Tuesday Thoughts

Good morning folks!

Just checking in quickly to say happy Tuesday. Am I the only one who thinks that Tuesday is the worst day of the week? You've got Monday in all it's manicness and Wednesday with it's humpiness, Thursday is like Friday-eve, and then of course it's TGIF. But Tuesday really has no identity of it's own. Maybe I just have too much time on my hands to think about obscure things!

I'm excited because the inaugural winter season of Pathways starts tonight. In the past, we have taken the winter off. We still run together, but it's loosely structured and not organized. I find myself struggling with motivation or lack there of because it's dark and/or cold. Well this year, Fleet Feet listened to it's participants and initiated a winter season. I'm glad. It will be good to run with an organized group during what I think is the toughest running time of the year. I'm moving up a pace group this session. I'll be coaching the 11:30 group with my friend, Dave. I'm looking forward to this session. I plan to make it as fun as possible to help keep them motivated. I've got a fun idea, team building idea that I can't wait to implement!

I believe that my job as a coach is to help keep them motivated and find their confidence. I often say that I'm not a perfect pacer, but I'm their biggest cheerleader. One way to help them be successful is to have a fun, cohesive group. Let's face it, running alone is ok sometimes; but running with a group is the best! You're sharing a common interest with like minded people and often times, you make life long friends. I'm really looking forward to this adventure!!

In other news, I'm still eating clean and sticking to the 21 Day Fix meal plan. So far, so good!!  I haven't had any candy in over a week, with the exception of peppermints. I have allowed myself  to have coffee with 1 tsp of sugar and 1.5 TBSP of coffee creamer. This doesn't seem to be too much as MFP allows for 40g of sugar a day. This is way under that!!  My stomach is much less bloated, so that's the goal that I was hoping to achieve!!  I'll keep plugging along with it. I know there will be tempations and struggles but hopefully, I've broken the sugar addiction!!

This weekend, we're travelling to St. Louis, Missouri for the Hot Chocolate run. My friends and I ran it last year. It was so cold, but so much fun that we're going back!!  Hubs had just had knee surgery so he couldn't participate but this year he is walking the 5k. I hope this gives him the motivation that he needs to run/walk again. He has some pain in that knee post meniscus repair, probably arthritis. But he is afraid that he will reinjure himself. I keep telling him to stick to shorter distances and walking but I haven't been able to convince him. I just don't think that he is that committed. But, fear can do strange things!

I'm still slacking on my weight training. I was doing so well with consistency and not missing workouts until last week when I did the 3 Day Refresh. I had no energy whatsoever and physically felt ill, so I didn't workout. I have been so busy with day to day stuff and holiday preparation that I haven't got back to it. I'm hoping to change that tonight. When I get home from running, I'll immediately workout, then I can put on my pajamas!!  Here's what I'm hoping the rest of my week will look like, workout-wise:

Tuesday: Pathways run, Body Beast Build chest and triceps
Wednesday: Body Beast Back and biceps
Thursday: Pathways run (2.5 or 3) Body Beast Lucky 7
Friday: Body Beast Shoulders
Saturday: rest
Sunday: Hot Chocolate 15k

So, now that you're updated, you can carry on with your regularly scheduled programming!!

Until next time: get up, get out and get moving!!  Whatever you do today, be awesome at it!!

Your friend,

Theresa

How do you stay motivated to run in the winter??
Do you run with a group or prefer to run alone??

I Survived!

Hello, hello folks!!

We're almost through this week and that makes me a happy, happy girl!! It's been a rough one!!
We've been very busy at work and I haven't been 100% this week. I'm looking forward to my days off!

I survived the 3 Day Refresh!!  And I hated every miserable moment of it!!  I had heard good things about it and I was really hoping to like it, but not so much. Let me back up and explain why I decided to try it in the first place. Lately, I've been eating sweets and treats like they are going out of style. My husband and I can sit down and devour a medium sized bag of peanut M&M's in 2 nights. That's absurd! I have a weakness for candy, any and all kinds of candy. I try to justify it by eating the mini sizes or snack sizes, but I can't just stop at 1 or 2. Plus, I do a lot of mindless snacking in the evenings after work. I'll come home almost every night and "graze" on whatever I can find. Most often, it's tortilla chips. I knew if I wanted to make real progress with my weight lifting program that I would need to quit eating all the junk. Now, in the past, I've been able to go cold turkey on sweets, treats, and sugars but I've always gone back to them. And this time, I was having a little trouble with will power. So I decided to try the 3 Day Refresh to get me back on track.

Let me preface my review by saying that I am a fan of Team Beachbody. I've used several of their products in the past, Insanity, 21 Day Fix, and Body Beast, and have been pleased with those. I had heard good things about the Refresh, so I thought that I would give it a go. Now, I'm also a Beachbody coach but I don't make that readily known. Coaches make a commission off the products that people by from their websites, so I understand supporting the product that they are selling. But, I'm in it for the discount on products more than anything else. I feel that I need to be honest about my experience with the product, even if it is less than ideal.

I don't really believe that these weight loss gimmicks work. I actually think that they can set one up for failure. I didn't really expect miracles but I drank the Kool-aid and thought I would see what all the hype was about. I ordered it and planned to start it the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It was only 3 days and I can do anything for 3 days, right?  It arrived and I meal planned/grocery shopped. It includes a fiber drink (like Metamucil) and high protein shakes. You can get it with Shakeology but I chose not to as I prefer another vegan protein shake. You eat an abundance of vegetables with some fruit and healthy fats to "keep you full and satisfied". The protein sources are vegetable proteins. The theory behind it is that vegetables are easier for your body to process. I followed the plan 99% There were a couple of variables that I was not willing to budge on. I drink and Advocare Spark daily. If I had to give up coffee, I knew I would need that Spark and its allowed on the Advocare cleanse, so I didn't cut that out. And, I mix my protein shake w/ unsweetened almond milk. I didn't change that either. So here's how it went:

Day 1:

I started with 8oz of Advocare Spark when I woke up. Breakfast was my protein shake w/ almond milk and 1/2 apple. Mid morning, I had hot tea then a little while later, the fiber sweep. It was kindy clumpy but I chugged it down. Lunch was the other 1/2 apple, 1.5 tsps. almond butter, and the vanilla refresh shake from the Refresh mixed with water. Mid afternoon, I had 1 red bell pepper with 2 tbsp. of hummus. Dinner was a spinach salad with peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflower seeds and homemade vinegar/oil dressing and another vanilla refresh shake. Day 1 was actually not too bad. I did go to bed early but that's another story.

Day 2: Identical to Day 1 except I was starting to feel weak and tired, fuzzy headed and HANGRY!! The cravings, OMG, the cravings!!  Please make them stop!!!

