Seafood life, is the life for me.

So, it's been a little over a week since I decided not to eat any type of meat other than seafood. The conclusion is: this is the life for me. No tummy aches! No sickness! No sluggishness! Well, I'm a little sluggish, but I'm blaming it on finals and cramming knowledge into the ol' noggin.

I'm really into shrimp, obviously. Shrimp fajitas are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, especially the ones I make...But I don't have to tell you that do I? (winky face) So, in honor of my no-meat life, I'm giving you my COVETED shrimp fajita recipe. Read, eat, enjoy:

Shrimp Fajitas: Serves 3
1 pound shrimp (de-veined & wild caught)
1 8oz cans Tomato sauce (not the Italian kind, Spanish kind, preferably Goya)
1/4 cup hot sauce (of your choosing, I like Chilula or Tobasco)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Toritillas (any kind/ size you like)

Extras that are good with this meal:
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Pickled cabbage
Shredded cheese (cheddar/monterrey jack/ pepper jack etc...)

Take off the shrimp tails & rinse
In one skillet spray with canola oil or rub with butter (doesn't matter)
Sautee shrimp until just before they turn pink (takes only about 4-5 minutes, even less depending on your stove) for my stove it takes about 4.
Turn the heat down

In another bowl:
Add the tomato sauce
pepper/salt/hot sauce mix well.

Add bowl of sauce onto shrimp about 4 minutes in, with the heat low, continue to cook for another minute or two-until shrimp are pink & cooked.

Eat with favorite toppings & with warm tortillas.

Yum & HEALTHY.

To Meat or NOT to Meat

Yes, that is the best title I could think of for this. However, that is the question that has been on my mind the most lately. "Should I continue my carnivorous ways? Or go back to what I'm more comfortable with: pescetarianism." I was full on veg. for a while, and then I was pescetarian for a long, long, time, and even when I was a kid and ate meat, I never ate red meat. So this whole, me eating burgers at 11PM, hot dogs over an open fire, and roast beef sandwiches- it's really just not "me". Red meat is pretty bad for you. But, I'm not here to preach, eat what you want in small quantities.

I wish I was that girl that could scarf down a burger and fries, not gain a pound, and not experience a really awful stomach ache topped off with some guilt. After my late night burger experience last night, going to bed sick, and waking up even sicker, I decided to take a little break. UNTIL this morning when I had brunch and tried some of Andrews Chorizo. WHY CAN'T I STOP MYSELF?! I mean, one bite of Chorizo won't send me to bed with a tummy-ache, but, still. Get a GRIP, Katie! There must be some sort of addictive property to meat. All that vitamin B? The fat? I don't know, but all I know is I need a fucking break.

I find fish to be one of the best proteins, it's lean, it's delicious and it's really good for you. I'm pretty sensitive to animals, so I don't know why I am ignoring the needs of these sea-creatures. I'm a monster. Let's move on...

So, the answer to the question is: to eat FISH meat. We'll see how this goes, I hope I get some of my energy back and that my stomach thanks me.

Hip Hop Abs & A Good Attitude

Hi! It's been a long time since I've blogged, but, I promise it's because I'm way too busy to care about something that no one reads... Oh, I mean... school's been taking up too much of my time. Oh, um.. Really, all I do is hang out with my cat, Chilton. OK! Now that the truth is out, I want to let ya'll in on a secret called "Hip Hop Abs".

"Secret" being another word for "very popular workout video". Hip Hop Abs incorporates (you guessed it) Hip Hop Dance and a really intense ab work out. Katie Olson, my dearest, loveliest friend, and I purchased this set of DVD's and have been doing it together for 3 weeks now. We haven't been as consistent as we like (you know, life gets in the way and we're both really busy bees, bzzz). But, the 3 or more times a week that we DO get to dance our way to better abs together, we have a fuckin' blast, and we sweat a whole lot, too.

You start off your regimen of videos with the first DVD for the whole first week: Fat Burning Cardio or FBC for short. We decided to do it for 2 weeks to get our heart rates up even more. The video is fantastic. You're greeted by a very big, very handsome, man named Shaun T. He is your motivator and leader. He is awesome. He says things like, "you go, girl!" "get into those skinny jeans" "work it out" and most importantly "funk flavor justice". WHATEVER THAT MEANS, SHAUN T! The moves are not necessarily only for those who are rhythmically inclined- which I am not- but Katie O. is and she looks really cool doing all of the moves. I, on the other hand, look like a fish out of water, or something equally as spastic. But, I get the job done.

"Tilt, Tuck, Tighten" are the three words Shaun T swears will get you better abs, without ever having to lay on the floor to do crunches.

We just started DVD #2 Ab Sculpt, its less dance moves, more giant gallop-looking steps and arm motions- but you really feel it the next day. I'll have to give more details on that video as we go through it more this week.

We measured our waists and will report back with what inches have melted off of us. I personally see a difference and I definitely have more energy. This type of working out with a best bud is so much better than being in a humid room with a bunch of strangers mindlessly running on the treadmill (which, I still do...) It's seriously a blast.

More to come!

Jean Shorts..& You can too!

