Self-Discipline

It seems trivial, but I get excited by little, everyday accomplishments. For example, last night I REALLY wanted a cookie, my sweet tooth bugging me. I had pulled out the chocolate chips and was getting ready to turn on the oven when I stopped myself. I thought, "I don't need these. Caroline doesn't need these. I have some dark chocolate squares in the fridge that I bought specifically for times like these when I had a craving for sweets. Eat a freakin' chocolate square, and go do your homework." So, I did just that, and I am thanking myself today because if I had made those cookies, I would have eaten even more of them today.

When I've been really focused on my health, it gets to a point that I don't have to think about things like this. I used to skip over sweets like it was nothing. I didn't need it, I hadn't had it in forever, it's almost like I had forgotten what those amazing cupcakes taste like, so I didn't desire them anymore. I didn't desire them so much that I would walk right by them when offered. I remember one time in particular when the whole family was home, and we had cupcakes in the house for some reason. Of course these weren't those crappy store bought cupcakes (I can always turn those down), these were homemade cupcakes. Five years ago, if there had been homemade cupcakes in the house they would have disappeared in a couple days, tops. This time in particular, those cupcakes were overlooked so many times that we had to throw some away because they went bad. I was so shocked when my mom threw them away. Things like that NEVER happened in my household, but this time it had.

For me, self discipline is something I have to learn and practice every single day. If I go off course just once, I often find myself spiraling off in the wrong direction. I have found that my self discipline is at its best when I do the same thing and eat the same thing every single day, no exaggeration. I get used to a certain schedule and certain meals. It makes grocery shopping easy because I eat the same amount of everything every single week. Luckily, I don't often get tired of the same kind of food. I could eat an egg sandwich for breakfast every day for the rest of my life. No really, I LOVE egg sandwiches. Ask my mom, she thinks it's weird and boring.

In an effort for self discipline, but avoidance of monotony, Caroline convinced me to try this recipe for an avocado and asparagus egg sandwich. I have to say, it was pretty delicious...

Today is for Me

When I started this, I said that this was my place to document how things are going, my feelings, etc., etc. So, I'm going to do that today. Today is for me.

It is now November and still nothing. I have had many jobs interviews and applied for a countless number of positions, and still nothing. I've reached out to contacts, sought advice wherever I can get it, re-worked my resume all in the hopes that something would come along. I finally understand what so many people are going through. The immense frustration that comes with hours of searching and chatting and paperwork, and still nothing to show for it except an empty wallet. Maybe I'm lucky - I'm a student so I have my studying to distract me from the job hunt, but I can't get over it. I never thought it would be me in this position. I can feel the toll it is taking on my life - my physical and mental well-being, my relationships, my schedule, my actions. My workouts are a big part of what keep me going, and even those have suffered in the wake of midterms.

I know this is just one small time period in my life. I know I will get through this, and that in just a couple of years I will look back on this time and be so glad I made it through. But right now, in this moment I am frustrated, upset, exhausted, and an emotional wreck. Right now, I want to throw in the towel. But, I won't. I'll keep applying and studying and going to the gym. And hopefully, one of these days the right opportunity will come along.

Making My Week Easier

I have always been pretty good about buying my fruits and veggies, but actually getting them all eaten? Before the go bad? Now that, for some reason is a lot harder for me to do. This is something I have "struggled" with for many years. I do everything right at the grocery store - I buy all the right foods, and I have my meals planned out. But, when it comes time to actually eat those fruits and veggies, actually take the time to cut them up and make them into a meal...that's where I normally flake out, and end up just grabbing something on my way home from class. 

Now, I've known the right solution for a while now, and I've even practiced it in some cases. Whenever I have a melon cut up in the fridge, or some leftover fruit that's all ready to go, it gets eaten because it's so easy to just grab it from the fridge an go. So, about a week and half ago when Caroline and I did our grocery shopping, we came home and cut up everything that we could - got everything ready to go. Here is a run-down of what we did.

Filled the sink with water and 1/4-1/2 cup of white vinegar. Washed veggies and fruit in water-vinegar mixture before chopping it up.

• broccoli - cut into florets and placed in an air-tight container
• celery - stalks cut into thirds, thirds cut in half, placed upright in air-tight container with 1/2 inch of water in the bottom
• carrots - cut into thirds, thirds cut in quarters, placed upright in air-tight container with 1/2 inch of water in the bottom
• parsnips - cut into thirds, thirds cut in quarters, placed upright in air-tight container with 1/2 inch of water in the bottom
• onions - chopped and placed in ziploc bag
• bell peppers - chopped into strips and placed in ziploc bag
• asparagus - end snapped off, placed into air-tight container with 1/2 inch of water in the bottom (no lid)
• melons - cut and placed into air-tight container

I know it may not seem worth it, it really isn't THAT much produce, and it takes a lot of time, but it is so worth it. I can honestly say that there were multiple times over the past week and a half where I didn't want to cook dinner, and just wanted to order a pizza. Having all the veggies ready to go was often what caused me to go ahead and cook. A hand-full of broccoli, some olive oil, salt and pepper, and just throw it in the oven!

Puppies and Parents

My parents came to visit this past weekend, and of course the puppies came along!

I say puppies, these guys aren't really puppies anymore. We got to take them for a long walk on the beach Sunday morning - Duke, the grey one really didn't like the water, and Sasha, the brown one just wanted to chase all the birds. She mostly drug me down the beach in an attempt to get the birds. We had a nice weekend, watched the A&M football game on Saturday, and just kinda relaxed on Sunday. We went to the RV before they left this morning, and were going to take the dogs on another walk on the beach, but it was raining way too much, we couldn't get Sasha to leave the warm RV. So, we had breakfast, helped them pack up and saw them off before Caroline and I went home to get back to the school grind.

I know I haven't been good about updating for a while now, but I have been keeping up the gym time, and I've been taking pictures, see! A new season of the Biggest Loser started last week, and I don't know why, but that show really motivates me to go to the gym. It's like, "Hey, those people are working out. I really need to too..." Whatever the case, I got in some gym time, and I'm already excited to see who wins this season of the Biggest Loser!

Caroline and I have also been cooking some delicious meals. Caroline has been making these great salads, and making them really convenient for us. She cuts up all the veggies (except lettuce) for a particular type of salad and puts them in a mason jar. Then when you are ready to eat, all you have to do is put a couple cups of lettuce in a bowl, pour the jar of veggies on top, and toss with your favorite salad dressing! I really like it because I love salads, but they take FOREVER to make when you have to chop up all those darn vegetables. This makes it infinitely faster, thanks Caroline!

*Tip: Caroline takes one an hour a week to put together these jars. She normally watches some TV from the kitchen while she is dicing and slicing. Taking that time on Sunday or Monday makes eating healthy SO much easier for the rest of the week!*

Banana Blueberry Pancakes

Here they are! I made these pancakes for Caroline this morning, and we both enjoyed them. Big thank you to my boyfriend's mom for getting me to try these! I love, love, LOVE pancakes, so these are an awesome alternative. All it takes to make them is ripe bananas, eggs and blueberries, ingredients we have on hand almost all the time. And at 80-90 calories a piece, I don't feel bad at all eating 3-4 of them!

Banana Blueberry Pancakes

1 large ripe banana or 2 small ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup blueberries (adjust depending on your blueberry preferences)

Directions:

(1) Spray a large skillet with cooking spray, and pre-heat over medium heat.
(2) Slice banana into a bowl. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the banana into small pieces.
(3) Crack eggs into the bowl with the bananas, and use the potato masher to mix the eggs into the banana until combined.
(4) Fold blueberries into the banana and egg mixture.
(5) Pour half of the mixture into the skillet into two round pancakes. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Recipe should make 4 pancakes.

I like mine with a little bit of maple flavored agave nectar, yum!

Fairly Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was craving oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, so with the help of Pinterest I made these. They are delicious, and Caroline agrees!

Fairly Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup raw walnuts

1 & 1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil (zap in microwave for 20-30 seconds to melt)

1/2 cup maple flavored agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chocolate chips

Directions:

(1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

(2) In a mixing bowl, whisk together oat flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

(3) Place walnuts in a food processor and grind into a fine meal. Add coconut oil, maple flavored agave nectar and vanilla extract, and blend until the mixture resembles a natural nut butter.

(4) Stir walnut mixture into flour mixture until combined. Stir in rolled oats and chocolate chips until evenly combined.

(5) Place spoonfuls of dough on baking sheet, and slightly flatten.

(6) Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

(7) Cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before eating.

*Tip: If you are like me and LOVE raw cookie dough, this is a fun one to munch on. Since these cookies don't contain eggs, you don't have to feel bad about snacking on some dough while you are baking!"

Crazy Week

You would think that as an unemployed student I would have more than enough time to work out every day, cook health meals, and post regularly. I suppose I am able to do all that normally, but last week was entirely too busy for any of that!

My week included class, two group project meetings, finishing and turning in a team charter for a group project, two internship interviews, visiting the boyfriend over the weekend, lots of homework and studying, and LOTS of driving. This meant a couple of unplanned fast food means (uh-oh!) and not nearly enough working out. I try to keep reminding myself that these things happen, that I'm going to have weeks like this, and bad weeks are my motivation to work extra hard the next week.

Luckily, I'm still feeling good, and it's "next week", so I'm starting off strong. I got in my workout today - it really felt great to be back in the gym, and this week isn't going to be too busy, so I will have plenty of time to focus on myself.

Worked out today wearing the Texas A&M - Kingsville Javelinas Under Armor shirt the boyfriend got for me, I love it!

I found my favorite new breakfast item while I was visiting my boyfriend this weekend. Blueberry pancakes made with just bananas, eggs and blueberries! I had heard about this from a friend, and had seen the recipe on Pinterest, but was kinda skeptical that it actually worked. I was finally able to try one this weekend and they were awesome! I think I will make some for Caroline tomorrow, and will post the recipe and pictures after.

