saturday..

this past saturday was a pretty chill day, the kind where we had no plans, no prior appointments, just a lot of time to spend with each other. These are by far my favorite kinds of days. We went on a long drive looking at cool houses we had not yet discovered, and we found this cute little beach.










I had time to do a little project where I took some boring, kinda ugly ikea mirror squares and changed them from this...




to this..




its amazing what a little spray paint can do!

day 11

today was very very difficult for me. My legs were feeling very stiff today, but I somehow made it through and still got in a 4 mile run. It blows my mind how true mind over matter is. I really was thinking, just make it to 2 miles and we will call it a day. But then I was like, hey, I know I can run the full 4 miles. Even though my legs were crying a little, they made it all the way through. I think that my body is starting to change, just a little, but I can tell the difference. It really is not that hard exercise 30 minutes a day, you just have to make the time, and make the effort and you can do it. I have really come to realize that there really is no excuse for ME to go on a run one time a day. Im not doing anything amazing or anyhting, just getting out on a run one time a day. I can make this a habit, and I am choosing to do so. Eating was a little easier today. I have been trying to cut my portions down just a little, and focus on eating more vegetables. I had a small bowl of oatmeal this morning, part of a 6 inch subway for lunch with apples (ben surprised me for lunch and we went on a picnic, hence the subway sandwhich), for snack a bowl of veggies and half of a banana with pb, and dinner was a salad with teriyaki chicken and one hard boiled egg in it, no need for dressing! yum. I'm pretty sure ill be eating a 100cal personalized bag of popcorn too. :) overall a good day. I am changing for the better and I like it.

Day 10

Day 10

Woke up and ate an omelet with green peppers and a little bit of cheese. Went on a 4 mile run, plus a lap. Had an apple and a salad, later a bowl of teriyaki vegetables, then one pumpkin chocolate chip cookie at my friends house (yup), a banana and a bowl of sunrise cereal. It was an ok day! I feel good today, not amazing but good.

Day 9

Day 9

Today was a great day. I woke up and made some super yummy steal cut oatmeal with cut up apple, peach, and banana, and some cinnamon and a dash of brown sugar. For snack I had an apple. I went out on a 4.25 mile run today and did it in 40 min... Not to bad. It felt amazing. It was very sunny today so I was sweating like a popsicle on the 4th of July! I mean, even my eye lids were sweating! I got home and had a bowl of brussel sprouts, and soe more oatmeal, did some stretches, jumping jacks, a few push ups and sit ups. Later for dinner I made brown rice and peanut chicken curry again, so good and super easy. Then I had scouts so I had dessert there, one oatmeal raisen cookie, also a cup of steamed milk.

Having to report somewhere has really helped me to keep doing this every day. I mean I'm just doing it for myself so it's easy to just not do it. I'm not trying to lose weight or anything like that, this is simply me forming a habit to be healthy. Iv actually gotten bigger so far because I'm eating more then normal. 5 small meals through the day. Sometimes they are still not so small. Sometimes I know I need to eat again but I'm not hungry, but I know I should get some fruit/veggies/goodness into my belly! Anyways, I am liking how iv been feeling. I feel so much more energetic and happy. After last weekend I really noticed a difference in how I feel on days when I am doing what I should compared o the others..

Making progress!

Day 6,7,8

Day 6

Today was Saturday, and I really didn't want to work out, but I made myself anyway. Ben woke up at 6 in the am to go surfing and I should have went with him for part of my workout but he went with his buddies and one of the buddies always borrows one of our boards, so I got up and went on the normal run instead. It was just a quick run, I just wanted it to be over. Just did a couple miles. I was still proud of myself for going though because I was NOT wanting too! I had a whole wheat pancake again, and blackberries. I wasn't very good with my eating today. I just kept justifying that it was the weekend. I had brownies, non fat frozen yogurt from Costco, and a ton of samples from costco, and for dinner brown rice with peanut curry chicken,( which was super yummy). I did not drink a ton of water either, I just kinda failed this weekend! It doesn't help to hang out with friends because I want to eat the yummy food (brownies) that everyone else is eating!

