Brie Fit

1.  I got a (small) raise today!  My first since I started at my job in October 2009.  It’s nice to be monetarily appreciated.

Lunch (soup, salad, fruit, tiny cheese):

2.  We got pre-approved for a mortgage today!  We’re going to probably sit on it for awhile, but we wanted to make sure everything was clear.  Our goal is to meet with a realtor sometime mid-September and start looking in person in October-ish. 

Dinner 1, pre CrossFit (egg, bacon, goat cheese on a whole grain English muff, small glass of orange pineapple juice):

Tim came to CrossFit with me today!  (Perhaps he will share his impressions in the comments for you.  Tim?)

The WOD was:

• Run (one lap around parking lot w/ 10 pound weight), 21 box jumps, 9 thrusters (45 lbs for me)
• Run (ditto), 15 box jumps, 15 thrusters (went down to 30 lb bar)
• Run (tritto), 9 box jumps, 21 thrusters (30 lb bar)
• Run (again)

Then we did a sit-ups tabata—20 seconds of sit-ups, 10 seconds of rest, rinse and repeat for four minutes.  It was hard!  The most sit-ups I did in a 20 second period was 13, I think, and the fewest was 8 on my last set. 

I hate core work, FYI.  But I love CrossFit.

Dinner 2, post-CrossFit—yogurt, strawberries, granola:

Off to relax a bit!

What is your favorite kind of juice?

So, uh, excuse last night’s detour.  Massive lady troubles were a-plaguin’ me and I needed a glorious cuddle session with my heating pad.  I’m feeling much better, though not quite 100% today. 

Except my iPhone screen cracked in half for no apparent reason this morning.  That sucked.

Another day, another yogurt/berries/granola mess for breakfast.

This is a crazy work week, so no lunch break today.  I had a peach before I went into another noon meeting…

…and ate at my desk while working afterwards.

I had carrots/broccoli and hummus, cherries and pineapple, and an English muffin with almond butter.  I was a little yogurted out after breakfast so it went back in the fridge.

Before I went to the gym, I had a ZBar with a little PB on top.

I actually had a great run after work—I did my longest run since April—5 miles in 48:15.  It feels good to be doing some real mileage again, BUT…

This is post-drainage, but I’m getting some major blood blisters.  I’m not sure what’s going on, but anything over 2 miles is an exercise in mental fortitude because my feet are just uncomfortable.  Any ideas?  (For the record: I wear wicking socks, didn’t like double-layer socks, Body Glide does nothing, I run in wide width New Balance 760s, have been gait evaluated many times.)

We had menu planned and tonight was supposed to be leftover lasagna from last night.  Tim ate that, but I decided to satiate a carving that had been bugging me all day instead.

I had a big bowl of Nature’s Path Flax Raisin Bran, supplemented with half a chopped banana, a scoop of almond butter, and a mini Babybel (PS: the Light Babybels are a pale imitation of the real deal and only 20 calories less—lesson learned).

It totally hit the spot.  Sometimes, you just gotta give your body what it wants!

So, what’s wrong with my feet?  And what’s your favorite kind of cereal?

Yeah.  You read it.

Breakfast was meh.

The Greek yogurt was extra tangy today and it wasn’t sitting well in my stomach.

Lunch.

Spinach salad with craisins and goat cheese, carrots with hummus, hard boiled eggs, peach, mini cheese.  I like hardboiled eggs, but I think two is too many.  I was getting a little gaggy by the end of the second one.

Then there was more bad news.

And I cried in my office with the door shut and ruined my eye makeup.

Then I opened my door and cried a little bit again.

Then I calmed down, and my co-worker asked if I was okay, to which I replied, “I’m fine,” which, hello, is universal code for “STFU”, and then she followed me into my office and I practically had to yell “I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT” in her face to get her to leave.

Or, wait.  Not practically.  I did. 

Unprofessional?  Wildly.  Thank god my boss was on vacation today.

