It can be a struggle to see how far you've come when your mindset is still in the past. Everyone has those bad days: you ate too much or you skipped working out or you were a couch potato for the whole day. This is all okay! You can't be in workout/diet mode forever. You have to relax and take some time to ADMIRE your accomplishments. A friend of mine recently lost some weight and she confessed to me that she was looking at herself in the mirror and was pleased with what she saw. Sadly, she said it as if she were embarrassed. That's nonsense! You work hard to achieve a goal; the least you can do is admire your work! That's half the point of getting fit anyway, isn't it? You want to be the best you and if that means taking a moment out of each day to say "...wow. You're hot" then what could be more motivating! You are awesome and you need to remind yourself of that. (and fyi, I flex in the mirror and when I see how close I am to becoming Wonder Woman, I get very pleased with myself. I have no shame in this!)
The Avengers 5k at Disneyland is fast approaching! A couple of friends just finished the Disneyland Half Marathon and it made me that much more excited about November's run. Today was day one in "training". I know what my weaknesses are and plan on doing my best to diminish them. Tonight's workout consisted of interval walk/run/jog. I only ended up doing a little over a mile but it has been a couple of months since I've been running and thought it best to take it a little easy this first week. I've discovered that 5mph is my steady jog speed and plan on building on that foundation. It's going to be a tough couple of months I think but I can't wait to see what progress I make by the end! Maybe I'll even break the 9 minute mile! ....if that happens, I will ...think of something to do to celebrate!
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Smoothies: Nature's Blended Family
Last year I got a personal blender (I guess you would call it?) for making smoothies. I have since embraced the smoothie as a snack between meals. It's a great way to get fruits (and veggies!) into your diet without a lot of effort. Pinterest has actually been very helpful with the recipe search and I thought I would share a couple of my favorites here. Of course, you have to make it work for you so tweaking is ALWAYS recommended!
Banana+Berries+Peanut Butter:
Bread, for the most part, is not a part of my eating routine anymore but sometimes I want a PBJ! I've found this smoothie as an adequate substitute. I usually use one whole banana, about a cup of frozen berries (I use a mixed berry blend but any berry will work and they are loaded with antioxidants, help with memory, help with diabetes,... the list goes on and on!), plain oatmeal, a dash of cinnamon, honey for some sweetness and coconut water the help blend it smooth. I've used cottage cheese in it as well which really helps keep me pretty full until lunch time but I don't always have it on hand.
Mango+Oranges+Carrots:
It sounds like a weird concoction but is quite delicious! The convenience of frozen mango (or frozen fruit of any kind really) is beneficial in the ease of these smoothies. I use about a cup of mango, half an orange, about 5-6 baby carrots, oatmeal and coconut water. You can also add honey to add a little sweetness or sweetened coconut (divine!).
Cucumber+Strawberries+Watermelon:
This is beyond a refreshing treat! It's not very sweet but just so tasty. I recommend peeling the cucumber but you can leave the peel on it as well. I don't generally add any coconut water to this one because the watermelon works in place (I've made soupy smoothies but adding coconut water with the watermelon ...not pleasant!). Again, frozen strawberries make this a quick and easy snack! Its all about equal parts of each in this smoothie. I usually add oatmeal to help curb the appetite but I find this fantastic on its own.
There are so many more recipes all over the internet to try. Don't be afraid to step outside the box and invent something crazy! Power greens like fresh spinach and kale can be added to the sweeter fruit smoothies for a boost of nutrients without interfering with flavor. Need a chocolate fix? A banana-peanut butter smoothie with some chocolate syrup can do the trick!
Banana+Berries+Peanut Butter:
Bread, for the most part, is not a part of my eating routine anymore but sometimes I want a PBJ! I've found this smoothie as an adequate substitute. I usually use one whole banana, about a cup of frozen berries (I use a mixed berry blend but any berry will work and they are loaded with antioxidants, help with memory, help with diabetes,... the list goes on and on!), plain oatmeal, a dash of cinnamon, honey for some sweetness and coconut water the help blend it smooth. I've used cottage cheese in it as well which really helps keep me pretty full until lunch time but I don't always have it on hand.
Mango+Oranges+Carrots:
It sounds like a weird concoction but is quite delicious! The convenience of frozen mango (or frozen fruit of any kind really) is beneficial in the ease of these smoothies. I use about a cup of mango, half an orange, about 5-6 baby carrots, oatmeal and coconut water. You can also add honey to add a little sweetness or sweetened coconut (divine!).
Cucumber+Strawberries+Watermelon:
This is beyond a refreshing treat! It's not very sweet but just so tasty. I recommend peeling the cucumber but you can leave the peel on it as well. I don't generally add any coconut water to this one because the watermelon works in place (I've made soupy smoothies but adding coconut water with the watermelon ...not pleasant!). Again, frozen strawberries make this a quick and easy snack! Its all about equal parts of each in this smoothie. I usually add oatmeal to help curb the appetite but I find this fantastic on its own.
There are so many more recipes all over the internet to try. Don't be afraid to step outside the box and invent something crazy! Power greens like fresh spinach and kale can be added to the sweeter fruit smoothies for a boost of nutrients without interfering with flavor. Need a chocolate fix? A banana-peanut butter smoothie with some chocolate syrup can do the trick!
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