Insanity and sweet tea. Two great things that should never be mixed.

Yesterday I decided to splurge and have Chickfila for lunch. Bad idea! It is ok to splurge sometimes but don't do so right before a super intense workout! It didn't help that I had 2 cups of sweet tea! Thank goodness I didn't throw up but I was close! When I was doing burpees and I could feel as hear the tea sloshing around in my stomach. Yuck!! So please learn for
My misfortune and eat a hearty but healthy meal before your workout! Even if it is 2 hours before you workout which is when mine was. Here's what I had today! Doesn't look like much but it was very satisfying and full of nutrients! Hopefully today's workout will go better than yesterday's!

My first 5k!

I am a little behind on this considering this 5k was over a month ago but I kept getting distracted and wanted to write about other things.
My first 5k was the flying pig 5k! If you live in the Cincinnati area you know that the flying pig is without a doubt the largest running event in Cincinnati. All in one weekend they have a 5k, 10k, a few kids runs, half marathon and a marathon! I was so excited for this to be my first ever 5k!
I was very anxious as the time of closer, knowing that I've been working for 3 months towards this goal! As I walked up towards the finish line 20 minutes before the race started I could see people lining up to start a long with families waiting along the side stacking their spots to see their love ones cross the start line. My mom and I found a location for her to stand and wait for me to pass so she could get a picture. After stretching out and running a few blocks to warm up I headed towards the start line. My heart starts racing with excitement and I knew that this was my moment, this is the moment I've worked for, this is the moment I thought I would never make it to. My eyes started to tear up a little thinking about how hard I have worked and how far I have come. As the race Coordinators were talking I wasn't really listening because I was so excited! The only thing I really heard them say was 5..4..3..2..1.. Then the sound of the horn and everyone took off. Here we go! This is it! I started my way around the city keeping a moderate pace. I started getting tired around the second mile and I look to the right and could see the finish line across the way. I pushed myself until I couldn't go any further then I thought about the finish line and I pushed even further. As I turned the corner at the 3 mile point I knew I was close! One .10 miles left!! There was a sign that said your almost there! Hightail it to the finish line! So I did!! I ran faster than I ever have before! I could see the finish line! I started running even faster! There were tons of people cheering as I approached the finish line and finally I was there! I crossed the finish line! I did it! I finished my first 5k! I was on top of the world! I could accomplish anything! After the race they had tons of free food and an after party with pancakes from first watch! I got my time printed out and I was one second faster than my goal time of 12 minutes a mile landing me at 11:59 minutes per mile! I know that's great but for my first 5k I thought it was pretty good :)
Here are some of my pictures from the race!

Crazy? Maybe. Insane. Apparently so!

Lately I have gotten busy (mostly spending time with my boyfriend and working to earn money for my missions trip to Panama along with my full time job) and I have not had much time to work out.
Being as that I'm a nanny and the boys still take about a 2 hour nap I have some free time in the middle of the day to do as a please. I am usually to pooped from chasing the boys around all day that I'll just plop down on the couch and watch some tv (yay for DVR at work and no cable at home).
I have still been fitting in some workouts here and there and doing some garden work for my grandma but I was doing no where near what I want to be doing.
So there for I have taken the plunge.. I am officially insane! I have completed my first two days of insanity! I am also sore all over my body!!
Let me tell you.. If you are looking for a flowers and butterflies kind of workout that makes you think your getting a workout then don't waste your money. If you are looking for something that will challenge you in ways you have never been challenged and to work and sweat like a pig then look no further! I am dripping in sweat by the end of the warm up! That's how insane this is! But guess what! It works! I am all about pushing as hard as I can for a small amount of time and getting fast results versus doing a low intensity workout for a long amount of time getting slow results. The plan is 60 days long and they say you will get results that normally take a year!
I love the feeling I get when I finish one of the workouts (only 40 minutes long!) I feel like I'm on top of the works as could accomplish anything!
I am so excited to start this program and I am going to work to keep on it!

Sushi!

I have a very deep love for sushi. The best part is that if you get the right kind it is really healthy!! 

Here are just a few tips when ordering sushi.

Stay away from anything Tempura! That is code word for fried and unhealthy!

Stay away from anything with cream cheese in it.

If possible ask for it to be made with brown rice.

I got the sushi below from Kroger Marketplace, It's a California roll and has crab, avocado, and cucumber. 

New jeans!! Check out the size!!

I am so so so excited!! I started off as a size 10 and I'm now down to a 6!! I honestly can't remember the last time I wore this size! The best part is that American Eagle (the only place I buy jeans from) has 40% off everything!! I got a few pairs of jeans and shorts and a few tank tops too :)
I am taking all of my "fat clothes" to a resale shop and never want to see them again!!!

