tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59426563750929499702024-03-21T15:41:03.290-07:00My Starr Studded LifeA blog about everything, but nothing. A little about my life with my amazing husband and puppies, as well as my obsession with tv and constant struggle with my weight & desire to lead a healthy lifestyle while still being able to enjoy the occasional can of Spaghettio's! Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-13878767976992820322012-12-30T11:35:00.001-08:002012-12-30T11:35:40.652-08:00Ouch ...Yup ... This is me today! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m3EZU1RUJBaUn3sbakOiPYiwgiOeWJd9mo-3MI04xtjRk4fQEXNwR-SK71mP4FfobXXQwUna5Ev3-7b5uVrtABOxKbFzu3QTo5HP2g-kOPhhn5X1iWrKMJRG_7WVkw-38lFFx3BhnCI/s640/blogger-image-1689653291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m3EZU1RUJBaUn3sbakOiPYiwgiOeWJd9mo-3MI04xtjRk4fQEXNwR-SK71mP4FfobXXQwUna5Ev3-7b5uVrtABOxKbFzu3QTo5HP2g-kOPhhn5X1iWrKMJRG_7WVkw-38lFFx3BhnCI/s640/blogger-image-1689653291.jpg" /></a></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-73977931524459257422012-12-27T11:19:00.001-08:002012-12-27T11:19:45.258-08:00Help?!So in order to be a good blogger, one must cater to their readers/followers and post interesting things. So I would appreciate any thoughts, ideas, and/or suggestions as to what kinds of topics/posts might interest you and would keep you coming back for more?! I'll obviously be blogging about my weigh loss (or gain), and fun or good exercises I might find, recipes, and pictures of my dogs of course! I will probably share some origami owl stuff as well and keep you in the loop if I am having any sales or contests! But ... I would like some other ideas to so ... ready, set, GO!!Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-85844491223660847672012-12-26T11:36:00.000-08:002012-12-26T11:36:24.319-08:00Hello, Hello ...Well hello there!! It appears it has been over 9 months since my last post in March. I suppose I fell off the blogging wagon you might say! But, I think I'm going to rejoin the blogosphere as I have a lot I would like to share and keep myself on top of. I'm headed to Las Vegas and Maui this year so I am also hopping back onto the exercise and healthier eating train. I've started a new adventure by becoming a designer with Origami Owl so I would like to share and promote that with all of you. And I'm hoping to cook more this year and will of course, be sharing some new delicious recipes with you. And, maybe even some Pinterest projects! So, I'd love to have you follow me and hear any thoughts/ideas you may have for things you would be interested in hearing about. It's hard to blog when you don't have too many followers or "cheerleaders" you might say so help a girl out and follow me on my journey in 2013!!! Let's do this!!<br />
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<img height="265" id="il_fi" src="http://www.submitedge.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2013.jpeg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="510" />Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-14515335402673743102012-03-03T14:36:00.000-08:002012-03-03T14:36:20.418-08:00Pinterest ProjectPantry Organization<br />
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Another fabulous pinterest idea! An over the door shoe organizer to help organize your pantry!! Why I never thought of this I have no idea! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fOAf6TZKaAvmkwJJ4INqzaU-HVvTL2k0JQg5yTF3zGvEJc_4bFxmK1RwiHweIoglJsovqOKGg2IPWesh-29vfvWEIHKe7N-tMHo7nqIq5MtC9GFuSzGJ2oZfLKT26pRLd0HROFad6Ew/s1600/Pantry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fOAf6TZKaAvmkwJJ4INqzaU-HVvTL2k0JQg5yTF3zGvEJc_4bFxmK1RwiHweIoglJsovqOKGg2IPWesh-29vfvWEIHKe7N-tMHo7nqIq5MtC9GFuSzGJ2oZfLKT26pRLd0HROFad6Ew/s320/Pantry.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-63021971886351483032012-03-03T14:28:00.000-08:002012-03-03T14:28:46.088-08:00Pinterest Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>Wedding Shadow Box </b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Such a neat idea I knew I had to make my own! Inside the box are lots of different things from my wedding, including the wedding invitation, program, rock candy, engagement ring box, my wedding jewelry (hair pins, earrings), flowers, etc. I love it so much and can't wait to hang it up! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYdem0t8_nIuqlECNuDvpy-BzjrZ3aWyZH2r38bJ4ZGY4P4JxdTjPWDWWGdOoN_tWsRvLf44mlqxKAy1aUJou36mhjQz8l5z5bjXStLi2sT9KFsgVZnQict0yA_wU7YBh4g4qyZ1URSY/s1600/IMG_4593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYdem0t8_nIuqlECNuDvpy-BzjrZ3aWyZH2r38bJ4ZGY4P4JxdTjPWDWWGdOoN_tWsRvLf44mlqxKAy1aUJou36mhjQz8l5z5bjXStLi2sT9KFsgVZnQict0yA_wU7YBh4g4qyZ1URSY/s320/IMG_4593.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-72455069664006756532012-01-03T21:06:00.000-08:002012-01-03T21:07:59.612-08:00It's the thought that counts, right?Well, I'm not going to lie ... I didn't start my workout plan tonight. I know, I know ... not a good way to start things off. I have plenty of lame excuses - I was tired, grumpy, PMSing and we had to grocery shop right after work too and by the time we were home and made dinner, I just didn't have the energy to hit the treadmill. I know it would have been good for me too - I know exercising releases endorphins so it could have helped with my grumpiness and exercising is also often good for cramps. So, I'm not very happy with myself right now. This was not my plan.<br />
<br />
On a positive note, I did pretty well with my meals today - my breakfast, lunch and dinner were all fairly healthy: coffee w/ sugar free creamer + splenda; weight control oatmeal, a handful of almonds, a lean cuisine and light applesauce for lunch and a shrimp taco for dinner. I managed to stay under my 1,200 goal for the day ... but I'm kind of starving right now. But, I think eating at 11:00 p.m. is definitely not what I need, especially since I didn't work out. So, I will give it a try again tomorrow. No errands to run after work so I can come straight home and hit the treadmill. One of these days, maybe I'll be able to get up once or twice a week in the morning to get in some treadmill time? <br />
<br />
Until tomorrow ...<br />
