Setting scary 2015 fitness goals...

In one day we will be ringing in 2015 and I have set myself up for some scary fitness goals. Beginning January 1 I will be running at least 5.5 miles per day in order to complete 2,015 miles in 2015. Yes, that means I need to run EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. and yes, that is a lot of miles, but I am excited and incredibly nervous. Signing up for a goal that lasts 365 days is daunting, but I am ready for the challenge. I am hoping to run two half marathons this year, which will help to get two days of running done in one day, so I'll earn myself a rest day :).

Interested in signing up to run 2,015 miles, check out the Run the Edge site for more information. You can run it solo, with a partner, or with a team of 3. What better way to get moving...grab a friend or 2 and get out there!

My other scary fitness goal isn't nearly as daunting, but beginning the first full week in January I will be starting Insanity Max: 30. I have heard incredible reports from test group participants with this workout! I love that I can get a good butt kicking in just 30 minutes in my own living room. I plan to incorporate what I have learned about nutrition through 21 Day Fix into this program.

Will I be able to run 5.5 miles per day plus complete 60 days Insanity Max:30? Stay tuned for updates...

Crock pot butternut squash soup

This afternoon I threw together a slow cook butternut squash soup recipe that I found on Pinterest. It was incredibly easy to put together. My 4-year-old helped me put it all together so I did not follow the recipe exactly as written, but it still came out great.

Soup Recipe

Recipe changes:

• I didn't like the idea of adding half and half to the soup so I used almond milk instead.
• I also used coconut oil instead of butter.
• The directions want you to add only half of the chicken broth in the beginning and hold off on the half and half until the end. I did not see this direction because I was trying to help my son and we put everything in at once. 
• I also add a drizzle of real maple syrup to each bowl.

It's a nice clean soup that I plan on having with my lunch most of this week. 

Enjoy!

Creative Birthday Cooking

As a working mom I always promised myself that I would do two things for my children, make their Halloween costumes and create fun treats for their birthdays and other holidays. In the middle of October my oldest son turned 4. We had a handful of birthday celebrations (one for friends, one for my family, one for at preschool, and one for my husband's family), which means I had to (wanted to) create 4 different treats.

He wanted a superhero theme for his birthday party with his friends. For this party I made a gluten free funfetti cake with Spider-Man decor.  I found a great tutorial on Pinterest on how to easily recreate pictures that made this creation super simple.
Cake decorating instructions.

For his birthday party with my family he wanted monster whoopee pies, so I created gluten free monster whoopee pies. 

His school treat did not need to be gluten free so I made pudding graveyards. The original recipe called for pre-made pudding cups, but buying 30 of those would be pricey so I bought 2 packages of chocolate pudding and small clear plastic cups to cut the price.

Graveyard pudding cup recipe

For the final birthday party I was caked out so I made candy corn cheesecake mousse. It was simple and delicious. (The recipe called for cool whip and I'm not a fan, so I used heavy whipping cream instead.)

Candy corn cheesecake mousse

The celebrating and creating was fun while it lasted, but I'm glad I'm done birthday celebrations for now. Instead I'll be working on fun holiday creations!

An attempt at #moveoftheday

I am a follower of many fitness professionals on Instagram and Facebook. Many of them post #moveoftheday video clips for their followers to try. I thought that it might do me some good to give their moves a try. I am hoping to try two new moves per day.

The thought crossed my mind that it might be quite comical to video myself attempting these moves. Not only would I get a good laugh, but I would also get to see how my form was. (I found out that my plank form is awful, but at least now I know what I need to do to improve.)

Included in the clip are moves that I found from following Chalene Johnson on Facebook and fitandfunky on Instagram.

The first move was part of a 2 minute plank core challenge From Chalene Johnson...holy cow was that hard! That is followed by two much easier ab moves from fitandfunky, but were still hard on the core. It probably would have been even more difficult if I had actually had good form! The final exercise is shown from two different angles. I will say that when I first put my feet on the wall it felt WAY higher than where I actually was. Holding yourself up against the wall like that while trying to do movement with your legs is a really great whole body workout!

I wouldn't recommend trying to copy what I am doing in this video. If you are looking for a challenge and a way to mix up your workouts, I recommend trying out different moves of the day by watching people who know what they are doing! If you are on Instagram, look for #moveoftheday. If you try out a move, share it with me to try @amarshnh.

Creating gluten free deliciousness using a hand-me-down cook book!

