I'm so sorry I haven't been posting. Thank you to everyone that's been reading my blog. Life got super super busy over the last several days and I just haven't had time to sit down at the computer and write up a blog post. I haven't been slacking on my big goals though!
I've been reading my Bible daily (can't wait to share some of things I've been learning).
I've been spending lots of great time with my hubster and my kiddos. We even went to the zoo! So much fun to be had with those little guys.
I'm counting calories and seeing some changes and I'm getting in all my water.
Oh, I'm also working on the Couch to 5K. I did week two again today, but I think I'll be ready to move on to week three by the end of this week. Woohoo! I'd really like to read some running books (you know, how to start running and avoid injuries, how to increase your speed/distance, etc). So if any of you runners out there have any recommendations I would love them. I've got an amazon gift card that I can't wait to use!
Again, sorry for not posting, but life is great. I'll try to get back to regular posting asap.
Showing posts with label Couch to 5K. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Couch to 5K. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
My Favorite Candy of All
Oh my goodness. It's that time of year again when every trip to the store is a test in will power, a struggle to stay in control. It's time for Easter Candy. My favorite candy in the whole world are Cadbury Creme Eggs. These little things are like crack. As a kid it was the only candy I got in my Easter basket because all the other junk was worthless to me. So, when I walked in the grocery store and saw the little section of Easter Candy already out (good grief we just finished Christmas and haven't even had Valentines yet!) I got a little giddy. Folks, I've been known to buy a 4 pack of these little beauties and eat them in the car on the way home. It's bad news for me.
However, I fully believe in moderation not deprivation. So, I bought one and only one. I knew if I bought more to have later I'd never make it to later. I didn't devour it in the car on the way home. I waited until I got home and enjoyed it. I might buy another one before the Easter season is over, but being deliberate about just purchasing one and not going crazy like a starved maniac really put me in a good mindset. If I have another one it's no big deal, but I'm perfectly content with the one I've had and I don't feel the need to rush out to the store to get more.
In other news, I started week 2 of Couch to 5K. It was hard. I wasn't feeling great and I ran and walked slower than I did during week 1. Oh well, at least I completed all the running segments, so I guess at this point it doesn't matter how fast or slow I go.
Here's my stats on the run. I know you're probably not interested in this part, but putting it on the blog helps me keep track.
I also did some lower body weights (for the first time since my hernia surgery...it was hard) and then I got on the elliptical machine, but just for 10 minutes because I was hurting from the weights.
Have a great Tuesday everyone! My littlest man turns 2 tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!
However, I fully believe in moderation not deprivation. So, I bought one and only one. I knew if I bought more to have later I'd never make it to later. I didn't devour it in the car on the way home. I waited until I got home and enjoyed it. I might buy another one before the Easter season is over, but being deliberate about just purchasing one and not going crazy like a starved maniac really put me in a good mindset. If I have another one it's no big deal, but I'm perfectly content with the one I've had and I don't feel the need to rush out to the store to get more.
Look! Isn't it pretty? : ) I know, I have a problem.
In other news, I started week 2 of Couch to 5K. It was hard. I wasn't feeling great and I ran and walked slower than I did during week 1. Oh well, at least I completed all the running segments, so I guess at this point it doesn't matter how fast or slow I go.
Here's my stats on the run. I know you're probably not interested in this part, but putting it on the blog helps me keep track.
I also did some lower body weights (for the first time since my hernia surgery...it was hard) and then I got on the elliptical machine, but just for 10 minutes because I was hurting from the weights.
Have a great Tuesday everyone! My littlest man turns 2 tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Working On My Goals
Last week I started working on the goals that I set up for 2012. Overall I think I did fairly well.
Here's a quick run down on some of the things I worked on.
Personal Goals
Love Jesus More--It's really neat to see how God really knows our heart and wants to give us what we ask for. I know Jesus wants me to love Him more, and He knows I want that too. I lead a mom's group through my church and this morning we had a leadership meeting. We're getting ready to start a new book and they told us that the main goal of this time we're going to spend together is that we will love Jesus more. I love it!
Read the Bible Daily--I've done better on this one than I ever have in the past. Usually I make it two or three days and then start skipping, but I've read my Bible every single day this week. I can honestly say that it's made a huge difference in my attitude and affected working on my other goals.
Read the Bible to My Boys Daily--We've only missed one night of reading the Bible to the boys and that was because we were out really late and they were exhausted and ready for bed. They're loving the time we're taking to read to them and they're asking lots of questions about the stories were reading. I love seeing their enthusiasm for God.
Read 12 Books--I'm currently reading Missional Moms, so that will be the first book I complete this year. I'm going to review it when I'm done (I've got three chapters left).
Plan 12 Dates with My Hubs--I've started brainstorming different ideas for fun dates (not just dinner and a movie) and I think I've got some good ones. I've already got January's date all planned out and I'm working on February. I can't wait to post about them!
Plan 12 Family Days/Nights--We spent Saturday hiking around Lake Georgetown as a family. It was so fun. The weather was perfect (mid-70s) and we had a blast spending time together.
Say Yes to My Kids More--The boys are always asking to go to the bike park. It's a huge pain. It used to be better because I had borrowed a friends bike carriage and could load up the little two and we'd all ride to the park together, but I had to give that back because they needed it and so now I don't have one. So, I have to load the bikes in the back of my car (they barely fit) and haul it all to the park. However, I decided to stick to my goal and say yes. I picked the boys up at school on Friday and surprised them with already having the bikes in the car and taking them to park. We spent a great afternoon racing up and down the dirt tracks and hills. I'm so glad I said yes!
Keep the House Cleaner--Um, this is a work in progress, but I am working on it.
Encourage My Hubs on a More Consistent Basis--I haven't been great about this one. My goal for this week is to do at least one unexpected thing that encourages him.
Encourage My Boys on a More Consistent Basis--I actually read an article last week that talked about how to encourage your kids and it had some really great information. One of the things it said was that as the kids get older you have to get more specific in your encouragement. For instance, when my oldest held the baby's hand in the parking lot instead of saying, "thanks for helping" I said, "thank you for holding his hand. It made it a lot easier for me to get everyone in the car and I really appreciated that you took care of him without me having to ask you to do it." He's taken his little brother's hand every single time we've been in the parking lot since then. That one statement made a huge impact to him. I've also been doing similar things with the other two and I'm seeing great results.
