Christmas Mayhem

I got my running shoes! WOO!

Now, anyone that knows me or follows my blog is aware that all I've talked about for the past few months is wanting this absurd, neon rainbow running shoes. And I finally have them! Thanks to my mother. Apparently, they are in high demand and extremely difficult to obtain. Nevertheless, mom prevailed as always and I am one happy camper!

As I'm sure everyone is aware, I am NOT a fan of Christmas at all. It's stressful and busy and chaos and I just really dread this time of year. We were busy ALL weekend until we got home about 2pm yesterday. I decided that to combat all the bullshit, I'm going to run every single Christmas - a sort of annual Christmas Day "clear my head" run. And I'm going to say it was my best run this year. It was gorgeous weather (low 40s), sunny, and perfect. It was peaceful and quiet and seriously I just wanted to run until it got dark out. I ended up doing 4.60 miles in 45 minutes, 47 seconds. This will definitely be a tradition for me. Any takers for next year? ;)

Christmas Day Running Outfit

I have a TON of shits that have motivating, shit-talking sayings on them. I suggest everyone buy some. I just feel more confident and I think I kick more ass when I have them on. Just an idea!

I was cutting up peppers for fajitas last week and there was a pepper inside a pepper! Weird. My husband said the inside pepper looked like balls. Ha.

Here's another quick (and delicious) lunch idea:

Few cups of organic spinach

Morningstar black bean burger, heated and crumbled

Low fat colby jack cheese

Salsa

Chopped green bell pepper

Tomatillo sauce

It's extremely filling AND good for you. Plus I can make and eat this in about 15 minutes.

I also tried out a GU Energy gel pack during my run yesterday. I've heard a lot about them and with my training starting soon, I may need a boost during my longer runs. I tried the strawberry banana one, and honestly the taste wasn't bad at all. The texture was a bit strange, but I assume it's just something you get used to. I took it towards the beginning of my run, and noticed a bit of a boost about 15 minutes later. It was sort of like it got a bit easier, like a second wind I guess. Not sure if I was just finding my groove, or if it truly was the gel pack. I think I will experiment with them a bit more though. I'll take all the help I can get :)

All in all, I'm just really glad the holidays are over for a year. I can get back to focusing on my running and fitness. Plus no more spending money ;) I think everyone is a little relieved that the constant sugary, fatty, unhealthy barrage of food is over. I know it's hard for a lot (okay, most) people to say no and eat healthy around the holidays. Luckily for me, I'm not a sweets person at all, so I don't struggle too much. Still, when we as a society have made the holidays ALL about stuffing our faces with meats and cheesy sides and cakes and booze, it's hard to say no. When everyone around us is indulging, we want to join in, naturally. And it's not wrong to enjoy some around the holidays, but most of us OVERindulge, then feel like crap afterwards. It's a tough time of year. But we've gotten through it again, so now it's time to jump back on the horse and kick our own asses back into shape.

Now let's get it kids!

5 AM

 I actually get a lunch break at work now that school is out! WOOHOO! Steve and I normally go home so we can prepare something healthy and also spend time with the pupsters. Recently, I've been addicted to Morningstar's Veggie Burgers. So good, so quick, and packed with good stuff that fills me up. I typically top it with a bit of low-fat cheese and either salsa or tomatillo sauce (above). Throw it with 2 cups of steamed broccoli and I'm set! Takes 10 minutes to make and I'm full the rest of the day.

That being said, Morningstar makes a TON of quality, tasty vegetarian meat replacements. I've found they are both affordable and available at almost all grocery stores.

Also, if you've never had tomatillo sauce, try it! I eat it on everything, including eggs, burgers, and tacos. It's 0 calories and has a nice zing to it!

Last night, I made a sort of pasta primavera. All I did was cook about 8 oz. of angel hair pasta, then in a large skillet mix together a can of cream of mushroom soup and a cup of milk, bring to a boil, then toss in a 1 pounds bag of frozen mixed veggies (carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, red pepper, sugar snap peas, broccoli) along with 2 cups of chopped spinach. I just cooked it on high until the veggies were tender, then mixed with the pasta and topped with parmesan cheese. I'm sure you can season it however you want. It was pretty good. And easy. And quick.

