Menu Planning going on hiadus

Since we are moving in 3 1/2 weeks (eek, did I just type that), menus are going to be difficult. We are trying to go through what we have in the freezer and cupboard so meals are not going to be very exciting and will probably look pretty scary. So I am not going to be planning a lot of meals ahead of time and buying a lot of new ingredients. I will be using up what we have and just buying some fresh fruits and veggies to keep in the house. Hopefully, I can resume this part of my blog soon, but I will tell you about one meal we have utilized for the past 2 weeks - veggie nachos.

I wanted them last weekend after my race, so we stopped at the store after church and gathered up what we needed. Surpringly, we made them super fast and while they are not the healthiest thing you can eat, we made them using healthy alternatives. We used baked tortilla chip scoops instead of regular chips, drained and rinsed black beans instead of chicken or beef, and veggies to top it off (tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and lettuce). We did use cheese (2 kinds actually), but it was still probably less cheese then if we had gotten it at a restaurant. They were so good last weekend, that Adam wanted them again. And it was very satisfying for the meating eating husband that we now have another vegetarian meal for us. :)

Work health plan for last week and this week

I didn't realize I didn't post what my work's around the world to a healthy lifestyle was last week, so I will combine them. Last week was 3 servings of calcium and this week is to watch your sodium.

3 servings of calcium

That is usually not too hard for me. I really like cheese and yogurt so I was able to get in 3 servings most days. I usually have either yogurt or cereal with milk for breakfast and then yogurt for a snack in the afternoons. So that just leaves me with one more serving to have at lunch or dinner. I am not a fan of drinking my calories (except for my green monster smoothies) so I don't drink much milk, except a couple of tablespoons in my morning coffee (heaven!), so I rarely sit down to dinner with anything but water, but I should start to rethink that. Milk for dinner might be fun and will remind me of being a kid again (my mom made us drink a cup of milk every night at dinner).

Sodium

You are supposed to keep your daily sodium to less than 2,300 mg each day. I am fortunate enough not to have a blood pressure problem, so far at least. My blood pressure if very low, usually 90-100/60. Even pregnant, I never had 120/80. But I am not a big salt fan either. I don't put a lot of salt into dishes and never add salt to my food (with the exception of sliced tomatoes eaten by themselves). I also don't eat a lot of processed foods (I didn't say none though) so that helps. But if you do, you have to watch out, because there is a lot more salt in them then you think. Frozen entrees, soups, cereals and breads all have a lot more salt in them then you think. So since this week is to watch my sodium, I am going to buy reduced salt/reduced fat cheddar cheese at the farmer's market this week and try to keep my processed foods to a minimum.

Good luck to anyone following this.

Menu Planning - 3/22

A little late, but I finally figured out the dinners for this week. I am getting into a rut because I am trying to minimize leftovers and buying too many ingredients since we are moving in just over one month (yikes, did I just say that). It's hard to plan menus when that happens. But here is what we are having this week for dinner.

Monday - Spaghetti with homemade marinara, salads
Tuesday - Burgers (veggie for me, beef for Adam), roasted broccoli
Wednesday - Breakfast for dinner, omelettes and french toasts
Thursday - Navy Bean-and-Artichoke Casserole with Goat Cheese (Vegetarian Cookbook)
Friday - Cottage cheese and noodles

Have a good week everyone!

ING Half marathon - Race Recap

I did another 13.1 miles, but this time I felt like it was all UPHILL. So yesterday was the ING in Atlanta. I was so excited to be racing again. I hadn't raced since Nov. (Thanksgiving Day, another half). I feel like it's hard to get a lot of races in when you have a small child. If I leave early on a Saturday morning, that means Adam is in charge and sometimes he has his own Saturday morning plans (tennis matches). So Saturday night, I didn't sleep well. Adam played poker and came home late and then Hope woke up so I didn't get much sleep, but I was still ready to go. I made it down to Centennial Park by 6:15am (race to start at 7:00am). I took Marta and eat my usual pre-half marathon breakfast (one piece of whole wheat toast smeared with lowfat no salt added cottage cheese and topped with some blueberries) and some water. When I got the race, I went to gear check to drop off my bag and then I went to find the corals. All of the lines for the porta-potties were too long so no extra bathroom stops for me (I could have gone too so that was a little disappointing). I was happy to see that I was in Coral C (A and B were for seeded racers and I didn't put in a time for this race). I felt pretty good about that. I knew I wasn't going to finish in 1:45 like I had originially thought when I registered for the race, but I was going to soak it all up. I didn't know when my next half would be. The weather was overcast and 51 degrees. They were calling for rain, so I wasn't sure if I would get the entire race in before it rained. The gun went off and within 25 seconds I had already crossed over the start line. My first 2 miles were pretty fast (probably too fast for me) but they were 7:43 and 7:50. Miles 3-5 were all hills and I felt like they were all up hill. It wasn't until mile 6 before I thought we had leveled off. About 3.5 miles into the race, it started to rain. It wasn't very hard, mostly a heavy spit. I did feel like it slowed me down a little during the downhills (the few that there were). With the rain, the air turned crisp, which hurt my lungs a little bit. Around 8.5 miles, between Virginia Highlands and Piedmont Park, I saw Adam and Hope cheering me on. Hope was all bundled up in her new raincoat and blanket and Adam was taking pictures and video on the Flip camera.

