looooooooove legs day

had a VERY decent day today.  on top of the deadline being passed and therefore the pressure being gone, i had an evenly productive and lax day.  could have been more productive, admittedly, but hell with it.  it's been a rough week.

and i had some tasty coffee in the afternoon, then went in the back lot and did donuts and drifts in the snow.  GOOD TIMES.  and i didn't damage my car or any equipment so i call it a win.

LEG DAY.  and an awesome one at that.  for the first time, i grasped the concept of a pyramid workout and did more than i think i ever have:

elliptical - 1 'mile' in about 11 mins... 2/10 of that mile was backward or it would have taken much less time.

glute isolator - 15 x 30, 13 x 35, 10 x 40, 7 x 45, 10 x 40, 13 x 35... and i think i stopped there

abductors - 40 lbs on the squeeze due to changing the way i do it (to CORRECT), 60, 70, 80 on the spread, and i don't even know reps 'cause i wasn't counting... gym buddy distraction

ab knee lifts - 3 x 20

man, i really should have taken notes... i forgot most of this already :-( this is all estimation, but i did full increment pyramids on just about everything

calf isolator - 3 x 10 of each position (straight, ins and outs) at 40.  first time on THAT one and helloooo burn.

curls - 15 @ 40, 10 @ 50, 7 @ 60 x 2, 10 @ 50, 15 @ 40

extensions - 15 @ 50, 10 @ 60, 7 @ 70 x 2, 10 @ 60, 10 @ 60, 15 @ 50

angle press - 10 @ 120, 10-15 @ 140, 10 @ 160, 5 @ 180 (my high), 10 @ 160, 10 @ 140

and then i almost died.  i was honestly going to try for squats, but i should have done those first as i was jelly by the time i was ready.

lotsa stretching and talking with Bryan (aforementioned gym buddy), who is a very nice, and attractive, older guy (i wish i knew HOW old) who is clearly interested in me and hinted toward taking me out.  i sidestepped it, but might be willing.  he lives like someone younger than i am and age is a number, right?  we'll see what happens there.

holy crap i feel great.  i NEED to remember how good i feel now so i keep it up.  friday makes a good leg day, since i could be at the gym until after 8 and not stress about sleep.  i wish i could have hit the tanning bed, but i have $40 until friday so that's a splurge that will have to wait.  sadface.

wasn't even bothered by the 3" of snow that accumulated on my car in my just over 2.5 hours working out.  much lake effect today/tonight.  the ride home was sketch but i've learned how to drive in snow.  took a couple wrecks, but i'm good now ;-)

FOOD STUFF:

breakfast:

1/4 cup (less than usual) - ish of my oat blend cooked in water and half a banana

container of oikos nonfat chocolate stirred in

wheat germ / flax mix sprinkled

blueberries

fiber one on top

yuuuuuum.  and way more satisfying than expected.  i wasn't even really hungry at noon.

snack 1 (at my normal lunchtime):

clementine

lunch (at about 2pm, i wanted to eat this later since it was heartier than my normal lunch and would hopefully hold me over until after the gym):

leftover curry (YUMMY) and some baby carrots

snack 2  (at like 4:45):

my last work banana - needed to be eaten and would give me a little boost for my workout

speedy 'latte', 20 oz - LITTLE bit of FF french vanilla cap, ice, topped off with coffee, cinnamon stirred in.  mmmmmm...

dinner:

we'll call the scoop of protein i ate on the way home from the gym part of dinner.  didn't mix it, just ate it and chased it with water.  need to fuel those muscles.

saaaaaaaaaaaalad (half and half romaine mix and spinach, carrots, tomatoes, and light italian dressing)

the last of the curry, with almonds and FF feta (just as good the 3rd time)

couple bites of shrimp linguini that was cooked when i got home, and half a piece of garlic bread

all told... yummy stuff.  'course, the night is still kind of young and i'm having wine, so i'm sure i'll graze a bit before i pass out.  and that's OK with me.

still excited/freaking about the job.  i still feel really good about it... but i want it SO MUCH that i'm scared.

that is all... for now. 

try again

i swear i'm going to make an honest effort to maintain this journal. i went a little comment-y on other ladies' blogs tonight, so now's a good chance to talk to... myself.

i'm still having formatting issues with the older posts. i'm sorry, but it's pissing me off and i want to get some actual 'writing' in while i'm feeling inspired.

i signed up for a beginner's yoga class - last night was the first session. omg... it was AMAZING. i hope so much that once i'm done i can afford to keep taking classes, because that was such a wonderful experience and something i think my spazzy ass will get a lot out of. i spent all day today in a good mood, which only got better as the day progressed. might have something to do with ... dun dun duuun...

