Category Archives: Diet

Memorial Day Weekend 2013

Posted on May 27, 2013 by StephSnacks | 7 Comments

Another MDW has come and gone. This day is often the unspoken start to Summer, but also a day in which we can reflect on those who have given so much for our country. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the Newtown shooting, and the disastrous tornado in Oklahoma, it is safe to say that our country is one of brave servicemen and women who are always ready to face fear and disaster head on. I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

This was the second year that my friends and I spent MDW down at the shore. We felt so lucky to be able to do so because we weren’t quite certain how one of our favorite places would be after Sandy struck. Luckily, the town (Pier Village) was mostly completely fine, and we were able to continue our tradition. Early Saturday morning, my friend Emma and I made our way down to Pier Village — with hardly any traffic in sight (still shocked) we arrived around 11:00 AM, unpacked, and waited for our friend Rebecca. What are you supposed to do while waiting? Order Bloody Mary’s! Bloody Mary’s are easily becoming one of my favorite drinks – and I hardly feel any guilt because they aren’t that bad for you!

Saturday was incredibly windy and rainy so we weren’t able to soak up the sun. Instead, once Rebecca arrived, we soaked up another round of Bloody Mary’s along with lunch, and headed to our hotel room for a two hour nap. It was seriously amazing to fall asleep! I probably could have slept the rest of the night, except, we had some pretty fun plans for the evening. Emma, Rebecca, and I, went to dinner where our friend Kaylin works and headed out to Bar-A afterwards for a night of dancing and drinks. It was so much fun and we had so many laughs. One things I loved, loved, loved about this weekend was all of the laughing we did. I may not have gotten in a good workout, but I got in a ton of laughter.

Bar-A is incredibly big – with multiple bars and dance floors. Perfect for us!

On Saturday morning, we took our head aches to one of our favorite breakfast spots, The Turning Point. Rebecca and I have been to this restaurant a handful of times, and we love it for its fresh and healthy breakfasts. To start, we split our beloved fruit bruschetta.

I also ordered an iced coffee which came with the cutest cow creamer (adorbs) and for my meal, I ordered the Popeye Skillet with egg whites. It was very good! I wish there had been a few more egg whites, though.

After eating, we decided to walk around the beach for a little bit before settling in at the pool for several hours of sun and trashy magazines.

After the pool, it was time to head back to our hotel room to get ready for sushi at our favorite spot in Pier Village- Sawa!

(Sushi outfit)

We also went to Sawa during Memorial Day Weekend last year and absolutely loved the food – this time was no different. We split the Beef Negimaki — because it’s basically way too good to pass up. I’m not a big beef lover, but this stuff is what dreams are made of.

I then ordered the Golden Dragon roll with brown rice. If you ever eat at Sawa, please try a roll with the brown rice – it’s so different and delicious, I’m not even sure why! But trust me I also ordered a couple of pieces of sashimi (and had a small soup).

Needless to say, we left stuffed. We woke up this morning super sad that it was the last day of our amazingly fun weekend, but were able to get in some time at the beach before hitting the road.

Although chilly, I was so happy to get some sun. This weekend was sooo perfect. I find that for me, as I get older (even though I’m only 25, let’s not push it here) it becomes more important to me to get out of the city sometimes. The girls and I had amazing talks about friendship and what it means to be a ‘good’ friend and how we have grown into ourselves. There really is nothing quite like having friends to make you open your eyes to new things and to laugh at the silly things! I feel grateful and rejuvenated for the week ahead.

Now off to watch the Real Housewives of Orange County! Have a great night!

Question: Did you do anything this Memorial Day Weekend? Do you have any weekend get-away’s planned for this Summer?

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Posted in Alcohol, Beach, Breakfast, Brunch, coffee, Diet, Drinks, Food, Friends, Lunch, Memories, Summer, Sushi, Vacation, Weekend

Alcorexic

Posted on February 24, 2013 by StephSnacks | 10 Comments

The other day after work, a few co-workers and I were speaking about the topic of ‘alcorexia’. If you haven’t heard of alcorexia or being ‘alcorexic’, it’s basically a condition where a person will starve him or herself throughout the day in order to save his or her calorie intake for the evening–beers, wine, etc. This is something that is primarily seen amongst women, as we try to consume the least amount of calories but still want to go out to have a good time with friends at night.

