She Says: Making the Most of It
Hello Everyone! I hope you had a nice Sunday. I do not complain when it rains or is cloudy because I love that weather, but even I will admit it was nice to see the sun today. Mark and I took advantage of the day by playing as much as possible.
Before I get to that I wanted to share that I eventually figured out what was bothering me last night: Ice Cream. Mark and I stayed home last night to finish season 1 of How I Met Your Mother. Before getting settled in, Mark declared that he wanted ice cream. What was bothering me was that I wanted it too, but according to the “rules” of the Cleaner Life Month, I am not supposed to have sugar. Even without the Cleaner Life Month, in the previous week I’d eaten out a lot and had a lot of “birthday treats,” so what was I to do? I felt nervous because I really wanted to eat the ice cream on the couch with Mark while watching T.V. and it made me feel a little guilty. Please note, I did not feel guilty about eating the ice cream. Quite the opposite, I wanted the full fatty goodness!!! I felt bad because I feel like I’ve been slacking this week with the Cleaner Life Month and was nervous about sharing with the world yet another sugary snack. I don’t want people to think I am not taking it seriously, but challenge or no challenge I must be true to myself and my own food thoughts. While I know that sugar and cream are not the best things for me, I truly believe that food should be enjoyed and not something that induces any kind of guilt. Maybe other people are more disciplined than me, but I just love ice cream. 
I will remember the night that Mark and I watched a How I Met Your Mother marathon while eating delicious ice cream fondly.
The ice cream was Turkey Hill Neapolitan All Natural Recipe and it was really good by the way! I enjoyed every second and I should also share that the ingredients and nutritionals on it are not too shabby either.
It’s even colored with Beet Extract Color. Although I am suspicious of “natural flavors” I suppose.
So that was that. Today I had to go to the library to get books for the classes I am teaching starting tomorrow. Before that Mark and I had lunch and ran a few errands. We stopped at Panrea and I enjoyed a Strawberry Poppyseed Salad, which was particularly pretty today! This was my first time at Panera in awhile and they got new trays and bowls. Really classing up the joint.
Mark lurved his Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich.
Then we made it to the library and a couple super markets for a few dinner ingredients.
When we finally got home I went for an awesome 7 mile run. Man was it hard! And then Mark made dinner for a change of pace! He used a new cookbook he received called The Un-Constipated Gourmet to make the best pesto I’ve ever had. It was so creamy and delicious!
He will be reviewing and giving a copy of the cookbook away, so I don’t want to ruin anything, but oh lordy was that pesto ever good!
Good Night Everyone! I actually have work in the morning!
Tags: Clean Living Month, ice cream, mark cooks, panera, pesto, running
June 28th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Good night Heather xoxo
June 28th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
I’ve never been one to say no to ice cream either. Glad you enjoyed yourself!
June 28th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I love ice cream too, especially Turkey Hill!
June 28th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I think I’m going to have to hit up Panera Bread soon!
June 28th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I usually get the halvsies and have what you and Mark had, smooshed!
I have no will power when it comes to ice cream, either, and as long as I don’t eat the whole carton I usually feel better when I let myself have some.
June 28th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I say, good for you. Sometimes it’s just worse to deprive what you really want. Especially if you don’t have it all the time, you know?
I broke a lot of Cleaner Life rules this weekend myself. And the whole guilt vs. what I can do in a given situation really has me thinking now. I think you and I need a gchat
June 28th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
1) Thanks to you posting about how you gave it to your ice cream craving, I just now gave myself the “ok” to go eat some cookies, haha! thanks a lot!
2) That cookbook title is HILARIOUS. It sounds like a cookbook my husband might actually even read!
June 28th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Love the cookbook title – can’t wait to read the review!
June 28th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Wow, Panera was pretty generous with the pecans on your salad! I worked at the Panera in westfield, NJ, and I don’t remember the strawberry salads to have such an abundance of pecans! More pecans = awesome, of course
June 28th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Maybe were programed to think that eating clean, means giving up certain foods,and only eating this or that. I think clean eating is allowing yourself to eat the occasional bad food, but not consider it bad, just what it is, like ice cream, with no guuilt and of course lots of good wholefoods as well. I think there is such a mind set on how we are supposed to eat. I think you should eat food that are fresh and bright, naturally, not because of the packaging, and have a cookie or two. Guilt should not be associated with food, other yes, but food no. That’s what I feel, and have learned through myself, so I don’t think your giving up, I think you nay have mastered the true art of what is clean eating in the real world. The cookbook by the way looks funny, but pesto thats yummy, can’t wait for the review.
June 28th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
I’m SO glad you enjoyed the ice cream and your night with Mark. Seriously, I have a lot of issues when it comes to setting “rules” for myself, so any opportunity I have to break free from them and do what JENNY wants, I take. And I promise, NO ONE thinks you aren’t taking clean living seriously, you are doing AWESOME!
Have a great Monday!
June 28th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
That’s such a great perspective on clean eating–food should NOT make you feel guilty, and I think you did the right thing by giving into your craving:)
That salad at Panera looks phenom–loving all those pecans!
June 29th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Rules?? What are those?? I had a wonderful pistachio ice cream cone tonight, and John had a peanut butter swirl cone and they seriously put an entire pint of ice cream on it! Nighty-night sweetness. GOOD LUCK TOMORROW!
