Happy WIAW fellow bloggers! Hope you all are having a terrific start to your week. I’ve actually had a pretty busy start to my week, which isn’t a bad thing, it just means I’ve been busy! I do have at least 1 pretty significant post coming up this week, so I hope you guys will stick around to catch it. I had a mini breakdown Monday night followed by a revelation Tuesday morning, so needless to say, I’ve got a lot to tell you all!
Because I’m in a bit of a time crunch, we are going to go slightly wordless for today’s post. Ready? Set? Go!
protein pancakes topped with melted PB, 1/2 naner, and melted strawberries
tuna melt with cheese & ketchup with green beans doused in garlic powder
strawberry protein smoothie topped with Kashi shredded wheat – chobani with almond butter & 1/2 naner
new tea that Bestie brought me back from her honeymoon in Colorado
pesto & arugula pizza – my favorite!
Before I rush out the door for work I do have something pretty monumental to tell you. Ninja and I are going to my gma’s house tonight to mow her lawn. Sounds totally normal right? Well, I haven’t spoken to my gma since I got married (3 1/2 half years ago). She disowned me when I told her I was getting married. Basically, she was really rude to Ninja (when she didn’t even know him!) and so I just cut her out of my life. My mom reached out to me to ask if I would help gma with her lawn since her gardener up and bailed on her and so Ninja and I said yes.
We are being the bigger people and just going over there. I know gma won’t apologize to Ninja. I know she will pretend like nothing ever happened. But, I’m so over it. Ninja and I proved her (and everyone else) wrong, so it really doesn’t matter what she thinks anymore. The fact is that she is 83 years old and won’t be with us much longer. I don’t expect to have a normal relationship with her or even a loving one, I just want to show her that she can’t break me or Ninja regardless of her words.
Happy Marvelous Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was low key – as always. Guess that’s what happens when you have no friends. HA! You think I’m joking, but I’m not. Moving on! Let’s get marvelous shall we?
Marvelous is…kind of sort of figuring out life. After my last post, I really thought about my dreams and goals, and am getting fired up to start chasing after them. There’s a lot of things I still need to kind of address, but I’m definitely headed in the right direction now I feel.
Marvelous is…finally giving into my cheesy pasta craving. I’m zero part Italian, but man do I crave pasta and cheese like nobody’s business. The other day when Ninja and I were at Costco I found a turkey & spinach lasagna that I just had to have. So, we made it Friday night and I’ve been wolfing leftovers down all weekend.
lasagna alongside some greens!
Marvelous is…realizing that there is less than a month until I get to see Little Bro and Little Sissy again. It’s been since January since I have seen them, and it just feels like forever now. Usually we go up for the Superbowl as well as a few random weekends, but since Ninja’s boss had back surgery that put the entire workload on Ninja. We really haven’t had the time nor the extra funds to make the trip up there, so I am really excited to be seeing them in May!
Marvelous is…breakfast breakfast breakfast. Is there really a need for any other meal? Ok, maybe dessert.
french toast topped with cinnamon raisin PB & berries – egg white oats topped with 1/2 a naner & cinnamon raisin PB
Marvelous is…finding a stellar deal on one of my favorite nut butters. I picked up 2 jars of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl PB for only $2. Which means you are going to be seeing a lot of it on this blog for say…a week maybe? The 1st jar is half gone…or is it half full?
Fears can sometimes be a good thing. They can keep you from doing stupid things, keep you safe, and keep you walking around with all your body parts. I have a lot of fears, from air planes to zombies, but those aren’t the fears I want to address.
I’m talking about the fears that hold you back from your dreams. The fears that tell you you can’t do it. The fears that keep you on the side line.
I’ve never had much confidence in myself. Even on the soccer field, the one place I knew I was successful (and was told often) I had doubts. “Can I make this PK or should I give it to someone else? That girl is way too good, there is no way I am going to be able to mark her.” And so on and so on.
It’s funny how life goes when you don’t believe in yourself enough to go after your dreams. When you are too afraid to step out and get it done. You actually end up becoming the thing you feared most…someone who isn’t doing what they love.
