Day 2 and protein shakes

Day 2 of being home has gone better than day 1 did. Day one was my birthday and I think that is part of the reason I was depressed. Not being able to go out, no birthday dinner, no cake, one to remember for sure. 

I have been doing the Strong Body Guide program since last October. I did REALLY well for the first few weeks and was really dedicated. Then the holidays came along and I completely stopped. There was too much going on and I had no time or energy to work out. I finally started up again a few weeks ago and although I have not been as dedicated with the meal plan, I have been getting all the workouts done. I am currently on week 9 and the last 2 days have been ROUGH. By the end of my workout I had done 160 squats!!! My hamstrings were killing me last night and today. 

We found out from our school system that we will now be out for a month. While the last 2 days have been trying (hello, small children) I have been working out hard. And when I finish weeks 9 through 12, I am going to start over. I am excited to see my progress at the end!

I have also been trying to change some things in my diet. This is one of them. I drink a protein shake every day. I use almond milk, ice, chocolate protein powder, a banana and peanut butter. I also picked up some greens and have been adding them as well. I tried them in a strawberry shake and I could taste them, but with the chocolate, peanut butter and banana, I couldn't. 

My other favorite shake to make is almond milk, ice, chocolate protein powder, strawberries and a banana. 

Post workout Mama.

Amazing Grass that tastes like grass!! Ha! It's not too bad mixed in with something.

So I hope everyone is staying healthy and making smart choices during this scary and uncertain time in our world! Yes it is hard being stuck at home, but it could be a lot worse. I talk to my friends through text, Marco Polo and Snapchat. I see what others are doing through Facebook and Instagram posts. I get to watch the Today show in the morning and I am already getting some books read that have been sitting around for months. We got a new oversized chair in our Florida room and that's where I have been camping out and reading. It's so nice!! Oh and napping. Man have I missed napping. 

Check back again for more! Ta ta for now!

500 Miles!

Did you notice in my mile counter that I have officially hit 500 miles?! How exciting!

I actually hit it on May 31st but am just now getting around to blogging about it. That run that day was awful too. It was so humid and since I had not been running I felt like a slug and also felt like I was going to pass out when I got home. 

On a side note, I just have to throw out there that I have run a lot more than 500 miles since I began running back in 2008. I only started keeping track of them with the dailymile.com tracker about 3 years ago (most of which was taken up with a pregnancy and a newborn).

These last 2 months have been really tough. Work has been crazy (like it always is at the end of the school year) and I just have not felt like myself and therefore have not been running. This week I have a little more pep in my step and have stepped it up on my Fitbit and also gotten more sleep at night. I feel better. I have also started eating better, which affects how I feel when I eat junk. The junk is extra hard to avoid these days because the end of the school year is a time when parents shower us with sugary treats. The faculty lounge is a deadly place. My solution has been to keep this awesome nut mix behind my desk and I snack on that when I feel a craving coming on. 

I have also really gotten into salads. This one I had the other night and it was so good! (I know ranch isn't really the best but it is the only dressing I really like.) Next week I plan on coming up with new salad recipes and ideas for the summer.

Last month I decided to keep better track of my running this summer. I still have my running journal but this calendar I came up with stays on the fridge and therefore in my face letting me know when I am slacking. You can see that May was not a great month...but I am determined to make June better!

And I started today by actually going for a run! My energy level has been better and since today was not too humid, I decided it was time to go. SO glad that we did! Not only was it fun and felt good, I got this cute picture too :-)


Only 2 more days until summer freedom! I can-not-wait.

A GREAT Milestone!

You all know how hard I've been working to get back in shape since B was born almost 17 months ago. I cannot even begin to tell you how freaking excited I was when I stepped on the scale this morning and saw an amazing thing....I AM OFFICIALLY BACK TO MY PRE-BABY WEIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A few months ago I was convinced that I would never see that number again. Then back in August The Today Show did a "detox challenge" with their anchors. Each person gave up something that was a vice for them, like ice cream, bread, wine, shopping, etc. This inspired me to do my own detox challenge. For the month of September I decided to give up my biggest vice: all those sweets. I said goodbye to cake, ice cream, cookies, brownies, and candy. I still ate things with sugar in it, like yogurt and granola bars, but I did my best to stay away from those big items that don't do a body good. C took up the challenge as well and gave up soda. How did we do? Not too bad. Out of 30 days, I had 5 bad days. And 3 of those days were tiny pieces of candy, so they really weren't so bad. We made ourselves accountable by drawing smiley faces on the calendar for the good days and frown faces for the bad. Even though I didn't make it all month, I am so proud of myself and have proven to myself that I don't need the sweets as much as my brain was telling me I did. And the best part was that I lost those last 3 annoying pounds!!