I kind of used to partake in this sort of activity back in my eating disorder days. Still, to this day, if I know I am going to be having a few drinks at night, I try to keep my fare maybe a little cleaner and lighter during the day, but I by NO means survive off of a half cup of cottage cheese or a salad of…. lettuce. Not at all. Those are some of the habits I used to live by.

I’m going to put myself out there once again on this blog and show you a picture of before during my eating disorder when I would go out at night with friends and after. The after is actually a picture from last week so this is as real as it gets.

Before, I would consume as little as possible, workout extra long–knowing that I would be burning more calories since I’d be going out that evening, and try to just avoid food at all costs.

I don’t think I look too bad in the above picture, but I don’t look great. I’ve seen much much much worse pictures of myself — and the above is actually a photo during the days where I was trying to recover and have fun. I can look at that picture and know that I was trying. But then, I look at the below picture, the ‘present day’ picture, and know that this is the Stephanie who is truly recovered.

Generally speaking, I’ll have a couple drinks about twice a week on average. Maybe once during the middle of the week and the once over the weekend. I do try to keep it to a sort of happy medium because alcohol makes me bloated, but at the same time, it’s so nice to grab cocktails with the girls after work or have a drink when I am out at dinner. There are weeks where I don’t drink at all–and I tend to really like that.

However, I will never starve myself again over the fear of consuming my calories through alcohol. It just isn’t worth it. It’s more worth it to be able to find that happy medium of, ‘okay, I’ll have a really healthy and filling lunch so that I’m not starving at happy hour and down those fries’, instead of avoiding food to be able to have a few glasses of wine. You have to learn to go with the ebbs and flows. I’m still learning.

Question: Have you ever seen any of the above traits in yourself? Do you become restrictive with eating when you know you’ll be enjoying some drinks later on?

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Posted in Alcohol, Body Image, Diet, Dinner, Drinks, Fears, Food, Friends

Angolo & Toast

Posted on January 13, 2013 by StephSnacks | 11 Comments

Hi there, peeps! How has your weekend been? Mine was filled with a ton of great food. I usually always find that my week day’s are filled with tofu, vegetables, fresh fruit/veggie juices, and egg white omelettes — which is great for the body and for health in general. But if we’re being honest here, usually on the weekends I am a bit more lenient. I don’t overly indulge, but I do allow myself an extra treat or two.

On Friday night, Rebecca, Britt, and I had a full-on girls night planned complete with dinner reservations and a night out afterwards. We decided to make 8:00 reservations for Angolo, an Italian restaurant in Soho. My mom and I had sat at the bar a few days prior to celebrate my mom’s birthday, and while we didn’t eat dinner there, the bartender told us that the food is great and we should definitely come back. Britt and Rebecca were both game!

After ordering wine, we decided to order two appetizers to share — one of the dishes included a very lightly fried calamri and shrimp while the other was a trio of prosciutto. Both were equally delicious – no complaints over here!

We decided to keep with the sharing theme and for our entrees, we ordered two pasta dishes. One of the pasta dishes was the Tagliatelle Bolognese parmigiano reggiano and the other was the Garganelli, mushroom ragu, pecorino. My favorite was absolutely the Garganelli, mushroom ragu, pecorino. The mushroom was absolutely wonderful and the hint of cheese was perfect.

I have to say, my friends and I usually skip the dessert portion of the meal – for whatever reason – but it seemed that neither myself, Britt, or Rebecca could tear our eyes away from the dessert menu! As soon as our waiter told us they had salted caramel gelato on that particular evening (Brittany and I legitimately looked at each other and pronounced, ‘Oh, shit!’) we were sold. We decided to order a trio – chocolate, vanilla, and salted caramel.

While I was most excited for the salted caramel, the chocolate stole the show for me. It tasted like pure dark chocolate and I could have had several more scoops. The gelato was the perfectly portioned treat for the end of an amazing meal.

To burn off all of those fabulous calories we devoured, we all headed to a nearby bar after dinner and danced for three hours straight. So much fun.