Pasta Primavera

Tasty, alongside miniature homemade garlic bread.

Enough about food though! I weight lift 3 mornings a week at 5:30am. Other mornings I complete my runs around the same time. That gives me a lot of time to think and work through things going on in my life. And I guess the conclusion I've come to is, if you aren't willing to be up at 5am to fit in a workout, you're not REALLY willing to make a commitment to better yourself. I know a lot of times it's hard as hell to run a family, work, go to school, have a social life, etc. But if you really want to become the person you feel like you need to be, then sacrifice is the first thing you have to accept. No one got the body they want by staying out until 2am on a Tuesday then skipping their Wednesday morning run.

If YOU want it, you will make sacrifices. And honestly, I don't even consider them sacrifices anymore. It's what I'd rather do. I live by a schedule and I stick to that schedule, regardless of having a stomach ache or being asked last minute to dinner. Not an excuse. My workout come first, then optional things like dinner or a nap. Our lives are all about choices and priorities, and the only way you will be successful is to correctly organize your life.

Schedule your workouts for the coming week, or month. I sit down every weekend and figure out exactly what the following weeks work will look like. And it makes getting up at 5am for a workout easier. I know what I need to do for that hour and then I'm done. It also makes it difficult to back out. If my gym bag is packed I need to go. Tell your friends, co-workers, Facebook contacts your plan for a workout that day. It holds you accountable and pushed you to do it.

Seriously though, just do it. Do the workouts. Work though that 30 minutes or hour or whatever, just get it done. You'll feel a lot better after you do. Stop the excuses, because no one cares. The people that get the results they want are the ones up at 5am to lift, running on their lunch break, or running to the gym for a quick cardio session in between studying for final exams.

If you're not willing to rearrange your life, you don't deserve to get the body you want. Plain and simple.

So for me, I'll continue to say hello to 5am every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Motivation.

Some days, I swear I put in 16 hours of work at my job instead of the 8-9 I'm actually here. Today, I'm working 11 with no lunch, so I'm probably going to be my usual attention deficit self and research things that I really have no interest in or will ever do, like travel to Zimbabwe, read every random article I can find, look at clothes I can't afford, rearrange everything in my desk, start projects that are completely unnecessary, and all that jazz.

But what I do even more than all that is surf fitness/running forums, Pinterest, blogs, and educate myself on health and wellness and find motivation. It's crazy how much help, advice, information, etc. is out there if you look for it. I hear people say so often, "I wish I had your motivation". Stop wishing and start doing! There are tons of websites that provide a community of people going through the same things (Sparkpeople.com), there are fitclubs in your area that can provide support, local gym and fitness facilities have group fitness to help push you. There are all SORTS of resources available, you just have to look! It's like the easiest part of fitness (the education), people are still too lazy to do.

All humans, as much as some may try to deny it, seek the approval of those around them. There really isn't a better feeling than someone patting you on the back after a solid workout or someone noticing you've lost weight. I promise. And by joining these online or local groups, you become a part of a support network that will keep you pushing and keep you inspired to continue your fitness journey. There's a reason it's recommended to have workout buddies; it HELPS! It is hard to put yourself out there at first, sweating and looking like a fool sometimes (like me shakin' it in Zumba, when I have NO rhythm). But every single other person there has their insecurities, including fitness veterans. No one is judging you for bettering your life. If anything, there's a large amount of mutual respect and understanding.

When I go to the gym, there are 70 year old women to people struggling with obesity to that lady that makes you wonder if she even eats. But the thing is, we ALL have something in common: we want to improve our lives. We want to feel like a part of a group. And we want to be happy when we look in the mirror. So why be embarrassed? Why not give all you've got?

