Archive | February, 2012

My new mat

By on February 27, 2012 in D.C., going out, restaurant review, sushi, Syracuse Basketball, workout

This weekend was lovely. The past two weekends in a row have left me completely refreshed and ready to tackle another work week head on.

Saturday night started off with a light dinner at Kaz Sushi Bistro in Dupont. The food (and wine) was very fresh and flavorful but the service was very, very slow. The food makes it worthwhile but be prepared to wait.

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I ordered the salmon avocado roll and the sweet tofu roll. The were small portions but big flavor.

After dinner our little crew headed over to Sign of the Whale to watch Syracuse beat UConn.

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My old running buddy Amy came out with us and we had so much fun. We are committed to getting our acts together and running more as the weather becomes nicer.

My night ended with an early-ish cab ride home where I proceeded to take this picture:

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Fun night.

Saturday morning I was up bright and early to try out yoga studio #2. I took a 90 minute power vinyasa flow class that was absolutely beautiful. The studio is a mere 10 minutes from my apartment and they offer weekday classes as early as 6AM. WinWinWin.

Josh met me after class and we headed to Clarendon for brunch and a special trip to my favorite store. We ended up at The Cheesecake Factory of all places for brunch and despite the fact that I don’t love chain restaurants this meal was delicious.

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We began with the White Bean Hummus that was served with the fluffiest, most scrumptious pita bread I have had in a long time.

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For my entree I ordered my favorite brunch meal: Veggie egg white omelet. The restaurant is notoriously generous with portion sizes so I lightened it up by ordering tomatoes and an english muffin on the side. I actually managed to not clean my plate (a rarity, I assure you) and I left full but not stuffed.

After brunch we headed to Lululemon. I’ve been shopping around for a new yoga mat for a little while now, as my old one is just getting a little too grimy. Also, I sweat (a lot) and have a tendency to slip and slide in downward facing dog since my current mat has no grip.

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Enter: The Mat.

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I look at it as an investment in my health. (I really can justify anything.) Regardless, I spent the rest of the afternoon staring at it, attempting crow pose on it, and thinking about how much I really should budget.

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I’m all kinds of motivated to delve deeper into my practice now. So much so that I woke up in time to make it to a 6AM class at the studio. The class was a split between pilates and yoga that left me dripping sweat and completely invigorated. I felt pretty great the rest of the day and now, well now I just need to keep it up. I don’t want to jinx myself, but I feel like I might finally be shaking this funk. I forgot how great endorphins feel.

Now I am off to scavenge for a healthy dinner and pack up my food for tomorrow.

Happy Monday!

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Quite the run

By on February 25, 2012 in D.C., dogs, food, green monster, routine, running, weather, Weight Watchers, workout

About last night…

After quite a hectic Friday Josh and I had plans to roast some veggies and lay low. At the last minute, per usual, we decided not to cook (I was feeling lazy) and headed to Busboys and Poets.

I ordered a doctored up greek salad with dry grilled shrimp and an appetizer of hummus. The meal clocked in at 11 points and ended a successful day on Weight Watchers. Like I said the other day, I am just taking it one day, one meal at a time.

I digress…so after dinner we headed back to the car in the parking garage and what do you know it was no where to be found. Turns out we parked in a tow-away zone and thus the car was gone.

My stomach was in knots. Yes, I was completely over dramatic but my car is pretty much the only thing I own of value except for my computer…which was also in the car. So yeah, I wasn’t happy. We got it back easily enough after a hefty fine and moved along with our night.  Lesson learned- don’t be cheap. Just pay for parking next time.

And in the second act…

This morning I woke up ready to continue my weekend workout commitment. I set out to run 5 miles as the weather is absolutely beautiful. From the get-go I knew it was going to be a great run. I told myself to not worry about pace or numbers and decided to just enjoy the day.

For the first time in a long time I felt like running for more than 30 minutes. It was enjoyable, empowering, and completely refreshing. I made it out to my favorite spot along the Mt. Vernon trail where I was able to take in the best views D.C. has to offer.

I stopped for a good 10 minutes to just take it in before turning around. On the way back I hit MAJOR headwind but managed to finish strong with 6.02 miles in 59:00.

It felt just like old times when I got home. I leisurely stretched, showered and made a smoothie.

(Spinach, 1/2 banana, orange, and 1 scoop Vega protein powder.)

Fact: big straws make smoothies taste better.

Once my roomie woke up we continued the throwback and I made us pumpkin pancakes from a Weight Watcher’s recipe I found online.

Post pancakes I met back up with Josh and we headed back to his apartment to hang out with Gatsby and blog/nap. Sounds lovely, right? All is well now, but upon our arrival we realized that Gatsby got into my purse and ate my dried prunes. Commence 2nd freak out in 24 hours.

Hangs head in shame.

After speaking with 4 (!!) different vets, we have determined that the little guy is going to be okay. As it turns out raisins and grapes are deadly, but pitted prunes are alright.

Oh the guilt. It has been quite the run so far.  Hopefully we are in for better luck for the remainder of the weekend.

