Daily Manna: Navigating Food Freedom

I haven’t done one of these posts in a while, and I always get great feedback from doing them! So I thought I’d let you all know what a day in the life has been looking like lately, especially as I navigate intuitive eating and food freedom.

I am currently 25 weeks pregnant with baby girl #2, and it’s been a crazy pregnancy to say the least! Thank God everything is going well with baby and I, but the pregnancy is just flying by! I am still trying to savor the moments, feel the baby move around, and thank God daily for the life He is growing inside of me!

This day started out like any other, with my morning routine! I am SUPER passionate about my morning routine and spending time with Jesus first thing, before I do anything else. I woke up, brewed some coffee (yes, in a Christmas mug) and settled down to my journaling and Bible study. Mornings are some of the sweetest times and I cherish them every day!

After my coffee and Jesus time, I did a 30 minute leg workout. It was lifting + some (modified for me) HIIT at the end. It was such a good workout! I then went live for my Nourished & Free community members and chatted all about MINDSET. Friends, mindset is everything when it comes to well, everything. There is a reason God says that we are transformed by the renewing of our MINDS!

After my video for my clients, I got ready and got Emma ready for the day. I have been craving oatmeal lately, but for months I wasn’t allowing myself to have any because #carbs. BUT, now that I am in a healthier place of food freedom (you can watch this video where I go into all the nitty gritty details) I decided to whip up some warm, comforting oats. I cooked the oats with water and chia seeds, then topped with 1/2 a banana, peanut butter, cinnamon, and stevia. DELICIOUS!

I dropped off Emma at daycare, then headed into work. I had a busy morning, but snacks included veggies and nuts! I then had to run some errands for work at Walmart and had an overall frustrating experience there with not only the staff, but the customers too. I left feeling so grumpy, which I hate. I am usually a happy person, so when I get upset or moody, it makes me upset! But, we all have our days. I got to my second clinic for the day around lunch time, and my coworker and I went on a short walk before settling down to eat our food. The sunlight + having a nourishing lunch of chicken, broccoli, rice, and a side of avocado that I forgot to include in the picture, was just what I needed!

I meal prepped this chicken verde in the instant pot at the beginning of the week, along with the rice. The roasted broccoli took 20 minutes from frozen to deliciously roasted, and voila! We had lunch ready to go for today. It really doesn’t have to be complicated to plan and prepare your meals!

I had a mini honeycrisp apple in the afternoon, but my cravings were screaming to have a cheddar-y snack. I knew that we had some cheddar + caramel popcorn at home, so I waited till I got home, took a relaxing shower (my hubby picked up Emma from school so I got some time to myself) and then I had some popcorn while cooking turkey meat for dinner! 

This was so huge for me. I had a craving, but I didn’t haphazardly stop somewhere on the way home and shovel food into my mouth. I didn’t eat in secret or hide the evidence. I had a craving, listened to it in a calm way, enjoyed my food, and then proceeded with life! I finished cooking the turkey meat and made a huge taco salad, because that’s what my body was craving in that moment!

Its been so interesting navigating this freedom after almost 2 years of following a tight restrictive plan. After dinner we bathed Emma, played with her a bit, and put her down to sleep!

Before we went to bed, my husband and I had brownies with ice cream as I’ve been needing a bedtime snack to not wake up starving (oh pregnancy). 

This was the best nightcap and then I zonked out at 8:30 like the grandma I am.

Thanks for reading along! And remember, what a day of food freedom and eating nourished and free looks like for me is different than what it may look like for you! We are all different, which is why it’s important to know how to best nourish your body and what works best for you! 

Christmas 2017 Recap

Emma's first Christmas didn't go the way my husband and I had originally thought it would. We LOVE Christmas, and even had our tree up before Thanksgiving (yes, we are THOSE people). But, unfortunately, Emma got pneumonia the week of Christmas, and even though we got to participate in some family functions, we stayed home for most of the week to help her recover. But, looking back on the pictures we took and the memories we made, I'd say it was still a pretty good Baby's 1st Christmas! So I thought I'd share a bit of our Christmas with you all as I sip my coffee and eat a yummy paleo cinnamon roll this morning! 

Emma got sick a week before Christmas. It started with croup, then pneumonia and she was having difficulty breathing. So we basically stayed quarantined all week in our home to make sure she recovered well. But by Christmas Eve, my hubby and I were ready to get out of the house, and Emma seemed better, so we ventured out to my husband's side of the family gathering and had a wonderful time. Emma got spoiled with all her gifts, and so did we! 

She was in a happy mood again, after days of being lethargic with a 102/103 fever. It was so nice being with family and seeing them enjoy Emma as much as we do. 

Christmas Day was spent at home, and we did all the cozy things. We enjoyed breakfast, opening presents (Emma LOVES tissue paper), and then my parents came over to have lunch with us and open more presents!
 

My parents got me the best mug full of Jane Austen quotes! Any other J.A. fans out there? I could basically recite the entirety of Pride and Prejudice and named my first car (a red mini cooper) Mr. Darcy. So, yea....I'm a big fan. 

In the evening, Emma took a nap and my husband pulled out Ticket to Ride. We had been watching TV basically all week since Emma was sick, and we were kind of sick of it. I'm so glad we took this time to play one of our favorite games and spend time together without having the TV on!

Last year, the day after Christmas, I wanted to host a Christmas breakfast in our home with our families. This year, we carried on that tradition! So my husband's family and my parents came over and we had a Christmas Brunch! And finally took some pictures in front of the tree. 

I am so grateful for our family who came over and made us feel not-as-lonely as we were keeping Emma home making sure she got better. It was so hard on my mommy-heart to see her so sick, and our family, especially our moms, were such a big support! And thank God Emma is feeling better, and hopefully we will be able to go to our family get together on New Year's Eve and celebrate entering 2018 with those we love! 

Day in the Life of a Working Mama

I finally feel like I’m getting into a groove as a part time working mom. I am home with Emma on Mondays and Wednesdays and go to work Tuesday, Thursdays, and Fridays. I’m grateful to be home with her twice a week and it feels like Christmas every time I see her after work! I feel like my heart grows by the day because I love her more than I can handle! 

When Emma was sleeping through the night, my mornings would always start with an early morning pumping session. I am still exclusively breastfeeding and even though we started solids last week, she is still not a fan of them (I know eventually she’ll get used to it!) But anyways! Emma has not been sleeping through the night for the past month, so since I’m feeding her throughout the night, most mornings I don’t really “need” to pump when I wake up. So usually I sip on my preworkout while doing my devotional and prayer time, and then I press play on my workout! I love working out at  home because sometimes Emma wakes up midway and needs her momma, so I can just pause and nurse/hold her for a bit, then press play and finish it up! So convenient! 

After my workout, (this week I’m doing A Little Obsessed on my Netflix for workouts...SO SORE), I shower then head downstairs to pack lunches for my husband and I, and get Emma’s daycare bag ready (pumped milk, change of clothes, diapers, etc). I also make sure to eat a little something; this morning I shook up my recover protein shake with some collagen peptides, delicious! I forgot to snap a pic but just imagine chocolate milk goodness that is actually good for you! 

I try to nurse Emma before I head to work, but like I mentioned above, if she’s nursed all night and is sleeping soundly, I go to work and pump there rather than waking her up to eat. It’s also easier on my mommy-heart to sneak out while she’s asleep verses having to watch her sweet face smile at me as I walk away...I tear up just thinking about it! 

If I’m still a little hungry, I’ll make sure to grab second breakfast before I head to work! This morning was two paleo muffins, a chocolate zucchini muffin and a pumpkin muffin! I've been cooking through Danielle Walker's cookbooks from Against All Grain, and so far my husband and I have loved every single recipe!

Once I get to work, I make coffee (duh) and see which patients I need to see or who is due for an assessment. I work as a dietitian at a dialysis unit with patients who have kidney failure. It’s pretty busy each day so I make sure to fit in snacks and occasionally some walks to get outside!  

Morning snacks usually consist of carrots, apples with either peanut butter or almond butter, or a Larabar! I make sure to fuel myself well since I push myself pretty hard in my workouts, plus I'm breastfeeding! So many calories being burned all day long!

Lunches have been so fun to pack in these portioned containers my mom got us from Amazon! This lunch was rosemary garlic chicken (I'll post the recipe soon!), with potatoes and green beans. Super simple and delicious!

If I get hungry in the afternoon, I typically have some nuts, but this week I've also been enjoying another treat from Against All Grain...her Real Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  My husband has been raving about these and I've already made two batches in less than a week. He says they taste just like the regular cookies I used to bake, but they are Paleo/gluten free and MUCH healthier! I highly recommend this recipe, you won't be disappointed!

