An Attitude of Joy: January 19-25

I have been missing a key component of my life lately. A piece that God has given me and even willed for me, and yet I have not taken His free gift. That gift is joy, part of the very title of my little blog here. Lately, I have felt such a burden on my heart. The past few weeks have been stressful, hard, and busy. Very very busy. I hate using that excuse, but I've come to terms with the fact that it's true. In 90 days, I get to marry the love of my life, which means it's a joyful time and a stressful time all rolled into one.

This week, I am choosing joy. I'm choosing to do everything relying on God's strength. Because the joy of the Lord is my strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

I want to find the joy in every part of my blessed life. Because life is meant to be enjoyed. I want to be joyful at work, with friends, on quiet evenings at home, during phone chats with my fiancé, and also while I am working out and taking care of the body God has given me. I've lost joy in that as well.

Sometimes, health and fitness are not fun things. There I said it. I'm a dietitian and love healthy eating, but sometimes it all gets to be too much. I want the joy restored in this area of my life. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says "so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." I am convinced that if this whole health and fitness thing was 100% given over to the Lord and done for His glory, it would bring us joy. There would be joy in taking care of the body God has given us, joy in giving ourselves whole foods that have been created by God's hands and not a machine, joy in having a treat now and then, joy in going for a run, or sleeping in and having a day of rest. All of these aspects are part of health, and they should all bring us joy.

With that said, this week I am going to pray with all my heart that God restores unto me His joy. In every crevice of my heart and life, I want God to be present. Even as I make my plan for the week here in this post, I want God's blessings and fingerprints to be all over it. I firmly believe that God cares about every aspect of our lives, and wants everything surrendered to Him. So here it goes. My plan for the week!

Foodie plan :)

This past Sunday, my mom cooked up a storm since we had my future in laws over for lunch! That means only one thing for this week: LEFTOVERS! Here are my meal options!

Pre workouts: Banana w/nuts like this AM :)

Toast w/PB

Breakfast: Protein waddles/pancakes like this AM as well!

Scrambles Oatmeal Egg wraps

Lunch/Dinner: Leftover pollo asada Leftover roast Potatoes, salad Turkey burger Meatballs with spicy arabiatta sauce Kung Pao chicken from TJ's (so excited to try this!)

Pretty yummy options if I do say so myself! My mom and I made sure to stock up our home with good food this week. Hopefully that means healthy home cooked meals all week and not spending too much money on eating out!

Fitness:

Monday: I had my training session this morning (back and biceps), and it was killer!

Tuesday: 4 mile run (still training for my 10K and it's in less than a month! So excited!

Wednesday: leg day! Stairmaster and hoping to fit in the TIU Love your Body workout in as well

Thursday: logbook workout from my trainer (chest), run 3 miles, and circuits with Hanna in the evening!

Friday: training session again, cardio mix 3 miles

Saturday: 5 mile run

Sunday: log book (arms), cardio mix 3 miles

And there we have it! Here's to a great, joyful, God focused week everyone!

Food & Fitness & Updates Galore!

Hello everyone!! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I can't believe Monday is upon us yet again. Last week was a challenging one for me. But God gave me the strength to pull through. Work was stressful and I was so happy to recharge this past weekend. And now I'm so ready to take on this new week!! I did a lot of meal prep tonight and am glad to be able to reach for healthy options throughout this week. I made my infamous sausage and tater bake, boiled some eggs, and made a new recipe with bananas, oats, and walnuts! That, and my pumpkin gingerbread recipe, will be on the blog soon!!

I'm also doing the Love Your Body challenge with Tone It Up (www.toneitup.com), and have reached 20/100 for my 100 miles by Valentine's Day challenge. Im feeling pretty good about that and hope to get more miles and toning in this week!!

But first, the foodie plan :)

Pre-workout options: Hard boiled egg Banana Oat Nut protein muffins Gluten free toast w/nut butter Banana w/nuts or nut butter

Breakfast: Oatmeal Scrambles Hard boiled egg Sausage and taters

Lunch/dinner: Sausage and taters Salads Turkey taco meat Leftovers

Snacks: Carrots w/hummus Banana Oat Nut muffins Larabars Nuts Turkey taco meat

I'm looking forward to my options for the week! I think it is so important to make sure you look forward to eating your food. Food should be enjoyed!!