I had big dreams when I was younger. Not like become a celebrity big, but big for a child. I’ve always felt the need to somehow be a catalyst in someone’s life. Maybe that’s why I became a youth leader in my church, so that I can be that someone to point a young person to the right direction. Or maybe it’s because I never had anyone in my life who was in my corner at that age cheering me on. Maybe I’m just trying to make up for the emptiness of my childhood.
But now at 24 years old, I sit at a secretary desk working for my father in law. It’s a simple job, no fluffs or frills and not much difficulty. It’s also a close knit company, and the office is a fun place to be most of the time.
But when I was a kid, this was not my dream. I don’t ever remember dreaming about safety measures or infared technology.
I’m not naive enough to think that everyone finds their dream job. I realize that sometimes we’ve got to do what we have to do to bring home the money. I get it. But I could have my dream job pretty easily.
Basically, my dream is to be a personal trainer. I want to empower and strengthen women. I want to show them they don’t have to feel weak. I want to prove to young women that being strong and tough is ok. And since I’m a Health Coach, I also want to have nutrition tied in.
Achieving that dream would be so simple. Buy the materials, study, take the test, get a job, and BOOM, dream is achieved.
But I’m afraid.
Afraid I won’t pass the test. Afraid that when I do I won’t know enough. Afraid no one will want to be my client. Afraid my clients won’t see results. Afraid I’ll be the worst trainer in the gym.
FEAR, FEAR, FEAR. It literally controls my life. And I totally let it.
So how do I overcome it? How do I beat back this paralyzing fear? Just like I beat back my ED. I fight. I fight hard everyday to push the fear away. I keep my feet constantly moving so that fear can never get a foothold.
I keep trucking, keep pushing, keep picking myself up, until I can say that I am no longer afraid to follow my dreams.
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Does fear paralyze you? What is fear holding you back from?
Happy WIAW!! Boy my schedule is all sorts of messed up this week, so it is really throwing me off. I worked Monday and Tuesday and now have Wednesday and Thursday to work from home but go back in on Friday. So I guess it’s good, kinda of like a mini weekend in the middle of the week, except now I can’t even remember what day it is half the time. Owell!
Because I had today off, I had some extra time this morning to cook up a good breakfast. And by good I mean amazing. And by amazing I mean totally drool worthy. Get the picture?
Cherry Oat Pancakes
Ingredients:
1/3C oat flour
1 egg plus 2 egg whites
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 C cherry chobani yogurt
1/2 T coconut flour
Blend it all up and cook! Top with more cherry chobani.
I know, I know, pretty stinkin delicious looking right?! These babies lasted all of .5 seconds. Next time I think I am going to increase the batch to 1/2 cup of oat flour though, because clearly these weren’t enough for me. I mean they filled me, but I could’ve pounded down a few more!!
And now for some other random eats, because after this breakfast, does any other meal really even matter?!
brown rice cakes topped with cream cheese, apple slices and cinnamon – skinny vanilla latte from Bucks
PB&J with 1/2 a naner grilled till melty with some fresh berries
chipotle salad – homemade donut with post workout protein smoothie
Most of these eats have been from a few days ago, but I’ve actually been eating the same things everyday. So if you follow me on Instagram these pictures may look familiar!! Although Chipotle doesn’t happen everyday. I wish it did, but that was actually last night’s dinner.
Off to work! And stalk all your blogs….
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What have you been eating recently? Melty PB&J, yes or no?
Happy Marvelous Monday!! Before I begin I would really love to just thank you all for the super sweet comments on my last post. I honestly was not expecting anything like that, but as always, you guys blew me away with your kindness and sweet words. I think I may have read them over and over again all weekend long. You guys are the best!!
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Marvelous is…getting to eat my favorite veggie filled dinner this weekend! Ninja and I were pooped Friday night, and I was prepared to cook, but Ninja really wasn’t feeling a home cooked meal. We had errands to run anyway, so we hopped on over to our favorite restaurant and grabbed some tasty dishes.
grilled veggies tacos with a side of steamed veggies
Usually these tacos are stuffed so full that I can barely pick them up, but these ones were lacking. And see that 1 lame strip of avocado? Usually there is 2 to 3 per taco. They still tasted amazing, I was just bummed about the lack of stuffage!
