Motivation Needed

So it's been a while since I've actually entered a gym. I know. Why pay for a gym membership if you don't use it? I can picture myself using it on a regular basis, but never really get around to it. It's like the motivation for gym use comes in spurts. When I get the urge to go, I'll actually do it. Regularly. But when the motivation is lacking, it is lacking. I think mainly in part because the use of weight machines leaves something to be desired. I know that using them will definitely help in gaining my strength and muscles back, but if I don't know how to use it, then I probably won't go out of my way to ask someone for help. I'd rather stick to the cardio equipment.

The idea of getting a personal trainer would be awesome. Unfortunately, it's not monetarily friendly. Especially if you need a trainer more than once a week. I've looked into a trainer at my gym, but right now, I can't budget it in. So I've found other ways to get the strength training in. I've got my kettlebells at home, which I still need to upgrade to a heavier weight.

It's funny how if you don't show up at the gym regularly, and the people that work there don't know you on a first name basis, they just assume you're new and try and talk you into meeting with a personal trainer. I think I've been going to this gym for at least 6 years, off and on, and there's always someone who stops me and tries to set me up with one of their PTs. Thanks, but no. If I need one, I'll contact you.

So today, I decided that I need to listen to the doctor and actually go to the gym and use the treadmill and/or stationary bike for at least 40 mins. I'm hoping this recent burst of motivation will continue for a while. I've been maintaining my weight for some time now, but not losing. He mentioned that at my current state, I need to focus more on aerobic/cardio. Walking the neighborhood with Zoe just isn't cutting it anymore. Apparently I'll get a better workout at the gym on a treadmill with a steady pace, then I would if I walked Zoe for the same amount of time. I can see that. Zoe stops me regularly to pee, so I wouldn't have the workout pauses.
I did pretty well today. 30 on the treadmill and 40 on the bike. I'm so glad I have some great workout music, otherwise it would have been a very boring hour. They have TVs, but not all the earphone jacks on the equipment work, so it's one of those trial and error and knowing which machine to stay away from. With my little iPod shuffle, I don't have to worry. Best investment I made years ago.

I came home starving. Made some food and then took Zoe out for a walk. She always looks so sad when I leave the house and don't take her with me. Especially when I have my workout clothes on. This dog seriously knows if I am going to workout. It's like she can sense it and gets super excited as soon as I pull out my sneakers. Smart dog, that Zoe.

Tomorrow is another day. Hoping to wake up with that motivation. Either way, at least Zoe gets her walk.

Ginger and Spice

Blogger world, meet the most adorable puppies ever.

This is Ginger. She has some gorgeous eyes.

Ginger

And this is Spice. She bonded with my dad right away.

Spice

I stopped by my parents' house on the way home tonight to get a glimpse of the puppies. They are truly adorable and have such great temperaments. My sister thinks they are Aussie shepherd mixes. Definitely the perfect size for my folks. They've been talking about finding a dog around Zoe's size, and I think they've found them.

I'm excited for Zoe to meet them tomorrow. Not sure if she'll get too overwhelmed with their puppiness, but I'm hoping that the introduction goes well. I really want them all to be besties.
Then we'll work on the puppies with my kitties. That should be interesting...

Kida

My poor gecko is sick. I feel like such a bad gecko mom. I missed the shedding issues he was having and didn't catch the eye problem in time. He's on some medication now for the next 10 days, but the vet isn't optimistic about his eye. I might have a pirate gecko soon.

Kida is 10 years old.  The first reptile I've ever owned. He's super docile and loves to be held. Unfortunately, he's gotten sick and isn't eating. I'm hand feeding him baby food with a syringe. The swelling behind his eye makes me sad. If the swelling doesn't go down at all, the vet mentioned surgery to have the area removed so it doesn't spread to his jaw and cause more problems. I'm not sure I would go that far. He's lived a good long life. Granted, they live 15-20+ years, but I've given Kida the best life (up until now, apparently). But I'll cross that bridge when I have to. . .

I love dairy

I had a doctor appointment today. More blood work. Aside from the normal blood tests, he's also testing for thyroid issues and celiac. No bueno.

