30 days of Consistency

Good morning everyone! I can't believe it is already August...this summer is just speeding by! Before we know it, it will be Fall again, and then...CHRISTMAS! Am I getting ahead of myself? Oh well, I love Christmas and everything about wintertime. So I really can't wait! :) I thought I would write a little update post on my workouts since I haven't done a post on fitness for a while. July was a really consistent month for me in regards to both fitness and nutrition (yay!) and, not shockingly, I have seen the most changes in my body and physical abilities because of this. Consistency is key, and I have really seen the difference that consistent healthy eating and workouts can bring.

I workout about 5-6 days a week, doing cardio almost every day, and doing toning work and strength training 3-4 days a week. I work with a personal trainer every Monday morning, and then work out of a log book for the rest of the week.

Each workout lasts about 50 minutes-1 hour, including both cardio and strength training.

*My cardio consists of running 3-4 miles, walking, or doing the elliptical machine for 30-40 minutes.

*I alternate my strength training days between legs/abs, chest/triceps, back/biceps, and shoulders/abs.

I have been upping my weights this month and have been amazed at what I am capable of! When I began being more consistent with my strength training in May, I started my bicep curls with 5lb dumbbells, and now 10lb dumbbells are getting easy! I could only do 6 male (aka the real kind) push ups when I first started, and now I can do 15. I'm seeing more definition in my arms and I am really liking the results I am experiencing! The picture below shows the first day I actually spotted a baby bicep! :)

Of course, it isn't just about workouts. We can workout all we want, but our goals are a direct results of our nutrition. Whether we want to lose weight, tone up, or grow bigger, nutrition is 80% of the equation! For months, I was working out consistently, but was not consistent with my eating. This month, I have been pretty consistent (not perfect mind you, just making healthy choices more than unhealthy ones!) and have really seen the difference that healthy and balanced eating can make in my fitness and physical appearance. It's been exciting for me to see changes and I can't wait to see what the next few months bring!

My typical meals include:

Pre workout meals of HB eggs, banana, nuts, or a gluten-free baked good of mine (search the blog for tons...and I mean TONS of recipes!)

Post workout meals are mostly eggs, sausage, veggies, sweet potatoes, or some kind of fruit. I focus on protein and carbs for my post workout, which helps with recovery and my energy levels! Below is me thoroughly enjoying my scrambled eggs and spiraled sweet potatoes after a workout! :)

Lunches and dinners have included protein, vegetables, lots of vegetables, more vegetables, and healthy fats! I love vegetables, if you can't tell. When I go out, I also try to make healthy choices whether it is a salad, or this beautiful plate below. You can never go wrong with chicken and vegetables, but make sure to not get bored of it as well. Sometimes, I will include rice or some kind of grain to my meals. But I always make sure to have them in the correct portion and not overdo these foods. I would hate to have less vegetables because I filled up on rice!

**Make sure to follow me on Instagram (@tveen_rd) for a day-by-day account of my eats and workouts!**

I don't follow a strict diet mentality. I just make sure to eat whole, nutritious foods. It took me a while to get to this point. But I have found that the more freedom I give myself in my food choices, the more naturally I gravitate towards the healthier options. I love how eating healthy makes me feel, and I always feel better after a meal that nourishes me. But, life is not about labels (as I have written about before...see Labeling Life post from January), and I feel that God is constantly teaching me this through my healthy eating and fitness journey.

As a Registered Dietitian, I am bombarded with nutrition news, research, and diets that always overwhelm and confuse the public, as well as myself from time to time! I try to focus on the healthy side of each diet philosophy, even though I may not agree with 100% of what some advocate. So whether my meals are paleo, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, or a random hodgepodge of food, I try to make the healthy choice, while leaving some wiggle room for whatever may come my way! :)

It's been exactly 30 days of consistency for me, and I am loving the way I feel and the changes I am seeing. I can't wait to see what these next 30 days will bring me!

1 Corinthians 10:31: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Trainings and Runs

This week went by SO fast...which is great because I have next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off...yay! I am beyond excited and hope to get some good rest and relaxation time. Just thought I'd write a little update post on my runs and training sessions! This week's training sessions were so good and got me pretty sore! We usually do chest and triceps one day, then back and biceps, then a leg day all to itself. I've been working out with a personal trainer once a week, then working out of a plan he made for me twice a week. This week, one of his goals for me was to run 3 miles in under 30 minutes. My first reaction to that was that it would be completely impossible. I haven't been running at the rate that I used to run in months due to my stubborn knee issues. I've been interval running (1 min run, 1 min walk, etc) for a month now, and maybe reach 2.3-2.5 miles in 30 minutes by doing so. But, my trainer put that number in my mind, and I was determined to reach it!

