My Quest for a GOOD Breakfast!

It seems these days I am constantly on the hunt for a healthy protein rich breakfast for the whole family.  The catch is it has to be easy to prepare too - and preferably not just a bar in a wrapper.  My kids like cereal (thankfully whole grain) and oatmeal, but still, no protein.  My family also LOVES eggs, but except for the random weekend morning here and there, who has time for that?  Well, I think I found a way!  I found a great recipe at one of my favorite cooking sites Once a Month Mom.  If you are at all interested in easier healthy recipes that are great for making in large batches so you can freeze meals ahead, Once a Month Mom is a great resource.  I didn't follow their recipe exactly because when I decided to try it for the first time, I did not have all the ingredients.

So, here is what I did: I had nine eggs, I used 5 whole eggs and four egg whites.  I beat all the eggs together (whole and egg whites) and added ham (a family favorite).  I did not add salt or pepper because, in general, our family rarely uses salt or pepper.  I used a standard size cupcake/muffin pan that makes 12 muffins.  I sprayed nine of them with cooking spray and placed roughly one third of a slice of whole wheat bread in each.  I filled the nine cups with the egg/ham mixture.  I baked them as recommended in Once a Month Mom.  I topped each one with roughly a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese (full fat, we don't skimp on milk fats in our family - we cut fat in other areas).  Once they cooled a bit they were pretty easy to pop out with a fork and were delicious. 

The only thing I would change is the red pepper would probably be very good, and I might add a bit of salt.  I froze the leftovers in individual plastic containers and they reheated in the microwave very well - a great breakfast for after a workout.

So each "egg muffin" had one half a whole egg, one half an egg white, perhaps 1.5 oz of ham (probably less) and 1.5 tablespoons of full fat cheese.  I haven't gone to figure out weight watchers points, but I would venture a guess they would fit quite well into that program.  I pair the egg muffin with fruit or yogurt to round out my after workout breakfast.  At some point I will have to fill you all in on my "two breakfast" mornings that seem to work really well for me.

I would LOVE to hear other good healthy and protein rich breakfast ideas from any of my readers!  Please, share!  Honestly, for myself, I tend to eat half a turkey sandwich - but the family just can't get their heads around a sandwich like that for breakfast!

A Look Back at Where I Have Been - It is NOT Pretty

I have been doing a lot of reflecting these past few days trying to convince myself I have come a long way and am ready for this weekend.  It was interesting/scary/outright terrifying to really take a hard look at where I have been in roughly the last 15 years.

I went from 150something pounds, less than 10% body fat, a size 6/8, training 3-4 hours a day (yeah, single, no kids!) and feeling like my body could handle almost anything that came my way (except for perhaps those 26.2 miles of a marathon!) to, at my heaviest, 225 lbs (ouch, I actually WROTE that), Lord knows HOW much body fat, a size 16/18, aching feet and knees even when I got up in the morning from carrying all that weight, not being able to hoist myself up on a wave runner when fell off (that had to be one of the MOST humiliating moments of my life), depressed and introverted.  It was at this time that I sat in a reproductive endocrinologist's office hearing her say "You know, if you just lost some weight, you might just get pregnant."  I got angry, I was humiliated, I thought to myself "I have PCOS you B***ch, that is why I am fat, that is why I can't have a baby!"  And, that night, I just cried.  Looking back, it was partially the PCOS, it was the fertility meds, but is also was just such a deep hatred of all that was going on and of myself that led to a whole host of poor choices that manifested itself in my obesity (WOW, I just WROTE THAT!) and poor health (and don't forget self-loathing).  There are so many things I can look back at and say "hmmmm, that was an issue" or "that was seriously a poor habit/choice."  Those individual items are all posts on their own, and will be forthcoming.

But that Dr's words haunted me.  I joined WeightWatchers at work and lost 22 lbs.  And, suddenly, I found myself pregnant with my first little girl.  I don't think it was purely a function of weight, but I do think it was one of the factors.  I gained 60 pounds with my pregnancy.  But once she was born, I focused on providing a healthy home for her.  We were active (not training type active, but "family" type active), we ate right because, well, what I ate fed her through breast milk.  And, surprisingly, by her first birthday, I was 12 pounds under where I started my pregnancy.  By the time she was 18 months old, I was down to 160-something pounds.  And, truly, it was all from a lifestyle change - not intensive training.  That was 4 years ago.

