Solvang Day Trip: 11/29/14

My fiancé and I have been wanting to go on a day trip somewhere for a few months now. We were mulling over our options and trying to decide between Santa Barbara and San Diego. However, we both have been to each of those places multiple times and wanted to try somewhere different and "other worldy." We decided to head up to Solvang, somewhere we have both only been once and hardly remember. I am SO glad we took this trip! It was so fun to explore somewhere different together. This town has so much character and is like a little Dutch village. I took a ton of pictures and can't wait to share them! Enjoy! The morning started out early. We left around 8am and decided to stop at the outlets since it was Black Friday weekend and we hadn't done any shopping yet. Of course, I had packed some healthy snacks for our drive!

We got to the outlets and immediately went in to a kitchen store. Our first purchase was probably the one we were most excited about...a Pyrex glass container set!!!

We also went into Banana Republic and bought some clothes. My fiancé bought me a beautiful necklace too! I love it!

We left the outlets and made our way up along the coast. We drove past a beach and decided to stop for a bit and get some fresh air. We had some bananas with my yummy nut mix: almonds, cashews, and macadamia nuts, while enjoying the beautiful beach and ocean waves.

We loved taking our time to get up to Solvang, but were so excited when we finally made it! We had planned on going to Paula's Pancake House, a famous breakfast spot (even though it was 2pm) in Solvang that is known for their huge Danish pancakes.

My fiancé was all over that. Seeing as I am gluten intolerant and am trying to be as strict as possible with my GF diet so I can feel better, I decided to just get a veggie omelet with fruit. The omelet was SO good....I know eggs are just eggs, but oh my goodness, I polished off the plate! It was delicious!

My fiancé got their Danish pancake combo with a  sausage, biscuit, strawberries, and scrambled eggs. The man can eat! And he was so excited! :)

We were proud of ourselves for not getting too full after eating. He didn't finish all his food, and even though I did, I still felt light and not overly stuffed. Eggs have an amazing way of filling us up without getting us uncomfortable!

We walked around the antique shops and came across some interesting stores. We went into this really cool clock and music box shop. All of their clocks played music on the hour!

There were a lot of random shops in Solvang, but we loved walking around and exploring. I really wanted to buy this sign, since it basically describes me perfectly!

"If you can't stand the garlic, get out of my kitchen." YES!

Surprisingly, we got hungry a few hours after our breakfast/lunch. We decided to split 2 scoops of ice-cream, peanut butter swirl and vanilla. The lady at the ice cream shop gave us almost 4 scoops! The minute we got it we thought, "there is NO way we will finish this!" Then...we finished it.

It started getting cold, so we decided to bundle up in our coats and scarves and walk around the pretty Christmas lights they had decorated all around the town.

For dinner, we went to this little spot called Succulent Cafe. It had such a romantic atmosphere, we had to sit outside even though it was cold. They had their silverware in mason jars, and I LOVE mason jars! We were so excited to eat here.

We started off with their sea salt fries with homemade ketchup. These fries were delicious! But we had to exercise some self control and cease and desist while we were halfway through in order to fully enjoy our dinner! I loved that they were served in a pot. When I have my own kitchen one day (soon!), I would love to decorate with and serve food in mason jars and pots!

My fiancé ordered a pumpkin seed crusted lamb dish, which he thoroughly enjoyed. I got their side arugula salad with feta cheese. This salad was DELICIOUS! The feta was so good and I kind of wished I had ordered two of these salads!

After dinner, we decided to head back home since we had a pretty long drive. We had such an amazing time in Solvang and can't wait to go back. Sometimes, you need to just get away for a day and step out of your usual routine!

December Goals & Food/Fitness Plan!

It's finally December and I couldn't be happier!!! This is my favorite time of year. I love all the Christmas movies, music, and decorations. I LOVE going to church and lighting the advent candles and getting closer and closer to the story of Christmas. I just love it all.

I am also excited for a new month because, you know what that means for me! Goal time!!! I love setting goals at the beginning of each month of what I want to accomplish. Sometimes, I don't reach my goal. But that doesn't stop me from setting them anyway and still working towards them! These month's goals might sound familiar (ahem) but I am hoping to really reach them this month and experience some growth in the process! So here are my December goals!