Manage Our Money (Stay on Top of the Budget)--Again, working on this one, but the book I'm reading has some good ideas and I'm looking forward to sharing how I put them to practice when I review the book.
Find a Way to Get Involved in the Fight Against Human Trafficking--I'm doing lots of research and I've done a blog post about this. I'm also praying that God will provide opportunities for me to get involved.
Health/Fitness Goals
5+Fruits/Veggies a Day--I haven't done well in this one yet, but that's because of my wisdom teeth surgery. I saw my oral surgeon on Friday though and he gave me the go ahead to eat normal food, so this should be better this week.
100 ounces of Water a Day--I haven't reached this yet, but I'm definitely seeing improvement. I think it will happen this week.
Exercise 5 Times a Week--DONE! Woohoo! I hit the gym four times and I'm counting our hike as exercise because it was almost two miles.
Run a 5K--I am doing the Couch to 5k program and it's going great. I think I'll be moving to week two this week.
Run a 10K--Still working on the 5k, but I know I'll get there.
Run a Half Marathon--See above.
Get Under 150 pounds--I lost 4 pounds this week, but I know it's because my food intake was pretty limited due to my wisdom teeth removal, so I'm expecting a little bit of it to come back on. I know I'll do this!
Try Bikram Yoga--Not yet, I need to get a little more confidence.
Try a Body Pump Class--See above : )
Try an RPM Class--See above : )
Complete a 10 Day Detox--I'm trying to decide when a good time to do this will be, but I'm thinking sometime before Valentines.
Blog 5 Times a Week--Working on it : )
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Here are some pictures from our fun times this weekend.
At the bike park!
Enjoying a family hike!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Off on the Right Foot
Well, today was the first day after I made all my Resolutions and I have to say that it went fairly well, considering. You know, considering I just got my wisdom teeth out, so I can't eat solid foods, and considering we had a mild crisis and ended up taking a kid to doctor. Yep, pretty well considering.
I did get up early and read my Bible. That's one of the biggest things I want to accomplish this year. Consistently reading the Bible in the mornings so that it will set the tone for the rest of my day. I'm reading through John and I'm approaching it more like a book rather than just picking a couple of verses or a chapter to read. It's going much more smoothly and a lot of things make more sense to me when I read it like that, so it's good. I also signed up to do the Hello Mornings Challenge over at Inspired to Action and I'm super excited about it. It's another way to keep me accountable to spending time in the Word and exercising.
After my time reading I got the boys up to get ready for school and made them breakfast. They were supposed to be getting dressed, but when I checked on them my oldest was laying on the floor in just his jeans. I asked what was going on he said his heart hurt. Now, this is a kid who never complains about being sick, never wants to miss school, etc, so I knew to take him seriously. Honestly, this has been happening more and more frequently (about once every 10-14 days he'll say his chest hurts and want to lay down, but then in a few minutes he's fine and ready to go...so I didn't worry about it too much), but it scared me today so I called the doctor. Our pediatrician got us in and listened and looked at everything. He's not sure what's going on so we're seeing a pediatric cardiologist tomorrow. If you pray, I would appreciate your prayers. I'm a scared mom. It's his heart. It's scary.
We ran a few errands and had lunch at Panera so that I could have some soup. Broccoli Cheese soup counts as a serving of vegetables, right? I am beyond ready for my mouth to heal and be able to eat real food. Jello and soup is not where it's at.
This afternoon we went to the gym and I rocked it. I repeated yesterday's run, since I didn't finish it well yesterday. I did all the runs and intervals and never felt like I was going to die. It was hard, but I wasn't about to hurl. I did 1.9 miles in 30 minutes. Not too bad. I've definitely done worse during week one before.
After the run I was still feeling good and so I got on the bike and pounded out another 6 miles. It felt great to get in more exercise. I've been missing it. Oh, don't let the time elapsed number on the picture fool you. It reset after 28 minutes because of the program I was doing. I went for 31 minutes and 25 seconds.
So, I didn't meet some of my goals, but I did meet several of them and that's great with me. 2012 is off to a good start.
I did get up early and read my Bible. That's one of the biggest things I want to accomplish this year. Consistently reading the Bible in the mornings so that it will set the tone for the rest of my day. I'm reading through John and I'm approaching it more like a book rather than just picking a couple of verses or a chapter to read. It's going much more smoothly and a lot of things make more sense to me when I read it like that, so it's good. I also signed up to do the Hello Mornings Challenge over at Inspired to Action and I'm super excited about it. It's another way to keep me accountable to spending time in the Word and exercising.
After my time reading I got the boys up to get ready for school and made them breakfast. They were supposed to be getting dressed, but when I checked on them my oldest was laying on the floor in just his jeans. I asked what was going on he said his heart hurt. Now, this is a kid who never complains about being sick, never wants to miss school, etc, so I knew to take him seriously. Honestly, this has been happening more and more frequently (about once every 10-14 days he'll say his chest hurts and want to lay down, but then in a few minutes he's fine and ready to go...so I didn't worry about it too much), but it scared me today so I called the doctor. Our pediatrician got us in and listened and looked at everything. He's not sure what's going on so we're seeing a pediatric cardiologist tomorrow. If you pray, I would appreciate your prayers. I'm a scared mom. It's his heart. It's scary.
We ran a few errands and had lunch at Panera so that I could have some soup. Broccoli Cheese soup counts as a serving of vegetables, right? I am beyond ready for my mouth to heal and be able to eat real food. Jello and soup is not where it's at.
This afternoon we went to the gym and I rocked it. I repeated yesterday's run, since I didn't finish it well yesterday. I did all the runs and intervals and never felt like I was going to die. It was hard, but I wasn't about to hurl. I did 1.9 miles in 30 minutes. Not too bad. I've definitely done worse during week one before.
After the run I was still feeling good and so I got on the bike and pounded out another 6 miles. It felt great to get in more exercise. I've been missing it. Oh, don't let the time elapsed number on the picture fool you. It reset after 28 minutes because of the program I was doing. I went for 31 minutes and 25 seconds.
