February Oats of the Month: Chocolate Covered Strawberry

Well, my migrane is still raging on, so I'm going to keep this really short. Staring at the computer screen doesnt help!

Work was good today, pretty normal. JJ was off of work, so he did most of the things on his honey-do list (including going to 4 different grocery stores trying to locate a butternut squash for me!) I'm glad he had a relaxing day for the most part, he's been working so much lately!

Here is this month's oats of the month. I love, love, love chocolate, so being able to have it at breakfast is a real treat! Yet, this recipe is only 230 calories per serving! Now you might need to add 1 more tbsp. sugar, it just depends how sweet you like your oats. I add just enough to balance out the bitter cocoa powder.

My grocery store was out of McCann's Irish Steel Cut Oats, but the Quaker steel cut are very similar in taste and texture. Neither are organic, I'm going to have to check out Whole Foods and see if they have them...

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Oats

5 cups water

1 1/4 cups steel cut oats

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 tablespoons raw sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups chopped fresh or frozen strawberries

1 1/4 cups skim or light soy milk (or chocolate skim/soy milk)

Bring water to a boil in a stock pot.

Add oats, bring to a boil, turn heat to low.

Simmer, whisk and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

When oats are thickened, add cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla and strawberries.

Stir to combine, pour into a refrigerator safe dish.

To reheat: Scoop a portion into a microwave safe bowl, cook for 2 minutes, stir in 1/4 cup milk and eat.

This makes 5 servings at about 230 calories.

I need to get in a good strength training workout tomorrow. Lou and I are running Thursday, then another weigh-in on Friday! The weeks are flying by... and I'm getting nervous that May 14 is going to come too soon!

Here's my cute photo of the day, Belle loves laying in her dad's cubby!

Day 39: Put a little love in the house...

Today has been absolutely awful for one reason... I've had the worst migrane!

The day dragged on and on... finally when I got home, JJ and I had a nice relaxing dinner. Then I took a bubble bath and he put the stim on my back. I haven't talked about it on here (I don't think), but when I was 16, I had major jaw reconstructive surgery. I still have TMJ, and it flares up on me now and then, resulting in migranes. Since having the surgery, I don't have near as much pain and stress on my jaw/neck, but it still hurts often, and when I'm stressed, it's the first place I feel it.

So over the weekend, I tried to brainstom about how I could decorate for Valentine's Day, but not spend much because it would only stay up for a few weeks. I thought about skipping Valentine's Day decor and just going to spring, but it seemed early, and we're having a little Valentine's Dinner party Saturday. So I decided to get some sweethearts and multi colored candles that could easily be transformed into spring decor! I'm so happy with how it turned out, and I'm even happier that I only spent about $20!

I also did a little decorating with rose wine (that I had on hand) and used our Christmas sparkly cranberries. I'm planning on getting some white tulips for the table when we have a dinner party Saturday. My sister got that vase for me (with flowers) for our Housewarming party, which I love! This table decorating cost me nothing! Yay!

So anyway for today....No exercise. Ate well. Feel so tight and achy. I'm going to have JJ put the stim on my neck, and then head to bed. At least my house is pretty now, that makes me feel a bit better :) 

JJ has the day off tomorrow, so I made him a tiny honey-do list. After work, I'm planning to run 2 miles and then do some strength training. We're thinking about going out to dinner... but we'll see how I'm feeling!

Day 38: Take me to Vegas!

I started my morning out with a nice 4.4 mile run. It was pretty chilly out, but I felt really good. The first mile I was kind of like, eh, I ran so far yesterday, do I really want to do this? But since I was feeling so good, it wasn't hard to convince myself to just do it. I mean, I was only going to run half of what I ran yesterday!

So I kept going, and I ran harder so I'd be done faster, and ended up with my quickest pace yet for this course!

When I got home, I was torn on what to do for breakfast. It was around 9am. I knew I wouldn't eat lunch until maybe 1:30 or 2pm, so I had to decide did I want to eat a bigger, brunch like meal, or regular breakfast and lunch. I decided to go for breakfast and lunch. So I had the usual yogurt, raspberry this morning, with a side of raspberries. It was delicious, as always.

Then JJ left for work, and I left for church. I hate when he has to work on Sundays because we miss out on our usual Starbucks/church/farmer's market routine. Instead of my usual iced coffee, I went for a Soy Misto (half coffee, half steamed milk). It was delicious, nice and foamy and warm. However, I had a lot less coffee/caffeine than usual, and ended up with an awful headache at church. I think it was partially from all of the running plus lack of caffeine and just being so busy in general.

After church I went to Sams Club. I would rather get produce at the farmer's market, but I had a few other things to buy and they're on opposite ends of town, so I got my peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers at Sam's Club. I also got a fountain drink, a giant Coke Zero. I don't drink soda often, so it was a treat for me. The caffeine definitely helped, and I started to feel much better.

I was STARVING when I got home at 2:30, so I fixed this giant salad. I always forget that cottage cheese is an awesome protein option for salads. I get tired of tofu and beans sometimes, so cottage cheese was a great protein/salad dressing option. I made a sort of chopped Greek salad (lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, tomatoes, cauliflower, feta and cottage cheese). It was so good, just what I needed!

Since JJ had to work so late tonight, we ended up having a low-key Superbowl. I decided to make some healthy appetizer type dishes. I made summer rolls, toasted ravioli, baked corn-dog bites and buffalo chicken meatballs. Leah and Jay came over, and Leah made a tray of Rice-Krispies Treats, which are one of my absolute favorites. I ate way more than I should have... so I'm glad I've been eating so well and exercising lately! I'll have the recipes up for those on the food blog soon!

So right before the game started, JJ decided to place a few bets with me.

First, he said one of the Vegas bets is will the National Anthem be over or under 100 seconds. I said just over. It was 106 seconds (according to JJ's watch), so I won.

Then he said will the coin be heads or tails, I said heads. It was.

Then he said who will score first, I said Colts. They did.

Finally, what color will the gatorade be that they pour on the winning coach. I said orange. It was.

I'm on FIRE! Take me to LAS VEGAS!!!

I just had JJ put the stim on my back, it's so tight and my muscles need a bit of work. It feels so good... but the muscles start to twitch and I look like I'm going crazy.

This week looks like it's going to be really nice. I don't have much planned, and JJ will be around much more this week than normal. Lou and I are planning to run Tuesday and Thursday. I'm tentatively planning to run 9 miles Saturday. It just seems like SO MUCH! We'll see...

Now a few questions and random things...

1. The bird was a Blue Herron (JJ told me, then a few reader's commented as well)

2. I have been drinking soda water and juice for years. I do a ratio of about 1 oz. juice to 12 oz. soda, so it's just a tiny bit of flavor. Since I have a diet that is extremely low in added sugar, having just a bit of fruit juice seems sweet to me. However, if you're trying to break the Coke habit, you might want to try 3 oz. juice to 9 oz. soda water to ease yourself in. Often times I don't even add juice, just drink the soda water. I love the bubbles, and think it tastes like water... but some people think it's salty. As long as you're not adding too much juice (and make sure it's 100% fruit juice, not juice 'cocktail' with added sugars!), it's a great substitute for soda.

3. Strength Training! I do not lift, I do not belong to a gym.... which is a whole other blog post/topic I could go on about. I liked having a gym membership as a back-up for when the weather kept me inside, but right now that's not an option (for budget reasons). Instead, I do strength training DVDs, which I find to be great workouts. I'm not building big muscles, but I contine to be more and more toned as I lose weight. My favorite is Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones. I had been doing this DVD 3x per week when I wasn't running as much, but now I do it maybe 1-2x per week (or I just do circuits 1-4 or 1-5). I was doing it with 8lb. weights, but I'm back to 5's since I don't do it as much. Maybe one day I'll do more strength training, but for now I'm happy with running goals and strength training to tone. 

Hope you all have a great week! See ya tomorrow :)  

Day 37: 8 Miles!!!

What a day it has been! However, I'm actually going to start with last night.

I know many of you have been getting pounded by snow. I am so, so, so, sorry! However, yesterday, we were pounded by rain! Because of that, traffic was a nightmare, and we arrived at the Revellers Gala about an hour and a half late. So we missed dinner. Which was ok, I was worried about finding something good to eat anyway. So I had a few glasses of wine and then switched to soda water and limes. Because we were so late, we couldn't really find seats, so we hung out by the bar. After the dinner and program portion of the event were over, the band came on. At that point, since I was single, I decided to head home because I had no one to dance with.

It was around 10:30 at that point. I knew I was going to run 8 miles the next morning, so I had to eat something, but didn't want to eat anything heavy because it was so late. So I stopped by Wendy's and got a Mandarin Chicken salad. It wasn't very filling (just chicken, lettuce and orange segments), so that was kind of a good choice.

However, when I set out on my run this morning, I had little to no energy. I was still a bit tired and stiff from standing in heels for 3 hours, and from not having a nutritions dinner. The first 3 miles were ok, the second three were extremely difficult. It felt like my theighs and butt weighed a million pounds. The last two miles were a blur. I took 30 second walk breaks at miles 5, 6, and 7. The walk breaks actually really helped, it slowed down my heart rate and gave my legs a short break. So, I'm really proud of myself for making it 8 miles, just wish the run had gone a little better! But still... 8 freaking miles! Holy cow, I did it! 9 next week???? Hmmm

After the run, I was not feeling well at all. My stomach was so tight and I felt so sick. I drank a huge cup of ice water, and then had breakfast. I was going to grab an apple, but JJ got the last one on his way to work. I'm not one to drink calories (cause I love to eat!), but we had no other fruit. Luckily, the POM Wonderful people sent me a box of juice bottles to enjoy. Oddly enough, I had just gotten a pomegranate Chobani to eat this week. It was a very antioxidant filled breakfast! I loved the pom seeds in the yogurt, it was a little crunch mixed in with the smooth and creamy yogurt. And of couse, the POM juice was perfectly tart and sweet. I like it mixed with soda water because it's a little too much for me to drink straight.

After breakfast, I went food shopping as always. I was very excited to find Oikos at Whole Foods on sale for $1 each! I love grocery shopping. Menu planning and grocery shopping are probably the highlight of my week!

After lunch, I cleaned the house and then made lunch. I had a pound of organic brussels sprouts in the produce drawer that I had planned to use during the week, so I mixed them with some tofu, mustard, maple syrup and garlic and roasted them at 500 for 25 minutes. The end result was a deliciously savory and sweet, caramelized plate of food! I had some grapes, carrots, and an iced coffee as well while I read my newest Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine.

After lunch, I was doing the dishes when I looked out the kitchen window and saw this:

I'm not exactly sure what kind of bird that is...maybe a crane?... but he was pretty big!

In so many ways, I'm still so shocked when I see things like this... I have to remind myself that yes, I do live in Florida! I absolutely love having a pond in our yard. I get ducks, turtles, geese, frogs, fish (and ew, snakes)... and it never gets old!

I had the Pizza Bowl Championship to judge tonight at 5, so I ran over to the Town Center to get JJ's Valentine's Day present. I'm so happy, I found something awesome that I know he'll love - and it was on sale! He sometimes reads this blog (mostly looks at the pictures and skims the text for his name) so I can't say where I went or he'll know. But I'll get a photo of it next Sunday!

The Pizza Bowl was fun, I'm so happy that Brucci's asked me to be a part of it! I can't wait to go back and eat some pizza with the gift certificate they got me!

I was pretty much starving by the time I got home. I've had this recipe, Butternut Squash with Duxelles Casserole, on my "to-make" list since I got my latest issue of Vegetarian Times, and it was fantastic! I'll have it up on the food blog soon. While it was cooking, I made a clean out the fridge salad. I had a zucchini that needed to be used, so I sauteed it with some EVOO for 2 minutes, just to take the raw-ness out of it. I mixed in some olives and roasted red peppers, and put it on a bed of romaine. It was a great dinner, full of vegetables. However, I didn't get much protein or carbs today, so I might grab another Oikos with some granola for dessert instead of fruit.

Ok, I'm going to watch a movie in bed and wait for JJ to get home. I'm hoping to run my 4.3 mile course in the morning, do some ab work, then go to church and run some errands. We're doing a very low-key Superbowl party with Leah and Jay. JJ has to work late and might not even be home when it starts. The theme of the night is healthy appetizers!
Hope you all have a great Sunday :)

Day 36: Prom!

All day long, all I could think about was how excited I was to go home and get ready for the Mardi Gras Party tonight! It felt like Friday in high school before Prom!
However, this morning's weigh-in also added to the excitement, I was 168.8, so I lost .9 lbs. this week! I'm very happy with that. So close to a pound... but I'll take it!

I'm going to keep this short because I need to get to bed. I want to try to run 8 tomorrow, but 6 might be all I can manage. We'll see!

Here are some photos JJ took of me right before I left (his game was cancelled because of the rediculous amounts of rain!) I loved the purple flower in my hair, it was such a fun punch of color and flair.

8 miles in the AM.... I hope.... oh my! Send me your thoughts!

Day 35: Goodbye, elliptical!

First off, thank you all for your comments on the dresses! I have decided to go with the second dress. Mostly for comfort, but also because I think it's more fun and party like. I love the first one though, and if I ever go to another event where it would be appropriate, I'll have to beg Courtney to let me borrow it!

So last week I got a call from my mom with some great news, my elliptical sold! I don't think I mentioned it on here, but when we moved from Indiana, I knew it was going to be a pain to take it with us, plus we had nowhere to put it while living in the apartment, and I didn't know if I'd want it in our future home. The electrical plug was getting loose, and it would turn on and off periodically, and needed some work done. So I decided to have my mom take it to Play it Again Sports to see if it would sell.

It was a really hard decision, I had the elliptical for a little over 3 years, and it is what helped me lose the first 50 pounds! I was religious about working out every night because of the convenience of having it at home. I could watch TV, listen to music, workout early, workout late, etc. I still think it was the best decision I ever made with getting my weight loss/healthy lifestyle change kicked off.

