Accountability

I know something we might all struggle with. Making health a habit. Putting exercise as a priority. Finding the time in your busy day to eek out some form of movement and healthy choices.

I also know a way to help with it. You've got to get some accountability. It comes in many forms. Maybe you join an office pool to lose weight. Or even try the online betting app called DietBet where you can join challenges and win money when you reach your goal. You can promise yourself a treat when you reach a certain goal. Or talk your significant other into keeping you accountable during mealtime. And then there is certainly my favorite...find a fit sister. Get yourself a partner in crime. Someone to work out with. Someone to call when the sugar monster rears its ugly head. Someone who will be bummed if you hit the snooze button and miss a session. 

Having someone to hold me accountable has been the biggest motivator in my fitness journey. I'm strong but my willpower wavers at times. The other evening I was this close to throwing my hands up in the air and calling uncle on my Whole30. But luckily my supportive husband talked me off the ledge. 

Today is Day 20 of your nutrition challenge and I want to know how you are feeling! What obstacles have you encountered? What has been you favorite part of it so far? What results are you seeing? And remember results aren't always on the scale. Are you sleeping better? Increased energy? Clearer skin? Tell me about it!

#8WTF Days 10 & 11

Whoops! I was so darn tired I totally forgot to post last night.

Yesterday's eats went like this:

Breakfast- prosciutto and egg muffins
Lunch- roast & veggies
Snack- Larabar and banana
Dinner- shrimp and asparagus


Today's grub:

Breakfast- bacon, eggs, leftover salmon with spicy mayo
Lunch- more leftover salmon with spicy mayo
Dinner- Hot wings and sweet potato fries with spicy mayo

Hmm...lots of spicy mayo, very little veggies. I'll have to fix that tomorrow.

I've reached my water goal for the day but didn't get my oils in or my ginger shot.



I know most of you aren't doing the Whole30 but I thought I would write a little bit about how I go about it. Almost everyone will tell you to prep, prep, prep! Take Sunday or whatever and cook up a storm, slice up all your veggies, pack lunches. Some easy things to prep are frittatas, chicken thighs, seasoned ground beef, chicken legs, chili, paleo mayo, and deviled eggs. These are regular go to things for our family. But honestly I don't do a whole lot of prep. I am home all day most days of the week so I have plenty of time to cook our three meals. I just make sure and cook more than we need so there are lots of leftovers for those hungry people who wander in the kitchen and stare into the fridge as if it holds the answers to all life's questions. Since my husband is participating in this Whole30, I make extra sure these leftovers are available.

Let's take a look into my Whole30 fridge. Mind you I just went shopping today so its pretty packed. And of course you will see a lot of non-Whole30 food and a lot of non-Paleo food. My kids still have to eat. They mostly eat what we eat but there are times in between meals or when I'm not hungry myself and don't want to cook, but they still want to eat. Just overlook those items. I'm sure I've missed a few things but what I've listed is my most often used items.

#8WTF Whole30 Day 8

The hardest thing about the Whole30 to me is that alcohol is prohibited during the thirty days.

In fact all I really want to do today is drink a beer.

That's all I have to say.

Today's Whole30 eats:

Breakfast- bacon and fried eggs
Lunch- leftover Lobster Bisque
Snack- apple with almond butter
Dinner- half a ribeye and a small bowl of Lobster Bisque

I nailed my water intake and also had my oils and ginger shot.



If you are truly wanting to quit drinking alcohol, I highly recommend the community site, Hello Sunday Morning. They have a terrific philosophy about alcohol and an amazing support system.

#8WTF Day 7 & Mediterranean Roast Chicken & Weekly Check-In

Last night's dinner was one of my own recipes. Mediterranean Roasted Chicken. So good, and the leftovers are just as bomb.

Ingredients:

4 bone in split chicken breast

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. capers

3 canned artichoke hearts chopped

1 tbsp. garlic

2 tbsp. sundried tomatoes

1 tbsp dried basil or a 1/4 c. fresh basil thinly sliced

Early in the day, marinate the chicken breast in the balsamic vinegar.

