tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73284673189605340142024-02-19T20:45:33.348-05:00Balance 'N' BeansChronicling my efforts to achieve a balanced, healthy lifestyle.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-62412441124227209302014-10-27T21:38:00.001-04:002014-10-27T21:39:32.120-04:00Most Productive Monday Ever!Usually after work, I collapse and do very little with my evening. But tonight has been insanely productive! I washed a ton of dishes (there are still some in the sink, but we can discuss my housekeeping habits another time), went to a bootcamp class, and got a few groceries. Now I am simultaneously doing several loads of laundry AND writing a blog post! That's five different things! At least four more than usual.<br />
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Last week, I participated in a Clean Eating Challenge run by the lovely <a href="http://www.dancingthroughlifeblog.com/">Ashley</a> through Facebook. I have to confess, I did not follow her guidelines completely, but I did manage to make some delicious food:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FOGAYFWmUT2l8wQ01MykhK4EU80g5UfdmfMz0gWKpCo9X4FevhDKduQxQI22DPhjANAxptSPEYvtEpiKS0kvT6RspuQ6sBIeLIu68AG6kzABo2TExU0SsPEFnZhadh2LggIqj1XpBSSu/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FOGAYFWmUT2l8wQ01MykhK4EU80g5UfdmfMz0gWKpCo9X4FevhDKduQxQI22DPhjANAxptSPEYvtEpiKS0kvT6RspuQ6sBIeLIu68AG6kzABo2TExU0SsPEFnZhadh2LggIqj1XpBSSu/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double green smoothie jars at work!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/05/ridiculously-easy-lentil-soup.html">Delicious lentil soup</a>. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUG29GT8qZXv4sCqxwHuzh4VRskmdYWL8JaC_s_bHw6qGvQgUtoWUP50BF0XYHSg_txtGTaolneO4BVAI29mKY1xYel8zuiN5Ok5s8LNrqGXkZdlMujhaHEFOlMpvAbBQxFpzviAYO3Mg/s1600/IMG_0498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUG29GT8qZXv4sCqxwHuzh4VRskmdYWL8JaC_s_bHw6qGvQgUtoWUP50BF0XYHSg_txtGTaolneO4BVAI29mKY1xYel8zuiN5Ok5s8LNrqGXkZdlMujhaHEFOlMpvAbBQxFpzviAYO3Mg/s1600/IMG_0498.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These "turtle"-like treats were AMAZING and very simple to make. <a href="http://www.meghantelpner.com/blog/chocolate-turtle-recipe-back-school-musings/">Recipe</a> from Meghan Telpner.</td></tr>
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Today I was talking to my friend Ben at work and found out that he sometimes goes running early in the morning. One thing led to another and... he's picking me up at 6 am on Wednesday for a run. <i>6 am</i>. In the morning. What have I gotten myself into?!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-57190719354557916632014-10-17T17:16:00.001-04:002014-10-17T17:16:34.534-04:00Update-a-roonieHi to all those out in Blogland!<br />
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I really can't believe it's been more than two months since my last post. I have lots of updates for you!<br />
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In August, I traveled with my friend <a href="http://boilingwaterandothercookingadventures.blogspot.ca/">Michelle</a> to Nashville and Memphis. Then I took an overnight Amtrak train from Memphis to Chicago, where I stayed by myself for a weekend. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_0hytLb0FdNdbvavw4sgIQw0Y22Sv-NA3P7xBDw1WDoTGgQsNF_bJ7y9KrHGPE8D-nPSS9mQLGcgtEd6XkPkDv6hXYDuBK2_izmOZnlAI6_eykO0otiOa1GhMVaw7LpQxEX2GaRv22eB/s1600/DSC04063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_0hytLb0FdNdbvavw4sgIQw0Y22Sv-NA3P7xBDw1WDoTGgQsNF_bJ7y9KrHGPE8D-nPSS9mQLGcgtEd6XkPkDv6hXYDuBK2_izmOZnlAI6_eykO0otiOa1GhMVaw7LpQxEX2GaRv22eB/s1600/DSC04063.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't I look like I can sing?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0IIq6cqFP2YTVpXfVdveuZodmAOrtGCnci6AbXz8NVki2rhbdOPhguWFktlriAUS9Fx3iYH-5nEKZIkxsk20M9Vi2Pw-binCFwc4RB7z6l6bSdjDyX4EldxWk_4DRuocuE3Q4F4ZiKQT/s1600/IMG_0762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0IIq6cqFP2YTVpXfVdveuZodmAOrtGCnci6AbXz8NVki2rhbdOPhguWFktlriAUS9Fx3iYH-5nEKZIkxsk20M9Vi2Pw-binCFwc4RB7z6l6bSdjDyX4EldxWk_4DRuocuE3Q4F4ZiKQT/s1600/IMG_0762.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hunter Hayes was the headliner when I went to the Grand Ole Opry... I must confess, I had never heard of him before, but he certainly had lots of screaming teenage fans.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruBIQK-u97Dkmhq0iDvXZ9PZThmhK5Hchy8Ml8JTDTaYPVs7Noggq_TBxLgF2Ma4oq6pl6Amp7H-OVawV4QcvcQW-wtOaHaGBqXJy8MtHl9svYd0DWHs_Y5gIbHiNBgs1VmD8DuEPuYAE/s1600/DSC04565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruBIQK-u97Dkmhq0iDvXZ9PZThmhK5Hchy8Ml8JTDTaYPVs7Noggq_TBxLgF2Ma4oq6pl6Amp7H-OVawV4QcvcQW-wtOaHaGBqXJy8MtHl9svYd0DWHs_Y5gIbHiNBgs1VmD8DuEPuYAE/s1600/DSC04565.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made a new friend. P.S. Do you like my Graceland outfit?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1NAJAX2IKptEcw0xrxahPw-H9Ij8Jf8EaInn4JbEWs6KTku0HOgKUi_NQCZjDuTItXsBCSKXJh_dYO10fVloZMBOQFfXihWY1T_j3HIu67ZIRyxy2IoJ3CJ0MsbGfGIUD5BTbFtj0WUs/s1600/DSC04847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1NAJAX2IKptEcw0xrxahPw-H9Ij8Jf8EaInn4JbEWs6KTku0HOgKUi_NQCZjDuTItXsBCSKXJh_dYO10fVloZMBOQFfXihWY1T_j3HIu67ZIRyxy2IoJ3CJ0MsbGfGIUD5BTbFtj0WUs/s1600/DSC04847.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took a Chicago Pizza Tour and it was the best decision of my life. That's whipped ricotta cheese!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNueswNtvwEoFPr96LvKF1L3GF-Wdr9fgoZBqmjZOJYcw9UVEb0m8USzx-_L-klnT949goFprYFe1jhcMY6hABiGWGOyJncGaRWztS_Sdw-1mMgGqZPI6h8XzQ1l0nl34Vy30yDigFcKk/s1600/DSC04859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNueswNtvwEoFPr96LvKF1L3GF-Wdr9fgoZBqmjZOJYcw9UVEb0m8USzx-_L-klnT949goFprYFe1jhcMY6hABiGWGOyJncGaRWztS_Sdw-1mMgGqZPI6h8XzQ1l0nl34Vy30yDigFcKk/s1600/DSC04859.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you tell that I'm wearing the same outfit I wore the previous day in Memphis and all night on the train?</td></tr>
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Needless to say, it was an amazing trip!<br />
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Soon after I was back in Canada, I had booked my road test to get my G2 driver's licence (I tried once before in July... let's just say that at that time I was "not up to ministry standards"). But I'm proud to say I'm now an almost-fully licensed driver (I have one more road test to complete under Ontario's graduated licensing system)! It was a great way to end the Summer of Katie. I feel like such an adult now. (Sometimes.)<br />
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I know that you're all waiting with bated breath to hear how my healthy eating and exercise is going. At the beginning of September, the personal trainer I'd been seeing all summer moved away. Since I really can't afford to keep seeing one anyway, I decided to sign up for a weekly bootcamp class at the same gym. So far, I've really been enjoying the class, but definitely have NOT been keeping up with exercising on my own. I'm still trying to get back into the habit of exercising regularly...<br />
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As for healthy eating, the lovely <a href="http://www.dancingthroughlifeblog.com/">Ashley</a> is hosting a clean eating challenge through Facebook next week. I quickly signed up, and I'll be sure to tell you all about it. For the past few weeks, my eating has been a bit all over the map. Mostly bad. But, I'm still feeling good and motivated. I'll get there. :)<br />
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In other news, it's my 29th birthday tomorrow! I'm planning on meeting one friend for lunch, then having dinner with a couple of other friends. I was also surprised with a birthday cake after Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's on Sunday.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Mo8mcjyfw8MXV_Tr2WZqLdKPWkmk5XCFXcIfBZz6Zmo1oqkaa7FDQDFDivyTqJ3WlkSNVexPK0xEByW4owuhuMrru5XRHeuDO96BbeQvYbrSDGxRrpirrQrShtvUvESGty-7y1VHnOa1/s1600/IMG_0433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Mo8mcjyfw8MXV_Tr2WZqLdKPWkmk5XCFXcIfBZz6Zmo1oqkaa7FDQDFDivyTqJ3WlkSNVexPK0xEByW4owuhuMrru5XRHeuDO96BbeQvYbrSDGxRrpirrQrShtvUvESGty-7y1VHnOa1/s1600/IMG_0433.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, it is an ice cream cake! Yes, that is pumpkin pie beside it, which I also ate!</td></tr>
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On that note, I will end this post. I have a wild Friday night of knitting ahead of me...Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-54330325281094298072014-08-05T15:30:00.003-04:002014-08-05T15:35:01.307-04:00Six Weeks of Tracking: Wrap UpSunday marked the end of my <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2014/06/reuniting-with-old-friend.html">six weeks of tracking</a>. So, how did I do?<br />
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The green swirls indicate that I tracked, so you can see I kind of ran out of steam near the end there. But overall, I'm pleased with how I did. And I'm EXTRA pleased with all the exercising I've been doing! Each pink star indicates a workout (and I also wrote in what the exercise was). I worked out 6 times each week! Here I am after my run on Sunday:<br />
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I did something unusual for me, which was running in mid-afternoon in the heat. I didn't die! I brought water with me and I didn't run far, so it wasn't really a big deal... but I usually avoid the heat at all costs. <br />
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Speaking of avoiding the heat, as you may recall, the six weeks of tracking was leading up to a trip down south! I leave at 3 am tomorrow for Nashville, Memphis, and Chicago! I am a notorious overpacker, so I've been trying to condense as much as possible. I am extremely excited and will be sure to post about my trip when I return.<br />
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I am planning/hoping to get some exercise in on the road. I'm travelling with a friend who's training for a half-marathon, so she will definitely be going for a couple of runs while we're gone. I obviously can't run at her speed or distance, but maybe I can kind of jog in a circle while she does whatever insane distance she has planned. ;)<br />
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I'm not going to pretend that I'm going to track or eat perfectly while I'm gone (I've booked myself on a Chicago Pizza Tour, for goodness sakes), but I am DETERMINED to get right back on track when I return. I cooked a huge batch of healthy chili yesterday that's all portioned out in my freezer for when I get back.<br />
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I'd better finish getting ready for my trip! See you in a couple of weeks!<br />
<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-33242315681511328462014-07-24T22:14:00.000-04:002014-07-24T22:14:29.246-04:00Step-Ups of DoomThis summer is just flying by! I've been a busy bee and haven't had a chance to squeeze in a post.<br />
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Last weekend I went to a lovely wedding. I saw a few friends from teacher's college (including the bride) that I hadn't seen in about two years.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I looked up a fun french braid hairstyle on Youtube and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out!</td></tr>
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The food was amazing! There were seven courses, and I'm not ashamed to say I ate every single one (and multiple types of cake!).<br />
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So far, that's been the only day I haven't tracked during my six weeks of tracking challenge… But I got up early (as in, early enough to be ready for a noon checkout) the next morning to work out in the hotel gym! I'm basically a superstar.<br />