My motivation has only grown the further I've come in my journey. Yet I still look to outside sources to boost my positive thinking. No one can do it completely by themselves. I just want to shake people when they think they can do it alone. Or have to. YOU DON'T! There are always people willing to share their stories and help you. Including me. I'm willing to make time for anyone that has questions, needs advice, wants a running/workout buddy, whatever.

All you've gotta do is ask. :)

PS I found this and it's a great reminder:

Deuces.

Death To The Treadmill!

So, I made frickin' delicious veggie quinoa the other night...except my quinoa decided to suck a bag of balls and not cook fast enough. So, I took my veggies and put them in tacos :) Just saute green bell pepper, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, artichokes, and garlic in a saucepan until tender. Season however you want but it's easy (either with quinoa or on tacos :)).

This morning I decided to try my take on an egg cup out of P90X2's Nutrition Guide. I'm hooked! Plus I have extras to save and reheat.

Ingredients: 3 eggs

                  1 cup cooked rice (brown)

                  1/4 cup shredded cheese (cheddar)

                  3 tbsp. chopped green chiles

                  3 tbsp. milk

                  1/4 tsp. each of garlic powder, pepper, sea salt, and cumin

                  1 cup soy protein crumbles, cooked

                  

How to make: -Preheat oven to 400.

                      -Mix 1 egg, 1/2 of cheese and  and rice in a bowl, then split mixture into bottoms of cupcake 

                      tins evenly (make sure you spray with nonstick cooking spray first).

                      -Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until set and slightly brown.

                      -Mix other 2 eggs, cheese, chiles, milk, soy protein and spices, then pour evenly over rice

                      mixture.

                      -Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until set.

I made them in jumbo size, and they are soooo good, easy and filling! What I really love about them is you can alter them and add or subtract absolutely any ingredients you want!

I ran Tuesday morning...inside. AAAGHHH! The runner's enemy= a treadmill! At least enemy of this kid. It was horrible. I was already extremely sore from the weekend's workouts and lifting, but I figured a nice easy stretch-out run would help my muscles loosen up.It did a little I suppose but I was SO bored. I seriously felt like I was being tortured. I only ran a measly 2.25. I truly could not take it anymore. You know that feeling when you'd rather pull your own hair out than persist with what you're doing? Yeah, that happened.

I'm not sure why I hate indoor running so much. It's not as if I had a traumatic experience on a treadmill or something. As a matter of fact, my childhood friend and I used to put her treadmill on high, pack ourselves with pillows, and shoot ourselves off the back of it. It was pretty frickin' fun from what I remember, haha. I guess when I'm running outside, I feel like there are no limits, no distance I can't conquer. I don't feel so limited in my options. If I'm getting bored outside, I can dip off down a less traveled side street or trail. I can do ANYTHING, so to speak. I also don't have to worry about people on machines next to me smelling like sh*t. Or creeps continually walking by my machine. Or pressing buttons constantly to alter the elevation, pace, etc. I think a lot of runners feel the same. Actually, I think all runners prefer outdoors, but only part of the population is crazy enough to battle through snow and ice during Illinois winters. It's safe to say I'll take the bitter winter weather over a treadmill, officially.

This is a new running shirt (base layer) I'm getting for Xmas. So stoked to run in it! It's also interesting because almost all my running gear, as far as pants, base layers, etc. is black. Woohoo for some color! Anyway, I'll post how well it works after I actually get to use it! If it's good, I'll post what it's called and where to get it :)

And with that, I bid you adieu, and say "DEATH TO THE TREADMILL!" :)

17 Degrees

I did my first real winter run on Saturday morning. I knew it was cold out..obviously. It's December in Illinois. My weather app said 17, but I had told myself I was going to run, so I began to bundle. Sports bra, Under Armour cold weather shirt, Dri Fit Nike Combat shirt, Under Armour fleece coat, Nike capris, Nike cold weather pants, earmuffs, socks, shoes, gloves. I thought I was prepared...

