On the Road...

Body Crap Out

2009-04-25T22:45:00.006-04:00

I feel like a grandma.

My body is seriously falling apart before my eyes.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I had ACL/Miniscus reconstructive and repair surgery nearly 6 years ago and since the Eagles Cheerleading Try-outs my knee has been swollen. It is a numb pain that gets 100x worse duing/after exercise (duh).

The x-ray of my knee showed "narrowing of the bone" and lots of fluid which made my doctor worried....sooo bring on the MRI. I went for the MRI on friday and am anxiously awaiting the results.

During all this right knee drama, my right ankle began to hurt. I broke this ankle twice resulting in occasional discomfort through the years which I have learned to deal with. I let it slide for the past week and a half assuming it was just tender from overcompenstating my crappy ass knee.

Well my ankle has gotten 10x worse my friends. It is swollen, and actually is way more painful than my knee. It is even tender to the touch. Like a shooting, aching pain...esp. after I exercise (once again DUH).

So now I am forced to get an X-ray of my ankle to see what is going on. I have done some reasearch and I am thinking (worse case scenario) that I have a stress fracture.

I'm sooo annoyed by all this because of a lot of reasons:

1. Who likes to be in pain and injured AHHH!
2. I just started running...and don't want to lose my endurance I have worked so hard to build up.
3. I am scared of what the doctors are going to reccomend/ MAKE me do.
4. I work out everyday. Without working out my life would literally be turned upside down. I would be ONEEEE sad girl if i couldn't work out for awile.

I know you are supposed to listen to your body and allow it to heal and take a break when you are in pain, but I have complelty done the opposite which is so not good. Denial of injury? Yes Sir. I still have been running and working out everyday...just sometimes modifying things if it was unbearable. NOT GOOD. I KNOW I KNOW!

I just want to know whats wrong with me :(

Juice Fast starts tomorrow. I have been feeling bad lately so I need a good cleanse.

After that selfish little tirade of nonsene, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to Jenna from Eat, Live, Run for the terrible loss of her little brother. I can't imagine the pain she is going through right now...send her some love.

Booze, Babies, & Bad Girls

2009-04-21T09:00:00.012-04:00

Now that is one random blog title :)

Saturday night my friends and I had a dinner party. We basically just bring whatever we want to munch on, laugh, drink, and talk all night. We were all having so much fun we decided to bring the party out to a bar where other friends were. Teenie, who is 9 months preggers, decided to join us...YES at a bar haha....and her finace' and his friends met us out.

(us with the mommy to be)

(looking at her belly! Cutest prego girl ever)

(way too many LIT"s comsumed that night)

My friends and I closed the bar that night and I ended up getting about an hour of sleep BOOOO! BAD GIRL!

I woke up Sunday morning, NOT feeling so hot...OBVI. The only cure my bestie Christine and I wanted was some diner hangover fuel (aka vegetarian omlets). Then I went home to get ready for Teenie's surprise baby shower and also her fiance' and her surprise engagement party. Although I think some of us might have drunkenly ruined her surprise saturday night...haha....oh well.

The shower/engagement party was beautiful! It was at their house which is right on the water and the decorations made everything so special. They opened presents for honestly 3 hours....sooooo much stuff! Teenie's brother is a chef and his girlfriend is a pastry chef leaving everyone in food heaven! We also played funny baby shower games, and then eventually as the "adults" departed BEER PONG!

(Teenie & I)

(the proposal pose with her ugly shower/engagement vail HAHA)

(diaper race!!! Girls won OF COURSE!)

Andddddd this is how I got home that night..... ;)

So yesterday and today I have been trying to get back to my normal routine: gym, class, work...you know the drill.

Oh and I go for an MRI thursday for my knee. The X-ray results came back and were not promising....ohhhhh geez. Well see what happens. Wish me luck!

Romantic Rain

2009-04-15T11:16:00.002-04:00

It has been quite the stereotypical rainy april here at the jersey shore. The past two days it has been nothing but downpours, high winds, and gray skies. It isn't pleasant to walk to class in ARGH! but sometimes I welcome the rain. It makes me feel mellow and want to cuddle with someone!!!

Like Edward Cullen!!! I finally watched Twilight with my sister the other night and I have fallen madly in love with that hot vampire Edward. Although I didn't read Twilight (yet I swear I am soon!) I really loved the love story and how romantic and dark the movie was. Perfect type of movie to watch with all this gloomy weather.

I'm super sore from the past couple days of workouts. Def. dreading the shred today...but I will gut it out. I do level 3 on most days but have been switching it up every now and then to the other levels just to not get bored. I'm on day 16!

I also plan on going to Zumba after classes (barfffff), and then swimming with my friendies! One of my best friends is nearly 9 months pregnant so swimming is obviously her exercise of choice and I figured I would join.

I made the most delicious fruit juice this morning:
1 mango
2 apples
5 strawberries

The mango makes the juice thicken creating a smoothie like texture...mmmmm. Mango is my favorite fruit to juice!

As far as weight loss goes I have stayed pretty much the same the past couple weeks. Damn you easter candy ;). I am really motivated right now though to stick to my healthy eating EVERY DAY which is the only way to see results. I'm going to continue with my juicing at least once a day. Only a couple more pounds to go before my goal :)!

I'm off to go get ready for classes. Sighhhhh...

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T00:43:00.002-04:00

It's currently 12:26 am making it officially easter!

I hope the easter bunny brings you all lots of yummy chocolate mmmmm.

Lots of drama in my life lately & I hatttte drama (mostly boy related BLAH). My eating has been suffering because of it....moslty lack of appetite :(. I did make it to the gym everyday since I last posted and have shredded everday too! I also have been keeping up with my daily bikini challeges.

Not enough juicing the past week. I usually juice at least once a day--but as I said before this week hasn't been my best. I miss my little juicer! On monday I think the juicer is going to become the new man in my life!

