How's your water?

I am looking back over the last couple of days, and trying to do some positive self talk. Trying not to fall victim to more of what has been going on yesterday & the day before. I see too that I haven't been drinking nearly enough water. Nowhere even close to 8, 8oz glasses of water. More like 1 or 2, for the whole day. So dehydration may be exaggerating the mood swings.

So needless to say, lots of augwa for yours truly today.

I woke up and wanted to get something in me that was going to keep me full for a long time. I had a big morning a head of myself. This called for a protein green monster. This one was so good, it might even be worth submitting to The Green Monster Movement site. Note the spill, not because it's over-flowing, rather I got distracted while pouring and made a mess lol.

Peanut Butter Vanilla Green Monster

• 1 scoop of vanilla Whey protein powder
• 1 whole banana
• 3 cups of spinach
• 1 tbsp Kraft smooth PB - running low on the cashew butter otherwise that would have been used.
• 1 cup of UVAB
• Blend & Serve

After breakfast was over, it was off to get a quick run in before hitting the gym. Cardio Bosu class today. Honestly this class keeps me going all week long. I luuurve it! Here are a few sample pics I found online of what Cardio Bosu is like. We run circuits in the class, it's great!

[source]

[source][source]

I even managed to fit in an hour spin class with my fav instructor Sheena this morning. Ok, ok it's a lot yes, but I was excited and had banked on doing all of this before work this morning.

After class, I went and had a swim in the pool. However not the best of swim, I ended up getting chatty with 2 other swimmers, who also run. So there was much to talk about. I did however manage to get 5 laps, maaaaybe 6 before I had to take off and start working.

Needless to say burning all those calories I needed to refuel before I would have time to get a typical morning snack in. I planned for this and had half my lara-apple-bar.

Once I got back to the office (as I had some out of office work to complete) I was ravenously hungry. I ate my apple so fast, I'm not even sure I saw it. Tupperware lid open, mouth open, apple gonzo! Two of my coworkers have recently asked me what I do to my apples to keep them from getting all brown (as I cut and pack my apple the night before). I haven't been doing anything special, and I've been more aware of this trying to figure out what my secret is. When I cut my apples, it's packing varies from Tupperware to glassware, and it's storage varies from refrigerated to left out on the counter top. Then coworker Kelly and I figured out it might be the type of apples I eat. I eat Royal Gala Apples, which I love because they are almost always firm and crunchy, unlike a soft McIntosh. Could this be the secret to not having uber brown apples?

Remember when I talked about my love for breakfast foods here? Well being in a mopey mood last night I had no grand inspiration for today's lunch. So I went with something comforting and oh-so loveable! Oatmeal! That's right, breakfast for lunch (I swear dinner isn't going to be breakfast food).

I packed my dry ingredients, and tossed some fresh fruit in another Tupperware.
Lunch Time Oats

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of quick oats
• 2/3 cup of water
• 1tbsp chia seeds
• 1tbsp dried goji berries
• 1/2tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4tbsp nutmeg
• 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup blackberries
• 1 banana
• 3 walnut halves

Directions

• See here for standard banana mash
• Add water
• Add all dry ingredients to your banana mash mix (oats, dried fruit, seeds & spices)
• Mix well with a fork to get that banana mash goodness all over
• Cook in the nuker for 2 mins
• Top with fresh fruit and nuts
• Using your fork, mash that fresh fruit to release it's juices into your oatmeal

Manga manga!Just for an update, I have already had 6, 8oz glasses of water today (by 1:00), and I am feeling much better today. Fingers crossed that it stays this way for the rest of the day.

Question: Do you ever do uber long workout sessions? Do you feel like you need to make up for missing one?

Answer: Me? Why did I workout so much today? Because I felt like I had to? No! Did I feel like I had to make up for missing yesterday? In a way, kind of. However I didn't do all that I did this morning because I felt like I had to. I did it because this was something I was looking forwards to. I had fun doing it and seeing if I could push myself and make it through it all. I never feel like I must workout. I do get the feeling of having to, but let me explain that more. Being that I work so much and have such a busy schedule because of work, the times that I am not working, I feel like I have to workout, because I know that I won't get the chance to later, so it's a now or not today. So I have to grab the opportunities that I have otherwise it would be way too easy for me to say, I work 2 regular jobs and 1 casual, I don't have time to workout. So If I want to,I have to!