1. Run 5-6 miles, 3 times this month 2. Reach my 100 miles by Christmas goal with Tone it Up! 3. Keep strong with my gluten-free diet and carry around my doctor's prescription whenever I have a hard time with it...yes she wrote down on a prescription pad that I have a severe gluten sensitivity so I would finally believe it! 4. Keep strong with not counting calories 5. Stop complaining about not having time to do things and MAKE THE TIME! 6. Enjoy this Christmas season to the FULL! 7. Count my blessings every day 8. Scrapbook!

I want to start back up a joy jar I used to do with my friend which helped me focus on the positives in my day instead of what stressed me out. You write down something positive on a little piece of paper and place it in a jar. Then at the end of each month (or whenever you want if you want to wait longer), you read through all the great blessings and joyful things that happened during that time!

Fooooooood:

These are my food options for the week! I had zero time to meal prep this weekend and hopefully will have some time tonight!

Pre workout: - hard boiled egg (w/nuts optional) - banana w/nuts or nut butter - Larabar or quest bar - GF toast w/nut butter

Breakfast: - hard boiled eggs w/fruit - protein waffles or pancakes - quest bar - veggie scramble

Lunch/dinner: - leftovers - meatballs (if I have time to cook tonight!) - Turkey or Mahi Mahi burger - roasted vegetables - salads

Snacks: - carrots w/hummus - veggies - bars - nuts

Workouts:

I usually have my personal training session this morning, but we had to cancel this week. Here is my tentative workout plan!

Monday: run Tuesday: run, workout with Hanna (legs!) Wednesday: TIU arms, cardio Thursday: chest, triceps, run Friday: back, biceps, cardio Saturday: run Sunday: rest

I really want to up my running game since my 10K is in 2 months, but I also want to prevent my inevitable hip and knee injuries that appear when I overtrain. I plan on developing and sharing an injury proof 10K training plan to follow!

Anyways, off to the gym to start this month off right! Have a great Monday everyone. I hope you all have time to reflect and set some goals this morning for December!!

Long Weekends & No More Counting

I literally cannot believe that it is only Saturday. I'm sipping my tea and smiling for joy that there are still two days of this weekend left. I feel that my body definitely needed a break, and I have really enjoyed it these past two days!! Thanksgiving morning was a restful one and I spent some time with my parents at home relaxing and watching silly shows that make us laugh. I went to the gym and got a workout in, but didn't kill myself over it. Too many people work out like maniacs before Thanksgiving in order to eat whatever they want; but for me, I treated this day as a typical day, eating a little more than usual but not going crazy over all the goodies we had. And as the saying goes, "you can't out-run your fork." No matter how much you work out, you can't fix a terrible diet. Foods have a certain effect on our hormones, metabolism, and health, which all play a huge part in your ability to burn fat, lean out, bulk up, or reach whichever goals you have.

Black Friday was also a restful day for me. I woke up, spent some time with Jesus, did a 20 minute cardio routine at the gym, then came home to do this back/bicep workout I made up on the spot!

It was definitely more intense than I thought it would be! I did it three times through and really tried to push myself. In 15-20 minutes, it was over, and I felt great. The rest of the day was spent shopping, hanging out with family, my fiancé, and watching the poor Lakers lose yet again. My family and I are HUGEEEEE Lakers fans, so this season has been a tough one for us!!!

Today (Saturday) my fiancé and I are going to take a day trip up the coast. I'm pretty excited for this mini getaway. Even though I have been enjoying being lazy at home the past couple days, it will be nice to get away for the day!!

