Tasty Tuesday: Going Bananas Grilled Sandwich

This is a simple lunch I make on days I have an extra large sweet tooth.

Simple, yet delicious!

Having chocolate, peanut butter and bananas all in one makes for my perfect meal.

GOING BANANAS GRILLED SANDWICH

Ingredients:
Coconut oil, about a teaspoon
Two pieces of bread (I like Ezekiel!)
Banana half, sliced
Peanut butter, a tablespoon or two
Dark chocolate square, cut or shaved into little pieces
Cinnamon

Heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Coat one side of both pieces of bread as it melts. Spread peanut butter on bread. Place the banana slices over it. Sprinkle the dark chocolate over those. Grill both sides until it browns a bit and the chocolate melts. Then sprinkle some cinnamon on the sandwich. And finally... enjoy the sweet deliciousness!

I'm beginning to see a trend in the recipes I post -- all sweet and all include bananas. So, my goal for this week will be coming up with something that is not sweet and does not include bananas for next week's post! ;)

LATELY

So, I haven't blogged in over a week... :/ BUT I'm finally all finished with my move and gearing up to start this new chapter in my life -- and hopefully blog more regularly! :)

I saw this cute post on a blog I follow -- A Foodie Stays Fit -- and thought it would be a fun one to do to get back in the habit of blogging now that life has slowed down a bit again.

LATELY

Making: handmade Christmas gifts
Cooking: quinoa anything
Drinking: Coffee, coffee, COFFEE! :)
Reading: Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber (already in the Christmas spirit!)
Wanting: some warmer running clothes
Looking: at the sun shining through my blinds
Playing: phone tag
Wasting: pumpkin-flavored foods in the pantry... Hello, Peppermint!
Sewing: haha I wish
Wishing: *see above* No, I'm really wishing everyone could see how much potential and strength they have inside them just waiting to be used.
Enjoying: being surrounded by friends and family
Waiting: for Channing Tatum to knock on my door (a girl can dream!)
Liking: this quiet, peaceful morning
Wondering: what my life will look like 10 years from now
Loving: my parents
Hoping: I'll keep my weight off during this holiday season ;)
Marveling: at God's beautiful creation
Needing: more time
Smelling: coffee
Wearing: red striped thermal PJs
Following: Jesus
Noticing: the little things in life more
Knowing: I need to get busy with my to do list!
Thinking: too much
Bookmarking: magazine articles with great recipes I want to try
Opening: too many LARA bars lately ;)
Giggling: over silly inside jokes
Feeling: peaceful

A blank list for you to copy and paste…

Making : Cooking : Drinking : Reading: Wanting: Looking: Playing: Wasting: Sewing: Wishing: Enjoying: Waiting: Liking: Wondering: Loving: Hoping: Marvelling: Needing: Smelling: Wearing: Following: Noticing: Knowing: Thinking: Bookmarking: Opening: Giggling: Feeling:

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

It's a common phrase: "One step forward and two steps back."

When hopelessness sets in after an unhealthy meal, ice cream binge or missed workout, it's easy to think that one wrong move erased all progress. It's easy to think you're turning around, walking backward, to stay there. It's easy to think you haven't really changed -- your weight will all come back, you'll lose your strength, you'll overeat everyday.

You know what? That is the farthest from the truth.

There's not a single person in this world who hasn't in some way fallen short of their daily goals. We all have them, and we're all human. It's going to happen.

For some, it may happen more than others. Maybe you're just starting your journey toward a healthier lifestyle and "accidentally" ordered a dessert when you went out for salad with a friend.

So what? You ORDERED that salad, and you ate it. You chose healthy first. You don't and you won't eat dessert all the time, but as part of a lifestyle (permanent change), you'll eat dessert now and then. It's balance.

What matters is that you don't kick yourself when you're down (except for donkey kicks, those are okay!) and you don't let yourself eat desserts or white bread or drink soda EVERY day.

