Operation Panic

I ran across a new blog tonight that has made me come to a crazy decision. First, the blog is called Beautiful Mess. Second, the crazy decision is I have decided to cut out dairy/animal products, among other things, for at least 1 month. Starting October 1st, which happens to be tomorrow.

I have been considering cutting out dairy/animal products for awhile now, but I get overwhelmed and don't know how or where to start and frankly what to eat besides cereal and a ton of carbs.

Beautiful Mess talks about this "diet" called "Live-It" that she followed strictly for 2 1/2 months. She had amazing results from it. It's follows the eat to live way of thinking.

The guidelines:

~ No fruit or butter for the first 2 weeks
~ For the first 30 days avoid: sugar, yeast, dairy products & fermented products or alcoholic drinks {I will be avoiding animal meat as well}
~ After 30 days I can add: oatmeal, sweet potato and brown rice

So no grains, pasta, baked goods, alcohol, sugar or pop.

What I Can Eat:

~ Vegetables: (no corn or carrots) cucumbers, celery, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, onions, squash, artichokes, asparagus, bell peppers, bok choy, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, kale, okra, lettuce, spaghetti squash, lemons and limes
~ Beans: green, kidney, black, pinto, red
~ Fats: avocado, nuts, natural peanut/almond butter
~ Other: salsa, tomato sauce, broth, spices
~ Drinks: coffee black, green tea, water 

Acceptable Fruits after 2 weeks:  
~ Best: strawberries, blueberries, apples, pears, kiwis, oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew, peaches
~ Avoid: {due to natural sugar content} pineapple, cherries, watermelon, dates, figs, bananas, grapes. I think I will pretend that grapes and bananas are on the best list.

*Guidelines taken from Beautiful Mess

30 days is a long time. But I am going on a cruise a.k.a. living in a bakini for 8 days in just 2 short months. Operation panic!!

For the LOVE of Running

I think I have found my love for running again!!

My sister and I have been running Jack Quinn's pretty regularly. I am actually pretty excited that I just ran run #7 this week! My goal when I started JQ was to reach the 10 run mark before winter. It's pretty much in the bag!!

Running with L-Dawg is GREAT and exactly what I needed to get my running mojo back. She is new to running. I love watching her passion and excitement for the sport flourish each week. It reminds me why I love running and keeps me going back for more.

Some runs are easy while others are painfully hard. There's really no explanation. It all depends on the running gods. It's the runs that feel and fit just right that make you go back for more. You start to crave those runs. And you can't stop thinking about the possibility of beating you PR time.

Speaking of PR time, I looked back and last year I ran a 5K (Sailin' Shoes) in 24:59. This is CRAZY fast!!! I honestly have no idea how I did it? I have not ran one race this year even close to this time. I would kill to run this time again. So this is my goal. To run a 5k on a treadmill at a 1% incline in 24 minutes and 59 seconds. 

Here is a start to my goal. I ran 1 mile at an 8 mile pace. I about died.

Today I ran 3.2 miles in 28:11 with an average page of 8:48. Basically I need to cut this back to an average pace of 8 minutes which is around 7.3/7.4 speed on a treadmill. It's not going to be easy!

Did I tell you that I signed up for personal training sessions!! My first session is Wednesday. I am supper excited. P-Dawg and I go on a cruise in December. I need to get toned! And to get toned I need to lift. Enter personal trainer. Can't wait to tell you all about it!    

Gym Shorts in Yoga Class?

It was turning into one of those afternoons. In my mind I was already coming up with a million reason excuses why I should skip the gym tonight. 1. I stuck to my meal plan today 2. I lost 5lbs 3. I worked out Monday and ran Jack Quinn's with the sister yesterday 4. I was tired 5. Preston didn't have pool.

I knew the excuses were starting to take over. I had to do something quick. I jumped onto Lifetime Fitness.com and started looking for a group class. Zumba wasn't for another 3 hours. Actually the only group class taking place right after work was beginners yoga. Yoga. Hmm. I had never done yoga with an instructor. Unless you count P90X Yoga with Tony Horton in my living room. But in a yoga studio with other yogi's around? Never.

Without another thought I said I'm doing this. I didn't allow myself to think twice about it until I got in my car. Then I began to freak out! What am I getting myself into! Is this even considered a workout? I don't have a mat or gym pants. OMG I have shorts for God's sake. I am going to be the only yahoo in the class wearing gym shorts. They are all going to look at me and think doesn't she know you don't wear shorts to yoga!?

So in my shorts I make my way to the yogi studio. I choose my spot very carefully... the very back of the room in the corner. I am happy to see community mats with a bunch of other equipment that I have never scene before. I grab a mat, a block and settle into my corner.

Matt and Block

My Corner

I was so busy taking secretive pictures that I almost forgot that you don't wear shoes or socks when doing yoga. I put my shoes in the cubbie and wait for the 60 minute class to start....

