Day 1 of 28 - Restriction Not Guaranteed

DAY 1.
Welcome to my special version of hell. Not really. But constraining myself to certain foods, certain exercises and certain restrictions that lead to uncertain results, qualifies as an irritable in my life. I do not like being restricted. I really don't like it when I am told "No Lilly," or "You can't."

I tell myself, "I'm doing this for my own good: to lower my risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer, all while getting fit and sexy." (*Sexy is subjective, but to me, trying to have healthy as my lifestyle is sexy!)

Let me take a moment to be a little introspective. Yes, I am doing this for myself. What girl doesn't want to shed a few pounds (kilos for everyone else!)? No, I'm not shaming myself nor do I hate what I look like. I think it is fair to say I think I'm cute. A psychologist might say that I have a great amount of confidence to which I wouldn't say is untrue. While someone mean and hateful may say that I am cocky, to which I would say is very, very false. Now, if I dig down deeper, the constraints and restrictions I am limiting myself to are actually good for me. WHAT? Did I just say that... I don't mean it... but I really think I do.

According to Merriam-Webster, restrict is defined as 'to set bounds or an upper limit for.' Restrict has a negative connotation with most people, however, nothing in the definition of restrict is actually negative (IMO). Yes, I am restricting myself from drinking, eating out, greasy foods, junk foods and my personal favorite desserts. But when you get down to the nitty gritty, I really am setting boundaries for myself so that I can live! I don't mean just being able to breathe air in and out of my lungs. I mean actually live! I don't want to restrict myself to a hospital, bed or wheelchair. I want to live and experience new things so I can feel life happening! 

Setting a limit for the things I decide to put into my body- setting this constraint can change how I am currently living right now. I'm not a couch potato and I'm certainly not opposed to working out. But how I work out, how often I work out and when I work out has been expanded! By restricting myself from greasy foods, I'm actually able to eat more! More foods that have nutritional value that actually help the entire body, not just some slop that 'tastes' good because of all the chemicals that it contains. (Don't get me wrong, nothing sounds better than a yummy burger and side of fries!)

With restrictions, I have found that I'm actually going to be able to do more and that it's not actually going to be a bad thing. My 28 days will end right before Thanksgiving, so I'll still be able to participate in my families traditional meals. However, this year I will hopefully be able to restrict myself to how much I know my body wants versus what I see with my eyes and that I'll be able to constrain myself to work out.

So here's to the next 27 days. I have 1 day under my belt and I already feel great and like I'm making a positive change in my lifestyle. 

Tell me how you've been 'restricted' but freed! I'm also hoping to blog more about what I'm eating and what I'm doing for exercise during my '28 days.' I hope you'll join me!

Laugh a day!
Lilly

Punkin', Please Pass the Pumpkin

Autumn. Is there a better season out there? Methinks not. My top loves of the oldie-but-goodie 'punkin are pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pie. I also enjoy the coveted, seasonal PSL from Starbucks on occasion. Though my love for pumpkin pie during autumn typically outweighs those whom love pecan pie, I did not realize how far the pumpkin craze had grown.

Try to walk into Target, Central Market, Whole Foods, Wal-mart or Kroger and not find the WALL of all things PUMPKIN. Hell even Trader Joe's has multiple pumpkin sections sprinkled throughout the store. (They're the hipster grocery store right? So they were into pumpkins before everyone else was... obviously.) The general public, or what is trending at the moment as the 'basic white bitch' group, is proclaiming their love for these orange guys. I probably don't qualify as a basic white bitch, but I'll admit it... I have the bug too.

Not only does the pumpkin belong to the holiday tradition group, but they provide several health benefits too. I'm a fan of reducing my cancer risk and improving my overall mood all while chowing down on some pumpkin pie. (Just a disclaimer: I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist. Just a googlist if you will.)

Some of my co-workers decided they wanted to do a potluck. The idea was thrown around that we could do one the week before Thanksgiving. However, just like a guy, someone shouted "Why do we need a reason to have a potluck? Let's have one next week!" So that brings us to today where we were reminded that we would be having a 'brunch potluck' Friday morning. Instant panic. How did I forget that I said I would make something? But... OH NO. It's TGIT. All my favorite Shonda shows are on. How did I put myself in this situation?

So jumping on the 'basic-white-bitch' bandwagon (I promise that was the last time I'll use the group name in this post), I started searching for 'quick and easy brunch recipes.' Thanks to Google, I found Ali's blog! With her vast number of recipes, I found three that fit the bill!

1. Easy Cheesy Breakfast Casserole
2. Coconut Oil Pumpkin Bread
3. Pumpkin Pie Biscotti

All three were very easy. I followed the recipes very generally and the only thing I really exchanged was the cheese in the Easy Cheesy Breakfast Casserole. (I opted for swiss since it's one of my faves... and I had some in my fridge!) I'm all for taking a recipe and changing it a little to add one's own flare or signature to it.

I'll update this post tomorrow with some pictures of the goodies and hopefully the 'rave' reviews! Though I missed TGIT, my roommate and I had fun in the kitchen with 'Dinah' cooking and baking.

What are your favorite pumpkin dishes? Do you have any recipes you think I might like?

Laugh a day!
Lilly