And now for the workouts:

Monday: run/walk 2-3 miles, personal training session (probably leg day!), Yoga in the PM

Tuesday: Arms and cardio mix 3 miles (usually I do the bike, elliptical, and some walking) or stair master if I'm feeling brave!

Wednesday: circuits in the AM with Hanna, possible workout with the fiancé in the PM which will probably be some kind of cardio and toning!

Thursday: run 4 miles

Friday: personal training sesh #2 for this week, cardio mix 3 miles

Saturday: run 5 miles

Sunday: logbook workout from my trainer, cardio mix 3 miles

My goal is to reach 40 miles for my 100 by Valentine's Day challenge. This is kind of a big goal, but why not right?? Dream big or go home :)

I'm pretty excited about this week. I'm also a little anxious, since I struggled a bit this past week with my food choices. I know I shouldn't be hard on myself, but I also know I shouldn't overdo on indulgence. Balance is always difficult to find, but it's a journey worth taking!

I am also taking on the Tone It Up challenge this week of not weighing myself for 10 days! This means not till NEXT Wednesday! I'm pretty excited about it. I had given up the scale a bit ago, but that bad habit of weighing myself too often has crept back up on me. Why do these silly things get a hold of us? I don't know, but I know that only I am giving it the power it does NOT have.

I've also kept up with my no counting calories goal. I got my app back a few times in moments of weakness, but have quickly deleted it again. I am definitely still calorie conscious, but to be honest I do miss the structure of counting. I love numbers, planning, and figuring out puzzles, which is basically what counting became. I know, however, that it is not a very sustainable habit for me, and I hope to be able to continue on my no counting streak. I will obviously keep you all informed on the happenings in this department! :)

Ok. That's all for now! I hope you all enjoy these last few hours of the weekend!

Perseverance is HARD

Today was a hard hard day. But I am so glad it's over, and that God helped me push through.

It all started with a wonderful quiet time this morning! All the passages I read had to do with following God when he calls (from Abram to the disciples) as well as the concept of perseverance and to just keep going. I started the day praying that God stays with me and knowing that with Him, I can persevere and make it through anything.

BOY was that tested today!! I got to work, and it was just one thing after another. One mistake, one problem, one unhappy client, one frustrating counseling session, just one negative and challenging thing after the next. I found out about a mistake I made last week, about which I became very sensitive. I hate making mistakes in any area of my life, even though I am pretty good at it (hey I'm human). It was still hard to get through. All I wanted to do is clock out, come home, cry it out, and give up on the day.

But I had also had this awesome quiet time with the Lord this morning all about persevering, pushing through, and following Him no matter where He takes me. I was torn. Do I wallow in my miserable day and give up? Or do I hold on to the promises God revealed to me this morning? I kept reminding myself of what God had taught me. To push through the day. Even when the day was pulling me down.

And before I knew it, it was time to clock out. I was able to leave. I finished up my day, and even left work with a smile on my face. And it was ALL God. All His work in my heart, and Him reminding me of who He is and that He is with me. I am so glad I didn't just throw in the towel and run away from the day.

Sometimes, we have no choice but to keep doing the things. And by "the things," I mean the everyday things we have to do no matter how we are feeling. Like going to work, doing your work, helping and loving others, having lunch, driving, etc. We have to be strong. And the only way to get through the tough times is through Christ and His strength.

I encourage you all to just keep pressing on. Even when it seems impossible. My day was rough, but I know it must be nothing compared to what some people are going through. Nothing at all. But I do know that God promises to be with us no matter what. Let us persevere through the good and bad times, knowing all along that God is with us and for us, guiding us the whole way.