Needless to say, Saturday I woke up feeling, um, tired. Let’s say tired. Somehow, though, Rebecca and I managed to get out of bed around 9:45 to head out for a nice walk along the water. Our walk was about 45 minutes long before stopping at Toast for brunch. Toast was a new to me brunch spot and at that point, I didn’t care where we went because I was so hungry!

Rebecca and I decided to split the hummus which was definitely home made and tasted amazing. The pita points were served warm and I demolished my half of this dish.

While Rebecca ordered a salad that consisted of goat cheese, mushroom, and chicken, I went for my tried and true egg while omelette with mushroom, onion, and swiss cheese. The omelette was served with whole wheat toast and a side salad and I finished about half of everything. My only complaint is that the onions were kind of bland – I really enjoy carmelized onions and these certainly were not.

With all of this amazing food in my stomach, I was able to stay full for almost the entire day until dinner which was eaten (sushi) around 8:00.

Today started off with Mass, an amazing workout, and yet another egg white omelette and green juice (spinach, pear, one whole lemon, cucumber, parsley). Now I’m ready to have some appetizers with my parents and watch the Golden Globes! Can’t wait to see all of this amazing fashion!

Question of the Night: Are you watching the Golden Globes tonight? Who is your favorite actress? Actor? I’ve always loved Kate Winslet and actually really like Ben Affleck. He’s not too bad looking either

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Posted in Brunch, Diet, Dinner, Drinks, Eating Out, Exercise, Night Life, NYC, Weekend, Wine, Workout

Looking Forward

Posted on December 20, 2012 by StephSnacks | Leave a comment

There are so many things right now that I am looking forward to. I’m itching to get through today (Thursday) and tomorrow. My Saturday will consist of getting my hair done and going to a Christmas party and tonight I am supposed to be seeing the tree in Rockefeller with my family! This all makes the work day seem that much longer and the week is practically dragging on.

On another note, I know that I haven’t really shown you guys what I’ve been eating lately or how much I have been working out. This blog has more evolved into a space where I can be open and honest about certain topics, and maybe shed some light on certain situations that have happened or that are happening in my life. From what I’ve gathered over the year and a half I have been blogging, it’s that people respond positively to honesty and truth.

Here’s the truth – I love cooking and I love preparing healthy meals, but I haven’t exactly had the time to be in tip-top healthy mind frame over the past month. I know that December is a tough month for everyone to be scarfing down salad’s over cookies and stuffing, but for me, it hasn’t exactly been that. It’s more been packing soup for lunch instead of preparing a salad, ordering sushi instead of making eggs for dinner, and maybe sleeping a little bit later instead of forcing myself to work out.

It took me a long time to accept that lifestyle’s change depending on the time of year. I used to think that ‘normal’ was when you were so steadfast in your diet that you would never cave into a treat. This just isn’t the case. Life fluctuates, diet fluctuates, weight fluctuates — and as long as it’s not fluctuating in an unhealthy or dangerous way, you know the ‘frame’ you should be in. I have always been someone that can go up or down 5-7 pounds. Like legit every other two months I always feel different. But – the clothing that I own fits me regardless because it’s within my healthy range.

This is the first week in a long time where I am only going to make it to the gym two or three times. I always strive for at least four or five. But you know what? I had other priorities this week. My life was crazy. If I haven’t been at work I’ve been at an appointment or getting last minute things done for Christmas or visiting my parents at their new place. Exhaustion has officially set in and I need to chill out.

I’m trying to concentrate on enjoying the next five days – that’s all we really have left until Christmas. My gym membership is there – and it’s not as if I’m not going. The recipes are all online – and its’s not as if I’ll never bake chicken or cook again. But I’m letting it go for now a little bit. Just for the next week or so. I’ll always try to be my healthiest, but I’m not going to beat myself up in the process. Neither should you.

Aside from last year where I was basically fully recovered from an eating disorder, this is the first Christmas where I have felt like an actual adult. My priorities aren’t new – they’ve just shifted a little. I’ve realized how fragile life is and how important I am. There have been Christmas’ past where everything was blurry because my mind wasn’t right. I wasn’t in the right place. I feel like right now I am in the ‘right’ place but the ‘right’ place is going to get even better.

