CHALLONGE!!!

Anyone who feels they can out ballet Adam and me are challenged to do so immediately! I'm not quite sure what the prize will/should be, but I think it's a competition worth fighting for. I may not win the most "body fat percent loss" competition (is everyone still doing that?), but I feel pretty confident in beating Brooks and Jacki, Scott and Karilynne, Brent and Cathy (my parents - hee, hee), and anyone else who is willing to post a video on their blog of their current, at home, ballet dancing...with the exception of Janet and Glenn of course who are professional ballet dancers on Adam's side of the family. Blake and Lindsey, Summer and Clay, Sara, Emma, Emmy, Jon and Linda, Lily and Macy, and even you Cami - EVERYONE!!! Winners will be based on comments so link your video(s) to everyone else's blog or put a link in your comments so we can view your videos and check out what people have to say. It's on people!

P.S. The music playing in the background is Joseph Haydn's "Adagio Du Piano Trio." This is a wonderful song to wake up to in the morning, or bake cookies to, or practice pirouette-ing whenever the need strikes.

I bring shame yet resolve

So...the fat-to-fit project was put on hold for a while due to a slipped disc. I've been slowly recovering and it's difficult to exersize. However, I'm slowly starting up again and will be posting things that I've done to help motivate me along the way.

Last night, I made "Lemon Chicken with Broccoli." It's a recipe that my friend Mary emailed me and it's from the weight watchers website! Yes, in fact it has come to this. The recipe was quite tasty. Lexia thought it was too lemony, but I enjoyed the strong lemon flavor. Here is the recipe:

http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/index.aspx?recipeId=143881

Pair it with some cous cous and you're golden! I've also been cutting down on the sweet stuff at night. My downfall is at night! If I'm watching a show or something, I like to knock out a sleeve of Oreos or a pint of Ben and Jerrys haha...However, I've noticed that if I drink a glass of orange juice, it fills me up as well as curbs the desire to eat chocolaty treats. Try it out and see how it goes!

From Fat To Fit: Day 2

I neglected to mention yesterday that I don't eat breakfast. I know, I know...I should eat breakfast! I'm just not hungry in the morning when I wake up. Maybe I'll start in a couple weeks once my body has gotten used to the new regimen.

Today around 1pm I had a country salad which included mixed greens, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, purple cabbage, purple onions, and croutons. I learned yesterday that I start getting really sleepy around 3pm and Lexia told me I should eat some fruit or another small snack. Today I chose a Gala apple. It did the job I guess, but tasted a little bland as far as apples go. She's telling me now that I should have put some peanut butter on it for some protein. That's what she said. I washed it down with a bottle of Poland Spring Water.

I used to think that Poland Spring Water was the best tasting water and Lexia was always mad at me for buying water. She set up a blind taste test between Poland Spring and NYC tap water. To my dismay, I chose NYC tap water! I have accepted my fate and now drink only tap water when I'm at home. I still enjoy Poland Spring Water at work though.

I got off work around 7pm and went for a 50 minute bike ride, carrying my bike down and then up 6 flights of stairs! I have a 5 year old Specialized mountain bike. When I got home, I grabbed the laundry and headed for the laundromat 2 blocks away. While waiting for the laundry to finish, I ran across the street and had sushi for dinner. After lugging the laundry back up the stairs, I had a bowl of oatmeal and am now drinking a final glass of water before bed.

Day 2 of no Mountain Dew!

FROM FAT TO FIT

This is getting ridiculous! I have had enough of the pudge and am on a mission to go from fat to fit over the next 10 weeks. I will try to post everyday what I ate and if I exercised (and what exercises I did). My goal is to drop 10 plus lbs and to look like Jake Gyllenhaal from the movie Jarhead (I am not gay, but I want his body...I don't WANT his body, but I want HIS body...that's still coming out gay. I want my body to look like his).



