Party in a Blizzard

To go along with Lindsay's post from Monday-YES! Now is the time when we all start to slack off in our super awesome goals we set for ourselves. And my title really has nothing to do with this post except that this is my least favorite song at Zumba but it seems to be everyone else's favorite. Go figure. 

MY WEAKNESS

1. Jon is off the bandwagon. There is nothing worse for a girl than having a boyfriend or husband who is eating Triple Baconators & scarfing down cookies. What is even worse is when he leaves to go to Florida and you chose not to go and you know he is dipping freshly caught lobster in a huge bowl of melted butter. AH! My favorite.

2. The weather STINKS! I cannot stand running indoors anymore. After a summer of running around the lake, I just can't do it. My mind torchers me the entire time! Party in a blizzard?

3. A sister that won't wake up for Zumba. I did try 3 times to find a place to Zumba over the weekend, but Friday night we got lost. And Saturday morning---you try waking up a tired Lindsay. NOT FUN!

4. Visiting family & friends during Valentine's Day Season. Uh---OF COURSE I'm going to get the Little Debbie Cakes. OMG. They are the best. Seriously....the absolute best.

5. Free food. I always struggle when I go home because my parents like to treat all of us to dinner every night so of course I'm thinking get as much as you can! It's easier to say no when you're paying for it youself, ya know?

WAYS TO GET PAST THE MOMENTS OF WEAKNESS

1. Get the man into your routine. Jon has promised to start working out with me when he gets back from Florida. I do understand this so I am just waiting for him to get back so we can get it started!

2. If you can't enjoy your exercise because of the weather--find another option! I've really taken to Zumba in this dreary cold weather. It's awesome! Try it out!

3. It's okay to take a break from everything, but make sure this doesn't mean you are done completely.

4. Eat one Little Debbie Cake. Than walk away! Drink some water & go for a walk.

5. Even though it's free food, take this opportunity to get something healthy and delicious. Saturday, we went to Mimi's Cafe. I opted for a side of veggies and a huge salad! It was delicious. I treated myself to a Raisin Carrot Muffin there also-they are amazing.

MY STRENGTH

1. My mom is a beast right now. She has lost some weight and is going strong. When she gets motivated, there is no stopping her. I went on her elliptical for maybe 10 minutes and was DYING. She was on for 45 minutes. I wanted to die. But good for her.

2. Zumba. Every time I go to Zumba I find new motivation. I did 70 minutes of Zumba last night and when I got home I grabbed Lo & went for a 15 minute run without stopping which was 1.4 miles. So I was running a 10 minute mile pace which I'm okay with for now.

3. WEATHER! Last night I wore sandals! Today is supposed to be 60 so I will be running outside again! Hopefully for 30 minutes. Keep this weather coming!

4. Being home. I am in a routine now so when I go home or get out of that routine-I struggle. So just being back home is really helping me stay on track.

5. SELF-MOTIVATION!!! This is the most important. I just keep looking at old pictures and things on Pinterest to keep me going.

Resolution Blues

There's no denying...we all get them! The New Years Resolution Blues.

It's that time of the year- the beginning of February.  The time when people start to forget all of those New Years Resolutions that they made, and they start to get pretty lazy.  This is especially true with resolutions about getting fit or losing weight!  We're all super pumped up for that first month, then it seems to slowly start to fade.  I'm so guilty of this myself! BUT! I told myself that 2012 was going to be different.  No more giving in to the Resolution blues.  Even when I get down, I'm always going to jump right back up! 

A perfect example of these blues was this past weekend....

February brings many things besides these blues....and one of those things that it brings is Valentines' Little Debbie Cupcakes! Ahhhh! You all now what I'm talking about! Those little pink and white heart shaped cupcakes that are death in a package! haha...well, Britt came home this past weekend, and we just happened to pass some of those cupcakes in an aisle in Target.  She looked at them, looked at me, looked back at them, grabbed them as fast as she could, and ran toward the check-out line! I had to laugh, and I told her that there was no way that I was eating them.  HA! You all probably already said in your head...yea right, Lindsay...Well, if you did, you're right! I definitely scarfed one down as soon as we got home.

