Cool Runnings

So, yesterday, I got up early and took a relaxing morning stroll around my little haven of Brooklyn. Mmmm... the romantic fall chill, the warm cup of Earl Grey in my hand, the sounds of Fleetwood Mac  flowing out of my ear buds. I was perfectly content. My easy morning strut was rudely interrupted by a flash of highlighter yellow shorts and heavy breathing barrelling around the corner and ramming into yours truly. Nothing says "Good Morning" like looking up at someone from the flat of your now sore keister. And what do I get for my troubles? The guy shouts a "My bad!" as he jogs backwards into the morning fog. *Sigh* I blame the New York Marathon.

I've seen more runners around my neighborhood in the last two days than I've seen in the last 2 months. Honestly, I can't blame them. Who wouldn't be motivated by the amazing site that was the NYC Marathon on Sunday. I don't think I was prepared for all of the overwhelming emotions that rushed over me while I watched those magnificent gladiators fulfill a dream. 

It's just a bunch of people running, right? Not to me. To me, those people represented possibility. 

I've never been a runner. In gym class, I considered it a personal torture to complete the mile run requirement. While others completed the task in no time and spent the rest of the class chilling on the bleachers and gossiping, I stubbornly took the entire period to finish the four laps around the track. I'm pretty sure I feigned the plague on several of those "Fitness Test" days. Can't we just play dodge ball and forget this whole mile run business? 

Now, I've began to look at joggers with a kind of curious fascination. Once you get past the sweat soaked clothing and huffy breathing, they look so relaxed and patient and... healthy. A while back, I attempted to start my relationship with jogging but, ended up kicking it to the curb for other more glamorous forms of exercise like kickboxing and zumba. Watching and cheering on the runners changed that for me. Somewhere in the middle of all the "Whoooo!" and shouting "You rock" and singing along to the Tom Petty songs playing out of a sidewalk stereo, I began to believe that maybe, just maybe I could add a Marathon to my bucket list. I know right! The girl who would have flung poo at the idea of completing a mile wants to tackle 26.2 of them. Nuts! I mean, anything can be done with time and dedication right? So, I am going to start slow. Work my way back up. For now, my mountain is a simple mile. I have to get through that without crying and cursing the world. Then, after I do that, I have to keep going. This will be the hard part, sticking with it. 

Weight loss, oh weight loss. You are a sadistic bitch, rivaling even the most ruthless Betty Davis character. My weight has been going through a long (seemingly endless) period of uncertainly. Like the piedmont, my scale shows a gently rolling hill of numbers. Up, down. Slightly up. Plateau... down. Back up. It's been interesting. But, that scale is getting a little bit closer to 200. That makes me happy. It makes it all worth it. When I finally hit below that 200 mark, look out because I am jumping on the nearest person. Annnnd I want to be carried. Carried like a princess, haha. I'm getting there. I'll be there soon. I haven't seen the 100's since I was in middle school. I still have a long way to go but, my car is chuggin' down that road. Even if I happen to have a flat tire at the moment. 

I've been fooling around with a few recipes lately and decided to share one with you guys. It was so simple and makes my morning a lot easier. I'm not sure about you guys but, I don't really like to take a lot of time to fix breakfast on weekday mornings. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you.....

Egg White Bites

So good, they make you wanna say...............     

Ingredients needed: 

Carton of egg whites

Mini-muffin or muffin tin

Olive oil cooking spray

Your favorite vegetables 

Your favorite spices 

(MIA: Carton of egg whites. Looks like a milk carton but, filled with egg whites. Boom.)

1). Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Spray each muffin tin with olive oil cooking spray so it lightly coats the bottom

2). Add your favorite diced vegetables!

3). Fill each muffin tin with egg whites. 

4). Lastly, sprinkle the tops with some ground black pepper (or any spices that make you seriously excited) for a little flavor. 

5). Toss them in the oven! 

The mini muffin tins took about 10 minutes. If you are using regular sized muffin tins, let them cook for about 20 minutes. Once they are cooled, enjoy! Add extra toppings like salsa or avacado for maximum BAMFness.

 

And that's it. You can refrigerate what's left over. They last for a couple of days. You have a yummy breakfast in the morning that you can heat up and go. Add a bowl of fruit or yogurt to the meal and BAM! You're basically eating like a king :). Plus, when you are done, you can take an unnecessary selfie of you enjoying your creation!

Alright guys! Hope you enjoy. If you try out the egg white bites, let me know what you think!! Until next time......

