After the big New Orleans trip and a bit of indulging, I realized it's time for me to get back on track. Summer is around the corner yet again, and I need to shape up or ship out!OK, not really ship out, but you know what I mean.My ultimate goal is not necessarily to be "thin".... although losing a few extra pounds would definitely be a welcome bonus! I really want to be the healthiest version of me that I can possibly be, and believe it or not in these photos I was NOT at my healthiest. 
These pics were snapped about 6 or 7 years ago on a family vacation to Pawley's Island, SC. I had a few less tattoos then. ;)
I was working out (running, the elliptical machine, light weight lifting) about 5-6x a week, and eating a very strict diet.
I was also smoking regularly (YUCK), and the "very strict diet" I referred to was Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet (no vegetarianism or veganism back then for sure).
If you've ever done this diet, you know that this is the strictest phase, and that you're supposed to slowly start incorporating the other healthy things back in during Phases 2 & 3. Well, I got PSYCHO about my tummy pooch, and refused to leave Phase 1.
All I ate 3x a day was a serving of meat (chicken, fish, or steak) and a side of vegetables, with as much salt & butter as I wanted.
Sure, I lost a lot of weight! I wasn't having ANY sugar at all - but that included the sugar from fruits, and I wasn't having ANY carbohydrates at all - even the good whole grains!
I may look happy in these pictures, but I wasn't healthy that's for sure.
SO - although I would LOVE to get to the fitness level that I obtained when these photos were snapped, I never want to go back. I've quit smoking, quit meat & dairy, am eating tons of fruits & veggies & whole grains every day, and much more aware of what is a healthy diet, and what is not!
What I DO need to change though is my workout routine. Although 2 hours, 3 days / week of derby practice ain't too shabby, it's still not enough. Especially at the very sedentary stare-at-a-computer-all-day job that I have (as a lot of people do).
So this is my way of proclaiming that it's time to step it up a notch! Gym: hellz yeah! Workout buddies: come & get me! Pump class: Why the heck not!
Summer, here I come!
Well, we're back from New Orleans, and we had an AWESOME time!! I haven't had time to go through my pictures yet, so I've posted some of the ones that John took with his iPhone. It's surprising how good those little cameras have gotten! These are a bit out of order, but here goes! 
We went to the zoo, and I leaned in poo.
No really, I did. It was on the railing at the monkey exhibit. Yuck.
We walked around a LOT and I had to give my feet a break from time to time. The day I wore these leggings the guys went nuts - I think I got hit on 4 times that day.... even while walking with John!
I hope I don't get my vegan superpowers taken away (Scott Pilgrim VS the World, anyone?), but I totally ate seafood on this trip. Life is WAY too short to give up the little pleasures, you know? And this shrimp po-boy was DELICIOUS!
We loved all of the architecture, and the houses draped in a canopy of trees...
The view from our hotel window in the French Quarter!
Street art birdies.
I loved that lime-green door. Something about brightly painted doors make me happy. And brightly painted houses of course!
This fella...lady... was SAAASSSY!! She took it upon herself to direct traffic. It's amazing what you can do with a whistle and an outgoing personality. 
The French Quarter.
A street band playing near Burbon Street - we loved all of the music!
John running his first marathon!! This is at the 12 mile mark - I'm so glad I could be there to cheer him on. He finished in 4 hours 19 minutes - AWESOME! I was so darn proud.
I surprised him by making an enthusiastic t-shirt to be supportive. ;)
Oh! Our first meal in NOLA! It was at this little place right by the Riverwalk. We were by the Mississippi River, watching boats pass by, and listening to a jazz band while eating steamed seafood. It was so perfect! John made the hilarious observation at one point when I was stuffing my face with shell & butter all over me... he said, "you know, if I can still like you like this... I think I could pretty much like you anytime." It was actually rather sweet. :)
My first bloody mary! Sigh, it was delicious. I loved that we could walk around with drinks outside - it made it all the more fun.
More pics to come! I didn't even get a picture up of the gondola ride that John surprised me with on Valentine's day!! It was so awesome, and made for my bestest v-day ever. I'm not even exaggerating. :)
I leave this Saturday for New Orleans, and I'm SO EXCITED!! I've never been to the Big Easy before, and I can't wait to give it a whirl. John is running his first marathon on Sunday, so I'll be there to cheer him on, then we're going to see the sights!
I am sure that finding vegan goodies will be difficult, but I have friends from there that gave me some great ideas and suggestions. I have also heard that if you're moving from one bar to another - you can ask the bartender for a "to-go" cup, and take your beer outside! WhAAA? AWESOME!
I LOVE jazz too, and I really hope we get to check out the music scene a bit while we're there. I'm not sure if John knows how much I LOVE jazz, but I'm sure he'll figure it out pretty quickly. :)
I also hope to see the cemeteries, a plantation house (at least the one they used for "Interview with the Vampire" - one of my favorite movies!), and some great music. John and I have a scooter day planned too, where we'll get to ride scooters around all day! I can't wait for that.
OH, and did I mention that this is my FIRST vacation with a boyfriend? Yep, it's true. So weird! And kind of awesome. I hope he doesn't notice any gross habits that I have that I try to keep secret from him. Wait... I mean, any MORE gross habits. I think I've already subjected him to a few. Haha!
I will try and post some pictures while we're there to keep everyone updated! :)
Have a wonderful weekend!
After the big New Orleans trip and a bit of indulging, I realized it's time for me to get back on track. Summer is around the corner yet again, and I need to shape up or ship out!
These pics were snapped about 6 or 7 years ago on a family vacation to Pawley's Island, SC. I had a few less tattoos then. ;)
I was also smoking regularly (YUCK), and the "very strict diet" I referred to was Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet (no vegetarianism or veganism back then for sure). 
Sure, I lost a lot of weight! I wasn't having ANY sugar at all - but that included the sugar from fruits, and I wasn't having ANY carbohydrates at all - even the good whole grains!
