Weekend Update Part II

We have officially “moved” to http://www.runninginpinkproject.com and the former http://www.runninginpinkproject.wordpress.com will be “wiped clean” within the next couple of weeks. If you have me on your blog roll please take a quick look (if you dont mind) to make sure you have the current address. Also, we are working on finding a way for you to subscribe to the “new” site.  Please be patient with us as it may be 2-3 days before everyone is seeing the updated version! Happy Weekend!

**Once You can see the new site please “re subscribe” to the blog there as the subscriptions from this site did not transfer. Thanks!! **

Weekend Update

I just wanted to put up a quick posting letting you all know I have some fabulous blogs coming at the end of the weekend. The hubs and his pal are currently working to move my conent to a new host so me (and the blog) will be MIA this weekend. I will have up ton’s of new content Sunday night so come on back and visit me then!

*If you’re viewing this, then you’re still viewing the old site and your ISP hasn’t updated it’s records yet*

Please head on over to our new hosting.  This will be shut down soon!

Running in Pink Project

Re-Run

Tonight was a night of reruns. First, I literally re-ran the same 6 miles I ran yesterday. In this case I am sad to report the run was not as great (or as fast) as yesterday but I am just focusing on another 6 miles behind me!

Tonight’s dinner was also a rerun of the coconut chicken I made two weeks ago. In this case I am happy to report this meal lived up to the original!

Luckily this weekend will be full of all new blogs….

• Eating Healthy On The Go
• CineBistro
• Tastefully Simple
• Girls Night Out

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Also, the winner of my Adora Chocolate Calcium Supplements is… Emily! Email your mailing address to RunningInPinkProject@Gmail.com and Adora will get your Milk and Dark chocolate supplements right out to you!! Congrats!

 

Have a Happy and Healthy Weekend!

6 Miles Strong

I don’t know about your part of the country but here in central Virginia we are being spoiled with some amazing weather this week. Today, I left work and walked out into a gorgeous sunny evening complete with blue skies and a gentle breeze.

I thought it would be the perfect excuse to ditch the gym, visit the trail, and work on my speed and intervals for the upcoming Beauty and The Beast 5K I have coming up at Disney. I texted a pal earlier to chat about my feelings surrounding this year’s Princess weekend at Disney. I truly thought I would feel more disappointed about not running the ½ marathon this year but after today’s run I know I did the right thing by focusing on health and weight loss this year versus training for events. During my run tonight I had some time to reflect.

I know that I am a pretty slow runner and that tonight’s accomplishment might not seem like much to some. However, for me it was huge. I ran a solid 6 miles (and change) while keeping a 12-13 minute mile pace the entire run. I would love to one day run/walk at a 9-10 minute pace but for me today was a victory. I am not even sure how it happened exactly. I hopped off road and ran my usual loop. Instead of taking the short paved path (1/2 mile or so) back to the car I just turned around and re-ran my loop in the other direction.

I will admit that the second loop was mostly downhill as the first loop was mostly uphill. I was able to gain a lot of speed during the second loop (and confidence) and found that I continued to run at a greater speed not only downhill but also on the flat surfaces as well as the inclines. I listened to some cheesy old school jams (Ice Ice Baby, Pump Up the Jam, Can’t Touch This and other fabulous lame early 90s tunes) and sort of zoned out. If the sun hadn’t threatened to set on me I might have even attempted to do both loops a second time. It’s one of my goals for the future for sure. When I finally made it back to the car I felt incredibly tired, content, and accomplished. I can honestly say, I think, it may have been the best run I have ever been on.

I know that my co-workers, especially my very patient boss and my across the hall pal, are probably sick of hearing me sing the praises of Bikram yoga every single day but I am fully crediting those classes for my new found running ability. I used to write a lot about how my legs were willing to carry me but my breathing was “spazzy” and all over the place. I feel like I have more control over my lungs, breathing, and just my body overall. This revelation makes me so incredibly excited to continue running and practicing yoga.

After this epic (well epic for me) run I was pretty much starving. I came home and made one of the hub’s faves, cashew chicken and brown rice. I am finally settling in to finish up some school work and bond with my TIVO.

What does your weekly workout routine look like?

