Food & Fitness Plan: 12/15-12/21

Good morning everyone and Happy Monday!!! I just love the beginning of the new week; it is filled with freshness and possibility. No matter was has happened, Monday is a chance to start brand new. Leave it all behind and move forward with this new week ahead. I know that is what I need to do! I had a great weekend sprinkled with some not so great moments. But God is good and His mercies are new every morning. EVERY SINGLE MORNING! How awesome is that. Thank you, Jesus. Food Plan:

I did some heavy duty meal prep yesterday, so I am very excited about my meals this week!! I have leftover kebab for today, but tonight, I get to enjoy my Eggplant Spaghetti Squash Lasagna (recipe coming soon!)

IMG_4600.JPG

I also made a huge batch of Parmesan sweet potatoes (I use the white sweet potatoes because they aren't as sweet as yams, while still having high amounts of vitamin A and other nutrients!)

IMG_4601.JPG

Here are my meal options for the week:

Pre workout: - Gluten free seeded bread w/nut butter - Hard boiled egg with nuts - Banana with nuts or nut butter - Pumpkin protein bread (if I have time to bake!)

Breakfast: - Scrambles w/veggies and avocado - Protein waffles/pancakes - Quest bar (if rushed, like today!)

Lunch/Dinner - Eggplant Spaghetti Squash Lasagna - Chicken meatballs w/sweet taters - Salads - Tuna w/plantain chips

Snacks: - Carrots w/hummus or guacamole - Nuts - Larabar - Quest bar (I want to slowly step away from these, as I feel that they may be causing some digestive discomfort! I may just use up what we have and phase them out haha stay tuned)

Fitness:

Here is my plan for the week! My 10K training is embedded in here as well:

Monday: I ran 2 miles at my "fast" speed (18:48) which wasn't as fast as I wanted, but I'm tired and it's Monday. Then I had my personal training session, working on chest, triceps, and shoulders. Tonight, I have circuits with my friend Hanna!

Tuesday: 5 mile long run + abs

Wednesday: 2 miles elliptical, plyometrics, logbook leg workout from trainer

Thursday: 4 mile run (moderate speed), personal training (probably back and biceps), Hanna workout

Friday: 3 mile run moderate, plyometrics

Saturday: TIU workout + abs

Sunday: easy elliptical, toning

I'm so ready for the week! I'm feeling super motivated this morning and have a set of goals for myself apart from food and fitness to work on as well:

1. Work on special project 2. Sketch 3. Play piano 4. Take make up off every night (this may sound silly, but I am so horrible at skin care, and need to get on top of this ASAP!)

I am hoping for a productive, fun, and restful week! Have you set your goals yet? Make a plan and try your best to stick to it...you'll be happy you did!

Week 1: 10K Recap

Well, my first week of training came to an end yesterday! Even though it wasn't exactly how I wanted it to be, I am still pleased with my performance and my times! I wasn't able to get my long run in, or my second plyometrics workout, but other than that, it was a great week!

IMG_4583.JPG

I ran a total of 12 miles this week. I did plyometrics on my 4 mile run day. I had planned on doing it on another day in between runs, but just couldn't fit it in! I'll have to plan more carefully for next week!

On my long run day (the 5 miles which turned into 3 miles), I only made it to 3 miles. I was tired, not feeling well, and my legs were extremely sore from leg day! I'm disappointed that I couldn't do the 5 miles, but there is always this week to try again!

I'm happy with how training has been going so far and can't wait to see what this week will bring! Stay tuned for my food and fitness plan post coming soon!

Sweets and Treats: The Right Motives

Decision making can be tough for people. Being an indecisive person myself, I know how crippling it can be to not know which way to turn, or which path to take. One way that I have found that helps me make decisions is to reflect upon my motives for these decisions.

