Happy (Raw, Green) St. Patrick's Day!!!!

Since I will be spending the remainder of the day in classes, I will not have a chance to TRULY celebrate the day, the way that you're meant to... ;) SO, I decided to eat and drink only green (and RAW) things today! And I'm so proud of myself!

First, a Raw Green Smoothie, that I got from the wonderful Raw on $10 a day blog

I really enjoyed this smoothie! And it was SO easy to make! In case you didn't click on the link above, I will give you the recipe:
5oz Spinach
6 leaves of romaine lettuce
2 Bananas
1 Apple (cored)
1 cup of water

Puree in blender till smooth, then I added a few piece of ice to chill it up a bit but not TOO cold because in Chinese Medicine, your Spleen doesn't like cold foods, especially in the morning, and that helps aid in digestion.

For lunch, I made Raw on $10's green soup. Which, tasted a bit better than I thought it would but I wasn't able to eat most of it... :-\ Just wasn't for my tastebuds, but I'm eager to try a different raw soup recipe!

This required:
5oz spinach
1 avocado
1 cup water
1 garlic clove
1/4 of an onion
sea salt and pepper to taste
Puree in the blender. Simple enough! I sprinkled about half a tsp. of Spirulina in it as well and I warmed it up a bit on the stove, but didn't "cook" it. Cooking it begins to kill the natural digestive and living enzymes in the food.

And lastly, since I was still hungry from having only a few tablespoons of the green soup, I made a quick cucumber snack:
1 sliced cucumber
1 heaping tsp of olive oil
red wine vinegar, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

I don't really like cucumbers, although I LOVE pickles, so the vinegar and salt taste really appeals to me! :-D

Dinner will probably be a salad with oil and vinegar and sea weed salad from my school's cafeteria...

And that's been my day so far! Let me tell you the REAL happiness of my day though: I feel GREAT already! I took some powdered Spirulina in a glass before bed, and although I overslept this morning, I woke up feeling great and made myself the green smoothie. Then I went to the local library to get some schoolwork done, stopped off at the grocery store for some red wine vinegar. Then I came back home, made the green soup and cucumber salad and then I'll be off to Yoga class at 2:30. Normally, once I realized I had already missed a good portion of my first class, I would have went right back to bed and watched tv and done minimal school work. If this is the start of my new lifestyle, I LIKE IT!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Gorgeous weather and craving RAW!

It's a gorgeous day here in NY and it just makes me ACHE to be healthy! I wish I was fit and trim and could just go for a quick jog or a hike. Instead, I feel lethargic and fat and I'm so, SO sick of it.



I'm still determined to start on my path to going RAW. I found a great blog that tells you how to be raw for $10 a day or less. And she's giving away a great blender! I entered to win it, and that will be my sign that raw is the way to go for me. Although, I'm already pretty set on incorporating this lifestyle into my own. I've read numerous success stories and everyone just seems to healthy and vibrant AND they LOOK healthy! So many times you see people who are fit, vegan, in shape, whatever, but their skin is dull, they have bags under their eyes...just don't look like they're healthy on the inside. I think if i start to give my body NUTRIENTS instead of just CALORIES, it will start to respond better, crave less, and detoxify.

I know, I know...I'm all talk right now. I'm just on such a tight budget that I don't have room to experiment with recipes. SO, I need to find a few recipes that I think I would like, and just buy enough ingredients for that. That's do-able. Most involve spinach, apples, carrots, celergy, maybe some onion and garlic, and that's about it!

Plus, I turn 28 years old on Thursday and I'm sick of wasting my life. I've been going through the past few years hiding out from social situations because I'm embarrassed of how fat I am, or my clothes don't fit, or I just feel too lethargic. I want to start LIVING life! Don't get me wrong, I'm as fun-loving and good spirited as they come, but I can do better. I want to be adventerous and LIVE. And I was thinking, "Why is it so hard?" I want to be all these different girls I see: the skinny girl who's good at yoga, the healthy girl who eats well all the time, the fit girl who runs 5ks all the time. But why CAN'T I be? All's I have to do is just start DOING it! Today I'm the girl who ate pretzels and honey mustard for breakfast, but if I just make the switch in my mind of "Okay, you WERE the girl who ate junk but now you're the girl who eats healthy and nutritious foods" then I can be! And if I want to be good at yoga, well then I need to freaking start practicing yoga everyday! WHY DON'T I JUST DO THIS??? Well, I am. I'm picking up ingredients today and going to start by replacing ONE meal a day with raw foods. And I'll be happy with that for a few days, a week or maybe even 2. And I won't bash myself for not doing better. I'm going to love and appreciate myself for making THAT change. Then, when I'm ready, I will replace 2 meals with raw foods, or maybe one meal plus a raw snack, etc. The idea is that my body will start craving the nutrient-rich foods and not the empty calorie "diet" food and/or junk food.

