Come to the Dark Side ..... We have Cupcakes

Resist! Resist!  DON'T come to the dark side.  It isn't a pretty site as we all know.

One of my biggest hobbies / side businesses / relaxation techniques is baking and cake decorating.  I've been doing it since I was little and have become, to toot my own horn, pretty darn good at it!  So when a friend of mine included the Martha Stewart Cupcake book in a care package, a mutual friend and I decided to make a couple of different cupcakes out of the book to send back to her when my husband leaves for Edmonton on Sunday morning.

Cupcakes, cupcake batter, cupcake icing are the devil.  We made a coconut cupcake and a salted caramel chocolate cupcake.  OMG, salted caramel with chocolate cake ~ I had to only let myself have a tiny bite or I would have sat down and eaten it all.  It was a fun evening actually making it all.  I also proved how much willpower I can have when I give myself credit.  Not only did I split one of the coconut cupcakes with both my friend and husband, I also did not have a chocolate caramel one.

My trick/method/whatever you want to call it?  My husband's healthy balanced meal beforehand of a salad with avocado, mango, and grilled chicken and a small side of whole wheat pasta and my homemade turkey meatballs.  After that dinner, I was perfectly satiated and didn't have any of the sugar cravings while baking.  I must remember to eat a balanced meal before baking in the future to help me resist licking the spoon and "taste testing" the finished product.  Who would have thunk it?  lol... most likely everyone other than me!!

Other than that, I did another shopping trip to the States with my husband yesterday morning / afternoon.  He needed jeans, t-shirts, and shorts.  I finally got him into some nice fitting jeans.  He likes his jeans big, baggy, saggy, and light blue ~ they look horrible on him!  So this trip was all about getting proper fitting jeans.  He is an odd size with a skinny waist and long legs, so out of all the stores at the outlet mall, only the True Religion, Lucky, and Levi's fit him properly.  He didn't want to spend over $150 on a single pair of jeans since he is working on bulking up his leg muscles and might size out of them, but splurged on 2 pairs of Lucky Jeans for $100 instead.  They make his ass look fantastic!  My husband may be stick thin, but he has a booty.

My good news from the shopping trip was that I tried on a pair of size 18 jeans at The Gap...and.... they fit!!!  Well, fit as in looked good from the belly button down.  However, I'm weird and different in the fact I like my jeans higher waisted.  I have a very long torso, so I can wear my jean above my belly button without looking like they are touching my boobs (in fact, if I don't, most normal length t-shirts look like mid-riff shirts on me!)  Why am I weird?  Because I like my jeans to hold in my stomach instead of having said stomach hang out above my jeans.  I prefer a smooth silhouette when I wear my shirts instead of rolls.  I just don't have the confidence to rock my rolls like so many girls.  So I didn't buy my Gap Jeans That Fit, but instead will wait until my stomach no longer sticks out further than my boobs before rocking that look!!

Oh.. and in healthier fitness news, I went to my third spin class last night as well! Wohoo!  I burned almost 30% more calories than previous classes.  I really didn't want to go, I was tired from the States trip, I was tired thinking about making the cupcakes afterwards and my legs were bothering me from the Wednesday morning workout and which then made them hurt even more with all the walking and standing while shopping.  But I dragged my sorry butt to the class and actually enjoyed it!  It gave me energy and put me in a good mood to come home to make and resist the cupcakes!  One more class to go...

In even healthier fitness news, my husband and I decided to buy bikes for each other as our one year anniversary gift.  We went to a bike shop when we were across the border yesterday to see which we liked and will be checking out the Vancouver Police bike auction on Saturday morning to see if we can get a good deal.

The downside of this?  The auction preview is this afternoon from 12-6.  For me to make it there and still work my full 8 hours, I had to skip morning bootcamp so I can leave work at 3:30.  With our existing plans to meet with friends and family in the evening, it doesn't look like I'll get a workout in.  As well, the auction is Saturday morning, which means I'll once again miss my circuit class on Saturday morning.  I'm praying that the day leaves me an hour to get my own cardio session in!  Even better for me would be to get a great bike at a great price and go riding on Saturday!

It is always a challenge to get workouts in when your schedule is in flux.  But to keep the healthy habits up, you make it work.  I'm not going to sacrifice sleep, but am not going to make hobbies, like TV or reading, more of a priority.  Balance is key.

So are you sick of my long winded post?  Apparently I had a busy Thursday!


I now have a question for you:
How do you balance exercise and healthy eating when your schedule gets out of whack?