I have always loved to bake, but when I was diagnosed with Celiac baking became a challenge. Now I love to take the challenge head on! When baking gluten free goodies I tend to stress throughout the process. I can't help but wonder if it the finished product will be edible, tasty, and presentable. Having to throw away gluten free baked goods because they didn't bake well is incredibly upsetting when you take into consideration the cost of the products going into the mixing bowl.

In the beginning I searched specifically for gluten free recipes and was upset with the thought that I wouldn't be able to make my family recipes anymore. After some time and experimentation, my mom, aunt, and I were able to find ways to adapt our family recipes into gluten free deliciousness! Now when I bake I NEVER look for gluten free recipes. I look for recipes that I like and give it a try. 

Yesterday seemed like a fall day dropped right in the middle of August, so I took advantage of the cool rainy day and made two batches of muffins, blueberry and cranberry, using my favorite cook book. After my husband's grandmother died we were cleaning out her house and she had a ton of cook books. I love cook books and while flipping through her selection I found this beauty!

This edition was printed in 1949. I LOVE opening it and seeing his grandmother's handwritten recipes on the inside! I have transitioned many of the recipes in this book into gluten free goodies with a lot of success, including the muffins from yesterday.

Continue reading this post for the recipe!

The only thing I changed from the original recipe was the use of gluten free flour. I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour. I also add a teaspoon of xanthan gum and a teaspoon of pectin (we have found that adding the pectin allows the goods to not spoil so quickly). I use almond milk instead of cow's milk and like to let the eggs and milk sit out for a bit so that they are warmer than refrigerator temperature. (I'm not sure of the science behind this, but for whatever reason it seems to make better baked goods!)

You will find when baking with gluten free products that pouring the batter is difficult. Between the thickness of the batter and the frozen berries that I used I had to use a cookie dough scoop to get the batter neatly into the muffin tins. WARNING: Do not eat the raw batter! Not because of the raw egg, but because for whatever reason gluten free batter tastes awful. I do not what kind of magic happens in the oven, but thankfully it comes out as gluten free deliciousness!

The finished product!

Thankfully, there are a lot of people living in my house so I won't be eating the 24 muffins alone. They received rave reviews from the consumers, but I don't think any member of my family would complain too much about receiving fresh out of the oven muffins!

The recipe as written in the book:

Rich Blueberry Muffins

1. 1 cup blueberries
2. 1/4 cup butter or other shortening
3. 1 3/4 cups flour
4. 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 cup sugar
7. 1 egg
8. 1/2 cup milk

Wash the blueberries and drain on absorbent paper. Place the fat in a mixing bowl; set in a warm place to soften (it may be melted, but should not be hot) while preparing the pans and measuring the other ingredients. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together into the bowl with the fat. Add the unbeaten egg and the milk; beat until smooth. Stir in the drained blueberries. Pour into greased muffin tins; sprinkle generously with additional granulated sugar. Bake in a moderate oven (375 to 400) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

There are more reasons to get into shape than fitting into that bathing suit or little black dress!

Imagine if we could start a health/fitness revolution using the same concept as the current #ShareaCoke campaign or the ALS ice bucket challenge. I can imagine taking a picture of yourself while working out or eating a healthy meal and holding a sign with someones name on it that says, "You're up! Let's see a picture/video of you doing something healthy and tag someone else to join you!"

I had an aha moment in my fitness journey recently. I was reading an article (I wish that I remember which one) about what we are teaching our children, mainly our daughters, about why we should be eating healthier and exercising. Far too often we are focusing our attention on getting into shape to fit into a special outfit or to look good in a bathing suit. Instead we should be focusing on becoming a positive role model who will be around to share many incredible experiences for years to come.

This spring I signed on to be a coach for Team Beachbody. I had participated in a 21 Day Fix challenge group and saw so much success with the program that I knew I just had to share this and many other amazing products with others. I wanted to be involved in helping other people experience the change they have been trying so hard to find. I use Facebook as a driving force in recruiting people who are interested in changing their lifestyles. I am GUILTY of trying to attract people to my challenge groups by posting messages about looking great for a special occasion or for their beach vacation.

I began thinking about how many times I've worn my bathing suit in the last two year...a grand total of 4 times! I'm not a fan of swimming. 1. I'm not very good at it. 2. I wear contacts and I can't stand getting water in my eyes. 3. I don't feel comfortable in a bathing suit because I don't like having that much of my body exposed and truthfully, they are really uncomfortable!

I also thought about how many special occasions I went to that required buying a new outfit and getting a little fancy...I think that was 4 times in two years as well. So here I am asking people to embark on a journey with me so that they can feel good about themselves for 8 different days out of a possible 730! That is crazy!

