Oh My! Oh My!

I have been bad!  I think it started last weekend and it's just kept a going.  I haven't been worrying about calories, clean, or too much exercise.  To be honest, I probably would not have a problem with the exercise part, but swimming lessons that are in the middle of the day really put a damper on our schedule.  Although, these two little girls just love them!  It has just been hard to get everything done in our day.  Should I list out all of my bad foods!  Oh, I don't want to, but I'm going to.  Maybe it will make me second guess myself the next time I want to just eat.

1.  Fruitty Pebbles with skim milk
2.  El Chico beef and chicken fajitas
3.  Sonic Mozzarella cheese sticks with Ranch dressing (too many times to count)
4.  Sonic Cheeseburger with MAYO (Yikes!) and jalapenos
5.  Chick-fil-A waffle fries with honey mustard
6. Chuy's stuffed avocado
7.  Cupcake that the girls and the babysitter made last night (and it was GOOD!)
8.  Pringles
9.  Hot Fudge sundae from Braums (I think its better than Dairy Queen)

I'm sure there is more, but I feel super guilty right now!

So what's for dinner tonight you ask?  I went on my Spark Recipes which is an App on my Iphone.  We will be taste testing Easy Slow Cooker Beef and Mushrooms.

We shall see if it's any good and then I'll share.

Happy Thursday!

My Fitness Pal

Do you track you daily food intake?  Well, I didn't either.  That is, until my trainer had me start doing it.  She gave me a minimum and maximum for my daily calorie intake.  So, because I was paying for results and I didn't want her to fire me, I started tracking every single thing that went in my mouth.  She suggested using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/.  There is also an app for the Iphone.  That means, that you are able to enter your meals wherever you are.  And there are a lot of restaurants and meals already in their system.  So, if you eat the Panera Bread, Thai chicken salad...Type in, "Panera Bread Thai Chicken salad.."  It then asks you how much you ate.  For instance, 1/2 or 1 serving.  And then you click add and it is added to your daily calories consumed.

At first, it's a little time consuming.  Why you ask, because I cook a lot of my meals at home and I would have to enter each ingredient and amount that made up a recipe.  It does have a nice feature that lets you enter a meal though.  So, I would enter Spinach, cucumber salad with balsalmic dressing.  Then, I'd enter each ingredient and save it in my meals.  The next time I ate it all I had to do was go to my meals and click the Spinach, cucumber salad with balsalmic dressing.

This app is very handy.  I've been very watchful lately of my fat intake and sodium intake.  It tells you all of this too.  It keeps track of how much protein you take in, which is helpful if you are trying to get lean.  That is one of my goals!  It also lets you add in your workout activity.  Supposedly, then you can eat additional calories, but I don't do this.  I workout a lot...So my weakness is going to be my diet.  And that's what I want to keep in check!

Of course, I don't do this everyday.  But it is so helpful when I do.  A handy tool in my journey to health.

The 100/100 Challenge

So, I have completed 7 days of the 100 pushups 100 crunches challenge.  Now be it, some days I've finished at 11pm, but I finished.  After the first day, I was super sore in my chest, back, and triceps.  Now it seems like they are much tighter...Hmmm, maybe I'll see a difference in my arms in a few weeks.  Well, a girl can hope, can't she?

The trip to my parent's house proved to be trying in the food department.  I did pretty good in the mornings,  ate my oatmeal, had my egg whites, and some fruit.  Then lunch was hit or miss.  I did cook a few dinners and ate them.  But, we did have wine and we had cupcakes for Daddy's birthday.  I ate sushi with my hubby on his birthday.  So, there is my confession!  Ahhh, I feel better now.

Now that we are back home, I'm back on track and working out like a mad woman.  I borrowed my friend's DVD the 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels.  I hadn't done it till Tuesday.  The girls were napping and I didn't have a chance to go to the gym, so I did the Level 2 video.  It was 20 minutes and I sweated pretty good!  My abs were sore the next day and I felt as though, at least I did something!  So, I think it will be a good thing to have when I can't make it to the gym!

The 100/100 Challenge...I've decided to do!?!

A friend of mine on Facebook is doing a 100/100 challenge.  That means, 100 crunches and 100 push-ups every day for a month.  She is doing her's in the month of May.  I've been thinking about doing this for about a week.  I totally missed the whole month of May thing, but I am going on a beachy family vacation at the end of June.  So, I came to the conclusion that I would start on Saturday.  However, I decided this at about 4pm.  I finished my 100/100 at 9:30pm and after we ate at Pizza Hut!!!  So what do I do, I start at about 8:30pm and in my cute jeans, and my new white tank top from Old Navy.  Moral of the story...You can start something at any time, if you REALLY want to!

I have now finished day 3.  And boy am I sore, both my chest and back.  I hope it pays off and my arms look leaner and my tummy looks flatter.  I'll be doing this for 5 weeks.  My sister said she is going to be doing hers, included also are some leg lifts.   I think my Mom is even going to try to do some.  Although, she is having a problem with the crunches...But I know she'll keep on plugging away and master them.

Vaca at the parent's house

We came down to my parent's house for Mother's Day weekend.  The girls and I are staying for the week.  This has caused me some stress.  When we come down here, it is extremely hard to be good and eat clean.  My parents do not follow this way of eating and when we come here, I always want to eat at places that I don't get to at home.  For example, pappasitos, Mr. Gattis (I know, Yuck to some of you. But the one here has an awesome salad bar), and Cafe Adobe. 

So, last week I prepared a frozen healthy lasagna and we ate that.  Tonight I made something that was so easy, that I was giddy.  I was praying as it was in the oven that it would be good.  Because if it was that easy, there was no way it would be good.  Well, to my surprise, it was pretty good.  Definitely something to throw into the rotation of meals that I cook regularly.  If any of you have eaten this Lean Cuisine, it is very similar minus the potatoes.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

1 lb. boneless skinless Chicken Breast pounded thin
1/2  pkg. Great Value frozen Broccoli ( I probably used 3/4 of bag)
1 can of low fat or FF Cream of Mushroom soup
3 TBLSP. FF (fat free) Mayo
1 cup low fat shredded cheddar
Garlic Powder
Crushed Red Pepper
1 TBLSP. Olive Oil

Season chicken with garlic powder and crushed red pepper.  Heat 1 TBLSP. Olive Oil in a pan.  Place chicken in and cook on medium for about 6-7 minutes.  Try to get a gristle on the chicken. (I had a hard time because my mom only had a non stick pan).  Then let cool and cut up into chunks.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a square pyrex place the can of Cream of Mushroom soup and mayo, mix together.  Place chicken, broccoli in and mix with the soup.  Put the shredded cheddar on top and cover with some foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.  After about 20 minutes, remove foil and let cheese melt really good.

Me and my girls on Mother's Day

Keeping Me Sane

These little things challenge me in so many ways.  As they are getting older, the difficulties are becoming more mentally challenging as opposed to just physically draining.  But I have to realize that they watch everything that I do and are taking note of my actions.  This is why me keeping everything emotionally in check is very important to me. 

Achieving health is multidimensional to me.  Eating healthy and working out are a given.  But what keeps my mind sane?  Well, many things do.  But lately, crafting has been a calmer for me.  I bought a new small camera a few months ago.  It didn't come with a camera bag, so I decided to make one.  This is what I came up with...

I thought it turned out pretty cute.  And my camera loves it!

Why oh Why Mr. Easter Bunny?!?!

Oh, Mr. Easter Bunny!  What have you done to me?  Well, for starters, you brought a ton of candy to my two beautiful little girls.  But you must have missed the memo that they don't BOTH eat Hershey kisses.  Only one does, so there wasn't a need for an entire bag.  Second, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup mini's were not a good idea at all!  They hate peanut butter.  So, please stick to Skittles, Starburst, M&M's, Nerds, and Lollypops next year.  I'm pretty sure those types of candy will not be calling my name inside my pantry!  Have a great year Mr. Bunny!

My Favorite Chicken Recipe

I am no lover of chicken.  I grew up around cows and eating lots of beef.  When I met my husband, I called him the chicken lover of the world.  He would eat grilled chicken breast over brown rice with a bit of salsa on top.  Now, some of you may like it, but just gag me!  I couldn't bring myself to get that down. 
Once we got married, it became my mission to find chicken recipes that I liked and would make my new husband happy.  I will make chicken drenched in cream of mushroom or marinara sauce just to mask the chicken taste.  So, when I stumbled across a version of this recipe I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't need to put any kind of liquid or sauce to digest it.  I've definitely made adjustments to it so that it would be as "Clean" as I could get it.

1 pkg. boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs (Walmart has a package that's about 16oz. and it perfect for dinner for 2 and leftovers for the next day.)
2 TBLSP. low sodium Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Organic or Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs (Whole Foods carries this)
1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1-2 tsp. Garlic Powder (California Style)

In a bowl put chicken, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder.  Mix together and put in refridgerator for a few hours.  I've only seasoned it for about 30 minutes one time, and it turned out just fine.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dredge the seasoned chicken thighs in the bread crumbs and place in a 9x13 pyrex.  Cover with foil and bake covered for 40 minutes.  Uncover and bake for another 10-15 miuntes just to crisp up the breadcrumbs.  Enjoy!

I calculated everything out and for about 4oz. of chicken its 152 calories. 20g of Protein. 6.5g fat.

I'm Training Them Well

She has been begging to get on this machine for weeks.  It just so happens that we walk by it every time we go in the gym and every time we leave.  So, I caved the other day.  And now she thinks she can workout!

Personal Training...Could I be one?

I've had a personal trainer since the beginning of November.  My workout partner and I have trained consistantly with her two to three times per week.  Well, give or take a few weeks for Christmas, some surgery, illness, kiddo's illness, and vacations!  So, maybe, consistant is a strong word.  But regularly..yes we have!  She has taken my mind and body to heights I've never thought were in me.  I feel strong and healthy.  I look at food, and life in general in a complete different light.  I think and consider what goes into my mouth and I plan my days around working out.  Its amazing how I feel and crazy how I feel when I eat bad for a few days or don't workout for several days.

Weight gain has not really been a problem for me.  But a health nut or gym rat...I was not!  Once I had my girls and had gained over 60 pounds during pregnancy, it just didn't come off so easily.  Then, when my girls were 15 months, we moved 6 hours away from family and friends to a new town.  Hubby got a new job and I was home full-time with the girls. 

That first winter we were here, was a huge struggle for me.  The girls were sick, I mean a lot!  We didn't even take them to Mommies Day Out in the month of December because it was so bad.  One of the girls was even in the hospital with pneumonia and dehydration that month.  I got depressed and ate!  I definitely put on some pounds those cold months.

That next summer I joined the gym and started working out.  I really just went to the group exercise classes.  And I lost some weight, then in August 2009 my foot started hurting.  Turns out I had a stress fracture and that was it!  I started eating, I did nothing and I gained some weight.  Once out of my cast boot I topped out at over 140 lbs.  Needed new clothes to wear and I felt very uncomfortable in my skin.  By March 2010, I started early morning bootcamp.  Then by the summer, I worked with a trainer online who would email me my meal plan and workouts.  I dropped some pounds and some inches too.  But I hit a wall.  Couldn't break the 130 lb.  And I was still the same size I had been back in April or May.

That brings us to November, and when I got my workout partner and we started with our trainer.  And if you read the 1st or 2nd post on this blog...you know the story.

I've been contemplating for a few months now if I want to become a personal trainer.  I would love to be able to help other Mommies or friends that are just in a funk.  I would like to  be able to inspire others to like working out, feel better when they eat healthier, and have an overall feeling of peace with their bodies.  I know, a lofty goal, but if they can feel 75% of how I feel, it is LIFECHANGING!  So, my goal for the summer would be to become a personal trainer.

I'm Obsessed...

with the Panera Bread Thai Chopped Chicken Salad.  I could probably eat this 3-4 times per week. However, in reality, I eat it about 2 times per week.  For a half order only, which requires the manager to come a swipe this card in the register, it's $5.36.  I usually only get the half salad because its only 200 calories and 7 gm of fat.  It hits the sweet spot and I'm a happy girl!  If only it was less expensive because I'd eat it way more!
It has a bit of a spicy bite to it, so not really for those who don't like a little heat.

It's Great to Have TWO 4 yr olds!

In late January I hurt my shoulder...Fast forward to April.  MRI showed I had a partial tear.  So, my orthopedic surgeon decided he would inject it with a cortisone shot.  Well, that happened last Tuesday.  And my girls were with me.  It was a followup appointment and I didn't realize he would do the injection right there.  The girls saw it all.  And because they are such geniouses, they can work my IPhone better than I can...I got documentation of the whole episode!  Yay, because who would want to forget the day your shoulder was injected and later that evening you couldn't even bathe half of your body!

I Dislike Cardio

I am only working out with my trainer one day this week. And it won't be till Thursday. So, being freshly motivated I figured I would do weights on my own on Monday and Tuesday. Monday was chest, shoulders, and triceps. On Tuesday I did legs. Apparently I did a good job because both my upper and lower body is sore!! So, today being Wednesday, I thought hey just cardio today. 
I get bored super easy when I do cardio on my own.  So, my plan was to start with the treadmill, move to the rowing machine, then on to the eliptical, and finally what I called the revolving escillator (or the stairclimber).  I did each machine for 7 minutes and then repeated the whole process.  Which was a grand total of 56 minutes of cardio...all by myself!  I was sweaty, red faced, and the worst part about the whole thing was that I put my I-phone in my sports bra while rowing so I could continue listening to my music and in the end it STUNK!!
Word to the wise:  Soak said I-phone cover in sink with Woolite for about an hour and it smells fresh again.

Happy Wednesday!

The Wishing Well Aerobathon

Last Saturday I participated in an Aerobathon.  The donations raised benefit a local charity in our area.  I believe they raised over $7000.  The picture above is me, and my friends Jennifer and Carrie.  We did Zumba for what was supposed to be an hour and a half.  I stopped at the hour mark.  I was hungry and my little girls were ready to go.  But I did get my sweat on and burn some calories.

Why Oh Why Oh Why?

Why do I go to they gym and have an awesome workout then come home and see these...They would not get out of my mind all day.  So, I gave in and ate 5 or 6.  I kind of lost count.  Then, I took the trash out and then rest of those cute little bunnies were in it.  No more cute bunnies in this house for me to eat!  NONE!
Ahh, I feel better.  But, man did I waste a great workout.

No One Knows

I posted my first blog post two days ago.  I've told no one I'm doing this.  I'm curious how this whole internet world works and I want to see if anyone just stumbles across this blog.

I love the movie Julie & Julia.  When Julie starts writing her blog, only a select few people know she is doing it.  Then over the course of the movie, she attracts followers to her blog.  I'm curious if this happens in real  life.

So, as of now, this is a journal for myself.  But accessible to the entire internet world.  This is very interesting to me.

Hi I'm Sara and this is my Journey

My name is Sara and I'm on a journey.  I'm not sure where this journey is leading to, but I thought it would be a great thing to document the process.

What kind of journey, you ask?  Well, this is a journey for me.  I want to be healthy and fit.  But along the way, I hope that I can lead others to find their own journey.  I want to make people think about life and what they are feeding their bodies...be it through food, exercise, friendships, or family.  We nourish our bodies in so many ways.

Why a blog?  Well, in the book I'm reading The Eat-Clean Diet Stripped, the author, Tosca Reno says that we must hold ourselves accountable.  She recommends journaling your food intake and workouts. She states that you are 50% more likely to succeed if you do this.  I figure go one step further and let the whole blogging world see my progress.  Now that's accountability!

Do I have a goal?  Yes, sort of!  I've been Eating Clean through the stratigies outlined in the book The Clean Eating Diet Recharged since November 8, 2010.  I have had great success using this method.  I dropped 8 pounds on the scale from November 8th to the beginning of January 2011.  I also went from 24.32% body fat down to 22%.  I had been exercising consistantly for over a year.  I had been stuck on a number and my problem areas didn't budge.  I felt bloated and generally not great.  I worked out 4-5 times a week and I wanted it to show.  I started the Eating Clean plan and with the help of an awesome trainer, really started seeing results.  Now, I feel very confident with my body but want to do better.  I want to be healthier than I have ever been in my life.
Don't get me wrong...I have cheated along the way.  Be it just a meal or a whole week.  I've been proud of myself though, because I jump back on the Clean Eating bandwagon and pick back up.  Has it been hard...absolutely!  But the results I feel inside are way better!!
So, my new goal as of April 3, 2011 is to lose some more body fat and fuel my body with the healthiest nutrients that I can. I'm a wife to a very hardworking man, and a stay at home Mommy to 4 year old twin girls.  Planning will be a huge factor in the success of this goal, but I think it is totally do-able.

So, as of tonight, I finished off the glass and a half of wine that was left in the fridge.  I visited Whole Foods today and stocked up on essential items that I can't find in the small town that I live in.  Tomorrow is a new start and a new goal for me.  I want to be the best that I can for myself.  Which in turn will make me a better wife, Mommy, and friend.

If you are reading this maybe I'll entertain you along this journey of mine.  FYI:  I'm no writer...so grammatical errors will be plentiful and I'm not all that funny.  But some of the craziest things happen to me.  So, welcome to my world.