As far as calorie counting goes, I still have not done it!!! I've actually been feeling great lately, praise the Lord! I feel God's strength with me and I am not getting anxious about my food choices. I am learning to just eat the healthy, good foods that he provides, while indulging in moderation and trusting my body in the process. Thanksgiving was freeing, and I felt that I could have little nibbles here and there without logging every single thing into my app. I also used to feel like I had to wipe my plate clean since I had calculated certain portion and had to stick to eating what I had entered. This may sound silly, but it felt so good to leave some food on my plate! I am still keeping a food journal, but have almost forgotten about it and just write down what I have eaten for accountability's sake. Yes, there are times when I feel like I am eating more, and even less than what I would have eaten if I had been keeping track of my calories and strict portions. In those situations, I have been listening to my hunger cues and adding a snack somewhere if I am still hungry, or just waiting till the next time I am hungry to eat my food instead of forcing a snack down before the hunger strikes. Overall, I am happy not counting my calories, and I hope God's peace and strength continues throughout this journey!

Anyways, I need to go get dressed and ready for my day date! And of course, I need to pack some snacks!

I love Quest and Larabars!! I also loveeeee nuts, as you well know if you follow me on Instagram (@tveen_RD). I have a problem and eat nuts every single day. But until I can handle eating an avocado by itself (I love avocados but just can't eat them on their own for some reason), nuts (and olives but we are out!) are the easiest portable fat source for me!!

Anyways, I hope you all have a great Saturday and a wonderful last few days of November!! Remember to start thinking about those December goals!! We are coming upon a new month and new beginnings for everyone!!

Leaps of Faith: November 17-23

Here we are! Another week on its way. I can't believe we are halfway through November. It's almost Thanksgiving and almost Christmas!! I am looking forward to spend time with family and friends and make the most out of this season. I also don't want to stray too much from my  healthy eating plan except for the occasional treats here and there. I have been doing pretty well with my fitness lately, but my food...not so much. It has been hard to resist temptations and there seem to be treats everywhere I go!

Real talk right here...even RDs struggle! I am striving to find balance, allow the occasional treats, all while making most of my food choices real, whole, healthy foods. I am also trying to steer away from calorie/macro counting. I have counted calories since I was in high school...so about 10-12 years. I know, that is SO long. But I am being honest in my post today because it is something that I really want to grow out of. I rely on it too much, know too much, and let it rule my life too much. I have learned throughout the years what healthy food choices and portions are, and I want to trust the brain that God gave me and rely on His strength in all areas of my life, even my food. I know God cares about ALL of us, our entire being, and if one area is taking over and causing anxiety and confusion, I think God just wants IN to that area in order to redeem, restore, and renew us. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that calorie counting is harmful for everyone. Most people can have a balanced approach. But being the perfectionist that I am, it was taking up too much of my mental time and energy. I feel convicted to step away from it, and that is the leap of faith I am taking this week!

With that said, this is my food and fitness plan for the week. As always, this is a tentative plan, but I hope to follow these guidelines throughout the week! I will also probably keep a food journal as a way to track myself without the use of numbers or apps. I want to be mindful of what I eat without getting so caught up in the calculations of it all!

Pre workout ideas: * 1/2 bagel with cookie or nut butter * hard boiled egg * high protein pumpkin bars

Breakfast ideas: * scrambles with veggies * hard boiled eggs * protein waffles

Lunch/dinner ideas: * mahi mahi burgers * turkey burgers * roasted sweet potatoes * salads * peanut chicken * curry with chicken and veggies * marinara w/lentils and veggies

Snack ideas: * larabars/quest bars * nuts * fruits * veggies w/hummus

This week will be a little different because I also have all day trainings for work on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I will be working on my certification to be a certified lactation educator (BREAST IS BEST)!!! So, I will be basically on a work schedule this weekend from 8:30-5pm. I plan on packing all of my meals for these training and have healthy meals for dinner/possibly go out with family.

Fitness plan:

Monday: logbook toning workout (back and biceps), run 3 miles

Tuesday: run 4-5 miles

Wednesday: TIU kettle bell workout, possible circuits with my friend Hanna

Thursday: personal training sessions (probably will be leg day!), cardio

Friday: logbook toning workout (chest and triceps), cardio

Saturday: run outside and/or TIU workout

Sunday: run outside and/or TIU workout

That is all for this weeks! I will try and update you all on my progress with the no calorie counting goal for this week. Get ready for some honest heart to heart posts by yours truly!

Just Do It!!!!