Marvelous is…buying Artic Zero Chocolate Cookie Mint ice cream so I don’t feel sad when Ninja eats his Dryers. With this hot weather I’ve really been craving the cold milkshake or ice cream almost daily. So, while Ninja picked up his super crazy ice cream flavor, I went with the Artic Zero. I know I know, if I wanted real ice cream I should’ve just ate it, but I really don’t have self control with ice cream, and the last thing I needed before Bestie’s wedding was getting sick off too much dairy. That stuff jacks up my tummy some times! So, I opted for some Artic Zero instead, and didn’t mind one bit!
chocolate cookie mint artic zero topped with melted pb and chocolate pretzels
Yep, hit the spot in every way it needed to! I made sure to douse it really well in PB since I hadn’t had any yet. I had to make up for my lack of nut butter consumption!!
Marvelous is…Bestie getting hitched! It was a super long day of crazy emotions, but we got through it! Bestie looked amazing and I think the wedding was exactly how she had dreamed it. The only down part? Standing on stage in heels for 40 minutes while the pastor married them. Good lordy my toes were numb all Sunday from those heels! And they weren’t even that tall!
My 2 best friends – Bestie and Ninja
I thought our bouquets were totally gorgeous!
Except now Bestie is on her honeymoon and I have no one to text or talk to every 10 minutes. How will I survive?! Anyone wanna tweet me or email me to keep me company?
People always have a reason to get on a healthy & active kick. Whether it’s to lose a few pounds, tighten up for summer, or even clear up bad skin, there always seems to be some sort of reason for wanting to be healthy.
#C9atTarget
Well, I too, have a reason for wanting to be healthy and active. I want to be a positive role model for young women. Now, I’ve never wanted to be any one’s role model. I’ve just never seen myself as the type to look up to you know? I’ve got plenty of flaws, and way too much garbage for anyone to want to be like me.
But I’m not going to lie to you guys, being a role model to someone, some where, at some point in time, has suddenly become a secret mission of mine. I don’t even want the person to tell me. I don’t want the praise or accolades or any of that nonsense. I just want to help, to inspire, to motivate.
Being healthy is about so much more than diet and exercise. If you think that is all it’s about, then you’ve got to switch your views around. When I was starving myself I thought I was being healthy. When I was working out for 2 hours a day and eating only an apple and diet coke for lunch I thought I was healthy.
Nope, that’s not healthy.
Living a healthy and active lifestyle is important to me because for so long it wasn’t. For so long I only cared about skinny, thin, boney, stickness. Yes, I just used the word stickness. For so long my health was taken for granted. I didn’t care about the fact that I was a viable young women, I only cared about a number on the scale and the pants size on my jeans.
But everything is so much different now. Now I want to be fit and strong. I want to eat good food to fuel my body, not make it skinnier. And I just want to pass that on to other young women who think that being thin equals beauty. Women who think that dumping a bunch of weight is going to make them love themselves. Women who let a number on a scale dictate their happiness.
That’s why I love a healthy and active lifestyle. Why do you?
Happy WIAW!! Hope you guys are all doing fantabulous. I’m starting to get a bit anxious, because well it’s kind of starting to hit me. Bestie is getting married THIS Saturday. Going to be honest, it’s a day I never saw coming this quickly, so it has kind of thrown me for a loop, but I am ready to fight and beat anyone up who tries to make her day anything less than perfect!
I had a killer stack of pancakes the other day. I mean seriously, it was everything my little heart desired. This stack was thick, fluffy, and most importantly? CHOCOLATY!
Chocolate, Coconut & Strawberry Oat Cakes
Oh dear heavens this plate was so good. I only wish I had time every morning to make a stack like this! The best part is when I take a step back and realize that these babies are stuffed to the brim with nothing but the best ingredients. Who needs the garbage they serve at Ihop (ok, never been there for the pancakes so I can’t really call their pancakes garbage..) when you can make your own seriously fantabulous pancakes at home?!
Lunch has been a combination of all sorts of different things, but the main idea to each and every lunch? It all comes in salad form.
tex-mex salads – whole wheat tortilla with almond cheese
Even my snack lately have involved saladsfeta, cranberry & edamame salad – apple with barney’s almond butter
Honestly, I’m just going to give you guys a heads up now. This edamame salad is going to be seen on the blog A LOT. I just can’t stop eating it. It’s just so fresh and tasty, and there’s something about the mix of tang and sweetness in this dish that just totally rocks my socks off.