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I have also been taking some random food photos with intentions of writing blog posts about them. I can't recall exactly what I planned to say, but I can show you a couple of pictures at least.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfzVbqM1aXYeC4_Da9mPuPdLNixZIS_kV3J5OoJBt13C-sDM__Uz_xkCj2FMW73lOGgKCUdq0tSqpatv4Jpn0tA0OKHGaFxkWvvyjEzZ3cax91FLo1PmX26wJBCi5su_doT-nXst5xCX6/s1600/DSC03994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfzVbqM1aXYeC4_Da9mPuPdLNixZIS_kV3J5OoJBt13C-sDM__Uz_xkCj2FMW73lOGgKCUdq0tSqpatv4Jpn0tA0OKHGaFxkWvvyjEzZ3cax91FLo1PmX26wJBCi5su_doT-nXst5xCX6/s1600/DSC03994.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ginormous salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-gjRgR42WxY6We_Z0HXcWv166ZVVRCuBE6YZtUbbaZf-TyY4IEBunzfsjudFlBqT4HGW_G-c_7_Pi7WD4Po_vIGRHmeBMoQ5_Qo8aXiSxptP1MXFEIo7sK9yb4twv9gXRer7a_KaV-Kr/s1600/DSC04024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-gjRgR42WxY6We_Z0HXcWv166ZVVRCuBE6YZtUbbaZf-TyY4IEBunzfsjudFlBqT4HGW_G-c_7_Pi7WD4Po_vIGRHmeBMoQ5_Qo8aXiSxptP1MXFEIo7sK9yb4twv9gXRer7a_KaV-Kr/s1600/DSC04024.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I always bring a ridiculous amount of food to work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am still seeing my personal trainer (I'm planning to keep seeing her for the rest of the summer, except for the two weeks I'm out of town, and then in September I'll probably stop). I know that I don't <i>need</i> a trainer to get in shape, but I work out so much harder with her than I would on my own. Yesterday, after running some drills with an agility ladder, I had to do 15 squats with a kettlebell, then run a short sprint, then do 14 squats, then run, then 13 squats... all the way down to 1 squat. Needless to say, the sprints quickly turned into slow, stagger-y jogs. After that, she had me do 15 slams with a medicine ball, then 20 walking lunges, then 14 ball slams, then 20 walking lunges... luckily, I was only at 9 ball slams when my hour was up. <br />
<br />
I saw her again today, and the workout was so hard that I honestly wanted to cry. Not so much because it was the most physically challenging workout we've done (although it was really tough), but it was very challenging mentally. I did step-ups tonight on a higher step than I've ever used before. Even though I did the first few without any problem, I stumbled a couple of times and totally lost my confidence. I had to REALLY psych myself up before attempting each step-up, and I was a bit scared that I was just going to go headfirst over the other side. My trainer kept reminding me that I was completely capable of doing them, which I was, and somehow I made it through. I really didn't believe I was going to, though. Oh, and I also had to flip a tire a bunch of times.<br />
<br />
By the time I came home from personal training (my session was after work today), I really wanted to just buy something junky to eat for dinner. I was so exhausted and felt like I "deserved" it. But somehow I ended up just microwaving some vegetables and leftover chicken. Who am I!?<br />
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That's all for today! Have a great, healthy weekend!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-16123570861658184322014-07-16T21:51:00.000-04:002014-07-16T21:51:24.552-04:00Biggest salad ever!I'm still here! I haven't quit yet. I've been tracking (albeit slightly creatively on occasion) and exercising consistently.<br /><br />Today I'm feeling very motivated. The past two days, I went a bit overboard with my eating. I kept thinking that little things here and there wouldn't make a difference (like a muffin with my coffee, some wine with dinner, an impromptu bagel as a morning snack...), but when I sat down and tracked everything, I discovered I had used up ALL of my weekly Weight Watchers points (which don't reset until next Monday). Instead of giving up for the week (or longer), I planned out my meals for today and made a huge salad to bring for lunch. I also brought my french press to work to brew my own coffee instead of buying it. I tend to buy treats whenever I'm at a coffee shop, so I think this will be a big help (and more economical!).<br /><br />This morning, I talked to my trainer about my nutrition and it made me think more about exactly which foods I'm choosing to eat. On Weight Watchers, you can pretty much eat whatever you want as long as it fits your points. That's what makes the program easy to follow - but it's also one of the potential problems with the program (depending on how you look at it). I'm very proud of the changes I've made to my eating habits over the past few weeks (just the fact that I have been preparing most of my meals, rather than eating out constantly, is huge), but I still have lots of room for improvement. If choosing healthy, filling, whole foods becomes automatic for me, then this lifestyle will truly become sustainable... I hope. :)<br /><br />Anyway! I have a couple of snazzy lunches to share with you.<span id="goog_1432539853"></span><span id="goog_1432539854"></span><br />
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From last week:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4paGMyzEKUybKfT08vvrKSLaML9e2wVU5uwzkILwWnqjHDv6TEgDDXSEoEquaQAj2lfr5K7ZlCmtpZJJi1WGnF0vM1dwnYQ1ionM-sk9qcV9Fne6Mw4PugtkUJd3o8J_SeQB5jQlV_ZiB/s1600/DSC03968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4paGMyzEKUybKfT08vvrKSLaML9e2wVU5uwzkILwWnqjHDv6TEgDDXSEoEquaQAj2lfr5K7ZlCmtpZJJi1WGnF0vM1dwnYQ1ionM-sk9qcV9Fne6Mw4PugtkUJd3o8J_SeQB5jQlV_ZiB/s1600/DSC03968.JPG" height="279" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red peppers and a wrap! There's hummus in the tiny container.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today I brought a HUGE lunch to work in my <a href="http://fenigo.com/AladdinLunchContainers.htm">Aladdin collapsible salad set</a> (I know I've mentioned my addiction to fun lunch containers <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2014/07/bentobsessed.html">before</a>). I bought it months ago, but didn't use it until today for some strange reason. Here it is all closed up:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9IUUmYJJdyR-E97s80CjRf5AsPtJl7JkzAuYt_0dLKK7uycvU0j32PSpdVHmMuPcuZH0nkLbMt0RbHz2VOfJVIys8osqU-Zx2OHOOlmEV0brQctiLtA5JJZslqOlF1bsftkzc92JB93V/s1600/DSC03991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9IUUmYJJdyR-E97s80CjRf5AsPtJl7JkzAuYt_0dLKK7uycvU0j32PSpdVHmMuPcuZH0nkLbMt0RbHz2VOfJVIys8osqU-Zx2OHOOlmEV0brQctiLtA5JJZslqOlF1bsftkzc92JB93V/s1600/DSC03991.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here's what's inside: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zKn7P99wQ9Z2ttHZQNFLtHlw6weQRVvhq9Bsf3FsgbSSoKfVPxvMIysLW7YIqte2YXvo01Br04XAxNBNh6hG5pk3zy8ANR8TNQjy_QsJyWFOyKHLcVH_w9vvM8NKvu1iq1c8abwZK-Hf/s1600/DSC03992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zKn7P99wQ9Z2ttHZQNFLtHlw6weQRVvhq9Bsf3FsgbSSoKfVPxvMIysLW7YIqte2YXvo01Br04XAxNBNh6hG5pk3zy8ANR8TNQjy_QsJyWFOyKHLcVH_w9vvM8NKvu1iq1c8abwZK-Hf/s1600/DSC03992.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had lots of greens and some broccoli coleslaw with chicken, cheddar cheese, corn chips, salsa, and some guacamole. This salad was SUPER filling. The container was a bit cumbersome to carry TO work, but after lunch all the containers collapsed to a very manageable size. <br />
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I am exhausted so I think I will head to bed. I have plans for an early-morning workout! Ta!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-57368635080830230812014-07-07T20:24:00.001-04:002014-07-24T22:14:46.512-04:00Bentobsessed.I have a problem.<br />
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I suffer from a major weakness for fun lunch containers.<br />
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On Saturday, I was at one of my favourite stores, <a href="http://fenigo.com/">Fenigo</a>, "just browsing." Lately I've been looking at lots of pictures (and some youtube videos) of bento-style lunches, and when I saw some cute Japanese bento boxes at Fenigo, I just couldn't resist. I bought one for myself, and one to give my sister as a thank-you for all of the times she's taken me out to practice my driving.<br />
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On Sunday, we met for one last practice session before my road test on Thursday (yes, THURSDAY! Aaaahhhhh). I decided to pack us a fun picnic lunch in our new bento boxes. First, I set out all of my bento ingredients:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_sg9D5PGI4QfmgzG95NrankMrY11NIOewe2MsokAqfOlk3QI9x5VtcnmApmR-a9tT2yHQn4752Q8zQopDfAtp_xSov9La4l-v-kFcurl3UDnsEc9VsETYbQ7BE-jxdYraOBB-GjVs7yy/s1600/DSC03956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_sg9D5PGI4QfmgzG95NrankMrY11NIOewe2MsokAqfOlk3QI9x5VtcnmApmR-a9tT2yHQn4752Q8zQopDfAtp_xSov9La4l-v-kFcurl3UDnsEc9VsETYbQ7BE-jxdYraOBB-GjVs7yy/s1600/DSC03956.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I followed <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgmG7XuWzT8">this tutorial</a> on Youtube to make hatching chicks from hardboiled eggs. Look, I know they're deformed, but it was my first attempt:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzm97AT4cD0byC_oWBjTaxK2ei_GM95lwLBSXLQnZEb1q9aLVgZdzMyTfMYwD3WMkVWNxQyfJF2hhVJaTqX48-71ZmZsQCLktJfV2EyUJsM-YKwLpKP1aVz-QaAMn0Hs0jBNinKbPYlRWc/s1600/DSC03957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzm97AT4cD0byC_oWBjTaxK2ei_GM95lwLBSXLQnZEb1q9aLVgZdzMyTfMYwD3WMkVWNxQyfJF2hhVJaTqX48-71ZmZsQCLktJfV2EyUJsM-YKwLpKP1aVz-QaAMn0Hs0jBNinKbPYlRWc/s1600/DSC03957.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lettuce for the eyes and carrot for the lips!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the boxes were pinwheel sandwiches, carrot and cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, the hardboiled eggs/hatching chicks, grapes, strawberries cut to look like hearts, and mini cinnamon buns in silicone baking cups. Oh, and cheesestrings to really bring things to the next level. (And some fun animal toothpick things that I had lying around in a cupcake-making kit.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFm61k-Um6Bt2sydcYJ8k-wqVnZyyeCz9dtoE72_LMV-49LMSNBi4HwHkWNxxM7F5QdJvLYmyHrpMmem3p1sKKISqOmGkGtRbhxF7LlFzWHqahfv08G8wxnpl5iakWKn_6cQWKwBVyY3sD/s1600/DSC03958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFm61k-Um6Bt2sydcYJ8k-wqVnZyyeCz9dtoE72_LMV-49LMSNBi4HwHkWNxxM7F5QdJvLYmyHrpMmem3p1sKKISqOmGkGtRbhxF7LlFzWHqahfv08G8wxnpl5iakWKn_6cQWKwBVyY3sD/s1600/DSC03958.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here are the boxes all closed up:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4H_CohymKg0k6DfcPtMkLESCRp6Luo82Vo7M5z0PHn_abmqwUuACEFJeVUCVADOrJTU_G70sxFpYPcKzojyK2athew2E1eTCkqXffIyyMdc3qODtth0WdcuUVGp9NMpBzih_OqeXso9K/s1600/DSC03963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4H_CohymKg0k6DfcPtMkLESCRp6Luo82Vo7M5z0PHn_abmqwUuACEFJeVUCVADOrJTU_G70sxFpYPcKzojyK2athew2E1eTCkqXffIyyMdc3qODtth0WdcuUVGp9NMpBzih_OqeXso9K/s1600/DSC03963.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mine is the yellow one!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I packed the bentos (and some extra food...) in my big cooler bag, and was on my way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFS_HDUmoGi0qCFVF5oPtkiTZWEh0N3kZ4yFt6bjV7-BrNtVsFUXw5v1_-Yqzaol7NjDutdN5WEpgfoPcHZjep4P22WzfRw2qZG4rvW6qmzdrNqLFJrROd8Bu7Q5VLtVJcpggQkoyiWaQ/s1600/DSC03964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFS_HDUmoGi0qCFVF5oPtkiTZWEh0N3kZ4yFt6bjV7-BrNtVsFUXw5v1_-Yqzaol7NjDutdN5WEpgfoPcHZjep4P22WzfRw2qZG4rvW6qmzdrNqLFJrROd8Bu7Q5VLtVJcpggQkoyiWaQ/s1600/DSC03964.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I'm pleased to say the bento boxes were a hit! My sister was very impressed. We've since decided that everything we eat from now on has to be out of a bento.<br />
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In other food news, a few weeks ago I discovered a really cool meal delivery service here in Waterloo called <a href="http://www.foodnaturally.ca/">Food Naturally</a>. It's run by holistic nutritionist Dana Rourke. You have the option of ordering one or two portions of three different meals. The meals are vegetarian and gluten-, sugar-, and dairy-free (not to mention made from scratch with whole foods!). As you know, I often find it EXTREMELY difficult to garner the motivation to do as much cooking as I should. Sometimes, I also have trouble thinking of interesting, healthy meals to cook. So, this meal service sounded like the perfect occasional treat.<br />
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I tried it for the first time a few weeks ago and loved it. When I saw the meal plan for this coming week, I knew I had to order again. I picked up my meals for the week this evening:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9N_tqbpZDgBnMJbO8HJqAXYJpmaUSNKMUIJ2iktjtxMWItrH_zk7qMZbLR80P877hhRzckYBRX0oLfgAcDRVzlW3yFZ-ZD5ASHqxayy_-Tfb9lkXnYLHpOU68PZZLtUjtc1WPuEpWEOK/s1600/DSC03967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9N_tqbpZDgBnMJbO8HJqAXYJpmaUSNKMUIJ2iktjtxMWItrH_zk7qMZbLR80P877hhRzckYBRX0oLfgAcDRVzlW3yFZ-ZD5ASHqxayy_-Tfb9lkXnYLHpOU68PZZLtUjtc1WPuEpWEOK/s1600/DSC03967.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I received two big, delicious salads; two servings of falafels with brown rice, millet tabbouleh, hummus, and tahini sauce; and lots of tomato soup. She also included some complimentary granola! I had the falafel meal for dinner tonight and it was FANTASTIC.<br />
