Boggy Creek Farm

While you're sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for my next blog post (c'mon, I know you are!) take a gander on over to my Achieving Healthy Blog and see some fresh (no pun intended) new shots that the talented Angela Doran took of me my first few weeks in Austin as well as a roundup of my trip to a super sweet local farm, Boggy Creek!

The post can be seen HERE!

IIN Health Coach {in training}

I am soooo late posting this, but it's been on my mind for at least 3+ months.

Back in June sometime, I enrolled at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition's July 2013 class. IIN’s year long, comprehensive curriculum covers over 100 dietary theories and combines counseling techniques with real-world business training. Its unique nutrition philosophy takes a holistic approach to wellness and encourages students to consider relationships, work, exercise, and spirituality as essential to building good health.

IIN's mission: 

Our mission is to play a crucial role in improving health and happiness, and through that process, create a ripple effect that transforms the world.

By June of 2014 (once I pass all my tests and graduation requirements), I will be a certified health coach! There are so many things that have brought me to wanting this. There's no possible way I could cover them all (plus you'd get bored, I'm sure) so I'll just review what I feel are a few the top reasons that lead me not just to  enrolling but having this burning desire to join the health and wellness industry in attempts to change myself as well as many others.

• I want to become a more health conscious person. I am my first client. If you know me at all, you likely know that I'm the pickiest person. Ever. I know I need to eat vegetables and do better for myself, but for whatever reason, it's been a battle. I've been doing SO much better in the past few years (if you don't believe me, go back and read my posts from 2009 talking about what I was eating vs. my posts about what my meals are like now).
• I have worked in the health & wellness industry a little bit the last few years and I see a huge disconnect on what these "professionals" are preaching to their clients vs. what they are actually doing in their own lives. Some of what they are telling their clients is so far off base, I cannot comprehend how on earth they deem what they're saying as acceptable. It's apparent to me that the education they are verbalizing is straight from a Google search and not from any proper schooling. 
• I feel constantly surrounded by unhealthy people. Some of these people KNOW what they should do to help themselves, and they just don't do it. Some literally just don't know that what they're doing is bad for them and the long term negative effects it has on not only them, but the rest of their family and their own lives. 
• I want to gain understanding as to why I often feel tired and sick. I know for at least 98% certainty that it has to do with my diet, but what exactly is the culprit?
• I want to be able to help those closest to me, achieve optimal health. I already have a lot of friends and family come to me for advice and with questions and I'm so excited to finally be able to have real, educated answers for them!
• I want to be known as an educated professional and not just someone with strong opinions from personal experience. Completion of this school is going to be such an accomplishment for me!

One of the things that I love so much about this school, that I hadn't even considered a part of my health prior to enrolling, is that they teach what they call "primary foods". It's everything that feeds you in life, but doesn't come on a plate. We wrap it up in four categories: Relationship, Spirituality, Career, and Exercise.

I cannot begin to tell you how much happier I feel since having started this program. Really evaluating each aspect of my life, and working to create a balance in each area. I am working daily on my happiness, and it feels so good to see how effortless it can actually be! I feel confident in saying, that this very moment is the happiest I think I have ever been. Of course, I still have areas of my life which I wish to improve, but I'm taking the steps to get there and know it will happen eventually. 

I've been brainstorming a lot about what I want my "niche" to be and I have a lot of really great ideas, but that will have to wait for a later post since I still haven't decided for 100% just yet. Thankfully I still have about 6 more months before I need to lock that down :)

Thank you so much, for taking the time to read through this post and learning more about what I've been doing the past few months. Please feel free to comment or contact me directly if you have any questions you want to ask! I hope you have a very happy and healthy day!

xoxoxoxo

- Abbey 

May Recap

Whooohooo! Probably my best month yet, in terms of actually doing what I mapped out for myself!   

• See how long I can make it without purchasing a loaf of bread/eating bread in general (hopefully the entire month!) – I still haven’t purchased a loaf of bread, but I did go to Subway, ate a bagel, pizza, etc. but I’m gonna keep going as long as I can without buying a loaf of bread!
• Continue to track my food on MyFitnessPal Monday through Friday – CHECK! I skipped a couple of week days when I was traveling, but I logged every day I was at work!
• Plan workouts for the coming week by Monday – I am so glad I started doing this. I’m the kind of person where once I've set a goal for myself, I have to do it or I’ll feel really guilty. Doing this was a great way to keep me accountable and I’ve already got the first 2 weeks of June planned out!
• Plan meals for the coming week by Monday – Woof. This probably the thing I failed at the most. With leaving town so much, it was hard to know how much groceries to keep in the house so I pretty much had to just make do with whatever I had. I think I still did a decent job of eating clean/healthy for the most part though, so that’s what’s important.
• Run at least 1-2 times per week – I definitely accomplished at least 2 runs/week, sometimes 3! Feels good to be running so much, but I’m not looking forward to it warming up :/ Thank goodness I run at 5am most days! 
   I had a bit of a high school reunion when I was in San Francisco when I can the Bay to Breakers with my friend Megan!
   The race finished on the Pacific Ocean.... such a gorgeous view! 
• Lift weights at least twice per week – This may have been closer to once/week, but definitely twice/week sometimes. And I was doing Insanity a couple of times per week, so I feel like that counts.
• Daily doubles at least twice per week – Especially towards the end of the month, this one gets a CHECK! I’m a homebody and hate going out, and I love working out, so this was not near as difficult as I thought it might be, even in the slightest.
• Eat out in NYC no more than once – What’s weird is that as stated above, I’m a homebody and hate going out. I didn't think this one would be hard to check off at all, but I ended up eating out like 4 times! Very unlike me. I have to remind myself though sometimes that spending quality time with friends is more important than saving a few dollars. Besides- I was well taken care of when I was in CA and Arizona, so I didn't end up over spending like I thought I might. 
   Cassie and I went to Blockheads to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
   Tacolicious in San Francisco! 

Sorry I’m a little late! I’ll post goals for June some time later this week :D

May Goals

Deciding on what goals to post for May was harder than any other month for some reason. Mostly because April came and went faster than I knew it and I wasn't prepared. But also because I'm wondering if I should post fewer goals in attempts to up my chances of actually crossing them all off.
Am I posting too many goals for myself each month? Am I being unrealistic about what I'm setting myself up for? Who knows. But two days into May... here goes nothing!

• See how long I can make it without purchasing a loaf of bread/eating bread in general (hopefully the entire month!)
• Continue to track my food on MyFitnessPal Monday through Friday
• Plan workouts for the coming week by Monday
• Plan meals for the coming week by Monday
• Run at least 1-2 times per week
• Lift weights at least twice per week
• Daily doubles at least twice per week
• Eat out in NYC no more than once

So there you have it!

I'm going to San Francisco and Arizona the last two weekends of the month, so I really want to 1) try to pinch my pennies so I can enjoy spending money on vacation and not be stressed and 2) Um hi, it's warm there... photographs will be taken... I'd like to feel good about the way I look in said photos. 

April in review

Um what? April is already over?! How the hell did that happen?!?

1) I'm not that prepared to post May goals for tomorrow, so I've been racking my brain with what they should be 2) I seriously did not realize that the month was already over and thought I had so much more time to cross things off my list... meaning, I didn't do as well as I had hoped for only 30 days ago :(
Well regardless, here's how it all went down...

•Get NY state I.D./drivers license (this might be a challenge considering I work M-F) Yeah nope! I seriously don't know how I'm going to get this done, ever, with my work schedule. I guess I'll have to use a vacation day somewhere down the road...


•Run 30-35 miles (at least 2 times/week) I think I averaged about one run per week, but I ended up only running ~19 miles. I attribute my lack of running to my increase in spinning... keep reading!

•Try 1 brand new dinner recipe Again, I seriously did not realize that the month was almost over. Technically, I made a pureed veggie soup with an ingredient combo that I'd never used before (red onion, yellow onion, garlic, orange bell pepper, carrot, celery, red potato, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, kale and spinach). But pureed veggie soup is not new to my standard menu, so I'm not sure if I should count this.

•Try 1 Harlem restaurant YES! I went to Harlem Public- a cool pub only a few blocks from my apartment. The vibe and the atmosphere were really great. My friend and I shared the mac n' cheese as an appetizer... omg I died. It was ridiculously delicious. I got their classic burger and added maple bacon, avocado and cheddar cheese with tater tots. The burger I thought was just "eh". I'm not a big fan of combining my bacon and syrup at breakfast, so I'm certainly not that interested in it on my burger. Yes, I read the menu, I just decided to try it anyway. Definitely won't be getting it on my burger next time. I'll definitely be back here, just with lower expectations.

 (photo credit: harlembespoke.blogspot.com)

•Eat peanut butter no more than 3 times/week (my PB intake has gotten a little out of control!) I think I did better with this, but probably not by much. I finished off the jar that I had at my desk, so that definitely helped me from eating so much. BUT I found a company that makes it in powder form, so I've been putting it in my chocolate protein shakes.... HOLY YUMMMMM! Thankfully, the powdered form is significantly lower in calories so I feel a hell of a lot less guilty about it.

(photo credit: oregontale.wordpress.com)

•See how long I can go without eating bread I'm not one to waste, so I didn't want to throw away all the bread I had in my fridge. It wasn't until April 25th that I finished off my loaf, so I didn't really complete this one. I'm definitely moving this one onto my May goals. It took me almost the entire month to get through that one loaf, so I think I can do this!

•Spin at Revolve at least twice/week CHECK!! Make that more like THREE times/week! I bought an unlimited month at the beginning of April, so I really wanted to make sure that I got the most out of it. I ended up going almost every Monday, Friday and Saturday or Sunday. Read back in February about my first class there just to get a tiny idea of how much I LOVE Dyan... The most amazing spin/group class instructor I have ever encountered. She is one of the top 3 reasons I got my butt out of bed at 4:30am every Monday and Friday. Loveeeeeee her!!! (p.s. if you're in NYC and want to try a class at Revolve, message me and I'll send you a code to make your class free!)

•Put together family/friend photo wall in bedroom Nope. Fail.

•Track daily food intake on MyFitnessPal (at least M-F)
         ◦If you're on there, find me! photorunner BOOM! DONE! This was way easier than I had predicted 30 days ago. I definitely don't track what I eat Sat/Sun- not really for any reason, it's just ridiculously easier when I leave the tab open at my desk at work, it's a constant reminder to write every little thing down. I realized a few things this past month by doing this: 1) I do not eat as healthfully as I thought I did 2) In some regards, I don't eat as bad as I thought I did. 3) I don't drink as much water as I should- this really shocked me, because I feel like I get up every 5 seconds to pee! 4) Some of my workouts do not burn as much as I thought they did. 5) HOLY CRAP! I eat WAY more sweets and junk than I realized.
As of yesterday, I am attempting to not eat any processed/refined sugar for at least a week. I'd like to keep it going longer if I can, but I'm only on day two, and Girl Scout cookies just showed up at work and I'm struggling! Mind over matter... I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

•Finish Gabriel's senior pictures (sorry buddy!!) OMG, I'm a terrible sister!! This still isn't done! Wahhhhh!!

Just for good measure, here's a picture of my cat, Beefcake. And because my sister says I don't show him off proudly enough. So there you go. Meow.

Come back in a day or two to see what I'm setting myself up for in May!



April Goals

April 2013

Well, March wasn't quite as successful as I had hoped it would be. I'd like to think the 10 things I've set out for myself this month are realistically obtainable. I'd like to be able to cross off at least 8 of these things by the end of April.

• Get NY state I.D./drivers license (this might be a challenge considering I work M-F)
• Run 30-35 miles (at least 2 times/week)
• Try 1 brand new dinner recipe
• Try 1 Harlem restaurant
• Eat peanut butter no more than 3 times/week (my PB intake has gotten a little out of control!)
• See how long I can go without eating bread
• Spin at Revolve at least twice/week
• Put together family/friend photo wall in bedroom
• Track daily food intake on MyFitnessPal (at least M-F)
• If you're on there, find me! photorunner
• Finish Gabriel's senior pictures (sorry buddy!!)

It's going to be a busy month, so wish me luck!

The best spin class I ever experienced

With training for the NYC 1/2 marathon, it's easy to let my cross training fall by the wayside, so by putting my goals on my blog I hoped that I'd somewhat force myself to go by put it out there for all the world to see.
The gym that I belong to offers spin on Monday's and Wednesday's, but I can't ever go on Wednesday's because of Cheer NY and it's difficult for me on Monday's. There are a couple of spin studios around the NYC area that I've been wanting to try (SoulCycle and Flywheel), but with a $30+ per class price tag, I just can't justify going when I can pay $20 for 4 classes at my gym. Very recently, brand new studio named Revolve, just popped up next to where I go tanning, and ever since, I've been wanting to go in, just to check it out, but was concerned it would likely be as expensive as its competitors so I always kept on walking.
Luckily, one day I was reading Missy Maintains, as I do almost every other day, when I saw that she posted a review of Revolve! I was eager to read what she thought of their studio, but what really got me excited was at the end of her post when she left a coupon code for a free ride with Dyan!
I wasted no time trying to find someone to come with me (though, I would have had no problems going alone) and started by poaching my teammates. Being on an athletic team of cheerleaders who are required to wear crop top, spandex uniforms, you'd think I'd have half the team coming with me! But alas, I was only able to recruit my friend Jessica.
After a morning of dealing with the oh-so-dependable NYC subway system, Jessica and I made it to the Revolve studio just in the nick of time to rent our shoes and hop on our reserved bikes. This studio requires that you wear shoes that clip into the pedals, which I had never done before, and Jessica had never, ever taken a spin class before! Dyan and the rest of the staff at Revolve were SO helpful getting our bikes adjusted and our shoes clipped in.
The class started promptly. The lights went down, the music went up, and we were off! For me, music can really be a deal breaker when it comes to a workout class, with this class, it's a lot of what sealed the deal. Dyan's play list was SO great. Dyan's energy and encouragement was so helpful throughout the class with constant reminders of "I can! I will! I am!" keeping me going, even through the weight section in the middle, all the way through to the end. I felt the class had the perfect balance between hills, sprints, and resting intervals. I decided to use the 3lb weights since I hadn't taken the class before- and so glad I did. She definitely had me using muscles I haven't used in a while!

Jessica, Dyan and me after our kick-ass class!

The 45 minute class ended before I knew it and even though I had just finished an intense class, I loved it all so much, I had wished I could stay for the class immediately after.
I really do think that having a friend come with me made a big difference, but I know that even if Jessica hadn't been there, I would have enjoyed it just as much. Although the price tag on their classes are just as much as the other spin studios in NYC, I may just have to hunker down, suck it up, and pay for it.
Dyan- thanks again for giving me the greatest spin experience! I can't say that I'm a "spin expert" but I've taken enough classes to know that I hope every one I take in the future was just like that one!

March Goals

Posting my goals for February had a significant impact on me. I did a lot of what I laid out for myself and had such a huge sense of accomplishment when the month ended. I will continue to post my monthly goals for the foreseeable future.

March 2013

• Eat sweets (in general, not just the S&S peaches) at work no more than 2 times/week
• Finish the NYC ½ marathon with a smile on my face :D
• Foam roll at least once/week
• Try at least 2 brand new recipes for dinner
• Finish editing and print cruise pictures
• Go to at least one “NYC only” restaurant that I’ve never been to before
• Go to the public library
• Go to yoga at least once (I was not so good at this for Feb. and I hate yoga in general, but I know it’s good for me-   so I’m trying….)
• Go to spin at least once
• Add vegetables to my meals at least twice/day

Thank you to everyone that continues to read about my silly life. I love the encouragement that you give me! Do you have any goals you wish to achieve during the month of March?!