and this was like group fitness on steroids! We did a Shred415-inspired workout so you can imagine it was sweaty as all get out.
I said yes, got my sweat on, networked a bit after the workout, and, what do you know, I came out alive! I even got to meet some of the higher-up ladies for lululemon so that in and of itself made this challenge worth it.
#diningin challenge
In terms of food, I thrive on “going with the flow” of my cravings. As I’ve shared before with my own health journey, years back I struggled with strict rules and consequences if I didn’t follow those eating rules. Nowadays I think I’ve completely thrown myself at the other end of the spectrum, almost as if to prove to myself just how “healthy” I am. And while I’m not saying I should go back to serious food structure, there’s something to be said about self-control, listening to your gut (literally and figuratively), and making food choices based on things other than “oooo that looks good! I’ll take it!” So I decided to challenge myself this week and see if I have the mental game to spend money on food only in the grocery store, and nothing outside those walls.
I hit every food group, made pulled BBQ chicken in the crockpot as a good protein base to use throughout the week, and made sure to include some sweet/saltiness. Let’s be realistic: this isn’t Whole30 this is “don’t run to the 7/11 at 10pm for a bag of tortilla chips.” And you know what? It hasn’t been tough at all. Now, granted, when Friday rolls around and I can’t spend any money on food or drinks I’m going to have to come up with some pretty creative ways to get my drink on at the bars, but that’s neither here nor there. For now, this is a success story.
So far so good:
Overnight Oats: 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup almond milk, chia seeds, millet, cinnamon, stevia, slivered almonds, and a scoop of pb
Grilled cheese: havarti cheese, tomato, and (of course) another slice of bread on top
“Homemade” trail mix for quick energy bursts in the afternoon (plus unpictured almonds)
I guess calling this a photoshoot is a stretch, but I took some photos for our store’s social media pages and it was one of the most uncomfortable things I’ve done in awhile. I am about as awkward as it gets when it comes to any kind of “candid posing”. So when my manager asked if I’d be willing to do showcase some of our new spring pieces, I almost said no, as I’ve said no in the past. But hey, I have to practice what I preach, right? So I said yes. And, once again, I survived (and had a lot of fun doing it).
We even got a hilarious shot out of it. I was trying to do a stretching pose and ended up looking like George Washington crossing the Delaware (minus the sword, sadly). I knew the second I saw it I had to get the two side by side. My coworkers and I were in stitches.
Moral of the story, saying “yes” isn’t always easy. And it might not always turn out great. But I like to think that the consequences of missing out on a fun opportunity outweigh actually saying yes and it not going well. I’d rather have the latter and know I at least gave it a try! Why be scared of taking chances?
Questions:
How did you last challenge yourself?
Have you ever said yes when you didn’t want to? How did it turn out?
Best meal you cooked this week with ingredients from the grocery store….go!
This past week a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (my alma mater) was murdered. He was last seen at 7pm heading to a friend’s apartment on one of the busiest streets on campus, only three blocks from my old apartment, and his body was found five days later ten miles outside the college town along a rural road.
Shock and tragedy are a part of life — but this really stopped me in my tracks for awhile when I heard. I can’t tell you how many times I ran around campus with my friends (and sometimes by myself) late at night walking, laughing…just being 19. Now people are being randomly targeted, assaulted, robbed, beaten, raped, and now murdered. All on a campus in a small town in the middle of nowhere in central Illinois, where thousands of students travel every year to have “the best four years of their lives.” The worst part about this particular crime is that it was early evening, on a busy street on campus, on a Friday. This could have happened to ANYONE.
Whenever tragic things happen to someone, it always hits me hard,because it could easily happen to me. Or a friend. Or a family member. Life could change in a second, with no warning.
So how do you deal with the fact that, yes, terrible things happen in life?
Sometimes it’s hard to stay positive and present in a world where it seems like so many bad things happen. Especially because the “bad” these days is usually really bad. But I always go back to this incredible quote about inviting it all in, the good and the bad, and somehow it makes me feel better. Knowing that bad things are going to happen to me reminds me that I am human, and that because I’m human, I’ll recover.
I think everyone has their own way of coping with the realities of life: “life is short” “bad things happen to good people” and “you have to see the glass half full” all strike people in different ways. So it would be callous and insulting for me to insinuate that a positive outlook on life is easy. That’s way too cliche. But I have found ways to help me cope with the fear of tragedy and appreciate life for what it is:
Say YES. Unless you have a prior commitment, it doesn’t align with your values, or you’re sick, say yes to any and all invitations life throws at you. Coffee with an old friend? YES. A networking event where you’ll know no one and probably spend the first 15 minutes standing awkwardly with a drink in your hand? YES. A dinner date, even though your bank account is dwindling? YES. Building a snowman outside even though you’re 24 and haven’t bought a pair of snow pants since 1997? YES.
For many of you reading this who don’t actually know me, you might think this a little cheesy. And it is I guess. But I’ve learned that life is made up of the little moments that happen when you’re busy anticipating “the big things.” Too many people are waiting to meet their future husband to be happy. Too many people are working 60+ hours a week trying to build up their 401k plan at 25 years old. And way too many people work at a job they don’t love in hopes that things will be better “in the future.” I used to think I just didn’t get it. But now I’m realizing that the way I’m living is what’s making me happy. Which brings me to the second thing I’ve learned lately:
Be PRESENT. I am perfectly content where I am in this exact moment. I’m not looking to the future to justify a single aspect of my life. I wouldn’t change a single thing about my daily routine. I do exactly what I want to do every day. And do you know what? Life isn’t flying by the way it used to. Months used to be over in the blink of an eye, and my friends and I would commiserate over time flying with a glass of wine. Now?January dragged. It was a full month. I celebrated my birthday. I tried Hot Power Fusion yoga for the first time. I met some other bloggers in real life. I spent more money at more restaurants in Chicago than is even remotely fiscally responsible for someone my age. I met tons of new people. I started eating bacon again because damnit it smells good, and that’s it. I watched a basketball game with my dad. I went to a concert. I made enchiladas. Don’t get me wrong — I have goals, and specific benchmarks that I know I have to accomplish to reach those goals. But the goals are all my own. They haven’t been manipulated by someone else’s opinion, or by any insecurities about possibility. And because they are truly my goals, and the way I live my daily life supports m goals, I don’t feel any pressure or fear of the future. I know it’s all going to be okay, because the way I live on seemingly insignificant days will shape my life overall, and I know I’ll be happy.
So much for writer’s block, right? I just started typing and a novel came out.
THANK YOU everyone for being an outlet for me to share posts like this. I absolutely love sharing the light-hearted, food-obsessed side of me, but every once in awhile I guess it’s good to remind you I’m human as well.
i had a big lunch 
