dessert – The Cookie ChRUNicles

Favorite Moments 2016

2016 was a huge milestone year in our lives because of my son’s Bar Mitzvah back in October BUT there were other memorable, fun moments too!

I decided to pick the first few things that popped into my mind as my favorites from 2016.

Half Marathon PR!

I ran the Long Island Half Marathon for the fourth year in a row and achieved a new half marathon PR thanks to Laura’s coaching! My last PR was actually my first Long Island half marathon in 2013 so it was nice to surpass it finally in 2016.

I am absolutely not in the race planning frame of mind right now (no reason really, just don’t feel like it!) but if I decide to run the Long Island half again in 2017, it will be my 5th year in a row!

I can only hope that if I run it, I get lucky on the weather again because the overcast dreary and drizzly morning was perfect for this race. There’s no shade on this course which means sunshine and warm temps can make this a dreadfully hot race for me.

Our Trip To Hershey Park

While it feels so super long ago, we had a blast at Hershey Park while staying at The Hershey Lodge back in June. You can read the recap of our trip to Hershey here.

This picture of me trying to survive the Super Dooper Looper still makes me laugh.

Out of This World Dessert Display

So this may seem weird for some but since you know me by now, you know that it is completely normal for me to pick a dessert display as a highlight from my year!

I absolutely still talk about this incredible dessert display from Michael Scott Events which I had the pleasure of diving into at a work event at the Melrose Ballroom over the summer. You can read the event recap here which goes into more detail on the desserts (there were like eight of these dessert displays in every corner of the room for me to attack!!).

I also really liked the cute and simply black dress that I wore to this event so let’s include it as a favorite. I don’t normally love a cap sleeve but this dress just worked. It’s now a staple in my summer wardrobe. 🙂

My Son Coming Home From Sleepaway Camp

This was definitely a favorite moment for the year. As much as he tortures me sometimes, I was never so happy to see those camp buses pull up to bring my baby home. The scary thing is, we are already up to planning his summer for 2017! It will be here before we know it.

The Bar Mitzvah

Of course the Bar Mitzvah made it to my favorites.

I mean, it basically consumed my ENTIRE YEAR if not the last two years or really, the last 13 years just knowing it would eventually approach!

There was just so much to be proud of and so many fun memories, even if I had some tough moments to deal with, I survived and I am stronger because of it.

And still my favorite picture from the Bar Mitzvah of Heather and me…

Disney World

I knew our trip to Disney would close out our year on a high note! Even though we both ended up sick with stomach viruses during and after the trip (I am starting to feel normal again), we just love going to Disney.

I just shared the recap of our trip the other day but it’s here if you missed it!

Looking Forward To…

I am absolutely NOT the goal setting type nor am I a resolution maker or January challenge participant. Please keep all of that away from me for the next month while it’s plastered everywhere!

However, I am looking forward to 2017 so that I can begin writing in my pretty new Henri Bendel planner to start my real countdown to March and spring weather.

I am ready to start dining outside again!

Salt became my new outdoor dining favorite this year but there are many more outdoor restaurants already on my list for summer 2017!

Wishing you a very Happy New Year! Have a great weekend. 🙂

[bctt tweet=”top favorite moments from 2017! #halfmarathon #Disneyworld #HersheyPark #events #dessert #fridayfavorites #running” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Do you have your race calendar set for Spring yet?

Favorite food/restaurant/meal from 2017?

3 things you are doing this weekend?!

Holiday Party Desserts & WIAW

Jumping right in to What I Ate Wednesday!

Breakfast:

I have been alternating these toasted English muffins and peanut butter with oatmeal for breakfast once again. You had to know I wouldn’t totally give up on oatmeal! There’s no rhyme or reason lately as to which I choose for breakfast, I just make my decision first thing in the morning when I am ready to eat.

I like living this way because thinking too much about what I will eat is a waste of mental energy.

On this particular day, it was an English muffin with lots of peanut butter, a drop of jelly and mashed banana. I had the other half right before my workout, this half is post-run.

Lunch:

The problem with Instagram stories is that most of the time I forget to save the images that I share and those images only last for what, 24 hours? If you happened to catch one of my stories over the weekend, you saw that I picked up a bunch of French toast bagels at Stew Leonard’s.