When I was in kindergarten, I used to cry every day because I missed my mom until she made me a no-crying chart in which I got a unicorn sticker for every day cry-free at school.  I think I may need one of those now.  Even though I would not get a sticker today.

Snack.

After work I ran 3 miles.  It was angry running.  I pinned this today and it was all I could think about:

This song, that was played at my dad’s funeral, came on at the two mile mark and I cried on the treadmill. 

I came home to a no-effort dinner. 

We grilled chicken last night, so I heated that up with a microwaved baked potato and a side of watermelon.

It was a pretty healthy day of eats.  I am proud, I guess, that amidst all the insane stress today I didn’t stress eat once.  And I worked out my not-nice feelings and it felt good.  Baby steps, I guess?

However, there will be a small slice of ice cream cake in my very near future.  FYI. 

This, too, shall pass.

Tell me something good in the comments.  What made you happy today?  Bonus points for links of adorable cat pictures.

August?  When did that happen?

Another turn of the page in my puppies-and-kitties calendar.  Sigh.

Anyway, breakfast was good.

I’ve been splurging on fresh berries at the store since they’re in season and fairly cheap, and I’m enjoying the change of pace from cold cereal with Greek yogurt.

Also, I made homemade granola yesterday using a recipe I found on That Wife.  Except I couldn’t stomach $12 for a 16 ounce container of coconut oil (seriously, WTF), so I subbed in half canola oil and half melted natural peanut butter and it worked quite well.   It’s super yummy!

(Warning: that recipe makes a ton, so I’d cut it in half OR do what I did and prepare gift bags of it it send to work with your husband for his co-workers.)

My breakfast was good, but my lunch seriously sucked.

First of all, there were TWO hardboiled eggs, except one was definitely NOT hardboiled, and cracked all over and I had to throw it away.

Second of all, I bought a cheaper brand of hummus and it either sucks in the flavor department or was spoiled, because…blech.

So, my lunch became one hardboiled egg, cantaloupe, cheese, nectarine, and trail mix:

And, okay, a handful of kettle chips from a community bag that landed in the break room.  Not going to lie.

Snacktime:

Oh, and hey, have I mentioned that I live in the seventh circle of hell?  Because I do.

The funny part is that tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter—106 degrees plus heat index. 

I went to walk Milhouse last night around 5 pm and our neighborhood was a ghost town.  Everyone is inside, draped over their air conditioners, sucking down ice cream.

Or maybe that’s just me.

Anyway, after work I had kind of a crappy workout.  Shocker.  I just don’t know if I have the mental energy and desire to pound out great workouts lately, but at least I’m trying.  I ran 1.25 miles, got terrible side cramps, got on the elliptical for 2 minutes, thought “man, this sucks,” went back to the treadmill, ran another mile, walked (fast) half a mile, and then ran another mile.   It was all very sweaty and unpleasant.  Total was 3.25 miles in  34 minutes.  Blah.

I got home and Tim had dinner going.  Who am I to complain?  Childhood comfort food FTW.

In other news, my new hobby is house hunting online.

Our lease is up in November, and we are hoping (and it’s still a BIG if, depending on a LOT of other factors, but whatever, imma be positive) to buy our very own place then or shortly thereafter.  We can go to a month-to-month lease if need be for a few months, but it’s a lot of fun to look! 

I am totally in love with this house, but it’s more than we’d want to spend.  I want it.  Now.

I also very much like this house, even though it has a full-fledged tiki bar in the backyard and kind of a weird backside (but I do too).

This is Tim’s current favorite.

My house likes: fenced yards, 3+ bedrooms, a basement that could house a treadmill someday

My house dislikes: decks that look like they’re built on pencil stilts, small kitchens, houses that look like they have faces

What do I need to know about buying a house? 

Back to work today!

I am feeling less monstrous today, though nausea still interfered with my workout.  It seems to be subsiding, though, which is a good thing.

Lunch:

Spinach salad, homemade pretzel roll, watermelon balls*, mini Babybel cheese**, Greek yogurt***.

