I did it!
Saturday morning. 6.75 miles, 25 obstacles.
Other than a few scratches and a lot of mud (in unspeakable places, but that’s another story), I survived!
I completed the race in 1 hour, 49 minutes — which includes the wait time at each obstacle. I wish there was a way to know my TRUE time (wait times removed), but I’m pretty happy with what I accomplished.
Bon appetit, my friends!
– Tori
The day before a big race, what do YOU normally do?
Eat a few bananas? Stretch? Have a good, complex-carb rich dinner?
In my case …I go to Epcot with the family. Margaritas! Beer! Good food!
Probably not the best idea before a 7 mile, 25 obstacle foot race, but to each their own.
Wish me luck for tomorrow and let’s pray the Tequila doesn’t give me a hangover …
Bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
I’ve been silent about this for the most part, but on Saturday I am competing in the Savage Race in Dade City, Florida.
In case you’ve never heard of the Savage Race, this is what it looks like:
Fires. Electrified barbed wire. Mud. Ice-filled dumpster swim.
I’ve done this once before (back in 2012) when I was not in as good of shape as I am now (I was about 15 lbs heavier) and there were several obstacles I physically couldn’t do. This year, I’m hoping my lighter weight and stronger upper body will allow me to complete the whole course without skipping any of the stops.
The only obstacle I REFUSE to do? The 2-foot wide tunnel INTO THE GROUND that is 100% pitch black.
Nope… just, nope. I’m severely claustrophobic and panic in an elevator (or a car after too long), so the thought of being in a hot, dark, cramped tube with people jammed in front of and behind me is HORRIFYING. Besides, it’s not even a test of strength so much as it is a test of fear. And I don’t need to test that today.
I’m running in the 11:20am heat on Saturday and my husband is coming along to cheer me from the sidelines. Wish me luck!
Bon appetit, my friends!
I’ve officially begun the last two weeks of my internship, which means this is the last two weeks of surviving on less than 3 hours of sleep per day.
While I will certainly miss the excitement of the TV studio, I won’t miss the exhaustion and incessant hunger that accompanied my crazy schedule.
Since starting the internship on 7/28, I went from 123 lbs up to 135, but have managed (through a LOT of self control and cardio) to come back down to the 127-128 range in the last two weeks. My hope is that once my schedule returns to normal (last day is 10/31), I should get back to my pre-internship weight by November 15th, and down to my goal (119) by December 24th.
Yes, it’s weird to set weight loss goals around the winter holidays, but I figure if I can stick strong through Thanksgiving and Christmas, I can survive anything!
So, here’s to my final 10 days of exhaustion, and the coming weeks of intense cardio, dieting, and energy needed to just get back to where I started.
Bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
While my husband watched football Sunday night, I decided to check out Pinterest for fun decorating ideas and easy recipes. I stumbled across these incredible, no refrigeration-needed breakfast jars that I thought were so brilliant, I ran out immediately to get the ingredients:
MASON JAR OATMEAL!
Seriously, so simple, cheap, and easy to store.
I bought a dozen pint-sized mason jars (just $9 at Walmart), and immediately set to work prepping two weeks’ worth of delicious breakfasts!
Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup old fashion rolled oats (go for these instead of the instant, which are less nutritious)
– 2 packets stevia
– 1/2 tbsp Chia seeds
– 1/2 tbsp Flax seeds
I put this as my base in all twelve jars. Then, I decided to get crazy!
In four jars, I added:
– 1 tbsp unsweetened, shredded coconut
– 1 tbsp slivered almonds
– 1 tsp Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
In another four jars, I opted for:
– 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon
– 1 tbsp crushed walnuts
– 1/2 cup dried apple slices
And in the last four jars:
– 1 tbsp unsweetened craisins
– 1 tbsp crushed pecans
Amazing!!
Twelve jars, three flavors, and about ten total minutes of prep! The jars are air tight, so I can store these in the pantry for at least a month for a quick breakfast on the-go, but I doubt they will last more than two weeks now that I’ve tried one!
Just add 1 cup of boiling water (I eye-balled it, since my jars have 1/2 cup markers on them), shake it well, and then let sit (with the lid on) for about ten minutes while it “cooks.”
I tried the chocolate coconut almond flavor today and I LOVED IT!
I want to purchase freeze-dried strawberries and powdered milk to see if I can make own own shelf-safe strawberries and cream! Yum!
Bon appetit, my friends!
OK… it’s already mid-October and I feel like life is in overdrive.
My husband’s birthday is coming up on October 30th, so I’ve set the goal to be back down below 125 in time for the weekend gorge-fest of food I’m sure we’ll have planned.
Right now I’m back down to 129.2 (still sad that I gained weight so quickly), and I’ve gotten control of my diet for the most part.
It’s amazing what a little sleep can do: every night that I get 6+ hours, I am able to keep my calories under 1,500 the next day. If I sleep less than 3 hours (common), I can guarantee I’ll be above 2,000. Your body has to get fuel somewhere… so if you don’t sleep, you’ll eat!
Most of my size four jeans are comfy again, but I’ve got a few high-waisted pairs that still feel like pointing out to me the pooch that grew over the last few weeks. Sigh. Getting there.
I hope to post more frequently in the next few weeks, but this is all I’ve got today. Hope everyone is doing well!
Bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
I admit it. I’m one of those people.
All of them.
Pumpkin spice, caramel apple, you name it… I inhale them.
I swear, I’m not into it to be cool: I just ADORE them. Can’t help it.
Always on the hunt for healthier alternatives, I decided to scope out the Greek yogurt section for a treat. My hope was to find a nice, low sugar vanilla option that I could blend some pumpkin purée and cinnamon into and cry while I watch someone else eat my beloved pie.
Then I found THIS:
Oh… My… God.
Just 80 calories, 12g of protein, and only 7g of sugar, this tastes like caramel apple pie a la mode!
It has little chunks of apple in it, and it’s got just enough caramel to make it decadent without overpowering the creamy flavor of the yogurt.
I normally try to limit my consumption of fake sugars (or any product with an ingredient I can’t pronounce), but these delicious Dannon science experiments might be good enough to make me break my rule daily. So good.
And for just $1 each, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than my normal kryptonite: the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte.
Pick one of these up next time you stop by Publix – you won’t regret it!
Bon appetit, my friends!
– Tori
This is probably why I’m having a hard time losing weight right now …
[Jump to min: 1:05]
Bon appetit, my friends~!
~ Tori
I had fun demonstrating some easy, travel-friendly workouts today on The Daily Buzz!
Note to self: work on that POOCH! Tummy, tummy – not so yummy!
Bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
I was used at the model of BAD running form on the show last week. Whoops! Who knew I was exerting more energy than needed?
Watch this awesome clip as I make a fool of myself and learn correct running posture!
Bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
The Memoirs of a Yo-Yo Dieter 