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Ordering the meals is obviously more expensive than making the food myself, but it's no more expensive than buying my lunch everyday (which I was doing just a few weeks ago... as well as buying many unhealthy breakfasts and dinners). I think it's definitely worth it to give myself a break once in awhile and still enjoy lots of super-healthy food. :)<br />
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Well, it's almost my bedtime! I'm meeting my trainer at 7:00 am tomorrow - which is better than our usual time of 6:45, but not by much... Toodles!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-70521814160908724632014-07-03T19:40:00.000-04:002014-07-03T19:40:05.869-04:00Adventures with Wheat MeatI can't believe it's Thursday! The Summer of Katie is just zooming by (fabulously, of course).<br />
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I mentioned on <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2014/06/another-successful-week.html">Sunday</a> that I was attempting to make seitan (a fake meat made from wheat gluten). I've never had seitan before, so I don't know if mine turned out "correctly," but I was pretty pleased with it.<br />
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Here are two seitan lumps after simmering in broth for awhile:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguR6_mlewR-jaRzmiOFGwngtcEo6aiK6vMRGwy74WRqfNCfbIMDGUik5h3QQ4znoUCCdMRI08CmCtiP4EYBGIhSN26fzShYGJ8izNJpktryBrvoCSotHeQaaGPRxsqxCRlNWxPJBVunlQS/s1600/DSC03915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguR6_mlewR-jaRzmiOFGwngtcEo6aiK6vMRGwy74WRqfNCfbIMDGUik5h3QQ4znoUCCdMRI08CmCtiP4EYBGIhSN26fzShYGJ8izNJpktryBrvoCSotHeQaaGPRxsqxCRlNWxPJBVunlQS/s1600/DSC03915.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I grilled slices on my George Foreman grill: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgsqaIYjWpyP5mYOLg3zwaQTTMrwg3aVWUCVSDO5p-x-M7y6TEHgDxCu8aq5kb6q-Ap2QfQXj1jQ0lHY10GMYaHn3AYtQQpYdMxyk2eNhic-tNALKfJUW8SqI8YJHDddBKmqzg7jcARbm/s1600/DSC03916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgsqaIYjWpyP5mYOLg3zwaQTTMrwg3aVWUCVSDO5p-x-M7y6TEHgDxCu8aq5kb6q-Ap2QfQXj1jQ0lHY10GMYaHn3AYtQQpYdMxyk2eNhic-tNALKfJUW8SqI8YJHDddBKmqzg7jcARbm/s1600/DSC03916.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I put the seitan on top of Isa Chandra Mokowitz's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXGmT2cNCrQ">Dragon Noodle Salad</a>. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbCwJ2eKjIBesw80g2-MSZEBxspT3mKVKIbQOsYBODg-Qas9xPwgxXR8C3vq90n-LDDY7XtgRjojUIwv9QgYK5_e0pH4iGyQvgvdD_ZQqerQvUgNc-WSb3HzapQ1Y33SMvTuce0GC6R8c/s1600/DSC03917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbCwJ2eKjIBesw80g2-MSZEBxspT3mKVKIbQOsYBODg-Qas9xPwgxXR8C3vq90n-LDDY7XtgRjojUIwv9QgYK5_e0pH4iGyQvgvdD_ZQqerQvUgNc-WSb3HzapQ1Y33SMvTuce0GC6R8c/s1600/DSC03917.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know this isn't all THAT impressive-looking, but it looks much nicer than the meals I usually eat.</td></tr>
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It was delicious! I brought some leftovers with carrot sticks to work the next day in <a href="http://fenigo.com/BlackBlumBoxAppetit.htm">this awesome lunch container</a>. I bought it awhile ago but for some reason hadn't gotten around to using it yet... I suppose until this week, I didn't have a lunch worthy of it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLDAvT9Kci2No2kgN0x_1PsdArVkLWudONmdyl5W5UKGLJF_HuoEV1_ml2wY1zDTuJvkti_bQeiaZtsOpiTMHeuawNX-EuvZ07A_4KTweVAMsRvsLi4qJ71Un8puNc8EEeu18U3MGlh7o/s1600/DSC03919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLDAvT9Kci2No2kgN0x_1PsdArVkLWudONmdyl5W5UKGLJF_HuoEV1_ml2wY1zDTuJvkti_bQeiaZtsOpiTMHeuawNX-EuvZ07A_4KTweVAMsRvsLi4qJ71Un8puNc8EEeu18U3MGlh7o/s1600/DSC03919.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the colours!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Yesterday was a long day for me. I went to the gym before work, worked until 7, and then rushed home for a driving lesson at 8 (my G2 road test is next week! ack!). I managed to prep a bunch of food the night before to bring to work. Even though I was exhausted, it didn't feel like a big chore... what a change from just a few weeks ago!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQIW-2Quzviosdp8Jf2zp56dks6TIij642-TnFAa00wmNdDUY-XUE-Cn7T0F40jB9Bmynl7qN5puHXgBm7cRru-SbGrNUvn5UmQ1L-DbVnGCtNy2xKQBN8o5jaTgcQ90qtWQgFBDWUc_m/s1600/DSC03952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQIW-2Quzviosdp8Jf2zp56dks6TIij642-TnFAa00wmNdDUY-XUE-Cn7T0F40jB9Bmynl7qN5puHXgBm7cRru-SbGrNUvn5UmQ1L-DbVnGCtNy2xKQBN8o5jaTgcQ90qtWQgFBDWUc_m/s1600/DSC03952.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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I brought a huge salad with goat cheese and a small can of lemon pepper tuna, carrots and hummus, plain yogurt with frozen mango pieces, brown rice pasta with meat sauce (which I made awhile ago and froze), an apple and banana, some crackers, and a granola bar. I barely had time to eat it all before it was time to go home!<br />
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This morning I met with my trainer. We spent some time with the foam roller. At first I was psyched that we were doing that instead of the usual <strike>torture</strike> lunges and such. But my muscles are so tight, it turned out to be pretty painful, especially when I was rolling over my IT band. And then I had to do a million lunges anyway. I have a foam roller, so I am determined to start using it regularly to loosen up a bit. I've been having some foot pain and I think it will help a lot.<br />
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That's all to report for now! I'm sure I'll be back soon with more random lunch pictures and gym updates. :)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-31392047574222161202014-06-29T17:52:00.001-04:002014-07-03T18:27:17.073-04:00Another Successful WeekI am proud to say I've just completed another week of 6 workouts! This week, I also tracked everything I ate using Weight Watchers (so far - I suppose there are a few more hours left in the day where it can all go downhill...). I don't know why, but tracking everything just felt so easy and natural. Maybe I was just ready to commit to something again? Whatever the reason, I'm feeling extremely motivated to continue. :)<br />
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My proudest moment this week was on Friday. I went out for an all-you-can-eat sushi lunch with a few colleagues. I was very worried that I would do what I usually do at all-you-can-eat sushi: eat all that I can, and feel gross and sick afterwards. But this time, I somehow avoided all of the deep-fried appetizers that were on the table in front of me and ate a seaweed salad instead. I ate a ton of sushi, but I counted roughly how many pieces I ate so I could track it later (which I did). I also avoided dessert. All in all, I had a great time, really enjoyed the food I ate, and I wasn't overly stuffed afterwards. Restaurants in general, let alone an all-you-can-eat situation, are always difficult for me to navigate. I was extremely worried going into this lunch, and I'm so happy I managed to eat reasonably. <br />
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I'm still seeing my personal trainer, and the workouts are getting increasingly... interesting. Last week, I had to push a 110-pound tire across the floor (on its side; I couldn't just roll it, unfortunately). Yesterday morning, I had to do TONS of stuff with battle ropes, alternated with lower body stuff. Brutal! On the bright side, it's getting much easier to get out of bed at 5:30 am.<br />
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I mentioned in <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2014/06/reuniting-with-old-friend.html">my last post</a> that I was trying a couple of recipes from Eat, Shrink & Be Merry. I ate some of the leftovers on top of some mixed greens. It was more appetizing than what I usually eat, so I snapped a picture:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken thighs in barbecue sauce & mashed cauliflower</td></tr>
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This morning, I knew I had to squeeze in a workout. Getting to the gym on Sundays is always a challenge for me. I don't know if it's because my gym is where I work, so I feel like I'm going to work on a weekend, or if I'm just very lazy on Sundays (or both), but I never want to get dressed and go out the door. Today was extremely hot, which made the walk to the gym even less appealing. </div>
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Eventually I left my apartment. By the time I got to the gym, I was already drenched in sweat. I put in some time on the stationary bike (my left foot has been acting up, so I've been avoiding the treadmill so I don't aggravate it further), and I was EVEN SWEATIER afterwards. Despite the fact that my shirt had very interesting sweat-patches all over it, I then hopped on the bus to go to the grocery store. Thankfully, no one seemed too offended by my appearance...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTgBlTLZ2ea6VoILlt3Xjp87vGT0aIbVvYpFrnaogfPVwE7GcYK7SJL0_MmoF6GrC671yMxCctjAOFhIbikauGP3V9SuPEG8UGhEO9kbx0tMYokNirUKqQdGonC6GaSynkQa_E1_jT0t_/s1600/DSC03914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTgBlTLZ2ea6VoILlt3Xjp87vGT0aIbVvYpFrnaogfPVwE7GcYK7SJL0_MmoF6GrC671yMxCctjAOFhIbikauGP3V9SuPEG8UGhEO9kbx0tMYokNirUKqQdGonC6GaSynkQa_E1_jT0t_/s1600/DSC03914.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made it home in the heat successfully!</td></tr>
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Now I'm in the middle of a new cooking adventure (and I may or may not still be wearing that sweaty t-shirt, hours later). I have some seitan simmering on the stove (I used <a href="http://www.theppk.com/2009/11/homemade-seitan/">this</a> recipe) which I'm planning to use in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXGmT2cNCrQ">this noodle salad</a>. Let's hope it turns out! I don't think I've ever had seitan before...Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-22286517371247535502014-06-26T18:07:00.004-04:002014-06-26T18:10:51.208-04:00Reuniting With an Old FriendHappy Thursday, friends! I've been having a fairly busy week, so I haven't had a chance to update you all on how I'm doing.<br />
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First, the good news. I am still exercising like a mofo. Last week, for the second week in a row, I worked out 6 times! Actually 7 times if you count a Rest & Renew yoga class I went to... but that mostly consisted of lying on cushions and such. This week, I'm planning to get in 6 workouts as well (3 with my trainer, and 3 short cardio sessions on my own).<br />
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Next, the slightly-less-good-but-still-pretty-okay news. I haven't been eating as great as I would like to... last Saturday I think I ate all of my meals out (including a burger and onion rings for lunch that made me feel sick). On Sunday, I decided I would just get back on track... but I wondered what back on track should mean for me. I am no longer following the Fast Metabolism Diet, and when I just try to "eat healthy", that somehow turns into a crazy food free-for-all. It seems I'm either following a super strict diet (which leads to me binging like crazy when it ends), or following no diet at all (which leads to me binging like crazy most days). What's a girl to do?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZuBePtUlTTNVlG_Hvj_gZIM263QutmXFGB_32Hvtvl_BRQ8SsvZ1q99Hz4yam4DwgA-ocV51WN0pdxquUg5ecbSq0XJYi_Uz_3G7HxhThWxzviXnmCyrjNN1-LCahLKat76w_fnWMMRG/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-06-26+at+5.50.50+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZuBePtUlTTNVlG_Hvj_gZIM263QutmXFGB_32Hvtvl_BRQ8SsvZ1q99Hz4yam4DwgA-ocV51WN0pdxquUg5ecbSq0XJYi_Uz_3G7HxhThWxzviXnmCyrjNN1-LCahLKat76w_fnWMMRG/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-06-26+at+5.50.50+PM.png" height="308" width="320" /></a></div>
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Oh, Weight Watchers. A few months ago, I impulsively signed up for a 6-month online membership in a fit of desperation. Until this week, I hadn't even tracked a full day. But, as of this past Monday, I have been faithfully tracking everything I've eaten.<br />
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Part of me thinks this is totally the wrong way to go... I feel like I shouldn't have to track everything I eat, that I should just choose the right foods, and that if I follow Weight Watchers I'll just end up eating too much junk/processed food/etc because I'm allowed to eat whatever I want as long as it fits into my daily points... but obviously, just trying to choose the right foods has not been working for me. And it was Weight Watchers that got me to <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2010/05/whats-in-box.html">my lowest weight ever</a> four years ago.<br />
