Liz Gets Healthy Volume I: Tech Tools

Over the past two years, I have done a thoroughly sad and pathetic job of taking care of myself in more than one arena of my life. Part of this can be chalked up to typical sloppy-hot-mess-twenty-something behavior. A lot of this can be attributed to the high-stress, long-hours, dominates-my-life job I've mentioned...auditing is intense, campers. Another part of this clearly relates to the simple fact that I am a huuuuge foodie/lush, and am not what anyone would call a gym rat.  

These simple facts have, sadly, combined into the perfect storm. Over my senior autumn of college, I gained about 10 more pounds than I was comfortable carrying around, so my senior spring I busted my butt to lose those 10 pounds (plus 20 more). I'd never been in better shape or felt better about my health and physical appearance. Unfortunately, after starting my big-girl job, I took the "big-girl" thing to heart and quickly packed the weight (and then some) back on over the last two years. 

Now, for reasons that will be discussed soon, I've decided it's time to make the change again. Jon and I are both fully committing ourselves to regaining a healthy, fit lifestyle over the next months and getting back into a shape (and pants size!) we can feel proud of. To motivate myself, I've decided to make this a regular series on the blog, featuring progress updates, tips and tricks, and setbacks encountered along the way. The inaugural edition: tech tools to make my journey to health easier!

-Couch To 5K iPhone App

Let's get one thing straight, right off the bat: I am NOT a runner. I have immense respect for those who can willingly torment themselves in that manner (and let's not even get started on marathoners. Jesus.)...but I am a hot sick uncoordinated spastic mess in running shoes. Couch to 5K promises to change all that, and, literally, to take me from the couch (mmmm my favorite place!) to being able to comfortably and competently run 3+ miles consecutively. So far, I've made it through to Week 2 and have seriously noticed differences in my endurance (and enjoyment?) when running. I'll provide status updates as I progress further in, but so far, this lazy girl's intro to running is definitely living up to its reputation. 

-My FitnessPal iPhone App

The French have a word, "gourmand, " which literally translates to "one who enjoys the act and aspects of eating." Um, let's just say that when you look up the word in a French-to-English dictionary, it wouldn't be inappropriate to put my picture there. I looove food. Like a lot. Like...past the point of any reasonability. My FitnessPal has been a major reality check for me--I can bust ass all I want at the gym, but if I keep eating food that is horrible for me (and in excessive, restaurant portions, no less), I don't stand a chance of meeting my goals. Tracking portions and food choices, and being brutally honest about it, has been a great way to hold myself accountable and remind myself that dessert isn't always necessary. My favorite: the part at the end of every day where they project your weight loss over 5-6 weeks if you keep having the day you had. So inspiring...if you had a good day...and terrifying if you didn't! 

 -LFConnect iPhone App/Equipment Interface

Jon's and my building has a super high-tech fancy new gym, equipped with all this awesome LifeFitness equipment...and I am hooked. Every treadmill/elliptical/bike has a built in touch screen with TV, music, workout trackers, optional courses with visuals (i.e. you can pretend you're running in a jungle/city/mountain and the incline/intensity will match it!), and the best part: a USB plug-in. The equipment syncs with your phone via an app and will record your workout stats real-time as you complete the workout. This is so clutch. Every week, I can set a goal for minutes worked out, calories burned, and results from my workouts. By plugging into the equipment, it auto-logs my average/peak heart rate, calories burned and distance/minutes. Folks, I am obsessed. This is my lazy-girl fitness dream. The best part is I can also plug in my iPad and, while tracking, watch episodes of "Gossip Girl." How's THAT for a tech-fueled workout?!

Yikes. I may not ever want to run a marathon, but I sure can write one. Way to make it to the end of this beast...if you did. Can't wait to check in next week with more updates on my journey to getting healthy!

A lovely little Tuesday playlist.

I'm alone at a client site wayyyyy out in the burbs today, and that, my friends, calls for a pretty epic playlist. For those who aren't aware, I currently work for a Big 4 public accounting firm as an auditor. This means, basically, that I rotate through a variety of clients over the course of the year working to validate the accuracy and presentation of financial information. Right up my alley, right?

Anyway, the rooms they stick us external auditors in are always a treat. Let's just say that in my 2 years here, I've worked in 2 total audit rooms that have a window. And I've worked on literally dozens of clients. This particular audit room is in the basement of my client's expansive main building, directly under the escalators. This provides a pleasant background chugging and squeaking all day, which unofficially mandates the use of headphones (or the willing sacrifice of sanity). 

Here's what I'm blasting today:  

 -"Team," Lorde (addicted to this girl's entire album. so different.)

-"It's My Part," Jonquil (Jon got me hooked on these guys last spring.)

-"MoneyGrabber," Fitz and the Tantrums (all of their stuff is divine and soo fun.) 

-"Cough Syrup," Young the Giant  (I first found this through the "Glee" cover. The original? So much better.)

