Monday Motivation: Kitchen Help!

Health and cheerfulness 

naturally beget each other. 

~Joseph Addison

I have stumbled upon some successful food methods for my household. I am not brilliant, I am not a genius and yes many of you have been doing this kind of stuff since forever, but here is a little of what has worked for us and plea for your fabulous ideas

Make large batches and refrigerate for easy use throughout the week.

• Steamed cubed sweet potatoes: great for a side dish or addition to our smoothies
• Baby spinach: great for sauteing into omelets, add to home made pizza or smoothies
• Couscous: great side dish, yummy made breakfast style
• Quinoa: great side dish, yummy made breakfast style
• Fruit: We always have apples and bananas, but we also have a seasonal fruit of the week that we can buy in bulk at an affordable price. So far this year we have had weeks featuring- Bartlette Pears, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Strawberries, Blueberries, Kiwis, Papaya, Pineapple, Mangoes... I can't remember them all, but with apples and bananas to mix up the daily serving of fruit, these feature fruits have been great for our budget while giving our kids much needed variety.
• Eggs: we boil 6-12 eggs and use them throughout the week for breakfast, snacks and sandwiches.
• Nuts: Cashews and Almonds are always in the house.
• Raisins: plain and yogurt covered. We use the plain raisins not only in oatmeal, but to make rice dishes more dynamic.
• Veges: We're boring. We are heavy broccoli, carrot and asparagus people. It is why we use spinach so much... to fill the green void. I personally love Brussel sprouts, beets and squashes, but my family doesn't. Any easy staples out there? 

So what do you do? 

I am looking for ideas. We are not great crock pot people, we have a few meat recipes we like, but it is not really a good fit for us. How do you cook and use beans or lentils? What planning methods do you employee? Any kid friendly tips?

The Big Picture: Healthy living is science, but not rocket science. Every good choice keeps us on a good path and every bad choice is nothing to dwell upon.

Why I Kick A$$: When I account for my actions, current waistline aside, I am not doing so bad. In fact I make plenty of good food and exercise choices for me and my family. I am proud of this.

Thankful Three:

1. For getting some rest this past weekend.
2. For my beautiful family.
3. For feeling refocused (again).

Sunday Summary: Playing Catch Up

Exercise should be regarded 

as tribute to the heart. 

~Gene Tunney

Goodness, I have had such a wonderful time since I last posted. Here's a mini-recap of what has happened and what will be happening in the next few days. Hope everyone is have a fabulous weekend especially all our very special BOSTON friends...pretty exciting!!

04/05 skipped my run in favor of running on my off day tomorrow
04/06 sub 10 minute miles for the 2 miles on my schedule, plus another 45 minutes on an elliptical, weights and abs since I had a gym date. I wish I had a gym date everyday, I am not the most self motivated person ever. Then I treated myself to some down time.

04/07 Family Vacation! Ok so not a long vacation, we just got a hotel in SF for the night, but look at how fun that turned out to be:

04/08 SF Zoo anyone? We started our day with another swim in the hotel pool, hours at the zoo and as you can see very tired babies 5 minutes after getting into the car for the drive home.

I got home and knocked out my short 3.5 miles on the schedule. Felt awesome, consistent pace and since I was so energized after my run I did some yard work before dinner. I love productive days.

04/09-04/12 boring, no workouts and lots of work. I hate when the week escapes me that way. I need to be better at not staying late up watching MADMEN on Netflix so I can wake up early instead and workout before my work day starts.

04/13 Disneyland! Yup, I went from one weekend in SF to another in LA. I must say, living in California has it's perks. The upside to it pouring rain? We got on every ride we wanted and there were hardly any lines.

04/14 Today we opted out of our plan A: More Disneyland and B: Hermosa Beach and went with plan C: 2.6 mile to The Grove, had a lovely lunch and walked the 2.6 miles back to the apartment before we embarked on our 5.5 hour drive home. Yes we came home early, but Friday went so well, we didn't NEED Saturday more than we needed today as a rest day. To top it off I came home to a new jacket, so super cute! I got a sweet jacket and I brought my husband a Jawa Star Wars car...fair trading of gifts, no?

04/15 Oh gosh I needed today. I missed a few invitations for a confirmation, two different gym date invites, volunteering at my synagogue etc...but I needed to sleep. I needed to spend time with my family taking my son to religious pre-school then enjoying Noah's Bagels and Starbucks with Super Hubby and the Bug. I needed to feel good buying fresh fruits and veges on a quick trip to Trader Joe's. I am hoping that with this beautiful day I will muster up the energy to knock out my 3.5 mile run before Super Hubby sets out for a round of golf. Right now I am a little tired. Too tired to push, but I hope in an hour or so I'll be ready to get going.

What is going on this week? My simple 10K training continues with week 4:

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
4	Rest	3 m run	CT or Rest	2.5 m run	Rest	4 m run	35-40 min EZ run or CT

Saturday's 4 miles is actually going to be replaced with our local "Survivor Run." It is only 3.1 miles, but I figure the mud and obstacles will more than make up for the .9 I am shorting myself. If I feel like I have enough energy Sunday, I may run the full 4 that is on the schedule, but we'll play that by ear.