Preheat oven to 375 or preheat grill.

Mix all other ingredients together. Pull back skin on chicken breasts and stuff in the mixture. Place in roasting dish and bake for 45 min to 1 hour or until juices run clear. If grilling start with skin side down to sear and seal in stuffing mixture. Continue to flip back and forth until done.

Today was rest day. A much appreciated rest day. I literally stayed in my pj's all day long. I got my water in, although it was tougher than normal with no exercise to increase my thirst. Also had my oil infused water, but didn't have a ginger shot. Whole30 still going strong. Todays eats were:

Breakfast- eggs, bacon, sweet potato hash

Lunch- leftover Mediterranean Roast Chicken and veggies with a quarter sweet potato

Snack- half and avocado wrapped in turkey

Dinner- Paleo Lobster Bisque

For dinner tonight I found a recipe to use up some of the lobster tails I have stored in the fridge. This Paleo Lobster Bisque from Cavegirl Cuisine turned out very good.

At the end of Week 1, I kept to my goals, but I'm feeling very tired today.

Let me know how your week has gone. What small daily steps have you done to reach your goals? Any obstacles get in your way?

#8WTF Day 4

What are you doing to track your goals? And I say goals because none of us are rarely easy on ourselves and just pick one goal. We must do this and this and also this. In order to not beat myself up on the days that fall a bit short, I keep a log. It reminds me of the big picture. The long term. Progress not perfection.

As you can see the last few days I've fallen short on my water intake. And today I didn't get my oils or my ginger shot. No excuses. I'll do better tomorrow. Hopefully at the end of the month I can say I drank a gallon of water 25/30 days. A few days here and there are nothing to stress about. The Whole30 goal isn't flexible though. Whole30 requires strict adherence to produce results. It requires research, planning, and commitment. I made cupcakes with frosting for my daughter and had to remember really hard not to lick any wayward frosting. Yay for me!


#8WTF links from around the web (basically good stuff to know):

8 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight

What 2000 Calories Looks Like

Whole30 Recipes and Tips

8 Weeks To Fit

This is an invitation. A chance to take the promise of a new year with all its resolutions and ride it all the way to the end of February. Use that momentum and motivation and do something with it!

I invite you to start something new, continue on your path, pick back up where you left off. Whatever it means to you. Because that is what this challenge is about. You. I'm not going to tell you what to eat or give you a daily workout. Those are your choices. You are much better equipped to decide your fitness road than I am.

Along with my friend Ashley over at Maniac Mom, I am offering up this challenge (with prizes!!) too you.

Here are the nitty gritty details:

• This is a two month challenge. January will focus on nutrition. February on fitness.
• Participants set their own goals.  In January you will choose a nutrition plan that you have been interested in trying or unable to stick with in the past. It's your choice to count calories, do a sugar detox, eat clean, or try paleo.  In February you will pick a fitness goal. Things like completing your first 5K or setting a new PR. Maybe you goal is to work up to a 10 mile run. Maybe you just want to be able to run a mile! Practice yoga everyday for a month or try crossfit for the first time. The goals are yours and yours alone.
• Prizes will be given at the end of each month. They include a $50 Academy Sports giftcard, a goody bag of running related treats valued at $40, and other things to be announced at a later date. 
• Participants must check in by commenting on a weekly update post here on Ashley In Arkansas.
• In order to be in the running for a prize, you must set a goal and reach that goal. You will also be judged on your level of participation on the Facebook page, the weekly blog check-ins, and you stand a better chance if you volunteer to write guest posts detailing your experience working towards your goals.  E-mail me or leave a comment if you are interested in guest blogging. Also gratuitous hashtagging on social media of #8WTF is a good thing!

