Chicago

Hi! This is directly from Chicago. I'm gone on a work trip so hopefully Lindsay will keep you busy with some news or tips. Here is a quick summary of my trip today-Starbucks traffic Starbucks Moe's southwest grill tofu bowl and Starbucks again :) I miss my pups already eek!

Ya Win Some, Ya Lose Some!

So I had a GREAT weekend!! It was filled with a lot of memory making and fun.

So my weekend started a little bit early in the afternoon on Friday. I worked a short day, and met a few of the girls (Melissa and Raquel) for lunch! Around where I work, there's not exactly the best choices of restaurants, so we ended up at the Hong Kong Buffet. YIKES! I kept my portions smaller than usual, though, and I counted the calories in my daily intake as a "Average Chinese Buffet Meal"...so it wasn't like I just went for a free for all!

On Friday night, some of the girls from my church threw a surprise 23rd birthday party/sleepover for my friend Melissa from California! I'm so glad she was able to be in Ohio with us for her birthday! The night consisted of singing 90's songs on the "Sing it" game, Catch Phrase, Apples to Apples, a scary movie, and a funny movie...and...of course, food! What kind of sleepover doesn't have junk food, right? In fact, one of the girls said at the beginning of the night, "Let's eat some junk food!!!!!!!" Ha...I knew it would be super hard to win this battle :(

But, as the saying goes, ya win some, ya lose some. And I could have lost MUCH worse than I did. My food choices did consist of a brownie (But I resisted the birthday cake and ice cream!!), and, of course, pizza. But I had 2 pieces of cheese...the least calorie packed type of pizza--plain cheese. We also had a veggie tray and fruit tray, so whenever I felt the urge to snack on something, I grabbed some cucumbers or grapes!

Melissa getting ready to blow out her candles!!!

On Saturday, I did a MUCH better job with my choices. I got quite a bit of exercise in the morning. I joined a group of people from my church to go around the neighborhood and pass out fliers to invite kids to our upcoming Vacation Bible School. It was quite a bit of walking--tied together with all of the walking that we did at the mall the whole day! As Britt already mentioned, we went to Mimi's Cafe for dinner. I kept it light with a cup of tomato soup and a Petite Wedge Salad with Low fact Citrus dressing. It was delish!!!! I highly recommend both. I also opted for a water instead of a diet soda (Which really helps reduce the effects of sodium that is poured into restaurant foods), and, I really wanted a cappucino, but I played it safe with just a regular coffee with cream and splenda. (Which was also super delish!) Seth and I spent most of the day by ourselves walking around the mall before we met the family for dinner. It was a super fun day!

My half-eaten Petite Wedge! :)

Today I'm doing great and just enjoyed a delicious bowl of chili with reduced-fat sour cream for lunch (350 calories and SUPER filling!)

Tonight I will be first heading to the chiropractor for my second alignment/treatment (Super eager for that), then off to go Laser Tagging with the Boyfriend and a few friends. That should be interesting :)

Have a great Motivational Monday everyone!

Weekend Update + Motivational Monday

Motivational Monday! A new has started along with another chance to have success towards reaching your goals! Isn't that a nice refreshing thought?! If you cheated too much or gained a pound last week-don't worry. Make this week a good week.

I had an EXTREMELY booked weekend. I started my weekend off with a friend date with Heidi! It was awesome. I got home around 1 a.m. after we got booted from Starbucks because they were closing. Oops. Time flies when you're havin fun, eh? Heidi took me to this AMAZING restaurant. I can't remember the name! Yikes! We shared a hummus appetizer. The pita bread was fresh out the oven, warm, and delicious! I copied Heidi with my entree as well-an Avocado Croissant. It was...indescribable. Seriously. Heidi kept raving about this place, but no wonder! It was seriously amazing. Cannot say enough good stuff about that place. Hahaha I can't believe the name is escaping me. Any way, great time with Heidi. 

Saturday was coffee with Vanessa and than YMCA work :) It was a good morning. The kids were great and well behaved which made the time go by fast! 

After I got off work, I headed to Polaris to meet with my family and my lovely little niece! I hadn't seen her in 6 weeks! Eek seems like an eternity. Her first words to me- "B, I see animals. B, I'm a princess." Melted my heart. She is rotten to the core, but can't help but love her! She is in a Little Mermaid phase so the whole day was spent singing Part of Your World. The words were changed a little, but the new Bella version is definitely better than the original. We also saw some ducks after dinner at MiMi's. 

