Lemons

The old adage goes "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade."  Then some clever and fun loving person changed it to "when life gives you lemons, make a lemon martini."  Well screw that, I want the Ritz Carlton Famous Lemon Pound Cake with a blueberry compote. I made it over the summer and it was amazing!!!  Here is the recipe I came across while browsing pinterest.  http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/10/lemon-pound-cake.html  and then drizzled, topped or smothered in this http://www.two-tarts.com/2011/07/blueberry-vanilla-compote.html  Most excellent when paired. Go all out and put some fresh whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream with it too.

The problem?  I decided to take part in the six-sister's stuff 8-week Get Healthy Challenge.  http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/01/8-week-printable-weight-loss-get.html
Not only did I commit myself to this challenge but I am the lead person in our mini Facebook group.  In this challenge you are supposed to forego sweets for six out of seven days in the week.  And I know I shouldn't eat a full cake in one day.  And I am too competitive to let the points go and eat the cake over the course of a week.

Normally I allow a few calories for sweet treats.  This is my favorite recipe that comes in at only 74 calories a cupcake: http://sweet-verbena.blogspot.ca/2011/08/pumpkin-muffins.html  these are so tasty and you can freeze them a defrost when the sweet tooth hits.  But instead of these, and instead of that delicious lemon pound cake, I turn to peanut butter.  I finally broke down and bought some sugar-free pudding.  I am trying to resist these as well because I don't want to get into the habit of eating them everyday.

But let's get back to the cake.  Ever since I received the news and the deadline to a life changing situation, I have wanted to binge.  On sweets, on salty treats, whatever I can find and most definitely I want to bake cake after cake after cake and eat them too.  So I am very thankful of my transformation in the last year.  While I don't always have self control around food, I am 85% better.  I haven't binged, only dreamed.  Dreamed about warmer temperatures, dreamed about getting a job in Disneyland and dreamed about eating lemon and blueberries in sweet tasting bliss.

This is me

(heading out to see the Lion King on stage)

Happy New Year!!!

I am hoping to blog more in the new year.  I have just started another blog and I know I can update that one weekly but this one......?????

With the new year comes new goals.

Goal #1- lose the holiday weight and a little more to FINALLY reach my goal weight.  This is the first time in I think forever that my "weight to lose" has been so small.  Kind of exciting really.

Goal #2- this goal is in two parts but the same intent.  I would like to gain a min/mile in my run time and increase my run-walk ratio to 3:1.  I think this is very doable.  I am excited to see how far I can go this year.  If all goes well, I also hope to start training for a full marathon by the end of August.  That will be a wait and see how my leg finishes healing.

Other Goals:
a) Run a full marathon in 2014 or 2015.  I am hoping to run the St. Jude's Country Marathon in Nashville.  :)
b) 5 year goal--Run the Goofy Challenge at WDW in January 2018 and the Dumbo challenge in Disneyland August/September 2018.  Woop-woop.


Some fun things for this new year include jogging to the moon.  www.moonjoggers.com You can be part of a relay team to run laps around the earth and moon.  So cool.  I haven't signed up for any races this year yet, but that will come.  I have my eye on a few.  I am also starting the 8-week challenge put out by the six-sisters website.  Looking forward to continuing this journey of transformation.

What are your goals for 2013?  Where will this year take you?

This is me

(Oct. 2011 on the right--October 2012 on the left)