Mini-Restart

I was kicking so much butt this spring and summer: I was working out like crazy (literally six to seven days a week, often for two hours at a time), and I was eating relatively healthfully.

And then I wasn't.

A few things happened: first, I ran two huge races and, while I did really well, also injured myself pretty greatly. Finally in mid-October, I went to the doctor and discovered that as a result of a severe sprain six years ago, a fragment is off my tibia, and now I have fluid in my talus bone, which is causing the bone to swell. I have been in a boot since then, and while I have had it off for two weeks, I have realized that that was a poor choice and that I need to keep wearing it until I can start physical therapy.

Try not to be tooooooooo jealous.

Second, I was working out so much because it gave me something to do. Since I was still relatively new to Minnesota, I knew so few people, and being at the gym gave me human interaction, built-in friends, and again, something to do. Now, I have friends (and the most phenomenal partner), so the gym has become less of a time-filler, for lack of a better word.

Third, I got lazy -- not necessarily with working out (although I haven't been going as much as I would like) but rather with food. I have been quite busy lately, and I have found that Qdoba or Panera are much easier and faster than cooking. Also, my sugar dragon reared its ugly head, and I became addicted to Hot Tamales and all things sweet.

Needless to say, while I was looking (and feeling) utterly amazing this spring and summer, I am looking (and feeling) less-than-stellar now. Because it is starting to affect my mental health and self-image, I have decided that things need to change.

Deciding this in the middle of the holiday season is, admittedly, probably not the most solid of choices. While I really want to do a legit Whole30, I am not going to commit to that right now (and Melissa Hartwig, the founder of Whole30 does not even recommend doing so). Rather, I am going to eat mostly Paleo during the week and allow myself to "indulge" if the occasion arises on the weekends. In addition, I am going to set a workout plan for myself and actually stick to it rather than just go to the gym and "do whatever."

So, here's what this week looks like:

This organized table/spreadsheet should surprise none of you who know me.

In addition to having a specific menu and workout plan to follow for the majority of the week, I am going to restart Sore to the Core. While I think the majority of my stellar results came from eating super well, I also know that my core needs a heck of a lot of work; I generally rely on my cardio (specifically running) to shape my abs, but since I can't do anything of the sort right now, I need to actually do some targeted ab work.

The other goal that I have for myself is to drink more water. This spring, Aly (my sister-in-law) and I did a gallon-a-day water challenge, and I felt so good while doing that. Lately, I have been drinking hardly any water and have instead been surviving largely on coffee (and maybe some wine). So, starting tomorrow, I am going to try and drink five Camelbaks a day. The only difficulty I see with that is school. (And yes, I realize that is a big difficulty.) We have one water filter in the building, and it is quite a long way from my classroom. And I also have limited opportunities to use the restroom (something about not leaving 33 teenagers unattended...). 

But I think I can do it.

I know my skin will thank me.

I really enjoy drinking a glass of wine at night. I have yet to decide how I am going to handle that part of my "lifestyle change." Right now, I think I am going to say it's a-okay, as long as I drink my gallon of water first.

But we'll see.

I think in January I may do a legit Whole30, in which case the wine would be a no-go.

That's a whole different conversation, though. When I did a Whole30 last January, I do not believe I did so in a super healthy way, which makes me hesitant to do a Whole30 again. We'll see how this amended plan goes this month.

Stay tuned.

For now, my ultimate goal is to just feel better. I felt so freaking amazing this spring/summer. I physically felt super good, and I also felt like I looked the best I ever have. While I know that looks are not the ultimate goal, feeling confident and strong is -- and honestly, some of that comes with how I feel I look, how my clothes fit, etc.

I just want to get back to where I was a few months ago. And I know that I can.

Peace, friends.

Week One of Working Out & Healthy Eating

It's January 3rd, and I am three for three with workouts for the year.

While I was a bit over-served on New Year's Eve, I still managed to make it to the gym to mooch off their ESPN to watch Iowa get clobbered in the Rose Bowl to run on January 1st; I ran a mile, walked half a mile, and then ran another half a mile. It was a slow pace and an easy workout, and it felt good to sweat out the toxins from my NYE celebration.

You can almost smell the Coors Light and champagne wafting from my pores.

Yesterday, Sunni (my MN BFF) and I headed to the gym together, and while she went upstairs for some cardio, I made leg day happen: squats, pause squats, and lunges. I am feeling it today, friends. (I think I'm still feeling some residual soreness from our NYE dance party, too: shakin' my groove thang to a 90s hip-hop cover band is a killer leg workout, let me tell you.)

