Thanksgiving Short-week Plan!

I am so excited Thanksgiving week is here! Christmas is my favorite holiday, but Thanksgiving has always been a close second. I love spending time with family and reflecting on God's uncountable blessings and what I am thankful for.

This week is also a short week at work! Just 3 days! Which is great since I worked all weekend getting trained to be a Certified Lactation Educator! It was such an amazing and informative week at work, but I am mentally exhausted and can't wait for a few days off!!

Here is my tentative meal plan for this short week. I've only planned my meals for work days since thanksgiving + leftovers will probably make up the rest of the week! Also, I am still not counting calories (yay!) and update on that coming soon!

Meals:

11/24: B: sausage, taters, veggies L: turkey with gluten-free peanut sauce, brown rice, carrots, hummus S: nuts D: out with parents!

11/25: B: sausage, taters, veggies L: Mahi Mahi burger, brown rice, veggies S: nuts/quest bar D: probably out!

11/26: B: sausage, taters, veggies L: turkey burger, salad, carrots, hummus S: nuts D: probably out!

And then the family time begins!! I can't wait!

As far as workouts go, I plan to be very on top of my workouts this week! I want to stay in my routine and build on the strength I've been developing!

11/24: I had my personal training session this morning. We worked on chest, triceps, and shoulders, then I did a 2 mile run/walk

11/25: RUN! I am at 45/100 miles for Christmas...being sick really set me back! I hope I can get some decent mileage in this week!

11/26: Log book workout (legs), cardio

11/27: Log book workout (biceps/back), cardio

11/28: run...if I have time before shopping of course!

11/29: rest day

11/30: run/toning circuit before church!

And that's about it! I'm hoping the first 3 days of this week fly by and the last 4 days take their sweeeeet time! That's possible, right?? :)

Okay Monday, let's do this!

Leaps of Faith: November 17-23

Here we are! Another week on its way. I can't believe we are halfway through November. It's almost Thanksgiving and almost Christmas!! I am looking forward to spend time with family and friends and make the most out of this season. I also don't want to stray too much from my  healthy eating plan except for the occasional treats here and there. I have been doing pretty well with my fitness lately, but my food...not so much. It has been hard to resist temptations and there seem to be treats everywhere I go!

Real talk right here...even RDs struggle! I am striving to find balance, allow the occasional treats, all while making most of my food choices real, whole, healthy foods. I am also trying to steer away from calorie/macro counting. I have counted calories since I was in high school...so about 10-12 years. I know, that is SO long. But I am being honest in my post today because it is something that I really want to grow out of. I rely on it too much, know too much, and let it rule my life too much. I have learned throughout the years what healthy food choices and portions are, and I want to trust the brain that God gave me and rely on His strength in all areas of my life, even my food. I know God cares about ALL of us, our entire being, and if one area is taking over and causing anxiety and confusion, I think God just wants IN to that area in order to redeem, restore, and renew us. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that calorie counting is harmful for everyone. Most people can have a balanced approach. But being the perfectionist that I am, it was taking up too much of my mental time and energy. I feel convicted to step away from it, and that is the leap of faith I am taking this week!

With that said, this is my food and fitness plan for the week. As always, this is a tentative plan, but I hope to follow these guidelines throughout the week! I will also probably keep a food journal as a way to track myself without the use of numbers or apps. I want to be mindful of what I eat without getting so caught up in the calculations of it all!

Pre workout ideas: * 1/2 bagel with cookie or nut butter * hard boiled egg * high protein pumpkin bars

Breakfast ideas: * scrambles with veggies * hard boiled eggs * protein waffles

Lunch/dinner ideas: * mahi mahi burgers * turkey burgers * roasted sweet potatoes * salads * peanut chicken * curry with chicken and veggies * marinara w/lentils and veggies

Snack ideas: * larabars/quest bars * nuts * fruits * veggies w/hummus

This week will be a little different because I also have all day trainings for work on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I will be working on my certification to be a certified lactation educator (BREAST IS BEST)!!! So, I will be basically on a work schedule this weekend from 8:30-5pm. I plan on packing all of my meals for these training and have healthy meals for dinner/possibly go out with family.

Fitness plan:

Monday: logbook toning workout (back and biceps), run 3 miles

Tuesday: run 4-5 miles

Wednesday: TIU kettle bell workout, possible circuits with my friend Hanna

Thursday: personal training sessions (probably will be leg day!), cardio

Friday: logbook toning workout (chest and triceps), cardio

Saturday: run outside and/or TIU workout

Sunday: run outside and/or TIU workout

That is all for this weeks! I will try and update you all on my progress with the no calorie counting goal for this week. Get ready for some honest heart to heart posts by yours truly!

