Oh, right, I have a blog...

Well.  It's been like 2 and half months.  Sorry I let the blog go this long!  I just got so busy with a bunch of new stuff (also there was an issue of lost momentum to overcome).  What stuff, you ask?  Good question!  Here's what's happened since the last time I wrote:


1. I moved halfway across the country.

Like, for reals.  The timetable was extremely compacted and so, so busy.  My parents came down to Hawaii for about a week to visit/vacation/help me pack, and then on July 31 we flew home to New York.  I was home to go through and pack up everything there for exactly a week before I flew to Missouri, where Kevin met me at the airport (he had driven down with his mom).  The next day we moved into our new apartment, and a week and half later, classes started.  Speaking of...


2. I stared my PhD program in Integrative Anatomy at University of Missouri!

Source

So far it's been really, really great.  Right now I'm taking Gross Anatomy, Journal Club, and a few research credits with one of the professors in the department (this might not sound like a lot, but I assure you it's enough).  The anatomy class is very intense and fast-paced, but I'm getting through it.  I'm in the same class as the first-year medical students, and I find the clinical orientation of the lectures and labs to be very interesting (except for the time they showed us a YouTube video of someone getting their dislocated arm popped back into place - that was only gross and I couldn't watch).  For my research project, I'm looking at bone density in mouse femurs.  I'm not particularly interested in mice, but I'm learning how to do histology, which is cool.


3. I completely changed my hair.

Why is one lens shinier than the other?  Who knows?

Because why not, mostly.  I was getting very bored and frustrated with my hair the way it was, and I was ready for a change.  To get it done, I had to drive 2 hours to the salon, then sit for 9 hours while the braids were put in, and then drive 2 more hours home.  It was a long day.


4.  I quit Insanity.

I'm pretty sad about this, guys.  I really did mean to finish it all the way though, and not skip any workouts, but with the move it really wasn't possible.  I skipped about 2 weeks, and then started back up again.  I did make it to the fourth fit test, which actually went pretty well considering I was out of practice:

So yeah, not too bad.  I did take a break in between the power jumps and globe jumps, and I remember being completely exhausted by the end, but not too shabby all the same.  But then, school started up and I had a hard time both finding the time to do it and justifying spending an hour on Insanity when I could be using the time to study, or cook dinner, or sleep.  Eventually it got to be too much, so I just stopped.  It's okay, though, because...


5.  I started Focus T25.

Source

I just can't get enough of Shaun T.  That's why, when I decided Insanity was too much for me right now, I was really happy to order his newest workout system.  The beauty of Focus T25 is that it's (usually) 25 minutes a day, which is way more do-able for me at the moment (in hindsight, I guess I could have just done JCore again...but whatever.  I like Shaun T).  Even on days when I'm not really feeling it, it's easy for me to say, "Whatever, it's 25 minutes, just do it."  I do find that whether or not I eat well is very closely tied to whether or not I'm working out consistently, so I was happy to find a program that lets me work out without neglecting my schoolwork (or taking up all of my free time).  I'm in the third week (out of 10), and I like it so far.


6.  Kevin and I had our 2-year anniversary!

We somehow managed to not take any pictures together that day, so I just took this one like 5 minutes ago.  But!  2 years!  I can hardly believe it's been so long.  It's been great, though <3.


7. Kevin and I started Whole30.

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Why?  I dunno.  'Cause.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.  If you don't know about Whole30 you can learn about it here, but basically it means no grains, dairy, legumes, added sugars, sulfites, MSG, carageenan, or alcohol for 30 days.  For me this is turning out to also mean no caffeine, since I can't drink coffee without milk (I tried using coconut milk instead a couple of times.  It's not good).  It's supposed to reset our digestive systems, help us control our cravings, stuff like that.  People I know who've done it have said they experienced better sleep, more energy, reduced asthma symptoms, etc.  Many of the online testimonials say that Whole30 is a life-changing experience.  Right now we're on Day 18 - so has this changed my life so far?

Meh?  No?

I feel okay.  I mean, I don't feel extra awesome, I don't think.  I feel fine.  I guess I have decent energy during the day - except if I eat too many raisins, which I've discovered will put me almost immediately to sleep for the next 2 hours.  Maybe I've started sleeping better the last couple of nights?  Although, I've had really wacky dreams the last couple of nights too....Maybe my skin is clearer?  Although, I also just bought a new kind of cleanser...so.  Who knows.  I guess we'll wait to see how we're feeling over the next 12 days.