I read here that 3500 calories is equal to 1 lb of fat. I've figured out that I'm drinking about 10-12 cans of soda (Mountain Dew) per week which is equal to 1700-2040 calories. I'll consider that 1/2 lb of fat. I will be cutting out all (or almost all) soda in hopes that this will carve out 1/2 lb per week. In addition, I have been downing 2 pints of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream (flavor of choice: Milk and Cookies) every week which is equivalent to about 2000-2200 calories, which can easily account for 1/2 lb. If I start adding in exercise 3-4 times per week, as well as eat salad and other "healthier" foods, I'm hoping to be able to lose 1-2 lbs per week for the next 10 weeks.

Today, July 19th, 2010 is day 1.

I weighed in today at 175.25 lbs, which is the heaviest I have ever been. I ate a Country Salad from Grey Dog around 1pm today and drank nothing but water. I actually drank a lot of water and peed every hour on the hour! I left work at 6pm and worked out on the elliptical machine for 25 minutes (I would have done longer, but I had a hot date with my hot wife).

It is Restaurant Week in NYC right now and we are trying to eat at some of the more expensive restaurants! Restaurant week is actually 2 weeks out of the year where restaurants offer a limited "prix fixe" menu for $35. This allows us to eat at some chic restaurants, while not breaking the bank!

Lexia and I ate at Nobu Next Door and it was amazing (see Lexia's 2007 blog post about Nobu food). She used to work there as a hostess and had a couple of friends that were still working there and they gave us some Edamame and a Kobe Beef sampler. I had Yellowtail Tartar followed by Black Miso Cod (great). Lexia had King Crab Tempura (the best) and Beef Tobanyaki. We ended with a couple of pieces of sushi and a Bento Box (lava cake). I wouldn't have eaten the cake, but it came with the meal...what do you expect me to do?

Day 1 is coming to an end and I'll drink another 1-2 glasses of water before bed. Stay tuned...

RSVP

Please reply by email to adamandlexia@gmail.com whether or not you will be able to attend the reception. Feel free to leave any comments below and we hope to see you all there!
Love Lexia and Adam

If We Had Taken Engagement Photos, They Would Have Looked Something Like This:

These photos were taken by Mark Weinberg in Rhode Island on the yard of the Vanderbilt's summer home in Maine.

My How Our Hair Has Changed Over the Years!

Us in his parents house in Maine.

Adam and I have known each other for over five years, but didn't start dating until about the last two. I remember first meeting him at a diner right off of Washington Square Park in New York City with a group of friends from church. He had just moved to the city and happened to attend the same church as me (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). I remember the food being awful, but I sat across from Adam and got to know him a little bit - apparently not enough to remember his name the next day at church. You see, we've been in the same church for all of this time and were never attracted to each other. Really, never. I had my interests in grad school and other boys all across this great nation and he had his interest in work (heh, heh). We barely even talked for the first three and a half years.


Us on my rooftop in New York City celebrating his birthday together for the first time.

Well all of that began to change at the end of 2007. I had a friend, Monica, who had this crush on a boy in our ward at church who was "so funny, so great, and so cute" whose name happened to be Adam Miele. She would go on and on about him and I would just look and her and think, "Adam Miele? You're crazy; he's short."

Around the same time I decided to buy my first guitar and wanted to learn so badly. My whole life I wanted to learn to play the guitar, but never got around to it and since both of my brothers played really well I just thought, I'll let that be their thing. As I got older, I began to think if I didn't know how to play the guitar I would at least like my future husband to be able to play so we have music in our home. Time passed and I hadn't met my future husband and I still had a burning desire to learn to play the guitar and secretly become a rock star. I finally decided that I didn't want to wait to find someone else who could play, I wanted to learn for myself. So I decided to buy a guitar and learn on my own - even if it meant practicing all day every day (at that point in my life I had a lot of time on my hands and needed something to fill the days with and the guitar was perfect for that!).

