Idyllwild and Bodhi

Will and I went on a mini vacation to Idyllwild, CA in the 3rd week of my leave of absence. It felt so great to just get away from everything and spend time together in nature. We even brought the doggies along - they were so cute and loved it! It was extra special because we had never gone on vacation with them before and I know an opportunity like this might not come by again after the baby is here.

I didn't know that Idyllwild is at almost 6,000ft altitude, with the trails being even higher. I don't do well at high altitude even in my best of days... so being pregnant I think only made things worse. I had a throbbing headache on and off, got tired pretty easily, and couldn't really sleep at night. But Will didn't push me beyond my comfort limits... he'd scout ahead on the trails to make sure they weren't too steep, found shady spots for me to rest, and made sure I had a lot of water and snacks throughout the day. Yay! So, the trip was not too hard.

Here's a picture of the pooped-out pups on the ride home... great transition to my new topic. It's no secret that Bodhi is my favorite because I've raised her since she was 8 weeks old and now she's an 11 year old grumpy lady. She was my first baby! They say that dogs can tell when you're pregnant and I'm not sure if Forrest feels differently about my condition in any way, but Bodhi has been sticking to my side. She definitely knows something is up and I hope her new clingy behaviors means she'll like the baby. Mostly because she really hated Forrest when we got him... and it was horrible for like the first 2 years. She just barely tolerates him now (except during car rides... and then she is happy to snuggle with him because she uses him as a pillow) and we still have to break up fights once in a while. I don't really want her despising the Little Bun when it gets here.

Jacqueline handmade me this amazing charm necklace for my birthday!! She sculpted everything from clay - including the lifelike little Bodhi. So amazing! And then there's a little heart to symbolize the Little Bun in the oven... and the rose with separate leaves is an homage to a very top secret inside conversation that we had years ago. But I just love how Bodhi is a part of this super meaningful charm necklace that was made to celebrate this very important milestone in my life... and I hadn't even told her all my worries about Bodhi. That's why we're BFFs! We have telepathy. It's a serious thing.

Well, I'll just have to wait and see how the family dynamics will change when the baby arrives, but I'm very optimistic that everything will be peachy. I have an appointment with my new obstetrician this Thursday... so I'm really excited to meet her and can't wait to see the Little Bun again!

The Future Is Here!

So, in the beginning of this baby begetting journey I felt daunted by the fact that it would be an uphill battle. However, I think all the over-thinking, over-analyzing, and over-preparation may have been in my favor. We were able to conceive our Little Bun roughly after 6 months of trying. That's like pretty normal actually... Yay!!!

The successful cycle happened immediately after I finished 3 rounds of Clomid, reduced Metformin dosage, and had been sticking to The No Fun Food Life for about 70% of my diet. I also had greatly increased my physical activity - pickleball, badminton, hiking, scale the strat, etc. - the month before it happened. All that cardio! So... yes, even women with PCOS can have babies with a good diet, moderate exercise, and dedicated doctors who are proactive. I still have to watch myself and try to keep up with the diet & exercise to prevent gestational diabetes... more work ahead!

I also had a little help from ALL of my preggo friends. I literally and very shamelessly asked to rub all their bellies for lucky baby vibes. These two lovely ladies even gave me a double belly-bump for good luck! Everyone kept telling me it will happen... and in the meantime I freaked out anyway. So, thanks for putting up with me! :)

I'm coming up to the end of my 1st trimester and so far the ride has been pretty smooth. I'm extremely tired, moody, have acid reflux, sore boobs, and randomly find myself starving throughout the day... but nothing that's been debilitating or excruciating. I took a 3-week leave of absence from work because of the recent company restructuring and mass exit by 14% of the company. It was stressful, frustrating, and depressing to go to work every day. My blood pressure had sky-rocketed at a checkup and during the first crucial weeks of the baby's life all the vital organs and essential foundation are under construction... so I decided to detach myself for a bit from the craziness of work. This week I went in for another check-up and blood pressure is 120/80... yeah!!

The one food that I extremely miss are deli sandwiches. I don't know if anyone knows this about me but I eat the Subway Club sandwich almost once a week! LOL - the one really nice morning guy that works at the Subway in my neighborhood knows my order! Apparently, deli meat has a pretty low probability of being contaminated with Listeria - a bacteria that can thrive even with refrigeration and is killed by cooking and pasteurization - but pregnant women have increased susceptibility. To come up with a remedy to this hankering... I made myself this 1 pound (yes, I weighed it!) open-faced sandwich. Sprouted grain bread, hummus, avocado, mozzarella, and tomato. It hit the spot! :)

Steak & Greens

My friend, Audrey, sent me some collard greens clippings from her garden to see if I could use them to grow in my new veggie garden. I'm still trying to see if I can nurse them to life... in the meantime I got some from the grocery store.