Now for the best dinner I’ve ever had in my life. Ok, maybe not my life, but it was pretty darn freakin’ delicious.
There are no words to describe this salad. Literally as soon as I took a bite I stopped talking and started shoveling. It was just so gosh darn amazing!! The burger itself was incredible. The flavors were great and it was stuffed with black beans, corn, and brown rice. The onions were grilled to perfection. The dressing was out of this world. How the heck am I ever going to top this baby?!
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What is the best meal you have ever had? Was it homemade or from a restaurant?
Before I get to my scheduled post I want to take this time to just say how unbelievable yesterday’s events were in Boston. I cried so hard watching the footage. I really don’t understand people sometimes, but I know that God is in control. I also know that we are going to find who ever is responsible and make them pay. Please remember the families and loved ones lost and hurt in this horrible tragedy.
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So a few weeks back (ok maybe more like month-ish) I was contacted by the brand Ultimate Flora and asked to do a review of their high potency probiotics line. Considering I was not currently on any probiotics and was actually looking into some, I thought it was the perfect opportunity. Here’s some details about the company and product.
What Is Ultimate Flora?
Developed by ReNew Life, Ultimate Flora are natural high-potency probiotic supplements formulated to help replenish good bacteria in your digestive tract. When taken daily, Ultimate Flora probiotics can help promote a healthy digestive system, restore regularity, and promote immune health.
High culture count – far greater than competitors Culturelle, Align, &Trubiotics
10 beneficial probiotic strains in every dose including Bifidobacteria (bowel health, gut immunity, and toxin elimination) and Lactobacilli (optimal nutrient absorption, intestinal defenses, and digestion)
Unique delayed release system helps with maximum absorption
Potency guarantee (active cultures)
Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and free of artificial ingredients
Available at: Walgreens, Albertsons, CVS, Kroger, Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe, Rite Aid, and Walmart. Full list: http://ultimateflora.com/index.php/where-to-buy
My Take Since I haven’t been on any probiotics since a few years ago, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I’m not really into pills and medicine. I’m one of those people that fully believes anything you need you can get from the food that God has provided. That being said, I definitely did notice a difference in my body while taking these probiotics.
1. I had less tummy troubles. Sometimes I have a really sensitive stomach. It’s something I’m really trying to figure out, but while taking these my tummy problems definitely decreased. I went from 3-4x a week of tummy aches to about 1-2x.
2. My skin has changed. Maybe it’s the weather change and maybe it’s these probiotics, but my skin has definitely cleared up a bit and brightened up, much to my surprise!!
Overall, the change in my tummy aches is enough to get me to buy this product again. Like I said, at times my tummy issues get pretty severe, but these little probiotics seemed to really help me out! I would highly recommend these probiotics!
Notes: While I was given these products to review, in no way was I compensated for this post. The review is my honest opinion of the product.
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Do you take probiotics? What (if any) other supplements do you take?
So because there were some simply marvelous things that happened this weekend, I decided to hop on the Marvelous Monday bandwagon and share them all with you! Ready to see some marvelous stuff??
Oh and be sure to go and wish Katie a very happy birthday today!!
Marvelous is…passing my stress test today with flying colors. The doctor said my heart is fine, although there is a chance that I have Microvalve Prolapse like my gma. It’s not a big deal, but it would explain the chest pain, shortness of breath and chest flutters I’ve been having. The best part though? When the doctor said I was super fit. I was like “yes I am!!” bahahaha
Marvelous is…Ninja’s best friend getting married on Saturday. Ninja was the best man as well, and he totally rocked his best man speech. I had people coming up to me all night telling me how awesome it was. Yep, my hubby’s a stud like that.
I also (for once) felt actually pretty for this wedding!! I really loved my dress, although at times it did feel a tiny bit short, but that’s mostly because I never wear dresses. This wedding allowed me to do a trial run for the wedding that I am actually going to be in this Saturday, which was kind of perfect. I think I am going to play around with a few more looks, but this one was simple and quick!
Photo booth fun!! Seriously people, if you are getting married soon do yourself a favor and rent a photo booth. It’s not too expensive, and everyone will have a blast. Not to mention, you get a copy of the pics as well as the guests, so it makes for a really good keep sake!