Day 3: Same as Day 1 but HANGRY!!!  I was so weak and tired. I had such a bad headache that I was very unproductive at work. I was so glad that it was almost over!!

The PROS: I increased my water and vegetable intake. I try to get enough veggies but I usually only get 2-3 servings a day. I did not eat any candy!! My stomach is much less bloated! So, in that regard, it was successful.

The CONS: Not enough to eat. You only consume about 900-1000 calories. This is simply not enough. I was so hungry. I had zero energy. I didn't work out for 3 days while on this plan. I basically felt horrible days 2 & 3. I didn't cheat but I really wanted to. The vanilla refresh shakes were simply terrible!!

The end result: I didn't really lose any weight (maybe 3 or 4 pounds) or inches off my waist like I had seen others claim. But, my goal wasn't to lose weight and I really don't have that much to lose, so I wasn't expecting much. As I said, I did succeed at not eating candy or junk, so that was a success. And I was successful at increasing my water and veggie intake, so that's a plus. Did I accomplish what I hoped to? My goal was to clean up my diet, so yes I did. But I wouldn't go this route again. Its too drastic and too much deprivation. I wanted to binge so badly!!  Would I ever do it again? Absolutely not!! If I need to "reset" my nutrition in the future, I will do it myself in what I believe is a healthy manner.

 

Now, I plan to follow a less restrictive, clean eating plan. I'm going to follow the 21 Day Fix plan without treats or sweets. That's going to be hard with Christmas coming but I think that I can do it now that I've gotten a jumpstart.

Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving! Make today ridiculously amazing!!

Your friend,

Theresa

December Goals

Good morning folks!

I hope that you all had a pleasant Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Ours was, for the most part.

Thursday morning, I got up early to get in a few miles before the notorious Thanksgiving calories were consumed. I was planning to do about 3.5 miles but I only got about 3.3 I was almost back to the car when I started having a sharp pain in my lower right calf. I wasn't sure if it was the actual calf muscle or if it was the Achilles injury rearing its ugly head again, so I stopped and walked about a quarter of a mile back to the car. I kinesio taped it when I got home and ice/elevated it later that night and Friday night. It was sore after bearing weight all day but seems to be a little better this morning. At any rate, I think I'll wait a few more days before I try running again. I don't need to be sidelined with a serious injury again.

After that, we went to visit my family. It's always good to see them. I got to be the official baby holder! I spent most of the day holding my sweet baby niece, Hallie. She is my sister's daughter and is the sweetest, happiest baby ever!!  Of course, I might be a little bit partial!!

This was the first year that I've had a completely gluten-free Thanksgiving. I have to say that I wasn't miserable and bloated feeling after the meal!!  It was great!!

And later that evening, we braved the lines at Walmart. I really wanted to be home in my pajamas with my feet up, but they had some good deals that I just couldn't pass up. We got up early Friday morning for more Black Friday shopping and completed the shopping trifecta on Saturday when we purchased our first REAL Christmas tree!!  I was so excited to get it home and set up, then I couldn't find the darn lights!! I went to bed disappointed that night. I found the lights last night but I wasn't feeling well, so it's still sitting there undecorated. Maybe tonight I'll get the lights on it. The good thing is we got a lot of our Christmas shopping done!

I mentioned last week that I had some exciting news. Well, as you know, I've been doing the Body Beast workout. And I'm making progress but not as much as I would like. That means one thing: that my diet isn't clean enough. While I try to eat clean about 80% of the time, my sweet tooth has been out of control lately. And I don't mean just a little bit either! I've cleaned it up before and cut out treats/processed sugars but I'm having a hard time this time. So, I decided that I would try the Team Beachbody 3 Day Refresh. I started it yesterday. At first, I was questioning my sanity. I didn't sleep well at all Saturday night, so I was very tired yesterday morning but I went ahead and started the Refresh. I'll fully recap when I complete it, but I was pleasantly surprised with Day 1. After I finish the 3 day cleanse, I'll try to adhere more to the 21 Day Fix meal plan. This isn't so much about losing weight for me as it is about cleaning up my diet. So, Operation Ditch The Junk Food officially started yesterday and is in full swing!

As far as my fitness goals, I need to get back on track with the Body Beast workouts. I missed my Saturday workout (Bulk Arms) because I was hunting for the Christmas lights. I might have a tendency to hoard Christmas things a little bit. My search for lights turned into a purge of sorts which ultimately led to a meltdown! Then last night, I was just too tired. I had my pajamas on before 7pm and was in bed, asleep shortly after that. So, tonight is supposed to be a rest day but it will be a combo of arms and back to get back on track. Tomorrow night will be Bulk Chest then we'll be back on schedule. Pathways is still on hiatus until December 8 but I will run "tweener" runs with my friends until we start back up. I was planning to run Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday but I think that this week I'll wait until Thursday to give my right leg a full week of rest. Then we'll go from there. I'm running the Hot Chocolate 15k in St Louis on December 14, so I need fresh legs for that. And, I've joined the Fleet Feet Sports Winter Warrior challenge. I chose the 100 miles challenge, to run 100 miles between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. I'm planning to train for the Rock N Roll New Orleans half marathon in January and if not that, then the Go Short, Go Long, Go Very Long 25k. And, I'll be working with Pathways during December and January. Their goal race will be the Sweetheart 10k in February. I'll do that double that day, the 5k and 10k back to back. So, those are my fitness goals in a nutshell.

Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving!!  Whatever you do today, make it ridiculously amazing!!

Your friend,

Theresa

What are your current fitness goals?
Have you ever done a cleanse??

Its Been A While

Good morning folks!!

It's been a little while since I last posted, so I thought I would pop in and catch up.

I hope that you've all been doing well.

My life has been a little busy, hectic and unpredictable lately, hence the lack of posting. I've trying to get to work earlier therefore I've had less time for posting. It really started a couple of months ago at work when my work assignment was changed. There was a mistake and a misunderstanding. Consequently, I was reassigned. I was removed from the unit that I had worked on for 2.5 years. I felt like I had built good relationships there and I was devastated when the change was made. I was hurt and I was angry! I was now the "float" case manager, meaning I didn't have a "home". I would just go fill in where there was a need. I often don't know my work assignment until the morning of sometimes. It felt like I was being rejected, like I was just an after-thought. I got up and kept going to work because I didn't know what else to do.  I tried to be as positive as possible while I pursued other options. I applied for a transfer to another department and got it. But, along the way, something else happened. I began to realize that I enjoyed working with and getting to know other co-workers. I realized that working my 8 hours and going home, not having to own any of the drama wasn't so bad after all.