So today I got a check for $150 from my mom. I am happy that the machine sold for that much, and I'm a little sad that it's actually gone :(  Part of me wants to get another machine, either an elliptical or a treadmill (for when I workout and it's dark, too hot/cold, etc.) but we don't really have a good place to put it in the new house...

So I did have a comment left that basically asked how did I select my elliptical. If you read this post, it should give you some insight. I knew that I had to have a good machine if I wanted to do it right, so I spent a bit more. I would have loved to get a Precor, but they're really expensive. The Horizon was heavy duty, but still cheaper than the Precor. It ran great for 3 years, and I had no complaints up until the electrical part got loose. I would definitely go try them out though, see what you like, what settings are important to you, etc., rather than just look for a certain price or whatever is on sale or online.

Today after work, Lou and I went for a run as planned. I wanted to do 4, but he wasn't feeling the run today, and wanted to do 3, so that's what we did. It was a nice run, it started to drizzle a little, but was overall pretty comfortable and the pace was decent.

After our run, I went home and made dinner, which was a sesame crusted tofu 'steak' over stir fried kale and some rice. I made JJ chicken, rice and a salad. It was kind of a clean out the fridge night.

After dinner, we went to Target so I could get some accessories and cosmetics for my dress. I was so torn on what to pick out jewelry wise, but decided to go with flashy but could be worn again, and got gold hoop earrings with a filligre pattern in them. I also got some plum color nail polish, lip gloss, and a dark purple flower to put in my hair. I'm not sure which shoes I'm going to wear though, either my purple peep toes or my beige ruffles... hmm

When I was at target, I found a new pair of my most favorite thing in the world, seasonal knit mary jane slippers! I love these slippers, and get a new pair every season. I wear them around the house all of the time! I tried to get some photos, but of course the dogs were all over me...

After our trip to target, we watched the IU/Purdue basketball game. It was at IU on ESPN, it made me so sad because JJ and I went to so many games at Assembly Hall during his 2 years at IU. It was so much fun, and I really miss going to sporting events. I could go to his events, but he's at a small Division II school, and it's just not the same :(

Well I'm off to bed, I want to make sure I get lots of sleep so I have energy tomorrow night for the gala :)

Oh, and I have my weigh-in in the morning! Cross your fingers, I hope I'm in the 168's!

I might not get in a post tomorrow night. I'll try really hard, but I might get home really late. I might post 2 on Saturday to make up for it!

Day 34: Decisions, Decisions...and great choices!

Today started out like any normal day...until 8:01am when I realized I forgot my running clothes! So that meant that I could not go running after work. Boo! But then I got an email from a friend who said I could come over and try on some of her dresses for the gala on Friday. So it kind of turned out to be ok!

Right before I left work, Lou asked me if I wanted to go with some of his friends to La Nopalera, a Mexican restaurant, for dinner tonight because one of his college buddies is in town. So since JJ was gone with baseball and I'd be spending the night alone, I figured why not!

So after work I went to Courtney's and tried on 2 of her dresses. At first, I was dead set on wearing the first one... but then when I got home I tried the second one on again, and fell in love with it...

I think I'm leaning towards the second because it's a little more fun and party-like. Also, I'm afraid my boobs might pop out of the first one... haha. The cut is gorgeous though, but since it's so fitted through the body, it might be hard to dance in.... but it's just so darn pretty!
So what do you think?! I can't decide!

So after I tried on the dresses, I came home to feed and play with my dogs, then I ran to the library and got 3 new novels and a cookbook. I haven't been to the library in a while, it's closed on Sunday here which totally bums me out. That's my usual library day!

So after the library I drove over to the restaurant. I did what I always do when I go out to eat, look at the menu online so I can plan ahead! I knew going in I was going to order the vegetarian #5 - a spinach quesadilla with beans and rice. I figured I'd eat most of the rice and beans, the filling in the quesadilla, and a few chips and a light beer. That's exactly what I did, and I'm really proud of myself. It's so easy to eat and eat and eat at Mexican restaurants when they keep refilling the chips... but I counted 10 chips and then stopped. Small victories, people. That's what it's all about!

So unfortunately no workout today, but we are going to run tomorrow, and I just put my gym bag in the car so I don't forget!
I'm so ready for the weekend...

Day 33-2: Worked out, watched Rabies Fun Run 5k episode

So after I finished that post, I decided what the heck, I need to do some strength training. So I did just that. And I was elated to see that The Office episode with the Rabies Fun Run 5k was on! It made the workout go faster and much more enjoyable (see t-shirt).

I did the first 5 circuits of No More Trouble Zones, and my quads are burning! Love it!
I'm pretty proud of myself for getting in a workout. I'm shooting for 5 days with exercise this week including an 8 mile run this weekend, so tonight's workout was very important. I need to remember moments like this, how proud and happy I am with myself, and use them as motivation in the future.
**Remember this, Ash**

Day 33: The Hangover.

Oh my... what a day it has been! I guess I'll start with last night at Bite Club! The event went really well. It was at Sun Dog in Neptune Beach. It's a diner that also serves awesome gourmet food, and that is what they showcased.

The owner wanted to do a 5 course menu with wine pairings. Since we're in Florida, seafood has been prevalent in Bite Club events. I'm not a fan, so I ate around most of the fish and meat... little tastes, but overall it's just not my favorite. However, the wines were phenominal and I had my fair share of wine.

First course was salt cured salmon, radish and grilled pineapple kebabs with basil oil and a caramelized quinoa patty. I think the quinoa was my favorite food of the whole night.

Next was an arugula salad with lavash, pate, shiitake mousse and dates. I loved the shiitake mouse and the dates, foie gras is a little difficult for me to eat, but I tried it at least. The wine was a Pinot Noir, which was fantastic.

Next up was a piece of grouper poached in a vanilla broth with noodles, shiitake  bacon and a chardonnay. I loved the noodles and the shiitake bacon. (I had quite a bit to drink by this point...)

Then we were served pork belly braised in a raspberry jus with carrots and spinach. The pork belly was great, but I just picked out the littly bit of meat, no fat for me. I ate all my vegetables though, loved them! This was served with a cabernet sauvignon.

I don't have a photo of the dessert. It was a phyllo napoleon with raspberry sauce and truffle cream... I wasn't really fond of it. I love truffles and mushrooms in general, but not in a dessert. It was served with champagne.

Overall, the menu was great. The flavor was outstanding and they did a great job. I'm really enjoying being the host of the Bite Club. It's so fun to go to events and talk food with strangers (who are becoming friends!) to see what they think about certain dishes or flavors. Everyone always has a great time, and I am so fortunate that this partnership with Folio is working so well.

After the dinner, I went with some friends to a bar to sober up... I know, who goes to a bar to get sober?! Really, I just drank about 4 glasses of water and we played a bowling video game. I got home around 11, and then had to pack my lunch and get in the shower (I smelled like nasty cigarette smoke from the bar). Then in the middle of the night I woke up and was so hot and thirsty. I drank tons of water and started to feel a bit better. It was not good, I was literally worried I was having a stroke or something.... but I think it was just the alcohol working it's way out. I don't drink much... so I think not eating much and drinking 3-4 glasses of wine kind of did me in.

So, the kicker was this morning I had to be at work for an insurance meeting an hour early, so I was up at 5am. Not fun! Then I had to stay late to close out the month in the accounting sofware. So I basically worked an 11 hour day. And was hungover. Not a good way to start the week!

Tonight has been good, I'm still fuzzy and not feeling so well... so I'm going to head to bed now. Tomorrow Lou and I are running after work (probably 4 miles) and then also on Thursday after work.
I'm so excited for Friday. Lou is in this men's society thing... it's like a grown-up fraternity. They are having their big black-tie Mardi Gras gala on Friday night. He invited JJ and I, but JJ has to work... so I decided to just go by myself! I love to dress up and go to events like this, so I'm going to put myself out there and meet people! Honestly, this is something I would not ever have done before, when I had zero self confidence!
My mom is mailing a few of my sister's formal dresses to me so hopefully I'll fit in something!

Ugh, I need to not drink anymore ever again... today reminded me of why it's very rare that I drink more than 1-2 drinks. I need to remember this Friday, there's going to be an open bar...remind me, will ya?
Alright, time to pack my running clothes and then head to bed. Goodnight!

Day 32: Bite Club

Tonight I had my Bite Club event at Sun Dog. It was a great success, but resulted in me getting home at 11pm. It wouldn't have been so bad if my boss didn't ask me to come in at 7am (instead of 8) for an insurance enrollment meeting tomorrow morning...
So I'm off to bed right away so I can at least get 7 hours of sleep.
Eating went well today, no exercise because of Bite Club.

Sorry I'm starting February off with this lame post... but I'm exhausted! I'll share some photos tomorrow. I think I ended up consuming more wine calories than food... but seafood isn't my thing.
Anyway, goodnight!

Day 31: 1 month down!

Wow, I can't believe it's already January 31! What a month it has been. I'm so happy that I've been able to follow through this far in my New Year's Resolution of blogging daily.

This morning I still felt a little bloated. What the heck?! But I did feel a lot better after my super-clean eating day yesterday. It was just what I needed for body+soul.

I woke up around 7am, and let the dogs out, then we snuggled in bed for another half an hour. It was 20 degrees cooler this morning than last, so I wasn't in a huge hurry to get out the door. It was around 40 degrees, so I was chilly at first, but it ended up being a fantastic run. It felt so mechanical. My breathing was steady, my pace was steady, and my legs felt strong and great...which is fantastic since I ran 7 miles yesterday morning!

Here are my race stats. I think this is a pace PR for my 4.3 mile course.

When I got home, I went for the same breakfast as yesterday, but swapped out the blueberry yogurt for strawberry. I love greek yogurt, it really makes me feel full, it's so creamy and heavy, but since it's a small portion, it doesn't weigh me down.

                    

After breakfast, I was about to jump in the shower to get ready for church when I remembered that the 11am service was cancelled today. Our church has an 8:30 service and 11, but the 11am was cancelled because the annual budget meeting was today and they expected it to go long. Since we're not members yet, we don't get to vote. We will be formally joining on Valentine's Day during the 11am service.

So since we had all morning, JJ and I went to Starbucks (Venti Iced Coffee w/ Soy Milk) and then we went to Lowe's for my gardening supplies. I have 3 planters giving me 24 sq. feet of garden. Since the soil here is so sandy, I will be doing square foot gardening in planters. I learned all about square foot gardening from my friend, Kim, who had an amazing garden last year!

I decided to try to start everything from seed. I know this probably won't happen and I'll have to buy some plants, but for now, I'm at least going to see how everything comes up.

I got about 75 seeds started, and will be slaving over them for the next 1-2 months.

My favorite of all the seeds were Beets! How cool do the little seeds look?

Also, I am going to have a 100% (or as close as possible) organic garden, which I'll get into more during the spring... but for starters, organic seeds!

After sowing my seeds all morning, it was time to go to the Farmer's Market! I was a little bummed that they didn't have a few of the things I was looking for (brussels sprouts, butternut squash, onions)... but I did get some amazing produce for only $18! Including: 6 red bell peppers, 4 green bell peppers, 3 zucchini, 4 cucumbers, an eggplant, 4 sweet potatoes, and grape tomatoes. Luckily the market is in the Whole Foods parking lot, so I ran in there to get the remainders on the list.

When we got home, it was time for lunch! I decided to have a random pantry/fridge stir-fry. Lou gave me this wasabi/soy/ginger/sesame sauce that he loves, so I gave it a try. It was sweet, but also really spicy from the wasabi. I loved it! I had it with kale, carrots, baby corn and more of the Indian Masala tofu. I had a side of grapes and a La Croix.

I spent the afternoon working on my cooking blog and doing some cleaning. Before I knew it, it was time for dinner. I love potatoes topped with chili, but it can be pretty unhealthy. JJ and I love sweet potatoes, so I've been trying to substitute them more and more for regular potatoes since they're much healthier (lower in carbs, lower glycemic index, higher in nutrients and a superfood). I made a vegetarian chili with peppers and beans to top the potatoes. I love to use a tiny microplane to shred cheese because you eat a lot less, but it seems like much more when it's a tiny shred. JJ was craving guacamole today, so I topped the chili-potatoes with some avocado wedges.

Overall it's been another really good, active, clean eating day. I still can't figure out why I'm a little bloated and full. I never got really hungry today again, so I'm not sure what's going on!

Tomorrow is a Bite Club event, so I'm really excited about that. It means no exercise, but hopefully I'll be able to keep my eating under control. Since I'm the host of the Bite Club, I end up running around, chatting and photographing more than eating, which is good. I just get little bites and tastes.

Now for some reason, my last post resulted in quite a few questions from commenters... so here it goes.

Kate asked for the Lentil recipe - I post all of my recipes on my cooking blog. I'm usually a few days behind, so it should be up within the next few days. (http://www.ashleescooking.blogspot.com/)

Lisa asked what our grocery budget is - This varies a bit, but I try to stay under $100/week. JJ and I eat breakfast at home every day, I pack our lunches every day, and we eat dinner at home 6 nights per week, so for all of those meals plus some house supplies, I think sticking to $100 a week is pretty good! I am big on coupons and shopping the sales. I try to plan menus around that and what I can get at the farmer's market. Shopping organically can be difficult with keeping under buget, so I don't get everything organic, but always dairy and meat.

Cyd asked about my stance on vegetarianism - I had gone back to strict vegetarianism for a few months when we moved here, but found that it was hard to do with JJ. So we've been eating meat about once or twice a week. I only buy organic meat, so for ethical, budget, and taste preferences, once or twice a week seems to work for us.

I have not read Born to Run, but I am going to go check it out and see what it's all about. Has any one else read it? Any opinions or insight?