I want to commit to a healthy lifestyle so that I can enjoy the benefits everyday. I love walking into the house after a run and having my 3-year-old ask me, "How was your run, Mama?" He also enjoys riding his bike and running around the yard to do his exercise. (I'd love to say that our clean eating is rubbing off on him too, but that has been more of a struggle!)

There are four generations of my family (my maternal grandparents, my parents, my husband and me and our two kids) living under our roof. Everyday my 88-year-old grandfather and 87-year-old grandmother, who are completely independent, get to watch their great grandchildren running around. I want to be able to experience my children's children growing up too, so I'm committing myself and my family to a healthy lifestyle.

I'm a second grade teacher  from late August to mid June. I want to be a positive and healthy role model for my students. They should know that playing outside and eating good foods is as important as practicing their reading and math everyday. I don't want to just tell them that it is important, I want to show them that it is important.

Getting in shape and eating healthy is not just for days that we are at the beach or for special occasions that we have to get fancied up for. If we are going to be putting the time in to live healthy lives, we should be doing it for our everyday life!

From now on I will be asking people to join my challenge groups because I want them to change their lifestyle so that they can make the most out of every day for the rest of their days!

Let's start a health and fitness revolution together! What catchy hash tag can we come up with and start sharing today?

Dear Sindy Six Pack, You do not motivate me...

Dear Sindy Six Pack,

You do not motivate me to reach my fitness goals. I appreciate and sometimes spend too much time admiring your completely toned body and flat tummy. I know that you must work hard to achieve your fitness goals and probably eat meticulously throughout the week because you want to maintain your sleek physique. However, when I see your daily selfies from the gym or at home, I find myself growing more discouraged, not more motivated.

Every second of every day? Good grief!

I was not given the gift of a genetic dream body. I have to work hard to see results from working out. I'm the mom of two boys, an elementary school teacher, and a police officer's wife, which means I can't spend hours every day on my fitness goals. I do commit at least 30 minutes per day 5 to 6 days per week to reaching my fitness goals. The other thing is that I REALLY like food. I try to follow a clean eating diet, but sometimes my cravings get the best of me. Honestly, I'm not going to give up a chance to eat ice cream with my boys in order to get six pack abs. 

I find my motivation in people who have the same daily struggles as me. The people who bust their butts most days to see progress, but who also admit to having rough days or set backs. People who are working to find the balance between health, fitness, family and work.

I know that there are people out there who are two abs short of their six pack and are motivated by your daily posts. I know that you will continue to post for them and yourself. I, however, will be scrolling by looking for posts that offer something different. Something that will encourage me to keep working to become the best me that I can be.

Sincerely,

A Motivated Mommy

Saying goodbye to artificial sweeteners!

For several years I have been excusing my use of artificial sweeteners by saying, "It's the only thing I do! I don't drink alcohol (I don't like the taste), I can't eat gluten (celiac disease), and for a time I wasn't eating dairy (my infant son had an intolerance)! Drinking Diet Coke, ice tea with equal, and Crystal Light are my guilty pleasures!" One of my favorite things to do when I'm stressed is to get a large fountain soda from Circle K. 

I knew deep down that I needed to stop drinking these things. When I began 21 Day Fix in March I decided that I was going to give it all up. I thought I'd have some headaches for a day or two and then be fine. Boy was I wrong! I ended up going to bed really early on day one because I was so sick to my stomach, which I attributed to my lack of artificial sweetner. I guess I was going through detox! I stuck with the no artificial sweetner for about a week and a half. Then I fell back into my old excuse. Diet Coke was my only crutch and I wasn't giving it up, which also led me back ice tea with equal. 

       

Fast forward to last week...I began 3 Day Refresh on Monday and I was giving up artificial sweetner and caffeine. I have done really well. I have not had ice tea with equal. I have switched to iced green tea with lemon. I have had one Diet Coke and one Diet Pepsi (anything in moderation right) and honestly, they didn't do much for me. 

I've noticed that I am not as bloated, my clothes are fitting better, and I just feel better overall. Not to mention that I don't feel guilty for drinking things that are so bad for me. What I am struggling with STILL is dehydration. I am not a fan of water, but I'm working on it! 

Right now I'm focusing on eating less CRAP and eating more FOOD!

                 

Running Scared

On and off for the past 15 years I have been running through the streets, trails, and woods of my hometown in the early morning, mid afternoon, evening, or even late at night. Never have I thought twice about my safety while running. My biggest concerns have always been the wild animals I encounter (the ones that usually get me to jump are the squirrels and chipmunks that scurry through the leaves as I run by.) 

