Well, for those of you who don't know, I'm pregnant with our third child! As of right now, I'm 9 weeks along. For the last few weeks I've been going through the pitiful stage of the pregnancy. NO energy and nauseous all day long. The only foods that sound good to me right now are carbs. I want pizza, pasta, breads and cakes all day. So, I've been slacking a little on the healthy lifestyle and let me tell you, I can definitely feel the difference and I don't like it. My poor husband says for the past 7 or 8 months I've been spoiling him with healthy meals and going to the gym and now, for the past 3 weeks, I've taken it away. We've still been trying to stay away from processed foods as much as possible, but the eating out has been happening more and we haven't exercised nearly as much. So, I'm ready to get back on track. I'm setting goals and rules for my self for the next 7 months.
Goals:
1. To have the healthiest pregnancy possible
2. To have a quick recovery and back to my size as soon as possible.
3. To keep my family healthy during and after this pregnancy
Rules:
1. Only eat out once a week
2. Exercise at least 3 times a week, running at least one of those times
3. Only buy one (kinda of healthy)treat at the grocery store each week.
4. Prepare meals for the days that I won't feel like cooking.
5. Start the monthly challenges again.
And now... I'm off to the gym.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Spinach and Feta Turkey Muffins
1 to 1 1/2 lb of lean ground turkey
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
2 tbsp. Mrs. Dash salt-free table seasoning or greek seasoning
1 tbsp. garlic powder
6 oz. feta cheese
2 1/2 to 3 cups fresh chopped spinach
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together thoroughly.
Place foil baking cups in muffin tins. I also spray the muffin tin with olive oil in case of any of the mix spills over when cooking. Fill each cup to the top.
Bake at 350 F for about 35-45 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer to be sure they are done. They should reach a minimum of 165 F. Don't have a meat thermometer? My sophisticated method is to take one out and cut it open to see if it's done. Fancy huh?
Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Just grab one or two each morning and pop in the microwave. You are good to go.
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
2 tbsp. Mrs. Dash salt-free table seasoning or greek seasoning
1 tbsp. garlic powder
6 oz. feta cheese
2 1/2 to 3 cups fresh chopped spinach
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together thoroughly.
Place foil baking cups in muffin tins. I also spray the muffin tin with olive oil in case of any of the mix spills over when cooking. Fill each cup to the top.
Bake at 350 F for about 35-45 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer to be sure they are done. They should reach a minimum of 165 F. Don't have a meat thermometer? My sophisticated method is to take one out and cut it open to see if it's done. Fancy huh?
Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Just grab one or two each morning and pop in the microwave. You are good to go.
Hot Tuna Sandwich
Olive oil spray
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
salt to taste
2 cans albacore tuna in water
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 tbsp. whole grain mustard
4 slices multigrain bread, toasted
Lightly coat a medium skillet with oil and heat over medium-high heat.
Add the onion, garlic, and a dash of salt. Stirring frequently, cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tuna and crushed red pepper, mix completely with the onions and garlic, and heat.
Spread 1/2 tbsp. whole grain mustard on each slice of toast, then spoon the tuna mixture over each slice and serve.
Serves 4.
Per serving:
Cal. : 174, Chol: 24.8mg, Fat: 1.9g, Sat. fat: 0.4g, Protein: 24.8g, Carbs: 13.3g, Sodium: 151.4mg, Fiber: 2.2g, Sugars: 2.3g
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
salt to taste
2 cans albacore tuna in water
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 tbsp. whole grain mustard
4 slices multigrain bread, toasted
Lightly coat a medium skillet with oil and heat over medium-high heat.
Add the onion, garlic, and a dash of salt. Stirring frequently, cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tuna and crushed red pepper, mix completely with the onions and garlic, and heat.
Spread 1/2 tbsp. whole grain mustard on each slice of toast, then spoon the tuna mixture over each slice and serve.
Serves 4.
Per serving:
Cal. : 174, Chol: 24.8mg, Fat: 1.9g, Sat. fat: 0.4g, Protein: 24.8g, Carbs: 13.3g, Sodium: 151.4mg, Fiber: 2.2g, Sugars: 2.3g
Roasted Garlic Chicken with Green Beans Amande
Chicken
1 tsp. olive oil
salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 head garlic
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Green Beans
1 cup green beans, washed and trimmed
olive oil spray
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. raw almonds, sliced
For the chicken:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Drizzle the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper over the garlic head and wrap it in foil. Roast the garlic about 15 to 20 minutes, until it is halfway done.
While the garlic is roasting, lightly dust the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Remove the garlic from the oven, then carefully pinch out the garlic cloves onto the chicken. Put the chicken on a roasting rack and place in the oven. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes.
For the Green Beans:
Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Place the green beans in the water for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and pat dry. Lightly coat a medium saucepan with olive oil spray. Heat the pan on medium, then add the minced garlic and almonds. Cook until the almonds turn slightly brown. Add the green beans and cook until combined and hot.
Serve with chicken. Serves 4.
Per Serving:
Cal: 308.8, Chol: 37.8mg, Fat: 18.4g, Sat. Fat: 3.6g, Protein: 15.7g, Carbs: 21g, Sodium: 397.3mg, Fiber 3.7g, Sugars: 1.4g
1 tsp. olive oil
salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 head garlic
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Green Beans
1 cup green beans, washed and trimmed
olive oil spray
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. raw almonds, sliced
For the chicken:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Drizzle the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper over the garlic head and wrap it in foil. Roast the garlic about 15 to 20 minutes, until it is halfway done.
While the garlic is roasting, lightly dust the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Remove the garlic from the oven, then carefully pinch out the garlic cloves onto the chicken. Put the chicken on a roasting rack and place in the oven. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes.
For the Green Beans:
Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Place the green beans in the water for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and pat dry. Lightly coat a medium saucepan with olive oil spray. Heat the pan on medium, then add the minced garlic and almonds. Cook until the almonds turn slightly brown. Add the green beans and cook until combined and hot.
Serve with chicken. Serves 4.
Per Serving:
Cal: 308.8, Chol: 37.8mg, Fat: 18.4g, Sat. Fat: 3.6g, Protein: 15.7g, Carbs: 21g, Sodium: 397.3mg, Fiber 3.7g, Sugars: 1.4g
Pepper Jack Cheeseburgers with Jalapeno Cumin Sauce
3 large fresh jalapenos, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp. coarsely chopped cilantro
3 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. cumin
2 tbsp. water
pinch of salt
1 1/2 lbs. ground grass-fed lean sirloin, at room temperature
4 oz. nonfat pepper jack cheese, shredded
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Olive oil for brushing
4 regular multigrain or ezekiel hamburger buns (just the bottoms)
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
4 thin tomato slices
Sliced pickled jalapenos for serving
In a blender, combine the jalapenos with 1/2 cup cilantro, garlic, lime juice, 1/2 tsp. cumin, water, and a pinch of salt. Puree until smooth.
In a medium bowl, lightly knead the sirloin with the cheese, the remaining cilantro, and the remaining 1/2 tsp. cumin. Loosely shape into 4 patties about 3/4 of an inch thick, and tuck any large pieces of cheese into the burgers.
Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate lined with plastic wrap.
Brush the grate of a hot grill with a little olive oil. Grill the burgers for about 10 minutes, turning over once, over medium heat. Set the burgers on the buns and top with lettuce, tomato and jalapeno slices. Serve. Serves 4.
Per Serving:
Cal: 427, Chol: 103.5 mg, Fat: 13.9g, Sat. Fat: 4.8g, Protein: 56g, Carbs: 18g, Sodium: 714mg, Fiber: 2.8g, Sugars: 5.8g
1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp. coarsely chopped cilantro
3 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. cumin
2 tbsp. water
pinch of salt
1 1/2 lbs. ground grass-fed lean sirloin, at room temperature
4 oz. nonfat pepper jack cheese, shredded
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Olive oil for brushing
4 regular multigrain or ezekiel hamburger buns (just the bottoms)
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
4 thin tomato slices
Sliced pickled jalapenos for serving
In a blender, combine the jalapenos with 1/2 cup cilantro, garlic, lime juice, 1/2 tsp. cumin, water, and a pinch of salt. Puree until smooth.
In a medium bowl, lightly knead the sirloin with the cheese, the remaining cilantro, and the remaining 1/2 tsp. cumin. Loosely shape into 4 patties about 3/4 of an inch thick, and tuck any large pieces of cheese into the burgers.
Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate lined with plastic wrap.
Brush the grate of a hot grill with a little olive oil. Grill the burgers for about 10 minutes, turning over once, over medium heat. Set the burgers on the buns and top with lettuce, tomato and jalapeno slices. Serve. Serves 4.
Per Serving:
Cal: 427, Chol: 103.5 mg, Fat: 13.9g, Sat. Fat: 4.8g, Protein: 56g, Carbs: 18g, Sodium: 714mg, Fiber: 2.8g, Sugars: 5.8g
Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Veggies
Olive oil spray
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
2 lbs. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 to 2 inch lengths
2 tsp. minced lemon zest
1/2 tsp. salt
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
Coat a medium skillet with oil, and heat over medium. Add the bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir occasionally. When the veggies just begin to soften, transfer to a bowl and cover. Add remaining 1/4 tsp. salt to the skillet with garlic, and sweat about a minute. Add the shrimp and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
Whisk the cornstarch and broth in a separate bowl until smooth, then add to the pan along with dash of salt. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Serve the shrimp over the vegetables and garnish with parsley. Serves 4.