Hormones - Sheesh!

Seriously. Hormones SUCK! I deeply apologize to my male readers - I know you're there ;-)

But seriously, the last 6 months or so, poor Kevin has been subjected to some pretty dramatic mood swings. I go from my normal happy go lucky positive outlook-self to overly clingy, to crying (I cried at a RADIO news report this morning about the poor family from Montreal that died when their house was swallowed up in a muddy sink hole the other day - see here -), to extreme bitchy. So last month I actually started marking these dramatic shifts in my agenda.

Well today after my workout, I started to feel really depressed that I didn't workout harder and longer. Rationally I know that after doing a 2 hour 1235calorie burning workout yesterday warrants a more relaxed less strenuous 1.15 min 350 calorie burning kind of day. I know my body needs to rest.

So I got to work and I marked it in my agenda. Then I looked back to last month. Hmm... Started to feel the same way last month on the 16th. 3.5wks ago. Hmm... Might be starting to see the starting of a pattern here. Time will tell. And if it does tell, I will be asking my OBGYN to change me to a new birth control pill to help regulate this.

Before the gym at the early hours of 5:10am, I made myself some scrambled eggs. Funny how I miss scrambled eggs in the morning. They just take so much more time I find than an GM or oatmeal.

• 3 Egg whites
• 1 whole large egg
• 4 grape tomatoes
• about 1/2 cup chopped spinach
• 1/4 cup UVAB

* the 3 egg whites are from the liquid, boxed, egg whites. On the box it says 1/4 cup is about 2 egg whites. Well I have a 1/8cup measuring cup, so I just used 3 of those to make up 3 egg whites.

At the gym, Kevin and I did a muscle moves class. It's all weights or rather strength training. Today we didn't use the free weights at all. We all did strength training using a floor mat, a stability ball and our own bodies. Lots of ab work, which what woman doesn't love to work her abs to get that 6-pack going?!

Once muscle moves finished I hit the pool. OMG my arms and shoulders are tired today after yesterdays double Jillian workout vids. I did a measly 6 laps of the pool, and they were brutal formed laps. lol.

After showering, while Kevin and I walked to our cars (yes we both drove. Only because he went home and I went right to work from the gym, which is a 10 min drive from home), I realized that I left my lunch at home. And being that today is Wednesday, that means I go from one job to the other, so lunch isn't just lunch, it's, am snack, lunch, pm snack and dinner.

Kevin being the amazing husband that he is, reassured me that he would go home, unpack our gym bags, grab my lunch and bring it to me at work. What a great guy.

However being that I was feeling down in the dumps this morning, I thought that I would treat myself to some Starbucks to try and boost my spirits. In my own tumbler (to save the enviro and .10cents) Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte & an oatbar.

Seriously I have never had any foods from Starbucks before other than their fruit parfaits. This thing is De-lish! I think there might have been some nut butter in it somewheres. Mmmm dangerously tasty.

Question: Do you find that you have a lot of mood swings? Have you ever tracked them from week to week or month to month?

Happy Friday

Well, we did it! We made it to the end of another work week. Sadly I wish mine ended today when I leave work at 3:30. It does not. However this weekend is my last workathon of shifts I picked up just incase I got laid off. This is what my weekend looks like:

Saturday--> 9am-3pm at job number 1, 3pm-11pm at job number 2.

Sunday --> 3pm-11pm at job number 2, then back to work Monday morning at 8:30am.

I wouldn't mind so so much if this wasn't Kevin's weekend off from work and next weekend when I'm off he is working. *grumbles*

So let me finish recapping yesterday before I start on this morning.

For my mid afternoon snack I had a sliced up gala apple with a 1/2 cup of non fat cottage cheese.

