Adriana Lima is Hot and a Awesome Quote

So this post is a little late. Meant to post this morning but ran out of time. Lets start with the food part. Yesterday my lunch was simple yet amazing. I am running out of groceries so couldn’t bring food from home so I decided to go to one of my favorite lunch spots: Hale and Hearty. I went for a chicken avocado salad over mixed greens. Asked for EVOO and vinaigrette on the side (I rarely ever have any other kind of dressing). It was so good. I was a little scared I wouldn’t be fully satisfied but surprisingly I was! I also completed yesterdays Elf4Health challenge by having the salad so: done and done!

Later on during the day I snacked on an apple and a granola bar before my finance exam at 7:30.

I don’t want to go over the exam too much. I am glad is over. Let’s just say the professor told us one thing and the exam was the complete opposite. In other words, he claimed there wouldn’t be too many calculations (mostly conceptual) but guess what, most of the exam was calculations. I knew better so I did have all my formulas ready on the sheet he allows us to bring to the exams. The challenging part was figuring out which formula to use for what and my head was spinning at one point. Most of the class needed an extra 30 minutes to finish—so you can imagine how we all fell!. The professor was nice enough to stay extra time but I think we were all wondering WTH throughout the test. When I walked out of the exam one of my classmates approached me and asked me whether I thought it was difficult. That made me feel a gazillion times better because I knew I wasn’t the only one that felt that way! So, we’ll see what happens. Praying for a major curve and 100% on my final—is not over till is over.

In other news...Today’s Elf4Health challenge is sharing one of your favorite snacks. Here is one of mine:

 

I love the kashi dark chocolate coconut bar. I pair it up with tea and its so good and satisfying—specially in mid-afternoon when most of us needs a recharge.

Sometimes during the day I also snack on apples which I bring from home. I add lemon so that they don’t turn brown and munching on them during the day helps me control cravings.

So, if you are a girl you are probably well aware that last night was the Victoria Secret fashion show. I got home about 30 minutes in to it so I couldn’t see much besides a little bit of Rhianna’s performance. I was specially intrigued by Adriana Lima’s body after having a baby. She is my favorite VS Angel and I think she is absolutely gorgeous. Her body looks like a normal human being with curves and it was a breath of fresh air to see someone looking normal and not skeletical in that runway. Go Adriana!

I stole this pic from a Self or Shape magazine facebook post :) Hence the caption.

Finally, I want to share a quote I saw today on facebook by Clare @ Fitting it All in which I loved and just had to share with you guys:

I love Brian Tracy and I actually have one of his books. He is so inspirational with his words! Quite the motivator!

This is all for now. Have a good evening everyone!

Tell me, Did you see the Victoria Secret fashion show last night? What are your thoughts?

My BFF was in town and Lessons Learned

This weekend was seriously ridiculous in terms of my eating habits triggered by stress but lets begin with the fun part shall we!! My BFF who lives in Washington State came down for the thanksgiving holiday. We needed to see each other before she left the city so on Friday night we all caught up at a local bar by the NYU campus (which is where she went to graduate school) and had a few drinks:

College Bffs.

My friend that’s visiting is the one all the way to the left. I admire this gal so much! We went to high school together, college near each other and despite our ups and downs our friendship remains solid thought the years. She is truly like family.

When I got home on Friday I managed to prep a healthy and quick dinner before going to bed. Definitely delicious:

Tilapia and avocado on a bed of lettuce and whole wheat tortilla.

On Saturday night we planned a last minute get together and she came over to see my apartment, which she hasn’t seen yet. We ate homemade shrimp quesadillas (was too hungry to take a picture and they were eaten in about 2.5 seconds) and baked chocolate chip cookies:

I usually don’t bake any cookies because in all honesty that would mean danger if I was by myself but since I had company I figured it would be okay. I also made her take the cookies we didn’t eat. When she left she sent me this amazing text which made me feel so good about myself and which I am saving:

Love it.