My Anti-Valentine

I LOVE love but hate Valentine’s Day. It’s totally weird, I know. The hubs and I make a big deal out of our anniversary but have never been huge fans of V-Day. Sure, I love all of the red and pink of course, any excuse for chocolate, and a day totally dedicated to being mooshy and sweet. However, Valentine’s Day and I are just not on the up and up. I used to think I was all alone in my way of thinking until I met my pal Kristen a few years ago. Finally, another happily married (and happily pregnant) girl who shares my sentiments on V-Day. She is my anti-Valentine. A few years ago Kris and I accidentally went out on Valentine’s for shopping, a movie, and burgers at TGI Fridays. We thought it was really funny to be together amongst a sea of couples so every Valentine’s Day weekend we abandon our husbands and have a girl’s day out. It’s just how we roll. 😉

On Sunday I headed up to Roanoke to meet with Kristen for our annual Anti-Valentine’s Day date. We started off at TJ Maxx where I scored some adorable J-Lo shades for $7.00 (YAY!!!!!) and this amazing Le Creuset casserole dish. My fellow cooking gals (and guys) will appreciate the fabulousness of this bake ware. And you know I love a deal so I nabbed this gem for under $15.00!

After a morning of bargain hunting Kristen and I made our way over to Fork In The Alley. You have heard me mention this place before, and again before that. I pretty much love it.

I had planned my meals perfectly so I could treat myself to a hot dog and fries. I literally do not remember the last time I had a hot dog and, not to oversell it, the hotdogs at Fork In the Alley are pretty much the best hotdogs on the entire planet earth. They come in several fun varieties but I stuck with the “All American” dog. Heck yeah!

Lunch was the perfect time for some girl talk and catching up. There is nothing better than a heart to heart with a great friend. Suddenly stressful things seem so much less daunting and you end up giggling and warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe it was a perfect Valentine’s after all!

We made our way over to the mall to pick up some Spring-y items for my upcoming trip to FL (photos coming soon!). I was stoked to learn I have dropped a size in Old Navy Clothes and also to find an amazing Tommy Hilfiger skirt for $6.00 at Macys (SCORE!).

All in all it was a perfect Anti-Valentines day out. As for the “real” V-Day the hubs and I spent it watching Netflix and trying to have a laugh about all of the drama we have had flowing in our paths lately. I guess the important lesson to take from this weekend is “All You Need Is Love” ;). How do YOU like to celebrate or not celebrate Valentine’s Day?

A Slow Paced Saturday (Plus Weekly Weigh in #6)

This week has been a little bit rough. I have some personal (yup too personal for the blog right now) stuff going on and I really wanted to use today to recover from my fast paced week. I packed up the wonderbug bright and early and headed out for the morning. I made sure all of the essentials (purse, yoga bag, yoga mat, water, vitamin water, breakfast, etc) were all good to go since I would not have time to stop back by my house. I am amazed at my ability to be so prepared so early on a Saturday morning!

My first stop was Weight Watchers for my week 6 weigh in. I really busted my booty this week in terms of my workouts. I pushed myself hard, didn’t eat any of the resulting activity points, and made sure to get in tons of fresh veggies and fruits. I had myself all geared up for a stellar result but got this instead…

Week      +/-        Total lost

6               -0.2          21.2

Which makes my overall stats:

Week            +/-          Total Lost

1                   -10.8         10.8

2                   -3.2            14

3                   -3.0             17

4                  -1.0              18

5                  -3.0              21

6                 -0.2              21.2

I normally try (try try try) to take my number in stride. I really do. However, today to say I was disappointed is an understatement. I was pissed. My Weight Watchers leader was really supportive and answered my questions about how this complete injustice occurred. Her explanations made perfect sense but I am still upset. I feel like when you consider calories in versus calories out I should have had a three pound lost at least! I worked so hard this week and truly pushed myself. A 0.2 pound loss feels like a slap in the face. I know I should not be bitching about this. I posted a three pound loss last week and am seeing great changes in my strength and body shape. However, people feel the way they feel and this made me feel like crap. I feel like this early in the process a 0.2 pound loss should not be happening. I wanted to grab a latte and a scone after this less than stellar weigh in but instead I read over my Weight Watchers materials for the week, ate a quick breakfast of organic peanut butter on whole grain, and headed downtown to my Bikram yoga class.

Class was amazing as it usually is. My mind was all over the place when I first went in and I was really dwelling on the weigh-in. However, a few poses into the practice and I felt myself calm down. I worked really hard and even managed to get a little further into some of the poses than I have in the past. This is such a great practice and a wonderful studio. I truly feel at home/ at ease there now which is so unlike me. I have been at my current gym for over two years and still do not feel totally comfortable there. Plus, I can feel and see myself change from week to week with yoga. I am so glad I worked it into my routine. After class I was pretty much famished so I stopped at Subway to grab lunch for the hubs and I. I chose chicken on flatbread with loads of veggies and some Sunchips. I have not had Sunchips in forever and they were really yummy. And of course my gigantic water bottle made an appearance.