I got home not too long after my snack as I didn't snack until almost 3:15. When I got home I was starving. I however took my time in the kitchen cooking everything in plenty of time to have dinner ready for just after 5 (note the time on the kitchen clock).

I couldn't decide which picture and lighting I liked better, so I was vain and posted both today.

Salmon salad (yes I said I did some cooking for dinner tonight)

Cooked Salmon Salad

• 2cups romaine lettuce
• 3-4oz of skinless salmon
• 1/2cup broccoli
• 5 stalks of asparagus
• 1/4 cup cooked quinoa
• pinch of sesame seeds
• pinch of drilled dill
• 1/2tbsp soy ginger salad dressing
• Red pasta sauce

Directions

1. Take your salmon and place it on some tinfoil, would be skin side up. Broil on 500-550 for 3-4 minutes.
2. Flip your salmon and sprinkle with your pinch of dill and sesame seeds.
3. Broil for another 3-4 minutes.
4. When finished let it sit and cool.
5. Get your steamer ready and take your asparagus and steam for 3minutes
6. Replace the asparagus with the broccoli in the steamer for 2 minutes.
7. Chop up your asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces.
8. Let your veggies cool.
9. Cook your rinsed quinoa as per the directions on the box. I used 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup quinoa (to serve Kevin & myself).
10. When finished cooking add in 1-2 wooden spoonfuls of red pasta sauce. Stir.
11. Add all ingredients to your chopped romaine lettuce.

After dinner I went to another class of Hot Yoga. This was Janice's first class teaching Thursday nights. I know Janice from aerobics classes from my community centre gym. I don't know what to think of Janice's class as of yet. I might like it, though I can't tell. All I know is that it's not like Jana's classes, and I need to try a few more before I can decide if I like Janice's class or not.

Kevin and I were going to watch some PVR from last week as we have both been so busy, but our memory was full and stopped recording Saturday before last. Grrr. We don't even have a lot on our PVR. The frustrating part of this is that we don't have Lost, this or last week's Grey's, this weeks Office, HIMYM, House, Cougar Town, Modern Family or this weeks 90210 (my guilty pleasure). Without PVR I would never watch any of these shows. God I love PVR.

Kevin had agreed to come to Cardio Bosu with me this morning and swimming after class. I was pretty excited. Only because this involves getting out of bed at 5am, and Kevin is not an early morning person, AT ALL! lol

For breakfast I started off with something filling. I've recently been going overboard with add ins in my oatmeal, which are extra calories I don't end up burning off. So I've scaled back this morning. 2/3 banana, 2tbsp raisins, 1tbsp chia seeds, 1tbsp pumpkin seeds to 1/3 cup oatmeal. Just as good with all the extras I had been using in the previous weeks.

Cardio Bosu was a biatch this morning. It has been 2 classes that I've missed (Friday mornings). But to boot this was a new circuit routine. I've never had my hair stick to my forehead before because I was so sweaty my hair got that wet. Wow!

Kevin, well I'm not sure how he felt about class if he liked it or not. I will ask him later today when we meet up after work, when he's more rested and rejuvenated. Even at 8am when we left the gym he was groggy and indifferent when I asked him how he liked class.

I did say we went swimming. My right shoulder is sore today. Not rotator cuff shoulder, rather outer muscle shoulder, just above my bicep, sore. So I only swam for 10 minutes. Also Kevin doesn't have goggles so he wasn't swimming as best as he could. We'll have to get him some.

Here at work now, and eating my mid morning snack. Funny how early my mid morning snacks come when I eat breakfast at 5:15am.

• 175g of a mix of plain and vanilla liberte Greek yogurt
• 7 raspberries
• 3 large strawberries
• 1/3 cup All Bran Buds
  All together
  Just to show off my spoon and it's eyes. Amy from Amy's Quest to Skinny was also enjoying some vanilla flavoured Greek yogurt and strawberries yesterday.

Do you have any big plans this weekend?

Wednesday's Wishes

We all have wishes, hopes and dreams. I have a couple right now.