THE AWESOME JOB INTERVIEW. i applied online to a local college back in the end of october, as a records assistant/secretary. which is pretty much my specialty, or would be if i had my way. anyway, i didn't hear anything for weeks, and called to inquire and they told me they were still sorting through applicants and to hang tight. well, three weeks after THAT, i finally get a call. now, as i briefly touched on above, i am a big huge spaz. so i was nervous as hell. but i am also extremely qualified for this position, almost to the point of being overqualified. it IS a pay cut, but i seriously hate my current job and there are a lot of perks about getting this one so i think it's worth it.

anyway... nerves aside, i'm pretty sure i ROCKED that interview. exhuded confidence, made eye contact, had them laughing a little, and demonstrated just how perfect i am for the job. they have a total of four candidates, i was their third interview... i should find out early next week. so think happy thoughts for me, guys.

and now... on to the fun/food stuff:

breakfast:

was delicious, for one. i pre mix a blend of about three parts rolled oats to one part oat bran as my usual base, unless i make some overnight steel cut oats (mmm... i'm about due for a batch, actually)

my preferred constants are:

1/3 cup oat blend

1/2 banana

cinnamon

nuked for a minute in about 3/4 cup (i don't measure, just add enough to cover the oats) water

then sprinkled with about a tablespoon of a ground flax/wheat germ mix that i also prep ahead of time

today, i:

cooked the oats (etc, see above) in celestial seasonings nutcracker sweet tea (with caffeine, baby!)

stirred in blueberries, blackberries, and some no-sugar-added applesauce, and MORE cinnamon (never enough cinnamon... and it's good for blood sugar regulation!)

topped it with homemade spiced/roasted almond butter and the most delicious cherry preserves ever (bonne maman i think is the brand. looks local, but that could just be good packaging)

and DEVOURED. it was more... stuff... than i'm used to since i didn't eat much for dinner last night due to getting home late from yoga. kept me happily sated for an extra half hour, and i could have gone longer but i truly hate to be hungry. which brings me to...

lunch:

i'm operating on a much reduced budget, due to the holidays, so i'm working with what i've got plus a few 'gotta have' purchases (mostly blueberries and baby carrots). at the office, i happened to have:

kangaroo honey wheat pita pocket

small bag of baby spinach

single serve packet of tuna

single serve packet of light italian dressing

sabra roasted red pepper hummus

baby carrots (i brought these... gotta have carrots)

... hmm... whatever shall i make? obviously a tuna salad mix with spinach and dressing, stuffed in the pita. with carrots for crunch and hummus for dipping (sandwich and carrots). it was REALLY tasty and i will be doing it again. probably yet this week.

then i left the office early for the interview. got to see a friend for a few minutes, 'cause i used her bathroom to change (i hate my job and have no boss, therefore i don't really adhere to the 'business casual' standards and had to spruce up a bit), so that was nice. got there a little early, and rocked. then a couple of grocery store trips (big lots and kroger both rox my sox) and then home. had a couple of glasses of cheap but decent cabernet (and smoked 2 cigarettes... bad girl) while i cooked up:

dinner:

curry and couscous skillet

heated olive oil and minced garlic in a pan

chopped up and sauteed about 1/4 onion until soft (would have done more but i was low on onion)

slightly drained and added a can of diced tomatoes

let that cook a little, peppered and sprinkled with curry powder

drain and rinse a can of garbanzos, added them in

more stirring and anther couple shakes of curry powder

added about half a bag of mixed frozen veg (cauliflower, lima beans, asian green beans, carrots), a good few shakes of curry and about a half cup of water, covered and let it simmer for... a while? 15-20 minutes, keeping an eye on it

