Thursday, December 24, 2009

So this is Christmas...

Happy Christmas Eve!!!

Unlike many of your favorite bloggers, I don't have tons of pictures of family and cookie-baking time. BUT, I want to talk to you about Christmas, about what it really is.

You can't always be where you want to be. This is the lesson I'm learning at the holidays.

This is my second Christmas in a row not going home. In 2007 when I did go home, my brother fell ill and we missed Christmas altogether. What I'm realizing is that Christmas is about family, wherever you are. If you can't be with your "real" family" make your own.

This year, like last, Ryan and I will spend Christmas with our roommate and his brother, as well as his 17-year-old son. These people are my California family. They are the noise and laughter and full bellied friends with whom I share my holidays now that I'm 2500 miles away from my family. And, it's okay.

Christmas is like life: things change. And, if I've learned nothing in life, it's that change is good. Learning to make the most of life wherever I am is a gift in and of itself. :)

Happy Holidays!

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Last night's dinner: Leftover White Chicken Chili Salad and a partridge in a PEAR tree.

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Today is busy. To do:

-Meeting at 9am
-Trader Joe's for last minute shopping
-Write articles
-Wrap presents
-Work on Book Outline
-Gym
-Spend time w/hubby

Merry Christmas!

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Yesterday... All My Troubles Seemed So Far Away

...because I made amazing FOOD.

Lunch was ridiculous. Why? Because I made brussels sprouts. Have you noticed that when you serve brussels sprouts they claim your plate and anything else on there is secondary?

They are always the star of the show. Mine were sprinkled with sea salt.




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Oh, ya, there was a bean/cheese wrap on the side. :D

For dinner, I made one of Ryan's favorite meals. White Chicken Chili. The chicken is really the only thing white. I used kidney and black beans, corn, spinach, and soy chorizo for kick. YUM!!!

[Disclaimer: It's not your eyes. My camera is actually getting WORSE. Much discussion in the Myers residence has been had about a new camera. Funds are the challenge.]




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I had a slice of bread w/AB and a small red pear on the side. Forgive me, for I have sinned. I wanted you to see my whole meal, but my camera is going down faster than the titanic. So... I committed the biggest bloggie sin of them all.

I used FLASH. :(



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Sorry... Do you guys forgive me?

Well, maybe this will make up for it. Not really, but ya know... Ryan and I visited Downtown Disney on Saturday to get into the holiday spirit (disney-style). Too bad the weather decided to go wacky on us. It was 80 degrees!



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After taking a picture beside the GINORMOUS Christmas tree, we continued typical Christmas fun.



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...we tried on hats... Isn't that what YOU do to get into the holiday spirit???

And, I'll leave you with this. The most awesomest of shirts...


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Ho Ho Ho

--Mrs. Myers


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Friday, December 18, 2009

Apple Imposter and Friday Productivity

Today was productive. I met with a client who needs his book edited, and I'm currently working on MY book outline, which will be part of the package I give to the editors and agents I meet with at the end of January.

It's so weird to not have to go to school. Last night, I kept feeling pressured, like I should be doing something else, when really all I had to do was hang out with hubby. It was nice!! :D

This morning hubby dropped me off at the gym on his way to work. (We still don't have a second car since his accident, so I have to walk or get dropped off everywhere while he's at work.)In fact, after this post, I'm about to give our insurance company a piece of my mind. My dear sweet hubby is way too nice for this business.

After the gym, I walked home and had scrumptious chocolate-peanut butter oats. I make them with water and chocolate soy, then I use a small spoon of natural peanut butter. Tasty!



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I didn't eat again until lunch, which was leftovers. See last night's vegetarian rice mix. This afternoon, I'm chomping on a cute little apple. Well, actually it's an apple imposter. The entire bag of apples has tasted like pears. It's plain weird.

My cute little pear-apple:


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Tonight, I'm supposed to hang out with my friend Kirsten, but she's feeling under the weather. We'll either have a chill at home night or forego all together.

Stay tuned.

--Mrs. Myers

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

GO COLTS!!!

Hi Guys! This will be a quickie post. This is the first night in FOREVER that I can hang out with hubby with no deadline hanging over me. AND.... the COLTS are playing!!!!

Dinner was a yummy vegetarian mix.



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Brown rice, kidney beans, spinach, black and smokey pepper to spice.



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With a side of green cauliflower and peas. I didn't eat much of the peas. They were too crisp for me. I like crisp, but these were... weird. Dunno. With the 99 Cent Store you win some, you lose some.

My camera is not good. I really need a GOOD camera to take this blog to the next level. But that stuff costs a pretty penny. Sometime...

Everyone have an amazing Thursday! Tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!!

GO COLTS!!!

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Crunching the Numbers: Diabetes

Good morning world! I hope you are all bright eyed and bushy tailed. It's the week before Christmas!!!!

Today, my post may err on the side of serious. For my Realities in Nutrition class, we were given an extra credit opportunity. The extra credit was to get your lipids panel done to determine your cholesterol levels. I didn't necessarily need the extra credit points, but it's been a long time since I'd had my cholesterol checked. Plus, it was only $5 on campus. You already know I love me a bargain! ;-)

On Monday, I picked up my results, and I was truly floored to see my numbers.

My total cholesterol: 243 [Should be less than 200]
HDL Cholesterol: 71 [That's actually good. Should be more than 40, or ideally more than 60.]
Triglycerides: 105 [Ok. Should be less than 150.]
LDL Cholesterol: 151 [Should be less than 100, some say less than 130.]

