Niki's Neverending Adventure

Hey friends! I'm blogging from my phone tonight because the fiancé is being a computer hog! Haha :)

I'm going to start my running rant now... I have had the suckiest runs the past 2 days. No, scratch that, the last week! Ever since I gave blood a week ago, my runs have been awful. I took the next day off from running after giving blood. But the following day, Tuesday, I had a super tough 4 miler. Like I had to keep stopping to catch my breath. I just thought it was an off day. The next day, Wednesday, I ran/walked with Sadie and that was tough too. I was breathing so hard and I'm never like that! The next day I ran, Friday, I could barely make it 2 miles. I felt so pathetic. So, I didn't have too may goals set for my 5k race yesterday, seeing as how awful my runs had been. I sucked the 5k up, bad. Worst 5k time for me EVER! I ran it in 31:27 and the worst part wad, that I had to start walking at mile 1. At one point, I could barely run for 1 minute before I was so breathless that I had to stop and walk. I felt so defeated. I was so upset.

I was going to try to redeem myself today with a good 3 mile run, but again that didn't happen. By mile 1 I was dying. I wasn't going any faster than normal, actually a bit slower. My legs felt like lead, my heart was beating out of my chest, and I couldn't catch my breath. I decided to cut it down to 2 miles since I wad already dying at mile 1. I was so determined to not walk! At one point, I got really lightheaded but kept on. Not smart, I know. But I am super stubbon and I was so determined. I made it 2 miles, my time was 18:20 or something similar. Not too bad, but I defintely should have been able to run it much faster and I shouldn't have felt the way I did. I felt so tired, like I just finished running 10 miles. Seriously, something has to be going on. I mean, 2 weeks ago I was running 4-5 miles 5 times a week and now I can barely make it 2?! Something is definitely not right.

I did a little research on giving blood and running and I found a few sources that said it can take up to 4 weeks for your blood cells to replentish themselves. And your red blood cells are the ones that carry oxygen (if you didn't already know that).Wish I would have known that before I gave blood! I'm thinking I'm just taking an extra long time to replentish my RBC and that's why I'm so tired. But man, I can really tell a difference! I just want to be back to normal! So frustetating!!

In other news, I got to see Katie (tnbaileybunch.blogspot.com) at the 5k yesterday! We probably haven't seen eachother since high school! It was so good to see het and she defintely rocked her first 5k!! (not sure how to hyperlink from my iPhone!)

And I will leave y'all with a picture of Sadie!

I bought this toy for her, for her bday and she carries it around with her everywhere! She even likes to lay on it! Haha. Have a great night!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Posted in: on Monday, April 26, 2010 at at 8:19 PM 6 comments    

I feel like all my posts are titled this recently!! Sorry for being MIA this week. School has been so busy and I’ve been exhausted trying to fit everything in!! I have 1 test this coming week then I’m off to Ohio for my cousin’s wedding! It will be so fun and a much needed break!!

Running this week has been really random and sporadic. None of them have really been exciting or all that great. I was able to take Sadie running a few days ago and we increased her walk/ run ratio to 3 minutes running/ 1 minute walking for 2 miles! She did great!! I love running with my little Beagle :)

I have a 5k race today that my whole family is doing! Its the Mears on Wheels 5k and it’s to raise money for a new motorized wheelchair for the soccer coach at my old high school. It’s amazing how much those wheel chairs cost!! So all you people in Memphis, come run this one! It’s at 2pm today at Johnson Park in Collierville!!

Not sure how well I will do in this race since my running has kinda been sporadic the last few weeks. Plus it’s at an odd time so who knows how my stomach will act! The weather looks nice except for the 20mph winds! Either way it should be fun! Plus my whole family will be there and then we are going to Mellow Mushroom for pizza! Yummy!!

We had some pretty bad weather yesterday, but all the rain made everything so green! I was so lazy yesterday and spent the whole day watching The Hills reruns! I love that show and am so excited for the new (and last) season to start Tuesday! Looks like it will be really interesting! Any other Hills fans? I was so surprised at how different Heidi’s face looks now compared to it in season 1. Poor girl, was so much prettier before all the plastic surgery.

