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?

Read Full Post »

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!

Read Full Post »

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!

Read Full Post »

Weekly Weigh-In #5

I can’t believe I have been on the Weight Watchers program for five weeks. 2011 seems to be flying by. On Saturday morning my pal Siobhan and I decided to work an extra Bikram yoga class into our week. So, I headed out VERY early to get my week 5 results. Here is what went down….

Week      +/-        Total lost

5               -3.0          21

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

I am thrilled to be over the 20 pound mark. While I still have a LONG way to go it feels like I have hit a significant milestone. To celebrate this “mini goal” the hubs and I are heading out this week to buy some brand new yoga pants! I will hit my next personal milestone in 10 lbs. I feel incredibly empowered and motivated to stay on this journey. I am only 4 lbs away from my “lightest” 2010 weight when things derailed. It’s exciting to get to the point where I feel like I am no longer taking care of “re-losing” weight but rather moving forward. I can’t wait to see where I go next. For those keeping track, the hubs picked up Florence and The Machine for me this week. 😉 Happy Weekend!

Read Full Post »

Sandwich Meets Fork

I thought I would torture entertain all of you living with the feet upon feet of snow with a little photo look see at my trail run/walk today. It was a clear beautiful 45 degrees and the trail was packed. I love how beautiful and blue the sky looked. Other than some super tight calves in the beginning and some toe pain near the end I could have stayed out there for hours. (Well except for that pesky sun setting thing). These little bursts of nice weather remind me there is an end to the winter in sight.

When I got home I was starving so I decided to make a dish I have been interested in trying for quite some time. My gal Rachael Ray made this on 30 Minute Meals ages ago and I thought it looked really yummy. She calls it a “Cuban Hash” since it incorporates the elements of a Cuban sandwich. You can find her recipe HERE. Due to my eating plan I made several adjustments to this super easy to make knife and fork kind of sammie.

-I started by toasting up some whole grain bread in the oven with olive oil, chopping 1 medium onion, and chopping 3 links of lean andouille sausage (none of it is super lean so just do your best).

-Next I substituted ground turkey for ground pork and heated it in a skillet with cumin, all spice, salt and pepper. After it was slightly browned I tossed in the chopped onions.

-After this cooked up I added in the sausage

-After 2-3 minutes I added 2 ½ tablespoons of tomato paste and allowed it to cook through for 1-2 minutes

-Next, I poured in ½ bottle of beer (even the cheap stuff will do) and let it cook out for 3-4 minutes before reducing the heat

-As the beer cooked out I made my “relish” which was some chopped dill pickles and yellow mustard (simple yet oh so effective)

And just like that it was time to build the knife and fork sandwich

-Use toast at the base

-Pile on a couple scoops of the meat and onions

-Add a slice of 2% Swiss cheese

-Pile on the chunky homemade relish

-Top with a fried egg (Yum!)

Bust out the knife and fork because this little guy is packed with way too much awesome goodness to pick up! It was a great filling meal, was healthy with our modifications, and is totally guy friendly! Enjoy!!

Read Full Post »

Recovery Food

Several of you have asked via email whether or not I am still taking the Bikram Yoga classes, as I have not posted about them in a while. The answer is yes! I am still completely in love with the hot yoga (and still totally bad at it). 😉 The funny thing is, while I am very hard on myself in other aspects of my life I feel totally comfortable learning and practicing yoga at my own pace. I am not trying to “please” anyone but myself in those 90 minutes and maybe that is where the appeal comes from. I just love the feeling that comes from pushing myself so hard that I can only concentrate on the moment. Plus, our instructors are very positive and make me feel as though I am truly doing something good for myself with each visit.

While I trained for the Wine and Dine ½ marathon last year I learned a little about recovery foods. With a long difficult run I find that chocolate milk is exactly what I am craving to feel better. With yoga it is a little different.  When I get home from my 90-minute Bikram yoga sessions my body is completely worn out yet energized all at once. I am also struggling to overcome nausea, which I think is a result of the heat as well as the crazy amount of calories burned during a session. I have a very specific formula to get me back on track!