Well, my boss must have picked up on this. She called me into her office and said "you seem a lot happier since you've been reassigned. What can I do to keep you in the department?" I didn't really have an idea, but I told her that I would like a permanent assignment as soon as she had one available. She then told me about some changes that are in the works for our department. I told her I would consider staying. Several days later, after much consideration, I told her I would stay. My co-workers have been so supportive during all of this and that's the primary reason I chose to stay. Then, last Friday at our staff meeting, we were discussing the future changes to our department and the subject of weekend coverage came up. We were brain storming about how we could cover the weekends with the staff that we have currently when someone suggested that she could work 4 10 hour shifts from Wednesday - Saturday. The boss said "we just need someone to cover Sunday - Tuesday and that could work" I used to work 3 12 hour shifts Sun, Mon, and Tues and loved it! I immediately piped up and said that I would do it. So, effective next Sunday, I will work 3 12 hour shifts, Sunday - Tuesday. I will have 4 days off every week. I'm so excited that I almost can't stand it!!  Now, I will be able to pursue the personal trainer certification that I've been wanting to pursue but haven't had the time!!

What I've learned from all of this is that sometimes you have to give up the good to go for the great!

And in other news, hubs and I are negotiating on a house at our favorite lake!! I'll post more on this later when it's a done deal but it would be amazing to be able to live full time at our happy place!

I've been keeping up with my Pathways running group. Saturday, we did 9 miles in the rain. It was our last long run before the Tulsa Run 15k. This week, we begin to taper.

I'm also trying to keep up with my cross training on a routine basis. And I'm still eating about 80% clean. Last night, I meal prepped ground turkey, turkey burgers, quinoa, sautéed veggies: tomatoes, onion, peppers, mushrooms, baked sweet potatoes, and hard boiled eggs. I do fairly well with my nutrition most days, I just wish I didn't like treats so much!!  I need someone to follow me around and slap me really hard when I pick up something crappy to eat!!  Any volunteers??

Ok, that's all for now.

Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving. Whatever you do today, be awesome at it!!

Your friend,

Theresa

Workout Wednesday--October Goals

Hello y'all!

 

Happy first day of October!

 

 

I've been super busy since our last visit!

 

My Pathways group is ramping up their mileage in anticipation of their goal race,  the Tulsa Run 15k.  We've increased our intervals to 10:1 and our pace to 12:00 minutes/mile. We've  had some pretty good hill training recently.  They  really dislike hills, I think! I have heard quite a bit of grumbling from some of them.  ;)  But,  overall, they are doing a great job! This has been one of the most enjoyable groups I've had the opportunity to work with.  I hope some of them are planning to run the Route 66 half marathon.  I have run it for the past 3 years. I wasn't really going to run it this year  but they have  changed the route again so I think that I'll go ahead and do it. I just hope the weather is better than last year. It was  so cold that it wasn't an enjoyable run at all!

 

Last night, before our run, I stepped on the scale at  Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa. I really can't recall the last time I weighed myself. I'm not really sure what I was expecting.  I haven't lost any weight. Actually, I might have gained 2 or 3 pounds. I was surprised when I saw  127.8 on the scale. Usually a 2 or 3 pound gain makes me feel fluffy.  But, not this time.  My clothes don't feel any tighter. As a matter of fact,  they may be a little more loose. I've been trying to watch my macros and keep my diet "clean" for the most part.  I plan and prepare, but I have a difficult time curbing my late day snacking. Somedays, I want sweets and other days I want crunchy and salty.  I know if I cleaned up my diet even more,  I'd see the results that I'm wanting to see. But in the meanwhile,  until I learn to kick the snacking for good,  I'll keep doing what I'm doing and just trust the process! Obviously, its working!

 

A new month means new goals!

 

This month, I'm planning to clean up my diet even more. I'm hoping to reduce my "treats" from a daily occurrence to 1or 2 times/week.

 

I've been better about doing my cross training / strength training.  And I'm planning to continue this trend for October.  My goal is to workout at least 5 times  / week.  I'm still doing the Body Beast and plan to continue it.

 

Sometimes,  time is a factor when it comes to working out. The  BB workouts are about  40 minutes each.  I'm always  looking for things to do if I'm pressed for time.  And that brings us the W.O.D for this Workout Wednesday.  I got this from one of my friends at work.  He said it's pretty intense. I'm eager to try it!  Check it out and let me know what you think!

 

 

Until next time - - get up, get out, and get moving! Whatever you decide to do today, be awesome at it!

 

Your friend,

 

Theresa

 

What are your fitness/nutrition goals for this month?

Monday Motivation

Good morning folks! Here we go again!!

 Happy fall y'all!!

 I hope that you had a great weekend!!  It was a whirlwind busy one here, as usual!

Friday was my birthday. I took the day off work and ended up driving my son to the airport in Oklahoma City to pick up his friend. It was a long day but I really didn't mind. At 25 y/o he doesn't really ask to hang out with mom very often so I took advantage of the situation, even though I think I was only there to navigate. :-)

Saturday morning was the Quarter Marathon at Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa. We usually have a Pathways training run on Saturday mornings, but we were running the race for our training run instead. I encouraged them to consider it a "dress rehearsal" for their goal race, the Tulsa Run 15k next month. I had already warned them that I was going to run my own race. I wasn't planning to race this and didn't have a goal finish time in mind. I started with a group of my runners but I was feeling pretty good, so I passed them. We've been running intervals. I didn't run intervals in my race. I usually don't. I run until I feel like I need a break. This is exactly what I did Saturday morning. The humidity was ridiculous at 97% and it was warm, plus I've been dealing with copious amounts nasal and chest congestion. But, I was feeling pretty good, so I just ran. I finally had to take a short walk break at mile 4.4 I couldn't breathe anymore so I had to blow my nose.....YUCK! I only walked for about 30 seconds then I picked up the pace again. I ran loose run/walk intervals for the remaining 2 miles. At mile 5, I met another Pathways coach. He was walking too! We both commiserated about the heat, humidity, etc, for a couple of seconds, then started running again. I ran with him for a short little bit then he stopped to walk again, I kept going. The course was VERY hilly!!  I was so glad when I topped the last hill! I knew I was about 3-4 blocks from the finish. I turned the corner on 2nd street and kicked it back into high gear. I saw my hubs waiting for me. I high fived him, smiled big for the camera and pushed onto the finish line. I stopped my watch at 1:13 which I was fairly certain was a PR for me. I checked my previous finish times later and discovered that it was in fact a 3 minute, 49 second PR!!  What a birthday present!!  The rest of the day was spent visiting with good friends that I hadn't seen in a long time and watching college football! It was all around a great day!!