In the last three to four years, my weight has gone up and down with two more pregnancies.  But each time, for the most part, I have returned to the same lifestyle I had developed as a result of caring about my child's eating habits, and, for the most part, I have been able to control my weight within ten pounds. 

I started training briefly after my second daughter turned one year old, saw some results, but quickly became pregnant with my son.  Again, I picked up training when he was about 5 months old.  Today I am down to 160-something pounds, verging on the 150's.  I am once again a size 8.  And, I FEEL good.  But really, my training makes me feel great and strong, but is not the reason for my weight loss - in fact, I am gaining a bit as I gain muscle mass.  The key has been lifestyle changes.  Portion control, quality of food, looking at food as a fuel rather than a social event, controlling alcohol intake, cooking, and having a "family active" lifestyle.  These elements are all the things I hope to share!  All in good time, one post at a time.

For whatever reason, I felt it was time for me to put this out there.  I know I talk a lot about my triathlon training - that is MY thing.  It just IS.  But that is not what this is all about - you don't need to do a Tri.  [but if you want to learn more about it, bring on the questions, because YOU CAN do a Tri, just ask - and just believe it!].  But I want to share what I have learned, what I have seen, what I have suffered through and enjoyed, hoping that I can inspire others to have that "family active" lifestyles.  Frankly, training for an event can come and go, but your healthy "family active" lifestyle is forever.

So, in short, I confess:  all of the above.  Thoughts and comments are more than welcome.

(WOW, I can't believe I just WROTE all THAT!)

The 5K Run: A Universal Motivator!

I now call a 5K run a universal motivator.  Why?  Well, it is simple - it is a motivator for so many people from varied backgrounds and at varied training levels, and, in my experience, one never regrets whatever 5K event they particpate in.  Here is why I reached this conclusion:

1.  Anyone can do this event.  Seriously, 5Ks are generally low key, stroller and pet friendly, and a lot of people WALK.  Now, you need to check all this out when you see an event you are interested in and if it doesn't fit for you, I am willing to bet you can find another 5K event that same day in your area that is a fit for you!  Walk, run, or walk/run and you are moving - every step counts and it is a great start to becoming more active or even, gulp, a runner!

2.  If you want to train to run a 5K there are lots of FREE options!  First, if you have tennis shoes in a reasonably good condition, some pants you can move in, and a road/field/sidewalk/whatever you can train for a 5K.  I know people who train for 5K's at the mall, in their neighborhood, at a lakeside trail, or strictly on a treadmill where NO ONE can see them!  You can also search for training plans that take you from the couch to a 5K in small baby steps.  Google "Couch to 5K" and you will find hundreds of free plans.  One free plan I found and like is this free plan at Beginnertriathlete.com.  Are you a tech junkie?  I know people doing a Couch to 5K training program (C25K) on their iphones and ipods, and probably a million other tech gadgets I don't own.  Googling "C25K podcast" or "C25K android" produced results, but I can't speak as to their value.  As I understand it the program will run while you listen to music and will tell you when to run and when to walk over a specified period of time taking you through workouts that incorporate longer and longer bursts of running over a series of weeks until you are running the whole thing (or almost the whole thing).  I wish I had an iphone or ipod!  And then I wish I had the time to learn how to use it!

3.  5K events are often and cheap!  Registering for a 5K is really inexpensive compared to other events.  Many events are twenty dollars or less, or are available by fundraising for a particular charity.  And, 5K events, at least in my area, are available (in multiples) EVERY weekend!  If you need help finding an event, you can just search on 5K and your town, or look on sites that are used for registering for such events like Active.com.  You can also look in your local paper, browse the bulletin board at your local sports equipment stores, or just ask someone at your gym.  Many running oriented sports retailers have free fun runs on the weekends as well.  One such store in my neighborhood is Roadrunner Sports. 

4.  Even if you are training for or running longer events or multisport events, a 5K event mixes up training and adds race day elements to your training.  By adding a 5K event into your training, you can find race day motivation to push harder and just have FUN, which can be sometimes hard to do as you push toward increased endurance levels.  Furthermore, during rest weeks or taper weeks in your training they can add some spice when you are frustrated by having to hold yourself back.  I was talking last night with an individual who was on a taper week in preparation for this weekend's Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene.  He was antsy to race and antsy about his taper week of training, but grinned as he said he PR'd his 5K this week.  Even at his level of training a 5K was a fun and motivational element in his taper week.  Furthermore, if you are struggling to reach a new pace level, like I am, running with others in a 5K race can allow you to mentally mark that higher pace for yourself so you can implement that pace in your training. 

So, if you are looking to begin a more active lifestyle, but just need that one thing to help you take that first step, whether it be walking or running, I challenge you to look into a 5K event!  Or, step back from your focus on longer events and spice up your training with a 5K event and you may add a new PR of your own!  And, if you are so inclined, tell me about it here and keep me posted on how it all works out! 

ALSO, if you are using a C25K app, as I know a few of my readers are, and can offer your review of the app, please share your views and recommendations in a comment or via email so I can share them on the blog!

And just a reminder, tomorrow I will fill everyone in on how my search for my perfect running shoe transpired and whether I fell off the treadmill at the store!

I'm BAAAAAACK!

Happy New Year Everyone!  I am ramping up to more substantive posts now that I have had my little boy (born October 29, 2010 weighing in at 10lbs 2 oz and 22.5 inches long!).  I wanted to make everyone aware of some deals I saw this past week!  First, Costco had a whole host of Jillian Michaels fitness dvds for 7.99.  I picked up the 30 Day Shred and 6 Week Ab DVD.  I like Jillian Michaels and LOVE the fact that her workouts are 20 - 30 minutes long so they are easy to fit in. 

Second, in the Northwest, Fred Meyer had some really nice hand weights (coated with handles) on sale this past week.  I suspect nationally you can find similar sales in the new year.  Investing in some cheap handweights will allow you to expand your workouts at home for cheap.  Of course, you can also use soup cans, canned fruit, etc, as handweights for almost free if you keep a stocked pantry!  I just decided to splurge on some weights with little handles that are easier to manage!

I look forward to catching up this New Year as I once again begin my journey from the Glider Rocker to the Finish Line!

So, in the spirit of finding more excellent exercise DVDs - what are your favorite DVDs? 

One other idea:  Have a weekly or bi-weekly workout girls' hour - get together with friends and try out each other's exercise videos - we all have them, and joining in with friends and making it a social event will cause us to actually USE them!  And, maybe share a healthy recipe as a post workout snack!

Great and VERY QUICK AND EASY Chicken Recipe

A friend forwarded this recipe to me which I made last night:  Lemon-Apricot Chicken.  This was so simple, I made it in about a half hour with a side of rice and vegetables.  I did not use the curry powder as we don't keep that as a regular item in our pantry and I am trying to live by my pantry this week!  But this was so good and so easy and enjoyed by my four year old and my 18 month old.  I also pounded the chicken breasts a bit so it took less time to cook them and used very little salt.  I was concerned by the sodium in the dish, but overall the nutrition information was not bad when paired with high fiber rice and a vegetable.

I have a piece of chicken left over, so I may try this on Wednesday:  Chicken Taco Pizza.  I just need to locate either a healthy premade crust or find some alternative.  I will try to play with this to reduce sodium as well.

Do you have a quick and easy recipe you would like to share?  Please post it in comments or email me and I will be happy to share it.  One easy way to deal with the Money limit (it is cheaper to cook at home), the Knowledge limit (you know EXACTLY what is going into your meals), and the Time Limit (we need something quick and easy and, for me, that provides some sort of left overs to keep up with life at home!) is to cook healthy meals at home!

An Unintended Experiement on How NOT to Fuel Your Body.

For those of you that are Facebook Fans you may have seen that my run Friday morning was less than stellar! I started my normal warm up (stretching, then walking on the treadmill for 5 minutes at 3.5 - 3.8 mph). Then I started jogging at just under 5 mph. Within minutes I was just spent, and annoyed, and discouraged. I thought just push through it; it will ease as you get going. Just not the case. By 8 minutes into the run, I was kind of panicking by how horrible I felt. Two minutes later, I was back down to a walk.


