What’s Up, Doc?

Ah, the best laid plans of bloggers and mothers . . . I’ve been away from the blog, friends, because I’ve been sampling the finest our medical system has to offer here in Boston. Last week I saw my rock-star plastic surgeon for a follow up – all is fantastic, she marveled at my “recovery+” (as D. puts it) and noted that I really look pretty much exactly as I used to. All awesome. Move on to Thursday, when I had the second of two laser eye surgeries to prevent a condition where I could pretty much spontaneously go blind. That went smoothly . . . but on Wednesday in between, my daughter got into poison ivy and started to blow up like a balloon . . . so fast-forward to Saturday when her left eye was swollen shut. Mama decided a visit to the doc was in order, so baby got some prednisone. She has been exhausted, so we missed the weekend (but not before she tried mightily to go to our local “Town Day” and ended up with a gusher bloody nose – she and I looked like a crime scene) and she stayed home yesterday from school. In the midst of this, D. is a crazy-man at work and it’s the end of the school year, so there are 150 open houses and concerts to attend and projects to wind up.

And I still want to work out and eat healthy. Mission impossible?

Not for this Wellness Warrior!

Weeks like these mean that eating has to get simple. No new recipes in the rotation. Not a lot of creativity. Lentils and veggies and hard-cooked eggs. Chicken breasts and pasta and slices of smoked turkey. Apples and baby carrots and string cheese. Hummus. Portable, thrown-together meals and snacks that are nutritious, fairly tasty, but are primarily QUICK ‘N’ EASY.

Workouts have happened too, around the edges. Not the long, ass-kicking ones I love so much but utilitarian, all-about-business calorie burning affairs that allow me to burn off a few of the frustrations of everyday (and maybe a little extraordinary) life circumstances.

And if I can do it, you can too. It’s planning and determination that get anyone through any time of stress. The key is tools in the toolbox! (Need help stocking your toolbox? Email me.)

Some brightness came into life, too. I managed to line up an appointment with a new trainer – saw him today and am starting with him and his crew this week. I’m SO psyched to take this old body to the next level. Been a while since I worked with someone – been trying to find that delicate balance of someone who’ll hold me accountable, and kick my rear while taking into account my physical limitations. I do not want to injure myself. I think he’s the one. I’ll keep you posted.

And some yummies landed on my doorstep. Have you tried the new Larabar Uber bars?

The nice peeps at Larabar sent me a little goodie bag with their four new sweet and salty flavors. Now you also know I’m not a big bar/meal replacement person, but Larabars are one I endorse because there’s nothing wacky in these babies. They’re just nuts and dried fruit and sugar. No soy protein isolate. No fake colors or flavors and not jacked up with lots of protein. Two of the flavors (Bananas Foster and Roasted Nut Roll) have just over 200 calories apiece, and two (Cherry Cobbler and Apple Turnover) just under 200, so they’re a little pricey if you’re watching your calorie intake. But all of the Uber bars have lots of nice big pieces of crunchy nuts paired up with tasty bits of dried fruit . . . along the lines of the Kind Bars I love so much. Definitely worth checking out if you are a bar person – because they’re not coated, they’d make a great portable snack for travel/errands/to keep in the car/etc. – no melty.

Then again, almonds have NO sugar and are not processed at all. Sorry. You know me and whole foods. I can’t get enough of them, and many of them are just as convenient as bars/chips/crackers/pre-made smoothies! Less expensive, too.

Your turn: Tell me, what are your favorite go-to meal and/or snack items, either when life gets crazy or when you’re on the go? This old dog can learn new tricks – inspire me!

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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