Run Eat Repeat » Uncategorized

Greetings From Curacao

runeatrepeat — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:27:53 +0000

We made it!

It was a very long trip to get here, but we finally made. I forgot how rough red eye flights can be on your body. Even after running 20 miles Saturday morning I wasn’t able to completely knock out on the plane.

But, I was semi-productive over the long layover in Miami. I worked on RER a bit It makes me happy.

Since we were there so long we got empanadas for lunch. I got the spinach and cheese, and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of spinach versus cheese. Filling something with veggies cancels out the fried aspect, doesn’t it?

Then, we arrived on an island in the sun!

This is the view from our balcony. You can see the ocean a bit past the palm trees.

We immediately changed into our bathing suits and commenced drinking!

I don’t drink that often at home for various reasons. But, on vacation all bets are off.

Ben and I are staying at an all inclusive place and decided to hit up the Teppanyaki restaurant last night. It is a really gorgeous open air place on the beach, perfect for a warm summer night.

I have only been to a Teppanyaki place once before and I love watching your food being cooked right in front of you. Well, I love it until I see how much butter the chef uses on everything. But, it was very delicious.

We started with salad and sushi:

And then the chef cooked up : noodles, chicken and beef (which I didn’t eat), fish and shrimp.

After dinner Ben and I grabbed dessert with some new friends. We shared this plate of goodies plus an unpictured cup of strawberry ice cream. There are obviously undocumented adult beverages going on too.

I woke up this morning feeling hung-over. Wait. No, I wasn’t hung-over. I was just wicked tired from staying up drinking all night

But, I powered through and hit up the fitness center. Since I was feeling pretty rough I took it easy and did a few miles on the treadmill. Actually, I had no choice but to take it easy since the treadmills are from 1984 and don’t change speed. As much as I tried to increase the speed I could only do a slow jog.

I am not sure what the plans for today are, but I’ll see ya later!

Dinner Before We Go

runeatrepeat — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:13:41 +0000

Ben and I had dinner at my mom’s to celebrate his birthday before we left. They are also taking us to the airport so it worked out well

Before we headed to my family we were running around like crazy people trying to pack and find our bathing suits that were still packed from the move.

At some point I had a sweet potato, salad and some bunny graham cookies.

My mom made veggie kabobs, pasta, beans and veggie burgers.

She put a dressing she bought in Hawaii on the pasta. It was from the Dole Pineapple Plantation and super delicious!

Plus a cake!

We sang Happy Birthday…

and dug into cake and ice cream.

Okay, I must be off to the airport now…

Let’s hope I get some sleep on the red eye. We have a l-o-n-g layover at the airport, which I normally hate, but I’m super excited for vacation.

See you in the morning

Fun Facts Friday

runeatrepeat — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 02:58:06 +0000

Hello Friends, and welcome to Fun Facts Friday

I didn’t take pics of my food because I got a juice from WF and it made me full. Until my stomach realized that was just filler and I got super hungry and ate the entire kitchen before I realized I

A.) have a blog where I’m supposed to document my eats

and

B.) am not the Tasmanian Devil and should not eat like I am.

Well, the damage is done and I’d rather not dwell on it. I realize this slip was in direct result of not getting enough sleep these last 2 days. I failed on my Weekly Goal of 8 hours each night. But I realize how important it is for my training, health and weight, so I’m going to keep working at it.

So in an attempt to distract you from my bad day I thought I’d share some fun food facts…

1. Shredded Wheat was the first breakfast cereal

and apparently it’s better than sex. I love cereal, but am not sure if I agree.

www.nataliedee.com

2. It takes 3500 calories to make a pound of fat. I thought we all knew that, but Ben didn’t know until I told him and he’s a genius. So, I’m reminding you.

3. Antarctica is the only continent that does not have McDonald’s.

Does that make residents of Antarctica lucky or unlucky?

4. Chocolate is a natural form if anti-depressant. It produces serotonin –a chemical that elevates the mood. It is also referred to as the “happy chemical.” Now that is a happy fun chocolate fact.

