fashion faux pas

My brain must already be on vacation. Which would be fine with me, except I have a lot to accomplish before tomorrow so I would appreciate it if it would return for another 24 hours. Then, it may do what it pleases.

I have already told you all the shenanigans of our morning routine and how we rarely get out the door on time. Today was one of those rare mornings that when the alarm went off, we got up. Without any dogs to care for, we were out the door at a pretty decent time and made it to this side of the world (where we work/gym) in record time. I was feeling pretty great about being me when I realized I had forgotten my clothes for work.

I thought about just driving back home, getting ready there and then heading into work without a work out. But then, I figured between gas prices and the distance home, I might as well just go grab something to wear and see if I could still get in some sort of activity for the day. There is a WalMart pretty close to my gym and I figured I could find a pretty basic outfit to make due for the day without spending too much money. It was also 7 am, so where else was I going to go?

I found a pretty cute shirt for $5 and then started looking for a pair of black pants to go with it. I had 2 choices... polyester pants in the junior's department, or pants with a built in elastic waist in the woman's department. Why don't they just have normal clothes there? I ended up going with the first choice because I could not fathom putting on a pair of elastic waist band slacks.

There is something about polyester black pants that just bring me back to college. From the moment I put the itchy fabric over my legs, I suddenly had the urge to hit up the nearest club to do a little booty shakin'. I think I had roughly 10 pairs of polyester black pants that I would don each and every night with a sparkly midriff exposing shirt my freshman year of college... oh, the wonder years.

So, here I am. Almost 30 years old, wearing pants that remind me of my teenage years and feeling pretty stupid for forgetting to grab my clothes that I had hanging up above my gym bag. I did make it to the gym for a 20 minute basketball session, so I will call that a win. I am pretty sure these pants will be donated to good will tomorrow, but I will keep the shirt.

My WalMart Special - that white spot was on the mirror, not my fancy pants.

Today is probably going to go by very, very slowly since it is my Friday. I also have been working my butt off lately trying to get everything accomplished early, so that I wouldn't leave anything for my co-workers while I am gone. Now, I have very little to do the rest of today.

I got a load of laundry started last night and a little bit of packing complete. Mike was studying the entire evening for his midterm that is today. Tonight, I will have his help to get everything done. Before I started packing, I made a veggie filled dinner.

My standard potatoes, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, and garlic roast.

Some fresh corn on the cob that came in our produce box a few weeks ago. We put it in the oven at 350F for about 45 minutes and it was perfectly cooked!

I also cooked us each an egg for some protein. It was a rather random, but delicious dinner.

I have been over-dosing myself on vitamin C and zinc this week because I am trying not to get sick. I had a cold on this trip last year and it was miserable! This past Saturday I had a little sniffle and sneezing going on, so I started taking zinc supplements immediately. Some people think it is all in my head, but I think zinc is really helpful. If I start taking it right when I begin symptoms of a cold, I usually don't end up getting the full blown sickness. Either way, I am feeling better now, but continuing the zinc and vitamin C until tomorrow.

This stuff tastes pretty awful, but I try to take one every 3-4 hours. I am also getting lots of vitamin C through my grapefruit each morning.

It is highly doubtful I will do any sort of posting from my vacay this weekend. We don't really have cell service up there and I will be busy skiing, eating, drinking, or just lounging in the hot tub. But, I will be back next week with a full recap! In the meantime, you can be very jealous. :) 

I hope Mike does great on his midterm today. He told me as I was getting out of the car "If I do well on my test today, we should go out like we used to in college."

Might as well, I already have the pants for it.


Yesterday's Stats:
Calories (-) 441
Sodium (-) 643
Protein (-) 11

sleepin' like a baby

We had a busy, but fun weekend and are just counting down until Wednesday. Our vacation begins tomorrow at 5 pm for a few days in the mountains skiing. You can not imagine how excited I am.