The rest of my weekend was spent studying and freaking out about an upcoming exam.  This is how it went down:

All this school stress is making me rethink my concentration (it is currently finance). I went through a similar hell in undergrad which I am still not quite sure how I was able to survive (and graduated with honors). I constantly wonder why I have voluntarily put myself in this torture—the sequel. They say that when you are doubting yourself and are going through stressful times on the way to a goal you should remind yourself of the WHY—what was it that made you dive in to the pursuit of the goal in the first place? Well, when I first started this journey I dreamed of being in wealth management at a prestigious investment bank but these days I am not so sure. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know my two passions in life involve finance and health and fitness. Only God knows what shall be my destiny! I am sure I will be okay is just the anticipation that kills me sometimes. Ugh!

I also think I found the culprit for why I break out. More on that on a different post.

In other (random) news. I have wanted to do something drastic/different with my hair for a few years now and I am really, really loving Alicia Keys new haircut. What do you guys think?!

Finally, I am a little behind with my Elf4Health assignments because of everything going on. Thankfully, I have an amazing “elf” that reminds me of the challenges and helps keep me on track. I am so happy I was paired up with her we have so much in common. Today’s challenge is prepping a yummy salad. I am actually really looking forward to it—specially after the weekend I had! I think I ate my entire pantry. Here is an idea of how crazy I went yesterday evening:

Note to self: studying at home and alone with food around is not a good idea. Live and learn!

I leave you with this tid bit of fitness inspiration. I saw this the other day and loved it. Definitely not giving up!

Almost forgot! Saturdays Elf4health challenge involved gathering stuff for the Salvation Army.  I managed to get this pile together while looking through my closet the other day. I am sure I have more stuff somewhere but this is a start:

Question: What makes you eat more than usual? Are you an emotional or stress eater? How do you handle it?

Dried Meat and Card To a Friend

Happy Humpday everyone! Im super excited today because my office is putting up xmass decorations. My favorite holiday is the Christmas season (Beginning with Thanksgiving Day—which I consider part of the season) and my favorite day of every year is December 31^st! I am pretty sure I’ve mentioned this more than once since I started the blog but just in case anyone forgot!

Also, we get to dress down at the office until the end of November so this is what I am wearing today:

Yesterday was busy as usual. I had work and then class until 8:45 which meant I got home close to 10 ish. I wanted a quick dinner so I reached for my favorite item: sweet potato. I had some left over from the other day. I quickly sliced it and placed it in the oven while I put my pre-made tilapia and a piece of left over turkey in my little oven. In the meantime I went to take a quick shower and began doing something on the computer that by the time I removed my fish and turkey from the over it was super dry!!! Have you ever over-heated meat to point of it borderline getting burnt? Well, that’s what happened. Thankfully my sweet potatoes were okay. Dinner overall was good and satisfying. No complaints.

Yesterdays Elf4Health challenge was to send a handwritten card to someone. I choose my friend Ana whom ive known since high school. She has two kids, is a part time grad student AND works full time. I have no clue how she does it but whenever I feel like school is too much and I want to give up, I think of her. Despite the lack of communication at times; whenever we reunite is like time never passed. She is one of those friends that falls in to the “lifetime” category. Love ya Anita.

This was placed in the mail this morning:

…Oh yeah, and this is what happens when you try to multi-task while painting your nails:

Lesson Learned. Thankfully I was able to save my floor!!!

Enjoy the rest of you day!

Question: Whats your favorite holiday? Im still searching for boots by the way!

Thanksgiving Turkey Trut + WHY I'M THANKFUL

So thanksgiving 2012 has arrived! I want to make this a quick but strong post because I have to get ready and go help my mom with some of the food prep. First and foremost: I did it! I woke up this morning at 8:30 am (on my day off from work!!!) put on my workout clothes and headed out the door to complete the 5K Turkey Trot sponsored by A Journey To Thin. I ended up doing more than a 5K (a little bit over 4 miles) because once I was done I was too winded to stop so I had to walk until my heart rate calmed down. It was a combination of walk/run. I would say I ran/jogged approx 2.5 of those miles and sped walked the rest:

I enjoyed some very nice views during my run. I love, love, love the fall:

My plan had been to have oatmeal for breakfast post run. However, once I was done my body was craving something "salty" or something not as sweet as oatmeal so I decided to make some eggs florentine on a whole wheat tortilla plus my coffee with almond milk. I added dash seasoning and part skim mozarella. It was definitely satisfying.