I did get to visit my best friend at her college on thursday. We went shopping and I did some serious damage but I did get a bunch of things I can't wait to wear when the weather warms up!

My Easter plans include a possible bike ride to my gym?!, workout, cooking and hanging with my family, a serious room clean ( it is always a mess! UGHH!), and homework.

Talk to you all soon!

5k Recap!!

2009-04-06T22:16:00.011-04:00

Saturday was my first race EVER and I absolutely loved every second of it---minus the 40mph winds ;).

The Ship Bottom Sprint for Life was held on the beautiful Long Beach Island, NJ. My sister and I got there around 10am, picked up our numbers and free stuff (woo hoo), and then waited till around 12:00 to head out of our car and brave the winds to warm up.

(Before the race-our hair shows just how windy it was!)

Our parents came to support us---so nice of them! While we warmed up they gave us some encouraging words, and before I knew it it was almost 12:30 so we walked to the starting line.

(my sis, dad, & me)

The race had around 400 participants and the course went through some winding residential neighborhoods right on the bay-making us even more vulnerable to the raging winds.

I had my Ipod "Run" playlist ready and took off at the sound of the gun. I decided to get ahead of most of the crowd just so I had some breathing room. I felt pretty good the first mile and even took advantage of the tall men in front of me who blocked some of the wind-haha.

Before I knew it I was almost at mile 2 and I was at a really comfortable pace! I had no idea what my pace was exactly because I have no garmin and didn't set my stopwatch on my Ipod. After turning down a side road we began to make our way back to the start. I saw my sister, who was only a few minutes behind me....we slapped 5 when we passed eachother!

At mile 2.6 I picked up my pace a little. My chest felt heavy with congestion which would sometimes nearly make me choke..yuck. But the competitive side of me pushed me to pass a couple people I had paced with for most of the race. Woo hoo!

Finally, the home stretch...I saw my mom and dad and the crowd cheering everyone on! Then I saw the clock ticking....I realized I could beat my personal record and come in under 25:00 if i sprinted to the finish line.

(almost at the finish line!)

I did it!!! My official time was 24:58 averaging a pace of 8:02 mile-a personal best even with the horrible winds!

I wasn't expecting much because it was my first race and I just started running/training 11 weeks ago. I honestly just wanted to do my best and hopefully finish at a decent time. I think I accomplished my goals so I'm thrilled!

(Right after crossing the finish line-happppy!)

Erin finished soon after and clocked in at 32:10 which is amazing! She JUST started running recently and I am so proud of her!

We chatted with our parents and then headed over to see the results that were posted. I ended up coming in 68th place out of approx. 400 runners.

I knew they were giving away awards for the top 3 male and female runners in various age groups (mine is 20-24) but I wasn't expecting anything.

All of the sudden they called my name for 2nd place in my age group! YAYY!

(I was completely surprised!)

My sis and I haddddd to celebrate so we stopped by the after party for some delish beers and not so delish food. Whatever...I was and STILL AM on cloud 9!

The celebration continued with my girlfriends and I that night. We went out for drinks and went to a party. All in all...the PERFECT day!

When I started running in January, I would have laughed at you if you told me I would win an award at my first race. I tend to be really hard on myself so this race really opened my eyes and forced me to appreciate all the hard work I have done.

I'm beat!!! I had classes all morning and then my sister and I had a marathon of a workout today:
-3.4 mile run
-30 day shred Level 3 (going to shred everyday!-I'm on day day 7)
-1 hour Cardio Strength Class
-75 minute Yoga Class)

My knee that had ACL and miniscus repair surgery a couple years back has been hurting/swollen since the eagles try-outs :(. I have doctors appt. tomorrow EKKKK! I'm so scared!

Check out this Danskin give-away! Please please let me winnnnn!

Later loves:)

Eagles Cheerleading Try-outs & The 30 Day Shred

2009-03-31T18:45:00.010-04:00

(edit: I added pics and a link to a great give-away!)

Well I survived the eagles cheerleading try-outs!

It was a very nerve-racking but fun experience!

My girlfriends and I got to Lincoln Financial Field at 8:30ish-before most of the others (400+ girls AHHH!)

(in the car...wasting some time...)

Once the doors opened, we filled out paperwork, got numbers ( I was 219!) and then were split into two groups. Each group learned a short dance and then waited anxiously to peform in front of two groups of judges in groups of 5.

My friends and I were so nervous! I kept practicing the dance over and over in the hopes I wouldn't freeze and look like an idiot in front of the judges- you only get one first impression!!!
Before I knew it, my group was up and we went into the judging room.

It was INTENSE. I have competed in dance & cheer competitions before...but this was more intimate-I could see the judges literally looking me up and down....AHH! I forgot some of the moves but managed to make it through the dance okay! My friends weren't so lucky: Two of them froze and forgot half the dance, and my other friend had another girl fall into her and mess her up. Booo!!

(right after round one)

We then waited for the judges to make the cuts. They were announcing the numbers that made it to the next round (150 out of 400 girls would move on).

(waitingggggg w/ my loves)

My number was called YAYY! I made it to round two!!!! My friends unfortunatly didn't make it but were happy for me.

I then got a new number (97!) and was immediately sent to go through that entire process again. I did muchhhhh better the second time-but there was sooo much competition!

The girls that make the 2nd cut move onto semi-finals (about 60 girls)...and sadly-my number wasn't called. WAHHHH! I felt really dissapointed....I still do actually. SIGH. But I'm glad my friends were there to cheer me up.

All in all, I loved the experience and now I know what to expect. I have more of a sense of what the organization is looking for-so I think I will def. try-out again next year.

Needless to say my friends and I drank our sorrows away saturday night and I had a litttttle too much fun ;). Well worth it though.

