Category: daily

Oh you guys, I fell off the health bandwagon the last few months. I was going strong for a solid year but then, bam! Went on vacation, had that plane thing happen, got a flu shot (I don’t think my body liked it much), hurt my shoulder, and basically anything that looked delicious went down the hatch. It’s funny how life can get in the way and kick you in the pants.

I’m back in business though – I generally feel terrible and I’m wondering if back when I was fatter I felt like this all the time but I was used to it so didn’t notice it so much. Ugh. So I’ve been getting back up to speed this week with eating healthy and next week I’m going to ease in to exercising – I’ve been sick so I haven’t had the energy to do much more than go on walks. Aside from the usual reservoir walk with my dad I want to add at least 3-4 more days of 30-45 minutes exercise/weight training. I also signed up for the weight-loss competition at the office which started yesterday with our first weigh-in. (Ouch.)

Other things I’ve done to get back on the health train include:

1. Buying an actual food scale (I killed my yarn one using it for food. It needs a new fancy battery so once I get that I’ll clean it and put it back in the studio.)
2. Buying an actual scale – I’d been using my Wii Fit balance board for this, heh.
3. Bought some vitamins, just Vitamin C and Oemga 3/Fish Oil ones. I really like the NatureMade brand gummies (I’m such a child). I’ve never been able to manage taking vitamins consistently before but the combination of them being tasty gummies and keeping them in my laundry room by the back door causes me to actually eat them on my way out the door in the morning.
4. Bought supplies to package up smoothies for the freezer.
5. Making plans to do some hardcore crockpotting and stock up the freezer with healthy homemade items. Need to clean out the freezer first though. :/

I plan on starting the Jillian Michaels Killer Buns and Thighs next week (heh) and I’m going to order her new BodyShred system which is apparently using the 3-2-1 system (3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio, 1 minute abs/core that 30-Day Shred and Ripped in 30 use). I like the Body Revolution workouts as well – I did those last year and dropped two dress sizes once I’d completed all the disks.

I’m also moving into eating mostly whole foods – meats and plants with little to no processed items, which includes bread (I love bread). I’ve had a hard time saying goodbye to tortillas but they use processed white flour (and whole wheat tortillas from the store are gross) and I’m trying to eliminate that from my diet for the most part. I don’t drink milk but I do love cheese and yogurt so those products are here to stay. I may lose my mind and attempt to make my own yogurt one of these days.

I’m undecided about canned food. I am on a budget and canned food can be convenient and inexpensive however the salt content is prohibitive. I did find a brand of tomatoes that has no salt added so I’m headed to Winco this weekend to grab some of those. And I love Rotel. So I’m torn on this subject. I know there are a lot of opinions about canned food in relation to GMOs and all that – while I do think that organic is good I don’t necessarily think they’re the best and I think the anti-GMO people have probably drunk the kool-aid so to speak. But I’m not really interested in arguing about that kind of stuff with people – I think everyone should do their own research and decide what is best for themselves and their family. And let’s get real – you will pry that can of Campbell’s Mushroom Soup out of my cold dead hands.

I guess the hardest thing about all this is not the eating or the exercising, it’s the planning. I don’t really have an aptitude to plan much in advance, so I have to be better about that. I’m really good about planning for travel that’s happening months down the line, or what I might be having for dinner tonight, but what am I having for dinner two nights from now? I have no idea.

Anyway, I’m hoping to use this space to talk about this in a more candid manner than I have previously, and maybe post meal plans that have been helpful. Honestly if I can get two posts out in a month that will be a miracle! Hah.

*dusts off blog*

1. What did you do in 2014 that you’d never done before?

I went to Florida! And a Dodgers Game in LA. Walked to the garbage mound (er, Seal Point) on the Bay Trail. Went to Gilroy Gardens

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year??

No New Year’s Resolutions – I don’t believe in them. I do have some goals for 2015 though, and that’s hitting various mile markers on my health quest, hopefully at least one of them before Memorial Day Weekend when my cousin gets married. And resurrect this blog from the depths of despair! haha

3. Did anyone close to you give birth??

Baby-palooza up in here this year. Malvina sprung the Boo in June, Felicia had Miss Alice in October and Jenny had Sierra in October (I think possibly the same day actually, or within a day or so of each other!)

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Nope.

5. What countries did you visit?

The United States of America!

6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?

Last year’s wants remain true: “Money, time, more friends, pants.” I do have more friends now, so that’s nice! Maybe figure out that “relationship” thing but there is a genuine dearth of people I’m interested in dating here, so who knows. I might finally get around to doing an online profile but that seems so inorganic.

