Whew!

Hellllooooooo! Where the heck have I been? Not lounging on the beach in the south of France or sipping sangria in Spain.... I'm here in exciting Fredvegas. It may not be exciting but my life has at least been busy. The Turkey Trot is exactly a week from today and I am super psyched about it. I have been steadily training, except for a few days earlier this week when Auntie Flow was being a major butt munch but that aside I am doing well. I really enjoy having short term goals to strive for. After the Turkey Trot is the cruise and then after that..... I don't know but I must find something! :)

I am applying my previous goals to my daily routine and so far it seems to be working rather well. I am definitely getting more sleep now which has changed my mood dramatically. I am recording my calories and exercise on Sparkpeople. The only problem I had with it at first was when I plugged in my weight and how much I wanted to lose by a certain date it had me on a caloric intake of 1500 to 1700 daily. Well, I had a very difficult time keeping it less than 1800 and that was eating lots of fruits, veggies, lean protein and complex carbs. I spoke with my personal trainer friend and she about had a heart attack at how little they were recommending. With my height and activity level she suggested that I eat between 1800 on normal days and 2000 on active days. So that is what I am striving for. We will have to see how it goes.

The not eating after 7pm has proven to be a little more challenging than I would have liked. Sometimes I just don't get off from work and the gym until after 8pm and I don't want to mess up my metabolism by skipping dinner especially after a workout so when that happens I try to stick to light meals like salads and soups but I still notice a difference in that I don't sleep as well if I eat later. Especially since I am hitting the sack before 12am. I just went to the grocery store two days ago and spent over $100 buying nutritious foods so that I have plenty of wonderful options. Plus I have done some meal planning that will hopefully help curb my bad food choices and also keep some extra money in my pocket. :)

Still searching for an artistic outlet. I am looking on line and in the paper to see if something sticks out. I love photography but don't have a decent camera. I love to bake but that would kind of defeat the purpose of this blog. I would love to hear any suggestions of what I could do that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. My friends and I have a few plans to visit some of the amazing art galleries DC has to offer and I am sure I will find some inspiration there. I have been feeling a pull towards pottery but seem to be having difficulties locating a class in the winter time. Ahh, well.... no biggie. :)

I hope that everyone is doing well and that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!