While I do love a good bagel for lunch lately or even a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal which has been making lunch appearances too, I do still crave a big bowl of roasted vegetables like this one which contains roasted broccoli, sweet potatoes and chick peas.

Dinner:

I was in the city Monday night for another holiday party. Of course the only pictures I thought to take were of the desserts but you can’t blame me when the hosts of the party were Ron Ben-Israel Cakes and Marcia Selden Catering which means that not only was the food delicious but the desserts were on point.

I definitely had my share of the mini brussels spouts skewers and totally wish I had pictures of how cute they were but the candy buffet makes up for it.

Do you see those big chocolate covered marshmallows?! SO GOOD.

I made myself a nice candy bag to take home.

Ron Ben-Israel put out a nice display of cake options with so many different flavor combinations just like my recent cake tasting experience during my recent work meeting at his cake studio.

I didn’t get pictures of each type of cake on display and they didn’t photograph great due to lighting but here’s two of the delicious cake varieties. Seriously, he is designing my wedding cake whenever it is that I get remarried one day!

After the holiday party I did get a bite to eat at a Greek Restaurant too so I had some of the candy from my candy bag after enjoying this hummus platter.

It was a super fun Monday night!

Be sure to check out what everyone else is eating today.

[bctt tweet=”Holiday party fun in the city plus WIAW #WIAW #NYC #candybuffet #candy #cake ” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Which candy would you have grabbed from the candy table? The chocolate or the sugary stuff? Or both?

What have you been loving for lunch lately?

How cold is it right now where you live?

A lot of dessert in this Week In Review!

Mid-December already? Wow. We planned our quick trip to Disney World sort of at the last-minute so it’s pretty exciting that we are already going next week. Although before we get to next week, let’s chat about the last several days which seem to have contained a lot of dessert!

I’ve been super busy writing for work but I still found time to publish five posts here on the blog which always helps me to feel balanced and happy.

Love my job, major dessert, keeping my hair from sweating (TOL)

Remember those amazing blueberry walnut whole wheat pancakes I had at the diner on Sunday which I shared in Monday’s post? Well, the Premier Diner was listed this week as one of the top places for pancakes on Long Island in this article which reconfirmed that my taste buds know what’s up.

I sort of feel jet lagged with my bunny away. Again, bunny is my son’s nickname, you know, like Benjamin Bunny?

I have lost concept of the time on the clock because the hours don’t mean what they normally mean. I don’t need to wake my baby up for school or camp, I don’t have my afternoon cut off time when I normally switch from work mode back to mom mode because I am not needed to pick up from school or camp, not even needed to make dinner or drive to afternoon activities. I don’t even need to talk all that much if I don’t feel like it.

I was able to go to the grocery store whenever I wanted to go the other day. Morning, afternoon, evening, it didn’t matter.

The last 12 years of every hour of every day have involved motherly duties coming before anything else in life. I know my son often goes with his dad for a day or two and even enjoys staying over by my parents’ house regularly but this, this whole being away FOR A FEW WEEKS is just plain weird.

In fact, it may or may not have triggered a momentary midlife crisis with the realization that my bunny will leave for college in only five years from right now.

Okay stop. New thought process needed.

Live from the Red Carpet, look at me!

We (we, as in AllSeated) had a majorly awesome Red Carpet Event at the Melrose Ballroom last night. Majorly awesome is the best way to describe this event especially since many of the 200 guests in attendance were not only saying the same thing but calling it the best event that they have attended in the industry in years.

Perhaps it had something to do with the eight dessert displays positioned around the room.

Do you see why I love my job?

I moved from dessert display to dessert display so the bartenders didn’t notice that yes, I was sampling every dessert available.

I think this was the chocolate covered cream puff. Or maybe it was life-size ring ding. I don’t know. I just know that both were amazing and everything I ate was worth every single bite.

I had my hair highlighted and blown out on Tuesday which meant I needed to keep my sweat while running to a minimum yesterday morning so that my hair would still look nice come event time.

I made the decision to run indoors and easy on the treadmill (following this treadmill workout) to avoid the extra heat and humidity outside. I also put my hair in a tight bun using my Islanders scrunchie and left the usual lululemon headband off to avoid creases at the front of my hairline.

I don’t know that this hair arrangement will work for an outdoor hard or long run in the heat but I may give it a try because it was an indoor success.

Oh wait! I didn’t tell you!

