It is true that I love salads.  It is also true that I am particularly picky with what goes in those them, and ideally, vegetables are just a small part of the picture.

• Romaine lettuce
• Marinated Bean Medley (Trader Joe’s)
• Fat-free feta cheese  (Trader Joe’s)
• Sliced strawberries
• Avocado
• Red onion
• Bacon (two slices)
• Balsamic vinegar

Yes, bacon.  If you missed it, the fabulous Heather wrote a great post about bacon (and other fats) last week.  I couldn’t agree more with her viewpoint.  I will never give up bacon…and why should I, for 70 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat per serving?

I know all you veggie lovers out there probably consider this an abomination of a salad.  I can’t help it.  It’s the only way I can choke down all that lettuce

Possibly related posts:

1. Salad Season
2. Salad Sunday & The Dailey Method
3. Special Salad + Giveaway Winner!

1. My blood samples had to be taken after fasting for 12 hours.  Though I know I do this all the time when I eat dinner, go to sleep two hours later, sleep for 8 hours, and then eat breakfast two hours after waking, the fact that the “fast” was imposed by another party made me suddenly very conscious of it.
2. I have a phobia with needles and, particularly, getting my blood taken.  This developed out of a bad experience when I was little, because my veins were so small that the nurse had to go in several times in her attempt to suck me dry.  Then, the lab lost my sample, so I had to return and do it all again the following week. 

The reason for all of this was because, for years, I have sporadically and unpredictably felt severe pains on the left side of my head.  Though they are the most intense pains I’ve ever felt, they go away so quickly (2-3 seconds) that I have always brushed them off.  Then, last month, the stabbing pain lasted nearly a full 30 seconds (which may as well have been eternity), so I decided to finally go see the doctor.

After several simple tests (yes, I can walk in a straight line while touching my nose), the doctor said it’s probably just a muscle spasm, but ordered blood work, just to be sure.

My results came in today, though I have yet to get the analysis from my doctor.  I did, however, have my Registered Dietitian colleague check out my stats, and she was particularly impressed with my lipid panel:

Cholesterol: 153 (Standard Range <239-)

Triglyceride:  119 (Standard Range <199-)

HDL (“good” cholesterol):  81 (Standard Range >45-)

LDL Calculated (“bad” cholesterol): 48 (Standard Range <129-)

I may have failed biochemistry, but I aced cholesterol, baby.

I digress.  These numbers made me think back to the last time I had things like my blood pressure taken, and I remembered the full fitness test I underwent (almost) exactly a year ago today.

Instead of re-posting, I will send whoever is interested back to this post to read all about my fitness assessment and see my results.

I would be interested to see how my fitness level has changed in the past year.  I know I have gained 1-2 lbs, but I have also been strength training more, so I am hoping a portion of that is muscle.  I definitely look a little, ahem, stronger, than I did a year ago.

For those of you wondering if you should take a fitness test, I highly recommend it.  It’s kind of fun, and it’s a good gauge to measure how effective your fitness efforts have been. 

A blood test, however, I do not recommend.  Literally getting the life sucked out of you is worse than working with Crazy Craig.

Have you ever had a fitness assessment?  Were you surprised at the results?

Possibly related posts:

1. Flashback Friday: My Big Fat Italian Anniversary
2. Flashback Friday: That One Time I Ran
3. Flashback Friday: Baby Bottom

My beautiful blogging buddy, Elina!  Elina, email me with your address so I can have Attune send your cereal   I know you’ll put it to good use in some creative, healthy, yummy recipe!

This past week has been slightly insane for me.  I went on my first business trip (ever), to represent FoodCALC at The Western Foodservice Show in LA.

Let me tell you guys, food shows are a chaotic sort of Heaven.  I learned this back in January when I went to the Fancy Food Show with Deb, but actually being there with the purpose of networking and meeting people added to the excitement. 

I felt like the theme of the weekend was to work hard…

…play hard.

Lots of those. 

Lots of five-star, amazing food. 

I have lots of work to finish off tomorrow before we leave for LAS VEGAS (again) on Friday.  I hope to have some time to blog from there.

In the meantime, how do you balance work and play? 

Possibly related posts:

1. Fear Not the Cereal (Review + Giveaway)

For example: 

Classy: Wearing a dress to work.

Klassy: Accepting a hand-me-down dress from my boss, and then wearing it to work the next day.  (Guilty as charged.)

Or how about:

Classy:  Organic, nonfat Greek yogurt with fresh berries and almonds for a healthy breakfast on the go.