So, if I didn’t eat so much of it I would be a super downer (just like this post).

5. There will be a great Meatless Mexican Monday post while I’m on vacation, so be sure to check back.

Tomorrow I am doing a long run. Then, I am packing up my suitcase and heading to Curacao!!!

Ben and I will be in Curacao from Sunday to Friday night. I’m planning on blogging my adventures while I’m gone. I lalalove travel blogs and travel blogging, so I hope you guys enjoy the posts too

Begg Sandwich and 5K Friday

runeatrepeat — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:33:18 +0000

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, my RD and a few articles I’ve come across say that breakfast should also be a big meal (if not the biggest).

I have heard, “You should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” Meaning, make breakfast you biggest meal and go down from there.

(source)

My RD suggested (repeatedly, until I listened) that I eat more earlier in the day to avoid my pattern of night time snacking. It seems that even when I eat a good dinner, if I eat less than I need earlier in the day – the result is my urge to overeat at night to make up for that.

Monday through Thursday I don’t have time to make a big, cooked breakfast, but today I did. I made a Begg Sandwich and fruit.

I cooked the egg in a bowl and microwaved it until firm. Always spray your bowl with cooking spray if you do this or it’s murder to clean. (Yes, actual murder. We don’t exaggerate here at RER.)

I put a Laughing Cow wedge on the bagel with ketchup and it was a cheesy, delicious mess. There is a ton of melon on that plate because it’s perfectly ripe too

Run: Today is Friday, 5K Friday to be more exact. Did you run? I did an easy 5K to “shake it out” for tomorrow’s long run

Are you a part of the Big Breakfast Club?

Q: What is your biggest meal of the day?

Baked Beans On Salad

runeatrepeat — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:00:28 +0000

I made sweet potatoes for Ben and myself to go with dinner, but as soon as they were done I realized what I was really craving was a big salad. So, I saved the sweet potato for tomorrow and opted to throw my baked beans on salad.

I used this can of vegetarian baked beans I got on sale today at Albertson’s.

And chopped up a few TJ’s Soy Chicken Nuggets too. I do have to note that the TJ’s romaine I used was disgustingly dirty and needed to be washed with extra care because there were bugs in it. A lot of bugs. And dirt. But mostly bugs. Let’s just say I got some extra protein in this meal.

No dressing needed because the baked beans are in a sweet sauce and I added ketchup and mustard.

Served with a handful of Terra chips

After my chocolate chip scone mid-morning snack I decided my afternoon snack should be as healthy as possible. I used organic cottage cheese and topped it with strawberries for a whole foods snack

But then, since my afternoon snack was so healthy I decided I could have ice cream topped with crumbled scone for an after dinner snack. Yes, it was Heavenly.

And because it’s Thursday…I’d thought I’d do

Three Things Thursday:

Three Things I’m Currently Obsessed with:

1. Tums eaten as candy

2. Jersey Shore

3. Crunching ice

I really should be ashamed of all of the above.

Three Things I’m Looking Forward To:

1. My vacation!!!

2. The Long Beach Mary

3. Cake on Ben’s birthday

Three Other Places I Want To Go Before I Die:

1. Africa

2. Australia and/or the island from LOST

3. Galapagos Islands

Question: Where do you have to go before you die?

One more thing… Reader Michelle is raising money for Team In Training. You can check out her story and fundraising page here.

Back To The Scene of The Crime

runeatrepeat — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:35:17 +0000

I am notorious for returning to the scene of the crime. If I did something fun, but oh-so-wrong, then just wait for me to return. This goes for races, ~~ex-boyfriends~~ and decadent food.

Today I am coming clean and admitting that after class I made a pit stop for a treat (part of my $10 weekly allowance). I went back to Black Forest Bakery for a scone. Specifically, I went back for their Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Scone. If they didn’t have that kind I wasn’t going to get one at all – I promise!

