Who's got a case of the Mundays?

I have a bad case of the Mundays (Office Space). I will fill you in on why later, when I have more information to share.

This morning I did day 2 of my 30 Day Shred with Jilliam Michaels. It's the same workout routine for 10 days at level 1 then move on to level 2. So I knew what I was getting into at 6:15am.

I grabbed my 3lbs weights and headed to the basement to workout with Jillian (we are going to be best buds I might as well just refer to her no as Jillian).

After yesterday the shoulder presses with 5lb weights is just too much for me right now. I will have to build up to it.

Over all it was a great workout. Nothing like burning 310 calories in 27 minutes before starting your day.

After the work out I decided rather than shower right away, I wanted to eat my breakfast. Kind of gross I know.
Oatmeal

• 1/3 cup quick oats
• 1/2 mashed banana
• 1.5 tbsp dried blueberries
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1tbsp chia seeds

Check out another one of my new bowls I got Friday. Too cute.

So let's rewind to yesterday, because I wasn't able to blog at my work because of my leaving my usb cord at my full time job.

So Friday morning after breakfast, Kevin and I went and did a run and then I did my Day 1 with Jillian. This is what I looked like after all that working out. I don't know that I've ever felt or been this sweaty before.

After taking a nice long shower and getting cleaned up for the day, it as 1pm, definitely time for some lunch. I made myself a wrap with, hummus, tomato, asparagus, avocado, and some smoked tofu.With a some sides. Baby carrots and some orange pepper. Instead of jamming it into my wrap this time I just ate them on the side. I also had a grapefruit.

Come 2:20, it was time for me to leave the house and head into work for my last marathon work shift (on the weekends that is).

Working 3-11.

For my mid afternoon snack I had some yogurt and granola.

I quite enjoyed this one better than the chocolate. It fits more with what I would throw together for a homemade yogurt and granola combination.
Wow, and I knew this when I packed my dinner, but Sunday is exactly almost the same as what I had Saturday just switched lunch and dinner between themselves. lol I guess I don't have room to be creative when I work 22 of 48 hours. Strawberry, raspberry nut salad, topped with homemade raspberry red wine vinaigrette.

It was a pretty quiet shift at the group home Sunday. There was only 1 kid in the house and she for whatever reason wasn't in the mood to talk with me, and just talked with the other staff.

She didn't however mind watching any of the movies I brought in to watch. We watched Monster In-Law.

While watching the movie I grabbed the apple I had packed with me and a banana from the group home kitchen. Proud of myself for turning down blueberry muffins and frozen yogurt.
I hope everyone else is having a decent start to the day. Though it is raining here today, the air is warm and the sky is supposed to clear for a bit in the afternoon before it starts to rain again.

Feeling Great

Well there is so much to write about this morning! Layoffs, workout videos, a fabulous morning workout with the husband and some pretty amazing food! p.s. sorry in advance for the long post today.

Let's start with the layoffs. Remember when I was all uber stressed out that I might lose my job? Well, the drama continues. It has not gone away by a long shot. If anything, it has gotten worse at work. Bumping is still happening all throughout the agency. Rumours as to people being bumped are being spread a week before those people have been given their notice. And these rumours people have all turned out to be true so far. Monday 2 of our 3 full time workers were given their notice and their options (accept layoff and take Employment Insurance or bump someone with less seniority). They opted to bump. Well the union president told them both, individually of course, that they might not even be able to bump down from their full time position into a part time one (our part time list is 16 people with 5 casuals). They were told that there is 16-20 people bumping all throughout the agency and ultimately our department is the bottom of the barrel so those other people might take the positions our full timers are looking to bump down to.

So what does this all mean for me? Well if this is all true and this is how it plays out. I am part time, part of the 16 part time staff. That would mean if the full timers who are 1 and 3 above me in seniority can't get a part time spot, logically that would mean I'd lose my spot as a part timer.