Klassy: Said breakfast transported in the re-used yogurt container.

Classy: English white stilton cheese infused with apricots.

Klassy: Throwing a bunch of random foods on a plate and calling it lunch.

Classy: Going out to a nice fondue dinner.

Klassy: Finger-licking in between bites.  Busted.

Classy: Shooting interview videos for FoodCALC’s website.

Klassy: The barely-visible cardboard box upon which the camera is perched.

Classy: My attempts at being sexy for a vintage-inspired photo shoot.

Klassy: Begging my readers to vote for my photo submission in the Mad Men Casting Call. (Yup, almost a whole month left of these pleads.) 

Classy: Enjoying a flourless, organic, sprouted grain muffin for breakfast.

Klassy: Eating the same darn breakfast every day this week and calling myself a food blogger.

Are you more classy or klassy today?

**Today is the last day to enter to win some healthy Uncle Sam’s Cereal!**

Possibly related posts:

1. Like a MadWoman
2. So You Think You Can Dance?
3. On Protein

August 2010

Previous trips to The Melting Pot:

July 2006

December 2006

As (I hope) you can see, a lot has changed since then!  On our last visit, we had a five (yes, FIVE) course meal.  It was completely excessive, and I was stuffed after gorging on the bread and cheese fondue.

This time, we passed on the cheese fondue and the colossal shrimp, deciding instead on the (still arguably excessive) three course meal. 

It started with a salad. I chose the spinach salad with mushrooms, red onion, Roma tomatoes, and a burgundy shallot vinaigrette.

In between courses, I sipped a nice glass of pinot noir

Matthew and I ordered individual entrees but ended up with the same dinner: Signature Selection (filet mignon, white shrimp, teriyaki-marinated sirloin, chicken breast, and cedar planked salmon).

Potatoes, broccoli, and mushrooms come with all the meat.  We ended up getting seconds on the broccoli and mushrooms.  (I need more veggies than that!)

For our cooking method, I chose a simple vegetable broth.  My choice was influenced by two factors: 1) It was one of the selections without an added charge of $6. 2) It seemed much healthier than canola oil.

Lots of waiting and watching…

Finally, the bites begin.

The sauces on the side add to the fun!  Green goddess (cream cheese, herby mix), sweet and sour, yogurt curry (not my thing), teriyaki (had to ask for seconds), and a strong blue cheese.

We were stuffed! 

Magically, a secret compartment of my stomach opened for dessert

This was the Cookies ‘n Cream Marshmallow Dream: “dark chocolate topped with marshmallow cream, flambéed, swirled together and garnished with crushed Oreo cookies.”

I may be a few pounds thinner than I was four years ago, but I’m not dumber.  I could never turn this down!

The whole dinner was a two hour experience, and I love that it really was an experience…about much more than just the food.

Do you fondue?

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3. Committed

However, I don’t fear cereal more than I like free food, so I went ahead and said yes to the sampling

Matthew has been eating it all week with strawberries and 1% milk, and he says it keeps him full for a LONG time.  That means a lot coming from him, because he’s a big snacker.  One look at the label and I figured out why: it’s full of fiber!  I also like the ingredient list.

While he prefers it straight up, I decided to pour a little in my coffee grinder and make healthy, fibrous breadcrumbs.

I then took some fresh, wild red snapper fillets and dipped them in egg bath before covering them in the Uncle Sam crumbs, and then pan fried them in coconut oil.

The fish was delicious and crispy!  I love using the cereal as breadcrumbs, because it’s so hard to find breadcrumbs at the grocery store that aren’t made from white bread.

Thank you, Attune, for letting me try this hearty cereal!

Want to try some?

Attune Foods has offered to give away a box of Uncle Sam’s cereal to one lucky Thinspired reader!  Just leave a comment telling me one “alternative” way you enjoy cereal (i.e. not just a bowl and milk!).

Contest ends (US addresses only, sorry!) on Wednesday, August 11 at midnight PST.

