8 Miles Down & My Running Story…
Wow, you all seriously know how to make a girl hungry ~ ALL of your breakfast ideas you offered up sound AMAZING! I am definitely going to have to try them out over the next month. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to share your ideas…my tastebuds and I completely thank you 
Several of you have asked about my running story and what race I am training for. I thought it would be easiest to tell you all in this post, considering, this post is all about running and reaching new distances 
K, ready….I might get a little wordy but I’ll do my best to keep it short.
I will be the first to admit I’ve never really been a runner in my life. I have always been athletically talented and inclined more so than the artsy type. Yup, I was a total Tom Boy growing up until my Mom and Sis finally convinced me to be girlie in the 8th grade. I am pretty good at most sports I play including going to college on a Softball Scholarship. I played volley ball and sometimes basketball (until I became like the shortest person) LOL. So, any running I did throughout my life involved training for the sport I was in. As you can imagine, most of that was not a distance thing ~ maybe a mile or two.
I have always been good at walking ~ in fact, it is one of my FAVORITE ways to spend my lunch hour. When I first started walking I figured it was definitely better than well working and it made my day go faster. When I started walking I would only go 1-2 miles thinking, eh, that’s good. Then, one day, one of my co-workers asked to do the Walk for Wishes 5K with her. I don’t know why, but, wow, walking 3.1 miles seemed like it was sooooo far LOL. I really got into it, getting sponsors to donate to the charity and it really amazed me at how many people believed in me…that I could do a 5K. After that I did a few more 5K’s ~ all walking of course and mainly for causes like the March of Dimes.
A few months later, one of my great friends and inspirations (who I call Super Girl because she does Marathons, Triathlons, biathlons with her husband and is way hard core!) challenged me to run a 10K with her. She told me to pick ANY race and she would do it with me. I’ll be honest I kinda thought she was crazy ~ me, run, 6 miles, when, I thought walking 3+ miles was A LOT. My first run, I ran about 1/4 of a mile before I was huffing and puffing and stopping. But, she believed in me and it made me believe in myself. She trained with me every step of the way giving me tips and tidbits….like, when I built up to running 3 miles, I was half way there so if I “had” to I could always walk the rest. Well, that wasn’t going to happen because I was determined. My first and only 10K I ever did was the Nutrition Fuels Fitness 10K ~ I picked it because I LIKED the cause…when you have a cause you truly believe it, it really helps to motivate you to push through when you pretty much think NOPE, not gonna happen.
After my 10K, Super Girl was like well you are HALF way there, you might as well do a HALF MARATHON….afterall, you already know you can run half, so you can always walk the rest. Me, 13.1 miles ~ are you serious?! But, I knew that once I signed up for the Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon there was no turning back. I picked this particular race because I figured I might as well have great scenery (6 wineries and a wild life refuge) along the way. I spent the money and completely dedicated myself to training for the next 6 months. I ended up injuring my knee on my last long run of 14, but, I was determined to do the race. I successfully completed it and it was AMAZING how accomplished I felt ~ I couldn’t wait to run again. Seriously ~ that is the REASON WHY I RUN ~ is for how you feel AFTER (plus the results ~ fantastic muscle tone and dropping 2 sizes)…not so much during or convincing myself before.
I had to take 3 months off for my knee to recover which was really hard to do….however, 1 TRI-ATHLON and 3 years later, I am doing it all over again! I was inspired by my friends and my sister to get back into it again. It is definitely harder this go round, but, I LOVE experiencing new distances with my sister since this is her first race. Not to mention she is older than me and can kick my bootie….but, that is just total motivation!
We will be completing the Shamrock Half Marathon on March 14, 2010 ~ Just remember, I am not going to be the one who wins the race, but, I will be waddling on like John Bingham, the PENGUIN crossing the finish line. I honestly believe with running it doesn’t matter how fast you go,but, if you enjoyed yourself along the way!
OK ~ ALL DONE ! ANY QUESTIONS???