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</tfoot></table>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-85543241746066015892012-01-02T13:09:00.000-08:002012-01-02T13:09:03.686-08:00Hello There ...Well, as you can see, it has been a LONG time since my last post. About 9 months to be exact! In an effort to help jump start my journey to a healthier lifestyle - I am reactivating my "My Fitness Pal" account to help me keep track of my food, exercise and weight loss/maintenance as well as attempt to start blogging again to help keep me motivated and on track. I'm also hoping that some of you might help me out by following me on my blog, and commenting from time to time as well and be my cheerleaders. I plan to not only track my journey, but also share some 'healthier' recipes along the way, some exercises I might come across that I find helpful, magazine articles, funny pictures or stories, and probably some other random things as well! I'm thinking about some regular weekly posts as well such as Treadmill Fail Tuesday videos, Weigh In Wednesdays (yes, I'll be honest) and Friday Funnies. <br />
<br />
So, happy new year to all and here's a "funny" to get the year started (Thanks to Shannon for reposting it on her FB - a perfect way to start my blog!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tc9km-8W_kk/TwIcX94-vzI/AAAAAAAAAmE/dyfQDOZhIlo/s1600/377865_350654451617564_100000190367974_1626861_1631387293_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tc9km-8W_kk/TwIcX94-vzI/AAAAAAAAAmE/dyfQDOZhIlo/s320/377865_350654451617564_100000190367974_1626861_1631387293_n.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-15589505430378985332011-04-25T21:42:00.000-07:002011-04-25T21:42:31.862-07:00Sweet FreedomMy new sweet treat obsession!<br />
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<img alt="http://www.glucoholic.com/images/2009/06/blue_bunny_sweet_freedom_krunch_lites_ice_cream_bar.jpg" src="http://www.glucoholic.com/images/2009/06/blue_bunny_sweet_freedom_krunch_lites_ice_cream_bar.jpg" /><br />
<div> <h1><span style="font-size: small;">Sweet FreedomĀ® Ice Cream Bar - Krunch Lites</span></h1></div><i>This treat gives "crunch time" a delicious new meaning. We start with our vanilla lite ice cream, drench it in a chocolate coating and sprinkle it with crisp rice. Each bar is guaranteed to make lots of joyous noise</i><br />
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<br />
<div id="NutritionFactsTitle" style="color: black; font-family: Franklin Gothic Heavy,Helvetica Black,Arial Black,Sans-Serif; font-size: 35px; line-height: 90%;"><span id="NutritionFactsTitleText">Nutrition Facts</span></div><div class="FactValue"> Serving Size 1 Bar (40g)<br />
Servings Per Container 12 </div><div class="FactTableHeader">Amount Per Serving</div><div style="border-bottom: 3pt solid black; border-top: 1px solid black; padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-top: 2pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><span class="FactLabel">Calories</span> <span class="FactValue">100</span></td> <td align="right" class="FactValue">Calories from Fat 70</td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="FactTableHeader" style="text-align: right;"> % Daily Values** </div><div id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemArea_0" style="border-top: 1px solid black; padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-top: 2pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><span class="FactLabel" id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemName_0">Total Fat</span> <span class="FactValue">7g /</span></td> <td align="right" class="FactValue"><span class="FactLabel">11</span><span class="FactValue">%</span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><div id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemArea_1" style="border-top: 1px solid black; padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-left: 4pt; padding-top: 2pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><span class="FactValue" id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemName_1">Saturated Fat</span> <span class="FactValue">6/</span></td> <td align="right" class="FactValue"><span class="FactLabel">30</span><span class="FactValue">%</span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><div id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemArea_2" style="border-top: 1px solid black; padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-left: 4pt; padding-top: 2pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><span class="FactValue" id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemName_2">Trans Fat</span> <span class="FactValue">0g</span></td> <td align="right" class="FactValue"><span class="FactLabel"></span><span class="FactValue"></span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><div id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemArea_3" style="border-top: 1px solid black; padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-top: 2pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><span class="FactLabel" id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemName_3">Cholesterol</span> <span class="FactValue">Less than 5mg/</span></td> <td align="right" class="FactValue"><span class="FactLabel">2</span><span class="FactValue">%</span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><div id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemArea_4" style="border-top: 1px solid black; padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-top: 2pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><span class="FactLabel" id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemName_4">Sodium</span> <span class="FactValue">30mg/</span></td> <td align="right" class="FactValue"><span class="FactLabel">1</span><span class="FactValue">%</span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><div id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemArea_5" style="border-top: 1px solid black; padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-top: 2pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><span class="FactLabel" id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemName_5">Potassium</span> <span class="FactValue">75mg/</span></td> <td align="right" class="FactValue"><span class="FactLabel">2</span><span class="FactValue">%</span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><div id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemArea_6" style="border-top: 1px solid black; padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-top: 2pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><span class="FactLabel" id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemName_6">Total Carbohydrate</span> <span class="FactValue">11g/</span></td> <td