Week 1 Reflection

So I have officially been 100% back to living a life that is dedicated to my health and fitness and I am feeling very happy with my progress so far.  I ate healthy, cooked yummy meals that fit into my current lifestyle, and I worked out on my elliptical!  I am loving the flexibility of having the elliptical in my house! Today I was able to do an hour this afternoon.  I did 40 minutes before dinner while Gabby played and 20 minutes after dinner.  I feel so lucky to have this in my house because I really feel like it is going to make a huge difference in my motivation since it is so easy for me to use it during any season!  However, I am not going to lie I miss running outside more than anything!!! I cannot wait for the nice spring weather to arrive so that I can really vary my workouts!  I usually find that I work hard and it takes me a long time to start to see results on the scale but today I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had lost 1.7 pounds this week.  I do find that I am feeling hungry less now that I am back on program.  The first few days were really hard because I felt like I was starving all day long but now I find that I am satisfied with less and I try to choose foods that take longer to eat.  That's all for now..until next week :)

My New "Boyfriend"

Going to the gym has been a MAJOR struggle for me since I got married.  I just do not enjoy working out around people.  I call it my "gym anxiety." I dislike having people around me while I am sweating and I feel inadequate around  a lot of people who are very in shape. I realize that it is MY fault that I am not in the shape that I used to be in.  It is funny because you never realize how thin you used to be until you look back at old pictures. I remember thinking that I was "fat" and now I would kill to look like that.  But...I cannot go back in time.  I can only go forward, and I will with a new attitude.  I will use this new attitude to hopefully lose 15 pounds!! I know that I can do it with my new plan...

We recently purchased my new boyfriend from Nordictrac and it has quickly motivated me again.  I am in LOVE with it.  It is a beautiful machine but most importantly, it is IN MY HOUSE! Now I am not getting ahead of myself here. I realize that I have only had it for a few days but I really feel that this is going to help me out immensely.  I plan to use it at least 6 days a week. I have no excuses. I can ALWAYS squeeze in a half hour if I am having a busy day.  Most importantly, I can use it right before bed! 

Here is my current plan:

• Use the elliptical for 45 minutes - 1 hour at least 6 days a week
• Finding the time is more challenging because Gabby is already not big on me being on it while she is awake. Therefore, I will use it when Johnny is home from work, during nap time, or after Gabby goes to bed.  I already have done it twice at 10 0'clock at night.  Last night I did 50 minutes while I watched Grey's Anatomy!
• Running is NOT gone from my workout routine! I still love to run but this winter has been brutal and I have had to abandon it for a while.  As soon as the warm weather is back I will absolutely be running and walking with my little buddy.  She still loves her running stroller even though she is getting too big for it (So sad..) But I will worry about how to work that schedule when Spring arrives!
• Food is my constant battle.  Here is what I am currently doing:
• Green Drink for breakfast - Typically consists of:  1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 scoop of protein powder, 1 cup of spinach, 1/3 of a frozen banana, 2 tablespoons of nonfat vanilla greek yogurt and a cup of water.  I blend it in my nutribullet and sometimes I add a few ice cubes if it isn't cold enough!
• Overnight oats - I take quick oats, banana, almond milk, raisins, cinnamon and chia seeds and I mix them in a mason jar and leave them overnight.  Very yummy! 
• Oatmeal Cupcakes - I LOVE making these! So yummy and they satisfy my sweet tooth! I typically eat one of these for a mid-morning snack or to have as a snack when I am craving a cookie!
• Scrambled Egg Whites or Egg White omelet..need I say more?! :) Yummy and satisfying!
• For lunch I typically bring leftovers from dinner to work.  If I do not have leftovers I am either making an egg white omelet with 1 slice of low sodium cheese or a can of tuna.  I typically have a yogurt and a cup of roasted red pepper and tomato soup.  
• I am making a very conscious effort to eat less cheese and less carbs, especially at night!  I have been making a lot of chicken, shrimp, roasted sweet potatoes with cinnamon and nutmeg, sauteed veggies, julienne zucchini prepared like pasta with mushrooms and any other veggies that I have lying around the house, and many other fun things that are yummy but low on fat and carbs!
• I am obsessed with the recipes on Skinnytaste!! If you haven't made anything from this site you are missing out.  The chicken rollatini recipes are my favorites!!! I also absolutely loved the PB&J cookies!  You will be happy that you checked it out!.

It's a new dawn..it's a new day..

It has been a while.  Too long really.

After the half marathon I had a lot of trouble with running.  I experienced ankle pain, foot pain, and knee pain that impacted my ability to run at different times over the next 6 months. I did some running but definitely not as much as I had been for the year prior to the half last May.  I attempted to go to the gym but I truly hate the gym these days.  It is crowded, inconvenient, and honestly too public for me when I am working out.  I feel like I am around people ALL DAY LONG and I just need an hour that is about me and not the people around me.  This winter definitely hasn't helped either.  Last winter was definitely not as cold or snowy as this year.  I am definitely impacted by the weather and this weather has made me lazy and tired.  I realize that this sound like a lot of excuses, and they are,  but they are my reality and I have to face them. I have definitely put on some weight as a result of this.  Not a crazy amount of weight but enough to make me feel depressed.  I have to put this all in the past and move on because everyday is a new day and a new chance to start over.