Saturday just led to more bad habits resurfacing.  I was traveling to and from a concert all day, so I had fast food and stadium food as my meal choices.  Needless to say, I didn't eat healthy that entire day. 

I won't lie...the thought did run through my head that I should just give up.  As soon as that thought entered my head, I shoved it out as fast as I could!  When Monday rolled around, I had an AWESOME healthy day!

If you're starting to feel the New Years Resolution blues, or if you feel them coming on soon, DON'T GIVE IN.  DON'T GIVE UP. Give yourself an off day, and shake it off.  It's what makes the difference between a crash diet and a lifestyle.  A lifestyle realizes that you're gonna have off days, or weekends, or weeks- but that doesn't mean you give up. Keep going strong for 2012. :)

Struggle

Well, it's been an extremely rough week for me to say the least! I've really been struggling with sticking to my fitness plan, but I'm not going down without a fight! I'm gonna try to start being a little more strict about my portions, and to drink more water. I've definitely been over-using diet pop! Don't get me wrong, it's a great thing to have when you're craving carbonation! But don't let it replace your water! I'm gonna try to get my water in during my classes...when I'm usually drinking coffee! So, moral of today's post, don't be defeated...but determined. You're gonna have days, weeks, maybe even months that are just a pure struggle. But don't stay down. Always fight to find new ways to improve your fitness plan and ways to get yourself back on your feet! We can do it :)
<3, Linds

Just Do It

Nike couldn't have said it better-

This slogan has been my motto for the past week or so.  Almost every day, I think to myself that I know I realllllly need to workout today, but I'm too this or too that or blah blah blah. Then, I actually think of this saying, JUST DO IT. Don't think about it. Don't think about how tired you are.  Don't think about the work that you need to get done. JUST DO IT.

Today was a prime example of this concept!

I had an absolutely, positively, no good, very bad day!  I spent my ENTIRE morning in the doctor's office- had an appointment at 11, waited for an hour and a half, then finally got out right before my class started at 1.  Not only did they make me wait for so long, but when they went to take a blood sample, they poked me about 3 times because they said that couldn't find a good vein! PSH! I've had tons of blood work done before and they always got it on the first try!

Well, because I had to wait so long at the doctor's, I didn't have time to eat the lunch that I packed.  I ended up eating my ham sandwich and grapes at my computer during my class.

I won't go on about all of the other things that went wrong during the day (including smacking my elbow EXTREMELY hard on a wooden chair, which resulted in me screaming at the top of my lungs), but needless to say, when I got home at 10 PM, I just wanted to crawl into bed, pull the covers over my head, and not wake up for at least 10 hours. 

As I walked in the door, however, I had a little voice in my head saying "Just Do It".  I took a big breath and ran upstairs to get on my workout gear as fast as I could before I changed my mind and just decided to fall into bed.  I successfully got down stairs to the workout room and started on the elliptical. 

Want to know the end result? I ran 2 more miles than I usually do! I was exhausted, yes, but I felt so good about myself!  I didn't let myself give in to my own excuses, but I decided to JUST DO IT. 

I hope everyone can take on this mind-set!  No matter how hard your day is, or no matter how long you think you need to stay in bed for another hour longer.....just get up, and just do it.  It's definitely rewarding, and you'll see the results! :)

Good Luck!! <3, Linds

Short & Sweet

I was planning on writing a nice post about what my weekend was filled with-Workouts, Zumba, friends & family---and stress, but unfortunately fortunately I have found a new sense of motivation in the last few hours. I cannot speak about what is motivating me as of right now, but let's just say women----you would absolutely relate. Maybe I will expound upon this newly found motivation in the future. But for now-I need to rest up because I will be up at 5 a.m. to run 2 miles. So no nice post from me tonight. I am just a ball full of stress and motivation. So goodnight all. Have any of you found new motivation to meet your fitness goals lately?

Keep it Real

So today I want to encourage everyone to Keep it Real!

How can you keep it real while trying to get fit?

1.  Enjoy Yourself!
       *Don't over-deprive yourself! Never letting yourself "cheat" is understandable when you're just trying to lose a certain amount of weight for a special occasion in the near future.  It is not good, however, for trying to establish a healthy LIFESTYLE.  It's pretty obvious that some time or another we're gonna want a cupcake, or a Snickers bar, or some french fries.  If you deprive yourself of everything but salad, fruits, veggies, and beans, then you won't last, and your healthy life-style will fall apart.  Be real with yourself and realize that you can have some of these cravings every once and a while- just don't let yourself over-do it.