Day 7

Today was Sunday, which equals my day of rest, which equals NO work out. I ate three brownies, healthy cereal, hot chocolate, we went to our friends for dinner and had a good for you dinner, and then steamed milk and muffins. Like I said, I failed this weekend! I really felt sick to my stomach too. Especially after the brownies and hot chocolate earlier in the day. My body is not used to sugar anymore and I thought I was going to lose it. Kinda funny how the body changes. Iv been doing this for only 2 weeks now but my body can tell the difference.

Day 8

Good thing I worked out on Saturday, because I did not make it out today. Work was a killer and it has been POURING rain alll day. I will have to make up for it tomorrow, I'll go running two times maybe. I did however eat great today. Tons of veggies, lots of fruit, and a little chicken. Still had a flour tortilla, not so good. Trying to figure out substitutes for bread, tortillas, grains... I don't want to eat these as much as I do. My main goal is to workout at least 5times a week because I know I will miss a few days here and there, so I'm still on track. Here is for tomorrow!

astoria

I have been going on a lot of hikes lately, and walks, bike rides, what have you. I have some pretty cool pictures of our little town. They are just snap shots with my digital camera, nothing special. Enjoy!

Might as well get this done with ha,

Day 5!

Today I woke up and had a yogurt and half a banana, later for snack fat free cottage cheese with sliced peach, and for lunch half a veggie enchilada. Went on a 3.25 mole run in 36min, not to bad for me.. Did ab work out, need to do arms, will do after my date with Ben! Had brussel sprouts, and now I'm going out to din din, I'll have a nice salad!

Cabin

Excited to stay here for general conference again with these people! I have the best in laws ever.

Continued..

Day 3 continued..

Went out running again, but didn't make it out until 730pm... So it was dark out. Blast the shorter days, only draw back of fall, but I still ran a couple more miles, and I kinda liked it in the dark. Plus 2 deer came out to play with me during my run and they just stayed there with me during the whole thing until I finished. I was kinda cute, and I liked them. I made up an amazing recipe tonight with peppers, onions, chicken, egg whites, apples, and a little but of garlic grilled and wrapped in a tortilla with cheese. Super yummy, even the hubster loved it. I made a protien shake today, a recipe for one from someone else's blog and it was not so great. I don't really like protien powder.

Day 4

Today I woke up and had one whole grain pancake with blackberries again, and a yogurt. For my work out I decided to go biking to mix it up a little. I went for an hour long bike ride with Ben and I loved it, except for the fact that my butt is NOT used to that horrific bike seat yet, still, it was a good ride all around the fort Stevens trails, lots of hills and such, and I kept it in the hardest gear the whole time, except for one time up this super steep bridge... I just would not have made it on that one without making it anlittle easier. I did a lot better at drinking water today, but I hate how much I have to pee now! Ha.. Had half a nectarine and who,e wheat grilled cheese, and for dinner vegetarian enchiladas and steamed carrots. Yum. I'm off to do some eb work out now.

Fit

So both of my entries where just erased. Bum-mer. Welp, here are some very condensed versions of them, I'm not writing it all over again! But first, I just wanted to say that I am posting these fitness journals for myself mostly. It's good for me to write out what I'm doing and feeling through this whole process of getting on a work out schedule and forming healthy eating habits. It's good to have a place that I know I have to report to. It makes it a little easier to stay on track. Also, I started doing this whole thing because I was inspired by someone else's blog to do it, so maybe mine will help someone else, (who knows!) anyways,

Day 2

Today I woke up and had 1 slice of whole wheat toast, with no butter, (I don't like butter on toast) and 1egg over easy. I also I had 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal. Later for a snack i had a nectarine. I went on my daily run today and felt amazing for the first mile and a half. At two miles I felt like I could not breath, and by mile three I still felt like I could not breath and I was getting dizzy, kinda weird. So, i ran three miles today. I am still really struggling with drinking lots of water, I really need to work on this. I had a banana and steamed fresh carrots and then headed to scouts. For dinner it was whole wheat grilled cheese with homemade tomatoe soup. I am trying very hard not to eat after 8pm, but I did not do it tonight, I'm such a late night snacker. I am going to get rid of this habit, self control! Tomorrow I will do better. I think I need to eat a more filling dinner so I don't feel the need to snack.