(at the bar of course haha)

Juice Fast

My Juice fast stopped saturday-I was dancing for 6 hours straight so I ate a Pro-Bar (LOVE THEM) at the try-outs and since then I have eaten normally. I really want to complete a substantial fast (more than just a couple days) but lately my work-outs have ruined that plan. I have the 5k sat. so I don't think a consecutive fast is going to happen this week. Oh well. NEXT WEEK! My dad is actually on day 6 of his current juice fast-he is a rockstar!

The 30 Day Shred

SPEAKING OF ROCKSTARS! Today I finalllllly got to try Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred DVD! But shhhhh I got it from YouTube, which apparently has all her dvds. HOORAY for free things :).

Being the dare-devil that I am I decided to start with Level 3!

The Verdict:
I really enjoyed the video but I think it is more for cardio and light toning as opposed to building muscles. I prefer heavier weight training but I would supplement this video on light work-out days.

Those damn rockstar jumps were tough! I loved all the planks she did and the traveling push ups were nice too. I also liked how quick it was! Go Jillian!

******Give-away alert: Head over to the blog Inner Workings of a College Graduate for a chance to win some yummy treats...Check it out Here!******

I have to rush off- you know how it is ;)

Bring on the Bikini!

2009-03-26T13:29:00.003-04:00

I decided to participate in Angela from Oh She Glows Bikini Body Boot Camp Challenge! I hope to look as good as the disturbingly perfect Marissa Miller in a bikini by June 1st.

HAAAAA---Heyyyy a girl can dream right? ;) All joking aside, I want to do this challenge just for kicks; it's something new, and I'm all about variety with my exercises.

If you are also interested in participating in this fun challenge head over to Angela's inspiring blog now and shoot her an email.

Today I have no work or class making me one happy girl. I went to Zumba this morning w/ my sis for a super fun workout- always is! We also did 4 ab exercises after the class.

Juice Fast: Day 2 & 3
Yesterday I was running around all day which didn't leave much time for juicing. I was hungry making it a pretty tough day overall- I made it though!

I woke up this morning & felt good...was craving some juice! So after the gym I made a yummy vegetable concoction:

-1 beet
-1 apple
-5 kale leaves
-handful of cabbage
-1/4 green pepper
-4 romaine leaves
-4 med. sized carrots

This yielded a little less than 1 quart of juice. It was creamy and satisfying!

The rest of my day will consist of lots of errands, studying, homework, strength training class at 7pm, a run? and maybe shoulders & chest, and some relaxinggggg.

Happy Thursday :)

Juicy Juice

2009-03-24T15:10:00.004-04:00

No not the nasty grade school kind. I'm talking about real, fresh, homemade juice!

Today marks day one of my latest juice fast-the first 3 days are always the toughest! So far so good though.

After one of the best night sleeps I have had in a lonnnng time, I woke up feeling refreshed. My sister and I headed to the gym for a strength training class which was tough but not out of control. Next up was a run....5k in 11 days!

Here are my stats:
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 25:20
Calories: Approx 316
Speed: 7.34 MPH
Avg. Pace: 8:10/mile

I wish I pushed myself harder during the first mile, but overall it was a great run.

My sister, dad, and I then went to the library to return/check out some new reads. Here is what I got: Hungry Girl Recipes, The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook, 50 50: Lessons I learned running 50 marathons in 50 days (FASCINATING!!), & The Juice Bible.

Yayyy! I can't wait to start reading. Although I should be reading all the assigned books I have for school haha oh well.

I came home and made some delish fruit juice and now am about to get ready for work.

Have a great day everyone-maybe update later on here :).

Waiting to Exhale...

2009-03-23T21:35:00.008-04:00

Stress. Stress. Stress.

Ever have one of those days where anything/everything could will you to tears?! That was me today :(!!! With so much on my plate right now-school, work has been really busy, gym time, dieting, try-outs, races, trying to have a social life-blah blah blah. I admit I have let my daily stresses get to me lately. And I apologize if I have been a total debbie downer, I just need to vent!

Thankfully I have glorious yoga which reminds me to take a deeeep breath and transport me back to my happy place. My yoga class tonight snapped me back into reality and allowed me to totally decompress. I think my head would have popped off without it to be honest!

Rewind to this moring...I had classes all morning/afternoon (barf), then cleaned my entire room. I got rid of so much clothes yayyy! Bring on new spring things haha! I made some delish juice (fruit) and ended up eating some kashi cereal w/ dried fruit- was too hungry to start fast today---damn you Stressssssssss!

Next I hit up the gym for a serious workout:

Eliptical: Interval Program, 30 minutes
Treadmill: 15 minutes, 15 incline
Yoga: 75 minutes
Weights: Biceps ( 4 exercises), Triceps (4 exercise), Abs (3 exercise)

I was at the gym foreverrrrrrr. I just got home a little bit ago and am ready to just relax...but even after yoga- my mind is still racing with all the crap I need to get done. SIGHHHHH.

On a happy note, here are a few pics from some of my recent fun nights out:

(notice the hand placement hahahah -we aren't shy!)

(the next two pics are from my friends bday bash the other weekend)

Thank god for friends ♥.

Tomorrows plan includes gym in the morning, errands, trying to find a top for my try-outs, then work till late. Juice fast tomorrow? I hope so. Well see how I feel though....

I'm off to go chill....maybe watch the Big Love Finale I missed last night!?! Later Loves.

P.S- If you love barney butter check out this give-away at the hungry yogini- i want ittttt!

"Last Chance Workout!!!"

2009-03-22T19:47:00.003-04:00

I keep picturing Jillian and Bob from the Biggest Loser yelling that at me when I am at the gym lately!

I have been pushing myself hard that past couple weeks at the gym in prepartion for the Philiadelphia Eagles Cheerleading Try-outs this saturday!!! I am super excited/nervous. We have to wear lycra shorts and a sports bra EEEK! and perform a dance in front of judges then there will be eliminations. I think I have worked really hard the past couple months with my eating and workouts and despite a few binges here and there I have stuck to my March goals. So wish me luck!