As 2012 comes to a close — and I’ll definitely be posting before Christmas and the New Year so don’t you worry! — I want to take a second to thank all of you for reading. Everyone who has ever read any single post. It’s the only reason I keep blogging. It’s been my source of comfort in knowing that maybe someone can kind of sort of relate to what I’ve been through. Maybe I’m helping. Maybe sometimes I blabber and don’t make sense.

Everything I’ve ever been through as a person has shaped me into who I am right now. My eating disorder, the friends I lost along the way, the guys who broke my heart, the hearts I broke, putting my family through hell, trying to make it in LA, now trying to make it in New York City, making new friends, discovering how much I love fitness and health, thinking about writing a book at some point in my life. It’s all sort of wrapped up in who I am.

This Christmas I just want to be thankful that I have my health, the means to get places in this life, and for the people around me.

Thank you guys for always reading and sharing in StephSnacks. You’ve made my 2012 more honest and true and for that I am really thankful.

-Steph

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Posted in Diet, Eating Disorder, Faith, Family, Fears, Friends, Guilt, Happiness, Health, Holiday, Love, Nutrition, NYC, Peace, Peace of Mind, Relaxing, Rest, Self-Esteem, Weekend

Surviving the Holiday’s

Posted on November 27, 2012 by StephSnacks | 6 Comments

If this week is a preview as to what December will look like, I’m going to be one busy chick. Between work, dinners, drinks, working out, keeping
the apartment clean, blogging, trying to maintain a somewhat healthy diet … oh, and keeping my head above water.. it’s really, really easy to
become exhausted and irritated. Here’s a few different ways I’m going to try to include that bit of calm and down time I always crave:

1. I am going to workout when I can and I’m not going to workout when I can’t. Ideally I’d love to workout 5-6 days each week. But I’m going to
have to deal with the fact that some weeks I will only be at the gym 3-4 times because of having so many obligations. It happens — and as long as
I’m working out my best when I’m able to, I think I can be okay with this.

2. Eat as well as possible during the work days and work week in general. It is so easy to get side lined when there are holiday parties, happy hour’s
and dinner’s. I have to admit I tend to have more drinks throughout the month of December and while I enjoy having some drinks, I don’t like consuming
cocktails all the time — it leaves me feeling bloated and less than stellar. So my goal is to stick to non-sugary drinks, such as red wine, AND enjoy it
to the fullest! After all, you deserve to enjoy yourself.

3. Cut back spending where I can and buy gifts over the next few weeks instead of all in one day. If I go on a spending spree for Christmas gifts within
a day or two, I’ll freak out because of all that money I spent. But if I budget and take my time buying a few gifts here and there, I’m certain to feel better.

This is a picture of me — freaking out:

4. Watch some TV and read when the opportunities arise. I know most people bash watching television, but for me I legitimately completely disconnect
from everything and concentrate on the show. I’m currently loving The X-Factor and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills but I’m not opposed to anything on
the Food Network or a cheesy Lifetime movie. Sign me up.

5. Pray throughout the day and be thankful for what I already have an excited for what is yet to come.

Have a great evening!

Question of the Night: What helps you to get through the crazy Holiday season?

→ 6 Comments

Posted in Diet, Dinner, Drinks, Eating Out, Food, Friends, Holiday, Party

Keeping It Together

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Steph | 2 Comments

Ugh, another weekend comes to an end and Monday starts creeping up on us. Why does this always seem to happen? Strange, huh Well at least I can say it was both a fun and accomplished weekend. I love Saturday’s and Sunday’s that include play time along with getting some shizzzz done. Always feels good.

I wanted to center this post around Summer indulgences and how I’ve been managing to ‘balance’ it all. Generally speaking, the Winter time and holiday season tends to be the most popular time for people to ‘slip’ up from their daily diets and healthier eating habits. This definitely rings true for me, however, I have also found that I can easily fall off the band wagon during the Summer months. Heck yeah, I want to look good in that bikini–I did go to Aruba with five friends after all–but I also want to be able to enjoy myself.