HOLY SHIT!!! When I say that the beginning of my run was miserable, I am in no way exaggerating. I thought the wind was ripping my skin from my face. I also thought my poor toes were going to freeze solid and begin snapping off..because wearing performance dri fit socks in the winter is obviously dumb as shit. They are designed to wick sweat away from your feet, and another function they fail to mention is that they suck cold air IN to your socks.

After about the first mile I stopped to catch my breath for a second and, sorry to be gross, but shoot some serious snotrockets to clear out my nose. That cold air is a LOT harder on your lungs. I've obviously still got some adjusting to do. What the hell have I gottten myself into exactly?? 3 1/2 months of this is seeming like a giant, terrifying monster right now.

I ran 2.6 miles in 28 minutes. Not bad. Would have liked to have run further, but again I'm still adjusting. No shame in that. The last 1.6 wasn't bad at all. My body finally accepted I wasn't going to stop until I was done so I think it gave up sending cold signals to my brain. The wind was at my back as well so my face got a little break.

The amount of people staring in awe was quite comical. I could just hear them saying "look at this crazy bitch, out running in 17 degree weather." Ha, well you gotta do what ya gotta do and I feel like I have to do this. Not because I've agreed to do it to other people, but I've mentally accepted and taken on this challenge. If I quit, I'm disappointing myself. I want to redefine what my impossible is, and I know this half marathon is completely possible for me. If you were to ask anyone around me, I don't quit. Not even the most mundane, unimportant tasks. It's just not my nature. I remember so many days at the gym or on a run that I wanted to just stop; my brain was in a power struggle with itself. Overcoming your mental limits is the hardest part of running, and fitness altogether, and I've fought that battle for so long.

My solution: I tell that nagging, lazy, uninspired bitch of a voice in my brain, "Back the fuck off, I've got work to do." ;)

Sometimes You Need A Little Fancy

Well, this morning I woke up and felt a little motivated to have a yummy breakfast instead of my normal oatmeal and fruit. This doesn't happen often, so I went for it, ha. I made a frittata (mostly because it sounds like something overly unique and special, when it's basically just an omelet). Pretty easy and SO filling. Here's how:

Ingredients:

1/2 red bell pepper

    1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach

  1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1 egg

3 egg whites

 Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

                  -Heat 8 inch skillet with non-stick spray over high heat

                  -Dice pepper and throw in, saute until barely tender

                  -Add spinach and cook until wilted but still bright green

                 

It smelled so good!

                  -Turn heat down to medium

                  -Whisk eggs, mozzarella, salt and pepper and pour over veggies

                  -Cook, without disturbing, until eggs are set

                  -Place plate over skillet, flip, and then place frittata back in skillet to cook other 

                    side until cooked through

                  -THEN EAT! 

It was too much for me to eat all of, especially with an orange and toast, so I'll probably split one with Steve next time. Fancy, fancy, fancy!

^^This just makes me think every time I see it. I'm happy where I am with my weight loss and life, but I still want a lot of changes. Patience and hard work are the keys. Quite honestly, most people give up because we are a society of instant gratification. Well, your health will never show immediate changes. It doesn't take one day to become unhealthy, so it certainly won't take one day to improve your health.

I've definitely been in the "this isn't working so I'm just going to quit" boat many times. It's hard to work so hard and eat right every day to watch the scale not budge, or look in the mirror and think you look the same. But every minute of exercise makes a difference, every apple over a cookie helps you. It's a gradual and slow process, but it's WORTH IT. The most frustrating thing that I see is people popping fat burning pills, going on juice diets, etc. Good luck with that, it's UNHEALTHY. And the reason this is unhealthy is because these people think these quick fixes are all they need to do to get the body they want. They expect to follow these "plans" and be the person they want to be in 4 weeks. You're body will NEVER work that way.

Newsflash: Natural = healthy. Why do you think raw or minimal processing diets are the most recommended and successful? Because it's what your body is supposed to work off of. Diet and exercise are the only ways to truly be fit. End of story. You can keep your supplements and quick fixes and fad diets.

