Well loves, it’s that time again.

Time where we moan and groan that our weekends are over and it’s back to the daily grind of life. We call this Monday.

But thankfully the beautiful Katie gives us the opportunity to find beauty in this day with Marvelous In My Monday.

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I love having my weekends off, but I actually find that they are so uneventful.

Not having money will do that to you.

I also have the laziest fiance ever who finds nothing wrong with sitting on the coach all day and watching TV.  Trust me, I like to relax just as much as the next person, but sitting around for that long drives me a little crazy.  But with this insane Arizona heat (hello 110 degree days) and not having any finances, it kind of hinders any extracurricular activities and daily outings.

We make it though and find some fun things to do.

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Matt is on a soccer kick and really wanted to watch the USA vs Jamaica match on Friday, and since soccer isn’t huge out here and we don’t have cable we had to find somewhere to go watch it.  Knowing us, we can not go to a bar without ordering at least one drink, and really, it’s not too polite to take up a bar seat and not give the bartender some business. Solution? We cashed in our coin jar! Woo-hoo $25!

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Just enough for two drinks for each of us!

(I know, we’re such big spenders, but you gotta work with what you have!)

We do what we gotta do to make it an enjoyable night! And really, when we’re out together, we make fun happen!

And USA won! Yay! (I actually could care less about soccer, but we’ll pretend)

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See, look how fun we are.

(go with it)

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One thing I do however love about my lazy weekends is I actually get to prepare and enjoy breakfasts!

I know I will crave oats at least one day, and probably get a little too excited over it.

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I was craving my Berry Lemonade Overnight PrOATs like crazy. And lucky for me I had some berries that were on the brink of death that needed to be used. So glad I discovered this flavor combination because it is so delish.

Another predictable marvelous thing that happened this weekend was…

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Yea. It was bound to happen. I had told myself I was going to take a break from kabotcha because I seriously have no self control when it comes to eating these things, but when I went to the store and saw it…I just had to get one. Or two. (I guess this just proves the no self control theory) But only two!

Of course this happened that night.

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I was going to eat it plain and just roasted in the oven, but then I just couldn’t resist the melty peanut butter drizzle I love so much. Then more peanut butter happened… It’s a problem, but a problem I am ok with.

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Well loves, other than that my weekend was pretty boorr-ing. So I don’t have much else to report.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and have a great week!!

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What do you do on your weekends? Do you try and stay busy or relax?

Happy Monday my love bugs!

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I can’t believe it’s already Monday, my weekend just seemed to have flew by. I am also such a mix of emotions right now. I actually just sent an e-mail to my potential externship site to set up a finalized schedule with them. I am so nervous about actually starting to work, but also so excited to be actually starting to work! Funny how one experience can give you multiple emotions. The clinic I choose I think will offer me a lot though in terms of a learning experience and exposing me to a wide range of client and animal care experiences. The doctor was very honest in saying some of their clients are somewhat “difficult”, this being because they kind of cater to the breeding/show dog community, so the owners can be a bit “demanding” if you will.

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But the doctor along with the staff seemed really laid back and easy to get along with, so I think that will balance out the needy/challenging clients. Another thing I’m worried about? My schedule will be 7am-6pm. Oh yes, I have 11 hour days in my future. And considering I am a bit OCD when it comes to schedule, this scares me. But in the big picture I think this will be good for me. Because let’s be honest, my fears are: 1. I won’t have time to exercise (eating disordered fear that needs to be addressed) 2. I won’t be able to plan my meals, I may have to eat what they order in (eating disordered fear that needs to be challenged) 3. I won’t know what time I will be home and I will be exhausted (this fear is legit).

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So I actually think this schedule will be good for me in the long run for my recovery. I will not get to work out everyday (which my nutritionist has been begging me not to do for some time now), I will be forced to eat uncomfortable foods (foods that are normal to eat and I shouldn’t have a problem with anyways). It will force me to face issues I have been hiding from. So, I’m scared, yes, but ready for the challenge. My end goal is to get better and not have eating disordered thoughts, so let’s go big or go home!

