And When You Have To Get Back Up, What Then?

Before I get started, I want to say how absolutely proud I am of Ally! I went home for Christmas and got to see her in action as a charity elf!

This woman inspires me! She looks so great every time I see her, and she continues to face every challenge and make taking care of herself a priority! God really blessed me with this lady! 

On a side note, you've got to love Ally. She was taking donations for the Salvation Army with her youth group. When we drove by they were dancing and singing! It was so festive and fun.

As for me, well...

As the new year approaches, I find myself praying and regrouping -- trying to get back on track. If you want a sad and repentant confession - yeah, I've got one. I've gained about 2/3 of the weight back. But if you want defeat and laziness, no. You've come to the wrong place. :)

As I look back on the past year, I've been so incredibly blessed. Between time with friends and family, I've also had a year to get to know Will. And he is so special. It's also been a good year for my career -- I was blessed with a new job that is enjoyable with the added benefit of being surrounded by great coworkers.

But one thing that has suffered is my journey toward better health. And I realize now how much changes in our lives can impact our habits and priorities.

Dating was a huge change for me. I went from the single girl with hours to dedicate to the gym and cooking to someone very happy with another person, learning to do things as a couple. That has been a wonderful thing, but Will and I have also wanted to the typical couple thing -- spoil each other! And that, for some reason, means more eating out. Have you noticed that trend in relationships?

As we've grown closer, I've come to share my story with him. Though he doesn't have the same struggle, he has been nothing but supportive and open. He often finds new healthy recipes for us to cook together. And, because of him, I can now consider myself a happy biker chick. (Though, it's cold y'all! I have not been on my cycling game since it takes so much bundling up.)

I digress. 

What I was actually getting at is how easily changes can impact your lifestyle. And how much of a lesson I'm learning at this point in my journey.

You know that story about how you cook a frog? The one where you put it into a pot of lukewarm water then gradually crank the heat up. According to the storytellers, the frog gradually adjusts to the heat without realizing it will be killed.

That's how we live sometimes. I'm guilty. I knew I was eating out more. I realized I was working out less. But it really takes time to truly see the effects of those decisions.

Still, I don't count it a loss. The lesson here is that you have to take that moment of understanding, when it becomes very clear that you're going the wrong direction, and use it to prayerfully bring yourself back to focus. Because when you struggle with something that can't be beaten in a day, you can expect ups and down. In my case, I'm going to face the ups and downs of this thing for life. So I'm choosing to use this as a chance to grow in understanding so I can be better prepared in the future.

One thing I have decided is that I am going to make a concentrated effort to stop being a 'do it tomorrow' kind of person. When you realize your life needs to be redirected in some way, it's 100% excuse to say, "I'll start tomorrow." I hate admitting that, because I have embraced that excuse in my life. HA! But I've got to go ahead and call my own bluff.

Tomorrow is always some elusive figure in your imagination. And in planning for something better, planning it for 'tomorrow' is really not planning at all. 

So I'm going with another common wisdom: do what you can, with what you have, TODAY.

I've always said I'm not into perfection. I know I'm human, as are you. We can't be perfectly on track 100% of the time. But each day is our chance to do something positive. Even if it's as simple as trying a couple of new and healthier drinks as you search for a replacement for something like Dr. Pepper. (I wish that were a random choice. Unfortunately, I have a deep appreciation for DP.) I know a lot of people struggle (like me) with being drawn to some kind of soda. As a side note, I have learned how to make Splenda limeade recently. I use about 1 cup of lime juice for every 6 cups of water and sweeten with one cup of Splenda. Do what it takes to find what you like. 

In this spirit, I've decided to stop obsessing about the future and live in today. Because I can get overwhelmed thinking of what I hope to be doing six months from now. But I think God can give me the strength to handle today. 

So that's where I'm at. And I had a very good reminder to do all I can do to set myself up for success on Saturday. Will and I were talking about the upcoming week and he asked, "So how are you doing? Are you taking care of yourself?" It's nice for someone to love you. They keep you in check. :)

I told him I was going to, and I was starting ASAP. I went out to the grocery store and bought quality ingredients for the week. I got salad, apples, ingredients to make broccoli chicken casserole...and ingredients to make my favorite breakfast from Skinny Taste, Bananas Foster Topped French Toast!!

