Little did I know that yesterday when I achieved a new yoga pose for the first time (wheel!) that it was National Yoga Day! Little things like that make me happy :0)

Yesterday at the gym I rocked out on the elliptical for 45 minutes, did some planks, crunches, and yoga moves in the mat area. When the middle aged woman next to me whipped out a HEADSTAND and several other intense yoga poses without toppling over, I threw out a few wheels in celebration. She didn’t seem to notice. I held back an intense desire to strike up a conversation about yoga with her and ask her to be my guru. After one ab machine, I gained the courage to do a couple arm machines – um … arm extension is awkward. I started out with 30 lbs. = HAHAHA I managed to get out 12 reps, then switched to 15 lbs. for 12 more reps, and down to 10 lbs. for the final set. I legitimately have no arm/upper body strength. Really must work on this. I also did 3 sets of 12 reps on the overhead press, again on a sad 10 lbs. Barely got them out. To make myself feel better about my lack of arm strength, I sped through a mile on the treadmill, incline 1, in 9 minutes.

After stopping to get my beastly eyebrows waxed and literally pick up apples, oranges, and carrots at Big Y, I headed on home to make lunch.

Buffalo crackwich with spinach + a pink orange!

3 egg whites in a Flat Out with a Garlic & Herb LC wedge, Frank’s and salsa + a Gala with cinnamon

I accidentally opened the cap off the cinnamon bottle instead of just flipping it up, and so got a pile of cinn on 3 apple slices. Oh well, I just shook it off and made a cinnamon dipping pool! The wrap was so good – Flat Out wraps are so fluffy and soft – they go great with egg whites!

Right now I’m feeling kind of snacky .. better go find something!

My Friday started off with a large cup of coffee and an egg wrap:

3 egg whites and LC French Onion wedge in a Cedar’s wrap

I’m not very hungry at all in the mornings, so simple and small is the way to go for me.

After math, I trotted to work where I actually did internship work the whole 3 hours (unheard of!), sipped some Tazo Zen green tea to fight the slight cold I’ve managed to contract in less than a week on campus, and had a delicioso and unpictured lunch of a Strawberry Banana Chobani and MultiGrain Cheerios. Big Y and Whole Foods were slacking in the new Chobz flavor department, so I am currently only stocked with plain, strawberry, and blueberry. Tragic.

Pre-gym, I snacked on the other half a Cherry Pie Larabar (review to come):

At el jimnasio, I spent 30 boring minutos on the stair stepper, watching “Taking the Stage” and thinking of who I would kill for that blonde girl’s body. NBD. I then stole my friend’s treadmill upon her 5k completion, to rock out one of my own in such an order:

• Mile 0-0.25: 6.4mph, incline 1
• Mile .25-.5: 6.4mph, incline 1.5
• Mile .5-.75: 6.4mph, incline 2
• Mile .75-1: 6.4 mph, incline 1.5
• Mile 1-1.25: 6.5mph, incline 1
• Mile 1.25-1.5: 6.5mph, incline 1.5
• Mile 1.5-1.75: 6.5mph, incline 2
• Mile 1.75-2: 6.5mph, incline 1.5
• Mile 2-2.25: 6.6mph, incline 1.5
• Mile 2.25-2.5: 6.6mph. incline 2
• Mile 2.5-2.75: 6.6mph, incline 2.5
• Mile 2.75-2.9: 6.6mph, incline 3
• Mile 2.9-3: 6.7mph, incline 3
• Mile 3-3.05: 6.8mph, incline 3
• Mile 3.05-3.1: 6.9mph, incline 3

I felt like the incline wasn’t working (at least as well as it should be) and also that I wasn’t really working that hard – which I guess can be a good thing in that it would mean I’m getting faster and stronger (a la Kanye), or I unknowingly ingested some roids yesterday. Either way.

I finished up with some crunches, side crunches, and plank sets and was sweating harder doing abs than cardio. Sad? Or the result of built in fans on the treadmill and a gym built after 1970? Who can really tell?

Upon returning and showering, I made my way over to the mailroom for my anticipated PB2 package. However, it was not PB2 as the package was from December. I check the mail a lot. However, the package is still a mystery because the mail room lost it. Mail fail. Their job is really hard, though. Oh, wait ….

ANYWAY, I had my planned snack without its peanut buttery counterpart:

Organic pinata apple

I got myself pretty-fied and re-did my nails in OPI’s We’ll Always Have Paris, which phrase I hope to apply to me and the future hubz some day. Some of my girls frisked me away for a night out of sushi and a movie. FAB!

At Japanese, we started off flirting with a two year old named Lorenzo. NBD. But fo realz (and I have no photographic evidence of this because I didn’t really know two of the girls) I started off with a hot tea and a house salad with a tub of addicting ginger dressing. I housed it. Hahahaha, get it? Sorry, caffiene kick.