Day 3

Today I awoke and made myself some whole wheat blackberry pancakes with a little bit of homemade peach jam on top, with an apple. I went out to do my run and there were tons of these nasty little bugs flying all over the track and they kept landing on me,(it was grossing me out), so I made it to one mile and I couldnt take it anymore so I will go back later, probably after writing this to finish running. I also did a great ab work out, and some more work outs that focus on my bum. I need to find some different cardio work outs to switch my routine up a bit, and I need to find some good arm and leg work outs too.... I have only drank one bottle of water so far so I need to get on top of drinking some more ASAP. I'll finish this post at the beginning of my post for tomorrow.

Ode to fall

We are being graced with one last summer week here on the coast, at least that is what it feels like. But even with the gorgeous blue skies and the warm sunshine there is a slight chill in the air, that crisp, amazing feeling that comes with fall. All of the green, glossy leaves are starting to metamorphose into a kaleidoscope of colors, and I LOVE it. So much.

Fall is amazing.

As much as I love those long summer days, gliding along the promenade, melting tillamook mudslide or perhaps mountain huckleberry ice cream cone in hand. Swimming in the ocean, wishing I could be a mermaid with my Benjamin, or just spending a warm breezy evening walking through the streets admiring the old architecture of our town.

Last week I went on a hike up saddleback mountain and boy oh boy, it was Astounding. It was a perfect fall day, but cloudy, with a drizzle of rain, (my perfect kind of hiking day). There was a lot of fog which just made it even more impressive. As we were earnestly ascending to the submit of this mountain I just could not expound enough how beautiful it was.
So captivating.

On that day I especially welcomed the fall.

I have discovered how to make the perfect steamed milk, hazelnut steamed milk that is. It is so delicious and it warms me up like a big oversized sweater on the rainy days. It's the perfect fall treat. I could consume 5 mugs of it a day if I let myself, ha.

Basically, I love the fall and I'm welcoming it whole heartedly. Welcoming the leggings, scarves, long jackets, and boots. Pumpkin flavored desserts and drinks, soups of all flavors, bread bowls, and steamed milk, Carmel apple cider, and hot coco. Welcoming fall runs where it's cool enough to not die from heat exhaustion. Going to the pumpkin patch, and corn mazes, haunted houses, and Halloween parties. Lighting candles and snuggling up to watch a movie. SO thrilled!

Fit

So I have an old classmate that started doing a fit sort of journal where she writes her feelings and challenges with a 12 week fitness challenge she is doing. I thought this was a great idea! So, I will be doing the same thing. I started this last week, but only started writing in my "fit" journal this last Friday.

Day 1

Today I woke up super sore from my very difficult hike i did yesterday, particularly in the gluteus Maximus. So, I was a little hesitant to go on my run, but I knew if I chose not to do it today, then I would choose not to do it the next day as well and so forth. So, I dragged my booty to the track. I started running but i was really dragging, I felt like my legs were moving in slow motion, compare it to the dreams when your trying to run away but you can't because you can't lift your 500bls legs up off the ground. I felt like this for the first mile but I just kept telling myself that I would be done after the 2 mile mark. once I got to 2 miles my legs were feeling good, and I felt a surge of extra energy so I thought, just run until 2.5 miles. This happened a couple more times until I reached 4 miles, and I still had energy but I thought it was time to pick Ben up from work, (which when I got to my car I saw I still had 50 min until I needed to go get Ben, dang it).

I can feel my body getting used to exercising and I like it. Iv only been exercising daily for one week now, and I already feel changes. It is insane to me how fast my body can get back in shape, and I cannot take this for granted. I know I need to continue working out daily.

The area that I need to work on now is making sure that I am eating nutritious, wholesome foods. I have already completely dropped fast food out of my diet a couple months ago. This last week I have done well at eating fruits and vegetables daily, and luckily I really only like whole wheat bread, but my weaknesses are yummy desserts at night, and I am a HUGE snacker, like, I have a serious problem with snacking. I feel like I have no control ofmy habits. This Monday i am going to begin breaking my habit of snacking, and I'm going to eat more small, healthy meals through the day.

I am also needing to find a different workout plan, still running everyday but doing different cardio as well. I am no longer sore on the days after my runs. Iv tried picking my speednup and running longer, but I need something new...
I'll post more tomorrow when everything is brought together and started officially.

Lovey dovey

according to Greek mythology, humans Were originally created with 4 arms, 4 legs, and A head with 2 faces. fearing their power zeus split them Into 2 separate parts, condemning them To live their lives in search for their other halves.

-Plato s The symposium