Collard Greens are one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. Here are some impressive daily numbers from just 1 cup of cooked Collard Greens: Vitamin K 858%, Vitamin A 80%, Manganese 49%, Vitamin C 46%, Fiber 30%, Calcium 27%, Choline 17%, Vitamin B2 15%, Vitamin B6 14%, Iron 12%. And that's just the Top 10... there are 11 more goodies your body needs in that list!

I didn't want to just eat greens... so the hubby stopped by the grocery store on his way home from work and fulfilled my urgent request for ribeye steak. Yum! He fired up the grill and made some corn as well. SO GOOD!!!

Collard Greens (super easy)
Steam or blanch the Collard Green leaves about 5-7 minutes, about 1.5 inch pieces without the super tough stalks. Saute slices of Garlic, however much you prefer, in 1 tbsp Butter + 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil for a couple minutes. Add the Collard Greens, stir and saute for another 5 minutes. Serve!

I couldn't quite finish my entire steak... guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach... so I had leftovers to get creative with. I chopped up the steak, added some tomatoes and avocado, and wrapped everything in a corn tortilla. I made about 3 of these little beauties for dinner. So simple but so amazing!

Protein. Dairy. Fiber.

In an attempt to keep things well-rounded... I tried a new recipe from my Eat What You Love Everyday cookbook.

Hearty Breakfast Bake
In a large bowl, combine 4 Eggs, 1.5 cups Liquid Egg Whites, 1.5 cups Cottage Cheese, 3/4 cup (almond) Milk, 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese, 3 cups Shredded Potatoes, 1 tsp Thyme, 1 tsp Black Pepper... optional 1 small diced Green Pepper.

Coat a skillet with cooking spray and saute 1 chopped medium Onion until soft. Crumble in 4 Turkey Breakfast Sausage (like remove the casing) and brown meat. Add Sausage & Onion mixture to large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour ~ overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees, coat baking pan with cooking spray, pour in mixture. Bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese and bake another 10 minutes.

I'd never made something like this before... and funny enough it reminded me of the Chinese steamed egg my mom makes. Just a little bit, but enough to make me think I can just make a Chinese steamed egg with a lot less work. LOL... but it did make me eat cottage cheese which is really good for you... too bad it tastes so weird.

I told one of my friends about my effort to add protein... and she suggested Edamame. Duh! I realized that I had a frozen bag in my freezer... so I boiled some up and sprinkled with course sea salt, just like in the Japanese restaurants. Yummy!

It's incredible the punch they pack in just 1/2 cup: 13g Protein, 4g Fiber... and 420mg Potassium. What? That's unexpected... I mean I eat these all the time whenever I get sushi... never knew they were a good source of Potassium. Hurray!

Miso... is so delicious!

One of my favorite things is to make a big batch of Miso Soup so I can enjoy a warm, tasty, and nutritious meal whenever I need. I like to savor a bowl first thing in the morning or after dinner if I need a little something before reaching bedtime. I've made it many ways before but my favorite is the recipe from The Kind Mama.

Kabocha & Wakame Miso Soup
Put water into a pot - how much depends on your preference for broth-to-ingredients ratio. Soak the Wakame (the seaweed) and Shiitake Mushroom to re-hydrate. After they're softened and plump, either scoop or strain them out - chop Wakame if the pieces are too big. Keep the soaking water.

Heat the soaking water to boiling over medium heat. Add: Wakame, Shiitake Mushroom... and Kabocha Squash, Daikon, Leek, and Red Onion. Use your desired amount of everything and chop to your desired size. Boil for about 15 minutes, until all the veggies are soft.

Put 2-3 tbsp or more Miso paste (depends on flavor preference) into a small bowl. Only use the refrigerated kind that contains living probiotic culture (NOT the powder kind). Ladle a couple big spoonfuls of the hot water into the bowl to dissolve the Miso. Turn down the heat to very low. Add the Miso to the pot and it should just be warm enough for you to see the Miso swirl on its own, but DO NOT let the water boil... even with small bubbles... because then you'll destroy all the living nutritious goodness of the Miso.

Here are 10 scientifically researched benefits of Miso:
1. Contains all essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
2. Stimulates the secretion of digestive fluids in the stomach.
3. Restores beneficial probiotics to the intestines.
4. Aids in the digestion and assimulation of foods in the intestines.
5. Is a good vegetable source of B vitamins (especially B12).
6. Strengthens the quality of blood & lymph fluid.
7. Reduces risk for breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancers.
8. Protects against radiation due to dipilocolonic acid.
9. Strengthens immune system & helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
10. Is high in antioxidants that protect against free radicals.