P.S. Linds and I kept it healthy at MiMi's with Wedge Salads & Hummus platters. Yum! I also made a quick trip to Kohl's and got my first Steamer-a food steamer, not a clothing steamer :) Sunday was good too. Made some money at my garage sale with Meg. We also got burnt. Not good. Busy, but very fun and productive weekend. How was your weekend?

They escaped from the kitchen and onto my bed while I was in the shower this morning!

Tomorrow, I'm off to Chicago! Wish me luck!

Mexican!!!

Okay, so with this whole new vegan thing going on I've been trying a lot of new recipes. Jon really enjoyed this recipe. I found it in the book I read-Never Be Fat Again, but I did tweak a few things.

So...

Ingredients:

1. Lentils

2. Garlic

3. Cumin

4. Onions

5. Tortilla

6. Taco Toppings-lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, etc.

So I boiled my all natural 365 Green Lentils for abour 20 minutes before adding garlic, cumin, and onion. The book only calls for a TBS of each, but I added  a little A LOT more of everything. The lentil taste was hard to overcome. I ended up putting several TBS of each into the mix. I also cheated on the no dairy rule of our diet and added some shredded cheese. I also sauteed some green peppers that I sliced up earlier in the week. I use Ezekiel tortillas and had the peppers, salsa, and lettuce set out to use as toppings. I could have eaten this without the tortilla but Jon LOVED it. As soon as he finished his first burrito-he asked for a second. It's a good feeling with your recipe is liked.

Brown rice would also be a great add in. I started making it but I had no idea REAL brown rice took 50 minutes to cook instead of 10 minutes. Oops!

NEW OUTFIT ALERT:

So I got this new outfit before I started my new job, but just didn't feel like wearing it. Tight pencil skirts always give away your belly bulge, but since I lost 7 pounds-I feel great wearing them :) Amazing how much a little weight loss can help!

Shoes-Notice the Gold Buttons-I love the little details!

Added a sweater to accommodate my cold office!

Tried any new recipes lately?! Share away!

Fail-Success

My unfinished post I wrote Thursday:

Can't wait for the weekend. Woke up at 5:30 to swim at the Y. Got there & the pool doesn't open until 9 on Thursdays. Ugh! I feel like this has definitely happened before. FAIL. Epic fail. In. My. Face.

But than I looked at my workout sched and today is an off day any way so I guess it all worked out. To perk my morning up a bit-I did take a morning pup walk with my good friend Meg and her great dane Mia. Nice little morning surprise. I also couldn't resist a Scioto Valley Mocha this morning. Again. Thanks a lot Lindsay. Scioto never tempted me until you let me taste that caramel goodness. But I did get it Sugar free and made with non fat milk. They also asked if I wanted protein lite so I said SURE! It was good and tasted less sweet which I like. But I ordered a small and when they handed it to me-it was a LARGE! Good day. They said the protein powder makes it much fluffier so they had to put it in a big cup. I still only drank half of it. I can't take much more than that! But a good thing nonetheless.

Found Gluten Free Grahama Crackers. They don't taste good alone. Also made a great veg dinner that I'll talk about later in the week! Jon LOVED it. It was Mexican & that is def his fav.

Jon brought me lunch. Sushi Date. He is officially a huge sushi fan. I knew he would be. He's just impossible to give advice to on what he may or may not like. Very stuck in his ways :) O well, love him any way!

My new post for Friday:

Today was a huge success and it's still morning. I walked the dogs for 10 minutes. Got to the Y at 6 a.m. on the dot to swim with Jon. I swam a quarter of a mile which sounds terrible since I'm used to running miles, but it was tough and I did more than my training schedule suggested so I'm pretty happy with it for now. After that we got coffee together and walked the dogs for about 25 minutes. I got ready for work & than walked the dogs with Meg & Mia for another 30 minutes! So lots of activity this morning that I'm exceptionally happy about. Now onto Friday! I have a friend date with Heidi tonight so super excited to catch up and chat. Have a great weekend! Make good choices!

#1 Tip!

#1 Diet tip of the day?

DON'T CARRY EXTRA CHANGE OR SMALLER BILLS OF MONEY AROUND WITH YOU!

Seriously...this helps more than you think. You have no idea how many times this week at work I have seen someone get a candy bar from the vending machine as I'm warming up my healthy lunch in the microwave, and I suddenly have an urge for something sugary!

