Hello..... April!

Hello!

It's been FOREVER since a blog post! Not a whole lot of time to blog, even though it would probably do me good to get some of the crazy thoughts out. Ha!

Currently:
I'm training for a Full Marathon. Race date will be in the fall.
I'm trying to lose the weight I gained during our move, then I would like to lose an additional 10 pounds.

I have a running/training schedule all mapped out for me. This week will begin my third week and last week was my best week! I was able to get in all my runs and a couple of strength training sessions. However, I have been failing at the good, clean eats! Ugh, why can't I just balance it all?!? Food prep is going down today though and that should help for sure. I have to make sure I eat enough so my body doesn't think I'm starving, because it goes into some panic mode when I run. Like I'm being chased my zombies or something and I'm on life alert! So balancing my meals and what I put in has to be balanced. I'm fine tuning that as I work on my food prep.

I'm also going to be working a little more on strengthening. I don't want to over do it and risk and injury but at the same time I know I need strength training to help build those muscles to get me through the 20+ weeks of training and the 26.1 miles on race day!

Here is what I've come up with starting today and will continue to do for the next 30 days.


 I would LOVE to have you join me. If you do the challenge be sure and use hashtag #ISOAT30DayChallenge I'm on Facebook and Instagram @ItStartedOutAsTherapy. 

'till next time... Get some therapy and RUN!!!!

New Month, New Goals Hello July

Hey all!

I'm still here, obviously having trouble balancing everything and I think that will get harder before it gets easier.

 Anyhow, June was a good month for me. I logged in several workouts and overall I was pretty consistent with eating clean. I'm still loving the TapoutXT workouts and the results I'm getting with them, but I'm not sure how long I will be able to keep up with the hour long workouts. Last week I didn't work out once. That was in part to the Fourth of July holiday, but also to how our family schedule is starting to change. I'll figure it out, but I'm thinking I may have to go to a 30-minute workout and if I have extra time later that day do another workout or do a quick run on the treadmill.  I'm thinking of doing some Jillian Michaels DVD's since I have them or doing some that I've found on YouTube. Either way, I still need and want to be active I just have to figure out how and where to fit it in.

I'm also still working on eating a mostly clean diet. I'm cracking down pretty hard on this and watching portions closely as I'm wanting to lose 5-10 more pounds. Since the inches have been coming off pretty consistently, I haven't been as focused on the scale and I think that is good. I'm still having to buy new clothes so I'll take it. I would just like to lose some more fat and I think naturally the scale will go down with that so I think 5-10lbs is a reasonable amount and I think I'm giving myself plenty of time to lose it in.

So here are my goals written out. You can follow me on Facebook or Instagram to help keep me accountable!

Do you have any at 30-minute at home workouts you like? 

What are your July goals?

What I'm Up To and Why So Quiet?

I have been a little quiet lately, and honestly I haven't been feeling well for the last couple of weeks and at first I wasn't sure what was up. Then this past week I got really sick with a sore scratchy throat, coughing at night then I lost my voice and then I felt even worse. What's up? Allergies is what's up!!! I totally didn't even realize that this tree is a Lilac

and I am VERY allergic to them and we actually have two trees in full bloom right now. Ack! These things have seriously kicked my booty! So hubs has graciously agreed to start to hack off all the blooms until we can figure out what to replace it with.

So, what have I been doing lately? As far as workouts, I've  pretty much done nothing and it's been very discouraging. I even had my own pity party of one over the past couple of days and well, it pretty much sucked. So, party is over I'm going to be proud of what I am doing with my meals and keep moving forward. Once my body is ready to start working out again I will... and I'm hoping I can get in a short run tomorrow. It really has been hard to not be able to work out. I'm really surprised I've missed it as much as have, but I do!