Some tips on reaching your goals: 

• Your nutrition plan should be something that is right for you. I personally feel like counting calories is the easiest way to go about it. Sparkpeople is a terrific website for this but there are many others. Check out Sarah Wilson and her I Quit Sugar program if you are most interested in kicking the sugar monster to the curb. Tosca Reno has several books on Eating Clean. Mark's Daily Apple is a great place to get started on primal and paleo plans. And of course for you hard core girls, there is always a Whole30.
• Take it one day, one hour, one minute at a time. Fight cravings with healthy substitutes or just plain walking away. Does the donut shop always tempt you on the way to work? Drive a different route to avoid it. Know you have a problem avoiding your kids treats. Don't buy them for that month. It will be good for your kids too.
• Drink water!!!!
• Drink water!!!!
• I can't say it enough...DRINK WATER!!! Sometimes you think you are hungry and you are really just thirsty.
• Make your fitness goal attainable. If you've never run a mile in your life don't sign up for a 10K. Try a 5K instead. 
• Make fitness a priority. You need this. It's good for your body and your brain.
• If you can't fit it in anytime but first thing in the morning, then get your booty up and get it done. You won't have it looming over you all day and your day will most certainly go better.
• Find a friend! Get your best girlfriend to sign up with you and spark a little healthy competition and accountability. You are less likely to skip a workout when someone is waiting on you.
• Use our Facebook page. Everyone will be struggling through this together. You will find support and solidarity on our group's page. Use it to your advantage.

Ready to sign up?

I'm doing it!

Leave a comment on this post or on the Facebook page outlining your goals for January and February. Make sure you leave an e-mail address you can be reached at. You have until December 31st to do this. If you have a blog, please link to it as well. I will be posting a roster of all participants on January 1st. 

And...if you are one of the first 10 people to sign up you have a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card. Use it for a new cookbook, kitchen gadget, whatever you need to give yourself a leg up on the first part of the challenge. 

Make sure to Like the Facebook page, Ashley In Arkansas on Instagram, Maniac Mom on Instagram and please follow along on Pinterest for inspiration. My favorite boards are Eat All The Food, What To Do When Not Running, and Run Happy. If you are going to document any part of your challenge on social media, please use the hashtag #8WTF so we can find you. 

It's no coincidence that WTF is part of the challenge's acronym. You might be thinking WTF on Day 3 of a sugar detox, or 5 miles into your 10 mile run. Just know that you can do this. Embrace the pain, trust the process, work for that goal. And don't be scared to drop an F-bomb if it helps get you through one more rep. 

Until then...

Got Protein?

I need some obviously.

I've noticed since hitting my goal weight, that I've been fraternizing with carbs a little too freely. Carbs are good. They give you energy, help your brain function, and loads of other stuff. But like anything, too much is just too much.

I'm going to start watching them again. Making sure I eat enough of the yummy suckers but not overdoing it. I'm feeling a little pouchy in the belly and I don't like it! Upping my intake of lean protein and limiting my carbs to breakfast and lunch should help that.

My run was rained out this morning and I am hoping to get it in around 2pm today. The sky had better cooperate because I haven't ran since Friday and I am feeling antsy. I don't normally take such a long break, getting in at least 3 miles on Sundays. This weekend I was under the weather and opted to clean the house instead of run. Now I'm regretting that decision.

The cookbook giveaway ends tonight. Winner announced tomorrow. Also I will be posting a new giveaway from a women's running clothes company. You do not want to miss this one!

Friday

This gorgeous view was part of my 6.25 loop this morning. I am blessed to live in such a beautiful place.

The run was hot though! Despite the killer scenery the temps were soaring and I was thankful for a full Camelbak. My running partner was battling a nasty headcold and wasn't feeling as energetic as usual so we took it easy still finishing in an hour even.

I'm happy to report that I have been behaving myself and watching the quantities of what I put in my mouth. I'm also getting some extra exercise by coaching my son's soccer team. Can you say fun?

Experiment Time

Starting today I am going to stop counting calories.

But only for a week.

I woke up early and weighed myself. 130lbs even.

I plan on eating the way I know how to this week and weighing in again next Monday. I eagerly await the results. I want to just listen to my body, eat food that's good for me, and not obsess on meeting or beating my daily calorie limits.