My running plan was 3 miles, 3 times this week. I completed my first 3 mile run in 28:34! I really pushed it and was so proud of myself by the end of it. If I have a goal time in my head, and know I have to answer to someone about it, I definitely want to reach that goal.

And from there, my runs got even better! On Thursday, my 3 mile run was reached in 28:02, and then Friday, I ran 3 miles in 27:39! I believe that's the fastest I've been able to do 3 miles in almost a year!!

I feel so happy and excited that I have been able to run again with minimal knee discomfort. I think the key is to make sure I take enough days off (something I hated doing before) and be sure to ice and elevate my knee after runs. I have been scared to push myself lately, but my knee really has been feeling much better, so I'm glad that I had some incentive to push myself on my pace this week! It feels so good to be able to run again and reach mileage goals that I haven't been able to in a while! Maybe I can try 4 miles in under 40 minutes next week...hmmmm :)

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Workouts and Eats!

I thought I'd write a quick little post about my week and recap my workouts and yummy eats. It's been such a solid week this week with workouts and meal planning...I'm pretty happy about it! As I mentioned a few posts back, I started working with a personal training in the beginning of May. I meet with him once a week, and workout from a log book twice a week. Having the routine and motivation has helped so much, since I usually hop on a cardio machine for an hour and call it a day. Now, I do toning/circuit workouts 3 times a week, with steady cardio the other 3 days.

I'm a very early riser (5am anyone??) but I still make sure to eat something before I workout. I've found that when I have higher protein/fat foods as my pre workout snack, I have more sustained energy during my workout. This week my pre workout foods have consisted of nuts, hard boiled eggs, or pairing a small banana with a  few nuts.

I usually make my own trail mix because I despiseeeeee dried fruit (yuck!) so this week's nut mix is a combination of cashews, almonds, and macadamia nuts...yum!

My workouts have lasted between 45 minutes to 1 hour. I do 20025 minutes of circuits and then a 30 minute interval run after my workout. On my alternating days, I do the elliptical for about an hour. I found this awesome hill setting on our machines which I am loving!

I've been making sure to have good protein and healthy carbs after my workouts. This morning, I worked on my back and biceps, did a 30 minute run, then came home and reheated the last slice of my frittata with some white sweet potatoes! I posted the frittata recipe a few days ago if anyone is interested!

Last night, we went out to Cheesecake Factory. I got the Skinnylicious (such a funny name) salmon. I had some dental work done yesterday morning which made chewing rather difficult, but the salmon was so soft and flakey, so it was the perfect meal! And look how pretty it is too!

This week has just reminded me how important it is to fuel yourself in order to get the most out of your workouts. If I don't fuel properly, I feel sluggish and exhausted and don't perform as well in the gym. I've found what works for me through trial and error! I recommend figuring out how to get the most bang for your time at the gym and making sure to fuel properly with good nutrition! Nutrition is so key in a healthy lifestyle! Anyways, I am off to work! Happy Friday and YAY for the weekend!!!

Oh Running, how I've missed you!

I am SO glad about the fact that it is Thursday already!! This week has flown by for me and I am so happy about it!! Thought I'd share a quick update on my running progress! As some of my readers already know, I used to be an avid runner (6-8miles/day and a few half marathons under my belt). Last October I hurt my hip and knee somehow and haven't been able to run much longer than 20 minutes (2 miles) at a time. Yesterday, I was able to run 3 miles!!! I was soooo excited! It took me a little longer than usual but it's definitely been a while and I had just worked my legs for about 20 minutes before hand.

I'm so excited to be getting back slowly but surely. I made sure to ice my knee afterwards and am feeling great today!! I've had a random swollen ankle the past couple weeks (no idea why) so that is the only discomfort I feel at the moment. I can't wait to hopefully be able to run more and run OUTSIDE since the weather has been beautiful!!

After my run, I made sure to have a nice and balanced post

Anyways, gotta go hit the gym! Have a lovely day everyone! :)

You Tube Workouts!

Good morning everyone! Thank God this week is almost over...yay for Thursday!!! It's been a long and exhausting week for me, but God is good and has helped me pull through! I got sick again last weekend, so I did a lot of lounging around, drinking tea, and watching 24 with my parents and fiancé (ummm that show is addictive, so beware)! I finally feel like myself this morning, with just a few sniffles here and there! I have been wanting to take care of my sleep a little more lately, so I decided to sleep an extra hour instead of going to the gym, and do a 25 minute Jillian Michaels workout that I found on YouTube. If you google "Jillian Michaels kickboxing," it will be the first video that pops up!

This workout is only 25 minutes long, so I thought it would be a light workout day for me. Boyyyyyy was I wrong!! This workout was so intense! I was dripping within the first 5 minutes during the warm-up! There is no equipment necessary either, so this workout was so easy to get motivated for. I just got out of bed, spent some time with Jesus :) then turned on my computer and worked out! She has a ton of other workouts too, ranging from cardio to strength training to yoga. Some are a little longer, or you could even do the shorter ones twice through if you are looking for a longer workout! I am so excited I tried this workout and will definitely be doing this one again, as well as trying her other ones. Check out the calorie burn in only 25 minutes!

After my shower and getting ready for work, I made a nice big breakfast to give me good energy for the day. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper, right? :)

I had two slices of Nature's Own Honey Wheat toast with some natural peanut butter, a scrambled egg, and some awesome strawberries we bought off the street a few days ago! Honestly, those are the best and sweetest kind! That's all for me, gotta head to work! I hope you all have a great Thursday!

Time Crunch Workouts!

Happy Weekend everyone!!! I hope you all are having a wonderful Saturday morning. It felt good to sleep in for me until 6:30am this morning! I am usually up and at 'em by 4:45/5am, so it was a treat to wake up and realize I had slept till 6:30! I went to the gym this morning and was able to workout for a little longer than usual, which got me thinking about how hard it has been to fit in my usual long workouts into my new work schedule. As many of you know, I just started my first real job in mid-January! I am working for WIC, which is a supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children! I am in love with this job and feel so blessed by the Lord for this opportunity to work with, and serve the most amazing people! I have always been an early riser, so waking up early to get my workouts in before heading to work has not been too challenging. However, I have not been able to get in those long workouts that I was accustomed to before starting my job. I used to workout for about 60-90 minutes daily because a.) I loved it! and b.) I had allllllll the time in the world! :) Clearly, this is not the case anymore! Since I am definitely not an evening worker-outer, I have developed some strategies and tricks in order to get the most workout-bang for my time-buck these past couple of weeks. Here are some tricks if you are in a time crunch and looking to still get a great workout in the AM!

1.) Tone it Up workouts!

I love Tone it Up (TIU) workouts! They are usually between 10-20 minutes long and work all your major muscle groups. The trainers, Karena and Katrina, use strength training and toning moves that work multiple muscle groups at once, so you get both a cardio and toning workout! Check out their website (www.toneitup.com) for a complete list of their workouts! You can also search them on YouTube!

2.) Resistance, resistance, resistance!

I have learned that duration is not everything when it comes to working out! I could go on the elliptical for 60 minutes and barely break a sweat, or 30 minutes and be drenched by the end of my workout! It all depends on what resistance setting I have used. I have done my elliptical HIIT workout (check previous posts!) multiple times the past 2 weeks and always come out feeling like I did a major hour-long workout! I am drenched and my heart rate goes way up, which is the mark of any great workout! Play around with the resistance and crossramp settings on your machine and try 2-3 minute intervals of raising and lowering the resistance to keep your heart pumping and those calories burning!

3.) Toning large muscle groups

My third trick is to tone the largest muscle groups in the least amount of time. I usually try to work on my shoulders, back, chest, or legs EVERY day since the moves for these body parts usually get my heart rate going. I also include some biceps, triceps, and abs as supplemental exercises, but I always make sure to get those major muscle groups done! I do shoulder presses, which raises your heart rate since any movement lifting your arms above your head helps get your heart pumping. I do the chest press machine at the gym, as well as lat pulldowns and lat rows, which leave your back looking and feeling great! I also do deadlifts at least 3 times a week. I have worked up to a 30 lb bar (I started at 5 lb dumbbells...take that for progress!) and am loving the results. I also try to do the leg press machine or squats and lunges, depending on how my knee is doing (still nursing that injury...)!

In a typical workweek, my workouts usually last about 35-45 minutes every morning, depending on my schedule how much time I have before I have to get ready for work. Below are some examples of what my workouts have consisted of the past couple of weeks:

1.) TIU workouts: I absolutely love the new "love your total body 2 workout" which is 20 minutes long. I also do some of their more focused 10-minute workouts, which work specific muscle groups. I usually do these TIU workouts if I am staying home to exercise instead of heading to the gym!

2.) Bike for 30 minutes, chest press, deadlifts, biceps, triceps, abs

3.) Elliptical HIIT for 20-30 minutes, shoulder press, shoulder raise, lat row, leg press

4.) Bike 15 minutes, elliptical HIIT 20 minutes, lat pulldown, squats, lunges, abs

I hope this post gives you some ideas on ways that you can maximize your workout time with a busy schedule! Any workout is better than no workout, so even if you lift some weights in your bedroom for 15 minutes before getting ready for work, that counts and positively impacts your health! Planning out your workouts also ensures that you get them done in the morning so you feel energized throughout the day and don't have to worry about fitting them in at night! So get up and get moving people! And if you need some added motivation, here you go! :)

Zucchini Stew & My Last Day of "Freedom!"

Well, today was my last day of unemployment. Everyone keeps saying it's my last day of freedom, which I accept. I won't be able to spend hours at the gym anymore, cook long drawn-out meals for myself, read a book a day, or go see 10am movies for $7. But, I am beyond blessed to have gotten this job and am so excited to start my career as a Registered Dietitian! I woke up around 5:30 this morning and immediately got up to get a head start on my day. I had things that I had to get done today, such as cleaning my closet and organizing my clothes, so I didn't waste any time! As I've mentioned before, one of my goals this year is to read through the entire Bible in one year. I finished the book of Genesis today, so one book down and 65 to go! I especially love Genesis 50:20, when Joseph reconciles with his brothers that sold him into slavery and says, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." (Genesis 50:20 ESV)

I love this verse because it basically sums up God's redemptive work in our lives. There is a lot of evil and hard situations in the world we live in, so we definitely need the grace of God to get us through the life He has given us on earth!! But what is meant for evil towards us, God can redeem and work out for our good! I've experienced this countless times in my own life. When things are going horribly or I have no idea why something is not working out, I remember that God means for things to turn out for good according to His plans and purposes! It fills me with peace and comfort, because even though I may have no idea what I am doing, God always knows, and His plans are way better than mine! Just check out the following verses!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8, 9 ESV)

After my quiet time, I had a quick pre-workout meal before going to the gym. I had my favorite halloum cheese again melted in one of my grain-free tortillas! Check a few posts back for the link to the recipe I used by Against All Grain!

I still felt a little hungry after my cheese sandwich, and I didn't want to run low on fuel during my workout! So I had a few of our many macadamia nuts before heading out the door!

My workout was pretty good today! Which is great because I'm definitely going to have to tweak and adjust my workout schedule once I start my new job tomorrow!! This morning, I did 3 miles on the elliptical, and 12 miles on the bike (which is the equivalent of 4 miles for my 150 miles by valentines day challenge)! I'm at a total of 83/150 miles so far.

After my cardio, I did some deadlifts, the lat row machine, and the tricep machine! I'm excited because I've definitely been feeling stronger and needing to up my weight, which is a sign of progress! The minute I got home, before losing motivation, I also did my TIU Love your Booty routine for the Love Your Body challenge I am doing with Tone it Up!

After my workouts, I made some egg tacos and used my last two grain-free tortillas to wrap them up. I was so sad I was out of tortillas, but I'll definitely be making these again on a regular basis because I just loved them!!

It was almost 9:30 after my breakfast, but I was still not feeling motivated to clean my room. I decided to do the quick TIU Beach yoga routine instead before showering and attacking my closet.

The yoga routine is 20 minutes, challenging, and gave me the right balance of relaxation and motivation to get to my closet. But, after my shower, I skyped with one of my best friends that moved away a week ago, which was a definite necessity since I miss her like crazy! Then, I finally turned my attention to the clothes! It felt so nice weeding out things that I've had since high school but NEVER wear, and organizing all of my shoes and outfits. It also helped me see that I really DO have ample clothes for a business casual wardrobe, and will not be needing to go shopping for work clothes...drat! :)

After packaging up by clothes to give away, I looked at the time and it was almost 1pm! I reheated the remainder of my turkey chili and sliced up some cucumbers into little "chips" to dip into my hummus. I was STUFFED by the end of this meal! Something about the protein, fat, and veggie combination in that chili makes it a nutritional punch and fills you up, setting you up for an energetic afternoon instead of a slump! Check a few posts back to see my easy peasy turkey chili recipe!

After lunch, I decided to spend some time out of the house. I wanted to do something fun on my last day as a free woman, so I decided to head to my local Peet's coffee shop and enjoy some time outside while reading and sipping on my favorite Masala Chai tea! The weather has been beautiful here, so I wanted to enjoy every minute of it! And I was even able to wear my cute green shorts in January...and what could be better than that!??

I spent over 2 hours at Peet's reading, journaling, and doing some Bible study homework. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and I didn't want to tear myself away, but knew I had to get home. After cleaning up my room a little more, I got to cooking dinner with my Mama! My family makes an amazing zucchini stew that is usually served over rice, but since adopting a more grain-free diet, I've eaten it just by its lonesome without the rice, and have never looked back! I don't even miss the rice because the zucchini, beef, and tomato sauce give so much flavor to this dish that is still tastes delicious even on its own. It is the perfect bowl of comforting goodness, which is why I put it on the menu for tonight! I wanted to make a meal that was warm, nourishing, and would make enough for leftovers for me to take to work tomorrow. This meal was just that!

Zucchini Stew (makes 6 servings)

2 T olive oil

1 cup diced onions

1 lb ground beef (we used the grass fed 85/15 from Trader Joe's)

6 medium-sized zucchini

1 15 oz diced tomatoes

3 T tomato paste

1 t salt

1/2 t red pepper

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t all spice

Start by heating up the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the ground beef and chop it up into tiny pieces until it is cooked through.

While the beef is cooking, wash and slice up your zucchini into thin disks!

Once the meat is cooked all the way through, add the zucchini, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings! Mix all the ingredients together, then leave the pot over medium heat for about 1 hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes. There should be enough liquid in the pot since zucchini release a lot of moisture, but if the mixture ever gets dry, add a bit of water to it!

Once the zucchini cooks through and gets mushy, the dish is done! It should resemble a stew-like consistency.

We thoroughly enjoyed this meal tonight; my parents added rice to theirs, but I enjoyed the stew as is! I hope you all get to try this dish this winter; it's perfect for cold and cozy nights! Not to mention it is gluten/grain free, paleo, and Whole 30 approved!

Well, my last evening as a free woman is coming to a close! Now I have to pack my lunch for tomorrow (that's going to take getting used to!) and run a few errands before bed! I need to find a purse that is cute, professional, but still big enough to hold my nalgene water bottle, notebook, and any other necessities I may need at work. It's definitely hard to find a purse with all of those qualities, but I am determined!! I hope you all have a wonderful night! The next time you hear from me, I will be a working girl! :)

New job!!! Lemon-mint salad dressing, and Daily Manna!!

Hello everyone! Whoa look at that, two posts in a row! I am so excited today to announce that I finally got a job!!!

I have been in the interview process for a job at WIC (a program for women, infants, and children that provides supplemental food and nutrition education) for a few months now. Since first learning about WIC 6 years ago, I have been wanting to work there! How amazing is it that you get to empower and support women and kids to get the right nutrition and have access to healthy foods?! I am beyond blessed that this job came to me and I have been thanking God non-stop for this amazing opportunity! I officially start training this Thursday, January 16th (ahhh 1 day left!) and I just cannot wait!

My day was quite a busy one! Even though I still feel like I haven't done much. I have been wondering if I will miss the life of unemployment, but I think I am way too excited about this job to ever look back! Dear Home, it's been nice, but I am SO ready to get out there!

I woke up around 5:30am this morning and did some quiet time. Some people are amazed at how I wake up so early, but let me tell you, it's taken years of practicing how to sleep. I'm serious! From the time I was a child, I was a chronic insomniac and was never able to sleep. I would be up all night, tossing, turning, reading, walking around my room, or just staring blankly at the ceiling praying that morning would somehow come sooner...just this once. About a year and a half ago, when I began to cut out gluten and some other inflammatory grains, I noticed such a huge difference in my sleep! I was able to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer (I sound like a commercial). I also learned that I MUST pay attention to my body's cues. If I get sleepy at 9pm, I have to take advantage of that window of opportunity, and actually sleep at 9pm! If I fight my sleepiness, I end up staying awake all night long. So now, if I am sleepy at 9pm, I sleep at 9pm! I try to listen to my body, not only when I eat and when I workout, but also for rest and relaxation. I know that the only way I will be able to be the best version of me is when I am healthy, active, and rested!

So anyways, after my quiet time, I had 2 of my paleo tortillas from yesterday with a bit of almond butter smeared on top. These tortillas are absolutely amazing and are from the Against All Grain website if you want to check it out! I included the link in my post yesterday! :)

I had an okay workout today. I was feeling really low energy for some reason, so I didn't push myself speed or resistance-wise. I still did about 30 minutes on the elliptical and 25 minutes on the bike, but I definitely didn't try to challenge myself. I broke a sweat and burned some calories while still going easy on myself, which is what I needed! I also did some shoulder and bicep work, along with the chest press machine and the lat pulldown machine.

I got home and felt so exhausted, and was starving! I decided to not only have my usual veggie omelet, but also have yet another paleo tortilla (I'm telling you, I love these things!) with some of my favorite Middle Eastern cheese melted inside!

Halloum cheese has been my all time favorite cheese every since I was born. I blame this cheese for the reason why I can't stand cheddar, monterey jack, or any other typical American cheeses. This cheese is just THAT good. It's made from sheep's milk, it's pretty high in fat, and I really don't care one bit! :) I melted two sticks of it in my tortilla this morning, it was delicious, and I enjoyed every bite of it!

After breakfast, I finished up a great book I have been reading called "Lazarus Awakening" by Joanna Weaver about really enjoying your personal relationship with God, believing that God loves you, and living as an ALIVE person in His love and promises. It was such an incredible study, with questions and journal reflections at the back of the book! I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a bible study/devotional book!

Around 10:45am, I headed out to an appointment I had, which was about a 40-minute drive away. The appointment also lasted a while, so I didn't get to have my lunch until about 1:30pm! Boy am I glad I had a filling breakfast! I reheated some of my yummy turkey chili (recipe is in yesterday's post!) and had some veggies with hummus as a side!

I started reading an article on green tea after lunch, but about halfway through I decided to get up and do the new Tone it Up Love Your Arms and Abs routine! I had crazy amounts of energy after lunch, which is ironic considering I was exhausted this morning, and atypical of the usual afternoon slump that people suffer from. So I wanted to take advantage of my energy and do the workout two times through, but my sore muscles were not having it. My arms and back were still sore from my workout a few days ago, so I just did the routine once. I absolutely LOVED it though, and will definitely be doing it again!

The afternoon was busy with some errands: picking up my car from the dealer's and going grocery shopping! My mom and I made fish and salad tonight, with some leftover roasted potatoes from her dinner last night! It was so cute because I walked into the kitchen and my mom was busy portioning her almonds in little containers for work! How cute is that?! She is definitely the mother of a dietitian...in some respects haha :)

We usually get the pre seasoned Cajun salmon from Trader Joe's on fish night! This salmon is so delicious, has good ingredients (nothing funky!) and is so easy to make! We just popped it on the stove top in some foil for about 25-30 minutes while we chopped up our salad, and dinner was served!

Everyone asks us about our homemade lemon-mint salad dressing. Honestly, I have no idea how to explain this recipe, because it's definitely one of those "eye-balled" recipes the women in my family have been making for generations. But, for a standard sized salad mixing bowl (about 8-10 inches in diameter) filled with lettuce and veggies, we use approximately these measurements of the following ingredients!

Lemon-mint dressing:

2 T lemon juice

2 T olive oil

1/4 t salt

1/4 t red pepper

1/4 t crushed mint

1 clove garlic, crushed (OR use 1/4 t garlic salt for both the garlic and salt)

Pour the ingredients straight onto the salad, toss, and enjoy! This dressing is light, healthy, and tastes great with pretty much any salad combination!

After dinner we had Bible study, and then headed back home! Now for some Downton Abbey before bed...unless I get sleepy, in which case it's bed for me! I hope you all have a wonderful night!

Macadamia Catastrophe, Turkey Chili, and Daily Manna! 1/13

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had excellent, healthy, and happy weekends. Today is an exciting day because I get to share TWO recipes with you! The first one is a funky new recipe that came out of a baking mishap! I had a silly baking experience last night and I have entitled this incident, (and this recipe), the macadamia catastrophe. It all started a few days ago when my friend Kelli, over at http://hungryhobby.net (you guys should all follow her blog, it is fantastic!) sent me a Macadamia Nut Banana Cookie recipe (http://immaeatthat.com/2014/01/10/macadamia-nut-banana-cookies/) because of my obvious obsession with this combination since getting back from Hawaii. I had all the ingredients I needed to try it out last night, except for the oats, which I decided to substitute with my protein powder instead. Obviously, I did not end up with cookies, but something more like a cake/muffin batter. I decided to roll with it, added an egg and some greek yogurt, and ended up with a macadamia nut banana flatbread cake square thing! They are flat, cakey, and crunchy but taste DELICIOUS! So I thought I might as well just share my version of the recipe!

Makes 16 squares, one 8x8 glass baking dish

3/4 cup macadamia nuts, unsalted

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

1 banana

1/3 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt

1 T coconut oil

1 egg

1/4 cup low sugar maple syrup

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. First things first, place the macadamia nuts in the food processor and chop them up until they are coarse.

Mash the banana and add that to the bowl as well. Then add all the other ingredients, and it will form a batter. Spray your 8x8 dish and pour the batter into the dish. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Considering this recipe was a disaster in the making, I think that by adding a few of the tweaks, it turned into a great breakfast gluten-free bread option! I enjoyed two of these as my pre workout snack this morning, and they were delicious! I'm so glad I didn't just dump the batter out and tried to work with it because it turned out to be a yummy, crunchy flatbread!

Anyways, on to the rest of my day...

As I mentioned, I woke up, did my quiet time, and ate 2 of my macadamia catastrophe squares before my workout! ;)

My workout consisted of 30 minutes on the elliptical and 25 minutes on the bike, totaling 6 miles towards my 150 miles by V-day challenge. So far, I am at 70 miles! Woo! I'm feeling great even though I am not being able to run. Don't get me wrong, I really really miss running! But I think the variety of the elliptical and bike, plus all the strength training I've been doing, has been really enjoyable! I have been seeing results in my strength and am absolutely loving the benefits of weight training!

After my cardio, I worked on my triceps and shoulders, then did the leg press and inner and outer thigh machines. I stretched, and then headed to whole foods to grab some coconut flour! I was determined to try the paleo tortilla recipe by Danielle Walker at Against All Grain (www.againstallgrain.com) and that was the only ingredient I was missing.

I HIGHLY recommend this crepe/tortilla recipe if you are looking for a gluten and grain-free tortilla that is paleo friendly! They were so easy to make and so delicious. The recipe is in the Against All Grain cookbook, as well as on her website! Check it out! http://www.againstallgrain.com/2013/01/26/crepes-grainfree-paleo/

I decided to make my post-workout omelet into egg tacos, so I stuffed three of these tortillas with some egg whites, kale, peppers, and pico de gallo! Delicious!

I also loved that you can hold these tortillas and they don't fall apart! Which is such a plus when you are eating a gluten and grain-free product.

After my meal, I read my book for a bit, then headed to my physical therapy appointment. It's only my second appointment and they basically just did some leg exercises with me. Which is good, since all of those exercises are at the gym and I could do them on my own time as well!

When I got back home, I had crazy energy, and decided to do my TIU workout for the day before lunch! I am doing the Love Your Body challenge at www.toneitup.com and today's workout was the Love Your Total Body 2! I love these workouts because they range from 15-20 minutes while targeting each muscle group in your body! Check it out if you want to try it (it is under the workout schedule for Monday!)

http://toneitup.com/2014/01/love-your-body-with-your-weekly-schedule/

After my second workout of the day, I was finally ready for lunch! I got some ground turkey yesterday at the grocery store and wanted to make a turkey chili that could last me a few days! I threw a bunch of things into the pot and simmered the chili for about 30-40 minutes, while enjoying a quick salad as an appetizer.

Here is the ingredients list and the method for my easy peasy turkey chili! (makes about 3 servings)

8-10 oz ground turkey meat

1.5 T olive oil, separated into 1 T and 1/2 T

1/2 t cajun seasoning

1-14oz can of diced tomatoes (fire roasted and low sodium is better!)

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped sweet bell pepper

1/2 cup kale

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t garlic salt

Start out by heating 1 T of olive oil in a pot, then adding your turkey meat. Grind up your turkey meat with a flat edged wooden spoon until it is in itty-bitty pieces. Add the cajun seasoning while it is cooking, and cook the meat until its browned. In a separate skillet, heat up a 1/2 T of olive oil and add the kale and the chopped sweet bell pepper. Sauté these until they are tender.

Once the turkey meat is cooked through, add the kale and peppers, the can of crushed tomatoes, the chicken broth, and the cumin and garlic salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then set the heat on low and let the chili simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Then, bowl it up and enjoy! The easiest chili I've made yet. If you are into beans, you can obviously add some black or kidney beans to this chili as well!

After lunch, I decided to finally attack my desk. My desk has been in desperate need of cleaning and reorganizing. I emptied out all of my drawers and organized all my books. I am a huge organization nerd, so it felt so good to have everything cleaned out and cleared away!

The rest of the day was pretty relaxing. I sipped on some green tea while reading, got my nails done, got my phone fixed, and had a yummy dinner! Unfortunately, my phone getting fixed prevented me from taking anymore pictures the rest of the night. So dinner will remain a mystery! :) Just kidding, we went to a yummy restaurant by my house called Pita Jungle. I had a Greek salad with a garlicky-lemon dressing, which was so light and delicious. I also added some of my mom's chicken that fell out of her wrap to my salad. They stuff those wraps with SO much chicken that she ends up not eating half of it, so I definitely took advantage of her scraps!