It is AMAZING!  

Sometimes I forget how good healthy food makes a person feel. Will and I are making turkey burgers tonight. We love our recipe because it is satisfying without being greasy and heavy. We put baked sweet potato fries on the side. (We tried it with sun chips once, as pictured, but it's just not as good or as nourishing as sweet potato fries.) We like wheat buns and provolone cheese, and of course we must load it down with green leaf lettuce! For us, this burger is better than fast food alternatives. 

Here's what we add to (1 lb) lean ground turkey to make the burgers:

1/2 c. Italian seasoned panko

1 egg

1 tsp parsley

salt 

2T sun-dried tomatoes (we run them through the food processor before mixing them in)

Will was initially skeptical about using ground turkey meat, but after one bite he was a fan. For me, it's all in the seasoning. This is seasoned well enough to make it delicious.

One last thing. As I've said, though I hadn't fully given up eating well and working out, I had started making bad decisions a little too often. One of those involved Chick Fil A waffle fries. I am a SUCKER for those things. I think God was trying to steer me back on track because this is what happened TWO TIMES IN A ROW when I got Chick Fil A waffle fries.

Yep. Spilled them all before I had a chance to eat even one. Funny how these things happen. :)

I hope you're being good to yourself. Let's try to set ourselves up for success and live in the moment. 

The Part Where I Get Back Up

I'm writing to say that I'm back, though I'm not back in fighting form. I'm struggling. Things are tough. I'm here, bruised and tired, but I won't lay down for the count.

I can hear that voice of strength whispering, "When things are hard, and you've lost ground - don't give up. Whatever you do, don't give up."

So let's continue on and see where this journey leads.

Just As You Are?

This post won't be for everyone. Really, it's for people like me. People who can get so focused on what they want they forget to be grateful for what they have. People who are a little self-conscious about their weight.

The other day I was talking to one of my favorite people in the world about shopping for clothes. She said something that I hear myself think every time I go shopping, “At this size, I don’t like to try on clothes or even spend a lot of money buying them. It’s not fun.”

How often does that thought creep in? “This would be a lot more fun if I were thin.” Granted, we need to take care of ourselves, we also have to enjoy being where we are instead of always looking forward to some future accomplishment. Sometimes we take for granted chances to have a good time and feel better now because –sigh- we’re not thin.

Two words: Screw that!

Don’t feed the lie that you’re valuable or cute as a thin person and not just as you are. (By the way, why is it that men don't understand where women get that idea? I guess they never had a friend or family member scoot a diet coke over in place of what they were drinking or tell them how great they are only to follow up with, "You'd be the whole package if you were just thin." I digress.) Don't miss your life dwelling over that thought. (I'm saying this to myself as much as anyone.) You are who you are at any weight, at least I hope so. So will you be smarter or funnier or nicer when you’re thin? Appreciate yourself. You are not just the size written on your clothing tags. Ok?! (I’m getting worked up over here.)

When we learn to respect ourselves as we are, we can open ourselves up to improving without tearing ourselves down at every turn. Seriously.

And when I say 'respect yourself' I'm talking about the attitude we take daily. I see this in myself in several ways. I am the queen of self-deprecating humor. It gets a laugh every time. But sometimes I really think that's a cruel way to act toward myself. Yeah, some things are funny and should be taken lightly. But then I see that I take it too far sometimes, too. Don't do that. I'm trying to teach myself not to do that. You have to be the one to see what you're made of and set the bar for how you should be treated. If you're not careful, you allow negativity into your life. And it's hard to get out of that. There are other examples, but I think you see what I'm saying. You have to have an attitude of self respect or you won't make it very far with you, or anyone else for that matter.

Put another way, you can’t be that parent in the stands yelling insults every time their son misses a ball. Nobody likes that guy. But we do what we would NEVER do to another person to ourselves—we insult and criticize to a merciless extent. Don’t. Just don’t. Learn to cheer yourself on and appreciate who you are on the whole. Then you can coach yourself into a better position. Right? You can move forward without all the stress and unhappiness.