Please do not misunderstand me. I am a huge proponent of tracking what you put in your mouth. It was one half of the awesome duo that was key to my weight loss. I just feel like I've been obsessed with it for almost a year now and I want to see if I can just EAT, not count and maintain my weight.

Wish me luck.

In exercise news, I pounded out 4 long boring miles on the treadmill this morning. I missed my long run this weekend and that put me in a running funk but things will be fine. I know this.

Have a great week and Happy Running!

You Want Pie? You Got It.

Squash Pie

So yummy with a side of steamed broccoli.

Calories: 120 Carbs: 2.7 Fat: 8.7 Protein: 7.1

2 medium squash, grated

1/2 lb sausage

1/4 onion, chopped

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided



Saute sausage and onion until done. Drain and rinse as desired. Add squash and saute until tender. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, except for 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Mix well and pour in greased pie plate. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 or until slightly brown.

9 Miles In and it's Only Tuesday...Wait, it's Monday???

• Wooohoooo! Super duper awesome 6.3 mile run on Monday morning. 1 hour exactly. Longest I have ever ran in my life! Phyllis is the perfect running partner. No, you can't have her.
• 3 miles in intervals this morning, hill walking and strength training tomorrow. Longish (maybe 4-5 miles) run on Wednesday. Two days of rest to follow.
• Cause ya know what? ------ The Dam Night Run is on Saturday! Hoop hoop! So excited for this 5K. It will be my first chip timed race, they supposedly have a great afterparty and....it is all downhill!
• Hopped on the scale this morning. 130.5lbs even. Well that goal wasn't hard to reach. What do I set if for now?
• I had three pieces of Squash Pie for dinner. 120 calories a piece. Does anyone want the recipe? Southern savory cooking at its best.
• Also, someone got mentioned in a little list of running blogs on a great site called Traxee. Check it out, yo.

>

I'm Fine. Really.

Hello there! I'm doing much better! Even sans makeup and on the INTERNETZ I am happy happy happy!

What? You didn't know I wasn't doing so hot?

It was really more of an internal turmoil, not so much external. Although the last time we chatted I was bummed about my missed long run.

Folks, I was totally beating myself up for falling back into really terrible eating habits. Hence the reworking of goals and yada yada yada.

I am proud to say that the last few days I've stayed on track, gotten in all my exercise, and am pretty pleased overall.


And now on to address an email and a comment I received.

First up, I received an email from a lady who basically wants to know how I lost all my weight. She says she has been a runner for a good amount of years and is currently in marathon training but she isn't losing any weight. I have no answer for this. At least not for her. I am a firm believer in everyone is different inside and out. What works for me won't necessarily work for you.

But, to answer the how did I do it question....I did it through good ole' fashioned calories in versus calories out. Expend more calories than you take in. Get yourself a daily calorie intake of what is best for you. Try this calculator to figure it. Then go to SparkPeople, get a free account and record every single thing you put in your mouth! When I started my health journey it was with walking and reducing calories, but not by an extreme amount. Then I did get kind of extreme. When I started running and losing weight, I wanted to lose more weight. So I made my daily calorie limit 1300. Pretty low for an active person. Some months the weight would fall off. Others it stood still. I took cheat days and would absolutely gorge when I did. Eventually I evened it out to eating around 1500 a day and still losing weight. Actually when I increased my calories a bit I lost those last 10 I was trying for. Lately I've been around 1600-2000 a day. Some days more. Which is why I am back on track and trying to keep it at 1500 to lose another 4 lbs.

All this talk of extreme calorie counting brings me to the comment I received. A reader asked how I had the energy to run only eating 1200 or 1300 calories a day. The answer is... I didn't. I often felt very sluggish on my runs and couldn't seem to break past the 3 mile wall. Only when I increased my eating to 1500 or so did I see an improvement in my running and weight loss.

So it seems I am a swinger. I swing from one extreme to the other and have a hard time finding a happy medium.

For now, I am going to keep increasing my mileage, keep my calories somewhere in the middle, and just be super duper happy with my body because I have worked hard for it and it is mine!