And while we're at it... some benefits of Wakame! Magnesium, Iodine, Calcium, Iron, Vitamins (A, B2 - riboflavin, C, D, E, K), Folate, and Lignans.  If you don't normally eat sea vegetables, you need to get at it. Seriously.

This Miso Soup is so filling and delicious... and packs a serious health punch. So, next time you've got the sniffles or feel a bit under-the-weather... don't reach for the canned stuff filled with sodium, preservatives, and year-old 'shelf stable' noodles & junk. Treat your body and yourself to this elixir of health. Yum!

The Kind Diet

I read a book by Alicia Silverstone called, The Kind Diet, years ago. It sparked this whole eating revolution within my own life... in fact, I only ate meat that was certified organic and humanely raised and handled for the entire year of 2010. I permanently made the switch from keeping milk in my fridge to almond & soy milk. I learned a lot about eating kindly for the earth and for my body. That book really changed the fundamental way I viewed the relationship between me, my food, and the planet.

Since then, she's come out with another book - The Kind Mama. I read the introductory chapters about the plant-based lifestyle research and benefits. And then I read the chapters on how it can increase fertility. I just love her holistic approach to everything and the complete picture on plant-based nutrition and the female body. So, in my renewed dedication to The No Food Fun Life, I am still going to aim for carb-free and sugar free... but I think I'm going to ease up a bit on the natural starchy veggies, fruits, and whole grains. It will probably make life a lot easier and more enjoyable.

In the beginning, it was easy to get swept up in the initial momentum and go all-out carb free, get on the meds, download apps, and just turn the whole experience into a regimen. I was on a mission and it was quite stressful. Now that it's been almost 6 months and the frantic excitement has died down... I want to keep up a healthy lifestyle filled with good nutrition and fitness, but less militantly.

So, here's the first meal I've made since deciding to embark on a kinder diet. I made my lunch for tomorrow... some Korean Hobak Jun (side dishes) of egg-battered fried tofu and zucchini. I also scrambled the leftover egg. I made a big batch of the Miso Soup recipe found in The Kind Mama. It was the first time I had cooked with Kabocha Squash... and it's a delicious little squash. Love it!

What else is changing? I've stopped taking Clomid, the nightmare hormone pill. Even though I only take it 5 days each cycle, I am positive that it continues to affect your body long after. I finally feel joyful and lighthearted again for the first time in months... since starting the medication! It was like running on a revved up hormone engine... I was strung super tight. I didn't even realize how miserable I've been feeling until I felt better. I'm hoping acupuncture can help regulate my ovulation issues instead.

I've also been working less hours. I think the Clomid affected me so much that I literally got talked to at work about my attitude and behavior... :/ I don't agree with everything that was brought up in that meeting, regardless of my emotional issues. But, I also don't excuse or justify anything either.. Suffice it to say, it was a get-it-together and back-to-reality moment... I think sometimes I forget some important lessons I learned from previous workplaces because I FEEL like I do valuable work and that I am among friends... I've put myself back into my government worker bee shoes and just started playing it a lot safer. I've also pulled back my hours at work as a self-preservation tactic. For the past few weeks I've averaged about 35-ish hours per week. So far, so good.

And I reduced my Metformin to 1/2 the dosage - which has done wonders for my eyes! LOL... Anyone remember that post? The side effect from the Metformin was doing really strange things to my eyes... my right eye was always red no matter what and my left eye couldn't stop watering all day. It got to a point where the skin at the corners of my left eye was red, raw & broken from the constant watering and me wiping the moisture away. I couldn't really put Neosporin on the corners... but you know what worked amazingly well? Honey! The skin healed up and got better... yay!

Well, that's about it. Everything else is pretty much the same. Something happened at work today that was cray-cray... but that's like a whole new topic that would be too complex and weird to write down. It certainly has been a super weird atmosphere... and it's not slowing down... But, I'm just going to not let it affect my state of mind. Anyway, I'm going to head to bed because I know my tomorrow is jam-packed. Gotta get that quality sleep... *Zzzzzzzzzz*

PS - After many complaints from my loyal readers about how difficult it is to leave comments with their phones... I finally figured out how to tweak the settings. So, now it should be easier? Give it a try and let me know if it has improved! :)

Badminton, My Throwback Thursday

So... in keeping with the racquet sports for the month of March... I attended a practice/tryout session for the Corporate Challenge Badminton!!! Why is this a Throwback Thursday moment? Well... as some of you may know... I played varsity badminton in high school!