Hope you all have a wonderful week! Can't believe it's already Sunday night... 

Day 30: Running Highs and Weight-Loss Lows

This morning when I woke up, I felt like I was still really full, puffy, and in a food coma. After Chinese Thursday night and Bucca last night, I really messed myself up for the weigh-in. When I stepped on the scale, I knew it was going to be bad. I gained .3 lbs., and ended up at 169.7. I'm pretty bummed that I let myself go, but that's life. So I decided to set aside my disapointment, and kick some butt on my run.

As I was running, I was thinking about what I can do this week to stay on track. First, I decided to make today extra clean in my eating. I usually eat a very clean diet, but I wanted to make sure that today I especially paid attention. I wanted to be sure to drink a lot of water, get some of the sodium out of my system.

So on to the run, I had planned to do 7 miles, my longest run to date. I was excited, and ready to go, but still a little nervous. Well, I did it! And it was a great run. I felt really good, wasn't too tired, my legs felt strong and my lungs finally felt normal (as in, no longer sick and phlegm-y). Here are my results, my favorite is the 899 calories... come on Nike+, you can't give me 1 more calorie?!  At the end, Lance Armstrong congratulated me on my longest run to date.

After my run, I stretched a little, started some laundry, and ate breakfast. After a long run, I feel kind of full and tense, so I don't like to eat much. I went with a Blueberry Chobani and a Gala apple (organic gala apples were on sale for .99/lb at Whole Foods, score!) and a giant glass of ice water.

In traditional Saturday fashion, I set out for the grocery store next. I always stop at Starbucks and get a Venti Iced Coffee with Soy Milk. Delicious as always, and gives me a little caffeine to perk up after the run.

I have an awesome menu planned for the week, so I was excited to go grocery shopping. I stayed close to the weekly budget, I have $10 left to spend at the Farmer's Market tomorrow. I found organic pumpkin on the clearance shelf, so I got 4 cans for my oatmeal - major grocery score!

When I went to Whole Foods for the weekly groceries, I decided to make a giant salad like last week for lunch today. I found my favorite tofu there, Indian Masala sprouted tofu. It has great flavor and texture. I love this stuff!

For lunch, I had a slaw salad with tomatoes, red pepper, tofu, and a dressing made with low-sodium soy sauce, peanut butter, honey and sriracha. I also had a glass of unsweetened iced tea and grapes. It filled me up because of the bulk. There was a ton of food there (well, cabbage....) It's very clear that I've been overeating because I really haven't been hungry today, and after a 7 mile run, I should be. I should not be eating so much that after 5-6 hours I'm not a little hungry. I like to feel hungry around meal-time, it means I'm on track!

After lunch, JJ got home from work. When he asked me how many miles I did, this is what I said!

He was very happy to see I was wearing my Rabies Awareness Fun Run t-shirt. He got it for me for Christmas, and was really excited about it. It's a little snug (small?! why, JJ... why) but oh well... it makes me laugh. The guy at Whole Foods actually thought it was serious, and asked me if Dogs carry rabies more than any other animal... I would venture to guess raccoons?? I don't know... haha

For dinner, in keeping with my super clean and healthy day, I made spiced lentils, a carrot ribbon salad, naan and yogurt. It was really healthy and delicious. After I blog, I'm going to have a bowl of cherries.
I'd say today was a great success in getting back on track after the past few days. I'm still pretty upset with myself for only exercising 3x last week and for eating out two times... this behavior is NOT going to get me to -100! However, today was wonderful, and if I work on perpetuating this feeling of great, I can keep it going!

So a few random things...
Meredith asked about our date nights. Last night's date night wasn't planned because JJ's job is so random and he'll end up having to work or getting out early at the last second... so usually he'll call me and say hey, I'm getting off early, let's go out! However, when he's out of season, we will try to plan a date night ahead of time so I can reserve calories and not working out.... this happens about once a month. Our dates are usually dinner and then a movie, bowling, baseball games, etc.
I think it's really important to have date nights. I hate to say, but often times we end up eating dinner seperately or in front of the TV, we don't see eachother much when he's in season, and it's nice to have time to catch up.

Kelly asked about my blue shirt, it's from the Limited. I got it last Spring, so I don't think you'd be able to find it now. But the Limited always has similar styles of clothes, so I'm sure you'll be able to find something like it. I love it! Since my chest has shrunk (I went from 38DD to 34 C/D), I can now wear halters and v-necks! Just another perk of weight-loss... thought I know some girls would rather their chest not shrink ;)

Plans for tomorrow include 4.3 mile run, ab work, church, farmer's market, lowes for gardening supplies, and getting my planters ready for my garden!
Hope you all had a great Saturday!

Day 29: Date Night

Well, my plan to keep the scale out of the bathroom so I don't weight myself worked like a charm! I forgot to put it in there, and then by the time I remembered I was in the shower... so I'll weigh-in tomorrow morning. I'm feeling super bloated and my stomach is all puffed, I'm guessing it's because of all the sodium in the Chinese food I had last night.

JJ and I just got back from a date night to Bucca de Beppo. Dinner was great, I had a glass of wine, salad and eggplant parm. I ate more bread than I should have, but I'm hoping the carbs sustain me through a 7 mile run in the morning. I'm getting really nervous about it. I hope I make it...

We're going to watch The Hangover and relax with the pups now. I have been reading so much lately, and have so much I want to share, so I'll try to get it in my posts tomorrow and Sunday.
Hope you all have a great Friday night!

Happy Birthday, Vickie! I miss you bunches!

Day 28: Change of plans

Today has been great! I had originally planned to go for a 4 miler with Lou and Lilly after work, but Lou was feeling sick today. I had it all planned, run after work, pick up Chinese food on the way home, and then hang out with JJ. Well, because Lou cancelled on me, I was really torn about what to do.

Part of me just wanted to go home and lounge, but I have a weigh-in in the morning, and I wanted to get a run in this week! I have a really hard time adjusting my mind-set when my plans have to change. In the past, having my run cancelled might cause me to go home, eat and sit around... but I had a back-up plan, I adjusted it a little, and I am proud of myself for that!

I decided that as soon as I got home I'd change and go for a quick 2 mile run before it got dark out. I made it just in time, and ran the 2 miles at an even faster pace than before. I don't know why I'm so obsessed with getting my pace down... I know as I run more and lose weight it will go down, but I think I need to realize I'm just not a fast runner. I need to continue to be proud of myself for my distances and sticking with running!

After I got home, I did some stuff around the house and then called in the Chinese food. I got steamed vegetables and chicken with broccoli in garlic sauce. I eat mostly vegetables with a little chicken/sauce and rice, and smother it in spicy mustard. Aside from the white rice and a little oil in the sauce, it's a pretty healthy take-out dinner!

Now the girls and I are going to do some menu planning and watch TV. No big plans this weekend... 7 miles on Saturday (hopefully I'll make it!) Also, tomorrow marks our official 6 month anniversary of moving to Florida. It feels like yesterday, but then we've made such a life here already it feels like we've lived here forever. I guess that's good!

Happy Friday, cross your fingers for a 1 lb. loss for me :)

Day 27: Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica

Wow, you guys sure have been busy writing me with questions!

I spent the better part of my morning at work answering your emails, which I love to do! Luckily it was a slow day, so it kept me busy :) It really is so crazy to me the amount of support you offer! The bloggosphere is the best, and I hope I don't ramble too much...

After work I talked to my big sis for a while, I sure do miss my family living in Florida! I am so excited for them to come in April. I've been trying to figure out some fun stuff for us to do when they come. My younger sister is in her last semester of college, and is thinking about coming here for her spring break. Hope she does! (She doesn't read this blog, she thinks it's boring... haha)

Tonight I made the recipes for my blogging group called Symon Sundays. We are cooking through Chef Michael Symon's cookbook Live to Cook. I love him. And I love his recipes. He's amazing!

From making beets in the past, I knew I'd stain my hands. Luckily JJ had some latex gloves in his athletic training pack for me to use! I'm pretty sure while preparing the beets, JJ quoted every line from The Office (hence the title of this post...)

                    

Dinner was amazing, I'll be blogging it in the next few days, so look for it then!

As soon as I publish this, I'll be doing No More Trouble Zones... so wish me luck! It's rough!

Tomorrow, Lou and Lilly and I are shooting to run 4 miles after work.

I think I'm going to get Chinese take-out (steamed veggies and chicken) for dinner, so I'm looking forward to that!

(This is Lilly!)

Day 26: Waiting on the world to change

So I'm not the kind of girl who gets political on the blog. However, I think there is a huge difference in getting political, and showing compassion for those in need. In my opinion, borderlines don't matter. When someone is in need, whether they live in America, Haiti, Guatemala, or anywhere in the world, I will do what I can to help them out.

Today one of my coworkers, one of my favorites even, said to me, "How can we give 58 million dollars to Haiti when there are people in this country without healthcare and food?"

Now I know, there's no way to fix everything, and I believe that many people are doing the best they can, but I can't help but think we all can do a little bit more. Of course, there are people in this country without jobs and insurance, but people in Haiti have nothing. Absolutely nothing. No water, no food, no roof, no toilets... nothing. And I don't care that they're not American. They're people, they're children of God, and I will offer my help to them the same as I would anyone here.

I know I am heavily influenced to be this way because of my parents and the church. One of the biggest draws to my new church here in Jacksonville is it's worldliness. The Lutheran Church has really been taking the initiative to be a stronger presence in the world, uniting us all.

Right now, my dad is in Guatemala on a mission trip with the church. They are working to open a school, as well as spend time with the church there and it's mission. I am so proud of my dad for all he does, and for the great influence he has been on me. Sadly, Guatemalan houses look so similar to the wrecked houses I keep seeing on TV in Haiti, and it breaks my heart.

Now I know, I talk about it a lot, but a super easy way to help out without even going out of your way is buying Fair Trade products! My dad sent me this Guatemalan Fair Trade coffee for Christmas. It's a breakfast blend, which I'm always weary of (I like the dark, muddy stuff!), but it was actually pretty dark and complex in taste. I loved it! And I love the fact that it's organic and Fair Trade.

On to the lighter things....

For the past few months, my rings have been getting bigger and bigger. I finally decided to get them sized. I am really lucky that by moving to Jacksonville I have in-laws that know everyone in St. Augustine, and my boss and co-worker know everyone in Jacksonville. So I asked my co-worker where to take my rings, and he told me one of his best friends is a jeweler. My rings are family heirlooms, so I'm extra careful with them, I don't trust just anyone!

So when I got there, Denise sized me and my rings are 7's. My new ring size....5! It's so crazy to think about all of the things that change when you lose weight. Even my fingers are getting thinner!

The only sad part is my rings won't be ready for about 2 weeks, so I'll be naked until then!

Here are some photos of them, so pretty :)

Today was the first day my friend and now doggy-sitter came over. It made me feel so much better knowing my girls would get a potty break and some human interaction while JJ and I were at work! They had a decent report card for their first day. I was worried Pumpkin would bea nut job, but she was good, and so was Belle! It turns out my little Char was a scardey cat, and hid under the bed! She's a little timid with new people....but I think she'll eventually warm up!

Here she is doing what I call "the otter" pose.

After work I had a meeting at The Sun Dog, where the Bite Club will meet Monday for our next event. It's on the east side, and I work on the west side. By the time I had my meeting and got home, packed lunches and made dinner, it was 8:30! I feel so off now, I haven't worked out, I'm tired, and I can't see it happening tonight :(
However, tomorrow I plan to kick my butt and do No More Trouble Zones. Lou and I are planning to run Thursday after work, so I should still be ok for a pound lost on Friday. Cross your fingers!

So after dinner, I remembered to check the mail. I had a package! It was a box full of amazing goodies for me to try on my dry skin! Thank you SO MUCH to Pam for coming to my rescue :) Now it's not cold here anymore, but it is quite sunny, so the face products with SPF in them will be very useful. Also, my hands are still so dry, so I can't wait to try it all out. So far I'm loving the C.O.Bigelow Chapped Hands Remedy.
I love her blog, it's always so fun and cute, and isn't her wedding dress so gorgeous?

Well I'm off to clean the kitchen and head to bed. It's been a long day, but I feel like things are on track weight-wise this week, so I'm pretty happy!

Day 25: What motivates you?

In the past few days, I've gotten quite a few emails asking me essentially the same thing, how do I stay motivated?

There are the overwhelming obvious reasons that continually keep me motivated - like the rising epidemic of obesity and the complications obese people face every day. Along with all of the other diseases that I could get because of family history (diabetes and heart disease being 2 big ones!)

The other things that keep me motivated are pretty random... Wanting to reach -100 pounds is a huge motivation. Right now it's probably highest on the list.

 Also, wanting to fit in single digit pants, wanting to feel better about my body, wanting to run a half marathon, wanting to make my family and friends proud of me, wanting to set a good example for fellow bloggers and readers, wanting to feel good about myself.... wanting to be proud of myself.

What motivates me WILL NOT motivate you... but it might! Motivation has to come from within. It absolutely is something you have to find in yourself. I was crazy overweight for 10 years... it took 10 years for it to finally snap in my brain. It's been really hard work, no doubt.... and I've lost motivation here and there... but I started this, and I wanted to see it through.

I highly recommend making a list for yourself of things that motivate you, look at it often.

Also, one of my biggest motivations - looking at old, fat photos!

      

When I look at that photo, how can I not feel motivated to get up and run!

Alright, if you have any other questions, shoot them to ashisfit@gmail.com, I hope this answered the ladies who wrote me about motivation :)

So about my day... It was pretty normal for a Monday. A little slow and dragging. My knee is really sore today, so JJ just hooked me up to the TENS unit, and I'm doing stim on my knee (see post here about stim). It should help reduce the swelling. Because of this, I'm taking the night off. Tomorrow I have a meeting after work for The Bite Club, so hopefully I'll have time to work out after that.

