Missy Maintains » salad

NYC Marathon Day!

MissyMaintains — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:13:48 +0000

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. I want to start off by congratulating everyone who ran in the NYC Marathon yesterday! It was really special to watch friends, fello bloggers, and athletes from all over the world run such an amazing and inspirational race. I went last year with Mari so we decided to continue with the tradition this year.

Nothing like waiting until the last minute…

My poor attempt to make a poster on the subway got me lots of attention and laughs. I was quite pleased with the way my Dori poster turned out.

Mari and I arrived at the marathon and headed our separate ways. I found Dori’s boyfriend and roommate at mile 18 and we anxiously waited to see a cute girl wearing a Dori shirt with lots of hot pink run by!

We got plenty of updates on Twitter from other bloggers who were able to track her progress.

She ran by looking so happy and amazing after 18 miles! So proud of you Dori!! I spotted a few other familiar faces such as Melissa Z, Ashey, Theodora, and Rebecca. You all are amazing!

Eventually I found Mari again and we decided to head back to Queens for some food. We went to Corfu Grill, a Greek restaurant on Austin Street. I was freezing from standing outside so I decided to warm up with some tequila!

Skinny Margarita!

I ordered the Grilled Chicken Skewers plate which came with a Greek salad to start.

It also came with whole wheat pita and tzatziki sauce.

The chicken was delicious and was enough food for both lunch and dinner! It came with lima beans, rice and lemon potatoes.

I highly recommend going to Corfu Grill for happy hour if you are ever in Queens. They have 2-for-1 drinks and $2.00 appetizers! Can’t beat that.

I am off to go do some work! Have a great day and don’t forget to enter my Hydroxatone giveaway! I will be choosing a winner this Wednesday.

Salsa, Sushi, and Sati Summer

MissyMaintains — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:58:58 +0000

Today was a perfect and relaxing summer Sunday. I started off my day with a great intenSati class taught by my girl Darbi. I was not even planning on going because I was super tired this morning and just wanted to stay in bed. I happened to wake up ten minutes before I would have had to leave and saw a text message from my fellow Sati friend asking me if I was going. I told her I was laying there debating with myself but her text was enough for me to get my butt up and go. I am so happy I did and felt like a new person afterwards. Class was really fun and I even forgot about the fact that I did not have my usual espresso before the class. I also loved that I seemed to know every single person in the room. After class, I found out that they were giving free chair massages at Equinox! Yes please!

I walk by the massage chairs before leaving the gym all of the time but always assumed that they cost money. Amazing discovery! The massage only lasted about five minutes but felt great! I must admit that it was nice having a guy give me a massage because I usually go to the woman who paints my nails! I was very glad I shaved since he definitely rubbed down my legs. Anyway….a bunch of us grabbed lunch and headed to The High Line for a relaxing afternoon.

I love that I had absolutely nothing planned for Sunday but just going to intenSati kept me occupied for the whole day. While I essentially go for the amazing workout, it is also a huge part of my social life. I would definitely only have about two friends if it weren’t for intenSati!

I am now enjoying fruity wine and an Amy’s burrito!

I had another super relaxing day on Saturday. I thought about going to the gym or to Core Fusion but I knew my body needed a day off. I only went to Core Fusion four times this week even though I had hoped for five. I could do a Core Fusion DVD right now but I know I need to listen to my body and give it the rest it needs. I will get back there tomorrow morning now that my muscles have had some time to recover. I did work out a little bit by cleaning my bedroom and learning a new intenSati series! I am teaching again in two weeks so now is the time to prepare! I had a fun time dancing around in my kitchen and yelling out positive affirmations!

Since my oven is unplugged and my apartment is super hot, I decided to pick up breakfast from a local cafe. I got an egg white mushroom and feta cheese omelet with whole wheat toast. I also got a big iced coffee and chocolate Zico coconut water. Let’s just say I was a little hungover from the night before!

Lunch was a veggie burger sandwich with frozen broccoli (heated up in the microwave).

I watched several Netfix Instant movies including Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (I need to start juicing again), Twelve, and Happy Accident. Loved them all! I also treated myself to some sushi and wine!

I enjoyed some salad and edamame to start.

I also got an Eel Avocado roll and Dragon roll with brown rice.

Delicious! I don’t know why but I also had some cereal before bed. Same old story.

Back to Friday night….

I went to one of my favorite classes of the week- intenSati with Erin Stutland. I was miserable walking in but happy and energized walking out. A few of us went out for some drinks after class at a cute bar in Union Square called Lillie’s.

I always get drunk so fast after working out. I guess dehydration and not eating dinner till after drinking will do that to you. We went to a club afterwards called SOBS for some salsa dancing.

I do not salsa dance which meant standing at the bar and consuming several Cosmopolitans while watching my friends dance. Eventually I gave in and let the Latino boys spin me around which is not too smart after so much vodka. I did know the basic steps so it was not a total disaster. It was a super fun night, especially since it ended with Magnolia Pistachio cupcakes!

I will be spending the rest of my Sunday evening with my wine and kitty!

What did you do this weekend?

Do you know how to salsa dance?

Core Fusion and Food Challenge Update

MissyMaintains — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:01:44 +0000

Hello! How are you doing? I am doing great with my Core Fusion Challenge so far! In case you missed my last post, I am participating in the ”Stay on CORE-Se” challenge at Exhale Spa this month. This means that I have to attend class three times a week and, as a reward, I will receive special perks and discounts to the spa. I changed the challenge to five classes per week just because I want to take full advantage of this opportunity and really want to see some results by the end of the month. I started off the challenge with a Core Fusion Cardio class on Monday. I did not go on Tuesday just because I refuse to miss Patricia Moreno’s intenSati class. On Wednesday, I went to a very challenging Core Fusion Open class. I was practically in tears but it felt oh, so good. I also went to Core Fusion Sport after work yesterday when I found out that my colorist was out sick! Since I could not get my hair done, I had no other choice but to work out again! It is not really an option for me to go home right after work because it just leads to lots and lots of eating for no reason. While some people cannot wait to go home and relax after a long day at work, I do everything in my power to avoid being home for long periods of time at night. I would rather stay in the city for a couple of extra hours while getting a nice workout instead of mindlessly snacking. I know I do not talk about it much on here anymore but I am still a work in progress.

While I was kind of dreading Core Fusion Sport last night, I felt amazing afterwards. I did not really want to go since I was pretty sore from the morning class and am really trying to be careful about not overdoing it and then getting an injury. I also tried Sport a couple of years ago and was not a huge fan. I knew I would feel better if I worked out so I sucked it up and gave it another chance. I also need to mention that Exhale Spa is literally right across the street from my work so I have no excuse not to go! The class ended up being really great! The instructor, Adina (also my Cardio teacher on Monday) had a ton of energy and was very challenging at the same time. We did all kind of exercises using a weighted ball like jumpbacks, lunges, tricep dips, push ups, etc. We used an exercise band at the end for leg, butt and ab exercises. I will definitely try to take Sport at least once a week during this challenge!

I am happy to say that I also woke up this morning and went to Core Fusion again! It’s now Thursday and I’ve gone to Core Fusion four times this week! I will probably take a break tomorrow and go maybe one or two more times this weekend. I am a little nervous about seeing results though because, so far, my eating has been…hmm…out of control the last three days! Let’s just say I can’t have English muffins and crunchy peanut butter in the house. Now that the jar is gone, I am ready to get back on track. If I don’t start eating a little better at night, I will not lose any inches and will be pretty disappointed come August. I am going to try to start taking some more pictures of my food and posting them on here to hold myself accountable. Here are some eats from yesterday:

Before Core Fusion, I made an espresso and protein powder mix with Stevia and almond milk in my Magic Bullet. I make this every single time I exercise in the morning. It wakes me up right away and tastes delicious at the same time.