Also, my first race is also almost here- 13 days away! My 5k training the past week has been alright....no long runs...but I feel okay about that. I can't wait!

My spring break has been sooooo nice. I hung out with friends & family, worked a lot, and didn't think about homework once! I will post some fun pics soon-im rushing as usual right now.Unfortunately I start classes again tomorrow NOOOO! Blah-only about 1 more month of school till summer break :)

I am starting a juice fast tomorrow. I have been juice fasting at my leisure this month but starting tomorrow I am def going to go for at least a week straight. We just got sooo much yummy produce mmmmmm.

I'm going to see a movie tonight so i have to go get ready! sorry for the rushed post and lack of comments- i have just been super busy. Expect more of me soon!!!

Peace and Love

Spring...

2009-03-11T20:44:00.013-04:00

Helllllloooo! I'm back! Craziness at school has subsided for now. YAHOO! Spring Break starts this friday after my two morning classes- then FREEDOM (well I still have work but who cares).

I won't recap the past 5 days because frankly you would die of boredom- just think sleep/class/ work/eat/gym/homework/sleep. I did manage to get a decent work out in every day, have some good "intuitive eating" days & a few bad ones : ( , & also had a really fun night out with my sister Erin & our friends saturday. Here are some pics from sat....

(w/ my best friends (since we were like 5yrs old!)

(me & my sister)

(I just can't resist a dirty martini ♥)

Speaking of intuitve eating, here are some of my Goals for March:

- Intuitive Eating (only eat when hungry, stop when full, correct portions)
- Add to weekly running mileage (more on that below)
- Keep Room clean (haaaa has not happened yet)
- Yoga/Pilates at least once a week
- No getting wasted= No hangovers= Energentic Happy Productive Dana! (haha)
- Log all daily food intake onto sparkpeople
- Finish Library Books (almost done!!!)

I love making lists of monthly goals, whether it has to do with exercise, diet, or life in general-it helps me stay focused.

Goals so far......

I have logged my daily food intakes almost everyday (gold star for me), unfotch my room is still a mess (bad girl arghhh), and so far this month I have not had any hangovers YAY ;) . I finished my library book, Jillian Michaels "Making the Cut"- SOO GOOD & INSPRIRING-& am almost done "The Eat- Clean Diet Workout" by Tosca Reno.

Intuitive eating has been going much better than I expected. Depsite about 3 days of "non-intuitive" eating- I am pretty proud of myself and I would say I am on the right track to finally understanding and listening to my body/hunger.

I must admit. I have totally fallen in love with Yoga. I literally can't wait till monday just because it is my favorite yoga class with the BEST instructor at my gym. I have only done pilates once-but I have done yoga at least once a week so far. Wooot Wooo!

NOWWWW my training schedule for the half marathon....wait...

what's that you say?

...the marathon is full and registration is closed?!?!?!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Yes, sad but true. I checked the website today & saw this horrible news. My friend and I are super bummed- but hey there are other races out there! I just started looking into adventure racing (running, mountain biking, kayacking, repelling SOOO EXCITING!)-And I must admit I feel slightly relieved that I will have more time to train now for longer races. I'm still going to try to up my weekly milage!

After my classes today I went for a run w/ my dad and sis on our normal scenic neighborhood route (3.4 miles). Then Erin and I went to Zumba & did Ab's, Back, and Chest. I just ate some unsatisfying dinner (yuck). Don't you hate that? Nothing looked appetizing & my mind was at a blank for what to make with our very minimal ingrediants ( food shopping soon).

I'm off to clean my room SAVE ME NOW, make a list of my wants and needs for spring- I'm talking about clothing shoes and accessories!!!!, & maybe something for my sweet tooth soon :-).

P.S.- I decided to take part in the Interview Post-type things that are floating around the blog world. My sister sent these to me...here we goooo:

Would you rather live in a city or countryside?

This is a toughie...I adore the fast paced, convience of cities. Everything and anything is at your fingertips! But I think I would prefer to "live" in the countryside. I love the outdoors and nature too much.

When you hear the words, "craziest night ever", what night comes to mind in your life?

This past summer was one continuous "crazy night". I turned 21 in July, and about 10 of my friends also celebrated 21st bdays this summer. INSANITY! Some highlights include: drunken bike falls, drunken parasailing (I highly recomend this!), "Sand-bar Sundays" on my friends boat, nights NO ONE can remember (only by pictures) in Atlantic City, and of course some of the funniest memories of my life!

Do you believe in fate or coincidence?

I like to think that I believe in fate. I hope things happen because they were meant to not just because. How utterly un-romantic is coincidence?!

Who's personality do you think you embody the most between your Mom and Dad? (hahaha)

Haha! Well I think I inherited most of my dads personality more so than my moms. My dad and I both are both strong willed, messy to the extreme, watch the same movies over and over, eat bites of things all day instead of meals (TRYING TO STOP THIS HABIT HAHA), and are stubborn. I do think I have my a little bit of my moms sensitve nature though!

if you would like to be interviewed, here's how to particiapte:

1. leave me a comment saying, “Interview me!”

2. i will respond by emailing you five questions. i get to pick the questions.

3. update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. when others comment asking to be interviewed, you get to ask them five questions

P.P.S-Check out these awesome give-ways:

-Off Her Cork's chocoholic's dream give-away-YUM!

-Who Wants a Treat is giving away some Quaker goodies

Homework Blues

2009-03-06T09:31:00.011-05:00

I'm happy it's friday-yet not really looking forward to my weekend full of work, papers, and studying. Booooo!

Wednesday night I went to Yoga and Zumba & also did an INTENSE leg workout along w/ some abs and chest. It was a new yoga class for me and was really challenging-fast paced! I liked it though. After the gym, I went to my friends house to hang (also had a couple shots of 99 bananas EW & a glass of red).