This weekend we have the Crawlin' Crab 5K and I am getting really excited about that as well. I'm really looking forward to it because I haven't run a race since July. I haven't been training like I would have liked to but I think it will still be good. Races are always a good time. It is also my best friend's first race! I am excited for her. More on this later.

This was a post I did not think I would get to ever write. Aren't these little accomplishments wonderful??

Oatmeal Cakes

As a working mom I am always looking for recipes I can eat on the go, particularly in the morning. There has been a lot of cereal consumed these last few months since it is easy and fast in the AM, but it gets boring after awhile and I can't take it with me very easily.

A friend posted a link on Facebook the other night to these oatmeal cakes. (They came from this blog)  I tried them out and they turned out great! Fairly healthy too. Since we only had 3 bananas hanging around, I modified the recipe to make less. I also didn't want 25 of them hanging around.

Ingredients:

Wet-
3 ripe bananas
5 Tbsp agave (or just squirt in as much as you like, that's what I did) you could also use honey
2 cups water
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (could also use vegetable oil)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Dry-
3 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
3 tsp ground flax seed

1. Preheat Oven to 380 degrees.
2. Mix dry and wet ingredients separately. Stir wet very well.
3. Mix wet into dry, stirring very well.
4. Bake for 21 minutes.

They turn out kind of spongy, not hard, which I liked. It made them easier and faster to eat than a granola bar. You can also add in other things you like-raisins, dried cherries, nuts, etc. The sky is the limit with these yummy breakfast cakes!

Happy baking!

easing back into the saddle

Yesterday I went to the gym.

Like I said previously, I worked a little with a personal trainer and now feel better equipped to go into the weight room and not get freaked out. Now I know that it doesn't matter what you do or how long you do it, just as long as you GET IN THERE AND DO IT. (That was motivation for myself.)

I have a "training plan" tucked away in the drawer at the gym, but yesterday I didn't bother with it. I knew I just needed to get in there and do something. Since I did something to my back a few days ago, still not sure what, and it was feeling better I didn't want to injure it so I stayed away from back and arms and concentrated on legs and cardio.

I spent 20 minutes on the elliptical and then did the machine that works the outside and inside of your thighs. After that I ran around the indoor track 5 times. The goal here was to run without stopping and see how my knee did. It seemed to do pretty good but wasn't feeling quite right near the end. I walked a lap after that to cool down. I'm sure that 5 laps is not even a quarter of a mile but the point was that I did it. I got in there and felt accomplished when I left.

Next week I'm going to go at least twice and maybe do the same thing. Maybe I'll run 6 laps ;-)

3 month check up



This post is a little late, but better late than never right?

With B before going for a quick 2 mile run.

I'm 3+ months out from having a baby and things are going well! There are still several pounds left of baby weight but it takes time and honestly I haven't really been trying to lose it or worrying much about it. I'm just taking my time and am mainly concerned with just being happy. I think that's a good way to be a few months after having a baby.

I did join a gym again and I have been enjoying it but not using it as much as I thought/hoped I would. My mom has been helpful with Brody but it is hard to schedule time to go to a morning class when you don't know if you will be getting enough sleep the night before. We also move pretty slow in the morning. I'm lucky to get out of the house by 11AM.

That will change next month though. B starts daycare and even though I am still on maternity leave until mid October, we have to pay for it so I might as well use it. My plan to get our butts up and moving early so I can drop him off at daycare and make it to the gym classes on time, then run a few errands and go pick him up. I get a little break, use of the gym and use of daycare. This will also get me back into a routine for work...which is a subject I really don't want to talk about.

