Life Changes

I want to take a moment to talk about life changes. There are two people in my life right now who have made the decision to live a healthier life and I have got one thing to say to the both of them.. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! Both have decided that it's time to jump into action and even lose some unnecessary weight. Having made that decision myself, a few years ago, I know that it can be hard to finally choose to be healthier and can be even harder sticking to your goal. But here's the thing - YOU CAN DO IT.

Everyday that you get yourself up and choose the healthier food and choose to go for a run,walk, or do any other exercise, just know that I am proud of you. Be proud of yourself for changing your life.

Yesterday I was in a wedding and there were people there who I hadn't seen in years. One told me that he hardly recognized me. At first I didn't get it. I thought, 'I'm still brown-haired and freckle-faced, what's so different?' After thinking about it, I realized that the last time this particular person saw me, I could have been 20 lbs heavier. Kind of a big difference in appearance. Take a look..


Before (probably my heaviest and most unattractive picture):


After:


After losing that 20 lbs. I am happier and take pride in the healthier choices I make. For me, I didn't have a goal weight, I just knew it was time to make some changes. Also, it didn't happen over night. I am happy to say that I didn't lose weight trying a fad diet, using supplements, or starving myself. I lost weight the old fashion way- watching what I ate and working out. The choices I made may have made it a longer process, but it has proved a successful one since I am still maintaining my weight.

So to the two of you and any others that have made the decision to live a healthier life, I applaud you. You have a happy, healthy future to look forward to.

Back At It

When things get crazy in my life I have a hard time keeping a consistent work-out routine. Luckily, I finally seem to be getting some control over my schedule and I've been working out like a good girl :) This week, I should get 5 days in, which ain't too shabby, if I do say so myself.

Although I've been working out more, I still haven't been doing a good job of keeping up this blog (as you may have noticed). This is partly because I feel like, "What do I know?" and "Who am I to offer advice/suggestions?" But again, that's just not the point of this blog. I'm doing this to keep myself healthy and if I say something of interest to you along the way, great.

So what I'm saying is.. I'm gonna try and be better about updating (Do I hear crickets chirping?). Talk to you soon!

I Know What You're Thinking..

Where have I been? Well, to be honest, I am so busy I feel like my days/weeks/months are FLYING by. In this incredibly busy time I've come to realize a few things:

1) Thank goodness for organized sports - I play outdoor soccer every Sunday and sub on a Thursday night indoor team. If it wasn't for organized sports, I'm not sure I would be getting in enough exercise during this busy time in my life. With organized sports you have to schedule the workouts, making it more likely that you will do them.

2) It's all about balance - As busy as I am now, it's hard to get even three workouts in a week. Therefore, if I'm not getting it done in the gym, I need to get it done on my plate. It's all about balance. I know that I need to watch what I eat even more than usual when I am not burning up calories in the gym.

3) Sleep and water, water and sleep - When you are busy, stress levels are high and your body is working overtime. Right now I am really trying to keep healthy with as much sleep as possible and keeping hydrated with lots of water. Sleep and water aren't just healthy for your body, either; the two contribute to mental health, as well. So drink up and catch some Z's!

A Look into my Cupboards

I did a little reflection today as I was whipping up a turkey sandwich for lunch. While I was putting together my delicious sando, I noticed something about my cupboards... They are a pretty decent refection of my diet. I know what your thinking. Something like, Duh Nikki! That is where you get your food to eat, but what I mean is... as I looked around I saw a lot of whole grain, enough protein, good fats (like nuts, etc), plenty of dairy, lots of fruit, but something was lacking. Can you figure out what it is?



I'm lacking vegetables! I do have some, I have salad, edamame in the freezer, and stir-fry veggies for tonight, but I just feel like it's not enough. A recently read an article in Runner's World about plant-heavy dieting and how beneficial it is for you (not diet as in dropping a quick 10 lbs, diet like what we eat everyday). It must of been what led to my reflection in the kitchen. Here's the thing, I love veggies. I could eat them all the time. AND I never met a veggie I didn't like. BUT veggies go bad so quickly, I hesitate to buy them. Am I the only one that feels this way?

So here's a question; what do you do to keep your veggies fresh? I'd love to hear some answers. Or, if you feel the same as me, I'd love to hear that too. Leave your comments!

Quinoa Chili

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law and it is delish! If you haven't heard of it before, quinoa is a superfood that is really good for you. Quinoa is somewhat new to the health world, but quickly gaining popularity. So far, this is the only quinoa recipe I have, but if I find more I will let you know. You can find quinoa at your local health food store OR you can get a bag of it at Costco for $8 (the bag will take me months to get through).



Quinoa Chili

2 cans kidney beans, rinsed & drained (really you can use any beans and different beans offers different health benefits, find one right for you)
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 med. onion, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in warm water
1 cup frozen corn
1 can tomato sauce, low salt (about 2 cups)
1 cup water

Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender. Add salt, garlic, pepper and spices. Saute for 5-10 minutes. Add rinsed quinoa and stir in. Add corn, tomato sauce, and water to onion/quinoa mixture. Simmer together 20 minutes. Add beans to the pot and simmer another 15 minutes. Serve with grated cheese, sliced avocado or anything else you like on your chili. Makes 6-8 servings

I've Been Bad

So, the last time I posted was the last time I ran. Yikes. During the run, I felt pretty good and was happy I did it, BUT my coughing got worse again and my doctor recommended no running until I was REALLY over my sickness. Bummer.

Here I am, 11 days later, feeling like a cow, with only 1 workout under my belt (yesterday, I played soccer- cough seemed fine). This isn't the first time I've had a setback in my working out. This time it was because I was sick, but come on, we all go on vacations, or have lapses of no motivation where the last thing we want to be do is work out.

Here's what I'm going to do..

• I am not going to fret. Setbacks happen. Sitting around pouting is not going to work off the possible extra lbs. I packed on in the last week and a half.
• I am not going to weigh myself. Everyone is different with scales. Personally, if I actually see that I have gained weight, I can get really down on myself. After a solid week or so of working out, I will hop on the scale. This usually helps because maybe you've already cut a couple pounds off and then will feel less depressed about what you have to accomplish.
• I am going to get moving. I plan on running a few times this week and also will plan ahead at least one work out class at the gym (love, love, love kickboxing).

That's my plan. To be honest, I was a little embarrassed to talk about my weight gain on the blog, but I'm over it. That's not the point of this blog. Bottom line is, what I've done, needs to be undone. So here goes nothin'.

No Motivation

It's happened again.. It creeps up on me without warning, leaving me to feel victim to its attack.

I am lacking motivation to work out.

I've been sick, I had a super rough 8 mile run Saturday, I have work in an hour and half, I'm feeling tired.. Can't I just put off my run one more day?

I hate the feeling of having no motivation. I feel guilty for feeling it, and also, can't shake myself out of it. What to do? What to do? Honestly, as I write, I'm still not sure. I could go quickly before work and get it done, or wait until after work. The problem with waiting is that I know this feeling of having no motivation could increase after a 5 hour shift of waiting tables. Maybe I should just go.

This time I'm not going fall victim. I'm gonna get my stuff on right now and not think about it for one more second. I'm gonna start running before I can tell myself "no." I know once I start, the battle is over. Okay, I'm off.