I was careful to keep my calories low today since I'm not exercising!

And since you all seemed to love my Farmer's Market, here are some more photos from it that I took on Saturday. I especially love the palm trees in the background. I can't believe I live here!

      

I love Honey Man! He's Australian. Gallberry honey is so awesome, and he's the only person I've found locally that sells it! And he says "gallberry" with a funny accent!

     

     

Also, I'll get into it a bit more tomorrow, but my dad is in Guatemala with a group from church on a mission trip. If you're the praying type, please keep him and the group from LCR in your prayers :)

Day 24: I feel pretty, oh so pretty!

Last night after I finished my post, JJ said he wanted to go to a movie. I was half asleep, but agreed because we had been meaning to go see Sherlock Holmes. I told him we'd have to stop at Starbucks first if there was any way I'd make it through the movie. So I got a grande Soy Misto (half coffee, half foamy milk). I chugged it by the time we got to the movies, and we went to go buy our tickets. However, when we got to the booth, there was a sign that said they were experiencing audio problems with Sherlock Holmes! Ugh. So we looked to see if any other movies were playing at 9:30, but the next movie times we were remotely interested in seeing weren't until 10:30, and that was just too late.

So we went home.

I was worried I'd be up all night because of the coffee, but as soon as we got home at 10, I climbed into bed and passed out. I think the run and being a little sick left me exhausted!

This morning I woke up around 7, but stayed in bed until 7:45 and snuggled with the dogs. Then I set out on my run. It was ok, my knee was getting really sore, I think it's because I've got new shoes and they're not worn in yet. However, tomorrow will just be strength training, and I'm not running again until Thursday.

I took 2 walk breaks, one was to cough and spit...ew. One was to rest my knee for a minute and stretch it out. My time was ok, not the best, not awful. I am now a level orange on Nike+, but if my other runs that it didn't pick up had been counted, I'd have 12 more miles registered! Oh well.

JJ had to work early this morning, so I was on my own going to church. Today's forecast was 75 and sunny, so I put on my most favorite dress and new shoes I got for Christmas! The dress is getting way to big on me now though! Oh well, I'll have to find a new dress. JJ took a photo, but Pumpkin was a little spastic because I was leaving. Look at that air!

I sat down to take a picture with all 3 girls, and they trampled me! JJ got a shot of the little ones pulling my dress up, and I freaked out. But then when I looked at it closer, I was like wait a second... my legs actually look kinda good! I have always hated my legs, my theighs tend to hold a lot of my weight, so I never wear anything remotely short (including shorts).... but after seeing this photo, I can tell that running is actually making a difference on my legs! (Sorry if this super white-legged photo grosses anyone out... haha)

After church, I headed over to my farmer's market. It was gorgeous! I love going there every Sunday.

I came home with some cherries, peppers, plums, lemons and asparagus for ten bucks!

The farmer's market is in the parking lot of Whole Foods, so I ran in there to get something to make for lunch. I found this new kind of tofu, and decided to make a chopped slaw salad. The tofu had a great pineapple and ginger flavor to it, so I made a salad with slaw, cucumber, tomatoes, almonds, pineapple, tofu and ginger soy dressing.

The rest of my day was spent cleaning, making cupcakes for a coworker, making dinner, cutting out coupons and now JJ and I are going to eat dinner and watch football.

Overall it was a great weekend, I got so much done, got in 2 great runs, and also spent lots of time relaxing and hanging out with the dogs and hubs!

Day 23: Hardest run ever... and can food be entertainment?

Coming off of the high's of this week's weight loss, I decided to tackle a 6 mile run this morning. I haven't run 6 miles since December 27. Between the holidays and getting sick, I was just not able to do it.

I've been thinking non-stop about the 15k coming up in 6 weeks, and decided I better do it this morning! It was probably not the best idea because of the previous reasons stated. I felt ok for the first 2 miles, but I kept coughing up crap and my nose was so runny. My lungs were burning, and I was just not feeling it. But I got to the point where to turn around would make no difference, so I pushed ahead.

Usually I do my longer runs on Sunday morning at 7am. There is little to no traffic, and I run on main roads. There are sidewalks for 5.5 miles of the course, but there is a half mile strech where I usually have to run in the road. Today that was not possible. I had to run in the grass on a slightly worn path. I've broken one of my ankles and sprained it numerous times, so I was starting to think it was a bad idea. On top of the fact that I was not feeling well, I decided to walk for .3 miles of the grassy area. It was a great idea. Though it slowed me down, it kept me from injuring myself, and allowed me to cough up a lot of the crap in my lungs. Sounds great, huh?

So here are my stats. Considering I walked .3 miles and took one additional 1 minute walk break, I had a nice finishing time and pace!

After the run, we did the weekly grocery shop, some laundry, and cleaned the kitchen. Then I decided to tackle 'the block', which is where I keep all of our documents. After buying the house and moving and since then, I've just thrown everything on top. Now that it's tax time and I need certain documents, I decided to go through it all and file everything... not fun, but now I have peace of mind!

I noticed the little ones had come in, but Pumpkin was still out back. JJ went to check on her, and found her try to dig to China. So he threw her in the tub, and I gave her the dreaded bath.

It was so weird though, after I dried her off, she hopped back in. She is terrified of the bath, so it was so bizarre. Turns out she enjoyed the smell and taste of the soap, so she was licking out the soap dish. What a weirdo!

So I shut the bathroom door, and she sat there crying to get back in. Seriously?! These dogs never cease to make me wonder...

Tonight I was part of an event at a Pizzaria, so JJ and I stopped by Mama Fu's for dinner. We could have had pizza, but I wanted something with a bit less calories. So I got the basil rolls at Mama Fu's. They were great, as always, but I'm still really hungry. I've had a really low calorie day, which isn't bad, but since I had the long run this morning, I probably should have eaten a little more earlier and not left myself so hungry all day.

So that brings me to tonight. I was invited to be a "local celebrity judge" at Brucci's Pizza. They had a pizza eating contest to celebrate their anniversary.

I know, I know, you're probably asking yourself 2 things. Why am I a celebrity? And pizza eating contest?!

Ok, first off, I'm a "local celebrity" beacuse of my affiliation with Folio Weekly's Bite Club (I'm the host and writer of the bite club blog http://www.biteclublog.com/)

Second, how could I possibly judge something like that? I've been going back and forth on this. Whether I wanted to talk about it on this blog, and whether or not I'd even participate as a judge.

Ok, I know a food eating contest isn't something that I would 'approve of' in the past, but I've learned that for some people, food isn't a big deal. It's something fun and you eat to live, and you eat when you're hungry, and you can have fun with it. I think I used to have a stick up my butt about things like this because I was jealous. I was so jealous that people could have that attitude. Jealous that to them, it's a fun competition, but to me, I'd be in heaven if I could sit there and eat a whole pizza.

So I decided to do it. I didn't have to, it wasn't part of my job, but it was an opportunity from my job. It was a fun event, not something I'd ever personally do, but a fun way for a local pizza place to celebrate their anniversary. I think I've learned to let go of my issues with food. I still have them, and of course, I'd love to eat a whole pizza, but it wouldn't be the same to me as it was to them.

I'm glad I was able to participate because it really was just a fun night. Not about the food and the calories, but about the people and the spirit. As a judge, I was able to give out style points, so it was not just about how much you ate, I gave points for cleanliness, crowd interaction, and eating style.

And in my little bit of celebrity spotlight, I got this basket from them... wine, spicy olive oil, and gift certificates to the restaurant! And in case you're wondering, I judged alongside Mike Hollis, a former Jacksonville Jaguar football player (a real local celebrity... haha)!

Day 22: New weight decade!

I was pretty nervous this morning, but when I got on the scale it read 169.4, which means I lost .6 lbs. in 4 days, and am now at an all time low, in a new weight decade!!!

I'm so excited!

Today was pretty good. Work was normal, dinner was Fajita Pasta, one of my favorites.

After dinner my friend came over who will now be letting the dogs out on days when JJ and I both work all day, or if I have to work late or go somewhere after work. It's a huge weight off my shoulders, because though the dogs can hold it for 8 hours, I hate to make them.

The weather today was absolutely gorgeous here, about 70 degrees and sunny. Driving home from work with the windows down... perfect! It puts me in such an amazing mood.

Tomorrow morning I'm hoping to do 6 miles, if not then 4.3.... I'll see how I feel. As of now, I'm feeling great, and excited to do it, ready to keep on losing weight!

My plans for the day are to clean the house, grocery shop, and then tackle the office closet, which is where we happened to put everything that didn't have a place when we moved in. It might take all day....

Here's a photo that JJ took tonight. Pumpkin has developed a fear of the camera lately... I have no idea why.... but the little ones love it!

Day 21: Anticipation

I don't have a lot to say about today. It was pretty normal. I was in really high spirits for some reason. I'm getting nervous about weighing in tomorrow. It's only been 5 days, but I want to keep my weigh-ins on Friday, so oh well. I just hope I'm in the 160's. I'll only have to lose .1 lbs : )
However, today I started getting all crampy and bloaty, I ended up not exercising. I'm almost over being sick, but now I'm PMS-ing. I hope that doesn't affect my weight. I've been drinking lots of water, hopefully that will help the bloat.
So happy tomorrow's Friday. Off to watch the office...

Day 20: Thankful

I have seen so many bloggers posting their reactions to what happened in Haiti, and what they're doing to make a difference. Up until now, it's just made me so incredably sad. I've prayed about it, but so many sad stories just make me feel so defeated. I know there are some great stories about miracles happening, but at the same time, there is so much pain and so many horror stories.

Last night as I was preparing dinner, I saw the truckloads full of supplies bring shipped in. There were food packets with enough calories to sustain people for a day. Just calories in a foil packet to keep someone alive. It broke my heart that I could be in my kitchen preparing a meal for an hour with groceries that were so easily available, when there are hundreds of thousands of people hoping to get just a day's worth of calories.

I don't mean for this post to be so down. And in fact, I'm hopeful that this tragedy will bring awareness to many people about the living conditions in these countries. Bring awareness to the ways we can all help. Not only by offering money and donations, but by doing things like purchasing fair trade products to help sustain a future for the farmer, his family, and his village.

Tonight JJ and I made the decision to sponsor a child through World Vision. We didn't even know how to possibly choose a child, it seemed so hard to decide. There were no children from Haiti available, so I just selected a girl anywhere in the world with my birthday. Wesene, a 3.5 yr. old girl from Ethiopia was chosen for us. Her father is a farmer, and he has a mother, sister and a brother. She is absolutely adorable. For only $35/month, we will be sponsoring her until she's an adult, or until her family is in a financially stable place and she won't need our help anymore. I hate that this tragedy was what it took to make us realize we wanted to do this, but I hope that it makes many people realize they want to.

Rather than continue to be sad, I'm going to count my blessings and offer as much up to people in need as I can.

Now onto my day. Work was pretty normal. After work, Lou and I (and his dog, Lilly) ran 3 miles at the trail right next to work. Since I have a 40 minute commute, I can't run after work yet because it's dark already. We're probably going to start running 1-2 days per week after work now that the weather is nice. Here's our run stats, we usually do between 3-4 miles when we run together.

I'm glad the Nike+ has decided to start working!

I'm off to go do the dishes and some laundry. Have a great night :)

Day 19: It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

Each and every day, I think to myself, "Wow, I can't believe I live in Florida." I never in a million years would have thought I'd end up living here. Some days I'm not so sure of everything, but most days I love it. I try to always keep a positive attitude about all of the changes that have occured. My life was really flipped up in the air a few months ago, but it landed right side up. I'm so thankful for that every day.

Today was beautiful. Spring has sprung here (I hope it sticks!)

Here's my favorite photo since moving here...

So today has been amazing. Thank you so much for all of your kind words and support. Since I blog at the end of the day, I was so happy all day yesterday, knowing I was at my all time low weight.
Then to read all of the comments and congrats and motivation today... it was wonderful! I had a two-day high going on!

I decided to take tonight off with workouts. Tomorrow I'm going running after work with Lou, we'll do 3-4 miles.
Now JJ, the dogs and I are going to chill and watch The Office.
Hope you all had a great day!

Day 18: Record Lows. And I'm not talking weather.

So this morning was pretty big for me. First weigh-in in about 6 or so months. And the last weight I distinctly remember was week 3 of the Challenge, so the beginning of April, I was 171.5lbs. So how did it go?

Well, I took a deep breath, stepped on.... and I saw 170.0 lbs. 170!!! My lowest weight since like.... the 6th grade or something! Holy crap! Sure, I've been very aware of what I eat and how much I exercise, and I've been trying to maintain my weight, so to be 1.5 lbs. lighter than my lowest weight ever... it was pretty exciting!

Then it hit me. I'm almost in the 160's.

And in fact, I'm 100% sure that I've gained a pound or two in the past week of sickness. So I probably was in the 160's. What a way to start off a week, huh? I have so many emotions... I'm proud, I'm happy, I'm motivated and encouraged, but then I'm a little scared, apprehensive, worried, and nervous. I was all set to lose 20 lbs. to reach my goal of -100 by May 14 (and honestly, I was even thinking it might be 21-23), but here I am, 17.5 lbs. away from -100. I know, it's only 2.5 lbs... but that's 10,000 calories less I need to burn. Of course I still want to be at 150 (and maybe even venture into the 140's)...so realistically I want to lose 20 more, but wow. 17.5 to go! Wow!

So for Friday, my first weigh-in. I'm just hoping to be in the 160's. I do my long runs over the weekend, so I know I won't get the caloric burn I need to really burn fat. And I am still sick, so I'm not going to push myself with workouts this week. I'd love to see 169.0, but I'll take anything.

So after my morning high, I had a decent day at work. I got my first issue of Organic Gardening magazine, so I read that over my lunch break. I can't wait to start planting my garden... probably next weekend! I'll be updating the blog often with my garden as it will be my big project all spring/summer/fall long!

