Greek Flame Taverna

I’ve been so tired all week. I’m still exhausted from my class weekend last week, and I’m quickly losing all motivation to do anything. School is stressing me out, and I feel like I have no free time. This has been leading me to very sporadic gym schedules. In summary, I blame grad school for making me fat. [end complaining]

So, as a way to motivate myself out of bed and out of the textbooks that are consuming my life, I signed up for  Orlando’s Corporate 5k today.

I’ve never run a race before, and it’s  been quite some time since I’ve run three miles. I hear there’s a lot of walkers, so hopefully that will take some pressure off. However, nothing motivates me more than the threat of looking like a chump in front of coworkers. The race is in a month….I’m really hoping to motivate myself to put on running shoes within that time period. There’s no time like now when I’m at my lowest physical capabilities and at rock bottom in terms of athleticism to sign up for a race.

In contributing-to-my-expanding-waistline news, Kevin and I tried a new restaurant with some friends a couple weeks ago: Greek Flame Taverna on Restaurant Row in the Dr. Phillips area. They were recently voted a top Greek restaurant in Orlando, and they lived up the hype. We went for dinner, so the menu was fancier, but they do offer sandwiches and more casual Greek fare as well.

We started with an order of mussels cooked in tomato and wine sauce topped with feta cheese.

The mussels were delicious and very flavorful. I loved the broth they were swimming in. For my main entree, I ordered baked shrimp and calamari, which came in a spicy broth.

The spicy kick warmed the back of my throat, and I loved the freshness from big chunks of garlic. This was not a dish for a weak palette. The flavors were very strong, and I really enjoyed them. It came with a side of Greek rice, which helped to mellow out the flavors.

Kevin ordered the rack of lamb with a side of Greek fries. The lamb was cooked perfectly and was incredibly succulent.

The wait staff was extremely friendly, and the atmosphere was a lot more elegant than a lot of Greek restaurants. I really enjoyed our evening there.

Any tips for a first-time racer? How do you motivate yourself?

Busting stress

One of my goals this year is to relax more. This was also one of my goals last year. I’m pretty sure it may be a lifelong journey. I have a tendency to stress out easily. With grad school starting, I really need to channel my anxiety and cope better.

Already, I’ve been trying to take time out of my days to relax and put myself in a zen state of mind. Here’s what I’ve been trying so far:

• Working out-The week leading up to our wedding contained some of my best workouts. I had so much nervous energy and a lot on my mind, and I was able to channel all of that into my workout. Afterward, I felt accomplished and re-energized.
• Stretching-Coinciding with working out, stretching has been a great time to really clear my head. I had never been a fan of stretching, and hence, I’m about as flexible as the tin man. I realized that stretching would benefit my recovery time after workouts, and the time has been really rewarding. I spend about 10 to 15 minutes after my workout to stretch and foam roll and just let my mind clear while my heart rate comes down. I used to think stretching was uncomfortable and boring, but once I let my mind rest, it became a calming cool-down period. Since I workout before work, it’s a great time to get charged before starting my day. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to touch my toes.
• Steaming-My gym has a sauna and steam room. I’m not a big fan of the sauna, but I have grown accustomed to the steam room. I first used a steam room during a spa day on our honeymoon, and my goal is to use it at the gym about once a week. Once again, it’s just time for me to be away from responsibilities for a little while, to close my eyes and to relax. I also love how my skin feels afterwards with my pores opened.
• Saying no-This is probably the most difficult to achieve and sometimes can lead to more anxiety than it can solve, but I’m trying to prioritize everything I  have going on in my life to give myself a break if I have to say no to certain commitment requests. I tend to overwhelm myself with constant activities, and it’s exhausting to juggle a hectic schedule with so many responsibilities.

Little by little, I’m trying, and every day tests my new year’s goal. It’s only January. Let’s see how long I can remain stress free.

What are your stress busting moves?

Willpower Is…

Kevin worked late last night so I grabbed dinner with my sister. My two favorite cuisines are Japanese (sushi, specifically) and Thai, and luckily, those are two of my sister’s favorites as well. Given this, we headed over to Sea Thai to satisfy our Thai cravings. Between the holidays and many social activities, I feel like I’ve been eating very heavily. I know I need to slow down the eating train to set healthy habits with grad school starting and as my time and energy to workout decreases. My goal is to balance inevitable shortage of gym time with healthier eating.

Usually when I go out for Thai food, I lick my plate clean, and that plate is usually full of a huge mound of either white rice soaked in creamy curry or carb-laden pad thai. Last night I tried to eat lighter, but forgoing my Thai staples was not an easy task.

I didn’t completely miss out on my favorites. My sister and I shared an order of shrimp summer rolls to start.

After much deliberation over my entree, I finally settled on the garlic and pepper tofu. It sounded light and healthy.

