WIAW: Eating, watching, reading

I'm late to this week's meal plan so here goes:

Breakfasts

Monday - BLT with extra salmon

Tuesday-Friday - oatmeal protein pancakes

Lunches

Monday - Chronic Taco carne asada lettuce bowl

Tuesday-Friday - BLTs

Dinners

Monday - leftover sweet potato & black bean chili

Tuesday-Friday - slow cooker Thai chicken soup

Snacks

Apples with almond butter

Popcorn

This coffee I saw over at the Fitnessista, but I drank it straight.

Chocolate, at work only, from the 99 cent store!

On rotation

Jack Johnson station on Pandora

 Older R&B

Dirty Heads "Lay Me Down" - Official Video - Directed by Thomas Mignone from DOOM Incorporated on Vimeo.

On screen

"Not Since You," which I LOVED and kept me up tonight. :( It stars Detective Quinn from "Dexter" as one of the main characters and Sara Rue, whom I know best from the short-lived series "Popular." There are other familiar faces with forgettable names, except Will Estes. I remember him.

Before that, I was catching up on "The IT Crowd." Chris O'Dowd, on the left, is my favorite!

...and "Hungry for Change" until I got bored. It's very informative yet it's all "experts" talking on screen.

On my brain

 I read a lot of Wild last night but none today. :( It's good so far!

What I want to eat/watch/read

Fluffy, warm, amazing Great Harvest Bread Company breads... all the way in Temecula. Might as well get some wine while I'm at it huh?

I could settle for Blackmarket Bakery bread and this sandwich they're making with proceeds going to STOP SAM (Severe Acute Malnutrition). Blackmarket is one of few bread makers with a shop in the area.

Their bread would be the only bread for a charcuterie plate. I've already purchased most of the fixings.

Often Nicholas Sparks writes stories that are pretty much the same and I can't distinguish one between another. I started reading his books in high school, got the chance to see the Outer Banks where he sets his books and even saw the house from "Nights in Rodanthe." Besides A Walk to Remember, with a great accompanying movie, Safe Haven was a favorite.

I might be a little obsessed with Chris O'Dowd and the Irish. He wrote "Moone Boy" about an odd Irish kid and he's the imaginary friend.

 

Maybe this is just the theme of my life right now...

Blackberry Winter because I loved her first book!

What are you eating/watching/reading right now?

WIAW: "All roads lead to Rome."

My first class gave me hell... I was done with them today. Thankfully, I love my world history class. They're rambunctious as well, but it's a small class and they're smarties.

We started talking about Ancient Rome today.

#treatyourselftuesday to gel nails and a pedicure

I took a quick nap then went to the gym. 15 minutes on the stair climber (before some yoga).

I stopped by Walmart. I hate going there but wanted pumpkin. No pumpkin but did find other interesting products:

Quick post-workout consumption:

Followed by a green smoothie, eventually, after I finished my teaching website! Yes, it's done!

I made some more pumpkin pie energy bites, and broke my NutriBullet. Thank goodness I can return it.

I also made more of Blogilates' zero calorie noodle pad thai.

Since I have some time off from school (my own), I picked up a book:

What are you reading?

Have you seen the new nut butters?

WIAW: Chocomole, plus some reads

I caught up on sleep on Monday & Tuesday, watched some shows, did some homework, and found a few links/articles to share:

• Convincing article on magnesium & epsom salts
• Top 10 ways to get skinny fat - don't do what I did!
• Overcoming hypothalamic amennorhea - another life lesson I learned
• You can out-train a good diet
• Because it's not all about nutrition, I need to find out where the good guys are
• 3 helpful hints to "arrive" at your goals
• I tried this 12 min AMRAP from Zuzka

Now it's Wednesday and that means... it's back to work!

First, a short installment of WIAW:

My new favorite ice cream and only 130 calories per serving!

Chicken in an avocado cilantro sauce with baked sweet potato rounds for dinner

A batch of choco-mole anytime of the day, but I had some with egg whites and bread for breakfast!

The delicious recipe came from students in the guacamole & salsa showdown at school!

I inherited a newer, cleaner car after 10 years with my first and only Jeep.

How do you use avocados?
What was your first car and how long did you have it?

Read 'em and eat + Friday links

When I got to work, I immediately went to the library to work one-on-one with a student. We finished analyzing a Langston Hughes poem - perfect for my background - and writing an extended metaphor in 30 minutes. He spent the rest of the time on his phone/taking a nap and I read Safe Haven.

I read more when I got home and ate a bowl of Fiber One 80 Calorie Honey Squares. These are new-to-me and absolutely delicious.

My cousin came home and announced he was going to Slater's 50/50. I love Slater's - they have a great beer menu - and I was hungry.

I made my own burger and ate it BUNLESS: 1/3 lb turkey patty with brie, grilled onions, grilled pineapple, roasted red peppers, and green leaf lettuce. I had the sweet Thai chili sauce on the side. *My cousin got sweet potato fries with their delicious pumpkin sauce.

Beer: Epic Santa Cruz Brown Ale. A little darker than I like but it was a happy hour special. I drank 1/2.

In other news, I ran out of nut butter. I took the plunge and ordered Vermont Peanut Butter from Netrition.

...and here are some reads for the long weekend:

Tips for your 20s and beyond

• Young adults are the most stressed
• Creating a balanced lifestyle by a Huntington Beach yogi
• 24 ways to be a better person
• So true: 7 reasons why you lose so many friends in your 20s.

If you're curious

• My Morning Routine. Why do you care? It's celebrities' morning routines!
• Food gifts to bring French people from America

Work it out

• Inner thigh exercises
• 7 active recovery workout ideas
• Weight loss vs. fat loss
• 13 functional dumbbell movements

Food!

• Cocoa Lounge: an endless chocolate buffet. It's real.
• Microwaved breakfast or dessert: chocolate chip protein "English muffin."

Any cool links you think I should read?
How often do you eat out? I eat out once every 2 weeks. This was totally spontaneous and sometimes necessary so I don't try to eat "perfect" all the time.

Book List: Gone Girl

I finished Gone Girl last night and am so sad it's over - I'm in disbelief of the ending!

 
The novel isn't extremely suspenseful because the reader is omnipresent - you know both sides of the story about halfway through. At first, you're siding with the wife and then you side with the husband. Though, honestly I sided with the husband all along.

The book is extremely easy to read and pretty short or at least went by fast. 

Next up, Wild, another highly recommended book.

I vowed to read at least 12 books this year. It's not very much I know, but sometimes I can only muster a book a month. Other times I'll read more than one book per month or I'll read none.

Here are some books I'm interested in for the year:

1. Gone Girl
2. Wild
3. Safe Haven - Once a year, I read a Nicholas Sparks book. My favorite is still The Notebook. I actually want to watch the movie now...
4. Blackberry Winter - The Violets of March is one of the best books I read in 2012.

5. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Love Mindy Kaling!

6. Blood Done Sign My Name - Been meaning to read this for years since it received so much acclaim.
7. Mockingjay - Read the other two and have this on audio. Though I think I'll borrow it from the school library.
8. A Walk in the Woods - I love Bill Bryson.
9. The Yiddish Policemen's Union
10. Almost Moon - I read The Lovely Bones in high school and loved it. I've always wanted to read this one.
11. Midnight - Sister Souljah also wrote The Coldest Winter Ever. I was anticipating this book release but never got around to it.
12. Population 485

What are you reading? 
What books do you want to read?
Have you read any of the books on my list?