Well guys, I think that’s all for now. I’m going to late church this morning so I am currently watching more Hills reruns! Haha! Have a great Sunday!!

Posted in: on Sunday, April 25, 2010 at at 8:16 AM 1 comments    

Good Evening! Hope your weekend is going good so far! Mine is :) I slept in until 8am this morning, which is pretty late for me! I probably would have slept longer if it wasn’t for Sadie. She woke me up around 6am to feed her and then we went back to bed, but around 8am , she started bothering me again because she wanted me up! Is she spoiled or what?! Ha.

The temp was cooler today, high right around 70, so I was able to kinda relax this morning and run around lunch time. I finished a take home test for school this morning and then did some cleaning. By the time I knew it, it was 11:45 and time to run!!

I set out for a hilly (and super windy) 5 miles. At first, I wasn’t feeling the run AT ALL. I even thought about cutting it short and running longer tomorrow. But by the time the first mile rolled around, I was feeling really good and those thoughts quickly disappeared!! It was seriously windy today! I think wind is 10X harder than running hills and I would much rather run hills than run into the wind. Today I had both. I just kept telling myself, this is good for you! Think of how much easier it would feel without the wind! By the time I knew it, the 5 miles were finished!! Here are my splits:

• Time: 47.49
• Mile 1: 9:43
• Mile 2: 9:31
• Mile 3: 9:38
• Mile 4: 9:39
• Mile 5: 9: 18
• Avg Pace: 9:34

I am very happy with my pace for this run! I definitely could have kept going for at least another mile and felt fine. Yay! After my run it was Sadie’s turn to workout and we walked our usual mile loop :)

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On a totally different note, I was in the mood to bake this afternoon! I didn’t have a lot of time to I went to the old handy dandy boxed caked mix and frosting to bust out some yummy Chocolate Cupcakes with Funfetti Frosting!

I used a Pillsbury  Devil’s Food Cake Mix. Boxed cake mixes really do make yummy cake and cupcakes! Plus they are so handy, all you have to do is add eggs, water, and oil! How much easier could it be?!?

Funfetti Frosting is AMAZING!! So yummy!!

Of course I had to have one for dessert! Don’t worry, I made sure to have plenty of calories left so I could have one of these babies!!

Yum, yum, yum! So good! Definitely couldn’t tell this was a boxed cupcake mix!! While I love making baked goods from scratch, sometimes it is nice to be able to make a quick boxed dessert that tastes just as yummy!!

Are you a from the box baker or from scratch?

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I spent way too much money at the grocery store today! I just kept seeing new things I wanted to try! I will be sharing these with y’all as I test them out throughout the week!

When I was checking out at the grocery store today, they cashier told me I reminded her of Kendra, as in The Girls Next Door. I just laughed. She said it was a compliment but I’m not sure! Haha!

Well, on that note, I gotta jet! Time for some puppy cuddling time!! Goodnight!

Posted in: on Saturday, April 17, 2010 at at 9:07 PM 6 comments    

TGIF!! I am so happy it’s Friday!!This week has been so busy and I am exhausted! Not to mention, I’ve had the worst headache for the past 2 days. It just won’t go away. I don’t really have much to talk about, since my life revolves around school and I know y’all don’t want to hear about that! But, I have been doing well keeping on track with my running so that’s what we will talk about!!

Wednesday

I had intervals on the schedule. I like to do my intervals and speed work on the treadmill since I don’t have access to a track. I did:

• 1 mile warm-up
• 6X400 with a 90 second Recovery
• 0.7 mile cool down
• Total: 4 miles

This was tough!! I can definitely tell I haven’t done intervals or speed work in a while! I used to be able to bust out like 10-12 400m repeats and now 6 is tough. Guess I have something to work towards, right?!?

Thursday

This day was an off day since I was at school literally all day long! I did get up extra early so I could take Sadie on a nice morning walk :)

Friday

This morning I decided to get an early morning run in before class. I headed out around 5:10am and did an easy 3 miles. My Garmin’s battery was dead so I had to run without it. I haven’t had a super early morning run in a long time and I really liked it! Something nice about being the only person out at that time of the morning!

So overall, I have had some good runs so far this week. I plan on running tomorrow and Sunday so I hope they continue to be as good!!

That’s all I really have for y’all today! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Posted in: on Friday, April 16, 2010 at at 8:17 PM 2 comments    

Hey friends!! This is gonna be short and sweet because I only have 10 minutes until Glee comes on!! Any other Glee fans?? I love it :)

I have been a busy little bee the past couple of days, mostly due to studying, class, and other school work! Ugh, can’t wait until this semester is OVER!!

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I had an ok 3 miler on Sunday before church. Wasn’t too hard but didn’t feel too easy either. Yesterday I took off from running and ended up walking 4 miles, half outside with Sadie and half on the treadmill, and also did some arm strength training! I’m sore today from those weights too!! This morning, I got up and went on a 4 mile run. The weather is so nice in the mornings!! I love it and it made for a really great run! My average pace for the 4 miles was 9:36 and I had negative splits! Gotta love that :) Now I just wish my Plantar Fascitis wasn’t bothering me so much today. Gotta remember to keep stretching!!

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On to my yummy dinner recipe that I made tonight!! Chicken Pot Pie by IGE!! I know I’ve posted this recipe before and it’s just so yummy!! The nutrition info is really good too! Let me know if you would like it, I calculated it all out today since I’m counting calories.

I like to make them in individual bowls. One for me and one for the fiancé :)

Love the crescent roll topping and there are TONS of veggies underneath! This is a must try recipe!!

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On the calorie counting front, it has still been going well! I have been doing it for a total of 3 weeks now and have lost about 4 lbs! It really isn’t that hard at all!! Just wanted to give y’all an update :)

And I am off to watch Glee (and probably eat a small bowl of ice cream! Couldn’t stay away for long!) Goodnight!!

Posted in: on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at at 8:26 PM 6 comments    

Happy Saturday to everyone!! I had a pretty good day considering most of it was consumed by studying. But when the weather is beautiful and you can study outside, it’s really not that bad!! Plus, I am trying to work on my sports bra tan line for my wedding! Haha :)

I did go for a run around 11:30 am and I was so pumped to go. It had been a few days since I had run and the weather was perfect! I was planning on doing 5 miles, but my run SUCKED! Big time :( It just felt hard. I even had to walk a few times and ended up cutting it short to 3 miles. All in all, my pace wasn’t too bad, 10:09 avg pace, but that fact that it felt so difficult is very frustrating to me. I know I haven’t been able to be as consistent with running as I would have liked, and my long runs have been non-existent, so I could only expect to lose some of my running fitness. But still, it makes me sad and mad! I wish I was one of those runners who can take like a month off and be able to come right back and run 8 miles, but I’m not. Time off, even a few very low mileage weeks, really throws off my running. So, instead of pouting and continuing to complain about this, I am going to work on being more consistent staring next week!! I’m not going to write out an “official” training plan since I’m not specifically training for anything, but I am planning on getting in 5 runs each week and at least 2 strength training sessions.My body and running just seems to do better when I get in 5 runs a week, so that’s why I chose that. Consistency is key for me. I know for the next couple of weeks, this may be tough because school is still in full force, but I’m just going to have to work it in. This probably means getting up super early to run/strength train, but I gotta do what I gotta do! No resetting the alarm clock! Ha! I can do it though and I WANT to do it! I miss running consistently. My body just feels “off” without it!

Have y’all ever had similar issues with losing running fitness when you have taken time off? Even a week or two? How many days a week do you run? 

I did get to try out my new running shirt and shorts today! I knew I would love the top already, since this is the 3rd one I’ve bought of the same style, and the shorts were also awesome! Can’t go wrong with spandex in my opinion!!

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Let’s move on to yummy eats for today!! The only photo worthy ones were breakfast and dinner :)

Breakfast was a new Tropical Oats creation!!

 

In the mix:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tsp ground flaxseed
• Dash of cinnamon and vanilla
• Toppings: Mango, 1 TBSP NM PB, 1/2 TBSP coconut

This was a great combo!! Loved the “tropical” combo of mangoes, bananas, and coconut!! I had to use frozen bananas because I was out of fresh. And frozen bananas work perfectly in stove top oats!! I even thought they may have sweetened it a tad bit more than the fresh bananas! Try it out sometime!!

