One to Nothin'

What I Wore

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 Before, during, disaster and after. 
 Running Gear (I didn’t dress up much this week, so I had to make do) // 
Tank Top: PacSun / Shorts: AE / Shoes: Kohl’s
Dress: Target / Shoes: Payless / Cardigan: Target / Earrings: Gift
 Shirt: PacSun / Shorts: Goodwill jeans doctored / Boots: thrifted / Bracelets: all over the place
Dress: Target / Shoes: Gift
Happy Hump Day!

(The original is way better than whatever the remake-deal I heard today..)


Linking up here: The Pleated Poppy, Rae Gun Ramblings, Transatlantic Blonde and Rolled Up Pretty

Paleo Spaghetti

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Guys, this spaghetti is amaze balls. All you need is grass-fed ground beef, spaghetti sauce with no added sugar (which is surprisingly super hard to find), olive oil, an onion, a spaghetti squash, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. First I browned the ground beef in a skillet and added salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder (to taste).

In a separate pan I combined the spaghetti sauce and onion over medium heat.

Then I cut the spaghetti squash in half, scooped out the seeds, coated them in olive oil and baked in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Using a fork, I scraped the spaghetti squash insides out into two plates…

And voila! It honestly tasted way better than I thought it would. I’m a big fan. I really didn’t even miss the pasta in it. This one comes highly recommended.

….and because I missed Music Monday, here’s a little throwback for ya.

Paleo Plan Part II

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I’ve spent this whole weekend eating and drinking all sorts of crap and I’m bloated and gross to prove it.  So tomorrow marks the start of the ole Paleo thang again. I’m ready to eat all these wonderful things shown above again, and feel healthy, energetic and happy. (In just the 3 days I’ve spent eating non-paleo I’ve started breaking out and having majorly increased stomach pains) I’m going to try to not cheat at all for 30 days, but it will be slightly less strict than the Whole30 in that I will still eat honey, agave nectar, the occasional soy and some pseudo desserts as well (I also want to be stricter on myself about only eating meat and fish sources that are grass-fed, hormone-free, free range, etc.). I plan on eating these things sparingly though, and I also hope to stick to a pretty strict fitness plan where I get some form of exercise every single day of the 30 days even if it’s just walking my sausage-pup for 30 minutes or riding my bike around town. I’m running a half marathon in November too, so I definitely need to be training hard for that as well. So this is my plan starting tomorrow. For now I will go chomp down on some Pepto Bismol and try not to forget how crappy this feels when I’m craving brownies this time tomorrow night. 😉

Day 31

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So it’s Day 31, so the Whole30 is officially over. And against my better judgment, I went ahead and did some splurging today. First thing I did was find this dank recipe for Paleo Cinnamon Rolls. The only alteration I made was adding raisins, walnuts and coconut sugar to the inside of the roll. I even decided to make some icing to put on top that included coconut oil, coconut milk (from the can) and agave nectar.

You might be thinking to yourself, “That doesn’t seem so bad, it’s still Paleo after all!” But.. then I was on my way to work, so I had to stop at Starbucks where I picked up this Pumpkin Iced Latte with soy milk (strike for the sugar, strike for the soy).

And again, whatevs — it’s the official beginning of fall! Pumpkin lattes are the epitome of this transition… BUT because I was busy getting traumatized at the hair salon (which was supposed to be a treat to myself for finishing the Whole30, but notice how there are no photos of the results? Yea, that’s because I’m getting that shiz fixed ASAP tomorrow) I didn’t have time to get my healthy dinner from home, sooo I ate some breaded orange chicken business they made for us at work (delicious and full of gluten) and topped it all off with a sushi roll with the rice (strike 3).

Needless to say I feel kind of like death right now. I think I’m having a sugar/gluten hang over right now. I’m so bloated and feeling all-around gross, so I’m pretty sure Whole30 (with some modifications) part II is in the works.

I know you guys are like all right, get on with it. How much did you lose? How much bigger did your ass used to be? Pictures, pictures, pictures!

Yes, I weighed myself today and yes, I have before and after pictures. I do not, however, have the courage to post these photos. I will tell you that the number on the scale doesn’t seem to match up with the difference in the two photos. I only lost about 3 pounds, but the photos show a noticeable difference in how the weight is distributed. I am happy about that, and I’m still pretty stoked about all the results I described in this post, which are all still accurate.

Overall, I like the way I’ve felt for the past 30 days a lot more than how I feel now after eating all the “less good for you” foods today (as described in “It Starts With Food”). So now I think I want to spend slightly less time preparing, cooking and obsessing over food and more time working on indulging in moderation, my fitness (I’ve noticed myself sacrificing running sessions for cooking or other less productive activities), being independent and being frugal with money in order to reach my future goals.

And maybe after I’ve a had few more months to work on my goals (or a few more cocktails to increase my courage) I’ll post some before and after pics. 😉

Thanks for following along with my month-long journey to better health.