My little man at 3 months! It has gone by SO FAST. I want to spend every minute with him and that adorable smile.

Crabby butt :-)

The other thing I have been up to is photography. In 2010 I purchased my Nikon SLR but never really knew how to use it. I hate reading directions and although I love the camera, I've been frustrated with it. A Groupon popped up in my email one day for online photo classes so I started taking them. They have been great and so helpful! Especially the one I am taking now which is teaching me about the basics of the camera. Things I knew when I was in high school but forgot over the years and never knew how to do on the digital camera. Here's an example of what I did this weekend:

We were in PA and I went out on the four wheeler alone with my camera. There is a trail through the woods, so I took the picture above with the regular settings on the camera. It was taken at dusk.

Then I changed the settings, using what I have learned, and took the picture below. Whoa! Same shot, Big difference!

This is another one I took overlooking the property with the farmhouse and the barn. I'm enjoying taking better pictures.

Things are going good. Life is getting back to "normal" for us after surviving the first months with a newborn. They get SO much easier as they get older, and a lot more enjoyable.

My body is definitely better than it was just a few weeks ago although my lower abdomen is still sensitive when it comes to working it. We'll get there. Earlier today I was looking at some pictures from my bachelorette party 2 years ago and that was some good motivation. I was in the best shape of my life. I'm ready to get back to that, and back to running.

Weekend Update

Everyone have a good weekend? I know we did. We pretty much did nothing. It was great.

The last two weeks have been insanely hectic for us. C had a lot going on at work that was due March 1 and between doctor appointments, physical therapy and baby classes my afternoons and evenings have been just packed. By the time I get home I have just enough energy to let the dog out and feed her before I crash on the couch. So needless to say, this past weekend was a welcome respite.

Thursday night I was home and while browsing the internet I found a new granola recipe and decided to try it out. It is SO GOOD. I've noticed that with the vegan recipes I have tried there is a lot of cinnamon and other ingredients used that I get tired of quickly. What drew me to this non-vegan one is that it uses peanut butter and boy does that make a difference if you are a peanut butter lover! This granola has been my savior the last few days since I am more hungry and need to snack more at work. I keep a baggie of it on my desk and go to town when I'm suddenly hungry out of the blue.

Friday I had the big glucola test to see if I have gestational diabetes. I didn't eat much during the day, I tried to stay away from carbs and sweet items because they can throw the test and then you have to take the 3 hour test. Blah. My efforts paid off because I found out yesterday that I passed! So I don't have GD and I don't have to take the 3 hour test! If you don't know, the first one is a one hour test. It wasn't too bad, I went in and went straight back to the lab and drank the sugary drink. It didn't taste as bad as people make it out to be-I opted for fruit punch since I like that better than orange- but it did get a bit long in the tooth by the end. You have to drink it in 5 minutes or less so at least it's fast. After that I went and had my regular doctor appointment which lasted about 30 minutes so I had 30 more minutes to kill before I went back to the lab. It really wasn't that bad...until later.

I celebrated the good news yesterday with a cupcake from Frostings! Makes sense, right?

I learned my lesson. If I ever do this again, I am taking the glucola test at 8AM. I took it at 1:30PM this time and I was still wide awake at 1AM. It seriously felt like I had drank about 2 highly concentrated Red Bulls, and I don't drink that stuff. I cannot remember the last time I even saw those wee hours in the morning. I tried to go to bed but my mind was racing so I went downstairs and laid on the couch and watched TV till I feel asleep about quarter to 2 in the morning. I woke up at 2:30AM and was able to go up to bed but I was up again by 7AM, vigorously deep cleaning the kitchen. I was all out of sorts all day and so was my baby. He was rolling, flipping and kicking like I've never felt before. I crashed hard on Saturday night to say the least.

BABY UPDATE! My doctor measured my uterus with a tape measure and said I was about 31cm. These are supposed to coincide with whatever week you are and I am only 29 weeks. Excited I asked if this changed my due date and she said, "No it just means you're having a big baby." Great. I guess that's what I get for marrying a guy who wears size 13 shoes. Might get one more ultrasound to find out just how big he is and I hope that if he is a beast they take him out early. I'm seriously ALL baby, which is great since I haven't been exercising and I eat whatever I want, but my stomach aches constantly and little man is always sticking a body part out or pushing somewhere that is not comfortable. It's like he is already out of room and I really don't know where else he is going to go except straight out.

RECIPE! (not even really a recipe but you know...)
For dinner Saturday I tried making calzones I had seen on Pinterest. All you do is roll out a pizza crust (I got the kind that comes in a rolled up dough form, don't use frozen) and put a little sauce and your toppings in the middle. Then slice the side so they look like ribbons and fold them over your toppings. They turned out REALLY good and we had enough toppings left over to have them again.

Cheesy goodness!

Sunday we went to Lowe's and ordered a shed. My husband likes fixing and building things, so we have a lot of power tools in the garage. The garage has been a sore point for us for awhile because we always have something to put out there or something we need to fix out there and there is never any room. The shed will be a huge help because we can store some stuff in there that we don't use all the time and finally have a garage again. I'm actually pretty excited even though it's more for him than me.

And so begins another busy week!

Cocoa Steel Cut Oats

Awhile ago I discovered steel cut oats while checking out the recipes over at Oh She Glows. I tried it out and enjoyed them, although I think they take a little getting used to since their flavor seems a little different than that of good old rolled oats. I used about half of my bag and they've been in the pantry ever since.

Then the other week I read about 10 different pregnancy "super foods" that are really great for your growing baby. One of these was oatmeal.

This past weekend I was lamenting over not being able to run any of the fun, upcoming races that i usually do this time of year, so I pulled out one of the Runner's World magazines I haven't read in about 5 months now (since I haven't been running, I haven't been reading...) and came across this recipe for steel cut oats. This recipe seemed (and was) a LOT more simple than the ones I've seen at OSG. So I tried it out.

Although it kind of looks like gruel, it was tastey. I had to add a little sugar on top to make it sweeter (I grew up putting sugar on oatmeal) and from there I was good to go. Plus I was all proud of myself for feeding my child something healthy.

I actually made less than the recipe called for, and of course, changed a few things to make it my own. I've been eating less lately, it doesn't take much to fill me up, and when I was done cooking I had enough for about 3 breakfasts. I wouldn't keep this hanging around for too long, eat it within a few days of making it.

Cocoa Steel Cut Oats

1 cup steel cut oats
1 cup water
1 cup milk

-boil these 3 in a pot, simmer 15 minutes

1 mashed banana
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 cup water

-mix in these 4 and cook for 10 minutes

Sprinkle sugar on top if you like your's sweeter :-)

oranges!

I love fruit. It really is delicious. But only as a snack or with lunch and breakfast. Fruit is NOT a dessert and does NOT substitute for chocolate.

That being said, let me tell you about my friend the orange. I have always like oranges, but lately I am craving them. Summer really is the best time of the year, and I will never understand why so many people (my husband) are obsessed with winter. It's cold, it's dark, you are stuck in the house, and fruit and veggies are rather gross because they come from so far away, but in spring and summer, all that yummy goodness is fresh! I am a summer girl through and through and that will never change. Give me a beach, a palm tree, a lounge chair and a fruity beverage and I am set for the day.

So back to the orange. A few weeks back we had some friends over. One brought oranges with him to put in his Blue Moon beer. He then left an orange behind, which I ate, and it was delicious. And so began my seasonal fruit obsession. I bought a bag of oranges and scarfed them down pretty quick. Since then I have had a hard time finding another bag of those same oranges. Buying oranges like you buy apples (picking the ones you want) is just silly to me. I am going to be eating those things faster than you can blink as eye, so just give me 20 in a bag real cheap please.

As I sat here at lunch I got to thinking, what are the great benefits of the orange? So I checked it out. I mostly found interesting facts.
1. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world! Then there should be plenty of them to go around...in bags...why is this so hard for me to find?
2. There are four varieties of oranges: common, navel, blood and acidless. And there are over 50 spinoffs of those.
3. They are a great source of vitamin C! I think we all knew that though...
4. You can eat an orange peel. It has a lot of vitamin C and fiber. However, they also have a lot of pesticides unless organically grown. So steer clear.

