Check in

Hello!

It just makes me wonder what took me so long to get myself back on track!? 

I feel so much better now that I am more consistent with working out ( mostly running) and eating healthy!

I haven't been as strict with my food like I was the first week of May, but have continued on a healthy road. I really just needed to take that first, rather large, step!

Yah for that!!

My dinner the other night rocked! Veggie burger from Trader Joe's, mustard aioli and broccoli. To think this filled me up! 

Cheers!

Highlights of the week

Happy Mother's Day to all those wonderful mama's out there!!

It's been a busy week around here, so I'm looking forward to some good relaxation today.


Highlights from the week:

Spanish Landing on Cinco de Mayo:

Kid snack at preschool:

Beach and ice cream on a cold May gray day:

A rockin' playdate at a friends house:

San Diego finally gets RAIN!!

The finale to the week was this amazing butterfly festival:

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As far as the healthy living lifestyle goes, it's been mostly on point!

Healthy meals and a bit of exercise has made for more energy and feeling good.

Spaghetti Squash with Sunday Sauce:

Keepin' it light at Adult snack for preschool:

crustless quiche with veggies 

Veggies with an Aidell turkey sausage:

A look into most my breakfasts: 

Bread is Ezekiel with all natural PB.

Late night snack at work: 

Lots o' veggies and a wing

 Yummy Aidell sausage and some brown rice and veggies:

Here's to another healthy and fitful week!!

Cheers!

So far, so good

It's Day 3 of better eating!!!
I can tell ya that it's already been hard!
Of course, the first day I started happened to be the ONE day I work. So I started questioning what I was doing, as beer and delicious french fries laughed in my face. But, I made it through! It helped (barely...) that I brought sweet potato to snack on and some olives.

Breakfast: One egg, half an avocado, and sweet potato hash
Snack: An apple, handful of almonds, and fruit/veggie skewer
Lunch: Kale salad (followed True Food Kitchen recipe) and grilled chicken
Dinner: Quinoa Caprese Salad (Holy YUM!!)
Late Snack: leftover sweet potato hash and greek olives

Saturday, I worked at Elli's preschool garage sale. 

I sautéed some peppers with an egg, threw in leftover sweet potato hash and had breakfast on the go.

The garage sale had a whole assortment of temptations, since there was a BAKE sale! Cookies, caramels and brownies! Oh, my. Not to mention someone brought BAGELS(!) with delicious cream cheese for breakfast. Normally I would've eaten my weight in bagels and cookies, but I munched on an apple and peanuts. (Insert patting self on back)

Lunch: Leftover Quinoa Caprese Salad

Snack: Popcornopolis Nearly naked popcorn

Late afternoon I was feeling hungry, so I whipped up a batch of healthy carrot applesauce muffins.

I knew I needed a few more calories and some carbs since I planned on running in the morning. Recipe to come! This treat hit the spot.

Dinner:  grilled chicken, sweet potato and broccoli

Not only did I gobble up this dinner, Elli did too! We had a lovely dinner date on the patio.

Today, I did a running set of 3: 7 min run/ 3 min walk for 30 mins.

The last set was difficult, probably since I hadn't run since last Sunday.

I had a carrot muffin and a few grapes prior to my run.

Once home, I got to work making breakfast.

I decided to sauté a batch of veggies for my eggs as well as for egg muffins (to be had this week).

For lunch today:

Kale salad with chickpeas and quinoa

I plan on having some sort of protein tonight for dinner with veggies.

So far, so good! Don't ya think?

Cheers!

Seriously.

I know I've said it before.
In fact, I've said it several times before.
However, I truly (hope, I) mean it this time.

Somewhere between giving birth ( almost 4 years ago),
starting running (and stopping)
getting older,
I've gained a noticeable amount of weight.

a year ago

now, ugh. not ok.

I'm not ok with this.
Nothing fits.
(not even my bras)
I'm tired.
Craving.
Hungry.
Over it.


So after trying, and trying again. I'm going to take a real stab at this.
It'll be hard because I'm used to eating, drinking and indulging in whatever I choose.
Apparently age and lack of willpower to eat the best of best foods have had its toll on my body.

Tomorrow, I start a journey through a delicious and healthy food routine.
I will eat REAL food. ( I usually do quite a bit, but have plenty of fall backs)
Exercise a lot more, while incorporating running back into my life.

Change is in the future and I look forward to what will become.
Accountability is key. Support is necessary. Let's do this.

Cheers!

The wagon

I never once thought it'd be this difficult to get back on the fitness wagon!!

I have a few good days that involve decent exercise and somewhat healthy food choices. 

Then I fall off and it seems harder to pick it up. 

The past two days have been good though!

Yesterday the hubs and I took nugget for a 2 mile run/ walk.

Today we hiked for 3.5 miles. 

I also did some arm weights and 8 minute abs!!

Woohoo!!

Hoping this healthier streak lasts a bit longer than those of late. 

What have you been doing to keep active?

The {not so} naked truth

So it has been a rough start.