*: I enjoyed balling an entire watermelon at my mother-in-law’s house so much she gave me her spare melon baller.  Baller!

**: Crack.  These tiny cheeses are so NOT budget friendly (I think they’re $3.79/6 at my store right now), but they are infinitely better than any cheap string cheese out there.  Worth the money.

***: I’ve always really liked Dannon Greek yogurt.  It’s cheaper than Chobani and Fage, and I really like the texture.  Apparently now they are merging with Oikos?  Anyone know the details?  Please tell me this will not make the prices go up. 

For snacktime, I tried a new flavor of Luna Bar.

It was basically a really big Quaker granola bar.  Meh.

After work, I was really excited to run…but it didn’t go so well.  I think it was a combination of guzzling too much water in the late afternoon due to the heat and my general nausea came back.

I ran 2.5 miles, walked for about 5 minutes, and then ran another .5.  Womp womp.

Dinner was leftover pulled pork and corn on the cob.

I wasn’t full, though, so I had a peach that was pretty excellent.

Now I’m baking cookies for Tim to take to work, and in a bit I will be hacking up 15 pounds of raw food into individual Milhouse-and-Southie-sized portions.

I can’t wait to see my best friend in just three short days!  She has a CrossFit workout planned for us on Saturday morning and I’m quaking in my boots already.

What do you and your best friend like to do together? 

I’m so relieved to be an odd age again. 

Today was a SUPER long day, but in a really great way!

My alarm went off 4:30 am Eastern time, aka 3:30 Central time.  I threw my new birthday present on and headed down to get a cab.

Well, for some random reason, cabs in DC don’t like credit cards.  So they had to call me a special one that never came.  After some antsy pants, I found an ATM and got cash and hit the road.

Except, in an interesting twist of karmic fate, there was a major triathlon in DC this morning, and pretty much every route to Dulles was closed.  So we had to go way out of the way to Maryland, and I was pretty convinced I was not going to make my flight for awhile.

The cabbie kept going on about how triathlons (or, as he described it to me, “run, bike, swim, all of that”) were such a waste of police power and public resources.  I kind of sank down in my seat and tried to not look athletic.

Thankfully, birthday luck smiled on me and I made it to the gate JUST in time to grab a breakfast sandwich and iced coffee, which I ate in record time.  (Fact: I hate eating meals on planes.  I don’t enjoy food smells on flights so I try not to subject anyone else to mine.)

Anyway, short uneventful flight to Midway, potty break, short uneventful flight to Kansas City, and I was home and Tim was waiting for me!

Then, when we got home, it was presents time!

My presents came in the form of gift cards and “this is on the way from Amazon,” but that’s totally okay by me!

From Tim, I got the perfume I’ve been lusting after (Marc Jacobs Lola) since I smelled it in Los Angeles on the way, and Food Network Magazine for my long flights, and a box of chocolates, and from my mom and sister, I got more Lululemon gift cards, which I promptly spent online!

I picked out two more Cool Racerback tanks (I’m obsessed), one in a print called “retro camo”, and one in heathered Tango Red:

Plus the Gather & Crow crops in hopes that they come with a great butt like this:

And the Run: The Fastest shorts:

All that shopping made me hungry, so it was time for a quickie lunch of Easy Mac and a yogurt bowl:

And, naturally, I spent the afternoon doing what makes me happy—grocery shopping, hanging out with Tim, and cuddling 2/3 of our pets.  (Buckley is NOT a cuddler.)

Tim realized he hit the wife jackpot when he asked what I wanted to do for my birthday dinner and I said “Chipotle.”  So we did.

And then I made myself a birthday cake.  This one, specifically, except I replaced “rasp” with “straw” because strawberries and chocolate are my favorite sweet combination.  (Except, oddly, chocolate covered strawberries themselves are not my favorite things.)

The thing is…I can bake a tasty cake.  But I can’t bake a pretty cake.

I’m pretty sure this cake is going to fall apart sometime in the next 24 hours, because I was too impatient to wait for the ganache to set and half the filling leaked out all over the cake plate.

