I got LASIK!!!!

Yes I finally got the surgery done Friday. It was honestly the easiest thing I've ever done. It was also the best decision I've ever made. I now see perfectly without glasses or contacts. I also see sharper. Yay, my life is made.

Moving on from that. I have been eating horribly, but I have not gone back over the weight from the beginning of the year. I guess that's a good thing. My sister saved the day (as usual) yesterday when we went grocery shopping and I once again was telling her about all my struggles. We made plans and shared tips. I went home with a bunch of healthy food, ready to get back into it. I will never understand how people make it through life without siblings. My sister (and brother, he's just not mentioned much in my healthy lifestyle journey) is the best ever. She amazes me with what she can do and how strong she is. I honestly feel bad for only children, life must be so lonely :(

In other good news, I finally bought PB2 today. I have been wanting to try it for quite a while now and I am just now getting to the end of my peanut butter jar, so I thought it was the perfect timing for trying this out.I have only mixed a little just to try it out. It's pretty good. I just tried it by itself. I'm sure with other food it is even better, but really this was just a test to see if I'd made a big mistake trying to find healthy alternates to my fat girl food loves.

I'll let you know when I start mixing it in different recipes. For example, tomorrow I plan on making my oatmeal a banana, PB2, cocoa oatmeal. We'll see how that works out. I've been cooking a lot more and relying on frozen meals a lot less. Which was one of my goals so that's good. I found that I love bean threads (it's like rice noodles but slightly different), rice noodles, and Asian cuisine in general. It seems to be easier to keep healthy as most of the meals (made at home) only consist of rice/pasta and veggies with any or no meat all. Seems like a good light, healthy dinner option to me. Bonus: it's really easy to make. Especially when your boyfriend loves cooking and you can just watch. I guess that can't count as me cooking more, but it counts as me eating more homemade meals, so I'll take it.

Ok I realize that was a whole lot of random updates, but this is as exciting as my life gets. It's rough being me :)

Happy Thursday!

Weekend Hiatus

Sorry for the past couple of days, but I honestly didn't have much to write about. I feel like it would be incredibly boring if I just reported about what I eat and if I work out or not daily. So I wait till either it has been long enough or I have something to say.

And really neither has happened. I've been pretty busy with work, just got a new wave of business. I had planned on going to San Antonio and spend the weekend with my BFF but that got cut short thanks to my adventurous cat who got stuck in my parents attic and could not be found unless her mama called her name. Thanks Lily, I appreciate the love but I would have liked you to prove your loyalty some other way.

This is Lily stuck in the attic (a hole in the house was made to get her out and take this picture) she's looking quite traumatized.

And this is Lily celebrating her freedom:


She was rescued and is doing just fine. I did get to try out one of those Paint and Drink classes that are so popular right now; and I loved it! It was so fun. This is coming from a girl who does not draw or have any artistic talent. 

My beautiful painting I did the left one and Ali made the right one:

On Repeat

My favorite blogger Macie always has on repeat Wednesdays. And I'm once again stealing this idea except on a Thursday, because we all know I can't keep a schedule straight to save my life. She has all these cool songs and artist that on there that make her way cooler than me; cool has never been my style so I'll stick with what I know. My current obsession is....Taylor Swift. I know, lame. I don't care how uncool or overdone it is, I absolutely love her songs. Specifically one named "Come back...Be Here"

I promise sometimes I listen to something else besides T-Swift, like 2% of the time.

Busy week..kinda

Sorry about the short hiatus, I took a recovery day on Monday, then had training for work (yay) which meant having to catch up on work today (even more yay). So I actually have done really well all week with eating. I haven't gone over point budget (I'm using Weight Watchers because I love the program) even though I ate a few bad things. But that's the whole point of the program, you can eat whatever you want, you just have to account for it and make sure not to overdo it! So the brownie and pretzel bites I had were worked into my budget and I did not go over. Now I get that it's not super healthy, but I'm really not one of those people who can love and rave veggies (jealous of those who do). And sometimes a girl just needs a brownie ok?

So earlier this week, I took my cat to go meet Sam's cats. We're lame like that and wanted to see how they would react to each other if/when one day they are thrown in the same household. well that was a giant disaster. My Lily wanted nothing to do with it and almost attacked Sam's cat (see why I needed a brownie?). Guess she doesn't want to replace her BFF Doc (i.e. my sister's cat, they hang out and love each other). 

I did work out two of the past three days and have plans to work out the next two days as well. I'm visiting my BFF in San Antonio this weekend and will probably not do any workouts that don't involve holding a drink in my hand and then lifting it to my lips. But I do plan on being good so I can stay on track and fit into that bridesmaid dress in May like I promised the bride I would.

we made it halfway through the week y'all so that's good news! Happy Hump Day!

Soo I ran a half marathon today...

That's right I actually finished it AND I only walked about 1 mile. I'm not gonna lie, I'm really proud of myself. I hadn't trained like I needed to (read: I've run a total of 6 miles in the past two and a half weeks combined) and almost deferred. But I would have still lost my money if I deferred, so I decided to suck it up and try and run. I did get myself in that situation. It's not like it creeped up on me either, I signed up back in June or something, plenty of time to train.