2.  Protect Yourself!
       *Eat a healthy amount of food every day. I had to learn this the hard way!  I tend to be a bored eater, so I have been trying my best to keep myself busy so that I don't have time to eat!  However, I have been going over-board.  I always eat breakfast, but breakfast is my smallest meal of the day.  Then, I keep myself busy all morning, and by the time I have to leave for class, I haven't even left myself enough time to grab some lunch.  So, usually, my lunch gets skipped.  When I get home at night, I feel too bad about eating a big dinner because I know my metabolism is going to be slower at night when I'm not really moving around much.  Therefore,  I don't really eat much all day. I decided to change these bad eating habits of mine after I almost passed out during my work-out the other day. THIS IS NOT HEALTHY! When people think about living a healthy life-style, they automatically think that you shouldn't eat very much. This isn't completely true. You have to eat enough to actually keep you healthy while you're getting fit or losing weight!  If you're not sure how many calories you should be eating, Myfitnesspal.com is a GREAT tool to use! You just put in how much you weigh, how much weight you want to lose, and how much you exercise, and it calculates everything for you!  Be real about your health- losing weight isn't worth it if you jeopardize your over-all wellness.

3.  Pace Yourself!
       *You need to realize that getting fit or losing weight is a slow process!  This is very hard for most people to swallow, because we all like to see immediate results for our hard work.  The truth, however, is that slow results will last a lifetime, while fast ones fade away as quickly as they come.  Britt and I were talking the other day, and she told me that on her myfitnesspal account they told her that she would lose 9 pounds in 5 weeks with her current eating plan.  She said "That feels like forever! But I know I just have to be patient."  And that's the key!  As I said before, if you're patient, the pounds that come off eventually will be much more permanent because you lost them in the right way- not by a crash diet or depriving yourself of food.  Be real about the timing of your results, and pace yourself.

 <3, Linds

Tricks of My Trade

Ok so for today I wanted to give some of my personal info like zumba instructor, workouts, eating plans, playlists, etc. YAY! Okay so all of these are crucial. Let me just give you some of my must's.

For Christmas, I accumulated new weights, heart rate monitor/watch, new running tights, Nike running headband & matching gloves. I now have 1 pound weights-for Zumba, 5 pound weights, 8 pound weights, & one 10 pound weight. I also bought myself an Ipod shuffle specifically for running and working. I really needed this especially after losing my Itouch. These have all helped me with my new journey towards being Fit & Fabulous!

I have started doing Zumba Mondays & Fridays in Chillicothe on my way home. The instructor is fabulous! Her name is Deb Adkins. If you are in the area and looking for a good Zumba class, try her out. You can find any Zumba class near you by going to this link ZUMBA. Try it. I will also be going to a class locally at a studio called Charmion. You can find them HERE.

I also use an amazing website to download semi free music. Rock My Run is now expanding, but because I joined before their expansion-they gave me ten free credits. You get 1 free credit a month and each mix they make is 1,2,3,4 credits depending on the length. They are awesome mixes. They give you some extra motivation at the beginning and also how many BPM (beats per minute) so you can match your run with your mix.

I know I already talked about it on Monday, but Lindsay and I started using My Fitness Pal. It's been so awesome & helpful this week. I like to get onto my account every morning and build my day. I start off with my morning coffee & whatever I grab for breakfast on my way out the door. I add everything I have packed for the day which usually consists of a few snacks and a good meal. I also try to think what my evening is going to look like and add in my dinner, pre-workout snack, post workout snack, etc. This helps me see where I can splurge during my day.

OK-one last thing. I just registered for another 5k along the Scioto River for May 12. It's $25 but it goes towards an amazing cause. Please check out this site and help this little boy-Nathan's cause!!! REGISTER & HELP NATHAN

Results!

Yesterday was the big day!  I weighed myself for the first time since Britt and I started our journey to a fit lifestyle.  I was extremely nervous because, like alot of people, I get very discouraged when I don't see the results that I've been working hard for show up on the scale.  In the past, this discouragement has always led to me giving up.  You can see why I was so nervous, right?!