Aruba brought a few cheats here and there–Happy Hour’s:

Dessert ( this was split amongst all of us ):

Drinks with dinner:

And snacks before going out:

The above pictures seem like a lot of damage was done–and in retrospect, this is kind of true. But on the flip side, I also managed to squeeze in two quick gym sessions while on my vacation. I also ate light, yet protein-filled breakfasts’ and lunches each day. I managed to not gain any weight on this trip by delegating my indulgences for when we ate out at dinner, and even then, I tried to stick with fish and/or something that wasn’t too heavy. Was I restricting myself? Honestly, not in the least–I had plenty of those delicious island drinks! But I also didn’t want to go over-board. I’ve been feeling good in my clothing and in my biknini’s and would prefer for it to stay that way.

Then, there are those Summer BBQ’s, parties, night’s out, and happy hour’s:

(Only some of our July 4th party food)

I’ll have you all know I won the above beer pong game

From what you can see in these pictures, this Summer has been tons of fun so far. At the same time, I try to be disciplined during the work-week and/or during the day if I know that I am going to happy hour or meeting up for dinner with friends. I want to be able to be young and go out and enjoy myself while still slipping into a skirt or sexy summer dress and feel good about the way I look. This has been my ultimate goal. Balance. It’s the trickiest thing to pin down, but I kind of feel like I’ve finally got it.

For me, personally, hitting the gym at least 4-5 times a week really helps to keep everything in check. My metabolism is revved up, and I have a little wiggle room to enjoy that extra glass of wine. I don’t have to beat myself up at the gym, but sweating it out with some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on the treadmill for 30 minutes along with some strength training seems to do it for me. It sort of makes all the difference in the world.

These are just a few tips and tricks that have helped me to be able to get my fill of fun, while still keeping my sanity and ‘healthy’ happiness. None of this is stuff that you haven’t heard before, but it’s all worked for me and has enabled me to go out and have guilt-free fun.

Question of the Night: What are some ways that you find your ‘balance’ between eating/drinking during the Summer months with exercise and healthy foods?

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Posted in Balance, Body Image, Diet, Eating Out, Exercise, Friends, Gym, Happy Hour, Summer

Chefs Diet Review

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Steph | 11 Comments

Tonight I have a pretty awesome meal plan review for all of you. A couple weeks back, the friendly peeps at Chefs Diet reached out to me to see if I’d like to try a day of their meal delivery service to review for StephSnacks. I was immediately intrigued because I’ve always read about movie stars, singers, and celebrities using these diet systems for weight loss success. While I didn’t test Chef’s Diet for weight loss (I only did one day after all) I payed close attention to taste and how filling each meal was.

First things first — it was pretty awesome to have a big lunch box on my desk as soon as I walked into work packed with my days eats. Chef’s Diet makes sure your meals are at your door before your day begins. Um, yes, I could definitely get used to not preparing all my meals every day, day on end. Definitely an A+ in that department.

My meals were accompanied by a full-on menu. According to Chefs Diet, no meal plan exceeds 1500 calories. So when paired with at least four days of working out, I can imagine that the results are incredible.

I was stoked when I saw my breakfast. I have the bad tendency of generally eating greek yogurt for breakfast. Of course greek yogurt is really good for you, but having it almost every single day is bad for your taste buds. So when I saw this, I was really happy:

Smoked Turkey Breast Muffin Melt:This breakfast was recommended to be heated prior to eating it. So heat I did. I found that this breakfast was the perfect combo of carbs and protein. The turkey was fresh and flavorful and the cream cheese spread it came with was absolutely delicious. I ate this around 9:30 and was full until my lunch at 1:00.

It came with grapes, too

Once 1:00 arrived, I was definitely ready for lunch.

Zesty Tomato, Ham, and Cheddar Soup: Seriously, guys, this didn’t taste ‘diet’-esque at all. The cheese in this soup was phenomenal–the whole meal almost reminded me of a ‘pizza’ soup. However, I didn’t taste or see any ham.

Around 4:00, I was definitely ready for a snack — and snack time it was! Chefs Diet suggests eating your snacks anywhere from three to five hours after your last meal.