Breakfast was out for grabs when I arrived at work. It was interesting but I like free food so I ate it.

I had some sort of egg, black bean, and corn scramble, a mini bagel, and some potatoes that tasted like bacon. MMM, bacon.

Lunch was from a fruit store in Chelsea Market. They have awesome homemade guacamole and the salads are super cheap!

Between lunch and Core Fusion, I had my last English muffin with peanut butter and jelly. It was supposed to be my actual lunch but I was craving my greens and wanted something a little more substantial.

After Core Fusion Sport, I had one of these since dinner would not be for another couple of hours:

Yes, it tasted like Cookies N’ Cream ice cream!

I got home and made my own little version of Sangria: Trader Joe’s $2.00 red wine and frozen fruit. No need for soda!

The fruit makes the wine taste sweet and also gets me drunk. I picked up a salad on my way home which had carrots, broccoli, squash, and pesto chicken. Good stuff.

And then…9:00 p.m. rolled around and I just wanted to eat. I had a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios because in my mind, the salad was not enough. Luckily I stopped at one bowl which is very rare for me. Baby steps! I will continue to post my food a couple of times a week and try to kick this habit in the butt. Let’s see some results!

Do you snack more at night than during the day?

What is your favorite night time snack?

Happy Hour in the Coffee Shop

MissyMaintains — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:03:11 +0000

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate!

I could not resist when I saw the bunny ears during Halloween. I don’t celebrate but unfortunately I could not find any kind of Passover costume for her. A matzoh dress would have been cool. Speaking of Passover, it is almost over and I still have been keeping it, and eating much better. Thank you for all your kind comments in my last post about getting back on track. After just one week, I feel happier, in control, and I even lost a few pounds. It makes such a difference to not mindfully snack after dinner and to focus on protein and vegetables instead of french fries! I also made a rule for myself that if I wanted an alcoholic beverage, I would have to be with another person. I was getting into the habit of buying a 6-pack of Stella for myself and having a beer or two after work every night. While sometimes this is very necessary, there is no need for it every day. Last night, I had my first drink since last Sunday! A glass of wine never tasted so good!

I met my friend Lisa at a coffee shop called Birch Coffee because she said they have a good happy hour and delicious salads. Happy hour in a coffee shop? I’m down! They have happy hour every night from 5pm to 8pm and a glass of beer or wine is $5.00. Good deal for the city. The food is made with locally sourced ingredients so the menu changes every season. It was very cute inside and the perfect place to grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine!)

I ordered the Avocado and Carrot Salad with sesame vinaigrette and grilled chicken.

Luckily I had Lisa was there to eat the bread! The salad was simple yet delicious!

The top floor of Birch Coffee has a library with a “leave a book, take a book” policy. They actually had some really decent books and a bunch of tables where you can just sit and read all day. They also have free Wi-Fi so this would be a great place to blog.

I hear the coffee is to die for so I plan on coming back soon. Birch Coffee is kind of hard to notice while walking down the street but it is right next door to the Museum of Sex. Fun place.

After a couple glasses of wine, Lisa and I headed to the Peoples Improv Theatre to watch our inTensati teacher, Darbi, perform in a show! She was part of Sara Benincasa’s FAMILY HOUR, a storytelling show in which comedians tell true stories about their family’s misadventures.

Darbi did amazing and the entire show was really funny. I loved seeing all of my intenSati friends outside of the gym!

The fact that seven of her intenSati students came to support her really demonstrates the wonderful community of friends that the class brings together. It was the perfect night.

I am off to Darbi’s intenSati class now in the city! Have a great Sunday and holiday!