Today, I headed back to the gym for arm day and a two-mile run.

While I've done a good job of focusing on powerlifting moves (i.e. squat, bench, and deadlift), I have neglected other areas of my body, namely arms and upper back. I decided that if I want to look smokin' in a tank top this summer, I needed to change that.

The arm workout was totally outside of my comfort zone. I get a lot of anxiety about trying new things at the gym, worrying that I'm not using the weight/machine correctly, that my form sucks, that everyone is judging me, etc. But today, I put on my big girl panties, did some research prior to hitting the gym, and convinced Sunni to do the workout with me. We figured everything out and got a kick-ass arm workout. (Seriously, how we're supposed to write on the board tomorrow at school is beyond me.)

After the arm workout, you guys, I killed my run. I ran two miles in less than 20 minutes. That is fast for this girl. I was so stoked. I then cooled down by walking for another three-quarters of a mile.

This morning, my sister-in-law and I also decided on a couple of other goals for the next 30 days: we are going to meet our 10,000 step goal each day (along with my mom and sister), and we are going to complete Alexa Jean's Sore to the Core Ab Program. Because I now have approximately 25,000,000 goals going on right now workout-wise, I decided to create a little calendar for myself:

This looks like a lot, I know. But it's really not.

See, I am already doing most of this. Like I mentioned previously, since I joined the gym, I have gone nearly every day that I have been in town and have either lifted, run, or done a combination of the two. This calendar is simply adding in an ab routine and two additional days of lifting. If I find that the arm and back exercises are too much or are not effective, I will simply modify (Sunni and I already found a couple of things we want to change about the arm workout for next week) or remove them completely from the plan. It's a trial and error right now.

In addition, I will be getting those 10,000 steps every day. So while I may not be running on Tuesday, I'll likely do a bit of easy walking on the treadmill to ensure I hit that target.

As I also mentioned previously, a group of friends and I are going to be starting a Whole30 on January 10th. (Again, please let me know if you'd like to participate, and I'll add you to our secret Facebook group.) While I am not officially starting earlier, I am going to be doing a sort of "warm-up" for the next week. I mean, I'm kicking ass in the gym, and it kind of defeats the purpose to come home and eat Kraft Mac and Cheese for lunch.

So here's that plan:

As you can see, I left off today as well as next Saturday. Today, I had sugary cereal for breakfast and Trader Joe's sushi for a post-workout meal, and I am going to make the sausage and potato soup for dinner. I will also spend the evening making the quiche that I'll have for breakfast every day. Next Friday night and Saturday, I want to allow myself the option to go out to eat, to have a couple cocktails, etc. since I'll be officially starting the Whole30 next Sunday.

I would say that 2016 is off to a good start. I'm pretty proud of myself and am super excited to see the gains I make. My motivation right now is off the charts.

Finally, I want to wrap up with a picture I saw on one of my friend's Facebook pages. She said that she did not make any resolutions this year but that this sentiment will be in the back of her mind. I love it.

Have a great rest of your day and an even better week, friends!

A (Mini) Meal Plan

Hi friends!

This week's meal plan is a bit abridged for a few reasons:

1. I'm not going to list breakfasts because I pretty much make that up each day based on a.) how early I wake up and b.) what I'm craving (and because I pretty much eat one of three things every single day)
2. I'm not going to list lunches because nearly every day they are simply leftovers from the previous day (or some concoction of scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, and sweet potatoes if I don't have leftovers)
3. I'm heading to St. Louis Friday morning, so it is absolutely impossible for me now to plan my meals for Friday and Saturday

So, without any further ado, here's the mini-meal plan:

On Monday, I am hosting book club at my house, and since we have a number of different dietary needs (I'm Paleo, another girl is vegan, and another is vegetarian), I am going to make something that each of us can enjoy: tacos!

Essentially, I'm going to cook up some ground beef in homemade taco seasoning, grab a rotisserie chicken to shred myself, cut up a bunch of veggies, and provide other toppings like salsa, cheese, and guacamole. While I will likely just make a big taco salad for myself, I'm also going to have tortillas and chips for tacos and nachos. And, I think I'm going to try my hand at a sweet Paleo treat. We'll see how ambitious I actually get.