Since I have the freedom to come and go as I please at any hour of the day and night at the moment, I finally secured my spot in a Pure Barre Platform class for tomorrow morning!! It’s at an early time but I will be up and ready.

Be sure to check out what everyone else is thinking about today!

[bctt tweet=”midlife crisis, love my job, best desserts ever #thinkingoutloud #dessert #motherhood #AllSeated #eventplanning @AllSeated @runwithspoons @MelroseBallroom” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Have you tried Pure Barre Platform yet? What did you think?

Did you used to like ring dings and those types of snack cakes?

How do you keep your hair from sweating when you work out?

TOL – Cookies, Candy & Careers

I have been going for a quick walk after lunch every day this week but I really shouldn’t be calling it quick because I walk really slow. So slow that another lady in my neighborhood walked right passed me and quickly disappeared out of my view on the path.

Does she know I am the blonde girl who runs in circles every morning or am I now known as the blonde girl who walks really really slow at lunch time?

Lollipops. I bought two bags of lollipops to fill the cookie jar which normally holds old Halloween candy or other random chocolate bars. I emptied the old candy and replaced it with Tootsie Pops and Blow Pops. I guess I could have put cookies in the jar since it’s technically called a cookie jar but I consider it our candy jar.

Did you know that I love to listen to Sports Radio when I drive? I am not always in the mood for music and prefer my favorite sports radio shows which keep me entertained and up to date on the latest with my teams. It’s possible I get enough music in every morning while I run, there’s only so much of the same songs that I can handle.

On a similar note, I really would have loved to be a host on one of these sports radio talk shows. I didn’t know when I was in college that such a career would interest me but I think about it a lot.

How many of us really knew what we wanted to be when we were 18 and thrown into college, being told to pick a major which would ultimately pick our career?

I mean, I knew I didn’t want to be a full-time teacher, certainly not a doctor, scientist, architect or historian, nutritionist wasn’t even on my radar and neither was social worker because helping people on a regular basis would not be my forte (zero patience for most humans) so that basically left me with the business school which was fine because I thought at the time that my true calling was the toy industry – you know, like Tom Hanks in Big? That was my dream job. Or so I thought.

Marketing sounded like a nice major, I didn’t need to take a language and although I still had to take statistics, finance and accounting, I did really well. I did work for Mattel but chose to not pursue my career in that direction.

I didn’t actually want a career, in case you didn’t know. My plan was to retire from the work force at the age of 25, which I actually did for several years as a stay-at-home-mom which I loved every single second of, never imagining that being a writer would one day become my career, one that I can honestly say I enjoy, years later.

But sports radio host? Something like that? Gosh I think I would have loved it and been real good at it. Too bad I didn’t know this when I was 18 and could have been in the School of Communications.

Yesterday afternoon while listening to my sports radio on the way home from getting my son from school, they were talking about my Islanders playing in Brooklyn with a 7:00 pm start which made me suddenly decide it was a genius idea for us to go to the game.

No school today, last-minute tickets in a suite available on Stub Hub and an hour later, we were getting on the train and on our way!

This might have been the best idea I have had in a while. Random, spontaneous adventures with access to the crazy buffet in the 40/40 club filled with desserts (which were naturally my focus) while watching the Islanders win?

The dessert attendant person told me to get my moneys worth – as if I have an issue with that.

Pretty sure I am the coolest mom ever.

[bctt tweet=”Cookies, candy and careers #sports #isles #nyisles #careers #buffet #cookies #thinkingoutloud “]

Be sure to check out what everyone else is thinking about today 🙂

Did you know what you wanted to be when you started college?

Are you a fast or slow walker?

What’s on the workout agenda for today?

It’s Okay When What You Eat Changes

Jen from Peanut Butter Runner (one of my most favorite blogs and the first blog I ever read!) shared a terrific post last week called Food, Fitness and Feeling Good: Paving Your Own Way and Learning What Works For You.

I think what I love most about her post is how she points out that a diet or lifestyle that works for someone else may not work for you. And even more importantly, what worked for you last year may not work for you now!

I have shared the story behind My Meatless Diet (which you can read here) explaining how I suddenly transitioned to a meatless way of life.

This is NOT a post saying I now eat chicken or steak! No, I am still a meatless eater! But will I always be? Will this diet always continue to work for me? I like to think so but who knows for sure.

