So, your aunt Sal is finally getting married and oh boy isn't it a happy time?  But wait, you have to travel for the whole weekend?  What are you going to eat?  Will there be food for you at Sal's wedding?  Surely there won't because Sal can't stand that you're vegan.

Mail's here! Oh look it's aunt Sal's invitation
Of course you're gonna attend, she is your family after all.  But, hold up now, is that just chicken and beef you can choose from?  Really, Sal?  Your sister Betsy is a vegetarian, you know.  I'm not the only one out there.

So you call her up

But, it is her wedding and you ultimately gotta do what the bride says, so you just go along with it because despite her naivety, you love her.

But you don't want to starve this weekend, either.  So what do you do?  BYOFood! And lots of it!
Is it ideal?  Of course not, but we do what we have to, right?

Alrighty, here is what I was able to document from the wedding weekend.  Enjoy the commentary!!

Hey guys!  It is 7:00am right now and I just checked my levels: 95.  Which is high.  Anything below 99 is supposed to be in the clear, but I feel like 95 is way too close to 99 to be okay.

I scheduled a blood test for tomorrow at 3:20, so I will post the results when I get them {probably next week sometime.}

Alright, on to the fun stuff now!

I implemented Rack Pulls into my workout yesterday.  For anyone who doesn't know, this bad boy is a rack pull:
There is nothing to it, really. It's like half a deadlift.  A lot of people seem to hate on them, but I really liked how they felt.  It killed my glutes! Is that normal?  Anywho I did, as this Squat Challenge often requires, 2 sets of 10; 2x5; 3x3; and 3x1.  And I got up to...

Hey guys! I am working on a new vlog that I will be posting either on here or on youtube soon!

But, I also have some bad news.

This might turn into a rather lengthy story...

I bruise easily

You guuuuuuuuys I missed a couple of days!  Ugh, I know, I'm the worst!

That means I have to report on days 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7...and do all those poems. But
So I think I'm just gonna pretend like I never took a little poetry hiatus.

Oh, but I should point out that besides Thursday, I haven't skipped squats since I started Monday.  So that's cool!

Also, I got a squat and deadlift PR today!! 150lbs {for both.  I know, my squats and deads are the same..}  pretty happy with the 5lb progress, though.  It's something at least!!


Anywho...Iiiiiiiiiits Poetry Tiiiiiime {get it? Like, Adventure Time? huh? HUH?}

Day 3{ish}- Find the nearest book (of any kind). Turn to page 8. Use the first ten full words on the page in a poem. You may use them in any order, anywhere in the poem.
Hot oil is the key to crunchy fried chicken, but {found in my mother's Cooks Country magazine}

Creamy milk is the key to smooth mashed potatoes, 
A bit of water is the key to splatter-proof bacon, 
Hot oil is the key to crunchy fried chicken, 
A golden-brown turkey is the key to Thanksgiving,


My friend over at Taylor's Pages posts a quote every Monday. So as a shout-out to her, I am going to post this quote for today:

"Like fillies, they jump and buck, overjoyed with their first feel of freedom. Then, suddenly, they collapse and cannot get up. They can only lie there, trying to breathe, their bodies racked with pain from abuse and neglect on the factory farms."

This quote was found in a PETA article {now, I don't really like PETA for various reasons, but this article was a very important, very heartfelt read} and is referring to the pigs post-transport to the slaughterhouse when they are herded out of the trucks and, despite being severely weakened from the trip, they are so overjoyed to not be in such a small, stuffy space that they actually run around.  Unfortunately, though, not for long as their legs often give out on them and they collapse.  And then they are shot with a bolt to the head, often times not dying, and then boiled alive.  All for a meal for us humans.

I'm sorry for ending a post like this, especially when I haven't been writing as much, but I just get so saddened when I really think about what goes on behind slaughterhouse walls.  It sickens me.  So, I must go.  I will hopefully post more tomorrow.  I have a few videos I'm working on for the next couple of posts, so I'm gonna work on those later today.

Day 2- Who was the last person you texted? Write a five line poem to that person.

You will be beautiful on your wedding day
that I know for sure.
But I can't help feel somewhat jealous of you
Because you are getting married
and I will just be in the background.

I'll be honest, it's a shitty poem, but Futurama is on and I didn't feel much of a connection to the prompt, anyway.  I do really want to do this challenge, but it is proving difficult when I have all this packing to do and what not


{My last text was "ABBIE I FORGOT TO RSVP FOR YOUR WEDDING SHOWER!!! What should I do??"  So this poem was to her.  It's not something I would ever really want her to see, though.}

Alright, on to the workout of the day!