For dinner I made a pizza that was great, we really enjoyed it. Check the blog later this week for that!

Then after dinner, it was bath time! At 7, I took my Mucinex and Pumpkin saw me with a pill and bolted for her house (she's terrified of pills)... so she got out of getting a bath. There was no chance of coaxing her out of her house. She's terrified of the bath, too. I used to try to get her to come out, but it's not worth upsetting her, I'll do her tomorrow, and grab her when she least expects it!

So here it is, Charlotte and Belle's first bath! They didn't like it, but they weren't as bad as Pumpkin.

Now I'm going to do the first 4 circuits of No More Trouble Zones. Tomorrow I'm hoping to do a 2 mile run after work and then maybe a shred tomorrow night. We'll see how I'm feeling.

Hope you all had as good of a Monday as I did :)

Oh, and random fact of the day - yesterday was my 2nd blogiversary on A Year in the Kitchen. I'm really proud of myself for sticking with the cooking blog. It was really hard over the summer, but my blog is so special to me, and I'm glad that so many people support me and encourage me to keep my creative juices flowing.

Day 17: Chickens, Scales and PR's, Oh my!

This morning when I woke up, I STILL felt awful. I finished my week long supply of Ny/DayQuil, so I decided to try something new. I've gotten more congested as the week has gone on, so JJ said I should try Mucinex. We went out at 8 and got a box, as well as an Iced Coffee and the paper. We came home and I cut my coupons out and drank tons of tea. I started to feel a little better, but It's still so discouraging to be sick a week later.

I've decided that if the Mucinex doesn't start working and I still feel bad Tuesday morning, I'm going to find a doctor. I know I should have one by now, but I hate trying to find a doctor when I move!

We had plans to meet JJ's parents and his Grandparents for an early lunch to celebrate Granddaddy's 85th Birthday. We were supposed to meet at 2, but baseball practice was moved so we had to meet earlier and miss church!

Now I am a Yankee girl. I grew up on Long Island and then in suburban Cincinnati. Florida is a bit of culture shock for me at times... but usually in a fun/funny way. When we got to the restaurant for lunch (off US 1, a main road), there was a random chicken in the parking lot. And he walked over to me. What???

Well, you can at least see how nice it is, I'm wearing a skirt and flip-flops in January! It's been absolutely gorgeous today, just really windy. But I'll take it!

Since we went to a seafood restaurant and I'm not a fan, I got a blackened chicken salad, which was great. It was pretty plain and basic, just what I was hoping for.

After lunch, JJ went off to work and I ran some errands. (Kris, if you're reading this, I forgot to put Dan's b-day card in his package, so it's mailed seperately. I don't know which will get there first!) I picked up a scale today! It's very fancy..

So I decided on a few ways to change my relationship with the scale. Firstly, it's not the dreaded scale. She has a name, it's Sally. By giving her a name, I can develop friendly feelings for her. I tried to put myself in her shoes today, and found that it was VERY easy for me to relate.
You see, as an accountant, I report the business to my boss each month. Now it's not my fault when sales are low and we don't make much money, I'm just the deliverer of bad news. Unfair? Maybe. But that's what Sally is. She's just telling me what I should already know. And it's not Sally's fault if I have to weigh myself every day and become obsessed. It's my fault. And I'd only see bad numbers and get upset it I didn't exercise or eat right.

So I see Sally and I being cool with eachother. I'll keep her in the closet Saturday-Thursday, and only weigh myself on Fridays. I can't help myself if she's just sitting there, so I'll keep her away and there won't be temptation.
I'm a little nervous to see what my # will be in the morning, especially since this week has been lazy and sickly lethargic on my part, but oh well!

So after my errands, and knowing I had a weigh-in in the morning, I decided to do another 2 miler. JJ suggested I put the reciever in my shoe today rather than use the reciever holder for the laces. Apparently it worked, because it picked up today's run!

At the end, something VERY funny happened. Tiger Woods himself came on and congradulated me on my average mile PR with the Nike+. Thanks, Tiger ;)

Now the pups and are I relaxing on the couch watching football and Life As A House, one of my favorite movies.

Tonight for dinner I made a light, vegan Italian Lentil Stew... though I'll probably un-vegan it with some parmesan cheese :)

How is it already Sunday evening?!?! I want more weekend...

Day 16: Alright, Florida! Now we're talking!

This morning when I woke up to let the dogs out, I was still in a fog, congested, and feeling awful. Then I opened the door, and it was not cold. It was pouring down rain, but it felt kind of nice out! Amazing! My mood instantly lifted.
Yesterday I was talking to Vickie (co-worker from Indiana), and she told me that the auditors were at the Y, so it's been a crazy week. Last year when the auditors came, I was so horribly sick, but I made myself go to work because I organized all of our workpapers, and they needed to work with me.
So a year ago today, I was sick like I am now. Ironic in a crappy way, huh?


So anyway, this morning we had to be up early for the new member class at church. It was really nice! They told us they'd have breakfast and lunch, but I know from church meals that they're not usually healthy... so I ate a chobani blueberry and had some coffee at home. When I got there, I ate a bite of egg casserole and half a banana.... and more coffee.
We've been going to this church for about 6 months, but it was nice to really learn about all of the mission work and committees. I'm not sure exactly how I'll get involved yet, but I see some ways.
For lunch they had subs, potato salad, and pea soup. I had a small piece of a turkey sub and some soup. When we got home, JJ left for work. I decided to go on a 2 mile run, just to see how my body would react. It felt like I was really dragging and running slow ( and of course my Nike+ wasn't working on pace/mileage...). It turns out I actually ran it pretty quickly considering how awful I felt. I think it's because it was nice and warm out, I mean, look at what I wore!!! It was about 75 degrees, overcast and windy. I'm hoping to get up at a leisurely time tomorrow morning and go for a 3.75 of 4.3 mile run, just depends how I feel around the 2 mile mark, when I have to make the decision on taking one road or another. I'm going to plan on taking the 4.3 mile route because I haven't done 6 miles since December 27, and I need to do it next weekend!

I learned how to use the timer on my camera - yay! It's been a while since I ran in a tank and was sweating! JJ got me this running tank for Christmas...I tend to not ever buy V-neck things... but he probably didn't even notice. I kind of felt a little exposed... but the tank is cute, and I won't get bad tan lines!

After my run, I snuggled up with the dogs on the couch and saw that Twilight was on demand. Now I own the DVD, and I've watched it a million times, but for some reason watching it on demand seemed really exciting... I don't know.

I'm about to go make us some dinner, JJ's on his way home. Hope everyone had a great Saturday! Tomorrow I'm going to buy a scale, so weigh-in will be Monday morning - eek!

Day 15: Ahh, Friday... I'm so glad you're here!

I'm so happy it's Friday. Not only so I can get some rest and relaxation this weekend to cure this awful sickness, but because I need to catch up on life! Usually during the week I pay my bills as they come, do some light cleaning, laundry, and errands... but being sick has prevented me from doing all of that. I literally have come home every night, made an easy dinner, then rested. I finally decided to sort through the mail today and tackle the laundry.


Both the lights and darks hampers were totally full, as well as the laundry basket for transporting them. So I'm about halfway through the 5 loads right now. How does JJ produce so much laundry!? I'll never know...


What I do know is Pumpkin is notorious for finding freshly folded laundry and rolling around in it, so I have to make sure she doesn't get up on the bed while I'm folding. If I'm there, she'll just watch me, but if I leave her, she makes a mess. So here she is, acting like an angel, but I know if I leave her in our bed, she'll scratch the clothes into a big pile and plop herself down in the middle.
(please excuse the unmade bed... looks comfy though, huh?)

So let's see... weekend plans are:

Saturday morning - new member class at church

Saturday afternoon - grocery shop, post office, bank, buy a scale and hopefully a 4 mile run

Saturday night - clean the house and cook a decent dinner

Sunday morning - run 4 miles, church, Sam's club

Sunday afternoon - Granddaddy's birthday lunch

Sunday night - Organize tax documents, write up the first Symon Sundays blogging group event email

Hope you all have a nice, enjoyable weekend. And I'm jealous of all who have Monday off ;)

Day 14: Facing the Facts....and Second Chances

Today is Day 3 of being sick. It sucks. I hate feeling like this, but I know rest and medication are my best friends. I've been eating tons of clementines, hopefully the Vitamin C is helping!
Today is also JJ's Grandfather's 85th Birthday!!! We are going to celebrate with him on Sunday, I can't wait! I love being near both sets of grandparents now that we're living in Florida!


Now I'm going to go in a different direction from the norm....
Close to three years ago, I began my weight loss journey. I had so much motivation, I was getting married! I lost 47 lbs. in 9 months, and was so happy. However, I still wanted to continue losing weight to reach my goal of -100 lbs.


So I found another form of motivation, I knew we'd be moving away from Bloomington eventually, and when we moved, I wanted to be at my goal weight. I always felt like I was a healthy person trapped in a fat girls body. I knew what was good, healthy, and smart. I wanted people to know me as the girl I was on the inside when I moved... not the fat girl with a pretty face. So I kept working on it, and lost another 30 lbs. over the next year.


Then about a year ago, I decided to come up with a plan to lose the last 20 lbs. I created a 20 lbs. in 20 weeks challenge. I publicized it on my blog, and it became this amazing phenomonon. I couldn't believe how many people wanted to participate. I spent night and day for 2 weeks getting the group organized. There were around 200 people.


As the Challenge began, I was so excited and ready to do it. Then throughout the first 3 weeks, I just could not keep up. I had hundreds of emails to answer, meal plans to write, nutritional information to figure out for recipes, exercise plans to write, snack ideas, pairing partners and groups, plus I had to exercise and eat well on my own. I answered emails from girls who were gaining weight, girls who were losing, girls who were stuck. It was hard for me to deal with the disappointment of others own weight loss problems while dealing with my own. It was so overwhelming, and eventually I broke down and imploded. I called my involvement as the leader off, and hoped each individual would continue on without the big group. In my mind, I let a lot of people down.


It was so hard for me to admit defeat. But everyone was really understanding, and I so appreciated that. I know many of you still read the blog now, and did well on your own with the remainder of the challenge. I'm so happy for you, and proud of you!


So this brings me to today. Almost a year later. I realized today that in 4 short months I will be 25 years old. Call it a quarter life crisis, but I call it motivation. Why not start this next quarter of my life in a healthy weight. Sure, I'm pretty healthy now, but I am carring 20 lbs of weight that could and should go. So here I am with some great motivation, and I'm excited and ready to do it!
I lost the first 20 on my own. The second, third and fourth... all before I had this blog. I can and will do it on my own, for myself.


So now here's the problem. Remember how I threw away my scale? Yeah. I did. But now I'm going to get a new one, I'm giving my relationship with the scale a second chance. I'm going to weigh myself once a week. And I will not become a slave to the scale. I will not let it rule my mindset and attitude. If I need to keep it out of the bathroom 6 days of the week so I only weigh myself once a week, so be it. It's not weakness, it's planning ahead.
This weekend I'm going to go buy a scale and weigh in on Sunday or Monday morning. I have no idea what I'll see when I do... my lowest weight in the past year that I remember is 171.5, so we'll see where I am now. I'll make sure to post it, good or bad.


I may hit -100 by May 14, I may not... either way, I'm going to try hard, and stay focused. If you want to offer support, I appreciate it. However, this is all on me, as it has been for the past 80.


So to leave myself with some motivation, here's the photo that started this journey. Our engagement party in February 2007....252.5 lbs.

Day 13: January Oats of the Month!

Today has been ok. I had another fiasco with water (sink was leaking on Sunday). When I got home from work, my neighbor told me that he saw water gushing out of the side of the house. He said it was coming from our sprinkler system line, and not the house, so that was good! He turned the water off for us, which I'm so thankful to have observant and kind neighbors!
So anway, we'll have to add fixing the sprinkler system pipe to the list of things to do!


For this evening, still feeling sick and useless, I decided to watch a movie. There are quite a few good ones on demand right now, which is nice. I decided to watch Confessions of a Shopaholic. I read all of the books a few years ago, and saw the movie about a year ago, and thought they were cute. Becky started to get a little annoying, but it's an easy read.


So I think I've posted a few times that I have oats for breakfast every morning. I used to have instant, then I switched to rolled, and a few months ago I made the switch to steel cut. They are a bit more work, but they keep me much fuller longer because they're whole oats, unlike instant which are cooked and cut and dried.


I love to make them all kinds of ways with all kinds of flavors, so I'm going to post a seasonal oatmeal of the month.
This month's is pearberry. I love pears, and they're in season right now! Also, what pairs better with pear than raspberry?? These oats are great, filling and full of flavor.

Pearberry Oats

Makes 8 servings

7 cups water

1 3/4 cups oats

3 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

pinch of salt

2 pears, sliced

1 cup raspberries

2 cups milk, divided

Add water to a large nonstick pot, bring to a boil.

Add oats, turn to medium, whisk continuously for 20 minutes.

Turn heat to low, add brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and pears.

Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Turn heat off, add berries, fold in.

Pour into a casserole dish.

Refrigerate until serving.

To reheat, add 1/8 of the oats to a bowl (once cooled, I score out 8 portions in the casserole dish for easy portion control during the week).

Microwave for 2 minutes, add 1/4 cup of milk, stir and eat!

Each portion has roughly 207 calories

Day 12: Sick.

Today has been awful. I woke up at 3am because my throat was on fire. Then I woke up every half an hour or so, not good. So today's run after work was cancelled. I stopped at CVS after work to get some meds (thanks to everyones facebook suggestions!) and now I'm going to rest on the couch.
I hate being sick. My dogs like it though, they can snuggle with me on the couch in front of the space heater...

