Back in the Saddle Again...

As I am writing this post I can't get that Johnny Cash song out of my head. 

Just returned from a crazy couples weekend in New Orleans that had been 11 years in the making. It was full of friends, fun, food, and frenzy (which is an understatement to say the least). None of us got much sleep and our bodies showed us that we weren't in our 20s anymore.  

I got back on Sunday and finally ran again for the first time this morning. I felt very sluggish and didn't want to run, but I forced myself out there with the single jogger and ran about 3 miles. I am 100% back in the saddle again. Running, drinking water, green tea and now eating very wholesome (even though I would love a beignet and a hurricane!). 

I've really been wanting to do yoga for cross training, but have been putting it off. That stops now. Tomorrow no matter what it takes I am getting a yoga video in! 

What are you doing to shake things up in your routine? Leave feedback at the bottom of this page or on the facebook page :)

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: "On My Way" Rusted Root. This song reminds me of high school and was a REFRESHING change from today's pop music that makes up 90% of my playlist :).

RANDOM TIP OF THE WEEK: According to a new study - exercising outdoors is more mentally enjoyable vs. the treadmill and often leads to a steadier pace. So ditch the treadmill when possible and head outdoors - or take a jump rope in your backyard and alternate jumping rope and doing jumping jacks! :). Before it gets too cold and/or icy!

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: Creamy Spinach, Tomato & Gorgonzola Penne. You don't want to miss this one. I am not sure if I was super hungry when I ate it, but when I did - I thought it was restaurant quality. 

Creamy Spinach, Tomato and Gorgonzola Penne

• Serves 4
• Ingredients:
• 8 ounces uncooked penne (I like without the ridges for this recipe)

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 tbs of flour
• 6 tbs Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 2 cup fresh spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add cherry tomatoes, salt, crushed red pepper, and minced garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk and wisk in flour, then add Gorgonzola cheese; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in spinach and pasta; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, tossing occasionally. Add some freshly ground pepper.

Nutrition: 307 Calories, 7g Fat, 4g Fiber, 49g Carbs, 13g Protein, 8pp+

NOTE: you could make this more nutritionally sound if you switch to whole wheat pasta. But sometimes it is nice to have the regular and this recipe tasted great as is. 
WARNING: It will be hard to eat just one portion of this!

1,000 Words

I don't mean to sound vain but, don't you hate when you see a bad picture of yourself? Or more specifically, a picture that is not how you see yourself?

There's not much more that can slap me in the face and make me feel badly than when I see  a picture of myself that I didn't think I looked like anymore. Or I thought I was thinner than.

I was starting to feel better about myself. I had recently gone dress shopping, as I had some things I needed to go to and what I had available to wear were too big and/or really old. I felt good when I went shopping as unlike the past, a lot of what I tried on this time "worked". And I bought a few dresses in one size down. 

Heels would've helped 

Some were also out of my usual comfort zone. They were short (for me) and I didn't have to wear something over some of them. I would normally wear something over as an extra layer of coverage, and what I often feel like is protection.

Before I left for one of these events, I had my babysitter take a picture of me for the blog before I went out. Mainly because it was a dress that was much shorter for me, so I wanted to start showing some progress and documenting my weight loss. And when I saw the picture the next day I was really disappointed. I am still sharing it (as this blog is about being honest through this journey), but I thought I looked better than this picture and still have a long way to go. I also saw a few Mother's Day pictures where my face looked much puffier than I thought it did. 

I am still working hard, running every other day and have worked last week's arm routine into my weekly mix. I do think I set my goal for May a little too ambitiously. I just have to work a bit harder on food planning.

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives

RANDOM TIP OF THE WEEK: I'm skipping this and giving you 2 veggie recipes instead :)
THIS WEEK'S RECIPES: Ginger Bok Choy, & bonus Easy Green Beans with Goat Cheese Vinegar 

Ginger Garlic Bok Choy

Ingredients:

1 bunch of large Bok Choy, or 3 bunches of baby Bok Choy

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp fresh ground ginger

1/2-1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes (reduce or remove if you don't like things spicy)

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp canola oil

Splash of chicken broth

1/4 tsp of toasted sesame oil (or 6-8 drops)

*The key to cooking bok choy is to separate the leaves from the stems so you can cook them different lengths. Also you cook quickly at a high temp so it still has good crunch and isn't soggy.

Directions: Cut the bottom off the bok choy stalks. Wash well (sometimes silt/can get caught in the stalks). Separate the leaves from the stems. Cut the stems into 1/2" pieces on an angle. Heat oil on high in a large sauce pan. Add cut up bok choy stems and splash of chicken broth. Cook only for about a minute tossing well . Add garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Cook for about another minute more. Add leaves (if they are large you may need to cut in half), add soy sauce and add toasted sesame oil. Toss and cook about 30-45 seconds so leaves are slightly wilted. 

Easy Green Beans with Goat Cheese Vinegar 

I was sick of the same old same old plain green beans so I tossed a few things together one night this week, and it was yummy. A little cheese goes a long way!

Ingredients:

8-10 oz fresh or frozen green beans (I used frozen green & yellow).

1/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1.5 tsp dried oregano

1 oz goat cheese (I used a pre-measured 1oz medallion in order to not go over board.)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Cook beans according to directions. (I like them slightly undercooked). Add goat cheese to beans while they are hot - it will melt and turn into a sauce. Add the remaining ingredients and toss together. Enjoy :)