I started with {surprise, surprise} Back Squats!
10@75lbs, 10@80lbs, 5@105lbs, 5@115lbs, 3@125lbs, 3@125lbs, 3@130lbs, 1@135lbs, 1@140lbs, 1@145lbs

Then on to dead lifts. The plan called for the same sets and reps as squats, but I felt like that was too much volume for the time limit I had so I narrowed it down to:
5@95lbs, 5@115lbs, 3@125lbs, 3@135lbs, 1@145lbs, 1@155lbs

Then, I super-setted
Seated Cable Rows 3x10
Glute Kickbacks 3x12each leg

It doesn't seem like a lot of different exercises, and that's because it's not!  But, this took an hour and 10 minutes and I felt pooped afterwards!  I do't think I feel worn-out from squats two days in a row.  But ask me in a week and that answer might be very, very different!

Hey guys!

I will be uploading videos {possibly...though for some reason my computer is taking its sweet time to do anything nowadays} and blogging for 30 days as part of the Squat Everyday 4 week challenge.

The link to the routine is here.


Cory Gregory, the guy who designed it, is a little wacky {if you watch his full promo video, you'll know what I mean} but you can tell that he works hard and is passionate about what he does, so that's cool by me.


Also, aside from doing this 30 day Squat er'day thing, I will also be participating in a 30 Day Poetry Challenge to spice things up a bit {and to kick my ass into high gear}

Here is a link to the challenge questions.

Day 1- Write a poem where each line starts with a letter from your first name (an acrostic). It can be about anything, but it should not be about you or your name.

I wish I was making this up.

• I kept messing with my sports bra because I wear a HR monitor and it kept falling down.
• The power went out at  because of the storm
• The camera was angled strangely in some shots at about a 15 degree slant to the right, because of this it looks like I am not squatting parallel.  In the future {like tomorrow, possibly} I will try to find a better spot to set the camera so I can better tape my form.  It's probably still not perfect, though.  I'm always improving.
• It's really hard to condense over an hour long workout into less than 10 minutes

Thanks for watching/reading!  Talk at you guys tomorrow!

I told my first person about this blog the other day which means...
OH MY GOD SOMEONE KNOWS ABOUT THIS BLOG!!! 
whew, had to get that over with!

Basically, I have been struggling with putting myself out there.  I was hesitant to tell my friend about the blog, maybe for fear of judgement, but in the end, she had nothing but kind words for me.  And even if she didn't, even if she really hated the blog {and if you are reading this, I would like you to tell me!}, that would be okay.  We can have dissimilar interests and still be bffs.

To get to the point, I would like to touch on the topic of putting yourself out there.

Do you have a passion for something? Writing, drawing, painting, singing...Do you have ideas worth sharing? {You do, btw.}

Then share your passions with the world! Share your knowledge!
Why?  Well, I think this is an important skill for everyone to possess.  Have a blog you are unsure about sharing?  Share it!  What about a vlog, or a story you wrote, or a poem, a song, a painting? What about a thought or an idea? Share them!  Obviously, you must filter what you have to say or show people to the specific audience, but you will never let your ideas be known or let your work shown if you don't put yourself out there.


Lastly, here is a little bit of a snippet for you all...It's my vlog intro..

ERGH! ERGH! ERGH!
Your alarm is going off again for the third time this morning.  "I would be able to sleep another hour if I skipped my workout this morning.  Besides," you think to yourself, eyes barely open, "I'll just exercise tonight after work."  The day goes by and you are determined to get a good workout in.  You gaze up at the clock that reads: 1:32, just over three hours to go.  During your last break you quickly jot down your leg routine; squats, lunges, leg extension, glute kickbacks and scarf down a couple of bananas.  The clock now reads: 4:47 and you are oozing determination.  "I am gonna kick ass today!" you tell yourself.  It is now 5:00 and time for you to go to the gym!  You skip to your car, ready to kill the next hour and a half.  But when you sit down you realize how sore your feet are and how tired you feel.  Your stomach growls fiercely and before you know it you are driving the opposite way to the gym, towards home.   During the 10 minute drive you tell yourself, "It's okay, I needed a rest day anyways." And, "I'll just workout extra hard tomorrow."  You park your car and take a look at the neatly folded workout clothes laying on the passenger's seat, shrug off the fact that they haven't been worn in days, and go into your house.

Sound the least bit familiar?  

This happens to me sometimes.  It is so easy to not workout that it just happens.  I am a firm believer in listening to my body, if it needs rest; I rest.  But, sometimes it is okay to force yourself to workout.

On days when I am really not feeling it I make myself workout for just  a little bit.  I find that if I throw on some cute workout clothes and get the blood flowin, I just finish my workout because I end up loosing track of time.  But, there are some times, albeit rarely, where even if I do put on some cute clothes and get started, I drudge through a few minutes and make excuses that I have to leave.  Sometimes I don't even make it out of my house before I am back in my pj's, binge watching some Futurama.  And on days like that, I will never beat myself up over it, not anymore at least.  Because I love working out so much, if I can't make it through a workout, even if I try, then I give my body a break.  And *gasp* that's okay.

