Where You Are, Where You Used To Be Kind Of Free

Well, that's the end of it. 101 goals in 1001 days. I'm done.

It feels surreal. Perhaps somewhat anti-climactic.  It feels bittersweet.

I might do another list someday soon, but for now I am content. It made me do things I normally wouldn't force myself to do, and I think that has become more of a habit that doesn't need a list anymore.

But it certainly feels like a chapter in my life is over... I wonder what the next one will be...

I've Been Wide Awake Since Wednesday I've Been Feeling So Inspired

It's hard to believe I started this journey 1001 days ago. So much has changed, so much hasn't.

I haven't read the letter just yet, I want to go for that before and after vibe.

I'm expecting the letter to be somewhat whiny actually, and I'm afraid I'll be disappointed about things I wished for that may not have come true. I imagine that 1001 days ago, I thought I'd have a permanent job, that I'd have reached my goal weight, that I would have completed every goal exactly as I had originally wrote them. But I don't know that I feel disappointed in myself for any of those things. I'm really trying to work on reminding myself that everything happens for a reason, and if things had gone differently, who knows where we'd be. I'm happy in our house. I'm not entirely happy that I'm still jobless, but with the new regulations, hope seems a bit better, there just are no jobs to be given to anyone, let alone me. I feel like I am finally truly on the right track for my weight loss, and although it might be 2 years later than I hoped, I'm still working on it.

Well, I guess here goes nothing...

Wednesday June 1, 2011

Dear 2014 Me,

Part of me thinks I’m crazy for taking on so many lofty goals. But part of me knows how cool it will be to complete even half of them. I really don’t know what to guess, for how many I will actually get done. I’d like to believe that I will accomplish them all; I did choose tasks that would be possible. But I also feel like 1001 days is a long time, maybe I’ll just get bored or run out of steam or feel overwhelmed by it all. I hope that I do put forth a strong effort though; I really have something to prove here, if only to myself.

Where I am now: it’s about 9:30pm. We just finished a late dinner (filet mignon, potato broccoli gratin and roasted broccoli; I’m such a foodie) after I went out for a run (I’m about halfway through the Gateway to 8K training program). I’m in the midst of season 4 of Numb3rs; fine dining entertainment. Yesterday was ridiculously hot, but today was a beautiful and windy day, and it’s cooled down quite a bit. We seem to have a gorgeous summer in store for us. I’m about two and half weeks away from final exams after a whole semester at HS teaching MAP4C and MCF3M. A three week long afternoons supply teaching gig became my first quasi LTO. I am so grateful to finally have the chance to actually teach, to have my first real classrooms. And I really like the school. I really hope it eventually becomes something more permanent, although I’m pretty sure I will be headed back to supply teaching as of September. But that’s ok, I finally have real experience, so it will come.

We’ve got two years at least left in this house, but we’ve already outgrown it. I can’t wait till we have our very own first home. I’m hoping by the time I read this it will be in our new house, but I’m not sure how well I can predict that. Mom has had vertigo for exactly a year; she’ll find out next Monday when her surgery is. Dad’s on a gardening kick. Nick wants to eventually go back to school, most likely UOIT, and we might end up buying that first house in the Durham area, particularly if I end up at HS more and more. Me, I’m just patiently awaiting that contract job. But with 20 teachers still on the Durham surplus list at this point, I don’t imagine it will be anytime soon.

Since this entire list was originally inspired for weight loss reasons... I weighed in this morning at 186.6 lbs. Before Christmas I reached 169 at Weight Watchers, gained about 10 over the holidays and have never quite been able to get back to where I was. Maybe it’s the new Points Plus plan, maybe it’s just me. I can go really well for a week or two, but then I completely lose it for another week or two, which typically has me going backwards if anything. I pretty much wanted to quit last night, quit obsessing with my weight, and quit trying to care. But obviously I’m not likely to ever give up. I’d really like to be in better shape for Irene’s wedding; I get so few excuses to dress up and I’d really like to feel like I look good. The wedding isn’t until October, but I will have to order a dress long before then. I think 25 lbs lost by then would make me happy, and it’s doable, but unlike me. But that’s the thing; I really need to change my mindset about what I am capable of. I can’t keep telling myself that I may or may not be able to do this, that I might be able to succeed, maybe if I get lucky. I have to decide that yes I will succeed, and just get it done. I need to feel better about all of my accomplishments and stop feeling worthless. I’m signed up for a 10K race at the Toronto Zoo in September, that’s why I’m in training. I just started a new blog a couple of weeks ago, and I’m actually hoping people will want to read about my weight loss journey. So far there have been a few hits (I think I’m at 31, but I imagine a few of those are Nick).