So anyways, without further 'ado here is why I am thankful today and everysingle day:

1. The presence of God in my life: Living alone has brought me a lot closer to God in many levels. Ive never been the type to go to church every single sunday (still working on that!) but I do feel that I have a very siginificant relationship with the one above. I am raised Roman Catholic and I do follow the belives of the bible but, beyond that---I am really appreciative of the relationship I am developing with God in a spiritual sense and the feeling of peace and gratefulness that comes with that, which cannot be expressed in words. Is very strong and I am thankful for that. I can only hope that it continues to grow.

2. My family: They are healthy, amazing people whom are always there for me. No matter what happens in my life I know for a fact that I will always have a rock in them. No matter how moody I may get or how mean I can be sometimes (I do recognize that) they are ALWAYS there for me with no grudges and no bad feelings, just with an open and welcoming heart. I am also thankful that they are healthy and strong and I can enjoy them for many years to come, if God allows: Mom, Dad and Marlenne: Love ya! Also-- My extended family who's so much fun and always walk around with a positive attitude about life no matter what is going on. Never a dull moment :) Love them too!

3. My Health: Growing up Ive always been a very healthy person (I rarely ever catch a cold, my immune system is super strong, Ive always been generally healthy). I am so appreciative for this and I do make a concious effort everyday to treat my body with respect by staying active and eating healthy although we all slip from time to time. I consider myself a billionaire because I have my health and that's something money cannot buy.

4. My Job: Although I am not currently in the career I want to be in (God knows this!) I am grateful to have a steady paycheck while I organize myself and embark in the journey I am supposed to be on. I know that sooner or later I will be doing something I absolutely LOVE for a living. In the meantime, I am thankful that I can keep my life organized and structured by being employed. I have also mentioned before how much I LOVE working downtown. Everytime I pass the New York Stock Exchange on my way to work I am reminded that dreams do come true in God's perfect time. :)

5. My Apartment: This time last year I was still living with my parents. Although I used to get super frustrated about it from time to time it got to a point where I became grateful to have a roof over my head, food and my family around me. I stopped nagging about what I didnt have and began to see what I DID have. A couple of months later I got the call for my apartment which I was waiting on for soooo long. The call finally came and In January 2012 I moved in to my own place and I LOVE THIS PLACE. I am so incredibly thankful for it. My words cannot even begin to express it. I feel at peace, happy, I am at a good place in my life and I recognize this everyday. It is true what they say: feeling thankful and grateful for what you have does bring more abundance in to your life.

6. Food: enough said? LOL...What I mean is that I am thankful that I can eat healthy and that I have food available for me when I am hungry or when I need nourishment or pretty much 24/7. I recognize that a lot of people around the world dont have this blessing of having food in their table when needed and have to go through a lot to get  a warm plate of food. I pray for those who need it and I can only pray that I am presented with enough abundance and the opportunity to help those who need it the most in the near future and that I have the resources to help.

7. Friends: Where do I begin with this?! I have amazing friends. TRUE friends that I can always count on and even if we stop talking for months or even years the minute we reunite again is like time never passed!!! What an amazing feeling to know that you have people that love you and that you love and that no matter what happens they will always be part of your life! People that if you need to vent about something, complain about something, get excited and happy about something or if you just want to relax-- they are there. You all know who you are and for you I am thankful <3. :) It is true what they say that people come in to your life for a Season, a Reason or a Lifetime. I am grateful for ALL the friends regardless of which "category" they may fall under :).

Edited to add--

8. My Car: I may not have a 2013 Mercedes Benz but I LOVE my car as it takes me where I need to go and rarely gives me any issues. Also, I am thankful because today was the first time I was able to fill it up with gas since the whole Sandy fiasco! I am thankful to have a set of wheels to take my around and I am reminded of this every time I turn on my ignition!

...So this turned out to be a longer post than what I had planned. Thanks for reading. Now off I go to get ready for some food prep with mom. HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

What are YOU thankful for today?