Anyway, to celebrate my official 40 pound weight loss, I got a new hair cut and color!

Yeah, it's sideways and I have no idea how to change it. I suck at technology. Whoops. Anyway, red! YAY! And bangs! Exclamation point party! I like it though. A lot.

And lastly, NEW JEAN SIZE! (Yes, I just did the excited dance, for like the 34th time since I bought them.) Size 8 ReRock skinny jeans from Express. I am so stoked you have no clue. Fuck the price tag, but you gotta live a little sometimes right!?

Random blog, but I'm trying to be better at blogging more often. Tough to do when I'm so busy but if I make it a habit hopefully it'll stick.

Outie 5000 folks.

Silly meat eaters...

It just astounds me that people still think being vegetarian means that you have to be starving all the time and are never satisfied with what you're eating. I'd say I eat more flavorful, filling meals than most people who do consume animals. Just because I've cut that part of my diet out doesn't mean I'm not replacing that protein with other foods. It also doesn't mean I'm unhealthy. Do some reading people! Educate yourselves!

I had someone today ask me, "don't you just want a Big Mac? something that actually fills you up??" Uhm..last time I checked, I am full after every meal, I enjoy every meal, and I always eat when hungry. The nice thing about a healthy diet is that you don't have to worry so much about "overeating". When I'm eating, say, strawberries, who cares if I eat 5 or 15? I don't have to limit myself. The same goes with almost everything else I consume. My body has now regulated itself to my dietary needs, and it tells me when to eat but also when to stop eating. It's a pretty cool thing. I really don't have to track my intake anymore because my body does it FOR me. Just another perk of being healthy!

On to running: I know I haven't written much about it and that's simply because my official training hasn't begun. Right now, I'm merely assimilating myself and my body back to a running lifestyle. Being off for 2 1/2 months means it takes some time to adjust - running is a lot harder on your joints than a lot of exercise. My hips are definitely telling me they are unhappy with me after this weekend's session. Fortunately, my distance and stamina have maintained themselves so I'm not starting from scratch. It's still tough though. I'm more sore than I'm used to as well.

Anyway, I ran 3.5 in 35:12 on Saturday. Perfect running weather, which helped. But that's a full minute faster than my normal pace - not sure whether to credit that to just being excited to run or Insanity helping me. Either way, I'll take it. My hip really started shooting pains around 2.75 but I pushed through to complete my run. Mentally I could have gone farther, but there's no point overdoing it. I have months and months of training ahead of me :)

I made out my training calendar this weekend too. I could never find a schedule I liked from any magazines/forums so I kind of made my own. I loosely based it off of a program I found in an issue of Runners World, but stretched it to 16 weeks of training for a more gradual climb in mileage. Pretty excited for all my new gear and to get started.

On a side note, I ran with my knife for the first time Saturday, to test out both it's staying in place power and the comfort of it hanging on the inside of my pants from my waistband. It didn't budge! Some might say it's a little extreme to run with a knife, but 1) the pepper spray is uncomfortable to carry, 2) I feel much more protected with the knife, and 3) since I don't carry my cell phone, I find it necessary.

Pretty cute lil guy eh? I think I'll be more focused on my running now than watching for sketchy hoodrats.

That's about all I've got for today. Go run fools! ;)

A whole lot of sweat and tears..

I weighed myself this morning, 7 months after I decided it was time to take charge of my life and stop hating myself and my body. 7 months after I finally had enough embarrassment and shame. 7 months after I put away yet another pair of pants that were too tight, retired a belt that wouldn't buckle anymore, bought an EXTRA large shirt. 7 months after I spent $150 dollars at the grocery store and had not one nutritious thing in my cart. SEVEN MONTHS after I ate an entire bag of chips in one sitting and got winded taking the stairs.

I don't know what caused my motivation to get healthy at that particular time. I don't know what made it stick and made me fight for what I wanted. I don't know what was so different this time, but it needed to happen. Crying when I saw myself in the mirror, being disgusted with myself when I saw thin girls in skinny jeans, all of that accumulated into a drive to have the life I wanted.

