Hot Yoga on a Cold Night

As is true with most cities on this side of the country it is FREEZING cold in my little town today. However, my yoga pal and I did not use this dip in the temperature to derail our Bikram Yoga plans. Siobhan and I braved the ice and headed downtown to get our workout in!

The good news is I felt a lot stronger than even just a week ago and I was really giving it a good try. I need to mention again how understanding and amazing the instructors are here. They are exactly what I was hoping for when I decided to give hot yoga a try. Tonight, I was listening carefully to the instruction, following along as best I could, and really making an effort to do the poses correctly (even those I cannot fully go into yet). The bad news is I overdid it a touch in the beginning and ended up in a child’s pose for the last 10-15 minutes of the 90 minute class. This was a little discouraging and while the spirit was willing, the body simply was not able (at this point). I mostly felt proud of my effort but I could also feel that oh too familiar “you have no business doing this” feeling creeping in.

Here is what I want to say tonight. When you start to feel intimidated, upset, or discouraged it is so important to understand that you have just as much right as ANYONE to be there. If you find a fitness activity you enjoy, start taking a class or join a gym these moments of self-doubt will creep in. Acknowledge them, work though them, and put them away. Tonight I had a random girl in class say to me “Oh you’re just doing once or twice a week? Mmm well I guess you’ve got to start somewhere.” And while I get that she was kind of being a bitch, she was also kind of right. You do have to start somewhere. I am not going to be perfect in two weeks, two months, or even two years but just the act of doing and growing is so important. I wager in two month’s time I will look back at this and smile remembering just how much I have learned and changed in that amount of time. You’re journey is about you and you alone. Tonight, I grew just a little and it felt pretty fantastic!

Namaste~

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Start With a Weigh-In and End With a Corgi

My very last day of 2010 started with a trip to the Weight Watchers center in town. After last night’s revelation I knew I was ready to face whatever number the scale had in store for me. The truth is it feels very empowering to have my task so neatly placed in front of me. Now comes the mission of figuring out the right combination of food and exercise for my body. This was the last precursor to a very difficult journey but knowing that it only gets better from this day forward is a motivator all on it’s own. 2011 will be my year to emerge something better.

My weigh-in was not exactly what I had anticipated. It turns out I had not gained back all of the weight I lost last year and am starting out 12lbs lighter than I thought. Even though I am not brave enough to share the number (today) I have accepted it and feel 100% ready to take on the challenge. While yesterday was a day filled with emotion today was a day filled with resolve. I talked with my leader (and cousin-in-law) Stephanie about Weight Watchers new “Points Plus” program and I left the center with tons of new material to help me on my quest to a healthier me.

My last day of 2010 could not be all about weight so I traveled to Roanoke to meet up with my pal Kristen and her little girl for lunch. Kristen is very much a part of my support system and we did a lot of talking about my goals and plan to achieve them. We left time for some fun “girl talk” too and we finally exchanged Christmas gifts. There is something so heartwarming about a friend who truly knows you well enough to pick out a perfect gift. Among some super cute gifts was this amazing apron in one of my favorite prints (monogrammed in pink of course) and matching wine goblet. Now I can start “Cooking in Pink” too!

Being back on an eating plan is somewhat daunting at first so I “played it safe” at lunch today and ordered a salad with grilled chicken. At least the roasted pears and almond slivers kept this salad from being 100% boring. However, when in doubt basic is usually better I think. 😉

After a late lunch I made it home in time to plan my meals and workouts for next week. I am all set up at the gym, ready to get back to running, and even signed up to start a Bikram Yoga class on Tuesday night. I contacted the studio about my weight concerns and they were incredibly supportive and positive. I can’t wait to give it a try! Tonight I am ringing in the new year with my hubs by my side, DVDs on the television, and this sweet Corgi in my lap. I cannot think of a better end to 2010 and start to 2011! Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year!!

It is that time of year again, the time of year when networks countdown the most popular news stories, radio stations countdown the most popular songs, and individuals reminisce about the biggest moments of the year gone by.

I can truly say 2010 has been an amazing year for me. I am at a job I enjoy working with people I truly like. I have reconnected with old friends, made some new friends, and am closer than ever with the people I love. I have a little home with my husband and two sweet pups. Maybe most importantly, I am content and very thankful for the life I have.

Since this is just the right time of year for countdowns I give you my 10 favorite moments of 2010! (You can click any of the bold links to read more!)

10. Running In Pink Project was born.  One little post in March of 2010 started my blog, which has grown tremendously over the last year. I love having this creative outlet, which I hope will grow into something really great in 2011!

9. Happy Birthday to Me-Turning 30 at Disney World. Even though this was pre-blog it still had to make the list. I turned 30 in the happiest place on earth, finally got a photo with Alice, had ice cream for breakfast, and generally spent one the happiest days I’ve ever had at Disney with the hubs.

8. Getting my PR during a local 5K. The hubs and I attended a local 5k where I felt “free” to just run for the very first time!

7.  Wicked (and Wicked Again). You all know I love a musical. Wicked is pretty much my favorite. I was lucky enough to see the touring production twice this year. Once on a nice date night with the hubs and once for a fantastic girls day out!

6. Family Time. The hubs and I took a road trip to WV to get in some serious family bonding time!

5. Finishing the Wine and Dine ½ Marathon. While this experience had its bumps (the hubs dropping out, getting permission to run his leg of the relay along with mine, finishing after nearly getting swept) it was a bittersweet experience. However, I think it is an experience that made me a better person and so it is on my list of favorites for 2010.

4. Attending the Healthy Living Summit in Chicago. This experience was pretty amazing. I got to meet some really great girls, including online pal Andrea. I learned a ton and had a wonderful time visiting “The Windy City” for the very first time.

3. Fit for a Princess-Disney Princess ½ Marathon Weekend. Even though this ½ marathon did not go exactly how I had hoped it still introduced me to the joys of organized endurance events (Disney Style), prepared me for future races, and put a drive in my soul to “try harder” and “be better” Later in the year (see #5) I did just that! (On a side note-I am somewhat sad, yet resolved, in reporting I am not participating in the ½ this year. We will be there on vacation to cheer you girls on and I will be doing the Royal Family 5k so I can participate in the Princess weekend but weight loss, not training, is my focus this year. I hope to cap off my year of fitness and weight loss by participating again next year. But, I can’t wait to see everyone!!)

2. Visiting New York for the very first time. There is not much I can say here other than “WOW!”. This was an experience with three of my great girlfriends that I will never ever forget.

1. God Bless Texas! The hubs and I took a trip to Dallas Texas and see the Cowboys play. This might seem like a strange thing to take the top spot. However, the hubs and I had an amazing week in Dallas bonding, ate great food, saw my most favorite team of all time play football, toured the stadium, and made some really cool memories. It definitely meets the criteria for an amazing moment.

What are some of your favorite moments of 2010?

Wishing you and yours a Happy, Healthy, and Beautiful 2011!!!!

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In the 212- NYC Trip Recap Day 2

Saturday morning found us all looking a little better and brighter than the night before. We got up around 6:00am because we wanted to soak in as much NYC as we possibly could. Here I am looking a touch too chipper for 6:30am!

We also woke up to a freezing cold room. After calling the front desk our heater was promptly repaired and the four of us were compensated with free breakfast at our hotel. You’ve got to love free in NY so we headed up for some orange juice, scrambled eggs, fruit and toast. I also indulged with a scone every morning. YUM! Other than a passive aggressive wait staff breakfast was simple and filling. We were out on the streets of NY in less than 30 minutes.

Our first stop was a 7:30am stop at what I lovingly now refer to as “the only Macys that matters”. This was a very smart move on our part as it was reasonably un-crowded at this hour.

The four of us split up since there was a lot of ground to cover. This Macy’s is massive. You could literally spend an entire day in there and not cover everything. However, with only 3 ½ hours allotted for Macys I had to do some serious speed shopping. This Macys was full of amazing sales and deals. My favorite find was this Dooney and Bourke bag.

A few hours later the four of us, multiple overstuffed bags in tow headed back to the hotel to drop off our purchases. Our room was starting to look a little bit disastrous but that was ok. At this point we went out searching for some NY style pizza. After a bit of a smart phone snafu we found exactly what we were looking for. I went with the somewhat unconventional choice of ham and pineapple.

This pizza was good but all of the grease immediately made me sick. It left me more than a little grossed out. While I was down, I was not out! We decided to head up toward Union Square to do some more shopping.  After some subway confusion (we went down the exact same set of steps, wrong steps I might add, TWICE) we hailed a cab and headed on our way.

There seems to be shopping at every turn in the city so after hitting a few stores we took another cab uptown. We wanted to look at the beautiful store windows at Bergdorf Goodman, Barney’s, etc and they did not disappoint.

However, our final destination uptown was Tiffany and Co. (~cue angels singing~). It is no secret that I love anything shiny and fabulous so I was pretty much beyond excited to get into Tiffany’s. I had visited a Tiffany’s with my blog pal Andrea on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago over the summer but had not purchased anything. However, during this trip the group of us were giddy from all of the shopping/giggling/fun and several of us rode up to the sterling silver floor (floor 3) and made purchases. I loved getting that famous little blue bag in my hands. It made me all warm inside!

We made our way back to the hotel, stopping to shop along the way. We were four totally worn out girls by the time we made it to dinner.

We chose a little place called Jack Dempsey’s since it was just a block or so from our hotel. I had an amazing lean bison burger (not pictured) and we spent the night talking, laughing, and winding down.

Even though we were pretty worn out, we could not resist the appeal of a late night trip to the top of the Empire State Building. We walked the two blocks from dinner to the Empire State Building and since it was around 11:00pm we were able to go right up with no waiting!! We were shocked. Even though this is a very touristy thing to do, I highly recommend it. The photos were beautiful, the view amazing, and the experience with my girlfriends is one I won’t ever forget.

We literally could not cram another ounce of fun into our day so we headed back to our hotel. We had a big day of site seeing and musicals to rest up for!

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In the 212…NYC Trip Recap (Day 1)

After a little break for the holidays (and a killer cold) I am finally functional and ready to recap my fun winter vacation to New York. January 1 will be a kick off for new diet and fitness content so check back for that too!! But back to the task at hand, my trip recap.

On Thursday night a winter storm blew in which we were afraid might spoil our travel plans. The roads were pretty gross so all of the girls decided to stay over just in case. We had a full house but made the best of it. I think it is safe to say there was enough excitement in the house to last for days!

The next morning was snowy, icy, and yucky but thanks to the hubs all four girls plus luggage were safely packed up in our SUV and taken to the train station.

After a smooth check in we were all set with our tickets and ready for the SEVEN hour train ride to New York!

We settled in on the train and did our best to amuse ourselves for seven hours. There was napping, magazine reading, talking/giggling, and coffee drinking to pass the time. For what it is worth the train food and coffee was not at all bad! Plus because of the snow we passed some really beautiful scenery.

Kristen and Nikki napping

Me and my traveling partner Tiff

A long, yet bearable, 7 hours later we arrived in New York. We came up out of the train station and…..BAM! It was New York!

Three of the four of us had never ever been to New York so I am sure we were embarrassing to be around. We were snapping tons of photos and had to ask directions to our hotel around 5 times. 😉 After walking a couple of blocks we checked into our hotel (which was right around the corner from Macys) and started to make plans for the night.

After some deliberation we decided to catch a cab (easier said than done on this particular night) and head up to Serendipity for dinner.  Yes, I only knew about it because of the movie but I didn’t care. I was stoked! My girlfriends were nice enough to indulge me and our dinner turned out to be a lot of fun!

I had an amazing BLT with some black bean soup for dinner and then had the huge task of choosing a desert. I decided to go with the famous frozen hot chocolate. Even though I only had a few sips it was phenomenal! I definitely recommend sharing it with a pal or three though.

After dinner the crew headed over to Bloomingdale’s for some shopping. It took us around two hours to just browse the entire store. We had a lot of fun picking out cute clothes and Christmas ornaments.

Even though we were all tired (and looking tired I might add) we decided to head over to Times Square. We were all so glad we did. We shopped for cheesy souvenirs (I heart NY t-shirts anyone??), went to the Disney Store and MAC, and took tons of photos! It was the perfect end to our first day in the city.

We got another cab (much easier this time around!) and headed back to our hotel. We all pretty much collapsed for the night and rested up for the full day of shopping and fun to come!!

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Snow Day

It snowed today in beautiful central Virginia which caused the oh so rare occurrence of my office being closed for the day. So what have I been up to on this unexpected snow day?

Snuggling in my favorite spot trying to stay warm

 

Baking Brownies

 

Looking at the Snow

 

Catching up on blogs

Packing for New York

Yup-the girls and I are leaving at 5:15 am to catch a train to New York City for some shopping and holiday fun.  Since the weather is so crazy today they are all heading to my house tonight so there is no chance of anyone getting snowed/iced in. It’s going to be close quarters but we are looking at it as an impromptu slumber party to get the weekend started!! I don’t know how much time I will have to blog while on my little winter vacation but rest assured I will be back Tuesday with all of the fun details!!! Have a Great Weekend!!

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Friday Smiles…..

Here is what has me all smiles this Friday!

I went into the salon looking all crazy like this……

But came out with fabulously colored and straightened hair like this…….

I got to spend some time with one of my favorite people, my hair stylist Caleb, AND I ran into Denise from my work. (We have had the same hair stylist for years but have never run into one another at the salon until today!)

I got a manicure/pedicure with one of my favorite gals in some super cute red shades from the OPI Burlesque collection.

I got a good laugh (sorry Siobhan!) when my friend forgot her pedi flip flops and had to walk to her car all Britney Spears style without her shoes!!