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In just under 6 weeks, I am leaving on my trip to Nashville, Memphis, and Chicago. I can only imagine how great I will feel if, until I go, I track consistently (not to mention continue with all of my exercise!). It will be HOT in Nashville and Memphis in August, and I'd like to feel a bit more comfortable in my summer clothes. I'm also taking the trip with an extremely fit friend, and I want to be able to keep up!<br />
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So, I hereby declare, that I will continue tracking until the trip. That would make 6 weeks of tracking! <br />
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I'm not sure if I will do the weekly weigh-ins, though. Lately, I've been weighing myself frequently and feeling quite discouraged. I've been working so hard at the gym that I feel like the weight should just be falling off; but, of course, it really comes down to what I eat (which hasn't been ideal). My trainer suggested that I put my scale away for now, and I think I will. :)<br />
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Now it's time for me to finish cooking dinner (two recipes from <a href="http://janetandgreta.com/cookbook/eat-shrink-be-merry/">Eat, Shrink & Be Merry!</a>: <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/sticky-chicky-292757">Sticky Chicky</a> and Mashed Fauxtatoes) in my adorable apron:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1n64_n_DOPur7_wx5OQTI5AnnZnuXqq-p1FQxbP9gsjzq_jkqKtpWFvyTE1ECr8_OLpypRhR13pmuZZBe_AUdGISVniw-6z3jlLjsfmNj1WD-UqMcEraH6XK9ChpDBmRFnJIOaYDu4Ez/s1600/Photo+on+2014-06-26+at+5.58+PM+%234.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1n64_n_DOPur7_wx5OQTI5AnnZnuXqq-p1FQxbP9gsjzq_jkqKtpWFvyTE1ECr8_OLpypRhR13pmuZZBe_AUdGISVniw-6z3jlLjsfmNj1WD-UqMcEraH6XK9ChpDBmRFnJIOaYDu4Ez/s1600/Photo+on+2014-06-26+at+5.58+PM+%234.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried taking several photos. Believe it or not, this one was the least awkward.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-78094151754908803492014-06-18T20:27:00.003-04:002014-06-18T20:27:51.008-04:00Stepping it UpThis morning started bright and early with a personal training session. Now, my trainer changes the workout every time I see her, but there's one move that she makes me do rather often. It's my LEAST favourite move: step-ups. All it consists of is stepping up onto a step. Sounds simple. But you're not supposed to push off with your bottom foot! So, for example, if my right foot is on the step, I'm supposed to be able to just push into the heel of my right foot and somehow lift my body up without my left foot helping much at all. This is literally impossible for me to do. Sometimes I have to do it with weights, sometimes I have to do a giant step, sometimes both... but it is never possible for me to not push off the bottom foot. Maybe one day..<br />
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Anyway, somehow I survived. I also confessed to my trainer (and now to you) that I've had a few slip-ups with my eating the past few days. I know I'm doing better than I was, but I won't get the results I want if I keep making excuses and eating junk. Somehow, I rationalize it to myself by thinking that "one bad meal" won't make a difference, even though I know it does.<br />
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I'm pleased to say though, that today was completely on track! I started off my day with steel cut oats with natural peanut butter. I ate some before my workout, and some after. Then I packed a LOT of food to bring for a long day at work:<br />
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I brought a green smoothie (spinach, flaxseed, almond milk, berries, and banana), leftover turkey sausage with brown rice pasta, leftover potato enchiladas, carrots, and plums. I was pretty satisfied. I had some frozen pineapple when I got home, and now I'm eating second dinner - leftover thai coconut chicken curry with brown rice. Delicious!<br />
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I know that I can go the rest of the week without any more junk food. So that's exactly what I'm going to do! Stay tuned for more details of my stellar, perfect-eating week. :)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-32166496138046296442014-06-15T21:23:00.002-04:002014-06-15T21:23:40.777-04:00Time to RegroupWell, as you may have guessed, I will not be completing the full 28 days of the Fast Metabolism Diet. It got too hard to follow all the precise guidelines and food restrictions. And if I'm being completely honest, for most of the weekend I ate complete junk. BUT let's focus on the positives about last week:<br />
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<li>Compared to a few weeks ago, I ate much more food that I'd cooked myself, instead of buying breakfast on the way to work, lunch at work, etc.</li>
<li>I worked out SIX TIMES! Have I ever worked out that much in one week? Maybe once a few years ago? Anyway. Insane, y'all.</li>
<li>I accomplished a lot even though my week was super busy. I wasn't home much to cook/clean, and I didn't get as much sleep last week as I needed, but I still mostly stuck to my meal plan and got all my workouts in.</li>
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Yesterday I sat down and made a rough meal plan for this week. I picked recipes I know that I'll like, and didn't base anything on a particular diet. A few of the groceries I picked up:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4ek0GKY196_FIaJ-p3CoSUla7HwkbN7tzgxV6RH7ocE5C55GizYpN2c6ms_gNW5dFgcoRf1DuWvA5cUjKbr5BbAEE6S87kGWNEWo2OvT8OZ8XxcH0NOFxjxa5ECu6hQJEqZpi3ZbM_P4/s1600/DSC03874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp4ek0GKY196_FIaJ-p3CoSUla7HwkbN7tzgxV6RH7ocE5C55GizYpN2c6ms_gNW5dFgcoRf1DuWvA5cUjKbr5BbAEE6S87kGWNEWo2OvT8OZ8XxcH0NOFxjxa5ECu6hQJEqZpi3ZbM_P4/s1600/DSC03874.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bananas are back on the scene! They weren't allowed on the FMD :(</td></tr>
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I made the first recipe last night. <a href="http://www.forksoverknives.com/potato-enchiladas/">Potato Enchiladas</a> from <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/The-Starch-Solution-Regain-Health/dp/1623360277">The Starch Solution</a>:<br />
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I ate one for breakfast this morning. They may not be attractive, but they're pretty tasty!<br />
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Tonight, I was back in the kitchen to try a couple more recipes. I started with lots of chopping (fyi, I think I'm the slowest chopper in the world):<br />
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I made a coconut Thai stirfry based on a recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Shrink-Merry-Great-Tasting-Food-That/dp/0968063136">Eat, Shrink & Be Merry</a>. <br />
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This was delicious! I had it over basmati rice (I was planning to use brown rice but I didn't have enough). I'm very excited about all the leftovers.<br />
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Next, I quickly whipped up some turkey sausage with brown rice pasta, which I first made <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2014/06/fast-metabolism-diet-day-0.html">two weeks ago</a> when prepping for the Fast Metabolism Diet.<br />
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I'm feeling pretty happy about all the meals in my fridge/freezer, just ready to be eaten! In other news, my kitchen looks like a disaster zone and I bought some new clothes yesterday so I can put off doing laundry for a couple more days (also because there was a 40% off sale). But as long as my eating is under control, it's okay if I'm not <i>totally</i> together. Right??<br />
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I'm off to bed soon - meeting the trainer bright and early tomorrow! Good night!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-5162371834778212942014-06-11T21:06:00.000-04:002014-06-11T21:06:38.447-04:00Fast Metabolism Diet - Day 10Today was a crazy day. I was too discombobulated to take pictures, but at least I'm squeezing in a post! Today was my first day of Week 2 Phase 2 (the high-protein, low-carb, low-fat phase) and I struggled.<br />
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I only had about 6 hours of sleep last night, so I did not feel great when I got up this morning. I tried to eat the ground beef, egg white, and spinach casserole I made on Sunday, but I did NOT care for it. It was kind of dry and... mealy? Ugh. I'll attempt it again tomorrow and try to get a picture. To supplement my breakfast, I quickly choked down a slice of turkey deli meat and ran out the door to the gym to meet my personal trainer.<br />
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My quads were already killing me, and I was feeling a bit queasy from the lack of sleep and weird breakfast, so I was quite nervous about making it through my workout. I thought I would have to take a lot of breaks, or that I would pass out or something. But the strangest thing happened... once I started exercising, I actually felt good! The workout was challenging, as usual, but I survived.<br />
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Once I finished working out with the personal trainer, I headed out to... another gym! My trainer told me to fit in a cardio workout today, and since I had to work until 8:30pm, I knew it had to happen before work (I start work later in the day when I have to stay late in the evening). Never in my life have I done TWO workouts before going to work. But I somehow did it today!<br />
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Overall, I'm really glad I got a personal trainer. This week is extremely busy for me, and normally I would have considered myself too busy to fit in any workouts at all (and probably too busy to cook my own food, etc). But as it turns out, I do have the time if I make it a priority. Making time for exercise is something I've always known you have to do, but actually <i>doing</i> it has been a revelation of sorts.<br />
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Anyway, I hit another roadblock at lunchtime. I just couldn't face the meatloaf I had waiting in my lunch bag. I couldn't do it. Something about it (the weird colour? the weird smell?) just didn't work for me, so I bought a salad from Subway. I'm sure the chicken wasn't perfectly on-plan, and I added avocado, which definitely isn't allowed during Phase 2, but as we've seen, I'm not being too particular anymore.<br />
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I had a few afternoon snacks (some cold cuts and hardboiled eggs), and then around 7:30, I got hungry enough to actually try eating the meatloaf I'd brought to work. It didn't actually taste that bad. A little dry, but fairly edible. I managed to eat about half of it. I need to find some new recipes for Phase 2 next week, though...<br />
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Now it's time to collapse into bed! I have another workout with my personal trainer in the morning... eep! (I have been seeing her three times a week to start off, and this week it worked out to be Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday.) Toodle-oo!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-5356307600385079152014-06-10T23:18:00.001-04:002014-06-11T21:07:12.097-04:00Fast Metabolism Diet - Days 8-9Is it really only Tuesday?! I have been going since about 5:30 am so I'm completely exhausted and I don't know how I'm going to make it to the weekend...<br />
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Monday was the first day of my second week on the FMD. Phase 1 is the high-carb phase, so my breakfast was sprouted grain toast and some strawberries: <br />
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For lunch, I brought some turkey sausage with zucchini, broccoli, and brown rice pasta that I made last weekend. For snacks, I had carrots, cantaloupe, and two apples: <br />
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I ate dinner out. I was STARVING by the time we ordered, so I couldn't bear to order a salad (even though I know it would probably be satisfying). I ordered a teriyaki stirfry dish with rice... it wasn't the worst thing I could have ordered, but obviously it wasn't on plan. I also had a root beer during the day. I was helping out with a knitting event all afternoon (more on that momentarily), and was repeatedly offered drinks, snacks, etc. I was also given chocolate as a gift! So, considering the circumstances, I'm fine with my one root beer and meal out. :)<br />