Whole30 is definitely doing nothing for our cravings so far, though.  We want every type of junk food we see in commercials and ads.  Sometimes we'll sit and talk about all the stuff we're going to eat when we're done with our 30 days.  Currently, we're pretty focused on ice cream and grilled cheese.  And kettle corn.  But it's not even all junk food that we miss - I, personally, would love some oatmeal made with milk for breakfast (I am SO tired of eggs).  Or some dried cranberries in my salad (they're sweetened with sugar).  Or some lime juice for my water (the bottled kind has sulfites).  Eating anywhere that isn't our own house is really difficult, pretty much we need to bring our own food with us wherever we go.  I can't go to happy hour with my department on Fridays, and if I'm out of the house for longer than expected and I get hungry, I'm usually just out of luck.  So yeah, overall it's tough but going okay, we're getting through it, but we would like it to be over soon.  Luckily we timed it so that we'll be finished before Halloween - we'll try not to make ourselves sick on candy, though.


8. I took - and aced - my first anatomy test!

Source

I didn't get an A+.  I did get an A, though!  There was a written portion as well as a lab portion, and I did pretty awesome on both.  It was such a relief to hear that I had done well, and to know that I had been studying the right things in the right way.  Hooray!


So, that's about all of it!  With any luck I'll be back with something else to report before another 2.5 months have passed.  Happy Friday!

Shakshuka and a very late Insanity post

So, I'm pretty much the laziest blogger, and even though I made lots of big promises about posting my fit test results, this did not happen at all.  This delay may have continued indefinitely if I hadn't eaten the BEST dinner and decided it absolutely needed to be shared on here.

But, first things first.  Lets talk about my fit test results:

I think I had a decent increase in my Fit Test 2 results, I'm pretty happy with them.  I still took a break in between the globe jumps and the suicide jumps but I didn't need one between the suicide jumps and push-up jacks this time.

My scores did also increase for Fit Test 3, but juuuust barely.  I really felt like I was struggling to get through the last few reps, and I'm pretty sure that I only improved because I looked at my Test 2 results for each move beforehand and was actively trying to beat them.  I didn't take any breaks during this test, but I do feel like my form on the low plank obliques was pretty bad.  Hopefully by the time I get to Fit Test 4 I'll be able to do a little better.

So far, I've completed the first 2 days of Month 2.  Even though my third fit test was a little lackluster (in my opinion) I do feel like I'm making good progress.  Based on what I remembered from the last time I did this workout I had been kind of dreading the first day of Month 2, but it actually wasn't as bad as I remembered it being -- hopefully this means I'm stronger this time around!  I definitely still have to take breaks, but I don't think I'm taking too many breaks or not working hard enough.  Also, my arms and butt are sore today, which lets me know that I'm actually doing something :).


Anyway!  On to the good stuff: shakshuka.

Shakshuka is a dish involving eggs cooked over a tomato-based sauce.  I've seen a couple of different variations around the blogosphere, but never actually made it until a found this potato and sausage version on Katie at the Kitchen Door.  Let me just tell you, it was the bomb (as well as being really fun to say).

Potato and Sausage Shakshuka
Adapted slightly from Katie at the Kitchen Door, via Greatist
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 T (about 6 large cloves) minced garlic (I didn't actually measure this, I just threw in a spoonful)
1/2 lb (3 or 4) small thin-skinned potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 lb (about 2 links) Italian chicken sausage (I use hot or mild based on what Whole Foods has that day)
1 T ras al hanout (I found this Middle-Eastern spice blend at Whole Foods, but if you're ambitious you can make it yourself)
Salt
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 1//2 t chipotle chili powder (The original recipe suggests 1 T but I cut it waaaay down and still thought it was spicy.  Fee free to add more if you'd like)
4 eggs


Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute or two, until fragrant.

Squeeze the sausage from the casings and add to the pan.  Chop it up with a spatula and let it brown for about 3 or 4 minutes.

Add sliced potatoes, ras al hanout, and a sprinkle of salt.  Stir to mix in the spices, and then let the potatoes cook for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping occasionally, until they start to soften.

Add crushed tomatoes and chili powder to the pan and simmer until potatoes are fully cooked and yield easily to a fork.

Make four wells in the tomato sauce, and crack an egg into each depression.

I just realized how terrible this picture is, sorry...

