All Aboard the (mostly) Healthy Train.

Apr 8, 2015

I was SUPER sore after the HAT 50k and I pretty much sat on my behind and ate for an entire week straight.  I know that my body needed a rest and it was nice to not have the “pressure” of fitting in a daily workout.  I also decided to just let go and eat whatever I wanted for a week.  This mostly meant that I snacked on candy and other treats and ate a few meals that I normally wouldn’t (like a chicken sandwich and fries from Chic Fil A).  So, after a week of pretty much doing no activity and eating a bunch of crap food, I was more than ready to get back on the healthy train.

Here are some of the meals I ate to get back on track!

• I actually meal prepped on a Sunday and made enough chicken and veggies for lunches for the week.  It was really nice to just reach in the fridge and grab a container and be on my way.

 

• I also made a batch of “egg muffins”.  Egg muffins are pretty simple…

  

1.  Sautee spinach and a clove of garlic in coconut oil.

2.  Add a spoonful of spinach into the bottom of each muffin.

3.  Spinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the spinach.

4.  Mix together 4 eggs and 2 egg whites, season with salt and pepper, and pour on top of the spinach and cheese.

5.  Bake until set.  🙂

• Love Grown Oats Power O’s .  This cereal is made with beans!  While they don’t taste like Honey Nut Cheerios, they still taste pretty good!

 

•  Sweet potato (cover in coconut oil, wrap in tin foil, and bake until soft…thanks for the tip Janae) topped with turkey, mixed veggies, and cheese.

 

• Chobani Greek Yogurt with Oats

 

• Ground turkey (cooked with some onion, garlic, and taco seasoning) tacos topped with black beans, cheese, and tomatoes.

 

• Mahi Mahi with green beans…and a french baguette from Panera Bread (it would just be wrong to let it go to waste!)

 

• Turkey, string cheese, and raw veggies (carrots, cucumber, and tomato)

I actually went a full 4.75 days without dessert or any other after dinner treats.  I treated myself with fro yo on Friday night and then my healthy train fell off a cliff on Saturday evening through Sunday.  What did this train wreck look like?  It looked like french toast and bacon, robin’s eggs, fish tacos, sangria, Cadbury Mini Eggs, cookies, ice cream, and popcorn.  Wow, that was just gross.  It looks like I have two speeds….uber healthy or just sit me in a pool of chocolate, cookies, and candy.  Something to work on in the future…

Anyway, I hope that you find some of my healthy meal choices helpful!

Workouts, eats, and sweets.

Feb 22, 2015

And another weekend has come and gone… I wish I could say that I did something really fun or exciting this weekend, but I only really left the house to go to the gym and I didn’t wear anything but sweats and pjs. Anyway…here’s a recap of my workouts, eats, and sweets.

Workouts!

Friday

10 mile treadmill run – Miles 1-4 at an 8:35 pace, miles 5-10 alternating between 7:35 and 8:35.

Saturday

I didn’t have a lot of time, so I did a 27 minute Fitness Blender cardio workout (I can’t remember which one it was now).

Sunday

6 mile treadmill run at an 8:35 pace

15 minutes stair climber on fat burner level 14 (this was not fun)

15 minutes elliptical on random setting level 13 (hard effort using more arms than legs)

Eats!

Friday morning pancakes…blueberries inside and strawberries outside.

Fun fact: Annabelle LOVES blueberries and she will eat an entire container in one sitting if you let her.

Working from home = pjs and Starbucks (Chris is nice enough to always go get me one :))

Chicken salad with almonds on a pretzel roll…bbq chips on the side.

Annabelle’s dinner: chicken, strawberries, and cucumbers

Sweets!

Well, after lunch on Friday lots of candy happened. I probably ate about 8-10 Hershey’s Hugs and one Resse’s Peanut Butter Heart. I think this may have attibuted to my tummy troubles during and after my 10 mile run that evening.

And it wouldn’t be a weekend in my life without some of the good stuff…this bowl was filled with two kinds of Ben and Jerry’s (Milk and Cookies and Half Baked).