So how do you move forward with a positive outlook?

*ahem* I hope you don't expect me to keep getting deep here, because here it comes. 

Have you ever bought a nice outfit that you knew looked good on you? (And I’m not talking about when you were thin, I’m talking about when you were ‘thick’ as my friend Brandon would say.) Maybe it was the right color to make your eyes pop or it showed off a part of your figure that you’re proud of.

Ally may kill me for this, but one of her cutest physical features is her legs. I know she always looks good in a skirt, whether she’s at the sleek weight she’s reached now after a lot of hard work or at her weight a year ago. For me, it’s that I’m curvy at any weight. I don’t have cute legs, never really have, but I can rock a dress with a belted waist like nobody’s business. We have to find what’s positive about our bodies right now and make the best of it. Let’s face it, you’re going to feel better when you take care of yourself. That’s with food and exercise, sure, but you can also take care of yourself in other ways.

Finding ways to pamper and value yourself now will help you build self-respect and confidence so that you can make daily choices to eat better and move more. When you stop beating yourself up all the time and start enjoying your life in the moment, it makes the rest easier.

So what you can do? You can buy a flattering outfit and take an extra half hour getting ready. That’s nice. A little expensive, but nice. You could also have a spa night once a week at home. That's cheap. And let me tell you, I like cheap. Pampering really improves my outlook. It makes me slow down, realize something I need, and take action. Not to mention, I always really enjoy the outcome of something like a nice pedicure that makes my feet pretty in sandals, etc.  Taking the time to take care of your body teaches you to value it and take pride in it. It helps you look on the bright side and seek out more good things.

So my challenge to you this week isn’t to hit the gym 10 times or eat salad every meal, it’s to take time to do two things:

1)      Accentuate the positive in your figure. It can be as simple as putting a stylish belt over a nice shirt or wearing skirt or even finding the right earrings to make your eyes sparkle.

2)      Give yourself an at-home beauty treatment. Find an area of your body that could use some TLC and take the time to take care of it.

In other news...

Will and I are still biking every week. I’m trying to hit 20 miles every time we go out. Eventually, I hope to work up to 30 miles. It’s a work in progress! I’m excited to earn stamina on my bike. We’re actually talking about signing up for a sprint distance triathlon next spring. For me, having a goal to work for motivates my workouts.

Stay positive and enjoy the bits of sunshine God is sending through the clouds today. 

-------

I do want to share one clip before I go. The title for this post came from a movie I have watched maybe once or twice (ok, or more). It's one of my guilty pleasures. In the movie, this speech happens. Let's watch then I'll continue my point...

I really thought it was a great speech. Afterward, she tells a friend what he said. Her friend replies with a something like, "What? JUST AS YOU ARE?! Not with bigger boobs or a smaller nose?" HA!

It's good to be liked as you are, even with all the quirks and issues you may have. Appreciate the people who feel that way about you, but -- better yet -- be the person who feels that way about yourself.

The One with all the Food

As you're about to see, I've been playing in the kitchen. Here are a few of my favorite foods and drinks!

DIY Salad Dressing

Are you a do-it-yourself sort of person? I am becoming one. The more I read ingredient lists on food labels, the more I want to cook from scratch. I can't pronounce half the ingredients so why not take the time to make my own food? 

Recently I made homemade salad dressing. It's not the first time I've made salad dressing. Previously I impressed Tony with homemade avocado dressing. This go around I made an orange vinaigrette. (I altered this recipe by adding olive oil.) It had an olive oil/vinegar base with a bit of orange juice concentrate to incorporate a nice citrus flavor. (I admit, that OJ concentrate part was cheating. :) It was a great-tasting dressing though!) 

We really enjoyed the dressing. I poured a moderate amount over a spring/spinach mix and topped it off with mandarin oranges. In the photo you can see I also added cheese -- I wouldn't recommend it. To me it was much better without the cheese.

Caffeine Fix, Please

Will and I have picked up a new hobby. We like to make drinks at home. 