Breakfast: egg sandwich on an english muffin, mango, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and banana

Workout: 30 minutes on the elliptical

Lunch: smoothie, Caroline made it, so I'm not sure what was in it, but it was good, and Toasty peanut butter crackers

Dinner: broiled chicken with fennel, bell peppers and onions, and quinoa

One Month

Is there a difference from one month ago? Maybe I'll wear the pink shirt and purple shorts for tomorrow's workout to get a better idea.

August 30, 2013

September 30, 2013

One Month

Had a super busy weekend, but I still got my workouts in!

Saturday we had a BBQ with a bunch of friends and watched the Texas A&M v. Arkansas game. I convinced the grill master to make BBQ chicken, and volunteered to bring all the side dishes, that way I would know exactly what I was eating. On the menu:  a huge bowl of watermelon, ginger and sriracha deviled eggs with greek yogurt instead of mayo, and pasta salad with whole grain pasta and TONS of veggies. Also, we made berry cobbler with a rolled oats and poppyseed topping. I meant to take pictures of everything to post on here, but I forgot :( Regardless, everyone loved our food, and Caroline and I liked that we weren't eating typically BBQ crap like chips and store bought potato salad.

Below is our breakfast Saturday morning. Homemade breakfast tacos with egg & potato on corn & whole what tortillas, and lots of yummy fruit. Way more healthy, and way more delicious than anything we might have bought at a mexican restaurant. And also faster might I point out?! So many things that normally people would go buy somewhere, Caroline and I have found that it is just as easy and quick if not faster to make those things ourselves. We haven't gone out for breakfast tacos, pizza, burgers, almost anything in a couple months now. And I haven't been craving any of it because I get my fix with healthier, cheaper options made at home!

I woke up today sad that it was time to get back into studying and looking for an internship mode. I am honestly having a hard time getting back in gear, hence why I am avoiding studying by writing this blog post! This fall season that is creeping up on us makes me want to decorate the apartment and bake pies all day (bad plan because then I will want to eat the pies). Maybe this week I can put up some decorations and enjoy a pumpkin pie scented candle, that should curb my cravings, right?

First Test as a Grad Student! Not too scary...

Today I had my very first grad school test. I was REALLY worried, so I spent all morning going over my notes and having small fits. What is the best solutions to my freak outs? A workout! So I threw on my gym clothes, grabbed Caroline and we went to the gym. I only had time for 30 minutes on the elliptical today, but I know it helped. If nothing else I needed that break from studying. I also found that my workout felt better today, just a little bit easier which is awesome. Maybe that means I am benefiting from these workouts!

On a totally random note, see all those windows behind me that are letting in so much lovely light? Every time we go to the gym all the blinds are closed, so I go around the entire gym and open all the blinds. I am starting to wonder if whoever has to close them all is getting frustrated that I'm opening them every day. Although I must say, it so much nicer, and I feel better with all those blinds open, so I will just keep opening them!

I decided this week that I needed to add some strength training to my workout. I really don't enjoy strength training, I think because I'm not burning many calories, so I feel like I'm not doing anything. My sore body the day after doing strength training should tell me that it is actually doing something. My arms are still a little sore from my workout on Wednesday! It will be back to the strength work tomorrow :(

Breakfast: egg sandwich with 2/3 less fat american cheese on a bagel thin, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and banana, coffee with chocolate mootopia

Workout: 30 minutes on the elliptical with a resistance pyramid

Dinner: homemade white pizza with ground turkey and low fat ricotta

Winter Quinoa Oatmeal

Breakfast today was my favorite breakfast item in the fall and winter, once the weather gets chilly. It's not quite chilly here yet, but it really sounded delicious, so I made it anyway!

Winter Quinoa Oatmeal

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 oz light coconut milk
Dash cinnamon
Dash salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 oz chopped walnut halves
1/2 cup nonfat greek vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup diced strawberries, blueberries and raspberries

(1) Cook quinoa according to package directions. Be sure to cook in water, not any sort of stock.
(2) In a small bowl, combine coconut milk, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract.
(3) Place quinoa in a microwave safe bowl and drizzle coconut mixture over the quinoa. Warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
(4) Fold greek yogurt in with the warmed quinoa mixture. Top with fruit and chopped walnuts.

I have found that I love this dish warm, room temperature and cold, so it's something I can make quickly in the morning and take with me when I'm running to class or work. If I am taking it with me, I put the fruit and walnuts in a separate container from the quinoa and yogurt. Then I add the fruit and walnuts when I'm ready to eat!

Also, to make things quick in the morning, I will cook a couple cups of quinoa (about 1 cup dry) the day before I want to eat it and store it in the fridge. That way all I have to do in the morning is scoop out 1/2 cup of the cooked quinoa and warm it with the coconut milk mixture.

Also got in two workouts today! Some cardio on the elliptical and yoga, my favorite.