On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, I have tennis meets, so I'm planning on making somewhat easy dishes. Regarding the taco stuff, I can have most of that (aside from the meat and guacamole) prepped on Sunday, so throwing the other things together shouldn't take much time. Tuesday's Paleo Coconut Chicken shouldn't take too long, as I basically just coat the chicken and cook it up. On Thursday, I'm planning on grabbing take-out since I won't be home Friday through Sunday and therefore will be unable to eat leftovers.

Also, other than stuff for tacos and spaghetti squash for the Pad Thai, I have pretty much everything I need for meals this week. This will (hopefully) be a relatively inexpensive week at Hy-Vee -- yay!

Now, let's talk about workouts.

I didn't run yesterday in Omaha, so I'm hoping to get out and run today when I get back to Des Moines, but that is going to depend wholly on how I feel. I've been pretty rundown lately due to whatever virus is kicking my butt, so I definitely want to take it somewhat easy. That being said, I'd really like to get a nine-mile run in...

Also, as I mentioned before, I have tennis meets three days this week, so that could pose a problem with my workout plan. However, here's what I would like to do:

If I could get in at least three of those workouts, that would be great.

While I'm super pumped for this whole tennis-coaching gig, it sure is putting a monkey wrench in my cooking and exercising plan. But, it's only for a month-and-a-half or so: then things can get back to normal schedule-wise. 

(And, after this first week, I should have a better idea as to how much time I'll have to workout on practice days and meet days, and I'll know what time meets end and how much time I can devote to cooking. We'll just call this a trial week all around.)

What's on your food and fitness agenda for the week?

Weekly Menu & Workouts

Good morning!

I wanted to continue my Sunday tradition and post my weekly meal plan and grocery list, but I also wanted to add something new: my workout schedule for the week.

Get excited.

Without any further ado, here's the plan:

If you are new to the blog (welcome!) or new to Whole30 or Paleo, please check out some helpful posts:

• How to Effectively & Efficiently Meal-Plan and Grocery-Shop
• How to Eat Healthfully (w/o Going Broke)

(And, while we're on a let's-check-out-old-posts kick, if you're considering trying out Whole30 or Paleo, please check out Why I No Longer Hate Paleo.)

But back to the meal plan. I was able to get by fairly inexpensively with last week's groceries, and this was because I had a lot of leftover produce to use up. In addition, I ran out of a lot of spices this week. So, this week's list is a bit long (especially the pantry section, which is usually quite short):

Produce:

• Parsley
• Jalapeno
• Mango
• Avocados
• Apples (7)
• Asparagus (2)
• Green beans
• Bananas (3)
• Blueberries
• Lime
• Spaghetti squash
• Broccoli
• Sweet potatoes (5)
• Mushrooms

Meat:

• Eggs
• Ground chicken (1 lb)
• Pork chops (2)
• Flank steak (1 lb)
• Chicken tenders (1 lb)
• Pork ribs (3-4 lbs)
• Crab (8 oz)

Pantry:

• Coconut milk
• Chicken broth
• Wing sauce
• Dill
• Onion powder
• Cinnamon
• Arrowroot powder
• Honey 
• Cashews
• Chinese Five-Spice powder

I have not yet done my grocery shopping for the week (that's on the agenda for today), so I cannot hook you up with the total cost. I'll get back to you later on that. :)

As I mentioned, I am also going to post my workout plan for the week:

Since I ran eight miles yesterday, I decided to make today a rest day. I might do a short walk around the lake or the neighborhood, but I'm not considering today a "hardcore workout day."

I am going to start going to Farrell's again this week, but I probably won't go every single day: I don't want to burn myself out, and I need to be focusing on running right now due to my upcoming race schedule. So, the plan right now is to go to the kickboxing class on Monday and Wednesday at 5 a.m. for sure. I may also throw in a strength-training session (at Farrell's as well) on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, but those days are also my running days. So, right now I'm considering the strength-training optional.

As you can see from the schedule, next Friday is a rest day, followed by a long run on Saturday. Next Sunday will also be a rest day, as I think I like the "days off" sandwiching my hardest workout. If I find that I don't actually like that sort of schedule, I'll readjust for next week.

So, that's the plan, friends!

What are your nutrition and fitness goals for the week?

Weekly Menu

Happy Sunday!

How many of you -- like me -- spend the weekend planning the menu, figuring out grocery lists, hitting the store, and prepping veggies?

A lot of you? Awesome.

If you are not one who likes to write out your weekly menu and head to the grocery store for one big trip each week, I highly, highly, highly recommend it. I, personally, would be lost without such a plan, and I would seriously fail at healthy living (as I would likely succumb to one of the John's -- Taco, Papa, Jimmy).

