What in the hey is Kombucha?

Today my alarm seemed to have gone off a little too early for my liking...4:45 for boot camp definitely gets to me by the middle of the week, but it was definitely worth getting my butt out of bed.  Boot camp has been one of the best things I have done since beginning to lose weight.  It gives me the extra push I need a couple of times a week and keeps my workouts interesting.  We also are outside doing the exercises so it means you do NOT need a gym to work out, you can do it anywhere! No excuses.  We spend most of our time at a local park using the playground equipment, but today we switched it up and did cardio...my least favorite thing to do with the trainer.  I am not a speed racer when it comes to running and that is precisely what we worked on today.  We began the day doing some kickboxing type drills, then went outside to do some resisted sprints, sprints, and sprints up and down the main street stairs...let me tell you I'm definitely feeling it already.  As much of a challenge as these workouts are it is a time for me to clear my head and do something for myself.  I am so busy throughout the rest of my day with work, my second workout, and studying for my MTLE, I have no time to just veg out.  This has become that time. 

One of the things I have been working hard on this week is upping my fiber content in my foods and also increasing my water consumption. My trainer also suggested I try Kombucha tea, so me totally oblivious to what it was went and picked up a couple of bottles at the grocery store thinking it would be some delicious juice...yeah...not so much.  It is an interesting flavor, my best description is some really really bad wine without the alcohol.  So I did some research and this tea has a lot of antioxidants, vitamins, and healthy bacteria.  Today was my second day drinking it and it's actually not so bad if you drink it cold, REALLY COLD.  Another wonderful quality of this divine beverage is that it is made by fermented yeast cultures, so there are nice little clouds of stuff floating in it that you are supposed to drink.  I don't know about you, but where I come from there isn't stuff floating in my water so that is another thing I'll have to get accustomed to.  I am really interested to see if I can tell a difference in how I feel after drinking it, I'll keep you posted!

Here is a link to some more information about Kombucha and it's health benefits:
http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/dietandnutrition/kombucha-tea

Until tomorrow :)
C

 

Friends

Today was definitely a long and boring day at work so what better way to end the day then with my two best friends biking the Gateway Trail.  This is one of our favorite biking/rollerblading paths because it is nice and long, not many vertical challenges, and it gives us the opportunity to catch up on gossip and workday drama...basically it's girl time.  I do not know what I would do without these two wonderful women.  Both are extremely driven, hardworking, fun, caring, and of course a little wild.  As much as we are all looking forward to getting back to school and the friends that we have all missed so much these past three months, this month's goodbyes are going to be so much harder than last years simply because we have become so close.  We are now inseparable, we workout together at least once a week, and try to go out to eat or hang out at least one more night throughout the week.  Even though we all have full time jobs, we always make time to support and encourage the others as we move through our journeys.

The three of us have very different goals through our health and fitness.  Katie is a gymnast, but has taken up a new hobby this summer, running.  She is a speed demon and has been preparing for a half marathon.  This has helped me stay motivated because she likes to run with company so on her long Saturday morning runs I bike along with her and it gives us a nice chance to catch up on our weeks activities.

Bailey has already lost a tremendous amount of weight and she is most definitely my inspiration.  She now knows so much about different workouts and nutrition she helps me through whatever problems I encounter.  She is working out this summer to get toned and enhance all of her features that she can now show off in her new body. 

Me on the other hand am just trying to find a healthy balance.  I of course want to lose weight, but I really want to change my eating and workout habits so that they will stay consistent in the future.  I want to make the transition back into the college routine a smooth one, without any weight gain. 

The three of us may be from totally different starting points, but we have grown so much closer throughout this summer with our workout and nutrition endeavors.   I do not know what I would do without their continuous support and encouragement.  I am not looking forward to the day we all go back to our second homes, although miles apart we all know our support systems are just a phone call or text away.

It is so important to have people who are supportive constantly surrounding you and your weight loss endeavors.  The greatest challenge in losing weight is staying motivated, when you surround yourself with positive people the weight will fall right off and more positive decisions will follow.

