Friday, June 29, 2012

Friday Letters

Good Morning hot & sticky Friday, what a week it's been. All good things of course and I feel like I have lots of photos to share with you all in conjunction with my Friday Letters. 


I always see other bloggers to a weekend review with photos or Instagram updates and I love it but let's face it I work retail so unless you want to see me at work 3 out of the 4 weekends of the month I have no fun photos there and I'll be honest I don't do much exciting things to take photos with Instagram. However this week I made it a mission to try and look at my "boring" life through the eyes of a lense and see if I could come up with some photo opps. So Enjoy! 


Dear 50 Shades: Finally finished the first book- love! Now I'm onto the 2nd one, I really hope you're as good as the first. Which from what I hear you won't disappoint. 


Dear Chicago Weatherman: Can I please have your job? I mean really you can lie, lie, lie and not loose your job. This is what our weather report looks like for the next 5 days: 
And how much do you want to bt that it won't rain any of those days. We could use the rain- my lawn is looking brittle and brown and we are in a drought. 


Dear Thursday: Yep the weather man was right about one thing (for once) you sure were a HOT one today! 
Also please note the time on that 5:12 PM- it was like 105 or 108 at noon. Thank goodness I got my work out in at 9 am. Even though it was still a sweaty brutal mess but I finished :) Go me! Mind you that work out was with no air conditioning and no fans going. Yah touture- but no pain no game right?? 


Dear Pedicure: How I wish I could get one everyday, I mean to me it's pure heaven. And I was excited because my nail salon place finally got in my signature toe color 
Here's what it would like on your nails
I guess I would be lying if I didn't say that when I wear this color I feel like I'm channeling my inner Kardashian. They are always sporting a good black color. 


Dear Starbucks: I seriously haven't stepped foot into my local Starbucks in 6 months! I'm surprised they didn't call a search party because I was there everyday! Or they thought I up and moved. I didn't, I actually gave up Starbucks and you can read all about it here . So to keep true to my committment of giving it up I completey forgot about this little goodie I had tucked away. 
Since it was blazing hot out today I thought I decided to splurge a little and treat myself. Don't worry I didn't cheat well I kinda did because I got this! 
A vanilla bean frap. Don't worry they both weren't for me- the other one was for the hubby. 


Dear Self: I know I've been harping a lot on you latley for my weight and all that good stuff but I feel like I've finally come to a place of acceptance- okay maybe acceptance is being a little to confident but security. I work hard in my professional life, personal life, and working out and I found this quote and really connected with it so I thought I would share. 
I hope everyone has a HAPPY FRIDAY and a wonderful weekend!!! 


PS- is anynone totally freaked out that next week is 4th of July??? That means summer is offically half way over. Ahh!! 


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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Summer Lovin

Hello Thursday! It's going to be a HOT HOT HOT one
 today here in Chicago- into the triple digits! 
Thank goodness I'm getting my work out in early, although 
I may do a bike ride later in the evening because I'm that OCD. 
Anyways. . . .Once again linking up with none other than 
Current Crush Thursdays
for another week of what I'm crushing on. I have decided to 
use Polyvore this week to put together my collage of goodies. 
Feel free to click on any tiem below my collage to get more info
 on it. So this is what I'm loving for this summer's wardrobe: 


Summer Lovin







I actually have a confession but I totes ordered the neon shorts
from the Gap- I couldn't resist because they were 40% off!! 
That's practically free. I did have to order them so they are 
suppose to come in the mail by Saturday so I'm hoping I love
 them as much in person as I did in the store. I also am loving 
these Kate Spade bangles, while I do have a wider hand and I 
have a hard time getting them on I just love them so much I 
feel like beauty is pain right?!?! I kinda feel like I need the 
gold Best Friend one and well I could also use the pops of 
color bangles too. 

What is your summer anthem?? 

