December Challenges

Challenges keep me motivated.  I have decided to partake in a couple of challenges for the month of December.  I missed the first 2 days of the month but I started out yesterday and will continue on.

First of all we have the plank challenge which was started by Fat Chick 2 Fit Chick.  All you have to do is plank every day.  See how long you do it and watch your time increase throughout the month.  Planking is not always fun but will get results.  Can't wait to see what I can do at the end of the month!

Yesterday's plank.....

Share your plank photos on Instagram using the hashtag #merryplanksmas.  Follow me if you would like - jessicads81.

The next challenge is a squat challenge.  It is called a Holiday Squat-a-Thon by Fitspobook.  Follow along on Instagram. Use the hashtag #squatathon.

I did 30 squats yesterday but couldn't take a picture of myself doing them so you are out of luck on that one :)

Join me in these fun challenges that will keep us motivated through the holidays!

~Jessica

Thankful and Weekly Workout Plan

This time of year is when we remember all that we have to be thankful for.  Throughout the year I think about it also but not as often as I should.  Life gets so busy and I take things for granted.  I vow to think and talk about what I am thankful for on a regular basis in the coming year.

•  I am thankful for my awesome family and my amazing friends.  I am who I am because of them.  They stand by my side through the good times and the bad.
• I am thankful for a job that I enjoy (most days). :)
• I am thankful for this fantastic blogging community.  It keeps me motivated.
• I am thankful for my health.  
• I am thankful that I have the ability to run.  Some days my runs really suck but when I am having a bad running day, I try to think about what life would be like if I couldn't run.  I don't want to go there.

There is so many more gifts in my life that I am thankful for but this is a start.  What are you thankful for?

Weekly Workout Plan

Monday: 3.5 mile run - done (3.5 miles) I struggled through this run.  I didn't fuel properly.  Lesson learned.

Tuesday: Rest Day

Wednesday: Elliptical

Thursday: Turkey Trot 5k - done (29 minutes!!!)

Friday: 3.5 mile run (and Black Friday shopping!!) - just Black Friday shopping

Saturday: 3 mile run

Sunday: 3 mile run

~Jessica

Run Like You've Never Run Before

I have never been very athletic.  Sure I played some organized sports growing up but not a lot and I was never very good.  I was one of those girls that walked the mile because I was sure as heck not going to run it.  And when I did try to run, I felt like fire was going through my lungs.

I decided a couple of years ago to try the Couch to 5k plan.  I stuck with it for a while but to be honest, I half assed it most of the time and I never finished.  I came to the conclusion that running was not for me.  But I continued reading the blogs that I had always read and most of them are either food blogs or running blogs.  If you read about running every day, it makes you want to run.  A little over a year ago I decided to sign up for a 5k and I was going to run it no matter what.  The race I signed up for happened to be our town's Turkey Trot.  It was a fun run so it was not chip timed and no results were posted online but there was a clock at the end so I did know my time.  I finished in 31:15.  The fact that I actually finished was enough for me but I was really proud of my time.  For a few weeks after, I didn't run at all.  Then I decided to run here and there on the treadmill over the winter. Nothing too crazy. 

Summer came and I thought....I am signing up for the 5k that happens on the weekend of our town celebration which was in August.  So I ran.  I soon learned that I enjoyed running outside much more than inside and I could go further in my training runs because I wasn't so bored staring at the clock on the dreadmill. Tristen, my 10 year old son, decided he wanted to run with me too.  He is not a runner but is a very athletic kid.  A couple of weeks before the race I told him that he better start running with me to see what it is going to be like and to get some miles under his belt.  I believe he ran with me 3 times and never over 2 miles.  Each time we stopped to walk half a dozen times at his request.  Race day was upon us and I told him to push through it as much as he could and to let me know when he needed to stop.  We stayed at a nice, easy pace and to my surprise, he ran the entire thing.  We finished in 31:20.  I was such a proud mom!  As we talked about the race, he said that he could have gone faster but thought he better stick with me.  Drats!  I could have gone faster too but was trying to pace him.  Oh well! Next time!

My next race was in October.  I continued to train but I didn't push myself too hard. Most of my runs were around 2.5 miles with the occasional 3 mile run here and there.  That one I finished in 30:10.  After I saw my time, I wished I had pushed myself just a tad bit hard to get under the 30 mark.  Again...next time!  Shortly after this race, I signed up for a 7k.  This race is happening in March.  I have a lot of time but it has been on my mind and I wanted to prove to myself that I could run that far in hopes of easing my mind a little.  I decided to start increasing my mileage.  I had a 3.35 mile run about a month ago but then went back in to my comfort zone of 2.5 - 3 mile runs.

Well things have changed.  Last week I decided to increase my mileage again and I am so excited to show you what I have done. Now I have to warn you, I am not fast.  But the mileage is what is exciting to me right now. I will work on speed next.