Saturday’s Eats….
I get nervous before every one even when I run by myself ~ funny, huh? I made up this fantastic Banana Sandwich, but, only ate half as I drove to meet my sis for our run.
2 slices of TJ’s FF Multi-Grain Bread
2 Tbsp Freshly Ground Almond Butter
1 Tbsp Apricot Preserves
1/2 banana
Too bad I had to toss the other half 
Did I ever tell you all that the reason we do ratios is it is highly recommended by Jeff Galloway as it takes less wear/tear on your body and helps to prevent injuries I know I run faster with our 1 minute breaks than I do if I run straight through. They say you only lose 17 seconds walking versus running.
My Sis and I totally rocked 8 MILES along this trail doing 5:1 jog/walk ratios…I was so proud of her as this is the farthest distance she has run and she was passing me up We averaged an easy 10-12 min/mile pace with our intervals.
After our run, we went to Jack’s Urban Eats to refuel! Instead of my usual build your salad, I opted for their Chinese Chicken Salad. It was eh, ok, but, definitely not as good as making your own. (8 point estimate for my salad)
“ Grilled chicken, Asian lettuce mix, crisp rice noodles, Mandarin oranges, red bell pepper, carrots, jicama, and cucumber, with plum vinaigrette.”
My sis ordered a side of their URBAN FRIES ~ OMG ~ they might be the best fries I’ve ever had…they are served with spicy chili oil, crushed red pepper flakes & blue cheese (that tastes like ranch, not stinky cheese). I had a small handful for about 3 pts.
I ordered a side of their AWESOME cheesy Mac & Cheese for us to share. (3 pt estimate)
I spent the afternoon doing a little shopping with my sis. I was surprised that I didn’t want any of the samples offered up at Costco on a day when I probably earned them more than any other time. I honestly think it’s because I knew I could have them if I wanted them, so I didn’t want them….make sense? LOL
As I was cooking dinner and talking to The Husband about our run, I decided to celebrate with a little vino from Frazier Winery. Their Merlot isn’t bad, but, it’s really dry. I actually needed it for my recipe, but, drinking some is always fun too!
I served it up in my Napa to Sonoma Commemorative Wine Glass.
I picked up some new foccaccia breads at Sam’s Club while shopping from The Old Mediterranean Baking Company.
The flavor we picked for tonight is Veggie ~ Sun Dried Tomatoes with Mushrooms!
1/2 of a pizza is2 pts ~ not too bad.
It past the test with a great ingredient list too ~ I LOVE that these breads are made without preservatives or funky ingredients. Plus they FREEZE well too
I toasted up one pizza bread in the oven at 350 for 2 minutes and cut it into slices to serve with dinner. Delish!
The main course tonight was Italian Sausage & Pepper Pasta ~ 5 pts a serving. I’ll post the steps with the recipe this week. It was a Weight Watcher recipe that I modified to add some kick. I LOVED this dish and think it will be even better the next day….I am thinking of making it into a cheesy casserole for part 2
The Husband picked out and made our veggies tonight ~ Green Giant Corn Nibblers in a Butter Sauce ~ 2/3 c is 2 pts – not too bad and super tasty.
Dessert was a mini Jelly Belly Sample pack for 1 pt since it’s only like 1/2 a pack
Ok ~ I am caught up through yesterday with the exception of answering your comments and emails. I will do that soon too.
I am off to read/relax a bit before I cook dinner. See you all tonight or in the morning with a recap of today
Brain Break Throughs….
Happy Hump Day all! Today was not a fun work day, however, I think I had a major brain break though tonight at my Weight Watcher meeting. NOTE: If you want to just read about my day and food, then, scroll down straight to the red stars *********.