Per serving:
Cal.: 187.2, Chol: 172.4mg, Fat: 4.8g, Sat. Fat: 0.8 g, Protein: 25.7g, Carbs: 10.9 g, Sodium: 176.8mg, Fiber: 3.2g, Sugars: 3.4 g
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
2 lbs. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 to 2 inch lengths
2 tsp. minced lemon zest
1/2 tsp. salt
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
Coat a medium skillet with oil, and heat over medium. Add the bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir occasionally. When the veggies just begin to soften, transfer to a bowl and cover. Add remaining 1/4 tsp. salt to the skillet with garlic, and sweat about a minute. Add the shrimp and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
Whisk the cornstarch and broth in a separate bowl until smooth, then add to the pan along with dash of salt. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Serve the shrimp over the vegetables and garnish with parsley. Serves 4.
Per serving:
Cal.: 187.2, Chol: 172.4mg, Fat: 4.8g, Sat. Fat: 0.8 g, Protein: 25.7g, Carbs: 10.9 g, Sodium: 176.8mg, Fiber: 3.2g, Sugars: 3.4 g
Chipotle Beef
2 1/2 to 3 lbs. chuck roast
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Olive oil spray
15 oz. low-sodium beef broth
7 oz. chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
2 bags prewashed salad lettuce of your choice
Dust the meat with salt and pepper. Coat a medium skillet with olive oil. Heat the pan over medium-high heat, then brown the meat on both sides. Add the broth and the entire contents of the can of peppers, sauce included. Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 hours, then slice and serve over lettuce for a delicious spicy salad that doesn't need dressing. Serves 4.
Per Serving:
Cal: 457.2, Chol: 170.1 mg, Fat: 20.3g, Sat fat: 7.8g, Protein: 62g, Carbs: 2.5g, Sodium: 961.9mg, Fiber: 0.7g, Sugars: 0.6g
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Olive oil spray
15 oz. low-sodium beef broth
7 oz. chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
2 bags prewashed salad lettuce of your choice
Dust the meat with salt and pepper. Coat a medium skillet with olive oil. Heat the pan over medium-high heat, then brown the meat on both sides. Add the broth and the entire contents of the can of peppers, sauce included. Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 hours, then slice and serve over lettuce for a delicious spicy salad that doesn't need dressing. Serves 4.
Per Serving:
Cal: 457.2, Chol: 170.1 mg, Fat: 20.3g, Sat fat: 7.8g, Protein: 62g, Carbs: 2.5g, Sodium: 961.9mg, Fiber: 0.7g, Sugars: 0.6g
Southwest Chicken Salad
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
8 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 to 2 tsp. chile powder
1 to 2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
olive oil spray
4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
One 15 oz. can black beans, drained
4 medium-large roma tomatoes, diced
8 tbsp. chopped scallions
4 cups organic romaine lettuce
Place the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, chile powder, cumin, and salt (if using) in a closed jar. Shake until well mixed. Lightly coat a grill with nonstick cooking spray, heat and grill the chicken until done. Slice into 1 inch strips.
Mix together the chicken, beans, tomatoes, scallions, lettuce, and jar mixture and serve. Serves 4.
Per Serving:
Cal: 415, Chol: 68.4 mg, Fat: 11g, Sat. Fat: 1.7g, Protein: 41.2g, Carbs: 42.7g, Sodium: 129.7 mg, Fiber: 16.7g, Sugars: 8.3g
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
8 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 to 2 tsp. chile powder
1 to 2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
olive oil spray
4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
One 15 oz. can black beans, drained
4 medium-large roma tomatoes, diced
8 tbsp. chopped scallions
4 cups organic romaine lettuce
Place the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, chile powder, cumin, and salt (if using) in a closed jar. Shake until well mixed. Lightly coat a grill with nonstick cooking spray, heat and grill the chicken until done. Slice into 1 inch strips.
Mix together the chicken, beans, tomatoes, scallions, lettuce, and jar mixture and serve. Serves 4.
Per Serving:
Cal: 415, Chol: 68.4 mg, Fat: 11g, Sat. Fat: 1.7g, Protein: 41.2g, Carbs: 42.7g, Sodium: 129.7 mg, Fiber: 16.7g, Sugars: 8.3g
Breakfast Smoothie
1 cup reduced fat or fat-free milk
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
3/4 cups ice
2 tbsp. flaxseed
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tbsp. honey
Place all ingredients in a blender, and mix until smooth. Pour into glass and serve. Serves 4.
Per Serving:
Calories: 193.5, cholesterol: 2.4 mg, Fat: 4.1g, Protein: 8g, Carbs: 34 g, Fiber: 6.6g, Sugars: 21g
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
3/4 cups ice
2 tbsp. flaxseed
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tbsp. honey
Place all ingredients in a blender, and mix until smooth. Pour into glass and serve. Serves 4.
Per Serving:
Calories: 193.5, cholesterol: 2.4 mg, Fat: 4.1g, Protein: 8g, Carbs: 34 g, Fiber: 6.6g, Sugars: 21g
Friday, September 14, 2012
Love Story
"He's not perfect. You aren't either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn't going to quote poetry, he's not thinking of you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don't hurt him, don't change him, and don't expect more than he can give. Don't analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he's not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don't exist, but there's always one guy that's perfect for you."
You may be thinking what does this have to do with being healthy. I think happiness and healthiness are linked in so many ways. We need healthy bodies, healthy habits, healthy souls, and healthy relationships.
Friday, August 31, 2012
An Organized Life- September's Challenge
Oh how I wish I were an organized person. I have to work really hard to be organized and it usually doesn't last long. Something I've realized since getting serious about being healthy is that organization is SO important.
1. FOOD: Organizing your meals for the week, your pantry, your prepped food (snacks) for the week. Healthy meals don't just happen, they take some preparation and planning.
2. HOUSE: It may sound weird, but I've come to realize that the more organized and clean my house is,the healthier we are. We have more time to spend on working out, planning meals and cooking. We are a somewhat messy family, not gross messy, but cluttered, not picking up after ourselves messy. I literally spend half of my day picking up after everyone in our family. Imagine if I had just half of that time free, oh the things I could do.
3. SCHEDULE: Not the best in this area either. My husband has never been one to stick to a schedule or be on time for anything and I can't say I'm much better. Since my daughter has started preschool and other activities we are becoming more scheduled. I've learned that I am going to have to get more of routine down, especially for the kids. I never realized how much they need it until lately. The days that I do stick to a schedule I notice that things are more peaceful and everyone seems so much happier at the end of the day, especially my husband. You may be wondering what this has to do with being healthy, well I'll tell you. If we are sticking to a schedule that means eating at the right times (very healthy for you), I have more time to fix healthy meals (obviously good), no excuses not to make it to the gym or get your workout in (it's already scheduled) and on and on.
4. BUDGET: When a budget is not set, it's easy to spend too much and not have much left to put towards healthy options, like organic or a gym membership.
My challenge for the month of September is to get organized. Here's the plan:
A) Organize each room of the house. I found a 31 day organization plan on pinterest. I always see these organizing blogs and articles and think "oh, that's nice for them". But I found one that I think is doable for me. Each day you tackle a different area of the house and clean it out and put anything you don't need or want into bags. Those bags go into the trash or goodwill. It's a way of simplifying your house. We have too much junk that we don't need, it's time to clean it out and get closer to just the basics. The less stuff we have, the less messy the house can get, leaving less for me to do when it comes to cleaning.
B) We are going to make a schedule and stick to it as closely as possible. It will be posted in the kitchen and followed everyday. We need to set a routine and start new habits. I thought this would be a great way to work on that.
C) We are going to set a budget and stick to it. Here is a tricky one for us. With as much traveling as we do and as many home remodels that we always have going on, all of our extra money gets spent pretty quickly. So it's budget time whether we like it or not!
D) Going along with the budget and schedule we will be going back to eating out 2 or 3 times a month. And I will be planning healthy meals for the week.
So, by the end of the month, my house should be cleaned out, we should be on a routine, we will have stuck to a budget and paid off some debt and we will have only eaten out a few times. That's the goal, wish us luck! Be watching for updates. If I can get organized then anyone can!
Update 9/27:
The month is almost over and it feels so good. I feel like a huge weight is lifted off of my shoulders. Here is what I've done so far.
A)
Day 1: Clean out my clothes, shoes, closet
Day 2: Clean out husbands clothes, shoes, closet
Day 3: Clean out daughter's clothes, shoes and closet
Day 4: Clean out son's clothes, shoes and closet
Day 5: Clean out linen closet
Day 6: Clean out kids bathroom drawers and closet
Day 7: Clean out playroom
Day 8: Clean out coat closet
Day 9: Clean out entertainment center drawers and cabinets
Day 10: Clean out desk drawers and shelves
Day 11: Organize kids books
Day 12: Clean out pantry and refrigerator
Day 13: Straighten up basement
Day 14: Clean out papers (file cabinet, stacks of magazines and paperwork, etc.)
