Prepping for a fun, healthy vacation!

Does following a clean eating/healthy lifestyle ever make you feel like a religious zealot?

Might sound like a silly question, but I've been feeling that way a lot lately! It can be trying sometimes, to be the one who is always turning down dinner rolls, breadsticks, or an after-dinner treat. It's all right- I don't mind being a weirdo, and I'm one of those people who likes to really entrench myself when I am passionate about something; I'm very passionate about healthy eating! I also know it can be easy for me to "fall off the wagon", so I'm just going to go ahead and strap myself on the damn wagon. :)

These thoughts have been floating around because of several recent and upcoming events- my birthday (it was May 8th!), celebrations with friend, and our upcoming Anniversary vacation! My hubs and I are headed to Washington DC and the surrounding area (Arlington, VA and Charlottesville, VA) for an almost-5 year wedding anniversary celebration. We've been looking forward to this trip ever since we planned it this past winter- a chance to travel together, relax, see sights, visit with a couple of close friends... gosh I can't wait!

In prepping for our trip last week, several panicked thoughts struck me-

What if I can't find anything to eat?! (Healthy, local/organic & fresh)

How will I exercise?!

Mike laughed at me when I asked him these things, and essentially said, "It's a vacation! We'll eat whatever we want and we'll relax!" While I will definitely be allowing myself more treats, and will try to be ok with not going to the gym every day, I will definitely NOT enjoy myself if I am feeling overly-full, or if I over-do it on the gluten, cheese, sodium, or sugar! That, combined with the fact that I now eat every 3-4 hours and get supa-cranky if I don't eat, is why I decided to plan ahead and pack a carry-on of snacks that will help fuel me throughout the week!


take a peak inside...
My Travel Food Bag:

• Good for shlepping around DC:
• Picky Bars
• Oranges
• Trail mix
• Annie's Snack Mix
• Kashi 7 Grain crackers
• Good for breakfast or a pre-dinner snack:

• Sweet Potatoes
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Dried Mangos
• Whole Foods 365 Instant Oatmeal packets
• Good for a lunch substitute
• Turkey "jerky" sticks
• Carrots
• Mini bell peppers

My Travel Fitness Plan:

I've already realized I need to come to terms with the fact that I will NOT be going to the gym every day. I will consider it lucky if I make it one day. But, we are active travelers. We will most be walking/metroing it everywhere, and lots of walking around to see sights. I'm going to get in two great workouts on Monday and Tuesday before we leave, and then plan for another weights session on Thursday. Other than that, my cardio will be coming from walking EVERYWHERE.

My workout plan for next week:
Mon- 4-6 mile run (my gym)
Tues- 1 hr weights (my gym)
Wed- lots of walking
Th- 1 of two Planet Fitness gyms in Arlington
Fri- Walking around Monticello!
Sat- Hike in Shenandoah National Park
Sun- Walking around Mt. Vernon!

I might try to get an early morning run or two in, through the neighborhood of my friends' home where we are staying for part of the trip, or possibly through the University of Virginia campus.. we'll see how that goes!

What do you think of my travel plans? 
Any tips or thoughts to share about your traveling-while-healthy experiences?

2013 Goals - Halfway point Check-in!

It's about that time, folks- it's halfway through the calendar year! Time to review the goals I set back in January and my progress towards them. Stopping to look back is always helpful, I find. Even if there are areas left to improve upon!

Health and Fitness Process goals

Work out 6 x a week for 60 minutes Have cut down to 4-5 days/week for 60 minutes, but still consistently working out! On track!

Body Stats and Calorie Intake

• Up calorie intake to 1450/day + extra workout calories 
• Progress as of 5/13/2013:  Upped to 1350 per day, considering 1400. On track!
• Maintain weight at 110 lbs +/- 2 lbs 
• Progress as of 5/13: 108 lbs! Held strong at 109-110 since mid-Feb! Beat it!

Body fat percentage: 

• 20% by 3/7/13  
• Was at 17.8% at my 3/7/13 check in! Beat it!
• 16% by 6/7/2013 Progress as of 5/13:  
• Not sure! Won't know until 6/7 On track!

Fitness Benchmark Goals

Improve run times (by 12/31/2013)

• 5k time: under 26 minutes 
• Corktown 5k in March- 25:54! Beat it!
• 10k time: under 50 minutes 
• Progress as of 5/13: 5 miler in 42:42 On track!
• Complete a Half Marathon in under 2 hours 
• Progress as of 5/13: Training is not going very well, although I am running a lot. Severe lack of long run motivation. Race-wise, I am scaling up (doing my first 10k in a few weeks) so I'll make it to 13.1 slow & steadily! On track!

13 in 2013 Challenge (by 12/31/2013)

•  Complete 13 fitness events in 2013 (see my list of events on the right)! On track!

Pull-ups (by 12/31/2013)

• Do 10 consecutive pull-ups! 
• Progress as of 5/13:  5 consecutive pulls ups! On track!

Strong Lifts (by 8/1/2013)

• Squat 150 lbs 
• Progress as of 5/13:  125 lbs On track!
• Overhead Press 70 lbs 
• Progress as of 5/13:  60 lbs On track!
• Bench Press 90 lbs 
• Progress as of 5/13:  80 lbs On track!
• Row 90 lbs 
• Progress as of 5/13:  70 lbs Needs some more work
• Deadlift 150 lbs 
• Progress as of 5/13:  125 lbs On track!

Crossing some things off my bucket list for 2013 as well- hell yeah! :) How's your year going so far?

Recipe- Healthy Banana Muffins

Now that I've incorporated a bit of wheat back into my diet, I've been looking for healthy ways to eat it. I don't really want to get back to the "pancakes for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, pasta for dinner" scenario, I just want to add a few whole grains here and there! 

This Healthy Banana Muffin recipe includes whole wheat, oats, and is very low in added sugar. There are no eggs or oil in these babies! If you're looking for a healthy breakfast on to the go, try whipping up a batch of these!

Healthy Banana & Yogurt muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup oats 
1 cup whole wheat or white wheat flour 
1.5 cups mashed bananas (3-4 bananas) 
1/4 cup brown sugar/white sugar 
1 tbsp vanilla extract 
1.5 tsp baking powder 
1 tsp baking soda 
1 pinch salt 
1 tbsp cinnamon 
1 cup applesauce 
3/4 cup no-fat plain greek yogurt 
1 cup other fruit, frozen or fresh 

Directions:

• If you have a food processor, stick the oats in a for a few minutes, until they are broken into small pieces- a bit more of a flour consistency. 
• Add oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl and sift together. 
• In a separate bowl, mash bananas, and then add applesauce, yogurt, and other fruit. 
• Mix the wet and dry ingredients together, add the vanilla extract, and bake in a greased muffin tin for 25 minutes at 400. 
• If you are cooking in a bread loaf pan, cook at 60 minutes for 350! 

Enjoy!

Race Recap- Falcon 5 Miler, Bowling Green OH

For my 4th 13 in 2013 challenge race of the year, I chose the Falcon 5 Miler in Bowling Green, Ohio! It was a fundrasier for the BGSU Track/CC Teams, which is great, and it was a 5 mile run- something I was searching for! Since I'm training for the Freep Half Marathon in October, I've been trying to plan my monthly races accordingly, so I am building up my mileage in training and in racing as well.

Race Highlights

Pre-Race Training:

I'd scaled back my running about a month ago, and had been building back up in preparation for this race. I was a bit nervous going into it that I hadn't run enough 5 mile practices to be ready, but in the 2 weeks before, I ran 2 practice 5's. In my two practice 5's I'd finished with times of 44:09 and 44:00, so for race day I was aiming for a time of 43:00.

Registration and Packet Pick-up:

Since the run was in Bowling Green (about 1 hr 5 minutes from my home), I didn't go pick up my packet early. On Friday, I changed into my race clothes and left work around 4:00pm to head down to BG. It was cold and overcast- not looking like the early Spring day I was hoping for. I'd guess it was about 40 degrees out, tops. Packet pick-up was easy and quick. Bibs were the "old-fashioned kind" where there's a perforated bottom strip that tears off, and that's where your time gets written! No fancy QR codes this time lol!

Race Day and Course:

Luckily I had packed clothing for all types of weather! I ended up going with my spandex running tights, a thermal long-sleeve shirt and my cute black and pink jacket, with a winter hat. I was worried I'd be too cold, but I'm glad I didn't layer up any more- once I started running, I warmed up pretty quickly. The race started at Sebo Athletic Center, which is attached to BGSU's Football stadium. 

I was REALLY surprised at the size of the group of runners- It seemed like less that 50 people! When I later looked at the results, the final # was 108, but that's a big difference from my last race, the 9,000+ Corktown 5K!

Everyone was bundled up pretty intensly, and we all lined up outside the stadium on the road. The began, and we  were off! We swung around the stadium and headed back towards campus, running past the student center, lots of residence halls, the library.. there were BGSU track/cc members along the course periodically with directional signs, encouraging us along! Although it was cold, they were all pretty cheery. I get a lot of motivation from a simple "Great job!" so it was nice to have strategically placed encouragement along the route! 

Another surprise was the water stop- I assumed there would be a 1.5 mile water stop and a 3 mile, but instead there was just one stop at the 2.5 mark. I ended up pushing through though, and once I got to the 3 mile mark, I was able to push myself forward- just make it to mile 4. Right before mile 4, we turned away from campus and began our approach back to the stadium. It was nice to be able to see our destination for the last mile, and I knew I could make it the rest of the way.

My Results: 

When I crossed the finish line, the clock said 42:42. I had started a few second behind the front pack, so I estimate my true time to be 42:40- awesome!!! The track/cc team members had been calling out our times each mile, so I know that I started out slow (first mile was 9:07), and built up speed after mile 1 (2nd mile 17:17, don't remember 3rd mile, 4th mile was 34:20). 

I'm really happy with my time- 42:40 is an 8:32/mile average, which is pretty great for a 5 mile run! Also, I'm proud to say that I ran the entire race- no stops, no walking. THAT is an accomplishment!

Race Swag: 

All race registrants got a Falcon 5 Miler t-shirt! They are uni-sex shirts, which is disapointing because they don't fit too flatteringly, but oh well. 

Overall Thoughts:

I really enjoyed my first 5 mile race! I wish the weather had been warmer, but there's no controlling that! Both participants and track/cc team members were friendly, helpful, and encouraging. The race was well organized, and it was kind of fun to run through campus. Overall, a cold-but-well worth it race day.

If you're looking for a small, friendly Spring race that raises money so others can run, consider the Falcon 5 Miler next year!

Race Day! Falcon 5 Miler

Today I am headed out for my 4th 13 in 2013 race this year- the Falcon Five Miler at Bowling Green State University! I'm excited and a little bit anxious for it, but looking forward nonetheless. I've run more than 9 miles at a time- I can do a 5 miler! These two things have been bouncing around in my head for the last several days, pre-race. I think "Ain't No Tired!" ala Tony Horton is my new race mantra to keep me pushing through.

I'll be checking in post-race to with a re-cap so stay tuned! :) Happy Friday!

How Whole30 Changed the Way I Eat

It's been over 2 months since I completed my first-ever Whole30 program. Time flies! Today I'm taking a look back to where I started my Whole30, where I ended on January 30th, where I am now in terms of eating habits, and where I'd like to be.

As a reminder, Whole30 is essentially a 30 day commitment to eliminate inflammatory and unhealthy foods from your diet. This includes getting rid of gluten and all grains, beans and legumes, soy and dairy, as well as added sugar and alcohol. Bascially a BIG focus on meat protein, vegetables and fruit.

Jan 1st, 2013- Started Whole30
I started my Whole 30 experience on January 1st, 2013. I had a definite sugar addition, I was still eating a lot of gluten and dairy, and not REALLY connecting the gross feelings I had after eating them with the foods themselves.

I was eating what I thought was a lot of vegetables, but still filling in with a lot of bread products, which was again causing irritation and inflammation.

Jan 30th, 2013- Post Whole30 Results
The best result of Whole30, for me, was that it really helped me to identify foods that cause inflammation in my body. I can objectively look at foods like pizza or big chunks of bread, and know the feelings of discomfort I will experience after eating them. That's powerful, to have reconnected with those signals my body is sending.

I chose to willing divorce several parts of Whole30 that don't currently fit into my lifestyle. One was complete elimination of dairy- I still wanted to have limited dairy in my life. The other part was the amount of meat I was eating. When you're on Whole 30, you eat a LOT of meat! It's expensive, and as a former vegetarian who wants to source as much of my meat in a local, organic way I didn't feel like it was really necessary for me to eat THAT much meat.

