Healthy eating

Hi all! Happy Wednesday! Is anyone else feeling as restless as I am? I can't tell if it's just the time of year, or if it's because everything in my life is so complacent right now, but in any case, I think it's time for a change.

For a little background, about a year ago I stepped on the scale and clocked in at the highest weight ever. I decided it was time to do something about it. So, my wonderful and faithful friend, Amanda, and I decided we would try to lose about two pounds a month. Twelve months later, I have been able to drop 12 pounds and successfully keep it off. I have now plateaued, but I loved the feeling of losing weight. I felt like I was in control and could actually DO something good for myself!

With this in mind, and with my current restless state, I have decided it's officially time to change up my diet and eat more healthfully! (About time, right?) I was able to lose the 12 pounds last year by cutting down my portions and increasing my workouts. I was never actually brave enough to change what I ate. It's time to take living a healthy lifestyle to a whole new level.

So why not start now?! I am planning to take the next few days of the week to look up some great recipes including healthy but hearty dinners (that my hubby will actually eat), and quick but nutrient packed lunches. I am open to anything!

Who knows where I will be in another twelve months?? :)

Quote of the Day

Pinterest quote of the day: "Act as if it is impossible to fail." Love it! Sometimes I get so caught up wondering if I'm doing everything right with my workouts and what I eat, that I just feel like it's impossible to stay on track. But this quote reminds me to stay positive. Everyday I just need to do my best and the rest will work out on its own.

In other news, I spent the weekend in Columbus with my cousin who is now hitched! I had so much fun on her wedding weekend. We frosted cupcakes...

Caught up with old friends...

And ate dessert at the head table!

Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE weddings? I always manage to have fun. :)

In other news, I am getting super tired of running on the "dread"mill. High winds kept me inside on Sunday for what was supposed to be my long run of the week. It turned into a three mile jog. Out of pure, unadulterated boredom. Bleh. I realize the Lord will not give you more than you can bare, but I'm getting really close! Please bring on spring soon!

Well, that's all for now. Tomorrow is already Tuesday! Much love!

Kris

Blog Updates!

Attention: Work in Progress! I got to thinking today that's it's been quite a while since my last post - a month to be exact - and I've decided it's time to do some major updating. So, everything that's on here may be changed soon, but for tonight, this is what I've come up with. My new goal is to spend at least 4 hours a week on my blog. I really love to do it! But time is a major constraint. And getting this new laptop I'm on doesn't hurt anything either. :) Enjoy! 

LOVE running

This week I have fallen in love with running all over again. I cranked out 6 miles on Sunday, and felt like 4 wasn't enough today! It's really inspired me to keep pushing and see how far and fast I can go. My goal is to be able to run all 13 miles at a 9 minute/mile pace in May. This would put me under 2 hours. A goal I have always strived for, but never been able to attain!

I'm going to make this short and sweet tonight,and my next post will include the 9 week Half-Marathon plan I downloaded, but to close tonight, I found a few pictures online to keep everyone inspired.  :)

 

 

 

This last one makes me want to run outside! Hope winter ends soon... Meanwhile, back on the treadmill tomorrow morning for another run!

Kris

Resolutions

Happy New Year, everyone! The good Lord has blessed us with another year and it has urged me to set yet another New Year's resolution. To be honest, I can't say I'm all that great at reaching/keeping my goal each year. In fact, I have actually heard more people say this year that they aren't setting any sort of resolution. It makes me wonder: As a society, are we too afraid of failure, or are we just tired of trying? Something to chew on... Anyway, regardless of my past track record and the constant negativity, I'm ready to try a new resolution for 2012!

What is this grand plan you may ask? Well I've decided to become a more serious runner. This seems basic, possibly even easy. How hard can being a more "serious" runner be? The truth is, I couldn't decide if I wanted to be more dedicated, try new things, or just plain faster. So, I chose a goal that would mean all of these things.

I read an article in Self magazine today (my FAVORITE mag) called "The 5 Tricks to Keeping Your New Year's Resolutions." It listed 5 basic steps to reaching your goal.