Random Weekend Pics

We finally got a decent sized snow storm. It started around 10 am on Saturday and didn’t stop until sometime during the night.

The weather was beautiful on Sunday…sunny and close to 40 degrees. 40 degrees compared to sub zero temperatures = summer time. Everyone was out and about without coats on. I even got my chai latte iced to celebrate the day. Don’t worry, we are back to winter tomorrow with a low of 1 degree. Awesome.

My love 🙂

What was the best thing you ate this weekend?

Best workout?

Are you watching the Oscars tonight?

Chipotle Night!

Feb 18, 2015

Today was a normal Wednesday in the life of a working mama. I got up at 6:00 (after snoozing a few too many times), showered, and headed to my happy place before heading to work. My happy place = Starbucks. I tried the new Tiramasu Latte with nonfat milk and whipped cream. It was good, but I will probably stick to my normal choices.

After my lovely 1 1/2 hour commute, I checked my email and dug into my overnight oats. I haven’t made this in a long time and it was well overdue.

I worked for a few more hours, answered a dozen of phone calls, and got hung up on once. It was nice little morning. Around noon, Jeanette and I headed outside for a glorious 6.83 mile run. While we had to dodge some snow and ice covered roads and sidewalks, the sun was shining and the temps were balmy (30 degrees!).

Lunch was leftovers from last night’s dinner. I think it actually tasted better today than it did last night. Spoiler alert: This will be my lunch tomorrow too. I also had a Yoplait Greek Whipped Yogurt and it was a nice change from the traditional kind.

While I was slaving away at work, my mom sent me this beauty. How rude! 🙂

My afternoon snack was a banana with a side of almond butter on plates leftover from my baby shower over 2 years ago. I should really quit my day job to be a food photographer.

Dinner was you guessed, Chipotle! Ever since Chris has been off work on Wednesday nights, I’ve been picking up Chipotle for dinner. I’m always excited to eat it, but man does it feel like a rock in my stomach now.

We usually end Chipotle night with fro yo, but it’s going on 9 pm now and they close in a few minutes. Looks like I will have to settle for something from my stash while Chris and I watch some Law and Order: SUV (you Sopranos fans out there will know why we call it SUV instead of SVU). What to choose?? Red velvet oreos, white fudge oreos, Reese’s Hearts, peanut M&Ms, Hershey’s Hugs. I do have ice cream in the fridge, but that is the last thing I ate before I got sick on Saturday night and I may never eat that ice cream again.

What time did you wake up this morning?

What kind of job do you have? Customer Service, cube life, service industry?

Almond butter or peanut butter?

Snow day and the early bird special.

Feb 17, 2015

Today was a happy snow day! For once, the storm was worse to the south and we enjoyed a pretty couple of inches up in southern PA. It was great to have an extra day off to relax, fix our water heater, and get the house slightly put back together.

We had a leak from our water heater yesterday and today we noticed that our water was not actually heating.  With the help of some YouTube videos, Chris was able to relight the pilot light and we now have hot water!

I haven’t had almond milk for a really long time and I was craving a bowl of cereal with almond milk in a bad way.  This beautiful bowl of goodness was multi grain cheerios and cinnamon granola with strawberries and banana.  I really like the taste of vanilla milk so I get that…but I buy the light version.

Since I had some extra time on my hands, I decided to actually make a nice home cooked meal for dinner. I started the main course in the morning…bbq chicken in the crockpot. I used a McCormick Seasoning packet which called for the packet mix, ketchup, brown sugar, and water. All you have to do is stir it up and pour it over the chicken and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Shred and enjoy!

I finally fit in a workout while dinner was finishing up and it was not the greatest. This was my first workout since getting sick on Saturday night, so I guess my body is still recovering. I headed to my favorite at home workout resource (YouTube) and I did a Fitness Blender Workout and Jillian MIchael’s 30 Day Shred Level 3.  It definitely felt great to be active again.