Breakfast: Winter Quinoa Oatmeal

Workout: 30 minutes on the elliptical with a resistance incline and an hour of yoga

Lunch: turkey chili and cornbread

Dinner: chicken and veggie pho

Motivation

I find my motivation in many different places - stories of success, books and magazine articles, and simply from the way I feel when I'm living a healthy lifestyle, but my biggest motivation is friends and family that decide to make a change. I try my best not to push healthy habits onto those that I love, but it's really hard not to. When you know how good you are feeling, you want others to experience that too! So that's why, when I find out that someone close to me is making a change, it really motivates me and excites me to keep working at what I'm doing.

This weekend I found out that a very good friend of mine is a few weeks into her healthy lifestyle journey. I had the chance to see her this weekend, and experience for myself the change that has come from her hard work. I couldn't help but be energized by her excitement and attitude. I am beyond thrilled for her, and am looking forward to seeing her in the coming months. Her accomplishments made me want to keep working at this, to push myself every day to stay on track.

I had to take a picture with Caroline during our workout today. She bought us these awesome Texas A&M Under Armor work out shirts while she was in College Station for the football game last weekend! They were on sale, so she got one for me too :) She is a huge part of my motivation too. Since we are identical twins, I know about what I will look like if I keep this up. Maybe on day looking at her will be a little more like looking into a mirror.

I don't have nearly as much going on this week, so I should be visiting the gym every day - NO EXCUSES! And, with the exception of tonight, will have the time to cook dinner. On the menu this week - chicken roll-ups with prunes. I will have to let you know how that one goes!

Breakfast: egg sandwich on an english muffin with 2% american cheese, cantaloupe, strawberries, peaches & blueberries, and coffee with chocolate mootopia

Workout: 30 minutes on the elliptical with a resistance pyramid

Lunch: one of Caroline's awesome salads and half a ciabatta roll

Dinner: turkey chili and cornbread (I think)

A Crazy Week

Six days since my last post...I didn't mean for that to happen! I have had a crazy week - barely time to breath let alone get in a post. Lets see, what has happened since last Friday...

Saturday - Caroline and I had our first cupcake order. We started baking at 10:00 am, and had them done just in time to deliver at 4:00 pm. Then we spent the evening at home and watched our recording of the A&M vs. Alabama football game (still sad that we lost, but only by one touchdown!).

Sunday - Went to the Houston Metropolitan Cooking Show with Caroline. We got to see Sunny Anderson and Paula Deen do live cooking demonstrations. After Sunny Anderson's demonstration we had the chance to chat with her for a little bit, she was so sweet and down to earth. Also, she went to high school in San Antonio, so of course we had to get in some smack talk about each other's schools!

Monday - Catch up from my lack of studying on Sunday. I spent the whole dang day on my computer (and still couldn't find time for a blog post) working on homework, and then had class in the evening.

Tuesday - Got up early for the College of Technology Career Fair. I am happy to say that I got an interview for an internship out of that!

Wednesday - Caroline and I drove to College Station and back for the TAMU Mays Business Career Fair. No interviews, but some good leads out of that one.

Today - Lots of homework, cleaned the apartment and did laundry.

I am happy to say that I got in some sort of workout every day except Wednesday, that drive just wore me out, and of course I got in my healthy meals. Above is one of Caroline's awesome salads. We had a bunch of veggies to use up, so she has made a couple of good salads this week.

Time for bed, I have one more career fair tomorrow and then I'm done with them for a few weeks. And I promise, for myself that I will get back to my regular posting!

Friday the Thirteenth

I didn't realize until around noon that today was Friday the 13th - that definitely explains the day that I have had. My day started out just fine. I had a delicious breakfast, was getting some of my class work accomplished, and at 11:30 I had some time to head to the gym for a good workout. And then, the Friday the 13th-ness kicked in...

Long story short, I had the WORST interview of my life today. I didn't give myself enough time to prepare, so I wasn't in the right mental state for the meeting. On top of that I felt a bit like I was being interrogated at times, so overall it was just a mess. I think more than anything it just enhanced the stress that I already have about finding a job, so it probably seemed worse to me than it actually was. I am just getting so frustrated with this job search thing, I just want to find a job that I won't be miserable in!

Anybody, anybody? Does anyone have a job for the unemployed graduate student?!

In the meantime, I will just keep studying, working out, and cooking some awesome meals.

Oh, and I suppose the day did end on a good note. Caroline and I made the most awesome pizza for dinner. Whole wheat pizza crust with spicy tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil.

Breakfast: egg sandwich on a plain bagel thin, a banana and coffee with mootopia

Workout: 30 mins on the elliptical

Dinner: that awesome pizza I described earlier

Puppy-Sitting

Doesn't this breakfast look delicious and healthy? Unfortunately it wasn't quite mine, this was Caroline's breakfast. My egg sandwich didn't have greens on it. For some reason I just can't get myself on the greens for breakfast bandwagon unless it's some spinach in an omelette or something like that. But, we decided hers looked a lot prettier than mine, so her's makes the blog!

