Cowboys & Margaritas

How can I even start to write a blog about having one of the best days ever while watching my favorite team of all time lose? Well, maybe I should just start with breakfast and go from there.

This hotel is a treasure trove of healthy breakfast options. This morning I visited the omelette station for an egg white omelette with mushrooms, spinach, tomato, and onions. I also grabbed some wheat toast. The omelette was delicious but slightly more oily than I would like so I only at about 1/3 of it. The hubs made sure I had some peanut butter on my toast so I could get my needed protein and calories.

We were a touch late to meet our tour group. It turns out it pays to be timely. I had won a jersey in a raffle but were late so it went to the runner up. BOO! I only pouted for a second because it was game time!!

Our group traveled to Cowboys stadium which is a sight to behold for any sports fan. It’s nothing short of amazing. I was snapping photos like a crazy tourist and I could even tell the hubs (not a Cowboys fan….yet) was getting excited.

We made our way over to tail-gate with our group and we made a couple of new pals. It’s amazing how easy it is to bond over football. Anywho, the tailgate options were meat, meat, cheese covered meat, grease covered meat and booze. Ok I am kidding (sort of) but it was pretty much a frat guy’s culinary dream. Mine, not so much. I was told I HAD to try the homemade salsa so I got some with a handful of tortilla chips. That plus two bottles of water and one diet soda rounded out my tail-gating experience. We were watching televisions outside of what was going on live inside so I figured we should probably just head on in.

If you are not a huge sports fan this might not make sense to you but going inside the stadium took my breath away. I have been waiting for as long as I can remember to see the Cowboys play and suddenly there I was. I was ecstatic.

I was so excited to see the DCC (Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders). I probably took 30 photos of them. I danced for all of my childhood, teens, and early twenties so dance teams are near and dear to my heart.

After the players were introduced (and I have never screamed so much in my life except at U2 which is to be expected. I mean Bono hellloooo) Miss America came out to sing The National Anthem.

 

Game on! The Cowboys led for a hot second before they started getting their cute Cowboy butts handed to them. Just watching them play was a huge thrill for me.

Around 1/2 time I started to get hungry but food in the stadium is obnoxious expensive. I mean 60.00 for a pizza? Please. That pizza better do my dishes and take phone calls for me at work. To be fair, I saw on the way out they offered fresh fruit near the entrance and I will file that fact away for next time. So, for the second day in a row I had skipped lunch. (It’s bad. I know. I am making a promise to do better tomorrow.)

I had seen several of the girls around me sipping these tall yummy looking frozen margaritas so I sent the hubs off to get one for me. In retrospect it was not the best plan to have this on an empty stomach but it certainly made watching them continue to lose (badly) for the second half a lot more fun!

In all honesty, even though the game was painfully bad, I could not have had more fun (even without said frozen margarita). We did have some overly obnoxious Jacksonville fans behind us screaming “Yeah baby. That’s money baby” every single time Jacksonville did something even remotely good. It was annoying but something tells me I’ll be saying “thats money baby” for the rest of the trip. All in all, I was all smiles and I think the whole experience made a Cowboys fan of the hubs! (Ok I know..He told me so himself and wants to do it all over again next season!!)

When we finally made it back to the hotel we decided to make the 1/2 mile walk to a burger joint for a dinner. Not the best choice but I ordered the smallest burger they offered with a small order of fries. I loaded the burger with veggies and the meal fit well within my planned calories for the day. The hubs and I walked back to the hotel for some REST, blogging, and more rest.

We are headed to Cowboys Stadium in the morning for a tour. I am almost ashamed of how stoked I am to stand on that famous star and take a photo! So that was my day and I can’t resist ending with…. How bout them Cowboys!?!?!

　

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Love and War In Texas

Nope, not a random country song but rather the name of the steakhouse the hubs and I had dinner at tonight. I had somehow skipped lunch so I was starving by the time we made it to dinner. Let me just say, it is really terrible to skip meals while on a diet or healthy living plan. It can defintely lead to trouble! Luckily, I stayed aware of this as we made our way to dinner.

Since our “steak dinner” night was a planned indulgence for the week I told the hubs to get whatever he wanted as an appetizer. I normally stay away from them in general so I only had a couple bites of this super spicey chilli con queso.