First, I start sipping on calorie free vitamin water (or coconut water) as I leave class. It’s a good way to re-hydrate naturally without having to use a sports drink (which I do sometimes use with running).

Next, the hubs prepares my “perfect” post yoga meal: A grilled cheese made with whole grain bread, olive oil, and 2% cheese. He bakes this in the oven for me until it is golden brown and yummy.

I also feel like I need a touch of sugar so we added 1 tsp of natural blackberry preserves for dipping and a side of fruit.

Finally, my body is craving salt so I toss a couple of small pickles on the side.

This might sound like a weird combination but it has definitely become my post yoga ritual.

Do you have any weird post workout food preferences? What do you eat to recover from a strenuous workout?

Read Full Post »

Sushi + Cupcake =Perfection

Hello readers! Thank you for the emails and messages over the weekend. I decided to take a 2 day blog break to have a little date time with my husband. After getting in the habit of writing daily, a blog free weekend was a little weird but a nice change of pace. However, I am glad to be back and ready to dish all about our fabulous Saturday date day.

The hubs and I were up extra early Saturday to make the hour’s drive up to Roanoke, Va for the day. I was pretty much thrilled that the weather had warmed up enough that I didn’t have to lug a winter coat around all day. We also popped the sunroof for a bit which was an extra bonus.

You might be wondering why we traveled an hour when there are plenty of good places to grab lunch and shop where we live. Well I will tell you in a word…Wasabi’s. Wasabi’s is a small restaurant in downtown Roanoke. A friend of mine took me a few months ago and I have been hooked ever since. It’s a cute little place with very cozy decor. I think its the perfect place for a fun lunch.

They serve what my friends and I affectionately refer to as “the good sushi” and this trip did not disappoint. In order to stay on my weight loss plan I allow myself one planned indulgence every Saturday. I had been craving sushi for weeks and I knew exactly where I wanted to get it. I was all smiles as I waited patiently for my plate of sushi goodness to arrive.

This little joint filled up quickly but I barely noticed anything after my little plate of heaven made it’s way to the table. 😉

I highly recommend making a stop by Wasabi’s should you ever find yourself in the Roanoke area. It was delish! After lunch, the hubs and I did some shopping. I found some really cute things I plan on taking to FL at the end of the month as well as a complete steal on a “Lucky Brand” necklace. I love a good bargain. Once we were all shopped out we moseyed over to the moves to watch “Black Swan” (totally weird btw but I enjoyed it) and decided to round out our day of fun with a cupcake. We headed over to Bubblecake (my most favorite cupcakes on the planet) and nabbed some cupcakes to go.

Did you eat anything fantastic over the weekend? Tell me about it!

Read Full Post »

Weekly Weigh-In # 4 and Month’s End Stats

So, today marks the official one month mark that I have been on my new diet/workout program. I was up super early Saturday morning to get my official way-in done. Here are this week’s stats….

Week      +/-        Total lost

4               -1.0          18

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

I will admit I was a little disappointed with just a 1 pound loss. I feel like I have SO far to go and that 1 pound is just a drop in a pretty gigantic bucket. However, when I look at the month as a whole 18 pounds is a very respectable loss for one month. I was also pretty excited to learn I have lost 4 inches from my waist! What’s more, I think looking at my overall appearance is a motivating factor. In just 4 weeks my skin looks better, I am less “puffy” and I am starting to feel more confident about the process. Here is a quick comparison look at my starting photos and my current photos….

I am excited to get February started and see where the next month of my journey takes me. In terms of NSV (non scale victories) my February goals include:

1. Trying a Zumba class
   
2. Making certain I eat my points (no daily points left behind)
   
3. Incorporating more fruits and veggies into my daily routine
   
4. Being conscious of my bread/crackers intake
   
5. Taking a multivitamin daily!
   

Also, for those keeping track of my little arrangement with the hubs, this week I chose Lady GaGa “The Fame Monster.

I now return you to
regular food/fitness blogging! Happy Monday!

Read Full Post »

To Kill a Craving Part II

So today I was having a very specific craving. This craving was so vivid and so specific I could almost literally taste it. Way back in August at HLS one of the trainings mentioned when you have a craving you should try to indulge it as best you can. They did not mean, of course, that this gives you a license to eat junk. Instead it means to indulge the craving as healthfully as possible so you do not eat a million calories in other stuff that never quite hits the spot. I think this makes all of the sense in the world.

However, what do you do when your craving is of the super unhealthy variety? Today, I was faced with such a dilemma. I could not shake the craving for a Melt and Shoe String fries from Steak and Shake with a side of ranch and a soda. Ahem. Very specific (and a little gross).

Ahhh Steak and Shake. This is a joint that has steak burgers, double steak burgers, crispy fries, and heavenly milk shakes. It is also a place that a dieter dare not enter, at least not this one. Fries are kind of my weakness. I was not going to indulge my Steak and Shake craving for a couple of reasons 1. We don’t have Steak and Shakes where I live. And 2. More importantly, I was not willing to give up the 1390 calories and 93 grams of fat this meal entails. In fact, just the thought makes me nervous.

So, I set out to curb my craving with my own recipe of BBQ turkey burger “melts”. Here is the method:

-Pre heat your oven to heat up some sweet potato fries or organic shoe string potatoes. (I’m in desperate need of new bake ware. Ick!)

-Heat up 1 slice of turkey bacon per person. While the bacon cooks up combine the following: 1 lb of lean ground turkey, 3 tablespoons of BBQ sauce, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 2 grated gloves of garlic, 1 ½ teaspoons of chili powder, 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs, ¼ cup diced onion.

-Heat up 2 slices of bread lightly brushed with butter or olive oil. I like olive oil but if you don’t like the taste use butter. Heat at 350 degrees for 17 minutes.

-Grill up your turkey burger patties in a touch of olive oil.

-Next assemble your melt. Place 1 slice of bacon on the patty and 1 slice of cheese on top of that. Place some pickles on the bottom piece of toast, add meat/cheese combo, add veggies, and add the top piece of toast spread with condiments.

This was a super filling meal that fell well within my allotted points plus/ calories. Also, it totally killed my Steak and Shake craving. Do you have a craving you want me to help you kill? Email me at runninginpinkproject@gmail.com and I will hook you up on a future blog!

Read Full Post »

No Peeking

Since starting Weight Watchers at the beginning of the month I have been trying to get into the mind frame of weighing only once a week. However, last week I found myself weighing daily all super crazy psycho style. I literally could not wait to haul my little self into the bathroom to get my official number for the day. I would get up in the morning, jet to the bathroom, strip down, and hop on the scale. I would then obsess about the number, redress, and start my morning routine. I know some of you have been there. This small little device was/ is making me a crazy person.

It’s not the scale’s fault per se. He is, after all, only doing his job. The problem came with the idea that with a gain (even just a couple ounces) or not a big enough loss I was starting off my day grumpy and frustrated. Never mind that my official weigh-in was a steady 3-pound loss. I was preoccupied with the daily weigh-in. In fact, this happened to me just this morning with an alleged 4 ounce gain since Saturday.

I am so conflicted about this. Part of me wants to weigh daily and track my weight during the week. I feel like it might teach me something about my body. For example, I know I weigh much less the day after yoga due to fluid loss. I weigh more after my indulgent meal on Saturday’s usually due to sodium. I could go on and on. However, the other part of me thinks this is obsessive behavior, which can hinder the growth process, and I should stick to a Saturday only weigh in philosophy.

Next week, I plan to experiment and leave the scale in the hubs home office for the week. I want to see how not obsessing during the week impacts my ultimate outcome. Truthfully, I want to start working to correct the negative behaviors that have gotten me into this situation to begin with. I want to find health, both physical and mental, in regard to my weight loss/fitness project. I think a huge part of that is changing disordered behaviors regarding food, eating, weighing, and working out.

Do you personally feel weighing daily is helpful or harmful to the weight loss process?

Read Full Post »