I've been busy moving still -- in the middle of a HUGE transition in life -- and sometimes these past few weeks, I've turned to some of my old favorite comfort foods (pizza and ice cream, for example). Each bite, I enjoyed only to leave the meal with a fear of going back to my old ways, gaining weight again, reversing my progress. Then I realized how silly I was. Yes, you shouldn't be PROUD of yourself for eating those potato chips, but SHAMING yourself can be just as damaging.

I realized that this time.

I realized I overate several days these past weeks. Yet, because it wasn't everyday, I didn't gain a single pound. Remember, over time 3,500 extra calories = 1 pound. It's an average over time. One bad day, won't bring back all the weight. It'll slow your progress down, yes, but not reverse it. Just don't overeat everyday.

I got sick for a day and had to miss a workout. Life happens. Sometimes your body needs rest. That rest day or two -- or even three if need be -- won't kill all your strength and muscle tone. It took MONTHS to get as strong as you are now, you won't lose that in one week.

I'm not writing this post as an excuse to have those days. None of us should want that miserable, sluggish and bloated feeling that comes with eating foods that harm your body. None of us should want to be lazy and miss workouts or not give our all to each workout we do, leaving us with no other choice but to remain still later in life. But negativity and hopelessness and shame when we do mess up can be just as damaging, and that's not good at all.

You've got to get back up after you fall down. You've got to realize yesterday is over and it does NOT have to define you. You've got to recognize your weakness and wake up fighting them harder than the day before.

It's where a "lifestyle" is different than a "diet." Diets end when you lose weight. Diets make you eat soup everyday for a month or allow cookies all day as long as the pounds fall off. That's not healthy. Healthy FOREVER should be your goal. Strong should be your goal. Not immediate results that disappear the moment you get them. Learn how to deal with a detour the healthy way -- maybe do a plank after you eat that cheeseburger to remind you how strong you are even on a bad day -- and get back on track as soon as possible. Don't stay in the ditch.

Most importantly, you have to realize that every day you wake up and TRY YOUR HARDEST, you're still moving forward.

Here are some thoughts I had on my "bad days" that lifted me up and gave me the push to keep going the next day:

Eating a bad meal is going to happen. Don't be proud of it. Don't give it the power to destroy you.

I am better than this. My body deserves better. I deserve better.

Eating healthy is a choice. I don't HAVE to do it. I WANT to do it.

It's a brain thing as much or more than it's a body thing. You've got to always be strengthening your mind to control the cravings and the urge to binge. Let each bad meal teach you where you went wrong, so it doesn't have to happen again.

Recognize your weaknesses, but don't let them blind you from your strengths.

Hope my musings can be of at least a little help motivating you today! After all, we're all in this together! :)

Finding Strength in Each Struggle

I love running.

I don't always FEEL like running.

Just like you enjoy biking or kickboxing or walking, but don't always feel like it.

This past week was a struggle. I woke up feeling lazy or stuffy from allergies. It was the first time in a while I didn't WANT to go to the gym or head outside for a run, but it was also the first time I was in a "funk" and pushed through every single workout.

And you know what? I felt BETTER after each one!

What's funny to me is that I KNOW this. I read about it. I hear about it. I experience it. ALL. THE. TIME.

"Exercising gives you energy."

So why is it so hard to remember that until you do it each and every time?

What matters is you try to.

Anytime you're feeling weak, remember your typical strength and let that push you to at least try.

Yesterday, it was time for a long run for my half marathon training. I woke up with a pounding headache, stuffed up nose and even some dizzy spells. I was also exhausted, even after a good night's sleep, but I knew I wanted to run this half marathon in a few months more than I wanted to give in to how I felt in that moment.

Obviously, there are times you physically CAN'T or SHOULDN'T workout -- according to doctor's orders or that deep ache in your knee -- but I knew this probably wasn't one of them.

So I went.

I had a 6-mile goal. I didn't even feel like running one mile. I knew it wouldn't be my best speed or distance, but even three miles would be better than none.

Head still fuzzy, I ran down the road. Half a mile and out of breath. I wanted to stop and walk two miles -- if that -- and turn around.