This morning I left my house at 5:15. It was a perfect running temperature, somewhere in the low 50s. The wind was gusting (not something I enjoy because I like as little resistance as  possible), and the cloud deck was incredibly low. I had my music on normal volume, quiet enough to hear my footsteps and traffic, but loud enough to keep me motivated...everything was pretty normal...except for a heightened level of anxiety.

A national news story broke out yesterday that hit pretty close to home, approximately a mile and a half too close. For the first time ever, I was nervous about running on my own. It is a completely irrational fear because the person who is causing my fear is now in jail. I really should have been afraid for the past however many years he has been living in my town, but didn't realize it until yesterday.

The situation has me thinking of what I need to do to keep myself safe while running. I could get a running partner (I have not found many willing candidates for that, but I'm still accepting applications), I could carry my phone with me (but I really enjoy the feeling of being disconnected), and/or I could carry mace (but how much is that really going to help me?) 

The safety and security of my small "It doesn't happen here" town in northern New Hampshire was taken yesterday by one person. It will take a long time to get that back...

But in the meantime, I refuse to stop running...

Pacing...Why is it so darn hard?

I cannot figure out how to keep a steady running pace for anything! Ideally, I would like to run my slowest mile first. This way I would have the energy to make my run last longer without feeling like I might die of a heart attack along the way. It never fails that I leave from my house and by the time I reach mile 1 I have run a mile under 9 minutes. I don't recognize that I am running this quickly because I feel great! About half way through my way to mile 2 I begin to feel the fatigue from running such a fast first mile. My second mile ends up being closer to a 10 minute mile. By mile 3, I am tired because I am reaching the end of my comfortable running distance at this pace, but I'm motivated to not see another 10 minute mile, so I push myself to run faster. This usually results in a mile that is somewhere between 9:15-9:30 pace.

I have a Garmin Forerunner 10 that I use to help mark my distance and to check my mile splits. I have not explored the technology enough to figure out how I can keep tabs on my pace. Right now I occasionally check my time to see how I'm doing, but doing math and running at the same time is not a multitasking skill that I have conquered yet. My husband has told me that there is a way to keep track of your pace on the watch and that it will beep to keep track of where I'm at.

Why do I care so much about my pace? I am hoping to run a sub 2 hour half marathon at the end of October, which means I need to be running 9 minute miles. 

I'm looking for advice and tips on how to keep track of my pace. What works for you?

3 Day Refresh Day 3 and Done!

Holy guacamole Day 3 is done and I woke up looking like this! 

Okay, so maybe not and it's not entirely fair that you (probably) didn't know what I looked like 3 days before I started 3 Day Refresh. (I promise I didn't/don't look anything like her!)

All kidding aside, three days done, 4 pounds gone and an inch off of my waist. I'm pretty happy with the results. I'm not going to lie and say that it was the easiest 3 days of my life. I was tempted the entire time to:

(1) Give up 

(2) Eat a little bit more 

(3) Put artificial sweetener in my green tea

(4) Have a Diet Coke

But I didn't! I stuck to the program and found out that even in stressful situations eating away my emotions is something that I can avoid.

If you are looking to start over, break bad habits, or jump start your weight loss journey, I recommend this program. How awesome would it be to begin your weight loss journey with a 4 pound weight loss in 3 days? Things to think about before you begin the program:

(1) Planning: it's important to have everything you need ready and waiting for you!

(2) Timing: Fit it into your schedule so that it will work best for you. Maybe trying it on a long weekend would work best because you wouldn't have to worry about work. Or maybe doing it during the work week would be best so you'd be distracted by work and not thinking about food so much.

(3) You are ready to commit: this program is great, but it took me a bit of mental toughness to get through it. You need to be ready to pass up on things that you are craving and be ready for the feeling of satisfaction instead of fullness when you are finished eating (believe me there is a difference!).

(4) You want/need to feel successful: seeing results is the best way to get on the fast tract to making a difference. By doing this program you will see results in 3 days. 3 DAYS! How motivating is that?

Interested in learning how you can fit 3 Day Refresh into your life...comment below.

3 Day Refresh Day 2

With all new things there is an adjustment period. Day 2 was a bit easier than Day 1. I didn't find myself thinking about food as much throughout the morning. In the afternoon, I struggled with thinking about food again, but I found a very satisfying and filling dinner on the dinner recipe list, which made a great ending to Day 2.