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This morning, I woke up around 5:30 to meet my personal trainer for 6:45. Breakfast beforehand was strawberries and plain steel cut oats.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdZv73GQsgDPXmqEGyqSv_1eljuCv8jgoDWFsiS6lwSMJMxvdDX8qbIyBL4UVfX_GURjO0g-tP5zGxxDiYpD11u80DvkXa0XId23QNnbTIHmBgls9I3U0WRdjvb2yl9DSogy18CTDb-gU/s1600/DSC03870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdZv73GQsgDPXmqEGyqSv_1eljuCv8jgoDWFsiS6lwSMJMxvdDX8qbIyBL4UVfX_GURjO0g-tP5zGxxDiYpD11u80DvkXa0XId23QNnbTIHmBgls9I3U0WRdjvb2yl9DSogy18CTDb-gU/s1600/DSC03870.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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My workout started with a "lunge matrix" (to be honest, not as terrible as it sounds), and worsened from there. It included burpees (thankfully modified, still terrifying), extremely deep squats (I had something to hold to help pull myself back up), and other exercises that I've seemingly blocked out. Oh. There were planks. They were dreadful. She also told me to do a cardio workout tomorrow (as well as Friday and Sunday). That's fine, except I'm already meeting with her in the morning and working until 8:30 at night! I'll have to get creative to squeeze that extra workout in... <br />
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Anyway, my lunch today was basically the same as yesterday. Even the picture is eerily similar:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCZOwl4OLq7nxs9f-2AJo8VaAJw0kHmErhMmpRl_2f9Hwf2A4CKlMVSAzVi4b9t4aHCb9_8MRFlOSXpRaViUX-UU9r-KoXIT3y-FJxhHPCwAUkZM9ilDIxkLjpNFXQrCFfnH5RwfCGx3D/s1600/DSC03869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCZOwl4OLq7nxs9f-2AJo8VaAJw0kHmErhMmpRl_2f9Hwf2A4CKlMVSAzVi4b9t4aHCb9_8MRFlOSXpRaViUX-UU9r-KoXIT3y-FJxhHPCwAUkZM9ilDIxkLjpNFXQrCFfnH5RwfCGx3D/s1600/DSC03869.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the addition of peaches. Delicious!</td></tr>
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After work, I rushed home to drop off my bag, then hurried over to my knitting event (which I was helping to prepare for yesterday). I'm in my local knitters' guild, and every two years they put on an adjudicated show. A guest judge comes and offers comments on knitted items in various categories and awards prizes. I was on the committee to help plan this year's show, and I think it went really well! I also won a prize! I won second place in my category, which had about 26 entries. I was extremely surprised and honoured to win. Here is my winning shawl (unfortunately this isn't a great picture):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAjbfhR7RDFLiDkB5sxsfAkLYIIo_mSgiqobr7_sagD-JM6gLOxGGv3pE9Q9S7PHMt1SdFIa86-PEJ8jTAo5pjzzoKekdxB_lk9wjCKPwrLCv2wP2NZfRqCGw5tWo_vYY39K-wwq87y6J/s1600/DSC03787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAjbfhR7RDFLiDkB5sxsfAkLYIIo_mSgiqobr7_sagD-JM6gLOxGGv3pE9Q9S7PHMt1SdFIa86-PEJ8jTAo5pjzzoKekdxB_lk9wjCKPwrLCv2wP2NZfRqCGw5tWo_vYY39K-wwq87y6J/s1600/DSC03787.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's a close-up. Can you spot the beads? <br />
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It honestly wasn't that challenging to knit, and it went much quicker than I anticipated (for those who might be curious, the pattern is called <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vesna">Vesna</a> and designed by <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/susanna-ic">Susanna IC</a>). I won a gift certificate to a yarn store, so I'm very happy about that! I also won more chocolate as a door prize... I will have to save that for a later date.<br />
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Anyway, back to food. I came home around 10:30 and realized that I had to have dinner as well as prep my food for tomorrow. Blargh. Dinner was pork, brown rice, and sweet potatoes leftover from last week. Here it is, fresh out of the freezer:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1sIBkU-uMDYERktfK0UtPt_mc1W-_XcPkk9zz3v1TeW0bW3vUBhpVfne3djlGfxsrxq-Kvd42KPH9pI7iFs1j_V6CDq-vjFugUfL0jpD8jzXpiCZ8h5bSIm5KJf8dYu5K84ydn9X1Sgw/s1600/DSC03871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1sIBkU-uMDYERktfK0UtPt_mc1W-_XcPkk9zz3v1TeW0bW3vUBhpVfne3djlGfxsrxq-Kvd42KPH9pI7iFs1j_V6CDq-vjFugUfL0jpD8jzXpiCZ8h5bSIm5KJf8dYu5K84ydn9X1Sgw/s1600/DSC03871.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am eating this right now!</td></tr>
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Next I need to chop some veggies for tomorrow. I'm quite nervous about my lunch. I made turkey meatloaf that looks (and, to be honest, smells) a bit weird, and I feel slightly self-conscious about bringing it into the lunchroom. I might just eat in my office...Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-82178914402359749852014-06-08T21:01:00.000-04:002014-06-11T21:07:20.057-04:00Fast Metabolism Diet - Days 4-7Don't worry, I haven't disappeared! Just had a busy weekend. To recap the last few days:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Thursday (FMD Day 4)</b></span></span><br />
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Thursday was a long day. It started with a 6:45 am workout with my personal trainer, and ended with 5+ hours of travelling by buses to get to Bobcaygeon (where my mother lives). Good thing I've had so much energy lately!<br />
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It was my second day on Phase 2. I ate exactly the same things, more or less, that I ate on <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2014/06/fast-metabolism-diet-day-3.html">Wednesday</a>. I also discovered that carrots are actually not allowed on Phase 2 (while eating some carrots). Oh well. You'll soon see that as the week continued, I became much less strict with the many, many, many rules of the diet...<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Friday (FMD Day 5)</b></span></span><br />
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Friday marked my first day on Phase 3! Phase 3 is the most flexible phase. It requires you to eat lots of healthy fats with all of your meals and snacks. I had arrived in Bobcaygeon prepared: I emailed my mom a list of groceries I required in advance (aren't
mothers the best?) and brought my cooler bag full of food to eat over the
weekend. However, I didn't remember until I arrived that my mom doesn't have a microwave, making all my pre-made meals slightly less convenient.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcl4UipNPivu6CfYT935Mq5PzNab1j9TR-1Ny2ACLV8qQQNlIq28cS_lX2-WgxGsNSoPD-I-gqIDgzG7tk4ChoZc6ot8NTS-R2gwITRT8iOUClVeWhM5RmeRNIU65UNZ9dEqK4RGpeXNY/s1600/DSC03844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcl4UipNPivu6CfYT935Mq5PzNab1j9TR-1Ny2ACLV8qQQNlIq28cS_lX2-WgxGsNSoPD-I-gqIDgzG7tk4ChoZc6ot8NTS-R2gwITRT8iOUClVeWhM5RmeRNIU65UNZ9dEqK4RGpeXNY/s1600/DSC03844.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note my mom's adorable kettle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For breakfast, I fried some veggies and two WHOLE eggs in olive oil, which I ate on sprouted grain bread with some blackberries. Now, the sprouted grain bread actually had a bit of sugar in it (which isn't allowed), and I had two slices instead of one and a half... but I'm not too concerned. When I went to use my mom's toaster, she told me it wasn't working and I had to broil my bread in the oven instead. No microwave, no toaster... I don't know how I survived. ;) <br />
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I skipped my morning snack... oops! For lunch, I had steamed cauliflower with some almond-coconutty chicken I had baked <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2014/06/fast-metabolism-diet-day-0.html">last weekend</a> (and two plums). The chicken was a little bit dry, but that might be because it was frozen and then reheated in the oven. Overall, it was pretty good:<br />
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After lunch, it was time to hit the road. We were off to Orillia for a pretty exciting night. Of course, I brought lots of snacks, including some celery and almond butter: <br />
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We checked into our hotel, then took a shuttle bus to... Casino Rama! We met up with my sister and her boyfriend... and this is where things got a little rocky. We ate dinner at the buffet at the casino. I had every intention of eating something healthy for dinner, but I just could not summon the willpower necessary to avoid the temptation of the buffet! So, I decided to eat what I wanted and not beat myself up about it. And in the interest of celebrating every success, no matter how small, I actually ate a lot less than I usually would at a buffet. I didn't even have dessert! So I'll call that a win. ;)<br />
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After dinner, it was time for the main event: Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band! It was an amazing show. Best of all, Ringo totally picked me out of the crowd and waved at one point. I could just tell. He was always my favourite Beatle... we obviously have a special connection. <br />
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I partook in a little gambling afterwards, which is something I have very little experience with. I watched my sister play a few rounds of roulette, and it looked so fun, and she was actually winning money, so I joined in. I started with $20, and ended up with $107! I was SO tempted to keep playing, since it was really fun (and I clearly have a knack for it!), but it's probably for the best that I stopped when I did. <br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Saturday (FMD Day 6)</b></span></span><br />
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I had breakfast in the hotel on Saturday morning. I started out with the best of intentions, with some plain oatmeal and eggs, but then a toasted bagel with butter and some bacon and sausages just fell onto my plate. But I did not succumb to the greatest temptation of them all: coffee. Soooo let's call that another win.<br />
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Then we explored Orillia a bit with a visit to the Mariposa Market. It was FULL of incredible-looking baked goods, including giant donuts, delicious-looking cupcakes, and much more. It was basically torture. I am proud to say I ate nothing! <br />
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On the drive back to Bobcaygeon, I got myself firmly back on track with some of the snacks I'd brought with me: pistachios and cut-up red pepper.<br />
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Back at my mom's house, I reheated the sweet potato concoction I'd made earlier in the week. It was a recipe I got <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2013/02/two-things.html">when I went to Meghan Telpner's Meal Prep Made Easy class</a>: sweet potato mash with coconut oil. <br />
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It was really good, but very rich. I could only eat a little bit. Speaking of sweet potato, <a href="http://chezjulie.wordpress.com/">Julie</a> asked me how I cook
sweet potatoes in my slow cooker. I don't do anything special - I just
chop them (sometimes; I've also cooked potatoes whole) and dump them in
there on high. My slow cooker cooks fairly quickly, so I just check on
them after a couple of hours and see if they're done.<br />
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I sat outside for awhile to do my meal planning for the coming week. My mom's house overlooks a river. It's so peaceful out there!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lCTUj4OHlL7eT_fkvdzxSzb13dOvDL7cT-MntUZ639XyjS1yhlQdh7zvaAtwNCXU8kLBj05kTfgxVgbU21nvvCZKzeBf8u5NORfUMgE4zhFZk_YzX-UW52BcRvLRLbasJE5uPHwxMkAs/s1600/DSC03852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lCTUj4OHlL7eT_fkvdzxSzb13dOvDL7cT-MntUZ639XyjS1yhlQdh7zvaAtwNCXU8kLBj05kTfgxVgbU21nvvCZKzeBf8u5NORfUMgE4zhFZk_YzX-UW52BcRvLRLbasJE5uPHwxMkAs/s1600/DSC03852.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I suppose it's worth putting up with no microwave or toaster... and not being able to drink the tap water.</td></tr>
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As soon as I started meal planning though, I was overcome with exhaustion. I took a long nap. When I woke up (maybe around 8 or so), it was time for some dinner. <br />
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I reheated another portion of my chicken, steamed more cauliflower, and broiled some bread. I'm really proud that after going off-plan, I was back on track so quickly! And hey - what happens in Orillia, stays in Orillia, right?! <br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Sunday (FMD Day 7)</b></span></span><br />
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This morning, I had to get up much earlier than I wanted to in order to catch a bus back home. I had some fried eggs on toast for breakfast...<br />