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Workout Wednesday- Portion Control

Happy Wednesday! So if you've already read this I apologize I've been having trouble posting this one but I thought it was so useful I am determind to get it to work! 


I always feel like everyone can use a little portion control in their lives, it may not be with food either. It could be with shopping, working out, relationships, the list could go on and on. This particular portion control is around food. I found it interesting and I hope you do too. It's from Fitness Magazine. 


Size Matters: Your Guide to Healthy Portion Sizes


The Right Portion Sizes

Does squeezing into your workout tights feel like a feat of gymnastics? Before you swear off everything but baby carrots, consider this: The culprit behind weight gain may not be what you're eating, but how much. Since the late '70s, we've added 570 calories a day to our diets, and half of them can be attributed to larger portions, according to research at the University of North Carolina. "Even though today's serving sizes can be more than triple what the USDA recommends, they've become our new normal, and anything smaller can seem puny by comparison," says Lisa R. Young, PhD, RD, a FITNESS advisory board member and the author of The Portion Teller Plan. Fortunately, having strong visual aids, like the ones on these pages, can go a long way toward helping you shift your mind-set. Once you know what right-size portions look like, selecting them will become second nature. The best part? You can downsize your plate -- and your weight -- without giving up the foods you love.
Smoothies
Standard size: 22 ounces
Better-for-you size: 8 ounces
Calorie difference: 235
Even the smallest size at most smoothie shops is often double the amount you're supposed to sip. And a large can contain 40 ounces and 1,000-plus calories.





Pasta

Standard size: 3 cups, cooked
Better-for-you size: 1 cup, cooked
Calorie difference: 440
Lessen plan
Many restaurants, including Olive Garden and BJ's, offer lunch- or half-size portions. Don't see a smaller serving on the menu? "Ask to be given just one cup of pasta and have the rest boxed up before it's brought to the table," suggests Marge Condrasky, RD, an associate professor at Clemson University. "Special requests are pretty standard nowadays, and most waiters are happy to accommodate them."

Potato Chips
Standard size: 2 ounces
Better-for-you size: 1 ounce
Calorie difference: 154
"Snack sizes are often twice as big as they were 30 years ago," says Michael Jacobson, PhD, the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "And even though the labels on the bags may say they serve two or more, many people polish off the entire contents themselves." One of the most popular snacks, potato chips, may contribute more to long-term weight gain than many other foods or drinks: A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that for every additional serving of chips a person consumes daily, they gain nearly two pounds every four years.
Lessen plan
Choose popped as opposed to fried chips to get morefood (about 23 crisps versus 13) for fewer calories. If you prefer the classic version, opt for a one-ounce package or split a bigger bag with a buddy.




Steak
Standard size: 12 ounces, cooked
Better-for-you size: 3 ounces, cooked
Calorie difference: 572
When it comes to beef, most chefs have had a bigger-is-better mentality: Almost half of those surveyed by researchers at Clemson University and Pennsylvania State University admitted to serving 12-ounce strip steaks -- more than double the amount of meat you should eat in a day.
Lessen plan
"A lot of chains now offer six-ounce sirloin steaks or filets that cook down to about four and a half ounces and clock in at 350 calories," Young says. Shave 50 to 100 calories off that number by asking the waiter to have yours made with very little or no butter brushed on top.




Ice Cream
Standard size: 1 cup
Better-for-you size: 1/2 cup
Calorie difference: 270
"Eating directly out of the carton means you may well keep going until you hit the cardboard at the bottom," says Brian Wansink, PhD, the director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University and a FITNESS advisory board member. If you're indulging in premium ice cream, that can be the caloric equivalent of a double cheeseburger, plus a whopping 20 grams of saturated fat -- nearly your daily maximum.
Lessen plan
Dish out a single serving, and use a small bowl and spoon. A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that doing so could shrink your helping ofrocky road by about 30 percent. At the ice cream parlor, get a cup or a cone with a single scoop rather than asundae or milkshake, which can contain roughly 1,400 to 1,700 calories.