Day 15: Clean out laundry room
Day 16: Clean out garage
There were a few days of rest and just basic cleaning in between some days. When I clean something out, I filled some garbage bags with things to throw away and the others with things to give away. With the kids clothes, I used tupperware boxes to pack their clothes away in the basement.
B) The scheduling is not perfect yet, but it is a large improvement. I bought a calendar (I hardly ever hang calendars, that should show you how unorganized I've been in the past) and started filling it in immediately. I also made an organization station in the kitchen right next to the refrigerator where I will see it everyday. It has helped so much not wondering "was there something I was supposed to do tomorrow." I also have started more of a cleaning schedule. Thursdays are laundry days, do the dishes every night before bed, Wednesday's are grocery days, etc. Between all of the organization and the cleaning schedule, our house has stayed so much cleaner on a daily basis. I actually wouldn't be THAT embarrassed if someone dropped by.
C) The budget, let's just say was a really good effort. It also was not perfect, but a huge improvement. I went to cash for everything except bills and gas. It's a lot harder to spend cash when you can physically see how much you have left for the month. I was more conscience of the price of food and not buying extras at the store. I also stayed away from Target, my weakness.
D) Eating out was kept to a minimum. I planned meals for the week, allowing one night for eating out or leftovers. I cooked 6 days a week, which really wasn't that hard. Each meal doesn't have to be gourmet, just a simple healthy meal. Maybe splurge once a week on a more elaborate meal. I also post the menu for the week on the fridge, so there was never the conversation "what do you want for dinner, I don't care, what do you want?, I don't know, what are my choices?" or "What's for dinner tonight?" It's really not that hard to plan the meals. Something I have started doing is when I find a recipe online, I print it off. If I find one in a book, either copy it or write it down on letter paper. Get a binder and some plastic covers and start putting the recipes in the binder as you make them. Write notes on the recipe, like "we loved this one" or "left out the onions and added peppers". Keep filling that binder until you have about 30 recipes in it. Now you have a month's worth of recipes in one book. I will talk more about this in next month's challenge.
I would definitely recommend everyone having an organization month. Just one month of working hard, will make a big difference in your day to day life. I know I am much happier and more relaxed now.
1. FOOD: Organizing your meals for the week, your pantry, your prepped food (snacks) for the week. Healthy meals don't just happen, they take some preparation and planning.
2. HOUSE: It may sound weird, but I've come to realize that the more organized and clean my house is,the healthier we are. We have more time to spend on working out, planning meals and cooking. We are a somewhat messy family, not gross messy, but cluttered, not picking up after ourselves messy. I literally spend half of my day picking up after everyone in our family. Imagine if I had just half of that time free, oh the things I could do.
3. SCHEDULE: Not the best in this area either. My husband has never been one to stick to a schedule or be on time for anything and I can't say I'm much better. Since my daughter has started preschool and other activities we are becoming more scheduled. I've learned that I am going to have to get more of routine down, especially for the kids. I never realized how much they need it until lately. The days that I do stick to a schedule I notice that things are more peaceful and everyone seems so much happier at the end of the day, especially my husband. You may be wondering what this has to do with being healthy, well I'll tell you. If we are sticking to a schedule that means eating at the right times (very healthy for you), I have more time to fix healthy meals (obviously good), no excuses not to make it to the gym or get your workout in (it's already scheduled) and on and on.
4. BUDGET: When a budget is not set, it's easy to spend too much and not have much left to put towards healthy options, like organic or a gym membership.
My challenge for the month of September is to get organized. Here's the plan:
A) Organize each room of the house. I found a 31 day organization plan on pinterest. I always see these organizing blogs and articles and think "oh, that's nice for them". But I found one that I think is doable for me. Each day you tackle a different area of the house and clean it out and put anything you don't need or want into bags. Those bags go into the trash or goodwill. It's a way of simplifying your house. We have too much junk that we don't need, it's time to clean it out and get closer to just the basics. The less stuff we have, the less messy the house can get, leaving less for me to do when it comes to cleaning.
B) We are going to make a schedule and stick to it as closely as possible. It will be posted in the kitchen and followed everyday. We need to set a routine and start new habits. I thought this would be a great way to work on that.
C) We are going to set a budget and stick to it. Here is a tricky one for us. With as much traveling as we do and as many home remodels that we always have going on, all of our extra money gets spent pretty quickly. So it's budget time whether we like it or not!
D) Going along with the budget and schedule we will be going back to eating out 2 or 3 times a month. And I will be planning healthy meals for the week.
So, by the end of the month, my house should be cleaned out, we should be on a routine, we will have stuck to a budget and paid off some debt and we will have only eaten out a few times. That's the goal, wish us luck! Be watching for updates. If I can get organized then anyone can!
Update 9/27:
The month is almost over and it feels so good. I feel like a huge weight is lifted off of my shoulders. Here is what I've done so far.
A)
Day 1: Clean out my clothes, shoes, closet
Day 2: Clean out husbands clothes, shoes, closet
Day 3: Clean out daughter's clothes, shoes and closet
Day 4: Clean out son's clothes, shoes and closet
Day 5: Clean out linen closet
Day 6: Clean out kids bathroom drawers and closet
Day 7: Clean out playroom
Day 8: Clean out coat closet
Day 9: Clean out entertainment center drawers and cabinets
Day 10: Clean out desk drawers and shelves
Day 11: Organize kids books
Day 12: Clean out pantry and refrigerator
Day 13: Straighten up basement
Day 14: Clean out papers (file cabinet, stacks of magazines and paperwork, etc.)
Day 15: Clean out laundry room
Day 16: Clean out garage
There were a few days of rest and just basic cleaning in between some days. When I clean something out, I filled some garbage bags with things to throw away and the others with things to give away. With the kids clothes, I used tupperware boxes to pack their clothes away in the basement.
B) The scheduling is not perfect yet, but it is a large improvement. I bought a calendar (I hardly ever hang calendars, that should show you how unorganized I've been in the past) and started filling it in immediately. I also made an organization station in the kitchen right next to the refrigerator where I will see it everyday. It has helped so much not wondering "was there something I was supposed to do tomorrow." I also have started more of a cleaning schedule. Thursdays are laundry days, do the dishes every night before bed, Wednesday's are grocery days, etc. Between all of the organization and the cleaning schedule, our house has stayed so much cleaner on a daily basis. I actually wouldn't be THAT embarrassed if someone dropped by.
C) The budget, let's just say was a really good effort. It also was not perfect, but a huge improvement. I went to cash for everything except bills and gas. It's a lot harder to spend cash when you can physically see how much you have left for the month. I was more conscience of the price of food and not buying extras at the store. I also stayed away from Target, my weakness.
D) Eating out was kept to a minimum. I planned meals for the week, allowing one night for eating out or leftovers. I cooked 6 days a week, which really wasn't that hard. Each meal doesn't have to be gourmet, just a simple healthy meal. Maybe splurge once a week on a more elaborate meal. I also post the menu for the week on the fridge, so there was never the conversation "what do you want for dinner, I don't care, what do you want?, I don't know, what are my choices?" or "What's for dinner tonight?" It's really not that hard to plan the meals. Something I have started doing is when I find a recipe online, I print it off. If I find one in a book, either copy it or write it down on letter paper. Get a binder and some plastic covers and start putting the recipes in the binder as you make them. Write notes on the recipe, like "we loved this one" or "left out the onions and added peppers". Keep filling that binder until you have about 30 recipes in it. Now you have a month's worth of recipes in one book. I will talk more about this in next month's challenge.
I would definitely recommend everyone having an organization month. Just one month of working hard, will make a big difference in your day to day life. I know I am much happier and more relaxed now.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Thought for the day
Besse Cooper just became the world's oldest person by turning 116 years old. When asked what her secret is, she replies,
"I mind my own business," she told the Guinness World Records. "And I don't eat junk food."
Just something to keep in mind. Smart woman.
"I mind my own business," she told the Guinness World Records. "And I don't eat junk food."
Just something to keep in mind. Smart woman.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Apps for Your Health
Way back when I was running cross country, a long time ago, we didn't have all of this technology stuff. We wore sports watches that told you your time and if you had a nice one it told you your lap times. We had to get in our cars, set the tripometer and drive our route to find out how far it was. If you wanted to listen to music, ha ha, strap your walkman to your waist and hope it doesn't jiggle off and break. These days all you have to do is take your phone with you and you'll have music made from your own playlist, a gps to tell you where you are and how far you have gone, it will tell you your pace, calories burned, and if you need to call someone to come pick you up because you were over ambitious and don't have the strength to get back, just call someone, your phone is right there with you. Isn't technology wonderful... mostly anyways. Well, another advantage we have these days is apps. I've found some awesome apps that can be very useful when trying to change our lifestyles. Just like anything out there, none of these are 100% error proof, but they are still a very big help.
Running apps:
MapMyRun and RunKeeper are two great running apps. They have GPS, keep up with your mile pace, you can play your music and it will cut in and update you every mile. At the end, they give you all of the stats from your run, including elevation, time, pace, etc. You can also be friends with other people using this app and compare your times on the same routes or post your run to Facebook.