Or it's during the last half of the day when I'm getting tired, and I just want to go grab one of those french vanilla cappucinos (my number one comfort food at work) to make myself feel better.

But guess what? I have no money! Yea, I have a debit card, but THANKFULLY they haven't switched over to the credit card-accepting vending machines.

So, if you find yourself dealing with the same cravings and issues that I deal with, I encourage you to just not even take the extra money or change with you to work or anywhere else where you might face this issue. It has kept me from ruining my good diet days all week this week! And at the end of the day, when I look at my food diary, I feel so proud of how well I did- that wouldn't have happened if I would've had an extra 80 cents in my purse to get a snickers bar!

Keep going, and don't even put yourself in tempting situations! :)

W-w-w-w-ednesday

It's Wednesday! That means Jon is home tonight. Finally. I've been missing him. Tuck had a vet appt yesterday and it kind of ruined my whole day. Doggy bills :( But any way, I went for a good run at Hargus. I also cleaned my house, watched Bachelor Pad, and had a delicious dinner.

Tonight I'm making a Mexican dish with a recipe I found in the book I recently read-Never Be Fat Again. Super excited to try a veg Mexican dish. Jon has lost like 15 pounds so far and still going strong! He feels much better and he is actually looking forward to the dinner tonight! He already asked me about it :)

On a happy note-Jon & I are going trail shoe shopping soon! I already have my top pics figured out. Thoughts or suggestions?

#1 Pick

#2

#3

#4

And here are my tops for Jon.

#1

#2

#3

#4

 Which pair are your favorite for both of us?! Can't wait to get them and break em in.

Oh Happy Day!

Happy Tuesday everyone!!!

When I say happy, I certainly mean HAPPY! I am having a GREAT week so far--and it's only Tuesday! So let me share some of my reasons of happiness with you.

First of all, let me start off by saying that last week--not so great!! It felt like everything that could go wrong DID go wrong. I ended the bad part of my week on Thursday with a car accident. :( My friend Kayleigh and I were planning to get manicures before a group of us went to the Christian concert at the fair that night. After our nails were done, Kayleigh was driving us to get something to eat at Long John Silver's, and we hit someone at an intersection. Thank goodness no one got hurt! But it did cause me to be pretty sore over the next few days. Now that I think about it, maybe God was trying to keep me from making the mistake of eating that fried nastiness. :)


Here's Kay riding in the front of the police car! Which means that I'm in the back! Yes, it was creepy...and very uncomfortable!

 The good news is that we still made it to the concert-just 10 minutes late! Not to mention we had some pretty cute manicures :)

The lead singer of "Abandon"- Love!

My bad week was pretty redeemed by the awesome weekend that Britt has already told you mostly about! We had SO much fun, and I look forward to staying with her like all year! Now that I have a better car, I'm going to have to make it more of a habit. :)

Jon caught me with my wine glass....filled with Diet Coke! :) He wanted to give my mom a heart attack.

Trying on the same dresses at Maurice's! Great deal for only $9.95! I got it..she didn't. But I totally wear it better anyway. hahaha Just messin' Britt! :)

What's a sister  trip without some Starbucks?? Non-fat White Peppermint Mocha with no whipped cream :) And yes...I'm sure you can see little cheat next to it. Chocolate covered graham crackers :) Me and Britt's fav cheat treat!

Before I left Britt's on Saturday, we went to the grocery store to do a little bit of exploring! First of all, I have to apologize to Britt! haha--In my last post, I had kinda sounded like a downer about her new-found diet. I didn't really mean to, but I thought she was crazy for deciding to become an organic vegetarian! After this weekend, I have a completely new outlook on what she's doing!  As she was explaining things to me, I realized that the plan she is following would benefit me in so many ways.

I have alot of issues with my stomach and digestive system that cause much more serious issues like fainting and dizziness. I'm pretty sure that alot of it could just be avoided if I started eating less processed foods and more truly natural foods that my body was CREATED to be able to handle properly. Talk about a duh-moment, right?

So my plan is to try this kind of lifestyle out for a while and see how much my body improves!

During our little grocery store adventure, Britt pointed out a bunch of great organic and all natural foods, ideas, and more! Here's some of the things we found together- and the items that will be on my grocery lists :)

Organic fruits and veggies-specifically peppers to dip with.....