Yesterday I met up with my group for Leadership and Team Building for the first time. It was really nice to be assigned to a random group and find that everyone was actually invested and interested in doing well in the class - not going to find that while working on your undergrad. More than anything I'm glad that things are getting going with my classes. It gives me something to do since I don't have a job to hurry off to.

Today Caroline and I went a picked up Bess to pet sit for the weekend. Bess is our brother's girlfriend's adorable greyhound. Bess seemed very sad to leave her puppy mom, but she is enjoying sneaking over to the cat's food bowl for little snacks. Maybe having her here will get me out for a couple extra walks!

Feelin' Good Day

Don't forget to check out what's new on my Instagram and Pinterest - links are along the right! 

I felt great today - sore, but great. It's days like today that keep me motivated to keep going. I love feeling good about myself, feeling good about my little bits of progress. Most importantly, good days get me excited about have more of them, so I'm already looking forward to my workout tomorrow.

 

I spent the morning fiddling around, recovering from my Monday night class - it runs until 9:00 pm and then I have to make the hour and a half drive back to Galveston, so I was exhausted. Around 12:30 I realized I needed to get my butt to the gym if I was going to get a workout in before yoga (a workout before my workout, my boyfriend says). I think my rushing to the gym made me feel the need to hurry during my workout. Since I stay on the elliptical 30 minutes anyway, this just made me pick up my pace a little bit and work harder, and the proof was in the sweat. It's kinda weird, but I know I'm working hard when I start to sweat around the outside my wrists. I had to keep wiping my wrists on my shirt today because they were so sweaty - TMI, I know!

Caroline and I left for yoga almost as soon as I got home. There was just enough time between the gym and yoga that my legs were really sore once we got into our practice. Lucky for my legs, and unlucky for my arms, we did a lot of planks, so I was able to make it through the practice without too much trouble.

I know it takes time to see and feel changes, but I can already see the mental benefits and mood benefits. I think I'm falling in love with working out all over again!

Breakfast: egg sandwich on a whole wheat english muffin, 1/2 of a peach, banana, coffee with chocolate mootopia

Workout: 30 minutes on the elliptical with a resistance mountain, 50 minutes of yoga

Lunch: two lightly salted rice cakes with peanut butter, tons of watermelon (yum!)

Dinner: chicken, butternut squash and roasted onion, peppers, carrots & parsnips

First Face-to-Face Class as a Grad Student

I finally had my first face-to-face class this semester! As nice as it is to take classes online, I really prefer being forced to go to class and pay attention. If nothing else it actually gives me something to go do during the day - a reason to get dressed in something besides my workout clothes. I am actually excited about this class. The instructor has a lot of experience in project management, so unlike most full-time professors, he has a lot of great stories to share with us. Also, he looks like Elvis, so that is always amusing!

I LOVE pancakes, so Caroline and I made some great whole wheat buttermilk pancakes from this awesome cookbook. We love that the author focuses on raw, natural food choices - everything we have tried has been really good. The pancakes this morning were delicious of course, and the recipe makes enough pancakes that we were able to freeze enough to pull out for another breakfast, yay!

Neither of us had class until this evening, so we both hit the gym. Caroline seemed a bit more tired than me after our respective workouts today - guess I'll have to work a little bit harder tomorrow. She ran through a great looking workout in Oxygen Magazine. I think I will have to borrow a few of her issues to get some workout ideas.

Lunch was easy and healthy today. If you haven't tried spaghetti squash you definitely have to. We love to eat it with a ground turkey meat sauce in place of spaghetti. I can honestly say I was skeptical before I tried it the first time, but it's remarkable how similar they are. Whenever I eat spaghetti squash I get this guilty feeling, and then it's like "Oh, yeah, this is good for me."

Breakfast: whole wheat buttermilk pancakes, turkey bacon, and coffee with mootopia

Workout: 30 minutes on the elliptical with a resistance mountain, abs

Lunch: ground turkey meat sauce, spaghetti squash

Dinner: cat shaped pasta, ground turkey meat sauce, peas

My 10th Post!

The workouts have continued through the weekend. I got in some good time on the elliptical on Friday before Caroline and I went to run some errands. I am still amazed at how a half hour of good cardio can make you feel great all day. I also had one of those "I think my clothes are fitting better" moments on Saturday morning - I pulled on my jeans and they just seemed to button a little bit easier. I love having those moments!

I also had my first non-fat latte with a pump of pumpkin spice of the season. Caroline told me it was entirely too early for fall flavors. I have to agree, but it is too difficult to resist. Getting a non-fat latte with a pump of flavor is the best way to get that flavor you are looking for without all the calories. A Grand Pumpkin Spice Latte sans whipped cream is 310 calories. A non-fat Caffe Latte with a pump of pumpkin spice, on the other hand, is only about 160 calories, and you still get TONS of pumpkin flavor.

Time to celebrate - this is my tenth post! I am well on my way toward keeping up with this blog, and more importantly, keeping up with a healthy lifestyle!