Anyways, that doesn't matter now. Let's go over how this run went:

I woke up at 5 AM to be ready to leave by 5:40, had a good breakfast and got ready. Val was running late (what else is new?) so we did not actually get there until 6:15 even though we live about 8 minutes away from where we parked (you do the math). It was drizzling when we left and some major cold front came through. By cold front I mean it was in the high 40s, low 50s. This is Houston so you Northerners don't judge. Out here in Houston we're not even sure snow is a real thing or if it's made up by Hollywood to make movies prettier. Just saying.

We were kinda late lining up so we ended up being the very last people to start running. I'm not kidding, I turned around and there was no one behind me. It also started pouring down really cold rain fright as the start gun went off. I was only wearing capris and my Texans long sleeved shirt (did you really think I wouldn't wear/mention my Texans?) I was soaked within seconds, it was great. I started running expecting the worst, I hadn't run in ages and it was the worst weather I had ever run in. At this point I was wishing I had stayed in bed.

Surprisingly the first 4 miles flew by, I didn't stop at all except to drink my water from the water stands (who can run and drink anyways, I'd choke to death) and I don't consider that a walk, that's just a safety thing. I lost track of miles and times between 4-6 miles, I had to go to the bathroom really bad and was starting to feel the effect. I finally found some port-a-potty's (ew, but necessary) and waited in line for about 10 minutes  freezing my butt ff since I was still soaked but at some point in the race the rain had stopped. I was so focused that I didn't realize it had even stopped raining.

To be honest after that the race was a blur, I stopped to drink at every water/Gatorade station. I was in pain, but I was determined not to walk much and wanted to prove to myself I could push through. It rained on and off and I lost myself in thoughts a few times. I know it's not a good thing but for runners, but it's how I run. It's therapy. I also almost burst into tears a couple times, too much emotions. Crossing that finish line was such a good feeling, but I think  I was a little too exhausted to take it all in. Either ways I got my medal and finisher's shirt, so it was a successful race. Hopefully I can run again next year. I definitively want to do another half marathon (once I'm fully recovered. For now I have no interest in the full marathon, but who knows.

Stay tuned, tomorrow I'll go over a list for newbies of what to expect and some tips to get through your first half or full that I learned today while talking to people. Hope everyone had an awesome weekend!

Go Texans

So today I decided I should wear my JJ Watt shirt to work in honor of the Texans playing the Patriots  Hope it goes over well. I didn't get a picture of it but just to be an obsessive Texans fan let me show what the shirt looks like and make by entry prettier by including my favorite team in anyway I can:

Isn't it beautiful? Ok moving on...

Today I actually got up early to go work out. It may have been because it is my weigh in day and I wanted that number as low as possible, but that's irrelevant, I still went. And id my three mile loop. I did stop and walk a couple of times. Mainly because I haven't run consistently in quite a while and I didn't want to push it. Also, I'm running a half marathon this weekend.

What? Didn't I just finish saying I haven't run in forever? Yeah, I did. But I signed up for this this summer when I was motivated and paid for it, so I might as well attempt. If I walk (which I will) it's ok. Next one will be for real. At least this way I get a feel for the process and I'll be ready the next time it comes around. It's on my bucket list, and it's on my list of things to do in the next year, so I will get one done. This one just wasn't meant to be.

I did pack my lunch again today, that's a lunch for everyday this week, best I've done since the holiday season started.



 It's pretty boring, my usual sandwich, grapes, cherry tomatoes, and lime jell-o. In the excitement of the Texans shirt, I forgot my oatmeal, so have coffee and water for breakfast. Not good but I'll survive.

And just because I can, one that makes me laugh. Sorry Cowboys fan, but you've made fun of us for so long, I can't say I feel bad.

Running shoes

(NOTE: this should have been posted last night, I pressed save instead of publish. I'm a mess sometimes)

So last night I made it to the gym to get on the treadmill. I had to take my new vibrams that I got for Christmas instead of my normal running shoes. I'd only used those shoes to walk and they seem pretty ok, but running in them was torture. It hurt to get used to them, so I ended up walking most of my work out. Although I did get an hour on the treadmill and ran about 25 minutes of that. I'd still say that overall it was a good stop at the gym.

It's been raining a lot here, so I haven't been going outside much. I know what people say about "If you want for the ideal time to start, you'll never do anything in your life". I get it, I agree. But after a long day at work, I don't want to run in the rain in new shoes that I haven't gotten used to yet. Sorry for being a slacker.

I tried a new recipe today. It's from the lovely Taralynn over at Undressed Skeleton. She's got tons of recipes and advice. She's very creative and I like to just read up on what food combinations she's creating. For example, did you know that one mashed up banana combined with and egg makes two yummy pancakes for breakfast? I do now. Not obviously, it's not a real pancake but its a very good substitute for breakfast that is healthy and has protein. Put some PB or Jam on top and you're set. Mine were a little plain this morning because I was improvising.



I really want to get some PB2, the powder peanut butter. I'm usually not into substitutes, but peanut butter is my weakness and while I know it's healthy calories  I can't always handle the amount of calories (or points since I use the Weight Watchers program) it adds to my meals. Anyone ever tried it? DO you love it or hate it?