I was so excited to be in Texas ordering a steak (how lame is that?) so I ordered a smoked then grilled angus prime rib with a potato and veggies. I managed to get about 1/2 way through my potato, had about 3 bites of the veggies, and did not even make a dent in that monster steak. It was SO good but I was full. Instead of forcing down another bite or four-I stopped eating. It is so important to listen to your body when on a weight loss plan. However, what I did eat was really yummy and totally worth the trip out.

I had planned on another indulgence with Mexican food this week but have decided this will be my lone indulgence. I just don’t “feel good” after a heavy meal and I would much rather keep my energy up by finding yummy “on plan” options. No regrets though…..Beef its what was for dinner!!! (Couldn’t Resist) 😉

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Once a Cowboy…

Even with a little nap today started to feel like the day that would not end. However, I somehow found a second wind when it was time to go pick up our football game tickets, swag bags, and meet our tour guides. If there is one thing a blogger loves it’s swag so I was super excited to get my grab bag which had a shirt, hat, coffee mugs, pens, etc. Ican’t lie though-the most exciting thing was finally getting my little paws on those Dallas Cowboys game tickets!!

After we got our goodies we found a table and got ready for the meet and greet. I had a bad feeling they would bring in a no name 4th string guy for the event but was actually pleased to learn they had chosen a retired Cowboy instead.

Yup! That is Kevin Smith. He was part of the team back when they were a force to be reckoned with. I can remember being in elementary/ middle school and watching them win the 92, 93, and 95 Superbowls. This guy was a part of that team!!

I of course felt the need to meet him so after the interview/Q&A session I went up to have my photo made with a real live Dallas Cowboy! Retired or not, he was a great player and it was really neat to meet him.

I am completely 120% excited to go to the game tomorrow. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve night. Teehee! Thankfully I am going on 4 hours of sleep so hopefully I will drift right off into some sweet Cowboys dreams!

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Our Lone Star Digs

After our late breakfast the hubs and I explored our hotel a little. To say this place is gigantic is an understatement.  In addition to the restaurants, Starbucks, etc this hotel is floor after floor of oversized suites. Can I just say any hotel with trees and waterfalls inside is okay by me? 😉

Still inside the hotel..

 

Our room is one of the more modest suites in the hotel but there is still plenty of space. The living room has a perfect little office/work area for me to set up my pink netbook and blog.

There is a small kitchen area across from the bathroom. I love having a microwave and fridge in the room because it makes healthy snacks/drinks easier to store. I do not love the mini bar items. Too tempting and too expensive!

The bedroom is at the other end of the suite and is cozy (ie small). However the room is really nice and the photos really do not do it justice.

And check out the view. I truly cannot get over how flat Texas is. When we were landing I felt like I could just see for days and days.

In a weird turn of events there is no”regular” television here. There are 2 flat screens in our room but all stocked with “On Demand” TV and movies. $5.00 for an episode of GLEE? I think I’ll pass!!!

I am heading to get in some rest before meeting up with our tour guide in a bit to pick up our game tickets (and maybe even meet a Cowboy or 2) !

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Welcome To Texas

It was a super early morning or super late night (depending on how you look at it) in the Running in Pink Project household.  The hubs and I were up at the unseemly hour of 3:00am to catch our flight to Charlotte, NC. Even though getting up this early sort of feels like a punch in the face I think we were looking pretty stylish for 3:30am!

 We made it to Charlotte with a short smooth flight. I slept the whole way and probably snored the whole way too. Sorry everyone else on board. *edit* The hubs assured me there was no snoring on the flight to NC! J After a quick layover it was time to board the flight for our final destination Dallas Texas!

 

I can honestly say the Charlotte airport is one of my favorites and I would have much rather spent an extra 30 minutes in there rather than crammed on the plane. It felt like we sat on the runway for eons. Maybe that’s just my impatience talking.

Finally, we were up in the air and headed to Dallas.

 I love love love that there were so many Dallas Cowboys fans on board (and Jacksonville fans). It makes me feel a little less crazy for flying across the country for a football game. It was fun to listen in on all of the football talk. It was also on the flight that my first fail for the trip took place. I never eat before flights because it makes me sick. However, I usually bring a snack or two *just in case*. I meant to grab a banana and some Annie’s organic bunny grahams for the flight but completely forgot. Cut to me starving on a plane to Dallas with 2 hours to go! I decided to pass some time by starting a blog post.