Once I get off work, I "safely" zoom my way over to Emma's daycare to pick her up. I get so excited to see her, and she has been smiling and kicking her feet in excitement when she sees me come into the playroom, which melts my heart! We usually get home and sometimes she'll fall asleep in the car, which gives me time to clean out my pump parts and put my milk away (pumping is a full time job in itself!), but most of the time when we come home, we nurse and snuggle and she falls asleep while I make dinner.

Dinners have been simple this week: we've had grass fed beef meatballs, rosemary garlic chicken, salmon, and turkey burgers. I'll make a salad because we have 6 heads of romaine (thanks Costco) that are going bad by the second, so I've been forcing us to have salad each day so it doesn't' go bad because I HATE wasting food! I haven't snapped pictures of dinner because I've been a little distracted during dinner time trying to get Emma to have some solids with us at the dinner table! Last night she tried zucchini, and I think she liked it a little more than sweet potato. I'm getting a little worried that she hasn't been liking foods much, even though I know she will get used to it! It's funny, because I specialized in infant/toddler nutrition when I worked at WIC, and even though I HAVE the knowledge and have counseled others countless times, I'm still worried when it comes to my own baby!

After dinner, we bathe Emma and get her ready for bed. I've been trying to get her down between 7:30/8pm so I can get a few hours of sleep before the night-waking begins. Yes, I've been getting into bed by 8pm because Emma has been waking up at 10, 11:45, 1, 2:15, 3:45...you name the time, she's been waking up. She's going through a huge developmental leap right now, and with that comes a sleep regression. I've decided to roll with the punches instead of sleep training her and just rely on coffee to get through the day (she hasn't been sensitive to my caffeine intake, thank GOD)! Luckily when she does wake up, she typically nurses and goes right back to sleep, so even though I am getting broken sleep, I don't feel TOO terrible throughout the day!

And that has been a typical day in the life on the days that I work! I was telling my husband earlier this week that I am feeling so much happier than I used to feel. As much as I miss Emma and wish I could be with her every day, I've come to accept the working life, enjoy my days at work with my coworkers and my patients, and relish the moments with Emma even MORE. I have also taken much better care of myself and have chosen foods that have supported my mental health and anxiety (look out for a blog post on this later on this month!) I really feel that God is working on my heart, helping me take care of myself so that I can take care of Emma, and has given me a strength that only HE can give. I am so grateful!

And with that, I hope you all have an excellent day, and thank you for reading and following along on this journey with me! I appreciate all of you so much!

A Day in the Life!

Hello there! Sorry for the lack of posts lately...I promise I'll try to get into some kind of routine again with blogging! Writing really is a passion of mine and I miss this space so much!  

Emma is going to be 8 weeks on Saturday (what?!) and I can't believe how fast the time is flying by. Each day is different with this little lady, so I thought I'd share a recent day in the life with Emma and I! 

Usually, Emma wakes up between 4:30/5am for a feeding. Sometimes she sleeps through till 6am, but this particular day was a 4:30am day. I fed her, went back to sleep, fed her again at 6am, then decided to get started on my day!

I took Emma down to the living room and drank some coffee while having quiet time. Emma usually falls back asleep after her morning feedings, so it was time to workout for me! I also had my fudgy shakeology chocolate bites with my coffee because I woke up hungry. Sometimes the coffee is enough, but other days I need some quick energy and these bites do the trick! I ate them too fast to snap a pic though...sad day.

Workouts lately have been Shaun Week on BOD (obsessed!!) but next week I am going to start alternating 21 day fix extreme and Shaun Week workouts as I prepare for Beachbody's newest program, SHIFT SHOP!! It launches in July and I canNOT wait! Want to do it with me? Comment on this post below and I'll send you info! Or contact me above ;) 

Anyways, the days I don't have my shakeology bites, I have my shakeo as a smoothie! This is vegan vanilla with peanut butter and banana. Literally tasted like cake batter froyo! If you'd like to try these superfoods, let me know! 

I've been making eggs for my husband in the mornings, so I've been scrambling up some extra for me! Eggs are a great protein source and full of good fats, plus they are great for nursing mamas like me!