I also packed my lunch today and kept it pretty healthy and light. Just a turkey sandwich, lime jello, and fruits. So so far so good on the getting healthy track. 3 days down, i bazillion to go. Yay! Happy hump day everyone, we're halfway to Friday!

This is my packed lunch, lots of fruits since I'm not big on veggies!

Sometimes Mondays feel like Thursdays...

...and you know those weeks are going to be long. The good thing about today was that we had a baby shower for one of my coworkers. It was fun and I won the "guess how big the pregnant belly is" game and won a gift card to Starbucks. That's pretty cool. I'm not gonna lie it was a complete guess, and I had no idea what I was doing.

In the past five months I've learned more about weddings, marriages, pregnancies and babies than I thought possible. I work in an office with about 15 women, and all of those topics/events have happened in the office in that time frame. I don't drink the water there, I'm a little afraid. Anyways, it all adds up to great conversations that scare/gross out the few males we have working there. Which is even more fun.

Anyways, while the baby shower was lots of fun, it essential threw an obstacle in my whole eating healthy plan the very first day I try to get back on track. The first day. Really? I couldn't even get a week? Ugh. The good news is I actually did pretty well. We ordered a Jason's deli catering plate for lunch and I had half of a turkey sandwich, some chips (I'm sorry, they are my weakness), and fruits. I think that's pretty good for a work party. Thank god it's mainly all women who care about health and their waistlines.

I did fail to go work out. I couldn't sleep last night and decided to go run after work. The problem with me is that I'm useless after 5 PM (unless we're talking Houston Rodeo, but that's for another paragraph). Once I set foot outside work, I want a couch and dinner. And after that I try and break a record for the least amount of movement I can make before bed. It's bad. So instead of heading to the gym (which is between work and home, by the way) I went to Sam's. We did cook a healthy meal, lean beef and a baked potato.

I'd say overall, I conquered the day. As one of my favorite coworkers/friends/life saver tells me the trick is to get through the day. Leave the strength of making it through tomorrow for tomorrow. It's gotten me through many days and many cravings or binge temptations. I resisted the table full of sugary goodies and chips the rest of the afternoon and Sam and I even picked the M&Ms out of a trail mix and only ate the nuts, not the M&Ms. Anyone who knows me knows i deserve a prize for this.

I'm hoping for a better tomorrow, and making healthier choices. Also, running is a must tomorrow. Hope everyone else is aware tomorrow is Tuesday not Friday, which is what my brain is trying to convince me of right now.

Anyone have tips on how to stay strong during work? What is your favorite healthy meal? Or even better, snack?

Birthday Weekend

This weekend was Sam's birthday. Therefore eating healthy wasn't a priority (thus was expected). However, as I did do decent portion control wise. I definitely could have done better, but baby steps are better than no steps. Besides this week starts the real work. It's not because I don't believe in starting on any other day than Monday  It's just because birthdays are meant to be fun. If I deprive myself of any fun I'll give up in two weeks. Birthdays are fine, this week is business. I've got a pantry and fridge full of good food, and work outs to do.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I know quite a few teachers have to head back to work tomorrow, so good luck to all this week. Come back for some good updates (I hope)!

Resolution Time

It's that time of year again..Resolution time! Yay.

Ok truth be told, I'm not too much of a New Year's Resolution person. That's only because I'm the type of person to make resolutions all year. Whether it's March 27th, my birthday, or some other insignificant day, I'm always trying to think of ways to become better, which I admit is taxing and overwhelming sometimes.

However, back to resolutions, as usual my resolution is to get into good shape and be healthy. And in all honesty I'm tired of making that resolution. I honestly make it thinking that  will be the year I make it. That this time i truly have had enough. That I've hit rock bottom and I can't be like this anymore. And every year I do really well until about March, then life gets back to normal. I slowly put the weight back on and end up at the end of December crying and embarrassed of how I look.

This year my sister talked me out of my spiraling emotions. She's truly the best, she's been good this year. she got fit, is staying fit, and is living the life she wants to lead. I so wish I could be more like her. She's strong and determined and everything I failed to be this year. I honestly don't know how only children make it through life, my siblings have always been there for me and have helped me through my biggest obstacles through life. And Val is, once again, taking this challenge with me and helping me along. Giving me advice and being there for me. She truly is the greatest, I know I've said it before on the blog but she really is one of my favorite people ever. 

This brings me to talking about what I have done so far to get back on track. After I finished crying and ended my meltdown, I picked myself up and took my big butt to the grocery store and bought healthy food to start bringing my lunch to work again like I used to, it's cheaper and healthier than fast food or any other restaurant. I went running even though I had already talked myself out of going tonight, I thought there's no better time to start than right now. I'll be going to the track tomorrow and making sure I get some exercise in this weekend.

I hope anyone going through this same struggle has the strength to keep fighting, to keep going. There's plenty of blogs out there that prove it's possible to succeed. We can do it, the worst we can do is give up.

Good luck to all on your resolutions. May the new year bring you new hope, strength, and happiness.