Getting Back on Track

MissyMaintains — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:11:11 +0000

It seems like ever since I started my new job, I’ve been allowing myself to eat anything and everything that is put in front of me. I used to be chained to my desk so I was forced to bring healthy lunches and snacks every day. Things are much different now. I am able to get up any time of day and grab a cookie from the cafe upstairs or go outside and enjoy pizza with my coworkers. I used to be in my own department so I was not invited to any meetings or birthdays. Now, it seems like there is bagel party or cupcake meeting every week! While some people can eat half of a bagel or just a bite of cake, I am not one of them. In all honesty, my pants have been feeling tight and I just don’t feel great after eating all of these sweets and heavy lunch foods. The other day, I put on my work pants at the gym in the morning and a big hole ripped down my inner thigh. I am grateful that I happened to be wearing my Lululemon pants to the gym that day because I was able to pull them off as work pants! This was a pretty big wake up call for me so I decided that I would use Passover as a way to get back on track with my eating. Part of keeping Kosher for Passover means no bread products, which also means no cake, pizza, or cereal. The holiday came at the perfect time for me.

I got on the scale for the first time this past weekend since the beginning of January. The number confirmed that I did not just shrink my work pants in the dryer the night before; they no longer fit me. I work out almost every day for one to two hours so I know my weight has nothing to do with the amount that I exercise. It is completely about food and having the self-discipline of staying away from all the sugar and huge serving sizes. My friend from intenSati is also struggling with her weight so we worked together for a while on Sunday and planned out our meals for the week while also setting weight loss goals for the month. We’ve been emailing each other our meals each day, along with how we feel after each meal. We are trying to figure out what foods make us crave sweets, make us bloated, make us anxious, or make us want to binge. Sending my meals to a friend is already much more effective for me than just logging them in a journal or on a website. Since Monday, I’ve kept Passover and have been making much smarter food choices. It feels so much better to get through each day without that feeling of guilt after stuffing myself to the point of feeling sick. Yesterday at work, there was a birthday which meant a giant chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies the size of my head. I simply sung Happy Birthday and walked away. Not only did I feel great for sticking with Passover, I felt like I actually had control over my food choices for once. I have to admit that I felt even better when I heard my coworkers complaining about how stuffed and gross they felt after eating too much cake! I know if I continue on this route, I will get back to the weight I am most happy at and I will feel powerful, strong, and proud.

Since I have to avoid bread products for Passover, I’ve been eating a ton of veggies and protein! I’ve been starting my mornings out with green juices that contain kale, celery, parsley, green apple, ginger, and cucumber.

I am trying to get back in the green juice routine so that my body is not in total shock when I do my 3-day Organic Avenue juice cleanse (happening sometime before my Groupon expires in June, I promise!)

I’ve also been making omelets at home and bringing them to work for breakfast since I can’t eat oatmeal during Passover.

I’ve been bringing vegetables for when I get the mid-afternoon munchies. I was getting into the habit of eating the heavenly red velvet cake or banana cream pie that was always sitting out at work!

I was fighting a fever last night so I made a comforting dinner of eggs with turkey slices and salad.

As for lunch, I’ve been spending $10 on grilled chicken salads from Hale & Hearty each day. That needs to stop before I become poor! Last night, I decided to make a ton of vegetables and chicken to bring for lunch the rest of the week.

I made a big bowl of string beans topped with pepper, garlic powder, and spray butter.

Lots of salad..

I also made balsamic chicken with mushrooms. Look at me cooking!

Check out my fancy dinner! I will admit that it was much more enjoyable than my typical frozen veggie burger dinners.

Some other fun foods I’ve been snacking on this week….

Can you tell I had a fun time in Trader Joe’s last night? I finally feel like a healthy eater again and am committed to staying on track. The only thing that has not improved this week is my gum chewing. I really want to get over that addiction too since it makes me bloated and makes me crave more food. I guess one step at a time though. I am happy with the way things are going.

Do you have a habit or food addiction you are trying to break?

** The winner of the Betty Crocker Mashed Potato and Cookware Giveaway is…

14- Andrea, “most excited for those loaded mashed potaters!!”

Congrats Andrea. Please email me your address and phone number! Have a great day everyone!