Yesterday I surprised myself. No really, I did. This usually doesn't happen often since I am a very routine person. I like to stick to what I know and am pretty stubborn in most areas of my life. As many of you know, and if you don't you can read my post about one year ago called "the strength training woes of a cardio queen," I am not into toning or lifting weights. Give me a 7 or 8 mile run and I can run it out in no time, but the motivation to lift heavy things has never been a natural desire in my soul. Until...yesterday. My fiancé and I headed to the gym yesterday morning and only had about 30 minutes to workout because of the crazy busy day ahead. I planned to just run or do some cardio for the entire 30 minutes...because HELLO calorie burn! But then, 18 minutes into my run (yes, 18), I started to get an itch in my soul to lift some heavy things. Now, I've been lifting regularly since May, ever since I got a personal trainer to keep me accountable in the toning department. I workout with him once a week, and workout of a logbook of exercises he gives me twice a week. I had already done my allotted logbook exercises for the week, so yesterday should have been a purely cardio day (days that I usually look forward to more than logbook days). So when I started craving lifting some weights, on my own, without a trainer or my logbook accountability to stick to, I was shocked!!! I decided to grab hold of that feeling, run another 2 minutes to hit 20 minutes total (OCD problems), and hit the weights. I did a short 10 minute circuit, but it felt amazing, and I feel sore today! Just from those short 10 minutes. Here was my circuit, and I even had time to stretch afterwards!

The point of this post is this: just do it. Start that program. Start lifting the heavy things. Even if you don't feel like it, just start. Eventually, the feeling will follow. Lifting weights has transformed not only my body, but my mind as well. I feel stronger and challenged every time I pick up a weight. I want to see how heavy I can go and how many reps I can do. And the thing is, I NEVER thought I would enjoy it. I was always the 40 mins on the elliptical, 3 mile run, kind of girl. But now, I find myself wanting to fit in the toning and lifting into my workout routine because of the results I have seen in my overall health, body, and sense of self. I have more confidence in my abilities and my strength. The combination of toning and cardio have helped me find more balance in the area of fitness, instead of being lopsided to one side. Sometimes, we have to workout not for the sake of a calorie burn, but for the sake of bettering our strength and abilities. I challenge any girl, or even guy, out there who is scared of weights to start a toning program this week, even if it is with a pair of 2 lb dumbbells! Starting is the biggest step!

Friday Favorites!

This is my first ever Friday Favorites post, and I'm excited to share the goodies I decided to add to my food collection this week. I started at a new site this week for work, and since I am finally at just ONE site, I decided to make it like my home. I have a drawer there in the kitchen that I can keep food or anything else in, and I decided to stock it up yesterday for those times that I do not have time to eat breakfast at home or pack my meal before heading out the door. Even though I always plan out and pack my meals, life happens, you run late, and you end up grabbing at whatever you can, right? Well I wanted to ensure that what I grab at was a healthy option while still being food that I enjoy. So here is a list of my recent Friday favorites!

1. Skippy natural peanut butter. This is my favorite peanut butter! It tastes amazing and is always so creamy. I decided this should definitely be a staple in my work drawer since I basically eat peanut butter every day!

2. Tuna. Tuna is another great and healthy fast option for food. I bought the water packs, no can opener needed! They are a perfect quick protein source when you are in a bind!

3. Rice cakes. I got two kinds of rice cakes. Rice cakes are great because you can top them with pretty much anything and treat them like toast! I figured I could top mine with the peanut butter or with tuna to make it like a sandwich.

4. Brown rice cups. These cups are easy to eat and make for the perfect whole grains source! I love anything that can be heated up in little time.

5. Cliff pumpkin bars. Okay, so these bars are not the healthiest...but PUMPKIN!! I figured I could keep a few of these in my drawer as a treat. And at least they have some protein in them! :)

A few other essentials I added to my drawer include tea, stevia, a toothbrush/paste with floss, and some cough drops. I figure you can never be too prepared!

That's it for my Friday Favorites! I hope you all have a great and fast Friday...I am so ready for the weekend!