Just Do It!!!!

Yesterday I surprised myself. No really, I did. This usually doesn't happen often since I am a very routine person. I like to stick to what I know and am pretty stubborn in most areas of my life. As many of you know, and if you don't you can read my post about one year ago called "the strength training woes of a cardio queen," I am not into toning or lifting weights. Give me a 7 or 8 mile run and I can run it out in no time, but the motivation to lift heavy things has never been a natural desire in my soul. Until...yesterday. My fiancé and I headed to the gym yesterday morning and only had about 30 minutes to workout because of the crazy busy day ahead. I planned to just run or do some cardio for the entire 30 minutes...because HELLO calorie burn! But then, 18 minutes into my run (yes, 18), I started to get an itch in my soul to lift some heavy things. Now, I've been lifting regularly since May, ever since I got a personal trainer to keep me accountable in the toning department. I workout with him once a week, and workout of a logbook of exercises he gives me twice a week. I had already done my allotted logbook exercises for the week, so yesterday should have been a purely cardio day (days that I usually look forward to more than logbook days). So when I started craving lifting some weights, on my own, without a trainer or my logbook accountability to stick to, I was shocked!!! I decided to grab hold of that feeling, run another 2 minutes to hit 20 minutes total (OCD problems), and hit the weights. I did a short 10 minute circuit, but it felt amazing, and I feel sore today! Just from those short 10 minutes. Here was my circuit, and I even had time to stretch afterwards!

The point of this post is this: just do it. Start that program. Start lifting the heavy things. Even if you don't feel like it, just start. Eventually, the feeling will follow. Lifting weights has transformed not only my body, but my mind as well. I feel stronger and challenged every time I pick up a weight. I want to see how heavy I can go and how many reps I can do. And the thing is, I NEVER thought I would enjoy it. I was always the 40 mins on the elliptical, 3 mile run, kind of girl. But now, I find myself wanting to fit in the toning and lifting into my workout routine because of the results I have seen in my overall health, body, and sense of self. I have more confidence in my abilities and my strength. The combination of toning and cardio have helped me find more balance in the area of fitness, instead of being lopsided to one side. Sometimes, we have to workout not for the sake of a calorie burn, but for the sake of bettering our strength and abilities. I challenge any girl, or even guy, out there who is scared of weights to start a toning program this week, even if it is with a pair of 2 lb dumbbells! Starting is the biggest step!

Food & Fitness Plan: 11/10-11/14

Hello friends! I hope you all had a fabulous first week of November. I have been loving this month so far and am looking forward to a colder more wintery week...or at least wintery for California! This week's plan is going to consist of a few new recipes and hopefully a some runs. I came down with a nasty cold last week which really effected my running plan. I am feeling much better today and hope to be as good as new in order to run this week! But first, the food plan:

Pre workout options: * I spied these yummy looking pumpkin bagels at Target a few weeks ago and have been wanting to try them. Yesterday, I finally took the plunge and bought them.

I am trying to treat myself a bit more in this whole healthy eating journey without going overboard. I decided that pairing half a bagel with either a fat or protein source would help me enjoy these delicious carbs while still balancing my plate! So as a pre workout option, I may have half a bagel with some fat or protein! I have been eating them with a 1/2 T of Trader Joe's cocoa swirl cooking butter and it's AMAZING!

* banana w/nuts * low carb tortilla with peanut butter * hard boiled egg

Breakfast options: * veggie scramble * egg tacos * hard boiled eggs * healthy whole grain French toast * a bar if I am in a rush!

Lunch options: * Sausage minestrone soup (recipe coming soon!) * Mahi Mahi or Turkey burgers from Trader Joe's w/salad * I bought the Thai Green Curry Sauce from Trader Joe's I am hoping to experiment with this week! Maybe with some chicken...yum! * I also bought some ready-made meatballs from Trader Joe's to have as a quick meal option.

Dinner options: * my Mama's beef and potato casserole...SO GOOD! * out with my parents possibly * any lunch option as dinner would work too!

Dessert options (yes, dessert!) * I made a super healthy single crusted apple pie yesterday that came out tasting delicious! It satisfied my apple pie craving and only has 120 calories/slice...no joke! I'm glad to have a healthy dessert option this week if my sweet tooth kicks in. And don't worry, I will be sharing this recipe soon as well!