And one reason I love this body is because it carried me through 6 whole miles Monday morning without complaint. This run was pretty good overall. The first three miles were like running underwater. Arkansas humidity is insane! At mile 3.5 we took a 2 minute walk/water/Sports Beans break and the remaining miles were a piece of cake! Mmmmm, cake. Sorry, I got distracted. Anyhoooo....it was a good run and I am pleased with my miles. Tuesday I hill walked on the treadmill and did SparkVideos and this morning I did a easy mile warmup and then two miles of intervals on the treadmill. Despite being inside in my chilly house, I was sweating like crazy. Those intervals kicked my butt!

Tomorrow I will rest. Rest as in, deep clean my house, take the kids swimming, and hardly sit down. Friday will be 3 miles on the treadmill and Saturday another long run. I can't wait! My husband laughs when I say I can't wait to run 6 miles at 6am on a Saturday morning.

Hope you are having a healthy happy mentally stable week! Happy running!

Overnight Oats Take Two

I've been salivating over Angela's Vegan Overnight Oats creations for a while now. About a month ago I gave it a whirl using her basic VOO recipe, minus the almond milk (I used skim thus making them not vegan), chia seeds, and banana (I was out). I added in Nesquick powder for some chocolate and hoped for the best.

YUCK! My overnight oats were disgusting.

Fast forward to yesterday....

I had added chia seeds to my arsenal of healthy eats, remembered to buy bananas, and was prepared to give it another go. All the pics on her blog looked so appetizing, and she was always raving about how amazing they tasted. I assembled the oats (again adding Nesquick) and tucked them away in the fridge. I put a banana in the freezer along with some cherries so I could make the must have banana soft serve to go with the overnight oats.

This morning I devoured this insanely tasty concoction....

As close as I could come to Angela's Cherry Chocolate Bomb VOO.

I added the whipped cream because hello! it was only 15 calories for 2tbsp. This parfait was seriously the BOMB! Now that I know these are delicious when made correctly I will be doing it again as often as I can during the summer. Oats are so healthy for you and super stick to the ribs kind of food. I was full all morning long from this baby!

I encourage you to check out Angela's site and her extensive list of vegan and non-vegan recipes.

And try the Overnight Oats. Its a super simple breakfast and the banana soft serve makes a great dessert alternative to ice cream. I can't wait to try it with peanut butter!

Embrace the Tomato

As a kid I was not fond of tomatoes unless they were garden fresh, icebox cold, and covered in salt.

But yesterday and again today, I deliberately put tomatoes on my sandwich. After years of picking them off every fast food burger, deli sandwich, and Italian style pizza. My BLT's were always just BL's. Don't get me wrong, I love some marinara sauce, and spaghetti, and you know my adoration for SALSA. I just didn't like tomatoes in their purest form.

I've come around folks. Tomatoes and I are now fast friends. As is the case with beans (which I previously loathed), SALSA (I never hated but didn't really care for it), fruit in general (it always seemed like too much work) and multitudes of other good for you eats. Just yesterday I snagged a recipe for Squash Pie that looks amazing and I can't wait to show you. Fair warning it also involves sausage and Parmesan cheese but hey! no crust so lower in carbs than regular pie, right?

And just to prove how head over tomatoes I am about SALSA, here is what I've had the past two days. Breakfast both days was scrambled eggs and white with cheddar cheese, sour cream, SALSA, and extra hot sauce. Dinner was grilled chicken breast topped with SALSA. I was sad that I couldn't put salsa on my sandwich today at lunch but will surely make up for it at dinner by eating something and SALSA!

What do you find yourself eating since adopting a healthy lifestyle that you previously didn't care for?

P.S. You could totally play a drinking game with this post and the word SALSA!

Yuck Yuck Yuck!

That is how I feel today.

I am totally paying for all that mindless binge eating. My tummy is torn up.