I am a volume eater. I want to feel like I'm eating a lot of food even if I'm not. Recently, I bought smaller plates so that when I plated my food it made it look like I was eating more. I'm trying to trick myself into thinking that I am satisfied with what I am eating. Whatever works, right?

The recipe I chose last night was the spinach salad. Making this salad includes 2 cups of spinach, half a tomato, half a red pepper, half a cucumber and sunflower seeds. Not only did this salad offer a lot of food, but it had seeds in it so it had a crunch to it! I felt very satisfied after I finished eating the salad and had to wait to drink my Vanilla Fresh shake because I would have been too full.

I had planned on eating asparagus with almonds for dinner tonight, but I might go with the spinach salad again. Something about eating 5 asparagus spears just doesn't seem as satisfying as eating that delicious salad!

One thing I have struggled with over the 2 days is drinking half my body weight in ounces of water. This is a daily struggle for me. I am definitely drinking more water than I normally do (this is measurable due to the amount of trips I'm taking to the restroom!)

Overall, I am pleased with the program so far. I am down another pound this morning, I am feeling better, and I am finding new things that I am enjoying eating. It is taking some mental toughness to get through it, but I am proving to myself that I can make the correct food choices!

Interesting in learning more about 3 Day Refresh...comment below!

3 Day Refresh Day 1

How often do you find yourself wondering if you are really hungry or if you are just wanting to eat because it's something to do? After Day 1 of the 3 Day Refresh I found myself thinking this same thing throughout the day. The 3 Day Refresh is a 3 day program that provides you with a fast, clean break from bad eating habits, while dropping a few pounds in the process.

The benefit of this program is that you are cleansing your body while being able to eat light and sensible.  Each day begins with a Shakeology shake, followed by a mid morning tea, then an 8 ounce fiber sweep drink. Lunch is a Vanilla Fresh shake and one serving each of a fruit, vegetable and healthy fat. That is followed by a mid afternoon snack, and then a dinner consisting of a Vanilla Fresh shake and a meal made from the dinner recipe list. An optional evening tea is also part of the daily program. 

After completing Day 1, I can say that I was not starving all day. I was, however, questioning whether I was hungry or if I wanted to eat just because my kids were eating. Breakfast was not any different from my normal breakfast, a chocolate Shakeology shake. I enjoyed the mid morning tea, but found it a bit different from my normal tea because I could not use any sweetener. (One of the reasons I chose to do this program was to try and get away from using artificial sweetener and drinking Diet Coke!) The Fiber Sweep was not my favorite part of the day, but it is only 8 ounces for 3 days so I will suck it up and drink it. I really enjoyed lunch and was surprised by the portion that I was able to eat. For a mid afternoon snack, I made homemade hummus and had 2 tablespoons of that with 2 stalks of celery. For dinner I had coconut steamed veggies with the Vanilla Fresh shake. The veggies were delicious and something I would add to a regular dinner!

What makes this program worth it? After Day 1, I slept great and woke up this morning with no bloating and 2 pounds lighter than I was yesterday morning.

Exercise...what about exercise? Light to moderate exercise is recommended with this program. Last night I went for a 3 mile walk with my dogs and a friend. It was a nice way to get my mind off of eating because night time snacking is definitely a downfall of mine.

Check back for my updates on Day 2 and Day 3!

Interesting in learning more about 3 Day Refresh...comment below with your email address. 

A much better use for nutrition labels.

How often do you find yourself bored and craving a delicious and naughty treat? In your head your probably thinking, "That scoop of ice cream can't be too bad for me. I can walk that off..." or "One beer after work would taste so great!" If you are like me, you can usually talk yourself right into eating that delicious and naughty treat without much coercion because I'm not thinking of how much work it would take to get those extra calories out of my body!

I found this photo today and got to thinking...If all of my food had the calorie equivalent of exercise needed to burn it off listed on it, it would be much easier to avoid the food. Maybe nutrition labels should include how many miles you would need to run in order to burn off the food. If you picked up a container of munchkins from Dunkin Donuts and the serving size read 10 miles (as in you need to run 10 miles to burn these calories) you'd probably think twice about putting it in your mouth! 

What do you think...would exercise equivalents on nutrition labels mean more to you than the number of calories, fats, etc. per serving that you see now?

It definitely isn't pretty, but I run!

      

Last week I participate in a 5K+ race (because it was 3.8 miles) in my husband's hometown. I don't usually sign up to race because I'm really competitive, but not a very strong runner. Those two things together usually lead me to feeling incredibly frustrated and defeated at the end of a race...and why would I pay money to feel like that?! 