Tofu

I have to admit, had a seen the title of this blog just a few months ago I probably would have just said ew! And just move on to the next post, but just stay with me and you won't regret it! Promise!
I have seen several recipes for tofu and I always knew it was healthy but it didn't sound good to me.
My sister one day told me that she made tofu stir fry and she even made chocolate mousse with tofu in it!
The best part about tofu is that it has great health benefits and it will adapt to the flavor of whatever you cook it with!
Here is a great source for everything you need to know about tofu!
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=111
I will add some of my recipes for tofu later (when I can get to a computer and include pictures).

A family affair

(sorry I've been MIA for a few days.. I have been busy this week! Yesterday was my 22 birthday!) If you know me and are around me often you know that my life has made a huge change in the last few months, but for those that don't I will explain. Before I "became healthy" I had very low self esteem and hated the way my body looked, I dreaded working out (and rarely did), and eating healthy was expensive and tasteless (which I will talk more about later and show you that those statements are untrue).
When my sister asked me why now? Why after all this time do you just decide to get healthy? I sat in silence for a minute and told her that I got to the point where I looked in the mirror and got so disgusted with how I looked and was tired off complaining about it and never doing anything about it and I knew something needed to change. We both laughed but it was completely true.I started going to the gym and began to love it! It made me feel refreshed (and a little sweaty) and energized! I couldn't wait to go to the gym everyday! I was already starting to feel better about my self.
After about a month of my new lifestyle people started noticing (you can notice from day one but it is great when those around you start to notice!) My family (who has not always taught a healthy lifestyle, cake and pop was an acceptable breakfast in our household) started taking notice and my mom starting buying stuff like brown rice instead of white and whole wheat pasta instead of white pasta. My family would ask me things about certain foods and what was healthy etc. I was thrilled that they were taking interest in their own health!
All of this was great but the best part of all of this is that my mom who has never been to the gym got a gym membership! I had the honor of going with her on her first day at the gym. She only worked out for about 35 minutes the first time and increases her time each time she goes, I am so proud of her! She is a great example to anyone that says its to late to start focusing on your health. It is never to late! YOU can take control of your life, all you have to do is get started!
My sister is also planning to join the gym this month! I am so happy that my new lifestyle has rubbed off on my family and I hope that I can be an example to everyone that thought they could never do it!

Healthy eating when out to eat

Ok so this weekend I ate out a lot more than usual and I take pride in my knowledge of knowing if something is good or bad by looking at the description.
Let me start by saying that picking a salad is most likely not always the healthiest choice on the menu. If you don't believe me go look at the nutrition info for Applebees. They have a salad with 1110 and 66g of fat!! I couldn't believe it!! Every salad on the menu had at least 820 calories. I choose the sizzling chili lime chicken which is delicious! My only complaint about the meal is they don't offer brown rice as a substitution :/ I also had a caesar side salad with the dressing on the side and took leftovers home from my meal to eat later :) My meal was off of the 550 calories or less menu. Applebees also has a weight watchers menu and I recommend ordering off of one of these two menus when eating there.
In some cases restaurants might not have nutritional info online **ps I always look up the nutritional info before ordering** when this happens to me I usually get some form of chicken.. But BEWARE of anything that is "smothered" or "fried" and anything covered in cheese. I usually get a chicken sandwich with no bread.. Last week I got one that came with lettuce and pickles (and onions and tomatoes which I opted against) and I got veggies on the side- make sure to ask for veggies with no butter.. Mine were swimming in it :/ I have also gotten one with cooked mushrooms and onions yumm!
On Sunday we went to my favorite Mexican restaurant and it is so hard to resist their chips and salsa! So I didn't, but I made sure not to eat to many! I had a taco salad with no cheese and no sour cream. When eating at Mexican try to avoid the chimichangas and enchiladas which are usually fried and very high in fat.
The most important thing is to do your homework on what they have and take a minute to look at your options.. When in doubt don't get a salad! Go for the grilled chicken with a side salad with a light italian of vinaigrette dressing on the side instead :)

Highlights from my day

The best (and most important) way to start the day is eating breakfast! Did you know that if you go 12 hours without eating your metabolism decreases by 40% if that isn't enough reason for you to make a few minutes for breakfast I don't know what will!
One of my favorite things to make in a hurry is whole wheat toast with apple butter. You can use any whole wheat bread but make sure to look at the labels because some are still pretty high in calories and fat. I am currently using Sara Lee Multi Grain, it has only 90 calories and 1.5g of fat! Apple Butter is also great, only 30 calories 0 fat and 6g of sugar. I eat this all the time and it is great because it is fast and I can eat it in the car!