Honestly, sometimes when I read Michele’s blog and she shares photos of burgers on her plate, I start to think that maybe I want one too.

Will I have a burger one day soon? I don’t know. Right now, the answer is no but that could change.

Lately what I want to eat is changing.

This always happens to me after a stomach virus. Always. In fact, it’s exactly how I ended up giving up meat and eating a mostly plant-based diet for over four years now.

But I am not strictly plant-based, I will never be vegan and I am not strictly vegetarian either. Sometimes I eat shrimp or a spicy tuna roll and then sometimes I go extended periods with very limited dairy and no eggs for months.

Right now though I am eating as many eggs and egg whites as I do bowls of oatmeal.

I felt the need for more protein and adding eggs and egg whites back in to my diet on what feels like a daily basis now did the trick immediately. I definitely noticed an immediate difference in how I felt, both in my energy levels and appetite satisfaction.

I am really enjoying oatmeal lately when it’s cooked with eggs/egg whites stirred in, maybe some banana, cinnamon and a little bit of Skoop. Sometimes I add a drizzle of maple syrup. It has become a terrific (and satisfying) post-run meal.

I used to love berries mixed in to my oatmeal but right now, that is not appealing to me.

Peanut butter has lost it’s appeal too which is really upsetting if you want to know the truth.

I very rarely add it to oatmeal, haven’t had it for lunch in several weeks and most of time when I try to eat peanut butter, I realize that it really isn’t what I want to be eating.

And my favorite red-capped jar of crunchy peanut butter with flax and chia seeds from Trader Joe’s?

It now tastes awful to me. I can’t even understand how I used to eat it nor can I understand how I am saying this but it’s how I feel.

I still like my Crunch Time Peanut Butter (from PB & Co) but I don’t eat much of it. In fact, more than a spoonful has given me a stomach ache.

Most of the time, I am eating an apple plain or with some chocolate.

Lately I find myself eating more bagels than I have in years.

I had this salad and bagel combo over the weekend. It was probably the first salad I had eaten for lunch in weeks. My appetite has started to think, at least for right now, that vegetables before dinner are dumb.

This was a whole grain maple cinnamon raisin bagel – you really tasted the maple syrup, it was a genius addition.

Even my Cold Stone sundae the other night was different for me. I am a total creature of habit when it comes to my desserts but I didn’t want whipped cream, I wanted the chocolate fudge brownie frozen yogurt in place of my usual vanilla-based favorite and I didn’t care that they were out of waffle bowls. I added cookie dough to the mix (with chocolate chips and hot fudge) and this is now my favorite.

I think my point is, we are allowed to change what we eat on a regular basis. Nothing in life stays the same, our diets and food choices included.

As Jen said in her post, and I quote,

“The important thing to keep in mind is that you have to honor YOUR body. What feels good for someone else might not feel good for you. What felt good for you last year might not be your jam this year. And sometimes, something you’ve been doing for your entire life might quit working. You have to be open to changing your ways and sometimes that can be tough when we have super hard-wired thinking patterns.”

You can read her full post here in case you missed the link at the top 🙂

[bctt tweet=”It’s okay when what you eat changes #food #recenteats #meatless @jdecurtins #fitfluential “]

Are there any foods that you used to love and now suddenly just don’t?

How have your eating habits/patterns changed over the last few years?

If you are a meatless eater, do you ever want a hamburger?

10 Healthy Living Tips: Do I follow them?

I really liked Amanda’s (from Run to the Finish) post last week where she addressed 10 healthy living tips that she doesn’t follow.

I thought it would be fun to look at the 10 Healthy Living Tips she discussed and, almost like a survey, see if I follow them.

1. Drink Warm Lemon Water

I don’t drink lemon water in the morning (unless there’s a lemon in the house which is rare) but I do drink water mixed with Apple Cider Vinegar every morning which I always forget to mention.

I have been doing so for a couple of years now and although they claim there are multiple health benefits to drinking Apple Cider Vinegar, I can’t say that I feel them at this point; I think I drink it out of habit more than anything else but hey, if it’s good for me, great! Maybe my insides are appreciating it.

Quick List of Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits (click here for more in-depth info):

Improved Digestion
Detoxification Properties
Regulate Blood Sugar
Weight Loss
Improve Skin
Regulate Blood Pressure
Reduce Leg Cramps
Increase Energy Levels

2. Kale Chips

I have gone through phases making kale chips but too much kale hurts my stomach so I really don’t buy kale any more at all. I know it’s a great green to eat but spinach is much easier on my stomach. So there.

