HL week day 4: magazine dreams

promises, promises
i would have guessed that january was the #1 time of year for the weight loss/self-improvement industry. and perhaps it is. but the covers of these mags seem to suggest otherwise:


so for day 4 of HL week, i thought i would begin a discussion.

to begin with: who am i to complain? after all, i'm just fanning the flames by subscribing to all of these volumes! in my defense, i don't read/subscribe to these titles for the weight-loss programs.

■ i enjoy clean eating for the recipe ideas, gorgeous food photography, and to learn about new products and trends

■ i admit i like self for its upbeat spirit, articles/memoirs related self-improvement or life balance, snippets of beauty/fashion advice, and various health-related tidbits. i also TELL myself i will get some strength training inspiration, but i rarely do the prescribed workouts (even if they do promise things like 'sizzling bikini body in 30 days!')

■ runner's world is just fun because i like to read about running. it makes me feel like i am part of some larger running community (odd how a just reading magazine can do that!).

■ i love women's running for the mix of lifestyle and running content, useful cross-training workout info, and because . . . i was in it!

but i don't skip over the aforementioned 'GET YOUR DREAM BODY!' portions, either. there's just something inherently fascinating to me about the bold claims made over and over again and the supposedly magical plans that accompany them. yet when i delve into the articles, i almost always have the same reactions! here are just a few of my thoughts on these sections in the above issues:

FOOD
☑ number one thought: "i would be so (*#&$# hungry on that plan!" both self and clean eating this month have rather detailed diet plans which contain about 1600 calories/day. i have no idea how many calories i usually eat, and i'm happy about that -- ignorance is bliss in this case, as far as i'm concerned! but i doubt that 1600 is enough for most active women, and including those with a goal of (slow, sustainable) weight loss. maybe i'm wrong?

☑ to me, the meals and snacks suggested do sound good -- really, there isn't a single suggestion that doesn't sound at least palatable to me -- but the overall orchestration looks complicated. but what would one do with the leftovers!? and it's not what's in but what's left out that really gets me. for example, in the CE plan: no dessert or wine? for two whole weeks? REALLY?

☑ i will say that the runner's world weight-loss special is a bit more realistic this department. their article is mostly devoted to dispelling myths: those about drastically cutting macronutrient groups (carbs OR fat), running on an empty stomach, and eating at certain times/intervals. they also offer practical suggestions on planning ahead, cooking at home, and avoiding an all-or-nothing mentality. all useful, but probably things that most RW readers already know.

WORKOUTS
☑ for cardio, self suggests 300 minutes of cardio per week, divided into various intensity zones. that's 5 hours, which is similar to the US federal guidelines recommended for "additional and more extensive health benefits." fine, good idea. but magic/novel/guaranteed to turn me into doutzen kroes? sadly, i think not.

☑ on the other hand, self does propose a simple 8-exercise strength training workout that could perhaps deliver on at least some of its guarantees to "tighten" "tone" and "chisel", particularly in those (ahem) who tend to slack on their weight training. i might even give it a try . . .

☑ RW also proposes weight training (along with running, of course). their workout, a series of compound exercises with weights, also looks good -- though challenging (pushup to jackknife, anyone?).

anyway, so those are my thoughts! i realize these plans are for weight loss, a goal that i do not have. but i still find them both interesting AND frustrating -- often at the same time! perhaps they are aimed more toward those who are starting from scratch -- after all, an overweight and sedentary person is likely to get MUCH more out of adapting the changes proposed in self than i would. yet i'm guessing that most of the readers of these mags are in the more health-conscious, fitness-savvy set already. who knows?

one thing is for certain: dramatic weight loss claims must be GREAT for selling magazines.

question for you: if you indulge in similar magazines (and please, tell me i am not the only one who does!), what are your thoughts on these frequently-run articles? have you ever tried any specific magazine 'plan'?

food blogging: i think i'm getting boring
breakfast: repetitive much? another ezekiel english muffin -- this time with peanut butter + apple butter, plus an organic gala. i tried to at least jazz it up with the presentation!