Something that you will discover about me is that I am a master at making leftovers into brand new meals. For lunch I brown rice- cooked in the microwave with water and a few splashes of garlic vinaigrette (My favorite dressing) I also threw in some left over grilled onions and some almond accents- I cooked it with the rice so it would be crunchy but not to hard. I also fried 2 egg whites and chopped them up and threw them in. It tasted much better than even I thought it would! It was like my own version of healthy fried rice :) This whole meal was delicious, nutritious and filling for only 300 calories!

Back to the garlic vinaigrette- It sounds nasty and trust me I didn't want to try it at first but the fact that it is only 55 calories per serving I decided to give it a try and I fell in love! I put it on everything! Chicken, pasta, rice, salad, veggies, It's so good and much healthier than most dressings and marinades! 

Wednesdays are usually busy for me and I don't have much time to work out, knowing this I decided to work out at work while the boys slept. I did Jillian Michaels Yoga, it is great! Jillian Michaels doesn't do anything half way! If you get one of her videos you know it is going to be a great workout! She uses yoga moves but adds movement to make the moves more difficult and burn more calories. I always feel great after I do this video I recommend all of her videos! 

I forgot to mention that I am training for my first 5k to take place on May 5! I am so excited! When I started working out I could barely even run one mile! I downloaded the Active.com Couch to 5k App on my iPhone and it is great! The app takes you through a nine week program and when you start you will jog for 1 minute and walk for 1 1/2 minutes, each week is three days and after each week it gets harder. I love the app because it has a timer and will tell me when to start running and when to start walking, also it pushes me harder than I would push myself. If you are not a runner but want to get started just start with a mile a day, once you can run/jog a mile with no trouble add more and definitely get the app! You will love it! It is $.99 but when you sign up for a 5k from the app you get $1 off so it is practically free! I might also mention that I am now up to running 4-5.5 miles at a time :) Today I ran 3.10 after I got off work because my 5k is creeping up and I need to kick it up a notch!

Back to talking about leftovers! Last night I made a yummy Mexican inspired dish and it was so easy! I chopped on 3 chicken breast and cooked it in a big pan, when it was just about done I added a jar of salsa and let it simmer in the chicken for a few minutes then put 2 bags of frozen Mexican veggies and a little bit of water, covered it with a lid and let it cook until the veggies were soft I mixed in 2 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice and mixed it together. Tonight I was in a hurry and wanted to eat the left overs but there was not quite enough for a meal so I mixed it in with some chopped romaine lettuce with no dressing! It didn't even need any! I don't have a picture of my salad but here is what it looked like last night.

If you have any questions or comments just leave me a comment! I am thrilled to share my way to fit with you!

Pictures of my journey thus far

Down 15 pounds and a pant size in one month

Before :/

Before

Fitting into size 8 jeans for the first time since highschool! :)

A skirt I bought online in November and this was the first time I could fit in it :)

The key to success.. No not ice cream.. The key is not depriving my self of things but also not eating them all the time! When I do splurge I eat a small portion.

Mashed Cauliflower- Use fresh cauliflower and cook until tender.
Mash until desired consistency. I added black pepper and garlic.
Great alternative to mashed potatoes!

Chicken marinated in Italian dressing with whole wheat pasta cooked in onions, peppers,  canola oil, italian seasoning 

Whole wheat pasta with spinach, cauliflower, broccoli and garlic vinaigrette  

Most Recent

Most Recent

My first post!

I'm so excited about all the progress I have made in my journey thus far! I started a little over a month ago and have already lost 15 pounds!
The title of my blog has a lot more meaning now than it would have had two months ago. When I started this new journey it was all about getting skinny and looking good, but it is so much more than that now! I am more concerned about my long term health and fitness than just lookin good. I am now more concerned about being healthy and in shape than just being skinny (but that comes along with it).
I am NOT on a diet. I have changed my lifestyle and my way of thinking.
People keep asking what I am doing to lose weight so quickly and I tell them exactly what they don't want to hear- started eating healthy, lowered my proportion sizes and started working out. For some reason people think that losing weight is "magic" and they think somehow the weight just falls off.
If you want to see results you MUST change your lifestyle!
I'm not a writer (not even close) so I may use a run-on sentences or fragments but I just like to write it out as it is- I will post on here as if you and I were having a conversation on Facebook- I want to make it as easy for you to understand a possible!
I'm not a personal trainer- I an still learning and the purpose of this blog is to share what works for me along the way.
I'm not a nutritionist- although I'm not a professional I have read a lot of books and I know what's good and what's bad. I have learned to make alternations for certain foods and it is still delicious! I love to cook and make up my own recipes!
I hope that through my journey on my way to fit I can help you! If you have any questions, comments or encouragement you would like to share just leave me a comment!