First Post of 2015!

Happy New Year guys!!

Wow, I haven't updated in ages. So much has happened in these last couple of months! 

I'm happy and proud to announce that I have STAYED ON TRACK throughout the holidays!! I'm now 85lbs down!! 

My husband bought me that shirt for Christmas .. My very first Under Armour (and sure not to be the last!!). He bought me gifts that support my healthy journey - a thicker yoga / workout mat to help absorb impact on my tougher P90 workouts, the Skinnytaste cookbook (you all know how much I love Gina's website!), a Wonder Wonan coffee mug (she's so inspiring!), and a big bag of Epsom salts .. Which I've been using religiously, ha ha. 

I've set some pretty big goals for 2015. I'm determined to make this my year (after all, 15 flipped is 51, my lucky number! ... I know, I'm goofy!). I'm not big on achieving my resolutions but I've come to love hitting goals that I set, so here I go ..!

1. I want to hit my goal weight. While my journey has become SO much more than a number on a scale, I do still want to get to my goal. Verrrrry badly!! 

2. I want to run 3 5Ks. At least. I really love running and would love to add to my medal collection :) 

3. Do more things that scare me. As in, not letting my fears stop me from trying new things. For example, I've always been afraid of taking a group fitness class because I'm too big / out of shape / asthma / whatever and that ends now. I'm going to my sister's Zumba class tonight! 

4. Enroll for school. I want to work in the health and fitness field .. And it's time to get that going! Yes, I'm a coach with Beachbody and I LOVE it, but my dream is to work with kids with their health and nutrition. I'm so excited to get that ball rolling!

5. Clean up my eating! My eating habits have come a loooong way since I started my journey two years ago, but I feel I can do a lot better. I'm not going to cut out dairy or gluten or anything like that, but I would really like to reduce (even eliminate) added sugars and preservatives. Since I've been eating better, I've come to realize how much sugar bothers my body. I'll talk about that more in another post. My friend Tracey has really inspired me to start making better choices with what I'm feeding myself and my family and I'm excited to see what this year will bring to our kitchen! (Check out her blog journaling her clean eating journey: http://ichoosehappyblog.com ... It's so great!) I have already started by making our own homemade taco seasoning instead of store-bought! 

6. I want to start and finish PiYO, P90, the 21-Day Fix and Shaun T's Rockin Body! 

Anyhow, I know I'm rambling and I've actually got a few more goals that I'll be working on in addition to those, but maybe I'll save them for another post! 

I plan to get back to blogging more as well, so you'll be hearing more from me :) 

I hope you guys are having a great new year so far ... Did you set any resolutions or goals? 

All it Takes is Ten Minutes ..

One thing I hear constantly from others is that "I just don't have the time" to _________ (eat breakfast, work out, eat meals made from home, eat healthy meals, etc ..)

You have to ask yourself: how important are my goals? Do you want to eat healthier and save some money by not eating take-out every day? Are you tired of going hungry in the morning because you didn't have a proper breakfast? Are you feeling insecure about your body but "don't have the time" to exercise?

Guys - YOU are in control of your day, just like YOU are in control of achieving your goals. If it is important to you, then you will FIND or MAKE the time to meet your goals. All it takes is a few minutes of preparation to set yourself up for success. 

I took ten minutes to pre-cut and mix some veggies (mushrooms, onions, bell peppers) and wash black beans to leave in containers in my fridge. Now I can make a fast egg scramble or a Mexican omelette in the morning for breakfast. It only took a few minutes of food preparation to help myself stay on track with my goal of having a healthy, nutritious breakfast every day. 

I can do it - you absolutely can too. How much does it mean to you?

Final Soup Challenge!

This week we didn't quite make a soup .. We made a big pot of hearty, healthy chicken stew! It is one of my favorite recipes from my bible, The Looneyspoons Collection, called "I Got Stew, Babe". We alter the recipe somewhat (we always add extra cups of mushrooms, carrots and green beans!) and add a touch more flour and stock as hubby prefers a more juicy stew .. And it is so delicious! It yields a lot so we are able to just grab and go from the fridge, and it's so healthy and guilt-free! 

Roasting the veggies!

Ready to mix together ..

The finished product!

I plan to continue making big pots of soup (or stew!) throughout the winter .. It's so easy to have a big pot filled in the kitchen, so I've got a quick supper for work or a hot lunch at home. It's cheaper than buying cans of soup and it's way healthier and super convenient! 

The Kids Are Watching

I have many reasons for wanting to live the healthiest life possible. My asthma is easier managed at a smaller weight and when I'm active. The risks of developing diabetes and heart disease significantly declines. I feel WAY better overall - more positive, happy, fit and confident. I live healthy to BE healthy, because as that old saying goes, nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels! I love being active and I feel great eating right. 

But one of the most rewarding parts of living healthy? This: 

My family lives healthy too. They see it, learn it, and live it. And that is the greatest thing in the world. 

Live healthy. Be happy!

Gulp.

So .. I've committed to doing something that I swore I would never do. 

I'm going to run a half-marathon September 2016. 

Yeah, it's super far away and I have lots of time to get ready. Yep.

I struggle hard through a 5K. I haven't run in a loooooooong time. Is 23 months enough time?! 

Here's why I committed to this thing.

I met an incredible lady, Heather, through my first Beach Body challenge group. Her positive sprit and energy immediately made me like her, and we became friends. She's a big-time fan of running and challenges herself all the time (the Great Wall of China marathon is on her race list!) 

She wants to come visit. And run. And a 5K just doesn't seem to be worth all that traveling for .. So I suggested the Army Run Half and she instantly said she'd add it to her race list. I'm in! 

My husband also set a goal for himself - he wants to run the half in 2015. He's so inspiring! 

I love to run. LOVE to run!! So why did I allow myself to stop?

Well, I let me asthma scare me off. Running in colder weather really makes it hard to breathe, so I had to "pause" for the Fall / Winter season .. Where I have fallen off the wagon for the past two years. And then I need new running shoes, because mine are totally shot. And running shoes aren't only twenty bucks, y'know? 

... Are the words "excuses, excuses, excuses" running through your mind right now? Cuz they totally are in mine.

So I have a big goal to reach. I'm not just running this thing for Heather (though she'll be worth it!) but I need to do it for me. I'm working hard on myself and part of that work is setting a goal and achieving it. So yes, it's one that is far off in the future .. But it gives me a LOT of time to crush my 5K and 10K goals and take a proper training class for the half! And I'm really excited for it!

So .. Gulp! Half-Fanaticland, here I come! 

Soup Challenge #3

This week we made a super hearty vegetable soup. We loaded it with turnips, zucchini, carrots, legumes and beans .. So it was extremely filling and had lots of protein! Pairing a hot bowl of this vegetable soup with a grilled cheese sandwich made for an amazing lunch on a cold, rainy day (which this week has been filled with!).

So far, I'm loving this soup challenge! It's so convenient, having a big bowl in the fridge that I can scoop a cup out of and heat up on the stovetop .. Quick and easy and the best part - healthy eating! :) 

Soup Challenge #2

I'm a few days behind on this post, as I still had a bunch of the sweet potato soup I was working my way through! Now that's done .. And this week, we made a homemade chicken and vegetable soup! We bought one of those precooked chickens from our grocery store's Food To Go counter (WAY cheaper than buying a fresh, uncooked chicken .. We paid $8.99 for the cooked one but a raw, uncooked one was $23!! Madness!!)

We prefer a hearty soup so we loaded it up with tons of celery, carrots and onions .. And it's so delicious and filling! Yum!