So, here's the plan for this week:

I kept Friday night open, as I am attending a super-fun event with a group of friends, and I'm not sure if we'll do dinner/appetizers beforehand. If we don't, I'll likely grab a salad from Gusto since I really, really liked the one I ate a few days ago.

My grocery list isn't look too bad this week -- just a ton of produce, as usual:

Produce:

• Berries
• Pear
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Broccoli
• Avocados (4)
• Shallots (2)
• Guacamole
• Jalapenos
• Snap peas
• Spaghetti squash
• Limes (3)
• Onions (2)
• Red pepper
• Cauliflower

Meat:

• Eggs
• Bacon
• Ground chicken
• Shrimp
• Ground beef

Pantry:

• Coconut milk
• Almond butter

All in all, this cost me $80 (the combined total between Hy-Vee and Trader Joe's), which is not a lot compared to how much I've spent on past weeks. It helps when you start accumulating the "staples" (i.e. coconut aminos, coconut oil, ghee, etc.) so that you don't have to buy them each week.

Full disclosure: I decided to make the Korean Short Ribs this week because when I was at the store on Friday night, I saw that they were only $4.99/pound. I picked those up along with some eggs and bananas and spent about $20 on this week's groceries on Friday night.

Still, $100 on a week's worth of super-ridiculously-healthy food is not too shabby.

What are you most looking forward to from your menu this week? Where do you shop in order to make your groceries most affordable?

This Week's Menu

Have I ever told you how much I like to make lists? Charts? Plans? Anything organizational, really?

Well, I pretty much love it. In fact, I almost bought a new notebook yesterday for the sole purpose of writing more lists -- because clearly the 18 empty notepads around the house just aren't cutting it.

Source (and if by "sometimes," this means "all the time,"
then yes: totally me)

As you know, every Sunday I sit down with my trust Pinterest and Google and create the week's meal plan.

Here's what it's looking like for this week:

As you can see, I left Wednesday evening open, as that is when I have my date, and I'm not sure what the plan is for the entire evening. If I end up eating dinner at home, I will likely just heat up some leftovers, whip up breakfast-for-dinner, or grab a salad (and add more protein) from Palmer's. We shall see.

After making the menu, I figured out what groceries I would need to buy, and it's actually not too bad this week. (Granted, I did stop at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's last night, so that helped a bit.)

Here's what's on the list:

Produce:

• Green Peppers (2)
• Mushrooms
• Blueberries
• Apples (5)
• Sweet potatoes (3)
• Asparagus (2)
• Cauliflower
• Green beans
• Kale
• Onion
• Cilantro
• Guacamole
• Shallots (3)
• Lemon
• Peaches (2)

Meat:

• Ground chicken (1 lb)
• Salmon (1 filet)
• Steak (3 filets -- or whatever looks good/inexpensive)
• Swordfish (2 filets)

Pantry:

• Balsamic vinegar
• Beef broth
• Spicy brown mustard

Source

As usual, my list for the produce department is more than double my list for the rest of the store. And, isn't that the way it should be?

While I will try to get most of the week's groceries today, I will inevitably stop at the store a couple more times throughout the week, especially to pick up the steaks -- on Thursday and on Saturday. The rest, however, should be good to go for today.

Stay tuned for a write-up on how much money this Whole30 deal is costing me. Don't worry: I have been keeping track, and while it's quite expensive, I feel like the cost evens out due to me not going to restaurants, buying booze, etc. In fact, this expensive "diet" is likely saving me moolah.

But that's a whole different post.

Ciao!

Meal Planning

As I said on Sunday, meal planning this week was tough!

I felt much like I did when I first started Farrell's, taking upwards of three hours to plan my menu and grocery list for the week.

Maybe it took me so long this week because prior to starting my own meal plan, I talked to my sister-in-law who was having trouble coming up with her plan. Maybe I just transferred her difficulties and frustrations to my own task at hand.

Yeah, that's totally what happened. Let's blame her. :)

I generally have a step-by-step process I take when planning my weekly menu.

