Thursday, October 23, 2008

Wishing, Hoping, Thinking, Praying, Planning, Dreaming...

That's what I'm doing right now as I watch the minutes tick bye. Notice a theme here? Anyway, I'm big on positive thinking now. Well, doing what I'm supposed to do and thinking positive. I am a realist, after all. The thing is, after I do all I can do, that's what I'm left with: my wishes, prayers, and plans. I'm trying not to work myself into a frenzy, and I think I've been pretty good. It's just it's a little slow at work, so my mind has a tendency to wander. But I go back to my positive thoughts and prayers and leave it at that.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Speaking of which....

M and I cannot be the only Muslim raw vegans out there. First it was just a hunch, and I did a few searches on Naseeb and Match. But then, I went through 10 pages of Google, and only found like one real hit. What's up with that? I'll even settle for just a plain vegan. So, I'm sending a shout out and salaams to any Muslim (raw) vegans out there. If you read this, hit me up, even if its just to say hey. We can compare notes and recipes that involve dates...

Still good..

Just came back from grabbing lunch at Whole Foods, the raw vegan's
double edged sword. Why? Because it offers so many vegan options,
cooked and raw. And their house made fake meat can even make a
carnivore crave. So I am very proud of myself. I'm still raw with the
exception of soup. I got a great salad and added vegan tomato basil
soup. Good stuff all around. The $23 I spent? Not so good...

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

So I'm watching Biggest Loser and...

I think Trainer Bob may have been hitting the Botox...

Sent from my iPhone

Tick Tock...

As I sit here watching the minutes until I'm free slowly tick by, I decided to do a bit of writing. And since I love list, here it goes:

  • Last night I made guacamole for the first time. Pretty good, although it needed time to sit.
  • Apparently tortilla chips are my Achilles heel when it comes to raw food. I had them yesterday and today. Other than that, I've been raw. Not bad, but for some reason, I feel bloated. Maybe I need a more hard core detox. Or maybe I should stay away from the black tea. Or both.
  • I haven't worked out since last Wednesday. It's getting dark so early, my outside runs are dead in the water, so I may have to be a gym rat this winter. I'm thinking find a yoga class everyday and tack 30 minutes of cardio onto that?
  • What's with my TV watching habits? I've been missing all my former favorites. Last week during Grey's, I turned it off when I knew it was about to reach its climax. Don't know what that's about.
  • Whitey's gone and gotten himself his first scratch. Apparently I was swiped, probably while someone was parking. Poor Whitey.

9 minutes to go, time to pack up!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

And the winner is...

So what did I do last night? I hit the gym AND swung by Nordstrom to get my pants. I did 30+ minutes on the climber (and actually considered doing an hour), then jetted and called my mom on the way home. She asked about my pants (only a mom, huh) and suggested I get them last night while the mall wasn't crowded and I had nothing better to do. It turned out to be a great suggestion. I talked to her for about 15 minutes, then switched right over to a convo with my career guru (identity withheld to protect the innocent), so the ride to King of Prussia flew by. And I may be biased, but I love the Activewear department at Nordy's. Now they have great stuff from North Face for the season. A quilted jacket caught my eye ($150, of course) in addition to the Denali I still haven't gotten my hands on (never fear, this is the year). But seeing as how I have bigger fish to fry, I just picked up my pants and bounced. In fact, I was so on top of things, I called my dad on the way home. It really makes him feel special when his kids call and check in with him, especially since we're some of the few people that never ask him for anything (my sister not included, but she's a special case).