Well, I took a DEEP breath, and stepped on the scale.  I was almost too afraid to look down! But when I did, I almost screamed! The scale showed that I had lost exactly 6 pounds since I first weighed myself 2 weeks ago!! I was ecstatic!

My 2 main reasons for this post?

1.  Don't give up because results are on their way!  When you do see the results, take them and run with them!  Right after I finished my happy dance over the 6 pound loss, I reminded myself that those first 5-10 pounds are the easiest to lose, and, if I'm not careful, I will gain them right back.  Use your results as a motivater to do more- not to let your guard down and become lax.  I know that there are many more pounds to lose ahead of me.  I have to keep going!

2.  Don't only look to the scale for your results.  Right before I stepped on the scale yesterday, I gave myself a pep talk.  I told myself that no matter what numbers showed up, I was going to keep going strong.  Why? Because results show up in more than just a number form on the scale.  That number is the LEAST important form of results, yet, for some reason, it's the form that we rely on the most.  We have to start looking for results in other places!  Just like Britt said in her post yesterday, she hasn't lost any weight according to the scale, but her body feels great!  And like I said in a previous post, people are noticing that my skin looks clearer!  There are SO many benefits to living healthy.  You can't just look to the scale for encouragement and motivation.  Results are all around you! Find them! Use them to keep you going!

*With all of that being said, I encourage everyone to limit your weigh-ins.  Yes, it's nice to see how you're doing, but there is such a thing as over-kill when it comes to weighing yourself.  To avoid the possibility of getting discouraged when you don't see the weight-loss results that you want to see every single week, I suggest only weighing yourself every two weeks at the least.  My best friend would always try to diet in high school, and she weighed herself almost every other day.  When she didn't really see results, she got discouraged.  When she went to college, however, she didn't even have a scale!  She came back home during her Christmas break and she had lost 20 pounds within a couple months, and she didn't even know it!  She said that she did notice her clothes getting kind of big but that she had no idea the results were that drastic.  Her examples just proves that most of the time the scale does a lot more bad than good. 

Keep going!  Don't spend so much time looking down-but forward.  You'll be glad that you did. :)

Believe it!!! ---->

<3, Linds

ZUMBA

So last Thursday, my friend and I went to a zumba class in Circleville. It was a lot of fun! I forgot how much I loved it :) So I found my card that I purchased over a year ago and found out I still have 8 classes left that I can use in Chillicothe. So I will be zumba'ing today instead of my usual yoga. I will post what my new weekly workout is going to look like. I've added the zumba Mondays & Thursdays. I also found a new "Running for Weight Loss" Program at Women's Health. I will also be starting that this week! It is for beginners and after six weeks-I should be able to run for 30 minutes straight! How wonderful. I cannot wait. I also do strength training three days a week. Legs, Chest & Back, and Arms & Shoulders-these are my three days of weight training. I haven't lost any weight yet,but I am feeling much better about myself and my body feels great!

One of my biggest issues with getting fit is balance. I either eat really great and don't exercise or vice versa. So while I have been working out a lot and eating healthy foods, I have not been doing the greatest with portion control. I started using MyFitnessPal. You can check it out HERE. Lindsay & I both joined and became friends! So now we can follow each others progress and keep each other in line. AWESOME! I need it. Linds is doing great but I won't tell all. I'll let her tell everyone in her post tomorrow! Anyway, it's awesome! I gave the website my goals and they let me know what calories, carbs, fat, and protein I needed to intake on a daily basis. They said if I follow this-I will lose ten pounds by February 20th! Let's see how this goes!!! Cannot wait :) Ok-Time to go put on my new yoga pants from F21. $8.80. AWESOME!

Another Day in the Life of a Healthy Girl

Today I made an amazing new discovery.....TURKEY BACON!  I bought a pack of it about a month ago, and never even opened it because, as I said in my last post, I'm not the type of person to spend any amount of time on cooking a meal!  This morning, however, I had extra time so I decided to try it out.  I had 1/3 cup of egg whites scrambled, 2 pieced of whole wheat toast with spray butter, and a couple pieces of turkey bacon.  IT WAS DELICIOUS.  I am one of those people who loves bacon!  So I was a little nervous when I went to try the turkey version..but I highly recommend it to anyone who loves bacon but is trying to eat healthier!