Let's do this! Food and Fitness Plan Jan 5-11

Are you ready for the week?? I am!!! Not so much ready to go back to work after a nice weekend...but I am ready to grow, reach to goals and have a productive week. This weekend was so fun for me, I'm sad to see it end. However, I have to come to terms with the fact that work is a part of life, and I am beyond blessed to be working in a job that I enjoy and that does such great things for people! This week is super busy, I pretty much have something planned out every evening! Ps did I tell you guys I finally bought my planner! Yep, that's right, a good old fashioned planner. Paper and pen and all. It has "Faith, Hope, Love" written on it, which is always a good reminder. I transferred all of my stuffs to it this morning after some good pumpkin gingerbread and quiet time!

I want to try and use a paper planner this year and see how I do. I feel like I rely too heavily on my phone and want to not have to use it so much! Wishful thinking probably, but this is a start!

Busy weeks are even more motivation for me to figure out what and when I am going to do things. I have to make sure that I have enough time for productivity as well as rest. I've tried to find that balance this week, so we will see how it goes! Here is my food/fitness plan for the upcoming week!

Food:

Breakfast options: Hard boiled eggs Scrambles with veggies Sausage and veggies Oats with fruit and nuts Protein waffles Bars if in a rush!

Lunch options: Leftover kebab from my awesome lunch today!!

Turkey burgers Tuna sandwiches/salads

Snack/pre-workout options: Nuts Carrots w/hummus Larabars String cheese Hard boiled eggs

Dinner options: I'm meeting up with a lot of friends and family for dinners this week! I'm definitely planning on still keeping it healthy, but I'm not entirely sure what these options will be! Probably some sort of protein and veggies per usual!

Fitness plan:

I'm trying to move some of my workouts to evenings since my schedule has been tiring me out. Waking up at 4:30am is not ideal and not a way to live everyday life! Here is my tentative plan for the week. I've put AM next to morning workouts and PM next to evening workouts.

Monday: AM: tone it up arms and abs workout PM: cardio for 3-4 miles (either elliptical or treadmill)

Tuesday: AM: run 3-4 miles

Wednesday: AM: Plyometrics, then circuits with my friend Hanna

Thursday: PM: personal training session, cardio

Friday: AM: Run 5 miles

Saturday: AM: cardio, plyometrics, abs

Sunday: Random!

Wednesday and Saturday mornings are not as early for me as some other days. I also moved my personal training session to Thursday for this week to see how evenings work for me! They used to be bright and early Monday mornings. I'm experimenting with this, but also hope to gain some more rest through the process! I've found that, without proper rest, your workouts just won't mean anything. There has to be a balance of good nutrition, good movement, and good rest in order to reach good health.

Lastly, I want to continue with my resolutions of watching less Netflix shows and spend more time reading, playing the piano, and just doing other things instead! I've really been enjoying reading my Nicholas Sparks book lately (love his stuff!) and doing other things with my time. Not to say that I'm not watching any TV, because I am. But again, balance is key.

I also want to continue with my stress and worry less goals (which I definitely cannot do without the grace of God since I am such a stress case most of the time!) and want to work on my secret project. I'm hoping to have time this week with all that is going on!

Have you set a plan of goals for the week yet? Sunday night is the best time to prepare for and plan out your week! It helps me get more motivated for the week to come, and I hope it does the same for you!

Pieology Pizza Dinner

I don't think I've met a single person who does not like pizza. People all have their different tastes and preferences. For me, I LOVE the crust. The thicker, the better. It is probably because I love bread more than a "normal" person would. However, when I had to give up gluten, one of the hardest things to give up was pizza from my favorite place because of their thick and delicious and bready crust.

I'm pretty sure this pizza is 90% bread, 5% cheese, and 5% sauce and veggies. Which is precisely the way I like it. I'm not even pretending it's healthy because it's NOT, but it is definitely delicious.

ANYWAYS, since going gluten-free, no pizza has measured up to the amazing gluten-filled pizza shown above. And with good reason, since most gluten-free crusts taste like a cardboard cracker. However, this past weekend, I was pleasantly surprised with my experience at Pieology. They just opened this place by my house and my fiancé suggested we try it out Friday night. I got my usual pizza with bell peppers, olives, and pepperoni.