I had no energy on my run this morning. I felt so heavy! Phyllis and I completed 5.5 miles but I just had nothing else in me past that. That is proof positive that you are what you eat. I ate junk, I feel like junk. I've been laying around moaning and groaning all day wishing I could take it all back.

When I got home from my run I was hurting and in a foul mood. But not for long!!! Last week I found out that I won a terrific giveaway from RunMom at Secrets of a Running Mom.

And my brand new RoadID Elite came in the mail today!

Oh happy day! I love getting new running gear, especially after a not so happy run. I am in love with this company and have been wanting a RoadID since I first found out about them.

Thank you RunMom! Thank you RoadID guys!

P.S. Get $1 off your RoadID order by using ThanksAshley786876 as a coupon code within the next thirty days!

Restaurant Review and New High Mileage

So as I said, I was on the road yesterday and this time I actually made time to eat at a restaurant as opposed to a drive thru. I was also meeting a friend and we really wanted to eat at Marketplace Grill with all its super yummy and decent variety of healthful options. Unfortunately they don't serve alcohol.

I know, I know. You don't have to have a lunchtime drink. But we do. Have you read the headband? Also, I live in a dry county so when I'm in a wet county, I drink.

Since Marketplace was nixed we decided upon Cheddars. Neither of us had been there but a few people had said it was good. I tried to ignore all the name implied and hoped for a salad. Well they had salads but every single one contained some high fat, high calorie, or high carb ingredient. I ended up with a fried chicken salad. Easy cheese and salsa instead of dressing. I had not eaten fried chicken in ages and yesterday was a high calorie day on the calorie cycle.

Honestly, it just wasn't very good. And I hate it when restaurants just throw three huge chicken strips on top of the salad. Would it kill them to slice it up for you? Have you tried cutting your chicken on top of all that loose lettuce? Food always flies off my plate when I do that.

The salad itself wasn't horribly high calorie, despite the fried chicken. But I totally made up for it with the drink. That was the one redeeming quality at Cheddars. The Texas Tea was awesome! Sweet tea, lemonade, amaretto, and vodka. Maybe something else but I don't know. They even had a disclaimer of limit two per customer. I only had one and it did a good job of improving my mood.

My friend ordered the tilapia with mango salsa. She said hers was okay, but the mango salsa left a lot to be desired. We both make mango salsa at home and this was a poor imitation. She agreed with me that the food just wasn't that great.

I won't be going back to Cheddars. Just saying.

Yesterday I only got in 1.7 miles. Pathetic! I ran out of time. I had to make a mad dash to the shower and an even madder dash to get all three kids clothed and loaded and on the road. I felt guilty about my abbreviated run but totally made up for it today.

Fat Girl bright and early. It was ten before six. I was waiting on my running buddy and when I opened my door to get out and get ready I noticed I had company.

This guy or gal, is definitely the ringleader. Always the first to approach a human. Dude came within a foot of me this morning. All I had on me was sports beans and a oats and dark chocolate crunchy granola bar. Neither of which I was sharing with a flock of ducks.

My buddy, Phyllis arrived right about the time I was chasing the ducks out of the way of an elderly lady pulling in who may or may not have seen the ducks.

We had an amazing run! I felt awesome. I got an annoying side stitch that never really went full blown. It left after a mile or so. We got in 5.6 miles in 52 minutes. New long distance for me!

I can't wait to do it again next Saturday.

What did you do today?

Good Eats

I'm on the road today, hoping to find a salad for lunch! But I just had to show you last night's dinner and this mornings breakfast. The idea came from her. She is so cool and eats so well. Quite a bit of difference in L.A. and Arkansas. Although I like to claim I live in L.A. Ya know, Lower Arkansas. Haha! Not funny? Okay, moving on then.

Cal: 516 Carb: 39 Fat: 28 Protein: 31

Seriously y'all, I took one bite and ran to get my camera. I hadn't even planned on sharing this but it was too amazing not too! I fooled with Rebecca's version just a tiny bit. I was out of salsa so I used Tapatio Picante Sauce. I also added sour cream.