So, I didn't meet some of my goals, but I did meet several of them and that's great with me. 2012 is off to a good start.
Twelve in 2012!!
First off, I made it to the gym today! It's been forever (at least it feels that way) and it was so good to get back. I'm determined to do the Couch to 5K program, so I started it over (again). Unfortunately, I didn't finish what I had planned. I wanted to do all of Week 1, Day 1 today, but 20 minutes into it I thought I might throw up so I stopped running and just walked the last 10 minutes. I have to say I'm actually proud of myself for not stopping all together. I think the problem was with what I had eaten today. I'm still to scared to try solid food, since I'm not totally healed from having my wisdom teeth out. So, all I had eaten was two scrambled eggs and some chocolate pudding. Yep, not great things to be sitting on your stomach while you attempt to run for the first time in ages. Oh and have I mentioned that the anti-biotics pain meds may be doing a number on my stomach too? Good times here people, good times.
Anyway, I went back. It felt good. I'm going back tomorrow.
I'm not usually one to do big New Year's Resolutions, but I decided this year needed to be different, so I came up with a 12 in 2012 list. It's actually, 24 (12 personal goals and 12 health/fitness goals), but for the sake of sounding better it's 12 in 2012. Just go with it.
Drumroll please...(in no particular order...except the first)
12 in 2012
Personal Goals
Love Jesus More
Read the Bible Daily
Read the Bible to My Boys Daily
Read 12 Books
Plan 12 Dates with My Hubs
Plan 12 Family Days/Nights
Say Yes to My Kids More
Keep the House Cleaner
Encourage My Hubs on a More Consistent Basis
Encourage My Boys on a More Consistent Basis
Manage Our Money (Stay on Top of the Budget)
Find a Way to Get Involved in the Fight Against Human Trafficking
Health/Fitness Goals
5+Fruits/Veggies a Day
100 ounces of Water a Day
Exercise 5 Times a Week
Run a 5K
Run a 10K
Run a Half Marathon
Get Under 150 pounds
Try Bikram Yoga
Try a Body Pump Class
Try an RPM Class
Complete a 10 Day Detox
Blog 5 Times a Week
These are all things I desperately want to do this year. I'll probably explain some of them in future blogs, but some are pretty self explanatory. I am excited about 2012 and have full confidence that it's going to be a great year!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
I'm going to run again!
I know I've missed a few posts, but it's the Christmas season and things are CRAZY! I mean my kids are out of school for two weeks, so it's just nuts around our house.
In other news....
I got permission from my doctor to start running again in the new year! Woohoo! I can't wait. I love the picture below because it is so true. I don't know why, but only running gets me into that mind space where I can think about me. When I'm doing any other workout routine I'm thinking about a thousand other things, but running is all about me. I am planning on starting the Couch 2 5K program again, but I'm going to do a little more research and make sure that's still my best option.
In other news....
I got permission from my doctor to start running again in the new year! Woohoo! I can't wait. I love the picture below because it is so true. I don't know why, but only running gets me into that mind space where I can think about me. When I'm doing any other workout routine I'm thinking about a thousand other things, but running is all about me. I am planning on starting the Couch 2 5K program again, but I'm going to do a little more research and make sure that's still my best option.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
I'm Still Working On It
Oh my goodness. How has it been so long since I've posted? It's just been crazy around here!
Let's see....my two big kids started school and the schedule is about to kill all of us. Seriously. I have to get myself and the big boys up by 6:30 to get them to school by 7:20. I'm not kidding when I tell you that every single morning when I wake my 6 year old up he rolls over and looks at me and says "Are you kidding me?!" We're miserable. We're not morning people. Not.At.All. The good thing about school is that I'm getting to spend some precious time with my two littler ones. Time that often was interrupted when the big boys were at home. I may have been designated as the coolest mom ever when I brought the boys sushi to school for lunch recently. I'm just sayin'.
See Wyatt's little friend in the background eating his white bread sandwich while Wyatt chows on Sushi? It was pretty funny.
Oh and let's not forget that after one week of school and the new awful schedule my sweet hubster had to go out of town for a week for work. Umm...not just out of town, but to Washington D.C., my favorite place on earth. And he didn't just go without me (thanks to the having two kids in school that can't go on vacation during school time), but he went on my birthday. My 35th birthday. Crap I tell you. Crap. Okay, so I was glad he got to go. He was the keynote speaker to like 2000 people at a conference. I just wish I could have been there with him instead of at home, getting kids up, putting them to bed, and cleaning up guinea pig poop.
I've been exercising like mad though. I think I've hit the gym 5 days a week for the past three weeks. That's been sweet. I'm even doing weight training along with my cardio. I've been having some heel trouble, so I haven't been running my Couch to 5K program, but I've been hitting the elliptical and bike pretty hard.
There are days that I'm still struggling with my food intake, but I'm really trying. I'm hoping to see some payoffs of all my hard work in the near future.
Oh, I have a new recipe that's incredibly simple to share with you. I'll do that Monday. I promise I'll be back on Monday.
Let's see....my two big kids started school and the schedule is about to kill all of us. Seriously. I have to get myself and the big boys up by 6:30 to get them to school by 7:20. I'm not kidding when I tell you that every single morning when I wake my 6 year old up he rolls over and looks at me and says "Are you kidding me?!" We're miserable. We're not morning people. Not.At.All. The good thing about school is that I'm getting to spend some precious time with my two littler ones. Time that often was interrupted when the big boys were at home. I may have been designated as the coolest mom ever when I brought the boys sushi to school for lunch recently. I'm just sayin'.
Oh and let's not forget that after one week of school and the new awful schedule my sweet hubster had to go out of town for a week for work. Umm...not just out of town, but to Washington D.C., my favorite place on earth. And he didn't just go without me (thanks to the having two kids in school that can't go on vacation during school time), but he went on my birthday. My 35th birthday. Crap I tell you. Crap. Okay, so I was glad he got to go. He was the keynote speaker to like 2000 people at a conference. I just wish I could have been there with him instead of at home, getting kids up, putting them to bed, and cleaning up guinea pig poop.