align="right" class="FactValue"><span class="FactLabel">4</span><span class="FactValue">%</span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><div id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemArea_7" style="border-top: 1px solid black; padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-left: 4pt; padding-top: 2pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><span class="FactValue" id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemName_7">Dietary Fiber</span> <span class="FactValue">1g/</span></td> <td align="right" class="FactValue"><span class="FactLabel">5</span><span class="FactValue">%</span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><div id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemArea_8" style="border-top: 1px solid black; padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-left: 4pt; padding-top: 2pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><span class="FactValue" id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemName_8">Sugars</span> <span class="FactValue">2g</span></td> <td align="right" class="FactValue"><span class="FactLabel"></span><span class="FactValue"></span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><div id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemArea_9" style="border-top: 1px solid black; padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-left: 4pt; padding-top: 2pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><span class="FactValue" id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemName_9">Sugar Alcohol</span> <span class="FactValue">6g</span></td> <td align="right" class="FactValue"><span class="FactLabel"></span><span class="FactValue"></span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><span class="FactLabel" id="body_MainHolder_CtrlPLI1_FdaItems_ItemName_10">Protein</span> <span class="FactValue">2g/</span></td><td><span class="FactValue"></span></td><td><span class="FactValue"></span></td><td><span class="FactValue"></span></td><td><span class="FactValue"></span></td><td align="right" class="FactValue"><span class="FactLabel">3</span><span class="FactValue">%</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<a href="http://www.bluebunny.com/Products/d/Sweet_Freedom_Ice_Cream_Bar_Krunch_Lites">Source </a>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-1869977837935724782011-04-23T22:30:00.000-07:002011-04-23T22:30:12.612-07:00Beer Goggles<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVLSDgUUx_szxxJAG0etsRgG_hWOSaKL3_U1sRIQn43nU1qF3b9SUlJbhnWuCmqONfOIxNCHoMzQXYgPh__cEWmBr934-NuvPw29X4t1UtGKTZU74WPuR496M478SwqE89BdKjJy8Sj0/s1600/select55.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVLSDgUUx_szxxJAG0etsRgG_hWOSaKL3_U1sRIQn43nU1qF3b9SUlJbhnWuCmqONfOIxNCHoMzQXYgPh__cEWmBr934-NuvPw29X4t1UtGKTZU74WPuR496M478SwqE89BdKjJy8Sj0/s200/select55.png" width="200" /></a>So, in trying to lose weight I am also trying to limit my alcohol intake, obviously because like most beverages, beer and wine are "empty calories". So, in addition to cutting back my weeknight drinking to one (1) night a week (usually Thursdays during Grey's Anatomy!), I am trying to drink lower calorie beer also. So, ones obvious choice for low calorie beer would probably be Bud Select 55, right? Not so fast ... while Select 55 only has 55 calories, it also only has <b>2.4% alcohol</b>!! Now I know why the first time I had it it took me the entire 6-pack before I felt a slight buzz! <br />
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I suppose it depends WHY you are drinking the beer. I mean, if you just like beer itself and are trying to save some calories, then Select 55 would be the way to go. But if you are wanting to get tipsy/drunk, have a good time and save some calories, Select 55 would NOT be the way to go because you would have to drink more beer to get the tipsy/drunk feeling therefore increasing your calorie intake! <br />
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So, for now I think I'll stick to my Michelob Ultra Pomegranate Raspberry beer with only 95 calories and 4.2% alcohol. Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-26911998063677991222011-04-21T21:14:00.000-07:002011-04-23T22:31:07.790-07:00Pour Some Sugar on Me ...<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, in an effort to help my weight loss I am going to try and cut back on a key culprit ... SUGAR!!! I really don't have much of a sweet tooth although I do like cereal as well as Special K Breakfast Bars and Granola Bars, which I have no problem cutting out. However, I was surprised at some of the things that had more sugar than I had thought. For example: </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><pre class="cal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.sugarstacks.com/img/carrots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.sugarstacks.com/img/carrots.jpg" style="border-color: rgb(141, 0, 193);" width="200" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b class="cal_head">Baby Carrots </b>
<span class="cal_stat">1 serving (8 carrots/85g)</span>
<span style="color: red;">Sugars, total: 4g</span>
Calories, total: 30
Calories from sugar: 16</span></pre><pre class="cal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></pre><pre class="cal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b class="cal_head"> </b></span></pre><pre class="cal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b class="cal_head">
</b></span></pre><pre class="cal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.sugarstacks.com/img/yolight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.sugarstacks.com/img/yolight.jpg" style="border-color: rgb(141, 0, 193);" width="200" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b class="cal_head">Yoplait Light Yogurt, Strawberry</b>
<span class="cal_stat">6 oz Container</span>
<span style="color: red;">Sugars, total: 14g</span> </span></pre><pre class="cal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Calories, total: 100
Calories from sugar: 56</span></pre><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><pre class="cal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b class="cal_head"> </b></span></pre><pre class="cal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b class="cal_head">
</b></span></pre><pre class="cal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.sugarstacks.com/img/nutribar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.sugarstacks.com/img/nutribar.jpg" style="border-color: rgb(141, 0, 193);" width="200" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b class="cal_head">Nutrigrain Cereal Bar, Strawberry</b>