1 serving cooked quinoa
topped with:
1 scrambled egg plus 2 scrambled egg whites
1 oz. cheddar cheese (shredded)
fresh cilantro
1/2 sliced avocado
1 tbsp light sour cream
Tapatio Picante Sauce


I will be making this again. And again. And probably again. This is a new staple in my diet.

BREAKFAST!

But not for me. For the babes and hubs.

I needed to use up some overripe bananas (but no worries I saved one for my morning smoothie!), so I made Banana Blueberry muffins. These muffins are super moist so I didn't substitute any apple sauce for sugar. But I did use whole wheat flour. They were a hit!

3 bananas, mashed

1 egg

1/2 stick butter, melted

2 cups all purpose or whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tin. Add the egg and butter to the mashed bananas. Stir well. In separate bowl whisk together all other ingredients except blueberries. Add dry ingredients to banana mix incorporating until just blended. Then stir in blueberries. Scoop into 12 muffin cups and bake 25-28 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Planning Ahead

A few posts ago, I was lamenting about where to go from here. What to do. How to maintain.

I love this calorie intake calculator. And I also really like the idea of calorie cycling. I think I've been doing calorie cycling all along by having cheat days and then really low cal days. Anyways, I plugged in all the numbers and got myself a schedule that falls between weight loss and maintenance. I really like it and when I weighed myself this week, I was down another half pound.

Many of you suggested I set another goal. Great advice! I signed up for another 5K and am planning on signing up for a 10K in November. I have a great running partner now and we have a set weekend date for a long run. Long for me anyways. I don't know about her but right now 5 miles is long. I'm hoping I can increase it up to 7 or 8 miles before the 10K. And...if the 10K goes well and life cooperates then I really think I want to attempt to train for the Little Rock Half-Marathon. But that isn't until March. Plenty of time to figure it all out.

I read an interesting little article in Women's Health last night about how to order fast food, healthier. Every other weekend, we find ourselves on the road at dinner time on Friday night and Sunday night. Like clockwork, we have no choice but to eat out twice a weekend, every other weekend. And we're not talking sitting down and eating. No time for that, and I'm not a huge fan of dining out with cranky, road tired children. So we grab something and hit the road again to get home as quickly as possible.

The article gave a few good suggestions:

• At Pizza Hut you can order any pie "fit and delicious". They give you extra sauce and veggies and only half the cheese. I don't know about you but I freakin love pizza!

• Popeyes offers "naked chicken" on sandwiches and salads. Saves you about 100 calories over fried. But I love Popeyes fried chicken. Especially the super spicy kind. I'll try this though when I know I need a light day and I'm traveling and the husband insists on this Southern favorite.

• We love Subway (kids included) and evidently you can order any sandwich as a salad and save up to 520 calories depending on the size and type of the sandwich.

• Starbucks will give you an 8oz. drink if you ask for it short and this will save major calories depending on your poison. They will also add protein powder and according to the magazine article, theirs is only 30 calories a scoop.

• And at numerous burger joints you can order a veggie burger or sandwich and it comes without the patty. Or order it protein style and get the sandwich without the bun. I wouldn't do either of these. I like my protein and carbs. But just an FYI.

I personally love Taco Bell and their Fresco menu. I know you could order like this at the Bell forever but they are finally advertising it and listing calorie counts and such on the menu. I can eat like three tacos for dinner and not go over my limit!

What do you order in a pinch on the road?

Random Things Thursday

This stuff? This stuff is goooood!

I had a serving yesterday and one today. None of this eating the whole bar in one sitting thing. That is the old Fat Girl. Although I would still like to, I now know better.

Other randomness, I made some hummus this morning. Cause I LOVE hummus! And its so easy. I grabbed some parsley from the garden, threw it in the food processor with a bit of olive oil. After that was chopped, in went a can of chickpeas, a quarter cup of tahini butter, two tablespoons garlic, some cumin and salt and a half cup of lemon juice. Got that a going and slowly added two more tablespoons olive oil while the machine was doing its thing. Presto! Amazing hummus at home.