At the time, I was feeling a little bit overstuffed from the team potluck and I also had a bit of a headache. None of my friends were going to be there. I seriously spent the last hour of my day contemplating skipping the practice.... all these things were stacking up & telling me to just drive home instead of going the exact opposite direction of home to play a sport I hadn't touched in over a decade w. a bunch of strangers. I think I was afraid of how bad I might perform. I was on the varsity team back then, even though I wasn't like an Olympic contender or anything, I was good enough. I was afraid that I'd get on the court and find myself starting from scratch... or worse... maybe I'd be able to envision what I should do and just wouldn't be able to execute any of it and become super frustrated & embarrassed with my own inabilities.

As I got to the freeway junction where I had to choose whether I'd go home or go to practice... I sucked it up and drove to the Las Vegas Badminton Club. I doubted my decision the entire way as I sat through traffic, drove around the enormous complex many times because I kept missing the obscure door, as I stood in the front being awkwardly not greeted by the Chinese mother/daughter receptionist duo, and finally signed the waiver. Then, I stepped into back area where all the courts were. And instantly, I felt excited! I was exhilarated! Exuberant! *Eeeeeeee*

I introduced myself to the team captain and immediately apologized for how bad I'm going to be because I hadn't played in over 12 years. She was so encouraging and spent time running some volleying and serving drills with me while the others played doubles. The first half hour or so was ROUGH. I'd swing and just keep missing. I had to slow down and remind myself that I had adjusted my swing to accommodate the really short paddle of pickleball. I kept at it and stayed positive.

An hour or so into the game... it was like riding a bicycle! Of course, my various partners really helped. Use your wrist! Hit high and force them back! Give them room and let them make the mistake! I loved every minute of it! The muscle memory came flooding back and the game, the strategies, the moves ... they just all started popping up. Don't get me wrong... I'm nowhere near good by any means, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised by the progress.

On top of it all,  I made a bunch of new friends! I definitely made the right decision. :)

What The Heck Is Pickleball?

I never heard of Pickleball until earlier this month... and now I'm totally in love with the game. It's basically a mixture of tennis, badminton (court size is the same as a badminton doubles court), and ping-pong... and you play with a paddle and wiffle ball.

Well, a couple of my teammates were trying out for the company pickleball team for Corporate Challenge, so I decided to join them. I figured that I knew how to play tennis and I used to play varsity badminton in high school... why not just try?!

It was amazing! I must admit that my work life had been in sort of a slump and dragging myself out of the house had become a chore. However, with the early morning picklball practice in our courtyard - I felt the zest come back! It felt so incredible to start the day off with some mentally challenging and physically engaging fun! Get that heart pumping, yeah! I gotta admit that after three days straight of early morning practice, I felt it all over. *groan* I also threw in a day of racquetball so my right arm/elbow/shoulder were so sore... lots of icing and Biofreeze. Even my ankles hurt!!! LOL... I don't think I've put them to so much work with sudden stops and turns in like a decade!

I didn't make the official mixed doubles team or the backup, but I loved cheering on the team on the day of the tournament. It was so awesome to be out there and feel the camaraderie in the air!

There are some plans in the making to continue practice throughout the year... and I really, really hope the plans come to fruition. I seriously love, love, love piiiiickleball! I just got the email this morning regarding badminton practice and tryouts. I'll definitely be trying out!!! :)

Scale the Strat 2015

So... it took me a long time to finally blog this... but here I am! On Sunday, March 1st - I attained one of my greatest physical accomplishments to date! I Scaled the Strat! I took 1,455 steps very, very slowly and steadily all the way to the 108th floor of the Stratosphere tower. It felt like quite the triumph when I reached the top!!! Woohoo!

It was daunting and I didn't train as rigorously for it as I should have. However, I was proud of myself for even signing up... I think it took a certain amount of self belief and a spot of courage to take that on knowing I am nowhere near the peak of physical health, lol. I have really great friends who supported me, helped me fundraise for the American Lung Association (the charity for this event) and even two friends who participated with me! It was a great feeling knowing there would be high fives and selfies at the top! :)

My hometown friend who Scaled the Strat with me stayed for the whole weekend and we definitely treated it like a vacation/staycation for both of us. Hee hee! We ate lots of food, relaxed and watched tv together - thanks for indulging in real life crime shows with me, and enjoyed a hard earned pedicure.