Until tomorrow,
C

Make sure you follow their stories as well!
Bailey:
baileymckenzielife.blogspot.com
Katie:
katelynannlivinglife.blogspot.com

Crap, I'm sore

Over the weekend I did an extra workout with my trainer (Stillwater's Main Street Stairs) and then biked twelve miles with Katie...let's just say it was not the smartest decision and now I feel like a 100 year old grandma.  I can't move.  I am the most sore I have ever been from working out, so boot camp this morning kicked my butt.  After camp I talked to my trainer and she suggested foam rolling, may I say that it is one of the greatest things ever invented?  Before boot camp I had never used one of these amazing pieces of foam, but now I will never leave without one.  I am a very impatient person when it comes to stretching after a workout and I know it's bad, but it just takes so much extra time and let's be honest sometimes it hurts like no bodies business.  Let me tell you from personal experience 5 minutes with a foam roller and you are set for after your workouts.  This morning I looked and felt ancient, but I foam rolled before my run tonight and yes I was still a little sore, but it was definitely more manageable than before.  It also really helps to roll after a bath or shower when your muscles are relaxed. 

For as sore as I was, my four miles didn't seem all that hard.  I have been doing run/walk sets training for my 5k which is this weekend!  Where has all of this summer gone?  I am really nervous, this is my first race and although I am running it solely for completion, I'm still a bit intimidated by the entire process.  I am running the Halos of Hudson 5k and it benefits a great charity that helps aid the families grieving the loss of children.  I have attached the link here if you want more information: http://halosofhudson.org/

I cannot wait to not be sore and get my first race over with....the official countdown is 4 days!

Until tomorrow :)
C

Stressed is desserts spelled backwards

For the old me desert came at least twice a day...after lunch and after dinner and maybe occasionally after a snack. Unfortunately for the new me my love for desserts has not diminished, so I thought I would share two of my new favorite HEALTHY dessert recipes.  I have definitely began to notice my tastes changing towards sugar and salt, especially over the last couple of weeks.  I am just not used to the amounts that I used to consume on a daily basis.  I know that I had a ton of unhealthy habits before I decided to change and eat clean.  I used to be like many college students who find themselves drinking three to four and maybe sometimes five Diet Cokes a day, a couple of coffees from the dining center or on campus coffeehouse, and then munching on Doritos or M&M's as you read your psychology book...I believe this is not just a reflection of yourself and personal habits, but of stress.  So the old saying of "Stressed is desserts spelled backwards" is very fitting.  I now work in an office full of twelve men...me being the only girl is sometimes very difficult especially when they are eating their freshly delivered pizza or cookies and I am at my desk eating a salad, no dressing, and water.  Woot woot! So these tasty little treats help me to not feel like such an outcast at the office lunches.

Here are my two new favorite healthy desserts:

Mint Chip Avocado Ice Cream

1 avocado (frozen) peel before freezing, but freeze the shell too to serve in)
1 scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder
2 tsp. lemon juice concentrate or the juice of half a lemon
1 tsp. mint extract
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 cup of ice

Blendin blender until smooth

Add 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips and pulse

Enjoy!

The finished product isn't super thick or frozen so feel free to throw it in the freezer for a more solid ice cream like substance.


Fudge Balls
1 1/2 cups dates (pitted)
1 cup walnuts
4 Tbsp. of Organic Cocoa Powder
1 tsp. Vanilla

Dump into the food processor, turn on and process.
Form into balls, and chill or freeze before serving.



Let me know what you think or if you have any good recipes to share :)

Until tomorrow, C

 

Chocolate and Groceries

Yesterday was one of those days that made it extremely hard to resist temptation. When your boss brings in a jumbo bag of your  favorite candy for the candy jar conveniently located next to your desk your mind craves the chocolate all fricken day...so to top off the chocolate being there it was a horribly stressful and crazy day in the office, which means I ate two mini candy bars.  Was it worth it?  Absolutely not.  After indulging in my two mini candy bars I thought to myself, why did you just do that?  You know you have 12 more pounds to lose before you go back to school...get your game face on and crush your goal!  So today I hid the candy jar, I knew I wouldn't be able to take another day of it sitting right there so I took matters into my own hands, literally.