Also, it looks like a boob.  Maybe I’m just tired.

Time to go cut into this bad boy and hit the sack.  I’ve been awake for nineteen hours straight!  I can’t wait to sleep super late tomorrow and be a total slug.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes! 

Okay, so if you read this blog regularly…you’ve probably noticed that I’m a creature of habit.

I don’t post my breakfast every day because I eat the same thing every day.  Kashi GoLean Crunch cereal with 1% milk and a midmorning coffee (or Click protein shake).

Today, well, I found a good thing and went with it, twice. 

For lunch, I had a salad with spinach, Craisins, goat cheese, and pecans, plus a homemade pretzel roll and Greek yogurt on the side.

There was also trail mix as an afternoon snack, but I was too lazy to dig my camera out of my cavernous bag.  Sorry.

After work, I hit up the pool.  For the first time ever, it was crowded!   I’ve only had to share a lane once or twice before, but today, there were 2-3 people swimming in every lane.

Except one of two lanes labeled “fast.”  The guy using it hopped out just as I walked in, and it was empty otherwise.

I stick to “slow” if the pool is empty, and have braved “medium” a few times when “slow” is full.  But fast is where the tall hairless guy in the Speedo speeds by, occasionally yelling and fist-pumping at the clock.

But, my options were “fast” by myself or “slow” with three hairy old men and their beer guts.

So, fast it was.  I swam as fast as I could, and did 1000m in 28 minutes, and then cooled down with 200m of breaststroke.  It was a good time.  I really do enjoy swimming when it’s warm out!

Anyway, I was appropriately starving when I got home.  Swimming just kills me.  So I immediately made another salad and sucked it down as fast as possible.

Like I said, BOGO spinach at Target this week.  And I’m leaving Friday morning, and while Tim likes salads…I think that 90% of the two bags of spinach will be going down my gullet, not his.

By the time I was done, the leftovers from last night were heated up, so I enjoyed some of those.

I was planning on lifting after work, but my co-workers notified me this morning that we’re leaving work at 3 tomorrow and going out for happy hour drinks and appetizers in honor of my birthday!  So I think a rest day is justified.

Are you a creature of habit?

As I’m sure you guys all know…I want to have a baby.  Like, yesterday.

One of the most frustrating things ever is to desperately want a baby and to have people flippantly tell you, “Oh, just enjoy your time together as newlyweds!” as if I could just flip a switch and shut down eleventy billion years of primal, hormonal instincts, and go out and have a Coke and ride unicycles with my husband instead.  We ARE enjoying our time together as newlyweds.  That doesn’t mean I can’t also think “hmm, what would my due date be?” every month and contemplate whether it’s weird to buy a totally cute maternity dress at Target while decidedly unpregnant.

But, we can’t just yet, so instead I try to focus on the things I like about not having another (tiny, adorable, sometimes screamy) human totally dependent on me.

Today I did just that.  I started by sleeping until noon.  I swear I don’t USUALLY do this on weekends, but my sleep has been terrible lately so I went with it.

Then, I got up and polished off a bag of chocolate chips for “breakfast.”  Thankfully, there were maybe only four or five left.  I actually WANTED the leftover pancake from yesterday, but Tim hid it.

And then, I glued my ass to the couch and watched reruns on TLC (baby shows, duh) until I could work up enough energy to make myself lunch.

Spinach this week was BOGO again (yay!) so we’ll be eating a lot of it.  I also picked up my favorite salad toppings—craisins, goat cheese, pecans, and Newman’s Own raspberry walnut dressing.

So yeah.  I had a salad, and some fruit and yogurt, and a homemade pretzel roll I made at 10:30 last night.

I meant to work out, but instead I watched more TLC and went to Target to get some sticky goop for my sassy haircut.

And had a banana with PB.

And I did not do anything except dick around on my laptop and do one load of laundry.