Where I’d like to be as I read this in 1001 days: ideally in our own house. Hopefully working steady LTO’s, if not on contract, at a good school. Having finished my entire list! Perhaps ready with a new list. Really though, I’d like to be happy with who I am. I’d like to feel more self-confident. If I’m going to be a 30-something, I better let go of the juvenile insecurities and just stop caring about what other people think of me.

And I hope I don’t read this and think I am a complete idiot =)

Love,

2011 Me

Well. I was really expecting whiny or depressing, but it was somewhat surreal to read that. I actually seemed happy then anyway, goal list or not. Just hopeful. I obviously write a lot, and I do like re-reading journal stuff I've written, but I've never written directly to my future self before, so it's kinda weird. So much has changed since then.

We do have our own house in the Durham area, I am working steady LTO's at schools I like. I did lose about 10 lbs for Irene's wedding (and looked pretty awesome in my bridesmaid dress). Mom had surgery and no longer has vertigo. Dad has moved on to cooking and baking. Nick still wants to go back to school, but that's still a ways away.

I'm not sure I completely don't care about what other people think of me, but I think that slowly gets better as I get older. I'm not sure I'm love having to let go of being 20-something, but no one ever really gets a choice on that one. I don't think I have a ton more self-confidence, but weight has always been the biggest contributor, and since I'm about 25 lbs heavier than when I wrote that... But I'm working on it. Everyone is a work in progress.

I guess the biggest thing is that I really did finish this list. I thought I'd give up, or leave it half finished like I always do. But I did. Perhaps there were modifications, and perhaps I procrastinated a lot, but I did it.

I feel like I should feel elated. Proud of myself. And I guess I do. But I thought it would feel amazing; it just feels ok. Each individual experience may have been amazing, but I thought I would feel much more having finished the list. But that's ultimately my next challenge to conquer; to stop explaining away why something I accomplish isn't really that great. "It's not THAT great that I finished the list, I changed some of the goals so that I could". I really have to stop doing that.

Anyway, definitely a goal worth having on any 101 list. It was rather enlightening.

This Is The Story Of A Girl

This is one goal I don't think I would repeat.

Some things made no sense to take a picture of, some things were difficult to take a picture of (without seeming like a total idiot). Some things, I didn't really have much to say about, other than "here, I did it".

But I did it. By the end, most of them were pretty lame. Not to mention I procrastinated (as always), so I had a ton to write at the end of the 1001 days. And that meant that some goals had been finished potentially more than a year ago, so I didn't necessarily remember all the finer details.

But here we are, I did it, I blogged about everything, and eventually became ok with screenshots for the computer related goals (taking pictures of my computer screen was NOT working out).

Show Me What It's Like To Be The Last One Standing

This was one of the best parts of my goal list: buying a pretty jar and throwing money in it every time I checked something off as complete. It was actually tough finding a jar I liked, but I'm really happy with the one I ended up with. If the light hits it, it's like a colourful disco ball. Love it.

It's taken me a really long time to decide what to spend my earned money on. I wanted it to be something significant, not just a day at the spa that I would soon forget. This list has been a really important part of my life and who I am, and I don't want to forget it too easily. I thought about getting a nice desk, because I've wanted a solid L desk for as long as I can remember. I figured if I got a good one, it would last many years. It turns out that a) desks are made like crap anymore, and b) decent ones border closer to $1200, not $500. Then I thought about re-doing my office: paint, furniture, accessories. But then if we ever move, it's gone. My best idea was to take all of my pictures from each goal, but it into a huge grid and get it turned into a plaqued or canvas poster. But that would pretty much eat ALL of the money (who knew it would be that expensive??), and it somehow felt rather anti-climactic.