I've been exercising like mad though. I think I've hit the gym 5 days a week for the past three weeks. That's been sweet. I'm even doing weight training along with my cardio. I've been having some heel trouble, so I haven't been running my Couch to 5K program, but I've been hitting the elliptical and bike pretty hard.
There are days that I'm still struggling with my food intake, but I'm really trying. I'm hoping to see some payoffs of all my hard work in the near future.
Oh, I have a new recipe that's incredibly simple to share with you. I'll do that Monday. I promise I'll be back on Monday.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Exercise Success, but Food Inconsistancies
I can't believe it's already Friday! This week has been completely crazy (hence my lack of posts). With my big boys starting school we're having to get up about 1.5 hours before we normally do and it's killing all of us. We're doing earlier bedtimes (for everyone including me), but it doesn't seem to be helping all that much. We're just beat.
We seem to be getting into a new routine thought and that's a good thing. Our new schedule includes hitting the gym every morning after we drop the hubster off at work. I have to keep the car everyday now to pick up the boys from school, so I'm able to get to the gym on a regular basis. It's been really great. I've done my Couch to 5k program this week (finishing Week 2 today), and on my off days I've hit the elliptical machine with a vengeance.
I'm really struggling with my food though. It seems like I'll do really well for two meals in the day (usually breakfast and dinner), but I fall apart at my other meal. Eating way too much at the meal or binging 30 minutes after I'm done. I'm not sure what's going on, but it sucks! Now that at seems like I've got the exercise part down, I'm really going to focus on my food.
I've been looking at this a lot this week.
![]()
I think it's awesome.
We took our three biggest boys to their first high school football game last night. It was awesome! If you don't live in Texas you might not understand the power of high school football. It's a BIG deal here. This game was televised. It's huge.
When I told them where we were going my oldest said, "You mean a real game. Not on tv, but a real game." They were so excited. One of our friends is the defensive coordinator for the team, so they were super excited to sit on the 50 yard line and cheer on Coach Carey's team. My oldest played flag football and he kept saying, "Oh I know this play. I know exactly what they're going to do." He was so cute.
I cherish moments like last night. I want to enjoy my family and doing things with them for as long as I can. I'm not going to be able to do that if I'm not healthy. That's what I'm aiming for. I'm not aiming to be model skinny (is anyone really? aren't they all airbrushed anyway?). I just want to be healthy. I want to be fit. I want to walk to the football stadium and not get out of breath. When the boys are practicing their football plays in the backyard I want to be out there with them enjoying every minute. Isn't that what life's about? Being the best you can be with what God's given you?
We seem to be getting into a new routine thought and that's a good thing. Our new schedule includes hitting the gym every morning after we drop the hubster off at work. I have to keep the car everyday now to pick up the boys from school, so I'm able to get to the gym on a regular basis. It's been really great. I've done my Couch to 5k program this week (finishing Week 2 today), and on my off days I've hit the elliptical machine with a vengeance.
I'm really struggling with my food though. It seems like I'll do really well for two meals in the day (usually breakfast and dinner), but I fall apart at my other meal. Eating way too much at the meal or binging 30 minutes after I'm done. I'm not sure what's going on, but it sucks! Now that at seems like I've got the exercise part down, I'm really going to focus on my food.
I've been looking at this a lot this week.
I think it's awesome.
We took our three biggest boys to their first high school football game last night. It was awesome! If you don't live in Texas you might not understand the power of high school football. It's a BIG deal here. This game was televised. It's huge.
When I told them where we were going my oldest said, "You mean a real game. Not on tv, but a real game." They were so excited. One of our friends is the defensive coordinator for the team, so they were super excited to sit on the 50 yard line and cheer on Coach Carey's team. My oldest played flag football and he kept saying, "Oh I know this play. I know exactly what they're going to do." He was so cute.
I cherish moments like last night. I want to enjoy my family and doing things with them for as long as I can. I'm not going to be able to do that if I'm not healthy. That's what I'm aiming for. I'm not aiming to be model skinny (is anyone really? aren't they all airbrushed anyway?). I just want to be healthy. I want to be fit. I want to walk to the football stadium and not get out of breath. When the boys are practicing their football plays in the backyard I want to be out there with them enjoying every minute. Isn't that what life's about? Being the best you can be with what God's given you?
Monday, August 22, 2011
Goodbye Weekend : (
This weekend was so fun and I'm incredibly sad to see it go. Friday night I went out with my best girls and we saw The Help. Oh my goodness, so good. I laughed so hard at one point I almost fell of my chair and at another point I cried and ruined my mascara. I had such a good time with my girls. Then on Saturday night we had a dinner at another set of friend's house, and Sunday we had lunch with more friends, and dinner with my parents. We are so blessed (and so busy!).
Folks I'm going to tell you the truth on here. My eating the past few days has be lousy at it's best. Way to much processed, fat, grossness. I felt it big time today when I did my Week 2, Couch to 5k program. I did 1.93 miles in 30 minutes. Down .04 miles from the last time I did it. Bugger. I wasn't able to go as fast on the running sections and it sucked.
After I did my run I got on the bike and did 3 miles in just under 17 minutes.
Look at all that beautiful asparagus (thank you Sprouts for having it on sale!).
I served it with brown rice and it was delish!
*I'm thinking about doing the detox again. I feel like I need to refocus on my eating and the detox really seemed to help with that last time. Anyway, just thinking about it, but I might do it.
Folks I'm going to tell you the truth on here. My eating the past few days has be lousy at it's best. Way to much processed, fat, grossness. I felt it big time today when I did my Week 2, Couch to 5k program. I did 1.93 miles in 30 minutes. Down .04 miles from the last time I did it. Bugger. I wasn't able to go as fast on the running sections and it sucked.
Today was the start of the school year for my boys! I can't believe I have two in school. Last year we homeschooled, but this year they're both in a public school. My house is so quiet. It's just so weird.
To celebrate their first day of school I made cinnamon rolls and scrambled eggs (you know trying to balance the carbs and protein!). Yep, I had some. Big mistake. Sugar gives me headaches and I got a doozy. Sometimes I just make the dumbest mistakes. For lunch I had some Work With What You've Got Hummus, Sweet Chili Rice Chips, and Carrots. I had way to much hummus and chips.