Love Always, 

   The girl who completed a mile around the track today :) 

Don't Feed The Bears

There's nothing more terrifying than a hungry obese chick longing for a chocolate cake. When approaching this creature, proceed with caution and avoid eye contact if possible. Your life is a stake... because all she wants is a steak, with mashed potatoes and creamy gravy and a couple of buttered biscuits with a glass of wine and apple pie for desert. Mmmmm... *sigh*... (Insert angry scream here).

Seriously.... It's been a really bad day for the food addict. I've confined myself to my apartment for the day, because when I woke up this morning, I felt.. weak. I felt that if I were to go out today, I would not be able to refuse unhealthy options. When I declared this war on my weight, I knew that it would be hard but... man, it's really getting difficult. In the beginning, I was riding on a wave of motivation and thoughts of me, one day, in a two piece or flirting with a foxy guy while wearing a sexy dress and heels or bending over to pick up something from the floor without holding my breath. When the holidays came around, I allowed myself to indulge in sweets and eggnog and alcohol  and it was ok... because I still felt in control. Now, its a new year and I'm back in NYC and instead of getting a boost from the promise of a new start, I've entered the "withdrawal" phase of my weight loss. Welcome to The Suck.

I wanted my first post of 2012 to be uplifting and enlightening. I wanted to discuss simple things like... my thoughts on the movie "Young Adult" or the fashions of this year's Golden Globes (Emma Stone... your dress was 'Bout it... yes, I went there). But, I've decided to share with you the truth: Weight loss is STUPID! 

Ok, ok... it's not always that bad. It just feels that bad at the moment. When studying the effects of drug withdrawal in my high school health class, I never thought that the bullet points beside the picture of the the person sweating, shaking and crying in a corner would apply to me. But, here I am, feeling like I'm about to cry every time I see commercial for Applebee's on hulu. If I were in a movie, I'm sure me pressing my nose against the window at Crumbs bakery would be funny... right now, it's simply frustrating. I've gone all my life pretty much eating what ever I wanted. Now, this abrupt stop to eating habits of mine has kinda made me a bit loony over the last couple of days. I've been told by alot of people, "this is the hard part"... "this is the part you have to fight through"... "after that, things are easier". I know that they are right and I know that I can win the war... I just have to conquer this battle. I never knew how much I depended on certain foods until this moment. It's kind of shocking really. 

My workout routines have also hit a bit of a snag. At the beginning of January, I decided that by the summer , I would run a 5k. That might not seem like much to some, but to me... it would be an extraordinary accomplishment. Training myself to run has been hard. I've been getting tired so easily and struggling with keeping a good pace. I know its just the beginning, but, it's just a kick in the face to get so winded after only jogging a minute.

And, to be honest, I haven't really be helping the situation. My thoughts have starting following my urges. Instead of lifting myself up, I've been kinda down on myself lately. Which is why I wanted to write this blog. Its therapeutic to share how hard this is. This is the point where I usually quit. I've told you, I have tried to loose weight and get healthy several times. When I hit this point I would tell myself, "Oh, go ahead and order a pizza... you can start back tomorrow" or  "Don't go workout today.. you can go tomorrow". I would just get stuck. Well, I promise that this time is different. I'm not going to fall back into my old ways. Even though things at the moment seem as if I won't get past it... I know that I can. I also know that I wouldn't actually give my left boob for a platter of Chick-Fil-A nuggets.. so, I should probably stop saying that :). 

"Loving you, is easy cause you're beautiful...."

This blog is gonna be kinda short, I just wanted to let everyone in on my "misery" at the moment, haha. I also wanted to say thank you to my friends and family who continue to motivate me during this journey. You guys are my fuel. I can do this... I can do this... I can do this.... I'm just waiting on my body and mind to catch up with my heart. Until next time folks....

3 Blogs That Really Motivate Me...

1). Runs For Cookies

                This 29 year old went on a mission to lose over 100 pounds. 16 months later she was 125 pounds lighter.

   http://www.runsforcookies.com/

2). A New Beginning: My Journey To Avoid The Knife
           I love this blog. She lost over 100 pounds and is currently documenting her journey to tone and avoid a tummy tuck. She give great pointers and revelations.

3). My fitspiration 
          Olivia, season 11 Biggest Loser and Hannah, runner up are wonderful. They started out near my size and I was able to watch the through the process. 

Olivia

Hannah

Love Always, 

    The girl who will be 80-100lbs less in a year.