Dinner was served at the early bird special time of 4:15 pm.  No, we do not usually eat this early.  Chris had to work at 5, so this was our only option for a sit down meal together.  Along with the BBQ shredded chicken, we enjoyed green beans and baked potatoes.  FYI, the key to a good baked potato is to coat the skin in olive oil and salt and pepper.  🙂

While Annabelle was sick, she slept on and off most of the day. Today was the first day that she was awake from morning to night and she just couldn’t hang past 6:30 pm. I really have no idea what to do with all of this free time!

PSA for the day. Always buy previous season candy that is on sale and if you see these Oreos, please buy them. You can thank me later.

What did you have to dinner tonight?

Favorite Oreo flavor?  This is a tough call, but I really love the chocolate creme ones.

If you have kiddos, what time do they go to bed?  Normally around 8 pm.

The BEST way to start the day…

Nov 11, 2014

I woke up around 7:30 this morning and since everyone else was still sleeping, I got dressed and headed to my happy place.

It was a beautiful morning for an easy 9 mile run…and a bathroom selfie.

After my run, I went to the grocery store (we needed everything but my main motivation was that I wanted to make pancakes) and Starbucks of course.

Pancakes with berries and maple chicken sausage 🙂

The rest of the day was spent outside enjoying our warm November weather.

I was hungry for dinner by 4, but I snacked on a banana and pretzels (Trader Joe’s Honey Wheat Pretzels are AMAZING) dipped in almond butter to hold me over.

Dinner was also amazing. Yup, that’s a sweet potato topped with black beans (mixed with taco seasoning), cheese, avocado, and sour cream with mixed veggies on the side.

I wish I could take credit for this amazing combination, but I got the idea from my running partner in crime Jeanette.

Another great combination…yogurt, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce.

When do you like to run/workout/yoga/bike? Morning or evening?

What’s your favorite easy healthy dinner? I need ideas!

Meatless Wednesday and eating healthy at work.

Oct 22, 2014

So, I didn’t try to make this a meatless Wednesday, but now that I look back on today’s eats, they are sans meat. (Side note: I remember learning what “sans” meant in Mr. Paul’s English class. He was one of my favorite teachers…along with Ms. Bacon.) <——wow, that was quite the tangent. 🙂

Breakfast was leftover pancakes topped with almond butter and agave nectar. The key to eating leftover pancakes is to reheat them in the toaster. You're welcome.

After a very sweaty and grueling x-fit class (lots of squats, jump squats, burpees, wall sits, push ups), I devoured a veggie burger with cheese and carrots and cucumbers on the side. I also had a Greek yogurt.

My snack was a chocolate brownie and oats bar from Trader Joe’s…it hit the spot.

Annabelle was a super good baby tonight and she let me cook dinner without too many interruptions…and no climbing on the tables/couch/chairs. 🙂 I had Minestrone soup and croissants and it was the perfect rainy night meal.

Annabelle wanted her dinner to be featured as well…chicken nuggets and mixed veggies. 🙂

Even though my day was meatless, I don’t believe it will remain ice cream-less. LOL.
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Sometimes it can be really difficult to eat healthy at the work place. This is especially true around the holidays. Here are few tips for keeping healthy eating habits at work.

Eating Healthy at Work

1. Pack breakfast, lunch, and snacks. It is so easy and convenient to stop and get breakfast on the way to work or go out for lunch everyday. However, this can deplete your wallet and add to your waistline. Try to pack meals that are high in protein and good fats and that include lots of fruits and veggies.

2. Plan for special occasions. If you are having a work party or a celebratory lunch with coworkers, make sure to plan really healthy meals for the rest of the day and drink lots of water. Make sure to stop eating when you are full and your leftovers can serve as your dinner or the next day’s lunch.

3. Water! Drink lots of water all day long. Sometimes we confuse thirst for hunger and we eat when we aren’t really hungry. Drinking water is also great for your overall health.

Favorite workday lunch?

How many days a week do you eat meat? How about ice cream? 🙂

At home workouts…and brownies.

Oct 18, 2014

I work from home on Fridays and that means a couple of things…I wear my pjs all day and I get to eat something other instant oatmeal for breakfast. Chocolate chip pancakes for the win. 🙂

I just started a new work load and I have been super busy learning everything and the morning flew by. I finally took my lunch around 1 and headed downstairs for an at home workout. I’ve been loving these more and more now that I haven’t been running as much. Today’s workout was Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred (Level 2) and two rounds of this workout I saw on Fitfluential’s Instagram.