For dinner, I made Skinny Taste macaroni and cheese at Tim’s request, with lots and lots of spinach, and some “chicken nuggets”—chicken breast pieces tossed in breadcrumbs, hot and spicy seasoning, and parmesan cheese and baked.

Not too shabby.

The plan for the rest of the week, workout wise, will likely be swimming Tuesday and Thursday, lifting Wednesday, and maaaybe a quick workout in the hotel while I’m in DC on Friday or Saturday.  But honestly, I’m booked pretty solid while I’m there, so I just don’t know.

Back to work tomorrow!

Edit: I’m a dirty liar.  After I published this post (after dinner, and ice cream, and showering), I got the urge to run, so I went out for a hilly 3 miler in the dark.  I ran 9:41, 9:53, and 9:34 miles, which is pretty great considering the steep terrain.  Who am I again?

What’s your favorite adults-only activity?  (Not THAT, you pervs.)

You know, I was going to run this morning…but then I slept until noon instead.  Whoops.

Anyway, I had a giant brunch to make up for it.

Two eggs with cheese, toast (one with PB&J, one with butter, and pineapple and strawberries with yogurt and Kashi.  It was massive and kept me full until dinnertime sans snacks.

Sorry for not blogging yesterday.  I was busy all night and never got around to it.  After work, I had an excellent swim workout (1200m) and went grocery shopping.  Good times were had by all.

I spent much of the afternoon getting my hair did.

Even though I loved my last haircut, the heavy bangs weren’t really working for summer—my forehead was a hot mess, and they felt really hot, so I decided to get a summer short cut.  Thankfully, my stylist is a wonder woman.  It’s going to take some getting used to, but I really like it!  I can wear my hair in front of or behind my ears—it looks longer when it’s in front of my ears, shorter behind.

I also picked up a few cute headbands, which I love love love in the short hair.

Hooray for change!  My head feels cooler already.

I paired my massive lunch with a massive grilled dinner.

Grilled corn on the cob, sirloin steaks, and sliced potatoes cooked in foil packets with cheese, salt, pepper, butter, and chives.

Delightful!  I love all things grilled in the summer.

This afternoon, I also worked on a special dessert for the evening.

I saw this recipe for Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream on Elly Says Opa (my latest food blog obsession) and had to try it.

Usually I’m a fruit is not dessert kind of gal, but strawberry is probably one of my favorite ice cream flavors, especially when mixed with anything chocolate.  Plus, I’ve been telling myself that I need to use the ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid we got for our wedding, um, a year ago.

This recipe was super easy and absolutely fantastic.  I even used light sour cream to cut the calories a bit, and it turned out really well!

Of course I had to add a little chocolate syrup and a few dark chocolate chips to it.

But, yum.  If strawberries are in season and super cheap in your area, make this—you won’t regret it!

I think Tim and I are going to see a late show of Bridesmaids—we haven’t been to a movie in ages!

Do you have short or long hair?  Do you like to change it up frequently, too?

Quickie post.  I’ve got a big blog-related project a-brewin’ and it’s not this post.  Details in the morning (I hope).

I finally got to eat the delicious lunch I’d packed for Friday.

Protein pancakes with peanut butter topping!

They are so easy to make.  Blend up half a cup of cottage cheese until it’s smooth, then add three egg whites and half a cup of oatmeal and blend until it’s batter-y.  (I use my Magic Bullet.)  I also add a pinch of cinnamon and a splash of vanilla for flavor.  Cook like pancakes.

By my calculations: 280 calories, 30 grams of protein.  Also, delicious.

(Note: These aren’t cakey, like REAL pancakes, but they’re kind of like a pancake/crepe hybrid.)

There was also yogurt.

After work, I decided to do a speedy swim workout—namely, swim 1000 meters as fast as possible, and I did it in 29 minutes flat.

Dinner combined rules 2, 4, and 5 from this morning’s post on menu planning/easy weeknight cooking.

Crockpot salsa chicken with leftovers?  Yes please.

Off to do some top-secret work!

Pancakes or waffles?