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Dinner tonight was soup and sandwich.

I made a tuna melt on yummy sourdough bread I picked up from the grocery store bakery and had Roasted Red Pepper Soup and some cantaloupe with it.

For my tuna melt, I mixed together 1 packet of Chunk Light Tuna, 1 tsp Mayo, 1 tsp lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Spread that onto one slice of bread, top with some Swiss, and toast it up on the skillet! Yum!!

The Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup was so yummy also!! I believe the brand was Pacific.

And for dessert, the fiancé requested brownies!! I happily obliged with help from Betty Crocker :) I think brownies out of the box are fabulous!!

I love, love, love brownies!! Yummy!!

Ok guys, going to get back to watching How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days! Have a wonderful night!!

Posted in: on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at at 8:54 PM 4 comments    

It’s finally Friday!! Wohoo!! I’m glad it’s the weekend, even though I will be studying ALL WEEKEND! Big test on Monday.

I haven’t been able to do any running the past couple days. Yesterday I was literally at school from 8:30am-6pm and by the time I got home, I was starving and ready for dinner and bed!! I was planning on getting a run in this morning at 5am, but that didn’t really work out! My alarm went off and I immediately reset it because I still felt exhausted. And I just ran out of time this afternoon. I had to make studying my number 1 priority today. I know my schedule will be less hectic in a few weeks so I’m trying to give myself some slack on my lack of running. It’s hard though.

I did get some new running clothes today though!! My sneaky little puppy likes to chew up my running shorts and as of yesterday, I was down to one pair. I definitely needed some new shorts!! So I stopped into Dicks Sporting Goods on my way home from class. I got these Nike shorts:

And I also picked up another one of my favorite summer running tops. They just came out with new colors!

I literally will not wear any other type of shirt for running in the summer! I love this style so much!!

What are your favorite running shirts or shorts? I am always looking for new styles!! I am pretty partial to tight fitting/spandex shorts because I don’t like movement with my clothes at all, especially shorts. Chafing is not fun! And spandex shorts take care of that problem!! Plus I don’t like constantly having to pull down or having to rearrange my shorts and these type of shorts don’t move at all! Perfect!!

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I have a few eats that I want to share with y’all! Yesterday morning I had the best bowl of Mocha Oats so far! They were AMAZING!!

In the mix:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/3 cup brewed Spring Blend coffee
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 tsp ground flax
• dash of cinnamon and vanilla
• 1/2 TBSP cocoa
• 1/2 mashed banana
• Toppings: Raspberries, 1 TBSP NM PB, and 1 TBSP shredded coconut

This was the bomb!! I think the addition of skim milk to the mix really did it! Or maybe it was the Raspberries! Either way, this was a definite win!!

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Dinner tonight was also a winner!! I made my favorite Salmon recipe: Erin’s Brown Sugar Rubbed Salmon!!

The Salmon Filets with the rub on top, waiting to be cooked!!

My plate: Salmon, Sweet Potato, and Whole Grain Garlic Rice! Phenomenal!! Loved every bite!!

This is seriously the best way to make Salmon! And this whole dinner took literally less than 10 minutes to make with 1 pan to clean up! Love that!!

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Well, I know I’ve talked a lot about ice cream recently, because I love it so much, but I’m having to ban myself from ice cream for awhile! I just have NO self control around it! It’s like once I start, 1 bowl just isn’t enough! And since that’s the case, I’m just gonna steer clear of it for awhile and just use it for occasional treats and not an every day treat!

What’s one food that you have no self control around?

Well friends, that’s it for now! Gonna enjoy the evening with my fiancé!! Have a great night!!

Posted in: on Friday, April 9, 2010 at at 7:55 PM 2 comments    

Happy Hump Day! Half way to the weekend!! Yay!! My day didn’t start off so well… The test I took this morning was super tough! All my class mates thought so. I’m dreading seeing what my grade is! But, after the test, I decided to give myself a school free day!! It was so nice and I got a lot accomplished!! I cleaned, planted some flowers, balanced my checkbook, did some laundry, and caught up on my DVR and magazine reading! It was quite nice!!

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I opted to do a speed work session on the treadmill today since there were wind gusts of 30mph! I don’t know what is up with the wind lately! It’s been crazy!! My run was tough! I had planned to do 1 mile warm up and 4X800 with recovery for a total of 4 miles. Well, I only made it 3 miles before I was dying so I called it a day. You win some, you lose some right? Hopefully I will have some better runs this weekend.

After running I finished up walking 1 mile and then took Sadie on a mile walk. Later this afternoon I walked another 2 miles on the treadmill while watching 90210 reruns. Lots of walking today!!

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Let’s talk eats!!

Breakfast:

Banana Oatmeal topped with Naturally More PB, Raspberries, and Shredded Coconut. I have missed my NM PB so much!! Glad I have it back in my life :) Spring Blend coffee on the side of course, and this morning was a 2 cup kinda morning!!

Doesn’t this look good?!? I love how pretty the Raspberries make it look!

Lunch:

 

I had the same Turkey and Swiss Bagel Sandwich as yesterday with a yogurt parfait on the side.

Turkey, Swiss, Cucs, and Mustard on a Bagel Thin. Make sure and toast the Bagel Thin and Melt the cheese on the Turkey. Delish!

Strawberry Chobani Greek Yogurt, Cantaloupe, and 1/4 cup PB Granola. Yum, yum!! I love yogurt parfaits!! This was the last of my Cantaloupe, so sad :(

Snack:

I had a mix of cereal as my afternoon snack. 3/4 cup Oh’s and 1/2 cup Quaker Oat Squares. Erin tells me they have the Cinnamon Quaker Oat Squares again! Can’t wait to try those!!

I also had a cup of Orange-Black Tea

Dinner:

I wanted something quick and easy for dinner so I whipped up some Annie’s Mac and Cheese. I added spinach and tomatoes to it for some oomph! It was good, kind of bland tasting though. Think it was missing something but I’m not sure what else I could have added… Any ideas?

And on the side: an Orange and some Roasted Cauliflower with Ketchup for dipping! I think Roasted Cauliflower might be my favorite Roasted Veggie! I love it!!

Dessert:

I bet you can’t guess what I had! Haha, Ice Cream of course! Just can’t get enough of the Samoa Ice Cream!!

I had 3/4 cup (1.5 servings) and it was AMAZING!! I love ice cream so much and just can’t seem to cut it from my diet. That’s why I am making sure I have enough calories each night to have some! Priorities, right?!

What is your favorite ice cream? My ABSOLUTE favorite is Cake Batter from Coldstone but I haven’t had it in forever! We don’t have a Coldstone close anymore so I am not able to get it :( But don’t worry, I make up for it with other flavors!!

I am so excited to read my new Runner’s World tonight!! Do y’all get that magazine? It’s my absolute fave!!

Well, gotta get to that! Have a great night! Fingers crossed that it doesn’t storm too bad here! Good night!

Posted in: on Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at at 8:13 PM 5 comments    

Happy Tuesday Everyone!! How was you day?

I basically spent the whole day studying! Minus the time I was in class of course! I have a HUGE test tomorrow so the study time was much needed!! I am sad to say I wasn’t able to get a run in today. I seriously had no time and had to put studying as my number 1 priority. You just gotta do what you gotta do, you know?!

I was able to squeeze in 4.5 miles of treadmill walk/study in this afternoon! I get so much great studying done while walking on the treadmill! Anyone else do this? Now, you can’t go too fast, otherwise it’s hard to read! I usually walk at about 3.0 and today I found out that my text book balances perfectly on the little book ledge thing! Nice, right?! So, at least I got some calorie burning action in!! 

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Check out this huge tub of Nonfat Plain Oikos I have!!

I used the free coupon the lovely Stonyfield people sent me to get a free 16 oz tub of this stuff!! I love Plain Greek yogurt! It’s so versatile! You can make it sweet or savory. I love to top all my Mexican dishes with it as a substitute for sour cream and I also love mixing granola and fresh fruit for a nice yogurt bowl!! Another one of my favorite ways to use this yogurt is to mix 2 TBSP in my Oatmeal!! It gives the Oatmeal such a rich and creamy taste! Try it!!

