Mer's World

And, man do I need it!

After a week of healthy eating, minimal wine consumption, lots of work and even a little gym/treadmill time, I think it’s about time for a vacation…

Or, as the Bri Guy calls it ‘the annual Bullamore/Hanna lobster bake’!

We are headed to a place in paradise where the water is a clear turquoise, the sunshine is warm and the culture is friendly and laidback.  Just what you need before winter gets really bad in New England!

I do have a few goals for the trip, although I’m keeping them minimal so that I can really enjoy the down time!

1) Exercise.  3 long walks around the neighborhood.

2) Food.  Make healthy choices, whenever available.  If not available, enjoy!

3) Booze.  Use sparingly and mix well with lots of other fluids- those calories are sneaky!

So, the posts may be a bit spotty the next few days, but don’t worry about me…

I’ll be hanging out at Off the Wall with a rum drink in my hand…

(Source)

Well, it’s been a while since I posted for WIAW, but I though it might be a good idea to bring it back…

Thanks for hosting the party, Jenn!

Breakfast:

Prepped quickly!  2 eggs, crumbled turkey bacon and a sprinkle of Italian cheese

Half-Caff To Go:

Lunch:

Chicken in a spicy tomato sauce, over roasted veggies (green beans, broc, squash, onions, eggplant)

Snack:

Pre-gym snack of Greek yogurt (with toasted almonds) and a KIND bar

Dinner:

Tilapia with roasted veggies and a Greek Salad (romaine, goat cheese, onions, tomatoes, olive, Greek dressing drizzle)

Not pictured: a few chocolate covered pecans

Workout:

30 min. treadmill incline workout (up 1 incline level every few minutes until you hit 10, then back down…)

Mer’s Workout of the Week

All in all, a great day for eating, working out and getting back into the swing of things!

Hope you had a good day!  I read that this is one of the most depressing days of the year HERE, so hopefully you survived!

At least it is a short week!

This was the first weekend since October that the Bri Guy and I didn’t have a list of events planned, or had traveled out of town.  We cleaned, cooked, shopped, celebrated and relaxed.

We had a great date night at home for New Years Eve, an evening that we both requested to relax and start 2012 off right!

On New Years Day, we headed to the gym and hung around the house watching football.  Low-key, much-needed and perfect (minus the fact that the dogs ran through the garden and tracked mud all through the first floor before we noticed… and had to re-clean!).

As part of my January Goals, I am going to develop a weekly, lifting workout to make my gym time a little easier.

Mer’s Workout of the Week:

Warm-up (10 min): Elliptical, Bike or treadmill

Arm Circuit (12-15 reps, repeat twice, no rest between machines):

Pec Fly Machine

Bicep Curls

Lat Pulldown

Leg Circuit (12-15 reps, repeat twice):

Leg Press

Leg Extension

Core Circuit:

Oblique Machine

60 second modified plank (2, 30 sec holds)

30 crunches (2xs)

NOTE: I’m relying on my many years as a student athlete and several years working with a personal trainer to develop these plans!  Please consult a professional before embarking on your own fitness plan!  This is only meant as a guide…

Schedule:

Monday: Treadmill @ home

Tuesday: Mer’s Workout of the Week plus 30 min. cardio

Wednesday: Treadmill @ home

Thursday: Mer’s Workout of the Week plus 30 min. cardio

Friday: 45 minutes cardio (gym)

Saturday: Fight through the crowds at Logan/San Juan/STX airports.  Lug luggage up to second floor bedroom.  Unpack.  Pour drink.  Begin healthy living on vacation.  Immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of today was pretty quiet.  I got some reading done (thanks to the Boston Public Library for free kindle downloads!) and some stitching.

Downward Dog progress:

Stitching and Football!

Yoga Pants!

Doggie Closeup...

Hope you have a great Monday/Tuesday!  Hopefully it’s a short week and the year is off to a good, healthy start for you!

Doggie Closeup x2

Hope you had a wonderful celebration and are starting 2012 off on the right foot!

I always get a little excited to end a year and start another…

It’s a great time to reflect on things that I’m thankful for and things that I want to accomplish going forward!

So, I quick recap of our date night…

Dinner at home:

Shrimp steamed with lemon

Greek salad (romaine, feta, olives, turkey bacon, drizzle of dressing)

Roasted brussels sprouts

Sirloin filets

Champagne, served in our Waterford Love flutes

Table for two, please!

Steamed shrimp with lemon to start!

Greek salad!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with onions and turkey bacon!

Perfectly grilled by my handsome chef!

'Love' by Waterford!

Love, Champagne and Candlelight!

Christmas decorations are tucked away and replaced by Christmas gifts (candleholders from Meg!)

Goals for 2012

1. Put my health first and make it a priority NO MATTER HOW BUSY I AM!

2. Do less and enjoy more- quality time with friends and family over a fully scheduled week or weekend!

3. Make healthy choices- in all aspects of life!  But, don’t get caught up on special occasions!

Goals for January

1. Make it to my new gym 3xs per week

2. Start the Couch to 5k training plan (and stick with it this time!).

3. Stick with weeknight meal planning and weekend prepping

4. Eat at least 2 dinners a week at the dining room table- no phones, no tv, no radio

5. Focus on finding balance between work and home.

Did you set any goals for 2012?  How did you celebrate the New Year?!

XO, Mer

(Source)

I’m BAAAAACK!

Sorry, friends!  Needed a little break from traveling/working/blogging/picturing.

I hope that you’ve recovered from the busy pace of the holidays, the abundance of food and drinks and all the travel and family obligations!

How is it almost 2012?!

I’ve started thinking about resolutions, but want to come up with some attainable goals that will stick for longer than two weeks…

I’m also thinking about how to move forward with the blog.  I have to say that snapping photos of every meal isn’t really me.  Yet, I’m embarking on a journey of weight-loss, diabetes management and work/life balance.  It’s a journey that I’d like to share with you for motivation, laughter, support and fun along the way.  So, I’m going to play around with a posting schedule these next few weeks to figure out what works for me, and helps me find that balance…

What have you enjoyed the most in the last 5 months of Mer’s World?

The daily food diary? Recipes? Contests?  Needlepoint/craft posts?

Let me know what you connected with, so I have a better idea of how to direct my energy (it feels a little scattered right now!)

I’ve made a step in the right direction by filling my diet with lots of veggies, high protein foods and tea this week!

Here’s a peek of dinner tonight:

Romaine, feta, roasted veggies, baked tofu and topped with a broccoli pancake!

Salad beast!

Another salad beast…

HAHA, check out the hot mess of my living room in the background…

Anyway, last item of business tonight- WINNER!

So, for those that completed at least 20 miles in December- CONGRATS!

I hope it helped you focus on our health this holiday season, and fit in a little extra exercise!

The winner of the $50 gift card is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1

Timestamp: 2011-12-30 02:10:33 UTC

~~~~~~~~~~

 Congrats, Meghan!  You are sooooo gonna rock that wedding dress this Fall!

Have a good night and remember that tomorrow is Friday and then a LOOOOONG weekend (and a new year!).

XO, Mer