My fiancé basically got every topping they offered....he is definitely a toppings man and could care less about the bread. Oh, how I wish that trait would rub off on me!

As I took my first bite, I expected the cardboard and the crunch and not the soft crust that I was accustomed to in my pro-gluten past. However, even though this was a thin crust pizza, the crust actually tasted like bread!! I was so excited when I took my first bite. I even had my fiancé try it and he agreed with me; the gluten free crust tasted great! I don't think anyone would have even noticed it was gluten free if they hadn't been told. I ate half the pizza and was so satisfied with this meal. I didn't miss my fluffy gluten crust...ok maybe I did a LITTLE...but this pizza definitely takes the prize of one that is similar to usual thin-crust pizza while actually tasting like bread. I would definitely try this place again and know that I would feel like I was eating normal, delicious, savory pizza. Thanks, Pieology!

Some Favorite Things...

Yayyyy it's Friday!!!! I had work today, which is a little hard to get my mind around, but it wasn't too bad and thank God for the weekend!! Just thought I'd share a little update post about some of my favorite things lately. 1. GOD. God has been throwing blessings at me left and right and I just feel so grateful and full of thankfulness to Him. Good people, family, food, and fun times this Christmas season was just what I needed!

2. My new workout jacket. I know I posted about this already but I just had to share again!

This top is so warm and and cozy! I wore it for an outdoors run/walk yesterday with my fiancé (his family bought it for me...THANK YOU!) and it kept me SO warm in the freezing weather we have had lately. Plus it's super cute...so it's a win-win!

3. My new egg pan! My mom just bought a Caphalon pan just for eggs and I love it. It is beyond non stick and so easy to clean! Plus, the eggs are coming out super fluffy and restaurant-like! Can't explain it, but I'll take it!

4. My new family. I love the family that I'm marrying into! They have shown me such love and joy, and I am so excited that I get to finally have a brother and a sister. We had a lot of fun over the holidays and I can't wait for more fun in the future!

5. Lastly, running! I took a little hiatus over the holidays from my 10K plan and did some more easy cardio and weights. I kicked off my running again this morning with a 4 mile run and it felt great! I want to do more low impact workouts like yoga and Pilates, but I will always love running and include it in my regular workouts! And I can't wait for my 10K in 6 weeks. And you can bet I'll be following my injury-proof plan (check in previous posts for schedule!)

I don't know about you, but I am extremely excited about the new year. I can't wait to see what God is up to and I definitely want to be available to be used by Him. Reflecting on some of the blessings and "favorites" in my life keeps me joyful, humble, and grateful.

What are some of your favorite things/people lately? How do you keep your joy up?

New Year, New Goals: 2015

Happy New Year everyone!!! It's January 1st, which is a dream come true for someone like me. I am the girl that loves Mondays, the beginning of a month or week, and the 1st day of anything! I woke up to one of my favorite verses this morning, which made me even more excited about the newness of this day and time of year: "For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland." Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭19‬

I mean OBVIOUSLY God can do anything new at anytime He so chooses. He's GOD after all. But there is just something about the freshness and newness of a new year that gets me excited and motivated to grow and reflect on what my life has been over the past year, what aspects to keep, and what to transform into something better.

I am someone who loves making goals and resolutions. Whether I stick to them or not is a different story, and most of the time I do. But sometimes life gets in the way, and things get left behind. I still believe that making goals is essential to growth, even if you may not meet all of them.

I've realized lately that many times, the reason why I don't reach a goal is because my list looks a little something like this:

Too many things, too many scattered thoughts, and no direction!!! This year, I decided to do something different with my goals. I made a list of short term and long term goals. The short term is within the next 3 months, and the long term is throughout the year. This way, there is a time frame for my goals and they are a little more organized! So here they are...my 2015 goals!

Short term: less than 3 months

*Run my 10K in February in under 60 mins *Play piano at least 4 times/week *Plug into a ministry more consistently *Try keeping a paper planner/calendar *Finally start my secret project

Long term: all throughout the year

*Keep a consistent prayer journal and staying in God's Word *Read more books *Re-learn how to ride a bike (yes I forgot) *Feed my body healthy and whole foods and find freedom from my destructive habits *Be more available to people, pour into others * Go on a missions trip of some kind *Stop stressing and worrying so much! *Get married (can't forget that one!)

It's going to be such a big and exciting year, I just know it! God is always up to something, and I want to be used by Him and for Him for His purposes. I give all of these goals to Him and pray that His will be done!

In the World, not of the World

Hello out there!! Sorry I have been MIA lately. Life has been busy with Christmas, work, and wedding stuff. And I have purposefully taken some time off of my Instagram, blog, and social media in general. I have used this past week to really reflect on what is important to me, what God has taught me this past year, and where He wants me to go from here.

I have come to the conclusion that life is just weird. We live in a world of constant self centeredness and yet are called to be selfless and loving. We live in a world of indulgence and yet are called to self control and discipline. We live in a world that worships anything and everything and yet are called to worship our one and only God in heaven. It's just weird, right??

This past week, I have realized the areas in my life that I get sucked into the world and forget where my heart belongs. I get so caught up in the every day stresses of life, as well as things that are inherently good such as health, family, wedding things, etc. But all of those don't mean anything unless God is in the center of it all. I have realized that I can't lose focus of Him, or everything starts falling apart. I need to always stay tuned to God and what His plan and will is for me. Like the verse above says, we need to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.

The way I see it, earthly things will always be there. We need to make ZERO effort to focus on these things. They are all around, almost bombarding us daily. The struggle is staying SO connected to God in our everyday life that we set our hearts and minds on Him, and approach these earthy things in the way He wants us to. He put us in the world after all, but not OF the world. I am praying that God shows me how to do this in a way that glorifies Him.

I am still reflecting on my New Years resolutions and goals and will post them sometime in the next few days. I hope you all have a safe and happy New Years Eve with friends and family!!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful week and a blessed Christmas with family and friends. I know my Christmas was one that I will always remember. I had such a wonderful time with my new family, as well as my family of 26 years. My fiancé and I are so blessed by both of the families we are a part of and are going to be a part of. My heart was overflowing all week.

The festivities started last week, when we went out to look at the lights with my family and cousins. It was such a cold and fun night!

For Christmas Eve, we spent time with my fiancé Vasken's family. We had a great evening! My future sissy and I built an awesome gingerbread house to kick off the day.

My fiancé also had a wonderful idea of putting some of his smaller gifts, such as gift cards, in a mason jar! He stuffed it with tissue paper and chocolates (and obviously the gifts) and placed a bow on top. It was SUCH a creative idea!!! I'll definitely be stealing it!

We had such a good time with his family that night. We played a fun white elephant game and I got some beautiful reindeer Christmas plates!

The next day was Christmas morning and basically my favorite day all year!!! My parents and I opened presents early in the morning with our pajamas, which is always fun! I also baked some yummy pumpkin gingerbread we enjoyed with some tea in the morning.

My dad and I went on our traditional Christmas morning jog around noon. I wore my new workout jacket from Vasken's family...loved it!!

In the afternoon, Vasken came over and we did our own gift exchange. I bought him a coat and tickets for tubing in the snow since he LOVES doing anything in the snow and I...well...have no experience. I thought this would be a fun way to enjoy it together and a baby step for me before I get into full fledged skiing or anything! ;)

Vasken definitely outdid himself this year with my presents. He got me a flannel shirt and a sweater, a few plaques with some motivational sayings on them, like so...

But my favorite gifts were two things he hand made for me. A mason jar wall attachment to organize my make up brushes, lotions, or anything, and a wood journal! MADE BY HAND.

I am still in awe of how good this man is to me. I mean, we have our fair share of arguments. But Jesus always binds our hearts even closer to each other every single time. I couldn't believe what he made me...I started crying!! My heart couldn't handle it. These presents were definitely the highlight of my Christmas this year.

At night, we went to my aunt and uncle's house for our Christmas celebration with my side of the family. We had such a fun time! We ate good food, did a Secret Santa exchange, played games, and made breakfast at 11:30pm. It was the perfect Christmas.