Want to try the Couch to 5K program? The app 5K Runner:0 to 5K run training seems to be a good one. I haven't used it yet, but it has great reviews and it's another one that you can listen to music and they will cut in and coach you as you run. I'm going to try it this week, I'll take this off if it's not a good one.
ZombiesRun is an app for the nerds out there, including myself. It's just something different then just listening to music the entire run. You are a runner in a story where you are being chased by zombies every once and a while and have to out run them. It's good interval training and you get to listen to your own playlist while running. They just cut in with the story line every few minutes. Pretty cheesy, but fun and it makes you sprint in the middle of your runs.
Food apps:
ShopWell is an app to help you at the grocery store. You can either scan the item and it will give you the nutritional info and better options to look for, or you can look up what would be like the best chips to buy. You enter in your information, like health concerns and diet restrictions and this app will help you find the right choice for you. I've only had it about a week, but it has already come in handy. I think I'm going to really like it. Fooducate is another tool to help you in the grocery store. It's along the same lines, scan the item and find out all of the info on it or search by category or name.
Looking for healthy recipes? Whole Foods Recipes is a good app. Select a course like dinner or dessert, pick a category, like on a budget or make ahead. Then choose any diet restrictions you may have. It will pull up any recipes they have that fit those categories. Two down side, it randomly closes out and you have to get back into the app and no pictures for those of you who like pictures with your recipes.
What are your favorite health apps?
Running apps:
MapMyRun and RunKeeper are two great running apps. They have GPS, keep up with your mile pace, you can play your music and it will cut in and update you every mile. At the end, they give you all of the stats from your run, including elevation, time, pace, etc. You can also be friends with other people using this app and compare your times on the same routes or post your run to Facebook.
Want to try the Couch to 5K program? The app 5K Runner:0 to 5K run training seems to be a good one. I haven't used it yet, but it has great reviews and it's another one that you can listen to music and they will cut in and coach you as you run. I'm going to try it this week, I'll take this off if it's not a good one.
ZombiesRun is an app for the nerds out there, including myself. It's just something different then just listening to music the entire run. You are a runner in a story where you are being chased by zombies every once and a while and have to out run them. It's good interval training and you get to listen to your own playlist while running. They just cut in with the story line every few minutes. Pretty cheesy, but fun and it makes you sprint in the middle of your runs.
Food apps:
ShopWell is an app to help you at the grocery store. You can either scan the item and it will give you the nutritional info and better options to look for, or you can look up what would be like the best chips to buy. You enter in your information, like health concerns and diet restrictions and this app will help you find the right choice for you. I've only had it about a week, but it has already come in handy. I think I'm going to really like it. Fooducate is another tool to help you in the grocery store. It's along the same lines, scan the item and find out all of the info on it or search by category or name.
Looking for healthy recipes? Whole Foods Recipes is a good app. Select a course like dinner or dessert, pick a category, like on a budget or make ahead. Then choose any diet restrictions you may have. It will pull up any recipes they have that fit those categories. Two down side, it randomly closes out and you have to get back into the app and no pictures for those of you who like pictures with your recipes.
What are your favorite health apps?
Thursday, August 16, 2012
It's The Little Things...
As I have said before, you can't change your habits overnight. Even if you did, the likelihood of that sticking is pretty small. You need time to train yourself. Most likely you (and I) are never going to become all out vegans who recycle everything and use ALL all-natural, organic ingredients and only eat out at those hippie restaurants eating tofu and bean sprouts. Probably not going to happen. But we can make smarter decisions everyday, even on the small stuff. I know in this family we love ice cream and are not willing to give it up. So, for our dessert night, I buy a "healthy" ice cream. Meaning it's not filled with artificial ingredients or colors, it's not loaded with 3 or 4 different types of sugars, and it doesn't have a list of ingredients a mile long that I can't understand. You should know what every ingredient is and there should only be about 5 or 6.
You don't have to give everything up to be healthy. You just need to make healthier choices about those little treats.
*If you are really craving chocolate, eat some of an all-natural dark chocolate bar instead of a whole candy bar.
*If you are wanting a hamburger, cook your own all-natural or grass-fed beef burger on wheat bun instead of running to a fast food joint.
*Really wanting a coke? Most likely you are either needing the caffeine or want that carbonated, fizzy kick in a drink. If it's caffeine then choose coffee or tea, that's lightly sweetened tea, not southern sweet tea. If it's that kick that you need, choose an all-natural fruit soda, like an Izze drink or italian soda. Don't drink diet coke, it is not any better for you!
*You can still eat breads, just choose whole grain or whole wheat breads. Again, make sure it's not enriched flour. It has to say whole wheat flour or whole grain flour as the main ingredient.
*You can still have pizza, just make your own. Use whole wheat flour, thin crust dough. A natural and if possible, organic marinara sauce. Choose healthy toppings and don't over load it with cheese.
*For example, tonight the kids wanted hot dogs. So, I bought Trader Joe's whole wheat buns. First two ingredients are whole wheat flour and stone ground whole wheat flour. Then I also bought all-natural, organic, grass-feed beef hot dogs. No preservatives or nitrites and all natural casing. Used organic ketchup (no high fructose corn syrup) and mustard. And served it with carrots and ranch dip made from greek yogurt. Kids, happy. Me, happy. Grant it, it's not the healthiest meal in the world, but it could be a whole lot worse!
You not only need to make better choices with ingredients, but also with portion sizes. Our portion sizes are entirely too big! And this is something that really takes time to change. Our stomaches are stretched from over eating and it takes time to shrink them back up. We are still working on this in our housed, that's for sure! Ways to help with this:
*each time you sit down for a meal eat a little bit less of the least healthy food on your plate than what you would normally eat
*eat more filling foods. Did you know that fruits, vegetables and whole grains are some of the most filling foods you can eat. According to Livestrong.com:
*Snack in between meals. I'm sure we've all heard this, but how many of us actually do it? Preparing your snacks ahead of time will really make a difference during the week. Pre-package dry foods in portion sized bags. Pre-wash and cut refrigerated foods and store in air tight containers that are easy to get to. If you are truly snacking between meals (ON HEALTHY FOODS), you will not be as hungry when meal time comes around. Especially for dinner. I'm not sure why dinner has become our biggest meal of the day and breakfast virtually doesn't exist. It seems like it should be the opposite. When need our energy from food at the beginning of the day, not at the end when all we are going to do is sleep.
Trust me. Everything I've said here is stuff that we as a family are working on. We DO NOT have it down completely and still require a lot of training. But we continue to work on it daily and have seen and feel an improvement physically. I highly encourage you to do the same. It will be worth it. Just take it one step and one day at a time.
You don't have to give everything up to be healthy. You just need to make healthier choices about those little treats.
*If you are really craving chocolate, eat some of an all-natural dark chocolate bar instead of a whole candy bar.
*If you are wanting a hamburger, cook your own all-natural or grass-fed beef burger on wheat bun instead of running to a fast food joint.
*Really wanting a coke? Most likely you are either needing the caffeine or want that carbonated, fizzy kick in a drink. If it's caffeine then choose coffee or tea, that's lightly sweetened tea, not southern sweet tea. If it's that kick that you need, choose an all-natural fruit soda, like an Izze drink or italian soda. Don't drink diet coke, it is not any better for you!
*You can still eat breads, just choose whole grain or whole wheat breads. Again, make sure it's not enriched flour. It has to say whole wheat flour or whole grain flour as the main ingredient.
*You can still have pizza, just make your own. Use whole wheat flour, thin crust dough. A natural and if possible, organic marinara sauce. Choose healthy toppings and don't over load it with cheese.
*For example, tonight the kids wanted hot dogs. So, I bought Trader Joe's whole wheat buns. First two ingredients are whole wheat flour and stone ground whole wheat flour. Then I also bought all-natural, organic, grass-feed beef hot dogs. No preservatives or nitrites and all natural casing. Used organic ketchup (no high fructose corn syrup) and mustard. And served it with carrots and ranch dip made from greek yogurt. Kids, happy. Me, happy. Grant it, it's not the healthiest meal in the world, but it could be a whole lot worse!
You not only need to make better choices with ingredients, but also with portion sizes. Our portion sizes are entirely too big! And this is something that really takes time to change. Our stomaches are stretched from over eating and it takes time to shrink them back up. We are still working on this in our housed, that's for sure! Ways to help with this:
*each time you sit down for a meal eat a little bit less of the least healthy food on your plate than what you would normally eat
*eat more filling foods. Did you know that fruits, vegetables and whole grains are some of the most filling foods you can eat. According to Livestrong.com:
Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh, frozen or canned, nearly all fruits and vegetables are low in calories, significantly lower than most other foods, even starchy and protein-rich vegetables, such as potatoes, winter squash and green peas. Yet, because these foods have a high water content and are rich in dietary fiber, they are quite filling. One cup of nearly all fruits and vegetables provides less than 200 calories. The possibilities are endless; other examples of low-calorie, filling fruit and vegetable options include melon, berries, summer squash, carrots, beets, leafy greens, apples and pears, yellow corn, cucumbers and green beans.