• I want the lay off drama to end at work - I'm over it but it's just irritating now.
• I want to go into work (both my full time and part time job) and quit on the spot.
• I want to be working for myself.
• I want to be working out more and enjoying what I love to do.

*sigh* One day. . . . One day. . . . And I am working on putting these dreams (well I can't control #1) into motion.

Yesterday the second half of my day was spend eating on the go. At 3:30 while driving to work to a convention centre two towns over, I munched on some veggies. Red and yellow pepper, baby carrots and celery.

I was a vendor at a local Chamber of Commerce Showcase event for my full time job with Big Brothers Big Sisters. I didn't know how it was going to and what the food situation would be like. Which is why I mowed down on the veggies in the car.

Sadly also I had to buy my dinner at the grocery store in a rush, because we had nothing I could throw together quick enough.

So with only having 1 glass of water and 1 salmon roll, 3 .5 hours later at 7:30, I was back in my car to munch on some dinner while driving home. Nothing very imaginative after my sushi dinner Monday night. Some Californian rolls. They were not very fresh but whatever, they were easy to eat while driving.

As tired as I was and just wanted to go home, we, I desperately needed to get some fresh produce (groceries).

An hour later, I got home and unpacked everything. I also had a bowl of grape nuts. I don't know why I ate those. I know how I feel if I eat cereal late at night. NOT GOOD is how it makes me feel.

I had also bought some new ingredients to make my own healthier less ingredients needed red wine raspberry vinaigrette. Version 1.0 No exact measurements, but 2 parts EVOO, 1 part red wine vinegar, splash of agave nectar and 1/2 pint of raspberries. Throw the raspberries in a food processor first before adding them to the dressing.

This morning I was wanting to go to muscle moves and go hit the pool again. Sadly when I woke up I was defeated. I was going to Hot Yoga tonight and hadn't packed those gym clothes. I went back to bed.

When I did get up, I made myself a green monster.

• 2 cups spinach
• 1 tbsp cashew butter
• 4 large strawberries
• 1 small yellow mango - can't remember the name right now.
• 1 tsp ground flax
• 1 cup almond milk

I was bad too and had a small bowl of sugar crisps. I needed the sugar. My body was clearly craving it (TOM), because mentally I didn't want it. I didn't want to the crash from the sugar that was going to come later. I didn't want the bloated feeling I knew was coming. I know it serves no nutritional value. WHY AM I EATING THIS? To make up for the cereal, I opted to not have a mid morning snack. Turns out I didn't need it either I didn't get hungry.

When lunch time rolled around at noon, however I clearly was hungry. I made a bee line for the fridge and dug out my lunch.

This salad I was excited to try. I had seen a picture somewhere similar and made it my own.

• 1 cup of English cucumber
• 2/3 med size tomato
• 1 yellow pepper
• several thin slices of red onion
• Light feta cheese

Topped with my own balsamic Very low calorie lunch. So delish! I can't wait to have it again and being that I have another whole cucumber at home, that time might come sooner than later.

What wishes do you have for your life? Are you taking the steps needed to realize those wishes? Have you already made your wish, and had it come true?

Friendly skies

Wow! What a difference a bright blue sky makes in the morning when it comes to dragging your butt out of bed at 5am. As we remember yesterday I failed to get up at 5am to make it to the gym for swimming at 6:30. I blamed it on the overcast looking sky. Well as per this mornings results, I do believe that was the true cause ;)

This morning the sky was so bright looking (yes it is looking bright at 5am here now). It looked like it was such nice weather out, how could I stay in bed and not get out to enjoy the day.

More on that later.

Last night I met up with one of my bestest friends Amanda. Amanda and I live a good hour and a half apart (she in Mississauga and I in Bowmanville). But we make efforts to get together as often as possible. Even for dinners after work.

Amanda was great and found this sushi place just off the 401 at Avenue road called Nara Sushi. It is a pretty good half way meeting point for us both, that way one isn't driving further than the other.

