Awesome Eats

Thursday was pretty much awesome. It started with an early-morning walk with Mama before the sunrise. Afterward, I had a new and interesting breakfast.

Cantaloupe and oats cooked with 2 egg whites for added staying power.

 Later, I got myself looking all spiffy, and Mons and I went to Florida’s Friendliest Hometown for some quality sister bonding time. Good food makes good times that much better.

Panera classic cafe salad and black bean soup with an apple.

Mons was happy with her meal.

Bowl of broccoli and cheedar soup with sourdough OTS.

Deliciousness

After a leisurely lunch, we walked around the square, slinking in and out of interesting shops along the way. 

Matching sisters. Cute, right?

 Then, we hit up my fave store, TJ Maxx, for some more shopping.

Bags in hand, we got some sweet treats, courtesy Chick-Fil-A. Mons and I debated getting a “small” ice cream (which is actually huge) or the kids’ size. We came to the conclusion that kidlet size would be sufficient.

I'm lovin' it. Wrong fast food motto, but who cares?

 

Definitely my favorite ice cream ever. Easy to please.

 Later, Mumzy and I went to get my wedding dress. We got to our location early, so guess what we did: got food.

Bahama Breeze rocks my socks. We began our meal with some yummy cocktails.

Tropical delights. Sangria for me, Pina Colada for the mama.

 I planned on getting a salad, but the bad eating demons crept over me and I ended up ordering possibly the unhealthiest thing on the menu. In my defense, I was not aware that what I ordered was essentially a deep fried Cuban pizza.

Tostones and chicken bits topped with mushrooms, onions, jalapenos, salsa, and a ridiculous amount of cheese. This was an appetizer. No joke.

Mums got black beans and rice.

I devoured this in about 3.5 minutes. Devilishly delectable.

 After being sufficiently stuffed with spicy, greasy goodness, I went to try on my wedding dress. I figured, if it fits after eating like that, I was good to go…

It didn’t. But, let me clarify, this was not my fault. The seamstress admitted that she made the part around my ribs a little too tight. The same mistake was made on Mama’s dress. Nothing a little letting out can’t fix.  

After about an hour of girly chatting, we made our way back home. It was at that moment that I got the worst spell of indigestion in my life. Since I was already feeling like crap, I topped it off with a tea cookie. Probably not the best decision I’ve ever made. As I sit here, curled up in the fetal position while writing this post, I realize that the food I ate, although now rotting in my gut, was completely worth the pain. Cheers to livin' it up.

The Holidays Are Here!

On Monday, it hit me that it is the week before Christmas! YEAH! I am so excited. It also occurred to me that I had one more Christmas present to buy. Yikes. I know that the malls and stores are crazy right now, but I also knew that further delaying the shopping would lead to an even more painfully stressful experience.

I woke up with sore calves from this weekend’s jump roping, and decided against cardio. So, I piddled around, spoke to my lovey, and got ready to go out on the town. 

Then, being the wonderful daughter and sister that I am, I took my sister and my mama out for lunch at Panera. Yes, gluten-free people, Panera. When I went gluten-free, I assumed that Panera Bread was totally out-of-the-question. However, when it was suggested as a meal option, I was curious to find out. I read that nothing is "certified" gluten-free (obvs. It’s a bakery). But, there ARE several dishes with all gluten-free ingredients. Check it out

Note: If you are a severe Celiac, you probably shouldn’t try this out due to cross-contamination.

Hurrah! I celebrated this discovery by getting a Classic Café Salad.  

Cafe goodness.

Mons and I happy to be at our long, lost cafe.

Afterward, I made my way to America’s Friendliest Hometown to get my last present. Great success!

When I got home, my mama and I gave each other manicures. Productive activities. It made me realize how much pointless stuff I do every day. Geez.

At least my nails look awesome.

Since my nails were wet, and my mom’s weren’t, she was kind enough to make my dinner.

Low cal pastrami (this is not a joke) and sauerkraut sandwich with sauteed veggies

 Unfortunately, this lovely dinner was followed by this:

Food for baby dogs.

 I say unfortunately because munching a little bit of Puppy Chow equals munching on lots of calories. Oh well. ‘Tis the season for enjoyment, fa-la-la-la-la…la-la-la-la.

To work off some of those glorious calories, I did an upper body and ab workout.

It struck me that I will be battling minor weight gain this week. But I am completely ok with it. As long as I workout, do my thing, and don’t go overboard, then why should I worry?

 I know those extra pounds we rack up during the holidays make us feel a little bleh, and everyone wants to stay in tip-top shape. Some of us have weddings to attend, parties to go to, or just want to feel a little lighter. Well, there is a solution that the makers of Yoplait have come up with! It’s called the Two-Week Tune Up! It’s a custom diet plan designed especially for you by Yoplait!

For more information, visit Yoplait’s Two Week Tune Up.

I have been given the opportunity to try out this new plan after the holiday season has ended, thanks to Yoplait! I will track my progress here for you guys to see! I will share more information about it when the time gets closer!

Until then, I will just be enjoying myself in moderation, keeping up my workout routine, and having happy holidays. I hope you will too!

What are your holiday plans this year? How do you plan to stay fit and healthy over the next two weeks? Leave a comment!