I hope you are all having an enjoyable weekend!

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Five Things Friday

By on February 24, 2012 in coffee, cooking, food preparation, new products, roasted vegetables

1. I ordered a venti coffee this morning at 6:30 AM. It is currently 8:30 AM, I have made it through have the cup and I’m tapping out. I am a little shaky and completely wired. When this wears off in a few hours it is not going to be pretty.

2. So remember how I took the day off on Wednesday? It was magical, really. There was yoga, running, and a home cooked meal involved (Tuesday night). Josh and I broke out the cookbook we picked up from Candle 79 to recreate our favorite dish, Spaghetti and Wheatballs!

I absolutely trashed his kitchen in the process of creating homemade tomato sauce. Think pans, tomato juice, and oil everywhere!

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Work in progress.

Check out the massive balls (I went there.) This is the tame shot of the kitchen. The counters to the right are absolutely covered in crumbs and pans. But it was so worth the effort as it turned out quite nice if I do say so myself.

I took leftovers home to Shyna, my non-vegetarian roommate, and she loved them! This is a great recipe for a family as it makes a generous portion and is a healthy twist on a classic recipe.

3. I went to my Weight Watchers meeting last night. I was up 0.2 lbs. Not surprising as my tracking was lackluster and there may have been an incident with Peanut Butter M&Ms. I consider myself lucky, actually. I anticipated it was going to be a lot worse. But I am keeping on as giving up is just not an option. Sure I am progressing VERY slowly, but I am not going backwards and staying on the program gives me a sense of control that is difficult to articulate.

My goal this week is to track and watch my portions when we go out to eat (which seems inevitable). Also, I intend to run tomorrow morning and go to a yoga class on Sunday. I would like to make working out on the weekend a non-negotiable as it really helps me not overeat on the weekends.

4. I made a fantastic roast Wednesday night for dinner. I chopped up a huge butternut squash, a block of tofu, and a package of green beans.

The best part is that I made enough leftovers for lunches 2 days in a row.

5. Smart Balance offered to send me a few products to try out as they are a very Weight Watchers friendly company. Last night I received the hook up.

I’ve acquired enough butter for years! I foresee some healthy baking in my future. Also, that jar of peanut butter is now safely tucked away in my snack drawer at work.

But don’t worry, I haven’t left you guys hanging. The Smart Balance website has a whole slew of coupons available to print on their website so that you too can get your hands on some butter.

~

Time to gear up for a busy Friday. I anticipate the coffee is going to help the morning fly by! TGIF!

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A mid-week Friday

By on February 21, 2012 in Uncategorized

Happy Tuesday! This day started off on a much brighter note than yesterday. For one thing, I managed nearly 9 hours of sleep that left me feeling like a new woman. And secondly, well this is what I now look at when I get to the office…

Gatsby.

Gets me every time.

In other news, today is like a mid-week Friday as I have the day off tomorrow for a doctors appointment. I am taking full advantage of this day and have plans for yoga at a new studio, pampering with a mani/pedi, and cooking a nice dinner with Josh. Ah, I can picture it now and it is going to be glorious.

(Dinner: Sauteed kale, chickpeas, tomatoes, and onion topped with a sprinkle of feta cheese and copious amounts of nutritional yeast.)

This little mid-week break is just the cure for my blues. I just can’t shake the feeling that my life centers around my job more so than, well ya know, my life. It’s frustrating but I am determined to get better of balancing the different spheres of my life.

(Breakfast: banana, apple, oat bran, egg whites, cinnamon, and pb)

Part of this balance has to include a more regular workout schedule. As much as I love exercising on a whim it’s not consistant enough and that needs to change. I’m going to show some love to the treadmill tonight, so I suppose that’s a step in the right direction.

And with that, lunch has come to an end. Back to work!

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Farmer’s Markets, Food, and Fitness

By on February 20, 2012 in Arkansas, D.C., food, restaurant review, running, smutha mutha, yoga

I’ve decided that when I grow up I want to be a professional weekender. You may be wondering what exactly this entails based on my vague description so allow me to explain. In my perfect world it would include dining at delicious restaurants, running, yoga, and farmer’s markets. This past weekend was one of the best in recent memory and it included all of the above. Now if only I could parlay this into a reality…

Daydreams aside, I want to play catch up on the weekend. Friday night, after a very, very long week of work, Josh and I met up with my cousin Kristin (who housed me for 3 months when I first moved to DC) and my Aunt Cyndee. We went to the Legal Sea Foods in Crystal City and unwound with delicious wine and good conversation.

I ordered the Greek Salad with Grilled Shrimp and it was decent, but nothing special. The wine, however, was delicious. :)

The wine made for quite the restful night’s sleep so I was up bright and early with energy to burn. I literally wiped dust off my Garmin and headed out for a run since the weather was absolutely beautiful.

My time was 42 minutes, I believe. I ended up walking another mile or so around Crystal City exploring and found a creepy Lost-like tunnel that turns out is actually a short cut to the Mount Vernon trail.