Being that it was 7 before we got together we were pretty hungry, though I just didn't know it yet.

We decided to order together and share. Mmmmm so much goodness!
California rolls, spicy crab rolls, and salmon skin rolls. Sashimi and some sushi to boot!

I really love the smiling fish boat it came out on.

Amanda and I spend almost 2 hours at dinner, eating and catching up. With the amount of work that I have been working lately (just in case I had been laid off) and with Amanda's school schedule (finishing up her MBA - 601 class), we had a lot to catch each other up on.

We parted ways and decided we would find more random places to try that are half way for us both every few weeks until our schedules slow down.

So as I said I got up this morning for a bike ride to the swimming pool. I live a 5 minute bike ride to the local pool. But I wasn't going to ride there. PEOPLE I'M TRAINING FOR A TRY-A-TRI! I was going to ride my bike 8k to Newcastle to use the pool there.

I knew that I was in for a good hour and a half and a lot of burning of calories. So no working out on an empty stomach. I needed something that was going to give me energy, but not be too heavy in my stomach. The last apple Larabar. I don't know why until this morning I didn't fully appreciate the yumminess of this flavour. I kept trying all these other 'exotic' flavours, and didn't like them one bit. But this was just what I needed. While eating I turned on CP24 to catch up on some news, weather and all is going on in the world.

WHOAH! Cam Wolley says that it feels like it's in the minus out this morning! ACK! Good thing I turned on the news.

I grabbed my winter tuque, my mini mitts and fluffed the hood of my sweater around my neck like a scarf to go out on my bike.

Oh boy! It sure was crisp out at 6am this morning. But so calm, peaceful and relaxing. The sun was slowly coming up. This made the ride that much more enjoyable. And I was surprised that the ride wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be (lots of long gradual inclines). I'm kinda proud of myself.

During the 31 minutes I spent in the pool, I went between elation at how quick I went to frustration at my stroke technique. Sadly I felt more the later the majority of the swim. 2 weeks away from the pool clearly effected me. I am def gonna ramp up my swimming because with out the technique I'm not gonna do well in an open body of water with 50+ other swimmers.

I tried to go through my changing quickly to simulate T1 of the Tri. Took me about 8-9 minutes, but I also had to pack up my backpack too, which I won't be doing at the Tri.

The ride home I think was much windier, and really the time difference shows it. It took me 20 minutes to ride to the pool and 23 to ride home. If the wind wasn't blowing at me from my right side, it shifted to blow at me from head on. The best part of the ride home has got to be passing Algoma Orchards. All I could smell was apple pies being baked. The apple cinnamony goodness!

Back home jumped in the shower to wash all the chemicals off me and lotion up so that my skin doesn't dry out. Then true breakfast time.

Here I needed something that was going to sit in my stomach and keep me full until lunch time. Nothing keeps you full like some oatmeal. But not just any kind of oatmeal.

OIAJ!!

Almond butter this time instead of the cashew butter that I had last round.

About 2 tbsp left, perfect amount!

1/3 cup of quick oats.

* Not pictured *

• 1/8 cup of egg whites (1egg white)
• 2/3 cup of water
• 1tbsp chia seeds

Take 1 banana and break it into several pieces. Then I toss it in the microwave to make it easier to mash up. Add some cinnamon and nutmeg (inspiration from the apple pie aroma from earlier) & mash! Toss the banana mixture into the jar and heat for 1.5 mins. Then I mix it up, making sure to get all that nut buttery goodness from the bottom of the jar. Heat for another 30 seconds. Voila! I topped today's OIAJ with some pumpkin seeds for some crunch and some dried blueberries. Mix together and enjoy.All gone! I love OIAJ. They are quite possibly my favourite new food I discovered through following blogs. Do you eat OIAJ? What is your favourite flavour combinations?

I could get used to this

I tell ya! I could get use to this sleeping in until 6:45 business instead of 5am. I wake up feeling so rest ful. To tell you the truth I wake up a good 30 mins before my alarm goes off and I could get up then, but I know this is my week to rest and take care of myself so I just roll back over and enjoy the Zeds (lol Canadian).