I lost .8 lbs this week bringing me down a total of 5.6 lbs since I started back on my mission to lose the weight I gained last year. The receptionist really wanted to me to celebrate my success and give me a 5 lb gold star. Normally I LOVE getting stars and all that but I told her I felt guilty and lame since it was for weight I had already originally lost. She was like, you know, none of that matters. You motivate everyone when you share, no matter how big or small your losses are….you are the only one who knows “the bad” in your head, nobody else knows you are losing weight you’ve gained….they just know you lost. How can you argue with that? I gave in and celebrated away my shame.
So, why is this significant to me? Well I think for me this symbolizes a turning point where I can let go of the past….I can let go of the fact that I have been carrying guilt and feeling a bit like a fraud for not 100% maintaining my loss. Sure, I kept it off for 4 years, but, last year was the first year I let anything come back. I am not perfect and every day is a challenge. But, the most important thing is that I can use my past success to help me do it all over again. It’s like a huge burden has been lifted. I feel like, now, here I am with a fresh start on a new journey with a new goal….I can be proud I’ve lost 5.6 lbs and I am moving towards my goal. I can’t change the past but I can change every step I take in the future ~ embrace it, own it, be it! I can prove to you all that I can and will do it again ~ there is nothing to feel ashamed of….I am me, 100% perfectly imperfect and I am making the most of what I’ve got with every challenge life throws my way…isn’t that all we can really do?
My meeting tonight was awesome ~ I felt so empowered leaving and motivated. I’d be completely lost without my support system ~ I LOVE YOU ALL ~ The Husband as my biggest fan, my family, my leader & meeting, it’s members, and all of you! Thanks for listening to my rant….I really wanted to share it with you all since I don’t always share all the thoughts and voices that are in my head
Here are a few of my FAVORITE quotes that they had at our meeting today that really rang true with me.
What you think about you, you bring about! (this may be my new motto)
Perfectionists become life’s biggest procrastinators because they can never get everything lined up perfectly. (OMG ~ total realization – so true!)
“This time, I will not be defeated by every little hiccup. This time I am an active participant in my change. My haiku expresses these feelings : Each day begins with new strength, resolve and spirit. I LOVE each NEW DAY!” (This was a member quote)
Have you all ever had a turning point like this and who is your biggest supporter?
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As a side note, I was super bummed that they moved the Biggest Loser to 9-11 pm. I passed out while they were weighing in despite my best efforts to stay away by sitting up, doing jumping jacks…then sitting down and falling asleep. I was OK with the brown guy going home, but, I am so rooting for the RED to go. I think my favorite new person is the PURPLE girl – I LOVED her encouraging everyone to run for 5 minutes without stopping.
This morning something crazy happened ~ nothing sounded good to eat at all?! I am a TOTAL breakfast person so that was weird.
I ended up ordering a grande DIRTY LATTE with a small banana ~ LOVE starting my day off like that 
A dirty latte is FF Decaf Latte with 2 pumps of mocha for only 3 pts….you get all the chocolate flavor but save a point.
I actually started to get hungry about an hour after breakfast ~ go figure. So I snacked on some cashews and a lf colby cheese for 3 pts. Nuts and cheese always do the trick at taking my hunger pains away.
I had all good intentions of eating my Layered Up Turkey Meatloaf sandwich today for lunch, but, I really NEEDED to get out and get away from work today. After pacing and venting to The Husband about my day, he suggested we meet for lunch at his FAVORITE Steak Sandwich Place MS Tasty Burger.
I got my usual by asking them to cooked up any veggies they had in the back ~ AMAZING!!!!! Cabbage, bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, pepper, soy sauce = LOVE!
Plus grilled teriyaki chicken bites that I didn’t share today (snort, snort!)
Total 8 point COMFORT FOOD lunch that surprisingly made me feel better without feeling worse since it was healthy. AWESOME!
Since I was helping one of my FAVORITE new Weight Watcher friends plan out her action plan for a Mexican food place today, I had to celebrate tonight with some of my FAVORITE TACOS!!!!