 But for days when you just need a little motivation I recommend doing some self-reflection.  Why do you want to workout?  For health?  For strength? To loose fat? To build muscle?  To get faster?  To look "better" in your clothes?  Whatever your goals may be, think about them.  Think about how far you have come and know that the more consistent you are, the easier it gets to get your butt to the gym.  If self-reflection doesn't work, then I recommend literally forcing yourself to the gym.  Some of my greatest workouts have been on days where I really didn't wanna go the the gym.  

But, of course, like I mentioned earlier it is so important to listen to your body and if your form is suffering or you just can't bare to lift a weight or run a few feet, even if you try your very hardest, then let yourself relax.  Maybe go on a walk later in the day with a friend, or do some simple stretching.  But most importantly, make sure to forgive yourself when days like this strike.  I used to feel so guilty for not working out and that is so ridiculous to me now.  Some R&R is never a bad thing.

 

Howdy guys!

I just got back from my friend's college graduation party and it was a lot of fun!

I think what made it so great {besides seeing those I haven't seen in a while and meeting new people} was the fact that my friend actually made me 2 vegan dishes!  I never once asked him to make me anything.  I was prepared to bring my own food but he told me a couple days ago that he was gonna make you food!  For those of you who are curious, here are links to the two dishes he made:
Pesto and Orzo.

Now, granted, if I were to have made these I wouldn't have put oil in {or not as much} and I would've put more veggies in, but they were still really tasty and really vegan.

This experience got me thinking about how I used to think it was so hard to be vegan because of social situations, but it's really not.

Here are some tips I have compiled over the years on how to be vegan and still have a social life:

• Eat beforehand-If you know you are going to some type of event and there wont be food for you there, then you can always make sure you eat beforehand.  Have a good-sized meal with a higher protein and fat content then you may normal have if sticking to a relatively low fat/lower protein diet.  While carbs are optimal, in my experience it is easier to pass the dessert table if you have a full tummy.  But, if you can't eat beforehand or if you are like me and you don't want to feel left out then...

• Find something you can eat-Most places have something, even if it's just a small salad.  Otherwise, look up the resturant online.  Just google "___ResturantName___ Vegan Options" and you will find some website to help you in your search for food.  But, say the place you are going just has a house salad that you could possible eat. Feel like you are burdening your waiter by asking them to forgo the cheese and croutons?  Don't.  It's your food and you are paying for it, so you can eat it however you damn well please.  If you want to be super simple, ask for a lemon slice or two to squeeze on it.  Or, what I like to do sometimes is bring my own dressing/dip.  My favorite is just a small {or half} of an avocado or even just some raisins.  This brings me to my third tip...

• Bring some food-What you bring does depend on what you are doing, though.  Some restaurants frown on people bringing their own food in, but I say who cares?  Most of the time, they won't bother you about it.  Some good things to bring are fruits that don't need to be cut up like bananas, apples, dates, stone fruits; basically anything you can bite in to; granola/protein bars; containers of fruit that are pre-cut; containers of veggies or some sort of carb like grains or potatoes  *.Just remember to bring a bag to put your garbage in. Do not leave a mess at the table! That's just rude.

• Wait to eat after-This is the hardest one for me because it can be a bit awkward sometimes to sit there and try to socialize when others are eating. This is why I prefer to bring my own food and eat with others.

I hope these tips helped!  I am sure there are a few spelling/grammatical errors in this post.  I am so tired.  Last night we had friends over who left around 1:00am and the boyfriend and I were up till around 4:30-5am and I work up at 10:30am.  #gonnasleeplikeababy.

 Hey everyone!

I thought I would touch on a topic that is..uncomfortable for a lot of people.  And that topic is pushing yourself.

It is so beneficial to push yourself, that is how we will grow.  We cannot lie dormant in our comfort zones forever, always being content and "fine" with life.  There is a whole wide {new} world out there, full of brand new things for us all to experience.  Push yourself to do something different.  This could be taking a new fitness class at the gym, cutting out meat and dairy, switching from machines to free-weights, or even just adding more perfectly sweet and ripe fruit to your day.  Whatever the change is, do it!

Oh sure, you may be uncomfortable at times.  But with discomfort comes strength.  Maybe, right now, you can reflect on something in your life that you've been interested in but have yet to experience.  I know for me, it is writing more and more on this blog and starting a youtube channel; just getting more involved in the vegan and fitness communities.  I'm kinda terrified to put myself out there, but I feel like I have knowledge and advice and experiences to give, and hopefully I, too, can learn from others.  So, we must find the courage that is in ourselves and take the plunge!  In the wise words of Shia LeBeouf:



Right now, {like, literally at this very moment} I am in the process of starting a youtube channel!! Yay!  For some reason, the hardest part right now is finding a name {oh and editing the videos and such..}.  Should I go by TheFitVegan?  Should I change it?  Ah, decisions, decisions {fun fact: it took me so much longer than it should have to figure out how to spell decisions..}

Well, hopefully you all learned something from Shia LeBeouf today, I know I did :)