1. Create a template. Yes, I'm a little OCD, but I need to have a clear picture of what I'm eating and when. When I followed the Farrell's plan, it helped to have this electronically in a six-row table: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. With Whole30, I found it was easier to print out a paper for each day, labeling the protein, vegetables, fats, and fruit that I was going to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (The back side of each sheet has my pre- and post-workout meal plan.)
2. Check my calendar to see if I have evening obligations that will make cooking difficult. This week, for example, I had parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday and an appointment on Thursday, so I had to plan accordingly.
3. Peruse the contents of my freezer and fridge to see what meat and produce I already have. This week, for example, I had frozen ground beef and chicken breasts as well as some Brussels sprouts hanging out in the fridge.
4. Research recipes to make. The first place I generally look is Pinterest: I created a Whole30 Pinterest board so that all Whole30-approved recipes are in one place and therefore easier to peruse. If I am not inspired by the bazillion recipes I have pinned, I do quick Google searches: "Whole30 recipes," "Paleo recipes," etc. Or, I search for something very specific if I have an ingredient that I need to use: "Whole30 recipe, ground beef." If I am still not finding something, I turn to tried-and-true sources: Nom Nom Paleo, The Clothes Make the Girl, Stupid Easy Paleo, etc.
5. Fill out the meal-plan template, ensuring that the dinners I plan to make will leave me with enough leftovers for lunch -- or, if they won't, that I have alternate options for lunch.

After I have the template filled out, I make my grocery list.

I write down the groceries that I need day-by-day (according to what I filled out on the template). And, I make my list according to section of the grocery store. For instance, the left column above is all of my produce (and that is a shit-ton of produce, friends); the middle column is the refrigerated stuff (i.e. meat, eggs, etc.); and the right column is pantry items (i.e. coconut aminos, spices, olives, etc.). If I need a lot of stuff from the frozen section, I'll create a fourth column, but in the above list, I just added "frozen shrimp" to the refrigerated column.

Source

Now that I have 17 days of Whole30 under my belt, I am not freaking out as much about meal planning as I was at first. And, I don't necessarily stick to the pre-determined meal plan throughout the week. For example, if I wrote down that I was going to have Brussels sprouts on Tuesday but then I was really craving asparagus on Tuesday, I'm not going to not eat asparagus just because it wasn't on the meal plan. As long as I substitute it for another veggie, I'll be good.

And, if there's a day that I forget to thaw meat (like today, for example), I'm not going to throw in the towel. Instead, I'll think of something that I can pick up at the store and go from there. Because I forgot to thaw the shrimp tonight but still need something relatively fast and easy, I'll likely stop at Whole Foods before my appointment, grab a steak, and cook it up when I get home.

Source

I am by no means an expert on meal-planning or grocery-shopping, but I feel like I have been doing it for such a long time (albeit in a variety of ways) and that my anal-retentive qualities make me kind of good at it. And, I have definitely realized that if I don't plan something, things will not go well. That being said, if you have any questions about meal-planning or grocery-shopping, please feel free to send them my way!

What do you do to ensure healthy eating throughout the week?

Whole30 -- Day 0

Before I say anything about the Whole30, y'all have done this, right?

Me too.  Every time I carry my groceries from my car to my second-floor apartment.

Today, however, my body told me that maybe that wasn't the greatest idea: I pulled the biggest muscle EVER in my lower back. Carrying groceries. Seriously.

It hurts so bad that I can barely move, and I may or may not be whining incessantly (yes, to my cats).

So learn from my mistakes: two (or three or four) trips are better than killing yourself.

And now, on to the Whole30.

Today was my last day of freedom. Therefore, I celebrated accordingly: egg souffle, coffee cake, and cranberry juice for breakfast; Zio's pizza (one piece of Thai and one piece of sausage and mushroom) for lunch; a few Good 'n Plenties and Whoppers for a snack on my drive back to Des Moines; and sushi and tofu spring rolls for dinner.

There was not a whole lot of "whole" food eaten today.

In Omaha this weekend, I spent a lot of time reading It Starts With Food (which I highly recommend, even if you aren't considering the Whole30) and putting together my meal plan for Week One:

Self-created template.  You're shocked, I know.

It took me quite a while: I had to find recipes, make sure they fit "the rules," and plug them into my meal plan in a way that would work for my schedule. (Interestingly enough, on my way back to Des Moines, Mags texted me and Linds and said that she was following one of the meal plans that I had pinned. I didn't even realize that I had pinned something so wonderful -- and something that would've saved me so. much. time. Oh well.)

After I made my meal plan, I wrote my grocery list:

Produce is in the left-hand column, protein is in the middle, and non-refrigerated stuff is on the right. Looks expensive, right? It was.

On my way back to Des Moines from Omaha, I stopped at Costco and Trader Joe's for the majority of my list.  Unfortunately, I am going to have to hit up HyVee or Dahl's for a few random things (cilantro, kimchi, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, short ribs, and coconut aminos (okay, maybe Whole Foods for that last one).

