My new favorite lunch

I've made the same thing for lunch everyday for like 5 days in a row and I still love it. It's a super fast, low-cal, low-fat "Chicken Salad Pita". Here's how I make it:


(1 serving) Mix together:

2 or 3 oz. of grilled chicken breast, cubed

1/2 stalk celery, chopped

1/4 of an apple, chopped

A few grapes, halved

A few walnuts, chopped

1-2 Tablespoons of Miracle Whip or Light Mayo

Put it in a whole wheat pita. It's only about 250 calories and it's really good and filling! I love it.

I use these grilled chicken strips from Costco.

These are the pita pockets I buy:

P.S. I've lost about 4 pounds so far. Yay! My goal is to lose 4 more before my half-marathon.

Less than 2 weeks!

Our Half-Marathon is in 12 days! I'm pretty excited for it. It's so fun to have friends to run it with! Last Saturday (the 16th) we ran 12 miles. It went really well. I never thought I would run 12 miles in my life. The last 2 miles were really hard for me, and I was just praying for the energy to keep going. I was so proud of myself when I reached the end.

Running increases self-confidence more than anything I've done in my life. When you've been running for 10 miles and your body is begging you to stop, but your mind keeps you going to the end, you feel like you can do anything. I've been surprised at how much of running is really about mental strength and endurance, not just physical. The thing I have loved the most about running is the opportunity it has given me to prove to myself that I can do hard things. In everyday life, I don't get a lot of opportunities like that. I guess that's because I avoid things that are hard. :)

I hope that I keep setting goals with running, so that I don't ever stop being active. I think I will sign up for a 10K after this Half-Marathon. And then maybe I'll do another Half-Marathon next year.

Hello!

I've decided to come back and update this blog. So here is what's up with me:

My half-marathon is in 3 weeks and 3 days. Training is going pretty well. We ran 10 miles on Saturday and it was way better than I expected. Don't get me wrong- it was HARD. But not super horrible. I was so proud of myself for being able to do it. This Saturday we are running 12 miles. Yikes. But then we taper back down up until the race, so that's a relief. I get so nervous to run long distances. I'm always so afraid that something will go wrong and I will have to stop and then I will be disappointed in myself.

So, you would think with all this running I would have lost a bunch of weight. Not so much. Everyone told me not to expect to lose weight, but I still hoped I would. I'm a firm believer that diet is crucial to weight loss, especially for me. I've been eating a little more since I've been running because #1. I feel entitled to, and #2. I feel like I need more energy/nutrition to keep me going.

But now that I'm about 3.5 weeks away from the race I really, really want to lose some weight. I want to look like an athlete when I run the race. Plus, it's summer-time and I want to wear a swimsuit comfortably-ish. So after months of not really focusing on my diet, I just started counting calories again and trying to Eat Clean. It works everytime I do it, but it's hard, so I'm not looking forward to it. But I am looking forward to my clothes fitting better. This time I need to maintain my weight loss. That's the hardest part for me.

My goal is to lose 7 - 8 pounds by August 5th. I have a new ticker at the top to track my progress.

This is me back in late January when I was at the weight that I hope to be by August 5th. I was also lifting weights regularly, so I need to get back to that. Ready, go!

Workout Buddy

I have always heard how much it helps to have someone to work out with, and now I see why. My friend, Jenny, is training for the Half-Marathon with me and I can't believe how much better it is to run with a friend. Not only is the run more enjoyable and fun, but you have so much more accountability. When my alarm goes off in the morning I don't have to ask myself, "should I run today?" My decision is already made and I know that Jenny will be on her way to my house within a few minutes. I am so excited to have a friend to accomplish this goal with.

Also, if you want to exercise consistently, I think it is SO IMPORTANT to have a goal to work towards. Some people are motivated simply by their love of exercise, but for many of us, that is not enough. I've been surprised at how my view of running has changed. I don't think of it as just "going for a run." I think of it as getting one step closer to my goal. If you think of yourself as an athlete in training, I believe you are more likely to stick to your goals and stay motivated.

Half-marathon

I started training for a half-marathon on Tuesday. Yikes! I'm nervous, but I'm also really excited! I love having something to look forward to.

These are the ones that I am deciding between:

Sat, July 30
Anacortes Art Dash Half Marathon, 10K & 5K
Anacortes, WA

Sat, Aug. 6
Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon
Tacoma, WA


Sat, Aug. 6
Grand Ridge Trail Half Marathon, 50K & 5-Mile Run
Issaquah, WA

Sat, Aug. 13
Cougar Mountain Trail Running Series Half Marathon
Bellevue, WA

Quinoa

I made quinoa (keen-wah) for the first time today. It was pretty good! This is a super healthy recipe. Low-calorie and low-fat. It looks kinda like barf, but it tastes good. If that's not a great endorsement, I don't know what is. Quinoa and Black Beans 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper salt and pepper to taste 1 cup frozen corn kernels 1 or 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (I THINK ONE CAN IS ENOUGH) 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro Directions: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro. BEST SERVED COLD.

Just do it.

Have you ever thought about the Nike slogan? So simple, yet it's exactly what we all need to hear. Quit complaining and just do it. I'm talking to myself here. I am done with this whole "I'm super lazy and eat whatever I want" thing. I'm over it. It's tough because I feel so free when I allow myself to eat anything and everything, but it's just not worth it because my clothes are getting tighter by the second. Not cool.

Summer is coming soon (ish?) and I don't want to spend another summer avoiding my swimsuit like the plague. I want to enjoy life and feel confident. I know what I need to do. I just need to actually do it. And I will.




In other news, Jessica Biel is awesome.