But they did. Oh boy, did they ever.The Cinnamon Chocolate Chip is just like the Cinnamon in that it’s super moist on the inside – almost squishy. And the outer ring comes off in chunks to reveal the amazing center.

For all you salty-not-sweet people – they also had a Cheddar Bacon Scone that changed Ben’s life. It is “the best thing and worst thing” he will ever eat. True story.

But, before my scone extravaganza…

Today is a rest day so I woke up and did 8 minute abs before jumping in the shower. I really want to start doing yoga or strength training on rest days because I think that’s what I’m missing from my training program. I plan to start going to yoga when I get back from vacation – especially since I’m back within driving distance of my fave place!

I made a quick healthy breakfast before heading off to class – cantaloupe filled with yogurt, cereals and chia seeds.

So pretty, so healthy

Since I had half a scone between breakfast and lunch I decided to keep lunch on the lighter side with an egg scramble. Tons of veggies cooked up with egg beaters…

Rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla. This thing was super messy to eat, but it’s more fun that way.

Now I have to head to work. Tomorrow I will be catching up on blog work, emails and homework. Then, Ben and I are off to celebrate our honeymooniversary this weekend!

Remember when I mentioned that we don’t exchange presents, we usually go on a trip instead? Well, it’s time for our mystery trip and we’re leaving Saturday night.

Winner of the Terra Chip Giveaway:

smshah / masterofherromaine -Please email me your contact information.

September Challenge

runeatrepeat — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:23:48 +0000

Way back in January I decided to make 2010 my healthiest year yet by incorporating a healthy (or happy) habit each month. I think I forgot about August, but we’ll let that slide since I just did the whole cross country move and all.

Because Ben and I just moved and are fixing up our place, plus I’m only working part time and going back to school… our expenses need to be reigned in big time. So, my September Challenge* is to not eat out.

*We are going on vacation this weekend and while we are out of California this Challenge is void because of logistics. I didn’t want to postpone this challenge for another month because we really have to get it together.

I have set a budget for groceries I am going to try and stick to and also I have given myself a $10.00 a week allowance for drinks or miscellaneous.

Added bonus of the challenge – eating healthier. Since our kitchen was out of commission for over a week we got way too comfortable with take out.

Anyone else doing a September Challenge?

You don’t have to do mine, do something that fits where you are in the world right now

Lunch was packed quick style because that’s how I roll (read: I’m always late and it’s tragic). I threw some salad in a baggie and a frozen meal.

Serving a frozen meal on a bed of veggies is a great way to make the meal healthier and bulk it up at the same time. *I took this picture just as my co-worker came out of his office and I had to explain the blog. Awkwardness ensued.

The last part of lunch was cottage cheese and Honey Nut O’s. The cereal was perfectly sweet enough to make this combo amazing. Bonus: I got Organic cottage cheese on sale.

My snacks for school – apple (which I ate about 5 minutes after lunch), AB&J (my new energy bar) and carrots.

After a long day I headed home to throw together a quick dinner. I had cooked up ground turkey for Ben yesterday and mixed it with Annie’s Mac n Cheese plus 2 Laughing Cow Wedges. It’s like Cheeseburger Helper, but better and healthier.

Dessert – A huge pack of Annie’s snacks were on sale at Costco and I figured, why not. I may or may not have poured these in a bowl and eaten it like cereal. I’ll give you a hint – I did.

Okay, one more day of work and school and then I have Friday off! Getting back into the swing of things hasn’t been smooth, but I’m enjoying the adventure.

Waving The White Flag

runeatrepeat — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:27:02 +0000

Finally, after years of fighting it, I’ve decided to wave the white flag on my battle with dessert. The truth is, I can never go more than one or two days without returning to my old night time eating habits. I always find my way into the kitchen at night, and as much as I formerly wanted to break this habit, I think it’s best to work with it and reign it in – instead of trying to stop it.

So, now I’m accounting for an extra 200 calories to be eaten after dinner. And that’s that.

