Pretty Skin, Please!

If you know me, you know how much I love beauty products! It's not so much as the makeup as it is trying out new products that just make me feel that I look my best. After years of using the same skincare regimen (I had literally been using Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and Kiehl's Cucumber Toner as well as Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion for blemishes since the 6th grade), I decided that I needed a new routine.

Apparently, like a diet or workout routine, a skincare routine needs a refresher too! As we get older and our skin changes, we have to make sure to change up what we are conditioning our skin with on a daily (and nightly) basis. I started making over my routine by adding an exfoliator into the mix. I've been using Origins' Modern Friction exfolatior since the summer, and while it does make my skin a bit softer, I don't see any major changes in my pores, which is what I was hoping for.

After experimenting with various other Kiehl's products and samples, I decided to take to one of my all-time favorite places, ever: Sephora. I did some research to see what type of skin-care products I should be searching for, and decided to focus on my rosacea. I found many positive reviews on Clinique's Redness Solutions Kit, which includes a cleanser, relief cream, and SPF base.



I just placed the order so I have yet to report back with my findings. Unfortunately part of the process of finding a new skincare routine is trial and error! Fortunately, though, Sephora has great customer service and a forgiving return policy, so if Clinique is not right for me, I will find something that is!

Stay tuned.
-Riana

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Thinking Thin: Today's Reads

Here are some interesting articles that are keeping me in a positive and healthy mindset even though I can't be working out and eating like I would like to be this week!

8 Reasons to Take a Water Break

A delicious recipe for No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls that won't kill your diet!

A great pin about the Benefits of Meditation

The Rabbit Food Pyramid-- a great way to get back on track to healthy eating.

The Ultimate Flat-Belly Diet to kickstart my weight-loss plan!

Hope you have found some inspiration like I have! I am taking a small step today by aiming to drink at least 5 large cups of water at work today. I think I can do it.

-Riana

My Cheeks

Are puffy and black and blue :( It sucks. I can't eat solids without my jaw feeling sore and the stitches suck a lot. Needless to say I am very uncomfortable. I'm looking forward to getting the stitches out on Saturday and then enjoying my day and returning back to my normal schedule. I hope I can exercise Sunday and enjoy the day. I am looking forward to food-shopping for healthy foods and getting back on the right track to weight loss and feeling healthy. I don't have too much to say, just wanted to complain a little and say I am looking forward to next week when hopefully I will be feeling back to normal. -Riana

I May Have Lost My Wisdom But I Still Have My Wit

I'm lying in bed sans wisdom teeth thinking about a bunch of things I can't wait to do, but unfortunately, must.

I want to:
1. Take a Zumba class with my heart rate monitor to see how many calories I can burn.
2. Go healthy snack shopping for my work desk so I have options at my disposal that will help stop me from hitting up the good old Hearst cafe, which is good at enticing me with her delicious freshly baked M&M cookies and deliveries of Crumbs cupcakes.
3. Get back into the gym routine I was very much appreciating for the past few weeks.
4. Run outside.
5. Take another Buddhism class.
6. See myself in the mirror looking like a girl again, rather than like a Chipmunk.
7. Finally see the number on the scale backing down to my goal weight.
8. Think of some more exciting healthy lunch options, since these plain salad combinations are beginning to become the lowlights of my days.
9. Get my room back in the city straightened up and drawers cleaned.
10. Become better at practicing positive thought streams I am beginning to learn about in Buddhism, and more importantly, begin to look and feel better about myself.

Think I can do it? I do! Let's see.

-Riana

A Reflection on Healing

So last night I ended up consuming a little more than I thought... I was meeting a girlfriend who I had not seen in a while for dinner at Atlantic Grill. I did end up getting Salmon and vegetables, but we decided to share dessert (chocolate fondue, which was delicious by the way). Also, by the time I sat down I was STARVING (it was a late weeknight dinner for me, 8:30), so I gobbled down 1 1/2 pieces of bread with butter. I probably ate 500-600 more calories than I planned, but today is a new day. I also had a great 30 minute run where I sprinted at speed 9 for the past quarter mile, and then did a 15-minute Nike Training Club ab workout.

My meditation class was amazing. We went into deep meditation for about a half hour, and for the remainder of the class, the teacher gave us a lesson on how to heal ourselves and others. Most of the focus is on giving love to people and realizing that we are all interdependent on one another. A good way to look at it is as if we have had an endless amount of lives before this one, and that any person we meet/see/hear of could have been our mother in a previous life. It is for this reason that we should treat everyone with love and respect. There is one part that I had some trouble grasping, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me-- that even if someone were to insult us or say something horrible to us, we should still treat them with love and kindness as if they are above us. I think this relates to the good old saying: "Kill 'em with kindness." I worried that in order to follow this, I must always be nice to everyone, even if they doing something that pisses me off (specifically the people on the subway come to mind), but the teacher also spoke about plain old IGNORING. If there is something in our presence that is unpleasant, why should we let it effect us? Why not just ignore it?! Makes perfect sense.

I have such great thoughts running through my whole bloodstream from this class. The final thing I want to reflect on from it is a quote our teacher said in the beginning-

“Where would I find enough leather
To cover the entire surface of the earth?
But with leather soles beneath my feet,
It’s as if the whole world has been covered.”

-Śāntideva

Part of the reason we suffer is because we try so desperately to get rid of everything that might hurt us or ruin our happiness. But is actually our own minds that cause our happiness, not all of these external forces. We can't cover the whole world in leather, but we can cover our minds when we need to, and give love that we take in.

I hope everyone has a positive day and takes advantage of the wonderful power we have over our own minds! -Riana

Back in the Groove

I don't like to think that I've fallen off the wagon but I've definitely had some hiccups in my quest to healthiness.

I think part of the reason it is difficult for me to lose the last 12 pounds I've wanted to lose for a while is living in the city and being surrounded by wonderful things to eat and drink everywhere I look! Also, being at work from 9-5 every day can put many dangerous opportunities in front of our faces-- cupcakes, sugary drinks, an amazing cafeteria, and a few too many happy hours and snack times. How do I get back on track? How can I finally lose these LBS?!

I don't want to make a huge list of things I'm going to change because that can be both overwhelming and scary when I start to see myself falling off the wagon. My goal this time, is to change one habit each week. This week's is getting back into calorie-counting consistently. I use MyFitnessPal, which is a great app where I can track both my calories and my exercise. I've been using a Heart Rate Monitor when exercising so I know exactly how many calories I am burning and can eat. I'm thinking that the more conscious I am about what I am eating/how many calories I am consuming, the easier it will be to limit my portions and make healthier choices.

Here's what I've eaten today so far:

Breakfast:
Almond Coconut KIND Bar -- these are SO delicious and satisfying - 210 calories

Mid-morning Snack:
Chobani Flip (Vanilla-Chocolate Chip/Raspberry) - 165 calories

Lunch:
Baby spinach salad with honey turkey, pepperjack cheese, red peppers, avocado, and olive oil - 351 calories

Afternoon Snack:
Skim latte - 130 calories
Terra Chips - 300 calories

Exercise:
3 Mile Run - -300 calories
30 Minute Nike Training Club Workout - -300 calories

Evening Snack (since I am having a late dinner):
Baby carrots - 79 calories

This means I will have 635 calories left for dinner. I am thinking I will have a piece of fish (Branzino or Salmon) and some vegetables, and one glass of wine.

I am also taking my first meditation class tonight! I'm very excited about it as I think it will be very helpful in teaching me how to relax and maybe curb some of the anxious thoughts I often have.

Going to finish up my day so I can head to the gym.

Until tomorrow!
-Riana