3. 10 oz Water Per Mile While Running

While hydration is extremely important, I have never measured the amount of water I drink while I run nor have I considered how much water I drink per mile. In fact, unless it’s summer, I rarely bring water outside with me when i run. Maybe this isn’t right but I would say that it works for me. I do make sure to drink of course – in advance of my workouts, after my workouts and all day long. I eat hydrating fruits as well.

At The Cheesecake Factory over the weekend, I definitely had our waiter filling my cup over and over – I always drink a ton of water when we eat at The Cheesecake Factory, with lemon 🙂

During races, I do grab water as often as possible, especially early in the race, even before I think I am thirsty. The one time I skipped a water stop thinking I wasn’t thirsty, I got thirsty right after and I do believe it negatively affected the rest of the race for me.

4. No Eating after 7PM

No clock is going to tell me when I eat. I cannot go to bed hungry. If I am even the slightest bit hungry, I eat something before going to bed. If I even try to go to bed slightly hungry, I will be up, nauseous-starving, looking for oatmeal at 2:00 am (which happens sometimes anyway).

5. No Eating in Front of the TV

Like, I get it, but I often eat my snacks and meals while watching television if no one else is home and I have no plans on changing this habit.

6. Cut the Sugar

If I ever tell you I gave up cake or the desserts that I enjoy, please call my mother to schedule an immediate intervention. I may not eat cookies, ice cream sundaes and chocolate cake every day, but they are all regular occurrences and make me happy.

I had this delicious parfait thing from Whole Foods over the weekend! It was layers of chocolate cake with fresh whipped cream (like a thick whipped cream, almost more of a whipped cream frosting) with lots of strawberries. I would definitely get it again.

I won’t deny my dessert cravings and I won’t give up the naturally occurring sugars in fruits either. In fact, I don’t count the sugar in fruit as sugar, I look at an apple as if it’s an apple and a banana as if it’s a banana.

I realize that other products contain hidden sugars, which I do notice on the bottles of tomato sauce, barbecue sauce and ketchup but the products I buy (which are free from artificial stuff and high fructose corn syrup), I enjoy.

I try not to get too nutty over these things because doing so would make my life miserable and I think, for me, on a negative path to disordered eating.

7. Buy Organic For Anything Where You Eat The Skin

I try to pay attention to the dirty dozen list but I don’t always; I do the best I can. They do say it’s still better to eat your fruits and veggies regardless of organic or not organic than to not eat them at all.

8. Get a Trainer

You know, I totally forgot that I had a trainer when I was in college. He was my dad’s regular trainer at our gym so sometimes I would take his sessions or schedule a few of my own. He definitely worked me hard but it’s not something I am looking to get involved with again. I like my workouts and my routine just fine without the extra help.

9. Lift Heavy Things

Do 3 lb weights count? How about my body weight exercises? Those feel heavy and difficult for sure!

I never liked weight lifting so finding Pure Barre was the best thing ever for me since the light weights and tiny isometric movements can be killer AND super effective. I have also noticed that although I mostly work with light weights and body weight exercises, I can lift heavier free weights than before I started Pure Barre.

10. Cold Shower Therapy

A cold shower to trigger fat burning? No thanks. Heck, I can’t even take an ice bath after my runs, you think I am getting into a cold shower ever on purpose? I will happily keep my fat in favor of a hot shower every morning.

Your turn!

Pick one or a few of these healthy living tips and let me know if they are a part of your daily routine or if you skip them completely!

[bctt tweet=”10 Healthy Living Tips: Do I follow them? @runtothefinish #healthyliving #healthytips #fitfluential”]

Cold S’mores {No Bake & Super Easy!}

I first learned about cold s’mores during the summer of 2006 when my son was enrolled in the sweetest little cooking class for preschoolers (it was actually the summer before he started preschool, he wasn’t even three years old!).

It was a mommy and me style cooking class where we made simple and easy recipes with our children. This recipe for cold s’mores was one of the first snacks we made and it immediately became a snack staple in our house, repeated over and over ever since.

It also became my go-to easy snack recipe to make with the kids when I started teaching cooking classes for the preschool and elementary school children a few years later.