Thursday, I woke up feeling SLIGHTLY crappy & very sleepy. I forced myself to go to Zumba ( I can't get enough!) at 9:30 even though all I wanted to do was curl into my bed and sleeeep. After Zumba, I did Biceps and Triceps-I wanted to run but decided to just go back to the gym after work when I knew I would be feeling better.

I stopped at the health food store (no whole foods or trader joe's or anything like that within an hour of my town :( !!) to get some delicious things. Here is some of my goodies:
(unsweetened applesauce, original puffins, goat cheese, coconut water, unsweetened coconut, bars, dark chocolate, Amy's Soup, Kashi Autumn Wheat, fruit leather, Synergy drinks, organic dried fruit, feta cheese, tea)

While preparing my lunch, I gulped down my favorite Synergy drink- ginger. I had a spinnach salad w/ shrooms, peppers, feta cheese, cabbage, sprouts & a tbsp. of Annie's Roasted Red Pepper Dressing. I also decided to try a new soup, Amy's Split Pea- I had one cup and could have easily had 5 more-i loved the creamy texture....so good.

Work came next, but only for a couple hours wooo hoo! I went straight to the gym after work to get my run in. Here are my stats:

Distance: 4.0 miles

Time: 36:08

Calories: Approx. 417

Avg. MPH: 6.64

Pace: 9:01/mile

It was a really sweaty run. Afterwards I was soaked & hungry! I rushed home & made some dinner- a mini pizza! I used half an ezekiel tortilla w/ some tomato sauce, spinnach, goat cheese, mushrooms, tsp. of minced garlic, lots of oregano. & 2 oz of grilled chicken. Baked it in the oven for about 12 minutes and then gobbled it up. Desert was some dried fruit and 3 pieces of dark chocolate.

I had a midterm and classes this morning...YUCK. I got home from classes and made a lean cuisine (chicken primavera)-I just wanted something quick and easy. I am beat! I plan on heading to the gym soon to do some cardio, back & abs. Then it will probably be a low key night for me full of schoolwork & cleaning and maybe an update on here later.

Spring is almost here-most of the snow we got the other day has melted. BRING ON THE WARM WEATHER!!!

Playing Catch Up

2009-03-04T08:49:00.003-05:00

Sorry for being M.I.A-I have been super busy studying for midterms, doing papers, & homework galore-blah. We also had a HUGGGGE snowstorm sunday-monday soo I HAD to play in the snow on a snow day!!! Let me attempt to recap my crazy past couple days:

Saturday: My friends birthday party was really fun...except for me getting way way too drunk. All I can say is thank god for my sister who helped calm my drunk booty down. I was a mess. Ugh I hate when I get like that...BOOOO.

Sunday: Since we slept up north, we had to drive home (8 am to be exact AHH!) and I was SOOOO HUNGOVER ALL DAY. It was one of those hangovers that get worse at the day goes on. I didn't go to the gym AGAIN-that made two days in a row-and basically laid around allll dayy and night.

Monday: Woke up to a foot of snow on the ground and thankfully my college was closed for the day. WOOO HOO! I shoveled snow around my house and played w/ my sister Erin for a little bit. Our cable was out because a tree fell and cut the satellite line-so my mom, sis, and I played trivial pursuit I LOVE trivia- I won of course lol haha! Then I drove to my friends house with my 4 wheel drive (about the only thing my jeep is good for) and we went towing through trails by my house. For those of you civilized people, towing means we tie a rope to a truck and attach the other end to something we can all fit in...this time it was a little boat. haha. My friend then rips around the turns in an effort to flip us....haha dangerous YES....but fun...HELL YEAH! Here are some pics of the fun!

My backyard - So pretty!

Me jumping into "my pile" I made while shoveling- HAHA

My friends getting the boat ready....

Our view from the boat (aka "the redneck sleigh-ride" haha) while being towed!

I took this pic while sitting in the back of the truck-my friends about to flip lol.

Tuesday: I woke up to a body that felt like it had been through a car accident. I am bruised and achey everywhere thanks to all my playing on Monday. It was worth it though! I ran a bunch of errands, and FINALLY went to the gym! Three days off of the gym was killer for me. Here is my work-out:

*30 minutes Eliptical on Interval Program
*Shoulders (4 exercises w/ free weights)
*Chest (Push-Ups and Bench Press)
*Abs (5 exercises)

RUN
Distance: 2.0 miles
Time: 16:14
Calories: Approx. 212
Avg MPH: 7.39
Pace: 8:06/mile

I plan to have one long run each week. This weeks will be a 6 miler- AHHH! I wanted to update more (my March goals/giving up for lent) but I have to get ready for class. I plan on going to Zumba and maybe Yoga tonight and maybe a run and leg workout. I have a lot of homework to do too! I updated my weight loss story....I'm still learning how to work this blog stuff so for now it is just in a post below.

See ya later!

Going the Distance (Kind of)

2009-02-28T09:01:00.005-05:00

Determined to start my half marathon training on the right foot, and armed with NO EXPERTISE (haha), I decided to just run for 5-6 miles without worrying about the time. My pace was sooo slow, I was getting ansy! That's why I love running a 5k-you can bang it out and really push yourself.

I ended up running 5 miles- BY FAR the furthest I have ever run. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and I'm not even sore today YES! Here are my stats:

Distance: 5.0 miles
Time: 51:00 minutes
Calories: approx 517 calories

Next time I run, I won't be as cautious about the extra distance so I can improve my time a little bit, but right now I am more focused on RUNNING 13.1 miles straight-GOD I feel sooo far away:(

Juice Fasting has ceased for now. Yesterday I decided to have my FIRST bowl of oats along with my FIRST time having almond butter! They were so filling and satisfying-lovvvvvvvved them.