2 Crunchy Chicken Tacos from Vasquez Deli x’s two for 8 points. I order them HOT with extra salsa poured over the chicken. (So good Mom ~ I would’ve shared if you were here )
SPRINGPAD FUN ~ Check out these Ultimate Super Bowl Recipes and see who is featured under the MAIN COURSES!!! I am SpringIt Famous ~ SO FUN!!! LOL….I am so drooling over everyone’s recipes though…..I NEED to host a party now so I can try them all or maybe have a party where everyone has to make one dish and bring it to try ~ now, that’s what I am talkin’ about!
I will be posting the Crock Pot Kung Pao Chicken Recipe for you all tomorrow. However, I think I am MOST excited about what is going into the Crockpot tomorrow morning….ready for this????
BBQ Brisket on toasty buns that are topped with healthy slaw with a side of butternut squash fries….You know I am totally dreaming about this tonight and all day tomorrow
NIGHT ALL….Just two days til the weekend and it cannot come fast enough!
I signed up for Half Marathon #2 ~ ahhhh! :)
Filed under: Daily Eats, Goals, Product Reviews, Workouts
Woohoo ~ I am posting twice in one day. Ok, well, that’s not really what the woohoo is for….THE BIGGEST LOSER is on ~ Woohooo! Yeah for not having to wait until spring for the next season. Ok, so this is going to be snappy because I want to sit down with my NEW BOOK (more on that in a sec) and indulge in the show
FIRST TIHNGS FIRST
Yesterday I signed up to run my SECOND ever HALF MARATHON! ~ The Shamrock Half Marathon on March 14, 2010!! I was first encourage by one of my AMAZIMG ex bosses who is for the first time ever running a half and now my AWESOME sister has decided to join in too! It is her first race and I am so pumped to do this together with them both….yeah! I am a bit nervous because I ran my first half marathon (Napa to Sonoma!) 3 years ago and did a Tri-Athlon (Tri-Girl-Tri) last year. But, THIS YEAR, I’ve done nothing, in fact, I took December off from exercising ~ oops! Anyway, I am PUMPED and ready to do it!
Here is my schedule EASING into things. I combined Hal Hidgon’s training plan with Jeff Galloway’s run-walk-run philosophy. I have a short time frame to work with so I modified it a bit I may throw in some speed work and/or hills, but, my main goal is really just to finish and maybe beat my prior year time
Feel free to share any thoughts, advice or what not. I’d LOVE to hear what you all have to say I NEED all the help I can get for sure. Ohhhh and if you are training for any event now, I am open to helping to motivate each other. Comment away, email, twitter, facebook, g-chat ~ all of the above anytime
NOW SPEED POST!!!
Ok, I guess I am not doing so good on the FAST POST part…so here it goes….onto my eats and workouts for the past few days
EATS:
Warm Oat-y-ness!
1/2 c old fashioned oats
1 c water
1 mini organic Fuji Apple
1 Tbsp ground flax seed
dashes of cinnamon and vanilla extract
TWO BEST TOPPINGS ever ~ 1 Tbsp Crunchy Almond Butter and 1 Tbsp Organic Apricot Preserves
The Husband surprised me by showing up and taking me to lunch ~ LOVE him! We went to Mamarella’s and I ordered their FANTASTIC Beet Salad with Grilled Chicken ~ delish!
After work I came home and hopped on the treadmill ~ 3 miles run/walk/run doing 5:1 intervals. Yup, I pretty much felt like I was going to keel over….I MUST remember to not take time off like that again
Dinner was FAST and easy involving some of my FAVORITE things since I wanted to watch The Bachelor
ANNIE’S PEACE PASTA!!!
I am a sucker for FUN shaped pastas. I LOVE this flavor as a change from the white and orange sauce, but, I still like the traditional versions best
New frozen veggie ~ This one is my FAVORITE I think it’s the roasted almond slivers:)
CLEAN INGREDIENTS!
GREAT STATS!!