* Since I gave you Tuesday's calorie round-up on Wednesday, here is Wednesday's and Thursday's.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012 (oh so close!!!):

Totals	1,834	213	54	94	29	1,667
Your Daily Goal	1,785	245	59	66	20	2,500
Remaining	-49	32	5	-28	-9	833
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Fiber	Sodium
	*You've earned 425 extra calories from exercise today

Thursday, May 3, 2012 (barely squeaking by!):

Totals	1,577	209	44	82	23	1,730
Your Daily Goal	1,637	225	54	61	19	2,500
Remaining	60	16	10	-21	-4	770
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Fiber	Sodium
	*You've earned 277 extra calories from exercise today

Remember to Eat Regularly

With my husband in town it is very difficult to get things done - including blogging, exercise and food prep. Oh, and laundry! As typical in most long distance relationships, when you do see each other, you try to cram everything in a few short days. Add in the fact the sheer amount of friends and family that want to see him, I feel, 3 days in, that I'm already running on empty.

Today I nearly was sick at the Superstore.  We were out late, up early, and had been on the go the whole time.  My husband is that rare creature who doesn't have to eat much to go ~ he'll have breakfast and then be good until dinner.  On the other hand, if I don't eat on a regular basis, my stomach revolts, I get light headed and feel exhausted.  So this afternoon at Superstore we were picking up the rest of the stuff we need for a BBQ we are hosting tonight.  I was feeling ill, light headed, and my stomach was on revolt.  I didn't know which end it was going to come out of!  My husband didn't understand.  He was all like "but you had eggs for breakfast, how can you be hungry".  Never mind that breakfast was 5 hours ago and we hadn't had anything to eat or drink since then.  I was a prime example of why you need to eat properly, regular;y , and always have water and healthy snacks on you or in the car!  We ended up stopping for "lunch" at Fresh Slice pizza where I was able to grab a single slice of pizza for lunch since I refused to do greasy fast food or overpriced deli food.

I don't think I've mentioned how much I heart Fresh Slice.  If you don't have them near you...  *sigh.*  They have really good single slice pizza made with a thin whole wheat crust.  It isn't greasy at all, as in, after sitting on a napkin for 5 minutes, no grease was left on it!  It also is light on the cheese and sauce, but heavy on the vegetables.  For $1.79 a slice and being right across from the grocery store, it was a life saver!

So we are home now, my husband is napping and I have time to blog!

I went shopping to the States yesterday.  Yes, I am a cross-border shopper on a regular basis.  I live and work in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver, BC, Canada and live and work within a 20 minute drive of the USA-Canada border.

Now, to dispel a myth, not everything is cheaper in the States.  You have to know your prices.  However, it isn't necessarily the prices that we go down for.  It is the selection!  The sheer amount of variety that is available in the grocery, shoe, and clothing stores is huge.  For a plus size girl I am in heaven.  I can find many more clothes when I am cross border than when I'm at home.  The prices can be a little cheaper, but the selection is huge (to me).

So my friend and I spent 12 hours (including an hour in line at the border railing against those stupid self-absorbed people who try to cheat the border line-up by cutting in from the Nexus line-up or pretending they are Duty Free shoppers) shopping, driving, and having a good time.  I talked her out of the candy apples at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, but indulged in some Pretzel Bites at Auntie Anne's pretzels.  We ate a healthy lunch of grilled chicken salad and made sure we had tons of water to keep us hydrated.

We ended up spending about $550 in total.  Including a $200 Costco trip for healthy chicken breasts.  OMG, have I mentioned how much cheaper chicken and turkey is south of the border?  If boneless skinless chicken breasts go on sale below $4 per pound, it is a huge sale in Vancouver.  However, I can go to Costco and get boneless skinless chicken breasts for $2.50 per pound.  For a fat girl changing her lifestyle that is perfect.  I can stock up on chicken thighs, breasts, and fillets and have no excuses over why I can't cook at home.  Add in the amazing Fibre One Brownies, and I'm in heaven.  I also found fantastic high fibre and protein tortilla wraps and pita buns!

I try to support the Canadian economy by buying most of my items locally in smaller independent stores.  But it isn't easy because the prices are higher and the selection is lower.  So as much as I support locally, I won't feel guilty cross border shopping for better deals 2 or 3 times a year.

As for going across regularly just for gas (I work 15 km from the border) I have zero guilt.  We are charged tax on a tax up here for gas.  Why should I pay $70 to fill up my tank every 2 weeks and still have horrific transit service, or cross the border and pay $40 to fill up my tank?  Then spend that extra $30 donating to local charities and community groups?

OK, I'm rambling.

I'll sign off now and go fix up my "What I'm reading post" since this week has been really interesting on the blogosphere.

Question:  If you could, would you cross border shop?