Here's the haul:

It is just so weird that I strained a muscle trying to get all of this upstairs, huh?

So yes, it was pricey: I spent about $75 at Costco and $80 at Trader Joe's. However, I bought a lot of organic meat at Costco, and I will only use a little of it this week; I am good on ground beef and chicken breasts for a while. I also bought a ton of veggies (like, a HUGE bag of broccoli, tons o' mushrooms, and two bags of Brussels sprouts); I am assuming I will have some of that produce as leftovers into next week, so I will likely not need to spend nearly as much on produce then. Hopefully. I still probably have another $20 to spend at a regular grocery store on the afore-mentioned could-not-find-today items, but we'll see.

I'm rationalizing the cost like this: I will not be spending money at restaurants, and I will not be spending money on booze. So while my grocery bill will be a bit higher, I will likely be breaking even (or close to it) because I will not be dining out or drinking.

Again, hopefully.

But back to what I did today:

Prior to putting all of the groceries away, I did just as the Whole30 suggests: cleaned out everything* non-compliant from my cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer. I currently have five paper bags of food waiting for one of my former students to pick up as soon as she gets off work.

Right now, I am three hours from changing my life. I am so excited, as I know that I am going to feel 150% better, I know that I am going to look 150% better, and I know that I can do it. However, I am also nervous, as this is a big lifestyle change.  Not only am I going to be redefining what I eat (and therefore my physical response to it), I am also going to be redefining how I eat (and therefore my psychological response to it).

It will be hard; but, it will be worth it. And, most importantly, I am worth it.

Here's to a new beginning!

*Okay, okay: I kept some beer, but I swear I will not touch it until the 30 days are over.

Whole30 (HalfCrazy)

Hello friends!

Thank you all for your kind words on my break-up post. I am doing very well, and I attribute that to the most amazing support system in the world. I love you all.

In order to help jumpstart me back into healthy living, I have decided to embark on quite an adventure, and I am hoping some of you are interested in coming along for the ride.

On Monday, February 24th, I will be starting my first Whole30.

Essentially, this program serves as a reset button for the body by flushing out toxins and replacing them with real, whole food. It is very, very restrictive, which is something I definitely don't usually support, but I sincerely believe my body needs a good, hard push in the right direction, and this seems like a really great, healthy way to do that.

I like that the program focuses on the physical aspect of food (i.e. what negative affects each of the "restricted" foods can have on the body) but also the psychological aspect. For instance, any type of pancake (even those made with "allowable" ingredients) are banned, as those pancakes will trigger "comfort food" thoughts, which in turn solidify the hold that food has over our minds.

So, here is what I will be eating for 30 days:

• Good, quality protein
• Lots and lots and lots and lots of vegetables
• Fruit
• Healthy fats
• Food with small lists of pronounceable ingredients (or, preferably, NO ingredient lists since most of the food will be in its natural state)

And here is what I will not be eating for 30 days:

• Added sugar (real or artificial)
• Alcohol
• Grains (even quinoa)
• Legumes
• Dairy
• Potatoes (other than sweet potatoes, thank God)
• Carrageenan, sulfites, MSG
• Paleo-ified baked goods

So yes, this is restrictive. And no, this is not a "diet" that I will be sticking to for my whole life. This is simply a plan to help reset my body and jumpstart my healthy-living regime. I am hoping that after 30 days, I will feel better in a bazillion different ways.

For the past week, I have downloaded all Whole30-related documents I can find, I ordered the book (and will start reading it tonight since it just arrived today), I created a meal plan template for each of the 30 days, I created a Whole30 Pinterest board, I have started finding recipes, and I have told everyone who will listen to me about this crazy adventure.

Over the course of the 30 days, I hope to blog every single day, as I think it will be interesting to track how I'm feeling (both physically and psychologically), and it will obviously hold me accountable. I will take before and after photos, and I will weigh myself on Day 1 and again on Day 30, but nowhere in between. I will workout as regularly as I can, although they do not advise any crazy-ridiculous training, especially the first week, as I will be fueling my body in a manner that will take some getting used to.

If you are interested in joining me (or if you have done this before and have some ideas for me), please let me know in the comments. I would love to create a positive support system throughout the course of this program, and it's always easier to stick to something when you have a team by your side.  Let me know!

And, wish me luck!