7. What dates from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

August 27th aka the day that I learned how to sit in an airplane IN CASE OF CRASH LANDING. EMERGENCY LANDINGS ARE GREAT. NOT REALLY THEY SUCK.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

– NOT DYING ON AN AIRPLANE
– Getting down to a size 16 in clothes! I’m down two sizes since I started Health Quest.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I gained back some of the weight I lost after vacation so I’m working on getting that back off (turns out you do need to keep exercising and eating right, haha…) I joke about the airplane thing now but I had some problems with it for about six-eight weeks afterwards. Nothing like the possibility of death to turn you into a self-destructive twerp. I’m still the same size though!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

My near death experience gave me a cold so a month later I got a flu shot. In October I did something to my shoulder (too heavy purse) and have been kind of dealing with that ever since. Things are getting better though so that’s good.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Last year: My tablet and my running shoes.
This year: A new tablet and new running shoes, heh. Also a new internet router because that is the heart and soul of my existence (sadly). Oh, also my plane tickets to Florida and Texas, and also booked the last two rooms with bathrooms at Wawona for the wedding.

12. Where did most of your money go?

Bills, nail polish, traveling.

13. What did you get really excited about?

My Florida/Texas trip, going down to see Sarah in LA, various baseball games (besides the Dodgers made it to tailgating at a Bay Series game, and at least one or two other games? I think I went to four this year), my cousin’s hilarious Save The Dates, winning the office pool tournament by accident, seeing my friends’ babies, etc.

14. What song will always remind you of 2014?

John Newman’s Love Me Again
Hozier’s Take Me to Church

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:?

– happier or sadder? Happier I think
– thinner or fatter? About the same!
– richer or poorer? Richer

16. What do you wish you’d done more of??

Traveling, sleeping.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of??

I don’t think I have any #regrets this year, haha. Maybe less procrastinating but that is how I roll y’all.

18. How did you spend Christmas?

At my house for Christmas Eve with my mom’s side of the family. At my parents’ house in the morning for Christmas Day with just us and then later my aunt and grandma came over for dinner. My mom made the most EPIC meatloaf – it was 100% delicious. She makes a great meatloaf anyway, but for some reason (the Kinders ground chuck maybe? lol) it was just effing delicious.

19. What was your favorite TV program?

Orphan Black – Continues to amaze me with the acting on this one
True Detective – Aside from the amazing acting, did you SEE that six minute uncut shot in episode 4?! Best thing I’ve seen on TV in ages
Game of Thrones – After being traumatized by the Red Wedding, how can we go on? But we did and it was great.
The 100 – this post apocalyptic teeny-bopper show on the CW has delivered with each and every episode. I’m so surprised by the great storytelling and forward moving plotlines. Who knew that a show about a failing space station sending their delinquents down to a wasteland Earth could be so good?
Supernatural – always and forever in my heart, Winchester Bros.

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

Magic Shifts / Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews – still my favorite author(s). Magic Shifts is the latest in the Kate Daniels series (we finally meet Roland!) and Burn for Me is the first in a new series/trilogy.
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill – this book got me through the plane incident and was really good to boot!
Wild Man / Law Man / Heaven & Hell / The Will by Kristen Ashley – Kristen Ashley is an acquired taste and her voice is unique. Her books don’t always work for me (i.e., the majority of the Rock Chick series was deeply annoying) but when they work, they really work.
The Razorland Trilogy (Enclave / Outpost / Horde) by Ann Aguirre – this YA postapocalyptic YA series is fantastic – mutants, cave dwellers, war, peace, etc. It’s great. And Horde is the book that really turned me onto the path of ebooks because I wanted it right then.
Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry – part of a concurrent duology (?) about a woman who falls in love with her best friends ex-fiancee (the other book, Hot Island Nights, is about the best friend breaking off the engagement and running away to Australia to find her birth father, also good). I really liked how the characters of Violet and Martin were fleshed out from the first book. It was a sweet, emotional romance.
The Others Series (Written in Red / Murder of Crows) by Ann Bishop – in an alternate world humans live in small cities surrounded by the Others (werewolves, crows, etc.) that shapeshift into human form. The series centers on a girl who has escaped a serious situation finding refuge in the Courtyard (where the community of Others live in a human city). It’s a complex, interesting world – and far far better than Bishop’s famed Black Jewels Trilogy, which did nothing for me, alas.

2014 was the year I moved mostly over to ebooks – something I never thought I’d do! But the ability to download a book whilst sitting upon your ass and not having to drive to Walnut Creek and find parking at the only Barnes & Noble around? Priceless.

21. What was your favorite music from this year??

John Newman’s Love Me Again
Hozier’s Take Me to Church

22. What were your favorite films of the year?

Guardians of the Galaxy! And, well, the Lego Movie.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

34 – had a whole weekend of stuff, met Felicia and Tyler for breakfast the day before and then crab cakes and mojitos at Havana with Sarah and Bill.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

To have been in ignorant bliss on how to sit in a crash landing and not to have hurt my shoulder.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?

Hipster chic. I don’t really wear cardigans anymore, either, weird.

26. What kept you sane?

Coffee, the sweet elixir of life that giveth and ne’er taketh away. No but seriously my daily coffee ritual is simultaneously a grounding and transcendent moment.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014?

Life is short and next time fly Delta.