Skinny Snowman Challenge

Starting on the Monday after Thanksgiving through December 29th, I participated in a the Skinny Snowman Challenge put on by Brooke Not on a Diet.  I thought that the challenge would be a good way to help keep me on track over the holidays.

Things included in the challenge were:
-lose or maintain weight
-veggies at every meal
-3 servings of fruit a day
-track your food
-think of 5 positives every day
-water intake (64 oz. +)
-exercise
-Meatless Monday
-mini weekly challenge (try new recipe, eat clean for a day, try a new workout, bring a healthy dish to a holiday meal, try a new food)

My goal in this challenge was to maintain my weight.   I started at 136.2 and ended at 134.8 pounds.  Pretty good maintain, I think.  I struggled with getting veggies in with my breakfast.  My breakfast staple during the challenge was egg mugs with spinach.  I tried green smoothies for the first time and decided they are pretty good.  I was impressed with myself that I ate clean for a day-it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  I developed great habits. 

The new recipe that I tried was Quinoa with Black Beans (I was planning ahead for Meatless Monday leftovers).  I will make this on again.  For supper on Christmas Day, I made Sweet & Sour Brussels Sprouts.  Not sure if the family liked it, but I did and brought the leftovers home! 

It was a great experience and I hope I can keep up with the healthy habits.

Spin Class & Yoga

Yesterday I attended my first ever spin class.  I know so many people that told me they love spin, but it kicked my butt.  I started by telling the instructor I had never done spin before.  She was very nice and helped me adjust the seat and handles of my bike.  She said it would be the most comfortable for riding.  Whenever I sat up straight on the seat I felt too high and like I would tip over.  The seat itself was VERY uncomfortable (and I am feeling it today)!  I consider myself an active, strong person, but when she had us stand and spin, I felt weak.  I could never make it the whole time standing - and it was only in minute intervals.  A few times I tried stopping/slowing down while standing and nearly fell off the bike.  It was not my most dignified workout ever.  I know that I should try it again next week, but I am scared.  It was so hard to make it through the class.

After spin I went to a yoga class.  While not a very strenuous workout, I did get a good stretch and relaxation session in.

After work today, I went to the gym.  I did 3.17 miles in 40 minutes.  I have been going to this gym since September, but I still do not like to treadmills there.  I feel like I could run faster on the treadmills at my old gym.

I took some lean hamburger out of the freezer this morning, unsure of what I was going to do with it.  After looking at lots of recipes, I decided to try a new one:  LaBamba Mexican Casserole.  I made a few changes from the recipe.  It called for ground turkey, but used lean ground beef and added green pepper to the beef while browning it.  I used fat free cheese instead of regular.  I didn't top the finished product with chopped tomato and green onions because I don't keep those on hand.  It didn't turn out as good as the picture looks (they never do). I wish fat free cheese would melt all gooey like regular cheese does.  That would have made it much better! :)  It was good and filling.   

Also--I have gotten my water in the past two days.  Water intake has been tough since moving and starting a new job.  Time to stop using that as an excuse.

A Jillian Michaels DVD Weekend

I have felt like I am struggling the past few weeks.  With Halloween and other events going on at work, there have been more treats and it is so hard to pass up a treat.  I have a bad habit of checking the scale everyday and lately the scale has been up, but my clothes still feel ok. 

Friday afternoon I hit the gym and ran 3.3 miles on the treadmill.  My plan was to hit the gym this weekend too, but Mother Nature had some influence on that.  Saturday morning the roads were pure ice due to rain the night before.  I was psyched to go to the gym, but I decided a DVD would be a better option.  I put this baby in the DVD player:

  

I starts with a warm-up, seven 6 minute circuits, and a cool-down.  Usually when I do this, do 3 or 4 of the circuits.  Today I did all 7!  Even though I hate a couple of them!  I didn't feel very winded like I did when I have done this in the past and I only stopped a few times.  I have very sweaty and very proud of myself when I finished.

Today I decided to do another DVD:

  

 I did level 2 today, as I did level 1 a couple days ago.  I have done this DVD before and level 2 is always more of a challenge than level 1.  It has more plank exercises.  The walking push-ups are a killer and one of the ab moves feels like it puts lots of pressure on my back.  Again, very sweaty when I finished.

Saturday morning I made a pot of zero point soup in the crock pot.  Something I like to do when I feel the need to get back on track. 

My First 10K!

I am so proud of myself!  Today I ran my first 10K!  It was part of the Wild Hog Grand Forks Half Marathon.  Wild Hog is a restaurant in Grand Forks that was main sponsor of the race.  The specialize in barbeque type food.  This was the inaugural event that includes a half marathon, 10K, and 5K.  The race course took us through residential neighborhoods in the southend of Grand Forks.

My goal was to finish in an hour and fifteen minutes.  I figured that if I can do a 5K in 33 and half minutes, that would be double and a little more.  I am proud to say I beat my goal!  I finished in one hour, 6 minutes and 10 seconds!

This is the front view of the medal I received.

This is the back view of the medal.  Check out the fork in the pig's butt! 

This is me after I got back to my parent's house about an hour after the race.

At 34 I ran my first 5K.  At 35 I ran my first 10K.  Will 36 bring a half marathon?

Suicide Prevention 5K Run/Walk

Tonight I participated in my first 5K in my new town.  The past few weeks have been crazy with moving and starting a new job.  It was nice to run.  The 5k was a fundraiser for the Lake Region Suicide Prevention Committee.  I am currently living with a friend until I can get into my own place and she was the chair of the event.  There was also a silent auction and free will offering soup supper.  They had amazing Knoephla soup!  There was not an official time to this race, but I timed myself with the stopwatch on my phone and I finished in 33 minutes and 31 seconds.

Tour de Forks 5K

Today was the Tour de Forks 5k to benefit Altru's Breast Cancer Coalition.  This is the second year I have ran this race.  My time was 33 minutes and 23 seconds.  This was only 31 seconds slower than my fastest time!  I was very happy with this time and it was perfect running weather.  Last year on the day of this race it was in the mid 80's--very hot!  I also won a door prize--a free movie ticket!

Holy Moly!

Holy Moly, have I been busy since I got home from work!  First I put in a load of laundry.  Then whipped up a batch of Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread.  It seems like I always have bananas to use up lately.  This recipe was not exactly low-fat, but I made a few slight adjustments.  I used light margarine instead of butter and used Splenda for part of the sugar in the bread batter.

With laundry going and banana bread in the oven, I then made a batch of quinoa to use for supper.  Then I started cleaning/rearranging my linen closet.  It looks pretty good.  Then I biked to my parents' house to drop off the above mentioned banana bread (saving a few slices for myself).  From there I biked to Zumba.  After Zumba I biked back home and made supper.

Supper was inspired by this recipe I found on Pinterest.  I used a can of corn instead of an ear of corn.  I also added some Mrs. Dash to the veggies as they were cooking.  I think my end product had more vegetables than the one in the recipe, but nothing wrong with that!  I made 2 servings with it, so I have another one for tomorrow.

I'm relaxing now, but do need to do some dishes before I attempt to go to bed early since I did not sleep well last night.