Whole Grains
Whole grains, such as cereals, are filling food options. Regardless of whether you choose hot old-fashioned oatmeal or ready-to-eat bran flakes with skim milk, 1.5 cups, even topped with fruit, provide fewer than 300 calories. Whole grains, like fruits and vegetables, are high in dietary fiber, so they expand in your body, encouraging satiety. According to the Healthy Vegan Weight Loss website, certain chewy whole grains have a low calorie density but are incredibly filling. Examples include brown rice, millet, buckwheat groats or "kasha" and/or quinoa. Each option provides less than 300 calories per cup, cooked. Don't forget another low-calorie whole grain that offers maximum volume and is high in fiber: air-popped popcorn.
*Snack in between meals. I'm sure we've all heard this, but how many of us actually do it? Preparing your snacks ahead of time will really make a difference during the week. Pre-package dry foods in portion sized bags. Pre-wash and cut refrigerated foods and store in air tight containers that are easy to get to. If you are truly snacking between meals (ON HEALTHY FOODS), you will not be as hungry when meal time comes around. Especially for dinner. I'm not sure why dinner has become our biggest meal of the day and breakfast virtually doesn't exist. It seems like it should be the opposite. When need our energy from food at the beginning of the day, not at the end when all we are going to do is sleep.
Trust me. Everything I've said here is stuff that we as a family are working on. We DO NOT have it down completely and still require a lot of training. But we continue to work on it daily and have seen and feel an improvement physically. I highly encourage you to do the same. It will be worth it. Just take it one step and one day at a time.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Olympic Inspiration
I don't know about you, but sitting on my couch watching these amazing athletes has made me want to get up and do something. Apparently I'm not the only one. During my run this morning I saw more people out walking, running and biking than I have since we moved here. Awesome! My workout today consisted of a 4 mile run, then a trip to the gym with my husband and kids, doing arms and abs. Which I probably wouldn't have done if I hadn't been watching these athletes all week. Loving the olympics. To see what people are capable of doing is just amazing. I watched the 10k race the other day and the woman that won, sprinted that last lap like she just walked onto the track. These women were running 5 minute miles, talk about motivating. I know I will never come close to these times, but why not push myself a little harder? Why not try to improve my times and speed? A lot of these people are my age. We can do more than what we think we are capable of doing. Once again, we just need to get healthy and not let our heads get in the way. I'm talking to myself here: I am able to get up and go running in the morning. I don't need to eat something sweet after dinner. I do have time to make it to the gym at least 3 times a week. I don't NEED a coke. I can learn to eat new, healthy foods. I've accomplished so much already and I'm so happy with that, but there are so many things that I still want to change. Thanks Olympics, you inspire me.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Training Tips
Want to increase your speed? Run hills better? Have more energy for the end of your run? Well then I've got the product for you.... Just kidding. There are, however, some training tips that I've been using, some from my high school cross country days, and some from my current running. You can just go out and run the same distance at around the same speed every time and that's great. But, if you want to increase that time, you can start throwing in some more training. Here are a few workouts you can try.
1. Hills: a) Find a large hill. Run it as fast as you can to the top, turn around and jog down. Repeat 10 times. b) Find a short steep hill and do the same with more reps. or c) Go on your usual run, each time you come to a hill, run it 5 times as fast as you can, then continue on your route.
2. Mile Intervals: I did not like these in high school, but understand how they help now. Mark off one mile. Run that mile as fast as you can. Rest for 2 minutes. Run the mile again, trying to beat your time. Rest for 3 minutes. Run the mile again, trying to beat your time. Depending on your training level, repeat as many times as you can.
3. Treadmill Training: This is something I've been doing, since I don't always get the opportunity to run outside. Start your run at a comfortable speed. Each quarter mile increase your speed by 2 tenths. For example if you started your run on a 6.0 speed, after your first quarter mile increase to a 6.2, then 6.4, then 6.6, 6.8, 7.0 and so on. What this is doing is helping you work on your endurance, so you can learn to kick harder toward the end of your run.
4. Misc. Intervals: You can also do other distance intervals. To work on your speed do some short distance, like 1/4 miles or less. To work on endurance, so some longer intervals, like 1.5 miles or 2 miles. Just make sure you record your time somewhere so you can track your progress and it will give you an idea of what pace you need to be running in the future.
Remember, you are going to have days where your body just won't cooperate. You won't be able to beat your time every time. Just push yourself the best you can. There is not much point to doing speed and endurance workouts if you aren't going to give it your all. Also, these are great workouts to do with a friend or two. It will really bring out the competitive drive in all of you and push you harder. Good luck!
1. Hills: a) Find a large hill. Run it as fast as you can to the top, turn around and jog down. Repeat 10 times. b) Find a short steep hill and do the same with more reps. or c) Go on your usual run, each time you come to a hill, run it 5 times as fast as you can, then continue on your route.
2. Mile Intervals: I did not like these in high school, but understand how they help now. Mark off one mile. Run that mile as fast as you can. Rest for 2 minutes. Run the mile again, trying to beat your time. Rest for 3 minutes. Run the mile again, trying to beat your time. Depending on your training level, repeat as many times as you can.
3. Treadmill Training: This is something I've been doing, since I don't always get the opportunity to run outside. Start your run at a comfortable speed. Each quarter mile increase your speed by 2 tenths. For example if you started your run on a 6.0 speed, after your first quarter mile increase to a 6.2, then 6.4, then 6.6, 6.8, 7.0 and so on. What this is doing is helping you work on your endurance, so you can learn to kick harder toward the end of your run.
4. Misc. Intervals: You can also do other distance intervals. To work on your speed do some short distance, like 1/4 miles or less. To work on endurance, so some longer intervals, like 1.5 miles or 2 miles. Just make sure you record your time somewhere so you can track your progress and it will give you an idea of what pace you need to be running in the future.
Remember, you are going to have days where your body just won't cooperate. You won't be able to beat your time every time. Just push yourself the best you can. There is not much point to doing speed and endurance workouts if you aren't going to give it your all. Also, these are great workouts to do with a friend or two. It will really bring out the competitive drive in all of you and push you harder. Good luck!
Monday, July 9, 2012
4 Weeks, No Kitchen!
After two years of dreaming about a new kitchen, it is finally happening. The kitchen I had was straight out of 1962 and had not been touched since then. I am a big fan of most things 60's, but the kitchen had to go. Demolition began two days ago and I'm already sick of eating out!!! And wow, I forgot how expensive eating out gets to be once it's all added up. So, I'm sitting down right now making a list of every healthy meal that I can make without a kitchen. I have a crock pot, a grill, and a wonderful friend of mine is letting me borrow her toaster oven and electric griddle. My goal is to try and keep the eating out down to once or twice a week. Hopefully we will be able to continue with our raw veggies and fruits, though it is a little tougher without my counter tops and knives being readily available. I also have to use our utility sink in the laundry (currently being bleached!!) as my dishwashing sink. So I'm trying not to use many dishes, paper and plastic all the way... sorry environment. New challenges ahead, you know I love a new challenge. If I can feed my family healthy food without a kitchen (and on a tighter budget thanks to the cost of the remodel) then anyone can eat healthy. Be watching for many crock pot and grill recipes to come. I'll keep you updated on the kitchen progress through pictures, for anyone interested. Wish me luck!
Cabinets and Drywall coming down
Drywall goes up!!
Drywall finished.
Floors are done!!!!!!!!!!
Cabinets are built.
Cabinets go in!
My wonderful husband installs the lights!!!!! Finally some light in this kitchen!
Appliances are put into place (but still not working yet) Hopefully this weekend.
So close...
Appliances go back in!!! And COUNTERTOPS!!! So exciting!
Only thing left is the details, trim, toe kick, etc.
My first prep day with my new kitchen. Before picture above. After picture below. Washed, cut, preserved and ready to go. Ready to get back into our all out healthy eating.
Before Pictures
Cabinets and Drywall coming down
Final pictures to come soon. Hopefully very soon.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
July Challenge
I was going to make this month's challenge about food since I have done so many workout ones lately. But here's the problem. We are just beginning our kitchen remodel, so therefore, no kitchen this month. I am going to have to come up with as many, raw, no-bake, healthy meals as possible and we are going to have to eat out more than we have in a long time. I guess I'm going to have to do a lot of research on healthy foods at restaurants. We have been eating out maybe once a week for a couple of months now, so this is going to be interesting. Anyways, so I decided to do yet another fitness challenge. One of my many goals is to be able to run a half marathon by the end of the year. So my challenge for this month is to work my way up to a 10 mile run. The last time I ran that distance was 13 years ago. Good old Saturday morning cross-country practices. Coach would send us out to run and say, don't come back for 2 hours. To be completely honest, there were times I didn't run the whole two hours which explains why I usually finished 4th or 5th on the varsity team instead of 1st or 2nd, but I had fun. It's weird, back then I actually was practicing for a race, but I feel like I am more motivated and dedicated now. I guess that's just what happens with old age.
To accomplish this goal, I plan on adding a mile to my distance run each week. Last week I ran 7 miles on Saturday morning, so that is where I will start. 7, 8, 9, then 10. We will see if these old knees can hold up that long. It's been 10 years since all of the knee surgeries and they haven't really bothered me running so far, so hopefully they are strong enough now. In between each long run, I'll still do short runs and weight lifting. Most importantly, I'll be doing my best to eat right this month. "You lose weight in the kitchen, you get fit in the gym". I change that to , "You get healthy in the kitchen, You get fit in the gym". Challenge #5 is on.