Possibly related posts:

1. Much Attune About Munch (Review + Giveaway!)
2. Substituting Ingredients: Review & Giveaway
3. Food Scale Giveaway!

Easy Enchiladas

based on Make Ahead Enchiladas from The Healthy Hostess

Ingredients: 

• 8-ounce tub of light cream cheese
• 1 average-sized jar salsa* (Or more, see note below)
• 1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning
• ~2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast meat (I used Kirkland’s canned breast meat to make things extra easy!)
• 15.5-ounce can reduced sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed (Any kind of bean would work)
• 15.5-ounce can of no salt added corn, drained and rinsed
• Wholewheat, low carb tortillas, small sized (I love La Tortilla Factory)
• 1/2 cup 2% shredded Mexican cheese
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 4-5 diced white mushrooms
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 jar of basic spaghetti sauce*, mixed with a sprinkle of cumin and cayenne pepper

*I realize the spaghetti sauce for enchiladas is a bit unconventional.  I wanted a thicker sauce than just salsa would provide, and spaghetti sauce was the closest thing to tomato sauce I had.  If the idea doesn’t sit well with you, just use tomato sauce or  buy more salsa for the top.

Here are visuals for the core ingredients.

Assembly:

• Pre-heat oven to 350F degrees.

• Soften cream cheese to room temperature, mix with half of the salsa jar.

• Add corn, onions, mushrooms, chicken, taco seasoning and beans to mixture.

• Fill tortillas with the mixture, roll and place into a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

• Mix remaining salsa with spaghetti sauce.  Top over rolled enchiladas.

• Top with shredded cheese.

• Bake for 30 minutes.

Makes about a dozen small enchiladas.

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Ryan is my great friend-who’s-a-boy from college.  Through him I met his then girlfriend, Inna.  Inna and I have since become great friends as well, so now are all one happy little group   Inna used to have a food blog too, and I am mentioning it here because I know she will eventually read this.  Mrs. B, might you ever return to blogging?  Pretty please?

Because of my pre-party planning, I was able to get ready quickly and make it to their beautiful outdoor ceremony with plenty of time to spare. 

The above is my favorite shot I took from the ceremony: the moment the groom sees the bride.  Everyone always takes a photo of the bride when she first appears, but no one ever seems to get the groom’s expression!

To address some of the comments in my last post, yes, the dress I wore is from Rent the Runway.  No, they did not sponsor a review of any sort.  My overall experience with the process turned out great in the end, but there were some hiccups with my order and this was not the original dress I chose.  If you want to hear more about my experience and thoughts, shoot me an email.

Two things I wore on Sunday night: the aforementioned dress and the all-important, ever-present glass of champagne.

Neither Matthew or I had ever attended a Jewish wedding before, so this was really special and so fun!  So much symbolism and meaning throughout the night, and so much liveliness and joy!

This is my only food shot from the night: delicious salmon, roasted potatoes, and baby spinach.  It was delicious and accented my champagne entree very well

Besides a great deal of love for each other, it was undeniable to anyone watching that Ryan and Inna can DANCE!  I mean, really dance!

Equally undeniable to anyone watching:  I.  Cannot.

Maybe I thought their dancing would inspire me to be better.  Maybe it was the champagne.  But I should know by now that I just cannot dance to save my life.  Isn’t that picture hilarious?!

At least I can still strike a pose: suck it in and smile

Thinspired Around the ‘Sphere

• Check out my list of favorite things for the kitchen on The Actor’s Diet!

• If you missed it, click here to read the Women’s Day online article featuring me and nine other bloggers with “lightened up” recipes.

• If you like my photo, please continue to vote for my entry for the Mad Men Casting Call!  You can vote once every 24-hours until September 6.  Just two clicks!  Thank you to all who have been voting and spreading the word!

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1. Like a MadWoman
2. The Verdict & Giveaway Reminder
3. The Whole Shebang

Aren’t they a beautiful couple? 

I made sure to eat a balanced and healthy dinner last night:  brown rice, seared ahi tuna, and sea vegetables.  Can you believe I ordered this from The Elephant Bar?

I also got treated to a manicure…

…and decided on a dress and shoes!

This morning I fueled up on my new favorite English muffin combo and fruit.  For a little treat I added a drizzle of honey.

Now we are at our hotel in the city, getting ready for their evening wedding.  I am so excited…I love weddings!

Have you ever been in a wedding?  I have been a flower girl twice, a bridesmaid once, and a Maid of Honor once.  I am looking forward to just being a guest tonight!

No related posts.

Thank you to those who shared their thoughts about my increased protein intake.  Some interesting comments, for sure! 

I’ve been trying a lot of new food products lately (not samples sent for review, just picked up at my local Whole Foods), so I thought today I’d write about a few of the recent products I’ve tried.

The product:  Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar Drink.

Why & what:  I bought this because I’ve heard about how great vinegar can be for your body, but could never bear the thought of drinking it straight up.  The ingredient list is simple:  distilled water, Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, and organic honey.

The verdict:  Surprisingly drinkable!  I could really taste the honey, so there must be a lot of it in that bottle to mask the taste and smell of the vinegar.  The whole bottle had 120 calories and a lot of sugar, so I don’t plan on drinking this regularly, but it was a pleasant way to add vinegar to my life.

The product: Food for Life’s Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins

Why & what:  This is the first Food for Life product I’ve ever tried, despite hearing about them for ages around the blog circuit.  I couldn’t wait to try the sprouted grain bread, which is flourless, organic, and oddly appealing because it’s stored in the freezer aisle. 

The verdict:  They’re a pain to defrost in the toaster, but they are pretty darn good.  Anything cinnamon raisin flavored almost makes me happy!

The product:  Organic Velley’s Neufchatel cheese. 

Why & what:  I needed a low-cal and preferably organic English muffin topper   Ingredients:  organic pasteurized milk and cream, organic whey, salt, cheese culture, and organic locust bean gum.

The verdict:  This cheese is really creamy without the fake taste of lowfat cream cheese.  The pairing with the Ezekiel muffin really hit the spot!

Lastly, I finally got my hands on the Chocolate Oikos yogurt.  I still can’t find the caramel flavor (this photo is from a food show when I got to try samples!).

The verdict is simple for this one: DELICIOUS.  I only wish they were more widely sold.

What are some new foodie purchases you have tried lately?

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2. No News is Good News
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So far, it’s not going that great.  I feel more bloated than usual and the scale isn’t doing much.  Despite my calorie intake being normal, I wonder if my system isn’t handling the excess protein well.  

I was not planning on doing this for more than a few days at most.  If anyone out there is knowledgeable about weight and water loss with a high protein (temporary!) diet, can you please share your thoughts?  Friends have told me it is normal for the body to hold onto water at first while it adjusts.

For the record, I am aware that excess protein can be stored by the body the same way as any other excess calories, and that it can also be hard on the kidneys.  I do not generally subscribe to anything extreme, but am just experimenting this week.

Rock the Vote

Thank you for the amazing amount of support you have all given me for the Mad Men Casting Call!  I am touched by how many of you have retweeted or posted the link on facebook.  You guys ROCK!

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1. Strawberry Chocolate Protein Pan-Crepes

Or should I say, a mad man ?

I’ve entered the Mad Men Casting Call and would so appreciate your vote!  That is, of course, if you think I am fit for the part

Voting is anonymous and very simple, just two clicks!  And you can vote every day until September 6…if you are so inclined   Vote for me here.

I WILL be back with food posts soon!  Thank you in advance for your vote!  How cool would it be to walk on the MadMen set?!  I’d have so much to report!

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The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.

—Mark Twain

You see, “summer,” can mean different things to everyone.

To my niece and nephew, summer means Sunchips, err, it means watermelon and sunscreen.

To my grandpa, it means his 86th birthday (how cute is he?!).

To my dad and my husband, it apparently means dressing in twin outfits.

To me, it means the San Francisco Soup Company.

You’re thinking, “Is this Thinspired or her other food blog?!”

The truth is, I love this place and their soup. It is a part of my real life and not just subject material for the work blog (but don’t be surprised if it turns up there, too).

It is freezing today in the city, so I ordered a regular cup of Grilled Chicken & Roast Corn Chowder.  It’s lowfat, dairy-free, gluten-free, and, most importantly, hot and delicious.  This bowl has 201 calories and 15 grams of protein.

It doesn’t take a detective to figure out that I had room for a few more lunch calories, preferably in the form of a Larabar.

Yup, that is one of the new Larabar flavors!  Yes, it is very good.  No, it does not overwhelmingly taste like dates.  It really does resemble the taste of carrot cake!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go grab a scarf and boil some tea.  It’s summer, you know.

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1. Soup in the City

Before I do, you should know that this is not a sponsored or paid promotion in any way; I just really love the product…but in the spirit of full disclosure, I do get a little kickback if you buy it through my Amazon store

About a week and a half ago, Matthew and I bought the Cuisinart Griddler.  It was on our wedding registry list but we never received it, and we have wanted it ever since.  Finally this summer, we decided to spend the hundred bucks and buy it.  We have used it almost every night since!

The plates are reversible (ribbed “grill” side and flat “griddle” side), dishwasher safe, and non-stick, so you don’t need oil.  It comes with a “fat dripper” thingamajig, which drains from the back instead of the front (unlike the George Foreman grill).  I love this feature because I think visible fat drainage is unsightly.

We’ve been grilling everything from pork chops (with peach salsa)…

…to salmon and asparagus…

…to honey and sesame oil-covered Gliding Calm tofu…

…to pancakes.  Yup, pancakes are so easy to cook on this thing!  I use Quaker’s Oatmeal Pancake mix with almond milk and egg or egg whites.

My “secret” is to add a splash of vanilla extract in the batter before cooking. 

Matthew begged me to share a photo of his plate, too.

…I guess even if you’ve grown up enough to grill, boys will still be boys.

Giveaway Winner

Thank you to all who entered by giveaway for Substituting Ingredients!  The winner is…

Jennifer!  Jennifer wrote:

“I don’t have a lot of tips, but I do know that you can mix 1/2 milk with 1 tbsp of either vinegar or lemon juice to make buttermilk. As you can see, I need a copy of that book if that’s the best I can come up with!”

Jennifer, please contact me with your mailing address so I can get the book shipped to you!

Do you grill, indoor or outdoor?  What are your favorite grilling tips/recipes?

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However, we never had traditional “engagement photos” taken. 

I thought it was time to remedy that

Big thanks to the incredibly sweet, exceedingly talented Jennifer Brotchie for taking our photographs.  If anyone is looking for a Sacramento, CA area photographer, I highly recommend her services! 

And, to the man I’ve loved since high school, Happy Anniversary!

(I especially love that last one of The Hubs…hubba hubba!)

No related posts.

Moving on.

The lovely Kristin at Radio Publicity contacted me a few months ago about reviewing Substituting Ingredients by Becky Sue Epstein.  She kindly sent me two copies: one for me, one for (one of) you.

I will go into more detail, but here is my honest review in summary: I love this little book!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called my mom and asked, “If I don’t have baking soda, can I use baking powder instead?” (The answer is yes, by the way, and according to the book you should add an acidic ingredient along with the baking powder, such as buttermilk, sour cream, or citrus).  Or asked, “What the heck are herbes de provence, and can I make them myself?” (A french mixture of herbs, and yes, you can “make” it yourself).

In fact, this book is sort of like having your mother on call in the kitchen.  It answers all questions about what can be substituted, what can be made from scratch, and every other answer to questions you have but are too embarrassed to ask (or too lazy to Google).

I think my favorite section is the one that answers all my questions about butter equivalents:  1 stick = 1/2 cup, 8 tablespoons = 1 stick, etc, etc.  This is helpful for butter-loving girls like myself.

Truly, I think every kitchen could benefit from having a copy of this little manual alongside their cookbooks.

Would you like to win a copy?  Just leave a comment here, giving me your best kitchen tip (or telling me what Borax is and where to buy it).  Here’s one from me:  To sweeten a cucumber: cut the end off and rub against the tip of the cucumber until a whitish film emerges.  Sounds gross, but it makes cucumbers much more tasty.

Giveaway ends Wednesday, July 14, 2010, at 5pm PST.

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Then, I bought a car! 

Not just any car.  The one I’ve wanted since I was 16.

I have an affinity for Volkswagens.  When my dad and I were shopping for my first car, I thought Passats were chic and cool, but we both agreed they were a little big to maneuver for my first car (and a little out of our price range).  I got a Jetta instead, which was a great little car, but since then I have always viewed the Jetta as the starter car and the Passat as the Big Girl car.

Now all I need are business cards, and I’ll officially be a Grown Up.

The fact that it’s white just makes me want to cry with happiness.  I love white cars!

We didn’t intend on buying the car today, but the stars aligned and we were able to pull it off.  This meant spending 3.5 hours at the dealer, and it had already been four hours since breakfast when we first arrived to see the car.  You can do the math, but the bottom line was that I was desperate for something to eat.  By 3:30, Jekyll was about to turn into Hyde when Matthew ran next door to get me a salad.

Yup, that salad is from McDonald’s.  I’m sure I will lose readers over this, but I am actually A-OK with eating the occasional salad from Mickey D’s.  In fact, this is not the first time that I have been saved by a McDonald’s salad.

Later I had a Zone Perfect bar, which are surprisingly delicious.  Try the Fudge Graham flavor.  It tastes like a s’more!

Dinner was, rather predictably, cooked on the new indoor grill!

Thank you for your thoughts yesterday on balancing real life with blogging life.  I think we all agree that writing and reading blogs should be enjoyable and fun, and that quality trumps quantity! 

What are some things you associate with being a “grown up”?  Of course I do not actually believe that any single event or possession automatically makes one qualify as an adult.  However, there are certain milestones in life that I definitely feel move you closer to that category!

• Grocery shopping (I remember the first time I grocery shopped for myself…loved the feeling of independence!)
• Graduating from college
• Getting married
• Buying a car
• Getting a “real” job (salary, benefits, business cards!)
• Paying bills
• Buying a house
• Being responsible for or accountable to someone else

Just a few physical gauges off the top of my head   I certainly know a few people who could check all these boxes who I wouldn’t necessarily consider responsible adults, so take that list with a grain of salt!

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It was so special and fun to be with them and partake in simple, childlike pleasures, like playing at the park,

Sipping milk out of straws,

and, for some of us, feeding livestock.

We saw a magnificent fireworks show…

and overall just had tons…

…of fun!

The food?  I plead The Fourth Fifth.

Today, however, it’s back to “normal” eating.  I treated myself to lunch at one of my favorite salad joints by my office.  It’s one of those “weigh and pay,” salad bars, which I should basically not be  allowed to visit because I take so much food that there is none for anyone else. 

The proteins: the best marinated tofu ever, as well as half of a grilled chicken breast:

The veggies:  steamed broccoli, stir-fried green beans, roasted brussel sprouts, and roasted butternut squash:

The salad:  mixed greens, carrots, red onion, avocado, sunflower seeds, and balsamic vinaigrette:

Dinner was grilled turkey breast burgers and veggies made on our new Cuisinart Griddler!

If you are like me and live in a tiny apartment, or if you just have an aversion to outdoor grilling, you’ve got to get an indoor grill! 

This was so easy to make that Matthew did the whole thing while I was in the shower.  We had a fast, healthy meal with only two grill plates to clean when it was all through!

Work and Play

If you couldn’t discern from my erratic posting schedule, I’ve been having a bit of hard time balancing work life with my personal life.  It’s been a while since I have this much responsibility and this much of a demanding schedule, so I really appreciate you all bearing with me and continuing to read the blog despite the irregular posts! 

I am determined not to give up this blog, however, it might be a while longer before I get into the groove with work and play.  I know people do this everyday and it’s not a big deal to work and maintain a blog, but this is all new to me and I have a lot of other things going on on the side as well.

I hope you’ll keep reading and continue to check in with me, even after a few days or a week of non-posting.  This blog is such a great outlet for me and I am so grateful for our blogging community.  I never see blogging as a chore or consider it to be work.  I just wish I had more time for it lately!

With that said, I’m off to bed.  I would love to hear about your weekends, or any tips you have on balancing real life with blog life

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2. The Whole Shebang
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Today I just wanted to share this little photo of me, taken circa 1989:

I love it.  Do you know why?  That little baby butt that I am sticking out like I’m Jennifer Lopez in a sequined dress.  As a figure-conscious adult woman, I constantly find myself contorting my body: sucking in my stomach; tilting my hips; lifting my chin; the list goes on.  The goal being to minimize the amount of space I take up at all times.

Do adult men do this?  No.  They sit with their legs open, slouched on a couch, taking up enough space for two people.  Children are the same.  They sit comfortably or run free, and the only time they worry about their size is when they wonder if they’re tall enough to ride the roller coaster.

Little Lara in this photo has no idea that sitting like that becomes of the question when you’re worried about the size of your ass.  She has no clue that the rest of her adult life will be spent sitting with her legs crossed, her arms tucked in, and her neck up…trying to be as small as possible. 

At what point do our inhibitions take over and we stop sitting comfortably, start sucking it in, and stop sticking out our butts?!

Possibly related posts:

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2. Flashback Friday: Fitness Assessment
3. Flashback Friday: That One Time I Ran

Hmmm….I guess some resolutions take far longer than a month (or even a year, in this case!) to complete.

One thing I’ve learned since last July is the power of letting yourself eat what you really want to eat.  Within reason, of course, I think this has been a huge step for me in finding my personal balance with food.  I tend to deal in black and white; feast or famine; on or off.  It doesn’t have to be this way.

Last night, I really wanted fish and chips.  In the past, I would cover a piece of fish with fiber cereal and bake it, but it just never tasted the same.  So for dinner I decided to bread it with panko crumbs and pan fry it, and it was so satisfying that I didn’t want dessert (a rarity these days).  I mean really, how is a tablespoon of coconut oil split between two fillets going to hurt?!

It won’t hurt.  It will only make it more delicious.

So my resolutions this July are a little more simple: stay consistent, don’t sweat the small stuff, and enjoy every bite!

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