Oh, you didn’t know that I used to teach cooking classes for kids? I did! I did! I also taught a cute preschool art program at my son’s preschool back in the day.

Art and cooking. My all-time favorites.

I loved being a stay at home mom but I also loved popping into the schools and bringing my favorite past times to the children. I had something to offer and I just loved being involved in my son’s schools (getting to know all of the kids, seeing what went on etc.).

Back to the recipe.

These cold s’mores are really easy to make and perfect for eating year round. Tradition has it that s’mores require some sort of oven (or campfire) to melt the chocolate and marshmallows, but these cold s’mores are a no bake snack because they are created by mixing together your marshmallows and chocolate chips with whipped topping!

That’s right, there’s no melting or cooking involved. All you have to do is mix up s’mores ingredients, spoon onto your graham crackers, close them up to make sandwiches and then freeze until you are ready to eat.

You can make a bunch in advance and keep them in the freezer for the moment when a snack attack strikes.

I wrap up the cold s’mores in aluminum foil, either one or two per pack.

Over the years I have revised the cold s’mores recipe only to include healthier versions of the ingredients. It’s not about the calorie content (this snack is fairly light if you ask me), it’s about finding the ingredients which are made without the artificial stuff and preservatives.

I get my graham crackers at Trader Joe’s and discovered this truwhip at Whole Foods. And yes, the taste and texture is just as good as Cool Whip! I haven’t had an issue and my son hasn’t complained so that means it’s good.

As for the chocolate chips, I usually use Trader Joe’s semi sweet or get Ghiradelli mini semi sweet chocolate chips. You can totally use whichever kind of chocolate you prefer, even chopping up a giant dark chocolate bar <- the pound plus from TJ is my favorite! I can’t always find the “healthier” marshmallows but they do exist.

Feel free to double or triple this recipe in order to stock your freezer to the brim with these Cold s’mores.

Oh and if you are thinking about adding a spread of peanut butter to the graham cracker before closing up your Cold s’mores sandwich, go for it! I have done it and its fabulous.

Cold S’mores {No Bake & Super Easy!}

Author: Meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles

Serves: 10

Ingredients

2 cups of marshmallows
2 cups of whipped topping (thawed)
2 cups of chocolate chips (any kind, your choice)
1 sleeve of graham crackers (broken in half)
aluminum foil

Instructions

Thaw your whipped topping and then measure out 2 cups.
In a bowl, mix together whipped topping, marshmallows and chocolate chips.
Line counter with aluminum foil sheets (large enough to wrap up the cold s’mores)
Place 2 halves of graham crackers on each foil sheet (or 4 halves if you want to wrap up 2 cold s’mores at a time).
Using a spoon, place a good dollop of your s’mores mixture on 1 graham cracker and then close it up like a sandwich using the other graham cracker.
Wrap up your cold s’mores in the foil to create a foil pack and place in freezer.
Freeze the cold s’mores for 40 minutes to 1 hour before eating.
Eat immediately upon removing from freezer.
Cold S’mores can be stored in the freezer indefinitely (so long as you wrapped them up real good!)

[bctt tweet=”Try this easy no bake recipe for Cold S’mores! #smores #snacks #dessert #easyrecipe “]

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Have you ever taken a cooking class?

Are you a s’mores fan? Do you make them at home?

What’s on the workout agenda for today?

Let’s talk About my Black pants

Let’s talk about the black pants hanging in my closet. The black pants I bought at White House Black Market in 2013 when I was on the hunt for a new outfit to wear on the Dr. Oz Show (remember I was on television? Still so cool!)

So the pants. I remember taking two sizes into the fitting room and I recall trying on the first pair, realizing in that moment I should probably take the smaller size.

But this isn’t even so much about the size, it was more what I remember seeing in the mirror.

I remember looking in the mirror, as well as at the picture I took in the outfit while standing in the store and then thinking, um, you know, I think I might be too thin.

Like, my shape is missing, where did it go?

My period was missing too.

Yeah.

For a few months in 2013, it had disappeared again. I knew it was missing and a part of me knew it meant my eating and exercise were out of balance (I had been through this once before) but the girl inside of me who hated menstrual cramps was secretly thrilled even though she knew this wasn’t a good thing.

I had been going to Lifetime Athletic during that time period, running less than now but spinning fairly often and really the biggest issue here if I recall correctly, was that I was not eating two breakfasts (pre AND post-run) which meant not enough calories for those workouts.