 ~Jessica

Weigh-In Day and Weekly Workout Plan

Wednesdays are my weigh-in day right now.  I have a love/hate relationship with this day.  I had a small loss this week but I expected it.  I spent my weekend at a couple of different gatherings and gave in to temptations too many times.  But I am back on track and was just glad to see a small loss this morning.  With the holidays around the corner, I need to make sure to steer clear of the temptations or just have a bite so I don't reverse all of the progress that I have made.  As of today I am down 16 lbs. since I began this journey!

Weekly Workout Plan

Monday: 2.5 mile run - done (2.56 miles)

Tuesday: 3.0 mile run - done but a little short (2.85 miles)

Wednesday: 3.5 mile run - done (4 miles)

Thursday: Elliptical - didn't happen :(

Friday: 2.5 mile run - done (4.51 miles!!!)

Saturday: 3.5 mile run - done but a little short (2.54 miles)

Sunday: Rest day/walk the dog

In other news:

My 10 year old son, Tristen, shot his first deer over the weekend.  This is his first year being able to hunt and he was so excited.  Proud mom moment!  He looks like such a little peanut next to that big deer.  We told him it was about time he started feeding the family :)

6 point buck shot on 11/10/2012

Willpower

I started a weight loss journey months ago but was not too successful.  When I decided to embark on a journey to healthy life instead of just focusing on the weight loss part, things became a lot easier for me.  I definitely want to lose the old l.b.'s, but that is not all.  I want to be healthy. 

Part of this journey has been building up my willpower.  That has probably been the hardest part for me.  I get my workouts in without too much trouble.  Sure there are days that I don't feel like it but somehow I find the motivation and they get done.  Willpower is a whole other story. When I first began this journey, I removed all of the "junk" food from our house.  I figured out of sight, out of mind was the way to go.  It really did help me but was that fair to my family?  Of course I want my family to be healthy also but having a treat every now and then is something they should be able to do.  I had to get over it.  Depriving them was not the answer. 

So now I buy treats in moderation and they are so much happier.  Can I say that I never have a treat?  Absolutely not.  I would be miserable. But it is all about willpower.  I think...do I really want it that bad?  Am I really hungry right now?  And have I earned that treat? And then I savor every delicious morsel and log it in My Fitness Pal.  It works.

How is your willpower?  What do you do to overcome the temptations?  Do you deprive your family too?

And now I will savor one of these.....

~Jessica

Workout Plan

From here on out, I plan to post my workout schedule on Sundays.  Having it planned out will help me stick to a workout and hold myself accountable. Getting started is 90% of the battle for me and having it laid out for me will hopefully motivate me to get it done.  I really am pretty good about getting my workouts in but in the past I have done whatever sounded good that day.  I want to stick to a loose training plan and hopefully this does the trick.

Monday: Elliptical, 30 minutes - done (along with 100 jumping jacks, 50 mountain climbers and 20  crunches)

Tuesday: 3 mile run - done (3.06 miles)

Wednesday: 2.5 mile run - done (3.25 miles)

Thursday: Elliptical - unfortunately this didn't happen - impromptu hockey parent meeting during my workout time

Friday: 2.5 mile run - done (3.5 miles)

Saturday: 3.5 mile run

Sunday: Rest day/walk the dog for a little activity

Do you follow a training plan?  How do you motivate yourself?

And now for some inspiration and motivation....

{Via}

{Via}

{Via}

{Via}

~Jessica

Trick or Treat

Here is my little trick or treater....

I guess he isn't so little anymore.  He is 10 and in the 5th grade.  He doesn't really understand what the big deal is with Halloween and the last few years he has told me that it is his last year trick or treating but he changes his mind every year.  I'm pretty sure that has something to do with his friends.

As you can see, he wore the same mask as I wore over the weekend.  He actually picked out the mask and I figure instead of buying 2, we would just share this one.  The rest of the costume was thrown together last minute.  It worked.  We picked up two of his friends and went out for a little over 2 hours.  They got tons of treats and had a great time.

Join me in signing up for Pile on the Miles over at Run Eat Repeat.  Today is the last day to join.  The idea is to pile on the miles in November instead of the pounds throughout the holidays.  It runs today through December 1st.  There are prizes to be won also so head on over and get yourself signed up! Any little bit of motivation helps keep me going.

Did you have any treats yesterday?  I was pretty good and only had two fun size candies and I made sure I saved some calories for them. 

~Jessica

Happy {Healthy} Halloween

I love Halloween.  It is such a fun day for the kids and adults alike.  It is a great time to let loose and have some fun.  Halloween was also my grandmother's birthday..rest her soul.  We used to always tease her and call her a witch.  All in good fun though.  She got a kick out of it.