I finally got a hold of myself at dinner time and decided I needed to change my eating pattern for the day. I made Creamy Dreamy Roasted Chickpeas which have been a big hit in my family in the past, but this time I roasted some asparagus while the chickpeas were cooking and chopped it up and added it to the mix. I really liked it (and my kids devoured it, always a plus).
Look at all that beautiful asparagus (thank you Sprouts for having it on sale!).
*I'm thinking about doing the detox again. I feel like I need to refocus on my eating and the detox really seemed to help with that last time. Anyway, just thinking about it, but I might do it.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Back to the Gym! Finally! And a New Recipe!
Ahhhh...I finally made it back to the gym after almost a week of suffering from one of the worsts sunburns I've ever had. But I'll get to more about that in a minute.
Today started off pretty well. I had my steel cut oats with Raw Fiber, Ground Flaxseed, Non Fat Vanilla Yogurt, Unsweetened Vanilla Organic Almond Milk, and a big bunch of blueberries. I am out of fresh blueberries, so I just tossed in some frozen ones. Fantastic!
After breakfast I headed out with the kids to run errands. We went to Sprouts and Costco. About half way through Costco I started getting really really sleepy (not like me for it just to hit me in the middle of the store), my head started hurting really badly, and I started feeling like I'd be sick if I didn't get something to eat. I've had migraine issues for a long time, but they've never come on like this so I don't know what it was. We finished our shopping and headed to an all natural organic local burger place next to Costco. I got a burger (seriously one the best burgers in town in my opinion), some sweet potato fries, and a large unsweetened green tea. I ate about half the fries and the rest were eaten by one of my kids. It wasn't the most healthy lunch, but it was the healthiest of what was around.
I got home still feeling the terrible headache and took some meds. About 30 minutes later I was feeling much better so we headed to the gym. I was soooooo glad to be back at the gym. First I got on the treadmill to work on my Couch to 5k program. I did the week 2 program again since I didn't really get to much of it last week.
I went a little faster this time and I went a little further (not a lot further .02 miles to be exact), but it's still further than I've ever gone before. I'm almost at the 2 mile point! I can't wait to hit that. Hopefully next time. There were two times when I had to walk an extra 30 seconds and at one point I kind of felt like I might puke, but it was worth it. I am so glad I did it.
After the run I wasn't ready to go so I hopped on the bike. I did a little over 4 miles in a little over 22 minutes. By the end I was really feeling it in my legs (thanks to my run), so I went ahead and stopped instead of going the full 30 minutes.
After my workout I was really hungry so I grabbed a Lemon Zest Luna Bar. Yummy and just what I needed.
We ran a few more errands (getting the boys ready to go back to school) and then came home and made dinner. At Sprouts today they had Eggplants on sale for 99 cents a piece! I was so sad that I was buying eggplant instead of pulling it out of my garden (my garden is in state of disaster thanks to the horrible drought we're having...I'm going to try again in the Fall), but at 99 cents I couldn't resist. I decided to make Grilled Eggplant Parmesan. Now, I've never actually had this dish, so I just kind of made up the recipe and what I thought should be in it. It was a success! Everyone loved it. It was so easy and I can see this being made a lot in our home. Here's my super easy recipe. Enjoy!
Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
1 Eggplant (there are two in the picture, but I only ended up using one)
Tomato Sauce (I used Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce....my favorite)
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Shredded Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese
Olive Oil (enough to brush the eggplant slices)
Salt and Pepper to taste
First get an Eggplant. Slice it into discs about 1/2 an inch thick. Brush each piece with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn your grill onto medium (my thermometer on the grill read 300 degrees). Grill each side of the eggplant for about 5 minutes per side. Remove from grill and set on a baking sheet. Top with about a tablespoon of Tomato Sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese. Place in the oven under the broiler until cheese is melted (it took about 4 minutes). Remove from oven and enjoy!
Today started off pretty well. I had my steel cut oats with Raw Fiber, Ground Flaxseed, Non Fat Vanilla Yogurt, Unsweetened Vanilla Organic Almond Milk, and a big bunch of blueberries. I am out of fresh blueberries, so I just tossed in some frozen ones. Fantastic!
After breakfast I headed out with the kids to run errands. We went to Sprouts and Costco. About half way through Costco I started getting really really sleepy (not like me for it just to hit me in the middle of the store), my head started hurting really badly, and I started feeling like I'd be sick if I didn't get something to eat. I've had migraine issues for a long time, but they've never come on like this so I don't know what it was. We finished our shopping and headed to an all natural organic local burger place next to Costco. I got a burger (seriously one the best burgers in town in my opinion), some sweet potato fries, and a large unsweetened green tea. I ate about half the fries and the rest were eaten by one of my kids. It wasn't the most healthy lunch, but it was the healthiest of what was around.
I got home still feeling the terrible headache and took some meds. About 30 minutes later I was feeling much better so we headed to the gym. I was soooooo glad to be back at the gym. First I got on the treadmill to work on my Couch to 5k program. I did the week 2 program again since I didn't really get to much of it last week.
After the run I wasn't ready to go so I hopped on the bike. I did a little over 4 miles in a little over 22 minutes. By the end I was really feeling it in my legs (thanks to my run), so I went ahead and stopped instead of going the full 30 minutes.
We ran a few more errands (getting the boys ready to go back to school) and then came home and made dinner. At Sprouts today they had Eggplants on sale for 99 cents a piece! I was so sad that I was buying eggplant instead of pulling it out of my garden (my garden is in state of disaster thanks to the horrible drought we're having...I'm going to try again in the Fall), but at 99 cents I couldn't resist. I decided to make Grilled Eggplant Parmesan. Now, I've never actually had this dish, so I just kind of made up the recipe and what I thought should be in it. It was a success! Everyone loved it. It was so easy and I can see this being made a lot in our home. Here's my super easy recipe. Enjoy!
Get your self an eggplant!
Slice it up, brush it with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Throw it on the grill and wait 5 minutes.
Turn it over and wait 5 more minutes
Take it off the grill and put it on a baking sheet and top with some awesome tomato sauce
Top it with cheese and put it under a broiler to it's all melty and good. Take it out and enjoy!