Last year! photo courtesy of Linds

We had a low key Friday night, getting Mexican food for dinner and heading to bed relatively early. Saturday, I woke up super early, for no reason at all. I let Mike sleep in for a bit, but I was up and at em at 6:45. Once Mike got up, we went out for a nice run outside with Franklin.

We did about 3 miles, but it was a tough 3 miles with the wind. The gusts were strong and going against us most of the time. We also decided to do a much hillier route, so it was a great work out followed by lots of puppy kisses. I always have to congratulate Franklin on the amazing job he does when running. He is pretty fast, so sometimes I can't keep up with him, but he will slow down for me and he is just so easy to run with.

After our run, we did a little cleaning up and then I got ready to go to a baby shower, that actually wasn't until Sunday. Long story short, I completely mis-read the invite, got in my car and drove the nearly 30 miles to the baby shower before my friend called to inform me it was not on Saturday. Sometimes, I am a total space cadet.

I think we did a pretty good job wearing out the old Frankerfruter... he was laying around all afternoon after the run.

I completely forgot to have our produce delivery company hold this week's box since we are going out of town. A lot of the stuff we can take with us, but I ended up giving some of it to our friends.

On Sunday, we drove down to my mom's house to drop off our dogs for the next few weeks. We will be heading back down there on March 10 for my nephew's birthday, so the boys will be with Grandma and Mr. Charles until then. We left right after church so we could spend the whole day with my family. My brother and his family also came over, so it was nice to catch up with everyone.

Brooke, my semi-sister in law :), mom, and I made some party flyers for her to give out to friends and family for Austin's birthday. We used some fun stamps and the flyers came out really cute.

While we were doing that, the boys were watching TV and my mom and Charles were making dinner.

My mom's boyfriend is a big time cook. He always makes amazing comfort food and loves to feed a crowd. He is a true southern cook and usually ends up being our resident griller at parties and such. He is already on board to be the cook for Austin's birthday in a few weeks. :)

All the while, little Austin was fast asleep.

This kid has some wild, long hair. His mom hates it, but my brother loves it and refuses to cut it.

Here he is post wake up.

As he was sleeping, I couldn't help but think how I wish I could sleep like that. I am not a very good sleeper and I toss and turn a lot. When my eyes open in the morning, no matter what time, it is really hard for me to fall back asleep, which is why I got up at 6:45 on Saturday. One place that I can sleep with no problems is in the car. I don't know if it is the motion, vibrations, or just knowing that I can't do anything else so my brain decides to shut off, but I sleep the best in the car. On our way home last night, I think I slept 3/4 of the way. Thankfully, I have an awesome husband who always drives for me so I can sleep. :)

Before we left my mom's, I made a few batches of chocolate chip cookie dough almond butter for our trip this week. I also left some with my mom and Brooke since they really liked it.

We also ate dinner with my family.

I had to use Mike's phone since mine was in another room, sorry for the crap pic.

Charles did not disappoint with pork loin, corn, broccoli and cheese, and roasted potatoes. As we were eating Mike said "this is how broccoli should be made all the time, with cheese." I told him he could have it when he came to visit my mom and Charles, but it isn't happening at home any time soon. He may be moving in with them soon.

We were pretty sad to leave since our pups weren't coming with us. I will miss these little faces!

And this crazy hair!

haha.

Tomorrow's post will be the last for this week, so I hope to make it a good one with a nothing-but-veggies-dinner tonight.

just a number

There are quite a few reasons why today is a great day.

#1 - It is FRIDAY!!!! My favorite day of the week. The only thing that would make this day better is if I had the day off from work. Oh well.

#2 - It has been a GORGEOUS morning. I drove to work with my sunroof open, blasting music, feeling great. Always a good start to the day.

#3 -I got a haircut last night for the first time in probably a year... I am feeling fresh!

#4 - I have FINALLY hit my short term goal! I am a full 10 lbs lighter than I was when I started this blog, which is pretty much the best feeling ever. I am just about 2 months past the planned date, but I will take it.