Yesterday, hubs and I got up early to go get our shopping done. When we got home, we did our usual household chores, including decorating for fall and meal prep. This week, I made: crockpot chicken, turkey burgers, brown rice, baked sweet potatoes, green beans, mixed veggies, cut up raw veggies for snacks, and HB eggs.

I'm really excited that the fall TV season starts tonight! I'm eager for my favorite shows like the Voice and Blacklist to return. I plan to DVR them so that they don't derail my fitness goals though!
I'm continuing the Body Beast/21 Day Fix hybrid this week. Here's my schedule:

Monday BB Build Chest and Triceps
Tuesday: Run w/ Pathways, 21 Day Lower Fix
Wednesday: BB Build Chest and Back
Thursday: Run w/ Pathways, 21 Day Dirty 30
Friday: BB Build Shoulders
Saturday: Run w/ Pathways 7 miles
Sunday: 21 Day Fix Upper Fix and/or BB Lucky 7

So, that's all I've got for now. I hope you have a fabulous Monday!!

 

Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving!! Whatever you do today, be awesome at it!!

Your friend,

Theresa

What TV shows are you looking forward to this fall?
What did you prep this week?
What's your workout schedule look like this week?

Monday Motivation

Good morning folks!

Happy Monday!!

It was a busy but otherwise great weekend here! I was off work Friday, so I had a 3 day weekend.

Saturday morning, we got up early and drove to my hometown of Perry, Oklahoma for the Cherokee Strip Landrun 5k. This is the 3rd year I've run this race. My goal was to win my age group. It was about 45 degrees when we woke up that morning and about 47 - 50 when we started. I wore a tank top and shorts in spite of the cold. I knew that I would be running as fast as I could and would warm up quickly. There was a very small turnout. It was chip timed, though. We lined up and at 7:30, they told us to GO because the gun wouldn't work. The cross country track team was there and they lined up in front. I've made the mistake of lining up right behind them before, so this year I tried to start more mid-pack.  It's a downhill start though and I always have a tendency to start too fast. And I did again this year. I looked at my watch as we rounded the first corner and I was at a 7:30 pace. I knew there was no way I could sustain that so I tried to back off a little bit. It was at this point that the one person I knew I had to beat passed me. She strutted right by me and made a 7:30 look effortless! I wanted to quit right then. But I didn't, I kept going. I got close to my parents house and thought about quitting then. No one would ever know if I got a DNF. But I would! I kept going! I knew that I wasn't going to come in first in my age group, so now I had my sights set on 2nd. So I kept pushing myself as hard as I could. I knew that the finish is also downhill so I kept plugging along. I flew across the finish line at 29:00!!  AMAZING!!  That's a 9:23 pace and was a 2 minute and 30 second PR for me. It was not good enough for 1st in my age group or even 2nd, but it was still a decent finish time! I've wanted to run a sub 30 minute 5k and now I've done it. The point here is that it isn't really about being better than anyone other than myself. Its about being a little bit better everyday and I certainly accomplished that!!

The rest of the day was spent with my family at the parade and at my parents house where we had a big spread for lunch. It was great to see my parents, brother and sister, and my baby nieces. It was a great day!

Yesterday, I did the weekly chores and meal prep. This week, I fixed fajita chicken for homemade "Chipotle" salad bowls, crockpot BBQ chicken, grilled turkey burgers, baked sweet potato fries, mixed veggies, green beans, salad, and HB eggs.

My fitness  goals this week are to continue my cross training and complete the  Quarter Marathon with my pathwayers. 

Monday: Body Beast Build Chest and Triceps

Tuesday : 3.5 mile run with  Pathways; 21 Day Fix lower fix

Wednesday: Body Beast Build Back and Biceps

Thursday : 4 mile run Fartlek  run with Pathways; 21 Day Fix upper fix

Friday: Body Beast Build Shoulders

Saturday : Quarter Marathon

Ok,  that's all for now. Until next time--get up,  get out, and get moving. 

Whatever you do today,  be awesome at it! 

Your friend, 

Theresa

Back to Reality

Hello, hello!!

I hope that you're all doing well and having a good week, so far. Hang on, we're almost there!!

Its been a great week for me, but its back to reality today. Hubs and I decided to take a little extended time at the last this past weekend and I am so glad that we did!! It is always so beautiful there but I was surprised at how peaceful it was. Monday and Tuesday were nearly perfect. There were very few boats, so the water was very calm. The weather was perfect! We had the campground all to ourselves. It was so quiet and relaxing! I could have stayed for days and days!!  Hubs got the chance to do a little fishing while I got to float and soak up the sun. The highlight of our trip was getting to see the goats on Goat Island. We've gone to this lake for several years now and just recently learned that this island is called "Goat Island" We heard there were goats on the island but we were skeptical, as we had docked there before and never saw or heard one. We've seen pictures of them recently but until Sunday, we had not seen them with our own eyes. We had a chance to see one of them Sunday and then on Tuesday, we saw them both.  Needless to say, it was a great week!

I didn't work out as much as I had planned. I probably ate way too much junk and consumed a few too many adult beverages, but it was all worth it! I think that we spend way too much time wrapped up in our daily lives-working, working out, watching what we eat, etc. Don't get me wrong, that's all very important. But I believe that if we truly want to be the best that we can be, we need to learn to lighten up and relax. Rest is just as important as exercise and clean eating!!

I packed my gym bag for a run after work today. And for the first time in about 6 months, I packed this shirt:

I have to admit that I'm more than a little bit excited about returning to coaching this group! It was such and integral part of my identity then I got injured and a little burned out. I've taken a break and now I'm looking forward to working with this group, preparing them for their goal race, the Tulsa Run 15k. I had such a fun group last fall. I haven't met them yet as I missed the first run Tuesday night but I'm hoping that we have as much fun, if not more! Some of our Pathways alumni have graduated to coaching, including my sweeper coach. It will be as much fun working with them too. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted with frequent updates and pictures!!  I just hope that I can keep up!!

 

And, back to reality for us includes back to our healthy habits: eating and working out. Of course I meal prepped when we got home yesterday. I fixed turkey sausage w/ potatoes, peppers and onions, baked chicken, baked sweet potatoes, salad and HB eggs. In addition to running tonight, I'll continue my strength training with an upper body workout.

 

OK, gotta go get ready for work now. I'll check in with ya again tomorrow!

 

Until next time--get up, get out and get moving!!  Whatever you decided to do today, be awesome at it!!

 

Your friend,

 

Theresa



Workout Wednesday

Hey y'all!  I hope you're having a great week so far!