As for my final decision... Well, I'll save that for when there are pictures =)

Who Will Save Your Soul If You Won't Save Your Own

This was a tricky one, because it was a bit of a paradox. If I completed every other goal on my list, I technically didn't have to donate anything, which meant I didn't actually complete the list because I wouldn't have completed this goal. Which meant I had to donate $3 for not completing it, which obviously completed it.

Ok, it wasn't that tricky, I think Nick just wanted to argue with his weird logic.

Then I figured I wouldn't take a picture, because what would I take a picture of? Me not donating to charity? Only slightly awkward... But of course if I didn't take a picture, it would mean that goal #61 (to take a photo and blog about each goal) would be incomplete, and, well, you see where this is heading.

So here is the end result. I didn't donate anything since I finished my list, including a photo (and a blog) of me not donating to charity.

Let The Wind Blow Through Me

This was another goal that got changed. Initially it was to lose 50 lbs. However, overall, I have just gained in the past few years. Once it got to the point that it wasn't even realistically possible, I realized I needed to make an adjustment that would still aim for weight loss success.

I tend to have a poor relationship with the scale. It tends to define my day; if I went down an acceptable amount, I was happy, if not, I was depressed (and often overate as a result). I decided to make myself go without the scale for a month. Generally the only time I avoided it was when I wasn't eating well at all and didn't want to know the damage. But I figured going a month while still trying to eat well, and not checking the scale would be good for.

I was kinda wrong. It's been really hard. I feel like I need to weigh-in at least once or twice a week to at least know if what I am doing is going well. It's like doing a science experiment without collecting any data. I feel like it hasn't been helpful in losing weight; I haven't had terrible days really, but we've eaten out more than last month, and I haven't been eating quite as SANE (which I did really well last month). At this point I will just be happy if I get to the end of the month maintaining my weight from the first of the month. Originally I was hoping to get under 200 (which would have been 8.4 lbs lost). It's going to be tough, but I will admit that at the very least, I learned that the best thing for me is to weigh-in every 3-4 days. I can keep track of how I'm doing without getting obsessive and writing off an entire day.

Would Be Jamming It Till The Brink Of Dawn

Yet another weight related goal that had to be adjusted.

Over the course of my 1001 days, my weight ranged from 175-218. At 5'4", not exactly a bikini body. So it wasn't going to happen.

I figured a fair exchange was completing the Blogilates Bikini Blaster Challenge. It's 7 workouts geared towards giving you that bikini body. And if you've ever done a Blogilates workout, you know it's no walk in the park.

I had intended to do it over the course of a week, but it got a bit spread out. But I finished it! Some workouts were much harder than others; one, I ran out of ideas on how to modify so that I could still do it, while others I could keep up.

Not exactly a bikini body just yet, but I'm working on it!

Do You Wanna Take My Picture Cause I Won't Remember

In December 2009, I committed myself to losing the weight. I started at 196 lbs, and started a scrapbook to document the journey.

Nick took bi-weekly photos of me to track progress. I also had monthly goals that I made pages of. I took measurements and recorded it all. For a while.

Strangely enough, I never stopped taking the photos. It's been over 4 years, and every 2 weeks (roughly) Nick takes my picture. It's cool that I have that documented, but obviously it isn't all shrinking sizes, since I currently sit over 200 lbs. Although I had the folder of pictures sitting on my hard drive, the scrapbook was mostly forgotten within about 8 months. But I wanted to finish documenting this weight loss journey.

So I'm not done yet, but I could certainly get the book updated. All it took was organizing and printing all those pictures, and a bit of glue. But it's now caught up, and hopefully by the end of the year, or pretty darn close, I can finally finish it entirely.

Just Keep Swimming

As I was making my goal list, I had triathlon sports in mind (hence the running, biking and swimming goals). I've always loved swimming; it's calming, quiet, soothing and I could swim forever. If only I always had a pool to myself.