Along with these fun holidays, comes lots of treats.  We can still treat ourselves while being healthy.  Here are some ideas to indulge a little...

{Via}

{Via}

{Via}

Tonight I will take my little goblin out trick or treating and will refrain from having too many treats.  What are your plans?

~Jessica

Weekend Recap

What a great weekend!  Saturday evening I went to a Halloween party. We wanted to dress so that nobody would know us and we succeeded.  So much fun!!

The only bad thing was that I indulged in a few adult beverages which led to some unhealthy food choices.  A late night frozen pizza is not what I should have gone for but what do you do.  Sunday I baked some cookies for my family and of course I had to have a sample. Back on the wagon today!  I had a chef salad for lunch.  Check it out over there -----------> on my Instagram feed. :) Follow me (jessicads81)!

Can't forget this....Friday I did Week 1 of 30 Day Shred.  I have never been so sore! I hobbled around on Saturday and Sunday.  Oh my goodness gracious.  Have you done 30DS?  Did you feel like you had been kicked by a mule 50 times in legs?  Stairs were a killer! 

My thoughts and prayers to all of those on the east coast in the path of Sandy.  Stay safe!!

~Jessica

So Delicious

The other day I shared some recipes that I wanted to try.  You can find them here.  That evening I decided it was a fine time to make a couple of them for us to try.  It was kind of a disaster.  Not the recipes, they were great.  And the food turned out wonderful.  It was a disaster because in the middle of everything, our power went out.  For about 3 hours. I had baked oatmeal in the oven and eggs for Copycat Egg McMuffins waiting to be made in to the sandwiches.  I was quickly losing daylight and my kitchen is one of the first places to get dark.  I had my son hold a flashlight for me so I could get the sandwiches put together and in the refrigerator (which is funny because the power was out but at least they would get some refrigeration from the cold in there).  Now I had half baked oatmeal muffins to deal with. This was Wednesday evening which means it is religion night for the boy. And my bf was out hunting.  Complete chaos is what it was.  Good thing my sister-in-law lives right down the road.  I packed everything up, including a pound of ground beef I had just started frying, and took it to her house to finish cooking.  As least it all turned out good!

The first thing I tried was the Copycat Egg McMuffins.  I made some with canadian bacon and some without.  I had one without and loved it. It was filling and delicious. The bf had one with canadian bacon and enjoyed it. I will definitely be making them again.  I didn't have a jumbo muffin pan or large enough ramekins to cook the eggs in like Monica at The Yummy Life did and I am not one to go out and buy something just to try a new recipe (most of the time anyway).  Here is what I did....I have two round cake pans.  I cracked 6 eggs in to each pan and baked them.  It ended up working just fine. I cut each pan into 6 sections like a pie and put them on the sandwiches.  They don't fit perfect and don't look as nice as the round ones but I made do with what I had and they taste just as good.

Warning: Crappy phone picture!

I was so excited to try the Personal Sized Baked Oatmeal that I took a couple to work with me and had it for lunch.  I made 3 different kinds.  This recipe made 24 muffins.  I made 6 with blueberries, 6 with raspberries and 12 with mini chocolate chips on top.  For lunch I had a raspberry and a chocolate chip. Delicious!  The bf and son loved them too.  In fact, I believe they both had them for breakfast again this morning.  We ate ours plain but I imagine a little milk over the top would be delicious. I wish I had a picture to share with you but unfortunately the power was out and pictures were the last thing on my mind at that point.

Give these 2 recipes a try.  You will not be disappointed!  Let me know what toppings you use on your baked oatmeal.

~Jessica

Liebster Award

I have been nominated for the Liebster Award by Jayelle from Jayelle Getting Fit.  Thanks,  Jayelle!

Here are the rules:

- Each person tagged must post 11 things about themselves.

- They must also answer 11 questions the tagger has set for them.

- They must create 11 more questions to ask bloggers they have decided to tag.

- They must then choose 11 bloggers to tag with less than 200 followers.

- These lucky bloggers must be told.

- There are NO TAG BACKS

11 Things About Me

1. I was born and raised in Minnesota.  I have no desire to leave even though I get tired of our long, cold winters.  My family and friends keep me here. 

2. I have a 10 year old son who is my world.  He keeps me super busy.

3. I needed to get glasses when I was 3 but when I was 11, my eyes were better and I no longer have to wear glasses.  Now I have great vision.

4.  I am in the process of looking into going back to college. Nervous and excited!

5. I have a lot of blogs in my reader.  Probably 100 or more.  Can't get enough.

6. I have to have a cup of coffee when I get up in the morning.

7. I am not a morning person.  I don't sleep late but I like to get a slow start.

8. I have run three 5k races. The last one was a couple of weeks ago and my time was 30:10.  After I saw my time I wished I had pushed just a tad bit harder to get under 30 minutes. There is always next time.

