Failure

I am a failure. Ever have those days? When the negative thoughts in your head are so loud you can't concentrate on the fact that you are actually spectacular and awesome and feel like the biggest loser out there (please tell me it is not just me!).

My weight has stalled and stagnated again, and it is all my fault. Easter candy and jelly beans (man I love jelly beans) ripped into my mind and grabbed hold and I found myself buying and eating loads of candy. I did not run three days last week, or yesterday, or Monday... so my goal of 4 miles a day is falling flat. I am already not sure I will be able to get 4 miles in today. I have a speech presentation due tomorrow, a paper due tomorrow, an assignment that was due yesterday still to complete, plus classes the rest of the day today.

Plus, it is snowing, and with the cold my motivation is practically non existent. And I do not like my daycare anymore and do not want to take my boys down there. I have 2 hours until class and enough to do to fill 10 hours more. I just want to hide and avoid it all. I need the sun and the warm weather to come back. Maybe then I can find my happy thoughts again.

Running Blog

I have noticed that more and more of my posts have become about running (or at least mention it) and I am okay with this. :) This is moving into being a running blog, and running makes me happy.

I think about running all day. It's first in my brain when I wake up, last thing I think about before I go to sleep, and I even have had dreams about it. It lifts my mood better than anything except the joy I get in my hubby and my kids.

So more posts will talk about my runs, the things I think about on my runs, the things that running makes me feel. And as of Saturday there will be race recaps too - my first race is Pumpkins in the Park and I cannot wait. I'm going to have a little pirate theme rockin' for the race. I'll be sure to get pics :)

I hope I don't lose readers (I value all of you so much) as I grow and figure out my place in the world of running blogs. I know there will be struggles along the way, and the advice and support I get from my tweeps and readers is really what keeps me going.

So come on in, take off your sneakers, grab a cup of coffee (the pot is always on) and tell me your story. We have so much to talk about.

If I Had a Million Dollars

Have you ever had the "if I won the lottery" day dream?

No? Just me? Hmm, maybe it's because I am always broke...

Anyway, there have been commercials on TV for the latest Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes. I am not planning on entering, but the giveaway/prize is $1million dollars and $5000 a week for life. That is the part that always interests me. You could blow through $1 million pretty quick and be in a worse situation than you were before, but with money coming in every week, if you were the least bit responsible, you would really be set for life. Not an extravagant life, but a nice comfortable middle class one (that is really what I aspire to).

And I think to myself, I I won $5000 a week for life and didn't have to work, what would I do? Would I still want to be a teacher? Maybe, I really do love being in a classroom, and if I was not dependent on the salary, I think I would teach at least part time, and probably in an economically disadvantaged school.

But I don't think teaching would be my primary passion. I think I would want to devote my life and my work to getting healthy and fit, to getting my family and loved ones healthy and fit and to teaching/helping other people be healthy and fit.

And when I think of that, I think of the scene in the movie Office Space where the main character asks another "What would you do if you had a million dollars" (I would link to it, but the language is a little PG13) and he goes on to say (basically) your answer to what you would do if you didn't need money is what you should be doing with your life, because that is what would make you happy.

So I am left thinking, if I would devote my life to getting healthy and getting other people to be healthy and fit - what should I be doing now instead of trying to be a teacher? Am I on the wrong path? And if I am on the wrong path, what should I do so that I can merge my current path with one that will allow me to bring health and fitness to myself and others?


What would you do if you didn't have to worry about money?


If you were going to devote your life to health and fitness, what would that path look like to you?

Perfect Fall Crockpot Oats

I really don't do a lot of food posts - food is so subjective to taste - but I love reading other people's food blogs and getting new ideas even if I don't follow the recipe exactly.

This morning I tweeted to the #mamavation #breakfastclub that I was eating Crockpot oats after my run for breakfast. A couple people asked me what my secret was.

Come a little closer, I'll whisper it to you....

Sweet potato. Seriously, mashed sweet potato. I know, I was amazed too. I mean, who would think a little potato would make such a huge difference?

My other secret is milk. Anytime I try to make the oats with water they turn out bland and tasteless.