Grilled Chicken and Peppercorn Salad – Generally speaking, I like to have more of a ‘munchy’ and ‘crunchy’ type of snack, whether it be a bag of 100 calorie popcorn, carrots and hummus, or a granola bar — so having grilled chicken was a change for me. This snack was honestly a little bland for me, but the peppercorn dressing definitely helped. To me, this snack kind of seemed like the other half of my lunch, since lunch was on the smaller side. But I enjoyed the idea of having two mini meals instead of one substantial meal.

–>Insert Workout Here<–

Once 7:30 rolled around, it was time for dinner. This was on the menu:

Frikadellen German Meat Patties with Egg Noodles and Mushroom Piquant Sauce – Again, this meal was heated up in the microwave prior to eating it. I loved the meat patty – it tasted like it was literally made that day and was so filling. Generally speaking, I like egg noodles so I was happy to have ‘em in my meal! (PS–Currently obsessed with the word Frikadellen.. it makes me laugh).

And finally? Dessert:

Cherry Almond Supreme – I liked–not loved this. It was just kind of like jelly with two frozen cherries. It was nice and light but not super satisfying for a post-dinner snack.

If I had it my way, I’d do this diet for at least a month. Overall, the food was amazing and filling. It was so amazingggg to have the food ready for me. Am I being lazy? Maybe. But it was fabulous.

Thanks, Chefs Diet!

Question of the Night: Would you consider doing an at-home food delivery service? Have you ever done one?

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Posted in Chefs Diet, Diet, Product Review

Quality vs. Quantity

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Steph | 8 Comments

Hey there! It’s finally Thursday night which means that tomorrow is the best day of all; Friday! For some reason, I couldn’t be more excited for this weekend. I have no plans, and I’m totally okay with that A little over a week ago, I posted that I was going to take a week off from working out, which was something I hadn’t done in about a year and a half. So when I got back to the gym on Tuesday, I never felt better. Not only did I begin working out again, but I’ve also started eating better.

It’s easy to slip and slide through healthy eating. Days on end filled with salads, grilled chicken, and soup just isn’t fun. So of course, like anyone else, I love to have my sweets and treats in moderation. However, since I’ll be going to Aruba with a bunch of my friends at the end of June, I’m ready to eat healthier than ever (most of the time) and continue down a path of butt-kicking workouts (with rest days, too).

Today, I left the gym realizing that I have definitely learned something. About three years ago, a workout to me was not complete without at least forty minutes of cardio. I pushed my body to the brink, and it basically shut down. Today’s workout was one where I was out of the gym in 35 minutes and I can already tell my arms will be sore tomorrow. I worked on my arms for a little over 20 minutes and continued with ab work for the next 15. It was perfect. The lesson I’ve learned? QUANTITY DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN QUALITY!. Quality is working as hard as you can, for however long you feel you need to. Amen to that!

After my workout I was crrravvvinngggg veggies. I didn’t really question why, but knew that I didn’t have the sufficient vegetables I needed to make an awesome salad. So off to Trader Joe’s I went to stock up a bit:

As you can see, there are mostly healthy vegetables including spinach, carrots, tomato’s, jicama, snap peas, and brussel sprouts, but home girl needs some of those sweets, too! Sooooo I purchased this for the first time — and it was the last jar on the shelf:

CRACK

This stuff tastes very, very much like Biscoff, which is also crack by the way. It’s too good. For 90 cals in 1 tbsp, it is once again a great way to cure your sweet tooth, in — say it together people — moderation! But, yes, I also purchased these:

Because I always need chocolate on hand. Duh. But THEN I also made this for dinner:

An incredibly big spinach salad which consisted of the following:
-One Morning Star Veggie Burger
-Heaping 2 tbsp Trader Joes Basil Hummus
-Diced Carrots
-Diced Snap Peas
-Sauteed Brussel Sprouts
-Diced Tomato
-1/2 low carb wrap

Hit the spot. The healthy spot that is

Have a great night, everyone!

Question of the Night: Do you find that you’re generally a healthy eater? What are some of your favorite ‘healthy’ foods? How do you indulge your sweet/salty tooth?