Halfway into my day I had my daily cup of coffee with 1 splenda and 2 Tbsp. of creamer.  Besides that, however, I didn't even eat lunch!  Now, I don't suggest skipping meals, but, because I had a good sized breakfast meal, (not to mention it was a later breakfast- about 9:30) I wasn't really hungry when lunch rolled around.  I also suggest that you DON'T eat unless your hungry!  It definitely creates bad habits like eating when you're bored...which, trust me, is an extremely difficult habit to break! But when 5:30 rolled around and I got out of class, I was definitely ready to eat!  My parents were going to O' Charleys and asked me to come, so I joined them.  Now, when some people mention "eating out" when they are on a diet, they FREAK OUT. As for myself, however, I have become very well-accustomed to eating out while I'm trying to eat healthy.  My family does it A LOT.  Therefore, I'm pretty good at finding good substitutions and key words for healthy meals at restaurants.  For dinner at O' Charleys, I ordered the grilled chicken breast meal but told them to put nothing on it and just give me a side of barbeque sauce.  For my ONE side, I ordered plain mashed potatoes.  I DID have a roll also! Which is also fine- in moderation.  The problem is that they're so good and right in front of you, so you eat 10 before you know it!  But I ended up eating all of my chicken and just half of my potatoes.  I was completely satisfied!

Here are some words to look for and to avoid when eating out!

After dinner, I quickly came home to get on our elliptical and lift some weights.  I hadn't worked out all day, and I knew the elliptical was callin' my name!  I'm not used to the elliptical because I usually just run on a treadmill...and it was alot harder than I thought it would be! I did 2 miles, and I did 3 sets of 12 on leg lifting, arm lifting, and back lifting.  I felt pretty accomplished!

Overall, it was a good, fit day!  It's getting easier to ALWAYS do some kind of exercise during the day and to opt for healthy food instead of junk.  It's amazing to see the results of just 2 weeks of eating and living healthy!  Not only do I feel better, but at dinner, my dad even said "Lindsay, your skin looks really clear!" ha! It's a big deal for him to notice something like that! Living healthy is my favorite. :)

C-R-A-Z-Y

Work has c-r-A-z-y. So anywho-Monday was my yoga day which I did not do since I did not do my long run on Sunday. Seriously-I've been slacking in my workouts, but doing good with eating. This all changed last night. I got home late since I finally got the oil change I'd been putting off for over a month now. Disaster struck when 4 p.m. hit and my stomach starting growling with hunger. I had to go somewhere I could walk since my car was gone. My options were Penn Station, Little Ceasars, Burger King, and Steak & Shake. I know pizza isn't the best option and also S & S. I learned that after being on Weight Watchers and finding out my child size milkshake was 20 out of my 29 daily point allowance. AH! I opted for Penn Station since they are a sub like place. Turns out not the healthiest of subs, but I made the best of it. I got a kids meal size grilled veggie sandwich. Now after I paid I realized the meal came with fries...AWESOME. I had a tough choice ahead of me. Luckily-Pinterest had already challenged me with an inspiring fact of life: It only takes 21 days before doing something constantly. Just think: 21 days without binging, can become a lifetime. 21 days of going to the gym will make you not even think twice about going anymore. 21 days of saying 'no, thank you' to sugary treats. All it takes is 21 days. Why not start now?


So I said no to the fries! I threw them away immediately so I wouldn't continue to be tempted. I felt super great after I threw them away. I finally got home and was so tired-I just wanted to take a shower and hop into bed for some R&R. Instead, I asked my friend to come run with me and the pups! Jillian took Lona and I took Cash. We ran about 2 miles. Check out our route on Mapmyride.com. It felt great! Than I was feeling even better so I headed to the gym and did my arm workout! Finally, I ate some of my Black Bean Salad topped with some avocado :) Delicious! Just in time for some R&R with the lovely boyfriend, Jon and some Revenge-Our fav tv show!

As for today...I forgot my lunch. Grrr. So I will be running to kroger for a lean cuisine or something quick!