It took me quite a while to get my 10 km in. Not because I didn't want to! Swim times at the Wellness Centre were either during the day (uh hello, I work for a living) or from 8 - 10 at night (as if I ever want to go out at that point during the week). My weekend choice was from 4 -5. Not ideal either. It was never really convenient to go.

It didn't help that I had a few not so great swim experiences when I did go. When it's too busy, or there's people who have no concept of lane swimming etiquette, I get disgruntled, and the calming/quiet/soothing part is all gone. Perhaps there aren't explicit written rules, but common courtesy would be helpful.

If only I could have an empty pool all to myself. Although it did work out when I was in a lane with someone just slightly faster than me; I had to work harder to keep up!

I Need No Permission, Did I Mention

Wow did I procrastinate on learning the Single Ladies dance. Not sure why. Probably afraid I of course won't look anywhere as good as Beyoncé when I do it.

I found YouTube videos teaching the moves ages ago. I've even watched some, several times, but only once actually practiced along with them (weird, I know). I've repeatedly watched the video, just trying to imprint the moves into my brain. But I just could not get myself to learn it fully. It felt daunting for some reason.

So in the last few days of my 1001, I finally had no choice but to learn it once and for all.

After all that procrastination... I'm not sure I aced it, but I tried.

I spent about an hour and a half going over choreography from different YouTube videos, but none were actually that great. I found two that had the whole dance and seemed fairly true to the video. One of the girls openly declared that she has no dance experience, so although she must have put a lot of work into it, you could tell. Both instructors just zoomed through the entire thing, very rarely going back over the moves. I'm guessing they figure you can easily go back yourself on the video, but what a pain that is. I'm use to my dance classes (actual in-studio classes) where you practice a couple of 8 counts slowly to get it, then try it with the music. Then add a few more counts, then try it all again with the music. Neither of them did that.

The other tricky part was that they had mirrored their instruction. Talk about getting confusing between right and left. And then when you try to actually follow along with the music video, you're opposite of what you learned (so it seems) so it's harder to follow along.

One last tricky thing; if you've seen the video, you know that there's a lot of spinning and turning, which didn't translate so well into a dance without fancy camera work following you. Plus, I'm not so great with pivoting; I'm very careful on my wonky knees, plus barefoot on carpet, yikes.

So perhaps not the best of goals, but I did give it a fair shot, and to be honest, I might come back to it. Maybe the videos just need to be done over and over again. But I've had enough of it for one day, I did run through the entire thing, and I do know it much better than when I started.

With Every Turn Comes A New Frame Of Mind

Not really sure why I wanted to go on a spontaneous roadtrip, maybe just as one thing to negate my insane planning brain. Spontaneity and I don't generally get along, I like things to be planned and organized ahead of time.

So the goal was to get in the car and just drive.

We headed east, since I go west everyday for work, and know the area well enough to know where every turn would take us essentially. We ended up following the Waterfront Trail all the way to Port Hope, where we had a nice lunch downtown (the downtown is actually really nice). We made sure to avoid the 401 coming home, just to see a new route. We also passed through a cute hamlet (village? No idea).

See? Cute.

Anyway, it wasn't really a long adventure, I guess next time I would aim to make it more than just a couple of hours, maybe actually force us to find a hotel somewhere. I think the trouble with that idea is that if I'm going to spend the money to stay somewhere, I want to stay somewhere I like, plus I want to make sure I get to see all there is to see. Without planning, I could end up in a squeasy motel and nothing fun to see or do in the vicinity. To me, that would just be a waste of money. But we'll see what the next goal list holds...

Leave All Your Love And Your Longing Behind

My original plans for a movie marathon involved lots of pillows and blankets, movie themed snacks, and likely caffeine to keep me awake. I figured we would invite our friends and make a big afternoon/evening of it. But I had a tough time trying to find a set of movies that people would come for.

I wanted a theme to my movies, ideally a trilogy. Two didn't seem enough to be considered a marathon, and 4 was a big time commitment. But I didn't think I could lure too many people on Back To The Future, and no one but me would show up for The Santa Clause 1 - 3. I thought about it for quite some time. And I just couldn't come up with a set of movies that I would enjoy that would I could get people on board with for a full marathon. (It didn't help that a lot of my friends have been rather aggravating and self-centered lately, so I doubted they would help me out on this one and just play along. I've gotten tired of trying to plan things in the hopes that they will come through. Sad, isn't it?)