I can honestly say that I will do this again! My time this year was 34 minutes 53 seconds... now that I know what to expect, I think I can be more mentally prepared for it. I'm going to improve my physical condition for the next 11 months and try to beat my time. YEAH!!!! #beastmode #cantstopwontstop

PS - THANK YOU to everyone who supported me with donations to the American Lung Association. Your belief in me was like wind beneath my wings. ;)

Ground Beef Spiral Bake

I had a crazy week... lots of thoughts, emotions, and events occurred... Oh! And there was a potluck on Tuesday, I brought homemade mac & cheese - and I ate it with Japanese curry. And I ate a bunch of other sweets & carbs too... oh boy. This week was probably a big fat fail, but I'm just going to focus on one thing I did well for the moment. A food triumph moment I had last weekend when I spent the day cooking for a rare meal together with Will. Yay!

Ground Beef Spiral Bake
Cook a 16oz. package of Spiral Pasta. Now... if you're living The No Fun Food Life, then skip this step. For my mixed family meal, I cooked 3/4 the amount of pasta - 12oz.

Cook 2lb Ground Beef w. 2/3 cup chopped Onion until no longer pink. Add 1 tbsp Minced Garlic, cook 1 more minute then drain. Stir in 2 jars Spaghetti Sauce, 2 tbsp Tomato Paste, 1 tsp each of Oregano & Dried Basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Stir Pasta into meat sauce mixture. Transfer everything into 2 greased baking dishes. Sprinkle liberally with as much Mozzarella Cheese as your heart fancies. Bake one dish at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Freeze one dish for later.

The No Fun Food Life version: Now... if you are cutting out the pasta completely... you can just spoon the meat sauce mixture into the baking dishes, top with cheese, and bake. Then heat up a packet of Miracle Noodles and spoon the hot meat sauce & melted cheese onto the noodles. Mix well and eat immediately. Then you can refrigerate leftovers and just heat as needed with your Miracle Noodles.

For my particular family meal... I followed the classic recipe for 3/4 of everything for Will... and then I reserved 1/4 of the meat sauce + melted mozzarella and made 3 meals for myself out of it. :)

So, here's an example of how I make my family meals work out. In the middle of the week I ran out of the carb-free version and took to work a full-carb version... but it was super delicious and I limited the meal to a 12oz. portion (if you don't have a food scale, buy one!) so I didn't feel too bad.

I love how I can freeze basically a huge meal for later, too. Anything to save me time and effort in the middle of the work week is awesome!

Peggy Bundy, Francois, & Whitney Thore

Will came home today with two new surprise additions for our salt water aquarium. A Six Line Wrasse who I've named Peggy Bundy - in honor of our previous wrasse, Marcy Darcy (rest in peace...) - and a Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp who I've named Francois. I think I've been conditioned by Finding Nemo to believe all cleaner shrimp are French, hehe.

After the unfortunate pop eye and ick epidemic of 2013... when Bean (maroon clown), Marcy Darcy (six line wrasse), and Benny the Blenny (scooter blenny) all perished in one summer, I didn't want to add any new fishies & critters. But now I'm ready and I'm happy they're here!

Francois immediately flitted all around the tank looking for food and my existing clown fish & blue tang - Pebbles and Dory - were checking him out all day. So cute! Peggy Bundy swam into a little whole in the live rock and hid there for a long time. Just keeping a suspicious eye out to keep track of all the commotion. So cute as well!

I love sitting next to my aquarium in the mornings to watch the fish swim around and the hermit crabs & snails slowly foraging about. It's so relaxing and therapeutic. Did you know there are a multitude of health benefits to keeping an aquarium in your home? It can significantly reduce stress levels and has even shown to be one of the most reliable ways of temporarily lowering your blood pressure. I'm lucky to get all the benefits and the fun of feeding them... while hubby does all the cleaning and maintenance. :)

Another thing that I found to be very therapeutic? Binge watching "My Big Fat Fabulous Life" on TLC. Whitney Thore became an internet sensation when her dance video went viral. She was a lifelong dancer who fell victim to PCOS in college...! She gained over 200 pounds within a decade and felt completely devastated and derailed. Her candidness, her courage, and her triumphant spirit brought me to tears so many times. I seriously, quite literally, watched the entire season in 24 hours. I couldn't peel my eyes away.

If I could ever meet her in person, I would like to thank her for giving a face and voice to PCOS. For so long it's been this weird syndrome that nobody talked about. Most women who had it couldn't even get properly diagnosed for it, and nobody knows anything about it... unless you have PCOS. Or know someone with it, like me, and then you're forced to listen to EVERYTHING about it. Haha, sorry folks!

One of the many things I can take away from her show is that she couldn't be so fabulous without the unending support of her family and friends. Just like me! Thank you everyone for all your support!!!! :)

 

#MyBigFatFabLife - Please come back for another season!

Zion National Park

My great friend and college roommate came to visit and it felt like a vacation for the both of us! She's awesome because she's really supportive and mindful of my restrictions of living The No Food Fun Life.