Jean. Shorts. Two words that have always sent me into a fearful panic,along with: clown parade, and Nicholas Cage. However, since this summer has been so unbelievably hot and muggy, and since I believed I had worked out enough that day to feel OK about trying jean shorts on...I braved the heat, and the Livingston Mall (ew), and went to The Gap.

Where else do you people buy jean shorts? When I think of jean shorts, khaki's, and neon colored scarves I think of The Gap. So I went in, and behold! A SALE! A 50% off sale! Heavens gates were opening up, and they were opening up for ME. There was officially no reason NOT to buy at least 1 pair of shorts while I was there. I tried on the first pair that I saw, grabbed whatever size I thought I was, and put them on OVER my yoga pants. (Yes, friends, I am THAT self conscious...especially in very brightly lit dressing rooms).

They fit! Oh sweet Jesus, they fit! And they were a bit loose, even over the yoga pants, so I figured they were the perfect pair to buy. I was feeling so good about myself that I even went over to the tank tops and bought a white tank. WHO AM I?! Total was $16, for SHORTS and a TANK! Oh, THE GAP!
(This blog is in no way affiliated with The Gap...they wanted me to say that.)

Anyway, why am I afraid to wear jean shorts, you ask? Well... I do not have thin legs, they are thick, body building, Hungarian circus joining type of legs. Are they proportionate with my body? I like to think so, but no matter how much weight I lose my legs don't really seem to GET the picture. So the thought of putting on such an unforgiving material- like jeans- at such a short length made me feel terrified. However, so far, so good, I seem to have some success in these- success meaning no one is chasing me back into my home with torches yelling "monster!". So, so far, so good.

Is there a moral to this story? Fuckin' duh there is. The moral is this: sometimes you've just got to suck it up, try some shorts on over your yoga pants, and call it a day. Be proud of those twig legs, those thin legs, those body builder legs, those thundering legs, those brown legs, those pale legs, and all of those legs in between. Except for maybe those sunburned legs? Probably should hide those suckers.

2011

Happy New Year everyone! One of my New Years resolutions is to blog more often, kind of a lackluster resolution, but, the more I blog and get to write and share my feelings with all you sexy babes, the more I feel better about myself-more open, more honest.

New Years is always a bitter sweet time for me, and I think for most people, because in a sense we are forced to look at what we have done (or haven't done) in the past year and reflect on it. I reflected on my last resolution, which was to "be at my ideal weight by next New Years Eve". Needless to say, I'm about 25 pounds away from my "ideal weight", and having that realization hanging over my head (with an alcohol induced sadness) I ended up semi-ruining my whole night because of my disappointment with myself. After a good cry, and the comfort of a few best friend hugs, a few best friend snuggles, and some making fun of Andrew passed out on the couch- I started to feel better.

SO, for the first time, in a very, very, very, long time- my New Years resolution is not weight-related. It's love-related. I want to love my family and my friends more, I want to be a better sister, daughter, granddaughter, friend, girlfriend, neighbor, employee, and stranger. And most importantly I want to be better to myself.

Dear Self,
This upcoming year, will be your year, I promise.

I love you.

Babies- lets make this the best, happiest, healthiest and most "Katie Minus Katie" filled Year of them all. Here's to 100 more years together.

Feel free to e-mail me with topics you may want me to research and blog for you!

XX

I love you.

I need to change the tone of this blog for a hot sec. I need to throw away the calorie counting, the calorie journals, the scale, the gym, my running shoes, and all of my ideals for what I would like my body to look like.

I just want to talk to you. I want you to know that, no matter what your size, you are beautiful, and I love you. I love you because you are strong, because you are smart, and because you are special. You are all unique, and different, and wonderful. No diet, no specific way of eating, or running, or living, will work for all of us. These are very individual things that we need to find out for ourselves. Something I am trying to teach myself, actually. When I talk about Radical Self Love, I'm not telling you to turn around and love yourself immediately. I am telling you to learn how to love yourself again, and to learn that whatever way you are--is the way you should be.

The days your jeans don't fit, the days your self esteem is crap, the days you just want to curl up in a ball because "you can't do it". Those days happen, those days are relevant in most of our lives. Embrace those days, learn from them, but do not kill your spirit. Do not think that because you had a slice of cake that you are worth less than you were before. Do not think that because society told you to be a certain way, a certain size, that you have to be that way--bitch, you don't gotta change a thing- haven't you heard?

In my personal journey I do want to lose weight, but I do want to stress that losing weight won't make me a better person, a happier person, a more trustworthy or loveable person-it will not change a thing but the number on the scale.

I'm going to promise myself to learn to obsess less-even if that means taking a break from blogging, or from the gym. Weight loss/ Weight gain/ Weight in general- does not dictate who we are.

It ain't the size of your ass that counts, it's the size of your soul.

& baby, you got lots of soul.

I love you,
Mama

Radical Self Love...Pays Off

This week I demonstrated a lot of Radical Self Love, by letting myself have a few extra sweets, taking a break from the gym, and just doing my "thing". And...um...I lost 3 pounds. WHAT THE HELL?!?!?! PEOPLE! LOVE YOURSELVES! YOU will get the results you want! Of course I'm back on the horse again today, starting a new cleanse (it is not fasting or a diet. It's food combination) I will provide you with more details later today. But I just HAD to do a update post, I'm so impressed with the power of LOVE!!