So if that was any indication of what I had for breakfast….

 

Banana Oatmeal with 2 TBSP Oikos added in and Raspberries and hidden PB as toppings! Delish!!

Aren’t those Raspberries gorgeous?!? Very tasty too, might I add!!

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Lunch today was a recreation of yesterday. But since I forgot to snap a picture yesterday, it’s all new for y’all!!

Turkey and Swiss Melt on a Bagel Thin, topped with Cucumbers and Mustard. Honey Whole Wheat Pretzels and Cantaloupe on the side.

The Cucs gave it a wonderful CRUNCH!! And this cantaloupe I got from the store this past weekend is super sweet and juicy!! Love it!!

My afternoon snack was an unpictured hodge podge of items including: carrot chips and NM PB(I restocked my stash!!), Oh’s cereal, and more Honey Whole Wheat Pretzels.

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Dinner was left over Sloppy Joes since they are so yummy! Plus, I didn’t have time to cook anything due to studying!! Worked out perfectly :)

 

I had a Sloppy Joe on a Honey Whole Wheat English Muffin, leftover Roasted Broccoli with BBQ sauce for dipping, and vegetarian baked beans.

Roasted veggies have transformed me! I used to not be a big veggie fan at all until I found the method of roasting! Now, I can’t get enough!!

And dessert was ice cream (of course!)

I had 1 cup (2 servings) of the Samoa’s Ice Cream. Luckily, this is only 120 calories for 1/2 a cup and I had plenty of calories left to have 2 servings! I don’t think I would be satisfied with just a half a cup of this stuff!! Haha!!

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I’m gonna get going now, I have another early morning wake up call to go take my test! But the good news is that after the test, I am giving myself the rest of the day off from school! And I have a ton of things that need to get done! Have a great night!!

 

Posted in: on Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at at 9:11 PM 2 comments    

Evenin’ Bloggies! How was your start to the week? Mine was pretty good, if I do say so myself! My morning started off super early, at 5:15am, since I had to be at class at 8am. I always manage to have time for a yummy, filling breakfast though!!

Cereal it was again this morning!! In the mix:

• 1 cup Multigrain Cheerios
• 1/2 cup Quaker Oat Squares
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• Raspberries

And some yummy Spring Blend coffee! Divine!

Mmmm, I love raspberries!! Although, I think blueberries are my ALL TIME fave! How about you, what’s your favorite berry?

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I got home from class around 11:15 and was so hungry and ready for lunch! I made a Turkey Sandwich on a Bagel Thin (have y’all tried these?), some veggies and hummus, and cantaloupe. I was so ready to eat that I forgot to take a picture! Woops! I gotta get back in the food blogger mode! Haha.

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Lunch really didn’t hold me over well and by 2:30 I was starving again! So, I had some cereal. I seriously can never have enough cereal!!

3/4 cup of Oh’s with 1/2 cup Almond Milk. Yum! Filled me right up!!

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After my snack, it was time to go to my first wedding dress fitting! Now, as I’m sure most of you know, I had a wedding dress issue when I first got my wedding dress sent to me! Well, everyone thought it looked great on me today and were hesitant to let it out a tiny bit like I was wanting! Luckily, they agreed to let it out 1 inch just for my comfort :) I know wedding dresses are supposed to fit snuggly, especially if it is a fitted dress like mine, but I am not comfortable in tight things! Guess I just gotta get used to it!! I absolutely LOVE it though and can’t wait to wear it!! It was fun to try it on again and have all the bridal salon people oh and ah over me! Hehe. Plus, I got to see how my shoes looked like with my dress!! Can’t wait to try it on again after they alter it! I am also getting a French Bustle added to it :)

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When I got home, I was ready to do some form of exercise. I immediately saw Sadie’s cute little face and knew I wanted to take her running! We did our usual run/walk increments of 2 mins running and 1 minute walking for 2 miles. Our first mile was a 10:38 pace and our second mile was at a 9:36 pace!! Crazy that out mile splits were so fast even with our walking segments!!When we were running, we were booking it! We finished out our workout with another 1 mile of walking. Sadie was so pooped when we go home! I on the other hand finished up with about 8 minutes of ab work.