IMG_4570.JPG

I tend to struggle with emotional eating. I mean, who doesn't? This doesn't excuse my struggle, it just makes easier to admit to. At times when I am having a hard day, an emotional time, or am just feeling off, I try to not have too many treats or snacks, because I know myself and I know that one treat can turn into a day-long carbapalooza! Anyone else?? Anyoneeeee?

Don't get me wrong; I see nothing wrong with treats. I love sweets, I love chocolate, I love anything sugary, salty, snacky, and delicious. However, I have to be careful about when I have these certain treats. I have to ask myself why I want the treat right now. Is it because I'm at a Christmas party, I only have these cookies once a year, or I just want a sweet treat? Or is it because I've had a hard day and sugar would make me feel so much better(temporarily), so I might as well just give in to all of my temptations and drown my sorrows in a tub of ice cream and a pan of gingerbread? No. For me, the latter reason is the wrong motive. The latter reason is not one that constitutes having a treat for me.

This may be overthinking things for some of you. But for me, if I indulge because I am feeling empty emotionally and need to be filled, that is a red flag. That means that I am looking to other things for fulfillment. For some, it may be alcohol, drugs, inordinate amounts of spending money, a destructive habit, etc. But for me, it happens to be food. It is what I struggle with, and I have learned what works best for me. #dietitiansstruggletoo

God is our ultimate comfort in times of emotional distress. He wants us to turn to Him when we are stressed, lonely, overwhelmed, or any other emotions that drive us to use unhealthy behaviors to cope. This Christmas season, as we are surrounded by treats and temptations, let's all be more mindful about when we give in and what we give in to. No food is off limits, it is our motives behind our compulsive eating or overindulgence that can cause destruction in not only our physical wellbeing, but our spiritual one as well. I want to rely on God for everything because, as my fiancé reminded me this week, all I need is Jesus. ALL I NEED. I need Jesus more than food, clothing, shelter, and even the people in my life. I want to fill myself up with HIM this season, and every season of my life, so that I do not turn to destructive behaviors in order to fill up my emotional voids and struggles.

"I Can Do Hard Things"

IMG_4523.PNG If there is one thing that I have struggled with throughout my life, it's selling myself short. We don't realize the amount of discouragement we may give ourselves throughout the day. We tell ourselves we want to do things, set goals, but don't actually tell ourselves we CAN do these things.

For me, being a Christian and believing in God, I trust Him to give me the strength to do these hard things, because I know I cannot do it on my own! One of these "hard things" lately has been to continue with my no more calorie counting. I haven't been counting for about three weeks now. There have been ups and downs, but it is definitely by God's strength that I have lasted this long!

I told you all that I would be honest with you during this journey and I plan on keeping that promise. Last night, I had a tough time. I still haven't counted my calories and haven't gotten my app back, but I definitely was tempted to restart counting last night. I was feeling pretty down due to some personal matters, and was feeling "fluffy" as I was telling my friend. I know we all have our fluffy days, but for some reason, this just made me want to go back to the security I had while counting my calories and knowing exactly what was going into my mouth. However, the minute these thoughts came, I dismissed them. Because I CAN do this. I can do hard things, all through God's strength working in me.

This is definitely going to be a process for me, and I must remember that. But I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13) and can call on Him whenever I am struggling. I feel SO much better about things this morning, I just had to push through the tough moments last night. Oh I still feel fluffy, but I don't feel the need to bounce back to a destructive habit.

I've been eating healthy while not counting calories, and I plan on continuing doing just that. I've been sticking to my gluten free diet, and while I feel like I have been having one too many gluten free baked goods and treats lately, I feel LOADS better by not having gluten in my diet. I'm blessed to have a friend who is not only encouraging me, but supporting me in this diet as well! We have a grocery shopping date tonight to stock up our homes with fresh, whole foods.

God helps us do the hard things. He is always there for us. Nothing is too hard for him! He wants his children to be free of strongholds and destructive habits. And don't think that these issues are trivial to our God. If they matter to us, they matter to Him! So take your struggles to Him today, and watch how He will strengthen you to do the hard things.