For our first day together... we got some delicious Dim Sum for breakfast. She took the hit and ate most of the more carb-loaded morsels - like the savory sticky rice. I was still able to mostly enjoy yummy Shu Mai, Shrimp Dumpling, Chicken Feet, Tripe, Short Ribs... and a few other delicacies. We watched Jupiter Ascending in a luxury theater. And then for dinner we headed to The Container Park to eat & share a bunch of small things to some great live music... tacos, corn on the cob, raw vegan zucchini "pasta," unfiltered fresh ginger ale, and bought some beef jerky for the next day.

For our second day... we ate at The Divine Eatery just a couple blocks from my house. I ate eggs, sausage links, and we shared some Nutty French Toast, yum! I figured some carbs would be appropriate in preparation for a full day of physical activity. We drove to Zion National Park (actually, she drove while I napped... sorry!) and hiked to The Emerald Pools as our first choice. It was sooooo beautiful and the pools are absolutely breathtaking in their tranquility. I took the first leg (Lower Pool) like a champ, the second leg (Middle Pool) was challenging but manageable with steady breathing, but the third leg (Upper Pool) was killer! The incline was tough - but it was good practice for Scale The Strat... more information on that in a later post. We picnicked once we reached the top - pistachios, beef jerky, and sugar-free dried fruit. She bought and packed it all... see how considerate she is? :)

After we got back down, we took the Riverside Walk trail to get up to the beginning of The Narrows... it was too cold to wade into the water to go any further, but it was my favorite part of the entire day. When the canyon narrowed to a point where the riverbank disappeared, it really feels like you're a part of the river and the canyon. It's hard to describe, you just have to experience it - and I recommend that you do! Lastly, we returned back to the car and drove to the final spot to go to The Weeping Rock. I'm not going to lie... I posted a lot of resistance. I had walked harder and higher than I had in a long, long time. My legs were achy, my lower back & right hip were starting to lock up a bit, and all I wanted to do was drive home and eat dinner. But my friend wouldn't take no for an answer... she even dropped me off at the bathroom right at the head of the trail and then drove off to find parking - which, in retrospect, I think she did on purpose so I couldn't get back in the car and whine until we drive away. LOL. I am so glad she was there to push me when I felt weak and ready to give up. We're all capable of so much more if we can just remove our own mental blocks. And it was worth it! There was so much magic in the air when I stood under the rock over hang... looking up at the little sprouted plants hanging upside down and listening to the gentle droplets of ancient water falling to the majestic backdrop of the canyon... breathtaking!

When we got back that night, we cleaned up and went to Ceasar's Palace and each had a hard-earned beverage to relax... then shared some Carpaccio, meatballs, and fried calamari. We also stopped by the gas station and picked up some chocolate covered ice cream bars... but I felt very justified in consuming it... no regrets!

She left this morning, after we went to Lulu's bread & breakfast cafe and The Juice Standard. I am going to miss her so much! I'm glad we shared such a great vacation together... and I'm so happy I we shared a full day at Zion National Park!!!

Slowly But Surely...

I had some small but noteworthy successes this past week in trying to get back on track for The No Fun Food Life. I attended a friend's birthday celebration last Sunday and made myself this awesome plate. Honey Baked Ham slices, steamed brussel sprouts, spaghetti squash, and just about a 1/4 cup dollop of stuffing. Oh, don't get me wrong, I went and got seconds (but not the stuffing, yay). But even though I ate a lot, I ate a lot of stuff I"m supposed to be eating. YAY. Then I had some birthday cake and a couple little pastries. BOO. I tried not to be too hard on myself since it was a special occasion.

I didn't work out at all this week, but I was having a hard time. It was Clomid week again, but this time I switched to taking it at night. So, I didn't have as many emotional outbursts and difficulties as last month, but I was super tired.

I did manage to keep my breakfasts very healthy with Greek Yogurt, blueberries, and even added some Kombucha on two mornings. I brought my own lunches on half the days and stuck to mostly protein & veggies for the rest. I splurged on Korean BBQ on Monday night, but kept the carbs to a minimum. And I had Japanese on Tuesday night... worst item: California Roll. *sigh* It's been an uphill battle getting back to the level of dedication I had a couple months ago, but I will get there.

I went to the acupuncturist yesterday morning and it felt awesome. I really liked Dr. Roth and she went to the same acupuncture school that I had went to years ago (but she graduated like a decade before I attended)... what are the odds! It was so relaxing and my arms and legs even felt like they were heavier to move... like everything was just soooooo loose and relaxed. Amazing. I have an herbal formula extract that I'm taking to "regulate liver qi" and "remove damp heat" and perhaps some other things. So far, nothing bad except a slight headache today... but I slept better last night than I had for months. The best part? My insurance covers acupuncture!