Diversity

I believe that one of the hardest parts of trying to lose weight or trying to get in shape or anything of the sort is realizing that everyone's bodies are different.  Not everyone has the perfect Barbie body, nor is everyone capable of attaining the perfect Barbie body.  I am one of those people.  No matter how much I work out and no matter how many fruits and veggies I fill my diet with, it's just never going to happen.  I am 5'8 and naturally built with an insane amount of muscle in my legs.  Granted, right now I have way too much fat around all that muscle! But the fact is, I'm never gonna have the stick legs that are considered to be attractive.  It's very hard to swallow, but I believe that once you get to a healthy weight, you're going to feel good about yourself no matter what.  The fact that everyone's bodies are different is what inspired my sister and I to name our blog the title that we did- "Sisters come in all different shapes and sizes".  We want to convey to everyone the message that not everyone has the same body types- just like my sister and I do not.  That does not mean, however, that there is a selection of who can get fit and who can not.  No matter what body type you are, you can be healthy and fit. 

Along with the diverstiy of body types comes the diversity of personalites, backgrounds, styles, and many more!  Brittany and I are definitely different in these areas also!  You can probably already tell just from our separate posts!  Britt is someone who likes to cook and does alot of it.  Me on the other hand? Not so much. I personally don't like to cook, and I'm not very good at it! This is something that has been very discouraging to me in the past when I have tried to start eating healthy.  For a while, I thought that it was impossible for me since I didn't really do much cooking.  That statement is actually so far from the truth!  It is very important to find YOUR individual way of living a healthy life style.  No matter what kind of person you are, there is a way. 

Britt has shared her recipes and a few things that she has tried.  Well, now it's time for those of us who aren't cooks and would rather just have something quick and easy!  So, I have come up with some great ideas that have really been working for me!

Breakfast- My 2 favorites are Waffles and Peanut Butter:

*I use Eggo Whole Wheat Waffles and Smart Balance Peanut Butter- Takes about 5 min. total
               
                 And an Egg Sandwich and Fruit:

*I use toasted whole wheat bread (which I use a couple sprays of spray butter on), scrambled egg whites (easiest to just buy a carton of egg whites), and Fat-free cheese.  Add a banana or a cup of grapes and you're good to go!- Takes about 7 min. total

Lunch-  My 2 favorites are Ham&Cheese Sandwich with carrot chips or baked potato chips:

*I use whole what bread, Low sodium ham, fat free cheese, and mustard for the sandwich.  For a side, I have a handful of carrot chips (which are normal raw carrots but in a chip-like shape- you can find them in the lettuce sections of most stores) with some Fat Free Veggie Dill dip- a nice change from ordinary ranch dip.- Takes about 5 min. total

             And, for those days when you're really on the go for lunch, a Fresco Bean burrito from Taco Bell.  Make sure you specifically order the Fresco version.  It's very filling and made with alot more healthy ingredients compared to the original bean burrito!- Time depends on the drive-thru line :)

Dinner- My 2 favorites are a Chicken & Cheese Quesadilla:

*This one is my new favorite!  It's SO easy and delicious!  I use Low Carb Banderita tortillas (there are a few options with the brand- they have fat free, low carb, and whole wheat), fat free shredded cheddar cheese, and grilled chicken strips-already cooked! (You can find these at pretty much any grocery store, even Aldi's! But I find it most helpful to get a large bag from Sams Club.  Of course it depends on how many quesadillas you think you may eat!), and then I dip the quesadillas in Fat Free sour cream.  The only catch is that I have a quesadilla maker, so it only takes about 1 minute for the quesadilla to cook! If you think this is a meal idea that you will use many times, I suggest in investing in one of these quesadilla makers! They're awesome!- Takes about 7 min. total

             And, a bowl (8 oz.) of Special K Protein Plus Cereal with a cup of 50% less sugar Orange Juice:

*Now, you might think I'm crazy for this one, but hear me out!  First of all, nothing can be easier to make than cereal.  Second of all, I find it very helpful to eat a small dinner, and a big breakfast.  Unfortunately, alot of the common breakfast foods, like cereal, aren't the most filling meals.  So! I find it useful to just eat "breakfast" for dinner!  It will be satisfying enough to get you through until you go to bed, but it won't be too much to just lay in the stomach all night while you sleep.- Takes about 5 min. total

**My family is also known for eating out alot, which can be a healthy lifestyle's worst enemy!  I have learned some tricks, however, and I've also found some very tasty but healthy meals at alot of big restaurants.  If you need advice regarding eating out, or if you would like to ask me about a good, healthy meal at a certain restaurant, E-mail me! @ Martin.2132@aol.com

Good Luck!