#1- no cokes
#2- no eating out
#3- work out 5 hours a week
#4- run 10 miles a week
#5- run 10 miles at once
7/3/12
July is over and all I can say is "goal accomplished". It wasn't easy, but I got a 10 mile run in this month. I'd like to thank my sis-in-law for running 8 miles the day before to give me the motivation to beat her. Beat that Amber! I learned a lot of lessons with this challenge. Most important one is that I'm not 18 anymore. I can't just go out and run 10 miles on 4 hours of sleep, nothing to drink or eat that morning, and without having run 10 miles in 12 years. I felt great during the run. My legs got pretty sore by the end, but I wasn't really breathing hard. Even an hour after the run, I felt fine. My mom and nana were in town, so we decided to go out to breakfast. Waiting for our food, I started feeling bad. I barely made it to the bathroom before blacking out. I couldn't even see the door to open it, I had to feel for it. I sat down on the floor as soon as I got in the bathroom to keep from falling on my face. Apparently I looked pretty bad to the 3 ladies in the room because they were afraid to leave me in there. One went back and told the waitress about me, who brought some fresh squeezed orange juice to the bathroom for me to drink. Haha, you can imagine the looks on people's faces when they walked into the bathroom and saw me sitting on the floor drinking orange juice, white as a sheet. Embarassing! I survived it, went home, took a nap and ate breakfast. The important thing here is that I finished my challenge and learned my lesson. Sleep is important. Water is important. And eating at least something is important before a long run. I also learned that I like running long distance again and am ready to train for a half-marathon. I figured out that I burned about 1200 calories on that run. Felt like I could eat as much as I want that day. Good feeling!
To accomplish this goal, I plan on adding a mile to my distance run each week. Last week I ran 7 miles on Saturday morning, so that is where I will start. 7, 8, 9, then 10. We will see if these old knees can hold up that long. It's been 10 years since all of the knee surgeries and they haven't really bothered me running so far, so hopefully they are strong enough now. In between each long run, I'll still do short runs and weight lifting. Most importantly, I'll be doing my best to eat right this month. "You lose weight in the kitchen, you get fit in the gym". I change that to , "You get healthy in the kitchen, You get fit in the gym". Challenge #5 is on.
#1- no cokes
#2- no eating out
#3- work out 5 hours a week
#4- run 10 miles a week
#5- run 10 miles at once
7/3/12
July is over and all I can say is "goal accomplished". It wasn't easy, but I got a 10 mile run in this month. I'd like to thank my sis-in-law for running 8 miles the day before to give me the motivation to beat her. Beat that Amber! I learned a lot of lessons with this challenge. Most important one is that I'm not 18 anymore. I can't just go out and run 10 miles on 4 hours of sleep, nothing to drink or eat that morning, and without having run 10 miles in 12 years. I felt great during the run. My legs got pretty sore by the end, but I wasn't really breathing hard. Even an hour after the run, I felt fine. My mom and nana were in town, so we decided to go out to breakfast. Waiting for our food, I started feeling bad. I barely made it to the bathroom before blacking out. I couldn't even see the door to open it, I had to feel for it. I sat down on the floor as soon as I got in the bathroom to keep from falling on my face. Apparently I looked pretty bad to the 3 ladies in the room because they were afraid to leave me in there. One went back and told the waitress about me, who brought some fresh squeezed orange juice to the bathroom for me to drink. Haha, you can imagine the looks on people's faces when they walked into the bathroom and saw me sitting on the floor drinking orange juice, white as a sheet. Embarassing! I survived it, went home, took a nap and ate breakfast. The important thing here is that I finished my challenge and learned my lesson. Sleep is important. Water is important. And eating at least something is important before a long run. I also learned that I like running long distance again and am ready to train for a half-marathon. I figured out that I burned about 1200 calories on that run. Felt like I could eat as much as I want that day. Good feeling!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
HealthiER Cinnamon Rolls
*Here is my disclaimer. Though these are healthier than the normal cinnamon rolls, I am in no way saying that this is a healthy breakfast to eat every morning. They still have a lot of carbs in them and are an every once in a while type of treat. And, don't think they are going to taste like regular cinnamon rolls, they are whole wheat, so keep that in mind too. :) That being said, I came up with these this morning while experimenting and we loved them. The kids were sneaking more of them while I was doing laundry. Brandon caught them. Hope you like it. Thanks!
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour + extra for rolling dough
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened (organic if you can find it)
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp. aluminum-free baking powder
2 tbsp. honey
cinnamon
honey
(pecans)
(raisins)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
water
Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl, add flour, applesauce, butter, baking powder and honey. Mix well. On a large cutting board or clean countertop, sprinkle a lot of flour and flour your hands too. Pour dough mixture onto board and knead a few times, then roll into about a quarter inch thick rectangle. Drizzle the dough with honey. Add as much cinnamon as you want. For me it's the more the better. (Here is where you would add any additional ingredients like nuts or raisins if you wanted to) With a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1 inch strips. For large rolls, make the strips larger and cut them long ways. For smaller rolls cut into 1 inch strips and cut them into short strips. Roll each section up into a cinnamon roll. Place onto baking sheet or pizza stone. Cook for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your rolls. In a small bowl mix the powdered sugar and vanilla. Slowly add water until it's a runny consistency. Drizzle over warm rolls. Serve.
* To make them a little sweeter, add some vanilla to the dough ingredients.
* For more cinnamon flavor, add some cinnamon to the dough ingredients.
* Don't want the sugar glaze? Drizzle a little more honey on top instead.
Goes great with fresh berries!!!
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened (organic if you can find it)
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp. aluminum-free baking powder
2 tbsp. honey
cinnamon
honey
(pecans)
(raisins)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
water
Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl, add flour, applesauce, butter, baking powder and honey. Mix well. On a large cutting board or clean countertop, sprinkle a lot of flour and flour your hands too. Pour dough mixture onto board and knead a few times, then roll into about a quarter inch thick rectangle. Drizzle the dough with honey. Add as much cinnamon as you want. For me it's the more the better. (Here is where you would add any additional ingredients like nuts or raisins if you wanted to) With a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1 inch strips. For large rolls, make the strips larger and cut them long ways. For smaller rolls cut into 1 inch strips and cut them into short strips. Roll each section up into a cinnamon roll. Place onto baking sheet or pizza stone. Cook for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your rolls. In a small bowl mix the powdered sugar and vanilla. Slowly add water until it's a runny consistency. Drizzle over warm rolls. Serve.
* To make them a little sweeter, add some vanilla to the dough ingredients.
* For more cinnamon flavor, add some cinnamon to the dough ingredients.
* Don't want the sugar glaze? Drizzle a little more honey on top instead.
Goes great with fresh berries!!!
Guacamole!!!
1 large avocado, take off skin and seed
1 medium organic tomato, diced
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced
juice of 1 small lime
1 heaping tsp. garlic powder
In a large bowl, mash the avocado until creamy. Add cilantro, tomato, garlic powder and squeeze in the lime juice. Mix together and taste. Add more garlic if needed.
*Don't have tomatoes and cilantro? Add 2 tbsp. of fresh salsa instead.
* I have an excess of spinach right now, so I chopped up a small handful and threw it in.
Monday, June 18, 2012
But Everyone Will Be Watching Me....
I was at the gym the other day when I heard a conversation that I've heard a few times. There was a girl lying on the floor not too far from me stretching and her mom, probably in her 50's, walked up next to her.
"Why aren't you working out Mom?",
mom: "I don't know, I just don't feel comfortable",
daughter: "What's wrong?"
mom: "I feel like everyone is going to be watching me, I don't want to look dumb"
daughter: "No one is going to be watching you mom, just go work out"
mom: "I don't know, I just don't think I can"
I wanted to jump in and help the daughter convince her mom that it was ok, but I stayed out of it. Here's the thing, everyone, no matter what they look like now, at some point was uncomfortable in a gym. And everyone there is SOOO concerned with what THEY look like while exercising that they are not paying attention to you. Unless you just go into that gym and do a jig on the treadmill, no one is going to be watching you or laughing at you. Another thing, who cares what everyone else thinks? Why are you trying to impress them? You are there for one reason only, to get in shape and be healthy... I guess that's two reasons. If you still feel self-conscience there are a few things you can do to help.
1. If you have the money, hire a trainer. They will show you how to correctly use the machines and help you to feel comfortable with all of the equipment.
2. Can't afford a trainer, either find a friend that goes to the gym regularly to tag along with or go online and look up the correct form for each exercise. If you are going to take this route, make sure you do a lot of research, you don't want any false info.
3. Go at slow times in the day. Usually mid mornings, after lunch, and late nights are slow times to go. One of the busiest times is from 4-6 when everyone is coming from work or school. Ask the gym employees when you get your membership when the slow times are. They would know best for that particular gym.