Then it came out, and I realized the tofu was fried. Whoops. A for effort? The tofu was served with broccoli on a bed of steamed cabbage in a sweet and garlicky sauce. There was chopped garlic sprinkled all over the tofu. The dish was served with rice, which I didn’t need to eat. The tofu was plenty. Although it wasn’t my old reliable curry or pad thai, I really enjoyed it. The garlic made everything taste so fresh, and the sauce was delicious. I may request the tofu not fried next time. I think the dish would be just as wonderful.

Even though it was a small step, I felt good about my dining decisions, and that really is half the battle. Plus, I felt much better at the gym this morning than I would have the morning after a super filling meal.

What are your tricks for saying no to tempting foods?

Thanksgiving Game Plan

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

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Seriously, whose idea was it to schedule our wedding the week after Thanksgiving?

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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s the Friday of the holidays. You still have the entire holiday season ahead of you before feeling the stress and hustle and bustle. Everyone is just starting to feel that holiday cheer. I also love reflecting on all that I have to be thankful for, and let’s face it, I also love all the food involved.

My goal this year is not to overindulge. I’m still going to enjoy the delicious spread, but I just don’t want to overdo any meal nine days prior to my wedding day. My plan is to load up on and to fill most of my plate with veggies. I’ll stick with lean cuts of turkey (even though I love dark meat) and ease up on starchy sides. I only need a taste of dessert, if that. I want to enjoy the time with loved ones while not over-obsessing about my eating habits. I also don’t want to lose control and eat twelve pounds of mashed potatoes.

This past year has truly been amazing. Being engaged, albeit stressful at times, has been a wonderful process making me even more thankful for Kevin, my family, my future family and friends. Everyone has been so supportive, helpful and generous. I’m also thankful to have amazing coworkers and a great work environment who have supported me this year though studying for the GMAT, taking time off for the wedding and who are encouraging of my starting grad school next year. I’m thankful to have Kevin in my life and to have the privilege of being his wife soon. I was never in a rush to get married, and now that I’m ten days away, I realize how lucky I am to be able to marry my best friend.

How’s that for some holiday warm and fuzzies?

What are you thankful for? I’m constantly thankful for each person who has stopped by my little corner of the blog world. Thank you for each comment and all the support I’ve continued to receive. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

This past year I’ve been going through gyms like nail polish colors. When Kevin and I first moved in together, I joined LA Fitness because Kevin was already a member, and jumping on to his membership was the most convenient option. Looking back, that was a pretty big step in our relationship. Kevin paid my monthly membership since I was just added on to his existing account. LA Fitness was nearby and many of our friends had memberships there, so we often had workout buddies. They have a lot of equipment and sports courts. However, the staff was pretty rude and the gym would get packed to the point where there was no free mat space, equipment or parking ever available. The equipment was old, and even when they replaced machines, they broke pretty frequently and quickly.  However, we kept our membership mostly out of convenience. A year or so passed, Kevin and I got engaged, and then I took the GMAT. After 13 weeks of studying, I had slipped a little off the fitness bandwagon and was ready to get back on track for the wedding. Kevin decided to quit LA Fitness and opted for TRX classes at B Meyer gym, so I had no reason to stay at LA Fitness either. Truthfully, I was excited to ditch the snotty employees, crazy crowds and old machines.

I decided to join Planet Fitness, first and foremost, because it’s really inexpensive. I soon fell in love. In the mornings, sometimes I felt like I had my own private gym. The woman working the front desk recognized me only after a few consecutive days’ visits. I was warmly greeted every day. I also loved that all the equipment and facilities were so clean. One employee would be at the front desk and others were always walking around wiping down equipment. Their hours are great, and I really enjoyed working out there. Oh, and the “lunk alarm” that they are known for never went off in all the times I was there.

Recently, Kevin received a promotion in the mail for a discount on a YMCA membership. They offer TRX in addition to all the other gym amenities, so Kevin was willing to make the switch. It didn’t make sense for the two of us to be at different gyms, so I switched as well. I hated breaking up with Planet Fitness. Even when I went to cancel my membership, they recognized me, making the whole process that much more difficult. Yes, I was emotionally attached to a gym, and I hate confrontation.

The Y isn’t perfect, but I do enjoy being able to work out with Kevin. Some of their equipment is pretty old, and their hours aren’t as flexible, but they also have amenities that Planet Fitness didn’t. They have an indoor and outdoor pool, steam rooms, group fitness classes, towel service and a larger variety of workout equipment.

They have medicine balls, kettle bells and foam rollers, all of which Planet Fitness did not.

I still miss Planet Fitness often. It’s not as crowded as the Y, it’s cleaner and their patrons seem to be more considerate of the equipment and others around them. But I’m taking advantage of the extras the Y offers and being able to work out with Kevin. We’ll see if we decide to switch it up again before the year is over!

What do you look for in a gym?