Fitness Plan:

11/10: training session (back and biceps) with a lateral elliptical workout...I love this elliptical machine! It moves you up and down and side to side so it targets every leg muscle!

11/11: run + TIU kettlebell workout

11/12: logbook workout from my trainer (legs), lateral elliptical

11/13: run + possible workout with my friend!

11/14: logbook workout (chest, triceps, shoulders) from my trainer, some kind of cardio

11/15-11/16: run, strength training, random!

I am doing the Tone it Up 100 miles by Christmas challenge. I've reached 19 miles so far and am hoping to make a dent in my mileage this week since I am feeling a bit better!

That's all for this week, folks! Here is a bit of Motivation Monday for you before I end this post:

It all starts in the mind! If you keep your thoughts positive and focused on God and His strength, peace and strength will follow. As one of my favorite passages, Colossians 3:1-4 states:

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Have a great Monday!

Friday Favorites!

This is my first ever Friday Favorites post, and I'm excited to share the goodies I decided to add to my food collection this week. I started at a new site this week for work, and since I am finally at just ONE site, I decided to make it like my home. I have a drawer there in the kitchen that I can keep food or anything else in, and I decided to stock it up yesterday for those times that I do not have time to eat breakfast at home or pack my meal before heading out the door. Even though I always plan out and pack my meals, life happens, you run late, and you end up grabbing at whatever you can, right? Well I wanted to ensure that what I grab at was a healthy option while still being food that I enjoy. So here is a list of my recent Friday favorites!

1. Skippy natural peanut butter. This is my favorite peanut butter! It tastes amazing and is always so creamy. I decided this should definitely be a staple in my work drawer since I basically eat peanut butter every day!

2. Tuna. Tuna is another great and healthy fast option for food. I bought the water packs, no can opener needed! They are a perfect quick protein source when you are in a bind!

3. Rice cakes. I got two kinds of rice cakes. Rice cakes are great because you can top them with pretty much anything and treat them like toast! I figured I could top mine with the peanut butter or with tuna to make it like a sandwich.

4. Brown rice cups. These cups are easy to eat and make for the perfect whole grains source! I love anything that can be heated up in little time.

5. Cliff pumpkin bars. Okay, so these bars are not the healthiest...but PUMPKIN!! I figured I could keep a few of these in my drawer as a treat. And at least they have some protein in them! :)

A few other essentials I added to my drawer include tea, stevia, a toothbrush/paste with floss, and some cough drops. I figure you can never be too prepared!

That's it for my Friday Favorites! I hope you all have a great and fast Friday...I am so ready for the weekend!

It's November! Weekly Food & Fitness Plan

Happy Monday and November everyone! This is without a doubt the most favorite time of the year for me. I love everything about Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I have already started listening to Christmas music...don't judge! :)

This week's food plan is going to be pretty simple. I had plans to do some shopping and cooking yesterday, but when I got home to do some inventory on what I had, I realized I had more than enough food to last me the week! My dad had done a bulk of our grocery shopping (thanks Baba!) and I came home to find a ton of fruits, veggies, eggs, tuna, chicken sausage, and nuts. Since those are pretty much staples for me, I decided to save my money, get creative, and just eat what I have! Here is my tentative food plan/options for each meal this week:

Pre workout meal: * Peanut butter energy balls (recipe coming soon!) *banana with nuts or nut butter * tortilla with PB

Breakfast: * veggie or sausage scrambles * mug cakes or protein waffles * emergency frozen waffles with PB * side of fruit! * healthy French toast (recipe coming soon!)

Lunch/Dinner: * turkey burgers (Trader Joe's has a great frozen burger I always keep in the freezer!) * tuna * grilled chicken (I keep a bag of frozen chicken in the freezer so this is always a great fall-back!) * salads * black bean salads with avocado * grilled tilapia (again frozen) with sweet potatoes * turkey wraps

Snacks: * carrots/veggies * string cheese * nuts * Larabars * seaweed snacks

See? More than enough food! I hope to have some time to get more creative in the kitchen and do some recipe development...but with a full time job, planning a wedding, and life in general, it's been more difficult lately! But that doesn't mean you just throw your healthy eating plan out the window. These foods are simple to put together and really easy for when you are in a bind and need quick and healthy food fast. Keeping some of the essentials I posted earlier always in stock in your home will make it even easier to make the healthy choice.