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But enough of that, because as we know Monday’s are the time to be marvelous.

So make sure you head over and visit the lovely Katie and see how we all find the marvelous in our Monday’s.

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My weekend was full of fun times. I knew it would be my last Friday off for awhile so Matt and I took advantage of it. The weather here has been absolutely gorgeous, so I told him day drinking was in order. We even made a lunch date and went to a local taco stand  that he raved about.

First exciting thing about this place?

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I had only heard of this wonderful contraption and it was my first time using a flavor machine.

I chose Cherry Vanilla Coke Zero.

It was pretty tasty! And fun!

I am sorry to say though that the burrito I ordered was meh. Nothing special.

Thank goodness we had started with this.

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The guacamole and salsa were amazing! This pretty much saved my burrito. I smothered that bad boy with the guacamole.

I like guacamole more than a normal person probably should.

#sorryimnotsorry

Looking at this picture actually makes me kind of sad because I want more.

At least I know where to find it right?

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Sunday was pretty fun as well. While all you crazy kids were out celebrating Cinco de Mayo, I was stuck at work. Thankfully next weekend will be my last weekend (there is no way I’m working 11 hour days and working the weekend). I did  however sneak away on my break and met Matt  at a local brewery for a quick drink.

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And yes I know it was Cinco de Mayo and maybe I should have gotten a margarita, or maybe a Corona in tribute, but this beer snob doesn’t roll like that. I got an amazing IPA that was way better than any margarita.

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I know you’re probably thinking, you drank on your break?? Ok truth. I probably only drank 1/3 of that beer and left the rest for Matt. He happily obliged. Like that kid would ever turn beer down.

Other than that my weekend has been pretty quiet. But there’s always a calm before the storm right?

Have a wonderful week loves, I start my extern Tuesday, so you may not hear from me for awhile.

I hope I survive.

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Did you celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

Hello loves!

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I’m going to start off by saying I am totally taking advantage of my few days of time off before I start my externship, and I thought what a better way to use my time is to actually be more active on my blog and participate in more happenings that are going on in the blog land.

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So when I saw Lindsay was hosting a pin it party, I jumped on the opportunity. Usually I see things like this and think “man I wish I had time to do that” and now that I actually do, I’m doing it! And I think it’s an awesome idea and I love getting inspiration from other bloggers. One of the main things I love about blogging, all you are way more creative than me!

But since this post does need to focus on some of the goodies I have created, I dug up a few pretty good ones for you guys.

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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Overnight PrOATs

The perfect way to start your day if you ask me. Chocolate. Strawberries. Protein.

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Squash Protein Muffins

These are a perfect post work out snack. You have your protein and your carbs and I’m not going to lie they are pretty delish.

They’re even better topped with peanut butter.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Tofu Panini

One of my #strangebutgood creations, but seriously one of my best.

But if you remember my obsession with my soy chocolate panini, it’s not hard to see why I love this sandwich so much.

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This one is kind of a multiple of ideas, but since I seemed to have went through a pumpkin obsession (I still might be in it) and spreads/dips are kind of my thing, here is my recipe for homemade Pumpkin Peanut Butter and the multiple ways I use pumpkin.

If you want other dip recipes, check out my banana bread hummus, chocolate banana avocado spread, and protein squash spread just to name a few.

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And to end on a sweet note, dessert.

Chai Oatmeal Raisin White Chocolate Cookies

Another throw everything and anything I have on hand and hope it turns out good.

It did turn out good.

You can even ask Lindsay, she got some for Foodie Pen Pals.

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I hope you all enjoyed my recipes and feel free to check out some of my others ones.

Happy pinning!

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Happy Friday my loves!

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Whew, this week flew by.

I first want to say thank you for all the supportive comments I got on my last post; comments on the blog and the personal messages you guys sent me. I really appreciate the support in my decision to distance myself from others who I feel are hindering/affecting my recovery.