If you've emailed me in the past few days, my inbox is full... but I promise I'll get back to you tomorrow!

To reply to the book questions - "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro. It is pretty hard to follow because the author is recalling her life, telling little snipets of stories. You kind of get pieces here and there of what is going on, what it's about. It's not until the end that you get clarity and fully understand. It's a science fiction novel about the future and what life is like for a certain type of person. If I say too much I might give it away! I think the general concensus at book club was we liked it, but we wish it got more technical and didn't leave so much up to the imagination and speculation. It was a good book to read during lunch because I could pick it up and put it down often and not feel like I was going to lose my train of thought.

Day 11: Book Club Monday!

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Work today was good, pretty normal. Tonight I had a great time at book club. We read "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro. We had great conversation and food.

No exercise today, food was ok. Lots of clean up to do. I'm planning on a run tomorrow after work with Lou and then strength training the rest of the week, long runs on the weekend.

Hope you all had a good Monday! It's always good when its uneventful!

Day 10: I Do Declare it's COLD!

This morning I got up at 8am. I left to go on a run. First my Nike+ wasn't working (maybe I have a defective one???), so for the first half a mile I was stopping and starting and stopping and starting. I was also freezing. So I did what I really didn't want to do, I turned around and ran home. I did 1 mile.

Because I was warmed up and wanting to do something, I decided to do the first 4 circuits of No More Trouble Zones and watch an episode of The Office that was in the DVR. Since I have the moves memorized, I usually just do 12 sets of each exercise 2 times per circuit (the ab moves I do 24). It makes working out more fun because I don't have to watch Jillian, I can watch TV or a movie or listen to music. I had this episode of the office going, "Murder." Michael starts everything he says with his Savannah accent and "I do declare..."

I considered going for a run after church, but I didn't want to have to shower again. After church we usually go out to lunch, but today I suggested we just work on cleaning out the fridge to save money and use up groceries. I had some leftover tomato soup, green beans with a sprinkle of romano, a Boca chicken patty with BBQ sauce and 2 clementines. It was random, but good!

I had intended to work on cooking for Book Club tomorrow and baking for my brother in law's birthday, but our sink started leaking. My father in law and JJ worked on it, and it took much longer than expected. They fixed it - yay! - but we had to go out to dinner because everything was all in disarray. We decided on Mama Fu's because

it's fast and close to home. I usually get the basil/vegetable spring rolls in rice paper and wonton soup, but JJ wanted lettuce wraps. I also was so cold, and in the mood for a big warm dish of something.  I love to play with the hot sauces and concoct the perfect mix

I ordered Kung Pao tofu, which had strips of tofu, water chestnuts, carrots and snap peas in a spicy sauce with peanuts and brown rice. I immediately cut the rice in half so I wouldn't eat it all, it's a huge portion! The food was good, but too saucy. I know a lot of the calories in stir fries are in the sauce, so I tried to scrape some off as I ate.

One of my problems is I eat too fast. One of the ways I've learned to change this is to eat with chopsticks. However, since I'm constantly eating with them, I've gotten quicker and better at using them... except with the rice. But that's a good thing!

Tomorrow is going to be just another Monday at work, but tomorrow night I'm hosting my book club!
I will not be working out tomorrow, so I need to keep my calories low. I just realized that my 15k is in 2 months, so I need to start working on running further than 6 miles AND I need to start running at least 3x per week rather than 2x like I have been for the past few weeks. Since the days are getting longer again, I should be able to start running after work 2x per week (even if it's just a quick 2-3 miles). Pumpkin will be happy, I always take her on those runs!

Hope you all had a nice weekend :)

Day 9: How can I warm a house when it's SO COLD?!

Last night I went to bed with a pretty bad stomach ache from that dinner. I woke up with a food hangover. Can't remember the last time that happened. That's a good thing though.... makes me not want to indulge for a long time. It was a fantastic dinner though. If I had stopped and skipped dessert, I think I'd have felt ok this morning. I have a weakness for chocolate cake, but I don't eat much sugar anymore, so I think that's what really did me in.

So since I moved to Florida, I've had to try to wake up at the crack of dawn to go on my runs because once the sun is up and shining, it's just too hot. That was definitely NOT the case this morning! Now I know many of the people who read this blog probably think I'm a pansy, but I moved to Florida... I'm expecting lows in the 40's, highs in the 60's ('cause that's what the almanac says it should be!). Well this week it's been highs in the 40's and lows in the 20's. It's like we're back in Indiana! I mean, look at this radar, see the blue? That's snow! What?!

I did NOT move to Florida to see snow.

However, I'll try to find a silver lining here. As I said, I usually get up around 7am on the weekends to run. Now that it's cold out, I have to wait until the sun comes up so it's a bit warmer. This means I get to sleep until 8 or 8:30. I even get to have a little snuggle time with all the dogs in bed before I go run!

So I set out on my run, started the  Nike+ and once again, around half a mile I checked to see what my pace was, and of course, it wasn't clocking my mileage! Why, Nike+, why?!

              

So I restarted it and it clocked the rest of my run. It was my 4.3 mile course, so in total I did it in 49:20. This is probably one of my slower runs, as you can see I took a couple walk breaks (and since it was later, there was a lot more traffic and I had to stop at intersections). Since it was so cold, my feet were numb and it was actually becoming painful to run. I also felt like knives were stabbing my throat. Awesome.... So anyway, after the few walk breaks, I felt better and was able to complete it. I am actually proud of this run because I was so cold and miserable, mad at the Nike+, and at 1 mile in, I was so close to turning around and going on. But I persevered and finished my run.

After my run we did our usual Saturday grocery shop. This week I didn't have much in the way of coupons or deals, so I spent $70 and saved $20. Not my best savings week, but I still came in well under my budget of $100 (though I'm really trying to keep it under $75/week for Jan. to offset how expensive our dinner was last night).

JJ and I did some cleaning, and then I randomly picked up my guitar and started playing. It's been a long time since I did that! Perhaps one day I'll post some clips of my music. I wrote and recorded an album back when I was 18. I haven't written in a while, but lately I've been feeling more inspired and just might get back into writing.

Tonight we went to Leah and Jay's for their Housewarming Party. I've never lived in the same area as my cousins (I only have 5 between both sides), so it's really nice to have JJ's cousin so close! Leah's become like a 3rd sister to me, and Jay is so fun. They definitely made moving here a lot easier in the beginning when I was so sad and lonely.

We got there early to help with any last minute things and set up our Wii for the party. I tried to stick to eating as much of these 2 platters as possible... however I did eat my fair share of scoops with pesto/sun dried tomato/cream cheese dip.

Now as mad as I am at Florida for lying to me about 60 degree January weather, I can't help but be thankful for things like this.... Today Leah and Jay's neighbor picked some tangerines off their tree and brought them over. It still is so crazy to me that you can just go out in the yard and pick some gorgeous fruit like that in January. I almost walked out with them. Don't they look fake, so perfect?!

So when we got there, I asked JJ to get me a glass of red wine. He poured it, and Leah's friend knocked the glass over, JJ tried to save it from the beige floor and white couch, and it got all over him. Poor JJ!

Tomorrow's fitness plans are up in the air. Part of me wants to sleep in with JJ and the dogs in my warm bed... but I think I might just get up early, run 2 miles as fast as I can and then maybe a few circuits of strength training. Tomorrow night is the pizza bowl qualiftying round where I'm going to be a "local celebrity judge"....hahaha... oh my!

Day 8: Challenges and Changes

I'm so happy it's Friday! I love weekends :) Not only because I'm off work, but because it's when I get to do my long runs, slow cooking, and grocery shop! I also get lots of quality time with my dogs and JJ.

Tonight JJ and I went out to dinner with some friends at III Forks, a new Steakhouse. It was an amazing dinner, but it was extremely rich and calorie laden food. I tried to keep my portions small, just tasting a bit of everything. I think I was really successful up until dessert. I didn't have any bread, I had a salad and then a Filet Oscar. I'm not a beef eater, but when you go to a steakhouse, you kind of should get a steak, right? So since I'm blogging this for Folio (http://www.biteclublog.com/), I wanted to get something different  from everyone else. I enjoyed the first few bites of steak, but then had to give it to JJ. Same went for the crab, a few bites, but crab's not really my thing. I ate all of the asparagus though! And I also got a side of sugar snap peas, which I devoured!

When it was time for dessert, I kind of lost it. I had a few bites of everything, and found the cheesecake to be my favorite. I think I had more than a few bites of that. However, I ate in moderation all day, and I'm shooting for a 6-mile run tomorrow. I know it's all mental, but all I can think is how cold it's going to be!

                                         

So just before I sat down to blog, I walked in the room and stumbled upon Pumpkin and Belle snuggling and JJ and Char snuggling. However, we're only 8 days in and JJ's already tired of the photos?! Not good!

The "Changes" part of this post refers to my blog layout. Today I went back though and tried to put together an index of the posts. You'll see I've got them grouped in most popular health posts, fitness posts, runs/times posts, and then the basic posts of why I decided to get healthy, and the steps I personally took to begin my healthy lifestyle.

I've made it a week with blogging every day... and in just these 8 days, it's really become part of my day. I definitely can see this as a resolution that will be upheld!
I'm so glad you've decided to follow me through the year :)

Day 7: I thought I didn't need an ice scraper here?!

JJ was off today, so he offered to take my car, "The Piece" in for an oil change. The piece is up there in age, so she sleeps in the garage. This morning was the first time it got cold enough to freeze the cars, and of course, it was the morning I took JJ's car, "The Black Bean" to work. As I was scraping my car, I was temped to run inside and tell JJ he lied. He told me I wouldn't even need to keep my scraper living down here!

In honor of the cold weather, I decieded to blog some Christmas photos. Christmas Day was actually about 75 degrees and rainy... not what I'm used to!

My grandparents live in Ft. Meyers, and came here for Christmas. Here's one of Popie and my girls. For some reason all animals seem to love Popie!

My Grandma is a cookie monster, so I got her this cookie selection for her. She was thrilled!

JJ's favorite gift of the day was probably the giant bottle of Maker's Mark I got for him. Should last until next Christmas, I hope!

Pumpkin's favorite was this yellow stuffed monkey from Aunt Vickie. She played with it all day, and ripped it apart by bedtime.

One of my favorite gifts was this homemade cheesemaking kit from my mom. It makes ricotta and mozzarella. I'm really excited to try it out!  She also got me the scarf from a the Fair Trade craft fair.

Here's one of Popie, me and Grandma on Christmas Eve. Our church had a really nice service, and it was so nice to have them here with us.

So I want to thank you all for your face and hand cream suggestions. I'm going to definitely try out as many as I can. I'll stop by some cosmetic counters and ask for samples, and look for coupons for the kind I can find in the grocery store.

Today I had someone ask me about my weight-loss, and more importantly, the diet aspect of it.

For me, eating healthy was only a small part of the journey. The more important part for me was portion control. I could easily eat 2-3 portions of pasta each night along with tons of vegetables and 2 servings of beans or a lean protein and cheese. It seemed like healthy food, and most of it was, but it was just far too much. Cooking is a HUGE part of my weight loss. If you can control exactly what you put in your food and how much of it, you are really going to become so much more aware of the calories and portion size.

You can see everthing I ate as I lost weight by simply looking at the beginning of my food blog, and even up through today. I do eat more now that I did before, but mostly because I exercise more now, and I'm more in a maintenance area rather than a weight loss stage.... though I'm somewhat contemplating kicking it into gear and just working my butt off to lose the last 20. I kick that idea around a lot.

Ok, I feel like I'm starting to ramble now, so rather than ramble, I'm going to go watch the football game and do the first 3 circuits of No More Trouble Zones and Banish Fat Boost Metabolism... good night, it's almost FRIDAY!!!

Day 6: Random!

Ahhh, it's getting late and I'm at a loss over what to blog about today. This is why I never did blog every day, sometimes nothing really happens! I try not to plan things on weeknights so I have time to come home, cook dinner, exercise and spend time with JJ and the girls.

I tried really hard though, and thought of a few things that happened today. Yesterday I blogged Lisa Garza's (The Next Foodnetwork Star) Cassoulet recipe... only it wasn't hers, it was close, but one written by FN. How do I know this? Because she commented on my blog, and then today posted on her Facebook page about the recipe mix-up! She told me that she'd be getting her true recipe up soon, so I can't wait to try it out!

Photo form Foodnetwork.com of Lisa

Later this afternoon, I was contacted by someone from Brucci's pizza through my Bite Club blog (http://www.biteclublog.com/) through Folio Weekly (http://www.folioweekly.com/), a local magazine that I'm a blogger/dinner club host for. Brucci's asked me to be a celebrity judge for their Pizza Bowl, a celebration for their 5th anniversary. It makes me laugh, me a celebrity....

                      

Anyway....Sometimes I find that being the Bite Club host and being a restaurant blogger can be so detrimental to my health and fitness. It can be really hard to find healthy choices when eating out. And how often is the best thing on the menu the healthiest thing? Not often... However, I try to save those meals for days when I do my 6 mile runs, hoping it somehow evens out. It seems to have worked so far. Cutting out the alcohol and bread/roll type appetizers has helped, but then I try to remember that  I should also enjoy myself, take little bites, don't stuff myself, and have fun with it. Food should be fun and enjoyable, not a major stressor in my life. Doing this has made me face my food demons. It's ok to indulge a bit, as long as it's not daily.

I did not work out tonight, but I kept my calories low, so all is well. As I suspected, I was pretty sore from NMTZ today. Last night while working out I caught the first 30 minutes of Biggest Loser, but again, was kind of disappointed when it was 300-400+lb. person after the next. I know they need shock value, and I'd have to check the statistics, but I'd believe there are a lot more people who are 100-150 lbs. overweight that need help than 200-250+ overweight.