nuked 1 cup of water for about 4 minutes, to boiling

added a heaping 1/2 cup whole wheat couscous, stirred and set aside

uncovered the curry for the last few minutes, to evap some of the juice, then shut it off and made myself a salad

when it was TIME... i topped the couscous with the curry (obv) and then topped THAT with some fat free crumbled feta and slivered almonds and pine nuts. i really should have toasted the nuts first, but i didn't realize that until after i had put the oil in the skillet and it wasn't worth dirtying another dish. would have been better, but was still EXCELLENT. i took a picture! which i will upload later as it's getting late and if this is gonna get published, it had better happen tonight. i felt so good about the meal that i made myself some:

dessert:

small scoop of light pumpkin ice cream, topped with mini gingersnaps, whipped cream, and raisins soaked in hot spiced red wine. mm mm mm mm mm delicious

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand thus concludes my night. well, after my obligatory mug of celestial seasonings sleepytime tea. LOVE it, it's been a staple of mine for years

that is all. for now. and holy crap it was a lot...

twofer

well, i'm on a roll, aren't i? if anyone ever starts reading this i will probably have to go back and hide some of the more useless posts. like this one will surely be. but that's one i'll cross later.

side note - it's taken 2 days to finish this post. and i'm only 5 badly composed sentences in so far...yep, day 3 now. i fail at blogging. but i'm finding myself totally addicted to reading them, which is inspiring me to try to write. i'm at work right now, which is NOT the place, but i just HAD to share my salad.

while we wait... and holy crap we're waiting a long time.

still waiting, and it's night time now. it was a big picture, so i'll just tell you and upload the pic when it shows up. it contained:

spinach

italian blend greens

chopped red, green, yellow and orange peppers

baby carrots

cherry tomatoes

portabello mushrooms

black beans

frozen veg blend containing corn, broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers

deli turkey

ken's light italian dressing

and was PHENOMENAL.

(edited to add pic)

marvel at its glory. right now. here you go:

and dinner tonight was also to-die-for. it was:

jennie-o turkey patty

trader joe's 21 seasoning salute (if you haven't had this, get it NOW)

worchestire

topped with gouda, portabello, red onion, and sweet and spicy sandwich pal

on an aunt millie's slimwich. enjoyed with a mug of local brew (nit wit, mishawaka brew co)

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

and one more foodstuff then i'm publishing, dammit.

buffalo cheddar kettle corn. omg. this is local, but if you have access... get some NOW. at wal mart. you'll thank me.

that is all

intro / favorite lunch EVAR

so... yeah. here i am. hi i'm sam!

i honestly think it would be good for me to pay more attention to this thing, as my livejournal was very therapeutic. i just need to find the time. i'll start with something easy - a 'recipe'

guilt free gyro

(all measurements approximate/eyeballed... you're smart and know what you like)

sandwich-

1 tortilla / wrap of your choice (i prefer the ole xtreme wellness whole wheat tortilla - 76 cals and huge!)

2 oz deli sliced roast beef

.5 t mccormick perfect pinch mediterranean herb blend

1 T sliced white onions

.5 t parsley flakes

4-5 cherry/grape tomatoes, halved

1.5 T crumbled feta

lay out tortilla on a sheet of plastic wrap (for wrapping ease later)

place roast beef in center

sprinkle with herb blend, turning to ensure coverage

add onions

sprinkle with parsley flakes, again turning to ensure coverage

cover with tomato halves

wrap and seal in plastic

tzatziki-

.25 c plain nonfat yogurt - greek style or strained (i strain)

.5 t dill

.5 t minced garlic (mine is packed in EVOO)

1 T shredded cucumber

combine all ingredients, stir and refrigerate. there will be leftovers

here's the messy part

place wrapped sandwich in microwave

1 minute, 50% power

turn

1 more minute, 50% power

well... HERE's the messy part

open up wrap and slather with tzatziki. i used about half in my sandwich

sprinkle with feta

re-wrap in both tortilla and plastic to avoid drips

ENJOY

the remaining tzatziki is an excellent veggie dip, or an excuse to make another gyro.

well... first step's the hardest. let's see if i can keep it up.

that is all.