Beans and Birthdays, Blind Dates and Burns

This weekend I…..

- Celebrated the first birthday of my sweet nephew, Reid:

- Hung out with new friends and enjoyed lots of laughs and TONS of good food:

- Biked 37 miles and ran 3.5 miles Sunday!  (Whoa….)

- Didn’t learn my lesson about sunscreen….

 

- Went on a blind date with a very sweet (but short ) guy…..we will see.

 

- Enjoyed WARM…no, HOT weather.  Summer, I am so ready for you.

 

- Made this bean salad recipe recommended by Lee…..SO good!

What’d you do this weekend?

Yeah, I’m Better Than You: Orthorexia

Have any of you ever heard of Orthorexia? 

In short, it’s an obsession with healthy eating.  Crazy, right?  I mean, how could eating healthy be a BAD thing? 

Eating healthy by itself is actually a VERY good thing.  But when it gets to the point where your diet is so limited because everything you eat has to be perfectly healthy, then it is a problem.  (Much like how exercise can become a bad thing when you become obsessed with it).

There have definitely been people in my life who would probably fit this bill.  And I will be honest – it’s very difficult for me to be around them. 

One of my friends has certainly become obsessed with eating only organic, non-processed foods without any artificial sweeteners or coloring.  She makes me feel incredibly guilty for drinking an occasional Diet Coke or eating a “regular” granola bar every once in awhile.  I feel like she is very judgmental of people and what they eat/drink.

(Source)

 

I know with my past history, it’s better for me to not take eating/drinking so seriously or strictly, as it only leads me down destructive paths (EDs are all about control).  So for now, I just limit my time around people who have those obsessive habits, and surround myself with those who can live a little.

Me, Kristy, and my friend, Nina and her daughter Lucia….we got together last weekend and made LOTS of yummy, delicious food – even Nutella cupcakes!  (Nina went to culinary school and is a phenomenal cook).

I feel like I’m to that point where I’m getting better at saying “no” to things that involve those people who are bad influences.  And it feels damn good. 

Brick…..House. (Or Workout).

Well, I had my first Brick (outdoor) workout of the year!  Or, if we’re being honest…ever!

I went with my group of friends yesterday and we rode about 20 miles (in 25-30 mph winds! holy crap) and then ran about 5 miles.  We finished the ride in a little under an hour and a half, and the run in about 43 minutes. 

My friend, John, is actually a photographer and rigged his camera on his bike.  How cool is that?  That is me at the beginning of the video….scared shitless I will fall off my bike again. 

 

But it was a success….no falls!

I had SUCH a great time with them.  It ended up being a beautiful day (about 75 degrees and sunny!) and I loved being able to enjoy it outdoors.  Despite my awesome new sunburn tan line:

 

 That’s hot.

I was so, SO hungry and ready for a yummy dinner….and quickly came up with this creation:

I was at my parent’s (they are in France!  I am jealous) eating their food for free watering their plants, and had to improvise since they didn’t have pasta sauce.  I combined pasta with Laughing Cow Cheese and Pesto.  WOW, is all I can say.  I cannot WAIT to have this again!

 

Is the weather warming up where you are?  I hope so!

It Started With a Chair….

I have to apologize for my absence, and I’m way behind in reading your blogs! 

Last week was just a crazy week at work….I put in almost 60 hours and just didn’t have time to keep up with blogging.  I promise to catch up with your blogs very, very soon!

 

I will start by filling you in on a new class I took last weekend.  One that only involved a mat, your body weight, and a chair.

(Source)

 

I should have known with a place called “Brick House Fitness” that I was in for a real treat.

My roommate found a class she’d taken the week before called “Seductive Chair.”  I’m always up for something new, and so I agreed to come with her last weekend.

Basically, the class is like boot camp with a chair.  It is INTENSE.  You are constantly moving for an hour (no breaks), and you do everything from high knees, to push ups (with your feet on the chair), to tricep dips, to – yes – lap dances on the chair. 

All I can say is, I was sore for 3 days after this class!  Everything from my arms to my hamstrings hurt. 

But I definitely plan to go again!  I’m a big music person, and the music they played there was AWESOME.  I loved every single song (mostly rap…..LUDA!).  You can bet I’ll be back to this class. 

What’s the most unique fitness class you’ve ever taken? Or would like to take?  They also have pole dancing classes at this place….that is next on my list!  It really is supposed to be an amazing workout.