Monday, March 28, 2011

Holy Crap!?! Ten Minutes!?!?

    I ran a ten minute mile today. TEN MINUTES!! That is freakin' insane. I shaved more than a minute off my time. Now, of course, I can't maintain that speed for any long duration, but merciful heaven, I did it and I felt good. However, note to self:  I need to stretch more effectively before I run... yikes. - Thankfully I won't be paying for it this time, but not a good habit to get into.

Yup, this sounds about right...

Oh and one more time, I'm calling for any readers/visitors of my blog to give a shout out... I'd love to hear from you! Seriously, even if it's just to say hello. It'd make my day! :)

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Putting Myself Out There In More Ways Than One...

     To begin, I just want to update my status on my running training. I see that it has been awhile since I last logged in an entry, and that's because life has been kicking my ass lately. And since I have been so busy, I haven't really had time for full-blown workouts/training sessions, but at the same time, I didn't want to absolve completely and lose all of the progress I've made. So instead of long endurance runs, I have just been squeezing in mile runs whenever I can. And I know that this is going to sound ridiculous to some people (because it is pretty slow compared to what most people can do) but I am proud to announce that I have been running the mile at an average of 11:15. Now, after not being able to run a mile at all, this is pretty friggin' awesome.
     Ok, so now that we are (somewhat) up to date, I would like to report that after this evening, I am one step closer to checking #14 off my "to do" task list. I have been itching to get back into theater and musicals, especially after just finishing up with The Sound of Music, for which I choreographed. Yet for whatever reason, I would never go to auditions. They would come and go and I would curse myself for not mustering the courage to try out. However, tonight I stepped up and went to an audition. It was pretty painless, although the nerves came back and threw me a little out of whack. But overall, I could care less if they call me back or not; I went and to me, that's even more of a win than getting a part. I can't tell you how many times today I contemplated not going. I came up with at least 30 different excuses and even looked up the phone number to call in case I backed out. Maybe I was afraid of the judgement. Maybe I still always feel sub-par in many ways. Maybe I was just scared to put myself out there and get rejected. But either way, fear or not, I went.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Oh So Sore...Yet Oddly Satisfied

    Yikes, yesterday I went running and ran the distance of what would be a 5k. I had never done that before, so yippee! However, today I can't move. My muscles are on FIRE and I am struggling to even walk. My thighs, hamstrings, hip flexors are so tight that I feel like I'm gonna snap something important if I move too quickly. I took a hot bath, two tylenol, slathered on some Aspercreme and stretched the crap out of my legs but frig, no relief - not yet at least. (A brief notes on this: Apsercreme, Bengay, Nurprin all smell like Wint-o-green Lifesavers... ugh. me no likey! Can't someone come up with a pain relieving gel that smells like men's cologne or pina coladas? Yeah, let's get on that, shall we?) Ok, so long story short, I think I need to stretch a little more than I did before attempting another 3-4 mile run and two: muscles be damned, I did it baby! And I got the sore muscles to prove it! :)
   There is an official 5k run scheduled for April 10th and I think I am going to do it. (It is scaring the crap outta me, which makes me even more nervous about this upcoming Sprint Triathlon.) Well, I gotta get over my nerves/apprehension because there is no backing out... I've come this far, I'm not giving up now. However, I better stretch a little more effectively or else I won't have to quit, I'll just be crippled and unable to participate. Not cool.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Food Network... A Love/Hate Relationship.

   As a former uh... "robust woman", I will freely admit that I have always loved food. And I still LOVE food. Whether I weigh 80 pounds or 800 pounds, ain't nothin gonna change that! I was born into a very Italian household, where the focus of every holiday (and most weekends) was/is on food. What is being served? How much? At what time? Who's bringing dessert? On and on and on...you get the point. So now that I have been losing weight, I struggle with still fostering a passion for the culinary arts, but trying to balance it so that it isn't a focus of my life. Though I may fight it, I still enjoy watching the Food Network and acquiring new recipes to try; however, now I just use the recipes as a framework that I can work with and manipulate into a figure friendly version of itself. Naturally, some recipes are more successful than others but just because I'm losing weight, doesn't mean I have to forfeit a passion of mine. In fact, it challenges me to adjust my passion into my new lifestyle. And I think it will be that element which will be crucial to my success and long-term maintenance.
    So today I was watching the Barefoot Contessa (of whom normally I am not so much a fan). But today she made a Tuna Tapenade, which looked pretty darn interesting. Obviously, this prompted me to immediately run out to the store to buy the ingredients, come home and whip up a batch. AND IT WAS FRIGGIN DELICIOUS! I made several "accommodations" but holy cow, it was awesome. And best of all, I am always looking for protein packed meals that don't revolve around meat; (I'm not a big meat eater.) - So this to me was a win-win.

P.S - I don't know how copyright rules and whatnot goes but I give full credit/props whatever to Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) and mean her no disrespect by tweaking her recipe a bit. Don't that say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery?

Tuna Tapenade

Ingredients

  • 10 to 12 ounces canned or jarred Italian tuna packed in olive oil (I used tuna packed in water...)
  • 2 teaspoons anchovy paste (I didn't use this either, so if you're not a fan, you won't miss it!)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing bread
  • 4 oz 1/3 less fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
  • 1 tablespoon drained capers (optional - I didn't use them!)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 36 slices French bread, cut diagonally (I used Carr's Table Water Crackers... a little healthier)

Directions

Drain all but a tablespoon of olive oil (or water) from the tuna and then flake the fish into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the anchovy paste, thyme, parsley, lemon zest, and garlic and pulse a few times. Add the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of olive oil (NOT the tuna oil!), and the cream cheese and process until almost smooth. Add the olives, capers, salt, and pepper and pulse just to incorporate. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat a gas or charcoal grill or preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the bread lightly on one side with olive oil. Grill the crostini on both sides until lightly browned or arrange the bread on a sheet pan and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
Mound the tapenade on each toast, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! :)

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Perspective, if you please...

    Everyone has their problems. Life is not perfect, not for anyone, despite deceptive outward appearance and facades. Life is difficult and is full of uphill battles. I understand that my obesity is difficult for me and has been for as long as I can remember. But I'm not suffering with cancer. I am not homeless. I am not starving. I think that every once and awhile we need to remind ourselves about perspective and how our troubles are all relative. We all have issues and bad days, but it's important to consider that not only are most problems temporary, but someone somewhere is struggling worse than you are.
    The reason that I decided to write about this is because my grandmother is 74 years old and, for as long as I can remember, she has always been a "negative nelly." Everything is doom and gloom; she discusses tragedy and drama more times than happiness and celebration. And even though I love her, it is daunting to be bogged down by constant negativity. This morning, she came over to my house (after going to church, mind you!) and, as per usual, began talking about all things depressing. Granted, she's 74 and I know that she is not going to change; she's been like this for forever. But what is with the complaining?!? First of all, I understand that sometimes we need to vent, but generally, complaining is counterproductive. If you are unhappy about something, take some steps to change it, instead of spending all of your time b*tching about it! And, a little perspective please. My 16 year old sister's best friend has Acute Myeloid Leukemia - and this kid does nothing but laugh and smile and fight (for her life).  If anyone has a reason to be mad at the world it would be her, and she is more positive than most people I know who struggle with far less difficult things. She's 15 years old and has greater perspective and wisdom than anyone I know.
    So when things seem insurmountable and generally impossible - a little perspective is all you need. This too shall pass. Give yourself a little time for a pity party and then pull yourself up by your boot straps. You have a life to live  - and if you don't watch out, it will pass you right by - or it might hand you something really worth complaining about!