So here is my plan...I would like to lose 10-15 pounds by July.  I am going to rediscover my love for running once there is no more snow on the ground.  I will run and/or walk with my daughter, even though she is starting to outgrow the running stroller, at least 3 days after school and 1 day on the weekend.  We are purchasing an elliptical so that we have that in the house to workout on.  We are quitting the gym because it is a total waste of money each month.  I am attempting to cook a lower carb and more gluten free diet.  I need to eat less dairy and more protein and veggies.  A lot of changes need to be made but I need to take baby steps.  I am planning to take a few of my favorite recipes and some new ones and create a meal plan that is easy to follow and shop for and try to take those 7 days of recipes and follow it for month and see how I do.

So here's to trying...

Frustrated....

For the past month I have been dealing with a sore ankle.  It actually borders on extremely painful at times.  There have been a few moments where I have stepped funny or pushed my ankle into the couch and it has shot pain up through my ankle.  I WANT TO RUN...I want to run so bad that it makes me want to cry.  I haven't gone for a pain free run since the end of June.  I've tried resting it, just walking on it, only doing videos, doing nothing, and still it will not go away.   I know that I need to go to a doctor.  I really thought that rest would make it better.  However, I find it strange how the pain comes and goes. I just keep wishing that I would wake up and that the pain wouldn't be there. I go out for a walk with the hope that i'll try to run and that it will not hurt...but lately no luck.  I'm just praying that i'll feel better by September!! I want to do fall runs soooooo bad!! I must go to the doctor..Fingers crossed!!

"Citifield" Glow Run

So I think it is safe to say that I am definitely not a huge fan of "fun" runs.  I am used to serious runs where they are being timed and the people around me are both motivating and inspiring.  A fun run is mostly people that are there for fun which I completely support but running is my exercise so I have a hard time not completing my run.  However, the company was fantastic! I was super excited to run along side some of my closest friends and I was able to run one of my fastest times in a long time.  My ankle didn't bother me during the run and that made me super excited.  The day after my ankle was a little sore and needed some ice but it definitely didn't hurt the way that it had been.  

I think that i'm done with runs for the summer.  I'm planning to do some cardio videos and work my way back to running on my ankle again as quickly as I can.  I think that my fall runs will start with Healthy Mamas, Hope For Youth 5k, and the Tunnel to the Towers.  From there I will see :) Excited!! 

Hint hint - Maybe my dad will join me on one of them?!?! :) I hope so!!

Belmont Glow Run

This has been a tough summer for me and running.  Right at the beginning of summer I was out for a run and I felt a small pop in my ankle and it hasn't been the same since.  It hurts primarily when I run and it comes and goes.  Some days i'm able to run with ease and other days it hurts so badly that I have to walk.  I just find it odd that it doesn't bother me at all when I walk.  I'm assuming I have a sprain and it will just take a while to fully heal so hopefully by the fall I will be able to run without pain.

The Glow Run was meant to be a lot of fun but I was super stressed about whether or not I would be able to run it.  I also realized that i'm not big on "fun" runs. I found all of the additional things, like the bubbles, irritating.  I was happy that despite some pain that I was able to run but it was definitely not a very successful run for me.  Also, according to my tracker it wasn't a full 5k as it had been advertised to be which I found annoying since it was a fairly expensive run.

However, despite all of that I had a great time with my friends! It was Rosalba's first official run and she did great! I am signed up for another glow run and i'm still excited about it because it will be at Citifield!! It should be a great time but again i'm worried about being able to run because of my ankle.. we shall see! Worst case scenario I will do a brisk 5k power walk around citifield :)

So proud of Rosie on her first run!!!! Yay!!!

Rockin' Wellness!!!

Rockin' Wellness has completely changed my diet! I have always wanted to find a protein shake that would not add to my weight. That really never worked for me.  Even the Lean Protein shakes that I liked didn't have the same impact as these have.  I recently switched from skim milk to almond milk that is 30 calories a cup.  I never thought that I would like almond milk but I honestly LOVE it now. I love how it tastes and I love how it makes me feel.  What I really like about this product is that it is completely organic and has absolutely no GMOs which is a big deal to me!! 

This is not a cheap product.  3 bags cost me $135 dollars but they do last for a while.  Each bag has 30 scoops so it depends on how much you use in each shake and each day. It is honestly the best money that i've ever spent on a health product.  I wouldn't dare call it a diet product because it is meant to make you HEALTHY and as a result it could impact you to lose weight.  That is what my true goal is.  To create a diet that I can maintain and hopefully lose weight in the process.  I have a shake every morning and on days when i'm rushing around I have one for lunch as well.  I also try to have egg whites and lean meats for my other meals.   

My current shake is:

2 Scoops of Rockin' Wellness

2 Cups of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

1 Tablespoon Almond Butter

1 small or 1/2 large banana

Ice

Blend well and enjoy :)

**From the website**

Product Information

• Created From The Earth’s Top Superfoods
• Over 2000Mg Of Omegas Per Scoop! 
• Whole Body Nutritional Shake
• A Delicious Way To Get Essential Vitamins, Minerals, Enzymes, Antioxidants, Omega 3, 6 & 9, Protein, Fiber & An Energy Boost
• nonGMO, Organic, Gluten Free, Vegan Raw High Content Superfoods from High Content Soils.
• Nothing Artificial, No Preservatives... Just Pure Rockin’ Wellness!

- See more at: http://rockinwellness.com/pages/welcome#sthash.3uZI7zni.dpuf