→ 8 Comments

Posted in Diet, Dinner, Exercise, Food, Gym, Product Review, Trader Joes, Workout

Changes

Posted on October 2, 2011 by Steph | 8 Comments

Happy Sunday Morning! This is another weekend that went quickly. At least we have the rest of Sunday to enjoy, no? I went out last night for my friend Jenn and Ashley’s birthday, which I’ll show in a post later on, but I wanted to talk about a topic that has been weighing heavily on my mind–even if it really shouldn’t be taking up so much space in my thoughts. The topic? Exercise and eating.

Since I was about 16 years old, I made the conscious decision to be the healthiest person I possibly could. It suited my lifestyle, personality, and who I wanted to become. At the time, I needed to shed a few pounds, and as I’ve told you before, I took things too far. Maybe it’s because so many things are happening in my life right now, but I have recently been thinking about the ‘old me’ when I was insanely driven to look my best and work out as often as possible versus the ‘new me’ who has probably gone through 10 different stages since then and is still working on herself. The new me feels something different about exercise and eating right each day. It’s something I’m passionate about and spend a lot of time thinking about.

Just a little Squat action

But sometimes I think I spend too much time thinking about eating right/exercise and feeling guilty for probably no reason. Sometimes, I forget to just have fun and relax a bit. Since moving to the city, I’ve been trying to catch up on A LOT of sleep I lost for the year that I commuted. I find myself choosing extra sleep over the extra workout. I also find myself eating out a bit more with friends, having the extra drink, and getting my 16 handles on every now and then.

The biggest hurdle for me is to not look back at the ‘old me’ and feel so bad that I can’t be as vigilant. I don’t even know if I want to be as vigilant. I’m in my early 20′s living in the best city in the world, and I don’t think I can afford to count every calorie or record every workout. This isn’t to say I’m going hog-wild–I still kick some butt at the gym and choose grilled tilapia over baked mac and cheese as my meal about 70% of the time, but the other 30% involves going out, being young, and trying to just enjoy myself. For someone who likes to be on top of everything and have ‘all her ducks in a row’, this can be pretty challenging, but so far it’s been nice to just enjoy myself a bit more, whether that be a night out with my girl friends or indulging in some fantastic reality TV.

There’s my little Sunday food for thought. Talk to you all tonight!

Question of the Day: Have you ever gone in and out of phases when it comes to exercise or eating right? How do you adjust or balance to what fits your lifestyle at the time?

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Posted in Diet, Exercise, Frozen Yogurt, Guilt, Moving, Night Life, NYC, Peace of Mind, Weekend

Maggie Goes On A Diet

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Steph | 11 Comments

Hey All! How was your Tuesday? My mind has been literally bouncing all over the place since I am moving this Friday. Even though I’m not officially sleeping in the apartment until Friday, my mom and I are going to drop off some of my stuff at the apartment tomorrow night, so I have been pretty busy packing. Moving is a ton of work! I’ve moved approximately nine times in the past five years…. mmmyeah.

This morning started off with a tough workout at the gym. The first twenty minutes were spent on the treadmill while the following thirty minutes were spent getting my ass kicked by my personal trainer. My muscles have never screamed as much in my life as they have during my training sessions. Training is no joke!

While running on the treadmill, I leafed through the recent edition of People magazine. I love the ‘Books’ section of People because I generally find that the editors provide some pretty solid reads. Well today, under a title that read, ‘Kids’ Book Contro’, I found myself staring at a book called ‘Maggie Goes on a Diet’.

source

‘Maggie Goes on a Diet’ is about a 14 year old girl who goes from being ‘quite fat’ to becoming the popular kid in school after dieting in order to ‘reduce her stomach and big behind’. UM. WHAT THE F*#%#!? IS THIS REAL LIFE? Okay, but for real, how can books like this even be published? No wonder this was marked as controversial. I feel like this book is completely sending wrong message to young girls about body image and how to become accepted by peers. It is difficult enough to fit in during your awkward teen years, but to read a book which tells you that the only way to become popular is by losing weight is just down-right mean and wrong.

Maybe I’m over-reacting, but if I was a mother, I definitely wouldn’t want my daughter to read this.

DEFINITELY the Question of the Night—>What do you think of this book??

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Posted in Diet, Moving, NYC, Personal Trainer, Workout

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