9. I will not eat chicken from a fast food place (I try not to eat any fast food). It creeps me out.

10. If I see a mouse, I will scream bloody murder. I know it can't hurt me but they freak me out.

11. I am trying to give up Diet Dr. Pepper but I like it so much. I only have a couple a week but I know I should stop. Help! :)

Questions From Jayelle

 1. What is one thing you know about Canada? And do not use Google!

They have great hockey teams. My son is a hockey player so I know these things :)

2. What do you wish you could really be when you grow up?

I work in the accounting field but would like to get my degree and become a CPA.

 I know, real exciting.

3. What is one reason you want to be more healthy or lose weight?

To show my son that being healthy is so important. I want my whole family to live a 

long, healthy life.

4. What is your favourite television show?

Right now I think it is Revenge.  

5. What is one thing about yourself that you are proud of or love?

I am proud of myself for owning up to the unhealthy life I have been living and 

wanting to change it.

6.  If you could have a super power, which would you want and why?

I would want to make it so calories don't count! :)

7. What is one of your best childhood memories?

Family vacations!  We didn't go on many and never out of the state but we had fun.

8.  What is your favourite beverage (alcoholic or non)?

Water Diet Dr. Pepper or Coors Light-can't decide

9.  What is your current method of torture exercise?

Running and strength training. My gym has a new machine called an Adaptive Motion Trainer and I am enjoying it.  The signs says it is there for a trial but I hope they keep it. 

It is nice for cross training days.

10.  Do you have any pets? If so, how many and what kind.

I have a dog named Libby.  She is a rat terrier and we love her.

11.  What is your all time favourite movie?

I'm not a big movie watcher. I see one here or there but never until they are really old so I'm not so sure about this one.

Questions From Me

1. Do you have any children?  

2. If you could describe yourself using one word, what would it be?

3. If your spouse/significant other would describe you using one word, what would it be?

4. What is on your Christmas wish list?

5. What kind of climate do you live in?

6. Where have you traveled to?

7. What would you do if you won the lottery tomorrow?

8. iPhone or Android?

9. What is your current occupation?

10. What is your favorite food?

11. What is your band/song artist?

I think that all of the people in my reader have been tagged for the Liebster Award so I'm not going to do that.  If you haven't been tagged yet, please accept this award from me.  Otherwise, answer my questions in the comments!

~Jessica

I Love Food!

One of the biggest challenges for me in this journey is food. As I'm sure it is for many others.  I love food.  Plain and simple. It is everywhere.  Our society has become obsessed with food.  Take a look at Pinterest.  I absolutely adore Pinterest.  I waste hours on there if I'm not careful. But tell me that you can scroll through there and look at all of those wonderful food pictures, especially the desserts, and not crave them. I just have to keep telling myself....food is not the answer.  It may taste good when you eat but being skinny (healthy) is way better. Now don't get me wrong, I am always on the lookout for good recipes and will continue to be but now I am looking for healthy ones.

Here are some that I am planning on trying soon....

Roasted Cabbage

Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms

Hummus Melts

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares

Personal Sized Baked Oatmeal

Healthy Egg McMuffin Copycat

I'm hungry just thinking about them!  See what I mean :)  At least they are all healthy recipes.

Have any to share?

~Jessica

Change

I am a 31 year old with a boyfriend (9 years!!) that I adore and a 10 year old son that is my world. When I was a child, I was always very thin. Almost too thin. I ate junk and never gained a pound. When I graduated high school, I weighed 108 lbs. When I was 19, I started to put on some weight but nothing major. When I got pregnant with my son in 2001 at 20 years old, I weighed about 140 lbs.  That was a pretty healthy weight for me but I felt a little chunky.  I gained almost 60 lbs. during my pregnancy, giving birth at just about 200 lbs. I was devastated when I saw that number on the scale.  I lost some of the weight but was still overweight. When my son was 1, my husband and I divorced. This was the spring of 2003.  Soon after I lost a lot of weight but probably not the healthy way.  I didn't set out to lose the weight but it just happened as a result of the stress from the divorce. When I started dating my boyfriend in the fall of 2003, I probably weighed about 135 lbs. I felt great but was not healthy.  I definitely didn't eat healthy but I just didn't eat much.  Over the years since, I have slowly put some weight on.  I decided a year ago at 175 lbs. that enough was enough.  I started running.  I did it on and off for a while and lost a little bit of weight but I didn't exercise on a regular basis. I did some Zumba, some running, etc. but didn't change my diet. Over the last few months I have really upped my exercise.  I am running on a regular basis.  I started weight training this week.  I also track all of my calories on My Fitness Pal. So here I am today at 163 lbs. and invite you to follow me on my way to a healthy life.

via fitsugar.com

~Jessica