Work Hard, Stay Humble: Daily Manna 12/8/14

I miss these daily posts I used to do. For me, writing is like therapy. It's such a natural outlet for me. I've always been a big reader and writer. I miss writing about my days and reflecting on what went on and what I experienced. I want to start doing these posts again whenever I can. I want to write more. I want to reflect more. I want to remember all of God's blessings each and every day. Like this morning, it was a blessing to be able to wake up. It was a blessing to read my Bible while sipping on some warm lemon water in the stillness of my home. It was a blessing to greet my dad as I ate some delicious gluten free gingerbread to gear up for my workout. It was a blessing to be able to run with the legs God has blessed me with. Legs that can move, run, bend, and withstand some pain in order to become stronger.

I am so blessed to be able to move and I never want to forget that. This morning was my first day training for my 10 K that is coming up in 10 weeks. I followed my training plan, and followed it up with a killer back and biceps workout with my trainer. I worked hard, but must remain humble because I know it is all by God's strength and grace that I am even able to move.

Here is my day 1 training update:

IMG_4518.JPG

This morning's run went great! I was able to do a few intervals but didn't push too hard or too fast since this was a moderate (M) run. I was so happy with my time! I also did some ab work which consisted of a plank, some ankle grabbers, and flutter kicks. And, most importantly, I stretched!!! It felt great and I definitely need to do it more often.

For breakfast, I made a quick sausage and sweet potato casserole while I was getting ready. I love making this dish because it lasts a few days and tastes amazing!

IMG_4517.JPG

I thought I would be late to work, but I was early. I was so stressed for nothing! I realized that I tend to get worked up over things, and 90% of the time, those things never happen. I really need to destress and not take little things as the end of the world!

Work was pretty busy which helps it go by super fast! I had some carrots and hummus on my break, then had my usual turkey burger and salad for lunch.

IMG_4521.JPG

This has been my easy go-to lunch on Mondays if I am short on time for meal prep on Sunday night. I can fry up this burger in no time; and paired with a salad...it's delicious! Weekends have been jam packed for me recently, so it is nice to have an emergency healthy meal always on hand! I keep the Trader Joe's turkey burgers in my freezer at all times.

I got hungry around 4pm so I had a yummy quest bar!

IMG_4525.JPG

These bars are such treats, and yes they do have a few "iffy" ingredients, but they have a good amount of protein for when I don't have time to eat a chicken breast. Ideally, I would love to just eat a chicken breast. I would love to have a completely clean week one of these weeks and not have any convenience foods, just to challenge myself. Because I'm sure it's possible. But life is life and you make the most of the options you have. And today, my best option (as Christmas cookies were staring at me in the break room) was a quest bar!

I got home from work around 5:45 and wasn't too hungry for dinner. I had defrosted some chicken so I decided to make some Parmesan garlic sautéed chicken for lunch tomorrow and the next day. I ended up having some yummy gluten free crackers and hummus for dinner while cooking...totally acceptable in my opinion!

IMG_4527.JPG

Andddd a gluten free banana chocolate chip protein cookie too (recipe coming soon!) I will also post the recipe for the chicken (so many things to do!) It was very easy to prepare and it tasted delicious (I had to have a few bites!) I can't wait to gobble it up tomorrow!

IMG_4529.JPG

And now...for some rest and relaxation time with my parents. Something I have been looking forward to all day! It was a day full of hard work, patience, and relying on God through it all!

First Week of 10K training! Food & Fitness Plan 12/8-12/14

Hello all! I am sooooo excited about this coming week! Not only are we getting closer to Christmas, I am officially starting my 10K training this week! I posted a couple of days ago about my training plan, and this week will be week 1. I'm excited to see how actually following a plan that not only includes running, but also strength and endurance training, will effect my training and proneness to injury. I am so excited about meal prepping this week because my friend Hanna and I are planning to go grocery shopping Wednesday! I LOVE GROCERY SHOPPING! And especially going with someone else and taking your time and discovering all these new foods. I'm a nerd and I know it, but I love it!