The past 7 months has, by no means, been easy. It's been a struggle every step of the way. Anyone that tells you that losing weight and getting healthy gets easier is a liar. You just get stronger, mentally and physically. My eating habits were and still are stubborn. But little steps add up to an awful big change over time. Old habits die hard but new habits CAN and do form and stick. Sometimes I want pizza. Sometimes I have pizza. But a slice or two, not 3/4 of the whole thing. Change doesn't have to be drastic and it certainly doesn't stick if you try too much of it at one time.

Exercising is tough. But walking 15 minutes is a lot better than sitting on the couch for 15 minutes. Doing 10 pushups takes less time than it does to brush your teeth. Starting small was what got me through the beginning. The stronger I got, the harder I pushed myself. I ran mile after mile after mile. I wore out running shoes and blistered my hands lifting weights. I tried interval training, dance classes, cycling, and more. For me, it was all about finding what I enjoyed and doing those things to lose weight. The journey may have been hard, but I've truly enjoyed making this tranformation in my life.

I am like an addict with my running. I'd rather be running than doing almost anything. I get excited every day I get to go to the gym. I LOVE my new lifestyle and I enjoy how amazing I feel. I love that I can call myself a runner. A true, to the core runner.

I have to give a hell of a lot of thanks to a few people that supported me, pushed me, inspired me and loved me through the thick and the thin of all this. I know I was a bitch, whiny, cocky, rude, a million different things during this journey. My best friend Sarah became a runner the same time I did. She started running 30 second intervals right by my side. And no matter how discouraged I got, she was there to give me the kick in the ass I needed. She may have pissed me off with her stern words, but it was always exactly what I needed.  My husband Steve made me work out when I wanted to be lazy. He encouraged me, saying things like "just 30 minutes of cardio then we have the rest of the night to relax", or "if you push today, you get tomorrow off". I literally would not be where I'm at without his love.

Amanda and Trisha and Joe constantly encouraged me as well, always quick with a "way to go!" or "I'm proud of you". They will probably never understand how much of a difference that made and how much I needed them throughout it all.

And lastly, I never knew that this journey would make me a new and amazing friend. Kristina was Steve's friend originally, but her ridiculous laugh and outgoing personality instantly made me like her. We ran our first 10K together, and tackled Warrior Dash. We take classes at the gym, run, and lift weights together. She has made this whole thing one million times easier, knowing she is fighting through just like me. I'm so glad I've had her by my side and I'm lucky to have her as a friend.

Good lord this became a long blog but really, it needed to be written. I weighed 183.7 pounds at the start of all this. I'm not ashamed to say it now, because I've changed. I weighed in at 143.5 this morning. And the funny part is, the weight isn't even the thing I'm most proud of. What I'm most proud of is the mental strength I've found in myself, the tenacity I never knew I had. I guess all it boils down to something very simple: Either you do it, or you don't. Either you want it, or you don't. If you want to change, YOU have the power to do it. All it takes is a few good friends, a whole lotta desire, sweat, and a nice cold glass of vodka every now and then.

Fosho, fosho. Get to it folks.

Holy whoa.

So, I got my wisdom teeth cut out Wednesday morning. All 4. They first tried to put my IV for sedation into my right arm, and apparently my vein kept rolling, which caused me to drop multiple F-bombs and them to have to gas me before I'd let them get it into my left arm. Go figure.

My teeth are healing all fine and dandy, but my lip and chin are STILL numb (it may or may not regain feeling) and I found out today that I'm allergic to the antibiotic I've been on the entire time. Dude, okay seriously. These have been the worst 5 days I've ever had in my LIFE. I haven't been able to do anything, and I literally mean anything. If you know me, you know I am the fidget queen and rarely sit still for more than 5 minutes at a time. I didn't leave the couch for almost 5 days. Fuck this shit, real talk.