Finally, around mile 12 I went up my last big hill and finished back in downtown Atlanta. My time was 1:52. . ., which of course, I was disappointed in (my PR is 1:48), but I knew I hadn't trained for this one like I had previous halfs, so I was ready for it. But still disappointing. We are selling our house, trying to buy a new house, and spending a lot of weekend time looking at houses instead of running. So of course, I am not overly happy with my time, but I ran this race 3 years ago, and I ran it in 1:57 so I was 5 minutes faster than I was 3 years ago (hadn't done much training then either because that was when my mom was sick). And the course for the ING was much more difficult than the course in Oct. when I got my PR, and there was better weather.

So that is my recap. I will post pictures when I get them on the computer.

Finished!

Of course I finished, but I am too tired to do a race recap, but wanted to let you know that I did not have a PR, but I did pretty good considering my training. I am never happy unless it's a PR, but I am going to take it today. It rained and was very hilly. Now I am currently trying to register for the Peachtree Road Race and and the system is having issues with the high volume. More to report later.

This mommy is pumped!

I went today to get my bib for the race and got to go down to the Expo. I hadn't spent much time at the Expos in my recent races with Hope but today was so nice, I planned a nice little day for us. Lucky for me, Hope slept in (yeah) and then we went for a 5 mile run (easy). Then after lunch, we hit the Georgia Aquarium, Centennial Park to run around in, and then the ING Health Expo. The weather today was beautiful (unlike the weather on Sunday). We had a great time and I enjoyed walking around the expo. It really got me into the racing mood. I was looking at some really cute shirts when Hope had a meltdown so I had to get out of there ASAP. A little bummed I didn't get a shirt, but do I really need another shirt? Probably not, but I enjoy the running mommy shirts. :)

So now, I am so excited for the race on Sunday. Even though I am not in the best half marathon shape of my life, I can't wait to race. It's also a little sad because I don't know when my next half marathon will be. We are winding down on marathon season and I don't know what the future holds for me. So I will definitely let myself enjoy this race as much as I can. The weather is not looking good, but I am going to go out there with fighting spirit nonetheless. I think I might get Hope a raincoat tomorrow just in case. :)

What does everyone eat the night before a race? I usually end up eating cereal, so I would be interested in what everyone else eats. I can't do pasta before a race, sorry ladies.

Good luck to the other INGer's this weekend. I hope we all get PR's!!!

Race dilemma

Ok, so I don't feel like I am as prepared for this race as I usually am. I have been so busy with buying and selling a house that I haven't had as much time to run as I would like to. And then I had the stomach bug which didn't help either. Which leads me to my dilemma, what do I do about a time??? I have the Garmin Forerunner 405 (which I love) and it has a pacer on it, so I can set the speed. Now in November, I averaged 8:15 minute miles, so do I use that number or do I use a more realistic number? I definitely want to push myself but I don't want to get so far behind that I start ignoring my watch. What to do? What is your advice? Where do you think I should put my pace?

This week's goals from work

FIBER! We are supposed to aim for at least 20 grams of fiber everyday and continue to exericse. So this week I am looking at whole grains and still my fruits and veggies for lots of fiber. This one is a little harder to track than eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies, but I think I have gotten the hang of it. I have been starting my day with a piece of whole wheat toast or a breakfast tortilla to really get my fiber up quickly for the day. So to everyone trying to do this, good luck this week.

Menu Planning - 3/15

Well it's post birthday for me, so time to get back on track. Of course my family gave me lots of candy and cake for my birthday so I will be going through that this week I guess. Here is what I am thinking for menus for this week.

Mon – ? I am thinking leftover veggie pizza and salad for me, don't know for Adam though
Tues – Ten Minute Tasty Asparagus and Brown Rice
Wed – Hoison glazed tempeh with green beans and cashews (VT, March issue)
Thurs – “Fried” fish, salad, potato fries
Fri – Homemade Pizza

I have the ING half marathon this week (Sunday). I can't wait!

I am not one to preach but, . . .

Ok, so it was been about a year since I became a vegetarian. I really like it and haven't had many issues with it. The first 2 weeks I felt like I had more energy and my body felt cleaner. It was weird because the meat I was eating was healthy (chicken breasts and ground turkey breast). Since then, I haven't craved meat at all, but I was never really a big meat eater anyway. I do still buy and cook meat for my husband. I can't decide on Hope. I think I will let her make her own decision, but I am exposing her to tofu (sometimes likes it). She doesn't eat much meat at all right now, between me not making it and her like digging the texture, she is eating other protein sources.

Ok, so the point of this post, I ask that you consider a Meat Free Day (like Meat Free Monday). There are a lot of good reasons to eat less meat (can be healthier, good for the environment, more humane, etc.). I am trying to get Adam to go meat free one day a week, but it's hard. He likes his meat. Right now, with it being Lent, Fridays are currently his meat free day.