I want to make it clear that I will still be blogging, that will not change or stop. But what will happen is I am just personally unsubscribing and choosing not to read or communicate with others I feel are jaded to their eating disordered behaviors and choices.

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But enough of that. Because it’s Friday. And Friday’s are meant to be fun.

And what’s more fun than Laura’s #strangebutgood get together? Not many things.

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I originally was going to feature this little concoction.

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“Raw” tempeh and blueberry jam sandwich.

Not the strangest I know, but new to me and I know some people don’t like the whole sweet/savory combo.

(pssh crazy people)

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Then I created another concoction that I thought deserved the spot light.

This again might not be new to some, and I did get my inspiration from this, but I of course made a little twist of my own.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Tofu Panini

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The recipe I originally found was for firm tofu, made in a skillet.

I only had silken tofu (that desperately needed to be used) and clearly it wasn’t going to hold up in a skillet.

So I racked my brain on how I could make this work.

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Magic Bullet to the rescue and a beautiful chocolatey peanut buttery tofu goodness was created.

Kind of like the tofu pudding I made before, but adding it to a sandwich and making it a panini, well that’s what makes it kind of strange. But so good.

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I was nervous how it would be warm, but oh my goodness it was amazing.

I then of course had to try it on something cold.

I mean who would I be if I didn’t compare hot vs. cold.

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I am in the process of experimenting with a protein english muffin recipe (that still needs some perfecting) but a pretty good trial came out this morning. It wasn’t quite as firm as I wanted so I put it in the fridge to see how it would hold up. When I went to eat it and was thinking of what would be good on top, hey why not some chocolate peanut butter tofu?

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Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

The muffin tasted amazing, but I still need to get the texture figured out to make it more firm like an english muffin.

Don’t you worry, I’m not giving up.

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Are you a fan of tofu?

Have you ever made it sweet?

Happy Wednesday my loves!

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I think I say this almost every week, but is anyone else’s weeks just fly by? Having surgeries in class really makes my time fly by even quicker, which is good and bad. My days are exciting, class time is no longer sitting taking notes, but assisting in surgeries, but then at the same time, another week is gone in the blink of an eye.

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But I still find time for the important things in life.

Things like What I Ate Wednesday.

That’s super important right? I think Jenn would say yes.

So make sure you head over and check out all the other eats as well. Because us foodies put a lot of time and effort into our meals.

We’re so silly.

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Ok luvs, be prepared for some delicious-ness today.

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Yes, I was not completely boring this week can you believe it?

I almost can’t.

I mean, I think I have like three new dishes to share with you.

Whoa. I know. Who am I.

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Since Jenn focuses on veggies so much, it actually made me realize that I haven’t been eating as many veggies as I use to.

I don’t know why. I mean. I love them. I just have really been lacking creativity in the kitchen lately, so maybe that’s why.

And Kasey’s constant posting’s of her #powerbowls kind of kicked my butt in gear too.

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So let’s get crackin’ shall we?

Before we get to my veggies I have something else to show you first.

Trust me, you’ll thank me.

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Dessert for breakfast?

Fine by me.

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Ingredients:

Serves 1

PrOATs

- 1/3 cup rolled oats

- 1/4 cup TVP

- 1.5 cup milk or other liquid (I used Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla)

- 1/2 scoop Plant Fusion chocolate protein powder

1-2 tbsp maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)

generous dash of cinnamon

(and in my case ginger, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract)

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Healthy Chocolate Sauce

- 1-2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa (I used Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate)

- 2-3 tbsp almond milk

5-7 drops NuNaturals Liquid Vanilla Stevia

To make Chocolate Sauce add milk slowly to desired consistency.

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I finally found the Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate… I wasn’t prepared for how life changing it was.

Seriously, way better than regular, I will never go back.

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Now if I only could get a hold of some of this magic carob powder everyone raves about.
I bet that would make an amazing chocolate sauce.

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Now on to the veggies.

Warning: Not as pretty as the oatmeal.

I was craving a #powerbowl and decided to basically throw every veggie I had into it.

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Roasted brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli and parsnips.