We have a tiny natural food store locally. I checked it out yesterday and was pretty impressed with the selection. That is where I got the chia seeds (which I put in a smoothie this morning) and the quinoa. Last night I made a dish of quinoa, shrimp, and baby portabellos. So yummy! I also got the the Endangered Species chocolate there. I will be going back when the pocketbook allows.

Today was supposed to be a rest day but I can't even seem to rest on my rest days anymore. I walked at a fast pace and an incline for 40 minutes on the treadmill then did two Polly Yoga Videos. That is what I am calling them now. I seriously want to meet Polly. She is a happy happy person. Her good karmic energy is evident even on a computer screen. I wish I could attend one of her classes.

Speaking of yoga, I really want to start going to the classes we have local, but the money and babysitting options are a major hurdle to overcome. I could probably afford it but then I still have to drive the 15 miles one way to get there and find someone to watch my 3 kids. Not an easy task. I guess its better to be frugal and practice yoga at home until Fall. Maybe it will be easier once the older two go back to school.

And on the topic of things I want but don't need. A road bike. How cool would that be. I know biking burns major calories and it just looks like lots of fun. I'm betting I've got another few years of sticking with this fitness thing before a bike is even close to being an option.

I feel very rambly and restless today. Must be the espresso beans in my chocolate!

Sometimes You've Just Got To Have Pasta

Good evening all!

I'm feeling especially cheerful today. I've had a great day health wise. I'm talking stellar, top notch, couldn't have done better.

Before we get to the details of today though, let's backtrack to yesterday. I put in a little over two miles on the treadmill. One quick mile and another mile of hill walking at a 10% incline speed set at 4. It was brutal and I was dripping in sweat even in the nice cool a/c.

Anyways, I had my eating all lined out and had only consumed 550 calories after lunch. Then I got a call that instead of picking up my eldest son at our normal location, I was going to have to drive an additional hour past there to where his Dad lived to get him. His Dad and step mom had come down with a stomach bug and were in no shape to be traveling and I wanted to get him out of there before he caught it! No worries though. I was excited at the prospect of a trip to Fayetteville. I lived there 6 years before moving back to the boonies and was positively giddy with all the dinner options presented to me on Sunday evening.

So when I got there and swooped up the kiddo, we proceeded to meet a friend (and swoon over her darling newborn) for dinner at Noodles.

I LOVE NOODLES!

I missed this place like no other. I'm not even going to pretend that what I ordered was healthy, but it was sure good! I had the Parmesan Chicken with Jalapeno Cream Sauce. I like my food spicy and it did not disappoint. Of course our dinner also included bread and dipping oil along with salad. Oh and I also indulged in two cosmopolitans. I promise that I did glance at the low carb options but that just didn't seem like any fun.

Noodles is a restaurant that demands carb overload!

The kids split a Chicken Spinach Alfredo pizza and I cross my heart I did not even sneak a bite. Not that it would have mattered anyways, cause on the way home we hit up Sonic for ice cream and I had a Mocha Java Chiller. What? It was a two and half hour drive and I needed coffee. Yes, I am aware I could have had it sans ice cream but I had already blown the bank for the day. And you know what? I don't feel bad at all.

On to today, and I am coming in at a calorie total of 1205. Wooohooo! I also went with my buddy Dala to do her C25K and got in 2.5 miles and then when I got home I rocked out on the treadmill for another 1.10 miles. I'm feeling fit and healthy today.

I began the morning with a smoothie. This one included spinach, almond butter, chocolate powder, banana, strawberries, and almond milk. Snack was a Sargento Pepper Jack Cheese stick wrapped in a piece of low fat ham. Lunch consisted of grilled chicken breast salad on romaine with salsa as dressing and a little bit of shredded cheese. I also whipped up some hummus from scratch and enjoyed that with my lunch and then again with carrots and bell pepper strips as a snack. Dinner was grilled white fish, corn on the cob, and sauteed spinach, onion, and bell pepper. A good good eating day!

Did you indulge this weekend? If so, are you back on track today?