<3, Linds

Short & Sweet

So let's just say today was not the best day I've had as far as working out :) I didn't do a single thing. I was scheduled for yoga, but I got caught up with work, etc. I did eat fairly well though. I tried a new recipe Sunday afternoon that would last me several days. It's called Black Bean Salad with Lime-Cilantro Vig. I posted pics below. It is AMAZING. Corn, black beans, red peppers, and a whole lot of little extra things. I let it marinate in the oil and sauce over night and than I added fresh avocado to it before scooping it up in a Multigrain Tostito chip. I probably could have chosen a healthy option to dip with but I needed some substance since this was my dinner this evening :) Check out the pics! O, and STILL obsessin over that green tea. SO good.

Freshly chopped cilantro to throw into the olive oil, red pepper, and black bean mixture.

Corn

Finished :)

Fabulously Fit Fridays

FRIDAY! Ok, so today is technically my day off from working out but I think I will do some type of cardio tonight since I've been taking it so easy this week. My kidney SLASH whatever it is that hurts-is getting better, slowly but surely. I tried a new recipe for dinner last night. I found it HERE. This website is great! I love to look at it for ideas and than I always tweak it a bit to fit what I have at home.

Sizzling in Garlic, Lemon & Lime Juice, Pepper, & Olive Oil.

Added Paprika

Served with Water & Brown Rice

I added some Brown Rice & also a coupe drips of Hot Sauce. It added some flavor to the rice and is also really great for boosting metabolism! I will definitely be making this dish again in the near future. DELISH!

Next I headed to the grocery. I'm out of low calorie bread, tomato soup, and healthy indulgences. Here is a wrap up of my grocery trip.

Smart Balance PB, Green Tea, Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Vitamuffins

The green tea-I made this on my new coffee Keurig like machine. I made the tea added two packets of splenda & then set it in freezer for 20 minutes before pouring it over ice. It was amazing and calorie free! I will def be making this again also :) Most likely a large pitcher of it!

Lindsay, Jordan (Baby Brother), & I on our Christmas 5k! Jordan won 1st in his age bracket!

Compromise.

Compromise:  an agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims.  This word completely describes my whole day today!  My healthy day started off extremely well with 2 whole wheat blueberry Eggo waffles, a banana, and a cup of coffee.  Later, I added a few chopped celery sticks with Smart Balance peanut butter as a filling snack.  However, I never got a good chance to eat a healthy, filling lunch like I wanted to, because I just got simply busy- something that happens to ALL of us, and also something that is one of the biggest enemies of a fit and healthy lifestyle.  That's where compromise comes into play.  Since I didn't get a good lunch, I compromised by deciding on just having a larger, but even more healthy than usual dinner.  On a normal basis it's not a good idea to have a large dinner- since you will be less likely to work off those calories while you're sleeping!- but this is the huge difference between a healthy LIFESTYLE and a diet.  Things happen, and people get busy.  You can't let this fact discourage you when it happens.  Just COMPROMISE.  Not only did I have to compromise about my dinner, but I also had to compromise about today's workout.  My plans were to run 2 miles in the campus gym, and then do some weight lifting.  I found out, however, that my little brother had a basketball game tonight- which started RIGHT after I finished my last class for the day- my normal workout time.  Not only will just being busy effect your journey to a healthy lifestyle, but so will things such as saving time for friends and family.  Many people try to say that you need to put yourself first and others second when it comes to getting in shape or losing weight.  Sometimes this statement is true, but personally, I believe that most of the time it is false.  You aren't going to live your whole life denying time with your friends and family because you need to workout.  That philosophy may last for a little while, but eventually, it will cause you to completely give up on exercising.  Solution? COMPROMISE.  I wanted to go to my little brother's basketball game, so I skipped running at the gym.  I did NOT, however, skip out on working out for the day.  When I got home from the game around 9:30, I put in the one Leslie Sansone DVD workout that I have, and I did a 2 mile workout.  I still felt great about my achievement, and I didn't have to miss out on family time for it.  There is always a way around the difficulties or obstacles that get in the way of your healthy lifestyle.  Don't get discouraged and give up because of it, just find a COMPROMISE.  If you need specific advice on how to find a compromise for your specific situation, just ask me or Britt! We would be happy to help you out.  You can email us at Martingirls3234@gmail.com.