Fitness wise, I am hoping to get in a few runs along with the strength training routines from my trainer. Here's the plan:

Monday: Walk/run 20 mins Training session (chest, triceps, shoulders)

Tuesday: Run 3-4 miles

Wednesday: TIU kettle bell routine Elliptical 20 mins

Thursday: Logbook workout (legs) Run 3 miles

Friday: Logbook workout (back/biceps) Walk/run 20 mins

Saturday: Run 3-4 miles

Sunday: Random!

I'm a little worried because I've been fighting a bad head ache all weekend, plus woke up with a sore throat this morning! I really hope I am not getting sick, but will adjust my workouts accordingly if I do!

Other goals for the week include: * organize scrapbook pictures * start writing project plan * read/personal growth

Have you made a plan yet for your week? Planning is so important in ensuring a healthy and focused week! And what better day to do it than Monday?

Dream Until Your Dreams Come True

I am a huge dreamer. But along with that comes another embarrassing fact: I am an even bigger talker. I tend to talk and plan and dream and yet take no action in the direction of my dreams . I run scared, don't know where to begin, and just stay in my talking, planning, writing stage. While I do believe planning and being prepared are vital components of making any dream into a reality, I think fearless action is the most important step to making any dream come true. And therein lies my problem. I am afraid. I am afraid of failure, defeat, embarrassment, not being able to follow through, and letting people down. I am so afraid that I just stay in my little fear bubble, think, wish, dream, but refuse to act.

I want to take that fearless step this month. While I still have some planning and preparing to do, I want to take that first step. I am working on something that I have dreamt about for about seven years and it is something I want to make a reality in my life. I want to step out in faith, and even if my dream doesn't come to full fruition, I will know that I have at least taken a step in the right direction.

Is there something you have been dreaming about lately? I think dreams and goals are so healthy. They give you direction and focus. They get you excited. They show you what you are truly passionate about. Let's make this month a good one! Let's move in the right direction with these goals and work on making our dreams come true.

Long time no blog!

I feel like it has been forever since my last post! Life has been up and down lately and has just been so busy! I want to be better about staying up to date with the blog, and what better way than to just write?? This week, work has been nuts. Yesterday was busy and we actually had to do a good bit of overtime. It was tough since Wednesdays are always long days, but with God's strength I made it through! I have mixed feeling at the moment because I am switching work sites next week! I work for WIC and am transferring to a new clinic. I'm excited to meet new people and gain more experience in a different location, but am nervous since I got into such a groove at my current sites! But I guess it's good to get out of your comfort zone, right?

I also made a HUGE batch of my sausage and taters for the week. I honestly never get sick of this meal! I added a huge orange pepper to it this time. Delicious!

Also, two words, Gilmore Girls. And two more words: pumpkin waffles. Yesterday, I made some delicious pumpkin waffles while watching Gilmore Girls, and it was pretty much amazing. I've seen each and every Gilmore Girls episode at least 12-15 times and am a huge fan! And plus, pumpkin waffles? Enough said.

Lastly, I would like to share the three songs that I have been playing nonstop this week. They have really impacted my heart and made me feel the presence of God in a very real way.

The following lyrics from the song "He Knows My Name" definitely got to me this week: "True to who You are You saw my heart and made something out of nothing." How awesome is our God? It is just who HE is that He sees us down to our core, down to our imperfections, struggles, rebellion, and shortcomings, and still makes us something out of nothing. He amazes me every day.

Anyways, I hope you all are having a wonderful week! I can't believe October is coming to an end and it is almost November! Christmas time is almost here!

Happy Thursday world! :)

Food & Fitness Plan: October 20-26

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone has had a great start to the week! I have been feeling queasy and tired all day, so it hasn't been the best for me. But! I decided that looking forward to the week and planning a productive and healthy week for myself would be just what I needed! Today has been difficult, but I feel a lot more positive now looking at the week ahead! Today, 10/20: *I skipped my workout this morning because of not feeling well, so I just had a couple rice cakes before heading out the door, nothing too exciting! This is what the rest of the day looked/will look like: Snack: banana Lunch: rotisserie chicken breast, carrots, rice cakes yet again Snack: larabar Dinner: I am planning on going out with my parents and hopefully will be able to stomach a salad by then! Workout: walk with my Mama!