 The flight was smooth and painless (other than those pesky hunger pains) and we arrived in Dallas Texas. I am beyond excited to be here. This is my first trip to Texas and I cannot wait to take it all in.

 Since I was beyond starving upon landing the hubs and I found a place close by to grab a quick breakfast.  Dining out so much on vacation can get tricky when dieting or on a specific eating plan but there are options out there. This morning I lucked out as we arrived during our hotel’s morning breakfast. I was able to get an oatmeal mix which included raisins, granola, blueberries, and strawberries. Add on a side of pineapple and some skim milk and it was heaven in a bowl!

 

Now we are off to explore our hotel and suite.  I can’t wait! I am ready to take on Texas (after a super quick nap that is!!)

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Boy Food

My afternoon, evening, and night have gone by in a complete blur. We paid bills, dropped off our last furniture payment (Yipeee!), took our pups across town to stay with the hub’s parents and finally realized it was time for dinner.

Since I had my “girl food” earlier I let tonight’s dinner be the hub’s choice. He picked Macados which has tons of guy friendly food. By guy friendly I mean meaty and usually involving gallons of cheese. 🙂

The hub’s picked a CLASSIC man’s man kind of dish with an over stuffed burrito with chips. I personally think it looked a little like Christmas on a plate with the red and green tortilla chips.  He seemed to enjoy it which was really my only objective with dinner tonight.

Obviously a burrito was not on the agenda for me. Macados is one of those restaurants that can give dieters trouble. There are a lot of calorie laden options and very few health friendly choices. Even the salads feature fried chicken. I ended up finding some (semi) girl’s food in the form of an everything bagel with grilled chicken, veggies, and BBQ Sauce.

I am excited to stay “on plan” while on vacation and uncover some ways to travel on a “diet” Come visit the blog this week while I discover healthy eats in Dallas!

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Girl Food

Since I am going out of town for a few days I decided to meet up with my friend Siobhan (pronounced Shh-uh-vawn….I know some of you were wondering) for a late lunch. I always love having lunch with girlfriends because you can indulge in what I refer to as “girl food”. It is the food or restaurants that your significant other, or just the guys in your life may not appreciate.  Today we decided to head over to Magnolia Foods for some lunch. Magnolia Foods is a great little specialty wine and food shop here in Lynchburg that serves fabulous meals and sandwiches.Everything is super fresh and they have tons of healthy (and vegetarian) options. It is truly one of my favorite spots to grab a quick bite!

I chose a simple turkey on whole grain sandwich with green apples, super spicy mustard, and swiss. YUM! I also picked up one of their famous cupcakes. This was all I had eaten all day (besides 1/2 of a smoothie earlier in the morning) so everything looked great.

Girl talk and “Girl Food” was a perfect way to end the work-week. What is your favorite “girl food”?

 

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Bigger In Texas?

The word on the street is everything is bigger in Texas. However,during this upcoming trip I am hoping my waistline will not be one of them. Ahem.  Actually, hoping is not the right word. It is more like actively planning to combat this. I plan to leave Texas just as healthy (if not more so) than when I got there.

My first task is to plan. By planning I do not mean make a packing list plan, (which I have already done of course) but rather make a meal/workout plan. Since we are going to be in Texas for 5 days I have broken it down like this:

The Workouts:
Our hotel features a full gym. (Score!).  Even if there is not a full gym most hotels feature fitness rooms of some sort. Even the smallest of facilities work fine.  If I get bored with the fitness center I can go for a run or walk and see the scenery. Working out somewhere new is a lot of fun. Also, a final option is using a local Gold’s Gym since I get 7 passes to other Gold’s Gyms per year. If you use a chain like Gold’s ask your front desk about passes. Also, you will be surprised how many gyms in the cities you visit will give you a 1-week pass for free (or for a small fee). My motto- It never hurts to ask!! There is no excuse for skipping workouts while on vacation. I have learned this slowly but surely.

The Food:
This is all about priorities. When I asked myself what foods MUST I try while I am in Texas my first thoughts were a steak dinner and Mexican food. This equates to two meals out of five days worth of eating. I think I can plan well and certainly fit those in. Remember that amazing pizza I had in Chicago? It is ok to indulge a little on vacation as long as overall you are sticking to your plan and making smart choices. There is so much to be said for balance.