I had such a great experience. The instructor was informative and made us feel welcome. She emphasized that yoga is our practice. We are not in competition with our neighbors. It is about what our bodies can do and doing we feel comfortable doing.

During the class we focused on our breathing, poses with even some meditation. It was perfect. I didn't get bored of the poses or frustrated with my inflexibility. And let me tell you I rocked it! All because of the dreaded P90X Yoga and crazy Insanity moves.

It's easy to train, lift and run forgetting to properly take care of your body. My goal is to be more diligent in stretching, work on strengthening my core and  incorporate yoga into my workouts.  

Oh ya I almost forgot to tell you, there was another girl in class wearing shorts. Ha, I'm not the only yahoo!

An A.D.D. Weekend

I have been antsy-pantsy this weekend. I can't just sit and relax. I always have to be doing something. I am usually NOT like this. I love Sunday naps and lounging around.

Friday, Preston and I ate out at Jose Muldoon's (2nd best taco salad in Colorado Springs. Salsa Brava wins bragging rights). I then spent the evening leasurly cleaning the house, blogging, reading and catching up on Project Runway.

Saturday, peeps came over for the CU vs. CSU football game. I cleaned some more when I woke, went to the grocery store, made bracelets, played Mexican Train, watched a lot of College Football and Project Runway, blogged, made homemade Wheat Veggie Pizza, started knitting a kitchen wash cloth and cleaned some more.

Sunday, I went to the grocery store (again), enjoyed breakfast at Starbucks and Einsteins, bought a puzzle at Barnes & Noble, cleaned the house again (I was in a mad cleaning streak), watched football, make Energy Oat Balls, started on the puzzle, did some laundry, played with the pups, changed the theme on the blog, and blogged.

I have never felt so a.d.d. in my life! I would start something be totally content for awhile and then crave something new. Hence the puzzle, cleaning, reading, knitting and cooking.

I am totally warn out from basically nothing. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

{Overnight Oats}... Dud

This morning I ate the overnight oats I prepared last night. This is my second attempt at making overnight oats. I thought maybe the first time I made them I did something wrong. I am not exaggerating when I say everyone is bonkers over overnight cold oats.

This time I added a little milk to make it runnier and granola instead of Almond Butter and Kashi Crunch. The end result: still very disappointing. It was pretty bland with a hint of cinnamon. The addition of the granola didn't add anything to it except for maybe a little texture. I am not sure what more I would add to it? Maybe a banana?     

At this point I think I will stick to Shakeology. I love how Shakeology makes me feel and I really get addicted to the rich chocolate and banana taste.   

Has anyone else tried overnight oats? If so, what am I missing?

I Said It Sucks to Be a CSU Ram

My Attempt at Ovenight Oats

I love reading blogs. Mostly style, do it yourself, health-nut and workout blogs. I can get lost in them reading post after post after post. A common theme I see amongst the health-nut and workout blogs is the love and passion for oats. I have never sceen so many people rave about oats. Lately they are all talking about overnight oats. Or cold oats.

I do like me some oatmeal. I have been known to eat my oats at work for lunch in a large 2 cup measuring glass. Some think it's odd. I think it's yummy in my tummy.

It's about time I attempt overnight oats:

Ingredients Oats after being microwaved

Oats ready for overnight soaking

Overnight Oats
Ingredients
-1/3C rolled oatmeal
-1/2t ground cinnamon
-1/2t vanilla extract
-1C water

Directions
1. In a dish, mix together 1/3 Cup oats, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and 2/3 Cup water.
2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in an additional 1/3 Cup water and cover.
Store in the refrigerator overnight or for a couple of hours prior to consumption.
(recipe from Fit Foodie Finds)
Mix In Options

Granola

Kashi Crunch

Almond Butter

Peanut Butter

- Fruit
- Nuts
- Protein Powder
- Yogurt
- Almond Milk
- Raisins

Tomorrow I think I am going to try granola and maybe some peanut butter.

Fighting Like Hell

The weight that I have progressily put on over the summer because I lived at the lake and fell in love with this wonderful drink...

Mixed with this...

is so freakin hard to get off. It's so frustrating that I let myself put on the extra 7-10 pounds. I knew I was gaining weight, but I decided to ignore it. Well when your pants start to fit tight you can't really ignore it anymore. When I gain weight I tend to become very introverted. I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay at home and clean the house.  I have no idea why I get the urge to clean.

I am fighting like hell to reach 133. But fighting sucks. It's hard. Take this week for example. P and I went grocery shopping, planned our meals and have cooked dinner every night since Sunday. I ran the Race for the Cure 5k on Sunday. Went to the gym and lifted on Monday. Then Tuesday came. The first weigh in our work weight loss group. I actually gained. Okay I know why I gained (family in town = dinner, drinks, breakfast).