Whether we go buy fresh coffee beans, grind them at home, and add a touch of creamer (like the top picture) or actually pull out the stovetop espresso maker to make lattes, we love our caffeine. 

If you are a Starbucks addict like me, you may be interested to know how easy it is to make your own drinks and save a ton of cash. If you're interested, I'd suggest buying a stovetop espresso maker, a stovetop milk frother, and a coffee bean grinder. (You don't have to grind your own beans, but it does improve the freshness.) 

My two favorite Starbucks drinks are the Cinnamon Dolce Latte and the Green Tea Latte. I've learned to make both!

Check out this recipe for cinnamon dolce syrup! It's amazing! When I have extra calories from bike riding or, well, any reason at all this is my favorite treat. I personally use a 1:2 ratio with espresso and frothed milk (some people use 1:3) then add syrup to taste. Just so you know, word on the street is that you should not froth skim milk. (We use 1% and it works like a charm.)

As for the green tea latte, it only takes two ingredients and five minutes. You froth a cup of milk then add a tablespoon of matcha (which is powdered green tea). Simple.

DIY Naked Juice

Will and I learned something very inspiring. Have you tried the Naked Blue Machine juice? It's wonderful! And expensive! We love to share a big bottle after a long bike ride, but who wants to pay $6 or $7 for one drink? We figured there had to be a way to make it at home to save money. 

We did a little investigating. The label showed us the smoothie included blueberries, apples, blackberries, and bananas. Well, we quickly omitted the blackberries, but we put all of the other fruit listed into the blender and let it go. 

*shakes head* Have you ever tried to make a smoothie with fresh apples? It's not a good idea -- which really shocked us. That whole smoothie was off, BUT we figured out how to fix it. 

Instead of using fresh apples use apple juice. After looking back at the Naked label, we realized that's what they were doing according to the ingredients list. After we made that substitution the smoothie turned out GREAT. In fact, we prefer our version now and save a ton of money making it at home. 

Recipe:

1 banana

1/2 cup blueberries

1 c. apple juice

Blend until smooth. 

TIP: If you find a deal on blueberries or bananas, take it. You can freeze both before they spoil and the frozen fruit makes the smoothie even better. 

Crock-Pot Easy 

I love a Crock-Pot. Recently my schedule has been NUTS so I decided to dust off that amazing kitchen gadget. (There's nothing like having a meal ready and waiting when you get home!) I seasoned a few boneless, skinless chicken breasts then laid halved potatoes on top of them with a few pieces of onion. I started the Crock-Pot during my lunch break, left it on low, and came home to a wonderful little feast. I made lima beans to round out the meal.

The Fish Feast

Will and I decided to catch up with one of my favorite friends recently - Stephen. He came over and we made a fish feast. 

Can you tell we each have our own way of eating fish? Stephen likes it plain. Will likes basil. I like cajun seasoning. Pretty funny.

We indulged in a little white rice and enjoyed black beans and squash on the side.

It has been fun to learn new recipes and continue growing in my ability to cook healthy meals. I'm not perfect, you see that. But who is? We all have to keep taking steps in the right direction.

I hope it's a great week for you!

The Heart of the Matter

Over the weekend, I paid a visit to a local legend we like to call The Healer.

Some might call him a witch doctor, as he looks at a person and sees or senses what's wrong with them physically. But he gives no credit to himself. He's a Christian, and he constantly points to God as the source of healing.

When Will and I decided to go, I had no idea what to expect. We waited in line for about 45 minutes to sit with him.

Once we were seated, he began by asking what made me come. Of course, I ran down a list of symptoms I had that I wish I didn't have. He listened to me, and he looked me over. Let me define 'looked me over.' He looked at me as if he could see through me and into my body.

Once I had spoken briefly, he began asking questions as he looked. Before long, he told me where my problems were physically rooted and that, as a side effect, I had 6 kidney stones in my left kidney.

Ok, you'd think that'd be the end of the story. He'd sell me an herbal supplement and send me home. (By the way, this man does not charge for consultations and does not force anyone to buy supplements from his store. It's all up to you. If you tip, you tip. If you buy supplements elsewhere, it's fine. I digress - but I thought that was very telling.)