I do feel bad slightly today. I have made a gym friend Paula, who comes to the Wednesday 6am muscle moves, and then after we both hit the pool to swim a few laps. I know though I will see her next week stronger and better than today.

Did you know: It takes 6 weeks for your muscles to lose their 'memory'. So by taking a week off, I should be able to return next week and not feel sore, like I might if I took 2 months off from the gym.

I heart apples!

This morning I cooked myself some breakfast. That's right, I'm taking full advantage of this extra time in the morning and no rushing.
Cut myself 1/2 a Royal Gala Apple, and added it to my Tomato Spinach omlette.

• 3 egg whites
• 1 whole egg
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1/2 Kumata tomato
• about 1oz mozzarella cheese

At work I went straight to my placement students evaluations. Where I work we have a total of 14 placement students from the Criminology Dept from the local University. I supervise 6 of those placement studenst. Their semester is coming to a close soon. I have to have their evaluations in by Friday. Ack! They are all rock stars and I am just taking my time to write up the best evaluation I can for them (though I am taking this break here to blog, just so I can go back refocused).

For my morning snack, I used up the second half of my apple.

• 1 tbsp Rasins
• 2 tbsp slivered almonds
• 3 tbsp Natures Path Flax Cereal

• 4 tbsp Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal

Topped with 1/8 to 1/4 cup Liberte Coconut Yogurt.

What is your favourite kind of Apple?

That wasa fail!

Well first off I just want to say that I have found out where I got my 5 Minute No Bake Granola Bars, here. I am working on sourcing my recipes more and more. What I was doing was just copying and pasting them into a word document and printing them off to put in my recipe book. But now I try and make sure that I throw a link at the bottom of the recipe so that I can remember where I got it from. Give credit where credit is due.

Sadly for breakfast I couldn`t find the exact link to the recipe I got this from, but it sure was tasty. Very very filling, more filling than just a regular bowl of oatmeal.

1/3 cup oats, 1/2mashed banana, 1tbsp almond butter, .7cup of almond milk, 1tbsp rough ground cashew, sprinkling of coconut. Yummo!

I was pretty tired half way through my Cario Bosu class today. Allison had us doing circuits again. I love doing these, but today was the start of new routines. It was challenging for sure. Especially after all of yesterdays hard working out. But I pushed through and even after went and swam for 22 mins in the pool.

At work, I took about an hour to snack on my morning snack.

Honey dates, almonds, cashew & walnuts. Yes there is 1 hazelnut in there but I just wasn`t feeling it this morning, so I didn`t eat it.

This morning I just don`t feel quite myself. I feel tired, so tired that if I blinked a little too long I could very easily just fall asleep. My appetite is also a little wonky today. I just couldn`t wait until lunch time I was marvin`. So I went and grabbed my wasa that I had packed.

FAIL!

Looks good eh! Pumpkin with pumpkin pie spice on wasa light crackers. I have prepacked wasa before with cream cheese and huumus before, and I know that it gets soft. Wasa is normally a very crunchy brittle crack normally.
Hmm not looking to brittle now is it! Whatever like I said I`ve eaten soft wasa before. I took a bit. The pumpkin was divine. The wasa on the other hand, inedible! I have been trying to figure out how to best describe it to you. Chewy, but not in any good kind of way. Chewy in the kind of way that its like chewing on soggy cardboard, it`s just not breaking down.

I wasn`t eating the rest. What a sad waste.
It felt like a soft pillow. LOL
So I needed something to eat. I still had yesterdays granola parfait from Starbucks in the fridge. I went and grabbed that. Now with this I knew what to expect from my granola, having been in the yogurt all night.

So hit the spot!

For lunch I couldn`t wait. But I was a good girl and did. Actually got caught up doing something and didn`t eat until 12:20. I knew that my lunch was going to fill me up and keep me feeling full all afternoon.

Vegan Lentil Soup. So good. perfect replacement for the tea I`ve been having to keep me warm through this week long April Shower.