Why Do We Worry About Dinner?

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Hi friends!

Yesterday I was reading a post by Chelsey. She made a comment on feeling very anxious when she didn’t have a solid game plan for dinner that really resonated with me.

Truth time: I get much too worked up about dinner plans. It really worries me when I don’t know exactly what I will be eating when 5:30 rolls around. Worries me to the point of ridiculousness — just ask my boyfriend. It drives him crazy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s perfectly normal to be anxious when you have no groceries/time/whatever, but to worry about it when you know you have the resources to throw something together? Say what?

Why the heck should I waste my energy on worrying about dinner? There are bigger things to worry about. Or… wait for it… I could let go of worrying. Let go of the anxiety. Now that’s an idea (my pup has clearly mastered this idea).

Be like my sweet puppy Sophie. She doesn't worry. Just sit back, relax, and curl up with a jacket :)

Be like my sweet puppy Sophie. She doesn’t worry. Just sit back, relax, and curl up with a jacket :)

Letting go of something so inherently a part of your internal paradigm is terrifying. But that’s exactly why it needs to be done. Do one thing every day that scares you, right?

Friends, I will be the first to admit this is hard. There’s nothing easy about putting worrying aside. But you feel so FREE when you are able to. Trust me, I never would have started this blog if I was still holding onto worrying in this realm of my life.

I challenge each and every one of you to let go of something, right here and now. Be it a worry, a stale relationship, or just a negative thought… let it go.

Ok, off of my soap box. I leave you with a picture of both my dogs. Aren’t they the greatest?

Levi and Sophie. Dogs are joy!

Levi and Sophie. Dogs are joy!

Be back soon with a more upbeat post. Stay tuned, and THANK YOU FOR READING!

Love,
Emily

New Year’s Shred & Monday’s Eats

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Hello friends!

Yesterday kicked off my girl Bobbi’s New Year’s Shred, which runs from January 7-March 3. I am so pumped for this. Each week she will provide a meal plan and workouts, which we will follow and do to the best of our ability. There is an awesome Facebook group to help keep us accountable. Not to mention there will also be great giveaways and cash prizes! I encourage all of you to check out Bobbi’s blog. She’s a truly fantastic lady. I will do a weekly update here on the Shred.

Starting this week, I will share every Monday’s eats with you. Doing this will hold me accountable for eating cleanly, but will also hopefully encourage you to fuel your body well too!

I started Monday morning with 1/2 cup (cooked) steel oats along with 4 scrambled egg whites. Did you all know you can microwave your eggs if your short on time? Perfect for college dorm rooms, too :) .

After a super sweaty first-day-of-New-Year’s-Shred workout, I was ready for lunch. I had this delicious bulgur salad courtesy of Cooking Light. HOLY YUM! Chicken, avocado, tomato, and feta equals heaven.

HOLY YUM! You must try this. Check out the recipe here.

HOLY YUM! You must try this. Check out the recipe here.

My metabolism was on fire after the workout, so a couple hours later I had a 100-calorie pack of walnuts and almonds, along with a delicious Cutie orange. These are seriously the best!

Snack

There is truly no place like home, especially when it comes to homemade dinner. We made a light potato soup, also from Cooking Light (on a roll here with this magazine here… 2 for 2!). I paired it with roasted cauliflower, apples, and cheese. Perfection.

Potato Soup

I ended the night with my favorite “indulgence.” Vanilla Oikos Yogurt with one tablespoon of cocoa powder. Hugely decadent taste for only 100 calories. That’s my kind of dessert.

Off to start the day with the second SHRED workout. Hopefully this nasty cold goes away.

Have a wonderful day, friends.

Love,
Emily

Productive day & Exciting New Gear

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Hi friends. Happy Friday!

Let me tell you, being on a college winter break is nice. While most people had to get back to the real world this week, I get to have 11 more days of freedom (even more if I wasn’t on student staff). College students are definitely pretty spoiled in that regard.

It’s tempting to be incredibly lazy on breaks, which is, admittedly nice sometimes. But…. It’s just not in my nature. While many college students seem to be able to sleep alllllll day, I hit 8:30 am at most and am wide awake. I just like to be up and at ‘em. Guess what that means!? More time for workouts, clean eating, and general productivity.

This is still how break seems to go sometimes. Whoops! Source

This is still how break seems to go sometimes. Whoops! Source

Today was one of those very productive days. I got up and made a delicious clean breakfast consisting of 3 egg whites, 1 egg, and oatmeal with raspberries and stevia. Fail… No picture.

Then, I headed out for coffee with two of my best friends at the best local coffee shop: Coffee Zone. I enjoyed a delicious cup of Turkish coffee while catching up with two lovely friends.

Next, the boy and I headed to Columbia (the city) to get some yummy Indian food and do some shopping. I scored two awesome new fitness products: Reebok Flex Full Zip Interval Jacket and a Columbia (the brand) Tested Tough in Pink rain jacket. All this for under $100! Woo!

New gear I got today! Love bargain shopping and GREAT brands.

New gear I got today! Love bargain shopping and GREAT brands.

I will have a full review of the Reebok jacket once I get a chance to really use it! All I can say now is it is super comfortable.

Tonight is all about hanging out and watching the Cotton Bowl while drinking some tea. Perfect Friday night.

Did you/are you having a productive break?

Have a wonderful night!

Love,
Emily

Intentions for 2013

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Hi friends!

I know I have been MIA recently, and I apologize for that. Between finals, the holidays, and an unexpected illness in the family… Let’s just say things got a bit crazy! I am happy to say that I am back to blogging.

2012 finally came to an end. Good riddance. It was a rough year, but I grew so much and became a stronger, more grounded woman for it. I am SO ready to rock 2013.

While the concept of New Year’s Resolutions works for many, it has never been my thing. Instead, I like to think about my intentions for the new year. Not what I resolve to do, but what I intend to do. Intend is a much more giving word, not full of the anxiety resolve seems to carry.

Intention

So, without further ado, my intentions for 2012 are as follows:

Physical
1. Focus on what I put into my body, remembering you are, quite literally, what you eat.
2. Get strong and toned.
3. Run at least two 5ks and do another Warrior Dash (or similar race).
4. Hit my goal weight of 140-145 pounds.
5. Complete any challenges I enter into to the best of my ability (Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred, Best Body Bootcamp, Bobbi’s New Year Shred, etc.)

Mental
1. Start and continue a worry jar (write my worries down, drop them in a jar, and destroy them later)
2. Start a gratitude journal or jar
3. Live in the present (achieved through mindfulness and yoga)
4. Write more handwritten notes to others.
5. Keep my spaces neat, tidy, and organized.

I am ready to make 2013 my best year yet! I hope you’ll join me.

What do you intend to do in 2013?

Love,
Emily

HBBC Recap

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Hi friends! Today I wanted to share my experience of the first two weeks of Amanda‘s AMAZING Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge (HBBC).

Let me just say… What an incredible thing. The support, the motivation, the inspiration… They are all truly astounding.

The holidays really are an intimidating time to navigate for people concerned with staying healthy. There are so many delicious treats and meals, not to mention hardly any free time for exercise. It’s so easy to get off track!

That’s where HBBC comes in. We get points for 7 servings of fruits and vegetables (freggies), exercise, and sometimes even for cleaning! Let me tell you, it’s darn hard to eat poorly and not exercise when your surrounded (via social media) by incredible athletes, individuals, and motivators. I find myself thinking, “Well, I can’t not get any points today… I’d let my HBBCers down!” We MOTIVATE AND PUSH each other! Pretty awesome, huh?

Even more amazing is the fact that I have lost 2 pounds since Thanksgiving. Say whaaaat? Someone losing weight over the holidays? I know. I didn’t think it was possible either. But thanks to HBBC, it is. WOOT!

So, here are my stats:

Week 1: 

Miles (both run and walk): 7 miles

Weights: 60 minutes

Core work: 20 minutes

Stretching: 20 minutes

7 servings of freggies: 6 days!

Week 2:

Miles (both run and walk): 8 miles

Weights: 1 hour

Stretching: 1.66 hours

Yoga: 1 hour

7 servings of freggies: All 7 days! Yeahhh!

My goals as we continue are to keep up the freggies, up the time on weights, and keep the miles consistent or even raise them.

I seriously can’t say enough good things about this challenge. Feeling so strong!

Love,

Emily

Favorite Moments of the Last Few Days

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The last few days in pictures:

After a 1.4 mile treadmill session and a killer HIIT elliptical workout! Definitely felt like jelly after this one.

After a 1.4 mile treadmill session and a killer HIIT elliptical workout yesterday! Definitely felt like jelly after this one.

Delish dinner yesterday. Salmon, hummus, and dill wrap inspired by fANNEtastic food. Plus an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink salad with salsa for dressing.

Delish dinner yesterday. Smoked salmon, hummus, and dill wrap inspired by fANNEtastic food. Plus an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink salad with salsa for dressing.

Sunday Run

Amazing 3 mile run/walk with my mom and sister on Sunday afternoon. Beautiful day with beautiful people.

B Luch

My boyfriend spoiled me with a trip to Beks. Won’t get there often anymore once I am back up to my little college on the prairie, so I thoroughly enjoyed this trip! Asparagus, salmon, and a salad with bleu cheese… YUM!

A Saturday full of Starbucks Skinny Peppermint Mochas, family, yoga, and getting our Christmas tree.

A Saturday full of Starbucks Skinny Peppermint Mochas, family, yoga, and getting our Christmas tree.

Whew! What a few days it has been. Friends, soak in these moments. Be active and healthy. Appreciate today.

I’ll be  back tomorrow with my first recap of the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge hosted by Amanda over at Run To The Finish. Stay tuned :)

Question: What was your favorite moment these last few days?

Recipe Monday

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Hi friends! I hope your Monday is off to an awesome start. Mondays are always dreary, but get out and do something fun! Workout, write a friend a letter, make a new recipe.

monday

Speaking of new recipes, I have an amazing one to share today. My momma actually made this last night, and I was lucky enough to be home to try some. This was inspired by a Cooking Light recipe in their May 2012 issue. Enjoy!

Lemony Snap Peas with Almonds, Parmesan, and Artichokes

Ingredients:

8 cups water

12 ounces trimmed sugar snap peas

2 tbs. fresh lemon juice

.5 tsp. grated lemon rind

1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

.5 tsp. sugar

1 minced shallot

Pepper to taste

Add ons:

3 tbs. sliced almonds

3+ tbs. grated parmesan

Approximately on can of artichokes

1. Bring the 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, add the snap peas for 30 seconds. You want them still nice and crispy. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again. If you want, slice the peas in half to make them a bit easier to eat.

2. Combine the lemon juice and rest of ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Then pour the sauce on the peas and toss!

3. Toast the almonds in a small skillet over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until they brown. Add those in with the peas. Grate your parmesan and toss in your artichokes.

Boom! Delish, healthy, and quick recipe equals done. This was seriously amazing. Sorry… blogger fail… I didn’t get any pics. Also, for my sugar-free friends, the sugar could easily be left out :) .

Happy Monday!

Love,

Emily

Kickoff Post!

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Hurray! I am so excited to begin the blogging journey.

Since the day I discovered Bobbi McCormick , I knew that someday I would create a blog. Her posts were (and are) so inspiring and motivating. Bobbi introduced me to the world of food, fitness, and health blogging. I wanted to soak up all I could from the other fantastic blogs I soon discovered. Between the crazy intense workouts, the healthy and delicious recipes, and relatable women (sorry guys, the initial ones were all ladies) I found, I was hooked. Eventually I began to wonder…Could I do that to?

Now here I am, following and sharing my passion with you beautiful people.

What is my passion? Clean food, yoga, weights, biking and all manner of things in the health realm. Most recently though, my passion has become running.

. 

Wait… What? Me? Running? I thought I was the girl who had avoided the mile-run since second grade. Where is the coming from?

Good question. What I do know is this: I have always wanted to own the title RUNNER. And it took until halfway through my undergraduate education to realize that I COULD… If I worked at it.

So I have. I can now run over a mile at a time (take that elementary school mile run test!).

I feel like I am in a strange transitional stage. I don’t feel like I own runner quite yet, so I fondly coined myself a wannabe runner. Once I run my first 5k, then I will be runner.

There you have it. My first blog post, my running history, and most importantly the road I am on now. The road that I am throughly enjoying. Soak life in, friends. Enjoy the road, no matter where it unexpectedly winds. The straight and narrow is boring; I’m all about the hills, the bumps, and the curves.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Emily