It's November! Weekly Food & Fitness Plan

Happy Monday and November everyone! This is without a doubt the most favorite time of the year for me. I love everything about Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I have already started listening to Christmas music...don't judge! :)

This week's food plan is going to be pretty simple. I had plans to do some shopping and cooking yesterday, but when I got home to do some inventory on what I had, I realized I had more than enough food to last me the week! My dad had done a bulk of our grocery shopping (thanks Baba!) and I came home to find a ton of fruits, veggies, eggs, tuna, chicken sausage, and nuts. Since those are pretty much staples for me, I decided to save my money, get creative, and just eat what I have! Here is my tentative food plan/options for each meal this week:

Pre workout meal: * Peanut butter energy balls (recipe coming soon!) *banana with nuts or nut butter * tortilla with PB

Breakfast: * veggie or sausage scrambles * mug cakes or protein waffles * emergency frozen waffles with PB * side of fruit! * healthy French toast (recipe coming soon!)

Lunch/Dinner: * turkey burgers (Trader Joe's has a great frozen burger I always keep in the freezer!) * tuna * grilled chicken (I keep a bag of frozen chicken in the freezer so this is always a great fall-back!) * salads * black bean salads with avocado * grilled tilapia (again frozen) with sweet potatoes * turkey wraps

Snacks: * carrots/veggies * string cheese * nuts * Larabars * seaweed snacks

See? More than enough food! I hope to have some time to get more creative in the kitchen and do some recipe development...but with a full time job, planning a wedding, and life in general, it's been more difficult lately! But that doesn't mean you just throw your healthy eating plan out the window. These foods are simple to put together and really easy for when you are in a bind and need quick and healthy food fast. Keeping some of the essentials I posted earlier always in stock in your home will make it even easier to make the healthy choice.

Fitness wise, I am hoping to get in a few runs along with the strength training routines from my trainer. Here's the plan:

Monday: Walk/run 20 mins Training session (chest, triceps, shoulders)

Tuesday: Run 3-4 miles

Wednesday: TIU kettle bell routine Elliptical 20 mins

Thursday: Logbook workout (legs) Run 3 miles

Friday: Logbook workout (back/biceps) Walk/run 20 mins

Saturday: Run 3-4 miles

Sunday: Random!

I'm a little worried because I've been fighting a bad head ache all weekend, plus woke up with a sore throat this morning! I really hope I am not getting sick, but will adjust my workouts accordingly if I do!

Other goals for the week include: * organize scrapbook pictures * start writing project plan * read/personal growth

Have you made a plan yet for your week? Planning is so important in ensuring a healthy and focused week! And what better day to do it than Monday?

Dream Until Your Dreams Come True

I am a huge dreamer. But along with that comes another embarrassing fact: I am an even bigger talker. I tend to talk and plan and dream and yet take no action in the direction of my dreams . I run scared, don't know where to begin, and just stay in my talking, planning, writing stage. While I do believe planning and being prepared are vital components of making any dream into a reality, I think fearless action is the most important step to making any dream come true. And therein lies my problem. I am afraid. I am afraid of failure, defeat, embarrassment, not being able to follow through, and letting people down. I am so afraid that I just stay in my little fear bubble, think, wish, dream, but refuse to act.

I want to take that fearless step this month. While I still have some planning and preparing to do, I want to take that first step. I am working on something that I have dreamt about for about seven years and it is something I want to make a reality in my life. I want to step out in faith, and even if my dream doesn't come to full fruition, I will know that I have at least taken a step in the right direction.

Is there something you have been dreaming about lately? I think dreams and goals are so healthy. They give you direction and focus. They get you excited. They show you what you are truly passionate about. Let's make this month a good one! Let's move in the right direction with these goals and work on making our dreams come true.

Long time no blog!

I feel like it has been forever since my last post! Life has been up and down lately and has just been so busy! I want to be better about staying up to date with the blog, and what better way than to just write?? This week, work has been nuts. Yesterday was busy and we actually had to do a good bit of overtime. It was tough since Wednesdays are always long days, but with God's strength I made it through! I have mixed feeling at the moment because I am switching work sites next week! I work for WIC and am transferring to a new clinic. I'm excited to meet new people and gain more experience in a different location, but am nervous since I got into such a groove at my current sites! But I guess it's good to get out of your comfort zone, right?

I also made a HUGE batch of my sausage and taters for the week. I honestly never get sick of this meal! I added a huge orange pepper to it this time. Delicious!

Also, two words, Gilmore Girls. And two more words: pumpkin waffles. Yesterday, I made some delicious pumpkin waffles while watching Gilmore Girls, and it was pretty much amazing. I've seen each and every Gilmore Girls episode at least 12-15 times and am a huge fan! And plus, pumpkin waffles? Enough said.

Lastly, I would like to share the three songs that I have been playing nonstop this week. They have really impacted my heart and made me feel the presence of God in a very real way.

The following lyrics from the song "He Knows My Name" definitely got to me this week: "True to who You are You saw my heart and made something out of nothing." How awesome is our God? It is just who HE is that He sees us down to our core, down to our imperfections, struggles, rebellion, and shortcomings, and still makes us something out of nothing. He amazes me every day.

Anyways, I hope you all are having a wonderful week! I can't believe October is coming to an end and it is almost November! Christmas time is almost here!

Happy Thursday world! :)

Food & Fitness Plan: October 20-26

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone has had a great start to the week! I have been feeling queasy and tired all day, so it hasn't been the best for me. But! I decided that looking forward to the week and planning a productive and healthy week for myself would be just what I needed! Today has been difficult, but I feel a lot more positive now looking at the week ahead! Today, 10/20: *I skipped my workout this morning because of not feeling well, so I just had a couple rice cakes before heading out the door, nothing too exciting! This is what the rest of the day looked/will look like: Snack: banana Lunch: rotisserie chicken breast, carrots, rice cakes yet again Snack: larabar Dinner: I am planning on going out with my parents and hopefully will be able to stomach a salad by then! Workout: walk with my Mama!

Tuesday 10/21: Pre-workout: banana with sunbutter Workout: elliptical 4 miles (I am slacking on my 150 miles by Halloween for the TIU Frisky Fall challenge!), the new TIU kettlebell workout Breakfast: sausage and tater bake! This recipe is from a few weeks back and so good! Snack: carrots Lunch: leftover rotisserie chicken breast with salad and avocado Snack: nuts Dinner: picking up Sharky's before Bible study! I'll probably get their power plate with veggies and either chicken or fish! Workout: tentative circuit with Hanna!

Wednesday 10/22: Pre-workout: banana w/sunbutter Workout: Back & biceps workout, run 3 miles Breakfast: scramble with veggies Snack: carrots Lunch: salad with turkey burger Snack: nuts Dinner: up in the air!

Thursday 10/23: Pre-workout: rice cake with PB Workout: leg day! With some cardio :) Breakfast: scramble with veggies, avocado Snack: carrots, jerky Lunch: sausage and taters Snack: nuts Dinner: poker night at my friend's house who always serves healthy yummies :)

Friday (finally!) 10/24: Pre-workout: rice cake or banana w/nut butter Workout: chest, triceps, shoulders, plus a 4 mile run Breakfast: mug cake or scramble Snack: carrots Lunch: last of the sausage and taters sad day! Snack: nuts Dinner: probably going out!

Saturday and Sunday: I am hoping to get a couple good runs in this weekend and stick to my healthy eating plan. Honesty time, I have been letting weekends derail me lately. Treats now and then are totally acceptable, but it's the "now and then" part I've been struggling with! Hoping to be able to stick to it this weekend!

Goals for the week:

* I want to contribute at least 18 miles towards my goal of 150 by Halloween for the Tone it Up Frisky Fall challenge! I am at 123 miles so far and have till Halloween to reach 150! *Do 1 TIU workout this week (hopefully it will be the new kettlebell one!) *SKETCH/go back to my artsy roots! *BLOG more...no need to say more on this one! At least 2-3 posts this week! *Read personal growth books. I am reading two great ones now and really want to invest more time in these motivational reads!

Last but not least, I leave you with this wonderful quote:

I really believe that writing down what we want to do, making lists, and creating an environment that ensures we reach these goals are critical. So put dates on those goals, plan the steps it takes to achieve them, and then just do it! That is the only way to make our dreams come true! :)