I ate an entire box of green beans
Plus a serving of Annie’s Peace Pasta
with a Trader Joe’s Chile Lime Chicken Burger toped with tomato, cucumber chips, ketchup and mustard.
Delicious, fast and EASY!
TUESDAY!!!
I woke up starving and pretty sure my stomach was going to eat itself. I toasted up 2 Kashi Strawberry Flax Protein Waffles and topped one with Artisana Organic RAW Cashew Butter and the other with Crunchy Almond.
With some “banana chips”
I was STILL starving but held out a few hours for snack. My mom had these Flat Bread Wheat Thins out over Christmas and I actually LOVED them.
Decent stats ~ 1 point for 2 BIG crackers.
I am super proud of Nabisco for using some REAL ingredients and getting rid of the HFCS and using brown rice syrup instead.
Topped with 1 Laughing Cow Lite Cheese Wedge and a mini organic fuji apple.
I didn’t realize until now that I am the total product reviewer on this post I saw these Chicken-Less Stuffed Cutlets at Trader Joe’s the other day and had to try them. I was sold on them when I saw that they were stuffed with corn and black beans – YUM!
I have to admit they looked a little funky when they come out of the package.
But, I quickly remedied that by topping it with a slice of light provolone and my mom’s homemade chipotle salsa. I LOVED the combination ~ smokey, BBQ, cheesy good!
And since I didn’t seem to get enough green beans last night, I had some more
I was too full for my cuties, but, they still wanted their picture taken. I am missing the cute little stickers on this batch….don’t they know that is WHY people buy them?!
I am trying to fit in BOTH bananas and MILK since the potassium helps to get the lactic acid out of your muscles and relieve soreness.
We had a LONG afternoon meeting today so I knew that would require a Starbuck’s. I had a tall FF Chai Tea Latte for my afternoon snack.
TODAYS WORKOUT 2 easy miles run/walk/run with an easy 2:1 ratio since my legs are uber sore. My run was actually awesome and I felt great after lots of stretching.
Dinner tonight was a Pizza Compromise. The Husband wanted both Turkey Pepperoni and my FULLED LOADED VEGETABLE PIZZA. The top layer was turkey pepperoni and the bottom layer was all veggies
I had two slices (FYI – the turkey pepperoni only adds ONE Weight Watcher Point!)
Plus a side salad with Annie’s Cowgirl Ranch….delish!
Everyday should include a little chocolate especially when it is for a good cause, right? I received this bar as part of my Christmas present from one of my FAVORITE people ever
I had 3 squares and savored each one slowly. I LOVE it but you don’t really taste the blueberries
NEW BOOK~ I LOVE Tosca Reno and have ALL of her books (and her cookbooks too!). She is the person who got me started eating clean with her very first book a few years back. She has updated her original book so I had to check it out! I will post a review for you all when I finish….Yeah!!!
P.S. AMAZON has it on sale super cheap ~ click HERE to check it out!
SPEED POST, RIGHT? Haha ~ oh well….Off to read, relax and enjoy The SHOW!!!
See you all tomorrow for a NEW YEARS GIVEAWAY!
NITE!
My 2010 Resolutions & Goals + some fantastic eats
Happy 2010 all! You know, I honestly didn’t realize we were entering a NEW DECADE until this morning I am not sure why, but, ya, I am not usually THAT slow haha. It’s the time of year where I usually sit down and make out this HUGE list of resolutions plus goals for the year. Do you all make New Year’s Resolutions?
I typically do a 12 month series where I set a goal for each month. It’s easier to tackle something for 30 days than to tackle it all year long. It goes anywhere from something physical like 100 crunches a day to something related to eating, focusing on getting 7-9 servings fruits/veggies a day to something I shouldn’t do (like avoiding candy). I like my resolutions and goals to cover my overall well being ~ health, relationships and living life to the fullest. I will be working on my finalizing my list this weekend and share any updates with you all. I am not sure if I will keep my entire 12 months or create a new goal each month so my goals can relate to where I am at in life. For what it’s worth ~ here it goes…..