The Fun:
It is vacation so having fun is your biggest priority. Run 3 miles instead of 5 if you like, make a lap or four around the outlets for some extra cardio, find a park, do a walking tour of the city, etc. There are so many ways to work in healthy choices on your vacation. I plan to burn some calories jumping up and down and cheering on The Dallas Cowboys on Sunday!!

I will have my little blogging in pink netbook along for the trip so I can get my real time Texas blogging on ya’ll! I hope Dallas is ready for me!!

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Blog Makeover

A few weeks ago I asked for suggestions for the upcoming makeover I am doing to the blog. I plan to start with the new content when I return home from Texas.  Several of you responded via email and asked to see…

-Weigh-Ins
-Recipes
-Progress Photos
-Work Out Updates

I appreciate the input and plan to get all of those ideas into the re-vamped Running In Pink Project. I will also be featuring several new segments that I think will really help me to settle in and find my true “blog voice”. The idea is to turn this back into the healthy living blog it was intended to be. Some new features will include:

Sara Shops– A look at my grocery shopping, food budget (a very big
deal when you are eating healthy), and new product “finds”. This
segment will also expand to “fun” shopping as well including my Open
Sky Store.

Sara Tries– Many people shy away from an activity because they think
they are too large, too weak, too old, too financially strapped, etc.
Each month (hopefully) will feature me trying something new, perhaps a
new workout, new hobby, or new event while giving an honest critique
of it on the blog. If you have a suggestion for Sara Tries please
leave it in the comment section below or email me at
runninginpinkproject@gmail.com

Meals on the Cheap– Healthy eating, especially organic, can be hard on
the wallet. This segment will take a look at easy HEALTHY meals you
can make on the cheap!

Fabulous Food Recipes-New recipes weekly.

The Art of the Salad– I am always seeing delicious looking (sometimes
super fancy) salads on other blogs. This will feature new and
fantastic salads weekly. (I see the hubs cringing).

Weight Update– I tried so hard to focus on positive things but I feel
strongly that losing weight is a huge part of health for me. That is
why I will be bringing weekly weigh-in updates and journals to the
blog.

I hope everyone is as excited about these changes as I am. First up, “
Sara tries”….. going to a NFL game.

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Surprise!

I have a love-hate relationship with surprises. When it comes to fun surprises I love them so much I almost can’t stand it. When it comes to not so fun surprises, well those are not really my cup of organic tea (with a splash of honey). However, true surprises are one of the little games life likes to play with us.  The last week has been “Game On”!

The hubs and I woke up last Thursday to a text message to look on the front porch. The hub’s family had brought by an anniversary gift for us. (Sweet huh?) We were totally not expecting that this morning so it was a nice surprise. It was a fun little combination gift card for Maggiano’s and Regal Cinemas. The hubs and I are dinner and a movie kind of people so this was pretty much perfect. There was also a box with some awesome personalized coasters. I am in love with anything I can slap my name, initials, or photo on so these are great! I can’t wait to find some funny pictures and get to work on these.

My car, The Wonder-Bug, was acting weird Thursday morning (surprise!) so the hubs insisted I take his SUV to work. He often commutes to and from his office via bike so while I felt bad taking his car, I knew he would be fine. Spoiler alert: the bug is fine- just some user error.

After the random surprise at work of learning a fellow employee (that I don’t know very well) will be in Dallas next weekend (as will I) and at the Dallas Cowboys game (as will I) it was time to head home. When I got there…Surprise!!! Our Corgi pup was not crated, but was running around the house. Other than some chewed socks (gross!) the house was
not Corgi destroyed (IE: anything with short and squats reach) so all was well.

I sat down to check my email and was surprised to have an email from an old friend looking to reconnect. Efforts like that always make me smile so it was a good surprise to round out the day.

The weekend brought some not so good surprises. We bought our plane tickets to Dallas ages ago. We planned to pick up some additional plane tickets to visit some family in Midland. When we went to purchase them on Friday we got the not so great surprise that they had more than tripled in price. BOO! So obviously we had to pass on the family visit.  This also meant, after an arguement with the airline, that we had to book a hotel for a few extra nights in Dallas. BUT we got a voucher from our travel agency to cover half of it (good surprise!)

All in all, we made it through alive and smiling- ready to head to Dallas Saturday morning!

Do you like surprises?

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