Corn Tortilla Queso Yum Lunch

Today I pulled my quesadilla maker out of the cupboard for the first time since I bought it. It was hiding behind my cat. She needs to stop going in there… After assembling it and tossing the plastic wrapper and box for Pepper to play with (although she would much rather be under my feet), I let it warm up, and started to assemble.

Temporary Hiatus… Back on Track

I’m not sure if any of the people who follow my blog noticed or not, but I had taken a two month absence from writing. It isn’t that I didn’t want to write some, or more that I didn’t have time, that I didn’t have a computer to write on, or Internet, but also that I was not following lifestyle that was required to maintain this blog.

As a result of a quarter life crisis, I found myself picking up my life and moving to a new town hundreds of miles from the previous, into a small house with no Internet, not even power for a while, and no gym membership. I also started a new job with a crazy six-week orientation, which just ended. All the while, although I tried to integrate fitness and healthy eating, I struggled.

But alas, I have power in my house and can finally cook healthy meals! I have caught up on immediate debt and can go shopping for fresh produce. Although my laptop is still out of commission, I will have cable and wifi beginning tomorrow! I have reintegrated at home fitness into my life, and have been looking into local gym memberships.

Oh, and I’ve thought of some great blog topics!! I can’t wait to get back on the blog ball!

Miss Empire Rose/Empire Star 2012

The time had come again! I was ready for my second pageant of this season. March 6, 2012 was the Miss Empire Rose/Empire Star preliminary competition. I was waiting to post this until I had pictures, but then I found out that my mother’s camera received an error message everytime she tried, so there are none. So much for seeing what I did wrong so I can improve…

I had been spending more time at the gym, as well as my at-home fitness routine. I also purchased another tanning package, so I was bronzed like a Greek Goddess.

Quick Fix Pasta Salad

I was home alone for dinner, so no need to create a meat friendly vegetarian meal. I could make anything I wanted! But I also wanted something easy, and that didn’t use the stove because I don’t want to refill the propane tank before I move.

I decided to make pasta in my rice cooker.

Diet Tips: #5

Tip #5: Eat Breakfast

I have always been a big fan of eating breakfast. So many people make up excuses that they cannot eat in the morning. I know, because I used to think it made me sick. I was convinced that eating in the morning would make me nauseated, so I would pack a snack and eat it in my first or second period class. I found that I received higher grades in those classes than my first period class, and it wasn’t because it was more difficult.

Breakfast wakes up your brain! It also starts your metabolism. Instead of slugging your way through the morning, and allowing your body to stay asleep and useless, wake it up and allow your body to start burning calories. 

Retail Workout: Step Five

Step Five: Go For a Walk!

Depending on the length of your shift, you will have a certain amount of breaks given to you, of various legnths. Granted, if you work all day and get a lunch break, you should probably eat during that time. However, Lunch shouldn’t take the whole time (especially if you have it ready and waiting for you in the fridge because you packed it! See Step Four.) There should be leftover time, or additional time during a quickie 15, to go for a walk.

Diet Tips: #4

Tip #4: Pack a Lunch

Let’s be honest. You go to work each day, probably skipping breakfast, with a few bucks in your pocket for lunch. By the time lunchtime approaches, you’re starving, ravished, and want to shove your face full of food. But instead of filling your stomach with healthy, nutritious supplements, you’ve  decided to order takeout.

Chinese food, pizza, or fast food… It doesn’t make a difference what you decide to buy. It isn’t healthy for you. Most of the time it’s more expensive too! You buy a large meal, because you’re ravenous, and eat the entire thing before your body realises it is full.Now you’ve eaten twice as many callories for half the utrients.

Put an end to that maddness. Pack a lunch.

Most of the time, my lunch consists of leftovers from dinner before, a granola bar, and some juice. Although sometimes I will make a big pot of rice at night, and throw in some vegetables each morning for that day’s lunch. Roasted vegetables on a hard roll, pasta salad (with vegetables!), a side of fruit… There’s nothing healthier! Need some snacks? Instead of bringing an entire box of chips or crackers, proportion out a sandwhich baggie to limit yourself. Most of the time you don’t require as many as your eat, you just keep eating them because they’re in front of you!

Remember, no soda! Bring a reusable bottle of water, and some flavor packets. Keeping your body hydrated is such an important key to being healthy.

Retail Workout: Step Four

 

Step Four: Sweep the Floor

Your boss certainly isn’t going to complain about this step!

There is no excuse not to stay active. If you have two legs, you should be walking. If you don’t have two legs, I’m going to assume you don’t want to let that stop you. But I don’t know what my boss would think if she saw me making laps around the sales floor. Of course I can’t deny having done it; pretending to stalk customers and maintain quality clothes piles. But that’s not for everyone. So how can you walk around the floor? Sweep!

If you have a duster in your store, your first lap can be to dust all the shelves. Not only are you walking, but you will be reaching up and bending down to dust. Take your time, don’t skimp out.

After you dust, I’m sure you have knocked a lot of bunnies onto the floor. It’s time to sweep them up! Make a conscious effort to go under displays and shelving units. Build up piles as you go around.

Lap three is to toss away the piles! Go around the store, your floor, or your department and sweep up the piles.

 

With practice, you can exert quite a bit of energy, as well as rack up quite some mileage each day (since you’re walking further to/from your car as well). Heck, you may even get some recognition at work for putting forth an extra effort. Your boss doesn’t have to know your motive.

Diet Tips: #3

Tip #3: Eliminate Alcohol

http://alcoholrehap.info/

How many readers just gave up all together? As beneficial as it would be to eliminate alcohol all together, that isn’t a requirement to be healthy. It is, however, important to eliminate binge drinking. By definition, a binge is 4-5 drinks per occasion. However, I would reduce that to 3 drinks per occasion, no more than once every two weeks. If you can, try not to binge at all, or at perhaps only once a month.

There’s no doubt that alcohol is bad for you. It’s empty calories, like soda, but also slows your metabolism. So not only are you adding useless calories into your diet, but you’re not working them off!

There’s no “healthy” alcohol. You might try to rationalize a fruity mixed drink over a beer, since it’s called a “beer belly” not a margarita belly”. But these drinks have no health benefits, and are just higher in sugar! A drink is a drink. One mixed drink is essentially equivalent to one glass of wine, one beer, or one shot.

Retail Workout: Step Three

A lot of retailers tell their employees where to park. Perhaps it is around the back, or just in the back row of spots. At the Gap, it is on the main strip of Lake Placid, so there is no assigned parking. I bought a parking permit for the municipal parking lot down the road. It’s a lot more convenient than feeding the meter every two hours. But rather than take the order to “give the customers the closer spots” as a burden, consider it a challenge.