My friend Monica suggested I talk to Adam about the guitar because he was an expert. I thought, "sure, I've heard that before from a guy and they always end up playing the same three songs and that's it - 'More than Words' by Extreme being one of them, a poor rendition of 'Stairway to Heaven,' and always one Beatle song." But I decided I needed a little help buying my first guitar because I couldn't even play anything on it and I knew I needed to hear the sound of a few guitars to see which one I liked the best. I decided to ask Adam if he would meet me at Guitar Center on 14th Street and play a few guitars for me. He kindly offered to help. It was no stretch for him to do so since he worked a few streets away from Guitar Center anyway.

We met there and I picked out a few guitars I had read about online being great beginner guitars. He sat down with one of them, probably the Seagull, and began to play. Much to my surprise, the music he created with his fingers and the strings was beautiful. He clearly knew how to play (and expertly at that). I had him play the Breedlove guitar, which I later ended up purchasing, and again a different yet beautiful tune was played. He wasn't showing off, he was just really talented, and just trying to help me find a guitar. At that moment though, my interest in him had peaked ever so slightly. I began to think who is this Adam Miele that Monica speaks of so highly? He's not at all what I thought he was. As much as I like to be right in life, this was a time I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong.


Us in Maine.


Us walking the Marginal Way trail - again in Maine! It's a very romantic place people...

Long story short, we hung out as friends for months and months while I learned to play the guitar. We eventually began to date for months and months. We took many trips to Maine, where his family is from, and fell in love with it...and him.


Eventually Adam visited Georgia to meet my family. Here we are on top of Stone Mountain.


Here we are at the World of Coke in Atlanta.


Here we are as Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis in "Top Gun."

And now we're getting married! It feels like we've known each other for years - I guess technically we have - but it's difficult to remember a time without him. I feel like we went to the same high school that's how well I know him. We've had so many ups and downs and ins and outs and have learned so much about one another. He truly has become my best friend (apart from my sister Sara which no one can replace). While our attraction toward each other was by no means immediate, I can safely say our love for each other will be long lasting and eternal. He's so funny and talented and everything he pursues he's always great at. I've never met anyone as talented as him. He's one of the absolute kindest young men I've ever met. He's generous with his time and is always willing to help others. Although he's short in stature he's the tallest in character! Ha! Ha! If you can't tell, his height was a bit of an issue for me. His height and when he buzzes his hair! Babe, you look so much better with long hair. Am I right people?


In the East Village at Christmas time last year.


Adam met my mom for the first time that night at The Atlantic Grill on the Upper East Side.

It's interesting because I guess I did have certain expectations or things I thought I wanted/needed in a companion and when the reality of things were actually different than what I had imagined, it took some time getting used to. But in thinking about things now, I see that he is perfect for me in that we balance each other so well. He has strengths where I have weaknesses and vice versa. He is the most patient person and being as stubborn as I am, I need someone with a great amount of patience. He tells funny jokes and I laugh (although I think I can joke with the best of 'em). We dance together, write music together, we share our ideas and collaberate together.


Backstage of his family's production of the Nutcracker Ballet in Portland, Maine.

I wrote a list of the qualities I was looking for in a spouse when I was 12 and here's what I came up with:

1. Kind
2. Likes kids
3. Rich (underlined 3 times)
4. Loving toward other people
5. Morman (yes, I actually spelled mormon Mor-Man; I kinda like it that way)
6. 6' foot (I think I meant 6 feet tall; not a man with a 6 foot long foot)
7. Play sports
8. Good looking
9. Older than me (even at 12 I had my priorities straight)
10. Honest

When I was 25 I wrote this:

1. Moves forward and isn't afraid of change (I would go so far as to say he even embraces it)
2. If not Jimmy Fallon, looks a lot like him
3. Will marry me despite my massive student loans
4. Likes chocolate, popcorn, meat, and onions
5. Has lots of energy to rear potentially 4 or 5 children and will help motivate me to rear them too!
6. Isn't scared of me or the way I think
7. Weighs more than me
8. Can take me to the temple to be married eternally
9. So...Mormon.
10. Has the four f's: funny, funny, funny, funny
11. Collaborates with me on projects such as art, music, writing, dinner, baby-making, etc.
12. My ideal man would be good at or highly interested in the following:
- Learning -- so we can talk and talk and talk about everything
- Culinary arts -- so he can cook homemade soup for me when I'm sick
- Computer science -- so he can speak C++ to me
- Playing musical instruments -- so he can sing to me whilst I play the recorder
- Writing -- I need an editor
- A Comedian -- See number 2 and 10
- Deep cleans the bathroom, kitchen, floors, etc. every once-in-a-while when I'm too busy to do it (and doesn't forget the details like cleaning the door knobs, refrigerator, etc. I'm not saying he has to be tidy all the time, but he just has to know how to clean well -- none of that sweeping it under the rug thing).
13. Willing to serve others
14. Wants to be with me/enjoys spending time with me
15. Loves, listens, and is obedient to God

At 29 I can safely say I found someone with almost every single one of those qualities. I love you, Adam!

Us at a wedding reception...who knew then that we would would have our very own one day!

Things to Do in NYC

EAT! EAT! EAT! That is Adam and my favorite thing to do in the city; however, there will be an entire post dedicated to just that, so we'll move on to the next best things to do in New York City. Here is a list of the following things you may want to try:

1. Visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island - this might be a little cold to do in January since you'll be on the water; however, it's quite a site to actually see the Statue of Liberty after learning about it in school so many years ago.

2. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge - again, this will be very cold but it gives a great view of the city and afterward you can eat at the famous Grimaldi's Pizza when you've completed your journey.

3. Speaking of Brooklyn, one of my all time favorite spots in New York is the Brooklyn Prommenade. There you can walk along the water and see downtown Manhattan across the way. It is hands down the best view of New York City.

4. For a more Aerial view of New York City, visit the top of the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock in Rockefellar center.

5. There are a slew of Broadway shows in New York City. If you're still feeling the holiday spirit, White Christmas on Broadway is showing until January 3, 2010.

6. Also showing through January 3, 2010 is the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes!

7. I'm guessing all of the stores on 5th Avenue will still have their famous holiday window displays still up - as well as the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

8. Ice skating in New York City in the winter is a must! There are various locations throughout the city but I would recommend Central Park or Rockefeller Center.

9. Lincoln Center or the New York Ballet located on the Upper West Side. It's also right across the street from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Manhattan temple which Adam and I are getting married in if you're interested.

10. The Frick Collection is one of our favorite museums located on the Upper East Side. I think this is a great place for people who haven't been as exposed to fine art as others yet want to experience something artistic in nature. Of course the Guggenheim is great as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). If those make you nervous, the Frick might just be right up your alley. For those more knowledgeable about art, you might want to venture into Queens and try PS1 or take a walk around Chelsea which is filled with gallery after gallery of various art forms.

11. The Natural History Museum is wonderful for families to visit because it's kid friendly yet just as interesting for adults.

12. The New York Library might interest the book worms out there.

Hopefully this list gets you started in planning your trip here! Hey friends in New York, what would you recommend out of town guests do?

Oh the Places You'll Eat...at in New York

Here is a quick list of some of our favorite places to eat (I'll attach links later):

1. Difiore Marquet - My absolute favorite brunch spot in the Union Square area. I almost always get their eggs benedict and a warm vanilla bread pudding for afterward. The french toast is great, as well as their salads and sandwiches.

2. Sarabeth's - Adam's favorite brunch spot (they have a few locations, but I like the Upper East Side one best). He loves the eggs with sour cream or cream cheese and chives. Their jams and jellies are well known as some of the tastiest around. Try the Strawberry Rhubarb.

3. Bistro Cassis - Adam loves the steak from this place on the Upper West Side. The sole fish is nice as well as the filet Mignon.

4. Lure - this is a hip and cool SoHo spot. The inside has the feel of being on a yacht. It can get pricey but they have a great burger for $16.

5. Nobu (in Tribeca) - another pricey place, but well worth the money! If I were to ever have a love affair, it would be with the Lobster tempura from this place. I can't even describe how delicious it is. I've eaten almost everything on the menu, but can't wait to try the Beef Tobin Yaki. They're famous for their Miso Black Cod, Rock Shrimp Tempura with creamy spicy sauce (I prefer the ponzu sauce), and yellowtail sashimi with jalepeno (although I think the New Style sashimi kills the yellowtail). I surprisingly liked the Squid "Pasta" as well.