Yesterday (Day 5) I finally was able to drag myself off the couch and go tan and buy some new running gear, but then immediately was back on the couch. I stopped taking my antibiotic yesterday after researching it and its side effects and then my doctor confirmed this morning that I definitely shouldn't be on it and that I was having an allergic reaction to it. REALLY!? Like getting my fucking teeth ripped outta my head wasn't bad enough, then I get to be completely immobilized by drugs. WOOOOOOHOO!

Then that mug tried to take my stitches out this morning! Hell nah, nope.

Stupid. I'm back at work today, and I feel fn terrible still. If I'm not better by tomorrow, I get to go in to a specialist and have blood tests, etc. ran. I just love my life right now. Really and truly.

ANYWAYS, enough bitching for now.

Later dudes.

Shoes and Shenanigans

I ran for the first time in 2 1/2 months on Saturday. TWO AND A HALF MONTHS!! Holy shit. Going from running 15+ miles a week to nothing for that long is a big change, and I was sincerely worried how bad my performance was going to be. Nonetheless, I got dressed, charged up my Ipod with my newest running playlist, and took off. I left my running watch at home because, for my first run back, I didn't want to be concerned with pace, distance, anything, I just wanted to RUN.

Turns out, my body remembered how much it loves to run. I kid you not when I say I caught myself smiling and singing to my music as I was running. I truly think I've lost my mind. But really, if you love running, you get it. It's my thing, my escape, my happiness. I'm so happy to be back.

I ran 2.6 miles (mapped it when I got home) and it was EASY! I'm relieved my stamina has held up during this time off. It will make the training for the half much easier in January.

I've been researching and researching to find the best winter running gear, since I will be training primarily outdoors. I was also looking for a second pair of lighter running shoes. I may have found them:

Amazing looking? Uh, yes! Wonderful reviews online as well, plus New Balance is a stellar company.

I'm going to start a fundraiser as part of my half marathon training. I am going to try and raise $2500 for the Champaign County Humane Society. This amount is how much it costs them to run their facilities for just ONE day. By raising this amount, I can "Adopt-A-Day". To do this, I'm going to offer two possible ways to donate: either an amount, or people can pledge an amount per mile that I run (say, 10 cents per mile). I will be training for 16 weeks, logging about 20 miles a week to start then gradually up to about 35 per week. So, say if I end up logging 400 miles in all, that would be $40.

Anyways, feedback would be nice on this, like if you would be willing to donate if I did this.

Getting my wisdom teeth cut out tomorrow, I'll be signed out for a while.

Lata dudes :)

I'm always looking for ways to get good, quality protein into my vegetarian diet because, let's be honest here, eating cups upon cups of beans and eggs gets tad boring. Blargh. I'm a BIG supporter of protein shakes - high protein, you can mix them with almost anything, and they are super simple and filling. Many use these shakes before and after workouts, but I tend to use them as meal replacements. That being said, make sure the protein you buy is FOR meal replacement, and not aimed towards enhancing your workouts. There is a difference, seriously. GNC has tons of info if you just go in and ask :)

This morning I decided to try a quick and new shake:

Ingredients:
1 scoop chocolate protein (Make sure it's vegetarian! many use calf rennet)
8 oz 1% milk
1 tbsp. peanut butter
1/2 tbsp. Nutella
Cinnamon to taste

To make:
Blend all ingredients with about a cup of ice (add gradually until its a consistency you like) and add cinnamon to taste.

Pretty tasty. 340 calories, 23 carbs, 13 grams of fat, and 33 grams of protein. Obviously you could adjust this if it's too high in calories for your diet, but I eat 5-6 meals a day of between 300 and 400 calories. My metabolism is insanely high due to the high intensity interval training I've been doing so I eat more than most women.

I'm still full 3.5 hours later, and it's way convenient to drink your breakfast while doing other things around the house (like playing sniper with a squirt gun vs. the dogs).