Anyhow, this is why I've been somewhat quiet and I'm doing my best to not be discouraged. I know these things happen even if I don't like it, that's just part of the process. I have had a lot of people ask me if I'm losing weight which has helped encourage me. And you know what? That stinkin' scale isn't moving much, but my clothes are fitting different! I say this to encourage you and to encourage me, it really is the little things and as long as we stay focused and consistent it will all come together! 

source

By the way, when I was trying to have a pity party I really wanted some sweet goodies to go with it but for good reason I don't have many in the house. 

Just curious what are some of your favorite guilt-"less" treats are? I typically have an apple or banana with Almond Butter and cinnamon but I wanted something more like a cookie or ice cream! Anything, like that?

I would LOVE for you to share your favorite sweet treat! 

National Running Day 2015

Did you know that today is National Running Day? I had no idea and was pleastanly surprised when I woke up today and found out! I would love for you to join me. I have set up an event on Facebook for you to share your celebratory run. You can join by clicking HERE or you can join me on Instagram @itstartedoutastherapy. Be sure and tag and hashtag #itstartedoutastherapy or #ISOAT

The nice folks over at Running Day have even designed  a bib we can were for our run today! Print it out HERE, write in why you run,  where it proud and don't forget to post pictures on the event page.


It doesn't matter how far or how long you go, just get out there and run. Never forget it all counts!

Eating Clean Meal Plan June 1-6

Hey All,

I'm a little late getting this out there to you, but I spent quite a bit of time planning out my menu for the upcoming week and just thought I'd share what I came up with.

I have breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners planned. I'm trying to eat at specific times, something that can be VERY hard with 3 littles, but I'm hoping it will help me regulate my hunger and glucose levels so I'm not all the sudden starving because I haven't eaten yet. 

I thought I'd share my menu with you as a guideline. I try to stick to my menus as close as I can because I work so hard on them and because I want to succeed. However, I do realize that life does happen and things come up so I've learned to give myself some grace on the days or meals that I can't follow through exactly and just do the best I can. We also have no problem switching days. This menu definitley is not set in stone, again it is merely a guideline that goes with the flow of our daily schedule but it does help to be prepared.

I write everything out on a Weekly Calendar. I like this one over at This Mommy Cooks Dinner. I print it out and just write in what I want to eat. Right now I'm basing my meals off of eating clean.  I am eliminating most dairy though, I just feel better with out it.

Here is my plan for this week:

Steel-Cut Oats w/ PB2 and Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chips

Garden Vegetable Soup, Taco Meat, Meatballs, 

Chicken Sausage, potato & Veggie Skillet

Monday:

     Breakfast: 
        *Steel-Cut Oats  (1/2cup) w/ PB2 & Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chips

        * Scrambled Egg + Egg whites w/ Spinach (1/4c) and 1/8 cup Turkey Sausage Crumbles
    AM Snack/Afternoon Snack**:
        *Protien Shake, Veggies w/ 3-Ingredient Hummus (recipe to come), Almonds + Fruit
        Veggies (This will vary from day to day)
     Lunch: 
        *Taco Meat made w/ half ground beef, half ground turkey and Homemade Taco Seasoning                  on a Low-carb Whole Wheat Tortilla
        *Garden Vegetable Soup
        *Fruit
     Dinner: 
        *Pork Tenderloin
        *Grilled Asparagus
        *Brown Rice (1/2cup)
     PM Snack: 
        *Apple with 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

Tuesday:

     Breakfast: 
        *Same as Monday

     AM/Afternoon Snack: Same as Monday
     Lunch: 
        *Chicken Sausage, potato & Veggie Skillet
        *Garden Vegetable Soup
        *Fruit
     Dinner:
        *Taco Meat made w/ half ground beef, half ground turkey and Homemade Taco Seasoning                   on a Low-carb Whole Wheat Tortilla
        *Green Beans
        PM Snack: Apple with 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

Wednesday:

     Breakfast: 
        *Same as Monday

    AM Snack/Afternoon Snack**:
        *Same as Monday
     Lunch: 
        *Taco Meat made w/ half ground beef, half ground turkey and Homemade Taco Seasoning                  on a Low-carb Whole Wheat Tortilla;
        *Garden Vegetable Soup
        *Fruit
     Dinner: 
        *Spaghetti
           *Meatballs ( I baked mine at 400degrees and used half ground beef/half ground turkey)
           *High Fiber Spaghetti Noodles
           *Roasted Brussel Sprouts
     PM Snack:  
        *Apple with 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

Thursday:

     Breakfast: 
        *Same as Monday

     AM/Afternoon Snack: Same as Monday
     Lunch: 
        *Chicken Sausage, potato & Veggie Skillet
        *Garden Vegetable Soup
        *Fruit
     Dinner: 
        *Grilled Chicken
        *Green Beans
        *Brown Rice
        PM Snack: Apple with 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

Friday: 

     Breakfast: 
        *Same as Monday

    AM Snack/Afternoon Snack**:
        *Same as Monday
     Lunch: 
        *Taco Meat made w/ half ground beef, half ground turkey and Homemade Taco Seasoning                  on a Low-carb Whole Wheat Tortilla;
        *Garden Vegetable Soup
        *Fruit
     Dinner: 
        *Pizza Night
     PM Snack: 
        *Apple with 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

Saturday:

     Breakfast: 

        *Same as Monday

    AM Snack/Afternoon Snack**: 

        *Same as Monday

     Lunch: 

        *Grilled Chicken 

        *Romaine and Spinach Salad 

        *Fruit

     Dinner: 

        *Tilapia

        *Rice

        *Veggie

     PM Snack: 

        *Apple with 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

I'm going to try to eat five meals a day, but depending on the day I may add in another snack to make it six meals. I'd like to space them out 2-3 hours apart. Having my last snack by 8:00pm, which would put me having my last meal roughly two hours before bedtime. I'm trying to revamp my whole daily schedule though so I can get my workouts done in the morning. This is going to be difficult for me at first, but I know it will be the best in the end and I know I can do it!

Friday nights are typically Pizza night at our house. I'm not sure if I'm actually going to participate or not. I'm trying to stay away from dairy again. If I get to the store and buy a dairy-free cheese then I may go ahead otherwise I'll just do something else and I'm ok with that.

I repeat a lot of the same daytime meals because it is easier!! I can meal prep ahead of time, I feel like I don't waste as much food or time and it just helps keep me on track.

Again, I've only shared this because this is what I'm going to do. These menu plans are Weight Watcher and Clean Eating friendly and you can certainly adapt them very easily to a Whole30 Menu.

You don't have to follow this at all, it's merely a guideline. Make sure to eat what is right for you and your life-style.

Do you meal plan? Do you find it helpful?

**Disclaimer: My blog posts are about my journey and what is working for me. I am not a Registered Dietician, a Certified Trainer or a Medical Doctor. Please always consult with your Healthcare Provider before starting any diet or exercise program. 

Mid-Way Through May

Well, we are just past the middle of May! Already?? Where has the month gone?!?
I hope this isn't any indication of how fast summer will go by. I don't even want to think about that. Day by day. One day at a time!

Anyhow...
I'm reflecting on my May Goals and how I'm doing with them and what is and isn't working. The first part of the month was extremely slow. After my 8 mile run I followed it with a 4 miler and that was it. I was out for a week I was extremely exhausted and was just plain wiped out. I slept a lot, ate a lot, and dealt with a couple of migraines. I think I wasn't eating enough of my calories back, I got dehydrated and maybe was overtraining or maybe just was ill? I don't know, but I had to step back and re-evaluate and see what was and was not working and started working out a bit slower. 