My husband has been trying to help me realize that it isn't about winning or losing, but working to beat my time with each run. (He has been telling me this for 10 years because his first cross country meet that I attended I pointed out that I didn't see how he could be so happy with his results because he didn't win!) In an attempt to do something together (and by together I mean we ride together, register together, and hang out together until the start of the race and then we meet up at the end...) I signed up for this race telling him that I would probably finish last, but hey, someone has to...right?

The night before the race we ran the course together so that I knew where I was going and what I was getting myself into. I was fairly impressed with my time in the trial run and thought that I might do okay the next day.

I ran the race and finished a minute faster than I had the day before, which I was excited about. I came in 10th from last, which I can't stand the thought of, but it isn't about that (right...). I also continue to run each mile faster than my normal 10 minute mile pace. I actually ran my first mile in 8 minutes, which nearly killed me, but holy cow I ran an 8 minute mile! 

                                     

I had to take the week off from running due to a bloody blister, but I went out again today and ran my first mile in 8:50. I thought, "Woah, slow down that is way too fast for you!" But then I ran my next two miles right around 9 minutes...maybe I'm not giving myself enough credit...maybe it isn't too fast for me...maybe this running  thing isn't pretty while I'm doing it, but at least I'm out there getting it done!

           

Transformations Only You Can See!

I have yet to meet someone who complains about how great they feel when they are exercising and eating right. Feeling physically and mentally great due to healthy choices along with having your clothes fit better are great incentives and motivation to continue on the right path. However, nothing feels as great as having someone say, "Hey, have you lost weight? You look great!"

Unfortunately, sometimes eating right and exercising doesn't produce the physical changes that lead to compliments as quickly as we would like. I know from experience that I may lose a few pounds, my clothes may fit better, but ultimately my body doesn't change as much as I would like as quickly as I would like it to. Due to this experience I need to look for transformations in different areas.

I began my Beachbody journey on March 18. On this day I committed to 21 Day Fix. I absolutely LOVED the program. It gave me the motivation I needed to get back into an exercise routine. After 28 days of 21 Day Fix, I switched my exercise routine to P90X3. I have always had an interest in P90X, but didn't have time to commit to the long workouts that P90X provided. The 30 minute workouts with P90X3 were perfect for me!

P90X3 is tough, but doable because throughout the entire workout I think "I can do this for 30 minutes!" I had to wonder how it was actually helping me physically. Would 30 minutes per day really make a difference? 

Of course I am seeing changes in how much I can accomplish in each 30 minute workout as I progress through the 90 day program, but my biggest surprise transformation came to me while I was running.

I have been running for exercise since high school. I am not a strong runner, but I do it because you get the most bang for your buck with running. My normal running pace has always been between 10 and 11 minute miles. Nothing fabulous, actually quite embarrassing when my husband literally runs twice the speed that I do. Recently, I've been running at a pace of around 9:30 per mile. Again, nothing fabulous, but pretty exciting for me! Especially since I have NOT been training to run. 

The top picture is of my pace from last summer. The bottom three pictures are of my pace from the last two weeks.

I have been exercising to get fit and to feel better both physically and mentally. As an added bonus P90X3 has improved my running by taking almost one minute off per mile!

Can you see this transformation by looking at me? Nope! Does that make it feel any less great? Nope! Every time I return from a run I can't help but say, "Look at that! 30 minutes per day really does work!"

Interested in making some transformations of your own...ask me how I can help!

Wisdom Wednesday...The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

"Everything you need to do to transform your life is easy to do. It's easy to become healthy, fit and vibrant. It's easy to become financially independent. It's easy to have a happy family and a life rich with meaningful friendships." (p. 55) 

However, it is just as easy to not do the things that will transform your life. I began reading The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson about two weeks ago. Truth be told, I'm not even finished the book yet, but I have already taken away a lot of good points that are worth sharing.

It's easy to set your alarm for 5:00 a.m. to workout before work, but it's also easy to hit the snooze button until you have just enough time to rush out the door.

It's easy to choose an apple instead of a doughnut for your morning snack.

It's easy to put money in a savings account a little at a time until you have the money to purchase the item that you want, but it's just as easy, if not easier, to put the purchase on your credit card.

"The Slight Edge is about your awareness. It is about you making the right choices, the choices that serve you and empower you, starting right now and continuing for the rest of your life, and learning to make them effortlessly." (p. 74)

In order to have the slight edge you need to make the correct choices and continue to make the correct choices after you have reached your first goal. How often have you lost 5 - 10 pounds of weight by watching what you eat and exercising frequently only to quickly gain that weight back because once you've reached your goal you stopped doing the things that got you to where you wanted to be.

