You are the Best Investment You'll Ever Make

It's so true. Investing in yourself is the best thing you can do. Your education. Your health. Traveling. What you know and what you have seen and experienced can never be taken away from you.

I'm feeling super inspired this week. I don't know if it's because I'm getting closer to the wedding, so I have a date to keep me on track. Maybe because I'm working out more? Or moving on from past toxic relationships? I don't know. Whatever it is, I like it. I feel this overwhelming sense of internal motivation and encouragement. This week, I've been my own biggest cheerleader. It's a really great feeling.

I started following this young lady on Instagram about a year ago, and she's just wonderful. I watched a couple of her Youtube videos this week because I had some time. The below was especially great. She passed on tips and tricks for staying on your diet while traveling. This is amazing, now that I travel more for work. I'm going to give it a go this weekend since Joe and I are going out of town for Memorial Day Weekend. Every year we go to Palm Springs. Cute.

Check out the video below. Her name is Brittany_Dawn_Fit on IG. Super relatable. You go girl. Why am I such a fan girl? Haha.

Joe got his first photo gig! He's so excited. I'm so proud of him for following through with his passion project. It brings him so much joy and that just makes me so happy.

Not a food post. Kind of a life post? Whatever.

SM.

Live a little.

4 months. 16 weeks. 123 days. But who's counting?! 

"It's so soon! I'm getting married! WEEEEE! I CAN'T WAIT!"

"Wait, I'm getting married. In 16 weeks. SHOOT! I better start toning up!"

This was my thought process this morning as I woke up and looked over at my honey bear. I'm getting married in September. Wow. That's so crazy. It's right around the corner. I've been so focused on work and the other day to day hurdles that life brings. I've had very little time to think about trying to lose weight. 

Here's another life update. 

Work is bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S! I mean, it's nutty. Nutty nuts! The year was slow to start. I was working on a project for my agency throughout January and February. Cruising... sort of. Right around March, we pressed the hyper-speed button and I've had zero time since. I went into pre-production in March and then for three and a half weeks, I was traveling the continental United States, chasing professional athletes and feeding them script lines on a major television production. 

It was a blast. Stressful as hell, but an awesome experience. I saw beautiful places, met great people and got to hang out with a pretty impressive roster.

North Carolina, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Houston. 

Matt, Nicola, Kathleen, Guy, Chris, Guia, Britt. 

The man. The myth. The LEGEND. I can't say who, but trust me, this guy is a big.

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience. Production is fun. As for diet and exercise though, let's just say my routine hasn't been stellar.

But that's okay! I have a normal life! I work (a lot). I have a husband-to-be. I have friends and an active social life. I travel. I like to explore and experience life! What's the point of living if you aren't going to live?

But I'm also getting married. And I think that if I don't tone up or try to do something about my rear end and my soft arms, I'm going to be very sad one day when I look back at pictures. 

So back to it I go. This past Monday, I started macro counting again. Nothing crazy. Balanced. Something that I can do. I remember liking IIFYM because it gave me the balance and freedom I needed. I also renewed my membership at OTF and signed up for a local gym. After I hurt my back last year, I've been hesitant to get back to lifting. My back just isn't the same as it used to be. But I'm going to start with light lifts twice a week and see what happens. I can't imagine it will hurt. Well, hopefully not...

I know how to do it. I have all the tools. I think now it's simply a matter of doing it. 

In typical fashion, I needed a recipe to kick me off. So I did this little number in the slow cooker as part of my food prep this week. I actually prepped food! Nuts! Give this simple chicken dish a go next time you're short of time.

3 large chicken breast

1 bunch of cilantro

2 limes

1 large yellow onion

1 tbsp. garlic powder

S + P to taste

1. Thoroughly clean off your chicken breast and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place them in the bottom of your slow cooker.

2. Chop your cilantro and large onion. Cover your seasoned chicken breasts.

3. Juice your limes over the chicken. I added the rinds to the pot and let me cook with the rest of the dish. If you're fancy, you can zest your lime. 

4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. I did mine overnight. Time saver!

5. Once cooked, pull the chicken from the pot and shred it. 

I put this over broccoli and pear it with cottage cheese for a protein packed lunch. It's also great in tortillas with salsa and avocado. It's also great over a Mexican-style salad. Favorite!

Give this guy and a go and let me know what you think. 

SM.