June 29th, 2009 at 12:39 am
hey girl!
so glad you ended up having some ice cream– you totally deserve it !! and i admire you so much for all the challenges you take on– but you should NEVER feel like you have to do something — life is about ENJOYING things– not being hard on ourselves for ‘breaking the rules’.
have a fabulous day xoxxo
June 29th, 2009 at 4:11 am
i am also happy you went with the ice cream
i know i would have! i agree with caroline that food should not make you feel guilty, but i understand being divided about it, too.
i think that you practice perfect cleaner-life eating by
a) saving ice cream for when you really wanted it and enjoying it with your man
b) eating ice cream with decent ingredients, and not fakey-fake stuff
c) eating a reasonable portion in addition to a very balanced and healthy day
to me, that IS clean. being sad about not being able to have any sugar ever is . . . well, i suppose it’s not dirty, but it’s not ideal
June 29th, 2009 at 5:38 am
mmmm ice cream. Must have it in the summer! That salad from Panera is gorgeous. We haven’t been there in forever and I really want to try that! Hope the work day goes well!!
June 29th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Mmmm I just ADORE pesto!
June 29th, 2009 at 7:25 am
It sounds to me as though you’ve given a very thoughtful treatment to the cleaner life month — both in terms of what you’ve eaten, and also in terms of the thought process that goes into what you put into your body. So no qualification necessary!
Have a good day teaching, Ms. Workin’ Girl! xo
June 29th, 2009 at 7:29 am
I think you are totally succeeding at the cleaner life month. Sometimes it’s just the fact that you are trying your best that counts, and not the fact that you had ice cream one day and maybe a cupcake a few days earlier. So what? Overall, you’ve totally changed your eating habits, and I bet your perspective of food has changed a lot. Sounds like a success to me!!!
Good luck at work today!
June 29th, 2009 at 7:45 am
yay for ice cream. sometimes its better just to sit back, and relax and enjoy the good things in life without worrying about anything else!
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June 29th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Good! I’m glad you didn’t feel guilty!
June 29th, 2009 at 8:01 am
I have been wanting to do the cleaner life challenge as well lately…or just eat cleaner in general, but yes I do not think I could give up ice cream in the summer. I love it WAY too much!! Glad you enjoyed your creamy bowl! Haha the name of that cookbook is hilarious, but that Pesto looks awesome!!! I have some Basil and am planning to make pesto this week
June 29th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Oh how I love Panera! It’s a good thing that the nearest one to me is 2.5hrs away!
June 29th, 2009 at 8:14 am
I’m cracking up at that cookbook… are all of the recipes high-fiber? Guess I’ll have to wait for the review.
Okay, that’s the nicest panera salad I’ve ever seen. And now I want one.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:39 am
That Panera salad is my favorite thing to order in the summer – so refreshing! Definitely don’t feel guilty about the ice cream! Eating shouldn’t have rules
June 29th, 2009 at 8:58 am
that’s some of the best ice cream you can buy, at least. some of them have SO many ingredients!
okay, Panera totally jipped me last time we were there. I had NO pecans on my salad few weeks ago!
the pesto sounds and looks great!
June 29th, 2009 at 9:04 am
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June 29th, 2009 at 9:13 am
TOTALLY feel you, sister. Ice cream will forever and ever be my Achilles heel, and I’m not even sure I want to change that. Glad you were able to enjoy it in the end. Obviously you got right back on track anyway!
June 29th, 2009 at 10:09 am
I agree that food should be enjoyed & not to feel guilty about!
June 29th, 2009 at 10:21 am
I have so been there! I’m glad you had the ice cream and enjoyed it with your love.
June 29th, 2009 at 10:45 am
I love how i met your mother. I need to own it on dvd. I actually bought my brother seasons 1-3 for xmas.
Oh I guess I do not have any ice cream guilt because I ate ice cream for dinner on Friday, and then breakfast and dinner on Sunday. it was a little out of control, even for me!
June 29th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Hi Heather! I do not usually comment but I just have to! I LOVE how REAL you are. It makes me happy to read a blog that emphasizes on healthy eating, but at the same time shows that life is just too short to be too strict/regimented! I have been reading your blog for a couple months now and will be sure to continue!
June 29th, 2009 at 11:58 am
[...] Heather Trains « She Says: Making the Most of It [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Great Great attitude. So true…if we are craving something, we’ll only create more guilt/eating issues by denying ourselves our cravings (in reasonable amounts, of course
)! I’m glad you enjoyed your delicious ice cream!!
June 29th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I have had ice cream this month too:) Good attitude!
June 29th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Oh my gosh, I would never, ever think that you aren’t taking your goals seriously! That is so silly. I’m glad you enjoyed that ice cream, and I agree that life and food is to be enjoyed. You are so healthy 99.9% of the time that you definitely deserved that little treat.
Also, I am in love that salad. Seriously. The colors are so pur-ty!
June 29th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
i just went to panera today and noticed that the bowls were different! your salad looks delicious
don’t feel bad about listening to your body and giving it what it wants!
June 29th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
No matter what, you committed to eating cleaner this month and that is just what you’ve done! And I firmly believe that depriving yourself of something you really want will make you unhappy and leave you wanting it more. You’re doing so much good for your body overall, so enjoy your ice cream!