Also Trader Joe’s chicken topped with nutritional yeast sauce.

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Nutritional Yeast Sauce

- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (I use this brand)

- 1/2 tbsp Braggs Liquid Amino Acids

- 1-2 tbsp almond milk

Add milk to desired consistency

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I seriously set a goal for myself to try every vegetable out there. At least once.

Parsnips were always something I saw, but never bought. It is now one of my favorite vegetables to roast.

Another new to me veggie I finally tried?

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Turnips!

I of course roasted it.

I of course burned it.

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Thankfully for me, I like almost anything extra crispy.

I’m weird like that.

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Well loves, that’s about all the newness I can handle.

I hope you’re proud of me because I can’t guarantee when this will happen again.

Ok, I lied. It will probably be soon because I experimented with some new recipes that I really want to share.

Think vegan protein english muffin.

I’m such a tease I know.

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Off I go, but before I do, I am going to head over to check out all of your tasty eats.

It’s where I get inspiration!

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What’s your favorite vegetable?

What’s your favorite way to eat your veggies?

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I ordered most of the above products from iHerb and they have a free shipping with any purchase over $20 going on right now! Also use my coupon code YAL235 to get 10% off your order!

Happy Friday luvs!!

Am I the only one super excited this week is over?

Having surgery twice a week is actually pretty draining. But hey, this is going to be my life, so I better get use to it now right?

And I mean, I’m a pretty good lookin’ anesthetist if I do say so myself.

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But other than Friday being the end of the week, something else exciting happens on Friday’s.

Laura’s #strangebutgood party.

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When it comes to my eats, my combinations never cease to amaze me.

I am the master of throwing random things together, never measuring, never regarding serving sizes, I just make what sounds good to me, what taste good to me and what I’m in the mood for.

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I mean really, check out my latest oatmeal and dessert hummus creations.

Random, not measured. Delicious.

My contribution for this weeks #strangebutgood is no different.

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Looks like an innocent piece of toast right?

Wrong.

Fall may be over, but my pumpkin obsession isn’t.

I’ve also become a bit obsessed baking and cooking with protein powders.

It’s a win-win for me in terms of I can get vanilla or chocolate flavors and added protein at the same time.

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Insert my latest creation.

Pumped Up Pumpkin

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It looks like a simple little pumpkin bowl, which is kind of is, but with a little protein punch.

Here is a guess-timate of what I put into it.

Serves 1

2-3 tbsp pumpkin puree

1 tbsp Plant Fusion chocolate protein powder

5-7 drops NuNaturals Liquid Vanilla  (or sweetener of choice)

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Depending on how chocolatey you want it, you could also throw in a few sprinkles of unsweetened cocoa.

Like I did, feel free to play around with it.

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So good you can eat it off a spoon.

And I might have done just that.

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Do you bake with protein powders?

Do you typically measure out ingredients or just toss in what sounds good? I think we know my answer to this one.

Let’s have a chat shall we?

A survey chat!!

I mean it is Marvelous In My Monday time and all, so what a better time than to get to know each other again.

It’s been awhile. So let’s get re-acquainted!

1.  What did you eat for breakfast?

This one might be a shocker. I made myself a powercake. Looked kind of like this. I swear these never get old and my flavor combinations are endless.

2.  How much water do you drink a day?

This is something I am working on. I drink a decent amount of water in the morning, but other than with dinner that’s about it. I kind of got back on the diet pop kick, which I need to get off ASAP.

3.  What is your current favorite workout?

I am currently doing the Fitmixer Boot Camp, so those work outs have kind of taken over my routine. Something I found out that I thought would never happen, I love tabata work outs. I think my ADD has something to do with it, but on and off and changing what I’m doing frequently seems to work for me. Love it.

4.  How many calories do you eat a day?

Couldn’t tell you. I jumped off that calorie counting train and couldn’t be happier.  I now focus on eating balanced meals with my carbs/proteins/fats and it seems to be working for me. You want to talk about taking a load off, stop counting calories and just listen to your body.