#1: Set reasonable goals. Check.

#2: Create a schedule. This area needs some work. I am hot pursuit of a half marathon plan for my Lincoln race May 6th!

#3: Track your progress. I have to say, I don't really think I've ever done this for running. Looks like my planner will need to open up a few spots for running notes.

#4: Buddy up! I love this step! I have a wonderful morning workout buddy, Jenn. And there is a group of amazing ladies in the town where I work that band together for running. I would like to be a stronger member of their group, the Northeast Nebraska Road Runners!

#5: Don't give up! KEY step right there. Porbably the most important for any New Year's resolution.

Well, with all of that said, it's time for me to get to work on my goal! Hitting the treadmill at 5:30 AM! Small steps, everyone. Small steps... :)

Sweet tooth

I have a sweet tooth. For those of you who know me well, this is an understatement. Red velvet cake with decadent cream cheese frosting, creamy chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake, warm snickerdoodle cookies... YUM! I just can't pass it up. And this weekend was my birthday so bring on the desserts! Here's a glimpse of what is sitting in my kitchen:

Looks delicious right? We have pumpkin cupcakes, (Which i definitely need to get the recipe for because these ROCK! Special shout out to my bestie, Amanda, for bringing these over!) a red velvet cupcake, funfetti cake with orange colored frosting, (Kudos, Mom!) and some chocolate/peanut butter cheesecake that I made as a treat for work. I need help eating all of this!

In the mean time, I have been working my butt off so I can enjoy these. :) Monday I completed a nice, slow, long run a few miles out in the counry, and this morning I cranked out 3 miles before finishing an ab workout. I really need to get a whole list of my daily workouts on this site, but here's a breakdown of what I did this morning:

- 3 mile run: I finished this a little under 30 minutes. I'm going to start cranking up my Tuesday 3 mile runs as I am planning on a Turkey Trot for Thanksgiving.
- 20 minute ab workout: I have a love/hate relationship with ab workouts. It hurts, but I feel great after I'm done!

Tomorrow I'm looking to get in a 5 mile interval run before work. Wish me luck! Now to enjoy a sweet treat before bed... :)

Sunrise workouts

Ok - I've officially decided that I need to let everyone know what happens in my world while the rest of you are still snuggled under the covers in the morning. This is a run-through of what happens on a typical Tuesday through Friday morning for me. I will let the pictures do the talking...

My routine actually starts the night before. I try to get my outfit together before I go to bed so it's one less thing to think about at 5AM. (P.S. I would be lost without the watch. It keeps me moving to make sure I get my entire workout in!)

Alright, this step might be the most important. It involves my favorite morning drink... COFFEE! (Cory lovingly calls this my "go juice" as I don't really get moving in the morning till I've had my cup of joe.) I usually set the timer on the coffee pot to start brewing about 15 minutes before I get up. It sounds silly, but the smell of coffee when my alarm goes off really does help me roll out of bed and shuffle toward the kitchen. Added bonus: The coffee is done by the time I get there!

Once I'm dressed and ready to go, I try to take a few minutes to drink my coffee and search the web. It gives me a second to collect my thoughts and get ready for the day ahead. My advice is to only take about 5 to 10 minutes. Any longer and it's possible to get distracted and talk yourself out of a workout.

My second suggestion is to drink plenty of water! I continue to chug water on the drive into town and while I am running on the treadmill.

Once I get home from the workout, it's time to quickly get ready for work and then... breakfast! This morning I chose to make my own. I microwaved some oatmeal (Bob's Red Mill, Whole Grain Oatmeal with Flax Seed to be exact) then added a little milk, a teaspoon of honey, a tablespoon of slivered almonds, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Delicious! I also had a glass of milk for added dairy and protein. My favorite part is that this meal really kept me full until lunch time!

After breakfast, I'm ready to start the day, but not without my extra mug of coffee of course! In all seriousness though, the morning workouts give me so much more energy and it's refreshing to know that my entire workout is done for the day! Can't wait to see what tomorrow morning's workout has in store for me. :) Speaking of, it is past time for bed. More later!