I love reflecting on the past couple of days and remembering all the good God has done. He has blessed me with so many lovely people in my life, from my parents to Vasken to my family and now to his family. Too many blessings to count. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well, and let us not forget all that God has blessed us with, in this season and in every season of our lives!

Rest for the Weary: Recap and Weekly Plan 12/22-12/28

"Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. I am gentle and humble in heart. And you will find rest for your soul." Matthew 11:28

This past week was my second week of my 10K training plan. Things didn't go the way I had planned, but I am accepting it. I tend to be a perfectionist and if I mess up, it gets me down, which leads to more mess ups, more let down....well, you get the pattern. This week was a tough week for me. I felt EXHAUSTED. Usually, I wake up feeling energetic and ready to work out. This week, it was definitely a struggle. I still got two runs in, but also took some rest days and walking days. The fact that I had less-intense workouts isn't what really got me down. What got me down this week was the massive amount of sugary treats all over the place!!! And my lack of self control around them.

I tried to think through which treats were worth it to me, as I discussed in last week's post. Which treats did I want to have in SMALL amounts and only if they were worth it? But I truly believe that my exhaustion impaired my judgement. I tended to "eat all the things" if you will. I didn't go crazy, but I definitely didn't make wise choices.

I'm not perfect, and I think my strive for perfection actually leads me to make poorer choices instead of coming to Jesus, laying it ALL at His feet, accepting His love and rest, and finding my peace in Him verses other routes I have created for myself. I have a history of over restrictive and over indulgent eating, and when those habits rear their ugly heads again, I know something is off with me. Not just physically, but spiritually as well.

The verse at the top of this post has meant a lot to me this past week. I have definitely felt weary and in need of rest. Instead of finding my rest and relaxation in sugar (which always backfires, let me tell you!) I need to turn to Jesus and rest in Him. I need to look to him for fulfillment and comfort in times when I feel like I can't do it, whatever IT is. I also need to trust my instincts when I actually need rest!!! What is the point of waking up at 4:30 in the morning to workout and work hard, only to end up giving into sugary treats and sweets a few hours later because I am just too tired to care? And for me, usually and especially if I am tired, one treat turns into 10 which turns into a whole day of a "what the heck" mentality. Which never ends well.

I am not perfect. And I am not a food robot, as Melissa Hartwig from the Whole 30 program and the author of "It Starts with Food" reminded me this week. I'm not perfect and I'm tempted just like any of you. It's hard to stick to a healthy eating plan! But after our tough weeks, we just have to get up, brush it off, and do the next best thing.

And for me, after a week of rest and reflection, the next best thing for me to do is to eat something healthy and head to the gym this morning before church. To fill myself up with time with Jesus, good food, and to move my body a bit.

With that said, here is my tentative food plan this week! It's a short week at work, which I am very excited about! I only have 2.5 days and then it's CHRISTMAS! I want to try and use up the food we have at home before I go on a grocery shopping spree. Here is my food/fitness plan:

Pre workout: - banana w/PB - hard boiled eggs - nuts

Breakfast: - scrambles - sausage with taters - quest bar if in a hurry

Lunch/Dinner: - grass fed taco meat - turkey burgers - tuna salads - salads in general!

Workouts: I am going to try to do a couple evening workouts and see how that goes. I am morning person through and through, but I want to try something different this week.

Monday: 2 mile run (fast), Personal training session, Hanna circuits

Tuesday: 5 mile long run

Wednesday: TIU workouts (I have to take advantage of the tone it up workouts!!! I am a part of the TIU community and these are great, at home workouts to do when you are short on time!

Thursday (Christmas!): Run 4 miles (moderate pace)

Friday: Lateral elliptical, log book workout from trainer

Saturday: Run 3 miles (moderate pace), log book workout from trainer

Sunday: Walk, lateral elliptical, or rest day

And there we have it. I am so excited for this week! Christmas is my all time favorite season and I definitely don't want to ruin it by being too tired, too sluggish, or too high off of sugar! :) God is our strength at all times, and He wants us to come to Him. I don't know why I even try any other way! :)

I hope you all have a great, restful, and healthy week!