Anyway, as I was saying, the session did not end there. He turned to me and said, "Ok, so that's all physical. But you're experiencing physical manifestations of a spiritual problem. You over-think things and you have trouble letting go. That's what's really causing this. Each of these kidney stones is a pearl of grief you've formed. You can take these remedies and treat the symptoms, but when you do I hope you'll pray about the things you need to let go of and trust God to handle those matters for you."

I was flattened. This man had spent a few minutes with me talking purely physical ailments, but he absolutely had me figured out.

So many times we just look at the symptoms, never the heart of the matter. Even with our lifestyles. We see that we're overweight, so we go on a diet or start exercising more. But we don't see the things that lead us to overeat or retreat into sedentary comforts. We don't reflect on what's really driving the behavior.

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if my inability to let go and my unhealthy desire to control situations is also behind my unhealthy habits. When I overeat or retreat into movies and other mindless (read: sedentary) activities to numb my worries, I am directly contributing to my problems. But what if I handled those things better? What if I chose to think and pray them through until I could put my faith in God and find perspective? And, let's face it, that's a daily task.

My meditation for the day is below. If you're like me and you're struggling with something at heart, I hope you'll seek peace. Sometimes our problems are symptoms of the real issue. Maybe it's time to have the courage to seek the issue out and let God fix it. We have to know it by name and lay it at His feet then live consciously in freedom -- knowing that it doesn't belong to us anymore, it's in the hands of the God who loves us and heals hearts.

I chose this meditation because I take comfort in how well God knows me, and how much thought He gives to the simplest details of my life. So many times we fall short on the words we need to express ourselves to even our closest friends and family members. But with God it's no an issue. He knows our thoughts, our hearts, all the things we are going through that words can't describe. So it stands to reason that He is the only one who can truly rescue us and lead us through our deepest struggles. We need help to find our way out. It's here.

Psalm 139

¹ 

You have searched me, Lord,

    and you know me.

² 

You know when I sit and when I rise;

    you perceive my thoughts from afar.

³ 

You discern my going out and my lying down;

    you are familiar with all my ways.

⁴ 

Before a word is on my tongue

    you, Lord, know it completely.

⁵ 

You hem me in behind and before,

    and you lay your hand upon me.

⁶ 

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

    too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ 

Where can I go from your Spirit?

    Where can I flee from your presence?

⁸ 

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

⁹ 

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

    if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

    your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

    and the light become night around me,”

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

    the night will shine like the day,

    for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

    before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!

    How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,

    they would outnumber the grains of sand—

    when I awake, I am still with you.

...

Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Start Somewhere

Having switched from running to cycling, I had to look back and compare the two.

Honestly I never wanted to become a runner, but Ally somehow managed to sweet talk me into trying it last year. I trained and ran my first 5K last November.

Ally and her sis Katie are behind me at the race's starting line.

Running is no joke. It takes a lot of mental and physical endurance.

Originally, I wanted to try biking. Training for the 5K undermined that plan, so it was delayed for a while. Then I started dating Will, who is an avid cyclist. So it finally seemed like the right time to buy a bike.

Here's Will helping me load up my bike. He's adorable and helpful. Love this man.

Biking has been a breath of fresh air for me. My knees felt a little creaky from jogging, but cycling took the pressure off my joints. I can get my heart rate up just as high and feel refreshed enough to work out longer. There's just something about being outside and the challenge of speeding around beautiful paths that motivates me!

As much as I prefer cycling, I wanted to look back and see how my workouts compare.

The hardest run I have on record and the hardest bike ride on record are compared below:

In my jogging days last fall, I could run for nearly 50 minutes. That burned nearly 400 calories and covered over 3 miles.

At my best as a cyclist, I can bike for almost 1 hour and 45 minutes. I cover just over 20 miles, and I burn 770 calories.

If enjoying cycling weren't enough, the amount of calories burned would be. My friends who are more advanced cyclists burn between 1,300-2,000 calories per ride. My friends who are good runners burn about 100 calories per mile. (Context: You need a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories to lose one pound.)

