The Great Balancing Act

Thank you sosososo much for the supportive comments on my last post! Sometimes I wish I could be this wonderful role model. A fun blogger who has their shit together, eats well all the time, has a perfectly fit bod, etc, etc. Well, I?m not. No one is. In fact, I would say my shit has officially hit the fan :P

But! I?m pulling myself back together. I?ve been very vague about how much I struggled this past fall. It got to the point where I dreaded getting out of bed everyday and broke down crying regularly. My mother suggested I go to counselling, instead, I quit my job. My life has been cah-razy ever since. Piecing myself back together has proved to be a very long process. One of self-discovery, that?s for sure.

So yes, during this period of time, I gained weight. To be honest, I didn?t have the strength in me not to. Yes, I?ve lost the ?balance? I named my blog after. But that?s why I chose to theme my blog around balance in the first place. It?s something I, and many other people, struggle with. I stumbled, I lost my balance, and it?s time to get back on both my feet again.

It?s not all about losing weight and looking like a personal trainer. It?s about taking steps that make me feel like me again. Setting fitness goals (one of my fave things to do!!), eating foods that make me feel good, and finding that lust for life I once possessed.

When I quit my job as a radio reporter in November, I was broke and worn out. My life looked like nothing but a ?coulda-woulda-shoulda.? In three short months I?ve stumbled into my current job which I love. Made the decision to pursue my passion for fitness and work in the field. Realized I?m a writer at heart. Opened my mind to possibilities outside of the borders I created. And took the leap to focus on my dreams and go after them. By myself. With the influence of no one.

So once again, I completely spill my guts on my ?healthy living? blog. Damn. I suck at not being honest!

I must say though, despite all this, my Monday got off to a fabulous start :D

Was up and at ?em for the 6am RPM spin class. Yes, the same one I?ve failed to go to for the past three weeks. I finally forced myself to bed early on a Sunday night and made it. SO WORTH IT!!! Next Sunday night, I?m coming back to read this post. I must always remind myself that every Monday should start with a few brutal hill climbs ;)

Since I was away this weekend, I didn?t do my usual Sunday food prep. So this beast of a bar was breakfast:

Peanut Butter Clif Builder?s bar. Eaten at my desk.

 
And a granny smith.

I didn?t care for the builder?s bar that much. Albeit, it was half frozen from sitting in my car. Oddly, I didn?t like it because it tasted too much like a candy bar. Which is fine for a snack, but not for a meal.

It was at least filling. I didn?t dig in to my morning snack till later?

Applesauce + coconut chia granola + raisins + kashi blackberry cereal bar. Granola in applesauce is good!!

My plastic lunch?

Tuna pita and baby carrots. Looks like a boring lunch but it was soooo good. I?m always super quiet at our lunch get-togethers at work because I?m always stuffing my face ;)

Snack!

Mango + cottage cheese. So weird to eat mangoes in the dead of winter, but they were on sale!

Dinner was a spicy concoction featuring my first ever run-in with chipotle!

Yes, I?ve never cooked with chipotle before. I added it to yves Mexican ground round, black beans, onions, green pepper, jalepeno, hot sauce and a dash of chili powder. All cooked up in a pan together to create one mega-spicy blend.

Usually sour cream would be used to soften the blow, but I didn?t have any. And Greek yogurt doesn?t exist in Canada. So I dug around and decided cottage cheese would make for a decent dairy topper. It was delicious!!! It added a creamy cheesiness that was to die for. Now I want to try cottage cheese tacos :)

Oh, and there may have been dessert?

 
A cherry hershey?s kiss. I didn?t know they made these!! I love chocolate covered cherries, so this definitely caught my eye.

 
It?s no cherry blossom, but for 20 calories a pop, I?ll take it ;)

Well, I think I?ve rambled enough for one evening. Tonight was my only full night off this week (I?m working late every other night this week). Instead of being productive, I laid in bed and caught up on my MTV watching. I dunno about you, but I think that?s balance right there ;)

Question of the Day: What?s one thing you?ve always wanted to do but been to scared to? I?ve always wanted to spend a year in Scotland. I?ve been dreaming about it since I was in high school but am still frightened by the idea. My mom?s family is from there, so I grew up hearing about it. Someday I?ll get the courage and do it. If anything, I promised Ellie I would!! :P