I had plans for a networking convo that night around 8 or 9, but I got home just in time to make a raw marinara sauce to go with my shredded squash before anyone called. I still didn't get to sleep until after midnight, though, and this morning when I woke up, it showed. I'm also sore in the upper arm/shoulder area. Today is supposed to be a yoga day but I'm dreading those downward dogs. But I've been doing so well, I may just work through the pain. And then maybe reward my self with guacamole? I've had a taste for it all day. On that note, in the land of new me, my third number change feels so close, yet so far away. Granted its that time of the month, but I also know winter makes it hard to stick to a raw diet. That's part of the reason I'm trying to stick to my workouts. Also, wouldn't you know it? It seems I have a social calendar. Just this week, I have 3 outings planned. And it's so much easier to eat vegetarian than vegan, not to mention raw. I'm pretty sure cash will make me bow out of one of them, but hopefully I'll remember to take pics and do some type of review for the others.

Monday, October 13, 2008

I Can Already Feel It...

My couch is calling me. All the way from my living room in West Philly. Its saying "Smoni, leave work, come nap on my beige colored futon goodness". Now, I've been pretty good about keeping busy until its time for me to go to bed, around 10 or 11. But last night I was out a little late helping my cousin with last minute wedding planning and it threw off my sleep schedule. So here I am, 20 minutes before departure time, brainstorming ways to resist the temptation of napping (and drinking green tea instead of earl grey). I could drive to Nordstrom and pick up the pants I had altered. I could do a little guilt free shopping, courtesy of my gift cards and merchandise credits. I could go for a run or go to the gym. Just as long as I keep moving and stay away from my apartment. Just for two hours. By 7, it'll be time to wind down, there will be plenty to keep me busy on TV, I can eat dinner, get myself ready for tomorrow, and call it a night.

I think I'll hit the gym. I'm due for a run, but the elliptical seems more my speed today. And I already have the clothes in my car. So there it is. To the gym I go...

Sunday, October 12, 2008

You know what's great?

Putting together a fabulous outfit from stuff you forgot was in your
closet. It's a even bigger feat when your wardrobe has been cut in
half due to lost excess weight. It's a meager wardrobe in the best way
possible...

Saturday, October 11, 2008

How many calories does a Obama rally burn?

Monday, October 6, 2008

We Now Return To Our Regularly Scheduled Program...

Wow! That was a crazy week. I had so much going on, with the holidays and birthdays and work, I barely noticed it fly by. The weekend was full, too. I went to the annual potluck out in Coatesville, then swung by King of Prussia for my sister, before driving all the way over to Brinton Lakes for my mom's birthday dinner. Sunday, the only commitment I had was breakfast with my dad (a full 5 days after the actual holiday) and half of the twin duo. We went to my favorite breakfast spot, Sabrina's. Although the stuffed challah french toast was CALLING ME (seriously, it took all my control and a look at my before pictures) I ordered the tofu scramble and added a few polenta fries. I went home planning to take a cat nap and do my grocery shopping. I didn't wake up until after 3 and decided I had enough food to last me until Monday. Even with my extended nap, I was still in bed by 11 and asleep by 11:30.

So, this morning, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm well rested, I have my green smoothie (apple, mango, spinach, lemon, little honey), some miso soup, and I'll probably have a nice salad for lunch. I'm thinking of making the trek to Saad's. I haven't seen him in ages (and I have the waistline to prove it) and it would give me a chance to pray at the musala. After work I'm kinda jonesin for a run, so maybe I'll actually make that happen.

In other news, I've decided not to go to San Fran for the Nike Women's Marathon. It wasn't the money, it was me. I want to run my first marathon, not walk it and barely make it across the finish line. And even though I'm losing my $110 registration, it's a lot less than the additional $700 I'd be spending on hotel and airfare. I was a little sad when I saw the reminder emails in my box this morning, but I'm getting over it. And I think I'll still do the virtual half marathon. As far as races go, I have no plans any time soon. I really have to get back into the swing of things. But I'm feeling good and eager to add feeling strong to that also...

Thursday, October 2, 2008

The best Eid evar!

Because not only did I feel loved, I felt listened to. Below is my
gift from my oldest brother. How did he even know!?! And all my gifts
were like that. The overall theme seemed to be that my family is
really encouraging my recent lifestyle changes and want me to keep up
the good work. And with gifts like these, I'm with it too...