Hump day!

Today was a normal workout day for me. I spent 45 minutes on the elliptical and then did some pilates and stretching.  With these long runs I have been getting really tight.  I have never understood the importance of stretching before this training regimine.

Eliptical workout :) I did an endurance program and KICKED BUTT TODAY. 8 days until the big day!  I can do it!

I thought I would share some new songs that have made their way onto my workout mix! Enjoy.

Thomas Rhett...Get me some of that
Thomas Rhett...Front Porch Junkies (REMIX)
Hey Brother...Avicii (My current fav. It's the perfect tempo for my long runs)
Liar Liar...Avicii
Eric Church...Outsiders
Jake Owen...Beachin'
Joe Nichols...Sunny and 75
Katy Perry...Walkin' on air
Kieth Urban and Miranda Lambert...We were us
LoCash Cowboys....COUNTRY

Until Tomorrow :)

C

Weekly goals! :)

It's Monday, which means time to get those goals in your food journal and to the front of your brain!

My goals for this week are:

60-90 minutes in the gym every day (no excuses)

Hit my running distance goals (Tuesday 3 miles, Thursday 4 miles, Sunday 6 miles)

I am going to try this week to turn lunch into a smaller more balanced meal of a salad with some protein and soup or extra veggies.  Eliminating fruit has been the hardest part for me lately, it's my sweet addiction....

I am running a 10K with Bailey and Katie in 10 freaking days...what in the heck?  I ran 5.5 miles yesterday and felt really good, I ran it on the treadmill at a constant pace and was done in a little over an hour so hopefully I can keep it under 13 minutes per mile come race day!

This is my last full week at school before Thanksgiving break so I want to set some good ground work for heading home where temptations will surround. Can you say green bean casserole and pumpkin pie?

Here's a new outfit combo I tried on Friday.  I LOVE that I finally got to wear my cowboy boots to work.  We have a couple of kiddos that wear their boots to school everyday and they thought it was pretty cool that we matched. Gotta love the kindergartners :)

 

Scarf: H&M

Cardigan: Target

Peplum Shirt: Target

Jeans: Old Navy

Until tomorrow :)

C

Water (check!)

 Lately, I have been lacking in the water department so today I decided to change that. I threw the good ol' blender bottle in the backpack and guess what?  I drank 5 bottles today.  That's huge.  I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings in terms of water. My goal for tomorrow is between 6-8 bottles.

Here's my food log for today.  This week I challenge you to write everything you eat down and circle one area or "choice" you made and make that change for tomorrow. 

 

Today, I circled my cappuccino from the dining center and my trail mix snack. I definitely know that I can make better choices, it was just that these were easy today...try not to choose easier, plan for better!

 

Until tomorrow :)

 

C

Grocery day...what's the cost of being healthy?

Anyone who is eating healthy knows that your wallet takes a hit when you make the commitment to eat and live a healthy lifestyle. My cupboards were bare so I knew it was time for a target run.
Here's what was on my list:

No calories = a great pop replacement

I suggest throwing one of these in your weekend (night out) bag.  You will be WAY less tempted to drink a soda, juice, or alcoholic beverage if you're prepared.

My "healthy"treat. 

Great breakfast option, this granola has flax and dried blueberries. I would also suggest measuring it out the night before and having it ready to go in the morning so there are no last minute "Crap, I forgot breakfast I'll hit the drive thru" moments.

My produce: raspberries, carrots, grapes, Bolthouse Farm Smoothie.  I am loving the fruit smoothies right now, problem is my lovely roommate is sleeping when I eat breakfast.  This pre-made smoothie is a great alternative for me because it's ready to go and it helps me get a couple servings of fruits and veggies with my breakfast.

  (I also have apples and bananas, but I forgot to throw them in the picture)

I am on a cheese kick....LOVE it.  Here are some nifty cheese cubes, super easy to throw in a baggie and bring to class or eat on the way to work.  Also, here are my first cups of greek yogurt in weeks...hopefully they taste good again.  I seriously overdosed on yogurt over the summer so for a while I could barely look at it without feeling icky, but it's such a good way to get protein you shouldn't go without it!

Need a movie snack?  Pick this up.  So good and not bad for you at all!  I usually get the 100 calorie packs, but I grabbed the wrong box today...shoot!

I have been craving something sweet and watching my roommate eat her fruit roll ups, chocolates, and candy corns, definitely isn't helping.  I found these today and of course had to try one after lunch and oh my lord. I found my new favorite treat.  Obviously, don't eat one after every meal and snack, but for 130 calories and 3 grams of protein, you can't really get any better and best of all its actually chocolaty and soft!

 

Here are two more of my favorite snacky/night out foods.  I always have a baggie of these in my purse when we go to St. John's because I know that I don't want to eat ruffles or Doritos.  I deserve better snacks.

 

Words of advice: don't worry about how much the grocery bill is....it's totally worth it in the long run! Healthy me, happy me! 

 

Until tomorrow :)

 

C

Turn it up!

Last night Annie and I spoke at a literacy conference. It was fun getting a chance to chat with a bunch of teachers about how awesome technology is and how it can be used to teach reading! 
Here's a picture of our table.

 

Since we were at the conference yesterday I didn't get a chance to hit the gym, so today it was back to reality. I have done a good job eating clean and sticking to my goals today...it's about time!

 

I thought I would share my favorite twitter follower @fitness. Seriously, everyone should follow them.  Their quotes and statements definitely kick my butt in gear.  They are so true you can't not do what they tell you.  We all know what we need to do to keep the weight off, so why aren't we?

 

 

Today was supposed to be a 3 mile day on the 10k training program, but I was feeling so good I kept going and made it a 4 mile run.  It was great.  I love having those moments of runners high!

 

We CAN do this! Find the motivation and live every minute to the fullest :)

 

Until tomorrow :)

C

 

Weekly Goals

Mondays are going to start being the day for weekly goals.  As you all know I feel that if you write things down you are 100X more likely to stick to it, so here I go!

1) One meal a day of only fruit, veggies, and protein
2) No dining center desserts
3) Workout 60-90 minutes (only after school stuff is done)

Today, I was SUPER busy....so I didn't get a workout in and that's okay! I know that having the opportunity to speak at a literature conference was much more important than spending an hour working out. I got to meet a bunch of educators and administrators tonight and tell them all of the fun things that are new in the world of technology for the classroom!

I also want to take a moment to share the story of an acquaintance who passed away today.  I had only met Jeff a couple of times, but it was a true blessing to be in his presence.  An Iraq and Afghanistan Vet and a committed service member, are only a couple of things that describe Jeff.  I had the great opportunity to see him at the wedding last weekend.  Yesterday, Jeff had a brain aneurysm, went into a coma,  and he was taken off of life support this morning. Jeff was the person who brought light to a room of people.  His passing definitely gave me a reality check, life is short and there is no time to live with regrets. Rest in peace Jeff, your service and dedication truly shine on this Veteran's Day!

Blessings to Jeff and his family.

Until tomorrow :)

C

Saturdays are made for SHOPPING!

Today I met Jake and Katie at the Albertville outlets.  We had a blast eventhough when we first got there we had to wait to find parking and the lines were almost as bad as black friday. Can you say deer hunting opener?  When the husbands are away the wives will....shop!

Here are the things I bought today!

Grey sweater dress from Old Navy

Love this tan and lace dress from NY&C

Green trouser pants from Target

New bootcut jeans from Old Navy

Love these tan pointy flats from Target

A shopping day isn't complete without a selfie!

 

Until tomorrow :)

C