<span class="cal_stat">1 Bar (37g)</span>
<span style="color: red;">Sugars, total: 13g</span>
Calories, total: 140
Calories from sugar: 52</span></pre><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><pre class="cal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.sugarstacks.com/img/spaghetti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.sugarstacks.com/img/spaghetti.jpg" style="border-color: rgb(141, 0, 193);" width="200" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> <b class="cal_head">Prego Marinara Spaghetti Sauce</b>
<span class="cal_stat">1 serving (1/2 cup/120g)</span>
<span style="color: red;">Sugars, total: 7g</span>
Calories, total: 100
Calories from sugar: 28 </span></pre><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, can I eliminate all sugar ... wait, let me rephrase that - will I eliminate all sugar, no. I don't believe in living a life depriving yourself of certain things. I would rather have some meat on my bones and junk in my trunk than to eat "healthy" all the time. But ... I am willing to make some changes when it comes to my breakfasts and snacks, and even my lunches on occasion. Dinner however, no way. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, some of the ideas I have to help replace some of my sweeter, more sugary snacks such as Yogurt, Special K Bars, Granola & Cereal are: </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Fruits and Veggies (while these have sugar, they are naturally occurring sugar and not not as "bad" for you according to my research) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Edamame w/ a dash of sea salt and lemon</span></li>
<li> <span style="font-size: small;">Almonds </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Turkey + </span><span style="font-size: small;">Hard Boiled Egg</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Hummus + Carrots + Red Peppers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Greek yogurt </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Tuna Salad + Cucumber Slices </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Pickles + Cheese + Turkey</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Cottage Cheese + Cherry Tomatoes </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Oatmeal (Weight Control with only 1 g. of sugar) or <i>Regular oatmeal</i> or 'whole rolled oats'</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Spicy Popcorn: 100 calorie popcorn + 10 small pretzels mixed w/ 1/2 tsp chili powder + 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes </span></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am, of course, always open for any ideas or suggestions!!</span> </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"></span>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-61499522173896303622011-04-19T20:51:00.000-07:002011-04-19T20:52:21.662-07:00Half-Assed<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrLDfBHic2kBa2HaLGq6grwLfAy0zcgQhMyAYqIpaprJQzWylqz9a05TpCiLAYLqB9T7cc_jCwYqN2nuhNd_dkEf7WH4tm8JSdOIWREI_NjoANelP-jnSjJjmEm4IpM1eCs6gPflHfQ0/s1600/pROXY1-6116574_alternate20_v400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrLDfBHic2kBa2HaLGq6grwLfAy0zcgQhMyAYqIpaprJQzWylqz9a05TpCiLAYLqB9T7cc_jCwYqN2nuhNd_dkEf7WH4tm8JSdOIWREI_NjoANelP-jnSjJjmEm4IpM1eCs6gPflHfQ0/s1600/pROXY1-6116574_alternate20_v400.jpg" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrLDfBHic2kBa2HaLGq6grwLfAy0zcgQhMyAYqIpaprJQzWylqz9a05TpCiLAYLqB9T7cc_jCwYqN2nuhNd_dkEf7WH4tm8JSdOIWREI_NjoANelP-jnSjJjmEm4IpM1eCs6gPflHfQ0/s200/pROXY1-6116574_alternate20_v400.jpg" width="148" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RRtheSUw7KT0zaPz_sRP6yTEGVYC-TGcYkhRN4wOlduDkaBlxq8VPTek7gK6z2hPfScgFFDre7-lepJADg9X6JWbNMFpr8KQvjN6LXwsSMP6roUNcfEt_m8JOiw9HEZ2N8DpV1d3GQ0/s1600/pROXY1-6586927_alternate18_v400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RRtheSUw7KT0zaPz_sRP6yTEGVYC-TGcYkhRN4wOlduDkaBlxq8VPTek7gK6z2hPfScgFFDre7-lepJADg9X6JWbNMFpr8KQvjN6LXwsSMP6roUNcfEt_m8JOiw9HEZ2N8DpV1d3GQ0/s1600/pROXY1-6586927_alternate18_v400.jpg" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RRtheSUw7KT0zaPz_sRP6yTEGVYC-TGcYkhRN4wOlduDkaBlxq8VPTek7gK6z2hPfScgFFDre7-lepJADg9X6JWbNMFpr8KQvjN6LXwsSMP6roUNcfEt_m8JOiw9HEZ2N8DpV1d3GQ0/s200/pROXY1-6586927_alternate18_v400.jpg" width="148" /></a>So, maybe I'm just getting old but when did bikini bottoms all start being made either half-assed or grandma style? It's like I can't win this season at all!! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As you all know, I ordered two (2) super cute bikini bottoms from Roxy to match my black and white striped bikini top. I was WAY excited for them because 1.) they were super cute and matched my top and 2.) they were on sale + free shipping!! Well, I got both of them in the mail and tried them on (with undies under them of course) and both of them barely covered half of my ass? Now, I know I have got some junk in the truck and I am not ashamed by any means ... but a bikini barely covers enough as it is - I don't need 50% of my ass cheeks hanging out as well - especially since I'm going with my family!! Now, I'm not saying I want a grandma style bikini bottom, I think a bottom covering at least 3/4 of my ass would be appropriate, don't you? </div><br />
Sigh ... so, I'm debating on exchanging them for larges (I got mediums). I hate that I have to order a large b/c it's not that they don't "fit" per say as they are not too tight .. they simply leave nothing to the imagination :) I'm wondering if a large might cover a bit more in the back and still fit comfortably everywhere else? One of them is a string tie side so I'm not worried about that one fitting, just not sure if the other one will be too lose and fall off should I decide to take dive into the pool?! Ugh ... decisions, decisions ...<br />
<br />
*Side Note: I guess now that I look at the picture, you can see that the bikini does not cover all of the bum* <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-50859191559558282972011-04-18T21:16:00.000-07:002011-04-18T21:47:12.658-07:00Manic MondayWow ... what a day today was. The Monday of all Mondays. It's days like these before I was not trying to get in shape that I would go home and pretty much down a bottle of wine in one night. I won't deny, the thought crossed my mind more than once today ... in fact, my Facebook status around 5:00 p.m. today was this: <i><span class="messageBody">Here's hoping I have the strength to let out all my frustrations on the treadmill tonight versus with a glass ... err ... bottle of wine?!</span></i><br />