I had mine with a side salad topped with Calamata Feta Sass salad dressing. It was sooooo yummy. I love when I'm able to pick something up randomly at the store and come home and make something really good from it. It does a lot for my wife/mommy ego : )
Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
1 Eggplant (there are two in the picture, but I only ended up using one)
Tomato Sauce (I used Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce....my favorite)
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Shredded Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese
Olive Oil (enough to brush the eggplant slices)
Salt and Pepper to taste
First get an Eggplant. Slice it into discs about 1/2 an inch thick. Brush each piece with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn your grill onto medium (my thermometer on the grill read 300 degrees). Grill each side of the eggplant for about 5 minutes per side. Remove from grill and set on a baking sheet. Top with about a tablespoon of Tomato Sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese. Place in the oven under the broiler until cheese is melted (it took about 4 minutes). Remove from oven and enjoy!
On a side note, tomorrow is weigh in day and I'm dreading it. After the past week of no exercise and awful eating I know it's going to be bad. The only good part is that it's been a great learning experience for me. I'll post more about that tomorrow.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Making Up for a Bad Morning
Man, mornings are just crazy around here. Somehow we always oversleep and end up running late. This morning was no different. The hubster woke up and said, "I've got a meeting at work in 23 minutes." Great, how were we going to get six people ready and in the car and get him to work on time? Add to that the hubs was starving and didn't feel like he had time to eat anything at home and you've got a problem on your hands. He headed straight to McDonalds. I should have let him order, watched him eat it, and then come home and eaten a healthy breakfast, but I didn't. I told him I'd take a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. And throw in a Dr. Pepper while you're at it. Yeah, not a good start to my day.
However, I realized that I made a mistake and moved on, spending the rest of the making good decisions. After the crappy start I was really feeling the need for some fruits/veggies at lunch. So, I made a juice with a green apple, red apple, spinach, blueberries, and a carrot. I also added Raw Green Super Food Powder and Tri-Cleanse Powder.
I felt much better after I drank this. Oh, do you like my new nail polish? I'm digging it, but my husband says it makes my nails look like M&Ms. Hmmm....not sure what I think about that.
I'm supposed to start the New Rules of Lifting Group over at Prior Fat Girl. I read the book and I have to say I really like it. The guy who wrote it doesn't try to sugar coat anything. He tells the truth and has a good sense of humor. There are a couple of things in it that are a little difficult to follow (like way he explains the schedule is a little difficult to understand, but I think I've got it). Overall it's a good book.
Today I went to the gym with every intention of starting the program. When I got there and saw the massive crowd of guys in the weight section I chickened out. We went to the gym a little later than normal and it really busy. I just wasn't up for attempting a new workout that I'm nervous about trying in front of a bunch of guys. I was especially nervous about this move:
Yikes!! I actually came home and practiced on my ball and I think I've got it. So I should be ready.
Instead of doing the lifting program I did my Couch to 5K program. I'm on Day 1 of Week 2. It was tough! There were two walking segments that I had to extend 30 seconds because I just couldn't start running again. However, I did it and at the end I did my best distance yet! A week ago I did 1.76 miles and today I did 1.95. That's a great improvement. I can't wait to see where I go from here.
Because I didn't get the lifting workout in today I am going to go back early tomorrow morning and do it (hopefully it won't be crazy busy...if it is I'm just going to have to do it anyway).
I was still trying to get over the junk I ate for breakfast this morning when we had dinner. I made a great salad and everyone loved it. We had a mixture of baby spinach and baby arugula topped with carrots, goat cheese, avocado, sauteed yellow and red peppers and red onion, cooked chicken (I just cooked in a pan on the stove) and drizzled in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was fantastic.
So, despite the awful morning I feel really good about today. The majority of my food choices were really good and I got in a good run. Here's to hoping I don't completely chicken out at the gym doing some new moves in the morning.
However, I realized that I made a mistake and moved on, spending the rest of the making good decisions. After the crappy start I was really feeling the need for some fruits/veggies at lunch. So, I made a juice with a green apple, red apple, spinach, blueberries, and a carrot. I also added Raw Green Super Food Powder and Tri-Cleanse Powder.
I'm supposed to start the New Rules of Lifting Group over at Prior Fat Girl. I read the book and I have to say I really like it. The guy who wrote it doesn't try to sugar coat anything. He tells the truth and has a good sense of humor. There are a couple of things in it that are a little difficult to follow (like way he explains the schedule is a little difficult to understand, but I think I've got it). Overall it's a good book.
Instead of doing the lifting program I did my Couch to 5K program. I'm on Day 1 of Week 2. It was tough! There were two walking segments that I had to extend 30 seconds because I just couldn't start running again. However, I did it and at the end I did my best distance yet! A week ago I did 1.76 miles and today I did 1.95. That's a great improvement. I can't wait to see where I go from here.
I was still trying to get over the junk I ate for breakfast this morning when we had dinner. I made a great salad and everyone loved it. We had a mixture of baby spinach and baby arugula topped with carrots, goat cheese, avocado, sauteed yellow and red peppers and red onion, cooked chicken (I just cooked in a pan on the stove) and drizzled in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was fantastic.
So, despite the awful morning I feel really good about today. The majority of my food choices were really good and I got in a good run. Here's to hoping I don't completely chicken out at the gym doing some new moves in the morning.
Friday, August 5, 2011
I'm Alive!....
I didn't fall over and hit my head yesterday when I weighed in! Instead I got the following text yesterday afternoon from my hubs, "Want to do dinner/date night tonight? Put the kids to bed, then eat? Maybe watch a movie and never crack open a computer? : )" Who am I to say no to that?! So, we let the kids eat, then we ate, and watched The Fighter. Oh my word I loved this movie. One of my favorite parts may have been during the credits though. Have you seen it? What did you think? Don't worry that I skipped posting yesterday. I'm still going to fill you in on all the details!
So, I did my weekly weigh in. I've actually tried to be really good and only weigh once a week so that I don't obsess about the number. I wasn't expecting great things (in fact I was expecting bad things) because of having my period and the crap I had eaten. I was pleasantly surprised when I weighed in at 184 (even). Just in case you're counting that's a .2 lb loss. Yep, not much at all, but considering everything it's pretty cool. Especially if I look at the fact that I haven't gained back an ounce of detox weight. That's pretty freakin' amazing.