Then I remembered what my trainer told me during a plank once, "Mind over body."

I pushed through a solid run for more than a mile.

I stopped to catch a breath and walk for a few.

I kept doing the running/walking thing, until finally... guess what? I walked up to my front door after completing SEVEN miles.

My head was clear. I felt energized and calm all at once.

So, I'm sharing this as a reminder (because I don't believe we can ever have too many!) that even when you don't FEEL like exercising, you should. You'll feel better. Know it might not be your best, but you can still give it your all in that moment and be proud of it -- proud of yourself for finding strength in each struggle.

Shopaholic Saturday: Fitbit Review

Well, I can thank the Fitbit for making me look like an idiot to get in extra steps the past couple weeks -- walking laps around stores or looking half asleep walking slow as a turtle on the treadmill on rest days. But hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to get those 10,000 steps in each day!

I can also thank it for increased awareness of my calorie intake and burn. I already used a food diary app on my iPhone, but Fitbit's is much more motivating than the one I was using.

For those who aren't familiar with it, it breaks down calories eaten vs. calories burned. You can set a daily budget based on how quickly you want to lose weight. I've found the graphs showing the past several days motivating -- either for the progress you've made or if you didn't do as well as you usually do.

It's made me realize that on days I walk a lot, I burn more than I thought; and days I spend reading in bed for too long, I realized I actually can't afford the standard 2,000 calories.

The activity accuracy seems excellent. I ran on the treadmill, looked at steps taken, distance and calories burned -- then entered the workout manually based on what the treadmill said, and they matched up nicely. (The only time it seemed to get "confused" is when I worked out at midnight on a day I traveled to another time zone. I don't blame it.)

It also tracks your sleep patterns, and I'm sure you've read all those studies about the importance of sleep for losing weight!

So, basically, if you're looking to get that extra push by constantly reaching and setting new goals (who wouldn't want a "bracelet" that lights up and vibrates when you hit your steps goal for the day?), learning what areas you need to improve (fewer calories for me!) and making sure you're drinking enough water, the Fitbit Flex may be the best $100 you'll spend.

Thirsty Thursday: Black Coffee

How do you like your morning cup?

More than half of all Americans drink a total of about 66 billion cups of coffee each year. Sales continue to grow. This information is according this website I found right here.

While caffeine is a drug -- an addictive one -- that some experts suggest having no more of than 400-450 milligrams a day or a few cups, it comes with some health benefits. A coffee addict like me LOVES focusing on those.

One of my favorite books is Reader's Digest's Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal. In the book, it says caffeine may boost mental alertness and concentration, improve athletic performance temporarily, and even stop an asthma attack or headache by relaxing constricted muscles and blood vessels.

Other articles I've read suggest coffee can help you burn fat -- I like the sound of that!

However, the book I mentioned also says it can cause insomnia and the need to hit the ladies room where you may lose extra calcium or feel your blood pressure rising.

From all I've read and experienced, I've learned -- like with most things -- moderation is the key to feeling your best.

So, I shall continue drinking my cup (or two) of black coffee each morning and maybe try cutting back just a little by skipping my afternoon latte.

Tasty Tuesday: Peanut Butter Mocha "Crownies"

So, I'm beginning to do A LOT of experimenting in the kitchen with the goal of finding the best taste for the lowest amount of calories and as "clean" as possible.

I had a little fun and made a video as I tried out an idea I came up with for the first time.

I intended to have "balls," but they ended up being flat like cookies with a texture similar to brownies, so that's why I'm calling them "crownies."

RECIPE

Ingredients:
1 mashed banana
1/2 cup of oats, 1/4 blended into a fine powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 tablespoons cool coffee
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Dash of salt

Process:
Mash the banana in a bowl. Put half the oats in a blender to make a fine powder. Add to bowl with remaining oats. Add all other ingredients. Mix well. Drop spoonfuls onto coconut oil-greased baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Entire batch: 650 calories
Makes 10-12

Let me know what you think!