White Rice

Standard size: 2 cups, cooked
Better-for-you size: 1/2 cup, cooked
Calorie difference: 308
Order takeout from a Chinese restaurant and your side of steamed rice will contain 400 to 500 (mostly) empty calories. Not only can it crimp your stay-slim efforts, it can also raise your type 2 diabetes risk: According to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, people who ate five or more servings of white rice a week had a 17 percent greater chance of getting the disease than those who ate virtually none.
Lessen plan
Switch to brown rice, which contains six times as much fiber as the refined version. And use a measuring cup to get an accurate sense of how much you're really eating, Young advises. When you're dining out, scoop an amount of rice that's half the size of a tennis ball and leave the rest in the serving dish.

Salad Dressing


Standard size: 4 tablespoons
Better-for-you size: 2 tablespoons
Calorie difference: 145
"Chefs are notorious for drowning your greens in dressing, which can add 300 to 400 calories and dozens of grams of fat to an otherwise healthy dish," Zuckerbrot says. Even if you order your dressing on the side, a standard restaurant ramekin or to-go pouch of ranch, Thousand Island, or Caesar contains twice the amount you should be putting on your salad.
Lessen plan
If your salad feels too dry with just two tablespoons of dressing, ask your server for balsamic vinegar or a lemon wedge you can squeeze over it. "You'll be surprised at how much flavor these minimal-calorie toppers add," Zuckerbrot says.





Chicken Breasts

Standard size: 6 ounces, cooked
Better-for-you size: 3 ounces, cooked
Calorie difference: 99
We tend to think of boneless, skinless chicken breasts as the ultimate diet food, so it's easy to overlook the fact that many are now two and a half times bigger than they used to be. "We assume that whatever comes in the package is the right amount," Young says. "But some four-pound family packs of chicken, which should actually serve 16 people, contain just six breasts."
Lessen plan
Look for labels that say "thin-cut" or "thin-sliced." Thesechicken breasts tend be sold in four-ounce portions, hitting the USDA-recommended three-ounce mark once they're cooked. Or make your own by splitting the chicken breasts sold in regular packs; simply use a sharp kitchen knife to slice each one in half lengthwise.



Margaritas

Standard size: 7 1/2 ounces
Better-for-you size: 5 1/2 ounces
Calorie difference: 84
Mixed drinks frequently contain 42 percent more alcohol than a standard one-shot drink would, according to a study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review. "We're likelier to tip well if we're served a generously poured cocktail, and bartenders are banking on that," Zuckerbrot says. "But what you're really getting is a little more alcohol and a lot of sugary, high-calorie mixer, which makes the hard stuff go down so easily that you're ready for another glass sooner."
Lessen plan
Switch to beer, wine, or liquor on the rocks (with just a splash of juice or club soda), all of which bartenders are less likely to overpour. "By not diluting your alcohol with sugary add-ins that mask the taste, you're more likely to sip it slowly rather than guzzle it," Zuckerbrot says. At home, use a shot glass to ensure you're serving yourself the right amount.






Bagels

Standard size: 4 1/2 inches
Better-for-you size: 2 1/2 inches
Calorie difference: 270
Would you start your day with six or seven slices of white bread? "That's the calorie equivalent of a bagel at most chains," says Zuckerbrot. "And that's before it's slathered with cream cheese or butter." Even the average store-bought bagel is about 195 percent bigger than it ought to be, a study in the American Journal of Public Healthfound. Eating the whole thing means you've already put away almost all of your six recommended daily servings of grains.
Lessen plan
Both Bruegger's and Au Bon Pain recently began offering Skinny Bagels -- with about 200 calories and 90 calories apiece, respectively -- and Einstein Bros Bagels now sells Bagel Thin Singles, which come in under 160 calories. At the grocery store, opt for Thomas' 110-calorie Bagel Thins or Weight Watchers Original Bagels, with 150 calories 



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