What's For Dinner?: Straight up meals

Breakfast
Favorite oatmeal protein pancakes

Source: sensualappealblog.com via Julie on Pinterest

Lunch/Dinner
Chicken with Trader Joe's salsa verde (idea from Fitnessista and Everyday Paleo) [3-4]

Source: shrinkingkitchen.com via Julie on Pinterest

Scrambled egg whites and avocado
Tuna salad with avocado, celery, & soy jalapeno jack cheese, possibly open-face sandwich
Grilled apple & almond butter sandwich
Shrimp spring rolls, as always
Tuna nori rolls

Snacks
Fiber One chocolate cereal with unsweetened almond milk
Mini peppers with Greek yogurt sauce
Sweet potato
Apple with nut butter

Source: sensualappealblog.com via Julie on Pinterest

I haven't quite budgeted since the beginning of the year and need to get back on track! Stay tuned next week.

I'm almost through with Gone Girl. ~80% through and I love it.

(source) 

I'm off to my part-time job for the 3rd day in a row. Hope you'

WIAW: How to have a productive day

I've taken a nap or slept in three days in a row. Not a good habit. I was doing soooo well, but I haven't felt 100% lately.

But as with all things, I'll bounce back and will fight the urge to nap tomorrow afternoon.

How does one have a productive day?

Drink a little coffee.

Eat a slow food breakfast/oatmeal protein pancakes. I'm out of cottage cheese so I subbed in Greek yogurt. It's not as good, but I added a microwaved Granny Smith apple with cinnamon to both use up the apples and give myself a little sugar in the morning.

I also added microwaved cinnamon apple to my nighttime Greek yogurt.

Start off the day with a workout. I worked out Monday night and did a short short Tuesday night burner.

On Monday, I did The Hybrid Athlete's Strength Training for Endurance Athletes (~20-25 minutes with dynamic stretching) and then TurboKick class.

The Hybrid Athlete's Strength Training for Endurance Athletes

4 rounds, 12 reps each

• squat, curl, press
• single leg deadlift (each side)
• lateral lunge
• plank row (each side)
• reach & pull (each side)

I got my oil changed on Tuesday morning and worked at night. When I came home, I did Blonde Ponytail's GNC Get Strong & Lean Home Workout plus step-ups on the stairs with weights in my hands.

Blonde Ponytail's GNC Get Strong & Lean Home Workout
5 rounds, 20 seconds on/10 seconds off

• dumbbell swings
• push-ups with toe tap
• single arm reverse lunges
• skull crusher in bridge pose

Pack lunch and dinner, if necessary. I chose a chicken salad for lunch, shrimp salad with nori snack for dinner, and an apple & string cheese for snack time. 

I had Walden Farms' balsamic dressing but picked up chipotle ranch today after a quick search on the best of their dressings. I liked this one more than the balsamic. I also like their chocolate syrup but not their PB&Js. Have you tried them? If so, what's your fave?

I proceeded to have Trader Joe's pumpkin Greek yogurt to get in my pumpkin for the day. I bought 3 to stock up a little.

Study. This didn't happen tonight but I finished chapter 9/12 last night and will do all of chapter 10 tomorrow. You heard me!

Read for fun. I'm reading Shanghai Girls. Kind of. It's a tad depressing...

What I really want to read now is Life of Pi. One of my students is reading it and it's just the motivation to get me going. I read the first couple of short chapters and will read that in conjunction with Shanghai Girls. Yes?

Though studying comes first!

Keep hulu to a minimal. I'm watching "Castle" and "Bones" tonight. So excited! I have to block out some quality time for it.

Sleep 8 hours. 7 is okay, but 8 is king.

Another good habit I'm cultivating: budgeting. 

I suck at budgeting. If I have money, I spend it. On the other hand, if I don't have money, I don't use it. I live within my means. However, my savings has taken a beating. A big giant beating.  

After working for two years, I have nothing to show for it. So it's time to get real and there's only one way. I'll share it in the next post. Stay tuned!

P.S. This is the glory that happens when you leave gummy bears in the car on a warm day. I love these 12-fruit flavored gummies! Cheat treat! :)

What constitutes a productive day for you?

What are your favorite sources for workouts? I like less complicated moves. The Hybrid Athlete and Blonde Ponytail have been favorites of mine lately.