Anyway... with a sexy ninja costume and Nick with the whistling ringtone, I figured Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 would work just fine for a marathon for just the two of us. They are long enough as two movies to not need a third (or more).

So we settled in and watched them both. It wasn't even remotely the movie marathon I had originally intended, but I will never complain about a snuggly night on the couch with Nick. Even if it is over Tarantino movies =)

Ain't Got No Picture Postcards, Ain't Got No Souvenirs

Sadly, the goal to test-drive a Beetle had to change.

Since Volkswagon and Porsche got together, and they altered the look of the Beetle, I don't like it. And there was no sense test-driving a car I didn't even like. It didn't hold the appeal it once did. I tried to find used ones, but they are apparently quite hard to come by. I wasn't too broken up to have to change up the goal.

I figured car-driving led to roadtrips, which led me to the goal of choosing 20 places I wanted to travel to and why. It makes for a lengthy narrative, but here we go! In no particular order (because we all know Japan would be #1):

1. The Wave

  It's part of Utah and Arizona parks, and there seems to be lots of hiking and camping nearby. There's waterfalls, crazy rock formations and just some beautiful horizons. It looks surreal. I guess if you've never been anywhere even remotely like a desert, it's hard to imagine. But I think it would be a pretty cool trip.

2. Land of Oz Park
It is apparently now closed, and has been since 1980, but it sounds like it re-opens for one weekend a year. I better figure out what weekend that is. It's in North Carolina, so it wouldn't be too far to go...

3. Japan
Obviously this made my list for a ton of reasons. Having lived there for 10 months (Nick for 2 of those), I know there's still lots more I wanted to see. My trip was cut two months short when I found out my grandma was dying, and I had had two trips already planned and paid for: one to Mt Fuji (which I didn't get to climb during my first summer there due to the weather; that trip had been paid for too, but was cancelled) and Tokyo, and one to Okinawa. Making those trips would feel like a very large moment of closure for me, in so many ways. I also would want to re-visit Osaka, see what's changed, what's new. Take Nick to Hiroshima (it's hauntingly beautiful), go back to Kyoto. Visit some friends, see a comedy show from my old improv troupe. Someday soon I hope.

4. Italy
There's obviously lots to see in Italy, I couldn't really narrow it down. The Roman Forum, the Colosseum, Venice, Pompeii, the food, the architecture, the art. I would just have to go everywhere.

5. Bora Bora
Birthplace of the over water bungalow. That's all I want.

6. Costa Rica
We had originally wanted to go to Costa Rica for our honeymoon, but it just wasn't in our budget, and there was too many things I wanted to do. Ziplining in the rainforest was one of the big ones. It just strikes me as a beautiful place to visit for nature, the animals, the scenery.

7. New York City
This one has to happen at Christmastime. I want to see Rockefeller Center, the skating rink and the tree, I want to see the Radio City show, do some window shopping, stay in a posh hotel (a la Home Alone 2). This one I've wanted to do for years.

8. New Zealand
Have you seen Lord Of The Rings? That should pretty much explain why: it's breath-taking.

9. New Orleans
The southern, French-Creole culture fascinates me. It just seems so utterly unique. Not sure if I'd actually want to go during Mardi Gras though...

10. Las Vegas
I'm not a gambler, so the tables and slots wouldn't have any appeal for me, but the glitz and the lights feel intoxicating. I'd love to go just to see it, to enjoy the shows, the indoor roller coaster, the ambiance. It's low on the list though, because I don't think the high expense is quite worth it.

11. Dubai
Another one purely just to see the glitz, to begin to even comprehend the opulence. I do imagine it would be nauseating to see how money is spent, but it's still an interesting place.

12. Cape Town
  Basically I just want to be at the southernmost tip of Africa. I think there would be something surreal about looking off towards Antarctica.