The slight edge seems like such an easy thing to do. Olson claims that by following the slight edge he has become the successful person that he is today. He also claims that having the slight edge is easy; you just have to commit to it.

"Any time you see what looks like a breakthrough, it is always the end result of a long series of little things, done consistently over time. No success is immediate or instantaneous; no collapse is sudden or precipitous. They are both products of the slight edge." (p. 85)

Do I know if the slight edge going to work for me? No...

But will it hurt me to give the slight edge a try? No...

"How you realize happiness is by doing some simple things, and doing them every day." (p. 96)

Who doesn't want to realize happiness? It's definitely worth a shot and I'm beginning my slight edge today! Who's joining me?

I found my copy of The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson on amazon.com.

Southwestern Turkey Meatball Skillet - Gluten Free

I found this delicious recipe on Pinterest while I was looking for clean eating recipes.

 Southwestern Turkey Meatball Skillet - Gluten Free

My husband made it tonight and even my 3-year-old loved it! We had to make a change to have it be gluten free. We substituted gluten free oats for the bread crumbs in the meatballs. We had used the last of our cumin in a taco seasoning that we had made from scratch so we put the taco seasoning into the dish as well, and it still tasted great! We plated the meatball skillet dish on brown rice instead of spaghetti squash because I felt like eating brown rice tonight.

This recipe will definitely be put into the dinner rotation again. 

Thank you to 2FatNerds for sharing this recipe on your blog!

School's Out for Summer...Establishing a Routine

Today marks one full week since I've been out of school for summer. Before school ended I had high hopes of waking up every morning at 5:30 to get my workout, run, and shower in before the boys wake up for the day. This has happened once!

I have managed to fit my workouts in, but not until after 8:30 at night. Last night I was playing catch up with p90x3 and found myself finishing my second workout at 10:15. That was not really the ideal time to be winding down from a workout, showering and getting into bed at a reasonable time. (Especially since I had to be at school for a workshop at 8 this morning!)

Now that I am one week into vacation, and (hopefully) over the idea that sleeping in is exactly what I should be doing since I am on vacation...I am going to try to stick to my early morning wake ups. I would much rather get my workouts done first thing in the morning anyway. It is a great way to start the day on the right foot and I have very few excuses as to why I can't get it done!

Using Your Workout Time Wisely

What's your ideal workout? I like to get as much calorie burn as possible out of the 30-45 minutes per day that I schedule for my workouts. Recently, I came across an article that explains how long sessions on the elliptical, bicycle, treadmill or just running are great, especially if you enjoy those activities, but might not be giving you the results you are looking for. Read the article below to learn how to best utilize your exercise time.

Using Your Workout Time Wisely!

Personally, I have found two fitness programs that have given me great results in just a 30 minute per day commitment. 21 Day Fix and P90X3 are two great programs that are worth the commitment. If you are interested in getting the most out of your workout time, please comment below.

21 Day Fix

 P90X3

Delicious Honey Dijon Chicken with Steamed Garlic-Parmesan Broccoli

Last week I ran a 5 day clean eating challenge. The participants in the challenge were given a shopping list and menu for five days of healthy eating. Dinner on night 1 was a honey Dijon Chicken with steamed garlic-Parmesan  

broccoli and it was amazing!

Honey Dijon Chicken w/ Steamed Garlic-Parmesan Broccoli

Four 6 oz. chicken breast halves

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. parsley flakes, salt to taste

4 cups broccoli

4 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, garlic salt to taste

Directions: Mix Dijon mustard with honey, add parsley flakes and salt. Coat a 6 oz chicken breast half in the mixture. Cook on a grill for about 7 minutes on each side (or until fully cooked). Steam 4 cups of frozen or fresh broccoli and top with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. garlic salt and 4 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.

If you are interested in participating in a 5 day clean eating challenge, comment below with your email address and I will be in touch! 

21 Day Fix Biggest Loser Challenge

Biggest Loser Challenge! Win $100 and get fit for summer!

Just in time for summer I am helping run a Biggest Loser Challenge using one of the best programs I have ever used, 21 Day Fix!

Starting May 12, contestants will use 21 Day Fix exactly as it is written. The winner of this group will be the person with the largest percentage of weight lost and he or she will win at least $100.

How great would it be to get into shape just in time for summer and win $100 cash too? What a great way to kick off summer!