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After getting a shower, it was time to make dinner! On the menu tonight: Erin’s Sloppy Joes!

These are the best Sloppy Joes ever! And the fact that you know all the ingredients that went into it is so much better than eating the Manwich kind out of the can!! We ate ours on Whole Wheat English Muffins! The fiancé gave this recipe 2 thumbs up :)

On the side: Broccoli roasted with garlic salt and pepper and Country Bob’s BBQ Sauce for dipping!

And a fruit salad that contained:

• Mango
• Cantaloupe
• Raspberries
• Clementine

Such a perfect dinner!!

And for dessert… ICE CREAM!! The problem was, which kind do I choose??

Peanut Butter Cup or Samoas??

How about both? Hehe :) Luckily, I had enough calories left (I’m still counting them everyday) to enjoy some of both!!

I love, love, love ice cream!! After this bowl, I seriously wanted another one!! Good thing I ran out of calories! Ha!!

That’s all for tonight!! I have another busy day tomorrow that is starting out with an early morning run (hopefully!!)!! Good night!!

Do you prefer working out in the morning, afternoon, or evening? I like morning workouts because it’s nice to get them out of the way first thing, but it’s been harder and harder for me to get them done!! I’ve been doing a lot more afternoon and evening workouts/runs and am really enjoying them! Sometimes a little change can really help get you motivated and out of a rut!

Posted in: on Monday, April 5, 2010 at at 9:07 PM 2 comments    

He Is Risen!!

Happy Easter to everyone!! I am so thankful for my Savior who died on the cross and rose again, to forgive me of all my sins!! Thank you Jesus!!

Did y’all have a fabulous day today? I sure did! I really enjoyed our church service this morning and then spent the rest of the day with my family. Doesn’t get much better than that!

My morning started out with a wonderful bowl of cereal:

In the mix:

• 1/2 cup Quaker Oat Squares
• 1 cup of Organic Cinnamon Crunch Cereal
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• And some BEAUTIFUL raspberries

It was a VERY good bowl of cereal! Actually kept me full until lunch! I think the key to eating cold cereal is mixing a couple different kinds and making sure you have some sort of fruit in it.

With my French Press coffee of course!

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For lunch after church, we headed to Perkins for brunch. I forgot to take pics but I had a veggie omelet made with egg beaters, a side of fresh fruit, and 1/2 of a Bran Muffin. It  was delish!! I loved how Perkins has a nutrition calculator online so I was able to total up all the nutritional info before we went! That way, I knew what to order that was healthy!!

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After doing some reading for school for a couple hours, it was snack time at my parents!

Mimosas!!

With some fresh raspberries dropped in :)

And some cheese and crackers and popcorn.

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Dinner was a few hours later. I am now able to eat meat since Lent is over, but really wasn’t craving it at all! I just had one slice of turkey, that’s it!

On my plate:

• Honey baked Turkey
• 2 deviled eggs
• Potato salad
• Cucumber and Onion salad
• Fresh fruit
• Roll

It was a VERY YUMMY dinner!!

And what meal is complete without dessert?!?

Angel Food cake with home made Raspberry Sauce!!

It was divine!! Loved every bite of it!! I also snacked on way too much candy today! Back to my healthy eating tomorrow :) Everyone deserves to splurge a bit on the holidays, right?!

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I have a long week ahead of me, super busy with school. But I hope to resume normal blog posting!! Tomorrow I have my 1st wedding dress fitting with the alterations place, so I’m excited to do that! It’s been a while since I’ve tried my dress on!!

This morning, I had a really nice, early morning 3 mile run at a 9:30ish pace. I liked running just as the sun was coming up, it’s been awhile!!

Well guys, gotta get to bed! Hope you have a wonderful night and a great start to your week!!

What did you do for Easter?

Posted in: on Sunday, April 4, 2010 at at 9:19 PM 4 comments