13. Athens
Mostly for the Acropolis, but I imagine there would be plenty to keep me occupied in Greece.

14. Cedar Point
The roller coaster capital, why wouldn't I want to go there? Although Canada's Wonderland comes second for number of roller coasters, Cedar Point comes first. It's been Best Amusement Park in the World for 16 years. It also has the World's Best Roller Coaster. What's not to love??

15. Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort
Not only can you stay in Glass Igloos to watch the Northern Lights, you can also spend a night in Santa's Cabin. I would endure the cold for this, no questions asked.

16. Vancouver
The caveat to this one is that I want to go by train. It might be finding a loophole to picking only 20 places, but it would get me to see northern Ontario, and the prairies, not just the Rockies. I think it's a perfect solution. Although I've heard a pricey one.

17. African Safari
Like an actual one, not a cheesy theme park in Ontario. How amazing would it be to see these animals in their actual habitat? Not to mention the landscape of Africa.

18. North
Ok, so this one is ridiculously vague. What I mean is that I want to go somewhere where there is 24/7 sunshine during the summer. I figure for someone like me, who's mood can so easily hinge on the sun, it would be a phenomenal experience. Although I imagine it would be annoying when I wanted to sleep. So maybe I'd only stay for a few days... But it would be amazing to never have to say goodnight to the sun...

19. Grand Canyon
For starters, it's gorgeous. But I would really like to complete one of the hiking tours that goes down to the bottom. It would just be a measure of fitness for me to work towards, and that would be pretty spectacular. It's always been one of my mom's dream places to see, so maybe it caught on a little bit.

20. Jordan
I'll admit, I was stretching a bit to come up with 20 somewhat unique places to visit. And I stumbled across this place in Jordan, which seemed to present an interesting type of claustrophobia. It's an entire city! But I also want to see the Dead Sea, so two birds one stone.


I doubt I'll ever make it to all of these places. Coming up with the list made me rather wishful and wistful. It made me not want to ever have kids, because I don't think I'd ever get all this traveling in if we did! Japan and New York City are the most likely to happen. Most of the others will probably never happen, at least not until we win that lottery we never buy a ticket for. It was still an interesting task, narrowing down the list.

And probably the best picture for my blog/pic requirement.... =)

Through What It's Worth It Was Worth All The While

Without having lost the weight, getting professional photos done was rather moot. I had even found a WagJag for a decently priced photo shoot, but it was not to be.

I went searching for a goal to replace it with. I came across the idea of a memories jar; on little slips of paper, write down exciting/interesting moments as they happen throughout the year, and on New Year's Eve or Day, review your past year. I really liked the idea, so I got myself a box, and started one for 2014. And come 2015, we can review how it all went down.

So far we've gotten a bunny, joined a brass band, and I have an LTO starting in March. Not bad for the first two months of the year. It will be interesting to see come next January what things we completely forget about that we thought were significant. I just hope I keep remembering to write the stuff down!

I'm Going To The Place Where Love And Feeling Good Don't Ever Cost A Thing

Yet another goal that changed.

My poor cross-stitch still sits unfinished. I did spend some time working on it, but it was like pulling teeth. I just didn't want to do it, and then I was out-stubborning myself somehow by not touching it. It was frustrating me, so I became very ok with changing the goal.

In the 1001 days, Nick and I accomplished something very huge, and I think it was worthwhile to add to my list. It had been on my "Someday" goal list; the only reason I didn't include it in my original list is because I was afraid that if something out of our control didn't allow it to happen that I would be devastated. So purchasing our own home made it to my list after all.

Nick and I were desperate to buy a house, have been for years. We lived in the upstairs of a bungalow owned by my parents and rented out the basement. We hated having tenants; all but one were complete dumbasses. Seriously. Hated it. Every bit of it. We wanted out as soon as we could.

We originally thought we would only be there for 5 years, but financially, it ended up being 7. But we eventually made it out alive. We'd been touring open houses for years, but we eventually got to walk through the house that within a week became ours. And 6 weeks later we moved in. Once it happened, it happened fast.

We love our home, we love that it is OURS and only ours.