It was after 2 by the time I ate lunch and I was starving! I had a veggie burger topped with cheese and served with a side of spinach and carrots. I offered to make Chris lunch and for some reason he didn’t want any… 😉

Annabelle helped me close up shop at 4:30 and I finally showered and got out of pjs…and put on sweats. 🙂

Wednesday: Work, workout, what I ate

Oct 16, 2014

Good afternoon! Yesterday was another normal day in the neighborhood…a very rainy neighborhood.

My alarm went off at 5, I drove to work, and began work before 7 am.

Breakfast included oatmeal and a banana and my new obsession…hot tea!

My workout was an X-Fit class at my work gym and it was a killer. Lots of squats, high knees, burpees, push ups, and about 15 minutes of AB work.

Lunch was leftovers from Tuesday night’s dinner…chicken, peas, and sweet potato tots.

After a very rainy two hour commute home, I made a salad for dinner. Spinach was the base layer and I added peas, sweet potato tots, carrots, cheese, a veggie burger, and guacamole. I also snacked on some Wheat Thins. This flavor is amazing!

Annabelle and I snuggled/wrestled on the couch for a bit and watched Sesame Street before she went to bed. She is going into a little biting stage and her teeth are so sharp! Anybody else have a 21 month old who is doing this???

Once AB was down for the night, I enjoyed some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that I bought at a bake sale today.

I also booked a flight to visit these guys in December! I can’t wait!!

(Lauren and Rob (my #1 fan))

I hope you are having a great Thursday! It’s almost the weekend!

What time do you get up?

How long is your commute to work?

Any parents that can help me with the biting thing????

Oriole’s Magic and chocolate.

Oct 3, 2014

Happy Weekend! If you aren’t a baseball fan and you think the game is slow and boring, tune into the playoffs. The games have been insane! My Baltimore Orioles are making magic and lead the series 2-0. 🙂

We went to Game 1 last night and it was amazing.

Chris’ “official” Cal Car Ripken jersey. 🙂

Chocolate…I had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast…

A hot fudge sundae after dinner (it was very tiny in my opinion)…

And now my kitchen smells like these babies. Yup, those are peanut butter filled chocolate chips. :-))))

Don’t worry, I did manage to fit in a 45 minute Tabata workout today. Fitness Blender on YouTube is my new favorite quick workout to do in my basement. I also washed down all of that chocolate with a healthy lunch. 🙂

Are you a baseball fan? Which team?

Favorite chocolate dessert?

What is your workout for tomorrow??

Meal “planning” and a new favorite salad dressing.

Aug 12, 2014

Do you meal plan? I don’t really do much planning. I go to the grocery store and tend to buy enough food for a week and make whatever strikes my fancy each day. I usually stick with the same meals for a while and then move onto something new.

The most planning I do is packing breakfast, lunch, and snacks the night before work days. Depending on what I decide to bring, this task can take a long time…cutting fruit and veggies, making overnight oats or sandwiches, portioning out leftovers, etc. One of the many benefits of working from home a few days a week, is not having to make a days worth of meals the night before. It really does take a lot of stress off of my nightly routine.
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Today’s eats!

Pancakes with bananas and blueberries (same exact breakfast as yesterday)

Chicken, veggies, and Mac and cheese leftovers (with a half of a sweet potato added in)

A big salad with spinach, grapes, strawberries, cucumbers, avocado, and a veggie burger. I also discovered this awesome new salad dressing…salsa ranch made with yogurt! It tastes amazing.

I also discovered these beauties. Try them ASAP.

Today’s workout!

Speed work…which I love and hate at the same time. Hate during and love afterwards 🙂

-1 mile warmup
-10 x 400m (1/4 mile) in 1:37 with 400m recovery in between sets

6 miles total

Do you meal plan?

How often do you go out to eat?

Speed work or long run? Which do you like better?