For me, there's no comparison. I know that cycling will get me in shape with much less pain and dread than running. It's quickly turning into my addiction. Eventually, I'll be good enough on a bike to burn over 1,000 calories per workout. There's no way I'm going to run the 10 miles it would take to burn that 1,000 calories. It's a bike or bust for me.

I want to encourage you to find a workout you don't hate. It may not be what everyone else is doing, but it will be the one that makes you want to move. And be kind to your body. We are not all cut out for the same workouts. You can find one that isn't hard on your joints like swimming or something that doesn't grate on your patience like Zumba, if you're a dancer.

One more thing, don't be discouraged if you have to build yourself up. I am still trying to get in shape. I have been trying for over a year. In fact, closer to two years. It just doesn't come quickly.

But you improve. Check this out:

When I started biking, I was so nervous! After having a minor accident my first time out, I wanted to take it slow and build up my confidence and endurance over time. For a while, going anywhere from 5-10 miles was really good for me.

Over time, I started to instinctively feel how my bike responded to bumps and turns until I grew confident I could handle it. I also built up strength. Now I can go 20 miles in a ride, and I'm disappointed if I am out for less than 15 miles.

I'm still learning and gaining speed and endurance. But you have to start somewhere.

Don't be embarrassed to try. We each have the responsibility to take care of ourselves. It gets easier the more we do it.

And you will encourage other people who are struggling. That surprised me, and touched me.

I have a hard time to climbing inclines on my bike. I probably look like a turtle that got stuck in peanut butter, ok, but I do it. I have to. Otherwise I'll never improve. So there I am, several times a week, red-faced and panting, slowly climbing bridges and hills. Without fail a sleek and fit road biker will fly by me. And I've accepted that. It's inspiring, really. I want to get there.

But you know what else happens? I see people like me, and some of them have to get off their bike and walk up the incline. It's tough! I get it. But when they see me coming -- fighting up that hill -- they smile. Because they see their own struggle in me. And some of them cheer. Some of them tell me to keep going. Some smile and assure me I'm going to make it. But every time I feel so proud to be out there trying with people.

We can encourage each other. Sometimes you're the one pushing your bike (so to speak), and you cheer someone on to the top of the hill. Sometimes you're the one creeping slowly up a hill, proving it can be done with patience.

It's not about how good you are, it's about your effort. If you have a long way to go (like me), you'd better get on your way and enjoy the journey. We can't waste daylight! :)

Legging Lust and Rain (Erin)

Have you ever been addicted to something? As in, if you can't get around to doing it, you're a little thrown off?

It turns out, this bike riding thing is addictive. I don't know if it's that feeling of power as you push your legs to pedal harder then feel the bike respond by gliding down the trail. . .or the fresh air blowing over your face. . .or even the ability to cover so many miles in such a short time span. Maybe it's all of the above. As hard as it is when you're really pushing yourself on the bike, it's so rewarding!

Quick goal update -- Not only did I make my goal of three bike rides last week, but also I had the same goal for this week. Guess what? It has rained every dang day.

I'm with those 7-year-old kids who are sitting at the window watching the rain fall, looking dejected. I want to be out there!

Since we've been missing our bike rides, Will has decided it's time to introduce me to P90x. Ok, listen, I do not like plyometrics. Kindergarteners jump around for fun, not grown women with self-respect. Mmmkay?! But I've been overruled. Update on that later.

The week has been challenging, but I'm moving forward. I made chicken with mushrooms in white wine sauce, another recipe from Skinny Taste.

It was pretty good!

Will and I made a cauliflower pizza crust. We had so much fun putting the crust together, toasting it up, loading our respective halves with our favorite toppings. We were talking about how much fun it is to make pizza together because each person can put their own spin on it. 

Then we tasted the pizza, which I hesitate to even call pizza. In the name of all that is good and holy, who ever said this is an adequate replacement for pizza crust?!! It was AWFUL! I'm talking, we had to go to Wendy's to get chicken nuggets and sprite to calm our stomachs down after three bites awful! 

I guess you win some and you lose some. It was worth trying, but we wasted a lot of great toppings on that pizza. 

