We’ve had cold rainy days most of this week, so I’m definitely glad to be sitting here enjoying a warm day and a cool breeze blowing through our open windows. I’m so ready for spring! This morning we went to the park with the dog and I logged my 2nd activity on my new heart rate monitor Jason and his dad and stepmom got me for my birthday:
I’m still learning how to use it and have yet to actually run with it, but I’ve wanted one for awhile. When I engage in strenuous exercises, I tend to wuss out and stop pushing myself as hard as I could, so I’ve reasoned that if I have the feedback of a monitor, I’ll know my heart isn’t about to explode and I should keep going!
Earlier this week we made an AMAZING shepherd’s pie recipe:
…and I also attempted a layered baked ratatouille based on this recipe:
My mission was to use up ALLL the veggies, not make it look pretty. Success!
Later this evening we’re headed to a friend’s birthday celebration, so I attempted to make a variation of my Irish Car Bomb cookies last night, but the ganache just ain’t working out.
So I’m attempting this recipe instead. Got the dough logs chilling in the fridge (leftover ratatouille in the background!) while I roast some cauliflower for a snack.
My weight has been steady this week, but we’ve celebrated my 30th birthday a few times and thus I’ve been a little loose with my diet plan. At least I haven’t gained!
We also got our engagement pictures back this week (done by the fabulous Joshua and Aaron Moore – I’m obsessed with their work and can’t wait for them to capture our wedding!!), and while I’m quite pleased with them, I’m frustrated with how I still look. It was definitely eye-opening to realize how much farther I have to go, especially when seeing my ass/hip/thigh area front and center of a wide-angle shot like this:
My arms are my most embarrassing part, and the one I’m most focused on toning right now. It’s easier to hide chunky thighs, but flabby arms are harder to camouflage, in my opinion.
Right now I’m doing this dumbbell circuit from Fitsugar but need to step up the efforts to drop weight all over. It’s happened before and will happen again – I know my arms will shrink when the rest of me does.
Cauliflower is done, drizzled with some Bolthouse Farms yogurt ranch (the cauliflower is spicy), and I’m off to finish baking my cookies!!