I also ordered two rolls – the tuna and avocado roll and the Philadelphia roll, which has salmon, cream cheese, and scallions. I “challenged” myself to order the Philly roll (which is my all time fave) because of the cream cheese – I can’t remember the last time I ate it due to its supa fatty content and the fact the I don’t eat bagels really. Anyway, I’m glad I did because it was SO WORTH IT. Delish. I also ordered both rolls with brown rice, which cost an extra dolla bill, but my health doesn’t care about my wallet. Plus, brown rice is chewier and nuttier in texture and flavor. It also falls out of the rolls more easily, but no big – I just had an extra mini pile of rice to eat after.

In regards to the post title, I realized later I consumed a significant amount of saturated fat today, at least when compared to a normal day, where I try not to consume anyway, unless in the form of a Larabar or something out of my eating control. My 2% yogurt, Larabar half, and cream cheese in the sush all contributed to the sat fat intake – yet all in a very small way. None of these portions were out of control and are in healthy foods as a whole. So really, everything in balance really does apply everywhere. Small revelation, sorry.

After dinner, we had some time to kill before the movie, which is in the same “mall” and right across from the restaurant. We wandered through the closing down “mall,” bought some scratch offs (with which I won the $2 I spent on it back) and meandered through Kohl’s, on the search for jeggings. No jeggings were found, but we did manage to smell every single candle they had in the store.

We eventually made our way over to the theater to see The Lovely Bones. I read the book maybe 5 or 6 years ago, definitely in high school, so I don’t remember all the details. but I was super excited to see it. Plus, I love Stanley Tucci – and therefore was somewhat disturbed about his role in the movie, but he rocked it. I won’t go into detail in case you haven’t read it and want to be surprised, but a lot was changed from the book, but not in a detrimental way. You just can’t fit 8+ years of book into 2 hours. Regardless of the book, it is a really excellent movie. I was expecting to be really upset and disturbed by it (as I sobbed hysterically reading the book), but I actually didn’t cry once. There were a lot of gasps, though. See it and let me know what you think!

Source

This morning I woke up and did yoga for the first time since I’ve been back at school – the 20 minute podcast of Morning Flow #1 from YogaDownload.Com. It.was.fab.u.lous. I have missed you, yoga. Plus – I GOT INTO FULL WHEEL POSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am incredibly inflexible and my back is always particularly tight. This flow focuses on back bends and openers, and I took it slow, listened to Dawnelle, and actually got my arms and back to cooperate and flex into Wheel Pose. I seriously got a rush. Like, a legitimate rush. From yoga. I can’t express how much I love it right now. After the flow was done, I tried it again to make sure it wasn’t a dream/fluke. Nope. My day just started out awesome in Wheel Pose.

I just had some brekkie:

I’m heading to the gym with my roomie in a bit, with some definite strength training on the plan. I think we’re going to grab lunch and head to the lib for a little, before going to the National Pan-Hellenic Council’s step show tonight. If you don’t know what that means, Google it and be amazed. Have a great Saturday!

PS – This is my second-day-of-school outfit. I was feeling pretty fab and bossy in it. The first day I wore leggings and a hoodie – standard, as I thought I was going to the gym midday.

Tunic and belt from Anthro, AG jeans, classic Uggies. Love.

I know I have been absent, but for good reason – I’ve been having a life! Yes, I almost forgot what it was like to go out and have fun and be busy (in a good way!) I’ve been loving being back at school the past few days, which is definitely bittersweet. When I wasn’t loving school last semester, I was happy to be graduating in May. Now, I am definitely feeling nostalgic and sad about leaving this place and my sorority. I don’t have very many pictures of my eats, because they’ve been in the dining hall, on the go, or taken with my Blackberry – and of this, I will spare you. Until I can get back into the swing of living and blogging, I give you a review for Chocolate PB2!

Oh, and, since I became obsessed with PB2 and ran out of my sad little two sample pack, I ordered my jar. I think it’s in the mailroom waiting for me now. Friday just got better.

Chocolate PB2 with frozen strawberries

7:30am – Wake up, blow dry and straighten hair, get ready for my last first day of classes!

8:30am – Breakfast with some of my sisters: Cheerios, banana, rice milk, and coffee to go with skim and Splenda.

9:30am – Nutrition Through the Life Cycle. Moves fast, but prints slides and posts them online. Love this class already.

11am – Stand in line for 45 minutes to get refund check from Bursar’s office. Worth it.

11:45am – Read the first chapter of my nutrition book for review. Get overly excited about RDIs and vitamin intake. Diagnose self with 92348429 deficiencies. Realize I am a hypochondriac. Eat my packed lunch from yesterday – spinach, hummus, raisin wrap and an orange. You already saw it.