I'm up late right now because I'm waiting for my good friend & college roommate to get to my house. She's driving up from LA tonight to spend the weekend with me. I am so excited! :)

Confession Of A Dumpling Addict

It's time I come clean... I have been flying under the radar with this guilty pleasure. Dumplings are wrapped in really high-carb skins.

1) I ate dumplings during my vacation - which I documented and is completely normal.
2) On the day we left to drive home to Vegas... I stopped at Dumpling Inn (the BEST dumpling shop in San Diego) and bought dumplings & steamed pork buns for the drive.
3) Half a week back into the real life, I left work one day craving them. I was desperate. So, I went to the grocery store and bought a bag of Ling Lings. I'm not proud of it.
4) They don't cut it. So, this past weekend I went to the Chinese supermarket and bought what I needed to make my own. I made dozens and dozens of them. I've been eating them everyday for FOUR DAYS now!

Pork Dumpling Recipe *NOT No Fun Food Life Approved*
Mix together 3lb. ground pork, white parts of 1 bunch of Green Onions, a handful of Spinach leaves chopped, a lot of Garlic to your desire chopped, 1 cup of Shiitake Mushrooms chopped, 1/4 cup Soy Sauce, and 1/8 cup Toasted Sesame Oil. Chop up like 4 cups of Napa Cabbage, sprinkle with some salt, work with your hands to encourage osmosis, squeeze the water out of the cabbage and add into mixture. Mix everything together well.

Use dumpling skins, add dollops of the meat mixture to the center, wet the edges and solidly squeeze/crimp together to skin to fully contain the meat mixture in the middle. Pop into boiling water in batches, boil about 10 minutes or until they float and puff up.
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I have a problem. I am a dumpling addict!!! I decided I had to come out with my terrible secret so I can be held accountable and stop. I must stop! I have to get back on track this month and stick to my guns. I've started working on the physical fitness aspect, so I can't let the food part slide.

On another note, while I was at the Chinese supermarket, I saw something that struck me as a sign of good luck for the baby journey. I went to buy White Rabbit Candy to add a bit of festivity to my home in preparation for Chinese New Year. And when I got to the shelf of White Rabbit Candy, there was a single box of Ginger Candy wedged right up front. Significance? Ginger Candy is a popular item among pregnant women suffering from nausea. So... I'll take that as a good luck sign for a little "dumpling" this Year of the Sheep! LOL... and yes, I bought it. Don't judge me.

So far, the baby journey has had its ups and downs. Of course there's like that disappointment when it doesn't happen each month, but on the positive side it has brought Will and me closer together. It's fun to share in the little moments when we talk about the future. And twice this month I had dreams that I was pregnant! Maybe more omens of great things to come??? I hope so! tehehehehe

Brunettes Bring It On

I finished my second 5K of 2015... Brunettes Bring It On! I woke up yesterday to a damp, cold, and gloomy morning. The course was riddled with duck/goose poop but we managed to finish and I felt so proud at the finish line! If I hadn't already paid (I get reimbursed by work only if we complete the race) and known that my friends were there... I would've just flopped back into bed! I'm so lucky they've absorbed me into their amazing group of support and motivation. :)

During the race, I told my friend that I had a looooooog day ahead of me. I was going to work for 7 hours, I had a presentation to give, and then a team building event at the opposite end of town that night. I was really daunted by the length of the day, but I told her that I was glad I hadn't ditched the race because it was the one thing that I was doing solely for myself. Yeah!

The 5Ks are pushing me to challenge myself mentally and get more fit physically, I love it! They're also inspiring me to embrace the "outside" more - I stay inside WAY TOO MUCH. So, I'm gonna hit the 5Ks until summer comes along... then we'll reassess the weather conditions, lol. Hey, it's the desert! Give me a break here.

So... the whole exercise part was down pat this Saturday... but the food part got away from me like a runaway train. After the 5K, I was famished! So, my friend and I ordered Jimmy Johns subs at work, yum! The turkey sub with lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, and mayonnaise on French bread was HEAVEN... *drool*... ummm and then I ate a bag of chips. Then we walked like 5 blocks or so to our other work building and gave a presentation... and it was all hot... and I suddenly felt super tired and I needed to get up in front of the room and present... so I drank half a cup of Coke. I never drink soda!! I feel so bad... but it's not even the end. That evening, at the team building at the bowling alley, I ate chicken fingers & fries and drank a Pepsi!!!! Yeah... just carbing and sugaring all freaking day long. :(

So, this taught me a lesson. Next time if I have to work or be out & about after an endurance event, I'm going to pack myself some No Fun Food Life approved meals/snacks so I won't be in this situation again. Lesson learned.