April 8th, 2013- 2 months post Whole30
The biggest part of Whole30 that I've carried on with me is saying no to inflammatory foods like dairy and gluten products. While I have re-introduced limited dairy into my diet (greek yogurt and cottage cheese), and will occasionally have tofu, beans, or lentils, I have stayed away from other dairy products, and have been eating a lot less grains and gluten. This has resulted in a lighter, happier me! 

I can consider before I eat tofu and beans and decide if it's worth the gas I'll experience later. I've only had pizza once since I finished Whole30- it used to be a go-to junk food for me and I'd eat it at least once a week. Now that I can associate it with (TMI, sorry) staying in the bathroom for an hour afterwards, it doesn't seem that appealing!

The biggest dietary struggle I've continued to wrestle with post-Whole30 is eliminating wheat and added sugars. For me, these two are often linked into the mostly unnecessary foods we call baked goods. I've been able to avoid other grains pretty successfully (making hamburgers with no bun, taco salads vs. a burrito, haven't had pasta in 3 months), but when I get stressed, I still want to chow down on a cookie. Or two! Not only do I think I might be sensitive to gluten products, but for me, things made of wheat or other grains often represent empty calories. There are foods made with whole grains that can be really good for you, but when you're eating conservatively to maintain your weight & fitness level, a 170 calorie tortilla is just hard to fit into your day. Same with a burger bun, or 2oz of pasta that is 220 calories!

The future- Incorporating Whole30 into my diet
My strategy lately has been to make sure I'm bringing enough whole foods to work for lunch and snacks, so I don't turn to filler foods I don't need. I've also taken to carrying around a few oranges, Picky Bars, or Kind bars, so I have a less-processed snack option available if I start to get hungry. Mostly, I've been able to find that I don't need that piece of toast, that roll, or that bagel. If you don't really need it, why eat it?

• Limited dairy I've added into my diet has been working well for me so far- no real issues. 
• Minus the baked goods debacle, I'm pretty successful at avoiding wheat and grains, although I'd like to be a bit more vigilant about it. 
• I have beans or tofu 1-2 times a week, and that has been a good balance. 
• My sugar intake has picked up- only in the dessert area. Otherwise, I am really good at screening out unnecessary sugars from my diet. 
• LOTS more fruits and veggies, which has been AWESOME!

I plan to continue on eating in these ways, since the limited re-introduction of these products has worked for me.

Overall, I've been able to incorporate a lot of what I learned during my Whole30 into my day-to-day living, and I've benefited from it. I'll continue to do so, and I'm happy with that!

Fitness Assessment Results- March 2013!

Had another great fitness assessment last Wednesday! This was my 6 month check-in that I'd scheduled for myself, to see how I've been progressing overall since I started this most recent leg of my fitness journey in Sept of 2012. I decided to forego some of the usual tests (push-ups, Vo2 Max, Sit & Reach), because I've already done them twice in 6 months.

I'm excited to say that in 6 months I've made a LOT of progress:

Body Fat Percentage

September 2012 31.8%

March 2013 17.8% 

Hips Measurement

September 2012 40"

March 2013 34.6" 

Waist Measurement

September 2012 31"

March 2013 26.25"  

Weight in Lbs

September 2012 139

March 2013 109

I am really proud of how far I've come, and very happy with my results. I don't think I want to go much lower on my body fat %, actually. Although there are some "spots" that I'd like to loose some more fat, I am going to try to improve those areas (and my muscle definition overall) with weight training, vs. loosing more weight or fat. Also, (TMI alert) I haven't had my period for the last 2 months, so I am thinking I need to figure that out vs worrying about some impossible spot-toning. I'm set to have some tests @ my doctor's office next week. I figure that a perfect storm of back/neck problems, intense exercise routine, significant weight loss, lowered body fat, and greatly increased work stress and anxiety might have something to do with it!

My dad and I! It was his birthday this week :)

As much as I can, I'm trying to address each one of those areas by making my life easier, more stress free, and treating myself well.

At any rate, I am headed into a weight maintenance phase, which is AWESOME! I will be focusing on my upcoming races, as well as building strength with weight training, and I've upped my daily calorie intake from 1200 to 1400 over the last several weeks.

There's lots to look forward to, including my first 5 mile and 10K runs, my Girls on the Run team, a fun 5-year anniversary adventure coming up in May, just to name a few things. Life is crazy right now, but I'm thankful for everything I've got and I'm living it the best way I know how!