Cover the pan and let the eggs cook until set to your liking (The original recipe says to cook until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, but I stop paying attention and overcook them every time.  It's still delicious with fully set eggs, though.)

Eat!  Enjoy!  Talk loudly about how awesome you are at making dinner (I sure did)!  Freeze the leftovers if you think you won't eat them within the next two days....but you will.

What I Ate Wednesday: Insanity Edition

Hey there, blog pals!

So, yesterday at about 5 in the morning I decided on a whim that I would start another round of Insanity today.  As I'm sure is the case with many a 5am snap decision, this may or may not be a good idea.  But, I'm gonna do it, so I guess we'll just see how it works out.  My experience with JCore taught me that I shouldn't promise to blog my experiences every day, as this is extremely unlikely to happen.  But, at the very least I will post all my Fit Test results so I can track my progress on here.  Speaking of, here's how Fit Test 1 went:

The fit test is structured such that you are given 60 seconds for each exercise and the goal is to complete as many reps as you can.

Not too bad for the first day, although I did need to take a break in between the Globe Jumps and Suicide Jumps and then again between the Suicide Jumps and the Push-up Jacks.  I think part of the problem may have been that I ate my Meal 4 about an hour before doing the Fit Test, which was not enough time.  Also, I realize that I live in Hawaii and it's hot here, but I felt like I was extra sweaty when I was done.

But anyway it's Wednesday, and since today is Day 1 of Insanity I figured it would be a good day to do a What I Ate Wednesday post that features the meals I'm choosing from the Insanity Elite Nutrition Guide.  So, here we go:


Meal 1: Proatmeal (oatmeal with fruit and protein powder).

I didn't exactly follow the recipe for this one, only because I had already made a big batch of oatmeal last weekend that I want to finish up before making more.  The main difference was that this had brown sugar in it when it shouldn't have.


Meal 2: Greek yogurt with a diced apple and sliced almonds.

Meal 3: Salad with grilled chicken, cucumber, carrots, farro, pecans, (thawed) frozen peaches, and lemon juice.

This was extra delicious.  I'm not a huge fan of cold salads, so I warmed the chicken, farro, and peaches up in the microwave.  The juice released by the peaches mixed with the lemon juice made a great dressing.


Meal 4: Bean and cheese flatbread with broccoli.

Those of you who are familiar with the nutrition guide may notice that this meal isn't included as one of the Meal 4 choices.  But, for some reason I didn't find ANY of those choices appealing, so I made some substitutions.  To make this meal, I started with the Protein Pizza, then swapped the English muffin for a flatbread and used black beans instead of chicken.  And also left out the marinara sauce, but that's fine.


Meal 5: Scrambled eggs with spinach and feta, whole wheat toast, and strawberries.

This was supposed to be the Dinner Omelette, but I can't make an omelette to save my life.  The scrambled eggs were fine, though, I like having breakfast for dinner :).  I've been blogging instead of eating so now it's cold, but I'm too lazy to re-heat it.  So, cold non-omelette is what I'm having for dinner.


That's it for today!  I'll be back (at the very latest) on Day 14 with my Fit Test 2 results.

Happy birthday, darling :-)

Yesterday at 6:21pm my sweet niece Elizabeth Beatrice was born.  I won't be able to see her until I move from Hawaii in a month and a half, but I'm so happy to welcome her into the world.

Hello, sweet girl :).   We're all so happy that you're here!

Maui No Ka Oi!

I can't believe it's been over a week since I got back from our 3-day weekend on Maui, and I still haven't given you any highlights!  Our trip was so, so much fun, and we loved every minute of it.  It's almost too bad we'll be moving to Missouri so soon, I wish we had time for another visit!  Here's what I learned on my Maui vacation:


1) Maui (weirdly) looks like Ireland/upstate New York....

2) ....except for when it looks like Mars.

3) With appropriate signage, even Porta-Potties can sound fancy:

They are no better on the inside, though, let me tell you.


4) Goats are fun times.

5) If I didn't have to go do this whole PhD thing, I would seriously consider moving to Lahaina.

6) Lavender-flavored baked goods are delicious.

7) You are never too old for these kinds of shenanigans:

8) Cinnamon roll french toast exists, and it is the bomb.

Maui was seriously great, and the pictures really don't do it justice.  My parents will be spending a few days there when the come to visit in July, I hope I can convince them to bring me back some goat cheese!