Back to Real Life

I was pretty relaxed on the No Fun Food Life for the 2nd week of my vacation, but I managed to get in a few mindful meals. I won't bore everyone with the details - mostly because I don't remember. LOL

I did manage to settle back into the real life with a bang! I completed the Zappos Community & Downtown 5K with a few of my friends! It was overall a positive experience, even though I complained towards the middle. There's a part where you turn around and basically complete the entire thing backwards to complete the 5K, and we kept turning and twisting and the turnaround spot was nowhere in sight! But we finally reached the midway turnaround point, I reached the end, and I even managed to pick up the pace to a light trot and put on a million dollar smile for the camera!! LOL

I look forward to the next one tomorrow!! WOOHOO!

SoCal Vacation _ Part Two

I ate the delicious Ham & Cheese bun for breakfast, yum! Then, my cousin and I headed out to LAX to pick up a friend from the airport and ate delicious Korean dumplings and I had a really amazing Royal Milk Tea afterwards. No regrets! Especially since we walked The Strand from Venice Beach to Santa Monica... I don't know the actual distance we walked, but we were there for almost 2 hours. My Fitbit hit 10,000 steps before we reached the end of the trek, but when I went to sync it with my app, it only tracked like 164 steps... Arg!

After our epic walk, we went to Tender Greens in Marina Del Rey to enjoy a light and healthy dinner. I ordered the Chicken Cobb Salad and she had the Tuna Nicoise... let me tell you... if you've never eaten at a Tender Greens before, you need to make your way over to one. Pronto! Hands down, the best salad I may have ever eaten in my entire life. We went back to her place and had a nice relaxing evening. I started watching a series called Resurrection on Hulu, and now I'm completely hooked. I spent the night watching this riveting show, drank hot Raspberry Leaf Tea, and munched on a banana & train mix.

Thursday

I awoke and ate that Milk Pudding bun... then I ate a piece of my cousin's Red Bean & Mochi bun... and at that time I felt a little unsettled. I think the sugar & carbs hit me a little too fast first thing in the morning. I take my Metformin after breakfast, so maybe that contributed a bit. We met my parents for lunch... I didn't keep track of what I ate, but there were definitely rice cakes, steamed pork buns, and Shanghai noodles involved. I didn't feel too bad about it - it was a great meal with my family. Afterwards, I had a Chai Tea Latte while chatting with my cousin. It was way sweeter than I anticipated... and it did make me feel a bit guilty. First tally of vacation woe - meh.

I left to meet up with a friend from my hometown for a long stroll around a park that she regularly runs at. We did some of the course exercises that are displayed on the signs around the track for a warm up, and then walked and talked for 3 laps. I'm not sure how far we walked, but the sun had set by that time and we headed to dinner. Second tally of vacation woe - we ate pho (Vietnamese noodles)... they're rice noodles and I'm sure SUPER high in carbs. Funny enough, I feel nothing about the egg rolls... lol. And then, I had a Jasmine Milk Tea with half sugar/half boba for dessert as we chatted into the evening.

Friday

I slept in this morning, and raided my parents' fridge for breakfast. I did well and just ate leftover veggies with a bowl of my mom's homemade papaya soup. Soooooo good! I just relaxed, watched TV, talked to my best friend on the phone for almost 2 hours. It was such a peaceful and relaxing day. I hung out with my parents when they came home and we had dinner together. Another great home-cooked meal that totally fit into The No Fun Food Life. Yay!

And now... I'm watching Resurrection, haha.... and about to head to bed so I can get up early to go visit my friend in San Diego tomorrow morning!!! So awesome! :)

SoCal Vacation - Part One

Very first stop after a 4 hour drive... my parents' house! My mom made me a homemade feast for lunch and it was so good! She went through the trouble of steaming extra fluffy brown rice w the little husks still intact... there's a special name for it, but I forgot. So I had about 3/4 cup of that with all the other veggie goodies. My parents are mo stay vegetarian. And, of course, slow boiled soup... the broth was soooo good.

After sitting and chatting a bit, I drove on! Went to LA to visit my cousin... and we headed over to Cerritos. We went to 86 Degrees, a super amazing Asian bakery. I bought an Egg Tart, Milk Pudding bun, and a Ham & Cheese bun. I ate the Egg Tart after enjoying Korean BBQ in the additional company of my best friend & her hubby. I also ate some mac salad at dinner and lots of 'rice paper'... which is like big flat noodles, and drank a couple glasses of Hite beer, I'm on vacation! LOL

I ate the Ham & Cheese bun this morning, and now I'm headed off for another funfilled day of adventure!!! :)