To me, weight is really just a number. I know that I have set my goals in the form of pounds, but that is more so I can actually measure something and recognize the results. I weigh myself every single day, and usually my weight fluctuates anywhere from 2-6 lbs in any given day. I honestly could care less how much I weigh, as long as I feel great, and my clothes fit well and look nice. Weighing myself just gives me a measurable point to start from and determine if I am on the right track. My goals are simply a number put out there, to which I think I will feel the best at, and be happiest with. It is really just a starting target, that I will reassess as I get closer.

With the short term goal out of the way, it is time to focus on my long term goal. My original long term goal was to lose 25 lbs by the time this blog hits the 1 year mark (for some reason I thought it was 30, but looking back, it was only 25, which seems much more appropriate now). I think I am finally over my plateau, for now, so I am excited to see what the coming months have in store for me.

I actually hit the goal weight a few weeks ago, and it has been bouncing around ever since. I have a rule that I will not announce a certain number of pounds lost until it has been at least 3 consecutive days of that same weight. Starting on Tuesday morning of this week, my weight has remained the exact same, even dipping a little lower on a few occasions, so I feel like it can finally be official.

Even more exciting news? Yesterday, MyNet Diary gave me all green checks and positive marks on my eating for the day. Each day, you can review an analysis of your meals and progress and the app gives you suggestions and tips for how to improve. Normally, I have a pretty even amount of positives and negatives in my eating, especially because I do not get enough fiber in my breakfast and usually go over the daily recommended saturated fat. But yesterday, my analysis looked like this.

It helps to know where I am lacking and where I need to improve. It makes me feel like I am finally getting the hang of this, but I will continue to rely on this app for my daily recording.

Recent Eats:

Yesterday's lunch was a Trader Joe's Vegetable Masala Burger on 10 grain toast with a greek yogurt and a bosc pear on the side. I am a big fan of these veggie burgers since they are actually all vegetable and have a great flavor.

Since I knew I wouldn't be home until late from getting my haircut, I had asked Mike if he could get dinner going for me. When I got home, everything was pretty much done, so all I had to do was saute the vegetables we were having on the side.

I had pinned this recipe for Twice Baked Butternut Squash a while ago and was so excited to have it this week. Ours did not turn out nearly as pretty as the original, but the taste was spot on.

 We made a few changes to this recipe, based on what we had on hand and Mike's overall hatred for soft cheeses. We swapped out the Gorgonzola for goat cheese for me and cheddar/cream cheese for Mike. We also used onions instead of shallots. I loved this meal and I am pretty excited to have it again for lunch today.

Since you know my obsession with iced tea already, I thought you might be interested to know that I have figured out how to make a single serving of iced tea from our Keurig. I wasn't really sure how it would work, but I just put a big tea bag in the k-cup holder, filled a large tumbler with ice, and let the Keurig do it's thing. Perfect for times when I have run out and don't want to wait until another batch has brewed.

Gym (no) Time

Each night, as Mike and I are getting ready for bed, we discuss what time we will wake up and leave for work/the gym. We ride together as much as possible so I normally drop him off at work and then go to the gym to work out and get ready. Each night we plan the times based on when Mike has to be at work and how much time I want to have at the gym. Today, I needed at least 30-40 minutes to get in some good cardio, since I wasn't planning on doing anything else.

We fail at this attempt 85% of the time. Usually, the time we plan on waking up, is delayed by 10-15 minutes. Usually, the time we leave for work is delayed by 10-15 minutes. This morning, we were delayed by about 30 minutes, which didn't leave me much time for any type of work out.

By the time I dropped Mike off and made through the doors of the gym, I had roughly 20 minutes until I needed to shower. Instead of getting on the treadmill or getting in a less than stellar cardio work out, I played a little basketball.

It was empty today, so I spent the entire 20 minutes running back and forth doing lay ups. Then, I decided to run and dribble the basketball for 10 laps around the gym, which left me with my heart racing and a good sweat going, so I guess it is something.