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<span class="messageBody">But, I knew that wouldn't really help my mood in the long run, nor would it be beneficial to me physically. So, I bit the bullet and put all my energy into the treadmill tonight. And, I think I did a pretty good job. I did a combo of walking, running and incline for a total of 35+ minutes, went 2.5 miles and burned almost <b>400 calories</b>!!! And that doesn't even include taking the stairs down and back up as well as all the misc. upper and lower body strength training I did. </span><br />
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<span class="messageBody">So, all in all, not too bad for a day's work ... especially a Monday! Only 5 weeks until Jamaica so hopefully I can keep this going! </span><br />
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For your viewing pleasure, "Manic Monday" by The Bangles: <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>It's just another manic Monday <br />
I wish it was Sunday <br />
'Cause that's my funday <br />
My I don't have to runday <br />
It's just another manic Monday</i> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ The Bangles </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lAZgLcK5LzI?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-75606417830477017022011-04-17T21:16:00.000-07:002011-04-18T21:46:24.842-07:00Morning Makeover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUU84RoLo8b8vPudkfU_kBk-X2_vNzFEGxpJ0SFm4epMgFt2R3Rjglcab1pynZ9B__LqlF0VSKklnTPlqIfL_P48S2YPqjrk_KeJak2cr-XW0Hc-PX9J-BjVk1T2AbajWJ0u2bDsgzXmk/s1600/funny-dog-pictures-boston-terrier-bed-floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUU84RoLo8b8vPudkfU_kBk-X2_vNzFEGxpJ0SFm4epMgFt2R3Rjglcab1pynZ9B__LqlF0VSKklnTPlqIfL_P48S2YPqjrk_KeJak2cr-XW0Hc-PX9J-BjVk1T2AbajWJ0u2bDsgzXmk/s200/funny-dog-pictures-boston-terrier-bed-floor.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>So, as we all know .. I am NOT a morning person. Never have been, never will be. However, we all know that exercising in the morning has a lot of benefits. Some of which I will share below from an article I found on Spark People. With our vacation approaching I am wanting to start tanning after work. I know, it's not good for you but I do not do it very much. I am just wanting to get some color for vacation and so I don't get burned.<br />
<br />
In any event, since I work until 6:00, on a normal day without tanning, by the time I get home and work out - we aren't able to start fixing dinner until at least 7:30 or 8:00 which is way too late anyways. And half the time we are too tired to cook and end up eating cereal for dinner! And now, if you add tanning into the mix ... that will tack on another 30+ minutes before I can work out and eat dinner. <br />
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So, I am going to attempt to start getting up maybe once or twice a week in the morning do squeeze in some time on the treadmill. I figure if I can even just get 15-20 minutes done, that's 15-20 minutes I won't have to do when I get home in the evening. <br />
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Anyways, I'm hoping to give this a try either Wednesday or Thursday morning. So keep you fingers crossed because I'm going to need all the help I can get!<br />
<br />
Here's a great article I found on Spark People about exercising in the morning:<br />
<a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=468"><i>Learn to Love A.M. Exercise (Even if You're Not a Morning Person) </i></a><br />
By: Rebecca PrattAmanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-37173421355594692652011-04-14T22:23:00.000-07:002011-04-14T22:23:41.013-07:00Summer Hair ...With summer approaching ... it's about time for a new do! Since I'm going to Jamaica in about 5 weeks, I'm not wanting to cut it anytime soon as I want it to be long enough to pull out of my face while at the beach. I do want to, however, lighten it up a bit for the summer. I'm not sure I want to go totally blonde but I would like to have a lot of it mixed in throughout - plus, the blonde will probably help camouflage my stupid gray hair ... yes ... I hate to say it out loud or on "paper" but yes, I have gray hair already. Stupid genetics ... sigh ... But, I have a fabu hairdresser so all is good! <br />
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Anyways, here are a few ideas I am mulling over for my next visit to the salon. Will probably be about 3 weeks or so - plenty of time to decide :-) I think the first one is my favorite ... I just haven't had that light color of hair in a while ... might be a drastic change? Any thoughts? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkbm-Jw-A9YkLKeJPEsePklW22PAyKpwWGbLUi4X3pCuSRC-fD3yebQDMVZlX2Fp-RICWdQeOxSgJl2XsGT8b9-7wUfG3qw2G_SNHtWWArgwjTU1W6DUp0bhSp6TKIPHqYAFPE_elpE8/s1600/cameron_diaz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkbm-Jw-A9YkLKeJPEsePklW22PAyKpwWGbLUi4X3pCuSRC-fD3yebQDMVZlX2Fp-RICWdQeOxSgJl2XsGT8b9-7wUfG3qw2G_SNHtWWArgwjTU1W6DUp0bhSp6TKIPHqYAFPE_elpE8/s200/cameron_diaz.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaCchb4NWyk1eiw4eX1YTQCZ5oBWK7dx8ciGXSflmK0IpGxLjy_TlNK687hbLQk1Xv2cTDtJLxwL4v6290UKmCNhSihyyCApqFUiTy66udeeMcxj1n8eZe5dmedtnpqPL2v8Ul-VhSe0/s1600/kristin-cavallari-short-hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaCchb4NWyk1eiw4eX1YTQCZ5oBWK7dx8ciGXSflmK0IpGxLjy_TlNK687hbLQk1Xv2cTDtJLxwL4v6290UKmCNhSihyyCApqFUiTy66udeeMcxj1n8eZe5dmedtnpqPL2v8Ul-VhSe0/s200/kristin-cavallari-short-hair.jpg" width="146" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDo8au4G17-NhGgEgYWk60rY4f8eBVvmek3vcN2T415-wJQo7Q1Jlwv5DReWYa0tN5sb89FyhsmI9dsM8yVbKKVDEXKpeR2zbQu5as06EMhrDu2YHml8KkI6OFA2JQRZZo931XXqz0Fkw/s1600/0225fd9c51b55e5c_popular_hairstyles_2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDo8au4G17-NhGgEgYWk60rY4f8eBVvmek3vcN2T415-wJQo7Q1Jlwv5DReWYa0tN5sb89FyhsmI9dsM8yVbKKVDEXKpeR2zbQu5as06EMhrDu2YHml8KkI6OFA2JQRZZo931XXqz0Fkw/s200/0225fd9c51b55e5c_popular_hairstyles_2011.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-57513018919101587272011-04-14T18:30:00.000-07:002011-04-14T21:22:38.725-07:0012 down ...So, I am happy to say that after getting on the scale this morning, I have lost about 12 pounds in approximately four (4) months!! I got up to about 137 pounds and for me that was a bit of a shocker. For the past 4-5 years, I have been hovering around 126 pounds which I was pretty happy with. Did I need a bit of "toning", of course ... but it just wasn't a priority. The bottom line is I hate exercising. I honestly don't think I have "worked out" since high school! But ... as the scale kept creeping up over 130 and higher and higher ... it really started to bother me. Not to mention, a lot of my clothes, especially pants and jeans, were getting too tight and some of them, unwearable. I know a lot of people look at me and say that I am so thin and I look great ... but just because I'm not "fat" or "obese" doesn't mean that I am not "overweight" or unhealthy, you know? And to be honest, I get tired of people saying that to me. And not to mention, I am only 5' 3" and 137 is a bit too much in my opinion! <br />