-"Half About Being A Woman," Caroline Smith (this is EVERYTHING a slow, sexy jam should be...iffff you know what I mean.) 

-"Falling," Haim (a Kaitlin discovery. They have several other lovely ones as well.) 

-"Recover," CHVRCHES (just saw these guys at FreeFest in Baltimore. Amazing live!) 

-"Pusher Love Girl," Justin Timberlake (because a little JT makes every day better.) 

-"Little Numbers," BOY (another Jon share from last spring/summer that I'm loving.) 

-"Brand New Kind of Blue," Gold Motel (featuring Greta formerly of The Hush Sound.) 

-"Carried Away," Passion Pit (Target lovers will recognize this from recent commercials.) 

-"Running For Cover," Ivan and Alyosha (Lumineers-esque in all the right ways.) 

-"Live and Die," The Avett Brothers (This is currently Jon's and my sooong, guys.)

-"Primadonna," Marina and the Diamonds (sooo resonates with my inner spoiled brat.) 

-"Where You're Coming From," Matt & Kim (sort of a "fuck it, live life and have fun" jam.) 

-"Send Me on My Way," Rusted Root (yes, this is a car rental commercial song. No shame.) 

Now that you've survived more parenthetical interjections than any human should have to endure on Tuesday, go reward yourself with some ear candy. Bonus: it's 65 minutes--the perfect length (and dare I say, mix/mood) for a 60-minute workout and 5-minute cooldown. Happy jamming, campers.  

Sunday Brunch: The Mark Dine and Tap

This "special edition" of Sunday Brunch covers one of my long-time favorite dining spots…The Mark Dine and Tap, in South Bend, Indiana! I spent my weekend visiting my beloved alma mater for a jam-packed three days of football, friends, and (most importantly?) food. My best friend Kaitlin flew in from Baltimore to meet Jon, myself and our friend Michael, and we stayed with Laura, my long-time "life coach" (and role model in all things, basically).  

Laura's a South Bend local who works for Notre Dame in a business capacity now, and whenever we go visit ND we're lucky enough to stay with her and her lovely standard poodle, Fiona. To cap off our weekends, we generally hit up The Mark, in Eddy Street (a shopping-and-dining "district" right across from campus) on Sunday before we leave. Known for its fresh, locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and awesome desserts in particular, I've been visiting The Mark since it opened senior year and a weekend in the Bend wouldn't be half as sweet without a stop! 

Onto the rankings:  

-Location/Ambiance: The Mark, as I mentioned, is located directly off campus in a sort of strip mall of student and visitor attractions including, but not limited to, a satellite campus bookstore, a Chipotle and a 7-11. One might think that initially detracts from the ambiance, but for convenience and proximity to campus, the location can't be beat. It was easily walkable from my dorm senior year, and from Laura's great near-campus location these days. The ambiance inside is chic and cozy, with lots of plum purple and warm gold, and a huge stone-and-wood bar with soaring ceilings. Its warm, welcoming atmosphere earns big points from me.  

Score: 9/10  

The aforementioned coffee, in a nicely-branded mug to boot. Yum. 

-Beverages: I can't say I tried a mimosa or other breakfast libation here, since we hit up my favorite college bar, The Backer (ahhhhhhh!) pretty hard the night before and alcohol in any form sounded pretty repulsive. That said, The Mark earns top marks (pun definitely intended) for its amazing coffee. Could just be the residual hangover talking, but their coffee was hot, fresh and smooth, and kept coming steadily throughout our meal despite the insanely busy restaurant. We also sampled their fresh-pressed orange juice, which combined mandarins, clementines and regular oranges into a pulpy, sweet, tart pint glass of sunshine-in-the-mouth flavor. I did note that, while the restaurant offered both mimosas and Kir Royales, neither were bottomless. 

Score: 10/10 

My plate, post-split. Thanks for sharing, Laura!

-Food: One of the things I love most about Laura is that she is a big fan of trying new things. Namely, trying as many things as possible on the breakfast menu by splitting two items. We decided to split the seasonal offering of pumpkin pancakes, as well as the "Crunchy French Toast," a concoction of challah bread dipped in egg whites and rolled/baked in a Cinnamon Toast Crunch shell. The pumpkin pancakes were just the right amount of pumpkin-y and deliciously fluffy; adding maple syrup and smearing them with the house-made whipped cream took everything to the next level. The Crunchy French Toast was, on first bite, a revelation…sweet, cinnamon-laden and, as promised, crunchy, sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with fresh strawberries. Midway through, however, it started to taste like State Fair food…a little doughy, a lot fatty and a bit excessive. Toward the end, the strawberries were really necessary to cut the fried-dough flavor. That said, however, what a sinful breakfast treat. 

Score: 7/10 

All said and done, The Mark was an awesome way to cap off our weekend back on campus. To take a peek for yourself, visit http://themarkdineandtap.com.  For the more local bunch among here, check out my Minneapolis brunch challenge for similarly tantalizing options!

One last look at that Crunchy French Toast deliciousness...