I had made another breakfast cookie for this morning and this time added cooked barley, chocolate chips, and ground flax seeds. It most definitely made the cookie much better and chewier.

I hope you all have a great weekend. We don't have too many exciting plans, but Sunday, we have to take the pups to Grandma's house. Sadness. :(

TGIF!

Yesterday's Stats
Calories (-) 268
Sodium (-) 119
Protein (+) 2

a cookie for breakfast and dessert for lunch

How gorgeous was it yesterday?

I decided to spend my 30 minute lunch break along the walking trail that my office park has. It is exactly 1 mile long and takes just 15 minutes or so to complete, so it is a nice way to break up the day.  I love the walking trail where I work. In the spring and fall, I usually spend my lunch breaks walking around, enjoying the scenery.

Work has been pretty busy lately, so it was nice to take a break, listen to some music, and enjoy the weather. I also got to break in my new TOMS!

I went with the slate gray and I love them. They are already pretty broken in and I have only worn them once. I am, however, so glad I went with a smaller size. I started out with a 6.5, but ended up returning them for a 6 since I was afraid they would stretch out to being too big. The only bad thing about them is that they make my feet look so small. I have really small feet for my height and size, but these just make them seem like nubs. Oh well, that is one thing I can't change!

My lunch yesterday, tasted like dessert. I am pretty sure my sister makes my niece and nephew something similar, which is fantastic, but I used a whole wheat wrap, added some natural peanut butter, sliced bananas and sliced apples. It was delicious.

I finished off the apple and banana in some leftover peanut butter and had a greek yogurt on the side. Such a great lunch. :)

When we got home from work last night, there were not 1, but 2 boxes waiting on my doorstep. I love packages!

My new tennis shoes had finally arrived!

They are exactly what I was hoping for. Lightweight, perfect fit, and super cute. I didn't have a whole lot of time before we had to leave for Ash Wednesday service at church, so I could only take them out for a quick spin. I did a short, 15 minute jog around the neighborhood, to make sure I liked the fit of my shoes. It was a nice run and I definitely love my new shoes.

Those legs? All natural color, baby! haha

The weather was perfect for an outdoor run, I only wish I could have gone a little longer. The sky was really pretty too, so I snapped a quick picture before it got too dark.

Mike made me an egg sandwich for dinner before we scooted out the door. Fried egg, pepper jack cheese and tomato on toast. Yuumm!

We got home a little after 8 from church, and I felt a little hungry. I had a feeling I would with such a small dinner, so I made a rather odd snack. It tasted amazing though, so I have no shame in sharing. Whole wheat tortilla, a little shredded cheddar, a little goat cheese, heated in the microwave, and then topped with salsa and hot sauce.

Mike was giving me weird looks for this combination, but I think he was just jealous. ;) Really, he has an aversion to goat cheese... I can not understand why. It is the most amazing cheese on earth, in my opinion.

Before heading off to bed last night, I made a breakfast cookie. The other box that came yesterday was an order from OpenSky. If you are not familiar, it is a shopping website where you follow certain people and they endorse their favorite products, which you can then purchase those products at a reduced cost, depending on the deal of the day. You fill out the things you are interested in, choose some celebs or experts to follow, and they send you opportunities to purchase products they love.

I have been looking for a protein powder that I could use in smoothies and energy balls to up my levels a bit. I am trying to avoid a lot of soy based protein, since it is a little over processed and can potentially cause some health issues that I am not very interested in. Soy products are pretty hard to avoid since they are in almost EVERYTHING so if I can avoid it in any way, I try to do so. Especially in a supplement powder that I can control.

Anyway, one of my favorite bloggers - The Fitnessista - is a big fan of Sun Warrior Protein Powder. I have looked at this vegan, non soy-based, powder before, but with a price tag of almost $50, it wasn't happening. Here is where OpenSky made it's debut.