Once Emma woke up, I fed her again and decided to go on a morning walk! We live really close to a small shopping center with a CVS and grocery store, so it's always convenient if I need to pick up a few things! We bought gripe water today (still trying to calm down Emma's colic at night!), plus some shampoo and conditioner for me, and some cotton balls. Random things but CVS always pulls through! Emma was such a happy baby on the ride over, then got a little cranky about 2 minutes from home. Needless to say, I power walked for those last few minutes! ;) 

Mid-morning snack included a whole lot of veggies! I love munching on raw vegetables as a way to get my green containers in, and they fill me up due to all that fiber! I am catching on on Grey's Anatomy (season 13 is finally up!) so I watched an episode while cleaning up the living room and while Emma took a *very* short nap!

Lunch time rolled around and I had some grape leaves stuffed with rice, as well as a turkey lettuce wrap, with some strawberries for dessert! We are running low on groceries but I am determined to use up whatever we have until next week. I've made it into a game to see how little we can spend on groceries and still eat healthy foods, and I'm pretty stubborn when it comes to spending money on food when we have food at home! Staying home has helped a lot with this because I can get more creative with my meals! I'm loving it :) 

After lunch, I gave Emma a bath and let me tell you, she LOVES when I bathe her, but the minute I start washing her hair she goes NUTS. She completely lost it after washing her hair which made for a very long nursing session after (human pacifier over here!) But I don't mind, I seriously love snuggling with my girl! 

The afternoon consisted of some mini naps for Emma, blogging, and working on an article for laintel.com that I am writing! Snacks were nuts and an apple with some PB! My hunger is always raging in the afternoons so I make sure to fuel up with healthy fats! 

My parents came over in the afternoon and we went for a walk up to Starbucks with Emma! It's been such a hot week but this afternoon the weather was a bit cooler which made for a good walk! 

And then, mom brain took over and I forgot to snap a picture of my delicious dinner! A chicken kebab wrap with some hummus and veggies! So good and it hit the spot!  

The evening consisted of some fussiness and crying, but we tried the gripe water and it definitely lessened the severity of Emma's colicky symptoms! Hoping for easier nights to come!  

This is what a typical day looks like for me as a new mom, but every day is so different with Emma! Some days she takes naps all day, other days she's up and alert from morning till night. Either way, I am absolutely loving being home with my baby girl! 

A Rough Week of Eats!

What a week, you guys! This week went by so fast but was also super draining and hard for me. Between work stress and life stress, plus you know, being pregnant, things felt super emotional and out of hand at times. But, thank God, He turns everything around, and what started as a rough week has ended as a pretty smooth week for me!

Eats were all over the place this week, as I started the week off with terrible nausea and heartburn after a weekend of celebrating my husband's 30th birthday! We had a big party for him Saturday, celebrated again on Sunday with family, and then celebrated with just me and him on Monday night. Needless to say, lots of food was consumed, and lots of swelling was experienced by this pregnant mama. I've realized that my body is not responding well to the junky foods (no duh) and I feel so much better during this pregnancy eating more wholesome foods. Which I started doing once the celebrations ended, and it definitely turned the week around!

The week started out with eating a whole lotta Ritz crackers. Which helped my nausea a ton, but also got to be too much at one point. Why is it that our body can only handle carbs when we are nauseous? Ritz seem to settle me well, but I also got some gluten free pretzels from Trader Joe's this week per my friend Michelle's suggestion, and they tasted great too! Even though I am not strictly being gluten free yet (I am waiting for this pregnancy to pass), I am trying to find alternatives if a gluten free option is available.

Breakfasts got a little more exciting as the week progressed and I started feeling better! Mostly eggs wrapped in a gluten free tortilla, and I also treated my hubby and I to some gluten free French toast this morning! Super simple recipe for these:

4 slices gluten free bread (Trader joe's is my favorite!!!)

1 egg

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

Dash of cinnamon

1 packet stevia

a dab of coconut oil for each toast

Whisk the egg, almond milk, cinnamon, and stevia in a shallow bowl. Then start heating up the coconut oil in a skillet. Drench each piece of bread into the egg mixture, then place on skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side on medium-low heat! I had mine with a drizzle of maple syrup. hubby went nuts over them, and it was a very happy Friday morning in the Verano household!

Lunches were a little sporadic, and I've been totally slacking on the picture taking...sorry! But my work has been providing lunch a lot lately. This week was Juan Pollo (I ate chicken rice, tortillas...it was a nausea day), and pick up stix, which actually ended up grossing me out. Then I got chipotle one day, and brought lunch with me the rest of the days (dinner leftovers are awesome!)