I've been diligently working out at least 5 days a week for the past couple months, but I'm not really getting anywhere with results. I know that weightloss is a slow process, and I've come to terms with it, but I should have something to show for my consistency. And I've got nothing. It's really frustrating. I may have lost 5 pounds, but I'll gain it back and then lose it again; like a yo-yo. I'm eating better AND exercising. Granted, I feel like I'm getting some of my leg muscles back, but that's pretty much it.
My doctor said that aerobic exercises are what I need to focus on. He said that if I have access to a treadmill or stationary bike, then I should do that 3x a week for 40min. I have a gym membership that I never use, so I guess it's about time I go back and get my money's worth.

I was talking with my nurse today on my way out about how even when I exercise regularly, my joints still hurt. I'll wake up in the morning and my muscles will be fine, but I definitely feel the tenderness in my joints. It's the arthritis and unfortunately, that won't change. It's just something I have to deal with. At the ripe age of 32, I am healthy enough, yet have to deal with the "grannie" arthritis. It makes me feel old.

My gyno suggested the next time I get blood work done from my GI, that we test for thyroid. Funny enough, I hadn't mentioned it yet, and in our conversation today, my doctor asked if we had tested the thyroid. I'm glad we are on the same page. If it is indeed a thyroid issue, that could be a reason why I'm having a hard time with the weightloss. But I'm not sure about the celiac test. Dr Haynes said that when a patient mentions gas and bloating, they first test for a lactose intolerance and also celiac disease, in case of a gluten intolerance. I really hope that's not the case. That is a HARD diet to keep. I've tried and failed. Gluten-free bread is not tasty. Plus, I have a hard enough time not eating dairy.

I love dairy products. Milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese are staples in my fridge. Not being able to eat them for 2 whole weeks is going to be torture! Well, not completely, but it's going to suck; big time.
I did it last year per a different doctor's request, but it was unnecessary. As hard as it was, I came out of it with a love for Almond Milk. Especially, chocolate almond milk. It has now become a MUST HAVE in my house. Like tonight. I was craving something sweet and instead of grabbing junkfood, I grabbed a large glass and poured myself some milk. It definitely hit the spot.

So here goes the lactose-free 2 week trial. Almond milk and tofu cheese, here I come!

First Place Feels Good

On Sunday, my mom and I went to an event for our Relay called A Survivor Soiree. This was a free event honoring survivors and their caretakers. My dad didn't want to go. He felt it was too much of a female thing and didn't want to bother getting dressed up. I, on the other hand, always look for an excuse to wear a pretty dress. My NYE dress needed another opportunity to be worn. :)
They had a fashion show (Project Relay) and all the models were either cancer survivors, caretakers, or relay participants. It was really sweet. The dresses and suits they wore were amazing.
There were also dancers from a local ballroom dancing school. They called it Dancing with the Survivors. After the professionals did their show, all the survivors in the room congregated on the dance floor and the rest of us were able to dance with them. My mom LOVES to dance and danced with one of the professionals. It was so cute to see her out there twirling in her dress.
The event also had a silent raffle. My mom scored. She won 2 of the prizes. She went home super happy.
This was the 3rd year our relay committee put this on. It was so amazing and inspiring, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what they come up with next year.

My lovely mom and I at the soiree

 Relay is 31 days away. I can't believe how fast the calendar is moving. Time is seriously flying.

My team has had 2 successful fundraisers, raising a total of $58.67. Though it doesn't seem like a lot, for fundraisers at eateries, it's actually not too bad. Besides, every little bit helps; even the 67 cents.

I had a Team Captain meeting tonight. It turns out that I am the top individual fundraiser ($857) and our team is in 2nd place ($1919). How exciting is that?! I feel truly blessed to have such an amazing and supportive group of friends. Thank you all!! I've almost reached my goal. Let's keep it up!

If you haven't donated and would like to in honor or memory of your loved one, I would greatly appreciate your support. Head over to my fundraising page and donate what you can. Every little bit helps!

Last Chance Butterflies

My Relay for Life team is doing amazingly well! I'm so proud of us. We are in 3rd place having raised $1,751. We've had 2 team fundraisers in the last couple weeks. And working on another one. Not sure how much we raised during the froyo fundraiser, but with Rubio's we were able to raise $33.67! Thank you to everyone who came out!