6. Grey Dog - great sandwiches in the Union Square area.


7. Peep - A Thai restaurant so named for it's see-through mirrored bathroom wall (you can't see in, but you can see out). It's located in SoHo and used to have an amazing duck appetizer. I almost always get the ginger chicken dish.

8. Crif Dogs - $4.50 per hot dog, but these are special little dogs. I like the Chihuaua Dog wrapped in bacon which has avocado and sour cream on top. The Teriyaki Dog is great as well and is also wrapped in bacon, and has pineapple teriyaki sauce and sprinkled with chives. If you happen to be in the East Village and are hungry, it's an interesting spot.

9. Shake Shack - classic New York burger. They have one location near mid town, but it's outside seating and another on the Upper West Side.

10. Burger Joint - a better burger and located inside the Le Parker Meridian Hotel in Midtown. There's a secret entrance to the restaurant behind a velvet curtain, but look for a neon burger sign above the doorway.

11. McDonald's - Adam's favorite. Lucky for you it's everywhere!

There are so many other places I can think of so maybe I'll add more later.

We've also been wanting to try out a few nice places such as Del Monico's located in the Financial District, Peter Luger's Steakhouse in Brooklyn, and Le Grenuille in the Midtown area.

Happy Eating and if anyone has any other suggestions, feel free to post them in the comment section!

Let Them Eat Cake...and Ice Cream Sundaes, and Chocolate, and All Sorts of Baked Goodies!

Eating dessert in New York City is quite possibly my favorite thing to do in the city. Here are a bunch of places you might want to try when your sweet tooth - or sweet teeth in my case - start to ache (note that these are in no particular order):

1. Magnolia Bakery located in the West Village as well as the Upper West Side (and maybe even the Upper East side as well). I love their banana pudding and vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting.

2. Adam's favorite cupcakes are from Crumbs. These huge fancy shmancey cupcakes are too ornate for my taste buds being filled with creams and jellies and topped with cookie crumbs and whatnot. I call them the Ben And Jerry's of cupcakes. I will say that they have the best Red Velvet cupcake around.

3. Black Hound is my favorite dessert place in my neck of the woods. My favorite cake is the Busy Bee cake: very very very chocolatey with a hint of marzipan and topped with almonds. Even me, a chocoholic, can't eat a whole one in one sitting.

- La Maison du Chocolat is how do you say? Awe yes, tres magnifique! Dark chocolate lovers will melt over this chocolate. Milk chocolate lovers, might actually like their dark chocolate - as I do.

4. My old favorite dessert place is Max Brenner. Their molten chocolate lava cake at one time was great; however, since this place has become so popular, I find their desserts aren't quite as good as they used to be. Still worth checking out if you love Chocolate (they have food as well) and are in the Union Square area of New York.

5. Serendipity (very large and overpriced desserts - which I personally think are overrated). Adam loves the Frozen Hot Chocolate which they are famous for and I like the peanut butter, banana, chocolate syrup, maybe a brownie in there somewhere with vanilla ice cream sundae thing they have. Afterward, or while your waiting to get a table as a 45 minute wait is very common, you can take the Roosevelt Tram over to Roosevelt Island. It's a subway fare across and gives a nice view of the east side of New York. If you're scared of heights, do not do this!

6. Jacques Torres has amazing European style thick hot chocolate. It's like drinking warmed up syrup. They also have chocolate covered cheerios for the kids...or adults - I'm not ashamed to eat them.

7. For Austrian desserts check out Demel in the Plaza Hotel. Adam loves the Rasberry Yogurt cake.

8. Lastly, Trader Joes' peanut butter filled chocolate covered pretzels. I can't even begin to describe the explosion of flavors in your mouth from eating one of these. Lucky for you, you might live near a Trader Joes at home!