The Big Picture: I am doing it. I may not hit my mileage on the scheduled day, but I am committed to flexibility and catching up when my miles don't fit in on the scheduled day. Playing catch up is better than giving up.

Why I Kick A$$: The fact that I am still going into week 4 with my 10K training is a big deal... I have been struggling with commitment lately. Exercise has been so critical to my heart and soul that I really am just so happy to be moving again.

Thankful Three:

1. For my life, I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I sure am thankful.
2. For my new purple jacket.
3. For affordable tropical fruit at the grocery.

One Thing At A Time

It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. 

The question is: 

What are we busy about?

~Henry David Thoreau

I have had some difficulty multitasking lately. Actually, I was on multitask overload checking my phone, FB on the laptop, open magazine and TV on...I was absorbing NOTHING. I feel like I can get that way with fitness thinking too much about my weight, what will I eat, how will I work out, what will be enough, what the weather is like, what my schedule will look like....and on and on. After a few days, weeks, months ....who can count anymore I finally realized the error of my ways. 

Last Friday I slowed down. I volunteered my time and didn't think about work or how the second day of my volunteering would look like. I had lunch with my hubby and a friend and limited checking my iPhone, went to a movie, enjoyed quality time with a friend for dinner and slept soundly. Saturday my volunteering went perfectly, I had a lovely lunch with my SIL and finally ran some errands like getting new make up. I had been thinking, really dreading the two day volunteering thing. I felt pressured to buy make-up as I had run out like 3 weeks ago. Make-up is not really my thing, but a necessary evil for work. My brain was multitasking by thinking about these tiny little things, making them bigger than they actually were and feeling weighed down. Do you do this? 

Well I finally crashed. I napped all day Saturday, slept in Sunday and hit the gym. Aaaahhhh, sweet relief. Monday, one thing at a time, one work out at a time. Tuesday, I made the decision that if I was going to work extra it would be on a significant project, if I wasn't really going to focus on it, then I should do something for me. I laced up my sneakers ran out of our building. I had an amazing 2.5 mile run and I did it at a pretty fast pace too! I picked up the kids, volunteered again for about 45 minutes and still had dinner on time with my family. Doing one thing at a time is much more effective than maybe a Type A personality person like myself is willing to accept, but it is tried and true. 

So don't trouble yourself with the entire laundry list of things and just start with number one on the list. Decided to take action and do it, it is amazing what you can accomplish.

Why I Kick A$$: Week 2 of 10K training and I am feeling focused knocking out 10:20 min miles and hoping to break 10 on my short distances since the plan is so basic with pretty low mileage.

The Big Picture: There are a million things to do, but only one you and 24 hours. Plan, budget and execute. Stop thinking and wasting time and just do.

Thankful Three:

1. For spending more time these past few days feeling happy instead of stressed.
2. For sunny days and sneakers.
3. For cinnamon raisin bread, delicious!

Monday Motivation: Small Things and Great Ambitions

Most people would succeed 

in small things 

if they were not troubled 

with great ambitions. 

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

One of my favorite quotes and it really sums me up... also could contribute to my tendency toward procrastination. I can sit all day thinking about the things I want to do and at the end of the day realize I did not accomplish anything. Sometimes it is good, other times bad. For example, when I want to write something for work I can think about it for a day or two and when I sit down to type an elaborate review or workflow my move effortlessly to creation a masterpiece. My peers think that it comes easy, they don't realize that I can casually compose in my mind for hours or days before I even start to type so what they see are only the finishing touches. When it comes to workouts and being fit, I think I day dream about the fitness model I could be if all I had to do in life was focus on being a fitness model and then not workout at all.

Last week I decided it was time to take action and went to the gym 2-days in a row! On day one I just worked out on one of those glider things. My gym partner was late so my planned 30 minutes, turned in to 1:20 and about 6 miles done. The next day I decided I would hit the treadmill and to my shock and amazement, I could not run a mile without stopping. Ok, let me qualify that, I am sure under pressure or stress I could manage to run a full mile, but in a casual starting to go-back-to-the-gym kind of way, there was no way it was happening. How does one fall so far behind??? Well, I think I am ready to try and give consistency another go with one of my favorite carrots dangling at the end, a 10K trail run! It's slated for mother's day weekend at that. It is a simple plan. No speed work, no fancy fartleks, tempo runs etc. This little plan will be difficult for me to follow since I struggle with consistency. I have no delusions that I will nail every workout. I do however plan to enjoy a lovely trail course, one I have done before and one I will not be able to fully enjoy unless I can cover the distance at least at a jogging pace. So for that I will train. Believe it or not these 7 weeks will be my success with something small so that I can stop spending so much brain time on my great ambition of getting my weight down. All things in due time.