4. Find any friend to go with, even if they don't work out either. You can learn together and have fun in the meantime.
5. Watch the trainers train other people. Great way to get free info. Watch the form that they are teaching and what exercises they are using often
6. If your gym offers classes, take a beginners class. It's a great way to get started and you have a certain time that you need to be there each day, which helps you to get on a work out schedule.
Don't let fear stop you from getting healthy.
"Why aren't you working out Mom?",
mom: "I don't know, I just don't feel comfortable",
daughter: "What's wrong?"
mom: "I feel like everyone is going to be watching me, I don't want to look dumb"
daughter: "No one is going to be watching you mom, just go work out"
mom: "I don't know, I just don't think I can"
I wanted to jump in and help the daughter convince her mom that it was ok, but I stayed out of it. Here's the thing, everyone, no matter what they look like now, at some point was uncomfortable in a gym. And everyone there is SOOO concerned with what THEY look like while exercising that they are not paying attention to you. Unless you just go into that gym and do a jig on the treadmill, no one is going to be watching you or laughing at you. Another thing, who cares what everyone else thinks? Why are you trying to impress them? You are there for one reason only, to get in shape and be healthy... I guess that's two reasons. If you still feel self-conscience there are a few things you can do to help.
1. If you have the money, hire a trainer. They will show you how to correctly use the machines and help you to feel comfortable with all of the equipment.
2. Can't afford a trainer, either find a friend that goes to the gym regularly to tag along with or go online and look up the correct form for each exercise. If you are going to take this route, make sure you do a lot of research, you don't want any false info.
3. Go at slow times in the day. Usually mid mornings, after lunch, and late nights are slow times to go. One of the busiest times is from 4-6 when everyone is coming from work or school. Ask the gym employees when you get your membership when the slow times are. They would know best for that particular gym.
4. Find any friend to go with, even if they don't work out either. You can learn together and have fun in the meantime.
5. Watch the trainers train other people. Great way to get free info. Watch the form that they are teaching and what exercises they are using often
6. If your gym offers classes, take a beginners class. It's a great way to get started and you have a certain time that you need to be there each day, which helps you to get on a work out schedule.
Don't let fear stop you from getting healthy.
Chicken Salad
Sorry, no picture, but I'm pretty sure you all know what Chicken Salad looks like. Makes two sandwiches.
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp. finely chopped onion (optional)
1 tbsp. pine nuts
1 heaping tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 heaping tsp. fat-free sour cream
1 heaping tsp. greek yogurt
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
a pinch of pepper
whole grain bread
Lettuce
Tomato
In a large bowl, mix together the celery, (onion), pine nuts, mustard, sour cream, yogurt and pepper. Add the chicken. Spread half the chicken salad on a slice of bread. Add a lettuce leaf and tomato and top with another slice of bread. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make the second sandwich.
(Men's Health: Muscle Chow)
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp. finely chopped onion (optional)
1 tbsp. pine nuts
1 heaping tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 heaping tsp. fat-free sour cream
1 heaping tsp. greek yogurt
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
a pinch of pepper
whole grain bread
Lettuce
Tomato
In a large bowl, mix together the celery, (onion), pine nuts, mustard, sour cream, yogurt and pepper. Add the chicken. Spread half the chicken salad on a slice of bread. Add a lettuce leaf and tomato and top with another slice of bread. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make the second sandwich.
(Men's Health: Muscle Chow)
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Pineapple Chicken and Rice
Brown rice
1 pineapple cut into long strips
3 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
teriyaki sauce
Cook the brown rice according to package instructions. Heat the grill to medium high heat. Season the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper and rub on a little teriyaki sauce. Spray the grill with olive oil or other cooking spray. Cook chicken until no longer pink inside. Plate and cover with foil. Spray grill again, cook pineapple, turning until it has grill marks on each side and is starting to soften. On each plate, add some rice, chicken and pineapple. Serve with veggies.
Healthy Body, Healthy Soul
So, as I was out running my 4 miles last night, it got me thinking. This whole challenge thing has been great for me getting in shape and eating right. If I set out to accomplish a challenge and I post it on my website, then I work really hard to make sure that I either conquer it or come as close as possible. It's very motivating. Why can't I do the same thing for my spiritual life? There are so many aspects of my christian life that need work. If I set goals for each month, why shouldn't I be able to achieve them? So here is my new additional challenge: to read a chapter out of the bible each day. That is 7 chapters a week. So now, I will be running 10 miles a week and reading 7 chapters out of the bible each week. For each month, I plan on changing both challenges, physical and spiritual. If there is a part of your life that needs work, set some goals, make a challenge for yourself and tell people about it. Be held accountable for what you are doing, otherwise you are more likely to slack on it. Make sure that you set a reasonable goal and an achievable one. You don't want to have a goal that you can't achieve, it will just end in disappointment and you are less likely to continue setting goals and challenges. Even if your goal is something that seems like nothing to other people, that's fine. You know yourself and what you are capable of, it doesn't matter what everyone else is doing. Good luck!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
A Lesson In Procrastination
So my goal for this week was to run 10 miles. I was off to a great start running a little over 3 miles on Sunday. That left me 6 more days to just run 7 more miles. Well... life happened. My husband was out of town from Monday morning to Friday night. I was trying to clean the house out to get ready for a garage sale, which we desperately needed to have. My daughter had her 4 year well-check appointment and got 5 shots on Wednesday morning. That was awful! She couldn't even stand up by the end of the day, wanting me to carry her everywhere and cater to her while she laid on the couch. It was quite pitiful. We had an afternoon birthday party to go to, grocery trips to make and so on. It was a busy week! To make things a little harder, I didn't have anyone here to watch the kids so I could go run, so the gym was my only option. I went Tuesday and halfway through my workout, before I could get on the treadmill, my son had an accident and we had to go home. We didn't make it back all week. Saturday came around and I knew I had to run as much as possible. I made dinner, made some healthy cookies for our weekly dessert, put the kids to bed and got ready to run. It was 8:30, so I only had about an hour to run. I took off thinking I'll just run until I can't run anymore. 1 mile past, then two, three and four... then dinner hit me along with a nice little cramp in my hamstring. Problem was, I was still over a mile out from my house. I pushed through it, though my pace slowed dramatically! It was getting dark quick, so I had to head home. I finished right at dark, running 5.53 miles. The entire time thinking, why didn't I just make time to run in the middle of the week? Lesson learned. I ended up running almost 9 miles this week, so I now have a mile to make up for next week. Procrastination is BAD!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Healthy Happy Kids
1. Let kids help you pick out the fruits and veggies at the store. I've created a monster in my daughter. She asks everyday to go to Trader Joe's. It's her favorite store. She loves that she gets to push her own little cart and I pretty much let her fill it up with anything she wants. For two reasons, one, she always picks out the stuff that we usually buy anyways because that is what she knows, two, there's not much you can go wrong with at a store like that.
2. Let kids help you prepare the food. My kids pull up a chair EVERY time I'm in the kitchen. They know I will let them stir, or pour or whatever that particular recipe calls for. The love it and they are getting pretty good at helping. I'm hoping this will teach both of them how to cook and give them a love of cooking in the future.
3. Put fruits and veggies out on the counter or table while you are cooking dinner. My kids are always hovering around looking for something to eat while I'm cooking. They now know, if they want something to eat, there will be food on the counter. This is how my son started finally eating carrots.
4. Let kids help you grow the food. This will get them very excited to eat the food that they helped to water each day. It's a great science lesson too for all of you homeschool moms. Also, another opportunity to teach about how awesome our God is.
5. Give them two or three choices of healthy things to eat. Don't just use phrases like "what do you want to eat?" Try saying things like "do you want an apple or banana for your snack?" or "Let's make a smoothie and you can pick which fruits go in"(then set out 4 or 5 fruits for them to pick from)
6. Sneak veggies into everything. I've added carrots to popsicles, spinach to pizzas and smoothies, etc. If you need help, there are plenty of tips on-line to help you. Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry's wife) has a cookbook about sneaking veggies into recipes. I don't have it, but I heard it's really good.
7. Make eating fun. Make up stories about the food, have contests with a prize at the end for everyone who completes the contest, let the children be magicians that can make their food disappear, whatever works for your child. And no two children are the same. The magician thing worked for my daughter, but my son just looks at us like we are crazy.
We are responsible for shaping our kids eating habits for the rest of their lives. We are also facing different challenges than our parents because of the changes in our foods in the last 15-20 years. It seems sometimes like 95% of the food in the grocery stores are artificial or have artificial ingredients in them. Think about that word "artificial". "Fake", "not real", or "junk". I understand that it's cheaper to eat junk food, but ever think about why? It's not real food. Anything that is fake is cheaper, but it is also going to be much less effective and poorer quality. We want the best clothes, best car seats, best medicine, best education, best daycare, and so on, for our kids and we are not willing to skimp on these items because we want our kids to be cute, safe, healthy, smart, well-taken care of kids. "Only the best for my kids, I'm not willing to cut corners on any of these" we think. But what do our kids do more than anything besides sleep? Eat. It's one of the most important parts of their lives as it is for adults. It will affect their energy levels, ability to think clearly, growth, weight and immune systems. This next generation is facing some scary futures. Let's do everything we can to make sure they are healthier than what is being predicted. We have to set the example. Let's start making changes now. Consumers control what is put into grocery stores. Know why companies have switched over to processed, artificial, quick and easy foods. Because that is what we have told them we want by buying those items every time we see them. We are telling them that cheap and easy is more important to us than health. If more people start buying organic, real foods we will start to see more of these items on the shelves and we will see the prices start to drop. Remember, if you are on a tight budget, buy organic where you can. Refer back to the organics list. I use this example a lot, I know, but a bag of organic apples is going to go much farther, be a lot healthier, and give kids a lot more energy than a box of packaged fruit snacks and they cost about the same. Ok, I'm off my soap box now.