My period wasn’t gone for long though. It returned after I mysteriously injured my shoulder which looking back, I think happened because I was vulnerable to injury since my period was missing (amenorrhea can cause all sorts of problems including increased risk of injury) but I can proudly say that I haven’t missed a cycle since April 2013.

Anyway, the pants.

Those black pants still fit me but of course, they fit differently. As soon as my cycle returned, so did some curves.

And since that time, my mileage has increased and I took up Pure Barre which lifted, toned and burned my shape for the better, especially my lower half.

I love how I look and remind myself of this fact every time I put those black pants on rather than slip into the mindset of,

“Wait. These pants used to look different. Why are they hugging the tops of my thighs? They are hanging differently, longer than they used to be, buttoning in a different place…What did I do wrong?”

But see, I didn’t do anything wrong! I eat really well to satisfy my runner appetite. If one day that means my pants don’t fit, then maybe they aren’t meant to fit.

I certainly cannot eat any less or give up my favorite foods. Giving up dessert just to make my pants hang differently? That sounds like a really dumb idea.

I had this brownie sundae thing recently and forgot to show you!

I am hungry like clockwork and I need to be happy with what I eat. I cannot deny myself of my appetite or of the foods I enjoy.

Unsatisfied hunger is cruel and being unhappy, caused by my own doing, is even crueler.

I also know that the slightest change in my diet, should I even attempt to eat less, will throw off my period because my period needs me to keep up my calories.

Just last month, I found myself eating less peanut butter. I don’t know why, I just noticed I was taking less spoonfuls and guess what? My period was one week late.

Do we know for sure that it was caused by eating less peanut butter which was less fat in the diet? No but I do know that I am more regular than a girl who takes the pill and more often than not for me, what I eat directly affects my hormones.

I have written posts like this before, one in particular entitled Jeans Can Lie.

They really can, and so can black pants from your past.

[bctt tweet=”Can we talk about my black pants? #thinkingoutloud #amenorrhea #health #running #pants #girltalk @runwithspoons #fitfluential”]

Don’t forget to check out what everyone else is thinking about today 🙂

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When you need to get dressed for work/something that requires more than workout clothes, do you prefer dress pants or a dress/skirt?

Are you good about eating pre AND post workout?

Do your old pants fit differently than a few years ago?

My Meatless Diet

A close friend of mine recently told me that although she has been a carnivore all of her life, she is starting to consider a meatless diet and wanted my thoughts on the subject.

Of course I took the time to talk to her in full detail and of course I decided that our conversation made for a great blog post.

Why did you give up meat and poultry again? I forget. And did you do it cold turkey?

I didn’t mean to become a meatless eater. I came down with a stomach virus in January 2012 and it hit me hard. I couldn’t return to normal eating at first and actually, never did.

During the recovery time, I was eating lots of oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and vegetarian type foods. It was a subconscious switch away from eating my usual lunch and dinner plates which were always so focused on chicken, turkey or steak.

I quickly noticed though that I felt great without eating those animal proteins so I decided to run with it (ha, no pun intended) and never looked back.

So I guess you can say yes, I gave up meat and poultry rather cold turkey but that was not my intention. It just sort of happened.

Are you a vegetarian?

I am not a true vegetarian because I will eat sushi on occasion and order fish (shrimp or ahi tuna) in restaurants if nothing else is available on the menu for me to eat. Does that make me a pescatarian? I suppose but I can go MONTHS without touching fish.

I am not a vegan but eggs and dairy don’t play a major role in my diet either. I go through major phases of wanting pizza or greek salads but can go for weeks at a time focusing on plant-based foods instead.

However, I will never give up my favorite desserts so dairy will always be in my diet!

But where do you get your protein?

Protein isn’t hard to find in a meatless diet, I swear! Dinner is probably the main meal where you may notice your chicken or steak missing from your plate but replacing it with meatless sources of protein can be done.

I do not eat tofu or tempeh often at all. I used to buy meatless meatballs and chickenless products but stopped at some point because they were so processed. I think I miss the meatless meatballs from Trader Joe’s though so maybe I will pick them up again to have in the house.

Are you full and satisfied from your diet?

My answer is yes… and no.

For the most part, yes I am satisfied and happy but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that there are times when I still feel hungry yet my stomach is physically full.

