Recently I’ve acquired a few new gym companions, one of which is my friend Sarah.

Sarah is great to work out with because she follows my lead as I  take her through my normal routines. She is not quite the gym rat that I am (I’m dating a personal trainer, what do you expect?), but she knows enough to spot me when I need help.

That said, there are some drawbacks to working out with Sarah.

Like when we show up at the gym wearing the EXACT. SAME. CLOTHES.

Yep, that right there is two gals, both sporting bangs, wearing gray 3/4 length sweatpants and baby pink tank tops.

You should have seen us doing lunges in unison while holding matching weights.

Actually, I’m glad you didn’t. Wearing matching clothes is cute when you are 12, not so much when you are… older than 12.

Something tells me we might start checking to see what each other is wearing before we go to the gym from now on.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Healthy shmelthy

For most of my adult life I’ve started my mornings off with a cup of coffee, or as my friend John puts it,  “the nectar of the Gods, the I’m so hung over thank all that is holy, the one last legal drugs left that doesn’t hold a mandatory 25 year sentence.”

It’s become a part of my routine.

It jump starts my day.

So believe me when I say, it pains me GREATLY to part with it!

As I’ve mentioned, I have stared a nutrition plan to help with my Endometriosis. Honestly I feel healthier in all aspects except my pain level, which is currently through the roof. I flat out don’t get it. Frankly, it has been incredibly frustrating to say the least.

There are two items on the “to avoid” list that up until Sunday (night) I have not been willing to part with: coffee and alcohol. I’ve been cutting back, but I haven’t completely nixed them from my diet. But after spending way too much time popping Ibuprofen every 4-6 hours and running up the electrical bill from my heating pad (which is on most of the time I am home); I’ve decided it’s time to cut my coffee addiction cord…*sigh*… and remove the majority of alcoholic beverages from my life as well.

My hope is this is not forever. My hope is this is a temporary freeze… just until I can get my pain level back under control again.

People I am GIVING UP COFFEE.

I can’t believe I’ve been reduced to this. Anyone want my ovaries? I’ve about had it with them.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Bag full of complaints, Healthy shmelthy

I hurt.

I hate when I hurt.

It sends me into all sorts of upsetness.

Back in December I started researching a new nutrition plan to help with my Endometriosis. I began working it into my everyday life, little by little, in the hopes that a holistic approach to my condition would be the answer. Right now I’m buying organic everything, which, holy shit is expensive! I’ve cut out all the “bad” foods (well most of them anyway) and I am making an honest go at it.

I mean, last week I turned down a FREE asiago cheese bagel for chrissake!

Truth be told, I’ve felt really good for the most part. But right now, I feel like there are multiple knives shoved in my lower abdomen and each knife is getting twisted at a regular interval just so I don’t forget they are there. I don’t even know if that makes sense. I JUST EFFING HURT!

Why do I hurt? I mean, outside of the obvious endometriosis thing.

I can’t say entirely for sure, but I think it has to due with the fact I went to see the Utah JAZZ play.

You heard me.

The tickets were amazing! We were in a suite catered with yummy food which was entirely NOT on my nutrition plan. I ate it anyway.  I washed it down with two glasses of “non-approved” wine too.

Pain woke me up the next morning.

Is that really it? Is my body–after less than a month of mostly clean eating–so upset that I dared eat a meatball and some cheesy artichoke dip, that it would cause me this much pain? Really?

I know I am giving myself a bit of a pity party, but that? That is pure BULLSHIT!

I’m sorry, but as I sit here, waiting for the pain pills to kick in and pounding out my frustrations on the key board, I can’t help but feel the way I do. Anyone who has read this blog will know I try to stay positive for the most part, but right now I am tired. I am flat out tired of feeling this way. And what’s worse is I know I am exacerbating my symptoms by getting upset about them. Stress is another trigger. So is working out, which I totally did.

I hate this. I feel like I just can’t win.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Emotions get the best of me, Healthy shmelthy, Just me, NOT light and fluffy

I’m discovering, very rapidly, that if you have a strict nutrition plan you are try to stick to, you can NOT rely on your “approved” food to be readily available. Oh, no, no, no! You must plan ahead!

Following the advise of my ridiculously fit boyfriend–who happens to double tripple as my nutrition coach, personal trainer and biggest supporter–I made a ginormous healthy gouloshey type meal composed of pretty much all of the food I have left in my kitchen.

- One maranated baked chicken breast (I don’t remember what I maranated it in), diced up.

- One package of frozen summer vegitables.

- One box of “All Natural Brown and Wild Rice”.

Simply cook all above ingredients separately, then throw them all together, and VOILA! You’ve got three meals (two if you have a larger appetite) just waiting to be heated up!

Umm.... healthy crap.

I know the picture doesn’t do it justice, but I swear to you it really is good.

Now the hard part… remembering to take it with me when I leave the house!

Blogfully yours,

Summer

PS – do you pre-prepare any healthy meals? If so, LET ME KNOW! I’m in need of some ideas.

Healthy shmelthy

A few weeks back I made mention to changing my diet to help overcome some of the obstacles I face with my secret pain, endometriosis.

After giving the medical field more than their fair chance to treat me like a lab rat, I’ve decide it’s time I take matters into my own hands.

The plan I am about to outline to you will seem somewhat unattainable. Truth be told, it is. Which is why I am using it more as a stringent guideline that I follow as best I can.

I mean, no one, including me, honestly believes I am going to completely give up coffee, chocolate or alcohol, so why set myself up for failure? Plus “guideline” sounds so much less depressing.

My new nutrition plan’s “guidelines” do not allow me to have any of the following items:

- Red meat

- Dairy (including cheese)

- Wheat or product containing flour (gluten)

- Refined sugars and honey (including chocolate)

- Alcohol

- Coffee

- Fried food

- Soy products

- Additives and preservatives

All of these items cause inflammation, increased estrogen levels or negative prostaglandin (I don’t know what that last one means… but it sounds really bad!).

Again, these are guidelines I am following as best I can.

At first glance you might be wondering what the hell else is there to eat?

Well I’ll tell you.

TACOS!

They have to be chicken… and in a corn tortilla… and without cheese. But, TACOS! I love TACOS and they are totally doable! So are vegetables, rice, fish, salads, vitamins and almond or rice milk (no soy remember?).

Yeah, so don’t worry about me finding enough to eat. The guys at the local taco cart are getting to know me VERY well.

Dos pollo tacos por favor, senior!

Plus since I came to the conclusion wine totally isn’t alcohol (it’s fruit, duh!), I’m pretty sure this is a diet nutrition plan I can stick to!

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Healthy shmelthy, Just me