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So, first of all I started making some changes in my diet, especially cutting back my on my week night drinking. I'm not an alcoholic by any means but I am very unhappy at my job and my way of unwinding every night was with 2-3 glasses of wine. And as we all know, those "empty calories" add up very quickly!! Then, once I started paying attention to what I was eating and hitting the treadmill more frequently, the pounds slowly started to drop!<br />
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While I am happy to see the number dropping, I am more concerned with toning everything up just a bit! :-) As I have said before, I'm aiming for somewhere between 115-120 pounds before I leave for vacation. So, with 5 weeks left, I think I'm on the right track. I just need to keep doing what I'm doing and keep pushing myself!Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-55833115892973249312011-04-13T22:00:00.000-07:002011-04-14T22:24:56.059-07:00A little bit goes a long way ...Well, not to toot my own horn but I am quite proud of myself tonight. Throughout the day, I was looking forward to working out this evening. Seeing the scale keep going down is really helping motivate me to keep up the hard work. I even managed to get in 60 squats, 60 lateral leg lifts and 60 calf raises as well as go all the way down and back up 13 flights of stairs ... and that was all while I was at work!<br />
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On my way home, I was still in the mindset of working out and then relaxing on the couch watching Idol and Grey's. But, when I got home, my motivation was gone for some reason. I thought that since I had been doing such a good job, I was going reward myself and have a night off. But, as time passed I kept thinking about it and felt "bad" for not doing working out. So, despite not wanting to - I decided to just walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes. Nothing extravagant but hey, it's better than nothing, right? So, as I approached the 20 minute mark, I thought to myself just do 25 minutes ... it's only 5 more minutes? Then, as I was approaching the 25 minutes I noticed I had almost walked 2 miles so I decided I should at least get in 2 miles. Then, once I hit the 2 miles, I was less than 10 calories away from 280 calories and I pushed myself for 10 more calories! I probably could have pushed for 20 more calories but I was miserably hot and starving so I was satisfied with what I had accomplished. <br />
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So, all in all I am quite proud of myself for managing to talk myself out of the mindset of not working out all the way to walking (and a few sprints) to 2 miles and burning 280 calories! To "celebrate" I made myself a delicious serving a spaghetti - which I measured out to 1 serving of pasta (only 2 ounces ...boo!) and 1/2 cup of sauce ... and topped it off with two 5-ounce glasses of red wine. And, thanks to my work on the treadmill, I still manage to say under my 1,200 calorie goal for the day! Go Me!! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9ZN3x1Kar2f-aQwfYv2McNldIczBSwY6fS8v4UTuAd6ARFJrlwsjFNF3aKD2CpEJK2I9SkeBWj3F75CTQ_BcO4LTUiJrkBjpA5pMjvVEg84XXPpaelKiMUwMG_0ITutaJxdGWicd0aY/s1600/funny-pictures-cat-excercise-bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9ZN3x1Kar2f-aQwfYv2McNldIczBSwY6fS8v4UTuAd6ARFJrlwsjFNF3aKD2CpEJK2I9SkeBWj3F75CTQ_BcO4LTUiJrkBjpA5pMjvVEg84XXPpaelKiMUwMG_0ITutaJxdGWicd0aY/s320/funny-pictures-cat-excercise-bike.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-68392427269357190392011-04-13T15:44:00.000-07:002011-04-14T20:36:06.582-07:00BikiniSo, to help motivate me, I have ordered myself a new bikini for the trip. I actually have a super cute black and white striped top and no matching bottoms. As luck may have, Roxy had some adorable matching bottoms on sale for only $15 and free shipping! So, I ordered both of them!! They should arrive Friday and I will be hanging them right in front of my treadmill ... nothing says motivation then staring at a tiny piece of cloth that needs to cover your ass in 5 weeks, right? Pics below!<br />
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**Update: So, I rec'd the first bikini bottom today (the one on the left). And, it appears some of the reviews were right ... it doesn't cover a lot of the backside!! It's cute and all but considering I have some "junk in my trunk" ... I'm not sure I can pull it off!? I should get the other one tomorrow and we shall see how it fits. If it's the same, I'm going to try and exchange it for a size bigger. While I hate saying that, I guess it really doesn't bother me as I have always had a decently sized tush ... I personally don't care how big or small it is - as long as it is toned and looks good :-) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrLDfBHic2kBa2HaLGq6grwLfAy0zcgQhMyAYqIpaprJQzWylqz9a05TpCiLAYLqB9T7cc_jCwYqN2nuhNd_dkEf7WH4tm8JSdOIWREI_NjoANelP-jnSjJjmEm4IpM1eCs6gPflHfQ0/s1600/pROXY1-6116574_alternate20_v400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrLDfBHic2kBa2HaLGq6grwLfAy0zcgQhMyAYqIpaprJQzWylqz9a05TpCiLAYLqB9T7cc_jCwYqN2nuhNd_dkEf7WH4tm8JSdOIWREI_NjoANelP-jnSjJjmEm4IpM1eCs6gPflHfQ0/s200/pROXY1-6116574_alternate20_v400.jpg" width="148" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RRtheSUw7KT0zaPz_sRP6yTEGVYC-TGcYkhRN4wOlduDkaBlxq8VPTek7gK6z2hPfScgFFDre7-lepJADg9X6JWbNMFpr8KQvjN6LXwsSMP6roUNcfEt_m8JOiw9HEZ2N8DpV1d3GQ0/s1600/pROXY1-6586927_alternate18_v400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RRtheSUw7KT0zaPz_sRP6yTEGVYC-TGcYkhRN4wOlduDkaBlxq8VPTek7gK6z2hPfScgFFDre7-lepJADg9X6JWbNMFpr8KQvjN6LXwsSMP6roUNcfEt_m8JOiw9HEZ2N8DpV1d3GQ0/s200/pROXY1-6586927_alternate18_v400.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-16388606042081247692011-04-11T20:35:00.000-07:002011-04-12T20:46:35.082-07:00Smoothie Recipe: Creamsicle DreamI find that I get really bored with breakfast sometime so I'm always up for new things. My current obsession is an English Muffin (light) with 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter and bananas sliced on top. It's delicious and keeps me full until lunch. <br />