My bowl contained:
3/4 cup of oats (way too much)
1/2 cup of skim
3 dried apricopts
spoonful of raisins, unsweetened coconut, almond butter & honey

HEAVEN!!!!!!

I'm have to hurry off- I have work till 4pm, then have to come home and get ready to go up north with my sis and some friends for a WILD bday bash. No workout today :(.

I hope you all have a fun filled Saturday-hopefully I can finally get some decent pictures this weekend!

Coming Soon: Updated "My Weight Loss Story", What I'm giving up for Lent, & My food shopping purchases!

LATAAAA <3

My Weight-Loss Journey

2009-02-27T22:59:00.023-05:00

Growing up, I was so energentic and rowdy I couldn't even manage to sit still at the dinner table. To help get rid of some of my pent up energy, my mom enrolled me in pretty much ANY physical activity that could keep my 3 year old short attention span in line. I fell in love with dance and took classes and competed with my studio from the ages of 3-15. I was also on a gymnastics team for a couple years and was ready to compete untill I broke my leg (TWICE in one year OUCH!).

(dress up w/ my older sister Erin-like my heart-shaped glasses?!)

Once I started High School, I decided to focus all my attention on competitive cheerleading which was so rewarding (we made it to the UCA NATIONALS on ESPN!!) Being so active, I never really had a problem with my weight. I rarely watched what I ate and managed to stay in the healthy weight range (usually between 130-142). I had the time of my life in High School, had lots of friends, always was going out and just enjoying life!

(Senior Homecoming 04-I'm 2nd from right at about 135-140lbs)

I graduated in June of 2005; my intense cheerleading practices ended; I got lazy and was begining to get really anxious about moving away for college. I didn't work out, comfort ate, and managed to gain 20 pounds before college even started!

(August 05-at about 155-160lbs)

Once I got to college in the fall of 2005, (almost 3 hours away from my home) I felt lost. I had no more cheerleading which took up 90% of my free time in High School, my close friends and family were all far away, and I was on my own in EVERY sense of the word. I turned to food for answers but of course that just made things worse. My dining hall diet consisted of pizza, chips, cheese fries, fried chicken etc. Add that with no physical activity and you've got another 20 more pounds added to my 5'4 frame!

I was so depressed and sad, I figured moving home would be my best bet. I returned back home after one semester away feeling like a failure at life and packed on another 15 pounds. I didn't even recognize myself- INSIDE OR OUT. What had I done to myself? How did I let my eating get so out of control? I was so unhappy, stuck in such a rut, and by March of 2006, I was tipping the scales at 189!

(At 189 my highest weight!)

(Below: I'm second from the left- I look SOOO happy NOT!)

I went from a size 3 or 5 jeans to a 12/13. I never wanted to go out. My poor eating habits left me with no energy and no confidence. I started classes at a college close to my home in the spring of 2006, and monotonous cycle of "gain and lose" soon started to form and would last 2 years.

During those two years, besides many crazy changes in my life (getting my heart broken, being single for the first time since I was 14! AH, traveling to California, Las Vegas, a cruise, starting to LOVE college) I DID manage to drop some pounds just by cutting back on the gross foods I was consuming and stayed in the high 150's-160's til January of 2008.

(Cruise 2007- 155-160lbs)

I was still so sick of being unhealthy & out of shape, I just wanted to get back to the "real me"...the happy healthy Dana from High School! After a trip to visit Erin in BEAUTIFUL Colorado in February of 08', and my first backpacking trip quickly approaching in May- I decided it was time for me to feel better about myself and get my butt back in shape if I wanted to survive climbing mountains with 40 pounds on my back. If I wanted to survive PERIOD!

(Colorado-the trip that made something "click"-Feb 2008-about 165lb)

Once I got back from Colorado, I started going to the gym everyday...no questions asked. Thankfully I had two friends who already were gym rats and they helped show me new exercises and inspired me to push myself physically harder than I ever had before. I also drastically changed my diet. I knew what I needed to eat to lose weight before, I just could never stick with it long enough to see results. I started counting calories, created a log of EVERYTHING I ate, stopped eating junk food, started eating more protein, swapped fast food for some lean cuisines, and starting seeing results! I was super strict and the weight came off pretty fast!

By my backpacking trip at the end of May 08', I was down to 142lbs! I was thrilled....I was starting to feel like myself again.

(my backpacking trip in the White Mountains....changed my life!)

I stepped on the scale after my strenuous backpacking adventure, and saw 139! I cried. I swear I thought I was never going to get back to "myself" ever again....it inspired me to keep going.

I kept up with my long sweat sessions at the gym- strength training, cardio classes, and also started to run?!?! (I used to hate running but now am starting to love it) continued my healthy eating and by the end of June 08' I was 132 pounds and at a comfotable size 5 again.

(Summer 08'-best summer of my life!)

(Halloween 08'-w/my sister)

As of February 2009, I have lost another couple pounds and one more size!! I'm now 129lbs-so so close to my goal! I have found new ispiration through all your blogs, my newfound love of running, YOGA, and juice fasting. I look forward to finding peace with the scale, putting an end to counting calories!!, and finally getting to my goal weight and my ideal self (Happy & Healthy).

Have I lost my MIND?!

2009-02-27T10:38:00.004-05:00

Here are some things I'm especially excited for coming up in the next few weeks:

*My first race, a 5k on April 4th! I can't wait and really want to push myself to get a good time!

*Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleading try-outs are at the end of March and I have been working extra hard at the gym (and on my diet) to be prepared. It would be a dream come true if I make it but I know there is some stiff competition-either way it is something fun to do with my best friends

*Going to a concert on Tuesday in NYC I <3>SPRING BREAK MARCH 13th! WOOOO HOOOO! One glorious week off of school!

Okay now this brings me to one final thing I just committed myself to yesterday....YES I'm pretty sure I have gone crazy....oh well....