What I Wore

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 Shorts: Billabong ($3 from Goodwill!!) // Shirt: ??? (Just found it in my closet)
Shorts: Volcom // Shirt: Dillard’s // Flippy Floppies: Rainbow
 Since I wasn’t too creative/consistent in taking outfit photos, I figured I’d throw in a couple hairdos too 😉
Shirt: Buckle // Jeans: Hand-me-downs 😛 // Shoes: Kohl’s
Oh hi there, dirty mirror!
THIS GUY needs to clean.. and go shopping. 
But more importantly… 
I need to eat some carbs at midnight cuz it’s DAY 30 of the WHOLE30!!!!!
Updates/Results/Puking-as-a-result-of-eating-junk will be happening tomorrow.
Get excited.

Labor Day Weekend

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I had a wonderful Labor Day weekend spent working, swimming, listening to good music, watching Gator football and silly movies, eating hotdogs and hamburgers (without the bun, of course), cuddling, laughing, bike riding and I may have even been coaxed into enjoying a few of the forbidden beverages by that pretty lady up there (and consequently hit on by many creepy dudes). Hanging out in the Swamp will do that to ya, I suppose. Overall it was a fabulous way to spend a long weekend. Hope you all enjoyed yours just as much as I did!

InstaFriday/Friday’s Letters

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Dear Whole30, I only have FIVE more days of you. I’m so conflicted! I’ve spent the last 25 days thinking about what I’m going to splurge on on day 31, and now I’m not sure if I even want to stop. Not to get all cheesy and what not, but I’m actually feeling pretty dang proud of myself these days. I’ve been cooking almost three meals every day for the past 25 days and have, in turn, become a much better (and efficient) cook and I feel as though my palette has matured in the process. I’m trying all kinds of new things (I made spaghetti with spaghetti squash last night — and it was awesome! Recipe to come soon. Forgot to snap it with my phone) and I’m appreciating old things much more. Like strawberries, for example. I used to put Splenda or Equal on my strawberries because I didn’t think they were sweet enough. Turns out, they are just exactly as sweet as they’re supposed to be, it was me who was off. I had bombarded my taste buds with unnaturally sweet things (i.e. anything with high fructose corn syrup, added sugar or artificial sugars — like, everything I ate ever), unnaturally salty things (i.e. potato chips, pretzels, crackers, ramen noodles), unnaturally fatty things (again, think back to my obsession with potato chips and everything bagels from DD) that my tastebuds were all out of whack. I thought tea tasted disgusting if it didn’t have a ton of sugar, honey or fake sugar in it; Now I look forward to drinking hot tea all by itself every day as a special treat and have no problem with gulping down some unsweet tea (which always has to be specified here, by the way. Some places do not approve of not sweetening your tea.) Remember my issue with coffee back at the beginning of this experiment? I’m fully enjoying a cup of coffee as I type this post and all that’s in it is canned coconut milk. I think this has been an incredibly successful experiment so far.

Dear Fruity Pebble Cupcakes, I made you for Jessica’s bridal shower (fruity pebbles are her fave) and I managed to not even take a single lick of your icing or colorful little sugar flakes. You smelled amazing, and I was definitely tempted. But let’s consider my willpower officially tested. (Recipe can be found here except I didn’t add the bananas, just the pudding — I heard they were delicious.)

Dear Ziggy, You are looking slimmer and slimmer every day! Your energy has increased and it could just be me, but I feel like we’ve bonded through the whole running together every day thing. You have come a long way from almost dying from heat exhaustion after 2 miles that one day. You’re adorable. Thanks for being the best friend a girl could ask for. I love the way you prance around in every puddle we come across, even if it is really weird that you then feel the need to pee in said puddles. Dear Barnes & Noble, Thank you for supplying me with the cutest planner EVER. And yes, friends, I may be the least organized person ever when it comes to messy rooms and living spaces, but there’s just something so satisfying about writing down daily engagements in a planner. Especially one with gorgeous drawings and motivational quotes every couple of pages. Dear Hair, I’m so happy that you’re long enough for me to braid now! I thought this day would never come when I chopped off 17 in back in January! Also, this is happening. Get excited. I am. Dear Whole30 Daily E-mails, Thanks for keeping me pumped every day. At the end of each day you click whether you ate clean that day or made some bad decisions — if you click that one, it will start all the e-mails over again. BUT if you click the first option it sends you to hilarious videos, motivational images, etc. This bathroom mirror one really resonated with me, so I saved it. I think many people could use a reminder like this one. Dear Labor Day Weekend, I’m ready to do something exciting. Let’s make this one count! Maybe I’ll even cook on a grill for the first time to get my paleo-labor-day-burgers on! Dear iPhone Friends, Download the Songza app. It makes me happy.

Dear Readers, Happy Friday! Have a wonderful and safe long weekend!

Love,

Kensie

Linking up here, here and here!

Running: An Anthropological Speculation

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I realize my blog has been pretty food-heavy lately. Clearly this whole30 thing is going straight to my head, so today I’d like to focus on a little something different, but still health-related..

Running! I’m not going to get all science-y on you, if you’re worried about that. This is actually going to be more of an observatory human behavior piece.. (with a little bit of crude and offensive humor mixed in. It’s all in good fun.)