I had dinner with a dear friend on Wednesday night at Wood Ranch! I got the BBQ chicken plate and ate half, then saved the rest for leftovers! It hit the spot and was so delicious!

Snack wise, most days were ritz crackers, but I was able to handle baby carrots, fruit, and larabars towards the end of the week! This flavor tastes like a straight-up candy bar...so delish!

Overall, even though the start to the week was rough, I'm happy that my body has recovered from all the eating out and salty foods! It's crazy how much those foods can affect our health, especially when we avoid them for a while and then have them a few days back to back...whoa!

It just goes to show how important it is to care for ourselves. Self care isn't just getting pedicures and massages, which is awesome too! But it starts with taking care of ourselves on the inside, because we only get one body, and it's our vessel to do life in. And as always, I'm here to support and encourage you as you make changes towards a healthier and happier lifestyle! Contact me for support/if you have any questions!

Daily Manna: Baby Emma updates and eats

Hey there everyone! I hope you all are having a fantastic week. Can you believe we are already in mid-March? Baby girl is due in exactly 2 months, and time is flying by! I am so excited to meet her! She's been kicking like crazy lately, and is also preventing mommy from eating too much at one time. Which is why meals have been often and small. I've been getting crazy amounts of indigestion that have kept me up at night and leave me waking up extremely nauseous. Since my weight gain is below where my doctors want it to be, I am determined to still fuel my body properly by eating smaller, nutrient-dense meals throughout the day! I thought I'd write up what a typical day has looked like for me lately!

4:30/5am: I usually wake up between 4:30 and 5am naturally every day. I love early mornings and am quite motivated to workout, have quiet time with Jesus, pack a healthy lunch, and work on my business before heading off to my day job. Not everyone is a morning person, but I LOVE mornings and have decided that in order to be more productive, mornings are my most prized time of day.

Gluten free toast with some jam before my workout

I seriously throw a party for myself every time I finish a morning workout...I feel so accomplished at 31 weeks pregnant!!

5:30-6am: Workout! I am doing the 21 day fix program right now mixed in with some kickboxing and other maternity workouts. I am loving moving my body and keeping myself health and (hopefully) in shape for labor! Sometimes, I have a quick toast before my workout if I'm feeling hungry! 

6-6:45am: shower and then head down to make breakfast while packing our lunches! Sometimes, I have a Face time date with afellow coach from our team and we chat and have some tea while we get our day started! It's crazy how quickly you can connect and become such close friends with people you have met on social media! I absolutely love it!

Superfood shakes are LIFE

6:45-7:15am: get dressed, hair, make up. I've been trying to spend more time in this department lately...I'm usually a super low maintenance gal, but trying to up my game a bit (I'm 28 years old, it's time lol).

7:30am: head off to work! I usually blend up my shakeo superfoods deliciousness at this point and take it with me to work! Helps start my day with a boost of nutrition, and chocolate! The best of both worlds. 

8-4:30pm: work! I'm a renal dietitian at Davita, so work is full of educating patients, meetings with coworkers, and lots of charting! Today, I was at a new facility so I spent some time getting to know the staff and patients and getting used to the place! I also went on a short walk to get outside and get some sun. I try to go on walks on most days to keep myself a bit active. It's so easy to be glued to your chair at work, isn't it??

I also pack a ton of snacks and food with me at work to keep myself eating every 1.5-2 hours. At 31 weeks pregnant, I have been getting nausea and heartburn and find that if I eat smaller meals more often, my tummy is more settled!  

On this particular morning, snacks included hard boiled eggs and strawbs, followed by carrots, and then polished off by oatmeal bites! Shortly after these (I'm telling you, I'm eating almost every hour! ) I had lunch! Dolma is one of m favorite meals! Stuffed zucchini with beef, rice, and spices! 

More afternoon snackage included an rx bar (recycled picture because I forgot to snap one!) and some nuts that I also forgot to snap a picture of. Sorry about that, friends!

4:30pm: When I got home from work, I was pretty tired but also felt like baking something delicious. I have been SO frugal with our grocery budget, but I was able to whip up this delicious chocolate chip oat bread! That I cut into bars, so I guess they are chocolate chip oat bars! Recipe coming soon! They were DELICIOUS, they are gluten free, and totally a healthy treat! 