Thank goodness it was grocery night last night because for this last month I need to give my workout plan everything I've got to meet my goal before I go back to school.  At the beginning of the summer I decided I wanted to try and get healthy, simple as that.  My parents were not really on board with my decision because of the costs of the gym membership, boot camp classes, new workout clothes, etc.  so my Dad "challenged" me to lose 35 pounds before I get back to school and if I did he would buy me a new heart rate monitoring watch...little does he know that I am a mere 12 pounds away from hitting my goal. So now at the grocery store I am much more conscious about what I am buying and recently my trainer has been bringing to my attention that a lot of the foods I thought were "healthy" are filled with crap my body doesn't need. 

 

For example:

Light yogurt=no good, instead choose plain Greek yogurt, add your own honey for sweetness (just a little) and berries

Protein power, make sure you are drinking whey protein with as little sugar as possible

 

I now love going to the grocery store because it is a time for me to really look at all that I am putting into my body.  Reading food labels has now become some what of a hobby.  I enjoy comparing foods to see which one is better, a better deal, or even looks more appetizing.  I have noticed a change in my eating patterns as well.  I used to drink 2 or 3 cans of Diet Coke a day after my medium Starbucks in the morning, yeah I definitely know I wasn't doing myself any good, now I drink one cup of unsweetened herbal tea each morning on the way to work and water the rest of the day no problems.  I used to get 3 or so migraine headaches a week because of how much caffeine I was drinking and the foods that I was eating, now I haven't had one headache day in over a month.  It still baffles me at how changing something as simple as cutting out your daily Starbucks run can impact your health.

 

Until tomorrow :)

C

 

 

Sunset

Today was a long slow day at work so I knew I needed to let off some steam when I got home so I took to my normal running path. Today was definitely not as easy as yesterday....I'll be honest today kicked my butt. After boot camp and running yesterday my body aches in every possible place. In order to compensate for my complete exhaustion and need for sleep I'm keeping this post short and sweet. It was a long day, but this sunset made it worth all the extra sweat :)

Until tomorrow,
C

Avocados and Running

So...I have recently become addicted to two things: avocados and running.  I used to only love one of those things...avocados in the form of guacamole with a crap ton of chips, but since I began to eat clean my view of avocados has changed and it is definitely for the better.  Tonight I tried a great recipe from my trainer and it was AMAZING!

Avocado Meat Loaf
1 pound of grassfed ground beef
1/2 cup of quick cooking oats
1 avocado
2 eggs
1 package of meatloaf seasonings (try to find one low in msg)

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes in a large loaf pan.

I paired it with a sweet potato and grilled zucchini, delicious.

As to my second addiction (running), it used to be a chore that I absolutely hated.  All through grade school my least favorite days in gym class were the one's that began or ended with a run, now I can barely go a day without it.  Today I ran a good 4 miles, make no mistake I am not fast...AT ALL, but it has recently become my favorite hour of the day.  It is a time for me to clear my head, blast some good old raggaeton and cruise, forget about the stress of the day and just be calm. 

If you are like me and are new to the running scene there are two things I would recommend: the app Map My Run and these great Asic shoes.  I love them and always get compliments on my runs, which definitely makes me feel like everything I am doing is worth it. Map my run has also helped me learn to track how far I have gotten and I also love how it breaks down your splits for each mile. 

Until tomorrow  :)

 



Inspiration

Hello blog world!

 

My friend Bailey convinced me to join the blog world and share my story.

Well Bails, you got me here so I'll start out by sharing my reason for losing weight.

I decided I wanted to get healthy for ME...it's as simple as that.  I knew what I needed to do to get to my goal, it was just a matter of motivation and that most definitely came from two of the strongest ladies I know: Bailey and Katie.  Without these two I wouldn't be half as close to my goal as I am now.  We all began the summer working out together and we have all grown so much closer through changing our eating and exercise habits. 

 

Through this blog I am hoping to share my triumphs and tribulations as I continue my journey. 

My three pieces of advice to anyone starting their journey are: eat clean, keep recipes simple, and keep fit :)

Make sure to keep updated with Bailey's journey as well @ http://baileymckenzielife.blogspot.com/2013/06/what-im-all-about.html