I'm doing it, I'm doing it today for myself. I'm going to start off my next year of life on the right foot.

Are you living the best life you can lead?

RAW FOOD and my absence...

I've been struggling with wanting to try a raw food lifestyle for about a year now. My boyfriend had been a raw foodist for 2 years and still rants and raves about it. He did it while he lived in FL, and found it much harder to stick to here in NY because we don't have the abundance of fruit that FL has, all year round. Right now my reason/excuse is that I'm too broke to buy my own food, so I've been living off the foods my mom buys. I'll be 28 years old in 3 days, so I feel pathetic evening writing that. But that's what you get for going back to school full-time at this age! I know it'll be worth it once I graduate.

Soooooo, my boyfriend wants to go back to being at least 80% raw. Does everyone know what a raw food diet is? Basically, it's vegetable, fruit, nuts and seeds. Nothing is cooked above 110 degrees with the idea that once food is cooked, it loses it's natural digestive enzymes, and most of it's nutritional value, thus your body doesn't get the maximum amount of nutrition. Plus, it's the way we're designed to eat if you think back to almost the beginning of our existence. Stoves and microwaves didn't exist back then. We were natural grazers and ate from the fruits of the land, so to speak. Well, I'm due for a heft tax return in about a week or two, so him and I will shack up at his apartment for the weekend and jump start or raw food life. We'll buy an abundance of fruits and vegetables, and make all sorts of juices and smoothies. We'll go hiking, play tennis (weather permitting!) and hopefully that will help us both get into a healthier lifestyle. My boyfriend is naturally thin, and in shape, but suffers from digestive issues, some anxiety, etc. All of which, we believe, can be cured from eating a more natural diet. Has anyone tried the raw food diet? I did it for a week and felt absolutely amazing. I had sooo much energy! However, I was living off of watermelon, which I hate, so I eagerly jumped back into cooked foods. :( I don't think I could ever bee 100% raw, but I have to start getting closer to it. After our "weekend", I will start by replacing at least one meal with raw foods. And hopefully, your body will start craving the REAL food, over the processed cooked foods, and I'm hoping I'll slowly work my way up to about 80% raw, and about 2 raw meals a day plus 1 healthy "cooked" meal. The benefits of this diet and lifestyle are incredible. I mean, look at Demi Moore! She's a raw foodist and it's like she's not even aging! I do believe this is "the secret" to a truly healthy lifestyle.

I've been absent from this blog for a few weeks. I'd like to say it's because I didn't have my own computer (I just received a new netbook on Saturday as an early birthday gift, and I LVOE it!), but it's probably more because I've fallen off my diet, yet again, and am ashamed. I've stayed about the same weight, which is good, but I can do better. I'm soooo sick of trying and failing all the time. There's got to be an easier way. Why is eating right so difficult in this country? We really are a Fastfood Nation. It's sooo much easier to eat better in other countries. In England, for example, if you look at the ingredients of Gatorade it's: mineral water, beet juice for color, sugar, vitamin A, etc. etc. HERE, it's: water, high fructose corn syrup, red 5, yellow 3, etc. etc. It's SO HARD to stay away from chemicals and processed foods, but it IS do-able! And in my eastern nutrition class, he said Spring is the time for cleansing your body of all the heavy, fatty foods from the winter and to start to prepare your body for the light foods of summer. So I'm trying to take that, and run with it! Ugh, am I really going to spend yet another summer fat and ashamed?

I hope everyone has been doing better than I have. But I'm motivated, yet again! Also, my first soccer game is this Sunday and that is sure to kick my ass! :)

C25K

Well, today was my first day back to the gym! I also re-started the Couch to 5k Running Program. I had done it over the summer and got up to week 5 when I quit. But with soccer starting in less than a month, I NEED to start running! So, today was my first day of the program and it was quite easy even though I sweated like a pig and my face was BEET RED.... I feel so proud of myself after my workout though and I need to remember this feeling to stay motivated. My plan is to go to the gym at least 3 days a week and do Pilates and/or Yoga the other days. The running program requires 3 running days a week and with my hectic school schedule, it works out! I'd like to start running on the road though since treadmill running is much easier. But considering we just got about 4inches of snow here, it'll have to wait a week or so. :)

My breakfast wasn't so good. We have these damn pre-cooked sausages in the house that I just CANNOT stay away from! So I had 1 egg, 2 turkey sausages, 1 english muffin, 1 hash brown with organic ketchup. Humph. Lunch was a small salad and an orange and dinner will be a turkey sandwich on 1 slice of whole wheat toast (split down the middle) with a little mayo. We'll see....