Ever since Tuesday I have had a hard time fighting. On Tuesday I told myself I was too sore to run. On Wednesday I told myself I was too tired to go to the gym. Today, I was so hungry I told myself it was okay to get Chick-fil-A. WTF! I am my worst enemy!!

So how do you get motivated? Obviously I have not figured this out. I know I am a competitive person and like to win so I gathered the gals at the office and started the weight loss challenge. But at the moment it's not enough. When I wake up on the morning and try to find cloths to wear I get frustrated cause they are all tight. But that's not enough. 

I want to be one of those people whose day fills out of whack if they don't go to the gym. I want to crave sweet. I want to see results. I.don't.want.to.fail. My only option is to keep fighting like hell.  

{Book Review} Something Borrowed

I recently listened to Something Borrowed on tape. It was a cute book about the main character falling in love with her best friend's fiance. 

Review from Amazon:

Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself.

 

 

When I listen to a book on tape I tend to get pretty into it. I find myself idling in my car a couple minutes longer. than normal. This time I went as far as to bring the book inside to listen to it on my computer. 

 

Overall I thought this was a cute book that I would say I enjoyed, but will probably forget about in a month. I'm not sure I will see the movie either. I'm not a big movie fan so that's not saying much. We had The Social Network from Netflix for over 6 months. It was still is a movie that I really want to see. I just can't talk myself into sitting down and watching a movie from start to finish. Ironic side note, we are watching Born Supremacy on TV right now for the millionth time. P is the type of person who can watch a movie he likes over and over again. I have seen Forest Gump more times than I can count and basically throw a fit whenever it's on. 

 

Back to the book, it was cute (I don't know why I keep using cure to describe it). If you're in the mood for a light read that doesn't make you think this is not a bad choice.  

 

Work Weight Loss Challenge

The Work weight Loss Challenge has officially started! Sadly, most of us at work put on the pounds that we ended up losing in the last challenge. For me, going to the lake every weekend and eating unhealthy camp food, drinking beer and the most amazing mixed drink on the planet (Diet Dr. Pepper and Cocoanut Rum) I put on some weight. Like more than I would like to admit. Now that summer is basically over and the boat will be winterized soon, it's time to get back into the gym on a more regular basis and start eating healthy.

{The Plan} 

• Grocery shop once a week
• The goal is to eliminate wasted food. 
• Buy only what we need for the week.
• Cut back on spending.
• Plan weekly meals
• For me the key to eating healthy is having a plan and not winging it in the kitchen.
• This will also make grocery shopping easier. 
• Some may find this odd, but Preston and I do not eat the same dinner. When he is eating healthy, he tends to eat more eggs, pasta and red meat. I actually enjoy eating this way, I no longer feel like I have to eat meals that Preston likes and vise versa. Added bonus, Preston does not rely on me to cook! He is totally self-sufficient. 
• Stick to a workout regimen
• Now that I finished my last planned race, I feel like I can focus on a more balance workout to include lifting.
• I have decided to try the The New rules of Lifting for Women workout.
• One cheat meal per week
• This means one cheat meal, not an entire day.

To win the Challenge I must lose 5lbs in six weeks. I originally thought this would be easy, but I am up 1lb and had to put in my $5 into the pot. Not a good start! Now I must lose 6lbs in 5 weeks. It's time to get focused! 

{30 Before Thirty} Cheese!

Number 6 on my 30 Before Thirty: take a family photo. 

Back in June we celebrated Grammie and Poppy's 65th wedding anniversary in Denver. We had a photographer come in and take our family pictures. 

{Family Photos}  

Grammie & Poppy

Family

Grammie & Poppy with Cousins

Lawson/Hollis Family with Grammie & Poppy

Taylor, Sister, Dad, Mom, Preston and I

Sister, Dad, Mom and I

Preston & I

Preston & I

Preston & I

{A Must Read} A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns has been sitting on my bookshelf in my to read pile for over a year. I bought it immediately after I read The Kite Runner by the same author- Khaled Hosseini.

I feel extremely guilty for letting it lit on my shelf for as long as I did. A Thousand Splendid Suns easily makes my top 10 list. I recommend that you put this book on the top of your to read pile.  
 

 (A review from Goodread) A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years, from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding, that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heartwrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love, a stunning accomplishment.

{30 Before Thirty} $$

I'm going to make this one short and sweet cause it's not polite to air your dirty laundry. In this case I'm talking about finances. But because I put in on my list and because it's a huge accomplishment for Preston and I, I feel I must at least acknowledge it.

Preston and I completed number 8 on my Thirty Before 30 list- aggressively fund retirement and saving accounts. It feels great responsible to be able to mark this one off the list!! A big sigh of relief. The savings account don't touch unless your world is crashing down account is fully funded and our retirement contributions are being make every month like clock work.

In Dave Ramsey world we have moved onto Baby Step Number 5, but as it turns out we don't have any children so that brings us to Baby Step Number 6!!!! WOW!!

Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps