health + food thoughts during a whole15

hello friends!

so it was time again. time for a 'whole15'. i had done a SERIOUS number on myself with enjoying the holiday menu{s} and my birthday. i felt pretty sluggish the final few days of 2015, and the first week or so of january my sugar cravings were over-the-top. i am glad to say that i am all in for this new whole15 adventure...

i did some prep. such as for several days before i began to cut way back on my gluten + legume intake. i increased my water consumption and did a fair amount of meal prep.  {bulk protein prep, and a big fridge clean out} i was hoping all of this would help with making my 15 days a little easier.


the first few days - sleep was so crucial. oh and eating in a timely manner. however i noticed that my first and second days weren't super difficult to say 'no' to certain foods. i did have a few cravings but i was able to push them aside. i think it was the fact that dinner was already made and i was drinking black coffee and hot tea.

i also have noticed that i'm getting more okay with just eating what i need. hm, i have cooked veggies, hard boiled eggs and black olives... okay that's a meal. i served them at one time but not mixed up in a bowl or anything like that!

the past few days - i had a really hard time turning down a beer at the brewery on friday night. but i was able to do it. i think i should be able to use that momentum to push forward. i am honestly already thinking about turning this into a whole30 instead. but let's get through 15 days first, okay?!

what is next - my plan is to finish off the whole15 (or grow it into a whole30) then stay away from gluten + legumes and limit my sugar, alcohol + dairy intake. i think this year is all about the REAL food and how to keep my body filled with veggies, quality protein + good fats.

as for healthy movement - i am also making it a goal to hit my 5 mile step goal with a 85% rate in 2016. this requires a bit of effort some days (about two days each week it is very easy to hit my step-goal without even thinking) but i think it is a worthwhile goal. and it gives me just a little wiggle room which will be helpful if i get sick or something like that (i can miss one day each week and still hit my goal for 2016). so far i was short on my steps three days this year.


how have your meals been in january? want to read about my past posts on whole30? click HERE

real food + whole15 inspiration {january 2016 edition}

hi there!

i am using today to start a 'whole15'. just a little reset to relieve some of the bloat and get my sugar cravings back under control. having the holidays and several family birthdays (including my own last week) always make about eight weeks a terribly difficult time for me to make good food choices. i hope i can be a little smarter next go-round. being a year older an' all...

so in honor of my reset i've pulled together a few links/ideas of what/who has been inspiring my prep-thoughts for my whole 15. (which maybe it will turn into a whole30 i don't know, but last time i set out for a whole30 i found 15 days was great and i was able to move forward with many good food plans for quite a while after that... so we are starting here with 15 days)

dollyessfit {i follow her on instagram}

Dolly is super positive and i love her quick work out videos. she also shares many recipes where you can use leftovers or with just a few tweaks the same ingredients will be a different lunch than the day before.

my chickens
these ladies are still laying eggs on the sunny days. full force! so on yesterday's blustery sunday (no eggs or only one when it is cold and too gray - we are not putting in a lamp this year to increase winter egg production) i made two dozen hard boiled eggs for snacks and lunch salad toppings. thanks ladies!!

epicureannie {i follow her on instagram}
Annabelle is working for way more than just a whole30 (i believe she is going for a whole60). her health gains on her overall journey are amazing. i love seeing her food photos - especially the simple snacks/quick lunches, which make me not feel so bad when i am just really needing a coffee and a larabar to get the kids to the end of the school day. (we are all human, right?) she also is such a positive reminder of thinking ahead with again, the quick fixes that you can take along with you when you know it is going to be difficult to stay compliant when out with friends or around town.

of course i still use whole30.com and i follow whole30 on instagram and that is always super helpful + motivating. day one can be exciting so here's to hoping i don't crash out on day two!

happy monday!

Cutting Down on Sugar {Half Way thru my second Whole 30 + Coming Clean}

Okay, friends. This Whole 30 thing is trying. Even the second time through - it is a struggle. {read about the start of my last Whole 30 :: here}

I'll be honest and tell you {yes, I'm super ashamed} - I had a little break down over the weekend. I'm going to blame it on the state I was in after seeing the movie Whiplash - no joke. I jittered out of the theatre and right into a single scoop of the best + most local ice cream I could. {But really, go see the movie, it is intense so don't plan on going straight to bed - and do your best not to spoil your Whole 30 meals after the viewing}

Of course I had a ridiculous sugar crash the next morning.

Lesson learned.

I'm back on the sugar-free + narrow.

I had a big heart to heart with my husband over our {completely compliant} Sunday breakfast and we decided to just continue with our Whole 30 plans. Chalk it up to earning a deeper commitment. I guess we aren't really "starting over", we are moving forward.

We know that our ultimate goal is finding what foods fuel our bodies the best and limit the ones that don't. But we also know that once in awhile there will be times where we might indulge. We're just not going to do so during the rest of our thirty days. I am not going to let a little bit of cream and sugar sabotage me. I will also not let the date on the calendar continue to hold this mistake over my head for weeks to come. I know that I will feel that I've completed this Whole30 once I reach that feeling of "reset".

So, to help me make peace with this + to build momentum I will share a few links of recipes I've really been enjoying these past two weeks:

Easy Slow Cooker Taco Meat {From Rubies & Radishes} - love making this for easy taco salad lunches!

How to Roast Vegetables in the Slow Cooker {From Chocolate Covered Katie} - this is wonderful for a prep + forget side dish

Paleo Crock Pot Chili Recipe {From Paleo Newbie} - tonight's dinner...


and these two I've got my eye on for an upcoming dinner:

Easy Balsamic Infused Beef Pot Roast {From Just Enjoy Food}

Lazy Sunday Pot Roast {From Rubies & Radishes}

Cutting Down on Sugar {Half Way thru the Whole 30}

The other day I mentioned that our family is cutting out sugar. It's true, my husband and I are working our way thru the Whole 30 - day by day.

We are. And it is hard.

Not too hard, in fact some days we think 'why didn't we do this sooner' while other days all we can do is talk about what we want to eat when our 30 days are up.

I like to think that we eat good food, but we also indulge often in sweet and fatty foods. We choose quality ingredients but often the quantity of our servings are oversized as well. The first few days of our elimination diet highlighted how much sugar we usually eat (sometimes added by us and sometimes just added by the food product we buy - our favorite local breakfast sausage contains brown sugar for seasoning and we didn't even notice before).

It was staggering how much sugar we probably consumed on a daily basis. During those first few days we also noticed how we felt almost antisocial when we would turn down desserts or ask friends to go to the coffee shop (iced black coffee is pretty great these days) instead of an evening at our local brewery.  We were surprised that our sugar (along with dairy, gluten, legume) elimination was not just physical but also emotional.

The first few days were difficult. Lots of headaches and lots of cravings. Days four, five and six - my husband and I both woke up as if we were hung over. We were drinking lots of water but at that point our bodies were having a super difficult time adjusting to the foods we were eating. I was especially tired - taking naps and the whole bit on days six and seven.

After the first week things were turning around. We discovered a serious love for sweet potatoes. Our digestive systems were getting used to so many vegetables. However, we were noticing dull stomach aches after meals.

On days eleven and twelve we realized that the dull stomach aches were after meals that we ate quickly. (Usually because we had waited too long to eat.)

Two weeks in and it is easy to stop when we are full and slower eating is becoming the routine.

And that's about it - because we're currently half way thru!

We are hoping by completing the Whole 30 that it will give us some insight into what is "in moderation" for us. And maybe discover what foods we no longer want to eat.

The truth is, we might be some of those sugar-crazed people that actually require more than 30 days to break sugar cravings and habitual sweet eating patterns. But at least we're starting with the 30 days. We'll see what we need to do once we get there.

Confessions of a Former Gas Guzzler

Let's get it out in the open... I once spent too much time and too much gas during daily commutes to my past location of employment. I hated it then, I hate it now. But it is a fact of my past.


I'm turning a corner and limiting my need to drive is something I think about all the time.


I figure for all the time spent in my car I've used way more than my share of resources. I now try to figure out ways to cut my driving. This is good for the environment and our savings account!


We live in a pedestrian and biking friendly community so that helps a lot. Whenever I need to head out of our town for errands (the errands which require a car) I try to make one long plan and hit up all the locations at once.  It seems to be working out pretty well and I'm cutting out lots of unnecessary drives.


A huge change we recently made is we've become a one car family. The plan is to possibly purchase an older work truck in the near future and use it for the dirty work around our home and back at the farm {where my husband's family lives}. Which I suppose will once again make us a two vehicle family. But we are very excited for the wonderful gas mileage we get with our smaller car! We've been surprised at how easy it is to make plans to share the one car.


The best part of my personal quest to drive less is that my new job is in walking/biking distance of our home! This is of course one major perk of my new school. Lots of families bike to the school, so I won't be the only one saving gas during the morning commute!


Want some tips and ideas about commuting and biking? Check out these links from the Mr. Money Mustache Blog:

The True Cost of Commuting with MMM 

What Do You Mean "You Don't Have a Bike"?! with MMM

Running Thoughts {Miles in June 2013}

It's a bit late for posting about my miles in June... but I did lots of running, hiking, and walking. So I think it is still something to remember via this little entry.

There were runs with my husband, runs by myself. 

Walks with friends and hikes on vacation.

I didn't do the best in tracking all the miles... but I was over the 56 miles challenge that I chose to participate in.

Here comes 50 miles in July! Good thing I've already started!

{Running Thoughts} Miles in May

I did it! But just barely. I walked, hiked, or ran 52 miles in May. 

Honestly, I had to count every step I took... like even walking to town for an errand.

But that is okay because every step should count. 

And in June the challenge is 56 miles... I think I can take that many steps. 

Frugal Living: Cheaper Ways to Work Out

In honor of kicking some debt to the curb I am sharing ways that we've cut spending in our home.

Now, something that we've always splurged on was a family YMCA membership. Partly because we feel it is an organization that is good for our community and we wanted to support such a place with our dollars. Also, when you live in Ohio, running during all of December and January doesn't always work, so we haved enjoyed hitting up the cardio-room and the strength training equipment on snowy days.  However, in February we got the unfortunate news that our favorite branch was sold to a swim club and they would no longer allow the current Y members to use the facilities. We've decided to discontinue our membership and find other ways to get in shape this spring and summer.

This change in routine has got us thinking about some thrifty ways to break a sweat. Our first conversation centered around using our bodies and the outdoors... bike, run, hike! Running and walking are definitely some of my favorite ways to enjoy a bit of time after dinner. Walking and biking are two great ways to get around our town. We even use our manual push mower a few times a month on our lawn for the work out and to save on gas (mowers can be so inefficient).

Of course DVD's and loads of online videos can be a great source for an at-home work out. Or you can go the free fitness app route if that is more your speed.

I've just started to check out:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/yogajournal.com-yoga-practice/id272050214

I've done some pairing of the "Twist and Detox" Practice Podcast with some morning juicing... great way to start the day.


http://www.fitnessblender.com/

The "Cardio Kickboxing plus Abs and Obliques Workout" is perfect for a quick sweat at-home (~18 minutes)... russian twists kill me in any work out but definitely here.



How to do you burn calories while not burning through too much cash?



This Week:

 Our Budgeting Update

 Food Budgeting Ideas

 Weekly No Spend Days

Miles in April

April was a bit crazy. Which means that I am so happy to declare that I completed a 48 miles in April challenge!

With hiking, walking, and running I was able to cover those miles before the end of the month!

And my husband and I ran a 5k at the end of April... I was very pleased with my time!

Looks like May is calling for 52 miles... and I've already started tracking. 

Running Goals {50 miles in March}

I did it! I completed 50 miles of running during the month of March!

Due to several snowy, chilly days I spent more time at the Y than desired. 

But lucky for me I was able to complete some pretty great morning runs during an Easter visit with family in Florida.

April's goal is 48 miles. I'm a few days behind but I'm totally in. 

A Simply Lovely Sunday Thought {Miles in February}

I had taken a bit of time away from my monthly running goals. Something about all the family stuff going on in December and January. It was difficult to get my miles in while traveling around a snowy state.

When February hit, I was done with my lame excuses. Which meant I had to hit up our local Y to get in some miles.

  I joined many others {via instagram} in a 48 mile challenge in February.

One great thing about a monthly challenge is it keeps me on top of weekly work outs. I can really feel an improvement in my running since last summer. I can't wait for spring to log some miles on a few favorite trails in our local preserve. 

March's goal is to cover 50 miles... that works out to be just under 2 miles a day. That doesn't sound so bad... maybe around March 20th I'll be singing a different tune :)

Running in 2012: 5K Completed

Over the past few months I've been writing a bit about my long trek to becoming "a runner" {or at least "a jogger"}. Complaining about how I don't love running, but that I'm making activity goals and for the most part reaching them.

My overall goal of running has been to increase my good health and activity choices - not to get stressed out by the fact that every race I consider to run doesn't work with our personal calendar or savings account. (is it just me or are races expensive and not always timing friendly?) This has been a bit of a conflict for this year's "registering and running a 5K" goal.

So instead of registering and running in a race with others in the community my husband and I ran a "Welcome December" 5K. It was around our town and the "registration fee" was pizza and winter brews after the run. This works for me... we think we have a new family tradition. 

50 Miles in November

Last month I joined the Haus of Girls "50 miles in November" challenge. 

It's been a beautiful fall for hiking, walking, and running. 

It honestly took me all month to complete this challenge. I meant to complete more miles running, but sometimes hiking happens...

Thank goodness for a husband who was up for a random (and late) walk around town on November 30th. We decided to look for 50 to mark the end of my challenge... we took this photo around 10 o'clock. When we ended our late night stroll I had logged just over 50 miles for the month.

How about 46 miles in December? I'm already in...

Goals: 41 miles in October

During the month of October I participated in the haus of girls 41 miles challenge. I chose to walk, hike, or run 41 miles during the month of October. 

During a few seriously beautiful weeks of fall I wanted to walk and run every morning or afternoon!

I finished the month with 46 miles in all!

Word on the {instagram} street is that the new goal is 50 miles for the month of November.

So, I guess I'm in... because I'm no turkey :)

Running Thoughts

I have a love/hate relationship with running.

I love to say "I ran today". I hate to actually do it. But I swear it is slowly getting better and I loathe it less each day.

Over the past year or so I've been running off and on with my husband who is a great trainer for me, the beginner runner. He pushes me often enough to grow and lets me run by myself often enough to keep interested in this type of exercise. I'm not one to put in a long run and I often walk. I'm the one who sometimes gets mad near the end of the run because I'm not finished yet.

I'm currently back in the swing of a running routine and I'm hoping to complete a 5k this fall. (I meant to do it this summer, but who was I kidding? It was freaking hot!)

Recently I've picked up a bit of inspiration from a past student, who apparently has an interest in running. Her mother shared a photo of her after running her second 5k. She is seven years old now and is participating in 3.1 mile races with her dad. I love it. I'm so excited for their healthy family tradition. I'm so grateful to be inspired by this young creative girl once again.

It also helps to have a little running buddy who has some extra energy to burn. So between my husband and dog someone gets me out the door and on a running route. I'm also grateful for that.