Seared Mahi Mahi with Lemon Basil Sauce

(adapted from the Deen Brother's Seared Mahi Mahi recipe on www.foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 and 1/2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 mahi mahi fillets

Directions:

1. Combine the butter, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and basil leaves in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until butter melts. Let set covered over low heat to keep warm.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season mahi mahi with salt and pepper. Cook fish for 3-4 minutes. Then turn and cook for 4-5 more minutes. Serve with lemon basil sauce on top.

Next time we make this, we will probably cook the mahi mahi in the oven. Way easier, and probably a bit healthier.

Caroline and served this with some cooked grains, and put the extra lemon basil sauce over the grains - it was delicious!

And now, on to a post about my day...

I am really enjoying these lazy mornings with my sister. This morning we both slept in until the cat couldn't stand it anymore - he kept crawling on us, begging up to get up. We had a nice, relaxed breakfast, watched the news, and worked on some homework. Around one we got ready for yoga and packed up a lunch to take along.

Yoga felt great today. My body has been very sore, so it was nice to stretch out. The class we are part of is a beginner's level, so we are going through a lot of poses I am already familiar with. This was a good choice for getting back into yoga because my muscles have tightened up a lot since my last class.

After yoga, Caroline and I took care of some thing around campus. I say campus, TAMUG isn't actually my campus anymore, but I suppose it will always feel like home. It was nice to visit with some old professors, and I stopped by the office I worked in last year to say hi to everyone. Best part of stopping by campus was getting a job lead from one of my old professors. I am not getting my hopes up, they haven't been very high since my interview a week and a half ago, but it's still nice to have something to attempt to pursue.

Other highlight of the day, Caroline and I have our first official customer for our little cupcake business. I know, cupcakes aren't very conducive to living a healthy lifestyle, but we both really enjoy baking, and it makes it even better when I can give the cupcakes to someone else to consume the calories. We have been recruited to bake 50 lemon cupcakes with raspberry filling and white icing for a birthday party in a couple weeks. That means this weekend we will need to make a trial batch...and find someone to eat the trial batch for us!

I had to include a picture, Caroline and I had another really good dinner tonight.

Breakfast: omelette with shallots, bell peppers, tomatoes, turkey bacon and cheese; bananas and cantaloupe; Trop 50 orange juice; coffee with chocolate mootopia

Workout: 50 minutes of yoga

Lunch: not much of one - toasty peanut butter crackers and half an apple

Dinner: roasted mahi mahi with lemon basil sauce; cooked grains with lemon zest; roasted asparagus and cauliflower


Shout out to my bestie Rachelle Simon - Happy Rosh Hashana!

Recipes from Dinner on 9/4/2013

Chicken Roll-Ups with Asparagus with Lemon Dijon Pan Sauce

(modified from Rachael Ray's recipe on www.foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 thin slices prosciutto

1 ounce goat cheese

8 thin asparagus spears

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

1/2 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock

1/2 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 small lemon, zested and juiced

2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions:

1. Halve the chicken breasts horizontally, spreading into two chicken cutlets. Place each chicken cutlet into an individual ziploc freezer bag, and pound to 1/8 inch thick.

2. Place pounded cutlets on a cutting board, and season the side facing up with pepper and salt. Cover each chicken cutlet with one piece of prosciutto, and crumble/spread on 1/2 an ounce of goat cheese. Starting on one side of the chicken cutlet, place four asparagus spears, and roll the chicken around the asparagus.

3. Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in an skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken rolls in the pan seam side down, season the top of the chicken roll-up with salt and pepper, cover pan with foil and cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn chicken roll-ups and cook for 4-5 more minutes. Remove from pan and place on serving plate.

*Tip: Once chicken roll-ups are turned and the seam side is facing up, use a toothpick to attach the end of the chicken cutlet to the chicken roll-up to prevent the roll-up from opening up.*

5. Add butter to the pan and stir in the flour. Stir in the vegetable stock and dijon mustard, and simmer for one minute. Remove from heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley. Serve over chicken roll-ups.

Parsnip and Cauliflower Puree

Ingredients:

1/2 head cauliflower, chopped

3 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 cups vegetable stock

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Place cauliflower, parsnips, garlic and vegetable stock in a pan and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered for 25 - 30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. 

2. Place colander in a bowl and drain vegetables, reserving the vegetable stock for later.

3. Transfer drained vegetables to a blender with the greek yogurt, and about half of the reserved vegetable stock. Pulse to break up the vegetables. Continue pulsing and add vegetable stock as needed until you reach your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. 

Wednesday, 9/4/2013

I am trying to figure out this whole linking up between my Pinterest, Instagram and my blog, so this is my attempt at embedding a pin into a post. Hopefully it works!


Now, assuming this worked correctly, above, is the walking workout that I am working up to. I tried running a couple years ago, and it wasn't as bad as I had remembered it being, but I am just not a runner! I really got into walking when I was in high school. On weekends my mom, sister, best friend from down the street and my best friend's mom would walk on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Once us girls left for college our mom's have continued walking with my parent's dogs. We always join them when we are home for the weekend.