kid fuel: also fit for 29-year-olds, apparently.


laptop lunch: so fast and easy to throw together! plain low fat (organic 365 brand) yogurt, drizzle o' honey, cranberry pecan granola, carrots & pickled okra, dr. kracker apple crisps (LOVE these)


pre-dinner snack because i was about to eat my own arm by 6 pm. random chunk of challah bread from the freezer toasted and topped with celebrity dairy apricot-infused goat cheese spread


dinner: blue-cheese-stuffed chicken with buffalo sauce, although i didn't bother to panko-bread-crumb the chicken breasts as suggested. also, while it was still tasty, most of the goat cheese failed to stay in the pocket of the chicken breast and ended up disappearing into a sea of drippings during the roasting process. served with cuc/tomato/avocado salad dressed with homemade honey-mustard vinaigrette.


the obligatory see's. sadly, this chewy bite was smaller than it appears in this shot!



tired of HL week?
i know josh is. he keeps making fun of me for snapping food pix, in particular. if you are in his camp -- don't despair -- i'll be back to more of a mix next week. in fact, i think i will do a week of medicine/residency-focused entries. work hours and learning styles will definitely be discussed, but other topic suggestions are welcome!

and now . . back to my presentation. for those curious, it is a talk providing an overview of the usage of growth hormone in treating short children. i provide background, overview of its use/effectiveness in various forms of growth delay, and some discussion surrounding the ethics of its use in children with idiopathic short stature. also, IT'S NOT DONE AND I'M TOTALLY STRESSED ABOUT IT. someday maybe i'll learn how to tackle larger projects without wanting to tear out my hair in the process.

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3.10.10

workout: 5 miles on the TM, 9:13/mi, 0.5% incline, while doing magazine 'research' for this post!

senior talk progress report: i got stuck working on one slide for over an hour and called it quits at 9 pm. argghh, i have my work cut out for me today . . .

HL week day 3: 2010 resolutions update

health goals, revisited
of my 10 resolutions for the year, 50% of them are at least in some way health related (the full list is shown on a sidebar -- placed there as a not-so-unintentional reminder to me of what i'm shooting for this year!). many of them play off of the themes i mentioned yesterday in my definition of a healthy lifestyle -- while it's easy to talk the talk, it's not always straightforward to put all of these lofty ideals into practice.

as part of HL week, i thought i'd go through and report on progress (or lack thereof) with these goals. [and in case anyone was wondering, yes i'm still flossing! i think after something like 5 consecutive years of resolving, this habit has finally become a permanent part of my nighttime routine. so resolutions can work . . . it just might take a while!]

1. better skincare, including consistent use of sunscreen. um. i give myself a C- for this one thus far. i started off well, but began having more frequent breakouts (i think?) which basically scared me away from many of the products i had started using. my skin seems to be part 29.8 [yes, my actual age] and part 14. i may give the products i have one more shot, but if i notice this again, i'll have to try some new ones. neither melanoma nor wrinkles are on my list of future goals, so this is important!

2. workout reform, including better integration of strength training and yoga. hmmm. i discovered earlier this year that i REALLY like yoga, especially when i mix in live classes with DVDs/audio streams. and lately, i've been inspired by heather's yoga month to really commit to regular practice. but i haven't actually done it.

in regard to weight training, i started out well, but i've been inconsistent over the past few weeks. i'm STILL sore today from monday's little workout -- a sure sign i've lost some of my previous conditioning.

so, here it goes: i am renewing my vows to work on this resolution, and i'd like to make it a bit more specific, aiming for 2 yoga sessions and 2 weights sessions/week. they don't have to be long or fancy -- 15 minutes counts! i recognize that i need to take a balanced approach to fitness to improve strength and flexibility to avoid injury in the long run. and, i find that yoga is as good for my mind as it is for my body.