THIS hummus! The best brand to get! All-natural and gluten and fat free! Yum!!

These will be my life-saver when I am in need of sugar! Lara-bars! All natural and organic, and Britt says that they taste exactly like the flavor they are!

Organic salad dressing - VERY important because there's so much processed junk in regular dressing!

Ezekiel Bread- the official all natural bread!

Honest Ade Lemonade- made with Stevia (all-natural sweetener-NOT Splenda)
Not my favorite, but if you're looking for a good substitute for diet or regular soda, this would be good for you!

I know I've only been trying this out for 2 days, but so far, I feel AWESOME! I haven't been dragging at work like I've grown accustomed to, and I can actually go to sleep at night at a decent hour. My body is loving it so far :)
*******************************************************************************
Besides all of the great news about the new diet, I have even MORE great news!

After almost 5 months of limiting myself and worrying about what was wrong with me, I FINALLY went to the chiropractor. Boy do I wish I would've gone a LOOONG time ago! It was absolutely amazing.

It's not like I'm totally fixed already, but everything that I learned while I was there (the chiropractic doctor was awesome and super informative) was amazing! As soon as he got my X-rays back, he told me EXACTLY why I was having the migraines after running....So I'll try explain this the best that I can...

He said that the top bone of my spinal column, which is the one bone that holds and keeps the entire skull in place, was shifted over like 2 places to the left. This bone also has a hole in the middle which the brain stem goes through. So, basically, when I was running, because this bone of mine was way out of place, my brain stem was knocking up against that bone and causing my neck pain and my migraines- and many other aches and pains that I've been having. I was fascinated! It felt awesome to finally know what was wrong with me. He basically called me family doctor a wacko for giving me blood pressure pills for my problem (Since my blood pressure isn't even high until I'm running- which is what is supposed to happen!!)

He also told me that I have aged signs of whip lash which he says looks like it happened about 5 years ago- around the exact time a girl slammed me on the ground in a high school basketball game. And my spine is a tad bit curved-but he is pretty confident that he can straighten it out.

He also explained why my legs hurt- both when I'm running and just walking. Apparentl my right hip was out of place too. Crazy! I never even knew!

Best part about my trip to the chiropractor? HE SAID THAT I'LL DEFINITELY BE RUNNING AGAIN FOR SURE IN ABOUT A MONTH!!!! Woo-hooooo! I was SO excited because I had just told Britt that I felt like just giving up on running forever because of all of my dumb issues that it causes! I'm looking forward to hitting the pavement again! :)

Moral of the story? GO TO THE CHIROPRACTOR. My best friend has always told me that I need to go, and I thought that I had no need and no problems. Man, was I wrong! My chiropractor is going to be my new go-to person when I have a problem with my body! They SOLVE the problem instead of MASKING the problem with drugs. I also learned alot when I went- I didn't feel like I wasn't worth 5 minutes of their time so  they were just going to tell me something to make me leave. (Like I always feel at the doctor's office). For instance, I learned that at the hair salon, when they lean your head back and put in their sink to wash it or to wax your eyebrows, that will shift that upper bone that is around the brain stem. I also learned that I was sleeping completely wrong and in a way that is bad for my back and neck, and that crossing my legs all the time was putting too much pressure on my neck and back. Good stuff!

I'll keep you all updated on how this next month goes with all of my chiropractor visits!

Sorry this was so long- but I told you that I had a lot of good news that I wanted to share with you! :)

So here's to my new, natural, healthy lifestyle that does NOT include processed foods and mis-prescribed, cover-up drugs!

Kale Chips

So this is probably the EASIEST recipe ever & a new fav of mine!

Kale is amazingly healthy. With my recent diet changes, kale has become my best friend. It is literally  in the top running for being the healthiest vegetable on the planet. Seriously. Don't believe me? Google it.

Quoted from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-kale

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K -- and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.

Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.

Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

Quoted from http://home.howstuffworks.com/kale3.htm

Kale is king. Along with broccoli, it is one of the nutrition stand-outs among vegetables. It fights fat through its ability to mingle in a variety of roles -- in side dishes, combined in main dishes, or in salads. 

For a green, kale is unusually high in fiber. This helps create the bulk you need to fill you up and to keep you full for a good amount of time. Kale is also an excellent source of nutrients, especially vitamin A andcalcium. With a combination of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, kale is a dieter's dream food.

Quoted from http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/9-health-benefits-of-kale.html

Kale is not only one of the more beautiful cruciferous vegetables, but it also one of the most nutritious. Here are nine reasons to eat kale, and eat it often.

Diet and Digestion 
One cup of kale has only 36 calories and zero grams of fat, which makes it a great diet aid. Furthermore, one cup contains nearly 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which promotes regular digestion, prevents constipation, lowers blood sugar and curbs overeating. Finally, kale contains the glucosinolate isothiocyanate (ITC) that fights the formation of H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori), a bacterial growth in the stomach lining that can lead to gastric cancer.

Antioxidants
Kale is a superstar in the arena of carotenoids and flavonoids, two powerful antioxidants that protect our cells from free radicals that cause oxidative stress. The key flavonoids kaempferol and quercitin (not to dismiss the 45 other distinctive flavonoids in kale) have also been shown to specifically fight against the formation of cancerous cells. With the addition of high doses of well-known antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin A, and manganese, kale is certainly a smart choice in the battle against cellular oxidation. 

Anti-Inflammatory 
One cup of kale provides about 10% of the RDA of omega-3 fatty acids that helps regulate the body’s inflammatory process. A megadose ofvitamin K further aids to fight against excessive inflammatory-related problems, such as arthritis, autoimmune disorders, and asthma. 

Cancer 
Not only do kale's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities work together to prevent and even combat cancer, a healthy diet of kale also provides glucosinolates, which have been shown to prevent colon, breast, bladder, prostate, ovarian cancers, as well as gastric cancer.

Cardiovascular Support 
The high fiber content of kale lowers our cholesterol by binding with bile acids that the liver produces from cholesterol for digesting fat. Because many of these bile acids are coupled with fiber, the liver is charged with producing more bile acid to digest fat, and therefore requires more cholesterol to so, ultimately lowering the amount of cholesterol within our bodies. 

Detox 
The isothiocyanates (ITC) from glucosinolates found in kale aid in both phases I and II of the body’s detoxification process. The high sulfur content of kale has further been shown essential for phase II of detoxification. 

Vitamin K 
Kale provides a whopping dose of vitamin K (providing 1327% of the RDA in one cup), which is necessary for the synthesis of osteocalcin, a protein that strengthens the composition of our bones. Vitamin K also prevents calcium build-up in our tissue that can lead to atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Finally, vitamin K is essential for synthesizing sphingolipid, the fat needed to maintain the myelin sheath around our nerves, and therefore our nervous system as a whole. 

Vitamin A 
With over 192% of the RDA of vitamin A, one cup of kale is an effective antioxidant, boosts immunity, maintains healthy bones and teeth, prevents urinary stones, and is essential to our reproductive organs. 

Vitamin C 
Vitamin C, which one cup of kale heartily provides (over 88% of our RDA), is not only a powerful antioxidant, but also lowers blood pressure, ensures a healthy immune system, and fights against age-related ocular diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

So back to my main topic-Kale Chips.

Super easy. 

1. Buy Kale. There are two types & I have tried both-both are good and both are good for you.

2. Wash the Kale.

3. Tear the Kale off of the main stem all the up. I just took a knife and started and the bottom and went all the way up so the thick middle stem was gone completely.

4. Lay the kale on a cookie sheet.

5. Brush or drizzle the kale with extra virgin olive oil.

6. Season the Kale. I always sprinkle garlic salt or regular salt, pepper, and usually add a third season but they are good with just S & P. 

7. Bake the Kale around 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes or until crispy.

8. ENJOY!

Step 1

Step 2

End Result

Sugar Addict

So diet note:

I started my day off with a Scioto Valley Mocha Frap. I did get a skinny version which may be better for my hips but not so much for my internal body. I definitely craved sugar all day long! Luckily, I did well with my meals so the twix bar didn't make me go over my daily caloric intake, but I definitely kept craving sugary things all day. 

Moral of my story?

Don't start your day off with a sugary coffee drink because it WILL effect the rest of your day.

Another side note:

I made a delicious & filling dinner that consisted of an Ezekiel tortilla wrap, avocado, romaine lettuce, & lentils. It was....AWESOME! Even the dogs wanted a bite of that heavenly mixture. Try it!

 It's motivational Monday! Find it! I already did 35 minutes of very vigorous bike riding. Definitely worked in a good sweat for the day.

One last side note:

Extensions?