Here's our bedroom under construction; we tackled it as soon as we moved in since the previous owner smoked there (and thankfully yet strangely only there) so allergic me couldn't sleep there until we painted and cleaned it up.

I Really Think That Nobody Does It Better

Who doesn't want to say they can cook a fancy 3 course meal?

So I did, so I could.

A stuffed portobello mushroom to start,

More mushrooms with dinner, roast tenderloin and green bean fritters,

And lemon raspberry dessert!

I Travel The World And The Seven Seas

I love to cook. Baking not so much. Desserts aren't my thing. And the rare occasions I actually make something sweet, it's a very simple recipe. So I wanted to diversify my repetoire a little bit. SO here are 4 of the different desserts I made! (I also made a tourine type berry dessert, but it's picture seems conspicuously missing... but I did make it!)

You're Gonna Catch A Cold From All The Ice Inside Your Soul

I collect recipes. I love to cook. But the pile of loose ripped magazine pages needed some organization. Plus I had tons of recipes that I kept from my grandma that I wanted to save and protect.

So I put together my own "cookbook". Just another chance for me to organize something and hopefully make it easier to use.

On Second Thought I Regret The Pink Stiletto

My last new food was capers.

I thought I would love something briney, but they weren't a total hit. A little too much like olives for my tastes I think. But I always enjoy trying a new recipe; I made lemon chicken piccata. (They weren't much of a success with Nick either).

I Have Never Claimed To Have Patents On Such Inventions

While we were out east visiting Nick's sister, we noticed that donairs were apparently a big thing. She told us they were kinda gross, so we didn't try one, but I was intruiged.

A new pizza place opened up int he mall near us some time later, and they strangely sold donairs. So I couldn't resist (perhaps I should have).

Lots of meat and grease and sauce on a pita. Not really something worth repeating. I didn't even really like the flavour. But at least we tried it! (yes, we split it, I can't imagine eating a whole one)

Change My Life The Way You've Done

The goal of not eating out for a month, I actually managed to do twice.

January was an easy month to do it. Right after Christmas is a good time to not spend too much money, plus we were saving as much as we could for the house. At that point, I was following Bob Harper's Skinny Rules, so eating out wasn't really in the plan anyway.

We really only had to pass up dinner with friends once, and we just met up with them afterwards, so we didn't really miss out. I think there was really only two nights where we really just wanted to go out, but we managed to find some kind of alternative at home. We survived just fine!

Between The Sand And Stone, Could You Make It On Your Own

I never really need an excuse to try a new restaurant, although somehow I can never think of that new place I wanted to try when we are actually going out, they only occur to me as we're driving around with no intention of eating out.

I tried a good variety of places too, from Mexican, to Thai, to small coffee shops, to burger grills. We found some good spots and some not so good spots.

Probably my favourite find though was the Apollo Grill. Amazing burgers. I still crave them. Yum.

We're Sick Like Animals

I think eating vegetarian for a week was harder on Nick than on me.

It was really only challenging at dinner, since I don't typically have meat throughout the day anyhow. But it gave me a chance to try some tofu recipes!

I couldn't do it on a regular basis, I like meat too much. Plus making sure to get in enough protein was a challenge. But it was worth a shot!

I Know I Will Find A Way To Shed My Skin

My math brain did not really enjoy this one. I couldn't help but want to aim for perfection! Thankfully I had SparkPeople's Nutrition Tracker to plan meals, but it definitely took planning. I had the week planned in advance, and daily plans printed off.

 

It was more protein than I was use to, which wasn't a bad thing. It was difficult to find substitutions for some things though.

I think overall it was just a good experience to examine what I was eating and to try something different.

I Don't Want This To Be The Way That You See Me

I've done some pretty cool things, and I think I needed to remind myself of that on this journey. I wasn't lacking because I had goals I had yet to accomplish. I've done a lot!

And now I have 101 more things I can add to my list.

I Know I Didn't Hear What I Thought I Heard Coming From Your Lips

I'm always looking for new phrases that will help motivate me. So I spent some time putting together all my favourite quotes.

I found them in daily emails, books, movies, wherever. It's like my Pinterest board for inspiration =)