Happy Compromising!
<3, Linds

2012 Will Be My Year

"2012 Will Be My Year" was definitely my motto going into this. In order to insure that all my binging and holiday treats were taken care of, Lindsay and I spent the entire weekend eating our favorite pizza and desserts and drinking little to no water. Well my side/hip flexor area started hurting Saturday evening and the pain has yet to stop. So I'm taking my workouts a tab bit easier this week until the pain goes away or if it doesn't go away-this girl will be at the doctor's office. Cysts, hernias, and kidney infections-these are the thoughts being tossed around by those I've shared the information about. I don't really want to deal with any of the above, but we shall see.

In order to prep for this year, I stocked my fridge with some goodies & am still searching for some new recipes. I've gotten great recipes and ideas and motivation for Pinterest. If you don't have an account-GET ONE! I got Lindsay addicted :) You will never be the same!

Last night I did the elliptical just to make sure I was doing something even with the abdominal pain. Here is a look at what my typical week will look like though---

WEEKLY WORKOUT TO DO

Monday	Yoga
Tuesday	Legs 1 Mile Run
Wednesday	Back & Chest Elliptical
Thursday	Arms & Shoulders 1 Mile Run
Friday	DAY OFF!!!
Saturday	Elliptical/Swim
Sunday	Long Run Stretch

I plan on printing this and adding some cute scrapbook paper and putting it in a frame and hanging it next to the mirror and scale. That way daily-I can cross off what I did with a dry erase marker and erase it at the end of the week and start over---via pinterest. Love that site!

I'm also taking this challenge. 

For lunch today, I opted for half a can of Healthy Request Tomato soup made with skim milk. I paired my soup with a grilled cheese sandwich made with 35 Calorie Wheat Bread & Fat Free Cheddar Cheese. I also went for coffee with a friend & made the WISE decision of a SMALL ice coffee with cream and one splenda. Probably the lowest calorie and lowest fat item I could have chosen besides just black coffee, and I cannot do that. I've gone on SEVERAL walks with the pups & will be heading to the gym in a few minutes for some strength training and some more elliptical. I hope to start running as soon as I get the injury figured out! Eek!

INSPIRATION FOR THE DAY

No Excuses.

Talk about having an excuse!  I woke up this morning to a lot of snow on the ground and a chilling 13 degree temperature.  I didn't even want to get out of bed, let alone go outside for a run!  I didn't worry about the cold weather, however, since I was planning on just going to the campus gym to run INSIDE.  As I was comforting myself with this thought, that's when it hit me.  I had forgotten that I needed a special sticker of some sort to get into the campus gym- which I did not get, and couldn't get today.  I had every notion to just say "I'll just start running tomorrow."  But I didn't let myself!  I got out of bed, ate a bowl of Special K cereal, and suited up for my run- with a lot of WARM clothing.  As soon as I stepped out of the house, I was FREEZING- but I kept going anyway.  About 5 minutes into my run, I slipped on the icy road and fell.  My knee practically bruised immediately! Excuse opportunity #2!  But, once again, I stood up and kept running.  End result of not giving in to my excuse opportunity?  The most amazing feeling of accomplishment I have ever had!  Fitness advice from this post?  #1- Be safe and cautious when you're running outside in harsh weather conditions!  Wear warm enough clothing, and be aware of the dangers that you may come across- such as icy terrain.  Luckily, I just hurt myself enough to discourage the rest of my run and laugh at myself for looking like an idiot! but such accidents can be very harmful, and may result in not being able to run or exercise for a while.  #2- Don't let ANY excuse that you come across or come up with get in your way.  Trust me, there will be PLENTY of them.  Be so determined that you do what you know you have to do no matter what.  Because, when it's all said and done, you will feel amazing about yourself.  It's worth it.

<3, Linds