I absolutely love the premise, the help, the education, and the heart warming feelings of BL, but I just don't think it's something I can watch and appreciate anymore. It seems like the same information year after year, different people, same issues, problems, results.

The cold weather along with running has caused my hands to become bright red and chapped, even cracking. The only lotion I've found that doesn't burn is this Lay it on Thick body cream from Bath and Body Works. However, I still haven't found a good face cream that isn't too thick or heavy, and keeps my pores from clogging... any suggestions? I have really sensitive skin, and break out easily, so nothing strongly scented!

                                                

This weekend's plans are shaping up nicely. I'm excited, but afraid it's going to go by too fast! Friday night JJ and I along with some friends are going to III Forks, a new local steakhouse. They invited me to their opening, but it was on our anniversary so I didn't go. I'll have a big recap up on the Bite Club blog though.
Saturday we have some errands to run, then Leah and Jay's Housewarming party. Sunday is church and then we might go see Sherlock Holmes.
I'm going to get a 6 miler in on Saturday and hopefully a 4 miler in on Sunday. Hopefully it will warm up a bit by then!

Day 5: Happy 1st Birthday, Charlotte and Belle!

Today was a big day for our family, it was Charlotte and Belle's 1st Birthday! I had a decent day at work, but was so excited to come home and have a little birthday party.

JJ set the camera to delay 5 seconds then take 10 photos 2 seconds apart. 10 photos, not a single good one. Oh well, that's how it goes with 3 kiddos, right? Here are a couple of the 10...

I made a cake for each of them, which I'll post the recipe to on my cooking blog soon. They were really excited to eat the cake, but they were afraid of the fire. I was surprised by that because they both sit in front of the fireplace all night when we have fires going.

They each got a piece after dinner, and I saved the other cake for this weekend. Pumpkin was a little jealous, but she got the biggest piece!

Dinner was a little creation I worked up in my brain over the weekend, an Italian Wedding Stew like dish. For dessert, I had 2 chocolate balls (thanks, Dad!) and a grapefruit that we picked from JJ's grandparents tree.

When my grandpa died, there were only 3 things I wanted of his. First was my bronzed baby shoes, second was one of his light up Hess trucks, and last was this Lenoir-Rhyne Grandpa mug. It makes me miss him, but also remember how awesome he was. And now that Lenoir-Rhyne in a University, it's a bit of an antique!

After eating cake and playing with new toys for their birthday, Char and Belle decided to crash on me while I started blogging. Belle is my little lover, and Char likes to burrow under the blankets. Belle loves kisses and funny noises, and is not shy!

After dinner and playtime, I did No More Trouble Zones. It felt good to do some strength training. I've been really focused on running, and my legs are already a little sore and shakey.
I'm not sure what's on the agenda for fitness tomorrow, I've got to work late to close out the year.

I did find out that my sister and brother in law booked airfare to come visit in April! I'm so excited to see them and show them where we live.

I guess that's about all I've got for today. My girls are very tired, and I am too, so we're off to bed!

Day 4: Monday... I don't like you.

Mondays are always hard... but something about Monday in January after the holidays and in the winter is just so awful. I woke up to a house at 57 degrees (we're anti-heat and air conditioning), so that made it even worse... I'm thinking we should at least set the heat at 60.

If it wasn't for the hot pot of coffee brewing, I might not have gotten out of bed. I decided to try out this new coffee my mom sent me. It's a Fair Trade, Organic coffee. I'm assuming she got this kind because I'm the middle sister, but also because it's a dark blend. The coffee was fantastic! Just what I needed. Belle thought she needed some too...

If you're interested in Lutheran World Relief Fair Trade Coffee, Tea and Chocolate, check this website! You can also check local Lutheran Churches, many sell the Fair Trade products every week or have special events.

Today was one of those days at work.... it was month end AND year end, which in the accounting world is no fun at all. It was really busy, full of hunting down numbers, finding out where they should be and where they were put... not fun! Since I just started in September, I still feel like I'm getting the hang of how things work, so it was quite a challenge. However, I do feel like I learned a lot (the hard way) and will be in a much better position to check myself at the end of each month and year. I guess it's all a learning curve. I take criticism really hard, and don't like to be wrong, so a few times I thought I was going to burst out in tears... but that's life. And it's all part of being a grown up.

When I got home, JJ told me the car battery had died because I left my iPod charger in the car all weekend. Seriously, between the charger and the Nike+ issues, I'm feeling like technology is turning on me!

We jumped my car off his, let it run for a while, got gas and ran an errand. By the time we were home and I made dinner, it was 8pm. I had intended on doing strength training, but I think I'm fried for the day both mentally and physically.

Tomorrow though, I am going to do No More Trouble Zones... which means I'm sure to have a sore butt and legs Wednesday! But it's a good sore.

So last week JJ got something VERY exciting in the mail, his Big 10 Championship ring!!!

It's very shiny and beautiful! It says Big Ten Champions on the front, then TR (trainer) on one side and Wetherington on the other. It's huge, but barely fits his giant finger!

If you weren't a reader when his team earned these rings, check this post out...

It's huge on me. But so shiny, I just can't take it off!

So as promised, here is my January playlist. I've got it bad for the New Moon soundtrack. And Sean Kingston. I'm kind of random like that.

Well I'm off to clean the kitchen and head to bed. Tomorrow is a very exciting day in my little world... I hope to get many awesome photos (if JJ's willing to oblige) of our big day!

Day 3: Bye, Christmas. Hello, Savings!

Day 3 and I'm still blogging strong!

When I went to bed last night, I intended on a 6 mile run in the morning. When I woke up, it was a different story! Somehow I slept until 9am again, so it left me with not enough time before church. I decided to take the day off.

After church, we went on the weekly food shop. In the past 2 years, I've been really focused on planning out fun, new, creative recipes. This method of menu planning resulted in somewhat pricey weekly shops, but I thought it was worth it for the blog. Since I'm not cooking as often for the blog now, I'm working to plan my menus around the weekly circular, what's in season and on sale. I've always been a coupon shopper, but now I'm borderline obsessed. It can be difficult to save money on groceries when you shop for fresh produce, organic dairy, meat and non-prepared foods, so that's where my little personal challenge comes in!

I love reusable grocery bags. I have millions, and I leave them in both JJ and my car as well as the hall closet so I always have them somewhere!

When JJ and I checkout, he likes to see how close I can get to saving as much as I spend. Only one time have I been even. Today I spent $84.93 and saved $60.46. And this included a little stockpile of toiletries and 2 half gallons of organic milk.

I was so excited to see that today's paper had 5 coupon inserts! There were coupons for Oikos, whole wheat pasta, cottage cheese, baked chips, and many other healthy items!

I always buy my paper at Starbucks before church on Sunday, and make sure to check the magazine rack with the extra papers people have left. There are usually a few sets of coupon inserts in there that people don't want! They're crazy. Or I'm a dumpster diver.... (actually, I usually make JJ look for them while I order our drinks)

While I was clipping my coupons, the girls decided to snuggle up with me. I actually don't have many photos with them yet because it's so hard to get two puppies to sit still. JJ did a great job though, and got this adorable one of us :)  He tried to get one of Pumpkin too, but she lunged at the camera.

Our main goal for the day was taking down our inside Christmas decorations and storing them in the attic. It was really sad to take our tree down and pack the ornaments up. I had a wonderful time in our new house this Christmas season!

This year we got a few new ornaments. Each year JJ and I get one for eachother, and then are usually given a few by some other people. I loved each one we got this year! Here they are:

Starbucks Cup - Each year I buy this ornament. I loved working at Starbucks, and I especially love Gingerbread Lattes, so this reminds me of the great times I've had there.

Seminole Snowman - This was the ornament I got for JJ this year since we went to the Maryland/FSU game and to the Gator Bowl.

New Home - I got this ornament for us, I think it's pretty self explainitory!

Ohio State Presents - My Secret Santa (Carrie) from the December 2007 wedding knot board got this one for me. She's a fellow former Ohioan, and knows how much I love the Buckeyes!

Puppy Love- This is the ornament JJ picked out for me because we got the puppies this year.

White Dog - My mom got this ornament for me from the church Fair Trade craft fair. It was made by someone in a 3rd world country (forget what the tag said) and is purchased from them at a fair price.

I love each and every one of them, and love having a tree full of meaningful ornaments!

JJ was not really wanting his photo taken while taking the tree out...

After lunch I decided to go for a run. I was a little worried my Nike+ was broken, and I wanted to test it out. I thought about running a few houses down, but figured instead I'd just run a couple of miles as fast as I could. I was trying to sync my ipod, and the Nike running website was down! Ahhh, it's like Nike is against me! Anyway, I copied the front page from iTunes. You can see I had an awesome pace compared to my last few runs. Yay! I definitely couldn't keep it up for longer than 2 miles though. I started to get a side cramp around 1 mile... but I'm glad it was still a good run! I thought about doing some strenth training tonight, but I'll save that for tomorrow.

It's been a while since I worked a 5-day work week, but I'm ready for things to get back to normal :)

Day 2: This really is going to be a good New Year!

This morning I slept later than I have in the longest time... I think I got up around 9:15am. Going to the game, watching games, and going on a run yesterday really took it out of me!

I set out on my regular 4.3 mile run with my Nike+ going. When I got to the first mile, I checked to see what my pace was, and realized that it was keeping time, but no pace or mileage! I reset it and it started again.... but when I got home, I realized that again it clocked my time but no mileage. I thought maybe my reciever was broken, but I restarted it once more and it started clocking like normal... so hopefully it will work tomorrow!

So I did my 4.3 miles in 47:37, which is my best time yet! It was a great run. I felt like I was running well, it was cool with a breeze, sunny, around 45 degrees.

Here are my graphics, it's nice to see I ran .03 miles in 48 minutes... haha

When I got back I stretched for a while, but my calves were still really tight. I had JJ roll my legs, and he found quite a few knots in my quads and calves. They felt much better after the rolling though.

Later this afternoon we went out to run some errands. I had to stop by Barnes and Noble to get Chef Michael Symon's "Live to Cook". I will be blogging through the cookbook in 2010 (and throughout the next few years - http://www.ashleescooking.blogspot.com/). I'm really excited about this book because I can tell it will really expand my culinary horizons and cooking technique. There will be a few fish recipes I'll be trying out as well as many bacon variations as that's Chef Symon's favorite food. I'm going to need to make sure I do long runs on the bacon-y days!

While we were there I saw 2010 calendars were 50% off. JJ told me he'd get me a calendar for Christmas, but he forgot, so I was forced to choose one for myself. This calendar is on the fridge, and keeps track of family birthdays and JJ's travel schedule. It's pretty visible and important. I sifted through all of the calendars, and most of what was left was horses, chihuauas, fancy cars, comic book heroes and....

ROB PATTINSON!

This really is going to be a good New Year! I'll get to check out Rob every day :)

We invited Leah and Jay over for chili and football tonight. We usually go out to dinner and then back to our house or we eat here, and I end up putting my pajamas on while everyone else is dressed nicely. Leah asked if we could make it a PJ night, so we did!

I love relaxing Saturdays.

Pumpkin does too!

Day 1: We are the Champions!

Happy New Year!
Last night JJ and I went to Leah and Jay's for New Year's Eve. We played some games, had a great dinner and watched football. It was a nice relaxing evening, which I desperately needed! As much as I love entertaining and cooking for crowds, December really took it's toll on me.

I began my morning with a nice 3.65 mile run. I forgot to stop my Nike+ when I got to my cool down and stretching, so the graphic is a little off. I ran 3.65 in 40 minutes, around 11:15 pace. It was a little slower, it started raining towards the end.

I stopped by Starbucks after my run, and chatted with the Barista. She just moved here in June from Akron, Ohio. It was nice to meet a fellow Ohioan!

Today was a big day for my husband, it was Bobby Bowden's final game with the FSU Seminoles. JJ and I decided to go to the Gator Bowl and watch them play and cheer on Bobby. It was pretty rough, about 50 degrees, windy and pouring down rain. At half time, the rain let up, and Florida State got their crap together! The game was really exciting, and really fun, and they won! I'm really glad JJ was able to go to the game because he absolutely loves Bobby Bowden.

(photo from espn.com of Bobby spearing the field)

Luckily we got home just in time to watch the Buckeyes play in the Rose Bowl! I was quite worried about the Buckeyes since their last game was before Thanksgiving, but they came out with their game faces on and generally kicked ass. Pryor played and amazing game, and I'm sure has everyone in Buckeye Nation pumped for next year.

Since we were gone all day, we grabbed some Chinese take-out for dinner. I had steamed chicken and vegetables with rice. I topped it with spicy mustard and soy sauce.

All in all it was a fantastic day! I'm hoping to do a 6ish miler tomorrow morning, then maybe make some black eyed peas and collared greens (a day late, but we can use the luck and money!)

A Year in Pictures: 2009

2009 Has been an amazing year. Full of ups and downs, good times and hard. I'm really excited for 2010 and all of the possibilities it holds, but I want to look back at 2009 and be thankful for the amazing year it was. I think JJ and I both worked really hard to set ourselves up to be really sucessful in 2010.

Some highlights from 2009 in photos...

JANUARY

We had a huge snowstorm dumping more than a foot in Bloomington. It was JJ and Pumpkin's first big snow storm. We didn't have shovels, so we resorted to digging our cars out with cookie sheets...

FEBRUARY

My co-workers and I decided to do a group Valentine's Dinner at a Japanese Steak House, then dessert and games and Michele's house. I absolutely love my former co-workers, job, and the YMCA. I am so lucky to have worked there!

MARCH

During the month of March, I wrote my cookbook. I am so proud of the way it turned out! I had so much fun making all of the baked goods to model with, and I'm so thankful to The Smiths for letting me use their kitchen for the photos!

APRIL

Easter was so much fun this year! With Becky in Switzerland and JJ in Iowa with the baseball team, I was pretty bummed. However, it meant that I was able to do the egg hunt by myself and look for all 4 dozen eggs. Kris and Dan tried to sabatoge me and cheat, but I was victorious!

