Another week down.

A check-in post, of sorts. Nothing too exciting to report these days. Unless my new Green Monster addiction counts as exciting. I've been whippin' these babies up every morning before heading to work. My mix of choice:

- 3/4 cup almond milk (I reserve the remaining 1/4 cup for coffee)
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 4 or 5 strawberries
- 1 scoop Chocolate Green Superfood
- 2 whoppin' handfuls (or more) of fresh spinach

I started out using just the plain Superfood powder, but the chocolate flavored one took the taste to a whole new level of awesomeness (bananas and chocolate? Hellooo?!). I've also tried adding blueberries, peaches and/or chia seeds and they've all turned out great. I can't wait until my friggin' PB2 shipment finally gets delivered (it's been backordered since early February!) so I can start experimenting with some PB-flavored goodness. I suppose I can use the regular PB I have now, but I think the powdered version would just mix a lot better.

I wasn't a huge smoothie person before (mostly because I was too lazy to use/clean the blender), but these babies taste so good and just leave me feeling so great that I can't stop making them! I'm getting a good chunk of veggies, fruit & calcium all at once. And because they turn out sweet and creamy, it's like having a milkshake in the morning. Plus, it's the perfect vehicle for the crapload of Superfood powder I bought a couple of months back. Love them so much!

Fitness

In fitness news, things have been chuggin' along, but this week was a struggle at times, thanks to SMLT (Stupid Monthly Lady Time). Yesterday was probably my most bloated and miserable day all week, and of course it had to be the day we learned new stuff at Zumba. I just couldn't get into it at all because all I could think about was how miserable and fat I was feeling. I almost left at a couple of different points, but I was determined to see the new moves. I know exercise is supposed to help, but last night? Not so much.

I ran 3.5 miles this morning and feel a little better. Trying to get psyched for the 5k tomorrow, but the weather is supposed to be cold and rainy. Great. Cold I can handle (sorta), but rain? Buh. I have zero rain/waterproof gear, so it'll be interesting. I don't necessarily want it to get canceled either because I've been working pretty hard this week to keep my endurance and speed up, despite feeling like a hot, bloated, crampy mess most of the time. Whatevs.

I suppose that's all for now. I'll post some follow up notes about the 5k tomorrow. Happy weekend!

Presents for me.

So, I didn't really reward myself for hitting goal last week because I'm frugal (and broke) most of the time.

But after mulling over some ideas over the weekend, I decided to bite the bullet, bust out the damn credit card (shh!) and do a round of purchases for myself. I of course made sure it was all stuff that a) I've been looking at purchasing for at least 3 months or more (give or take), b) I could afford and pay off eventually (duh), c) would benefit from and d) made me feel special (yes, material goods should not be the source of such a feeling, but hey, guess what? sometimes they are).

That said, I will start with the most frivolous purchase of all, Chewy Chocolate Cheek Cookies. Yes, I totally ordered overpriced cookies over the Internet. BUT- I've been looking at them ever since I saw how they were made on Road Tasted With the Neely's on Food Network, which was quite some time ago. I've been to the website sooo many times since then, but told myself no, because I didn't need them and I didn't need to spend the money.

Well, I changed my mind. I mean, look at them:



Another major selling point: They're listed as being only 2 points a piece. The bakery itself is owned by a couple of health-conscious gals, so the cookies are actually pretty healthy (for a cookie, anyway). I just figured "what the hell?" and a few clicks later, finally gave in. Pretty sure being on my period didn't help, haha.

Next, I ordered some PB2 and Biggest Loser Protein Powder, both in bulk. I didn't feel so bad about spending money on these because they're both things that I consume on a regular basis (though I went through Netrition for the PB2 and eBay for the protein powder to save a little extra money).

Then, it was over to Amazon for some new resistance bands. I've been meaning to get these so I can finally use my door anchor strap. My current resistance cord doesn't work with it, so I've yet to actually get any use out of it. So, again, another planned purchase.

And last but not least, I busted out the Sears card and ordered me a new Weider 110 Weight Set:



and a bench with accompanying rack:



Luckily I was able to do ship-to-store on both of them (freight charges on those types of things are terrifying), so I can pick them up anytime today or later in the week! And yes, I tried looking at Craigslist and Freecycle, but no dice. That, or people were charging way too much for used equipment that was definitely past its prime.

Also got some lifting gloves. I noticed I needed those a.s.a.p. after doing some of the Gym Junkie routines with my dumbbells.

Yes, it was a lot of money to spend at once, but I managed to justify each purchase pretty well, for the most part. Aside from the cookies, everything else is going to help me increase and maintain my level of health and fitness. And that's not so wrong, is it? I know I'll probably have a change of heart next month when the bill arrives, but for now, I'm pretty pleased (and excited!). I can't wait to try the new weight set. Who would've thought that I'd come to appreciate the beauty in such equipment?