Like, I still need something but I don’t know what that something is and reaching for more vegetables is not going to help me, it will only make my stomach feel worse at this point.

Protein (and fat) is what satisfies the appetite and although I may “meet” my daily protein requirement, there are times when a serving of chick peas are not going to satisfy the same way a serving of chicken would. I don’t mean about flavor, I mean that level of satisfaction inside that says, I’m full.

I have weeks of feeling unsatisfied and weeks on end where I am fine. I go through phases on this.

Do you have cravings? How do you handle them?

I have yet to crave chicken or turkey which is weird considering I lived on both for over 30 years of my life.

There have been times when I have craved a hamburger or steak to the point where I can’t stop picturing them in my head but I have learned that these meat cravings occur when I need more protein so I typically satisfy the protein need with eggs or fish and the craving instantly disappears.

Did you notice any health benefits when switching to a meatless diet?

Yes! The decrease in animal protein combined with an increase in plant-based foods produced some amazing effects:

*More energy for running/increase in pace and endurance immediately

*Quicker muscle recovery

*Improved menstrual cramps <- Plant-based foods work wonders for me in this area. Now, if I consume too many eggs/dairy products, I feel the effects during my time of the month.

*Lighter periods

*Seasonal allergies gone!

*Food allergies almost all gone (remember I had oral allergy syndrome)

*Eczema in the winter on my eyelids gone!

*Shingles nerve pain which lingered for years gone!

Honestly, the health benefits and positive side effects of giving up meat and poultry are the main reason I see myself sticking with this meatless lifestyle. Overall, I just feel terrific. The fact that my seasonal allergies are gone, that I no longer need to take a daily allergy pill, is seriously enough for me to eat this way for the rest of my life!

Do you have trouble dining out with others and/or finding something to eat in restaurants?

I do not have trouble 99.9% of the time. I always seem able to find something on a menu. At worst, I just request salads without the chicken or put together a bunch of side dishes to create a meal.

How do you handle cooking for others who still eat chicken and meat?

I am totally fine with still preparing chicken dishes and making steak whenever my son wants it. I try to coordinate cuisine flavors between what I am eating with what I am making him to cut down on kitchen time but it doesn’t always happen. It’s fine though, my dinners require very little prep.

My favorites:

Build Your Own Plant Based Power Bowl <- one of my most popular posts and pins

Meatless Stir-Fry Bowls

Italian Style Power Bowl

[bctt tweet=”My Meatless Diet #meatlessmonday #vegetarian #meatless #powerbowl #fitfluential @healthyskoop #plantbased”]

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What type of diet do you typically follow?

Do you ever crave the foods you no longer eat?

Best thing you ate over the weekend?

Half Marathon PR!

Our Trip To Hershey Park

Out of This World Dessert Display

My Son Coming Home From Sleepaway Camp

The Bar Mitzvah

Disney World

Looking Forward To…

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Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

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Okay stop. New thought process needed.

Oh wait! I didn’t tell you!

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How many of us really knew what we wanted to be when we were 18 and thrown into college, being told to pick a major which would ultimately pick our career?

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Lately what I want to eat is changing.

Right now though I am eating as many eggs and egg whites as I do bowls of oatmeal.

Peanut butter has lost it’s appeal too which is really upsetting if you want to know the truth.

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1. Drink Warm Lemon Water

2. Kale Chips

3. 10 oz Water Per Mile While Running

4. No Eating after 7PM

5. No Eating in Front of the TV

6. Cut the Sugar

7. Buy Organic For Anything Where You Eat The Skin

8. Get a Trainer

9. Lift Heavy Things

10. Cold Shower Therapy

Your turn!

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Like, my shape is missing, where did it go?

“Wait. These pants used to look different. Why are they hugging the tops of my thighs? They are hanging differently, longer than they used to be, buttoning in a different place…What did I do wrong?”

Unsatisfied hunger is cruel and being unhappy, caused by my own doing, is even crueler.

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Why did you give up meat and poultry again? I forget. And did you do it cold turkey?

Are you a vegetarian?

But where do you get your protein?

Are you full and satisfied from your diet?

Do you have cravings? How do you handle them?

Did you notice any health benefits when switching to a meatless diet?

Do you have trouble dining out with others and/or finding something to eat in restaurants?

How do you handle cooking for others who still eat chicken and meat?

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