For the sake of this post, I will hugely oversimplify things and just say LDL is the bad stuff and I'm way high. Needless to say, this is not cool. I was very embarrassed at first. I kept thinking, I'm going to school for dietetics and I'm borderline diabetic?! But, I also realize that being honest about who I am is part of being a healthy me. It's part of the Jasmine Myers Mission Statement. So, here goes...

If I step back and look at myself honestly, I see that since my wedding my life has changed drastically. I went from working a full-time, high-stress job in an office setting to working out of my home, random hours on random jobs (ah, the life of a freelance writer). Then, the fall semester began and I was going to school full-time and working those random hours to boot. I've gained approximately 7-10 pounds since the wedding. Here's where I think I made my mistakes:

* Pasta. I love pasta. I love it because it's really quick, easy, and you usually have enough leftovers for another day. Very handy when I'm running around doing school and work, but not good for my waist line or my cholesterol. All those extra carbs (even 100% whole wheat carbs) add up to fat, especially when you're making a pasta dish like 3 times a week.

* Gym regimen. I used to go to the gym at 5am every morning before my full-time job. When I left my job and my life became a bit more chaotic, so too did my workout routine. I still worked out (thus, my high HDL), but I didn't work out as much, which allowed me to put on weight.

* Stress Eating. I battle with binge and emotional eating pretty often anyway. But, when life gets chaotic, I get a bit stressed. I began grazing alot over this semester. Extra calories = extra fat on my bod.

I'm not trying to be hard on myself, but I wanted to use myself as an example. I'm studying to be a dietician. You'd think I'd be on top of these things, but I'm human. I'm busy, and so many things can take priority over the gym. But, what it all boils down to is your health. It's not so much about going to the gym as it is maintaining a healthy balance. It's important. Those numbers were a real wake-up call.

Weight loss and maintenance isn't just about looking good. It's serious. You wouldn't look at me and think I have high blood sugar. But, here I am, borderline diabetic. I need to remember that eating well and exercising isn't just something I do so I can fit into my favorite jeans. It's something I do so I can live a long and happy life.

In the spirit of good-for-you food... Breakfast...


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So, as we all go into the crazy-foodness of next week, let's all remember that being well is the best gift we can give to ourselves and the ones we love. No resolution required. Just do it.

How do you plan to stay healthy through this holiday season?

--Mrs. Myers

Related Links:

How to eat healthy on a budget in San Diego

Beat the Cold and Avoid Winter Weight Gain

Strength Train to Burn Fat

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Monday, December 14, 2009

Two Down. Two to Go!!!

This morning, I took two of my four semester finals. I am SO glad to be half-way through.

It was a warm day, and I really enjoyed my walk home from school. I've taken it easy today. Sometimes, you just need a break. I'm about to hit my study notes for tomorrow's Realities in Nutrition final. I should be good to go, but it never hurts to do that last-minute cram. :p

I had a healthy, but simple lunch today. Turkey and 2% cheddar on whole wheat and a salad on the side.


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I'm not sure what's on the menu tonight. I don't really feel like cooking, but I'm sure I'll whip something up. Awesome, as always.

Have a great Monday night, everyone! Last full week of work of 2009! WOOHOO!!!!

Cheers,
Mrs. Myers

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Sunday, December 13, 2009

Weekend Eats

It's the Sunday before finals and all through the house every peep is stirring, including the mouse.

Ya, it's not exactly quiet here. So, I'm heading over to my favorite coffee house to get my study time in.

This weekend was full of yummy food. Friday night, Ryan and I shared a candle-lit dinner. Ground turkey stroganoff with baby bella mushrooms and romaine salads. Yum!


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Last night, our friend Jen had a birthday celebration at a wine bar in North Park. The ambiance was awesome. Ryan sampled the beer and I tasted the water. The water was tres magnifique if I do say so myself.


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Later, I did get in my Saturday night recreational calories by sharing a warm chocolate chip cookie with vanilla bean ice cream. If I'm going to get in random calories, I'd rather eat them than drink them. YUM-O Rachel Ray. YUM-O!


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Ok, ladies and gents, I'm off to study. Have a wonderful day!

--Mrs. Myers

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Friday, December 11, 2009

Little Kid Friday


Today has been a busy one. Ryan and I careened out the door because I had to drop him off at work, so I could use the car. It's raining and I have to go to class (my last one this semester). I'm getting ready to head out.


I had a little kid lunch. PB&J, apple, and pretzels. Delish!
I have so many meals to show you guys over the past few days. I will update again very soon. I have some major writing to do this afternoon after class, and then... time to cram for finals!!!
--Mrs. Myers
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Sunday, December 6, 2009

Breakfast Lunch Breakfast Out!

My friends!

I hope all is well in your bloggy lives. I have been busy with school and work. Plus, the loss of the car has meant I've been walking the 4-5ish miles home from school. Not a big deal, except my book bag gets heavy!!! It also cuts into my time. However, I'm love love loving the exercise.

This will be a quick post, but I wanted to share my beautiful breakfasts I've been having, as well as yesterday's quirky lunch.

Yesterday's breakfast was raspberry-licious.


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As you remember from my
last post, I got these berries for the bargain-basement price of $3.99. Oh, how good a bargain berry tastes.

My Saturday lunch included eggs and tomatoes. Maybe strange, but one of my favorite combos in the whole food world! The picture leaves alot to be desired. Forgive me, as always.


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Today's breakfast took the cake, or muffin, I should say. Cinna-raisin english muffin with crunchy peanut butter and more raspberries!!! This was so filling. Love it.


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I'm about to head over to my friend Isela's house (to study, of course... Isn't that what you do with friends?). Catch you on the flip side.

I'm out!!! Have a good one!

--Mrs. Myers

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