Since I follow Gina on OpenSky, she had a deal on Sunday that offered Sun Warrior in chocolate or vanilla for only $35. Still, $35 was a little more than I had planned on spending, but I opened the e-mail anyway and found that OpenSky had given me a $12 credit in my account. They randomly do that. They will send an e-mail saying "you have $10 in your credits to use before x date." I haven't really found anything that I absolutely need, but this was a great deal. I couldn't pass it up. (Although, I am secretly hoping that I hate this stuff so that I don't want to ever buy it at full price.)

Gina has a bunch of recipes on her blog, but one that I have always been interested in trying is the Breakfast Cookie.  I gave it a try last night so that I could have it on my way to the gym this morning.

I couldn't even taste the powder, except that it is chocolate and my cookie tasted chocolatey. There was no chalky flavor and the stevia that is used in the powder did not leave me with a nasty aftertaste like it normally does. I will have to try it in a smoothie to be sure, but so far, it tastes pretty great.

The cookie was really good but a tad dry. Gina recommends adding in toppings such as bananas, pumpkin, etc., but I only had 1 banana on hand and wanted to have it for my lunch today. So, my cookie was oats, chocolate protein powder, unsweetened chocolate almond milk, cinnamon, and unsweetened coconut. Next time I will have to add bananas or something to make it a little less dry, but overall, I really liked it. It tasted a lot like a no-bake cookie, which I am a huge fan of.

Gym Time

I headed to the gym much earlier this morning and spent a full hour doing some weight training. I did a full chest work out (flat bench press, incline bench press, decline bench press, dips, and skull crushers) and then decided to go ahead and get my leg work out in for the week. I did squats, lunges, butt extensions, calf raises, and leg presses. I felt pretty worked by the time I left.

Tomorrow is FRIDAY! Oh gosh, I couldn't be more excited. This is the first Friday in months that Mike and I have no plans. I am so excited to get home, get into my pjs and relax on the couch, without having to make lunches, pack my gym bag, etc, etc... It will be glorious. Next week, we only have a 2 day work week and then we are heading to by God, West Virginia for 4 days full of skiing and playing! Can.not.wait!

Have a good Thursday everyone!

Yesterday's Stats
Calories (-) 172
Sodium (+) 71
Protein (+) 21 (!!)

how low can you go?

If you remember correctly, I was very determined to run my last 5k faster than my best time. I succeeded in that goal by running 9:45 min miles and the entire 5k in 30 minutes and 15 seconds. One of my new years resolutions is that I run a sub 29 minute 5k.

I have 2 5k races coming up in the next 2 months and I really hope I can go ahead and achieve that goal. But really, I have no idea how quickly one can shave a minute and 16 seconds off of their race time. Is that something that takes longer than 6 months to achieve? Should I be happy if I can run the 5k 30 seconds faster? 

There is no doubt that I am in much better shape now than I was for that Thanksgiving Day race, but I wonder if I am any faster of a runner now. I have spent the entire winter running indoors, on a treadmill. That is surely not getting my body ready for any type of road race, but I guess the act of running several times a week is probably pretty good conditioning.

I am really hoping that I can get some outdoor runs in over the next few days. Hopefully that will give me a better idea of where I am and if I can get my times any lower.  My new shoes are not here yet, but I am hoping they show up sometime today like they are supposed to. I hear it is supposed to be in the 70s for the rest of the week, so I plan on taking full advantage. I am so ready for spring.

Recent Eats

I worked at the hospital last night, so Mike and I grabbed some dinner before I headed in. We decided to go to Jason's Deli, which every time I go, I wonder why I don't go more often. I love that most of their foods are whole and don't include most of the things that I avoid on a regular basis - HFCS, trans fat, MSG, artificial dyes and colors, etc. They are a little pricey for the amount of food you get, but I am willing to pay a little more for a quality product.