5:30pm: I had a busy rest of the evening, with a team video call with our coaching team, then heading off to a Mommy group I was invited too! I had a small dinner during our team call, which was rice, ground beef, and veggies that my grandma cooked up! Grandma to the rescue!

6:30-8pm: Soon after the video meeting, I headed off to the Mommy group. Can I be honest? Being a mommy excites me, but also scares me like no other! I want to make sure I do everything I can to make Emma feel loved and safe. It makes me cry just thinking about it. Going to the mommy group tonight was such a God-thing! They had a speaker come in who discussed everything from parenting to discipline to not passing down your own baggage to your child. It was great! There was also a legit dinner, since the dinner I had at home left me a bit hungry. SO I definitely didn't stick to my gluten free diet and indulged in pasta, a roll, veggies, salad, pound cake (MY FAV) and strawberries! Feeding baby is priority right now!

Speaking of which, Baby Emma and I are doing well! She is a "small baby" according to our high risk doctor, measuring JUST below average but still not too far off! Our doctor did say that could just be because my husband and I are not big burly people, because the nutrition going from the placenta through the cord to the baby is still strong (they measure the strength of the blood flow, so crazy and cool!) 

The doctor DOES want me to eat more protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Basically more of everything! Even though I feel like I've been eating SO much food, I am trying to shove a little more in here and there, even with the nausea and heartburn that has come on the past couple weeks! He specifically said not to fill up on junk, because we want GOOD nutrition to go to the baby! So I'm trying to feed myself good, wholesome food, while indulging a bit here and there if a craving hits. I am up 9 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight, which is behind schedule, but I'm trying! Our next appointment is next week to check on her growth progress...prayers would be appreciated! 

8:30-9pm: After the mommy group, I headed home to see my husband and prepared some ground turkey for us for the rest of the week. What a guy! He headed off to the gym and I cleaned up the kitchen a bit and packed my lunch for tomorrow. Packing my lunch took about 5 minutes, but now I'm prepared for tomorrow since I have to be at work crazy early tomorrow! Now, I'm just finishing up typing this post, then headed to bed for some reading, then sleep! Today was such a blessed day filled with a good day at work, good wholesome meals, and meeting a bunch of new, lovely people at the mommy group! I definitely collected on God's manna and blessings! Hope you all have a wonderful night too and get a chance to reflect on your blessings today! 

Daily Manna: Bring on the Eats!

Good morning everyone! Can you believe it is already the end of January? I sure can't! This year is already flying by, and before we know it my husband and I will be welcoming our sweet baby girl to our family! I'm 25 weeks pregnant this week, so only a few short months left...we are so excited!

It's time for another daily manna post over here! I love doing these daily eats posts because it helps me share what I typically eat and hopefully motivates people to stay on track. BUT I also want to show that I am a real person and don't eat 100% clean 100% of the time. I nourish my body to the best of my ability, making sure I fill up on enough of the good stuff to balance out the treats! 

So on this particular day, I woke up, did my country heat workout (I'm on week 3 of the program and loving it...so pregnancy-friendly) then whipped up breakfast!

2 eggs with fruit and a side of herb flatbread I made! This is called manayeesh and it's delicious! It DID give me heartburn after though...so I guess it didn't agree with my pregnancy! :( so sad...

I got hungry soon after breakfast, which has been happening on some days! Some days I am ravenous and other days I forget to eat...but I'm trying to stay on track as much a possible! Mid morning snacks included string cheese and chopped veggies!

I bought real carrots this week instead of baby carrots and oh my, they taste so much better! I came home from the store and peeled and cut them immediately so they are just as convenient as baby carrots, but so much tastier!

Lunch time came early as well since I was dealing with the hunger beast, so I chose to embrace it! Lentils and quinoa seasoned with garlic and cumin, and a yummy salad with greens, pecans, apples, tomatoes, and a sweet onion dressing!

After lunch snackage of banana with yummy almond butter, and some sweet potato chips when I got home! 

For dinner, I whipped up some herb salmon with some veggies and potatoes! I had already cooked the potatoes in bulk Sunday (yay for meal prep!) so I just had to cook the salmon and sauté the veggies and we were good to go! I love easy weeknight dinners, and meal prep makes it possible! 

And for a late night snack, my husband and I finished off some pineapple we had before I could snap a picture...so sorry! But it was delicious!!  