So here is the recipe for Pumpkin ./ Sweet potato Crockpot oats

Ingredients

• 1C steel cut oats - not rolled, not quick, MUST be steel cut
• 4C Milk - I use 1%
• 1/2C pumpkin puree
• 1/2C mashed sweet potato - I baked about 10 sweet potatoes in the Crockpot, they slid right out of their skins and I have been adding them to all kinds of baked goods. Gave me about a quart of mashed sweet potato
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, ginger, cloves, to taste - I add about 2tsp cinnamon and a few good dashes of everything else
• 1tsp vanilla - best quality you can get

Pour everything in the pot, stir, cover, if your pot has a timer that will turn to warm set it on for 4-5 hours and leave it on warm until ready to eat. If you don't have a slow cooker with a timer set it to low, and check it in the middle of the night, switch it to warm after about 4-5 hours.

I make these before bed and breakfast is warm and ready in the morning. Depending on how much you scoop out there are easily 6-8 servings, and it makes a very hearty  breakfast.

You can reheat this in the microwave, on the stove top with a little more milk, or in the over at 500* for 5-10 minutes. I use the oven method because it is easier to clean and I don't have a microwave :)

And next time I make this, I will take pictures of all the steps and stages.

Do you have a go-to recipe you have perfected? 

Are you a breakfast eater? What is your normal breakfast fare?

Food Issues

Okay, everyone knows (well, lots of people know :) ) that eating is 80% of the healthy body-weight loss- fitness equation. Fantastic! If I eat right I have most of my mission conquered right there. Get in some movement that I like consistently and that is the whole package, I am all set.

Except...

What is eating right?

Is it Paleo? Low Carb, High fat, High protein, High carb, clean eating, calorie counting, carb counting, macro-nutrient counting? Do I have to count something? Do I have to give up something? Do I have to give up everything?

Next Saturday is my monthly shopping trip. I am trying to figure out how to stick within my grocery budget ($300), make approximately 100 meals (give or take) for a family of 4 for one month. That in itself is hard enough, but I need also need help in figuring out the best, the healthiest, the easiest, the most sustainable way to eat to help me conquer my food demons and lose this weight.

• So - I ask you - what eating plan / lifestyle works best for you? 
• Why? Do you make allowances for "life" (birthday parties, holidays, special occasions) or do you maintain your eating style during those times too?
• How expensive or budget friendly do you feel your way of eating is?

Any advice would be helpful and appreciated. I want to get this food monkey off my back!

Mmm, Chicken Fingers

My boys are not all that different from your average toddlers/preschoolers. They want to run and play and jump around. They are super stubborn and that stubbornness will often show its face at meal times.

Not tonight! Earlier this week I discovered an excellent trick to making chicken nuggets from scratch instead of relying on store bought packaged nuggets chock full of things I do not want my kids eating. Yogurt, specifically Chobani yogurt (of course). I made the nuggets as chicken fingers tonight and had another successful batch, and thought it was time to share :)


Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 - 1 C Chobani 0% plain yogurt
• 3 chicken breast, sliced into strips or nuggets
• 1-2C whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1C rolled oats
• Garlic, pepper, onion flakes or other spices to taste
• 1T oil to fry the chicken in (I used coconut oil)

Direction

• Preheat oven to 425
• In one bowl combine bread crumbs, oats, and spices, set aside
• In a separate bowl whip together yogurt and eggs
• dip chicken pieces in egg/yogurt mixture - be sure to coat the chicken completely
• place coated chicken pieces in the bread crumb/oat coating - shake and mix to cover completely
• once all the chicken pieces or "breaded" fry lightly in oil, 1 min max on each side
• put all the chicken in an oven safe dish and bake for 10 minutes at 425 
• serve and enjoy!

The yogurt really keeps the breading on the chicken and the chicken itself moist. Monkey ate most of his (inhaled really) and Moose ate 1 finger before falling asleep in his chair :) I ate four (or um, maybe 5) myself and they were yummy! I am so glad to have a crowd pleasing chicken nugget/finger recipe that is so easy to make.

Oh - and the ranch dressing Monkey has to dip his finger was made with half mayo / half Chobani yogurt :)

Are there any family or kid-friendly favorites you have remade into a healthy meal?

Seitan - why can't I find it!

So I wanted to post today about making seitan (vegetarian "wheat meat") but every recipe that sounds like I could do it one handed requires vital wheat gluten. Boo hiss. So instead I am going to talk about hummus.

Mmm, hummus...

So of course years of dieting and reading nearly everything ever written about how to diet and what to eat and yada, yada, yada, and nearly every "diet" has recommended using hummus instead of mayonaise as a sandwhich spread. I am a big lover of ethnic foods, but I have not really embraced Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cuisine. That is obviously a huge mistake on my part. If you have not tried hummus yet, go buy or make some right now - I'll wait. Okay do you have some? No? That's okay, I will tell you how I make mine and you can make some later, trust me, you will want too.