5.  What are your favorite healthy snacks?

Greek yogurt and fruit, raw nuts, veggies and hummus and does nut butter straight from the jar count?

Oh Chobani. ♥

Oh and how about big greek yogurt messes?

6.  What do you usually eat for lunch?

Sadly lunches are boring for me. Usually I am eating at school or on the go, so honestly, it’s a lot of pb&j, yogurt and a piece of fruit, usually a banana.

7.  What is your favorite body part to strength train?

My upper-body because I feel it is my weakest, but I love seeing the results I am getting. I’ll do a pull up yet, you just watch!

8.  What is your least favorite body part to strength train?

Um. I really don’t know. If anything I will say my abs, because they are a part that I feel I don’t see any results in. I know I know, abs are made in the kitchen. But the day I stop eating bread… well that will be the day. And it’s not going to happen anytime soon. This girl loves her carbs.

9.  What are your ‘bad’ food cravings?

I’m not going to answer this, because I think no food is “bad”. Food is food. None is good none is bad. I believe everything is fine in moderation. If I have greasy pizza one night, guess what, I probably won’t want it again tomorrow. (ok knowing me and pizza I probably will, but you get the point). I truly believe our bodies are smarter than we think, and they balance themselves out. So if I am craving ice cream, I’m going to have it. Same goes with pasta, cream sauces, bread, fried foods, pizza, all those foods society tells us will make us fat (and probably over night right?). It’s just not true.

10.  Do you take vitamins or supplements?

I take a few vitamins my nutritionist recommended. A multi-vitamin, vitamin B and calcium.

I also love cooking and baking with protein powder since I don’t eat a lot of meat. Do I really need it? Meh, probably not, but I guess it’s not hurting me right now.

11.  How often do you eat out?

Well, not often. And if you read my last post, probably even less often now.

Which is sad.

I’m really going to miss sushi.

12.  Do you eat fast food?

Very rarely. I feel like if I am going to spend money on out to eat food, I’m going to make it worth it and have it be something good.

13.  Who is your biggest supporter?

Well this one is a no brainer.

Matt. Hands down. Most amazing person ever.

How could you not love that face?

14.  Do you have a gym membership?

No and I really wish I did. Again. Stupid money. I did recently get a stability ball for Christmas, and we picked up a new dumb bell set. So my little “at home gym” is growing.

15.  How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

Oi. I’m such an old lady, I get plenty of sleep. I swear I’m in bed by 10:30pm each night. Granted I get up at 7am, but that’s still my recommended 8 hours. Go me!

16.  Do you have a ‘cheat’ day?

I don’t. And as I mentioned earlier, I don’t think you should have to. You’re not cheating. It’s all about moderation.

17.  Do you drink alcohol?

Yes, I do. I like beer. I like wine. #sorryimnotsorry

18.  Do you have a workout buddy?

Not really. But honestly, I like it that way. I’m competitive by nature and sometimes that’s good, but sometimes I like just being by  myself and motivating and pushing myself, not worrying about what someone else is lifting, how long someone else is running, or what exercises someone else is doing.

19.  What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a Healthy Lifestyle?

I always thought I was being healthy, but recently realized I was always too focused on just one aspect about it. It’s not just diet. It’s not just exercise. It’s just about being overall healthy and finding the balance between the two. So yes, I like to eat healthy and put good foods in my body. And in terms of my fitness, I no longer focus on the cardio cardio cardio and just burning calories. I am more focused on strength and muscle building. I no longer was to lose, I want to gain.  Finding that balance has also brought me so much more mental health.

20.  What was the last healthy thing you did?

Having a positive attitude. So much has gone wrong in my life, and I am currently at yet another bump in my road, but you will still see me with a smile on my face and a positive attitude. Being mentally healthy I think is the most important and being grateful for what I have, not what I don’t have has really changed my outlook on life.

I have my health, my life, and people who love me. What else do I need?

These guys. That’s what.

Stay marvelous everyone.

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Feel free to answer any of the questions!