3. practice sustainable eating. this resolution was three-fold, so i'll answer to each part:

a) eat more local, organic, and sustainable foods. while i still can't entirely close the door on off-season produce brought in from out of town (preferably this means FL or PA rather than south america or new zealand), i feel like i've done fairly well with this one! i have made the switch to choosing mostly organic when at the grocery store, and making local choices when the option is available. plus, there's bella bean organics, a (mostly) local and organic produce delivery service that we have been enjoying for several months now.

arriving at our doorstep yesterday, here's this week's haul of local greenhouse tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and apricot goat cheese, plus non-local but organic apples + grapefruits, and a lone random locally-made sweet potato muffin
rather than just one farm, bella bean delivers products from multiple local sources, mainly small farms and grass-roots prepared foods businesses, allowing for customization each week. we've been very pleased with the quality and variety of our boxes thus far, and i love the flexibility of being able to choose what we get.

b) eat slower. still a work in progress.

c) enjoy cooking and eating out by experimenting with recipes and practicing moderation at restaurants. as for recipes, i'm definitely enjoying my little monthly mini-projects! josh is LOVING march's focus on cooking light in particular.

restaurant moderation? i could do better. particularly on the wine front. but i refuse to beat myself up too much for it.

4. take vitamins and calcium daily. i'd say i'm at about 50%. time to get this up to 100! my trick of putting the pill case on top of the coffee helped, but then i got lazy.

5. continue working on mindfulness. i haven't embraced meditation and i'm far from achieving the title of zen master. but i think that every day that i even think about this a little bit, i am making progress on my own path toward mindful living. i realize how cheesy that sounds, but i believe that it's true.

so there it is: my 2010 health goals, revisited! question for the day: how are you doing on your health-related resolutions, if you made any? and, any tips that have worked for you that you'd like to impart?

food bloggin', day 2
breakfast: an ezekiel english muffin with peanut butter + banana slices. a classic, never-fail combo!


snack: mid-morning KIND bar -- delicious. (i think i burned through breakfast on my AM run.)


lunch: leftover shrimp & grits, carrots -- packed to go.


PM peckishness: cured by fresh strawberries


improvisational dinner of an amy's breakfast wrap + salad, eaten while josh worked on eating the leftover shrimp & grits.


chocolate (yes, see's again), cut in cross-section so that i could make sure it was a flavor i liked before biting in!


and, because you asked . . .
my first (but probably not last!) consignment shop purchase:


yes, it may say "prom dress" a little, but i prefer to think of it as an academy awards dress. i'm excited to wear it to the black tie wedding i'll be going to in may!

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3.9.10

workout: 6.13 miles outside in chapel hill, 3 @ tempo
- first 1.5 miles @ 8:48/mi
- second 3 miles (tempo) @ 8:01/mi
- last 1.5 miles @ 9:06/mi

project senior talk: i'm so glad i broke the 'make slides' portion into chunks. so much more manageable! here's a little taste of my progress:

HL week day 2: chocolate, cheese, and bacon?

what?
you mean those AREN'T essential food groups? (it's chocolate, peanut butter, and bacon, right?). just kidding (mostly). i've decided to play food blogger for the week, and reviewing the photo evidence from yesterday, i clearly have no shortage of decadence (or deliciousness) in my diet. but before i get to the photo round-up, some thinking about what this whole healthy lifestyle thing means . . . to me.

my healthy lifestyle, defined:
■ being active in some way on most days. i believe that we were meant to MOVE so much more than our current society sets us up for. both my body and my brain get so much out of my workouts, running and otherwise.

■ sleeping enough. every night. this is reason #1 (and #2, #3, #4, and #5) why residency makes people feel awful and inhuman. although once babies come down the pike, i understand that the challenges in meeting this requirement will multiply thousandfold.