Weekly Plan

It's 8:00, and I literally sat down for the first time just now.  Today's been a doozy, y'all.

I ended up skipping the morning workout because I could not for the life of me fall asleep last night.  I think my eyes finally closed -- and stayed closed -- around midnight.  When my alarm went off at 4:30, I realized that amount of sleep was just not going to cut it.  So, I turned off the alarm and crashed for another two hours.

After school, I took a friend to get his car fixed, and then I headed home to change for Farrell's.  I hit up the gym for the 4:30 class (oh em gee, so hard) and then ran some errands.  I headed to Old Navy because in their massive sale, these long-sleeved tees that I love were only $6, and then I ran to the grocery store for the weekly haul.  Finally, I made dinner.

And, I'm now eating that dinner and, of course, blogging.

A less-than-stellar photo of the Chicken Tamale Casserole that I made for dinner.  Side note: I LOVE broccoli.  If you've known me for a while, you will know that that is insane.  I used to hate broccoli with a fiery passion.  Now, however, it's pretty much the only vegetable I want to eat for dinner.  In fact, I bought three more bags of it tonight.  Expect to see a lot of the green goodness in photos in the near future.

As promised yesterday, tonight I will share my weekly meal and exercise plan:

• Monday: Chicken Tamale Casserole + Farrell's kickboxing
• Tuesday: Chicken Stuffed w/ Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nuts + Farrell's lower-body workout + two-mile run
• Wednesday: Jimmy John's (we have parent-teacher conferences) + Farrell's kickboxing
• Thursday: Mediterranean Baked Salmon + Farrell's upper-body workout + two-mile run
• Friday: Peach & Gorgonzola Chicken Pizza + Farrell's kickboxing

This weekend, I am going to cheer my mom and my sister on while they run the Des Moines Half Marathon.  (I am still halfway considering joining them, but I'm debating whether or not that would be a smart choice at this point.)  So, I'm going to likely carb-load with them on Saturday (gotta be 100% supportive, right?), and I'll also likely go for a four- or five-mile run that morning.  I am planning on taking Sunday off from working out (unless I decide to do a half marathon).

So, it's y'all's responsibility to keep me accountable, mmkay?

I've already had a request to share some healthy during-the-day snack ideas (rather than the candy I keep in my desk for my kiddos), but what else would you like to see from this blog upon its revival?  Please hook me up with some ideas, yo.

I apologize for the super-lame and ridiculously-short post tonight, but I need to go chill for a bit.  This lady is ti-red.

Peace out, yo.

Workouts and Recipes

Well, I obviously did not post yesterday like I said I would.  Here are my excuses: I completely crashed after my workout and slept for another two hours before having to go to work.  And when I got home from work, I slept for another two hours.  Then, I had a meeting for another hour, ran lots of errands for my sister's upcoming bachelorette party, ate dinner with BFF, and finished reading a book.

There was plenty of time for blogging (had I not slept or read), but apparently those two things needed to happen.  And so they did.  :)

Monday's workout was kickboxing at Farrell's.  It was not, however, our normal kickboxing class.  Instead, it was a lot of cardio while we moved between bags, either shuffling or doing lunges, high-knees, or butt-kicks.  While I was sweating like a madwoman, I didn't so much care for this type of workout.  Yes, it was decent cardio, but I didn't get a good workout on the bags, which is why I like kickboxing so much.  I felt like I was too rushed to get from bag to bag (since there was a line of people behind me) that I didn't stop to concentrate on my form or my power when punching and kicking.  Normally my back, shoulders, and arms are totally feeling it after a kickboxing workout, but they were not so much at all on Monday.

Oh well.  At least I got my sweat on.

Now let's talk about recipes.

Last week I did not make a meal plan, and we all know how well that turned out (hint, if you don't know, it was a miserable failure on the healthy-living front).  This week, I was sure to make a meal plan, and I did so by trying to use up all of the random ingredients we had hanging out in our fridge.

And in doing so, I only spent $71 at the grocery store.  That is $71 for TWO people for ONE week, and it included expensive-ish items like a pound of shrimp, loads of produce, and a couple of different cheeses.  I was pretty pleased with myself.

On Monday, The Boy and I made grown-up BLTs for dinner.  We toasted whole wheat bread, spread on a thin layer of olive-oil mayonnaise mixed with chopped scallions, a couple pieces of baked prosciutto, tomatoes, a handful of arugula, and about an ounce of goat cheese.

We also baked some sweet potato fries and chopped up a cucumber (and topped it with salt and pepper) for our side dishes.

