The Challenge, Day 3

One month from today, I turn 29. I can't believe this is the last year of my 20's. There have definitely been some highs and lows, but I think that's to be expected and I'm really looking forward to my 30 Before 30 list. I got the original idea from the blog, hello, splendor and think it's a great idea! This journey will begin when my 28-day Challenge is over. So now to it...

Today I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle what lay ahead. After being awake for a while and arriving to work, I still sort of feel this way. I'm a little tired and have already sucked my first smoothie down.

Today's smoothie is my own concoction again of mixed frozen fruit, a banana, one cup of diet cranberry juice and one cup of water. It's pretty delish!

For lunch I'm having left overs from last night; half a chicken breast, half a sweet potato and a salad. My snacks again will be a green apple with peanut butter and the other serving of my smoothie. It's sad that it's only 9 a.m. and I'm already really looking forward to lunch!

So, this challenge isn't just about what you stick in your mouth, it's also about clearing your mind and making a change for the better both, physically and mentally. So far I've only really committed to the physical part. However, I have started listening to my body which was recommended.

For me, this challenge is about re-directing my mind when it comes to meals. For instance last night if I were not doing the challenge, I would have eaten the entire chicken breast and sweet potato. As I made my dinner plate I was a little worried that I'd be really hungry but as it turns out, smaller portions may be easier that I once thought. After a typical meal I would also have something sweet because I LOVE desert. But this week I haven't had anything sweet (excluding the peanut butter I eat with my apple, which by the way is from heaven) and I'm not missing it. The one thing I would like to get better at is drinking more water. I typically only have about one liter a day and I need to up the anty to two!

As for the no caffeine, I miss it and can't lie. I'm really looking forward to Sunday morning when I can make a fresh pot of pecan pie coffee!

Tonight I'm going to meet my friend Anne for Zumba! I think my body is up for it after adjusting to the new routine and I'm looking forward to some physical activity!

26 days to go...

The Challenge, Day 2

I made it through Day 1 of the Whole Living 28 Day Challenge Action Plan. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting which is a good thing! The Green Smoothie was a little different and next time I make it I will use the liquefy button on the blender, no more chewing my smoothie for me!

Today's smoothie is my own blend of frozen mixed fruit, diet cranberry juice and water and it is SO good!

So far, the food part of the plan is the only one I've stuck with. I don't want to take a media break. I only watch 2-3 hours of TV a day and that's how I relax at the end of the day so I'm not taking it away. However, I did crawl into bed earlier last night.

It was partly due to my being cold but also I was exhausted. I decided to go to the gym last night and worked out on the elliptictal machine for an hour. My friend Anne met me so it was more of a gab session than an intense work out which I'm thankful for because I don't think I could have done it! I had pretty low energy by the end of the day but it did feel good to go and do something. Today, I'm planning on heading home after work and doing pilates along with the yoga release and back strengthener positions in the magazine.

I feel pretty good today, but I think day 2 may be a little harder than day 1 so I'll have to re-evaluate at the end of the day.

I'm also looking at expanding my menu. At first, I thought I could make it with lettuce and chicken but this girl does not survive on lettuce alone! I'm heading to the grocery store at lunch to pick up a few items for the recipes below:

Avocado & Lime

Spicy Cauliflower

Sweet Potato with Coconut

For dinner tonight, I think I'll have half a grilled chicken breast, half a roasted sweet potato with rosemary and a salad. Yummy...I'm hungry just thinking about it!

27 days left

No Sour Grapes in This Bunch

A couple of weekends ago, my sister and brother-in-law invited me to Divine Wine in downtown Denver because they had made their own special wine blend and it was time to bottle the goods! Here's a pic of my sister putting on the custom labels she made for their wine. She made two, one for each of her doggies called 1) Split Personality for Dexter and (2) Jealous Boyfriend for Chico. Very fitting names if you've met the pooches! And that big jug the guy on the left is holding, that's what had their wine it it... they were kind enough to share!
And here's a pic of the bottling process, I only did one bottle because I was scared it would explode all over me!
It was a really fun process and I'm happy they included me!

New Year, New Challenges

For the start of 2011, I am taking part in the Whole Living Action Plan 28-Day Challenge. Today is Day 1 and I began my Monday morning not with my typical cup of joe, but instead with this:

It's the Green Smoothie which includes Kale, parsley, one banana and a green apple. I brought it with me to work at 8 this morning and am still working on finishing it. The consistency is a little jarring at first, but you get used to it and it actually is pretty tasty! For the rest of the day, here are my meals:

Lunch will be a salad with some left-over pork roast (a piece about the size of my smart phone), and my snacks will be a green apple with peanut butter (I'm not sticking with the plan where it calls to cut out peanut products) and another shake later on in the afternoon.

I think this will be a good thing, but we'll see if it is or just another good sounding, bad idea! So far, the most difficult part of the process has been cutting out caffeine, but I'm hoping that over the next 28 days, I will be more alert, clear-minded and not as dependent on coffee as I was just one week ago.

I will be using the blog as a way to track my progress and also talk about the challenges and triumphs that come with The Challenge.

Brandon Flowers - Crossfire

Last night, my friend Hagen, and I went to see Brandon Flowers at the Ogden. He's the lead singer of The Killers but is doing a solo thing for a while.

I haven't heard much of his solo work so I didn't know what to expect and Hagen won the tickets through an online raffle so he couldn't give me a whole lot of insight into Flowers' Flamingo album.

But, my reviews are all positive! If you're looking for a new addition to your iPod, run don't walk, get Flamingo today. Listening to this album live last night was amazing! Maybe it was the mix of light show, performance theater and musical talent that intrigued me but whatever it was, I am hooked on The Killers front man! I can't stop streaming his stuff online and am headed out after work to buy the CD. Yes, I still buy CD's.

Anberlin - Impossible = my new song obsession

Dating in Denver

Way back in 2005 Forbes.com listed the Denver-Boulder as the #1 spot for singles. Times have changed my friend. By 2009 Denver-Aurora had fallen 12 spots to #13 and in 2010, it's feeling like the Mile High City should be closer to #40 on that list.

Dating anywhere is difficult, but dating in Denver has its own unique challenges.

(1) No one is from Denver, or Colorado for that matter. So if you do get serious with someone chances are pretty high they'll want to return to their hometown and be near their family.

(2) No one is ready to make a commitment. There are more Peter Pans running the streets of Denver than anywhere I've lived before.

(3) Quirky is confused for trendy. It's not trendy to be a freak, it's just freaky. Some days I feel like I'm living episode 15 of Sex and the City, The Freak Show:

Oh how I miss my weekly dates with Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte & Miranda, they rarely let me down unlike my recent outings.

Lately, I've been out with a man who in his mid-30's couldn't hold his liquor which lead to multiple embarrassing texting mistakes only one day after we met, a man who thinks recreational drug use is cool, a man who makes and breaks more plans than I can count so we really have yet to meet for a second time and a man who made future plans with me on our first date but hasn't called to let me know when we're doing all that fun stuff.

Judge for yourself, but for now, I agree with Carrie.