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... and packed a few things for the trip home:<br />
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I made a turkey sandwich with avocado and spinach, and brought some walnuts, red peppers, and raspberries for the road.<br />
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When I got home, I somehow gathered the energy to get some groceries. I threw together a Phase 3 appropriate dinner: some brown rice, broccoli, and salmon: <br />
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It was very satisfying!<br />
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Now I'm doing my meal prepping for this coming week. I made two new recipes for Phase 2 (my least favourite phase): I modified <a href="http://hollywouldifshecould.net/2013/01/ground-beef-spinach-egg-casserole/">this</a> ground beef, spinach, and egg casserole to fit the diet, and I also made a turkey meatloaf using a recipe in the Fast Metabolism Diet Cookbook (although I subbed chicken for the turkey). I'll let you know how they turned out when I eat them in a few days!<br />
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Overall, this week I'm going to be less concerned with things like meal/snack times and portion sizes. As long as I stay with the general spirit of the diet, I'll be satisfied. Tomorrow night, for example, I'm going out for dinner, so I definitely won't eat perfectly (although I will check the menu beforehand and try to plan ahead). I just know I'm miles ahead of where I was a week ago, so that's good enough for me!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-91231283004118765842014-06-04T22:26:00.001-04:002014-06-04T22:27:39.292-04:00Fast Metabolism Diet - Day 3Today was my first day of Phase 2 of the Fast Metabolism Diet - the high protein phase! For breakfast, I had scrambled egg whites and vegetables:<br />
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After breakfast, I headed to the gym to meet with my personal trainer! We started outside using an agility ladder. I had to run through it in various ways... hopefully I didn't get too many stares from passersby! Then I had to do about a billion leg lifts (among other things), which basically killed me. I was still a sweaty mess when I got home (my apologies to everyone else on the bus with me!):<br />
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I had a late work day today, which meant I was bringing all my meals to work.<br />
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Today, I had two hardboiled egg whites, lots of cut up veggies to snack on, a salad with chicken breast to put on top, some steamed fish with asparagus and spinach, and some deli meat for a snack (either chicken or turkey... I bought both and portioned them out earlier this week). Luckily, one of my lunch bags is big enough to accommodate so much food (I believe it's actually meant for several people going on a picnic or something... it's called a <a href="http://www.fenigo.com/PackItSocialCoolers.htm">Social Cooler</a>... I didn't realize this when I bought it. I just thought it was the perfect size for me.):<br />
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The neat thing about this bag is that you store it in the freezer, and the gel in the lining keeps your food cold for a long time. While I was grabbing it from the freezer, I couldn't help but feel some joy at seeing all the meals I have ready to go:<br />
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Today wasn't as hard as I expected. I didn't get too hungry and, for the most part, I enjoyed my food. The worst part was the salad: my fridge has been freezing things on me, so the greens were all gross from being almost-frozen and thawed.<br />
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Tomorrow night I'm going to my mom's house for the weekend. I will be bringing lots of food with me! But first, I have another personal training session at 6:45 am tomorrow... I'd better get to bed!<br />
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-24954276812077760922014-06-03T22:02:00.000-04:002014-06-03T22:03:12.043-04:00Fast Metabolism Diet - Day 2Greetings! I have successfully completed my second day of the Fast Metabolism Diet, and I feel great. Today I had a LOT more energy than usual, so I think I've finally gotten through the caffeine-withdrawal period. I guess eating whole foods instead of my usual junk might have something to do with that, too... I'm also not as sore from yesterday's personal training session as I was after my sessions last week. Hooray!<br />
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I didn't take pictures of my food today, because I ate literally the exact same meals and snacks as <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2014/06/fast-metabolism-diet-day-1.html">yesterday</a>. I did stray from the diet in the sense that I did not eat every 3-4 hours like I was supposed to. Work was busy, so my afternoon snack got delayed until I got home. Then I did some laundry, had a long phone call with a good friend of mine, and did a crazy amount of food prep for the next few days (because apparently I didn't do enough on <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2014/06/fast-metabolism-diet-day-0.html">Sunday</a>). As a result, my dinner got delayed by a few hours, too.<br />
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This diet consists of three phases that you rotate throughout the week, so what I'm going to be eating tomorrow and Thursday on Phase 2 is completely different from what I've eaten yesterday and today. At least it keeps things interesting! This is what I was dealing with this evening:<br />
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In this picture, I was cooking sweet potatoes in my slow cooker, steaming fish in my rice cooker, making hardboiled eggs on the stove, and chopping/cooking kale. The asparagus, peppers, and cucumber were all standing by. Unfortunately, the kale dish I attempted to cook was not edible (maybe I just don't love kale).<br />
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Phase 2 consists of a lot of protein and vegetables. I'm nervous about it. I'm worried I'll be super hungry and low-energy without any grains or starches to keep me going. And since the kale didn't turn out, I don't have as many veggies ready as I planned to! At least Phase 2 only lasts two days...<br />
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Tomorrow I'm starting my day again with a personal training session, then I have to work late. I'll try to squeeze a blog post in if I can, but no promises! You might have to wait until Thursday or Friday to find out how I survived the dreaded Phase 2...Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-75151527959236252382014-06-02T20:30:00.000-04:002014-06-02T20:32:34.155-04:00Fast Metabolism Diet - Day 1I had a personal training session at 6:45 this morning and I'm not allowed to have caffeine. Needless to say, I'm a little bit sleepy. I tried to start weaning off caffeine last week - I had some half-decaf coffee for a couple of days, none at all on Friday (but compensated with large quantities of candy), and then "accidentally" had pop on Saturday. I shouldn't be shocked that I'm feeling withdrawal symptoms, I suppose...<br />
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Breakfast this morning was steel cut oats (made in my rice cooker, which I set last night) and some pineapple:<br />
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It was a LOT of food. 1.5 cups of plain cooked oatmeal! After I worked my way through it, I hopped on the bus to the gym. My personal training session started out well, but then she put me on this Stairmaster that was actually a rotating staircase. I only had to be on it for a minute and 15 seconds, but it REALLY finished me. I had to take a long break after, and continue taking breaks for the rest of the workout. Oh well, persistence, not perfection, right?! I am just so ready to be fitter than I am now.<br />
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Here are the snacks/lunch I brought to work:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg681VUEdCrTwnh9Zbr5pXNqp8d5gB6Fqmc869Gq7J3UnTHq-rVrSksUzGjY7iwfeWVYpJXCmR8EFRqzpQ0AoeOxSdEIj_cRsvz18egDby0o0FrUCDk5Yf8rOewPwzEA4gwgpT7X7th4xV6/s1600/DSC03822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg681VUEdCrTwnh9Zbr5pXNqp8d5gB6Fqmc869Gq7J3UnTHq-rVrSksUzGjY7iwfeWVYpJXCmR8EFRqzpQ0AoeOxSdEIj_cRsvz18egDby0o0FrUCDk5Yf8rOewPwzEA4gwgpT7X7th4xV6/s1600/DSC03822.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not very pretty, I know. The Fast Metabolism Diet has you eat three meals and two snacks. You're supposed to eat every 3-4 hours. For the most part, I stuck to that today, although I snacked on the baby carrots on and off all day (most veggies are unlimited, so I'm pretty sure that was allowed). My first snack was the apple and pear (lots of high-glycemic fruit on this phase of the diet), then for lunch I had the Chicken Sausage with Fusilli dish from the Fast Metabolism Diet book. It was DELICIOUS! I also had strawberries, but they weren't very good, unfortunately. My afternoon snack was orange slices.<br />
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For dinner, I had a tonne of brown rice, sweet potatoes, and pork that I made in my slowcooker yesterday. Delicious!<br />
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You're also supposed to drink lots of water on this diet - divide your weight in pounds by two and have that many ounces. So basically I still have to have about a zillion more ounces before I go to bed...<br />
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There were definitely some moments today where I wanted to eat junk food (and drink coffee!!!), but overall I'm feeling VERY motivated. Of course, that's easy to say on Day 1 of a diet, but to be honest, this is the furthest I've made it on a diet in ages and ages. So I'm going to celebrate! I TOTALLY ROCKED today and I feel so ready to make this change. :)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-84575738103614966782014-06-01T17:15:00.001-04:002014-06-01T17:17:12.025-04:00Fast Metabolism Diet - Day 0Tomorrow I'm planning to start the <a href="http://www.hayliepomroy.com/diet/">Fast Metabolism Diet</a>, which is a 28-day diet that is supposed to "repair" your metabolism. I don't really believe that, but I need to get back to eating whole foods and cooking for myself and I think the structure of this diet will help me for the next little while. I'm not sure if I will stick to it exactly. It's quite strict, and I know there will be a few instances in the next 4 weeks where I'll be out for dinner or in a group where I'm not comfortable making weird food requests. I'm also going to a concert this Friday night (RINGO STARR, omg) and staying in a hotel, so that could be tricky to finagle.<br />
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I was excited about this diet because I wanted to just be told what to eat for awhile and not have to do any thinking... however, going through the book and planning my meals for this week took a LONG time and a lot of thinking. I didn't love the pre-planned "meal maps" that were in the book, so I came up with my own.<br />
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This morning, I got up early (for me, for a Sunday, at 8am) and walked to the grocery store. I also picked up a few things yesterday at the health food store. Here are some of the goods:<br />
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I got home, started doing a bit of food prep, watched some old episodes of America's Next Top Model, took a nap... but a few short hours later, I had this:<br />
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Lots of meals! In the back row are containers with brown rice, sweet potatoes, and pork tenderloin that I made in my slow cooker. In the second last row is some extra brown rice I plan to freeze, and three servings of a Baked Cashew Chicken recipe that is in the Fast Metabolism Diet <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Fast-Metabolism-Diet-More-Weight/dp/0307986276/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401656785&sr=8-1&keywords=fast+metabolism+diet">book</a>. I subbed almonds for the cashews, and it smelled AMAZING. In the first two rows are a couple of chicken breasts (for the low-carb-type days on the plan) and 6 servings of Chicken Sausage with Fusilli, also from the FMD book. I ate some as soon as it was cooked, and it was delicious! I used turkey sausage, along with brown rice pasta, zucchini, broccoli, and red onions.<br />
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I still have a few things I want to do tonight to get ready for this diet. I want to portion out some fruit, nuts, and other snacks. I also have to get my gym bag ready and get to bed early because I have a session with my personal trainer at 6:45 am tomorrow! Ack!!<br />