After our quick lunch the hubs left for his afternoon bike ride and I decided a bubble bath was in order. After the week (and super hard class) I had it was much needed. I also took in my trusty copy of Rachael Ray to get in some reading. Ya’ll know how much I heart that lady!

The hubs and I had a little date night planned so I got dressed in a super cute sweater I picked up in Dallas last fall and we headed out.

We headed out to an E A R L Y dinner. I am talking Golden Girls early. We were trying to avoid the Valentines weekend crowd. Mission accomplished as we pulled into one of my favorite local places, Neighbor’s Place, around 5:00.

I was totally craving a Spinach salad so I ordered one topped with yummy piping hot grilled chicken. It was pretty fantastic. I love it when restaurants have open kitchens. Its cool to watch how quickly they can get everything cooked up. They are the ultimate multi-taskers!

Since it was Saturday (yay Saturday!!) the hubs and I decided to share this amazing piece of chocolate cake. Even between the two of us we could not finish it.

Let me tell you a little something about said amazing cake- It tasted wonderful but was too much for my tummy to handle. We were barely to the car and I was sick with a capital S. It’s not that I never indulge, because I do. I have a piece of chocolate on Wednesday nights and pretty much an item or two I have been craving on Saturdays. However, I am apparently going to have to be a little more choosey because my body has started to change in terms of what it will tolerate. The hubs and I sort of marveled at what a difference six weeks makes.

The hubs and I ditched our original plan to see a movie and instead watched “The Killers” on DVD with my fave Katherine Hiegel at home. We capped off the night with a trip to Old Navy. The hubs promised me some new yoga pants and I was ready to collect. I somehow ended up with an entire new outfit. Not sure how that happened. 😉 (photos coming soon).

We headed home and are currently bonding with our TIVO. My relaxing Saturday is just what I needed. Check back tomorrow for my re-cap of my Anti-Valentines date with fabulous fave Kristen.

Have a Happy and Healthy Weekend!

Berry Good Pancakes

After seeing this post on Diana’s blog “The Chic Life” (which I just love btw) I decided I absolutely had to have some fresh raspberry topping for something. I didn’t care if it was pancakes, waffles, French toast, or ice cream (ok just kidding about the ice cream) but I was on a mission to make this raspberry sauce happen. Since there was all ready some Fiber One pancake mix on hand I decided those would be the canvas for my beautiful pink creation!

 

The initial recipe involved lemon (which I don’t love) and was intended to be not too sweet. Since the hubs is a “purist” (ahem) when it comes to pancakes I knew I would need to sweeten the recipe up a touch. I also had to figure out how to do that without adding too many extra calories as my next weekly weigh in is looming. However, any way you like your syrup this super fast method is the cat’s meow!

 

First- wash and rinse a container of fresh strawberries. We try to go organic with berries whenever humanly possible. You can also use frozen berries (simply gently heat them in a pan to room temperature).

 

Next-add ¼ cup sugar free “maple” syrup per container of raspberries (I snuck in an extra squirt for the hubs)

 

Blend your berry/syrup mixture for several seconds

 

Add the mixture to a sauce pan and warm through.

 

While I had to make a few changes to the original I think the spirit of the recipe remained intact as this was a fantastic addition to the nutty goodness of the whole grain pancakes!

 

We even have some left over for some banana French toast this weekend! YUM! How do you like your pancakes?

Free Chocolate!! (Adora Review and Giveaway)

I would like to think that I am not alone in not being crazy about taking dietary supplements in the mornings. I feel like I am doing really well to get my multivitamin down. With that said, and I hate to admit this, I was getting somewhat lax in taking my much needed daily calcium supplement. For starters, I felt like they were the size of my head, difficult to get down after taking my vitamin, and, to a degree, I felt a little like my Nana. Luckily, over the summer while in Chicago I discovered Adora Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements.

As you are probably already aware, calcium is incredibly important (especially for women). Aside from the obvious, (strong teeth and bones) it is also an essential component of muscle contraction, and without it muscles cramp more easily. (I am thinking hard workouts and PMS misery here girls). In addition, calcium plays a huge role during pregnancy as it helps that little bun in the oven to develop strong bones. Basically, we ladies need it and simply (normally) do not get enough of it. When we don’t get enough of it our bodies “steal” it from our bones leaving them weaker and us more susceptible to issues in the future.

Adora is a fun product because it combines the calcium and vitamin D we need with the chocolate we love. Adora has these yummy little chocolate discs that, when taken correctly, provide up to 50% of the daily value of calcium plus vitamin D and magnesium for optimal absorption. Plus for those of us on eating plans/diets they are only 30 calories per disc so you can easily fit them into your day.

