Smoothie Adventure to Spice Things Up...

Here we go! Finally starting something new to mix my daily routine up a bit. I have been in such a rut with the same food, same workout and not enough motivation.

I got a Magic Bullet blender for Christmas and made my first smoothie ever today! It was pretty good. I do think there will be some trial and error with the flavors though. I got a lot of great suggestions from friends and family as far as different combinations and how to store them for lunch. (Friends and family are always a great source of information!) I also tried almond milk for the first time and LOVED it. I am not a fan of dairy milk, so having this alternative is fantastic.

Ingredients for the first smoothie: Strawberries, peanut butter, almond milk and spinach. (Kind of tasted like pb&j)

So with this new smoothie adventure, I am hoping it will get me more excited about food. I have been eating the same things for a while and haven't found any new recipes to spice things up. I feel like last year was all about the running and nothing about the food. Don't get me wrong, I still made healthy choices, but I was in the "I know what I am doing" mentality. When you are "assuming" you are doing things correctly... the portions seem to creep up and the "cheat days" seem to increase. That is what I want to prevent this year.

One thing I also have left at the wayside is reading articles and other books on living healthy. Wither it be about running or a person that lost a significant amount of weight, those stories are so motivating to me and I need to find more of those! Nothing inspires me more than reading about someone else's healthy journey.  (Any suggestions of articles, blogs or books would be appreciated!)

So here we go, another year for small victories. Getting back to the basics and the healthy living mentality that has brought me this far. Still about 50 lbs. to lose and I would totally be lying if I said it didn't matter if I lost those 50 this year. I want it gone, I want to move forward and I want to feel that excitement again.

Cheers to a new year and keeping your head up.

New Year... Same Goal

Happy New Year! Who is ready for 2014 to be THE year?

Everyone knows that at the beginning of the year, many people set that "new years resolution" goal to "lose weight". This also means that the gyms get packed, tons of weight loss products on the shelf and even more commercials on the "quick easy weight loss" remedy that someone has created. Most stick with it for a few months and then by March it is over.

If there is one thing this journey has taught me, is that you can't rely on the "New Years resolution". I am starting my 4th year of living healthier and have had a lot of ups and downs. It takes a lot more than saying... I am going to lose weight for the new year. Things need to be planned, smaller goals need to be made and one needs to be fully committed.

A New Year, but the same goal for me... Live as healthy as I can and get to that goal weight. That is what I am focusing on this year. 2013 I focused so much on the half marathon and strayed away from the basics. Didn't gain, but didn't lose a whole lot either. I feel refocused this year. Still doing the half, but have realized there is more to living healthy than just training. There is a balance to be had and I plan on being committed to that.

 I will forever be learning about this journey and finding myself in the process. I can't wait to see what 2014 has for me.

How are you going to make it YOUR year?

Running In Place.

I am not going lie, I have been pretty stuck the past couple of months and have felt bad for not having anything exciting to report. I am the same weight and doing the same workouts. I have gotten myself in such a rut, I am not sure how to get myself out of this one.

The last couple of weeks I have done really well with my workouts and eating. Then the weekends come and I ruin everything that happened during the week. I gain the weight I just lost and feel like crap. Then Monday comes around and I set back on my path... to then ruin again on the weekend. It is a viscous cycle that I am getting tired of.

The holidays usually are a pretty happy time for me. I love being with my family and always enjoy some Christmas cheer. However, at this point in time, I am just worried about gaining weight. I haven't been losing like I had been in a long time and all the holiday temptation isn't going to be good.


All in all, I am in a funk and I am unsure how to go about getting out of it.

It Has Been A Few Days (or weeks!)

I kind of dropped off the face of the earth there for a bit. No real excuse besides the fact I haven't felt too motivated as of late and also a small issue of a hacker. No biggie... I am back!

Biggest thing that has happened in the past few weeks has been the training and then completing the 10 mile Monster Dash in St. Paul. It was the biggest run I have ever done (over 16,00 people) and it was (wait for it...) AMAZING. I finished in 2 hours and 10 minutes, which was 5 minutes faster than I had anticipated. It just felt good. Plain and simple.
My aunt was there supporting me 100%. I didn't have anyone else at the run, but felt the support from miles away!



Fun side note: I did not get sick! :)



Another factor of this run: It was the 3rd one I did in 3 weeks!!! :) I have had a blast running 5k and 5 mile runs with my friends. It is such a great way for us to get together and have fun running... and a chance to go out for breakfast!

A little motivation I created recently:



What do you think??! It turned out pretty great and I can't wait to fill those squares up. Every number has the date and time. It is something I can look at with pride and be inspired to add another one.


So there it is. Those are pretty much the biggest adventures I have had in the past weeks.

Update on total weight loss goal: Still no lbs. lost, which is frustrating to be so close, yet so far away. I am back more so at the gym, but still keeping my running up. I am exercising and eating right. Still not sure what I am doing wrong at this point.

On a positive note, I fit even better into my size 10's. I have to take what I can at this point. New scale or not, those numbers are just not what I want. Especially with the holidays coming. I am so ready to be at the finally goal and get on with the new adventures... but it is a process I need to take it stride unfortunately.


Here is to another week and hopefully more blogging!

May My Scale R.I.P.

So it has finally happened. THE scale has died. The scale that  I have looked at almost every day for 2.5 years... is gone. I am making myself wait until this weekend to buy a new one.

SO! That means this girl is going almost a week without weighing herself. I know I have tried before and only lasted a few days. I am nervous and I obviously have some control issues over this. I have this "need to know" when it comes to my weight. After having a weekend of indulgence, I feel it is the worst week to test my ability to stay off the scale.

Well... here is to my next adventure I guess.

Big Thoughts on the Wog...

Haven't heard the word "wog" in a while have you?!

I have had an upper respiratory infection for a about a week. I got it right after the big Applefest 5k run on the Saturday before. Thank goodness it was AFTER!

The run was amazing. As you knew it would be of course. When have I not expressed how "amazing" my big runs are? I had a bunch of friends run and a bunch walk their first 5k. So happy to get everyone together for a fun fitness time! The whole time I kept thinking of the year before... the things I said, where I ran and the sign Nate wanted me to run to! It was an awesome experience. 1 year later and I shaved about 2 1/2 minutes off of my original time. (Forgot home many hills there were!)

So here we are, getting over a uri and having to run a 10 mile run in 3 weeks. Not the best time to be down and out. I am starting back up with things and that was with a wog tonight. It seems that I have learned a thing or two. It is okay to walk and start off slow again. I wasn't upset that I walked most, but I can tell you I was damn happy when I was running. I did a little over 4.5 miles in over an hour.

I know more than a few people who would be shocked I wasn't upset. I have always been pretty hard and whined a little when I couldn't do what I expected of myself. I am not going to get anywhere though if I push too hard before I am 100%... slowly learning.

While out and about tonight I thought about the "goal" that I set for myself. The goal of losing the rest of this weight by the end of the year. Goals are great and everything, but sometimes they can be a little unreal or put way too much pressure on a person. I have been pretty frustrated with  my weight loss and I think that is where the goal came from... not with health in mind. It would be great yes... but is it the end all, be all? No.

 I will continue learning, growing and living healthy. I will get there. That is the biggest thing to keep in mind... I WILL GET THERE.


Always remember to ... Keep your head up.

One Year Later

It is such a different feeling tonight. One year ago I was a nervous wreck about to take on a challenge I wasn't sure I could complete. I was about to run my first 5k.

My love of running all started with a book. My friend Justin and his lovely wife Cindy were a great inspiration to get me into running. They loaned me the book "Born to Run" and my adventure started. Justin suggested that I sign up for a run right away. So I did, not realizing it was one of the hardest courses in the area. (Thanks guys! haha)

 I got great advice, support and motivation from so many of my friends, co-workers and family.
I trained and pushed myself to get ready and before I knew it the day was here.

The day couldn't have been more perfect. I was so nervous I wouldn't be able to finish, but my friends and family had enough confidence for me. My uncle John, aunt Julie and my sister Alisha came up super early to run and walk with me. My friend Nate (who was a new friend at the time) up and decided he was going to run too. He stuck with me the entire time and I couldn't have asked for a better running partner. He kept me motivated to keep going and has continued to do so since that day.

Then there was the crowd at the finish line. Justin, Cindy and their adorable little ones were there with signs and cheers. My fabulous friends Jamie, Erin and Beth were there as they said they would be. No hesitation, they all were all going to be there.

I finished with a smile and have been addicted since that day. It was the start of a grand adventure that won't really have an end.

I still remember running across the finish line and I can't wait to do so once again tomorrow. Cindy and Jamie will be there to run. I have also sweet talked a group of friends into walking their first 5k event. I am so excited and proud of them! It is going to be an amazing day.

Here is to a new year! A little lighter, a little faster and a whole lot more confident.