I'M RUNNING A HALF MARATHON IN APRIL!!!!!!!

As I told you the other day, I have NEVER run further than 4 miles. I am mental, but I'm always up for a challenge hehe. My friend is running it with me and we have OF COURSE decided it is just for fun and for a good cause so WHY NOT do it?!

Last night I had trouble even going to sleep because I was wondering how the HECK I'm going to do this. The only things I know about running 12+ miles is from what I read on your guys' blogs. I have about 2 months to prepare for the half (without KILLING myself because I want to do well in my 5k) and would really appreciate some tips from you guys. Do I need to carry water, What do I wear, How should I start upping my mileage without dying? HAHA ---- HELP!

Basically my LONG fasts have to end. There is no way I can survive off of fresh juice for extended periods of time while running and working out as hard as I am going to be. I figure if I want to juice, I will, if I want to fast I will, But I'm not making any restrictions or rules. I'm just going to listen to my body. Which by the way is 12 pounds away from my goal weight:)

I'm going food shopping today...Thanks for your tips:) I'm buying clean, healthy, food that will make me feel good inside and out! I am so excited to try all the new foods you guys have introduced to me- SERIOUSLY you all have given me a whole new outlook on food and what I want to put into my body- THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Okay, off to class, gym, food shopping, maybe movie with my mom or hanging with some friends--WOO HOO FOR FRIDAY:)

Make sure you check out Angela's amazing blog Oh She Glows for a KILLER give-away-I WANT TO WIN!!!!

i heart zumba

2009-02-26T00:00:00.003-05:00

Dancing seriously makes me the happiest girl ever! I started dancing when I was two and took jazz, lyrical, ballet, hip hop, & tap until my competitive high school cheerleading schedule took over and I had to stop. I honestly miss taking classes sooooo bad! A couple years ago, I found the solution to my problem---- ZUMBA TO THE RESCUE!

My friend & I headed to the gym early to do some things before the class (me-RUN biceps & triceps, her-legs) Today was a light run day for me, I did 2 miles...Here are my stats:

Time: 17:20 seconds
Calories: Approx. 215
Pace: 8:39/mile

It was an okay run, not the best not the worst. I then did some bicep and tricep weight lifting (4 exercise per muscle group) then we headed to ZUMBAAA! It was so fun today...I love it when the class is packed and cheering-HAPPY!!!!

Afer Zumba, I hurried home to make some fruit juice which conisted of: melon, mango, grapes, apple, & strawberries. It was okay---a little sour to my liking-should have added another apple to make it sweeter. Oh welll....

Tonight my best friends and I just hung out watching tv and chatting (some red wine might have been involved haha!!). I just got home a little while ago and am ready for bedddd.

I think I am running outside with my Dad in the morning on our usual route (5k distance). Then some errands, a DEFINATE trip to the gym, shopping for a cute outfit for my friends bday bash saturday night?!, and workie work from 4-10.

Fast still is going well if you are wondering :). I'm going to hop on the scale tomorrow to see if there is a change. I feel more energetic, motivated, and just plain old happier since starting the fast! LOVE ITTTT!

Question for you bloggers: What are your FAVORITE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT staples in your everyday diet. I'm going food shopping within the next couple days and want to try new things! Keep in mind -I don't have a Whole Foods, Greenwise, Trader Joe's or ANY of the sort near my home (ohh the perks of living in the middle of nowhere LOL). HELP!

Nighty Night :)

So not a Morning Person

2009-02-24T08:23:00.003-05:00

Yes, waking up at 8 am today is early for me. I don't know how you guys all get up sooo early! YOU GO GIRLS! haha. In the winter time, I find it terribly hard to roll out my nice and toasty bed just to step outside into an ice box. Right now, it feels like it is 9 degrees out! BRRR!

Last night, my Yoga instructor ended class with some inspiring words about being the most positive person you know. I will try to keep that in mind when I leave for the gym in a little bit freezing my booty off.

Last night at the gym, I ended up running 3.5 miles-furthest I have ever run straight!!! Woo Hoo! My pace was a little slower than usual because I wasn't sure how I would handle the extra distance (usually run just a 5k). Here are my stats:

Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 31:08
Calories: approx. 369 (don't have a garmin or anything so you can't trust the machines)
Avg. Pace: 8:53/mile

I'm new to running, just started about 5 weeks ago, so I was wondering if my stats are even decent? I have NOOOO idea?!!! What do you all think?

After my run, I did a few shoulder, chest, and back exercises before my sister and I headed to our Yoga class. Of course it was amazing! I felt soooo stretched afterwards. Yayyyy!
Then I showered my sweaty self, hung out with a friend for a little, watched a weird movie, and passed out at 2:30am. That is pretty normal for me to go to bed so late..DING DING DING that is PROBABLY the answer to why I have such trouble getting up early! LOL!

My juice fast is going GREAT! Today is day two, I will most likely make a fruit and veg juice today. I will update later if I can...I have work 4-10 :(.

POSTIVE DANA...THINK POSITIVE!!!!!

Off to a strength training class at the gym with one of my favorite instructors & some cardio too. See ya lataaaa!

P.S: For the Love of Oats is doing a PB2 give-away in honor of her blogs birthday! Check it out!

To Fast or not to Fast that is the question?

2009-02-23T16:15:00.007-05:00

So if you read the title of this post you have probably already guessed that my fast hasn't really gone as planned. I did manage to juice fast from friday morning to saturday night- then I decided since I was going out to a party (ALCOHOL + only juice= one very drunk dana) I would just eat some substance to not make myself sick. I had some random things- lean cuisine, pretzels, dried fruit, bannana chips, peanuts. I may be forgetting some things I consumed in a drunken stuper at 4am when I finally got home. BLAH!