You guys: this was seriously amazing.  And, it came together in about 15 minutes, including the time it took to bake the sweet potato fries.  I'm pretty sure it will be on the menu again next week.

For now, I'm off to work!  I hope y'all have a wonderful day, and I hope to "see" y'all tomorrow!

Back to Reality

Last time I chatted with you, I whined about a lack of motivation.  After trekking to Omaha for a whirlwind weekend of maid-of-honor duties for my sister's wedding, I am ready and raring for a healthy week ahead.

Before we talk about this week's plan, however, let's recap the weekend!

Around noon on Friday, I headed to Omaha so that I could meet my mom at Hot Mama, the super-cute boutique where she works.  (Seriously, when is this coming to Des Moines?  On second thought, hopefully it stays away: I'd lose all of my money there.) I tried on some awesome pieces but did not buy anything just yet: after all, I want to continue losing inches, and if I'm spending a bazillion dollars for jeans or tops, I want them to last a while.

Once my sister's fiance and his parents got to town, we headed to Upstream Brewing Company, the site of their rehearsal dinner.

We were at a brewery, so naturally I sampled a delicious beer: the Firehouse Red Lager.  It was so good.  I could've probably downed several of them, but I kept it classy and stuck to just one.

For dinner, there were sooooo many good choices, but I opted for the grilled chimichurri chicken:

It was good, but I wish it had more of the avocado spread (so little you can't even see it in the picture!). The jalapeno tortilla was yum.

After dinner, we beat the storm home and laughed through a rousing game of Cards Against Humanity and more booze (naturally).

On Saturday, we headed to her shower.  It was thrown by two of my mom's girl friends, and it was absolutely beautiful.  The decorations were gorgeous, the food was fantastic, the drinks were delicious, and the company was unparalleled.  Plus, my sister totally scored some sweet gifts.

On Saturday evening, we hit up the country club (the site of the ceremony and reception) for our tasting.  We all loved each of the food options (we all wanted full portions of each!), but the bride and groom narrowed it down to one dish and a vegetarian option.  We then headed to our neighbors' (my second parents') house for appetizers, cocktails, and entirely too much fun.

It was a great -- albeit very busy -- weekend.

Now, back to the healthy-living portion of the blog:

Like I mentioned before, I spent the last two weeks not working out as hard as I had the previous ten weeks, and I was not eating as well as I did either.  Instead, I took a few much-needed rest days from Farrell's and then when I started coaching, was assisting my team rather than working out myself.  And, with The Boy's birthday weekend and a house guest, I was eating a lot of chips and dip, burgers and hot dogs, and Funfetti cupcakes.

And, like I did prior to starting the first ten-weeks of my transformation, I felt like poop.

I haven't had as much energy as I'd like, I have felt more bloated than normal, and I have just not felt good about myself.

Gee, maybe healthy living -- good food and lots o' exercise -- has some positives.

Duh.

So, immediately after returning to Des Moines from Omaha yesterday, I put together my meal plan and hit up the grocery store.  I bought more protein powder, oatmeal, sunflower butter, string cheese, apples, tomatoes, and asparagus, and I grabbed up the ingredients to make delicious dinners like Soba Noodles with Miso-Glazed Tofu and Vegetables, Tilapia with Olive and Bell Pepper Cous Cous, and Spiced Chops with Mango-Mint Salsa.  (Can you tell I like Cooking Light?)

I also have a lot of good workouts planned for this week: I'm hitting up Farrell's every morning and am going to try to get to See-Us Run Des Moines at least once or twice, but it's hard when I have an hour of downtime between workouts.  I hate just sitting around in my sweat and usually get super tired and end up just going back to bed -- sometimes in my sweat, sometimes not.

The Boy sure is a lucky man, huh?

However, despite having healthy plans and good intentions, I already have some barriers to 100% success.  First, I am hitting up happy hour with a girl friend tonight.  I'm planning on having one drink (the Georgia Jackass at Americana -- yum), and if we eat, I'll opt for the hummus plate.  Tomorrow, The Boy and I are heading to Uncork Your Passion, PP's annual event for which I was an underwriter. It is at a local winery and always has the best appetizers.  Since I paid hella-money for this event, I'm going to enjoy.  Finally, mi madre and I are heading out of town (again) on Friday night for another bridal shower on Saturday.  Food will be out of my control for those 24 hours, but I'll do my best.

Source

So, there you have it: I'm back to (mostly) reality and ready to return to tip-top shape!