MAY

May was an amazing month for both JJ and I. We spent Mother's Day in Cincinnati with my mom. The next weekend was my birthday, which was great. I had a fun party at work and then went out with some of our friends. The next weekend was the Big 10 tourney in Columbus, OH, where the IU baseball team went on to win the Championship. It was probably the highlight of JJ's career thus far, and I'm so glad I was able to go and cheer for the Hoosiers!

JUNE

In June I got the first copy of my cookbook, and continued to edit and re-write recipes.

During this time, we also found out we were moving to Jacksonville, so I began packing up. I had my going away dinner with my co-workers, and a wonderful going away party at work. It was so hard to say goodbye, I can't say enough about how much I love Bloomington!

JULY

In July, my family chose a weekend to all go home and have one last family party before JJ and I moved. My mom wanted us to go to the park and take some family photos, so here are some of the photos she took.

It was really fun spending time together, I miss my family!

AUGUST

As sad as it was to leave Bloomington, it was exciting to move to Jacksonville. JJ grew up in St. Augustine, and had been living far from home for 6 years. He rarely saw his friends during this time, so with his birthday being August 21, I planned a birthday party for him. I surprised him with organizing our Fantasy Football Draft to be that night.

SEPTEMBER

During September, JJ started working his new job, which he really enjoys. We also had the opportunity to spend a lot more time with his family. And enjoy the beach, pool, and lovely Florida weather!

OCTOBER

Wow, what can I say about October.... We got Charlotte and Belle, house-hunted and bought a house, I got my job with Folio Weekly, we moved.... it was an exhausting but AMAZING month!

NOVEMBER

We celebrated our 2nd anniversary 2 weeks early by going to a Florida State game, which they won in the last minute of the game!

We also drove to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving. We had a successful 10k on Thanksgiving Day, and a great visit with the family!

DECEMBER

December was quite busy! We had our second anniversary on the 1st.

We had our housewarming party on December 12.

We had a surprise 25th Anniversary Party for JJ's parents on the 19.

We hosted a Christmas Eve Brunch and Christmas Day dinner at our new house. My grandparents came for Christmas, and were our first official house-guests!

It was a great month!

What a wonderful year!

Here's to a happy, healthy, and wonderful 2010!

I'll see you EVERY DAY 

12.27.09 Nike+ Results

Here's the results from my first run with the Nike+

You can see where I have to cross the street and wait on some traffic! I cross many neighborhood entrances, so there are a few dips there.

I love the Nike+, it gives me the exact information I'm looking for, distance and pace!

As I start blogging daily, I'm going to include my run results and keep track of my pace and PR's. I'm also going to start posting my playlists, which I try to change monthly.

I'm going to blog a few recipes here and there, and then just daily life things.

Is there anything you especially like to see?

Tomorrow I'm going to post some exciting news/plans for the first half of 2010...

Santa thinks I'm a runner!

I must have been a VERY good girl this year, because Santa sure did hook me up with workout gear!


I was elated to open my presents on Christmas and find one gift after the next that I could use for fitness!
JJ got me a running jacket from Old Navy, a pack of 4 Under Armour running socks, 2 Nike Dry Fit Running Shirts, a Nike Dry Fit Running Tank, Nike Athletic Shorts, and a car charger for my ipod since it always seems to be dead!
My in-laws got me a pair of Asics running socks (identical to the pair I have that I love).
My brother in law got me a Nike+iPod running chip and shoe chip holder.
My parents gave me a gift card, which I used to buy a new pair of Nike Pegasus running shoes and a pair of Under Armour running pants.


I'm so glad I was able to get a new pair of my running shoes because it's been a year since I got my current pair, and they're pretty worn. I love the Nike Air Pegasus shoes, they were the best fit for me when I had a custom fitting last year. I highly recommend getting fitted by a professional for your first pair. It might cost a bit more, but if you find a brand/style you're comfortable with, you can buy them elsewhere in the future and pay less.


I already have logged a few runs with the nike+, and plan to post the results as I will be blogging EVERY DAY in 2010. Whew! I'll get today's 6.21 mile run results up tomorrow.


Not only do I appreciate the gifts my family gave me, but it means so much that family believes that I'll contine to run and workout, and they see how important it is to me.

My New Year's Resolution...

I've decided to make one single New Year's Resolution... but it will end up in a million little ones, I'm sure!


In 2010, I am going to blog every single day on Ash is Fit.
There are a few reasons I'm going to do this, and I'll elaborate over the next few days....
For now, have a wonderful Christmas weekend :)

Fernandina Beach Reindeer Run 10k

Last Saturday, my coworker/friend Lou and I ran the Fernandina Beach Reindeer Run 10k. He had never run a 10k, so back in October we decided to sign up. We've been running a little during the week after work, but he was a little apprehensive.
It was a little chilly when we got to the race, about 55 degrees. I just tried to stay warm, he stretched a lot. (JJ took the photos, he's such a great cheerleader!)


Here's me, wondering why JJ was taking photos of me standing around... when I should have been stretching...
Here's Lou stretching...

Waiting at the start line

Santa at the start

Super excited!

The race went through Fort Clinch State Park. It was an asphalt paved road that was in a tree lined grove. It was misty and about 65 degrees. I actually got pretty hot as it became really humid and the air didn't move much. We were about 100 yards from the beach, at some times I could see sand dunes.

Lou finished at 1:06:50

It looks like :54 for me, but my official time on the website was 1:08:51, so I PR'd by about 40 seconds! Had I not been so hot, I think I could have done better. I might have been the only person sweating at the end. People in Florida seemed to think 65 was FREEZING. It's weird...

Overall it was a nice race. I'd do it again next year! However, my housewarming party was that afternoon, so I was pretty exhausted by the end of the day!

Follow me on Twitter!

I broke down and got myself a twitter! If you want to follow me and keep tabs since I'm not posting here as frequently, you can check me out there @ashleezorn


I'll be doing a mixture of general tweets, cooking tweets, and fitness tweets, so it's not just about my health/fitness.


Tomorrow I'm going to get a post up from the 10k I ran Saturday!


Also, if you have any questions or comments, my email is ashisfit@gmail.com

Thanskgiving 10k and Recap (yeah, i know it's almost Christmas)

I hope everyone had a great Thasnkgiving! I know, it's been 3 weeks, I'm a little late and behind. To be honest, I've tried posting this 5 times, but when I save my photos in here and keep it in draft, it disappears! I don't know what's going on with blogger!


Thanksgiving was great. We drove from Jacksonville to Cincinnati with the 3 dogs. It was about 13 hours there and 15 back (thanks, Atlanta traffic...)
Here I am driving through Georgia...



Here's JJ driving through Kentucky...



Pumpkin hung out on the cooler for a few hours... she's quite obnoxious in the car!



Char and Belle made up for Pumpkin's craziness, they slept the entire time!

We got in on Wednesday, and ran the 100th Thanksgiving Day Race in downtown Cincinnati! It was really fun, as it is every year, but there were SO MANY PEOPLE! There is usually 10-12k people there, but this year, there was about 18,000 people! It was really hectic, crowded, and hard to run. Usually by mile 2-3, I have room to run my pace, but I had to weave and pass and run zig zags the entire race. I didn't even cross the start line for 17 minutes after the race began!

Happy 100th, Cincinnati T-day 10k!

Though the race was rough because of the massive amounts of people, I still PR'd and beat last year. I finished at 1:09:29

Aren't race photos always so hideous?? I do NOT look good running!

I celebrated my awesome PR by making and eating a bit of each of the 6 pies! Want the recipes? www.ashleescooking.blogspot.com

Since Thanksgiving, I ran another 10k and hosted my housewarming party....which I'll post in the next few days!

Hello!!!

Has it really been a month since my last post?!

Time sure flies on the weekends when you buy a house... I never imagined I would have so much work to do AND so many things to buy.

However, at this point, I can happily say that for the near future, we're done with the house. There are a few more things we need to/want to do, but they can wait. We finished just in time for the holidays!

Here's our Christmas Card photo:

And here's my favorite photo of the inside of the house so far!

By the way, I LOVE POTTERY BARN! Unfortunately I can't read, and thought JJ would come out JJ even though it explicitly said 1 capital letter, the rest lower case on monogrammed stockings. JJ's came "Jj". Pottery Barn sent a replacement for free.

Thank you, PB!

So what else have I been up to....

The past few weeks I've been focused on long runs on the weekends. 3 weeks ago I did a 4.5 miler, then last weekend and yesterday I did 6 milers.

Thursday is the 100th Running of the Cincinnati Thanksgiving Day 10k!!!!!!!

I am going to try so hard to get some great photos... This is a historic race, and I'm so happy to be running it with my whole family. I'm shooting to beat last years 69 minutes.... however no hills in Florida, lots in Cincinnati. Eek!

We leave tomorrow for the 14 hour drive...with 3 dogs.... should be interesting!

This past Saturday I got tickets to the FSU game for JJ for our 2nd Anniversary. Hard to believe it will be 2 years on December 1!

Here are some photos...

That's about it for me... just trying to balance health/fitness/house/dogs/blogs/work/friends... it's tough, and sadly my blog is the easiest to drop when I'm busy!

One more thing though, I just got this email from Jill that I'd like to share with everyone!

Have a great Thanksgiving, be safe, workout hard and eat lots!

Dear Ashlee (and Ash is Fit Readers)

My name is Jill Duffy, also known as girlrunningaround (http://girlrunningaround.xanga.com) and runnergirl13 (http://www.twitter.com/runnergirl13). I have a goal and I think you can help me achieve it.

I just joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. If I can rain $4,000 to help find a cure for blood cancers by April I will be able to participate in the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville, TN. Having the opportunity to do this makes my heart swell with hope.

My father-in-law is currently battling lymphoma. Anything that I can do to help researchers find a cure makes it possible for him and others like him to live better and longer lives, makes all of the training miles I will be logging seem like a walk in the park. These people are the real heroes on our team, and LLS needs your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

On Tuesday, November 24, 2009 I am going to use all of my social networking connections to try to raise $500 in one day to support LLS. I will be posting on Twitter, Facebook and my blog to help get the word out.

But that’s not enough.

What am I asking you to do? Just two things.

First, make a donation, if you can.

Second, use your audience to help me reach my goal. All that I am asking is that you retweet my message on Twitter. Post a blip on your blog. Tell your friends. Help me get the word out.

I am asking you because I read your blog. I respect your work. And I think you are a good person. If you are willing to help, please let me know.

Thank you for your support,

Jill Duffy

http://pages.teamintraining.org/mi/cmc10/jillduffy

****FOR EACH PERSON WHO COMMENTS ON THIS POST WITH WHAT THEY'RE THANKFUL FOR THIS THANKSGIVING, I WILL DONATE $1****

(cutoff is tonight, 11/23 at 10pm EST. my max is going to be $100 though.... I just bought a house!!!)

Overwhelmed.

Overall I had another good, but super exhausting weekend.

Friday night I left work and drove to St. Augustine because we had our carpets cleaned in the house, and JJ dropped the dogs off at his parents on his way to work. It meant getting home from work/picking them up at 7:30pm rather than 5:40pm, so I was starving! I stopped at Starbucks and got an iced soy latte, which held me over.

Since I was eating at 8pm, I didn't want to wait on food to go, but we didn't have much at home, so I made a garden salad with hummus on top and a cup of butternut squash soup. It was filling because of the bulk, but I found out Saturday morning that it was not sustaining.When I woke up, I set out to do a 4.5 mile run. After the first mile, I was so hungry and my legs felt like they weighed a million pounds. It was not going well, so I did a lot of walking and took a short cut. I did 4 miles in about an hour. I was pretty bummed out by that, but I attribute it to the lack of food the night before and the weather (it was very humid and hot considering how cool it had been). When I got home, I was drained. Hungry, depressed, and tired. Between all of the painting, exercise, and trying to really eat well, my body was done.

We did our usual grocery shop, I painted 2 bathrooms while watching football, and then we went out to dinner for Jay's birthday. I decided to just eat whatever I wanted (without eating total crap) and not feel bad about it. I can tell that I've lost a few pounds in the past few weeks, but since I threw out my scale, I can't confirm it.

So I started with the beer sampler, it was great. Then we had boniachos (nachos made with boniato chips). I ordered a portabella mushroom sandwich, and we had dessert spilt among us (cheesecake and bread pudding, amazing!).

Sunday morning when I woke up to run, I felt much better. My legs are still a little tired, but I was able to run close to 5 miles and only take 3 1 minute walk breaks. Then we picked up some breakfast on our way to furniture shop. I got an egg mcmuffin with no canadian bacon and a fruit and walnut salad. I can't remember the last time I had McDonalds, and it was good! However, furniture shopping for hours and hours took it's toll on me, and I was starving by 3 pm. It was bad to let myself get that hungry, I really don't want to mess with my metabolism. We almost stopped at a drive-thru, but I couldn't do it. I worked too hard on my run, so we went home and I made soup and salad, but planned on dinner at 6.

After my crappy run, and then my just ok run, I'm really starting to think I don't want to do the half marathon in February. Kristine told me she's decided not to, and I don't want to train alone... I feel like I'll skip it this year, still do the 15k in March, and see how that goes. I think with all of the changes going on, and how busy I've become just makes me not want to do it. It's at the bottom of my priority list. I actually think I need to focus on losing a bit more weight before I try for half training because a few pounds less makes a huge difference when running.

My health and physical well being are still at the top, but completing a half marathon in 2010 are not. And I think I'd like for my first half to be at Disney, much better scenery than running down a highway, so I'm going to shoot for the Disney Princess Half in March 2011 if the 15k goes well, and I still feel up to it.

Oh, and the highlight of my weekend, finding this at the grocery store: