Make YOU a Priority

We all know that any type of moderation around the holidays is quickly forgotten, so it's super important to make sure being active is a priority, even if it's only for 20-30 minutes. It's SO easy to let your holiday plans interfere with your work out routine, but don't let that stop you! Make sure to set aside some you time -- make yourself and your well being a priority because you can't enjoy the good life without good health. (a little dramatic, but it's the truth!)

Anyway, with all that being said, I knew this weekend was going to be three things: filled with lots of good food and good wine, schedule-less/go with the flow (completely different than my normal weekday schedule: work then workout), and busy. I knew I had to make getting any type of physical activity my priority... 

And I did! 

AND... I ate, and I drank, and I was very merry, too!

Here's how I kept active over the long weekend: 

Tuesday: 1 hour weight training class and 30 min of HIIT

Wednesday: quick 2 mile run (I was literally running against the sunset -- MUST MAKE IT HOME BEFORE DARK! was my mantra)

Thursday: quick pre feast 3 mile run

Friday: 2 hour power yoga "detox" workshop

Sunday: skiing (not a lot -- two runs, but they were tough!)

How did you stay active during your long weekend?

Long Weekend Update

I'm alive!!

I'm sure you've all been wondering where I've been these past few days since I rudely neglected this sweet little blog!  Well, I'm happy to report I've been up to lots of fun things and I've got some photo documentation to prove it!  (mostly all Instagramed (follow me @ laura_remy!)... in all different filters, so please pardon the lack of organization and artistic creativity)

I took Wednesday off from work to help prepare for Thanksgiving. Mom and I went shopping, cooked, and spent some quality mother-daughter time together.

Hi Mommy!

 Thursday was the day of feasting. We ate a lot and were very, very merry!

 

Friday was my 5-year high school reunion and all I can say is that I paid for it on Saturday. Typically, I stick to one or two drinks and save anything more for special occasions. Let's just say Saturday was pure torture. 

(It was actually Rob's reunion, too -- we went to high school together. Cute, right? But seriously, it was nice to have him there with me because I am queen of awkward and he'll talk to anyone who'll listen.)

Isn't Rob so handsome!? (pardon the red eye. thanks)

Saturday Rob and I went up to Vermont for the season's first ski trip. We stayed at the Clay Brook Residences which is right at the base of the mountain. One word: amazing. This place was gorgeous and the people were unbelievably accommodating. I didn't want to leave. 

Trying to be artsy with this one....

Sunday was shred day! We picked up our ski passes and took a couple runs down the ol' mountain. There were only 2 trails open, so we weren't there for long, but, needless to say, it felt awesome to be back in skis.

Rob refused to smile so I decided to be scary... It made sense at the time?

 And today, I'm back to the daily grind. 

PS. Happy Cyber Monday! Where are all the good deals this year?!

Thanksgiving Eve

Hi Friends, it's Thanksgiving Eve! 

new glasses via warby parker

I took today off to help my mama prep for turkey day festivities. We've been cooking up a storm here: so far we've got some roasted carrots and parsnips, brussel sprouts with red grapes, roasted butternut squash with sage and garlic, and blueberry and pumpkin pies. I can't wait to catch up with family and friends and feast on delicious food!

Hope you all have a peaceful Thanksgiving!

xoxo

A Very Veggie Thanksgiving

If you don't already know: I'm a vegetarian.

Well, actually, I'm a pescetarian. I don't eat red meat or poultry but I do eat fish, eggs, and dairy. I've been a vegetarian (pescetarian, whatever) for over two years and this is my second Thanksgiving as a vegetarian. In my two years as a veggie, I've noticed that it's usually around the holidays when people start to get weary of my dietary choices: What do you eat? Aren't you gonna starve? You can't be full! You need some turkey on your plate…

Actually, I'll have lots of veggies, I won't starve, I will most definitely be very full, and I'll pass on the turkey, thank you.

Last year, I kept it pretty simple with lots of veggie side dishes and no main protein. This year, my mom announced that she's "not making a tofurkey or whatever you call it", which is totally fine because: a. I'm not even remotely interested in a tofurkey, and b. I don't expect anyone to accommodate my somewhat unconventional diet (something that comes with being a vegetarian). So, I'm on my own for prepping a vegetarian option. I was thinking about doing something a little special -- adding a little class to my sans turkey Thanksgiving plate with this recipe:

Roasted Salmon with Cranberry-Mustard Sauce

I hope mine looks as delicious as this! via

The cranberries were definitely the selling point for me.