Year long resolutions:
- Lose 10% of my body weight and get back to my happy weight
- Get organized in all areas of my life (home, work, financially, everything I can organize). I’ve spent the entire week organizing & de-cluttering our house so it’s a good start. Keep it going
- Reduce stress levels and create a better work/life balance for my health and happiness. This includes letting go of the small things, things I can’t control and the unknown – just live in the present and be happy.
- Start a good book and continue reading both books/magazines for “me” time throughout the year.
- Focus on my relationship w/The Husband – making sure I find time for him/us, including regular date nights, traveling/vacationing and just enjoying each other daily.
- Journal every bite I eat this year – good or bad – if I bite it, I write it! Bust out my old and NEW Eat Clean Diet books….add it to my Weight Watchers routine ~ Clean Eating with a WW lifestyle = 110% SUCCESS!
- Complete my 12 month series of goal!
My 12 month Series:
Jan – Get back to 100+ oz water daily. Start small and GOBIG ~ Wk 1 – 64+oz, Wk 2 – 72+oz, Wk 3 – 80+oz, Wk 4 0 88+oz, Wk 5 – 96+oz.
Feb - Daily Exercise even if it is just for 10 minutes. Pick a race as added motivation (TBD).
Mar – No candy or junk – 100% healthy foods and healthy alternatives when craving sweets. I am not depriving myself, just finding a healthier more nutritious way to take care of my body.
Apr – 25 pushups per day
May - 100 crunches/day
Jun – ½ way through the year – No BLT’s – If I bite it, I write it – keep the promise to myself to count everything! Plus 5+ fruits/veggies with more veggies than fruits daily
July – Strength training 3 days each work – legs, arms and CORE – 1x/wk for each
Aug – Cardio 3 days a week for 20 minutes – min.
Sept – Fun step challenge ~ shoot for 10,000 steps per day or boost it to challenge myself if I am already at 10,000 steps.
Oct – Vitamins daily, including iron. Eliminate negative thoughts – work on positive thoughts. Have 1 month of optimism – find the positive in everything no matter what life dishes up
Nov – Get in my daily oil at least 5 days a week – focus on 9 HG’s daily – 100%
Dec – 5+ fruits/veggies with more veggies than fruits daily – this will help ward off the holiday temptations. For any party I am attending – wait 30 minutes before I eat anything and eat nothing not on a plate – I must pick up 1 small plate and fill it with no foods touching one time – only pick what I truly want, count it, enjoy and have no guilt. Get into the holiday spirit by exercising daily, counting everything, no BLT’s – plan and be successful this holiday season!
Ok….so, I think I am going to be busy this year I am excited for the challenge though. This morning I started off with a NEW Nature’s Path Cereal that they sent to me awhile back Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise.
I LOVE that it’s Gluten FREE…
And that it has great stats for being Gluten Free ~ Only 2 Weight Watcher Points a serving,
I topped 1 cup with a banana plus 1/2 c ff milk and some Christmas Coffee. I like that the cereal stays crunchy the entire time you are eating it. It was lightly sweet with hints of vanilla ~ delish.
For lunch I was planning on using a Chick-Patty but then decided to steal a few of The Husband’s Baked Tyson Boneless Buffalo Chicken Bites. They are 1 point each – woohoo!
I made up a mock Buffalo Chicken Salad which was perfect since I was too lazy to make up the real deal
Trader Joe’s Organic Herbed Mixed Greens
Celery
Carrots
Cherry tomatoes
Mushrooms
A sprinkle of low-fat mozzarella
Plus…one of the few bottled ranch dressings I like ~ Annie’s Cowgirl Ranch.
MMMM ~ So good and not bad for an 8 point salad, huh?! Seeing it makes me want it all over again.
I had a little chocolate for dessert. I broke out one of the bars that the super sweet Dot sent me in our exchange… Chocolate xoxox 33% Milk Chocolate.
Super creamy just like Dove chocolate.