How am I dealing? Well I am far beyond worried stressed anymore. I am annoyed stressed. This whole process has been going on already from start (where they announced they would be making cuts) to now, has been 3.5 months. And the layoff/bumping is still going on, and could be until May 18th.

Ugh whatever, I'm so over it, I wish I could just be told one way or another right here and now what my fate is going to be. I'm sick and tired of them stinging us along and it taking over my life.

Breath!

Yesterday's mid afternoon snack I shovelled into my mouth so fast I don't even remember what it tasted like. I thought I had a meeting right at 4pm, leaving me with mear minutes to eat. Turns out I didn't have a meeting until 4:30. Well at least I could relax as I digested a little. lol

1 serving of Liberte Greek plane yogurt, 1/3cup of all bran buds and 1 tbsp crasins.

I was anxious to have dinner. A repeat salad from the other day, which apparently I didn't share with you, so here it is today! This is where I used me homemade red wine raspberry vinaigrette I walked about here.

• 2-3 cups baby spinach
• 4 large (honkin') strawberries (1/8thed)
• 6-12 raspberries
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1/8 avocado
• 1 tbsp of cashews, slivered almonds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, Pumpkin & sunflower seed
• 5 halves walnuts

I truly love fruits and nuts in my salads.

I also ate a grapefruit after my salad. I sneaked out of work 10 minutes early as I wanted to check out WalMart for . . . . . Some Jillian Michaels. I've been hearing a lot about her 30 day shred, so I did some research and messaged some people who had or are doing it. I was sold based on their feedback. But after 2 WalMarts and no luck, I headed to Future Shop. There I found 1 30 day shred.

Now I was looking for two. One for me and one for my girlfriend MJ. No luck finding the second, but I did find this,

[Source]

I thought well I could 'share' and by share I don't mean take turns with the DVD ;-) the two between us. And for 9.99$ each, you can't go wrong. [Source]

So MJ is going to start her shred Saturday May 1st. I work from 9am-11pm so I haven't decided when I will start mine. Maybe May 2nd-May 31 (that's 30 days). Yup seeing it now written down, that is what I will do. :-D

I ran out of Future Shop as I had a hot date at 8:30. None other than my favourite Hot Yoga! It was an advanced class. This is my second advance class, and I'm loving it. I love trying all the balanced postures (extended side arm balance, eagle pose, peacock, crow and headstands). Luuurve it!

This morning came so early. Even earlier for Kevin (as he didn't get home and to bed until 1:45am). I was so so so happy that Kevin agreed to get up with me for a early morning workout.

For breakfast I started again with my new favourite Apple Larabar. Honestly its perfect for me first thing in the morning before a workout.

After mowing down on this, it was out to get on the bikes. Not before stopping to use some masking tape on our right pant legs (neither of us have chain guards and it was only 6 degrees Celsius out). Sadly I didn't think to take a picture of this.

Off we were for a 13k bike ride followed by a short 2k run. My energy was running low and so was time before work otherwise I would have pushed through for more K's. Back at home Kevin and I did some weights working our arms and then did some ab work.

Then as I promised Kevin, I would show him the advance postures I've been working on in Hot Yoga. He was impressed with my progress (I can't always get the poses or hold them too long but keep practising).

I grabbed a quick shower and though I was going to have a mushroom egg white scramble, I was short on time. So I made something I could take with me in the car to work for a mid morning snack.

• 2 tsp ground flax
• 2 heaping handfuls of baby spinach
• .66 of my banana from yesterday
• 1/2 pint of blueberries
• 1/4 pint raspberries
• 1 cup Almond milk
• 1 beet

It was delish and hit the spot around 10am this morning.

Question: What is your favourite Yoga pose? Have you ever tried a pose you didn't think you could do, but gave it a try anyways?

For me that was the first time 4 weeks ago when I first tried a headsatand. It felt great just getting into the pod.

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?