What do you have planned for Thanksgiving? Are you a vegetarian or do you have any vegetarians in your family? What do you/they do on this turkey filled holiday?

Fit Friday

It's time for Fit Friday again, Friends! 

What do you have going on for the weekend? I don't have much planned yet -- maybe some hot yoga and a bike ride around the city? And, maybe, if I'm lucky enough, Rob will take me out on a date! Anyway, enough about me....

As promised, a workout inspired post for our Fit Friday:

This video is from Sarah, the creator of The Sarah Fit Blog. She produces some pretty great workout YouTube videos featuring workouts for all areas of the body. You should check her out! I've used many of her videos before and I can say that I personally use these exercises in my workout routine. Enjoy!


PS. I "taste tested" the bake-off brownies last night -- they're pretty good, but I have some serious competition (funfetti cake pops?!?). I'll be sure to keep you updated via Twitter!

Have a groovy weekend!

Bake-Off Domination

Sooo... There's an office bake-off tomorrow and I've decided that I'm gonna try and win it.  

Say whaaat? Yep, that's right. I'm feeling pretty competitive about this thing and I'm determined to beat out the undefeated reigning champion... The competition is stiff (she's a serious baker)! I had to come up with something good to win over the people's votes, so I browsed the interweb and I've finally settled on this gem:

Cookies & Cream Oreo Fudge Brownie

Whoa, right?  I would never make something like this on my own, but in the spirit of competition, I'm going all out. It's all or nothing, baby. The recipe looks simple enough for a Thursday night and hopefully it's something the whole office will enjoy. I should bring some red wine milk to pair with the brownies (pairing.. how epicurean of me)...

Do you think I can do it? I'm kind of doubting my ability to win with only brownies, but I have feeling these are better than just an ordinary brownie. I mean, they have ice cream in them -- that's awesome! But, I guess it wouldn't be terrible if I didn't win; leftover cookies and cream Oreo fudge brownies are a damn good consolation prize.

Kryptonite

What's your kryptonite?? You know, the one thing that you just can't say no to.. Mine is chocolate. Chocolate is my crack. Yup, I'm an addict.

To me, it doesn't get any better than dark chocolate with some almonds. Wine, salty snacks, cookies, pie…. No thanks, I'll pass. But if you kindly offered me some chocolate, I'd totally dig in. But, I won't go overboard because I know it's a "treat" -- not something to OD on (except for that one time -- Frankie and Shane -- where I ate so much I made myself sick... Vacation got the best of me. Lesson learned). I'm all about giving your body what it's craving and not depriving it of what it wants. But you have to be careful to not to go overboard because there's a fine line between having a couple bites and completely overdoing it. And I'll be the first one to admit that it takes a helluva lot of self-control to stop after a only couple bites.

I'm not perfect, and, often times I'll catch myself over indulging, but here are my three tips to help you from having one too many bon bons:

1. Be conscious of your thoughts/cravings. Realize that if you eat that whole pile of french fries, you're probably going to regret it. Have a couple and then focus your attention elsewhere. Start an interesting conversation with whomever you're eating with, stare at the stranger next to you, get up and go to the bathroom, stick a piece of gum in your mouth.... You'll be happy you did.

2.  Take a serving and put the rest away. DON'T bring out the whole bag of cookies, put them right down in front of you, and start munching away.  You'll be sorry later!

3. Ask yourself how badly you want it. Is the craving just something you want right now or will you get over it in a minute? Lately, I've noticed that I crave sweet things when I'm dehydrated. I'll have a couple glasses of water and instantly feel better. If the craving is real, have a couple bites and move on.

Have any other helpful tips? Share below!

Back At It

So after two weeks of "taking it easy" I'm finally back to my old routine. I was pulling 50 hour work weeks with some kinda gross sickness. By last Friday, I was burnt out. For realz. But I've taken some time to rest and now I'm feeling good. No more 10 hour work days, getting home at 9, eating dinner at 930 and going to bed at 10. Booooring (and depressing!). Anyway, I'm hoping my little "break" will be beneficial. Some of my best workout days (is that silly to say?) were after extended breaks. Maybe it's because my body was well rested… or maybe it was because I knew I had to work extra hard after falling off the wagon for a couple days. I'll never know.  This week I've got spinning, hot yoga, weight training, and some HIIT in my line up (sounds like work out ADD, huh!?). Not gonna lie, kinda excited about spinning!