We're already halfway through yet another work week.  I find that hard to believe.  But it has  been a busy one,  so far!

I meal prepped like a boss this past weekend.  We didn't go to the lake so I was able to take a little extra time prepping.  I fixed grilled chicken, turkey burgers, boiled eggs, ground turkey,  brown rice,  black beans,  sweet potatoes,  broccoli,  mixed veggies,  and fresh fruit. We tried something new for breakfast this week: chicken apple sausages.  They were delicious! So we're both fairly well on track with our nutrition this week.

I'm pleased to announce that hubs is doing the  Body Beast  workouts with me on a daily basis. We had a few misses the first week,  but we've been very consistent this week.  We're going on vacation in a couple of weeks,  so I'm not sure how we will manage that  but we'll figure out something. This morning,  I worked out at the gym it my trainer.  It was a good session.  It was obvious to me that I need to keep working to strengthen my core! I'm still weak in that area.

I'm still tracking fats,  carbs,  and protein in My Fitness Pal using the calculations from If It Fits Your Macros I'm getting a better understanding of the process. I still am not seeing the progress that I want to see.  I'm just going to keep with it though.  I really like the concept of not tracking calories.  I record all my daily food.  And,  if I still have room for a treat,  then I have the treat and don't feel guilty about it.  I haven't been on the scale in a couple of weeks.  I'm not hungry at all. It is isn't  restrictive at all.  I think that it  instills  a healthier  mindset than counting calories and watching the scale. Both of those methods can lead to eating disorders and body image issues.

Today is  Wednesday,  so that means it's Workout Wednesday.  I've got a quick,  total body circuit for you today.  You can either incorporate this into your usual routine or it can stand alone if you're pressed for time.

So,  that's all for now.  I'll have some super exciting news for you tomorrow  so stay tuned!

Until next time--get up, get out,  and  get moving! Whatever you do today,  be awesome at it!

Your friend,

Theresa

Motivation Monday

Howdy,  Howdy y'all!

I hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend.

We were at the lake for an extended weekend. After my mother in law passed,  we decided to take my father in law with us.  We knew it would be challenging but we didn't feel like leaving him home alone for 5 days was the right thing to do. It was a fun but exhausting weekend and I think a good time was had by all.  I know he enjoyed himself. He tried very hard to keep up with us all weekend and did a fairly good job of it actually.  Other than one potential heat exhaustion episode,  there were no major mishaps.

I ran Wednesday and Friday.  I walked on Thursday and Saturday. I was fairly good food and beverage - wise until yesterday when I ate some Fritos. I ate WAY more than the recommend serving size...oops!

So,  the past few weeks have been very hectic for me. I've tried hard to maintain consistent workouts and clean eating despite all that we've had going on.  I'm happy to be able to get back into a more consistent routine today.

I meal prepped when we got home yesterday, as usual so I'll have healthy food choices for the week.  I've been doing the 21 Day Fix workouts for a while now and I'm looking forward to changing that up this week.  I've ordered the Beachbody Body Beast program.  It should arrive tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to starting that! I'm planning to continue running in the morning with my friends and will do the strength training program in the evenings after work.

I'm also excited that I'll be coaching my Pathways group again beginning next month.  They'll be training for the Tulsa Run 15k. Meanwhile,  I'll be training for my next half marathon.  I've decided that I would like to run the Big Cottonwood Half Marathon in Salt Lake City in September. I'll be ramping up my mileage again and am more than a little nervous.  I'm tired of being injured all the time.  Hopefully the cross training will make a difference.  I've also decided to get a gait analysis at the OU Tulsa human performance lab. They will put me on a treadmill and film me running for about 15 minutes then they will break it down and tell me what I'm doing wrong and hopefully how to correct my form to help prevent future injuries. I'll post specifics about that tomorrow.

So, thats all I've got for now.  Until next time-get up, get out,  and get moving! Remember to be awesome today!

Your friend,

Theresa

Monday Motivation~~Update

Hello, hello!!

Happy Monday everybody!!

I'm sorry I didn't post much last week. As usual, I had good intentions, but the life went sideways.

As you know, we've been dealing with my mother in law's failing health since her fall/hip fracture last month. It was just too much for her body to overcome. A couple of weeks ago, we took her home with hospice. I was hopeful that she would rally, but it was painfully obvious that she was fading fast, right in front of our eyes. Last Tuesday, my husband got the call that she had passed quietly and peacefully. The rest of the week was a hectic blur. I think we are both still numb. And now, we're going to have to be a greater presence in my father in law's life.

He is 88 years old and lives in an apartment about 13 miles from us. He was living with his wife until she fell. She was the chief cook for him. She made his coffee and warmed up his meals. She waited on him hand and foot. Now, we're concerned that he won't eat or take a bath, etc. We're worried that he will grieve himself to death. We thought about moving him in with us. But, we also want him to maintain as much independence as possible. We're going to try letting him stay in the apartment for now. When I meal prepped last night, I made extra so that he would have something that he can heat up in the microwave. His one request for the week was baked fish, so that's what he got. We're also going to have to include him in some of our activities, including the lake. I'm not sure how it will all work out, but we'll figure it out as we go along.

I did manage to stay somewhat on track with my fitness goals last week despite everything being pear shaped. I ran with friends on Tuesday and Thursday morning. Wednesday, I doubled up on my 21 Day Fix workouts: I did upper fix in the morning and lower fix in the evening. Thursday morning, after my run, I went to the gym to workout with my trainer. I feel like I got in a really good workout that day!!  And Saturday morning, I attempted a 3 mile run at the lake but the humidity was oppressive! I ended up walking with my husband.

I prepped weekly meals when we got home from the lake. This week, I prepped baked chicken, baked fish, hard boiled eggs, black beans, green beans, mixed veggies, salad, and mac/cheese for my father in law.

Tonight, I plan to check on my father in law on my way home. I'm planning to fix him a fried egg sandwich for dinner. After that, I'm going to continue the 21 Day Fix workouts for now. This is what I'm planning to do this week:

Monday: Total Body Cardio Fix
Tuesday: Upper Fix
Wednesday: Lower Fix
Thursday: Pilates Fix
Friday: Cardio Fix in addition to getting my butt kicked by my trainer!
Saturday: Dirty 30 and 3 - 4 mile run
Hopefully I can fit in a run on Tuesday and Thursday mornings as well.

That's all I've got right now. The next few weeks will be challenging until we settle into a new routine. I never dreamed that I would be caring for an aging parent. I will be reading and blogging about it and role reversal over the next few weeks. Hopefully we'll figure out some tips and tricks that I can share with you.

Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving! What ever you do today, be awesome at it!!

Your friend,

Theresa

Monday Motivation

Good morning friends!!  Happy Monday!!

