53/52 Days (Jennie)

Stress... stress... STRESS!!! I am a busy gal, I always am burning the candle at both ends, so to speak, and once every so often I get burn out. Work has been extra busy lately with multiple large projects deploying at the same time. I think I'm finally coming to the realization that summer is drawing to a close (at least as far as the kiddos starting up school again) and we didn't get a chance to do anything or go anywhere. Cry me a river, I know... it's not like I'm the only person on the planet right now not getting to take a summer vacation. We have our health, our jobs, our home, so I'm really trying not to make this sound like a big deal that it isn't, but bear with me. Knowing that school is here once again and we're once again back to the craziness of team sports, homework, and all the other activities that come with it, without any R&R is a bit of a bummer. The kiddos were throwing a fit tonight about dinner (hubby's galumpke is not their favorite), they made a huge mess upstairs while we were making dinner. None of it is all that big of a deal... really... but I'm human and sometimes all the little things add up to make a cranky mommy.

So it made me start thinking about exercise and stress reduction. As tempting as it is to skip a workout or sleep in a little later because I'm tired, it's generally not worth it. So what makes it so great?

• Endorphins! Your body's natural feel-good response- this is the "runner's high" you hear about so often.
• Mood! This is totally unscientific here, but I know that if I don't get my workout in, I spend the rest of the day kicking myself (psychologically) for missing it. Not worth the extra hour of sleep. 
• Self-Esteem! I feel better about me when I take care of me. Again, not scientific here, but when I feel better about me, I have more confidence, which helps me to deal with stressful situations better.
• Focus! Exercise helps me focus and tackle my day. I challenge myself to keep pushing physically and get over mental hurdles, which helps later in the day as well. Warm-up, stretching and cool-down gives me time to think, whether it's about the workout ahead or the day ahead.
• And so many more...

Food for the days (you know you're in a rut when you're eating identical meals breakfast and lunch)
Breakfast 8/07 and 08/08: post-workout smoothie (spinach, vanilla protein powder, blueberries and unsweetened almond milk)
AM Snack 8/07 and 08/08: coffee and homemade banana bread (got to get rid of this stuff- I keep eating it!)
Lunch 08/07 and 08/08: salad with grilled chicken and ranch dressing
PM Snack 08/07: handful of almonds and granola bar
PM Snack 08/08: granola bar and a peach
Dinner 08/07: unscheduled stop at Chevy's... had some chips (noooo!) and a big salad
Dinner 8/08: hubby's galumpke
No dessert either day. Still trying to make up for the chips last night and splurging at the BBQ this weekend.

Total calories in 08/08: 1735
Total calories in 08/07: I'm guessing about 2500, although I honestly didn't track it. Darn chips and salsa did me in, I really need to work on willpower there!
Calories burned 08/08: 2300
Calories burned 08/07: 2385
Workout 08/08: P90X Chest and Back
Workout 08/02:P90X Kenpo. It was supposed to be a rest day- but trying to make up for lost time last week. My hands couldn't handle back-to-back pullup days. ;)

61 Days (Jennie)

Tick-tock, tick-tock... officially less than 2 months til the big day! I was proud of this morning's workout, I've been able to knock out pushups pretty well lately. It sounds cheesy, but I had a pushup epiphany in a way. I used to push up, then lock my elbows and hold for a second, then go again. I'm now pushing up, but not locking my elbows and immediately going down again. This has really allowed me to do a lot more, which is awesome. I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner. It's amazing what a difference a small form change can make!

Food for the day
Breakfast: protein shake with 2 cups spinach, a banana, vanilla protein powder and unsweetened almond milk
Morning snack: coffee and a handful of almonds
Lunch: salad with grilled chicken breast and ranch dressing
Afternoon snack: granola bar and a few more almonds
Dinner: I splurged a bit on a burger. BUT, on the bright side, I was able to bypass the fries, except stealing a few from the kiddos, which I counted!
Dessert: I made granola for the hubby and sampled a bit while it was baking (quality control purposes!)


My hubby loves granola with his yogurt for breakfast. I forgot to pick it up at the store one day and felt bad, so I figured I'd try to make it myself. I looked up a few recipes online and pulled together a quick little recipe that he loves. He actually won't buy the store kind any longer. Darn, what did I get myself into? :)

Bad photo... but good granola!

Homemade Granola with Fruit

2 c. old fashioned oats (these will yield a better texture than the quick cook kind)
1 c. sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 c. almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 c. walnuts, roughly chopped
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 c. oil (any neutral oil should work- I used canola tonight, but may try coconut next time)
1/3 c. honey
1 c. dried cranberries, rehydrated in boiling water for a few minutes

Preheat oven to 275F.

Combine oats, coconut, almonds, walnuts and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk together oil and honey, add to oat mixture. I will sometimes add a small amount of brown sugar for some added sweetness. Spread on to a baking sheet or shallow casserole dish, bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. I wait to add the cranberries in the last 15 minutes of cooking so they aren't too dried out.

The beauty of this recipe is that it's very forgiving and easy to tailor to your taste. Add additional spices, remove the cinnamon if it's not to your liking. Add different fruit (fresh blueberries work well), different nuts (pecans?), even chocolate if you're really looking for a tasty treat! Hubby likes the granola a little sweeter, so I will add a little extra brown sugar (1 T or so). For dried fruit, I recommend rehydrating first, to avoid the fruit drying out to little fruit pebbles. Place fruit in a bowl, cover with water and microwave for 5 minutes, then I add about 15 minutes before the granola is done. Enjoy!

Total calories in: 1725
Calories burned: 2350
Workout: P90X Chest and Back

67 Days (Jennie)

Just 67 days til the All Mighty Mudder! I started back today with day 1 of P90X. My intent is to slow down on the super intense cardio for a bit and focus on lifting heavier weights to build upper body strength. I also hope to shake these last few pounds by keeping my target heart rate a little lower. I am following Tony Horton's advice and keeping track of number of reps and total pounds, but on a spreadsheet instead of a notebook. Because that's how us nerdy analyst chicks roll!

Food for the day
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (3) with spinach and a little blue cheese. Yes, it sounds like a weird combo, but it works. At least if you like blue cheese! I also had some unsweetened grapefruit and coffee.
Lunch: Leftover cheese pizza from the one I made on Saturday. It didn't reheat well- I should have just fed it to the dogs.
Afternoon snack: Red grapes- I love those tasty little guys. They really satiate my sweet tooth without the guilt.
Dinner: Zucchini "spaghetti" and chicken meatballs
Dessert: small fruit smoothie with strawberries, banana, carrots and peaches

zucchinighetti?

Hubby and the kiddos have been craving pasta for quite some time, which I've been trying to avoid. It's not that I'm following a primal eating plan 100%, but I have found things that I can cut out fairly easily. I do like pasta, but I'm not really missing it either. Amazing fresh pasta aside, I am typically boiling it from a box that's been up in my cupboard for a month or more, so it's not exactly a super flavorful thing on its own. I boiled whole wheat pasta for hubby and the kiddos and sliced 3 small zucchini very thin length-wise and boiled for a few minutes for myself. This was topped with sauce and chicken meatballs. I do make meatballs from scratch sometimes, these happened to be a find at the grocery store that were sampled out and everyone liked. They were pre-cooked and only needed to be reheated, which I did in the pasta sauce. I love to cook, but really appreciate shortcuts during the busy workweek. It turned out well and honestly, I didn't miss the pasta or the calories!

Total calories in: 1750
Calories burned: 2250
Workout: P90X Chest and Back