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.

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! :)

New week! Meal & Fitness Plan: October 13-17

Good morning everyone! I am meal prepping at the moment, so I thought it would be fitting to do my meal and fitness plan post while I wait for my chicken and tilapia to cook! I had an awesome workout at the gym this morning, and now am rushing to prep my proteins for the week before heading to work! I know that if I don't, I will be scrambling all week to pack my meals and will be more likely to spend more money and eat less healthy choices! So, here we are, Monday morning, rushing and cooking! Here is my tentative plan for the week. I am going to write out meal options for each meal for this week instead of planning each day.  

Pre-workout options:

* nuts

* banana w/nuts or nut butter

* baked good (if I have time to bake this week...which I probably won't!)

Breakfast options:

*veggie scrambles with fruit

*sweet potatoes as a side

*hard boiled eggs

*leftover protein with vegetables

Lunch/Dinner options:

*boiled chicken salad

*tilapia with salad

*sweet potatoes as a side

*turkey burger

*tuna salad

Snack options:

*carrots

*hummus

*nuts

*jerky

*fruit

*Larabars

Workout plan:

Monday: I had a session with my personal trainer this morning. We worked on chest and triceps and then I ran 3 miles. It felt amazing! Yesterday I took a rest day, which I think is why I had more energy this morning. It was hard for me to rest! But I made myself relax at home, sketch, and read. It's all about balance! (see previous post on October goals)

Tuesday: Run 4 miles, plank, push-ups

Wednesday: Log book workout from my trainer (legs), cardio (probably elliptical)

Thursday: Run 6 miles

Friday: Log book workout from my trainer (back/biceps), cardio (run or elliptical)

I'm focusing on saving money lately by just using the food up at home. I don't want to overthink my meals too much. So far so good! All my meats were frozen meats I found at home (except for the tuna...which is canned) and I figured these will get me through the week! Meals don't have to be fancy shmancy all the time. sometimes, simple is better (and cheaper!) This way, you don't have to over-think your options and can just make the healthy choice and move on!  So here is the plan, and I am hoping I stick to it! Keep an eye out tomorrow for a new spicy garlic green bean recipe! It was delicious and I can't wait to share it! :)

Consistent Inconsistency

That title may sound confusing, and my thoughts may be out there, but I am determined to write and get them out! Writing is so cathartic for me, and I definitely need to get some thoughts I have been reflecting on down on paper-ish! :) I have been contemplating this quote all week, and feel that God has been showing me, through many people and facets, how He sees me, and how wildly differently I see myself.

Wow...what a thought-worthy quote, right? Our behavior is directly impacted by our thoughts. We think so many thoughts about and towards ourselves throughout the day. How many times do we put ourselves down, tell ourselves we can't do something, or doubt our abilities? And yet we set goals for ourselves and want to do positive, worthwhile things, all while focusing on the negative. We cannot consistently do something good if we are always putting ourselves down. Whether our goal is to lose weight, get healthy, start a business, pass a class, or write a book, we will never accomplish these goals in a worthy and positive manner while remaining in a negative thought cycle. We will always be inconsistent, and likely fail in all of our endeavors if we do not first fix how we see ourselves.

I am determined to see myself the way God sees me. Galatians 3:26 states that I am a child of God! Philippians 4:13 says I can do all things through Christ because He is my strength! I find myself questioning these truths constantly, mostly because I tend to focus on my shortcomings instead of my potential. I focus on all the times I have not followed through with something; my inconsistencies. However, this just leads to even more inconsistency, more negativity, and the cycle continues.

I believe that we all have to focus on our thoughts and mind, and from these feelings, we act. Sometimes, we just have to keep telling ourselves that we CAN do it, keep telling God we DO trust him, and wait for the feelings to follow. The way we talk to ourselves is so much more important than we think! Let's all aim to be kind of ourselves and encourage ourselves in all that we do. If we find ourselves being down and negative, let's remember our identity in Christ, that we are God's children, and that we were made for a purpose. We all have God-given potential just waiting to get out! The more we seek God and find our identity in Him, the less negatively we will see ourselves and the more peace we will have about who we are and what we were made to do. As Matthew 6:33 states, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Food & Fitness Plan! October 6-10

Hello everyone! Happy first Monday of October! I am going to try and be better with my food and fitness weekly plan posts because it helps me stay on track, and hopefully helps and motivates someone out there to plan out the week too! I'll plan Monday-Friday, since most weekends are filled with last minute plans (which doesn't have to mean falling off the healthy train!) So here is my plan for the week!

Monday 10/6: Preworkout: HB egg/egg white Workout: Leg day with my trainer, incline walk for 20 mins (my legs were dead after my training session! Definitely will be feeling that tomorrow!) Breakfast: banana protein pancakes w/peanut butter Snack: quest bar Lunch: leftover BBQ chicken, carrots, hummus Snack: nuts Dinner: leftover BBQ chicken (Taking advantage of leftovers since I did not have much time to meal prep this weekend!)

Tuesday 10/7: Preworkout: hard boiled egg w/nuts Workout: run + the new TIU workout! Breakfast: banana protein mug cake Snack: carrots with dip (either hummus or guacamole...can't go wrong with either one!) Lunch: sausage and tater casserole, super easy! Snack: nuts Dinner: planning on a taco salad since I will have to eat it before or at bible study!

Wednesday 10/8: Preworkout: banana w/cashew butter Workout: chest and tricep workout from my trainer with some cardio! Breakfast: sausage and taters Snack: carrots with dip Lunch: taco salad Snack: nuts, fruit Dinner: turkey burger

Thursday 10/9: Preworkout: nuts Workout: run! Breakfast: veggie scramble Snack: carrots w/dip (can you sense a pattern here haha) Lunch: sausage w/taters Snack: larabar Workout: with my friend Hanna! We do circuits and cardio and always leave the gym sore and happy! Dinner: with Hanna :)

Friday 10/10: Preworkout: nuts Workout: back and biceps workout from my trainer with some cardio! Breakfast: sausage and taters Snack: carrots w/dip Lunch: taco salad Snack: nuts Dinner: probably out with my man!

The theme of this week's plan was: use up what I have and stop spending crazy amounts of money on food haha seriously though, the only things I am running low on at the moment are salad greens, which I am planning on stocking up on today! So I should be good to go for the rest of this week! I will probably sprinkle in some extra snacks, fruits, etc into the plan, but I am excited about all the food and workouts I have this week, which definitely increases my chances of sticking to the plan!!

I also want to get into the habit of practicing my planks and push ups before bed every night. I want a nighttime routine and I think these exercises will be great before I brush my teeth, take care of my face, have some quiet time etc before bed! We will see how it goes this week!

Let's have a great first week of October everyone!

October: Balanced Mind, Balanced Plate

I am so excited that October is finally upon us! I can honestly say that October-January are my favorite months of the entire year. I love fall, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! I am looking forward to the next few months and making the most of this season! I am also excited that a new month is starting. That means new goals and new opportunities to reach them! Last month, I set some goals that I reached, and some that I didn't. But that is the nature of life! I'm going to keep pushing towards my goals and stay as motivated as possible!

October goals:

1. Run 5-6 miles once a week. I was able to reach this goal last month and want to continue this month!

2. Keep up with toning workouts! Again, I was able to reach this one! So I want to keep it up :)

3. Increase plank time to 90 seconds. This one is new! My friend Hanna and I have been working on our planks and are able to do 60 second planks about 4 times. I really want to increase my time to 90 seconds! I hope I'm able to reach this goal! Practice makes perfect, so I will just have to up my plank game!

4. Scrapbook, sketch, and read. Yea...this goal needs some work. I am really struggling with finding some free time to enjoy some of my favorite hobbies. I want to make this a priority for myself...because I really feel that down time hobbies are just as important as active hobbies! I hope to somehow find the time to scrapbook, sketch, and read for fun this month!

5. Lastly, a new goal this month is to have a balanced mind and balanced plate.

What do I mean by this? Well, a lot of things. I've realized a couple things these past 2 weeks that I would like to share. It's hard to be honest, but writing really helps me get my thoughts in order, so I'm going to utilize this skill to clarify this goal, even to myself.

I've been pretty consistent with my healthy eating since July. I have been loving the consistency with my workouts and am feeling accomplished with my results in both nutrition and fitness. However, the last month has been an anxiety roller coaster for me. Personally, I feel better on a lower carb diet, but I started becoming a bit too much of a perfectionist in this department. I started cutting out healthy and vital carbs such as sweet potatoes, some grains, and even fruits, and replaced them with healthy fats like avocados, nuts, and grass-fed butter. While this is fine for most people and is a healthy component of an eating plan, it made me focus too much on what I couldn't eat. I think we all need balance between the right carbs, proteins, and fats. My body functions wonderfully on a low-ER carbohydrate diet...but I started getting a little too extreme with how low carb I got. Why not have the grass-fed butter with the potatoes? Why not have fruit with my nuts? Contemplating whether or not I should eat fruit was not a mental state I wanted to be in.

All of these thoughts led to a lot of anxiety for me, and finally, I burst. The weekend of my birthday, I gave in to all my sugar cravings, and proceeded to give in for a week thereafter. I had been anxious for so long about how I was eating that I just needed that time of freedom. But, my little sugar/carb parade made me feel pretty icky, and only provided a temporary relief. While I firmly believe that we need foods that fuel our bodies and provide us with good nutrition, it should not become a stress in our lives, because stress inevitably leads to unhealthy choices. We all need balance, and the level of stress I was experiencing was not balanced, even if how I was eating before my birthday was a healthy and acceptable eating plan.

That is why this month, I am going to focus on having a balanced mind and balanced plate. I am going to try my best to make healthy choices, but not fear foods that are healthy such as potatoes, fruit, or even some grains! I am going to put foods into my body that make me feel healthy both physically and mentally. I am not going to make every food decision a debate in my mind (something many dietitians struggle with...because we know too much about food!) and focus on all the other aspects of my life such as my fiancé, family, upcoming wedding, friends, and work! Life has so much to offer, and I want to make the most of the time God has given me on this earth. I want to live a healthy life without it making me a miserable and anxious mess!

The funny part is, I'm not entirely sure how to accomplish this goal. I'm going to pray and take things one day at a time. I know God will provide me with His strength to make choices that honor and please Him, without letting these choices rule my life, mind, or happiness. And when I feel my perfectionist tendencies rearing their ugly head again, I'm going to step back and remember that life is so much more than what we eat, and we were put on this earth for bigger and better purposes! So I will have my meal, balance my plate, and move on with my life!

Here's to a wonderful October!

Workout Rant & Mugcake!

Blah. That's the word I would use to describe my workout this morning. Lately I've been feeling like if I don't run, my workout is not as WOW feeling. But I also have to take care of my knees/joints, and don't want to get into the habit of running every day again! Yesterday, I ran 4 miles and had a great session with my trainer. I left the gym feeling amazingly fatigued and so happy with the workout! Today, I got a good back/biceps workout in the weight room, then did the elliptical for 30 mins. I felt NOTHING. I didn't break a sweat, my heart rate barely made it in "the zone," and I left feeling kind of disappointed in myself.

But then, as many Pinterest quotes have reminded me, a bad workout is better than no workout at all! And plus, it wasn't a bad workout! My arms are already sore from my toning session, and I definitely challenged myself with my weights. Some days, it has to be okay to not completely push yourself in both cardio and toning work, but still know you got a solid workout in. It isn't always about the number of calories you burn! Working out has to have a deeper meaning than just burning some calories. So I am going to be proud of my workout today, and have a great and healthy day!

On a side note, I made an awesome mug cake post workout!

It consisted of: 3T peanut flour, 1/2 mashed banana, 1/2 scoop cellucor protein powder, and 1 egg! Mix all the ingredients in a microwavable bowl, then microwave for 3 minutes! I sliced mine in half, then topped it with some strawberry jam!

Have a great Thursday everyone, and get a workout in, even if it's a blah one!

September 15-20 Fitness and Meal Plan

How is everyone's week going so far? I had yesterday off of work, and I have today off too! So for me, the week has been great :) I thought I would share my fitness and meal plan for the week, since it's a short-ish work week for me and I don't want to fall into the trap of spending too much money on random groceries! I'm planning on going out a few times, but my goal is to use up what I have at home in a healthy and nutritious way! I also have workouts that I want to do from my trainer as well as my Tone it Up Frisky Fall challenge! I put it all together since my meals depend on the timing of my workouts! Food and fitness blend together when it comes to a healthy lifestyle! Monday (yesterday): I had a great leg workout with my trainer and did some cardio and the TIU bikini arms workout! The rest of the day was spent at the aquarium with my fiancé! I had amazing seafood and had so much fun!

Tuesday 9/16: No pre-workout meal! I am trying to do some of my cardio/running workouts on an empty stomach and see how I feel with fasted cardio! Workout: Run 5 miles, TIU yoga Breakfast: Protein waffles! Also look out for my pumpkin protein waffle recipe coming soon as well!) Snack: veggies if necessary! Lunch: beef kebab tacos with paleo tortillas from Against All Grain! With a side of veggies of course :) Snack/pre workout: nuts Workout: Cardio Barre Dinner: Pita Jungle with my girl Michelle! Planning on the broiled chicken salad because their chicken is bomb.com!

Wednesday 9/17: Wednesdays are my long days at work so I usually have multiple meals and snacks planned. However, I always listen to my body and eat what I've packed if I am truly hungry! Pre workout: protein waffle w/pb Workout: Back/Biceps workout from my trainer, cardio, and possibly new HIIT workout from TIU! Breakfast: veggie scramble Snack: hard boiled egg and veggies Lunch: turkey burger with guacamole and salad Snacks: nuts & jerky Dinner (light since it will be late!): paleo tortillas with nut butter

Thursday 9/18: No pre workout meal: fasted cardio attempt! Workout: Run 3-4 miles, frisky fall routine and TIU bikini abs Breakfast: green protein smoothie Snack: carrots & quest bar Lunch: salad with hard boiled eggs Snack/pre workout: nuts Workout: circuits and cardio with my friend Hanna! She is quite possibly the best workout buddy ever! Dinner: out with Hanna!

Friday 9/19: Pre workout: protein waffle w/pb Workout: Chest/Tricep workout from my trainer, cardio, TIU quickie workout Breakfast: veggie scramble tacos Snack: carrots with guacamole Lunch: salmon burger w/salad Snack: nuts Dinner: unsure!

Saturday: MY BIRTHDAY! That's right, September 20th is my birthday and I have no idea what my plan is yet! But enjoying time with friends and family will definitely be part of my day!

That's about it for my plan this week! As always, life happens, but I am attempting to stick to this plan pretty closely! I hope this helps some of you plan your week out to ensure a healthy eating and workout week. Planning is key to any kind of success in my book! So get to it! :) Have a great day everyone!