I'm not drinking tonight since I have to be at a registration meeting for soccer tomorrow morning at 9am. Who the heck plans these meetings for 9am on a Saturday morning? But whatever. I'm going to the meeting in my gym clothes so I'll hopefully hit up the gym afterwards.

Today was a weigh-in day and I've stayed the same...no loss, no gain. Not surprised. I've been seriously slacking.

Part of my problem is lack of money. I go to school full time and only work part time, bringing in about $300/mo which JUST covers my bills. I've applied for a second part time job working with Au Pairs. Making sure they adjust to their "families" well. It's been a week since I've applied, plus I have a friend who recommended me since she's already an employee. I just want to know already! I NEED to start buying my own groceries.

Ever feel like things just don't go right for you? I also can't file my taxes because I'm missing a W2 form...I've contacted the job twice so far. SOOOO frustrating. Plus I need it to apple for student loans and TAP assistance which hopefully will leave me with some money leftover...I'm trying to remember The Law of Attraction and to stop focusing on what's WRONG, because then things will continue to go wrong. Instead, I need to have faith in that it will all work out and focus on how it will feel when everything is settled. :)

Tonight was supposed to be a date night with me and the bf. All we ever do is sit around and watch TV. He's very sweet and he does always offer to pay for things if we order dinner or something but he's not very creative and he NEVER suggests anything! I'm particularly poor this week so I don't have money to spend on going out to dinner or a movie, and he said "that's okay, let's do it." (meaning he'll pay) but I always say "No, I feel bad..." just being nice but then that's it. He just backs down. When really I want him to be forceful and say, "We're going out, I'm taking you to _______." I know I sound like a whiny little brat...we've been together for 2 years and he's been like this since day 1. I just want him to say, "Get dressed tonight, I'm taking you out to dinner!". Know what I mean? Every once in a while he has. Literally I can think of 3 times in the past 2 years he's done that. I haven't seen him since Monday so I'm looking forward to spending time with him but I just don't feel like laying around watching TV, yet again, on a Friday night! As I'm writing this, I hear all the "experts" advice saying "TELL the man what you want! Men can't read minds." and I know that's true but I don't want to have to tell him to WANT to take me out! And his family is this way, so that's where he gets it from. They don't see the need to spend money on dinner when they could just cook at home.

Okay, I'll stop complaining now. Hope you all have a great weekend and stay on track! I'm sure as heck gonna try! :)

The Scale Was Kind!

Soooo, I haven't really been on the wagon the past two weeks, plus I have my period (I always gain a few pounds) but I've decided to make Friday mornings my week weigh-in...so I did and Wii Fit said I only gained 1.5lbs in those two weeks! Now, I know it seems silly to be happy about a GAIN, but I was sure I gained the entire 5lbs back, PLUS I had a really heavy meal last night and I have my period and am retaining water so I'm hoping that I actually didn't gain any weight at all!

I feel motivated again and our soccer season is getting closer so I'm getting excited for that. Is it lame I want to look cute in my uniform even though I'll be surrounded by a bunch of girls??? LOL, I guess I'm thinking more about facebook pictures we may put up...

Breakfast: 1 apple with a little organic maple syrup and cinnamon

Lunch: about 1 1/2c. of whole wheat pasta and red sauce

and the rest is TBD...

I have YET to exercise though. Partly b/c of that whole gym scenario (which should be rectified by monday). I was able to let go of my anger by the way and my boyfriend and I are "fine" today. Whatever, I'm proud that I let it go and didn't turn it into a big huge argument (which I tend to do when I finally get mad). Oh, and the other EXCUSE is that our roads here in NY have snow on the sides and are still icy, so outside running is difficult. But I know I'm just making excuse after excuse, so exercise is next. GOTTA DO IT. I tend to over think things so I'm trying to think less and JUST DO IT...Thanks Nike. haha

Be well!

Men really were raised in barns...JUST BREATHE!