While walking Smutha Mutha and I booked my flight back to Arkansas. That’s right, I am heading back to the Natural State for a long weekend in March and I looking forward to it more than words can express. I’ve yet to return home since moving here almost 8 months ago. For a self-processed homebody, this is just too long. I’m looking forward to slowing down, savoring the smells and sights of home, and visiting with friends and family.

After a quick shower and a smoothie, I met up with Josh and we explored Eastern Market for a few hours. I had never been before and I must say, it definitely lives up to the hype. I scored a huge batch of kale for just $3.00 and a beautiful new necklace.

Hunger eventually deterred us from our mindless wandering so we settled on Zest for a nice mid-day brunch. I am not sure why we ate there as it was really underwhelming. We had poor service (think empty coffee mugs during our long wait for food) and when the food did eventually arrive it was warm and over-seasoned. At least I had good company.

The remainder of Saturday was spent grocery shopping, cleaning, and enjoying our first party at our apartment! We have been trying to plan a housewarming for 6 months and just have not figured out the right time. Our gathering was lovely and lasted well into the night. I did not venture out to the city with the rest of our friends as I had an early date with a co-worker for hot yoga in Bethesda, MD at Downdog Studios.

I’ve been practicing yoga on and off for years. Every time I go back to the studio I am reminded just how much I love the environment and the calm struggle that is yoga. Our 90 minute hot vinyasa class left me sweaty and invigorated. So much so, in fact, that I have decided to join a studio in Northern VA. I’m going to test out a couple of different classes before I commit to anything, but I know that this is going to be great. I can’t wait to get back into my practice.

Tanget aside, after class we had fresh juice at Puree that was absolutely scrumptious. I was starving from our practice, which may have had something to do with it, but one never knows.

We grabbed showers at Equinox (um, holy fancypants gym!) and settled in for a nice brunch at Le Pain Quotidien. Although the atmosphere was loud and bustling it was to be expected on a Sunday and the service and food were still spot on. I ordered the Avocado and Tomato Omelet which came with a spring salad and fresh bread. I promptly cleaned my plate.

With a full belly I headed back to my side of town for a couple hours of downtime before getting ready for dinner with Josh’s friends.

Overall, it was quite the perfect whirlwind weekend. The perfect balance of friends, good food, and exercise that I crave during the work week. I am back to the grind today (not as fortunate as those of you that are off for President’s Day), but I am feeling optimistic and content after such a fulfilling weekend.

Question: What was the best thing you did this weekend?

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The end of a long week

By on February 17, 2012 in food, food preparation, frozen yogurt, portion controls, roasted vegetables, routine, Valentine's Day, vegetarian, weight, Weight Watchers, work

I have seen way too many sunrises on my way into work early this week.

(If you squint you can see the Washington Monument.)

Overtime is in full effect and sleep/exercise have taken a BIG hit.

Rather than dwell I have been focusing on the good, no, great things in life. Like Valentine’s Day, which began with heart shaped apple slices in my breakfast…

…and ended with 2 dozen multicolor roses and a homemade dinner by yours truly.

(Dinner: Leftover Lentil loaf, roasted vegetables, nutritional yeast, and plenty of ketchup.)

We ended the day on a very sweet note as all valentines should, with a trip across the street for fro-yo.

(In the cup: cake batter, chocolate vanilla swirl, m &ms, sprinkles, mini waffle cone, and the obligatory blueberry…for the antioxidants, ya know?)

The next morning (err, yesterday), I was up to do it all again. Long work hours may be exhausting, but I must say they are surprisingly good for my weight loss efforts. I eat breakfast right before I leave in the AM and eat the normal 11AM snack salads before returning my full attention to work.

(Spinach, tomatoes, clementines, egg whites, and balsamic vinegar.)

(Spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese, lentils, and balsamic vinegar.)

Once lunch rolls around I am more than ready for a break. I’ve been trying to cook leftovers of all of my dinners and I have been mildly successful in this endeavor. Granted my portions are pretty small as I like to eat at night, but whatever that is not the point.

(Sauteed garlic and onion kale, shrimp, and feta cheese)

(Lunch o’ leftovers: roasted vegetables, black bean burger, and fresh mango)
Snack time this week has been nothing if not repetitive. You see, I used to eat a variation of this prior to running so I figured bringing it back may re-inspire me to lace up my shoes.

(Snack: rice cake with sunflower seed butter and a banana)

No dice. I have ventured no farther than yoga this week. I just don’t have it in me. If I didn’t cook dinner and leftover’s for the next day then it is safe to assume I am eating a smoothie.

(Frozen spinach, banana, strawberries, and Vega protein powder)

In much more exciting news, I went to my Weight Watchers meeting last night after skipping out last week and learned I was down 1.2lbs. I really did not have high expectations, what with the not exercising and whatnot, but a loss is a loss and I feel really inspired and motivated to stay in control this week.

So there’s that.

I have a very fun weekend in store and I am more than ready for some fresh air and free time! TGIF!

Question: What is your favorite leftover lunch meal?

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