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I will report back tomorrow night and let you know how my first day goes! Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-85421477071270356032014-05-29T19:44:00.000-04:002014-05-29T19:44:35.908-04:00Summer of Katie!Hello friends!<br />
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As you can probably guess from my post title, I am feeling pretty psyched about the upcoming summer. A few things seem to be falling into place for me, I've set some good goals for myself, and I feel like I am finally "getting my life together" in some sense (not that it's been falling apart or anything... I just often don't feel like as much of a grown-up as I should). Before I get to that, perhaps I should update you on what's been going on since my last blog post, which was apparently in October. <br />
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Firstly, I travelled around Europe over Christmas with my mom and sister! We went to London, Wales, Liverpool, Venice, Nice, Paris, and Amsterdam.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner overlooking a canal in Venice</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZDdYmiYsdTx-TYw45pYNr_5UTq40eYixzB7EJtONfDj_xVK_zgfi_zxKx_wvLmd48Vhtn6TZNFH56fXYBnJtsZAkGlSzhUzbHORWUkwY3B3mgxHzqd5J1lM9OicXygQNmqoJu-YEGiXE/s1600/DSC02285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZDdYmiYsdTx-TYw45pYNr_5UTq40eYixzB7EJtONfDj_xVK_zgfi_zxKx_wvLmd48Vhtn6TZNFH56fXYBnJtsZAkGlSzhUzbHORWUkwY3B3mgxHzqd5J1lM9OicXygQNmqoJu-YEGiXE/s1600/DSC02285.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the beach in Nice with my sister</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRh8mciHQgq2kFaLDYVnD7kQN0Bo4ri27s7u_pzzw7bzv23lJLIBY1TEjQ2DL1oj1wI4hbsJcAkiRnK8I3bnxnvP7ljHiGcgkyffNwO0_KJV315hwuN-c73AlbaN_6N_7MWCh-rOdIWRq7/s1600/DSC03030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRh8mciHQgq2kFaLDYVnD7kQN0Bo4ri27s7u_pzzw7bzv23lJLIBY1TEjQ2DL1oj1wI4hbsJcAkiRnK8I3bnxnvP7ljHiGcgkyffNwO0_KJV315hwuN-c73AlbaN_6N_7MWCh-rOdIWRq7/s1600/DSC03030.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas morning in Paris!</td></tr>
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The trip was truly amazing and while I was on it I was already thinking about where I wanted to travel next. Travelling certainly is addictive!<br />
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Winter was fairly busy at work for me, but I actually kept up my running somehow. I signed up for the Toronto Yonge Street 10K back in November, and no one was more surprised than me that I actually ran it in April! Right up to the race itself, I REALLY wanted to quit. About two weeks before the race, my shins started giving me a lot of trouble. I rested a lot, and my shins felt better, but I couldn't do my last two scheduled long runs. The longest distance I'd run beforehand (and by "run", I mean "jog slowly with lots of walking breaks") was only about 8.5km. However, I had convinced my dear friend Martina to do the race with me and she was coming all the way from Ottawa! I couldn't let her down.<br />
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Of course, I didn't die during the race like I worried I might. I ran some of it, and walked some of it, and I finished in 1:24:33.7! That's actually faster than I expected.<br />
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I still can't believe I actually crossed that finish line. One of the coolest parts was when a woman came up to me after the race to tell me I'd been pacing her for the last two kilometres or so. Apparently she would run whenever I ran and I got her to the end! It was so crazy and amazing to hear that. I was helping this woman and I didn't even know it!<br />
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I have to confess, though, that I haven't run since the 10k. And, given the nature of this blog, I should also tell you that overall, my eating habits have been terrible. Just... garbage. The worst. Like, buying breakfast on my way to work several times a week. And buying lunch. And buying dinner. And just generally eating lots of junk and feeling blah. I have had no motivation to cook, for the most part. I'll buy groceries, but they'll mostly just go bad in my fridge. Sometimes I'll have a green smoothie for a few days in a row, but I haven't been consistent at all, and my weight is still at the highest it's ever been.<br />
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I don't really know the reason for this. I think I fell out of the habit of cooking, and I don't know how to get back into it. I also still read and think SO MUCH about nutrition and eating, and it's overwhelming when I try to start eating healthfully again. When I do try, it feels like this big production, because I feel like I have to do everything perfectly, or else why bother at all? Which is of course totally insane. <br />
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But something does have to change. So.... I got.... a personal trainer!<br />
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Yes, that's right, I actually got a personal trainer. Last Sunday I went for a consultation and then I bought 10 sessions to see how it goes. It was definitely expensive, but I KNOW it will force me to work out, and I think help with my eating habits as well. I've already had two sessions this week, and despite the fact that it now hurts to move at all, I am feeling really good about it.<br />
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My first session was on Tuesday at 6:45 am (it seemed like a good idea when I scheduled it...) It was embarrassingly brutal. I don't think I ate enough beforehand, and I kept having to stop and take breaks because I felt nauseous. It wasn't even that hard of a workout! My trainer was very nice though, and told me not to apologize for taking breaks. My second session was Wednesday morning at a more civilized hour. This time, I ate more for breakfast, and I didn't feel sick during the workout. I worked MUCH harder and did way more than I would have if I'd tried to exercise on my own (a big if, seeing as I haven't been exercising at all on my own lately).<br />
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My trainer also asks during my workouts what I've been eating. I think this will help keep me accountable. She suggested that I try the <a href="http://www.hayliepomroy.com/diet/">Fast Metabolism Diet</a> if I am up for doing a lot of meal prep and crazy food planning. I got the book from the library, and I think it seems slightly ridiculous and unnecessarily complicated. Not the foods themselves, but rather the claims about it taking exactly 28 days to "repair" your metabolism, and cycling through certain foods on certain days of the week. It's definitely a fad diet, in my opinion, but it does consist of whole foods and is definitely much healthier than the way I've been eating now. It eliminates caffeine, dairy, and sugar, among other things, which are all things I would like to cut back on or eliminate anyway. You know I love a good <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/search/label/joshi%27s%20holistic%20detox">strict</a> <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/search/label/eat%20to%20live">diet</a> to blog about, so I think I will actually give this one a try. If it gets me back to regular cooking and meal prepping, and jump starts some weight loss, then I think it will be a success. I just want someone to TELL me what to eat for awhile and not have to make any decisions myself.<br />
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My personal trainer and healthy eating plans aren't the only reasons that this is the Summer of Katie (although they are the biggest reasons). Some other things I've been up to:<br />
<ul>
<li>I have been practicing my driving whenever I can and hope to get my G2 this summer! I am SO TIRED of not having my licence. Last weekend I had to get to Kitchener from my friend's house in Port Elgin... let's just say the trip ended up taking ten hours by bus (it's about a two and a half hour drive). Alright, I'll admit that the bus broke down in Orangeville and we were stuck for 3 hours, but still!</li>
<li>Dating! I've been on a few dates over the past few months. Luckily it hasn't been too traumatic, and I've gotten a few funny stories out of the experience. For example, I was on a date with someone, and then all of a sudden he said "there was something I have to do today... what was it... oh yes, I need to get to the grocery store before it closes so I can buy lettuce and make lunches for the week!" I was ditched for LETTUCE! So weirdly specific. Like, dude, just tell me you're not interested. But part of me thought he was telling the truth and we might be really well-suited for each other, because buying lettuce to make healthy lunches is the kind of thing I might have to do on a Sunday afternoon as well... anyway, we never spoke again. </li>
<li>I have another trip planned! My friend <a href="http://boilingwaterandothercookingadventures.blogspot.ca/">Michelle</a> and I are going to Nashville and Memphis in August. Afterwards, I think I will go to Chicago by myself for a couple of days (although I haven't finalized that part yet).</li>
</ul>
I think I've written enough for now! Stay tuned for more this weekend... perhaps <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2013/09/meal-prepping-adventures-video-post_16.html">another meal prep video</a> is in order?!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-43477812903297640802013-10-27T15:30:00.000-04:002013-10-27T15:30:49.174-04:00Still running!I have some shocking news: I haven't given up on running yet! I have not missed one session of my running group, which meets twice a week, and I had another race last weekend! This time, I did a 5k.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy because I'm near the finish line!</td></tr>
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I had a crazy notion that I would try to run the entire thing, which did NOT happen. I did run most of it though, albeit very slowly. At one point, I was passed by a man carrying a full-size canoe. Yes. Man with canoe was faster than I was (as were LOTS of people pushing strollers and pulling wagons with kids in them).<br />
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But I'm really pleased with my time - 42:49. That's faster than I expected to do it, AND I was more than twice as fast as <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2013/10/new-running-adventures.html">the 2.5k race I did</a> two weeks before (my time was 22:05). So, even though I'm slow, I'm improving. :)<br />
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Eating well remains, as always, a struggle. But I just had some lentil soup, so that's something. All I can do is keep trying!<br />
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In other news, my 60s birthday party was lots of fun. After a few Youtube videos and an hour of teasing/hairspraying my hair, this was the end result:<br />
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It wasn't perfect, but I was satisfied.<br />
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I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend! Bye for now!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-50216878689715105622013-10-16T20:55:00.003-04:002013-10-16T20:57:37.095-04:00A few things<ul>
<li>My 28th birthday is on Friday. I'm having a 1965-themed birthday party. I bought a new dress and tonight I'm going to practice putting my hair in a beehive. It may mean I don't have time to vacuum, but I think my friends will agree that I made the right choice.</li>
<li>I'm registered in a 5k run on Sunday. I will let you know how it goes (my goal is not to collapse, which should give you a sense of my fitness level these days!).</li>
<li>I bought a <a href="http://www.fitbit.com/one">Fitbit One</a> and it's my new best friend. </li>
<li>I have a cat right now, and this is what happens when I sit at my computer:</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaqkswsXm75YjY2_F__h-NU7SUh4aJwveChys6d_GRPT_pPAnShl9k_MYQ2V8Tgq4rxAwJJF8dbCMHl7vqgvsMR3QAtjEByS4szRcy0_jGXA8tss9dcmeRMg1emecKEskHHNb1TNfozYA/s1600/Waterloo-20131016-00214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaqkswsXm75YjY2_F__h-NU7SUh4aJwveChys6d_GRPT_pPAnShl9k_MYQ2V8Tgq4rxAwJJF8dbCMHl7vqgvsMR3QAtjEByS4szRcy0_jGXA8tss9dcmeRMg1emecKEskHHNb1TNfozYA/s320/Waterloo-20131016-00214.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried to get a picture of her nudging my hand, but this is the best I could do.</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>The reason I have a cat right now is that my sister, Lucy, is living in Wales for a few months doing research with a professor there as part of her PhD (I don't know if I've mentioned on here before that I have such a smart sister!). Her boyfriend is with her right now, so I have his cat! </li>
