Good Evening friends 🙂
Thank you for all the well wishes on my adventure to California! I am excited and sad and overwhelmed all at the same time.
www.nataliedee.com
A few more pieces of info…
First off, No someone didn’t pay me to leave Maryland
Ben and I will be moving to Lake Forest (near Irvine in Orange County).
We bought a teeny tiny condo there right before we found out we were moving across the country. We will be residing in said teeny tiny condo in August.
I am very excited to finally be able to create a racing calendar for this year 🙂
I am not excited about actually having to pack up and move 🙁
In other news…. you guys know I am chill. I mean, I take pictures with strangers because I am drunk I make an effort to make new friends where ever I go.
My point is – I love reading your comments and emails. Thanks for caring enough to take the time to say, “Word up” to me. We are now friends 🙂 Please feel free to comment or email me anytime. We can also take pics together if you catch me after a few rum and cokes.
Eats! I ate food today and this is a food blog – or I at least attempt to make this a food blog in between my random rants on moving and snacking too much…
Here are the eats I remembered to document today…
Lunch – veggie burger salad and California Rolls 
Snack – unpictured apple mid-morning and cottage cheese w/ cereal & cherries
Dinner was movie popcorn whilst watching Sex And the City 2 with Kristin. I liked it, but I wasn’t expected Citizen Kane, ya know 🙂
I meant to eat this during the movie, but opted to enjoy movie popcorn because I desire to be obese as a ploy for Jillian Michaels to come visit my house…
Well, I majorly failed at my May Challenge. (#fail so hard I need a new term for #fail)
I had challenged myself to “Clean up my Snack”.
My original plan was:
– Choose 2 snacks a day each morning
– Pack them or get them ready for later in the day
– Don’t eat anything in the kitchen outside of those snacks
– Eat the snacks when I am hungry instead of “saving them” for when I’m hungrier and eating both
And I didn’t stick to it at all 🙁 Boo.bs.
I can make excuses, but I really just didn’t commit to it and do it. Also, I am a girl who needs a specific plan to attack something.
Since I know that snacking is my biggest weight loss obstacle I am going to try this again. I think my meal choices are fairly healthy – but the random snacking in the afternoon and after dinner is what is killing my scale.
New Snacking Plan:
– 2 snacks a day around 200 calories each.
– Fruit or carb snack 1x a day:
examples: fruit with nuts, nut butter or cottage cheese
– Protein snack 1x a day
examples: protein shake, eggs, greek yogurt, soy crisps, oatmeal (my packets have protein)
– If I get hungry after dinner I can have some fruit (*but not a whole watermelon. dammit…)
Reward! = If I stick to two snacks a day I get 2 free meals each week. I think the problem with sticking to a certain snack or calorie count in the past was no immediate reward (just the one on the scale, but that takes too long for me). Knowing I am working toward a yummy and near by goal makes it easier for me to be motivated 🙂
I understand everyone has $.02 about limiting snacks, but I don’t document my extra hundreds of cals of snacking each day and it’s taking a toll. Also, I am still practicing Intuitive Eating but – I have very strong bad habits that are sabotaging my efforts. I am not snacking out of hunger, but out of habit or fatigue. If I can get control of this habit I will be a more Intuitive Eater.
nataliedee.com
In Health News – Flaws are good for you… This is a short, fun article on why it’s good to be imperfect 🙂
Try not to become overwhelmed with moving and the crap that entails. Focus on the goal: Living in Cali! WOO!
I don’t really “snack” I guess. I do have a meal I call my “snack” just because it is between lunch and dinner, but it is really another meal. It all evens out, but I like keeping my blood sugar stable.
And Jillian Michael’s coming to my house to yell at me? That’s the stuff of my nightmares!! =)
Congrats on the move! (Love your blog, by the way.)
My biggest downfall is eating dessert even when I don’t “need” it. I made a dessert earlier in the week and last night ate some at like 9:00 because I wanted it. I was still totally full and satisfied from dinner, but dessert was THERE and I NEEDED it. I kept my portion small, but still. Sigh. This is why I can’t have nice things.
Man, snacking lately has definitely been my problem. I have a plan of 2 snacks + 1 treat a day but the last few days I’ve just been eating way more. I think my plan of attack is to make my meals bigger. I think I’m not eating enough in between those snacks so that’s why I keep on snacking. Could it be the case with you too? I’m going to try it. Maybe its BS 😉
i think i missed it when you said you were moving but CONGRATS! that’s so awesome 🙂
Yay! Moves can be exciting. Scary, but exciting. It is a new phase in life. And I’m with you on the whole, settng myself a goal and then it somehow didn’t happen….snacks are my downfall. We all are in this together!
As a former California girl, I’m jealous that you’re moving back. I always wish my husband could get stationed in CA, but his only realy option is Ft. Irwin (Barstow) and I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.
Anyway, it’s nice that you have a place to live when you get all your junk packed up and shipped across the country. That’s at least one thing you don’t have to stress about.
Snacking is my downfall. I’m so good with my eats until around 2pm and then it’s snack, snack, snack. And then I’m not hungry for dinner, but I eat dinner anyway. Ugh.
Good luck with your new snack goals!
If you even do move to Barstow, I’d visit you on my way to Vegas 😉
Yay moving! I’m so happy that you are going back there- it really sounds like that is where your heart is.
And today’s blog = totally funny. I love what you write and the pictures with it! Made my day! Good luck with the new plan. I know you can conquer this! 🙂
Congrats on the move!!!! You must be exploding with excitement 🙂 I’m happy for you 🙂
I was wondering when the cherries would make an appearance…
I totally feel you on the snacking. My biggest downfall is after dinner snackage. I know I’m not hungry and I don’t need “fuel” at 9:00 at night, but it’s a habit that I can’t seem to break. I wish you luck on your challenge!
The cherries are in the house (until I demolish them)
I must tell you, I’m just a little jealous that you are moving to CA. I tell my hubby all the time, I wish he would get relocated to CA. I don’t think I would have any trouble moving my life out there! 🙂
I think your new snack goals sound great!! Good luck sweetheart.
Keep pushing for moving to CA and we can hang out there!
Congrats on moving back to CA! I live about an hour and twenty minutes away from Lake Forest. You need anything let me know! =] Good luck with the move!
I agree with everyone else here in saying, hooray, at least you have a place to live! I think most people find that to be the hardest part about moving, not knowing exactly what neighborhood or where it is most convenient to move to.
🙂
Cool about the condo!
Totally understand about not sticking to your may goal. It’s all so much in the mind, I am finally getting my mind in the right place this month (only been 3 days, but 3 good days!) Hope this works for you!
Ashley, I wish I had 3 good days this month! Sounds like you’re on the right track 🙂
At least you guys have a place already- that makes things a little easier. Jackie Joyner-kersee said ‘6 days of zen one day of sin’ regarding her diet. i think the reward day is a good motivator for lots of people.
I love that saying! Thanks.
Living in a tiny condo in an amazing place is much better than a huge house in a less desireable location, IMO! Hence why my hubs and I are getting through our first (and likely more!) years of marriage in less than 700 square foot, sighs! Your veggie burger salad looks great – I haven’t made one of those in awhile, time for me to get on it.
We’re going to be in a place that small too! I guess it’s not that bad 🙂