Wk	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	R	2 m	CT or R	2 m	R	2.5 m	25-30 min EZ run or CT
2	R	2.5 m	CT or R	2 m	R	3.5 m	30-35 min EZ run or CT
3	R	2.5 m	CT or R	2 m	R	3.5 m	35 min EZ run or CT
4	R	3 m	CT or R	2.5 m	R	4 m	35-40 min EZ run or CT
5	R	3 m	CT	2.5 m	R	4.5 m	35-40 min EZ run or CT
6	R	3.5 m	CT	3 m	R	5 m	40 min EZ run or CT
7	R	3 m	CT or R	2 m	R	10K	Yay Me!!!

The Big Picture: I have learned I need to set my self up for success. What else to make a young mother feel strong than a trail run on mother's day weekend. I am all about feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Why I Kick A$$: I made a delicious southern style meal for the family tonight including home made biscuits. Yummy!!

Thankful Three:

1. For several invitations to the gym this week
2. For finding a simple 10K plan
3. For making time to create this post in advance

Friday Five: Happy Trails

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,

places to play in and pray in,

where nature may heal and 

give strength to body and soul.

~John Muir

10 Km
Elevation Gain: 1,090'
(Per Avocet Altimeter)

1. I need to find my way toward nature to heal my body and soul. I struggled at the beginning of the year with a shoulder issue. Didn't do much in January because of it, February too. The MRI came back ok, I just need to be diligent with rehab and I should be fine with 6 weeks of a focused effort. I am struggling with focus at the moment. Some quality fresh air, maybe a little mud and some ups and downs that aren't at all emotional might be right up my alley. Bring on the trail and bring back the passion for running.
2. I bailed on the 90 day challenge at the gym because I missed my weigh in for February which voided my participation. I am not sure where February went, but it is gone and it appears March is almost gone too.
3. I am flirting with the junky eating again and there is good news and bad news. Bad News: I still think I want to eat that crap. Good News: I have yet to have a satisfying french fry or burger. Next Step: Stop trying to satisfy the memory of a yummy dish and just start enjoying really yummy food. Hiccups: Hydration and vitamins have needed a reminder lately and my strict no eating after 8:00PM has faltered a bit. What's going well is that I mostly have kept things up, just getting use to making healthy a full lifestyle change.
4. I am trying to find my passion and I am having a difficult time. I think it happens to be contributing to the stagnant feeling in my life with body image, fitness and even blogging. I love to blog, but am not carving out enough time to grow this blog into what I want it be, so instead you all get the sporadic posts about the ups and downs in my life both multi-sport and family. I also love to run. While I know I prefer trails, I think I may only like trails. This would be quite the dilemmonade because we don't have trails here and it is unrealistic for me to only trail run based on where I live. To help I have decided to integrate a few scheduled trail runs and see if that motivates me to enjoy pounding the pavement and surviving more consistent efforts on the treadmill.
5. Too treat myself I got these new shnazzy Salomon Trail Tights IV. Spandexy on top, mesh knee backs and tear resistant fabric from the knee down. I will wear them on a mothers day weekend trail run hopefully a few pounds like, much fitter and ready from the 10K training plan I will start soon.

The Big Picture: Consistency is continuing to try. Maybe someday it won't take as much effort to stay motivated and for now I thank you blog world for giving me an outlet.

Why I Kick A$$: Because last night I started "officially" teaching my son to read, night number 2 and I am already so proud of him. Only 98 more days to go. How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

Thankful Three

1. For a short work week
2. For lot's of sleeping in
3. For catching up with great friends.

Saturday Sampler: Something has to change

To exist is to change, 

to change is to mature,

to mature is to go on 

creating oneself endlessly.

~Henri Bergson

Ok, I admit it, I have been slacking. I have been hiding behind my good food choices, more consistent sleep patterns and heavy work schedule to make my inactivity excusable. I have been embracing these excuses. At some point I have to take ownership and just do something different. Last week I decided I would air up my bike tires and use my bike trainer. Apparently I am not proficient with a bike pump and I may have bent my metal thingy that the air goes into. Bummer. I can ramble on for days about my laziness, but instead you get a Saturday Sampler, previously a Friday Five, but was too much of a slacker to post last night:

1. I make awesome smoothies. It is amazing that my kids will drink their fruits and vegetables and know they are doing it. My son loves to guess what goes in them. I regularly use Trader Joe's Beet and Purple Carrot juice as the liquid part and then add lots of spinach, frozen fruit like pineapple, peaches and berries, bananas, flax seed and then some wild cards. Wild cards are whatever else we have in the refrigerator and have included cubed steamed sweet potato, broccoli and cauliflower. Note: plain white cauliflower has a pretty distinct flavor and doesn't totally puree.
2. HIGH: I made fantastic white chocolate butter cream frosting. LOW: my from scratch chocolate cupcakes came out a little dense and didn't rise because I used whole grain unbleached wheat flour. I am pretty proud of myself for baking from scratch and I really ended up liking the wheat flavor of my chocolate cupcakes, very bread like.
3. I am taking a few days off. Yup it has gotten to the point that if I don't take time for me I might implode, wait, explode... whatever, I need a day off and I need to workout. I will hopefully have a work out partner tomorrow, but either way I am going. I have plans to sleep in, get up leisurely and hit the gym at 10AM. It will be glorious.
4.  We had two play dates this week. Pretty crazy stuff, we aren't really into the whole making friends thing (introvert family). Both went amazingly well. Both provided delicious dinners, kid friendly house holds and adult conversation. I may be able to get into this. Did I mention some of our best friends came to town for dinner last night? It is two weeks in a row that they made the trek and being around so many wonderful families this week has truly boosted our families already very high morale. We are definitely riding the happiness wave right now.
5. I have Monday through Wednesday off, I know I mentioned that with the exercise thing in mind but I get see my friends from Seattle. I am super excited because they are such fun, wonderful, smart and creative people. I wish they lived closer.

The Big Picture: Who cares if it is liquid, my kiddos will drink their veges and it is not a secret, I am not sneaking it in, they know what is in them and love them!

Why I Kick A$$: I take time for my friends and am smart enough to decide to get in some workouts too. Who knows, maybe working out 4 days in a row will get me back on track.

Thankful Three

1. For new friends
2. For time off
3. For my a chance to sleep in tomorrow

Monday Motivation: Another 1/2 in the books

The difference between a jogger 

and a runner 

is an entry blank. 

~George Sheehan

So yesterday's half was unlike any half I have ever done. I mentored someone on their first half. Oops, have done that before. I did this half without training. Oops, I do that too often. I did this half with my super amazing cousin who 6 weeks ago had emergency surgery to remove her gallbladder. Yup, this was definitely a first. WOW! For her first half she was completely derailed when her long run had only hit 4 miles. My sweet cousin was also engaged at the time and had planned to get married later in the year. Well taking 6 weeks off from work really threw off her plans to take time off later in the year to get married. So she and her sweetie decided to make the best of her 6 week set back and tied the knot. This is us walking on her wedding night, a very different picture from our half picture. I love that she makes the best of every situation.

After 6 weeks off she went back to the gym and was up to 3 miles. She called me and to my surprise said she still wanted to try the half. I on the other hand had stopped training completely thinking she probably wouldn't run it. I had no interest in a half this spring, I have been lazy busy with work-life and only decided to do this run to support my cousin. C decided she needed to take a more active role in her health when her brother had a heart attack earlier this year. This was a HUGE way of showing herself and her family that her health was important to her for herself and her family. This is us with our game faces on.

We didn't have a plan. She is new to running so I packed the fuel belt, where it didn't even occur to her we would need anything. Having not trained, I was inclined to walk in the first mile and assumed we'd walk the whole thing. Nope, not C, she said I at least want to run the first mile and we did it in 11:50, her fast mile ever! From that point forward we ran and we walked in increments. When we were fresh we'd run half mile at a time and sometime that "run" only lasted about a quarter mile. But mile by mile we concurred the course. It wasn't until mile 10.5 that C truly hit her physical wall and the decision to walk and finish injury free. We ran a bit in the 13th mile and certainly that last .1 which was pretty awesome.

I am so proud of C and her commitment to show up, push her limits each mile and finish. For me it was like reliving my first time to be with her and witness the pain, the achievement and the sheer pride she felt for herself knowing she was doing something so great and so individual. To accomplish something that only you can own is pretty tremendous. Now don't get me wrong, yes I respect family support etc to get the miles in, but at the end of the day the person who puts one foot in front of the other and cross that line gets the glory, and a glorious moment it was. We went to one of my favorite restaurants The Tower Cafe for breakfast after. Way too much food, we both had to pack doggy bags. She had the Denver Omlette and their famous french toast. I had the Oaxacan eggs (corn tortilla, refried beans, corn tortilla, two eggs, mole and cotija cheese. My pancake was made from cornmeal and blueberries and complete rocked my world there and as left overs for me and my two kids this morning. It was a lot of pancake LOL.

After a hot shower and short nap my hubby made me this fantastic dinner: filet mignon, asparagus, grilled mushrooms and onion with garlic, sweet potatoes and Israeli pesto couscous. I couldn't finish this meal either.

The Big Picture: It doesn't matter why I went out there, I too got out there and I too get to be proud of me.

Why I Kick A$$: Despite limited physical activity, my body still remembers what 13.1 feels like and that is why I kick a$$. Thank you legs!

Thankful Three

1. For the amazing breakfast we had after the run
2. For the amazing dinner I had that night
3. For family who inspires me

Monday Motivation: Soccer Mom

Being a mother is learning about 

strengths you didn't know you had, 

and dealing with fears 

you didn't know existed.  

~Linda Wooten

Warning: I do not talk about anything exercise or health food related in this blog post.

I will spare you my nightmares about The Duder going to kindergarten....good lord if this is bad, I do not think I'll be ready to send him off to college. Instead I will proudly announce that it is official:

I am a soccer mom! 

I know I am so excited I already want to go shopping for a small SUV. How did this happen you ask? Well my 4-year old came home from school one day and said, "Mama, I think it's time I learn to play soccer." The quotes are there for a reason folks, this is actually how he said it. As it happens, registration for Tot Soccer had just started so I signed him up. His first game was Saturday and my son did AWESOME! I don't mean to brag, yes I do, but he is a natural. He scored a goal and everything. This is what he looks like when he is not in the game.

Now if you didn't think my son was awesome enough, try seeing the world through his eyes. Actual quote from Saturday's lunch, "Papa look, its the Millennium Falcon!"

 So you got to read about Treat Yo'self, but I am not completely selfish. Last weekend I treated the kids to a trip to Build-A-Bear. We had gotten a gift card at The Bug's first birthday, but she was far to young to enjoy it. She is older now and figure it was time spend that card and a bit more so The Duder could partake. Yeah, she was still too young, but Duder really loved it. I am lame and didn't capture the cool in the store Bear Building, Washing and Dressing, but these faces capture their happiness with their new treats. A bunny named Bunny and a camo bear named Fuzzy.

Apparently the boxes are wicked awesome.

The Bug is all about dressing herself these days. Let me just remind my non-tribe friends here that Chanukah was over in December.

Why I Kick A$$: I raise awesome children....ok Super Hubby helps does it all and I his wife so I kick a$$ for that LOL

The Big Picture: Who cares if it is not Chanukah, my daughter if self confident enough that she wears what makes her feel happy. I am sure one day we will be living in a Halloween costume in summer, and I am ready.

Thankful Three

1. For kids educated in all things Star Wars
2. For a happy family
3. For a break from health food, workout blogging today

Sunday Summary: Treat Yo'self

In December I left my iPhone on top of the car and drove away. An hour and a half later I realized my mistake. It was gone. Lost forever. I reactivated my iPhone3 and thought I could make due until the iPhone5 came out. I could not. Going from the iPhone4 to the iPhone3 is like going from high speed internet to dial-up. So I am now the proud owner of an iPhone4S....thankful for upgrades.

A few weeks back I ordered some clothes off of the GoLite online store. I can sometimes be an emotional shopper. They were clearance items and I felt like I needed to treat myself at the time. As it turns out, the day they arrived is also the same day SuperHubs felt like he needed to treat me to some REI clearance stuff. And so begins my very expensive week in photos...totally worth it by the way. At least that is what I need to tell myself when I am paying the credit card bill LOL

The GoLite convertible skirt can be a long skirt, strapless dress or halter.

I already have a dress made of the same material, so when I saw the GoLite skirt I had to have it. I am not as big of a fan of the lime green side (it is reversable), but the teal side is so pretty. Great for hiking, dry wicking, wrinkle free and wonderful.

Ok, so I got these GoLite Capris in tan, I love the girly cut. The knees have a side split and both the knee trim and inner waist liner are brown. Very cute and under $20. I will be living in these pants on warm days and hikes.

So this color is a little outrageous for me, but I love how soft and fluffy it is. The picture doesn't do the true color justice. The cut and fit is perfect, Patagonia has done good and so did my hubby for snagging this for me. I wear it all too often now.

I broke the rules. I went to the grocery store at night wearing this. A pretty electric blue pullover, gray sweats and bright green crocs. There were actually sirens when the fashion police were coming after me LOL

My son calls this my secret agent jacket. Yes, this comment by my 4 year old made me feel bad a$$ and makes me want to wear it every.single.day.

Why I Kick A$$: The scale is being nicer to me, we're still not BFFs, but I am not scared it's going to be mean to me anymore. Scale Confidence, Get Some.

The Big Picture: Yesterday I gave away the last of my children's baby items. Somethings went to a family member and others to Goodwill. I was really sad at the idea that we would not use these things again. When I handed them over to our cousin, I just loved the idea that another family would get to enjoy babyhood. Happiness is best shared.

Thankful Three:

1. For treats from Super Hubby, it really does make me feel special to get presents
2. For my 4-year old who can boost my self-esteem like a professional charmer
3. For my iPhone...who needs all that extra time to go to the gym. Time is best spent on FB, Pinterest and other mind numbing activities, right?

Friday Five: Rainbows & Unicorns

If you want to be happy, be.

~Leo Tolstoy

I had an amazing post ready, pictures and all....it was deleted and I have lost my momentum. Hopefully I'll feel motivated to re-type tomorrow, so for now a very short, but wonderfully true Friday Five. Have a great Friday everyone!

1. I Feel Happy
2. I Feel Healthy
3. I Feel Hip (you know, like a cool kid)
4. I Feel Hot (the sexy kind, not temperature)
5. I Feel wHole (I tried the H theme for as long as I could)

Big Picture: Losing a blog post just gives me more time to mentally compose the re-take.

Why I Kick A$$: Because despite a frustratingly slow process , I have stuck with being healthier in a more balanced way for much longer than I have tried before.

Thankful Three

1. For my work team, it was a tough week, but we pulled it out.
2. For pretty new clothes
3. For my current endless pot of smiles both internal and from my family

Monday Motivation: Today's motivation is brought to you by the letter "P"

We must take care always to keep ourselves,

by suitable establishments,

in a respectable defensive posture.

~George Washington

OMG what does that quote even mean? LOL Actually, I picked this quote because today my employer (the Federal Govt.) has given it's workforce the day off to honor our forefathers. Tomorrow is the nations best guess at George Washington's birthday so I am going with GW for today's quote. I also like this quote because it can be applied to our own individual lives.

Today's motivation is brought to you by the letter "P" and as GW said, we must keep ourselves in a respectable defensive POSTURE. For me lately that has meant focusing on my food intake and building consistency with my workouts. In this way I am posturing myself to defend against aging prematurely & keeping my body healthy and protected as much as possible against disease.

My suitable establishments? The gym, the outdoors, farmer's markets, even my choice to walk at lunch and my snack choices are a reflection of the suitable established practices of a healthy person. Being a healthy person is respectable. Being a healthy person is who I want to be and what I want to look like. First impressions say so much about a person and I want someone to look at me and know I am an athlete. I want to unconsciously stand tall and keep good posture. In order to do that, I know I need to focus more on my CORE. So today I tried something new! I tried pilates and it was just delightful. It was mat-pilates, no machines. I definitely understood the different exercises and how they played into my normal daily activities and I would like to incorporate more of this in my workout routine. No I haven't been living under a rock, I have known about pilates, but most places around here do their classes mid-morning and there is no way I can work that into my schedule except on days like today when I have the day off and gyms still offer classes.

The Big Picture: Posture is as much about how you position your body, as it is how you carry yourself. Attitude, energy and communication are huge factors in positive healthy posturing.

Why I Kick A$$: I have played gourmet chef the last two days and the food has been great!

Thankful Three:

1. For new Golite clothes that shipped today, YAY!
2. For workout partners, having them makes such a huge difference.
3. For sleep, I got plenty of it last night and I have room for a short nap right now! Nighty, nite!

Saturday Sampler: Food, Fitness and Fun

Balance is beautiful.

Miyoko Ohno

Wow, where does the time go? While I still feel very busy, this moment I am feeling like I am closer to having balance, I really am appreciating how things are falling together and I am trying to stay patient with the things that are not moving as quickly as I would like them too. It is late so I am just going to do a quick catch up:

Food:

What is working? Roasted Unsalted Almonds, V8 low sodium vegetable juice, whole grain bread from Trader Joe's as well as the British style English muffins and multi-grain oatmeal. I love fiber. With my previous eating habits incorporating fast food for lunch every single day I was only getting 10-15 grams of fiber a day. Now I am usually at 15 with just my breakfast. I am also chugging the H2O. Hydration has become a mainstay for me now and I am very happy with how easy it was to build that habit, it used to be so hard. Not sure what clicked, but I am happy it did.

What's not? Pretty much anything super processed. Don't get me wrong, I devoured a chocolate brownie thing for Valentine's day, but the better I eat the easier it is it is to realize how yucky certain things are for me. Today I had a great meal, there were a couple things on the menu that I was iffy about blueberry muffins from a package and crescent rolls from a tube. I was right, they have wreaked havoc on my digestive system. Boo. Will I eat other processed food that doesn't fight my tummy? Probably, but my hope is that the more whole food I eat the less desire I will have for the crap.

Fitness:

So this week Super Hubby came up with a brilliant idea. One I have had for over a year, but have been too lame to ask about. He suggested that we walk during our lunch break instead of eating out to fast food as we normally do. Monday was a rainy day, but instead of bailing on the walk plan we headed across the street from my office to the Home Depot and walked every single aisle. The whole old people walking the mall? Yeah I totally get it now. LOL What else is new in fitness land? I had a nice self directed workout with a friend Thursday night. We are going to try and make it a weekly thing. We warmed up with a jog and did the following workout over the course of 45 min to an hour.

• Warm up
• We just ran down the block and back
• Block 1 we switched off activities
• Step slides with a band-3x 1 minute as many as we could do (both directions)
• Lunges (stay in place and hop to switch sides)-3x 1 minute as many as we could do 

• Block 2 we did together
• Ran down the block and back to keep the heart rate up 
• Karaoke-3x across the street and back
• Butt Kickers-3x across the street and back
• High Knees-3x across the street and back

• Block 3 we switched off activities
• Wall sits- 3x 20 sec hold, 10 sec rest
• Planks- 3x 20 sec hold, 10 sec rest
• Crawls- 3x 1 minute

• Block 4 
• Sit ups 3x 1 minute as many as we could do
• Medicine squat with ball to out side of foot, bring to the top and down to the other side 3x 1 minute as many as we could do
• Bicep curls- 3x 1 minute as many as we could do (free weights)
• Chest press-3x 1 minutes as many as we could do (free weights 

I love creating workouts and I am very excited I have some company now. If only I could be consistent. Eating habits are coming along, hydration is coming along, I know I get fitness to be more of a habit, but for now I have to keep working on it. Consistency, consistency, consistency. I am currently addicted to Pinterest and often see workout suggestions like this one...I think I am going to start fiddling with some. They are straight forward and honestly they are better than sitting around doing nothing.

Fun:

Oh there is lots of fun happening. Thursday my workout date really felt like a total social visit, we just so happened to be sweating the entire time.Yesterday was the most productive day of the year so far. It was all about kindergarten registration. I visited 5 school sites, entered the lottery for the enrollment, hit two school district offices, managed to get a pedicure with my friend whom I haven't hung out with in a while and had Sushi Friday lunch with both my friend and hubby. I am pretty sure I could live off of hamachi nigiri.

I even had time for Bed, Bath & Beyond.  Today was a great family day at my in-laws country house. I got in a nap, read my book and pop outside to enjoy the scenary briefly. It was relaxing for me, my dogs ran free, my kids had lots of attention from their grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins AND I got a Thanksgiving style meal in February. Pretty great all around. Tomorrow will be fabulous too!

The Big Picture: Life is a process, live in the process! I too often expect the end result before I have even gotten started on the work needed to get there.

Why I Kick A$$: I was pretty much super mom yesterday so I am going to where that badge of honor for a while.

Thankful Three:

1. For Gluten Free Flourless chocolate cake--delish!
2. For attentive day care providers and getting a heads up on a possible ear infection early enough Friday that we could get a pediatrican visit in before the long three day weekend. Woo Hoo on avoiding urgent care & emergencies rooms...boo for the double ear infection. The Bug is taking it like a trooper though.
3. For new kitchen organizers: canisters and a new bread basket

Sunday Summary: I Love My Life

I can often suffer from the grass is greener model of thinking. I wish I was one who could be one of those people who wanders around blissfully happy, but I am not. I have to remind myself to smile instead of looking so serious all the time, I don't usually jump up and down giddy about wonderful things that happen to me and I definitely don't "feel" happy all the time. I grew up in a household of straight faces, we were pretty serious all the time and while we were happy, it wasn't an overt expression of our identities. So what did I go and do?

I married a man who is silly, who grew up in a household that was expressive about being happy and he smiles generously. It is pretty refreshing, but that level of being - identity is still a conscious effort for me. This is especially true when I am feeling any level of stress. Today I smiled about something and physically felt the change that it brought about. I felt warm, I felt energetic and realized--WOW that was easy. (Ugh, I just typed that thinking of the darn Staples commercial). So today I need to remind myself that I live a pretty charmed life. I have an amazing husband, I literally am breathless when I see him and contented of the heart knowing we are together. My children are so amazingly beautiful, healthy and intelligent. I am 99.9% Healthy in every way. I am good at my job and fortunate enough that is keeps our family in a comfortable lifestyle. I also have an amazing extended family.

Check out my weekend:
Saturday: Stayed over at my brother and sister-in-laws in SF Friday night and got an early start on an 11+ mile walk along the peninsula Saturday morning. Stops included an amazing pastry shoppe, the best fruit salad ever at a hippy dippy shop that used "plastic ware" made from plants so it was 100% biodegradable, a quick walk up on part of the Golden Gate, then a cupcake shop in Ghiradelli Square called Kara's that had the most amazing coconut cupcakes and several gluten free options for my sister-in-law. Then of course we had pumpkin curry with fried yam strips on top for lunch. Pumpkin curry, makes total sense. So delicious. I also had a drink called a Thai Smile...totally made me smile.

Yes we're twinsies, my SIL gave me an extra layer that just so happen to match her blue mid-layer.

There were funky parts to my Saturday too. I was in a taxi cab crashed. Later got into another taxi and he didn't know where he was going, got out half a block later. Took BART, then another cab and OMG the short little ride cost like $30! Yikes! I was also an hour late getting home. This is where instead of stressing over how lame all that was, I really am thankful my niece was home to watch the kids and that my mom and aunt were around to take her to work and watch the kids until I got home. I have friends and family who don't live close to their families and struggle with babysitter issues. I can sometimes under value the convenience of having so many childcare options around us and the time and freedom to participate in so many non-mommy things on weeknights and weekends because my kids have so much family around them that love them and love spending time with them. Thank you to my extended family, you guys are so freak'n awesome!

Sunday: Oy, my weekends are full, but in the most lovely ways. Wonderful leisurely morning with my son while Super Hubby and The Bug were still in bed. Oatmeal breakfast, fun and gourmet baby shower with a room full of smart, talented and lovely ladies, then a quick visit to my cousins....I don't she them often enough, then the park with the family, a grocery trip and superb dinner with vegetable bar. Yeah, I live an truly wonderful life.

The Big Picture: Life is what you make it and I have spent plenty of time making sure we have the things we need to be happy and creating the environment we need to be happy, but I some times forget to actually BE happy. I love my life...it is my new mantra.
Why I Kick A$$: I tried and triumphed over my first attempt at a mini-juice fast. Apparently I do have discipline!

Thankful Three

1. For clean eating (mostly) TMI: PMS symptoms virtually gone and so are some digestive issues after less than a month of true healthy eating efforts
2. For friends who support the food lifestyle change by sending sample menus on FB
3. For the most amazingly beautiful and leisurely 11+ miles with my SIL yesterday... I really needed it
   

Tuesday Tidbit: The Picture of Health

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking

if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.  

~Voltaire

A quick recap of where I am and where I have been since Friday. A short notice invitation to a wedding had me in Reno, NV Saturday and right back home Sunday morning for a gym workout. Talk about whirlwind. Unfortunately there were some casualities. I lost my ATM card as well as my Starbucks Gold Card...tragic I know, but I survived. The wedding was lovely and I was so glad for my parents and in-laws for pulling babysitting duty so I could celebrate with my cousin in this life cycle event.

Monday I went to the orthopedist for my shoulder pain. The pain is consistent with a torn rotator cuff, but because there wasn't a traumatic onset, we are trying a course of therapeutic pain management and inflammation control for 3 weeks and we'll re-evaluate. If it doesn't improve, then we'll go the MRI route. I am hoping time, rest and pain management will help.

Today I saw an endocrinologist. It was less than exciting. The good news is I am off a medication that I had been taking for over a year. While I am in the doctor's words, "The picture of health," I am still concerned about my weight gain and general fatigue. His prescription? Eat less, sleep more, workout more. The guy is a genius, I know. I was annoyed that he wasn't more attentive, but basically he ruled out every issue from Thyroid problems to Diabetes so I can't really complain, I guess I just have to try harder.

I was recommended the Forks over Knives movie by a friend and enjoyed it, this same friend recommended  the book, Food Rules by Michael Pollan so that is the next step in figuring the "diet" that works for my body and life style. So far our family has really shifted into more heart healthy foods, less processed junk, more plant based foods, whole grains and limited eating out etc, but it is time I take it to the next level. What is the next level? I have friends who are every type of vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, paleo-diet followers etc. I am not into fads, but I am into what works and recognize that changes as the chemistry of my body changes and the environment within which I live changes. Unfortunately, I missed the memo on the last change and find myself struggling to feel in sync. 

Advice?

The Big Picture: What works for everyone else might not work for me, but it worth a try to find a better more healthy balance.

Why I Kick A$$: Apparently my "fat" version of myself is not so fat. Not that I'll be complacent, but I'll at least try to judge myself less harshly for a while.

Thankful Three

1. For supportive friends
2. For new followers, thanks everyone!
3. For renewed determination 

Friday Five: I Heart Food

Heart Disease is the #1 killer of women.
~American Heart Association

1. With so many health issues in our extended family recently, the big New Year's resolution wave on Facebook and the push of whole foods in blog world, I figured it was time to at least pay attention. At the urging of a friend, my hubby and I finally watched Fork over Knife. We couldn't finish it in one sitting (I fell asleep), but day two we wrapped it up and feel somewhat more informed. The statistical data was quite interesting and we enjoyed seeing how focused some people were in committing to a whole food-plant based diet. I don't think either of us are ready to totally vegan or even vegetarian for that matter. With the changes Super Hubby has made on his own these last couple of weeks and my desire to shrink my waistline, I can definitely say I am being more conscience with my food choices this week. I love having the support knowing Super Hubs is on the same page. He has tried to indulge me in the past, but usually not for long because he was doing it for me, now that he is doing it for himself, it is so much easier for me to ride the amazing waves he is making. He's already down 1 belt size in less than 2 weeks and his objective is not even to lose weight!
2. I found a great little 10 day pledge from Tonia on Racing with Babes that she found HERE. I am following some, but not all. I am trying to ease in and while these 10 things seem perfectly reasonable, it is actually really hard for me so most is better than none. It is the breads that get me most I think.
3. Workouts, what's working and what's not? Late nights while good for my work out, totally screw my schedule, I get to bed late and am tired in the morning. After work gym time is good if I actually force myself to leave the office. Weekends are going ok, with Sunday's almost being a shoe for a fun work out with a fellow pre-school mom. Well I looked back at January and on average I was only working out 2x per week. It is better than nothing, much better than December which was pretty close to zero and about on par with how I was in November post a late October half marathon. My goal, if I dare state one, is to work out a bit more in February. I hate that I am afraid to put a number on it, I am afraid I'll fail if I do. So I will play it relatively safe. With 29 days in the month of February this year, I will say that 10 would be good, 15 delightful and anything more than that freak'n amazing.
4. It's Super Bowl weekend! Woo Hoo! Just kidding, I am not really so much into football.
5. I signed up my son for tot soccer, should be interesting. He is very energetic so running is not a problem, running with a purpose...well we might not be there yet.

Why I Kick A$$: I did hit the gym yesterday after work, but before my fancy chiropractic appt.

The Big Picture: Try new things that are healthy for me in any increment is a good thing. I don't have to be a vegan today or ever, but raw whole foods are yummy and any portion of said food daily helps me be a better me.

Thankful Three

1. For a husband that leads by example
2. For heart health awareness month
3. For being 1 day closer to the weekend