<li>My mom and I are planning a Europe trip to visit Lucy in December! We've never been to Europe before, so we are beyond excited. </li>
</ul>
Today I kept thinking about my dad. At work, I found myself thinking about the last few years before he died: all of the hospital visits, all of the surgeries, all of the recoveries. And yet, despite his poor health, his death still felt like such a shock.<br />
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At yoga, during Savasana, I was thinking about the time right around his death. I thought about the last day I ever saw him, in the hospital on New Year's Eve, 2011. I thought about the day he died. I was living in Thunder Bay when I found out. I packed a bag in a fog, got a friend to drive me to the airport, and boarded the next flight home to Toronto. I remember debating whether or not I should bring black clothing home - a part of me thought I should be optimistic and not pack for a funeral. But, of course, I knew there would be a funeral.<br />
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On the flight home, I listened to the same song on my ipod over and over again (Pumped Up Kicks, for some inexplicable reason). Thankfully, no one was sitting next to me. Less than 24 hours later, I was leaving the funeral home with my mom and my sister, having already made countless decisions about a situation that felt completely surreal.<br />
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I have no idea how I finished my school year (I was completing my B.Ed. at the time). I flew back to Thunder Bay after 2 weeks in Toronto, and somehow finished my coursework. Then I was back home for a 5-week practicum teaching high school English (the subject my dad had taught my whole life).<br />
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Some days, my dad's death is like a fact that my brain will occasionally flit to without making a big fuss. But sometimes, it feels like a piece of information that I can't quite process. Something does not compute. I can't understand where my dad is, and I don't quite believe that he doesn't know where I work now or where I live now, or that I didn't just talk to him yesterday on the phone.<br />
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I don't like to think about time passing - time feels like an ever-widening gulf between us. I felt this very acutely in the weeks after he died. Each passing minute was like an affront to his memory. It's a cliche, but it truly didn't feel right that the world could keep going on while he wasn't in it. I can't make sense of it sometimes, so I keep going over and over the facts in my brain, trying to fit it all together so I can finally have it neatly filed away and resolved.<br />
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Anyway, I should get ready for my 60s party on Friday. I think my dad would appreciate it.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-72774604357689470732013-10-06T11:19:00.000-04:002013-10-06T11:19:16.258-04:00New Running AdventuresLast year, during my university's Homecoming weekend, I watched three of my closest friends run a 5km race. It was really fun to watch, but I was also very jealous that I wasn't running with them.<br />
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As I've mentioned, a few weeks ago I joined a "Learn to Run" group. Seeing as it had only been a couple of weeks since I got back into running, I was planning to watch my friends run that same 5k again. But then, my running group leader suggested that run/walking the 2.5km loop of the same race would be a good idea. For some reason, this had never even occurred to me. After he put the idea in my head, I quickly signed up - and two more of my friends decided to do the 2.5 km loop as well!<br />
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So, one week ago, all 5 of us participated in the Laurier Loop! I really pushed myself, and I was very surprised when I was able to run all the way to the water station (which I think was at the halfway point, about 1.25km).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeling good around the 1 km mark!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_caVd_iM7cV3eHYPXcBmUn4VryfUeOdIxGpVSwixcpW3RrfYhW7iQi_-vJL4pF2vZvfrBoaqu-n5O-avJv0g9ZR4iRJvgvjeOSfaQfw_o5FHHgitAp-XKSi2xYMflJ5QGOWcZWq2irUI/s1600/DSC_0796_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_caVd_iM7cV3eHYPXcBmUn4VryfUeOdIxGpVSwixcpW3RrfYhW7iQi_-vJL4pF2vZvfrBoaqu-n5O-avJv0g9ZR4iRJvgvjeOSfaQfw_o5FHHgitAp-XKSi2xYMflJ5QGOWcZWq2irUI/s320/DSC_0796_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my besties after the race! I wish someone had told me about my hair situation.</td></tr>
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It was pretty brutal finishing the race. The last leg was to run around a stadium track to the finish line, and I had decided I wanted to run that whole section. It was really hard, and I think I was definitely running slower than a walking pace, but I still managed to finish. My time was 22:04 - not too shabby, in my opinion! :)<br />
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It was so fun to be in the race atmosphere, I've signed up for a 5k on October 20... 2 days after my 28th birthday. I know I won't be able to run the entire thing, but that's okay. I'm just so happy that I'm feeling excited about running again.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-36038717001140468432013-09-22T19:25:00.000-04:002013-09-22T19:28:00.411-04:00Amazing WeekI know you're all dying to know how <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2013/09/meal-prepping-adventures-video-post_16.html">my massive meal prep adventure</a> ended up. I'm pleased to say it was a success!! I didn't eat perfectly all week (I may or may not have had all you can sushi last night), but it helped a LOT having so much stuff ready to go. The dinners I made didn't turn out all that great for some reason, but my breakfasts and lunches were really good. I saved a lot of money because I wasn't constantly buying food, and I know I ate WAY healthier than I have been lately.<br />
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I also exercised a lot this week! On Wednesday I had my second Vinyasa Yoga class, and on Thursday, I went for my second run with my learn-to-run group. This morning, I ventured out all by myself. It was a very short run (maybe 15 minutes, and I alternated running and walking), but as you can see, I was still very sweaty afterwards:<br />
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I knew I wanted to do some more meal prep today, but I wasn't sure I had the energy to do as much as I did last week. Here's what I ended up with:<br />
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I have stuff for five lunch salads, ready-to-go baggies of cut up veggies, and spinach, berries, and flaxseed ready to go into smoothies. In the back right corner is my rice cooker, with a huge batch of steel cut oats. I was also planning to make lentil soup, but I forgot to get potatoes at the grocery store (I was going to use <a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/05/ridiculously-easy-lentil-soup.html">this recipe</a>). So, I chopped up the veggies I needed and put them in a big bowl to cook tomorrow night or Tuesday (I was already in my pyjama pants when I noticed the missing potatoes and was NOT willing to venture back out of my apartment).<br />
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I am feeling really good! Let's hope I keep this up for another week. :)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-80274335438106777472013-09-16T20:05:00.003-04:002013-09-16T20:05:59.426-04:00Outside my comfort zoneHello, friends!<br />
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Today has been AMAZING. It feels like I was eating constantly all day (and I pretty much was), and I still haven't finished everything I'd prepared yesterday. And it was a pretty relaxed day at work - tomorrow I will not have as much time to leisurely munch on my salad for an hour!<br />
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The food <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2013/09/meal-prepping-adventures-video-post_16.html">I prepped yesterday</a> was great today. The "blanched" asparagus was delish, as was the black bean soup that looked suspiciously watery yesterday. Now I'm eating the chickpea curry that I threw together (and accidentally dumped too much turmeric in), and it's quite good (and spicy)! I decided to have the food I was least looking forward to today, in the hopes that my "first day motivation" would help me power through. And it did!<br />
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After work, I walked home, gulped down a green smoothie, and threw on my running clothes:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that's painter's tape around the door behind me. What of it?</td></tr>
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Then I bravely rushed off (read: walked slowly) to a local running store to join a "Learn to Run" group! Now, according to this very blog, at one point in my life I could run 5k without stopping (which I only did <a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2010/04/operation-buff-week-1.html">once</a> ever, but you know. Still counts). Tonight, we ran for one minute/walked for one minute, and went a VERY SHORT DISTANCE (about 4 long blocks total. I think it was around 1.5 km). And I DIED. My lungs were burning and I think I was the second-last person back to the store at the end. But I did it! And everyone was really nice. As some other slowpokes and I crested the hill to the halfway point, we totally got applause.<br />
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It was really motivating to be in a group. When the leader addressed us all at the beginning and gave us a bit of a pep talk, I found it really inspiring! It wasn't anything groundbreaking, but sometimes you just need to hear that kind of thing ("you'll be amazed at what you are capable of," etc). <br />
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I was so glad on the walk home that my dinner was prepared and waiting for me in the fridge. If that hadn't been the case, I am 95% sure I would have picked up dinner on the way, thinking I "deserved" it because of my running. But really, do I deserve to load up my body with fat, give myself stomachaches, gain more weight, and get heart disease? No! I deserve lots of veggies and whole foods that will give me energy and make me healthier. But seriously, if my food wasn't waiting for me, I totally would have gotten two slices of pizza. Not one. TWO.<br />
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AND I am SO happy that tomorrow's meals are ready too! I can now chillax with the new Breaking Bad and my knitting (HELLO, best night ever) and get to bed early. (Um, of course those dishes from my cooking marathon aren't still in my sink. I'm totally a responsible adult who keeps a tidy home. Totally.)<br />
<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328467318960534014.post-9316805980075566052013-09-16T00:09:00.000-04:002013-09-16T00:16:03.764-04:00Meal Prepping Adventures (Video Post!)Hi everyone!<br />
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So... I decided to make a video post! Bear in mind this is my first video, and I had no idea what I was doing. Enjoy! :)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Glhp6mWJtsg" width="459"></iframe><br />
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It
was really fun to make this video. I obviously have a lot of room for
improvement, but hopefully it wasn't too painful to watch.<br />
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I wasn't sure how to add this text to the video itself, but I used the song “<a href="http://ccmixter.org/files/Pitx/17154">See You Later”</a> by Pitx, available under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial </a>license.<br />
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Some of the recipes from the video:<br />
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<a href="http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/veggie-biscuit-pot-pie/">Veggie Pot Pie</a><br />
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<a href="http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/salsa-soup/">Black Bean and Salsa Soup</a><br />
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<a href="http://balanceandbeans.blogspot.ca/2011/02/joshis-holistic-detox-day-twelve.html">Chickpea Curry </a>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781325663067780255noreply@blogger.com2