Ninja and my father in law
Marvelous is…eating pancakes for every breakfast. I’m seriously hooked on any and all kinds of pancakes right now, and each morning I’ve been getting up a bit earlier so that I can make myself a big plate of them.
oat flour pancakes topped with fresh strawberries
Marvelous is…starting up my other soccer league tonight!! We thought it wasn’t going to happen this season, but at the last minute it all worked out, and I am super stoked to hit the field with my old team! Oh and I totally scored a goal with my other team yesterday, which was pretty awesome. I felt really good on the field, although my legs are pretty stiff today. No rest for the weary though! Back out on the field tonight at 8:30pm!
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What’s something marvelous that has happened today? (or this weekend!!)
I really liked the freedom of last Friday’s post, so I’m thinking of making it a mainstay here on the ol’ blog. Sound ok? Not that it matters, I’m gunna do it whether you like it or not! HA!
The truth is…I’m getting another test done on my heart. Remember last year when I was doing all those crazy tests? Well they said it was reflux, but I’ve been on Prilosec since and I am STILL dealing with some chest pain. So, back to the drawing board we go!
The truth is…I’ve made the switch to iced coffee and I don’t ever want to go back!! The weather here in Cali has been gorgeous as of late (not sure how long it will last) so when I went to Starbucks the other day I opted to try something other than my usual Skinny Vanilla Latte. I ordered a plain iced coffee with 2 pumps of Toffee Nut. Holy Yum. World = Rocked. As you can see, I was one sad redhead when I finished it. The good (or bad??) thing is that there is a Starbucks right next door to my work inside of Target. Starbucks + Target = Kat’s nightmare. You have no idea how many times I’ve gone to get a coffee then just got lost inside Target until my boss calls and asks if I’ve been kidnapped. Yes, yes I have. By Target.
The truth is…I’m living in these shorts. Don’t judge me. There’s just something about them that seems to make my workouts SO much better! Maybe it’s the fact that i don’t have to keep yanking them down. They stay put, which is nice for a change. I’m sick of almost falling off the treadmill as I pull my shorts down. The truth us…I think my salad craving has finally kicked in. Once again, it’s probably just because of the weather, but I have had a salad for lunch AND dinner 2 days in a row now. Say whaaaa? I know, craziness right there.
romaine, ground turkey, black beans, tomatoes, avocado, feta and homemade tortilla strips
The truth is…I went to an Angels game last night with my church (and Bestie tagged along) and ate way too much salt. Because it was a youth event, our youth pastor got us the all you can eat tickets, and of course all they give out are hotdogs, peanuts, popcorn, soda, nachos and a lame cup of ice cream. I helped myself to some popcorn and peanuts and snagged a few chips from Ninja. Holy puffer fish. I’m feeling quite swollen this mornin’! Going to need to sweat it out later today for sure!
Baseball game food Ninja and I – Bestie and I
The truth is…this song has been on repeat. I’ve been a fan of Ed since “Give me Love” was released, which I actually listened to for 3 hours straight on the way up to winter camp a year or so back. Ninja couldn’t believe that I listened to the same song for that long, but I have a pretty obsessive personality, so that really isn’t unusual for me.
And just in case you wanna listen to the other song that made me fall in love with him. The guitar alone is enough to make me swoon, but his voice helps too.
The truth is…I’ve already backed off the 2 a day workouts. I still am doing them maybe 1-2x a week, but all the time on the treadmill was really starting to kill my poor shins. I’ve actually been adding a lot of burpees, jump squats + lunges, and jump rope in between my weight sets, to keep my heart rate up and get the burn that I want. When I do that, I feel less inclined to jump on the treadmill after, which is great in my book!! Oh ya, I’ve also increased my BOSU plank time!
P.S. I posted this pic on my personal facebook and got so many wonderful comments from my friends about my biceps, it kind of made my day. It’s always nice when others notice all my hardwork!
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Give me a Friday truth! Anyone else get so obsessed with a song that it’s all they listen to?
protein pancakes topped with melted PB, 1/2 naner, and melted strawberries
tuna melt with cheese & ketchup with green beans doused in garlic powder
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