On a vain note, I guess all women envy qualities they don't have. I have always envied women with nice legs. For some reason, I just haven't had cute legs...ever. I have strong, sturdy legs that can push through tough workouts and keep pounding, but I've never had those slim, cute, enviable legs. Will says riding a bike takes care of that, which I would like to believe because I would someday like to wear this:

Everyone has that outfit. You know the one. The outfit you would feel like a million bucks for getting into. I would absolutely love to be able to rock a pair of leggings with high boots. Every pear-shaped girl would, I guess. :) I saw this outfit on Pinterest and have been fighting legging lust since.

Back on subject, this week I hope to get back on the bike trail. We'll see if that's possible with the weather. Got to keep pushing forward! My first goal is to be able to ride 30 miles at a time. Currently I'm sticking between 14-16 miles per session. I'd also like to try the road bike again in the next month or two. If you remember, I had a nasty accident on Will's spare road bike a little while back which caused me to buy a hybrid instead of a road bike. I think I've improved enough to give it a second chance.

Hope you're enjoying this day! Stay positive!

Smooth Blew My Mind, and I'm Going Bananas Over Here (Erin)

I had to blog twice in one day for this.

Are you guilty of throwing bananas away because you can't manage to eat them before they go bad? I am. Big time. I finally realized I could freeze ripe bananas and use them in recipes. I tried it for the first time today.

Let me begin by saying, Ally got me hooked on powdered peanut butter. Powdered PB has a quarter of the calories of regular peanut butter and 85% less fat. When I'm using PB in a recipe, this always tastes amazing.

The company site offers recipe ideas. I decided to see if there was a smoothie recipe to incorporate some of my super ripe banana stash. There was! You can view it here.

It's simple - throw these ingredients into a blender and enjoy!

1 cup: Skim milk
1 small sliced: Frozen banana
2 Tbsp: PB2
2 tsp: Splenda
2 or 3: Ice cubes

I was impressed. I used the chocolate flavored powdered PB. Highly recommend. I felt like I was having dessert. There's quite a bit of protein (13g) and potassium (450mg)  in the smoothie.

Next I'm going to try making ice cream with frozen bananas. Yep, ice cream. Crazy, right? Bananas are cheap and loaded with Potassium. I think I'm on to something. :)

The Cycle (Erin)

The other day, I was doing some research for work. I ran across this quote, and for some reason it really knocked me on my nether regions.

"Overcoming an addiction sometimes requires a cycle of failure and renewed effort."

Wow. Maybe it's where I am in life. Maybe it's the summary of all that I've been thinking. I don't know. It just hit me. When you struggle with weight, you struggle for life. It's not a war you win in one battle. You battle as long as you live. And you have cycles of ups and downs. It's not about whether or not you have a bad or hard phase, it's about how you deal with it when it comes. Because it will absolutely come.

I come back to this Japanese proverb when things get really hard in life. If you fall seven times, stand up eight. It's not about falling, it's about rallying.

You ever feel like there should be an action movie about someone trying to live a healthy lifestyle? I'm telling you, some days it feels like you're fighting an epic battle with bombs exploding around you, metaphorically speaking. But somehow there's grace enough to keep going when you dig deep and really look for perspective. And when you're forgiving. We can't be perfect, but we can get better as we go.

Quick story before I get into recipes. I went for a bike ride Monday. It was just ok. Some days your body is just not all that peppy, which was the case on this particular ride. I accept those days and do the best I can. Well, I think Nature knew it was Monday. I went on a 15-mile ride, and during that ride not only did I see a copperhead in the middle of the path, but also I got stung by a bee. Seriously. Thanks, Nature. Thanks for the love. :) I hope Nature is a little nicer when I hit the trail today.

This week I've had the chance to cook with Will several times. He is so supportive. He wanted to cook last night so we went and got all the fixings for gumbo. He was careful to buy turkey sausage and use oil sparingly. Love that man.

I was able to make the banana/blueberry oatmeal I talked about:

It was GREAT! I also made the jalapeno popper stuffed chicken:

For some reason the chicken was a little bland. I decided to cut it, season it, and reheat it in the toaster oven so I could enjoy the leftover a little more. It was good after the adjustment. 

More later. Stay encouraged!