If you are interested in joining this challenge, comment below, so I can give you the details on how to enter.

Blackberry Glazed Pork Chops on the Grill...Amazing!

I didn't create this recipe, nor did I tweak it, but it was so delicious and easy that I needed to share it. 

Blackberry Glazed Grilled Pork Chops

I don't grill! I love grilled food, but the grill scares me so it is my husband's job to cook on the grill. Today, however, my husband was running late for his overnight shift at work, and I really wanted to try this recipe so I had to do my own grilling. He did start the grill for me because I didn't want to blow the house up. It took less than 30 minutes to prep the pork chops, the sauce, and grill the meat. 

Please try this recipe and spread the word! Now I am wondering what this would taste like if I used apples instead of blackberries...

Signs and Symptoms of Celiac Disease

When I first saw this picture for the symptoms of Celiac Disease I thought it was great. I then read through all of the symptoms and thought, "If I had only seen this before, then it would have answered a lot of questions for my mom and me."

 

Looking at it now though, I can see that a lot of the symptoms can relate to many other things. Bad breath-brush your teeth, mouth sores/ulcers-too many acidic foods, breast tenderness-PMS, acne-oily skin/PMS, short temper-over tired, etc., etc. (If anything, this sign certainly makes it easier to understand why Celiac Disease is misdiagnosed so often.)

 



 

Having already been diagnosed with Celiac, I think that this picture is a good resource to use to see if maybe I'm still exposing myself to gluten. If I'm experiencing any of these symptoms, I know that I need to look more closely at my diet and figure out what needs to go.

21 Day Fix

Winter was/is long this year. It was 34 degrees yesterday! Every winter I struggle with keeping my commitment to exercise and get caught up in eating what I shouldn't be eating. In March of this year I was introduced to 21 Day Fix. One of my former coworkers posted a challenge group request on Facebook and I looked into it. At first I thought a weight loss challenge that lasted 21 days was too good to be true. After looking into the portion control, clean eating meal plan, 30 minutes per day exercise routine, and the results people had posted I decided to give it a try. I am so glad that I decided to give this program a try.  

 

First, I knew that I could commit to anything for 21 days. No matter how bad it may have been, I knew that I could survive for 3 weeks. In hindsight, the 21 days went by so quickly I can't believe that I'm about to finish week 2 of P90x3, never mind 28 days of 21 Day Fix (yes, I did the workouts for 28 days and still use the meal plan!)
The portion sizes looked scary at first. Once I committed to eating every two to three hours and got use to shrinking my portions, I couldn't believe how much I was over eating before.
The first few days are trying. It is definitely mind over matter. After the first few days of portion controlled clean eating, I saw and felt the difference in my body.
I was never afraid of the workouts. Knowing that they were only 30 minutes long, I knew that I could commit to getting the workout done. What I didn't anticipate was how motivated I was to wake up every morning and complete the workout.
Shakeology...Love it! I bought the challenge pack for 21 Day Fix, which introduced me to Shakeology.  I currently drink the chocolate shake, love the chocolate flavor, and look forward to drinking it every day.
Summer is coming! Who doesn't want to look and feel great in time for summer?! If you purchase 21 Day Fix now, you can be looking and feeling great by Memorial Day and setting yourself up for your best summer yet!
For more information and to purchase 21 Day Fix click here!

Sweet Tooth Snacking

I have a horrible sweet tooth and once I start eating sweets it's a slippery and dangerous slope. I've been looking for snack ideas to help me with my sweet tooth, but at the same time not wreck my healthy eating efforts. After some searching on Pinterest, I came up with this little snack.

I thinly slice an apple (I don't have an apple corer), put a thin layer of peanut butter, and then add some chocolate chips. The best part...my two boys love this snack too!

                                    

Meal Planning

Being unprepared for meals can be a nightmare, especially if you're limited in your food choices. When food allergies or intolerance are a part of your family you can't just run to a chain restaurant and pick up something quick to eat.

I have found that meal planning makes life a lot easier. I have attempted meal planning in the past, but only created a list in a notebook while thinking about my groceries. Recently, while participating in 21 Day Fix through Beachbody, I decided to create a Google doc for my weekly meal plan.

 Click here for my 21 Day Fix Meal Plan

After creating the plan, I print it out and post it on the fridge. This way (whether my husband or I am making dinner) we know what we are making, what needs to be taken out of the freezer and where to find the recipe.

Do I always stick strictly to the meal plan? No, things happen, but I do know what I have on hand for food and can quickly change my meal if necessary.