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However, I came across a recipe for an "Orange Creamsicle Smoothie" and being a huge fan of Push Up Pops - I had to give it a try. The first time I made it I didn't have any orange juice concentrate so I just used orange juice. While delicious, it was not as thick as I was hoping. So, I picked up some orange juice concentrate and tried it again, along w/ some Vanilla Whey Protein. This time the texture was much better. However, I believe the Vanilla Whey Protein and Vanilla yogurt over powered the orange juice concentrate. So, I'm going to pick up some <i>Yoplait Light Orange Cream</i> yogurt and use it in place of the vanilla. I think this will be the perfect combination!!While it is not necessarily carb friendly, it is pretty low calorie for a breakfast and full of protein! <br />
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Here's the recipe if anyone is interested:<br />
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<b><u>Ingredients:</u> </b><br />
<b> </b> <br />
<div class="recipetext">1 cup milk (skim or 1% is best for lower calories) <br />
1 (6-ounce) container low-fat vanilla yogurt<br />
1/3 cup calcium-fortified frozen orange juice concentrate<br />
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
5 ice cubes </div><div class="recipetext"></div><b>Instructions</b> 1. Combine milk, yogurt, orange juice concentrate and vanilla extract in blender. Blend 15 seconds to combine ingredients. Add ice cubes and blend about 20 seconds to crush ice. Serve immediately. Serves 2Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-66872385417501795332011-04-09T21:05:00.000-07:002011-04-09T21:05:30.742-07:00Just call me the Stairmaster ...So, as many of you know, my co-worker and I try and take the stairs once at day at work. We go from the first floor all the way to the 14th floor (which is actually the 13th floor but per superstition, there is not a 13th floor ... blah!). We usually take the elevator down and then climb all the way to the top. Anyways, on Thursday we decided we would try and go down the stairs first and then back up. Bad idea ... about halfway back up the stairs, my butt and calves were burning like crazy. After I was done, my legs were weak and my calf muscles were so tight I was seriously worried about a charlie horse! Yikes!! But, as they say ... "no pain, no gain" ... right? Well the pain part is right at least!!! <br />
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I woke up the next day and my legs were killing me, especially my calves. Walking wasn't so bad but when I had to get out of my chair ... I did so a bit slower than normal! I know, it sounds pathetic, however, going down the stairs uses your muscles in a different way so I'm assuming that's why I was hurting more than normal. <br />
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However, I didn't want to be a pansy so I did it again on Friday afternoon. Again, it wasn't easy but I managed to get the job done. Now it's Saturday night and I'm still not sure I made the right choice ... ha! My poor calves are in so much pain right now! But, it's not going to stop me. I have a goal and I'm going to get to it no matter how many stairs I have to go down or up to get there. I think I need to start stretching more and it won't be as painful in the future. So ... bring on the stairs on Monday ... I'm ready!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihx_Wt54EO-C7wSOOjaosC5DOdS9kjygWuRRpGLDBrBgmg0xg4FMRgZEtXRWGo9NaDKuuJVeuxkj7ocugjQ7zm4M15A0LETN7Q3RE2HE8Arf1VHXxKcZFJaEb-9tLwBbHv6HthG0s29lo/s1600/funny-pictures-cat-wants-fewer-stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihx_Wt54EO-C7wSOOjaosC5DOdS9kjygWuRRpGLDBrBgmg0xg4FMRgZEtXRWGo9NaDKuuJVeuxkj7ocugjQ7zm4M15A0LETN7Q3RE2HE8Arf1VHXxKcZFJaEb-9tLwBbHv6HthG0s29lo/s320/funny-pictures-cat-wants-fewer-stairs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-22626870284477687132011-04-08T20:48:00.000-07:002011-04-14T22:09:07.761-07:00Friday Funny<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswY4ppqoSPrm7kgqeyYPx92h4ofclwRhEb4_2-4hwHuF5y8vvVegZ-Q-ONR38lOH6nhUvjyq2LrGF3OH4HjJ__7fFSV0DSf6N54CKGiS0AfOugZwdTOWrQbQRkLMR1vN9zWjLzvLWZaY/s1600/exercise_equip_clr-724514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswY4ppqoSPrm7kgqeyYPx92h4ofclwRhEb4_2-4hwHuF5y8vvVegZ-Q-ONR38lOH6nhUvjyq2LrGF3OH4HjJ__7fFSV0DSf6N54CKGiS0AfOugZwdTOWrQbQRkLMR1vN9zWjLzvLWZaY/s1600/exercise_equip_clr-724514.jpg" /></a></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-17425099222480108492011-04-06T22:06:00.000-07:002011-04-06T22:27:12.053-07:00Every Little Bit HelpsTo help speed this process along, I have started doing some miscellaneous exercises while I am at work. I tend to do lateral leg lifts, squats and calf raises in addition to doing the stairs (13 flights at 22 steps per flight) every day. Sometimes I'll do them at my desk, sometimes I'll them it while making copies (<i>not the squats here though</i>!) and I even do it in the bathroom. Yes, the bathroom. I know it sounds silly but by the time I leave work, I often have between 60-100 reps of each of these exercises done! A few less things I have to worry about when I get home to work out in the evening. And, given that I don't get home until 6:30 p.m., any amount of saved time is greatly appreciated as I can focus most of my evening workout on cardio and strength training for my upper body and core. <br />