■ eating for fuel, health, and enjoyment. i think that listening to the body's signals regarding hunger and satiety are paramount here. however, in order for this to work, one has to choose foods that are REAL. our bodies don't know how to feel when we eat processed crap and fake sugars.

that said, the enjoyment part is important to me, and something i grew up with. it's SO cliché, but it's all about finding a balance between super-nutrient-rich options and personal favorites. proportion is also key -- in my opinion, an all-or-nothing approach is one of the least healthy ways to think about food.

diggng deeper, i suppose there are some foods i consider 'off limits'. but in general, this list consists of thing i don't like and/or have no desire for because they just kind of gross me out. examples: soda (regular and diet these days -- i'm just not into it), cilantro (personal hate), liver (meh), most fast food/fried food, any fakey-tasting candy, low-quality baked goods. i may be a food snob to some degree, but . . . there are worse labels to have.

■ taking time to relax. i haven' always been great about this one, but lately? i've been better! taking time to not rush and just do fun and enjoyable things is part of being mentally healthy, so i believe it fits in with the HL theme.

■ practicing healthy self-care rituals. for me, this list includes taking vitamins (and calcium -- as you'll see i'm not great at getting enough of this in via food choices), flossing, and wearing sunscreen. it makes me so mad that my gym has an affiliated TANNING SALON -- i realize that there are those that work out 100% for vanity and not for health at all, but i thought that most of us were dually motivated.

■ accepting yourself. of course, i'm all about self-improvement! but there is a vast spectrum that exists between wanting to be better, and true self-loathing. one tenet i have heard before is "choose the lifestyle, accept the body." i agree, although i think that it might take time to find that right balance. i know it did for me.

so there you have it: my personal definition of a healthy lifestyle. but as i crafted this list, i decided that i definitely don't think this is the right or only answer to this question -- just my own. after all, it is different for all of us! living in a way that makes me feel good might not work for you, and vice versa.

what would you add or take out? what do you think about the term healthy lifestyle, anyway? if you blog, do you consider yourself a HL blogger? i'd love to hear your thoughts!

now onto the bacon: yesterday, in food
i do not have aspirations to become a food blogger, though there are certainly some that i love! i just thought this would be a fun experiment for just 1 week. when others write about food (and aren't food bloggers), i often wonder, "well, what DO you eat?". this week, i'll answer that question. and then some . . .


breakfast (while blogging + before the gym): whole grain flax waffles, almond butter, strawberries, black coffee in giant starbucks philadelphia mug


lunch, eaten during our required conference -- leftover crostini with sundried tomato spread + basil, made into mini-sandwiches; red pepper strips


snack #1: eaten while @ work -- peanuts + raisins

snack #2: at home, at around 5pm. plain low fat yogurt + cranberry granola. i don't typically eat 2 snacks, but i was hungry and on a roll working on my senior talk, so i went for it.


dinner: absolutely delicious spicy shrimp and grits from cooking light. i used red pepper instead of tomato and added sun-dried tomatoes to the grits.

dessert: i pretty much always eat something sweet after dinner. i'm still working on the valentine's see's! last night's was caramel.

so there you have it. looking at the day as a whole, i think it was pretty representative, although a little light on the vegetable front. it was sort of eye-opening to see how it felt to do this -- i have to admit i am wondering (worrying?) about what people will think of this post. why does food invoke these feelings of self-consciousness in someone who (overall) is comfortable with her body and lifestyle? it's interesting, to say the least.

black tie update
thanks for the input regarding the dress yesterday. while i do love that little number, i concede to the majority opinion that it just doesn't quite make it for black tie.

as luck would have it, mere minutes after hitting 'publish', i randomly came upon a long, layered and awesome yellow-green caterine malandrino gown in the wondow of a consignment shop that is next to my gym. not only was it my size, but it fit almost perfectly (i think i'm going to just make it slighhhhtly less low cut). i took it home for $40 and felt good about the eco-friendliness and cost-effectiveness of my purchase! pics to follow, of course.