We have another one coming up next week at Souplantation. Let me know if you want to come out and support us and I'll email you the flyer to bring in.


There's still time to get in an order for butterflies. The deadline has been extended until Sunday, April 15th. I received a nice influx of butterfly orders after my post about my friend, Jennie Grimes. She has some very supportive and amazing friends. I'm excited to release the kaleidoscope of butterflies in her honor from everyone!
If you'd like to purchase a $6 butterfly in honor or memory of your loved one(s), please go to my Relay fundraising page, and leave me a note with how many butterflies you'd like and for whom they are. I will make sure that each one is labeled with your love ones' name.

They will look like this when I get them.

 And as I open the envelope, the butterfly will stretch its wings and fly off into the San Diego sky.

It's a beautiful sight. I'd like to try and take video this time. Last year, it was a little overcast, so the butterflies hung around a while before warming up and taking flight. Though it was great because there were many photo opportunities with them.

I hope you've all had a great week. Don't forget to donate. Save a birthday. Cancer Sucks!

Vegan food isn't as scary as I thought

Over the weekend, my boyfriend suggested we have dinner at Loving Hut. It's a local restaurant I've been wanting to try. I've been a little hesitant AND excited only because it's vegan food. Not that there's anything wrong with that. From what Hollywood and movies have described as vegan, I was expecting a menu full of raw vegetables and foods I'd normally gawk at. But I was pleasantly surprised. The menu was more focused on Asian cuisine. There were a lot of noodle, vegetable, soup and brown rice dishes. They even had a couple sushi rolls! And I love sushi.

My first thought upon seeing vegan sushi on a menu:
How good is a sushi roll without fish?
Actually tasty. And I'd definitely get it again.

So what did I get for a main dish?
It was called Grilled Sensation; a grilled soy veggie fillet with brown rice and side salad. My thoughts: delicious.

There are a few other dishes on their menu that I'd love to try. One being the ginger tofu plate. I love ginger and I've taken a new liking to tofu. Arnon eats tofu a lot and so I'm learning to cook with it and like it. Favorite part - the tofu takes on the flavor of whatever seasonings you add to your dish, and it just adds some extra protein to your meal.

I know that I couldn't be a vegan, mainly because I love fish, chicken, and the occasional burger, but I definitely am willing to eat vegan food. It's not as scary as I thought it'd be. I'm a picky vegetable eater, so this was a nice surprise.

You know what else was a surprise?! Vegan strawberry cheesecake! I love cheesecake, and so I took the chance to try a version of my favorite dessert. It's not as creamy, but the consistency and flavor of it was similar. I probably couldn't give up "real" cheesecake, but I am willing to eat this if I ever find myself at an event or dinner party with vegan desserts.

I think at dinner, eating healthy like that, really got me thinking about my "get back into shape" journey I've been on the past couple months. I need to start incorporating more veggies or salad into my meals. At least vegetables I'll eat. I'm not a big salad eater, nor am I a lover of the "healthy" salad dressings. In the past I've always been one to reach for the ranch dressing. I need something with flavor. I found a dressing I'll actually use, a raspberry vinaigrette. It's tasty and adds that extra something to the ever bland salad.

Yesterday, our grocery shopping trip to Sprouts was fun and exciting. We filled the cart with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. I'm really going to push myself to do this. It's easy to say "I'll eat a salad every day" but it's another to actually do it. Now, I'm not committing to consuming a salad EVERY day, but I will commit to munching on fresh fruits and vegetables regularly. I can't let the fresh food we buy end up in the trash, and it happens frequently. We have a tendency to over-buy vegetables and never get around to eating them, which really is both a waste of food and money.

So here begins phase 2 of a "new" me.

I found my favorite PB at Sprouts, which I thought I could only get when I was in NY. Needless to say, I was super excited when I came across the Peanut Butter & Co. brand.

And so today, I made a snack of some fresh celery and PB.

My fav PB and fresh veggies

 What are some of your favorite healthy snacks? I'm always looking for new ideas and recipes.