Here are my meal options for the week:

Pre workout: * gingerbread bars * hard boiled eggs w/nuts * banana w/nuts or nut butter * gluten free toast w/nut butter

Breakfast: * sausage and taters * scrambles/hard boiled eggs * waffle/pancake Wednesday! * quest bar (if in a hurry!)

Lunch/Dinner: * turkey or beef patties * turkey/mahi mahi burgers * sausage and taters * healthy Parmesan chicken (I want to experiment with a recipe I've been concocting!)

Snacks: * hummus with carrots or GF crackers * Larabars or quest bars * fruits/veggies * nuts * banana chocolate chip cookies (recipe coming soon!)

Fitness Plan:

**F means fast/short run, M means moderately paced, and L means long endurance run. See 10K training plan post for more details!**

M: 3 mile M run, abs, personal training session T: 4 mile M run, plyometrics, circuits with Hanna W: Circuits with Hanna, abs Th: 2 miles F (intervals), personal training session F: Log book workout from trainer, lateral elliptical, plyometrics S: 5 mile L run Sun: rest?

I'll share my progress with my training and let you all know how it goes! I'm looking forward to getting started and seeing how my runs improve with this plan!!

Lastly, this is my inspirational quote for the week:

IMG_4514.JPG

Humbleness is something I pray for, as well as the worth ethic to work hard and do it all for God's glory! I also want to enjoy my work and be kind to everyone I come into contact with. These things are only possible through God and His work on my heart.

Well, I'm off to an early start this Monday morning and headed to the gym! I hope you all have a great Monday and a good start to the week!

10 Week 10K Injury-Proof Training Plan!

Good morning everyone!! I can't believe it is already Friday. This week flew by for me. But I'm not complaining, because it's almost the weekend! I'm hoping to get some good rest and relaxation in, and of course, get some wedding stuff done! As many of you know, I signed up for a 10K that is on February 15, 2015! I'm so excited for this race. I've done numerous 10Ks and half marathons, but since injuring my knee/hip a year ago, I've been dialing back my running BIG TIME. And, it's been hard. I'm one of those crazy running-lovers that would run every day if my body could take it. And that's exactly how I hurt myself. Before my injuries, would run 6-8 miles daily, no stretching, and no strength training. I would run all day every day (practically). Over-training hurt my joints, and my injuries were directly related to my lack of stretching, lack of strength, and running too long and too frequently, with NO REST. SO, this time, I am determined to not hurt myself while enjoying running again. I miss running and training for an event, so I am incredibly excited about my 10K! There are about 10 weeks left until February 15, so I have developed a 10 week 10 K training plan that is injury proof! I am using my past experiences to fill in the missing pieces of my training plans in the past. I will start my plan this coming Monday, so I decided to post it now so if anyone wants to join, you will have it available!  But, as a disclaimer, I am NOT a personal trainer, nor do I have any fitness certification. All of this is just from my past experiences running races. I hope you all can join me and we can learn together!!

I have a few rules in order to keep myself in check, as well as a split between fast, moderate, and endurance-based runs! I'm so excited to share this plan with you all and I hope it will be of some help to someone out there!

IMG_4480

First of all, I've set some training rules for myself that I am going to aim for. I don't want to be running every day as I used to do in the past. I want to put a cap on my distances, and how many times a week I plan to run my longest distance. I definitely want to get into the habit of stretching after each run, and ideally every day. I am a horrible stretcher and need some motivation in this area!

IMG_4469

The speed work I plan on doing won't be anything too crazy.

