The Death of the Snickers Bar

I had a dilemma yesterday in regard to the Snickers bar. My problem with sweets in general is that once I start eating them, I have a portion control issue. I can’t just have ONE. The other side of the coin is that when I have sweets, I can’t just “save it for later.” I have to eat it right THEN like someone who hasn’t had food in weeks. So the fact that I was able to go the whole day with it sitting right in front of me and not eat it? A fairly big deal.

So, this morning, I come into work and that Snickers bar was still there. So I did what any normal and sane person would do:

I threw it on the ground and stomped on it a bit.

I let the scissors have some fun and cut it in half.

And finally, I thew it in the trash.

The irony of this, is that after I finished this, I walked to the printer at work. Adjacent to the printer is a little filing cabinet. On top of the filing cabinet were a bunch of chocolates a vendor had brought for us. I laughed and grabbed my stuff off the printer and went back to my desk.

Later in the morning when no one was watching, I swiped all the chocolates and dumped them in the trash. Hey, I have a little candy problem I am trying to kick. I can’t have that stuff around.

Now, as long as I can keep this strength up, I a m headed in the right direction.

Ode to the Snickers Bar

I’m hungry. My stomach is rumbling and I find this in my desk.

You damn Snickers bar. You look so tasty.

No matter your angle.

Or even on your backside you look good.

I imagine eating you whole, with your wrapping on.

BUT I WON’T.

You will sit on my desk and I will stare at you all day to remember that I am better than you.

You stupid Snickers Bar.

Pre-Workout Snacks

Since I started boot camp, I have the tendency to eat around noon (sometimes before, sometimes after) and then not again until dinner. Keep in mind, I go to the gym after work for this high intensity workout. If I’m not rushing around to leave for work in the morning (RARE) I might grab something for the car ride to the gym.

Yesterday, I was diligent and picked up some granola bars from the grocery store that I will just leave in my gym bag. This way I won’t have to worry about forgetting to grab them. I purchased Sunbelt Granola Bars. They are just the oatmeal raisin ones. Really, they are the first ones I found as I strolled through the isle.

Just a tiny little granola bar.

Nutrition facts. What I love is that while it might not be the best choice as far as granola bars go, it almost doesn’t even matter because it is worked off by the time I leave the gym.

Today we did cardio at boot camp. We did squats, kicks, shuffling, running, jumping jacks, jump rope, BURPIES – and so much more. It was definitely a jam packed hour of fun.

Was I satisfied after an hour of boot camp? Oh, kind of. But I could keep going.

SO I DID!

There is a 30 minute class at 6:30, so I stayed and ripped up the gym for another 30 minutes.

I definitely felt warm, satisfied, sweaty and good after an hour and a half of boot camp!

It amazes me how a five minute rest, a few sips of water and a deep breath can keep me going for a whole other class! I continue to impress myself at my ability to constantly push myself to great lengths at the gym. It feels good.

What has surprised you most about yourself recently during your workouts?

My birthday was nearly a month ago.

The last time I wrote, it was the day before my birthday. I was probably happy. Excited that my birthday was the next day. But then…

My phone was stolen from the bathroom at the gym because I stupidly set it down and left it there. This really has nothing to do with being healthy, but you know, it happened at the gym. Needless to say, I was angry, upset, and I cried a lot. I actually ended up getting it back thanks to my awesome gym management. The ding dong who stole it seemed to forget there is something called security cameras. In any case, since it was such a small amount of time in between when I went in the bathroom and went back in to retrieve my phone, we were able to narrow it down and get my phone back. It kind of ruined my birthday, though. No “happy birthday” phone calls or text messages. That’s sort of half the fun. I guess there is always next year.

HOWEVER.

I did have a delicious birthday brunch at Common Roots Cafe in Minneapolis.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Raspberries. Literally to die for.

Even more amazing company. My pals Jen, Erica and Mary (who was taking the picture) were all there to celebrate with me. I could not have been more thrilled to share my day with them. Lots of laughter and fun.

That night, my amazing dad made a DELICIOUS meal. We had chicken with pineapple served on rice.

The chef hard at work (aka: my father, the hero.)

The final product. It was sooo delicious. My dad is amazing at making random concoctions.

And what is a birthday without a little cake?

Yes, I am now officially twenty-seven. It feels so weird.

Beyond my birthday, I’ve been struggling with my eating. French fries always sound better than salad, a mocha always sounds better than iced tea or water. Tacos always sound better than chicken. I just need to get off my lazy hiney and figure this out. I know what I need to do to eat right, it’s just the matter of taking a second to breath to allow myself to do so. I’ve found that my entire social agenda is focused around eating out. That must change. It has to. It is very hard to eat out and stay on track. rawr.

On the flip side? I love going to boot camp every day, I participated in a pilates class (my first ever!) on Saturday and I loved it. I am liking working out again. I like to sweat, ya’ll.

What is your favorite part about working out?

What is your favorite lunch recipe you bring to work/school/etc.?

When you’ve gotten off the train of being healthy, how have you gotten back on the train?