And my pups are all dressed up in their jingle elf collars!

What had you all smiles today?

Check back this weekend as I decorate a winter cake, shop for party supplies, start planning for NYC, and hit the pavement for a winter run! Have a great weekend!!

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Choices and Changes

Today had the potential to start off terribly. I can fully admit the first few days of starting (or restarting) an eating plan/diet/etc can be brutal. Yesterday I was craving all sorts of wacky foods (all unhealthy). I think sometimes with healthy living blogs writers tend to gloss over these moments because you want so badly to teach your body not to want those things. You want so badly to be a model of healthy choices.  However, it is only natural after years, months,
weeks, or even just days of indulging it takes the body some time to get back on track. The key in all of that is the word “choice”. You can have the desire to stay in bed rather than run but ultimately it is your choice in that equation that counts.

This morning I was in a total rush (maybe I need to facebook less and straighten my hair more) and would have grabbed a quick fast food breakfast sandwich except I reminded myself that :
1. No good is going to come from that. It will serve as empty calories only.
2. If I truly want to indulge tomorrow is Saturday and it can wait until then (I would never choose my one Saturday indulgence to be a fast food sandwich anyway, gross).
3. There is no reason to start day 3 off on the wrong note when days 1 and 2 were such a success.

Ultimately with the limited time I had I was forced to stop and grab something quick. I opted for an organic Cliff Bar and a reduced calorie/reduced sugar orange juice. I am a fruit juice lover so only having to spend 80 calories (versus 200 or so) on this little bottle made me very happy!!

I will say again just how much I love my job but truthfully it was trying my patience today. I felt like a circus freak spinning plates most of the day just hoping they would not all crash down around me. Luckily, some work pals were up for a lunch outside of the office so we headed over to The Farm Basket in Lynchburg for a quick bite.

My lovely pal Lori waiting for lunch.

The Farm Basket, like so many of our local restaurants, try to use local wholesome ingredients in the food. I strayed from my normal turkey on wheat and picked up a grilled chicken wrap with mushrooms, spinach, and a touch of Parmesan Caesar dressing. YUM!

I’m planning a healthy lean steak dinner for the hubs tonight and some yoga. I am officially ending my first week back “on track” and it feels great. I am ready to implement the changes we talked about to the blog and wanted to say a quick Thank You So Super Much to the hubs for creating a new header to go with my new attitude and new ( & improving) blog.

Have a Happy and Healthy Weekend!!

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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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One (The Sequel)

Remember earlier in the summer when I went to celebrate the birthday of one of my best girlfriend’s baby? Today was part II as another great girlfriend had another sweet baby turning one.  After my weigh in and run this morning the hubs and I rushed around to get ready for the 2 hour drive up to Richmond. I decided this would be one of the last weeks I could get away with a really summery dress so I took full advantage! It seems like only yesterday I was buying this thing.

We packed up the car and headed on our way.

We arrived (fashionably early) to an Elmo Birthday Bash! Tiff and Robert had the house looking completely adorable all decked out in Elmo swag!

There was tons of food (and plenty of healthy options) though I was glad that Saturday is my “flex” day in terms of calories because there were tons of goodies too. I also tried a new cheese which was fabulous. It was a white cheese with cranberries. I’m not certain if it was a Stilton or Wensleydale but it was fab!

After lunch Tiff and Robert “helped” the baby open his mountain of gifts. There were lots of Elmo themed toys but the baby was most interested in a book. 🙂

After the Birthday boy finished inspecting all of his new loot everyone headed into the dining room for cake from Chandlers Bakery in Charlottesville, VA. This cake was amazing. It tasted more like fab wedding cake than Birthday cake.   Even better is that I planned for it so there was zero guilt in having a slice.

The Birthday Baby was not as pleased with the cake as I was. He refused all bites of cake (adamantly refused- heh) and opted for yogurt instead. Maybe he’ll be a healthy living blogger one day! 😉

It was great to share in the family’s special day. Tiff and Robert and have been in my life for so long. I was so thrilled to celebrate their sweet guy’s first Birthday!

After the party the hubs and I spent another two hours in the car chatting and made it back to Lynchburg. We had planned on another date night but nixed it in favor of a night at home.  Ever since our trip to Margaritaville I have been craving a BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger. Obviously the calories are out of control so we decided to recreate this meal with lean beef, center cut bacon, fat free mayo 1/2 tsp, BBQ sauce 1/2 tsp, 2% cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions sauteed in olive oil. We paired it with some organic shoe string potatoes. Fab! To see how the swap works out click HERE. The main difference tonight was the addition of sauteed onions, and larger wheat buns.

Have a Happy And Healthy Weekend!

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