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3.8.10

workout: 35 minutes on the elliptical + weights -- and i'm sore today!
-- 2 x 12 pushups
-- 2 x 12 squats to tricep press
-- 2 x 12 bicep curls, 12 lb weight
-- 2 x 12 walking double lunges, 8 lb weight
-- 2 x 12 lateral/forward raises with lunge

senior talk progress report: i'm done with the title, pathyphys, history, and prep slides. i feel like i'm finally making a dent!

HL week day 1: prep is key

the usual routine
as you all know, i am a creature of habit. sure -- once in a while, i get thrown off track, thanks to an upside-down work schedule or a pediatric virus. but most of the time? i'm as predictable as they come. and one of my most treasured routines these days is that of meal planning and grocery shopping.

some may find it tedious, but it's actually a ritual that i love. i gather my planner, menu-planning pad, and a blank grocery list (oh paper, i can't quit you!) and scheme out the week in terms of meal in, meals out, and nights suited more for leftovers. i also grab whatever resource i'm using for recipes that week: last year doin' time made that a no brainer, this month i'm referring to the latest issue of cooking light.


during a typical work week, i usually cook 3 times, we eat leftovers or very easy things 1-2 times, and we go out 2 times. this seems to be a happy mix for josh and me.

sunday shopping spectacular
once i have my plan of action, i almost always head out on sunday afternoon to my beloved whole foods, conveniently located less than 3 miles from our apartment. i know it's expensive, but I FREAKING LOVE THAT PLACE, and it's just worth it to me. i even have my own well-worn path around the store, and i love foraging for new products and interesting produce.

yesterday, in the spirit of healthy lifestyle week (HL week for short from now on!), i decided to capture my loot on film. so here goes: a week's worth of groceries. (and then some!)


produce! pink lady apples, loose carrots, an onion, red peppers, broccoli, scallions, mushrooms, baby spinach, garlic, ginger, avocado, bananas, and a cucumber. whew! will we eat all that!? i hope so.


meat + frozen and prepared goods: chicken breasts (in new, less-wasteful packaging -- yay WF!), bacon (mmm), shrimp, amy's wraps/burritos, flax waffles, and my beloved ezekiel english muffins. (and, our toaster.)


beverages: the milk and OJ are for josh -- i really don't drink either of them, since i think i'm borderline lactose intolerant (yum) and i just don't like OJ (or oranges, really). the beer was selected based on the label. looks mysterious and fun, no?


snacks and essentials: i'm loving KIND bars lately. coffee is the #1 thing that we CANNOT run out of, so i stock up whenever i think of it. and pb is #2. i threw in the whole foods baked granola bar on a whim -- my sister turned me onto these delicious treats, and they keep for ages.


specialty ingredients: things specific to this week's planned meals. this week: red curry paste, black bean sauce, NC peanuts, roasted red pepper, and grits

whew! this was a more extravagant and extended trip than usual, but that seems to happen every few weeks when the essentials need restocking.

so there it is: the groundwork i try to lay each week to help maintain the food portion of my HL. tomorrow: a deeper look into what the concept of healthy lifestyle means to me, anyway. i am also flirting with the idea of food blogging for this week! even though josh has already started making fun of me . . .

what is your strategy for keeping the cupboards and refrigerator stocked? do you buy everything at once like i do, or do you shop for fresh ingredients in a more european fashion? am i the only one who spends half of her paycheck at WF?

weekend update
★ i did not get much done on my project.
★ but i really did enjoy my weekend!
★ i delved into the happiness project website and fell in love with the concept (although the whole time, i had an eerie feeling like "I COULD HAVE (and should have) WRITTEN THIS!)
★ a major highlight was a run with meg on the tobacco trail


we had so much to talk about, and our paces were well matched! i can't wait to run with her again.

fashion ?
what do you think: could i get away with the below number at a black tie wedding?


i'm thinking no, but i wanted to ask. i'm not even sure where to look for a black tie-appropriate dress! sadly, anthro has its limitations . . .

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3.7.10

workout: 11 miles on the tobacco trail. i guess i will survive my upcoming half, after all! miles 1-6 were run with meg at average 8:31/mi, then the last five with ira glass (ie, this american life) at an average of 8:38/mi. it was nice to run on flat ground after weeks of hauling my butt up hills in CH!

oscar fail: we were supposed to attend an oscar party last night! in the party-food spirit, i whipped up some basil and sundried-tomato/goat cheese crostini (recipe here).

but. josh got called to a case, and we didn't get to go. several of these made for a delicious (albeit poorly balanced) dinner. don't worry, i rounded out my meal with strawberries and chocolate!

from wine to workouts

healthy lifestyle?
of the categories in my "i'd like to see more . . ." poll, there ended up being a tie between medically-related and healthy lifestyle content.

after seeing healthy lifestyle so high on the list, i took a step back and thought about my place in that particular blogging community. i'm actually impressed that i have so many readers interested in this sort of thing! i do love reading food/health blogs such as kath eats (of course!), the broccoli hut, and carrots 'n' cake, just to name a few. i am interested in healthy eating, exercise, and well -- living a healthy lifestyle. but i don't necessarily write about it that often, or at least, not lately.


maybe because uhhh -- sometimes i'm not such a great model for what it is to lead one.

sometimes reading other healthy lifestyle sites make me feel inspired. other times, they make me feel downright guilty, like i'm doing something wrong! i am not always a particularly clean eater (something which i feel is demonstrated fairly accurately on this site), i sometimes elect for couch time over the gym (ie: yesterday), and while i do love to run, i don't put in nearly the mileage that i used to a few years back. i sometimes wonder why i'm not 15 lbs heavier (good metabolism? a LOT of nervous energy? sheer luck?!).

i do know that in order to feel (and look -- come on, you KNOW this is part of the motive for all of us!) my best, there does have to be some sort of balance between responsible, health-conscious choices, and pure unbridled id-fueled decadence. sometimes the pendulum swings toward clean eating magazine, while other times it moves in the direction of . . . chocolate.

lately, it's been swinging to the latter side. and i'm feelin' it! so in honor of this -- and the poll results -- this week i am going to feature a series of posts featuring healthy lifestyle themes. topics will include:

♥ healthy shopping + prep
♥ defining a healthy lifestyle: what does that even mean, anyway?
♥ a refocus on health-related resolutions
♥ 'food blogging' for a day: what is it like?
♥ discussion of magazine lifestyle-revamp plans, from the self challange and beyond
♥ a rundown of my favorite healthy lifestyle bloggers
♥ the dangers of comparisons and perfectionism in this area

while i have no plans to change the overall focus of this site, i think that gearing things this way for a week will be fun and interesting! and, as always, i look forward to hearing your thoughts on these subjects. for now, though, i'm off to get my run on with meg, who certainly could teach me some things on the above topics.

and then, back to the regularly scheduled SENIOR TALK freakout . . .

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3.6.10

workout: nada. i briefly thought about a quick elliptical/weights session, but elected instead for some quality movie time with josh. we snuggled up under our down comforter and watched moon, which i highly recommend! sometimes lazy couples time is just needed.

[i realize that this doesn't really belong in the workout section, but, whatever.]

durham restaurant review: west end wine bar
no, i wasn't kidding with the wine-tasting picture above! i was inspired by a tweet from west end to go there to hang out and watch the duke/UNC game. it turned out to be a great choice! we had a big screen all to ourselves, and it wasn't too crowded.


actually, it was pretty empty when we walked in at around 8:00 pm! but it filled up as the night went on.

their wine menu is filled with delicious-sounding options. i wish there were more descriptors, though. i chose the tasting flight of spanish reds.
josh started drinking and then realized he still had gum in his mouth. very sideways-esque.
note to self: at current advanced age, a little makeup can work wonders. not the most gorgeous pic!
cheese plate with baguette slices, manchego, gouda, and soppressata, plus cornichons + olives
pizza from pop's! josh and i shared this delicate margherita pie.
truffles for dessert (the lemon/white chocolate one was mine!)
and a lannnnnndslide victory for the blue devils!!
all in all, we had a good time! i enjoyed tasting different wines (i LOVED the malbec and hated the merlot in my flight -- ended up gifting that one to josh!). and, i liked that it wasn't super loud or crowded. my critcisms are:

■ i wish the menu had more options. i would have LOVED a salad with the pizza!
■ i felt like the bar staff was a little snobby, and they didn't seem interested in talking to us about the wine.

(maybe they were just closet UNC fans)

((oh, and PS: notice anything about the pictures? such as, they don't SUCK!? my new camera is SO much better in low lighting conditions and i don't even know how to really use it yet! i'm extremely happy with my purchase!!))

reading/presentation: powerpoint outline is DONE. now just to fill those slides with actual material worth presenting . . .

marching towards spring

rare specimen: a real, live WEEKEND!
YAY! my first since january 23-24. while 6 weekendless weeks actually isn't a very impressive stretch for a resident (and i DID have days off during that time -- just never 2 blissful ones in a row), it was plenty long enough for me. so what am i going to DO with all of this lovely time?


ahh yes, my senior talk. thank you, residency, for making sure that i have something hanging over my head AT. ALL. TIMES. although some of this is my own fault: i was off to an excellent start with my 16-step program, but [oops] i got behind. this weekend, however, is crunch time! i made an appointment to go over a draft version with my advisor on monday, so i have a lot to get through over the next 2 days.

however, this doesn't mean that i won't enjoy my 2-day block o' freedom. other things planned include:

☑ a massage. today! (i promised this to myself after night float!)
☑ a long, leisurely run on sunday
☑ watching our most recent netflix: moon
☑ just getting to hang out with + spend time with josh (although he is working in the mornings)
☑ an oscar party sunday night!

really, not too much craziness, just enjoying the flow of having two consecutive days to follow my own agenda, and hopefully making lots of progress on my talk, because currently it's the number one thing on the list of things stressing me out.

(not very mindful, i realize, but . . . true.)
((or maybe it is mindful to just acknowledge and notice this stress and move on.))

keeping up with comments and questions
last night i received a formspring comment from someone disappointed that i didn't answer her question OR respond to a comment that she left. i'll admit it: it made me a little sad! i wanted to answer her previous question right then and there, but since the formspring is anonymous, i couldn't tell which one was hers.

i've often wondered about how to handle comments and questions. i'd LOVE to respond to everyone, but most of the comments pile up when i'm working, and i don't see them until hours later. i feel like even if i DID respond to all of them, it would be rare that people actually saw what i wrote!

some bloggers use a plug-in that allows them to respond to comments via email (and the responses end up in the commenter's inbox). i would love to do this, but i don't think it is an option in blogger the way it is in wordpress. [and yes -- SOMEDAY i'd love to make a switch to a format/template that allows for different pages and more flexibility, but now is not that time. and blogher is not an option for wordpress blogs.]

anyway. i try to always answer comments if they contain a question, but i am not always 100% (or even close to it). i pretty much always answer emails. and looking back, i realize that there are still many unanswered formspring questions!

some of them have been left unanswered because i'm just not comfortable answering them. others i do want to answer, but with a response requiring a good amount of thought, so i've been putting them off! i'll work on getting through that group, though. if there is something you REALLY want to know -- email me instead! i promise i will answer you, and i feel better about sharing certain things with individuals than, you know, the vast black box that is the internet.

if you blog, how do you handle comments/questions? and anyone know if there is a way to set up a better comments system while still using blogger?

slog on or jump ship?
the book i am currently reading is called mindsight: the new science of personal transformation. i read about it in elle, and thought that a tome dedicated to the science behind mindfulness would appeal to me.

so far, it hasn't. at all. it is filled with jargon, and i find it difficult for me to follow -- and i've been through med school and had an undergraduate minor in neuroscience! while i found some of the proposed neural mechanisms for why we think in certain patterns interesting at first, i didn't see them as eye-opening or really even useful in any way. after reading some of the reviews on amazon, i wonder if i'm missing something -- maybe i ought to go back and read more carefully, or start with the case-study portion and then go back to the more detailed explanatory section.

i'm less than a third of the way through. part of me wants to just quit, since i feel like i get more enjoyment AND enlightenment from murakami! but there is something unsettling about leaving a book partway through. hmmm.

happy birthday
to vickie! the big 25 right? right . . .

PS: i haven't mailed your present yet! forgive me.

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3.5.10

workout: 6 miles outside, average 8:41/mi. 6 miles is definitely my favorite distance lately. it takes less than an hour, but feels satisfyingly long. maybe i need to train for a 10K!

improvised: i think this meal was inspired by some wisconsin bleu cheese (sent by way of philadelphia!). i envisioned a waldorf-type salad, with chicken, apples, walnuts, and bleu, all on a bed of romaine.

unfortunately, the bag of romaine wasn't looking so hot come friday night, so i mixed together the other ingredients, improvised a dressing (yogurt, mayo, mustard, honey, white wine vinegar, S + P -- it worked!), and assembled wraps for an easy dinner.

i'm already looking forward to leftovers for lunch!

vacation anticipation

destination: away from it all
tara parker-pope's recent ny times well blog on vacation happiness struck a chord with me.


in her blog entry, she referred to a dutch study which found that 'vacation anticipation' increased happiness levels for 8 weeks prior to a trip. while people were happy on their vacations, the only people who found their post-vacation happiness levels boosted at all were those who found their trips 'very relaxing.'

i completely agree that a substantial part of the joy of a vacation is in the planning/anticipation phases! for josh and me, one of our favorite date-night conversation topics is where we will go together on our next week off. the promise of a solid block of time together without the demands of work in the way? important for both our relationship, and our individual psyches.

and in line with the study findings, 'very relaxing' is exactly how i like my vacations to be. josh used to be more of a see-how-much-you-can-cram-into-each-day sort of traveler, but since residency fatigue has taken its toll, he's begun to see things my way.

even if we won't necessarily be DOING too much, the planner in me gets extra excited about figuring out the details of a vacation! caroline's color-coded notecards for her upcoming disney trip may have made some of her readers laugh, but i TOTALLY GET IT. not only will it be fun to carry out her carefully-laid plans, but there is so much joy to be found in making them in the first place! the only caveat is to avoid being disappointed if things don't work out 100% [torrential rain, a cancelled flight, or a poorly-timed case of gastroenteritis can put a wrench into anyone's plans, FAST].

so: i promise i have a point to all this! somehow, it got to be march and we have a week of vacation at the end of may that we really didn't have figured out. we will be attending a wedding in cincinnati for the first weekend (yay!) but may 31 - june 6 were a black box. several ideas were tossed around: montreal? nashville?

but i decided that finishing residency and turning 30 warranted a more spectacular venture. after approximately 10 minutes of discussion (with josh's blessing, of course), i had done this:

straight from ohio to . . . st. maarten!
i'm already packing this suitcase in my head

results are in!
age data:

i was happy to find out that readers come from all over the age spectrum

your content preferences:

and, i was surprised to see such a mix here! i guess my lack of focus seems to be okay with most of you.

thank you all for voting (and an extra thank you if you delurked in the comments!). it's so much fun to see who is reading and to know what you enjoy reading about. and if there's anything specific you'd like to see/read about, you can always email or submit anonymously via formspring! i truly love and appreciate having the inspiration :)

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3.4.10

workout: 6 miles on the TM, 0.5% incline, with 3.5 miles at tempo (8:00/mi) pace

cooking somewhat light: half-and-half and sausage? not necessarily 'light' by my standards, but i suppose it's all in the proportions! labels aside, this ellie krieger recipe for vegetable soup with sausage from the march 2010 issue was delicious. josh especially loved it.

served with my mother's ridiculously amazing cheese bread. THANKS MOM!!