Tuesday 10/21: Pre-workout: banana with sunbutter Workout: elliptical 4 miles (I am slacking on my 150 miles by Halloween for the TIU Frisky Fall challenge!), the new TIU kettlebell workout Breakfast: sausage and tater bake! This recipe is from a few weeks back and so good! Snack: carrots Lunch: leftover rotisserie chicken breast with salad and avocado Snack: nuts Dinner: picking up Sharky's before Bible study! I'll probably get their power plate with veggies and either chicken or fish! Workout: tentative circuit with Hanna!

Wednesday 10/22: Pre-workout: banana w/sunbutter Workout: Back & biceps workout, run 3 miles Breakfast: scramble with veggies Snack: carrots Lunch: salad with turkey burger Snack: nuts Dinner: up in the air!

Thursday 10/23: Pre-workout: rice cake with PB Workout: leg day! With some cardio :) Breakfast: scramble with veggies, avocado Snack: carrots, jerky Lunch: sausage and taters Snack: nuts Dinner: poker night at my friend's house who always serves healthy yummies :)

Friday (finally!) 10/24: Pre-workout: rice cake or banana w/nut butter Workout: chest, triceps, shoulders, plus a 4 mile run Breakfast: mug cake or scramble Snack: carrots Lunch: last of the sausage and taters sad day! Snack: nuts Dinner: probably going out!

Saturday and Sunday: I am hoping to get a couple good runs in this weekend and stick to my healthy eating plan. Honesty time, I have been letting weekends derail me lately. Treats now and then are totally acceptable, but it's the "now and then" part I've been struggling with! Hoping to be able to stick to it this weekend!

Goals for the week:

* I want to contribute at least 18 miles towards my goal of 150 by Halloween for the Tone it Up Frisky Fall challenge! I am at 123 miles so far and have till Halloween to reach 150! *Do 1 TIU workout this week (hopefully it will be the new kettlebell one!) *SKETCH/go back to my artsy roots! *BLOG more...no need to say more on this one! At least 2-3 posts this week! *Read personal growth books. I am reading two great ones now and really want to invest more time in these motivational reads!

Last but not least, I leave you with this wonderful quote:

I really believe that writing down what we want to do, making lists, and creating an environment that ensures we reach these goals are critical. So put dates on those goals, plan the steps it takes to achieve them, and then just do it! That is the only way to make our dreams come true! :)

New week! Meal & Fitness Plan: October 13-17

Good morning everyone! I am meal prepping at the moment, so I thought it would be fitting to do my meal and fitness plan post while I wait for my chicken and tilapia to cook! I had an awesome workout at the gym this morning, and now am rushing to prep my proteins for the week before heading to work! I know that if I don't, I will be scrambling all week to pack my meals and will be more likely to spend more money and eat less healthy choices! So, here we are, Monday morning, rushing and cooking! Here is my tentative plan for the week. I am going to write out meal options for each meal for this week instead of planning each day.  

Pre-workout options:

* nuts

* banana w/nuts or nut butter

* baked good (if I have time to bake this week...which I probably won't!)

Breakfast options:

*veggie scrambles with fruit

*sweet potatoes as a side

*hard boiled eggs

*leftover protein with vegetables

Lunch/Dinner options:

*boiled chicken salad

*tilapia with salad

*sweet potatoes as a side

*turkey burger

*tuna salad

Snack options:

*carrots

*hummus

*nuts

*jerky

*fruit

*Larabars

Workout plan:

Monday: I had a session with my personal trainer this morning. We worked on chest and triceps and then I ran 3 miles. It felt amazing! Yesterday I took a rest day, which I think is why I had more energy this morning. It was hard for me to rest! But I made myself relax at home, sketch, and read. It's all about balance! (see previous post on October goals)

Tuesday: Run 4 miles, plank, push-ups

Wednesday: Log book workout from my trainer (legs), cardio (probably elliptical)

Thursday: Run 6 miles

Friday: Log book workout from my trainer (back/biceps), cardio (run or elliptical)

I'm focusing on saving money lately by just using the food up at home. I don't want to overthink my meals too much. So far so good! All my meats were frozen meats I found at home (except for the tuna...which is canned) and I figured these will get me through the week! Meals don't have to be fancy shmancy all the time. sometimes, simple is better (and cheaper!) This way, you don't have to over-think your options and can just make the healthy choice and move on!  So here is the plan, and I am hoping I stick to it! Keep an eye out tomorrow for a new spicy garlic green bean recipe! It was delicious and I can't wait to share it! :)