I started my morning yesterday with steel cut oatmeal topped with ground flax seed, nonfat vanilla yogurt, slivered almonds, and blueberries.
For lunch I took the left over quinoa from the night before and added canned albacore tuna, arugula, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, crumbled nonfat feta (I'm out of my beloved goat cheese) and squeezed fresh lime juice all over it. It was fantastic. So easy and so good.
I'll confess that I did no exercise yesterday. I was tired and grumpy (thank you pms), so instead I did this...
Made a big super fun tent in our living room and let the boys watch a double feature (Night at Museum and Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian). They loved it and I got some peace an quiet to read.
For dinner last night we had lemon orzo salad. It was decent, but not a lot of flavors. Probably won't be making it again (although one of my kids loved it and had seconds).
On to today!!!!!!!!!
This morning we were in such a rush! All of us over slept and were rushing around like crazy to get the hubs to work. So I grabbed a Nature Valley Granola Bar and my bottle of water to eat for breakfast on the way to drop him off. Ugh.....I was really missing my steel cut oats.
After dropping him off we went to the gym and I hit the treadmill. It was the hardest of the three runs I've done this week. I think it was a combination of my period (are you ready for me to stop talking about that yet?), not eating a great breakfast, and not being well hydrated. I drank a lot of water while I ran, but not a lot before. Here's how it ended up....
I'm still on week one of Couch to 5k. However, even though it was a really hard run, if you look back you'll see that I actually improved. My first run this week I did 1.76 miles in 30 minutes, the second run I did 1.82 miles in 30 minutes, and this time I did 1.86 miles in 30 minutes. So, each time it's an improvement. I'm super happy about that. I'm hoping that I have time to go in the morning and do another day of week one and then move to week two on Monday. At the end of my run today I wasn't quite ready to quit so I hopped on one of the bikes for 20 minutes. I don't remember how far it said I went, but I did the interval program and the hills with resistance were challenging. I was definitely continuing to sweat.
After my workout I had some Advocare Spark (Pink Lemonade). I have never had this drink before, but a friend of mine sells it and I have a lot of other friends that use it and love it. I get so sleepy in the afternoons and since I've given up coffee I decided to try this. Okay, I know it has caffeine, just like coffee, but I'm not adding milk and sugar and a bunch of other stuff (high fructose corn syrup) to it. So, I feel better about it. It's sugar free, you put it in water, it's 45 calories and it taste great. I have to say that this afternoon I didn't have any problems feeling sleepy. I also didn't get jittery or have any other problems. I really liked it. ***Just fyi, I'm not trying to promote my friend's business. The link I posted takes you to the official Advocare website and isn't for my friend. I paid for the product because I wanted to try it. I was not given anything to write about this.***
During lunch we were out running errands (after being in the house for two days with out a car I needed to get out and get some things done!). So, I had to make a choice between some fast food places to eat. We ended up stopping by Chick-fil-a. I was a little worried that my hunger, pmsbun with no condiments. Instead of fries I had a fruit bowl and instead of my usual sweet tea I got an unsweet tea. Progress at the drive-thru!!!
Dinner was part healthy and part not so healthy. I made egg muffins following this recipe that I found via pinterest. I followed the majority of the recipe, adding 4 pieces of turkey bacon (chopped up), low fat shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped red bell pepper. I didn't use paper cupcake liners like she said to do, but I really sprayed my pan and once they were done I used a sharp knife to loosen the edges and didn't have a problem with them sticking. Also, I had way more than I could use in 12 muffin cups. I ended up making 18. Everyone really seemed to like them. Even the baby ate two of them. My hubs also made some pancakes and I had two small ones with sugar free syrup.
I am so ready for this weekend! We're working on changing up our bedroom and the boys' bedroom. The two older boys will be sharing a room and the two younger boys will be in a room together. They're all super excited, but the hubs is dreading moving the bunk bead.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. What does everyone have planned?
So, I did my weekly weigh in. I've actually tried to be really good and only weigh once a week so that I don't obsess about the number. I wasn't expecting great things (in fact I was expecting bad things) because of having my period and the crap I had eaten. I was pleasantly surprised when I weighed in at 184 (even). Just in case you're counting that's a .2 lb loss. Yep, not much at all, but considering everything it's pretty cool. Especially if I look at the fact that I haven't gained back an ounce of detox weight. That's pretty freakin' amazing.
I started my morning yesterday with steel cut oatmeal topped with ground flax seed, nonfat vanilla yogurt, slivered almonds, and blueberries.
Ummm....I'm having a mild obsession with this breakfast. Someone may need to stage an intervention. I may be buying stock in McCann's Irish Oatmeal. I'm just sayin'. Lord, help me. I love it, here's my empty mug just crying out for more.
For lunch I took the left over quinoa from the night before and added canned albacore tuna, arugula, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, crumbled nonfat feta (I'm out of my beloved goat cheese) and squeezed fresh lime juice all over it. It was fantastic. So easy and so good.
I'll confess that I did no exercise yesterday. I was tired and grumpy (thank you pms), so instead I did this...
For dinner last night we had lemon orzo salad. It was decent, but not a lot of flavors. Probably won't be making it again (although one of my kids loved it and had seconds).
On to today!!!!!!!!!
This morning we were in such a rush! All of us over slept and were rushing around like crazy to get the hubs to work. So I grabbed a Nature Valley Granola Bar and my bottle of water to eat for breakfast on the way to drop him off. Ugh.....I was really missing my steel cut oats.
After dropping him off we went to the gym and I hit the treadmill. It was the hardest of the three runs I've done this week. I think it was a combination of my period (are you ready for me to stop talking about that yet?), not eating a great breakfast, and not being well hydrated. I drank a lot of water while I ran, but not a lot before. Here's how it ended up....