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I feel like I have been focusing more on my lower body versus my upper body so I want to try and correct that. I can tell my legs are getting stronger and the backs of my legs/thighs are "smoother". (Ladies - I know you now what I'm talking about!). However, I really want to start seeing some changes in my stomach/ab area as well as my arms. As I told my friend Tasha, "<i>If I catch a stiff wind in a tank top ... I might fly away with these flabby wings (arms)</i>!" So, maybe it's time for me to break out that <b>Shake Weight</b> we got at a "dirty santa" gift exchange last year!? Has anyone tried one? If so, does it work? <span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif";"></span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Wingdings;"></span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> </span>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-28857934075375329682011-04-05T20:48:00.000-07:002011-04-05T21:18:14.025-07:00My Fitness PalSo, to help keep me on track and focused, I am using a site called My Fitness Pal. It allows me to log my food and exercises and keep track of calories consumed, calories burned, etc. I can do it online or on my phone so I have no reason to keep up with it as it is always at my fingertips. I find that knowing that I have to log any food that I consume makes me think twice about eating it. I can also log my weight every day and keep track of how much I have lost ... or gained. My goal is to get back down to approximately 115 pounds. I think that is an ideal and average weight for my height so that is what I am shooting for. I don't want to go any lower than that, however, as I don't want to be "too" skinny. I would also settle for 120 pounds as I think that is more attainable by May 21st but for now, I'm shooting for 115. The counter below shows my progress to date ...<br />
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<a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"><img border="0" src="http://tickers.myfitnesspal.com/ticker/show/137/5177/1375177.png" /></a><div style="text-align: center; width: 420px;"></div><div style="text-align: center; width: 226px;"></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-59275243972921576752011-04-04T20:44:00.000-07:002011-04-05T20:48:08.251-07:00Jamaican Me Crazy<div class="post_summary"><p>Wow ... it's been a while since I have blogged! I'm sure you all missed me terribly. I thought I would try and put this blog to good use and start blogging about my goal for getting fit for my upcoming vacation to Jamaica in May. So, I would appreciate any comments, suggestions or words of encouragement as I try and reach my goal over the next 46 days.<br /></p><p>So, I've been "working out" now for almost 2 months to get prepared for my upcoming vacation to Jamaica on May 21, 2011. Until now, I wasn't really keeping track of my foods or exercises physically, i.e. on paper or logging them on the computer. In that time .. I have seen my weight drop from it's highest at 137 down to about 129. Some might think that's great and while I think it is, isn't not enough. Although the number has gone down, I really haven't seen many physical changes with the exception of losing what little bit of ta-tas I have up top! Sigh .... </p><p>So, today I decided I needed to really buckle down and start putting more effort into getting into shape. I'm going to try and start logging what I eat daily, as well as logging my exercises. I'm going to try and put in more time on the treadmill as well as increase my strength exercises. I have two 3-pound weights, one 5-pound weight, one 5-pound kettle ball, a weighted jump rope, resistance bands and a new exercise ball. I have plenty of equipment to keep things interesting so I don't get bored. Now, I think I need to make some type of "schedule" to help me stay on track each week so I'm trying to come up with that this week. </p><p>Anyways, I know it's not going to be easy to get to where I want to be given I only have about 7 weeks to go, however, I'm not going to stop trying until I hop on that plane! So, fingers crossed I can keep this up. I know I'll have some slip ups and probably eat a few fast food meals, but hopefully I will learn to keep those down to a minimum and only allow myself to enjoy things like that if I make up for it with exercise. </p><p>So, here we go! </p></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-50246889015184297782010-11-17T18:33:00.001-08:002010-11-17T18:33:43.012-08:00New Holiday Card!<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="width:425px; height:494px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetTop" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/top.gif);"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetCenter" style="height:482px; padding: 0 6px 0 6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bg.gif); background-repeat:repeat-y;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewLogo" style="width: 105px; height: 34px; padding: 14px 0 0 14px;"><img src="http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/logo.gif" /></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewContainer" style="height:350px; text-align:center; padding: 0;"><a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery"><img src="http://images-community.shutterfly.com/prs/v1/0AYs2Lhu0ZsWcA/0AYs2Lhu0ZsWcMoG/p/67b0de21b3127d902548/JPEG/1290047381000/0/" /></a></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewMessageContainer" style="height:55px; background-color:#f4f4e9; text-align:center; padding: 15px 0 15px 0; line-height: 19px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewTitle" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 15px; color: #333333; font-weight: bold;"><span>Holly Frame Christmas 5x7 folded card</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewSEOText" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>Get custom <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery" style="color: #6666cc;">photo Christmas cards</a> online at Shutterfly.com.</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewViewCollection" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>View the entire <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery" style="color: #6666cc;">collection</a> of cards.</span></div></div></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetBottom" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bottom.gif);"></div></div>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5942656375092949970.post-6105009560068620072010-05-11T22:19:00.000-07:002010-05-11T22:19:25.308-07:00So You Think You Can Dance Season 7 Promo<object style="background-image: url(http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/TVvpNu0YUSA/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TVvpNu0YUSA&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TVvpNu0YUSA&hl=en_US&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Amanda Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00425736379252067427noreply@blogger.com0