After having a whole paragraph dedicated to my sodium whoas yesterday, I tried to really stick to my 1500 mg limit yesterday. All of the sandwiches on the menu had pretty high sodium levels, and I wasn't in the mood for a salad, so I just went with what I wanted - The Turkey Wrap.

I got steamed veggies on the side and felt pretty good about my choices. Then I remembered one of my favorite parts about Jason's Deli...

Why doesn't every restaurant give you free soft serve with your meal?

Luckily, these cups are a perfect portion of about 1/2 cup, so as long as you stick to only 1 trip, it is fine. It was just what I needed to get me through a few hours of running around the hospital.

Gym Time

Today's gym session was only abs. After getting to bed a little after midnight, I couldn't seem to wake up at 6. I just needed that extra 30 minutes. I had planned on skipping cardio this morning anyway, since I am really hopeful we can squeeze a run in after work, but I at least wanted to get chest done as well. By the time I rolled into the gym, I had only 20 minutes before I needed to get in the shower. I figured I could do chest, legs and arms over the next 3 days, and 20 minutes is really the perfect amount of time for abs.

I did side extensions, leg lifts, front lean and rest on the stability ball, and another stability ball thingy. Basically, I put a stability ball between my ankles while laying flat on my back. I raise my legs to a 90 degree angle and take the stability ball out with my hands, hold the position and then put the ball back to lower back to start. It always seems to leave my abs quivering, so I guess it is a good one. :)

Have a great day!

Yesterday's Stats
Calories (-) 202
Sodium (+) 244
Protein (+) 16

keeping track

Since I posted last week about my obsession with Fooducate, I thought I would share a few other gems that make my life easier. I use my iPhone for everything health related. I use apps that give me ideas for work outs, to measure my outdoor runs, to calculate my daily eats, and to keep everything together. Most of them are free, because I like to try the free versions out before upgrading, but there are a few I have paid for or plan to upgrade and pay for.

BodyFitness - FREE

I use BodyFitness to give me ideas for work outs. When I get to the gym, sometimes I just lose sight of what I want or plan to do. So I look to this app for some guidance. If I know it is back day, I just search for some exercises in that body group. It provides a ton of exercises with step by step instructions on how to complete them. You can also log the work out so you can see it on a calendar view and keep track of the weight you are using.

RunKeeper - FREE or you can upgrade for $9.99

I use the Free version of this app and it works pretty well. I have a few complaints about it, like I would like for it to break up my mile splits to let me know my speed during each mile, so I am currently looking for a new app. My sister uses the Nike+GPS app and loves it, so I may be giving that one a shot here soon. The good things about RunKeeper are that it does a pretty good job of tracking your run and keeps a log of your previous runs so you can reflect back on them. I don't find it to be the most accurate on the mileage, though. I can run the exact same course and it will give me a different mileage each time. With that said, I have been using this app for the last year, and it has done a pretty good job for me. I think I am just ready for something a little more advanced.

MyNet Diary - FREE or you can upgrade for quite a bit of money.

This is by far my most relied upon and used app.  I use the free version and it has worked great for me. There are so many features to this app and it is so helpful in calculating my calories and logging my daily eating and working out. Basically, you set a goal for yourself. It calculates how much you should be taking in for calories, and then as you enter in your meals, it does all of the math for you. There are charts and reports you can run, so you can see when you have your worst times and how you can improve. It gives you tips on your meals as well. Also, it tells you if you are on track to your goal and if you are not, it tells you what you need to do to make it to your goal.

You can set your own limits as well. I want to monitor my sodium and protein levels, so I entered in how much of each of those I would like to achieve each day. As I enter in my food, it calculates those as well. You can enter in your measurements, your activities for the day, and your weight. It will manage all of them for you and provide you with the information you need to make it to your goals.