It was a yummy day of eats, and I love that all of this followed my meal plan and kept me and my baby girl nourished and full! It feels SO good to put good food in our bodies! And you can do it too! The more good food you eat, the more good food you crave...trust me! ;) I hope you all have a fabulous Tuesday and eat some yummy things too! 

Daily Manna: belly is growing!

Hello friends! Hope everyone is having a wonderful week. Yesterday was my last day at work at my old job, and on Monday I start a new job which I'm so excited about! As many of you already know, I'm a dietitian and have been working at a dialysis unit for about 1.5 years. I just got a job at Davita, which is still in dialysis but just a bigger company! I'm excited for the new challenges and work environment and so grateful for this blessing! 

My last day at my old job was yesterday, so I have two days to chill and relax, which will probably consist of shopping, wrapping presents, cleaning, and doing some work for my private clients! I'm definitely looking forward to it! 

Let's rewind to yesterday...breakfast! I've been on an egg kick lately, which is much better than the eggo frozen waffles that got me through for my entire first trimester! I made a big dish of potatoes earlier this week which complimented my eggs nicely and made this breakfast so convenient and fast to whip up! 

It was a busy day at work trying to finish up projects and say bye to patients, so snacks consisted of a string cheese (no picture!), carrots, and a banana with a Larabar.  

My sweet coworkers planned two going away parties for me for Tuesday and Wednesday, so yesterday's meal was Panera!  

I am trying to eat less quanties more often during this pregnancy. I'm finding that if I let myself get too hungry and eat too big of a portion of any food, I'm getting nauseous after...so the half sandwich was plenty and I even did get some nausea after that :( oh pregnancy! 

We had plans to take dinner to my hubby's family tonight, so I whipped up some treats to take! I made regular Rice Krispie treats but also made some S'mores treats with Golden Grahams and chocolate chips! They were delicious (I had to taste test obvious). 

For an afternoon snack I had an apple with peanut butter which was a much better choice than Tuesday's afternoon snack! On Tuesday, I let myself get way too hungry and had two huge bowls of pub mix, which is basically like a Chex mix from Costco. I felt terrible afterwards and so uncomfortably full. I realized I had to stock up the house with healthier options, so hubby took me to the grocery store at 8:30 PM on Tuesday so we could get some fruits and veggies...thanks babe! 

I also feel like this week, my belly got bigger! It's so strange because I've just felt bloated for most of the pregnancy but now I feel like the bump is popping out! Woo!  

Dinner was pizza with salad, and then about an hour later another slice of pizza because I was still hungry! Finished the meal off with a Rice Krispie and s'mores treat! I'd say it was a successful day of balancing nourishing foods and having treats! 

I hope everyone has had a wonderful week so far! I'm off to get my morning started with some breakfast and Bible study! Happy Thursday all!  

Goals, food, and a FREE community just for you!

Good afternoon all! I hope you all are having a great start to the week! I am planning on doing these little goals/updates posts every Monday to keep myself accountable and to keep y'all in the loop as well! I love using this blog as my online diary, and I'd like to thank you all for following along and supporting me! :) 

This week is my second week of half-marathon training in conjunction with strength training! I am combining 21 day fix/fix extreme workouts, running, and the new Beachbody program, 22 minute Hard Corps! Yup, just 22 minute military-style workouts that I am loving lately! Everyone has 22 minutes guys...EVERYONE. If you want more info on this, please contact me! Busy is no longer an excuse when it comes to this program! **tveen.verano@gmail.com**

Goals/Workouts: 

My goals this week are to stick to my plan (3x running, 3x strength training, 1 rest day), follow the 21 day fix meal plan, write my weekly newsletter (click subscribe up top so you don't miss out!), and write an article for the online magazine I have been writing for...LA Intel! Overall, lots of workouts, lots of eating, and lots of writing....my favorite things!
 

Meal plan: 

My meal plan for this week is as follows:

Breakfast: protein oat bars (recipe coming soon), shakeology (duh), eggs

Lunch: kebab, rice, salads, steamed veggies

Dinner: quinoa salads, kebabs, basically same as lunch!

Snacks: larabars, nuts, banana w/almond butter, veggies

I'm keeping things balanced and focused on getting all my containers in! It's so important to eat the correct portions of all these foods, and I love my fool-proof container system that helps me do so! :) this program has changed the way I view food SO much, and I love that I can always count on it to help be stay nourished and listen to my body all at the same time. And coaching my clients through this meal plan and seeing THEIR progress and success is just the icing on the cake! My coaching heart is full and happy!

Fit for Joy FREE online community!

Lastly, I am so excited to announce the new and improved *FREE* Fit For Joy community!!! I have had this on my heart for a while and it's time to take the plunge!

Many of you know I host my monthly challenge groups, or what I call my Joyfully Fit Bootcamps. But I've also wanted to create a space for people who just want a free community of accountability...no strings attached! A place to be with other like-minded individuals with similar health and fitness goals so that we all feel supported on this journey!

If you choose to join in on this free community, here's what to expect:

* you will be added to my private Facebook group, "Fit for Joy"

* monthly free challenges on habit change, healthy eating, working out, and thriving in all areas...mind, body, and soul!

* being in a community of people who have the same goal in mind: living a HEALTHY LIFE!

All I ask of you is to take OWNERSHIP of your health and participate in the gift of accountability this group offers, which means posting about your journey! Including foodie pics, sweaty selfies, and motivating others along the way!

This community is only available to those NOT currently working with a beach body coach (unless that coach is already me!)

Who's in?? Fill out this application and I will get back to you! :)

http://goo.gl/forms/t0WjaQddzD

SO excited to be launching our first FREE challenge within this community next week all about Healthy Habits! Make sure to fill out the application above so that we can get in touch and you can be added to the group! :) 

Ok, I am off for some biz work and some relaxation time! Have a  happy Monday all! 

Daily Manna: a day of eats on Hammer & Chisel!

I thought it would be fun to do another daily manna post on what I eat in a typical day while I do my new workout program, Hammer & Chisel! I've been eating a LOT more during this program because lifting heavy works those muscles, and those muscles need FOOD! It's been so nice and freeing to trust my body and eat what nourishes and fuels it, as well as what tastes just plain GOOD. I feel more energized and nourished, which is an awesome feeling. So, here is a typical day of eats!

Typically, after my morning workout, I have my chocolate shakeology! I blend it with coconut milk, ice, water, and sometimes a handful of spinach. It's delicious and the perfect, refreshing fuel after a tough workout! And because this day was an extra hungry day, I had a banana with peanut butter as well! Gotta feed the beast!

Around 9am, my coworker and I make coffee and have a mid-morning snack. I had my apple and a peanut butter cookie Larabar...so addicted to these! They are delicious and really fill me up till lunch time! For lunch, I almost always pack a lunch, but on this day, we decided to order from our favorite Mediterranean place! I got a veggie plate which contained falafel, hummus, mutabel (an eggplant dip), tabbouleh, grape leaves, tons of salad, and pita! And I had some carrots on the side too!

This lunch definitely filled me up and kept me satisfied for a while. I came home and got the baking itch, so I decided to whip up a healthified version of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies! Click here for the recipe!

I thoroughly enjoyed one of these fresh from the oven while doing my book club reading! We are reading Emma and I am so engrossed in this novel! I'm reading about 5 books right now...#bookwormprobs...but this is one I cannot put down! Oh Jane Austen, your writing is addictive! 

Dinner was a hit, especially with the hubby! As he was eating he literally said..."oh my goodness, I'm so glad I married you." Umm yea, lol...good thing I love to cook! So here is my hint: cajun salmon from Trader Joe's! It's pre-seasoned (but super spicy so beware!!!!) I served it up with some steamed veggies and oven-roasted fries! 

We ended the night with some reading and relaxing. It's always nice to have a no-TV night at home, because the TV can totally suck us in! We decided to keep the electronics off last night and read and talk. I highly recommend it! :) 

So as you can see, there are a lot of plants going into this body of mine (veggies, fruits, whole foods) as well as some treats (a cookie!) It's all about balance, and as long as most of your diet consists of those healthy foods, there is room for a treat now and then. I call them "all the time foods" vs. "sometimes foods." Try it sometime :) and especially with a program like Hammer and Chisel, there is NO room for restricting calories or nutrients! This program is SO intense and builds strong and lean muscles, which need food for fuel! So fuel up, girl! And don't be scared of food.

Want to give this program a try too? It's seriously been life-changing! Email me at TveenRD@gmail.com for some more info, or fill out the form below! Have a wonderful rest of your day!