Here we go again with a brand new day and brand new week!

Most folks grumble and complain about Mondays and sometimes I'm in that category. But lately, I've started to think of Monday as a day to get a fresh start. Now that doesn't mean that it's ok to completely "blow it" on the weekends however! 

We had a good Father's Day weekend at the lake. We arrived late Friday night and enjoyed the Friday13 full moon on the dock for a little while, until I got too cold. I went for a nice 3 mile run Saturday morning. After we ate breakfast, hubs got the boat out and we went out for a ride. It was VERY windy! We had a good time tying up and visiting with our friends. We made some new friends and enjoyed spending the evening on the dock visiting with our campground neighbors. It was just what my sweet hubs needed for Father's Day...a little R&R. He has had a lot on his mind recently with his mother's health problems.

She is still hanging in there, barely. Right now, we're just playing a waiting game. We're expecting the phone to ring any minute. Poor hubs is trying to be as prepared as possible but I know he is going to fall apart when it happens. It is so hard to watch someone you care about go through this. I'm thankful for my previous experience as a hospice nurse. It is much different on this side of it, but it helps that I have an understanding of what to expect. He keeps asking me how much longer and unfortunately, I just don't have an answer for that. :-(

We arrived home from the lake early yesterday. I was able to get all the laundry caught up, meal prep done and the dishes all done. It was a very productive day!!  I kept meal prep very simple this week because I'm sure it will be a disrupted week. I prepped baked chicken, ground turkey meat, mixed veggies, green beans, black beans, baked sweet potatoes, cut up lettuce for salad, and hard boiled eggs.

I'm on week 3 of the 21 Day Fix and still not seeing the results that I did the first time. But I'm going to stick it out and finish this round. Then I think that I need to shake up my workout routine. I'm scheming on something right now!!  I enjoyed Insanity when I did it last summer. It is a lot of cardio though and I'm interested in gaining strength and building more muscle right now. I'm thinking that I'm going to do a hybrid of Insanity and the Beachbody Body Beast program. But for now, here are my fitness goals for the week:

Monday--Run, Total Body Cardio Fix
Tuesday--Upper Fix
Wednesday--Lower Fix
Thursday--Pilates Fix
Friday--Cardio Fix
Saturday--Dirty 30

I have 3 more weeks with my trainer and I'd like to squeeze in another run or 2 in there somewhere. I have a feeling that I'm going to have to be flexible with this schedule this week and adjust it as needed.

So, that's it for me today. Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving!!  Whatever you do today, be awesome at it!!

Your friend,

Theresa

Motivation Monday

Good morning folks!!

Sorry I've been a little absent lately. I've had so much family stuff going on, that it's been tough to keep everything up to date. I'll try to do a little bit better job of it because I've got so much stuff to tell you about!!

Let me update/recap:  last week was a difficult week for me. I did a back, shoulders, biceps workout last Monday. On Tuesday morning, I woke up with a stiff neck and shoulder. It hurt to turn my head and lift my arm. I ended up doing more cardio than anything else last week.

Another thing that has been tough for me lately is the situation with my mother in law. Last week, I thought that was improving and that we would be transferring to rehab soon. But now, I'm not so sure. I sincerely think that the best we're going to be able to hope for is to transfer her to a long term care facility and to keep her comfortable. She just doesn't seem to have the desire or drive for rehab. It's so sad and I know that it's hard for my husband to deal with.

I'm excited to announce that I became an aunt again last Friday. My sister had a beautiful baby girl last Friday morning. My sister is 43 y/o. Because she got married later in life, she thought that she would never have any children but apparently it was meant to be. She was worried because of her "advanced maternal age" but all in all, she had a normal, healthy pregnancy. She had a little bit of high blood pressure so she had a C-section last Friday. Her little girl is so perfect and so beautiful! She named her Hallie after our dad, who's name is Hal. He is so excited!!  She lives next door to my parents, so I'm sure she will have all the help that she needs with the new baby, but I've volunteered my services as needed of course!!

We had another wonderful weekend at our place at the lake. We got there Friday night in time to unpack and head to bed. I went for a run Saturday morning while hubs did a little walking. It was about 65 degrees with 100% humidity. I got in 4 hilly miles and worked up quite a sweat doing so. I had to stop for a couple of photo opportunities because it is just so beautiful there. After breakfast, hubs went to get the boat. We had no sooner got it in the water and got all our stuff loaded when it started to rain. We were expecting random showers but I thought that the radar was clear. It lasted about 20 minutes, just enough to thoroughly soak everything. We went back to the dock and tried to dry everything off a little bit, got fresh towels and headed out for a boat ride. It turned out to be a beautiful day after all. Another downpour came through later, but we were far enough south that we missed it. We went out for a while yesterday. I really wish we could have stayed another day because yesterday was the better boating day by far. But we had to get home and get chores done for the start of the week.

 I prepped meals when I got home last night. This week I prepped grilled chicken, turkey burgers, roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa, green beans, mixed veggies, hard boiled eggs and lettuce for salad.

No matter how hard I try, I always gain a few pounds at the lake on the weekends. I've got to get my clean eating and proper portions in a little bit better control. That's why I'm starting another round of the 21 Day Fix today. I'm also planning to get in a 2-3 morning runs each week in addition to the 21 Day Fix workouts.

So now you're up to speed with what I've been up to lately.

Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving. Whatever you do today, be awesome at it!!

Your friend,

Theresa

Quick update/recap

Hello, hello folks!!

I hope that you all had a fabulous holiday weekend! 

First, let me apologize for my recent radio silence. The past week was pretty busy with my mother in law being in the hospital in ICU. She was quite ill and for us, that meant several late nights at the hospital with her. The good news is that she is on the mend. I have requested a rehab eval for her. And I suspect that we'll be moving her either to rehab or back to the skilled  nursing facility by the weekend.

We spend most of our summer weekends at our "happy place" Lake Tenkiller near Tahlequah, Oklahoma. We've been going there for 3 years now. Memorial Day weekend is usually the kickoff to our "lake season". But, with his mother in the hospital, we weren't sure that we were going to go. We finally decided that we would go on Friday night and spend Saturday then play the rest of the weekend by ear. It was mostly my idea because I thought that hubs needed to get away from the ICU/hospital for a little while. We left Friday, stopped to check in on her on our way, bought some groceries and got to our little camping trailer close to bedtime.

I woke up early Saturday and went for a run. It was about 65 degrees with 99% humidity. I thought I had charged my Garmin but apparently it didn't make good contact and was dead. So I had to run "naked" I really have no idea how far or fast I went. I think it was between 2 and 3 miles. I forgot how hilly it is at the lake!!  That plus the humidity plus I haven't been running all that much made it a little bit of a rough run. I walked one of the bigger hills but I still enjoyed being outdoors!