Weekends are rough for me since I work super late Fridays and therefore have no energy Saturday or Sunday. It also didn't help that it was a friends last night so we celebrated with a few pints. 

Willpower and beer are a hard mix for me.

I did manage to eat alright. 

My new go to snack is apples topped with cinnamon and dipped in PB.

I also put together a Mediterranean style dinner that was healthy (ish). Pork and lamb gyros with Kale-slaw and (not fried) falafel.

However, exercise wise was not so great. I managed 75 squats and a mile walk on Sunday. Yup. That's it!

I could blame the heat, but I'd rather say I was to busy playing with this beauty

 So if I'm going to do this, I suppose I need a picture of myself to compare to.

Perhaps posting some very unflattering pictures will help me get my sh*t together! 

Here goes

And here's to a better, more active week. 

Back on track

I need to get back on track. I have fallen so far off the track that I need binoculars to see it!
I think I started derailing slowly after I finished the Carlsbad Half.
Preceding the race I was in relatively good shape and eating healthily. I felt wonderful and had confidence.

I did manage to run 3 more half marathons to date: La Jolla Half in April; Rock-n-Roll in June; and AFC in August <--- but if I'm honest I walk/ran the last 6 miles due to heat and under-training.
Since the last race, I've ran a handful of times and stopped most fitness activity. I have let myself "go". My pants are tight, my legs don't feel as strong, and my beer belly can hold about a keg now.

Change is in the near future!
I want NEED to get this train wreck back on track! Maybe even surpass my previous level.
So I'm blowing the dust off my blog, and reaching out to whoever wants to listen.

The change includes only 2 things:
getting back into running/fitness
 consuming healthier/clean food

I will keep myself accountable through six 9 eleven.
This may be a bumpy ride, so hold on!

Carlsbad Half Marathon Race Recap

I did it!!

I truly can't believe I actually did it!!

I completed my FIRST HALF MARATHON!!!!

I was pretty nervous going in to it, because the longest distance I'd completed was 10 miles.

We (my running buddy Jessica and I) made it to the expo Saturday, about an hour before it closed. The reality that I would be running the distance the following day still hadn't set in. We collected our bibs and tech T's, and I stocked up on some Nuun. The expo was relatively small and not very busy, so we were in and out.

I managed to carb load with tortellini and get to bed at 9:00 without too many nerves.

The next morning I woke promptly at 5:00 am and realized as I started the coffee that my hands were shaking. Ok, nerves had definitely set in at this point!

We found parking on a random off street which worked out really well. We had about a mile walk to the start. 

After a quick trip to the porta potties, we had about 30 minutes to keep ourselves warm until the 7:45 start time.

At 7:35, we arrived in our corral with nerves flying and everything feeling surreal.

Wave 1, 2, and 3 were off and before we knew it; our wave was toeing the start.

The first mile flew by so fast as did the second mile. At mile 3 we climbed a hill, and before we knew it 5K was under our {fuel} belts.

We rounded the corner and were awarded with the ocean view this race boasts about. My legs were feeling great, the weather was perfect, and the views were beautiful.

 Right before we hit the halfway point, which was also the turnaround, we encountered our fourth (and longest) hill.
Once we turned around, I knew we'd have to tackle that same hill again.

I don't know if it was the hill or the nerves, but I hit a wall around mile 8. This made me feel disappointed because I thought at this point I would hit my runners high. I just kept trekking along, and thanks to Jessica, moving at a great pace.

To help climb over my "wall",  I decided I should take in more calories, so I took half a Clif shot that was handed out on the course. (I had been snacking on my go to Clif Bar.) I also had a couple oranges that someone was handing out.

 A wonderful spectator at mile 12 was handing out beer and I gladly took the small 3 oz stout. {Not so} Surprisingly this was exactly what I needed. Then the crowd began to thicken which could only mean we were coming up on mile 13 and the finish! At this point I was smiling because I knew I would finish (and be done)!

We did it! Finishers!! First half marathon DONE!!
Finish- 2:12:31

We chugged our finish line waters and ate the delicious banana while trekking back to the car. 

Overall the race was beautiful with aid stations every mile and plenty of spectators to keep you occupied.  Everything seemed well organized and so many port-a potties the lines weren't a thing to worry about. It was also nice they had a tent set up to keep warm pre-race.

Victory lap was held at Pizza Port where we indulged in a well deserved beer and pizza.
It'll be hard to wipe this smile off my face for a while!

Cheers!

Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

Peanut Buttery Oat Cookies

If you a craving a cookie with delicious peanut buttery flavor with healthy(ish) ingredients. THIS is the cookie for you! I enjoy eating this cookie for breakfast :)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup quinoa flour*
1/4 cup coconut flour*
1/4 cup oat flour*
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 eggs
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

*If you don't have these flours, don't fret! Sub it out with any flour on hand!


Process:
In a medium bowl combine the flours, oats, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Next, using an electric mixer, mix together butter, coconut oil and applesauce.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Then incorporate the peanut butter, sugars, and vanilla.
Finally add the dry ingredients slowly to the mixer. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop by the tablespoon on a prepared sheet pan.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
Enjoy!!