Another great thing about this app, is that it also has a desktop version. So, while I am at my computer, I can pull up the website and enter in my information from there.  Most store bought items are in the apps library, but some items you need to add in yourself. A lot of the recipes I use, obviously are not in there, so I create them. I use an online nutrition calculator to calculate the recipes facts. Then I enter them into MyNet Diary to create a new item. It works really well.

Also, as you update your progress, this app will adjust your nutritional needs. When I first started using this app, I was considered overweight and my BMI was around 26. The app gave me a target number of calories to try to stay within, which was around 1500 per day. Last week, I updated my profile with my current weight and it adjusted me to reflect that my weight is now considered 'normal' and my BMI of 24. In order to hit my goal of 130 lbs by this summer, I can now consume 1749 calories each day and I should continue to lose an average of 1-2 lbs per week, which is what I am striving for. It is a pretty cool app.

One bonus that I love, if you want to have ice cream or cookies after dinner, you can simply pull up the app, check out how your day has been, and if you have room, go for it! If you don't, maybe still go for it, but at least you will know.



The upgraded version is actually a pay by month sort of thing. I am fine with the free version for now, so I don't plan on making that change just yet.

So, there is my run down of apps that have worked well for me. I have tried a bunch of others, but these seem to be the best out there, for little to no cost.  I hope you find it helpful!

Recent Eats

Dinner last night was another recipe from the fabulous blog How Sweet It Is. Her recipes are so wonderful and pretty easy to make. Last night, was no exception.

We tried out the Caramelized Chicken with Jalapeno Cream. It was incredible. I am so excited for the leftovers I have for lunch!

It may not look very tasty, but I promise you, it was. I also sauteed some zucchini with sea salt and pepper to go with it and it was the perfect compliment. Did you know that I had never sauteed zucchini before? When Mike suggested it as our side item last night, I had to ask him how to do it. It was super simple, but I don't think I have ever made that before. Interesting little fun fact.

This morning's breakfast was another random compilation... I can not seem to get enough grapefruit these days. Mike surprised me with one that he got yesterday at the store and you would have thought he gave me a diamond necklace. I was so excited!

Sorry, I had already started in on my toast before I remembered to take a picture. :) That banana is still sitting here, since I felt pretty full after breakfast. It should make a great mid-morning snack.

Gym Time

I was thinking that by the time I got to the gym this morning I would only have time for cardio, but somehow I squeezed 4 back work outs in there. I did some pull ups, lat pull downs, sitting rows, and low back extensions. Then I did a 30 min run on the treadmill alternating between a speed of 6 with an incline of 1 and a speed of 7 with an incline of 0. It was good and sweaty.

Nutrition Goals

I know that I made mention of this on a previous post, but it was a long time ago, so maybe a refresher is needed. The stats you see below are my daily intake of calories, sodium, and protein. My calories and protein are based on the app I use and I try to stick with that. Currently, I am trying to keep my calories under 1,757 and I am trying to get at least 60 g of protein per day. I am actually supposed to get more like 76 g, but 60 is a pretty good amount, so that is what I base my goal on.

Sodium is completely my personal goal. I went to the doctor almost 2 years ago and my cholesterol and blood pressure were high and I was only 27 years old. A lot has changed since then (going off of medications, eating differently, etc), but I am still very concerned about the risks, so I have chosen to keep my sodium under 1,500 mg per day. Too much sodium causes your body to retain water and weight and you would be shocked to know how quickly 1,500 mg of sodium adds up in your diet. 1 teaspoon of table salt is equal to almost 2,300 mg of sodium. There are a lot of recommendations out there that say keeping sodium around 2,300 mg per day is good, but for me, I follow the American Heart Association's recommendations of 1,500 mg per day. Everyone has different bodies, medical history, and family history, so this is just what I choose to do. With that said, this is the reason why when I go over my sodium, I don't get too upset. I know that I have a bit of a cushion, with my target amount being so much lower than others, but I do a pretty good job sticking to it.

Hope you all have a great day!

Yesterday's Stats
Calories (-) 8
Sodium (+) 158
Protein (+) 20