Well, that is all for today! I am feeling so exhausted at the moment and can't wait for bed! I hope you all had a great start to the week!

Good night! :)

Workout Revelations and an Easy Lunch Idea!

Happy Thursday everyone! I can't believe it is almost the weekend, and almost mid-December! This month is flying by. I leave for a 2-week Hawaiian cruise with my parents in exactly 8 days and am getting more and more excited as the days go by! I'm planning on writing next week about how to have a healthy vacation (yes, even a healthy cruise!) and what my plans are during the vacation! I have been successful on 2 cruises in the past and actually came home having lost weight! So believe me, it IS possible! Today started out like any typical day. I had hoped to sleep in but woke up at exactly 5:55am and could not get back to sleep. But I did some early morning quiet time with Jesus, which I love, so it was worth it! I got ready for the gym and had my 2 carrot cake squares (check previous posts for the recipe!) while Pinteresting. Check out the cute pin I found a couple days ago! I want all of those disney workout shirts!!!!

After having my pre workout meal, I headed to the gym for a double Elliptical and Bike workout, with some toning exercises. I have been having a workout revelation lately. As many of you know, I am a runner, but about 2 months ago my hip and knee starting giving me problems. The hip pain has resolved, as it was most probably an overuse injury. But pain in both my knees continued until I finally saw an orthopedic surgeon at the end of last month who believes I have many different "runners knee" type symptoms, as well as cartilage breakdown and possible meniscus tears in both knees. She told me to hold off on running for a couple months, and I am planning on starting physical therapy at the beginning of January! In the meantime, the list of approved exercises she gave me was very short: elliptical, stationary bike, toning workouts for my quads, hamstrings, and calves, with no squats or lunges (or bending in general) allowed! These limitations have caused me to become extra creative in and outside of the gym! I used to believe running was the best form of cardio, not to mention I absolutely loved running in general. But, I realized this week that, even though it has taken a while, I am actually enjoying my current workout regimen! I usually split up my cardio time between the elliptical and bike, and then either do some machines for toning at the gym, or come home and do a "body blasting workout" (BBW) of my own creation. My BBW is similar to my arm blasting workout (check a few posts back) but I have incorporated some leg movements to work my lower body in the most low-impact way possible. I'll try to post more about what this workout entails, but for now let's just say that I have definitely been feeling the burn! Between deadlifts, leg lifts/raises, and donkey kicks on the ground, not a day has gone by without my lower body being just as sore as my upper body! I've been absolutely loving all the toning work I've been doing. I've also realized that my time on the elliptical has been serving as a warm up for my new-found cardio love...the BIKE! I sweat like no other on that machine and always play around with the resistance to challenge my body. Wearing my heart rate monitor has also shown me that my heart rate on the bike is just the same, or sometimes even higher, than my heart rate would be when I would run. This shows that I am still getting a great cardio workout without any impact on my joints. Anyways! Long story short, or maybe it was still long :)...I am thoroughly enjoying my workout routine, even though I am anxious to get to the physical therapist in January and hopefully get back into running soon, while still incorporating the exercises I have been currently doing.

After my workout, I headed to Trader Joe's to get a few things. I was already hungry before my workout (should have had that 3rd carrot cake square!) but didn't want to get too full before working out. I picked up a few essentials for us at the store, then headed home to make my egg white, chicken sausage, kale, and pepper scramble. I had zero patience while cooking my breakfast and had a banana while I waited! :)

After breakfast, I did a few things around the house (laundry, cleaning, etc.) and headed to the mall to get some quest bars! I'm in love with the new double chocolate chunk flavor and want to stock up before our cruise! I know the cruise has food available at all times, but I just love these bars so much I have to take a few with me!

Around 12:30 I started getting hungry for lunch. I wanted to whip up something quick, easy, healthy and delicious. I had some leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge and wanted to put it to good use! I love how versatile rotisserie chicken can be! I sautéed some broccoli in olive oil while I chopped up a sweet potato to pop in the microwave. I usually bake my sweet potatoes, but I was in a hurry so I used the microwave! I shredded some of the chicken breast off the rotisserie, and added that as well as the microwaved sweet potato into the skillet with the already sizzling broccoli! To season, I just used some garlic powder and salt-free cajun seasoning. You could also add buffalo hot sauce, sriacha, or even BBQ sauce to this bowl, but I just wanted to keep it simple and tasty! The combination of these foods tasted delicious and I was very full and satisfied afterwards!

And now I am off to the mall again to meet up with one of my best friends! I just love the mall during Christmas...and might pick up a few more quest bars...haha :)

I hope you all are having a great Thursday so far!