Merry Christmas from GA!

Merry Christmas!

So, I will admit that maintaining a blog is a bit more work than I thought it'd be. I changed the layout a bit to be a little more "professional", although it is still in the works. While the blog has been on my mind, I'm making a larger effort on enjoying my 3-week vacation in the sunny south with friends and family. I don't regret moving to Colorado last month, but I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to having to layer up in hats, gloves, boots, jackets, and two layers of pants just to go for a thirty minute bikeride. Sigh... Yes, as much as I whined, I do miss you, Florida...

Good things are coming in 2013. My first year out of college, although I have learned you're never really "out of school". Every day is a new lesson, a new learning experience. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

I'm looking forward to a new set of personal training clients, as well as new career as a physical therapist assistant. After jumping through many hoops to officially get my CO license, I am now finally ready to work. In the meantime, I am spending time with my lovely boyfriend, Mark, and his Georgia family. I have been eating an excessive amount of animal flesh (fortunately my boyfriend's family is "okay" with us picking at the turkey carcass like animals) and a bit too much rum (with iced coffee), sleeping in until nearly 11am every morning, and doing "unstuctured" workouts to keep myself feeling good. So far, I've gotten in a ~2hr hike through the Palatka, Florida gardens with my father, a 90 minute ride on Jacksonville beach (wow did I miss that!), a killer weight lifting session in dad's garage gym (still not used to Colorado altitude, so I kicked major ass that day), a morning run in the brisk Georgia air with my man (with our matching Vibrams!), a bodyweight circuit of jump squats, dips, and elevated push-ups (in the pouring rain!), and completing over 100 push-ups throughout the day. In the next week, I'm hoping to get in a 90 minute yoga session, perhaps utilize a 5$ day pass for the local gym, complete 50-100 chin-ups in a day on the rugged bar in the backyard, and throw in another run or two for good measure. Who said it's hard to exercise on vacation? You have more time than ever, you've just got to get creative!

Palatka, Florida

 

I've also condensed my "feeding window", or the time that I am consuming food, from about 12pm to 6pm (brunch and dinner). Keeping myself on this schedule reduces the chance of mindless snacking on "off-hours" and eating only when I'm hungry. I've been mostly eating "low-carb" to reduce the cravings to consume holiday sweets, which means I've been eating a lot of chicken skin, bacon, and fatty sausage. My favorite sweet indulgence so far has been these flattened bananas that my boyfriend surprised me with from Trader Joe's. They are literally just flattened bananas, but they're delicious and have a good texture. I'd never buy them at home, but they're a good treat to have for the holidays if you're tempted by other sweets. Literally, just bananas!

 

I don't focus much on food during the holidays anyway, but moreso on completely relaxing and spending time with the people that I love. I feel INCREDIBLY fortunate to have such great people in my life. I was fortunate enough to visit my father, my "Jacksonville family", my classmates and old roommates/friends, and my boyfriend's family for this holiday season. I couldn't ASK for a better holiday! Hope you all are enjoying the season as much as I am!