Bodybuilding.com has AWESOME beginner day to day workout plans tailored to your needs, just stumbled upon that yesterday. Check it out if you have a chance are are unsure where to start.

Also, http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/ is an awesome, inspiring blog about a woman's 135 pounds weight loss and her love for all things food. Another great read.

That's about all. Heat is out at my job - pretty awesome when it's 37 degrees out. I feel like people who live in cold places have a disadvantage. We get pasty, ugly white, hole up in our homes, bust our shit on ice (seriously, like daily), and get in waaay more car accidents. Who's down for moving to Texas? If everything is bigger there, maybe my bank account will grow too ;).

I'll leave you with something amusing:

Holler.

Insanity IS Insanity..

Just a quick picture update. 2 months of Insanity = 8.5 total inches lost off my body, 12 pounds gone, and a serious sense of accomplishment. If you want it, DO IT. No excuses. Ya ain't gettin' any skinnier or any younger ;). 

GET SOME.

Rebellion

I apparently woke up with the rebellion bug acting in full force today. Wowza. I'm pretty sure that every word out of my mouth has had severe sarcastic undertones, presented with a shitass smirk. So, yeah. My Ipod didn't help the madness on my way to school, playing Bone Thugs then Spice Girls then Nirvana.

Remember these?

Uhm, someone find me one, and buy it. I don't even have a house phone. Don't give a hoot.

Anyway, I just wanted to post the recipe for the badassery of a meal I made last night. Potato partay!

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. (about 20) mini red potatoes

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup milk

6 tbsp. light sour cream

2 tbsp. margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

To Make:

• Poke holes in the potatoes and microwave 5-6 minutes.
• Let cool, and cut in half lengthwise.
• Scoop out potato guts and put into bowl. (Keep skins)
• Beat for 30 seconds, then add margarine, sour cream and garlic. Beat 1 minute.
• Gradually add milk, beating until smooth.
• Add remaining ingredients, and mix well.
• Fill potato shells with mixture, and microwave 1-2 minutes.

SO friggin good yo! Easy peasey and delicious...ey? Deliciousey it was. The husband obviously loved it too. Who wouldn't?

S'all I got.

Lata.

The Lunacy Begins..

So, this is my first attempt at having a blog. Or writing anything down, besides alternating between catty bitchface rants and inspiring, motivating quotes on my Facebook statuses. I find all the jumbled mess of thoughts and ideas in my head interesting, even though most other people probably find me crazy (hence, The Lunatic).

BUT anyway, I've lost 37 pounds in the past 6 months. I've recently decided to transition to a vegetarian lifestyle - an ovo-lacto vegetarian lifestyle, mind you. (That means I still eat eggs and dairy. Don't mess with a lady and her cheese!) At any rate, I've had a hard time finding much information in the way of personal accounts of switching to a vegetarian diet, and I figured I might as well write mine down. If it helps others, okay, if not whatever. I'll be sharing all kinds of recipes I make, whether they are actually edible (My non-veg husband will be eating them too, so I'll also post his opinions, which should make this interesting), and other fun tidbits of information and advice I stumble upon.

At the same time, I'm beginning training to run my first half marathon in May. Scary shit, right?! 13.1 miles...I don't even drive that far to AND from work every day. Once again, lunatic. I also figured this would be the perfect spot to trail my training, once again for myself to learn and improve as a runner but also to help anyone else who wants to tackle this feat. It'll be much easier to keep track of what foods work for me for energy, what running gear and products are effective, the pros and cons of running alone, etc. if I'm writing it all down in a blog.

So, that's what this is all about. Nothing super serious, more about watching my downfall (HA! kidding). Hopefully I can figure out this new, crazy, healthy lifestyle I'm trying to live. For my sanity...and probably my husband's. Plus, I think getting some of the sanity out of my head will help my stress level. I have a severe problem with social interaction - can you say awkward? - so that kind of hinders my ability to have real, alive people friends that I can tell stuff to. It gets lonely up in this brain dudes. Enjoy and shit.

Deuce deuce.