PS. Here's a pic from my weekend: (pardon the chapped lips and Rob wiping his nose -- it was cold and windy that day!)

Fit Friday

It's our second Fit Friday peeps! Get excited!

This week's FF is about FOOD and DIETING. Love food, hate dieting (maybe hate's the wrong word.... I just don't believe it that shizz). (Side note: did you know I wasn't allowed to use the word "hate" growing up? It's a strong word that should be used for when you really mean it. Something to think about right there)

A [very smart] coworker lead me to this article after I was complaining to her that I was having a "hungry day" ("I've eaten everything in sight and I can't stop!!" were probably the exact words out of my mouth). You know those days where you just can't.stop.eating -- everything in site... down the hatchet! ...What's next?! Anyway, she read me these 10 nuggets of knowledge that she had printed out and placed by her computer (genius). Many of the tips are things I already know but haven't been so smart as to actually write them down (nevermind writing them so thoughtfully). If you have a hot minute you should read the article. It's great. If not, just read the list below.... It's great, too.

10 Steps Toward Making Peace With Food: 

1. Eat what you love. All foods can fit into a healthy diet using the common sense principles of balance, variety, and moderation to guide your eating.
2. Love what you eat. Slow down and eat mindfully, without distractions.
3. Value quality over quantity.
4. Small, sustainable improvements in your eating are more effective than a drastic, temporary overhaul.
5. Use nutrition information as a tool, not a weapon.
6. Choose the healthiest option that won't leave you feeling deprived.
7. Don't expect yourself to eat perfectly -- it's not possible or even necessary.
8. When guilt is no longer a factor, common sense will prevail.
9. Accept that you'll sometimes regret the choices you make. Learn from your experiences.
10. Exercise for healthy and energy, not to earn the right to eat or pay penance for eating a "bad food."

Oh, and if you're interested in reading more of Marcia Reynolds stuff, click here. If you haven't noticed already, she's a really smart lady.

Have a groovy weekend, lovelies! 

Like There's No Tomorrow

Friends! Guess what I'm doing tonight?!

I'm getting pumped for the 2012 ski season with the highly anticipated, Like There's No Tomorrow, Warren Miller film! Have you heard of this awesomeness before? Well, you best Google it, (or... just watch the video below) because it's pretty darn awesome. Every season Warren Miller compiles a bunch of extreme skiing clips to complete one hugely exhilarating film. (I sound like such a dweeb. Oh well.)

I'm not nearly as intense and extreme as these people, but it's so fun to watch!

 

How cool would it be if this was your day job? "Extreme skier" --- I'd take it!

What's Your Sign?

Do you believe in all that metaphysical stuff? In college I would religiously read my horoscope and I even believed that some astrological signs were more compatible together than others. Literally. If a guy told me he was a Leo, I would instantly lose interest. Terrible! Today I'm not nearly as interested as I was -- I can hardly remember the last time I read my horoscope. But last night my yoga teacher mentioned something that got me thinking about all that metaphysical stuff again. So, of course, I read my horoscope today and I think it's pretty relevant!


Today's AQUARIUS 'scope: As long as you stay calm and stick to basics, you will have ample time to accomplish your goals. An unusual turn of events will lead to a profitable ending. Love is in the stars, and celebrating should be your plan.

Do you read your horoscope daily or do you believe in the metaphysical?

Cough Cough Sniff Sniff

via

 

You know how I know winter's coming (other than the colors of the leaves changing)?? I know winter's on its way when I get that obligatory annoying cold that's uninvitingly become a right of passage into the colder months. It's awful: runny nose, sore throat, coughing.... And, of course, all the icing on the cake -- tied to a box of tissues, labeled "The Sick Kid" in the office, people avoid you like the plague... Yeah.

It was my goal to avoid getting sick this winter, but that didn't last long because the second the words "I will not get sick this winter" left my mouth..... I got sick (literally).  I'm starting to get pretty restless with minimal workouts and easy runs, so I need to get better soon!

New goal: don't get sick twice in one winter. Let's see if it I can do it!

Do you have any cold remedies that you live by? How do you deal with getting sick and working out? Help!