PB and J Smoothie
1 pint of organic strawberries
1 banana
1 large spoonful of all-natural PB
1 1/2 cups coconut milk (or skim milk)
1 scoop of chocolate whey powder
2 cups of ice
Blend and Enjoy!
I used the extra to make more popsicles. It's good to always have extra popsicle forms on hand when making a smoothie, don't want any of that goodness to go to waste!
Grilled Peaches and Ice Cream
Check the ingredients on your ice cream. You should know what each ingredient is.
Want a healthier version? Use yogurt or greek yogurt in the place of your ice cream.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Thought for the Day #3
Friday, June 1, 2012
June Challenge
Well, I've made it through three months of challenges. I am now officially off of cokes, not eating out much at all, and working out 4-5 days a week. I've debated on what to make this months challenge about. Nutrition, exercise, money, or how I spend my time. I've done two nutrition ones, one money, and one exercise challenge. Since we will be traveling so much this month, I decided to stick with a running challenge, since that is something I can do wherever I am. Also, I am planning on running in some 5ks this summer, so this would be a great time to train.
My challenge is to run 10 miles a week. To some of you that may seem impossible, others may be thinking that's not much of a challenge. But for me, where I am right now in my "training" (not really sure what big event I'm training for yet), this is a challenge. The number one challenge, finding the time to run 10 miles a week and still get some weight training in. I don't want to take away from my family time. Since it stays light until about 9:30 here, that gives me about 45 minutes to an hour after the kids go to bed to get a run in. I've struggled with feeling guilty for taking time for myself since we had Ella 4 years ago. I wanted to work out, but didn't want to take too much time away from the kids and my husband. This year I decided it was important for me to exercise and take care of myself, so that I can stay healthy to care for them and be a good example for them. So here we are. Me working out and feeling better than I've felt in years, in turn, having more energy for my kids and husband. In our bible class Wednesday night we studied the virtuous woman (Prov. 31:10-31). In verses 15 and 17 it talks about how she gives her family good food and her arms are strong. I've read this scripture many times before, but these verses really stuck out to me this time. ( I wonder why) My favorite verse has to be "She is clothed with strength and dignity and can laugh at the days to come" I just picture this super woman standing in front of her house, cape blowing in the wind, hands on hips, laughing as if to say "I'm ready for anything you can throw at me". I know that's a little off topic, but it was something that came to mind while trying to pick this month's challenge. Thanks for bearing with me.
So anyways, I will be running 10 miles a week. Wish me luck!
June 3- Ran 3 miles before church. Awesome run!
June 4
June 5- 40 minutes at gym
June 6
June 7
June 8
June 9- 5.53 miles (52 minutes)
Total: 8.53 miles
June 11- 1 hour at gym
June 12- 4 miles (35.5 minutes)
June 13- rest
June 14- 1 hour at gym
June 15- 4.9 miles (47 minutes)
June 16- 2.1 miles (17.5 minutes)
Total: 11 miles
June 18
June 19- 3.1 miles
June 20- 1 mile (7min 32sec), biceps, 1 mile (7min 20sec), abs, 1 mile (7min 30sec)
June 21- 1 mile (7:24), abs, calves, 1/2 mile
June 22
June 23- 3.17 miles (26:44)
Total: 10.77 miles
June 25- 3.14 miles (28:00)
June 26- gym- 1hr.
June 27
June 28- gym- 1 mile(7 min 28 sec), abs, legs, 1 mile (7 min 45 sec) abs, legs, 1.5 miles
June 29- ran 7.07 miles (1(hr): 04 (min))
Total: 13.71 miles
Well, the challenge is over and after a slow start, I still accomplished my goal and am very happy with myself. There were days that I didn't want to get out and run, especially those early morning runs, but once I started I was glad I did it. It is just that first 10 minutes after the alarm goes off that are the hardest. I've learned though that most days if I don't get up and run before everyone else gets up, that run may not happen that day. I felt so good on the days that I did run in the mornings. That sore, tired, and kind of sick feeling after a good run is a great feeling believe it or not! It means you've worked hard, pushed yourself, and your hard work is going to make a difference. Totally worth it. I'm one more step closer to my goal of running a half-marathon this year.
I also had set a spiritual goal halfway through the month. Unfortunately I didn't reach my goal everyday, but it did help me to get in better habits. And I plan on making up for the chapters I didn't read in July. I'm really glad I added this on, it's so important and has made me change a few things in my day to day life. I hope you are doing well in your spiritual goals.
My challenge is to run 10 miles a week. To some of you that may seem impossible, others may be thinking that's not much of a challenge. But for me, where I am right now in my "training" (not really sure what big event I'm training for yet), this is a challenge. The number one challenge, finding the time to run 10 miles a week and still get some weight training in. I don't want to take away from my family time. Since it stays light until about 9:30 here, that gives me about 45 minutes to an hour after the kids go to bed to get a run in. I've struggled with feeling guilty for taking time for myself since we had Ella 4 years ago. I wanted to work out, but didn't want to take too much time away from the kids and my husband. This year I decided it was important for me to exercise and take care of myself, so that I can stay healthy to care for them and be a good example for them. So here we are. Me working out and feeling better than I've felt in years, in turn, having more energy for my kids and husband. In our bible class Wednesday night we studied the virtuous woman (Prov. 31:10-31). In verses 15 and 17 it talks about how she gives her family good food and her arms are strong. I've read this scripture many times before, but these verses really stuck out to me this time. ( I wonder why) My favorite verse has to be "She is clothed with strength and dignity and can laugh at the days to come" I just picture this super woman standing in front of her house, cape blowing in the wind, hands on hips, laughing as if to say "I'm ready for anything you can throw at me". I know that's a little off topic, but it was something that came to mind while trying to pick this month's challenge. Thanks for bearing with me.
So anyways, I will be running 10 miles a week. Wish me luck!
June 3- Ran 3 miles before church. Awesome run!
June 4
June 5- 40 minutes at gym
June 6
June 7
June 8
June 9- 5.53 miles (52 minutes)
Total: 8.53 miles
June 11- 1 hour at gym
June 12- 4 miles (35.5 minutes)
June 13- rest
June 14- 1 hour at gym
June 15- 4.9 miles (47 minutes)
June 16- 2.1 miles (17.5 minutes)
Total: 11 miles
June 18
June 19- 3.1 miles
June 20- 1 mile (7min 32sec), biceps, 1 mile (7min 20sec), abs, 1 mile (7min 30sec)
June 21- 1 mile (7:24), abs, calves, 1/2 mile
June 22
June 23- 3.17 miles (26:44)
Total: 10.77 miles
June 25- 3.14 miles (28:00)
June 26- gym- 1hr.
June 27
June 28- gym- 1 mile(7 min 28 sec), abs, legs, 1 mile (7 min 45 sec) abs, legs, 1.5 miles
June 29- ran 7.07 miles (1(hr): 04 (min))
Total: 13.71 miles
Well, the challenge is over and after a slow start, I still accomplished my goal and am very happy with myself. There were days that I didn't want to get out and run, especially those early morning runs, but once I started I was glad I did it. It is just that first 10 minutes after the alarm goes off that are the hardest. I've learned though that most days if I don't get up and run before everyone else gets up, that run may not happen that day. I felt so good on the days that I did run in the mornings. That sore, tired, and kind of sick feeling after a good run is a great feeling believe it or not! It means you've worked hard, pushed yourself, and your hard work is going to make a difference. Totally worth it. I'm one more step closer to my goal of running a half-marathon this year.
I also had set a spiritual goal halfway through the month. Unfortunately I didn't reach my goal everyday, but it did help me to get in better habits. And I plan on making up for the chapters I didn't read in July. I'm really glad I added this on, it's so important and has made me change a few things in my day to day life. I hope you are doing well in your spiritual goals.
Spicy Chicken Soup
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (be careful not to get the seeds on your skin, I learned the hard way)
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups frozen corn
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 large organic tomatoes, chopped
1 can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup queso fresco
In a large pot, heat the oil on medium high. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, and cook for 3 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, pepper. Saute for about 30 seconds. Add chicken, corn, broth, tomatoes and beans and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 6 minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with cilantro and cheese. It does have some spice to it, so probably not something for the kids. I just left some chicken and tomatoes out for the kids before I put the rest in the pot.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/3 cup sugar or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- About 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. lemon zest
- 2 cups blueberries, or mixed berries
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 inch baking dish.
In a bowl, mix together the oats, the sugar, if using, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, if using, the milk, lemon zest, egg, the butter, and the vanilla. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries into the dish. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently shake the dish to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries on top.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
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