IMG_4470

I want to do more plyometrics/jumping exercises. These exercises help your heart develop more strength and endurance. Some of these exercises include squat jumps, burpees, and jump/plyo lunges. I am not too experienced with plyometrics yet, but I am hoping some research and You Tube will give me some more ideas! I will aim to do these plyometric workouts on my moderate run days.

 

IMG_4472

These will be the 3 types of runs I focus on. On my fast runs (F), I will go my shortest distance and try to go all out. These will be when I also practice my sprinting intervals (going really fast for 30-60 seconds at a time). Sprinting speeds are different for each person depending on your running background and endurance levels. I will go based on what tires me out, and keep challenging myself from there! Below, in my running schedule, the runs with an "F" are my short and fast runs of the week!

My moderate runs (M) will be 3-4 miles long and will just be at a comfortable speed. I will not push myself too far, but just at a normal speed with a few intervals thrown in there. Below, the runs with an "M" are my moderate runs for each week.

Lastly, the long, endurance runs will be 5-6 miles long (almost the distance of a 10K) and will be run at an even more comfortable speed than the moderate runs. I will not necessarily be running for time (maybe more towards the end of my training!) but will just develop endurance with these runs. Per my rules, these runs will only be run once a week! Below, the runs with an "L" are my long, endurance runs of the week!

Screenshot 2014-12-05 07.25.11

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am pretty excited to start my plan! On my weekly food/fitness posts, I'll also write about which plyometric and interval workouts I do, or plan to do. This is the first time I am following a strict plan. In the past, when I would train, I would just run as far and as fast as I could every time I ran, and obviously, it wore me out! If anyone wants to join me, leave me a comment and let me know! You don't necessarily have to be training for an event to follow a plan. This plan would be perfect for beginner-moderate runners and will help develop running skills in a safe and progressive manner.

 

Happy Friday, all!

 

- TV :)

Solvang Day Trip: 11/29/14

My fiancé and I have been wanting to go on a day trip somewhere for a few months now. We were mulling over our options and trying to decide between Santa Barbara and San Diego. However, we both have been to each of those places multiple times and wanted to try somewhere different and "other worldy." We decided to head up to Solvang, somewhere we have both only been once and hardly remember. I am SO glad we took this trip! It was so fun to explore somewhere different together. This town has so much character and is like a little Dutch village. I took a ton of pictures and can't wait to share them! Enjoy! The morning started out early. We left around 8am and decided to stop at the outlets since it was Black Friday weekend and we hadn't done any shopping yet. Of course, I had packed some healthy snacks for our drive!

 

IMG_4367

We got to the outlets and immediately went in to a kitchen store. Our first purchase was probably the one we were most excited about...a Pyrex glass container set!!!

IMG_4369

 

We also went into Banana Republic and bought some clothes. My fiancé bought me a beautiful necklace too! I love it!

IMG_4370

 

We left the outlets and made our way up along the coast. We drove past a beach and decided to stop for a bit and get some fresh air. We had some bananas with my yummy nut mix: almonds, cashews, and macadamia nuts, while enjoying the beautiful beach and ocean waves.

IMG_4371

IMG_4372

IMG_4373

IMG_4374

 

We loved taking our time to get up to Solvang, but were so excited when we finally made it! We had planned on going to Paula's Pancake House, a famous breakfast spot (even though it was 2pm) in Solvang that is known for their huge Danish pancakes.

IMG_4376

My fiancé was all over that. Seeing as I am gluten intolerant and am trying to be as strict as possible with my GF diet so I can feel better, I decided to just get a veggie omelet with fruit. The omelet was SO good....I know eggs are just eggs, but oh my goodness, I polished off the plate! It was delicious!

 

IMG_4377

IMG_4378

 

My fiancé got their Danish pancake combo with a  sausage, biscuit, strawberries, and scrambled eggs. The man can eat! And he was so excited! :)

IMG_4379

 

We were proud of ourselves for not getting too full after eating. He didn't finish all his food, and even though I did, I still felt light and not overly stuffed. Eggs have an amazing way of filling us up without getting us uncomfortable!