After my research, I still don't know if this is a great running food or not but I will let you know when Runner's World tells me. As for now, I am going to keep snacking away on my giant bags of oranges since Weight Watchers says they are 0 points. Oh yes, I am doing WW as well. After my wedding last year I kind of blew up a little (fat and happy?) and after having my thyroid tested (and it came back normal of course) I decided it was time to bite the bullet and try a diet, even though I hate them. I've been doing it for about a month now and even though that first week was REAAAAAAALLY hard, I eat a lot less now and I eat healthier, which was my main goal in joining. I know I will never weigh as little as I did in high school ever again, but I can be healthy and happy. And maybe one day my thyroid issue will resolve itself.


What is your favorite go to fruit?
What is your favorite season? Why do you love it?

Guest Post: Liz Davies

Liz contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if she could write a guest post for my blog. Always up for something new, I loved the idea. Here is her article.

Cancer Patients and Survivors Need Exercise

Most people know about the benefits that exercise has for the average person but not many people know about the benefits that cancer patients can reap from regular physical activity.

Some of the most common side effects from cancer treatments (whether they are from chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of treatments) include exhaustion, nausea and vomiting, pain, and weight management issues. All of these side effects can be lessened and even eliminated through exercise.  It has also been shown that recurrence of cancer can be lessened for cancer survivors and that survival rates are higher with those who exercise on a regular bases. Breast cancer was one of the first cancers that was researched when it came to exercise but now more cancers are being researched like colon cancer, mesothelioma cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Many times when a doctor makes a recommendation patients do not always follow the advice. This could be for many reasons such as lack of confidence the recommendation with help, laziness or just plain forgetfulness. Most doctors just make a recommendation for cancer patients to exercise but they aren’t handing them a prescription so many patients are not taking it seriously. Patients also often underestimate or overestimate their physical abilities and also fear returning back to exercise.

The exercise regimens recommended for cancer patients aren’t far off from the routines average Americans follow. The difference is that is can take patients and survivors a little longer to get the routine going and they often need a little more support. Finding the motivation and energy to take a daily walk can be much harder when cancer patients have their treatment side effects holding them back. Pushing past those has measurable benefits and can’t be ignored. The responsibility falls upon doctors to educate patients and for the patients to take control of their health and be proactive in their approach to exercise.

Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April.

You can see her blog here: Musings of a Curious Mind

Bad, blogger! Bad!

I fell off my self imposed blogging bandwagon! Oh well, it happens...

Anyways I am back and hopefully I will update a little more frequently this time.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and was able to get out and do a turkey trot of some length. I did not do a turkey trot this year, but I did go for a 3.1 mile run by myself and it was great. The morning was only a little chilly and it was nice to burn 300 calories before the big meal.

I did our local Turkey Trot 10K last year and I really enjoyed it. You run all around the University of Richmond and it's surrounding neighborhoods. The course is hilly and challenging but really beautiful. I hope that I can run it next year since I skipped it this year.

It's hard to believe that we are in the holiday season. It totally snuck up on me. As I have mentioned, I am a teacher and you can totally tell the kids are ready for a break...although I can tell you, we teachers are probably more ready than they are.

I haven't had much time to just sit, but after this weekend I should. I have my first craft show coming up and I am so excited! I haven't been running because I have been making pottery every afternoon after work and I am ready for that to be over with so I can run again.

Now that I have the running down, I am also working on living a (slightly) healthier lifestyle. One little discovery I made while training for the half was a new smoothie! I haven't had it in awhile and I think I might have to make a batch over winter break. I follow this vegan blog, Oh She Glows, and I am by no means a vegan but I like a lot of her recipes. I am kinda tired of eating "crap" and I am veeeery sloooowly trying to put healthier foods into my diet. One easy way to do this is post run smoothies!

I made her recipe for pumpkin butter, and then I had no clue what to do with it...so I scooped some into the blender one morning and this is what I came up with!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

1-2 big spoonfuls of pumpkin butter
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup (or "glugs" to be technical) of almond milk (or any kind of milk)
1 banana
3 cubes ice

Blend and serve!

So easy and so tasty! Enjoy!