Run Me Skinny

Text 1
Notes Making A Change! with Tarylynn :)

I went grocery shopping today. I don’t have much money at the moment. Being a working college student with school, rent, and bills to pay doesn’t leave me with much leftover each month. However, I was in a desperate need for groceries as my pantry is looking pretty scarce. I decided to give myself a $40 limit.

I’m the kind of person that can spend hours in a grocery store. I always loved going grocery shopping with my grandma when I was a kid. I decided to take my time and browse through the aisles to see what I needed and what I didn’t need (I had left my list at home! Grr!) I spent about an hour picking up various items and reading the ingredients in them. I am so glad I did because some of the stuff I thought might be “healthy” definitely were not! They like to trick you with words like “whole grain” and “whole wheat” when what they mean is “It has some grains and some wheat but look at all the other horrible additives in it!”

Always make sure it says 100% whole grain/wheat.

Here’s what I bought:

Chobani Non-Fat Vanilla Yogurt
Honey Maid Low-Fat Cinnamon Graham Crackers
Lettuce
Bananas
Oat Revolution Cinnamon&Spice Oatmeal
Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Kind Arthur 100% Whole Wheat Flour
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
Chocolate Pudding Mix (for baking)
Burt’s Bees Shampoo&Conditioner (irrelevant)

And all for $41.07!

When I got home I decided to make me something to eat. I got some Chobani Yogurt and mixed it with half of a sliced banana, one crumbled graham cracker, and some cinnamon. Yummy!

Turning my diet around one thing at a time :)

#undressedskeleton.tumblr.com

Text Nutritional Nightmares

Today I started a food journal in hopes that I can track all of the unnecessary things in my diet. I’ll be putting up posts from my journal sometime within the next week or so. In the meantime, here are a list of items I know that I must eliminate or reduce from my diet! Maybe you’ll spot some common ones too.

Salt- I love salt. I cannot express enough how much I love salt. Let’s put it this way: as a kid I used to drink something my mom called Lime Ice. Lime Ice was two or three limes squeezed over crushed ice and loaded with tons of salt. I’m talking several tablespoons full, guys. *shudder* This will be a toughie but I know I can do it!
Carbs- I love carbs almost as much as I love salt. Pasta&Bread. Love ‘em! I could eat them all day, every day!
Processed Foods- Flour, frozen fruit&veggies, jams… I really need to find substitutes for these.
Dairy- I eat way too much dairy, especially cheese. I need to cut back on this one.
Chips, Soda, &Candy- when I’m at school I tend to head straight for the vending machine when I’m hungry. I would usually get either a candy bar or chex mix and a Dr. Pepper. I need to put some time and effort into making snack items to take with me to school the night before.

More to come as I record my food intake!

Text Bye Bye Potato Fries!

After my run yesterday I was starving! Now, I’m a pretty avid pinner on Pinterest and I also follow Taralynn McNitt’s blog Undressed Skeleton (which you should totally check out! It is so inspirational!) and I am constantly looking up yummy recipes (I love, love, love food!). I’m trying to find healthier ways to eat and I found this recipe for avocado fries on Pinterest that I’ve been dying to try.

The recipe called for flour, bread crumbs, and an egg. Taralynn has changed the way I feel about flour and I refuse to use anything but 100% whole grain flour from now on, however I do not have any in my pantry right now so I decided to eliminate that ingredient.

When it came to the bread crumbs I was a little iffy. I am a carboholic and I’m trying to cut down on my daily intake. Bread = Carbs = Defeat. So I opted to go with 100% whole wheat bread.

For the eggs I was against using the yolks so instead I used egg whites. I mixed in chili powder, cayenne pepper, pepper, All Purpose Seasoning (salt free!), and parsley. I stirred it up and cut up one avocado into slices. Then I blended one piece of bread to make the bread crumbs. Afterwards I dipped each slice of avocado into the egg whites and then into the bread crumbs. I laid them out on a foil covered baking sheet and preheated the oven to 450 degrees.

For the entree I took a filet of tilapia, sprinkled on the same seasonings I used for the egg whites, and put it into a little pan. I stuck both pans in the oven and cooked for ten minutes.

Voila! A scrumptiously healthy lunch that not only I loved, but my body loved as well. :) The avocado fries were so creamy and delicious! It’s amazing guilt free treat that you’ll love to eat.

P.S.- I’m kicking myself right now for not taking pictures! I was just too hungry to have the patience to document the making of this lovely meal lol

#pinterest.com #http://undressedskeleton.tumblr.com/ #http://pinterest.com/brookelauren91/

Text Running in the New Year!

Today was my first run of the new year. Last night before bed all I could think about was how excited I was to get up and run the next morning. You know what they say, the hardest part about running is getting out the door. That my friends was true to its tale for me today.

I woke up grumpy because the sirens were going off and I could hear my neighbors hammering something. The last thing I wanted to do was leave my oh so comfy bed. As I contemplated going back to sleep I thought about how much I would hate myself later on if I didn’t follow through with my plan. So I got out of bed, threw on my running clothes, and laced up my shoes.

Pre-Run

That first stretch I felt good! Halfway through the first mile I started to get tired. Near the end of the first mile my left hip wanted to give out but I kept my breathing pattern steady and pushed through it.

A few minutes into the second mile I could feel the blood pounding inside my head and my eyes started to hurt. By this point my cramp had subsided and I relied on my music to pump me up. A few minutes later my breathing began to stagger.

Now, important key note: Breathing and form are the key to any run! Most people don’t know that when running it is important to maintain a regular breathing pattern. I’ve tried different patterns out and I’ve found the best one for me is to breath in twice through my nose and then out of my mouth once. I suppose everyone is different. If you maintain a steady breathing pattern you reduce the chance of getting cramps and it helps you maintain a steady pace. I could go on forever about form so we’ll skip that.

Near the end of my run my body was exhausted and I could feel myself slowing down with each step. I kept telling myself, “You’re almost there! You’re almost there!” And finally I ran past my apartment gates and right up to my door.

There were two things I did very wrong before my run. First, I didn’t eat anything for breakfast so my body had no energy to exert. Second, I hadn’t drank any water since the night before and I was very dehydrated. I could feel these things pulling me down the whole time I was running. Normally I take that first step out the door and feel exhilarated even after I have finished. Two-milers are easy for me, as I am used to running long distance, but today I just felt weak, slow, and tired. Biiiiig mistake!

Nevertheless, I finished my run which was an exhilarating feeling within itself. Remember, it doesn’t matter how fast, how slow, or how long you run just as long as you never stop and always finish. Would you rather be the one walking across the finish line or the one who finished dead last but never stopped running?

Post-Run: This was taken right after I finished my run and I was exhausted. Oh, and that’s my kitty Charlotte :)