So, last March my boyfriend bought me a year's membership to the gym. A few months into the membership, I started getting notices of Past Due amounts. So I ask them and they say the ATM card the fees were coming from had expired and they would need the new number. So, I tell my boyfriend this....and then again....and then again until he finally changes it. All is fine and well and a few months later the same thing happens again except this time it's because he closed that account and switched banks. So I tell him, again, and again, and again...finally at the end of December (after them stopping me each time I signed in to tell me I was overdue by 3 months, which was embarrassing enough) they told me I could no longer keep going as of Jan 1st. So I told that to my boyfriend...here it is, February is flying by and I'd like to go to the gym and just renew it myself....the membership he bought me should be up the end of this month. Part of me is a people pleaser and I would just pay it myself but he makes me SOOOO MAD sometimes. The kid seriously does not have manners sometimes. Any normal guy would be mortified at this and would apologize for me having to ask over and over and over again for something that was supposed to be a GIFT! A gift I DID NOT ASK FOR, by the way. So he's giving me an attitude on the phone saying "I don't want them to have my card info, I'll just give you the cash"...which is fine and dandy but he never carries cash so I know I'm going to have to keep harassing him for it each time I see him. So I just asked that he swing on by the gym on Sunday since he'll be around that area anyway and he just acts like it's the biggest freaking deal. It drives me nuts. He's gotten MUCH better with chivalry things (let me tell you, he was a nightmare as far as that stuff goes. But finally he's learned to open doors, ask if I need anything, PAY for things, etc.) but my God, it's times like these he just still drives me nuts. It was his birthday last week and one of the things I bought him was GPS and I could tell he wasn't thrilled with it (he has every other gadget in the world) so I said I'd return it and try to find something he'd REALLY want, because I want him to be happy with his gift. I say I just get my money back and use that to pay off the gym membership and we'll call it even, since he's treating this like it's some business dealing. Anyone else have to deal with thoughtless men???? Don't get me wrong, he can be SUCH a sweetheart and when he does little things for me and buys me little presents out of nowhere, I literally tear up. I'm not a high maintenance girlfriend, believe me. It takes very little to keep me happy. OH, and to top it off, he tried saying that he figured he didn't have to pay for the gym since I don't go very often! Meanwhile, he's no gym whore himself...he just happens to be naturally thin.

MY ISSUE, however, is that I hold onto things. We ended the conversation on a tense note and he went to sleep. Tomorrow morning he'll be over it and will act normal whereas I'll still be mad. I've learned in holistic health that people who hold onto things like that, hold onto everything else: when they get sick from a cold or flu, it takes them longer to get over it than other people, weight is harder to get off, etc. etc. A quick fun exercise to see if you're like me: Take a DEEP inhale in....(stop reading and do it)................now, notice if when you inhaled if your stomach extended or if your stomach sucked in and your chest extended? Your lungs are the length from your chest to your abdomen so when they fill with air, your STOMACH is supposed to get bigger. That means you're letting the breath fill the entire lung. People like me, only let the top part of my lungs fill up and I suck in my stomach not letting the breath all the way down. At first I thought it was silly, b/c I just never wanted to stick my belly out but all the rest was true. When I get a common cold, I have it for a MONTH. When I get mad, I'm mad for days. Losing weight is soooo hard for me, etc. etc. So I'm working on trying to let things go and honestly the easiest way I've found? JUST BREATHING! Now, don't get me wrong...I'm the happiest easiest going person you'll ever meet. It takes A LOT to make me mad...usually things that build up over time (like this gym membership thing has been building up since the summer). But anyway, when I find myself mad at him for such things as this I just concentrate on letting the air fill my entire lung, letting the breath drop. And after a little while I'm not mad anymore and usually a few hours later I don't even remember what I was mad at. Although I kinda want to keep being mad at him for some reason, it's not good for your mind or body to hold onto anger....sooooo, here's to letting go!!!

Now, if I could just let go of this damn weight!! It's bedtime...goodnight all. :)
P.S. I need to chart my weekly weigh-ins better...and I've obviously stopped the daily weigh-ins.... :-\ I'll start the new chart soon, once I can figure it out!

Valentine's Day and a Pity Party

So Valentine's Day was nice. My boyfriend was fighting the stomach virus that's going around so he couldn't have a heavy meal, which was fine by me and my rolls of fat! So I went to his apt and he had bought me a teddy bear, a balloon, a dozen red roses and a new Wii game. LOL...I'm 27 years old but just a big kid. It was Mario Kart for wii, I LOVED it haha. He had also ordered us Greek Salads which was PERFECT for me! I looooove greek salads and I also didn't feel guilty about eating it. We just drank water. Until I came back home and my mom had left some vday Peeps in my room...I've eaten 5 since last night. :( I will throw the rest out, I swear.

I feel so lethargic lately. I'm getting my period so I have all the lovely PMS symptoms. I just feel like napping all day long and watching DVDs, but I have a few midterms this week so I must do a lot of studying. I'm also supposed to start the Couch to 5k Running Program again today. I hate running in the daytime b/c I know everyone in this town. So I'll save that for around dusk this evening. I HAVE to do it, I'll be so disappointed in myself if I put it off even another day. My Women's Soccer team starts up in a month and I really, REALLY do not want to embarrass myself too much. I played with some of these girls back in HS (10 years ago, my God...) and I was maybe 60lbs lighter then! :-\ I'm 5'11" which helps spread that weight around at least, but also makes me feel like a big huge monster as well.

I always feel like I lose my motivation around the time of my period. Got to try and re-light that spark today. Any ideas? I guess taking a shower today would help! LOL

I just feel like lying around today and feeling sorry for my fat self...Okay, this is a very boring blog and I'm just rambling on in no particular order. I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day and found a few moments to love yourself!