After breakfast, we got the boat in the water, met our friends and headed to "Party Cove" It's like a giant parking lot for boats where everyone ties up and socializes with each other. There are usually wild shenanigans that go on out there. We like to stay on the fringe and people watch. It was a little bit cool and cloudy but there was plenty of entertainment!!  We had such a great time with all of our friends!!

We woke up Sunday morning, checked on his mom and found out that she was doing much better so we decided to stay Sunday too. We went for a nice boat ride then went to Party Cove to people watch again. All in all, it was a great weekend! It was just the break from our daily lives that we needed.

We got up early yesterday, put the boat up, packed up our stuff and headed home. We stopped to check on his mom on the way home. She was awake and they had a good visit. She's getting better every day! We started the laundry when we got home and went to the store to get the weekly groceries. After that, I did the weekly meal prep. I didn't take pictures this week, but I prepped:
baked chicken, baked fish, steamed squash, steamed asparagus, brown rice and HB eggs.

We did a shoulders, back and biceps workout and by that time, we were ready for bed!

I love the lake but it's a challenge to maintain all the hard work from the week. I hate to undo it all on the weekends! I try to get in a run at least one day that we're there. And I try to keep our food reasonably clean/healthy. I had a few transgressions last weekend but I don't think it was all that bad. I took rotisserie chicken and sliced turkey on the boat for lettuce wraps with guacamole and fruit for snacks. And we had grilled chicken for dinner both nights. Adult beverages are always an issue. They're just empty calories and are counter productive for muscle growth. I did partake in a few but again, I tried to keep them few and far between and on the lighter side. I think I did ok but the proof will be when I step on the scale at work. EEK!!

This week, my fitness goals are:

Monday--back, shoulders, biceps
Tuesday--Total Body Cardio fix and upper fix
Wednesday--LEG DAY!!  Lower fix and legs
Thursday--Dirty 30
Friday--Chest and triceps
Saturday--2-3 mile run

Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving. Whatever you do today, be awesome at it!!

Your friend,

Theresa

Motivation Monday

Good morning folks!!  Happy Monday!

The past 2 weeks have been the hardest, most challenging that I've had in quite some time. I'm hoping that this week might go a little more smoothly! I hope that you all had a good weekend!!

Saturday, I got up and did a chest and triceps workout. Then hubs and I did the weekly grocery shopping. We went to Ross and I got a pair of workout capri pants and a new pair of Nike Pegasus, too. We went out to a friend's birthday party later that night. Yesterday, hubs went to our place at the lake to do some work on our trailer and I stayed home to do the chores and weekly food prep. This week, I prepped steaks, yellow squash/zucchini, ground turkey meat, spaghetti squash, brown rice, baked sweet potatoes, hb eggs, and broccoli.

One thing that I really enjoy about blogging is the networking aspect. Recently, I "met" Danielle Prestejohn and I had an opportunity to work with her for the past 21 days. She is a Beachbody coach and gave several of us a chance to try the new 21 Day Fix workout program from Beachbody. I've tried other Beachbody programs in the past and really liked them, so I was excited about this opportunity.

This particular program includes an eating plan based on portion control. I believe that is where most people struggle on their weight loss journey. It is a very simple plan to follow. There are color coded containers that represent different food groups: protein, vegetables, fruits, starches, fats, nuts and seeds. You calculate that amount of calories that you need for the day and then you follow the guide that shows you how many color coded containers to eat for the day. For instance, the 1200-1499 plan includes 3 greens, 2 purples, 3 reds, 2 yellows, 1 blue and 1 orange. Super easy!!

As you know, I am already a meal planner/prepper. I weigh and measure all my portions. In all honesty, I didn't feel like I was eating enough. I felt hungry when I followed the plan. I noticed that I was loosing weight and that isn't my goal. I want to maintain and could actually afford to put on a few pounds of lean muscle. It was easy for me to adjust my intake by simply stepping up to the next meal plan. I think it was helpful for my husband to get a visual of correct portion sizes and how much food he should be eating as well as what types of food and when to eat them.

My favorite part of this program are the workouts. There are 7 different workouts. Each one is 30 minutes in length and are easily modifiable for beginners or if one is injured, etc. Although the workouts are short, they are effective. Scientifically, short bursts of exercise with short rest periods (HIIT) are highly effective for weight loss and fat burning. I love these workouts and will continue to incorporate them into my fitness regimen.

I'm pleased with my progress, so far.I'm seeing subtle little changes everyday.

Here's my workout schedule for the week:

Monday--Upper body strength training, back/shoulders/biceps
Tuesday--Total Body Cardio Fix
Wednesday--Upper fix
Thursday--Double day Lower fix and Pilates fix
Friday--Chest and triceps
Saturday--Dirty 30 (or 3 mile run if we are at the lake)
Sunday--yoga fix

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving. And whatever you do today, be awesome at it!

Your friend,

Theresa

What are your workout plans this week?
Have you tried the 21 Day Fix?

Monday Motivation/Weekly Goals

Howdy, howdy folks!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I hope you're all having a fabulous day, so far!

Sorry for the late post, but I varied my routine this morning so I'm a little late getting to the party. One of the reasons for my running rut recently (say that 5 times fast) is that my circle of running friends have all been going different directions. We're all at different places in our training schedules, training for different races, have different agendas, etc. Some of us are just coming back from injuries, health issues and such. I realize that I can just go run by myself. But I really enjoy the social aspect of running. A lot of my friends have been running early in the morning at 5am. I can't join them that early. But this morning, some of them could meet at 6am. We did 4 miles, are a few gnats, and it was great! I'm hoping we can continue this over the summer! It was a good run. There was a little nagging pain in my heel but it was very minimal. I should have kinesio taped it, but it went away by mile 2. I was able to get ready for work at the gym and made it to work early even. Sometimes, if I vary my routine any, I'm a little "off" all day but today it was really great! Definitely started my day on a positive note!

We had a relatively good weekend at the lake. I did struggle a bit with maintain my healthy, clean eating. We always pack snacks for on the boat, usually chips, pretzels, crackers, adult beverages and things like that. I had a difficult time finding healthy snacks to take on the boat. And adult beverages are counter productive to any progress that I make during the week. I'm a little discouraged. I love the lake and floating on my boat. I'm not sure how I can do that and maintain my healthy habits. Plus, it ties up my whole weekend time that I usually grocery shop and meal prep. :-/

This week, I'm continuing the 21 Day Fix, week 2. I'm really liking the workouts. I've had to increase the calories on the meal plan though because I wasn't getting enough calories to begin with. I want to maintain my current weight and would be ok with adding a few pounds of lean muscle even.