12:30pm – Medieval English Literature. I just “learned” this all in Brit Lit. Beowulf again, oh joy.

1:00pm – Get out of class super early. Head to bank to deposit mad moneys. Curse the weather yet again – instead of predicted snow, it is raining. And very cold. I decked out in snow gear, not rain. The two are very different.

1:20pm – Head to cafe to read more nutrition, play with my friend that works there, and drink an Awake tea with skim and Splenda.

1:25pm – Wonder when my nutrition book will tell me to stop inhaling Splenda.

3:30pm – Emotion in Literature and Film. Spend 1.25 hours going over a syllabus I can understand, as a senior in college, by myself. Die inside a little. Munch a Spooky S’mores bar whose picture my Blackberry ate.

4:45-5:20pm – Wait for bus. In lieu of waiting for Blue line, get on Green line to get to Red line stop.

5:45pm – Finally get on a bus home. Surprised I haven’t started crying. Maybe I have, and mistook it for rain.

6:00pm – Eat some dried apricots.

6:30pm – Head to off campus gym with sister for free week from her membership.

6:45pm – Join off campus gym. They have TVs, air conditioning, classes, and a spa-like bathroom. I want to be friends with the front desk girl.

6:50pm – Ellipticize for 30 minutes on level 10 of rolling hills. Realize I am now technically paying for 3 gym memberships. Acknowledge my hardcore-ness.

7:25pm – 3.1 miles in 28:44, half on iPod, half on The Office. Wonder if weight lifters next to me are judging me for laughing out loud. I love you, Jim.

8:00pm – Stop at CVS to buy bright purple lock for new gym. Feel even more hardcore.

8:45pm – Finally eat dinner. Focus not on taste, but talking with friends. Feel like a real person again.

love.burrito Veggie Fajita (review soon) + carrots with roasted red pepper hum

9:30pm – Be amazed that there is hot water this late in our house/condo/dorm.

10:00pm – Eat organic piñata apple.

10:29pm – Hit publish. Apologize in advance for super lame, Blackberry picture filled post.

Sorry I’ve been absent – I needed a few days to regroup, pack, move back into school and settle. I’ll just recap today for now, and if I find anything exciting in the last few days’ pictures, you’ll be the first to know!

I woke up feeling good after a night at the bar with my friends – it was so so so so so fun and I couldn’t be happier I went! I just hung around for a little, cleaning and stuff before hitching a ride to the co-op (aka the bookstore) with one of my sisters. I picked up my books and some other goodies – including a new Vera Bradley wallet!

We also headed to Walmart where I picked up an $18 TV stand – which I then took home, unpacked and assembled by myself! Screws, nails, and all! I’m extremely proud of myself for putting something together. I’m awesome. While being productive, I ate:

MultiGrain Flat Out wrap with roasted red pepper hummus

Whole Foods fruit salad

After a sorority meeting, I made my way over to disappointment the dining hall. I feasted on tomato soup, whole wheat toast with Smart Balance, and some steamed veggies. Yum. I also snacked on half a chocolate chip z-bar:

At the surprisingly not packed gym, I ellipticalled for 35 minutes – 5 minutes on crossramp 10 and resistance 7 and 2 minutes on crossramp 12, resistance 10 repeated. After 30 boring minutes on a new and not improved stair stepper randomized level 7 workout, I did some ab work and called it a night. I also tried to catch up on blog reading while working on my fitness, but my Google reader is in the triple digits so I’m still wayyyy behind on reading and commenting.

I packed my lunchers for tomorrow:

Orange sections

And snacked on an organic pinata apple I picked up at Whole Foods:

With cinnamon, obviously

My Big Y near school started carrying Flat Outs! I was so excited I grabbed two flavors to try – MultiGrain Flax and Honey Wheat! Love ittt!

I packed lunch due to my schedule for tomorrow’s first day of classes:

• 8:45 – Breakfast with a couple of my sisters at the dhall
• 9:30-10:45 – Nutrition Through the Life Cycle – SO SO excited for this class!!
• 11-12:15ish – Gym
• 12:30-1:45 – Medieval English Literature – so not excited for this class – except for the fact I’ll be eating in it
• 2-3:15ish – Shower, change, snack
• 3:30-4:45 – Emotion Through Literature and Film – pretty excited for this class!

Obviously, my appetite is off today – as it has been the last couple days. I know it’s due to a combination of things going on – stress, sadness, moving back to school, my new sleeping pill, etc. I’m sure that once I get back into the swing of things, I’ll be back on track with hunger! At least, I hope so – not wanting to eat/what I want to eat is not cool with me. I like to know what my body wants – I like cravings. Yes, I just said that.

Anyway, I’m off to bed early – first day of school tomorrow! I’ll be back to commenting regularly soon, I promise!