We walked around the antique shops and came across some interesting stores. We went into this really cool clock and music box shop. All of their clocks played music on the hour!

image1

There were a lot of random shops in Solvang, but we loved walking around and exploring. I really wanted to buy this sign, since it basically describes me perfectly!

image2

"If you can't stand the garlic, get out of my kitchen." YES!

Surprisingly, we got hungry a few hours after our breakfast/lunch. We decided to split 2 scoops of ice-cream, peanut butter swirl and vanilla. The lady at the ice cream shop gave us almost 4 scoops! The minute we got it we thought, "there is NO way we will finish this!" Then...we finished it.

IMG_4380

IMG_4381

 

It started getting cold, so we decided to bundle up in our coats and scarves and walk around the pretty Christmas lights they had decorated all around the town.

 

 

IMG_4382

 

For dinner, we went to this little spot called Succulent Cafe. It had such a romantic atmosphere, we had to sit outside even though it was cold. They had their silverware in mason jars, and I LOVE mason jars! We were so excited to eat here.

We started off with their sea salt fries with homemade ketchup. These fries were delicious! But we had to exercise some self control and cease and desist while we were halfway through in order to fully enjoy our dinner! I loved that they were served in a pot. When I have my own kitchen one day (soon!), I would love to decorate with and serve food in mason jars and pots!

IMG_4383

IMG_4384

 

My fiancé ordered a pumpkin seed crusted lamb dish, which he thoroughly enjoyed. I got their side arugula salad with feta cheese. This salad was DELICIOUS! The feta was so good and I kind of wished I had ordered two of these salads!

IMG_4387

 

After dinner, we decided to head back home since we had a pretty long drive. We had such an amazing time in Solvang and can't wait to go back. Sometimes, you need to just get away for a day and step out of your usual routine!

December Goals & Food/Fitness Plan!

IMG_4402-0.JPG It's finally December and I couldn't be happier!!! This is my favorite time of year. I love all the Christmas movies, music, and decorations. I LOVE going to church and lighting the advent candles and getting closer and closer to the story of Christmas. I just love it all.

I am also excited for a new month because, you know what that means for me! Goal time!!! I love setting goals at the beginning of each month of what I want to accomplish. Sometimes, I don't reach my goal. But that doesn't stop me from setting them anyway and still working towards them! These month's goals might sound familiar (ahem) but I am hoping to really reach them this month and experience some growth in the process! So here are my December goals!

IMG_4405-0.JPG

1. Run 5-6 miles, 3 times this month 2. Reach my 100 miles by Christmas goal with Tone it Up! 3. Keep strong with my gluten-free diet and carry around my doctor's prescription whenever I have a hard time with it...yes she wrote down on a prescription pad that I have a severe gluten sensitivity so I would finally believe it! 4. Keep strong with not counting calories 5. Stop complaining about not having time to do things and MAKE THE TIME! 6. Enjoy this Christmas season to the FULL! 7. Count my blessings every day 8. Scrapbook!

I want to start back up a joy jar I used to do with my friend which helped me focus on the positives in my day instead of what stressed me out. You write down something positive on a little piece of paper and place it in a jar. Then at the end of each month (or whenever you want if you want to wait longer), you read through all the great blessings and joyful things that happened during that time!

IMG_4403-0.JPG

Fooooooood:

These are my food options for the week! I had zero time to meal prep this weekend and hopefully will have some time tonight!

Pre workout: - hard boiled egg (w/nuts optional) - banana w/nuts or nut butter - Larabar or quest bar - GF toast w/nut butter

Breakfast: - hard boiled eggs w/fruit - protein waffles or pancakes - quest bar - veggie scramble

Lunch/dinner: - leftovers - meatballs (if I have time to cook tonight!) - Turkey or Mahi Mahi burger - roasted vegetables - salads

Snacks: - carrots w/hummus - veggies - bars - nuts

Workouts:

I usually have my personal training session this morning, but we had to cancel this week. Here is my tentative workout plan!