Because of my botched juice fast, I also ate yesterday along with NO GYM (AHHH). I can totally relate to Angela from Oh She Glows about the "All or Nothing" thinking when it comes to dieting, healthy eating, and exercise. I always am thinking "I already ate unhealthy yesteday, so today I will just eat whatever I want" etc. I need to learn how to stifle these mind games I play with myself...arghh.

Thankfully, I ate something a bit more healthy and fufulling than the un-satisfying eats above. I decided to make the Creamy Carrot Soup from Cooking Light Magazine. It turned out fabulous! I added a bit more spice to the soup and A LOT more pepper (I'm slightlyyy obsessed with pepper). My family all loved it as well! We all really enjoyed the creamy yet light consistancy and it was surprisingly filling! At only 180 calories per serving, I'm hooked!

Here is my bowl along with a piece of fresh toasted wheat bread w/ earth balance buttah!

Note: Please excuse my awful pictures. My poor camera is on its last leg. Neeeed a new one but my cash flow does NOT care about what I need!

While watching the oscars last night, (LOVEEEE THE FASHION) I made a big spread of fruits and veggies with hummus to munch on. Not satisfied, I had a small bowl of raisins, peanuts, and Kashi Autumn Harvest. ANDDDD a 100 calorie bag of Kettle Corn Popcorn. That seemed to do the trick!

Since Juice Fast Part II had been cut short...I have decided to try AGAIN starting today. I know I sound like a broken record, but I really want to complete at least one more week of Juice Fasting. I really can't describe how amazing I felt while doing my last fast...but all I know is that I crave that healthy feeling & WILL be successful in this attempt- I PROMISE!

Today I had classes from 11-3:30 which weren't too horrifying haha. Thank God. I plan on some veggie juice sometime in the near future.

My 5K training schedule calls for a run today, I'm thinking I might do between 3-4 miles at the gym. It is wayyyy to cold and windy out to run to the bay :( BOO! I also have my new favorite class at 7:15 ---YOGA! I swear it is only my third week doing yoga and pilates and I can already feel a difference in my body. It is a 75 minute Hatha Yoga class which is perfect for beginners like me! I also might do some stregnth training (Shoulders, Chest, Abs).

Hope you all are having a good day!!

Daddy's Girl

2009-02-21T22:08:00.004-05:00

Evening! I am rushing (as usual) to go to a party at a friends house so I will make this fast!

Today consisted of me over-sleeping and rushing to work at 10am. Worked till 4, then hurried home to get a run in with my dad before the sun went down. We live 1.7 miles from the bay and it is a beautifulllll run. Just really cold. I mean like 20 something degrees with wind cold. AHHH! It was a really enjoyable run though...my dad is 55 and obvi. slower than me...haha sorry dad! but i loved it and having someone to chat with made the total of 3.1 miles fly by! I love my dad:)

Next up was the gym where I did 1 Hour of cardio ( no arm eliptical, incline treadmill, and stairmaster) & abs and back ( 4 exercises per muscle group). Yay! I felt like lately my cardio has been slacking so it felt good to sweat today.

Tomorrow my sister, dad, and I are going to one of my favorite places ever....CAMPMORE!!!! It has everything a backpacker could ever want. WOOHOO! I have a gift card so I intend to spend it alllll tomorrow.

I'm off to the party....have a good night :)!!!

"I get by with a little help from my friends..."-the beatles

(my crazy friends and I on my 21st this past summer)

Helllllloooo Blog World!

2009-02-20T12:40:00.013-05:00

I don't really know where to start so I'm just going to go with the flow! Here are some random facts about meee!

*Junior in college, Communications Major, don't know what I wanna do when i grow up haha
*work at a tanning salon, promote for bud light and other drinks at bars as a "bud light girl"
*Live with my mom, dad, and older sister Erin who are the best family ever created

(my sister and I in Atlantic City a couple weeks ago)

*my room and crappy jeep are usually a disaster
*I'm trying out to be an eagles cheerleader in March AHHH!
*Running my first race (5k) in April
*I used to hate cooking until recently! Now I love making healthy creations but I especially love baking!!!

If you want to know more about me and my weight loss you can check out this post on my sister Erin's blog:

http://primadharma.blogspot.com/2009/01/sister-takeover.html

Juice Fast: Part II day 1-ish?

Juice fasting is something I just started getting into. My dad has done it for years so I decided to give it a try about two weeks ago using our industrial juicer. I intended the fast to go for about a week and I ended up going for 9 days. I ended up losing about 10 pounds! You are supposed to ease out of the fast by slowly incorporating HEALTHY food back in your diet. Yeah...so much for that. The past couple days I have consumed mostly fresh juice (fruit and veg) YAY GOOD--but also random bites here and there, the occasional midnight binge ( i struggle with late night snacking sooo bad), and lots of bar nights with friends lately. During the fast I def. gained some clarity about myself and my relationship with food....but my constant battle to control binging is still not resolved. BOO! AND I know the # on the scale isn't that important...I like to go by how I feel and how my clothes fit...but to see the number creep up a little after my binges does leave me disenheartened.

So since I feel like I was semi successful with Fast One....

I decided to go for another week or so starting today. I plan on making my own modifications to the fast--since I work out regulary and usually pretty intense I may drink some protein shakes (muscle milk light). I also cannot live without coffee...there is absolutely no way I can cut out my precious coffee!

I hope to cleanse my body, put an end to my mindless snacking and binging habits, and hopefully have some revelations (as my dad puts it).

This morning I had a cup of coffee and a hugggge mixed fruit juice:

1 cup of frozen mixed fruit

blackberries strawberries

apple

grapes

2 kiwis
Seltzer to dillute it

I'm off to relaxxxxxx. Maybe some yogadownload.com later on?

Those who awaken never rest in one place.
Like swans, they rise and leave the lake.
On the air they rise and fly an invisible course.
Their food is knowledge. They live on emptines. They have seen how to break free.
Who can follow them?
- Buddha in the Dhammapada