First of all, head over to Iowa GIrl Eats’ Amy’s Kitchen giveaway to win some yummy Amy’s products!!

Last night I had a delicious pumpkin pie parfait for dessert!

3 egg whites + plain LC wedge and Frank’s, half a Fuji with cinnamon, and half a multigrain English muffin with Truvia and cinnamon

I took it super easy at the gym:

• 20 minutes on the stair mill at level 5, rolling hills setting
• 20 minutes on the elliptical at level 7, random setting
• 1 mile run in 9:29:
• - Lap 1 at 6.0mph, incline 2
• - Lap 2 at 6.2mph, incline 1.5
• - Lap 3 at 6.4mph, incline 1
• - Lap 4 at 6.6mph, incline 0.5

Healthy tuna salad with iceberg in a Joseph’s wrap with frozen blueberries

Status Symbol by Essie

Boots by Steve Madden

Outfit by Italy street market, Hanes, Forever 21, and American Apparel

After the most painful dental cleaning of my life and wondering what I ever did to offend this woman, I comforted myself with a pair of new jeans. Going back to school in a few days = packing in the shopping while I can.

Snackytime:

Fuji with PB2!!!!

PB2 Opinion
Taste: I tried it on its own first – not exactly like peanut butter, but pretty close, and good in its own way. On the apple, I couldn’t tell the difference at all! 5/5.
Texture: Exactly like creamy peanut butter. 5/5.
Fill Factor: With an apple, I’m satisfied and sure it will hold me until dinner. 4/5.
Ingredients: “Roasted peanuts, salt, and sugar.” Nothing funky at all! Could do without the sugar, but no biggie. 4/5.
Nutrition: Per 2 tablespoons, 50 calories, 2g of fat (0g saturated, trans, and polyunsaturated, 1g monounsaturated), less than .1mg of cholesterol, 80mg of sodium, 3g carbs (0g fiber and 2g from sugar), 6g of protein!. 4/5.
Overall: Loved it! I’m so happy I tried it out – I’ll definitely be ordering a jar! I can’t wait to try it in other things! 5/5.

See you all after dinner!

I headed out to the mall after this morning’s post and came home with some goodies! Two new nail polishes – Status Symbol, a bright pink by Essie, and We’ll Always Have Paris, a rich plum by OPI. Love them! Status Symbol is drying on my nails right now. I love deep, dark shades for winter and fall, but I also like switching them out with bright, cheery colors for warmth!

I also got these beauties:

Hello, lover.

I’ve been wanting boots like these for a year. $100 from $190. Thank you, Steve Madden.

I came home to more goodies!

Need a closer look?

Healthy tuna salad in a Joseph’s pita with half a sliced Fuji

Key Lime Pie Larabar

• Mile 0-0.5: 6.0mph
• Mile 0.5-1: 6.2mph
• Mile 1-1.5: 6.1mph
• Mile 1.5-2: 6.3mph
• Mile 2-2.5: 6.2mph
• Mile 2.5-3: 6.4mph
• Mile 3-3.5: 6.3mph
• Mile 3.5-4: 6.5mph
• Mile 4-4.5: 6.4mph
• Mile 4.5-5: 6.6mph

So every half mile, I added .2mph and then subtracted .1mph on the next half mile. I also threw some inclines in there randomly, for giggles.

Today’s gym session led me to today’s Tuesday Top 5 – The Top 5 Weird Things I Saw at the Gym – today, because obviously there are new phenomena every single visit. Except there were only 3 today, so bear with me.

The Top 3 Weird Things I Saw at the Gym (in no particular order of strangeness)

1. This was more of a smell. COLOGNE. Strong, strong cologne. Seriously – so unnecessary and radiating from the elliptical across the aisle (?) from me and legit making it hard to breathe. Stop. Thanks.
2. Jean leggings. Capri jean leggings. With painted on stitched pockets and seams. Now, I am an advocate of the “jegging” – comfortable, with the illusion of effort. I wish I had invented them myself. However, these were not stylish, good looking, or passable for actual jeans.
3. A man with shoulders as wide as he was long. Boys, this is not a good look. “Gorilla” is not a good look. This is not attractive. It is unnatural. We, as humans, evolved from this look. Let’s keep on evolving.

If I was able to add two more things, not from today, I would add in the man who sings to himself on the treadmill – yes, sir, others can hear you, even if you have headphones in – and the man who was angrily rapping at the elliptical, 8 Mile style last week.

Dinna:

Spaghetti squash with onion, peas and brussels sprouts and a multigrain english muffin with garlic salt

I mixed a plain Laughing Cow wedge into the marinara sauce, heated in the microwave before topping. We were out of parm and I love peas in pink sauce with pasta. Obviously, it didn’t taste the same, but I’d eat it again! Sooo many peas overflowing onto my plate. I love peas!

So – what should I do with my PB2????