Monday: run Tuesday: run, workout with Hanna (legs!) Wednesday: TIU arms, cardio Thursday: chest, triceps, run Friday: back, biceps, cardio Saturday: run Sunday: rest

I really want to up my running game since my 10K is in 2 months, but I also want to prevent my inevitable hip and knee injuries that appear when I overtrain. I plan on developing and sharing an injury proof 10K training plan to follow!

Anyways, off to the gym to start this month off right! Have a great Monday everyone. I hope you all have time to reflect and set some goals this morning for December!!

Long Weekends & No More Counting

I literally cannot believe that it is only Saturday. I'm sipping my tea and smiling for joy that there are still two days of this weekend left. I feel that my body definitely needed a break, and I have really enjoyed it these past two days!! Thanksgiving morning was a restful one and I spent some time with my parents at home relaxing and watching silly shows that make us laugh. I went to the gym and got a workout in, but didn't kill myself over it. Too many people work out like maniacs before Thanksgiving in order to eat whatever they want; but for me, I treated this day as a typical day, eating a little more than usual but not going crazy over all the goodies we had. And as the saying goes, "you can't out-run your fork." No matter how much you work out, you can't fix a terrible diet. Foods have a certain effect on our hormones, metabolism, and health, which all play a huge part in your ability to burn fat, lean out, bulk up, or reach whichever goals you have.

Black Friday was also a restful day for me. I woke up, spent some time with Jesus, did a 20 minute cardio routine at the gym, then came home to do this back/bicep workout I made up on the spot!

IMG_2254.JPG

It was definitely more intense than I thought it would be! I did it three times through and really tried to push myself. In 15-20 minutes, it was over, and I felt great. The rest of the day was spent shopping, hanging out with family, my fiancé, and watching the poor Lakers lose yet again. My family and I are HUGEEEEE Lakers fans, so this season has been a tough one for us!!!

Today (Saturday) my fiancé and I are going to take a day trip up the coast. I'm pretty excited for this mini getaway. Even though I have been enjoying being lazy at home the past couple days, it will be nice to get away for the day!!

As far as calorie counting goes, I still have not done it!!! I've actually been feeling great lately, praise the Lord! I feel God's strength with me and I am not getting anxious about my food choices. I am learning to just eat the healthy, good foods that he provides, while indulging in moderation and trusting my body in the process. Thanksgiving was freeing, and I felt that I could have little nibbles here and there without logging every single thing into my app. I also used to feel like I had to wipe my plate clean since I had calculated certain portion and had to stick to eating what I had entered. This may sound silly, but it felt so good to leave some food on my plate! I am still keeping a food journal, but have almost forgotten about it and just write down what I have eaten for accountability's sake. Yes, there are times when I feel like I am eating more, and even less than what I would have eaten if I had been keeping track of my calories and strict portions. In those situations, I have been listening to my hunger cues and adding a snack somewhere if I am still hungry, or just waiting till the next time I am hungry to eat my food instead of forcing a snack down before the hunger strikes. Overall, I am happy not counting my calories, and I hope God's peace and strength continues throughout this journey!

Anyways, I need to go get dressed and ready for my day date! And of course, I need to pack some snacks!

IMG_0038.JPG

I love Quest and Larabars!! I also loveeeee nuts, as you well know if you follow me on Instagram (@tveen_RD). I have a problem and eat nuts every single day. But until I can handle eating an avocado by itself (I love avocados but just can't eat them on their own for some reason), nuts (and olives but we are out!) are the easiest portable fat source for me!!

Anyways, I hope you all have a great Saturday and a wonderful last few days of November!! Remember to start thinking about those December goals!! We are coming upon a new month and new beginnings for everyone!!