This is one of The Husband’s FAVORITE days because he can watch Football all day long. So, while we were lounging, I read, played with my DROID and decided to do a little not so necessary snacking The AWESOME people at Pop-Chips sent us a box of Healthy Holiday Snacks for the holidays. Ummm….Popchips don’t last long around here….good thing the entire bag is only 2 points. I wish they sold these little bags at like Costco!
Tonight I tried out a new recipe that cooked all day long in the Slow Cooker. I LOVE my slow cooker because it can whip up SLOW COOKER FULLY LOADED LASAGNA in no time at all!! I put this together in about 30 minutes this morning then let it cook all day long. I’ll post the recipe soon ~ it’s so easy and super tasty. (8 points a serving if you can eat an entire serving)
During the last 10 minutes, I threw together a big salad that we shared.
00
Italian food totally requires GARLIC BREAD (1.5 pts a slice ~ Alexia Garlic Bread) ~ I had one slice and The Husband had the loaf
Whew ~ I guess I missed chatting with you all! I would LOVE to know what kinds of resolutions and goals you all are setting this year….maybe I can borrow some of your ideas
I am off to get back to doing nothing Ahhhhh…..It’s rare that I relax and do nothing, but, I can’t complain.
Nite all!
Eating Reflection & Redirection
This past week made me realize that I have been so scattered, out of balance and just not in my usual routine. And, honestly, I am someone who likes routines. I like getting up early to get energized with some form of exercise – be it a run, circuits or yoga and I like my lunch time walks, runs or what not. It really makes me feel as though I have earned my evening fun whether it is to relax or do something fun. But, I think most important thing of all for me, I like being in control of my eating. I feel like I can truly put my best foot forward to be the best me when I am being good to me. It’s like this is the one thing I can control when everything else feels out of control. Does that make sense?
I let myself get spread way too thin this past month and it has really impacted my life. So, beginning today, I told myself it’s time to make it back to my routine, back to me.
1. I am going to go back to logging every single BLT (bite, lick, taste), focusing on balance and healthy foods. If I take a bite of something, you all will know about it. I pretty much do this now, but, I think I could improve on it by eating out less and actually eating less. No stress eating or eating because I think I deserve it (enter crazy work schedule lately here). Nothing deserves to have that much control over me. I am not going to eat food simply because it is there.
2. I am going back to my lunchtime workouts (except Monday where I have plans already to celebrate my friends lent being over). I will get my day started off right with just 30 minutes in the morning to set my mind for the day with some exercise. Plus, I think I can use the added stress release. This includes that New Year’s Resolution of 30 pushups a day I told you all about at the beginning of the month.
3. I will go back to getting enough sleep – it is amazing how much this can impact 1 & 2.
4. I am going to find a little me time each day – to read a magazine (goal of 1 a week), to catch up on my latest book I am reading, and/or simply to organize things or work on my favorite projects around the house.
5. It’s time to get back to being true to me…what I want, what I need and to feel good being me. I need to find balance and the way I get there is through my routines.
The reward is TBD….but, I will definitely be planting a “carrot” out there for something to work towards. I always do my best when I am working towards a goal. I think my main motivator is summer and smaller clothes for now, but, have a feeling a vacation or two will be thrown in there too.
I will be focusing on my healthy, clean (CORE/Filling Foods) foods and sticking to a daily Weight Watchers Points Value. Since I am more of a Flexitarian you will see a mix of vegan, vegetarian and protein meals as I do believe in variety and having fun with your food. Plus, I LOVE recipes and making new things.
In my upcoming posts, I will be sure to include my points, calories and my daily Body Bugg Stats.
I weighed in today and will take meausrements tomorrow. I will share my results each week with you too. My goal is to focus on being healthy and to start by losing 10 lbs, beginning today.
I hope you all will stick by me and/or join me in this journey – feel free to pop in and comment to give me ideas or to participate or what not. I would love any feedback you have.
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