This is adapted from Alton Brown's Turbo Hummus - reason enough to try it, because I have not made a dish of his yet that was not pure heaven.

You will need:
2C or 1 15oz can of Chickpeas, drained
2 cloves garlic or (this is what I do) 1/2-1T Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herbs
1-2T Peanut Butter - I generally use 1
lemon juice - I have a big bottle that I just sort of splash in, probably a T or 2, but you can adjust this to taste
1/2t salt - kosher or sea salt tastes best

combine all ingredients in food processor or blender and pulse until it reaches desired consistency

I love this. Every time I make it it lasts a day and I am literally licking it out of the bowl. Especially good with cucumbers, grape or cherry tomatoes, and sugar snap peas. It is wonderful spread on sandwiches or scooped up with pita chips. My favorite about this, I feel totally comfortable going over the traditional 2T serving size because it is so low in fat and high in good for you fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

I am going to make some right now while I wait for the boys to wake up for dinner.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 194.5

• Total Fat: 5.4 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 650.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 29.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5.8 g
• Protein: 7.8 g

If hunger is not the problem...

On the Sparkpeople website on a message board today I saw this quote in someone's signature "If hunger isn't the problem then food is not the answer". How often do I use food to solve my problems? Or no food? I use having to run errands as an excuse to eat junk. I actually think to myself "well I have to go all the way into town and I can pick up some Taco Bell before I go shopping". As if Taco Bell is good, or good for you, or a reason to go to town. I am so tempted by crap food it sickens me. Yesterday - as I was heading into town to go to the emergency room (cat bit me, swollen infected finger, needed antibiotics) I stopped at the gas station to "get a snack for the boys" and grabbed discounted Valentine's Day candy - chocolate covered cookie dough bites. Pure sugar and fat with no redeeming qualities.

Food is not the answer. I need to find what is.

Day 23 with a karmic booty kick!

So 2 days in a row I have been late to my student teaching job. The first 2 days of my student teaching. Why have I been late? Because I keep getting stuck in the snow in my driveway. Since my driveway is all dirt and gravel we generally don't shovel. My superb winter tires on my Ford Taurus can usually just power right through the snow - however with all the freeze and melt I keep spinning out on the ice/refreeze/runoff and slid into the dirt embankments.

This morning's adventures I feel was karmic payback for ignoring my alarm and sleeping an extra hour instead of getting in an extra workout this morning. I will not being doing that again! Instead of getting in extra cardio this morning I got to spend an hour shoveling the ice and hard packed snow out of my driveway with a garden shovel. In sneakers. And slacks. And a dress shirt. With the boys in the car. Okay actually I took the boys back inside and put on a movie for them as soon as I called AAA, but still. It was not fun and for the rest of the day my feet were cold, my booty was super sore, and my slacks were wet.

I wanted to talk myself out of my workout tonight, but as I was changing into workout gear after work I noticed that I could feel the muscles and bones in my back and hips much easier than before. My hips still have a few layers on fat on top of them, but the curve from my waist to my hips feels slimmer and smoother than it did just a few weeks ago.

I wanted to ignore my workout tonight, but then I thought of the people who have told me - through the blog, or email, or Facebook or in person - how proud they are, how I am motivating or inspiring them. I thought of how proud I am of myself. I did not want to disappoint us.

I wanted to sit on my couch and eat giant greasy dripping steak subs on a squishy soft white sub roll, but then I thought about how I am trying to get rid of my "white food" cravings and addictions (white rice, white flour, white sugar - even though I am Irish to the bone I have never been a fan of white potatoes :)) and bought high fiber whole wheat pita pockets and lean steak for a sandwich. I grilled the steak with baby spinach and a drizzle of soy sauce and added half a slice of cheese, and stuffed it into the pitas. I grabbed 3 wilted stalks of celery (I didn't want chips, but did want some crunch) and had a satisfying and filling dinner.

I vowed that no one will recognize me a year from now - I am starting not to recognize myself now. And I couldn't be happier with this new person.

Chinese buffet - ugh!

First day of student teaching and I got to go on a field trip. Unfortunately lunch was at a Chinese buffet and I ate way more than I should have. I have felt like crap since. I will improve it with dinner though - baked sweet potato, broccoli and lean grilled burger.