This week's fitness goals are:

Monday--4 mile run; Total Body Cardio fix
Tuesday--Turkey Tuesday 3 mile run; Upper fix
Wednesday--Lower fix
Thursday--Pilates fix
Friday--Cardio fix
Saturday--Dirty 30
Sunday--Yoga fix

Until next time--get up, get out and get moving! Whatever you do today, remember to be awesome!

Your friend,

Theresa

Motivation Monday~~Boston Strong

Good morning sunshines!!

I hope that you all had a fabulous weekend/Easter.

It was a good weekend here. Saturday morning, we went to Stillwater and I got 3 miles done at Boomer Lake. I had a little bit of pain in the right Achilles but it wasn't too bad. I am glad that I taped before I ran and stretched well after. Later, I remembered that I was using a new pair of Superfeet that aren't really broke in yet. Maybe that was part of it. Or maybe it's because my pace was a little fast. I don't really know, but it was better later that day and on Sunday so maybe it was just a fluke.

After my run, we ate some lunch, did some shopping then we came home and did some front porch sitting. I think that's my current favorite past time!!  The weather has been fabulous recently and I love sitting out here watching the birds, rabbits, etc

Yesterday, we did our usual household chores including weekly meal prep

Lemon pepper pork tenderloin, grilled chicken, turkey meatloaf stuffed peppers, baked sweet potatoes,
steamed squash, steamed asparagus, roasted carrots, green beans, mixed veggies, brown rice,
turkey sausage egg muffins, hard boiled eggs, fresh veggies for snacks
 

After the chores were done, it was time for more porch sitting! Afterwards, we had a fabulous dinner and then we tried to watch SALEM, the new series on WGN. But it was too disturbing for me.

Today is the Boston Marathon. There are 36,000 expected to run today. That's all my Twitter feed is about this morning. I've got a personal friend running it, so I'll be checking on her progress as often as I can.

There is a Run for Boston run at Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa tonight, but I don't think I'm going to run tonight. I've got something else up my sleeve and we'll talk more about that later.

I've got to get back on the wagon with my working out/cross training. That was one of my goals this year but I just haven't had the motivation. I'm hoping to try to change that starting tonight! So, with that being said, here are my goals for the week:

Monday: cross train
Tuesday: 3 mile run
Wednesday: cross train
Thursday: 3 mile run
Friday: REST
Saturday: 4 mile run
Sunday: Yoga

Hopefully I can stick with it!!  Wish me luck!

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving, and be awesome today!

Your friend,

Theresa

What are your workout goals this week??

Monday Motivation/Meal Prep Monday

Good morning folks!!

It was an absolutely fabulous weekend here!

Saturday morning, we got up early and went to Stillwater, Oklahoma for the Lake McMurtry 12k trail run. I've lived in this area all my life. I've been to Lake McMurtry on more than one occasion but I never knew that the trails there existed and how pretty the area was. Hubs and I have never run a trail race/run officially. We didn't have a goal time in mind. Our plan was to run/walk and just enjoy nature. That's exactly what we did. We started out toward the back of the pack. Most of the other runners passed us early on. The trail started out fairly wide but quickly narrowed. We were meeting the 25k and 50k runners at times. There were quite a few steep declines/inclines and the trail was dry as we hadn't had significant rainfall for a while. It could be slick and treacherous in places if it were wet/muddy. It was an out/back course which I didn't mind because it looked quite different on the way back than it did on the way out. I stayed fairly close to hubs for the first 4-5 miles but I ran ahead on mile 5 and walked most of the last mile as I was following 2 walkers. This was the longest run I've done in several weeks and I didn't want to do too much, too soon so I didn't mind the walking. I lost some endurance and conditioning while I was recovering. Initially, I felt out of shape but then I got warmed up and felt better. Overall, it was a good experience and I'm so glad we did it! Hubs has a little bit of pain in his knee but he did great too!! 

 

 

After the run, we had lunch then did our weekly grocery shopping. It was a beautiful day so I finished putting the groceries away, took a shower and then we sat on the porch for a while. It's been so long since we did any front porch sitting that I forgot how enjoyable it was!

 

Yesterday, I got up and did our taxes. Yeah, I know! Nothing like waiting until the last minute but I wanted to prolong the inevitable as long as possible. We sold a home last year so I was dreading the outcome. The damage was bad enough but it wasn't as bad as either one of us expected.

 

When that was done, I did a little closet clean out. Then I tackled the weekly meal prep.

 

I don't have time to cook during the week, so I do weekly food prep on the weekend, usually Sunday. I try to start making my meal plan on Thursday or Friday. I usually try to plan at least 2 protein choices. I try to fix things that will make multiple servings. And I use my crock pot when I can because its a huge time saver!!  Ideally I will shop on Saturday and prep on Sunday.

 

I have a subscription to Emeals.com and I'm currently on a low calorie, 2 person plan. I get some of my meals ideas from there. I also find good ones on Pinterest. And we've got our favorites that I rotate. I don't do anything that isn't easy because I simply don't have time! One of my favorite, go to meals is what I call "dump chicken".  I put 1.5 - 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast in the crockpot with whatever seasoning you choose (taco seasoning, Rotel tomatoes, salsa, barbeque sauce, soysauce w/brown sugar and garlic, etc) and cook on low 4-6 hours. This will make several meals. It can be shredded for salads or lettuce wraps.

 

I also use steamer bags as often as I can. They are another huge time saver because they don't take long in the microwave and there is no clean up. Birds Eye steamer veggies and Minute Rice steamable brown rice, found in the freezer aisle make meal prep a breeze! I try to prep at least 1 starch (brown rice, quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes) and 2 veggies. Sometimes, I will chop raw veggies for hubs lunches or lettuce for mine, too. I always fixe hubs sausage egg muffins. They are so easy and he loves them. I typically spend 2-3 hours meal prepping including clean up. I keep my trash can on one side of me and a bucket on the other for veggie scraps. Those go out to a compost heap. So, that's how I do it. I find that if I don't do a good job of meal prepping for the week, we make poor choices during the week. Failing to plan is planning to fail.

Weekly meal prep--upper left: turkey sausage egg muffins; upper right: jalapeno turkey burgers, roasted sweet potatoes; lower left: balsamic mustard pork chops, zucchini ribbon salad; lower right: grilled pesto chicken, grilled mixed veggies

 

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today!!

 

Your friend,

 

Theresa

 

Do you meal prep?

What's on your menu this week? Ever tried Emeals?

 

 

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