First of all, let’s address my need to take disgusting sweaty self-portraits after my runs. I truly don’t understand this compulsion. On the one hand, it may be “Hey everyone! Look how healthy I am, I just went running!” kind of like my need to “check in” to the gym and Whoops! Would you look at that? It just told all my Facebook friends I’m at the gym! Weird! (Don’t lie. Everyone does this. At least I can admit it.) Or maybe it’s my way of telling my InstaGram followers: “Yo, I know I take a lot of shameless self-portraits that may leave you thinking I’m the narcissistic-ist of them all, but look! I also take photos of myself looking disgusting with no makeup… so that makes it okay, right?” Either way it leaves me with lots of laughable photos in my phone’s photo album on any given day. Exhibit A:

(the one on the bottom right is the view through my ghetto “waterproofing” of my phone via sandwich bag before running outside with a very sketchy-looking grey sky)

Next I would like to discuss drivers of the world and their reactions to girls (I can’t really speak for the male running population, but I would love to learn, so if any dudes even read my blog and happen to go running, please do fill me in) running on the side of the road by themselves. As far as I’m concerned there are a few different categories of people and the way they react to runners. 
1. The Honkers: The Honkers can be categorized further. 
a) Rednecks that drive huge trucks that generally have some sort of decal across the windshield saying something to the effect of “AMERICA! EFF YEA!” “Mud Lyfe” “Boats & Hoes” a rebel flag sticker or a pair of shiny, silver testicles hanging from the trailer hitch. There may or may not be several other equally rednecky good ol’ boys in the bed of the truck hollering as well. Might be blasting Kid Rock or Nickelback.*
b) Ghetto-fied wannabe pimp daddies that usually drive some sort of crappy car that has been souped up with spinning rims and a horrible, horrible sounding bass pumping out jams that have intelligent and lovely lyrics like, “Ass and Titties” “Eff Bitches Get Money” or “Knuck if you Buck” (What does that even mean?) It’s especially fun when the drivers of these vehicles are very scrawny white boys. Just saying.*
c) Rich, very cocky frat boys that drive Escalades and/or Range Rovers their daddies gave them when they turned 15 with their letters proudly displayed on the rear window and perhaps a Natty Light in a Guy Harvey koozie in the cup holder. Probably wearing a Polo shirt, Sperries and potentially backwards hat that says something along the lines of “Rage” “Go Hard” or their Greek letters. Probably listening to Dubstep or Kenny Chesney.*
d) Very creepy old men that  could easily be your father’s age. These are the worst and scariest of offenders. These men may or may not have granddaughters your age and most likely click on those spam e-mails in regards to lengthening and hardening certain body parts — that is if they even know what the internet is. Might be rockin’ out to some classic rock.
e) Young girls who are giggling uncontrollably, blasting “Call Me, Maybe” and discussing in detail how fat your ass is. Most likely on their way to Mochi for some froyo (this may have been me and my friends in high school).
f) Family/friends because you live in a tiny, tiny town where everyone knows each other. You usually feel slightly guilty about your initial eye roll directly following the honk, but then get excited and risk adding a few seconds to your mile time to stop and talk to them. You also consider asking for a ride home because it’s hot as eff outside.
*The creepiness of these gentlemen is directly proportionate to how good looking they are. If they are in fact pretty, you might be flattered and/or wishing that you weren’t bright-red in the face and covered in sweat.
(What I think I look like while I’m running)
2. The Whiplashers: These are usually dudes (see a, b, c and especially d) that seem as though they might get whiplash from how fast their neck whipped around to watch you as they drove by.
3. The Overly Cautious: These folks are usually elderly and probably didn’t think twice about running a stop sign farther down the road because they should have traded in their driver’s license for their AARP card. They usually slow down to 2 mph as soon as they see you running and nearly hit the curb in the oncoming lane in order to give you a 20-foot-wide radius to run in.
4. The IDGAF Crew: These people don’t give an eff about runners and feel as though we should not be allowed near the road that is made specifically for cars only. They do not swerve in the slightest when they see you coming, in fact they may even speed up just to freak you out a little. They have better things to do than slow down for runners, like buy expensive golf clubs and cheat on their husbands/wives. These drivers may have hit a bicyclist in the past and yelled at the cyclist for being an idiot afterwards. They also tend to get exasperated and throw their hands up when you get a walk signal at traffic lights and proceed to run across the road as the law requires.
5. The Runners: The ones who are driving home so they can put on their running shoes and join you. They swerve the perfect amount and tend to give you a little wave/head nod in camaraderie. You can spot them by their “13.1” or “26.2” stickers on the back of their cars.
6. The Majority: People who don’t honk, look, smile or say anything to you. They just go on living their lives. *Might* be avoiding eye contact because they’re on their way to McDonald’s, however, the apathy of these individuals is generally appreciated by runners the world over.
(What I actually look like while I’m running)
Is this a national phenomenon or is this just what happens when you live in the south? Please share your running stories in the comments!

Linking up here for Inspire Me Healthy!

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