After my workout I had some Advocare Spark (Pink Lemonade). I have never had this drink before, but a friend of mine sells it and I have a lot of other friends that use it and love it. I get so sleepy in the afternoons and since I've given up coffee I decided to try this. Okay, I know it has caffeine, just like coffee, but I'm not adding milk and sugar and a bunch of other stuff (high fructose corn syrup) to it. So, I feel better about it. It's sugar free, you put it in water, it's 45 calories and it taste great. I have to say that this afternoon I didn't have any problems feeling sleepy. I also didn't get jittery or have any other problems. I really liked it. ***Just fyi, I'm not trying to promote my friend's business. The link I posted takes you to the official Advocare website and isn't for my friend. I paid for the product because I wanted to try it. I was not given anything to write about this.***
During lunch we were out running errands (after being in the house for two days with out a car I needed to get out and get some things done!). So, I had to make a choice between some fast food places to eat. We ended up stopping by Chick-fil-a. I was a little worried that my hunger, pmsbun with no condiments. Instead of fries I had a fruit bowl and instead of my usual sweet tea I got an unsweet tea. Progress at the drive-thru!!!
Dinner was part healthy and part not so healthy. I made egg muffins following this recipe that I found via pinterest. I followed the majority of the recipe, adding 4 pieces of turkey bacon (chopped up), low fat shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped red bell pepper. I didn't use paper cupcake liners like she said to do, but I really sprayed my pan and once they were done I used a sharp knife to loosen the edges and didn't have a problem with them sticking. Also, I had way more than I could use in 12 muffin cups. I ended up making 18. Everyone really seemed to like them. Even the baby ate two of them. My hubs also made some pancakes and I had two small ones with sugar free syrup.
I am so ready for this weekend! We're working on changing up our bedroom and the boys' bedroom. The two older boys will be sharing a room and the two younger boys will be in a room together. They're all super excited, but the hubs is dreading moving the bunk bead.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. What does everyone have planned?
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Celebrating Tuesday with a big taco!
Let's celebrate, it's Tuesday!! What? You don't celebrate Tuesday? C'mon, you've got to celebrate. You've made it to enjoy another day. Okay, I don't really celebrate Tuesday either, but I just thought I'd be funny for a minute. : )
This morning for breakfast I enjoyed some more steel cut oats. I may have found a new breakfast obsession. This time I added the vanilla yogurt, almonds, and some ground flax seed. One of the great things about the vanilla yogurt is that you don't need to add any extra sweetener to the oatmeal if you use it. Yum!
Where I found this....
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I love it! I thought about it lots today while I was at the gym running my tail off on the treadmill. Here's today's workout for the Couch to 5K program. No, it's still not going to set any records, but it's better than I did yesterday and that's all I can ask of myself. Oh, and I think I sweated more today than I ever have. Seriously, it was dripping everywhere. Disgusting and awesome and beautiful all the same time. I think I'm going to need to get a Bondi Band.
After running in the gym I went outside to my car and continued sweating my tail off thanks to 105 degree heat. See, here I am all nice and red faced in the car with the a/c going full blast. I'm so looking forward to the Fall and winter when I can run outside in the cool weather.
After working out I came home and made a super yummy lunch. Apples, carrots and a Boca Flame Grilled Burger topped with homemade guacamole. Normally when I make guacamole I use avocado, pico de gallo, lime, and cumin, but I was out of some of that today so I made up a new recipe. I added about 2 tablespoons of nonfat greek yogurt to one avocado to make it a little more creamy. I didn't have any pico de gallo on hand, but I did have some red onions and some sweet onions so I chopped a few tablespoons of those up and threw them in the mix as well. Then I added a pinch of garlic salt and the juice of half a lime. It was really good (not as good as if I had pico in it), but still really good for working with what I had on hand.
Oh, did you see that I'm reading The Help? I started it last night and I'm already through Chapter 4. It is so good!!!! I hope the movie will live up to the book.
For dinner we met some friends at Chipotle to celebrate Tuesday! Hee hee! I got a single taco with rice, chicken, pico de gallo (!!), guacamole (because you can never get enough), and lettuce. It was so good! One was the perfect amount. I left completely satisfied, but not stuffed. I used to order the huge burrito stuffed with all that I had on my taco, plus sour cream and cheese. You know what? I didn't even miss the sour cream and cheese on my taco AND it was about 1/3 the size of the burrito. More little things adding up to make a difference in my weight!
It was still a pretty big taco and I could barely fit it in my mouth! I ended up eating about half of it with a fork.
Here's the hubster scarfing down his mondo carnitas burrito! He enjoyed it immensely : )
So, we celebrated Tuesday this week? Are you celebrating anything?
This morning for breakfast I enjoyed some more steel cut oats. I may have found a new breakfast obsession. This time I added the vanilla yogurt, almonds, and some ground flax seed. One of the great things about the vanilla yogurt is that you don't need to add any extra sweetener to the oatmeal if you use it. Yum!
While enjoying my steel cut oats I was browsing Pinterest...
Where I found this....
I love it! I thought about it lots today while I was at the gym running my tail off on the treadmill. Here's today's workout for the Couch to 5K program. No, it's still not going to set any records, but it's better than I did yesterday and that's all I can ask of myself. Oh, and I think I sweated more today than I ever have. Seriously, it was dripping everywhere. Disgusting and awesome and beautiful all the same time. I think I'm going to need to get a Bondi Band.
After running in the gym I went outside to my car and continued sweating my tail off thanks to 105 degree heat. See, here I am all nice and red faced in the car with the a/c going full blast. I'm so looking forward to the Fall and winter when I can run outside in the cool weather.
After working out I came home and made a super yummy lunch. Apples, carrots and a Boca Flame Grilled Burger topped with homemade guacamole. Normally when I make guacamole I use avocado, pico de gallo, lime, and cumin, but I was out of some of that today so I made up a new recipe. I added about 2 tablespoons of nonfat greek yogurt to one avocado to make it a little more creamy. I didn't have any pico de gallo on hand, but I did have some red onions and some sweet onions so I chopped a few tablespoons of those up and threw them in the mix as well. Then I added a pinch of garlic salt and the juice of half a lime. It was really good (not as good as if I had pico in it), but still really good for working with what I had on hand.
Oh, did you see that I'm reading The Help? I started it last night and I'm already through Chapter 4. It is so good!!!! I hope the movie will live up to the book.
So, we celebrated Tuesday this week? Are you celebrating anything?
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