Today I “desserted” with TJ’s Chocolate Callets. I picked these up this weekend and fell in love. They are thin and just the right size and thickness to place on your tongue and let melt.

Dinner was a mixed bowl – broccoli, meatless crumbles, marinara sauce and cheese.

Served with a piece of TJ’s whole wheat sourdough and ICBINB.

Earlier I had a Fiber One bar, yogurt and a handful of cereal for a snack. Oh, and I stole a sip of Ben’s Frappacino (or 5 dollars worth of happiness as we like to call it).

Uh-oh. I’m already past computer curfew! I’ll see ya tomorrow

Two-fer Tuesday

runeatrepeat — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:02:00 +0000

This post is a twofer – breakfast and lunch, which I don’t usually post together. I normally do breakfast and then come back at the end of the day for lunch and dinner, but my new schedule will be changing a few things on certain days.

My legs felt tired this morning so I decided to just do an easy 4 miles and call it a work out. I stretched for two minutes before I went to get ready, so that goal needs work.

Before I hit the shower I put my oats and almond milk together to soak and speed up the cooking process.

Then, I added banana, salt, cinnamon and chia seeds to cook. Topped with AB.

Then, I slapped on my closed toed shoes (lab required) that I got from Payless yesterday and went to school.

Unfortunately, I had to eat my lunch on the run. I made a veggie wrap filled with hummus, laughing cow cheese and veggies; plus carrots, cantaloupe and a Vitatop (no pic). This is a pretty carb heavy/protein light lunch, so we’ll see how that holds me.

My Weekly Goal Progress:

1. Get 8 hours of sleep every night – I got 7 last night, but tonight I’ll get 8!

2. Stretch after every run – Need to allow at least 5 minutes for this.

3. Turn off the computer by 9:15pm and get ready for bed – Turned off the computer at 9:30pm, so I’m getting there.

How did you do on your weekly goals yesterday?

Question of the Day: If you could make any food in the world calorie/fat free – what would it be? (It still tastes the same.)

Me: Birthday Cake. Birthday cake, anyone’s birthday cake, should not have calories. Eating birthday cake is part of the celebration of that person’s life. It’s only right.

Mexican Meatless Monday – Wet Burrito

runeatrepeat — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:49:21 +0000

My mom never made wet burritos when I was a kid, but I still think wet burritos are one of the best things to get at a Mexican restaurant.

If you’re not aware, a wet burrito is just a normal burrito bathed in enchilada sauce and topped with cheese. You must eat it with a knife and fork. Normally, I’m against using utensils to eat foods that should be eaten with your hands (burritos, pizza, brownies, hot dogs). But, in this case I am all about a big, messy, wet burrito that requires utensils.

My key ingredients: meatless crumbles and enchilada sauce.

Layer up the burrito: beans, spinach, meatless crumbles, onions, salsa. Then, wrap as tight as you can and top with enchilada sauce and cheese (I am out of queso). You can either broil it to heat and melt the cheese or nuke it. Served with a pile of Guacamole!

Dig in!

Before my wet burrito extravaganza I had a full day of work and then school and then picking up Ben from work. Exciting huh. I know.

I packed a big veggie burger salad for lunch, cantaloupe and yogurt. This was the fig flavor from Voskos and it turns out I’m not the biggest fan of figs. Which is surprising since I adore Fig Newtons, but I digress.

Snackage: trail mix, apple and carrots. I didn’t think I was that hungry in between class and lab when I have 10 minutes to eat so I skipped the trail mix. Big mistake. An hour into lab (where you cannot eat) I was starving and tore out of class like a hungry beast.

And what is required after a l-o-n-g Monday? Margaritas? Not today.

Today I had ice cream. Actually, I am back to being obsessed with ice cream ~~and chickpeas~~ and want it every night. Shocker.

Question of the day: How hard was it for Monica not to make a very dirty reference about “wet burritos” in this post?

Answer: Very, very hard. (TWSS)

Ben’s Joke of the Day:
Q: How many Mexicans does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Just Juan