If you remember from this post, these were my May Goals: 

May Goals:

*Continue to increase my Mileage per week (Running goal)

*Continue to do workout DVD's 3-4x week (Strength and Endurance)

*Start adding in more free weight workouts (Strength)

*30Day Butt Challenge (Strength and toning)

*Continue Drinking gallon water/day

*Focus more on Clean Eating and eating the right amount

So When I stepped back to look at this it seemed overwhelming, it seemed like a lot, but I wanted to do it, so how could I do it all and not end up completely wiped out like I had been?? I looked to see the race dates that I would like to run and see how much time I really needed to train for them. I'm looking at doing a half-marathon in September and October. So That gives me about a month to work on all the strength things I wanted to before I really need to kick my mileage up again. 

My original goal was to try and get in 20-25 miles a week in running. I would LOVE to do this and I know many people who do, but for me right now I don't think this is realistic. I need something more then cardio right now and I don't have a lot of extra time to commit to the increase in mileage and the added strength program. I'm thinking more realistically 15-20 miles will be more attainable and that will just vary on the week and our crazy schedule. 

Now back to all that strength, endurance and toning. All those goals just exhaust me reading them! So  I remembered that a few years ago my husband and I bought a workout set called Tapout XT. It's an MMA type workout program that has 13 different workouts and is supposed to give you great results in 90 days. I don't know that I will be able to do all 90 days, right now that seems like an incredible commitment for someone like me. I tend to get bored after awhile and move on. Anyhow, I remembered it and how intense it was and thought that ought to do the trick. It's 40-50minutes long and I will hit everything I want to accomplish in those DVD's. And I finally will use the DVD's and not feel guilty about the money we spent and I only did like 3 workouts. so Score! 

So that's where I'm at. I've already competed week 1 of TapoutXT and am into week 2. It's harder then all get out, but I'm kicking butt and in the process hopefully losing some of it too! My runs are difficult to get in because the Tapout workouts wear me out but I'm working on it still. I'm sure in another week or so I will have figured out which days I can and cannot run. In the meantime I'm at least trying to get in some sort of walk or jog on the days I can't actually run. Everything counts! 

Now as far as the eating goes...sigh... I wish I could do good at working out and at eating  right at...the...same...time!!!! Ugh, so frustrating. I am way more conscious of what I am eating. I'm a little slow still at making the better choices but I'm getting there. I finally have a weekly menu written out and have started some meal prep which is definitely key to any successful program for me. That's what worked before I just have to do it and stick with it!!! 

So, 

How is your May going so far? Are you sticking to your goals or have you had to readjust?

Watery Wednesday: Orange, Pineapple & Rosemary Infused Water

It's Watery Wednesday today! I hope everyone has been meeting their water goals!

I have found as long as I'm not super busy and I'm at home I meet my goal of a gallon of water a day with no problem. However, I'm struggling when I'm gone much throughout the day. I need to be sure and carry water with me everywhere I go and if my current water bottle isn't working I need to think about getting a new one. I don't know about you, but I do much better if I have a straw. It seems to go down a lot faster and I seem to get down a lot more.

Anyhow...
I and my family are loving the flavored waters and I need to keep making them and have them available so we I can get in more water.

This Orange, Pineapple & Rosemary Water "recipe" I'm sharing today is an absolute favorite and will be making over and over again. It's similar to one my husband and I have had at various hotels so I used that as inspiration and went with what I had at home.

You will need some pineapple, orange, rosemary, ice and water and of course a pitcher. 

Grab yourself some fresh rosemary, about 4-6 sprigs. 

I'm pretty lucky to have my own Rosemary and some little helpers. 

I know that this makes it taste that much better! 

Slice or cube some pineapple. You won't need much I just did a little bit, maybe 1/2 cup of diced. 

Slice up some orange, I used half of one orange. *One trick I use on all my lemons, limes or oranges when I want more of their juice is I roll them for a about 15-20 seconds before I cut them. It makes the juice just come right out. 

Add the Rosemary, Pineapple, and Orange slices with some water and ice in a pitcher. Stir and let sit. We ended up letting ours sit overnight. You wouldn't have to do this, but it gives the flavors more time to blend together.

It was so tasty! I hope you think so too!

How have you been doing with your water goals?