I wore my favorite color for my workout today! I took it kinda easy with my walk because I was sore from yoga. I was also able to get quite a bit done today, which was great. Finished watching my lecture for my Leadership and Team Building class, got a couple chapters of reading done, and finished some laundry. I love productive days like today!

Thursday, 9/5/13

I didn't get my post finished before I went to sleep last night, darn.

Dinner last night ended up being the best part of the day. I didn't take a picture, but I will get the recipes posted later in case anyone is interested. Caroline and I made chicken roll-ups with prosciutto, goat cheese & asparagus, cauliflower & parsnip puree, and ciabatta rolls.

Breakfast: egg sandwich on a whole wheat bagel thin; cantaloupe, banana, and strawberries; Trop 50 orange juice; coffee with chocolate mootopia

Lunch: Toasty peanut butter crackers; watermelon; half an apple with string cheese; Healthy Choice 100 calorie frozen greek yogurt

Workout: walking on treadmill with incline hill; abs

Dinner: see above, it was amazing

Getting Back in Gear

I was finally able to get back to the gym, yay! I felt really great most of the day. Getting in a workout and making healthy food choices put me in a good mood.

Unfortunately I had to face some of the stresses of going to a new university today. If you have been through college recently you know that most schools have TONS of different systems that they use for e-mail, financial aid, student life and online learning just to name a few. Now, mastering these systems at one school is a challenge, but having to re-learn everything at a new school...even worse! I believe part of my problem is that I grew too accustomed to Texas A&M's systems, so now I expect every university to operate like they do. Unfortunately for me, UH is very different. Thus, I spent most of my evening working on how to navigate through the countless programs, and locking up my various accounts because I tried too many times to log on with the wrong username, user ID, password, what-have-you.

Now that I've done some venting, the best part of my day was yoga class! If you haven't tried yoga before I highly recommend it. It is amazing how much better you feel! I started taking yoga my junior year of my undergraduate degree, and was surprised at how much better my body felt. I continued with a yoga class for the two semesters after that, and then took a semester off. In that one semester that I wasn't practicing yoga I could feel my muscles tightening up, and I had some problems with a sore back. When I started my fourth yoga class during the fall of my super-senior year, I immediately began to feel the benefits. I decided then that yoga was something that would always be a part of my life. This year I was able to convince my sister to join me in yoga, and she is already feeling the benefits. I'm glad I was able to get her involved.

Breakfast: egg sandwich on a whole wheat bagel thin with 2/3 less fat american cheese and That Green Sauce; cantaloupe, raspberries, blueberries and banana slices

Workout: elliptical with a resistance mountain for 30 minutes; yoga for 50 minutes

Lunch: salad with romaine lettuce, power greens, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, walnuts, turkey bacon and salad dressing (olive oil, apple cider vinegar and tomato paste)

Dinner: salmon, roasted asparagus and pasta with a power greens pesto

*Make sure you check out my Instagram and Pinterest with the links on the right!*

Labor Day Long Weekend

I have found a benefit to being an unemployed graduate student - actually having time to read the paper and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. I still don't think I will get through any more but the front page, but at least I get that!

My increase in spare time also meant I was able to get some inspiration for breakfast from my favorite cookbook instead of just having my usual. Today I made my rendition of "The Feed Zone's" chicken an bacon hash. Caroline and I made breakfast sausage, turkey bacon and veggie hash, and topped it with a couple eggs and HEB's That Green Sauce of course.

Today was a good day. My boyfriend was still in town for the long Labor Day weekend, so after breakfast we went for a walk on the beach, and then headed to the pool to relax with my brother and his girlfriend. I love three day weekends!

Having the boy in town has limited my exercise over the past three days, but we have been really good about cooking our own food, and have tried to get out of the apartment to do something every day. I try really hard not to get too upset about my workout and eating schedule when I have visitors are in town. I find that I just end up getting frustrated and upset when I'm not able to get in my planned workouts, or when I'm not eating like I should. At this time in my life it seems to stress me out even more because I know I need to stick to my healthy habits to get to my healthy self, but I remind myself that the visits never last too long, and I need to enjoy my friends and family while I can.

I am ready to hit the gym tomorrow, and get back to my regular, boring breakfast :)

Blueberry Ricotta Buttermilk Pancakes

Caroline (my twin sister) and I made these awesome pancakes for breakfast. The recipe is modified from Oxygen Magazine's 'Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes' in their June 2013 issue. Here is a picture of the scrumptious-ness!

Blueberry Ricotta Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup non-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tsp maple flavor agave syrup
1 cup blueberries
1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, flaxseed and cinnamon).
2. In another bowl, combine all the wet ingredients (vanilla extract, ricotta cheese, buttermilk and agave syrup) and whisk to incorporate.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir until smooth. Once combined, gently stir in blueberries.
4. Heat 1/2 tsp coconut oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Scoop 1/4 cup portions of batter onto hot pan.
5. Cook 2 - 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter. Add more coconut oil to pan as needed.

*Tip:  Heat your oven to 200 - 250 degrees, and place a sheet pan in the oven. As batches of pancakes finish cooking, place them on the sheet pan in the oven to stay warm until you are ready to eat.*


Breakfast: blueberry ricotta buttermilk pancakes; turkey bacon; sliced bananas, peaches, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries; coffee with chocolate mootopia

First College Football Saturday of the Season

Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Fightin' Texas Aggies Football, but it really does get in the way of eating like I should. Regardless, I am committed, and I'm not going to let the rest of the semester's Saturday games get in the way! Speaking of the Fightin' Texas Aggies, this may be a good time to give you a little more background about myself and my healthy lifestyle journey.

I started my college career at Texas A&M University's main campus in College Station. My freshman year was difficult. I was overweight and VERY unhappy, and that miserable attitude was taking over every aspect of my life, even affecting my relationships. I had my "ah-ha" moment during winter break of my freshman year. I was at the mall shopping with my mom and size 2 twin sister, and was very upset that I couldn't wear the same cute clothes that she was purchasing. Finally after three painful hours I went home with one ugly grey sweatshirt from GAP. Sitting in my room thinking about how I had felt that day, about how miserable I was, I knew thing needed to change.

My first workout took place when I returned to school. I picked an elliptical that overlooked the climbing wall in the gym, and used that as my entertainment. Those thirty minutes I spent on the machine weren't anything particularly difficult, but it was the most painful thirty minutes I have ever spent working out. I distinctly remember telling myself, "Just ten more minutes. Just nine more minutes. Just eight more minutes." And eventually, I finished those thirty minutes and never looked back.

My sophomore year I was dedicated to my workouts and to be conscious of what I was putting in my body. You could ask any of my friends that year, I spent hours at the gym, and almost never gave in to fast food temptations. An average day involved run/walking two miles, a twenty minute ab workout, and a 1,500 meter swim. This combined with an average two hours of walking around campus a day meant by the end of the year, I found myself in the best shape of my life.

My junior year I moved to Texas A&M's Galveston campus, and things began to head back in the wrong direction. A smaller campus and more responsibilities meant working out moved from the top of my list. During my three years in Galveston I have had many ups in downs, in both my weight and my stress level. And now I'm here, beginning a new chapter in my life. I know that if I want to be a successful masters student I need to be happy and healthy.

Breakfast: homemade breakfast tacos with egg, turkey bacon, potato and That Green Sauce; sliced banana and peaches; coffee with chocolate mootopia

Lunch: one hot dog with bun; raw carrots and green beans; pasta and veggie salad; homemade chocolate football shaped cookie

Dinner: 1/4 hatch pepper hamburger on a whole wheat bun with onion, power greens, pickles and tomato; roasted sweet potatoes and green beans

Workout: didn't happen today, as expected...I had to cheer for my Fightin' Texas Aggies!

I'm Making Myself Shine

Day One

I say 'Day One', but that is really a lie. This is a journey I have been on for almost five years - finding myself through a healthy lifestyle. Regardless of that, today is Day One because today I am recognizing that I strayed from my path, and I need to get back on. Here is a picture of Day One.

This seems like the right time because I am starting a new chapter in my life - being an unemployed graduate student. Hopefully that first part will change, I am currently looking for a job. But I have two more years of this grad school thing. Two years to find myself, because apparently the five years I spent getting my bachelor's degree wasn't enough. And I know from past experience that the times I was happiest in my life, and the times where I felt most secure in the path I have chosen were when I was living a healthy lifestyle.

My goal in this blog is to keep myself on track. I want to post every day, and be very honest about what I did that day, what I ate, and how I felt. If nothing else, it can give me some stability during this crazy time in my life. I also want to use it as a way to track my progress. Hopefully, in the future I will be able to look back on this post and the picture above as a distant memory. Hopefully, someone will come across this blog and become inspired...or at least pity me, and read what I have to say.

So, today is Day One - things can only go up from here!

Breakfast: Egg Sandwich - Bagel Thin with one & a half eggs, two strips turkey bacon, That Green Sauce, and 2/3 Less Fat American Cheese; one medium banana; two cups coffee with chocolate Mootopia

Workout: 30 minutes on the elliptical; 30 minutes walking on the treadmill

Lunch: 1 cup watermelon; 1/2 cup diced peaches; baked cod; 1 cup broccoli; 1/2 cup quick cook 5 grains; brownie (8x8 pan cut into 16 pieces)

*Tip for brownies - Make them homemade (way better and healthier!), cut 8x8 pan into 16 pieces, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and store in a plastic bag in the freezer. Then take one individually wrapped brownie out to thaw while you are cooking dinner, or eat straight from the freezer (they are great cold). Caroline and I found this is a great way to keep us from snarfing the whole pan as soon as the brownies come out of the oven.*

Dinner: TBD...maybe turkey chili and homemade cornbread?