I am sure you are wondering (as I was): How do they taste? I can honestly say, they are yummy. I have no problems taking them daily. In fact, I like the sweet little kick after lunch. Adora comes in two flavors dark chocolate (really good) and milk chocolate (my fave). Their formula was developed by chocolatier Thompson Brands so there is no “medicinal” type after taste like a lot of vitamin products have. They are gluten free, lactose free (in the dark variety), and made from all natural premium chocolate. They aren’t at all chalky or gritty, and I personally prefer them infinitely to choking down a huge calcium pill in the mornings. Plus they are cute and easy to tuck in your purse or lunch bag.

Since this is a product I personally use and enjoy, I was excited when the great people at Adora offered to send some for review and a giveaway for one lucky Running In Pink Project reader. If you would like to try Adora Chocolate calcium and Vitamin D Supplements (with a bag of each milk and dark chocolate to be sent directly to the winner by Adora) simply enter following the instructions below. The winner will be announced Wednesday February 16^th. Good Luck!

There are several ways to enter. Please leave a comment for each since it increases your chances to win! (Winner will be chosen via random number generator).

1. “Like” Running In Pink Project on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know you’ve done so.
2. Add Running In Pink Project to your Blog Roll and leave a comment letting me know you’ve done so.
3. Check out the Adora Website and leave a comment letting me know why you’d like to try this product
4. Re-post, retweet, etc this giveaway and leave a comment letting me know you’ve done so

Good Luck!!!

*Disclaimer: I was given this product to try for free for the purpose of a review/giveaway but the opinions expressed here are my own.

Fancy Sammie

I am pretty sure things with fun or fancy names taste better. For example, I could have called tonight’s dinner open faced egg sandwiches with amaretto berries. Instead, I decided to use the term Croque Madames with boozy berry parfaits. A fun name for a fun (and easy) dinner!

The first thing I did is wash up some strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Aren’t they gorgeous?!?!

For the two servings of berries (one for me and one for the hubs) I added ¼ cup of amaretto and let the berries “marinate” while I prepared the rest of dinner.

The final step was adding the freshly soaked “boozy” berries to a fun glass and topping with fat free whipped cream. YUM! I love any excuse to eat pretty much anything out of a fun glass. 😉

While the boozy berries are an excellent guest star, the main event tonight were the amazing (if I do say so myself) Croque Madames I prepared. I skipped a few of the traditional steps (as I was in a hurry and starving) but these little sammies made a big splash in my house tonight!

To start, toast up some whole grain bread in the oven with olive oil at 350 degrees for 17 minutes. Once it’s ready thinly spread on some organic blackberry preserves.

Next add on 2-3 slices of thinly sliced deli ham (I used natural honey ham tonight).

On top of the ham add a white cheese or white cheese “sauce”. I chose one of my favorites, muenster.

The final ingredient is a runny (or not so much if that grosses you out) egg.

Bust out the knife and fork for this protein packed gem!

This meal was a huge success with everyone in the Running In Pink Project household and has definitely won a spot on my faves list! Give it a try for a super simple, incredibly filling, pseudo fancy dinner in a rush!

Junk Food Hangover

After the weekend (especially Super Bowl weekend) it is not uncommon for people to overindulge a touch, or a lot. After having a little too much Mexican dip and brownies at my movie night party over the weekend I woke up Sunday with a “junk food hangover”. I actually woke up thinking chips sounded like a fine breakfast idea. Totally gross I know. However, I have a fool proof plan for overcoming the all-too-common junk food hangover and getting back on track.

 

First, start your day with a gentle (yet filling) fruit smoothie. Mine contained 1 large banana, ¾ cup organic vanilla yogurt, 2 tablespoons of V8 Fusion, and as much fruit as I could stand (peaches, mango, strawberries, pineapple, and grapes). This little boost not only had a full day’s worth of fruit but also started my day off on a great note!

Next, make sure lunch is something super filling yet wholesome and healthy. I chose an Amy’s Texas Style veggie burger on a sandwich thin with pickles, roasted garlic hummus, arugula, tomato slices, and a touch of shredded cheddar. I had a beautiful bowl of fresh berries on the side. This meal was so flavorful even my carnivore hubs got in on the action!

Besides great food it is important to get back out there and get some physical activity. You need to burn off those extra indulgences from the night before! On Sunday I chose a 4 mile off road run. I rarely go off road in the evenings and I could get over just how beautiful everything seemed!

Finally, end on a good note! I had tons of water and made a healthy (yet yummy) sandwich to eat while I watched the big game. You can find the recipe HERE.

At the end of the day the best way to beat a junk food hangover is to remind yourself; today is another day. You can start fresh, eat clean, and get back on track!

How do YOU get back on track after over indulging?