I won't bore you with literature, but if you are interested, google vegetarian and you will get plenty of information. Here are some I like:

Peta

Vegetarian Times

Go Veg

Good luck if you decide to do a meat free day.

Fruits and Veggies

Since I am making a conscious effort to get in at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies each day, I thought I would start this morning off with my version of a Green Monster Smoothie. It's very yummy, very filling, and has a serving of fruit and a serving of veggies. So after breakfast I was already at 2 out of 5. I know some people don't like to drink their calories and I completely understand, but this is very filling that I don't feel like I am drinking my calories and it fills such a large cup, it's a lot to drink. So if you are having trouble getting in all your fruits and veggies, this might be a good way to start your day. Here is my version



Green Monster Smoothie

1/2 skim milk

1/2 - 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt (or plain yogurt)

1 frozen small banana

1 tablespoon peanut butter (almond butter works well too)

1 cup baby spinach (other greens will work too)



Combine in blender. Mix. Serve.



You only taste the banana and peanut butter. So good! If you aren't a big fan of bananas, you could try frozen berries or even frozen mangos would probably work too.



Here is the nutritional value of my green monster smoothie.



Calories: 291

Total Fat: 9 grams

Carbs: 38 grams

Protein: 20 grams

Fiber: 4 grams

The most filling thing you can "eat" for under 300 calories. I highly recommend it.

Work - getting in shape

So my work is doing this "Around the World" thing and is basically to help people get into shape and lead a more active, healthy lifestyle. I told a friend I would sign up with her and help her out. Well it started last week. Since I was sick on Monday and didn't do much the rest of the week, I totally missed out on last week's goals. So I am starting with this week's goals. I thought I would share in case anyone else wants to see what they are and feel free to log your own.

Goal #1 - Workout for at least 30 minutes 5-7 days this week.
Goal #2 - Eat 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables 5-7 times this week.

Of course, I will aim for 7 days and then we will see where I fall. I think the exercise goal is every week and then the nutrition goal changes every week. The tour is 6 weeks, so I will let you know each week what the different goals are.

So far, I have had 2 servings of fruit and vegetables. My plan is to run 3.5 miles today and do some core.

Menu Planning - 3/8

Ok, so completely healed from the stomach bug and ready to start cooking again. Here is what I have on the menu this week.

Monday - A version of Runblondie's Bean Concoction, chicken for Adam and salads

Tuesday - Either on our own or crockpot meal

Wednesday - Breakfast for dinner - eggs and hashbrowns for sure

Thursday - Tacos

Friday - Cottage cheese and noodles

So not my most exciting meals of the week, but I am trying to use what we have in the fridge and pantry before we move. Have a great week everyone!

Training Update

Well I am almost completely recovered from the stomach bug (no, I am not pg, I promise). And our house is officially under contract and we have a binding agreement on another house, so that is very exciting, but it also means I am busier than ever. I have had my bluetooth in all day making calls to lenders, home inspectors, financial advisor, mold guy, etc. And I have a feeling, it will only be getting worse from here. I have not run all week (did other stuff a few days, but like I said, I am still recovering from the stomach bug). The race is just over 2 weeks away, and the most I have is 8 miles. I am hoping to get in 9 miles this weekend which would make me feel better, but I am not going to be breaking any PR's this time around. And that is very difficult for me. I usually don't race many races, but I really train for the halfs I do train for. This will be my 3rd half in 5 1/2 months. I am just not used to going into races without giving my training 100%. To me, I feel like a training failure, but having a toddler, moving, buying a home, getting sick, I might just have to run this race to enjoy it and not think about a PR. I think I am going to need the next 2 weeks to comprehend what I just wrote, "enjoy the race and not think about a PR." Maybe I will go out slower, but I know that is going to be hard. Any advice? Help me understand that I am not a failure if I don't crush my PR.

Surviving the stomach bug, another day's meals

So Sunday night and Monday I was home sick with the stomach bug. It was awful but luckily this morning I am feeling better. So this week will probably lack some good exercise and good eats posts, so here is an eating blog I forgot to post from last Thursday. I am going to continue with my G2 Gatorade and toast for now.

2 eggs over easy, a plain piece of toast and some coffee with skim milk

I wasn't terribly hungry at lunch time, so I just had some vanilla yogurt (fat free) with some mango added to it. I also was drinking my water by now.

Later in the afternoon, I made a veggie quessidilla. Here it is right before I placed it into the pan.

And here it is on my plate. I put 2% mexican blend cheese, yellow bell pepper, tomato, and onions. Yum!

And of course, my typical hold me over till dinner, some candy. Thank goodness all the candy is gone!

Dinner for me was a veggie burger with cheddar cheese, roasted broccoli, and some homemade sweet potato fries. Yes, my veggie burger is on a whole wheat hot dog bun; we were out of regular buns.

BTW, it's snowing again here. That makes for 3 times this winter. Has to be a record!