I was discouraged and already thinking "If this happens, how on earth am I going to finish that 5K at the end of a sprint triathlon!" Oh, the power of negative thinking, right? Then I started to wonder why this was happening. I turned immediately to what had I eaten that previous day.


On Thursday I was extremely busy and on the run. I had those dreaded errands to run during lunch, my fridge and pantry were showing the signs of just not having the time to effectively shop for the week. I was late for work in the morning, so I grabbed a couple of bananas, and apple, and made myself a sandwich with two tablespoons of peanut butter and two slices of low calorie whole grain bread. I never ate breakfast, per se, but I had eaten half a banana before my run and shoved the rest in my mouth on my way out the door.


At 11 am I was hungry, so I decided to eat half my sandwich, but finished the whole thing (I was seriously hungry after running that morning and failing to eat any "real" breakfast). I ran my lunch time errands and, I was so proud of myself for not throwing a candy bar in with the Valentine's I needed to get for my child's preschool party the next day! I returned to work and ate a banana. That was it for the day before dinner.


We had planned on plain old baked chicken (we throw it in the oven with a sprinkling of bread crumbs), baked potatoes, and a vegetable. When I got home, it was more of the same craziness. My spouse, while trying to make my life easier, ordered a pizza. I didn't even know it until it arrived at the door. So, I ate two pieces of pizza. I love pizza, but know it is far from a nutritious meal, and I can usually always predict scale results after eating pizza the night before, and those results aren't results you hope to see (yes, I am using the pound goal, but perhaps this is a good thing in this circumstance!).


That was my day. I can't even recall, but I don't even think I had a glass of milk. I drank sufficient water, but that was about all that was sufficient about Thursday's diet!


It became clear why, 16 minutes into my run, I was spent. Now I had eaten a small pre run snack, but even that wasn't my usual snack. I usually eat half a banana with a tablespoon of peanut butter on it about 20 minutes before I run. Friday morning I skipped the peanut butter! So, even after eating very little protein the day before (a couple tablespoons of peanut butter, maybe some negligible protein in my pizza in the cheese and ham) I further deprived my body of protein by skipping it in my usual pre-run "snack!" And, right after that epiphany, my stomach gave a little confirmation by growling out of hunger.


So, some things I have taken away from my unintentional experiment:


1. Plan my week better, recognize deficiencies in my nutritional supplies, and try to stock up so I don't find myself hungry for lack of variety of nutritious foods.


2. Be creative if you find yourself depleted in time, money, or just sanity, to think about nutrition. I was so excited I passed up on the candy bar, but couldn't I have found myself something suitable to eat? I passed three grocery stores on my errands, and I could have simply even stopped and gotten some deli meat for a snack (and eaten it with the uneaten apple I had brought from home) and perhaps added a small container of low fat milk, and given my body more of what it requires to just operate!


3. Communicate more effectively. If I had been better at communicating my need to eat a well balanced healthy dinner I could have avoided the unnecessary purchase of a pizza by a well meaning spouse. Our chicken dinner for four may have cost $5-$7 but instead we spend $14.00 on a pizza (and that was with a 50% off coupon!).


4. Have a plan to execute the healthy dinner as I walk in the door. I was seriously stressed. If I had communicated my needs as discussed in (3) and then had a plan to get it started as soon as I walked in the door, it would have been cooking and ready as I dealt with all the other insanity while it was cooking. All it would have taken would have been thinking about the plan for less than 5 minutes of my 30 minute commute.


Many of the things I learned are subjects I have a million ideas and confirmed tricks to deal with, but even I have crazy days where they are not so second nature as to kick in when things get a little nutty.


Now, in my Facebook post I also mentioned how my horrific run turned into something positive. I am not forgetting that part, believe me! When I hit the treadmill on January 4, 2010, I noticed and committed to memory my distance at thirty-five minutes. Even with walking more than usual on Friday, and admittedly struggling and feeling horrible, questioning my abilities, and then being frustrated with my lack of attention to nutrition for the previous 24 hours, I reached that distance 3.5 minutes sooner than I had January 4. And, here I thought how my workout was such a failure - but really, that failure was still so much better than my "best" had been not even a month and a half before! That was inspiring! So much so, although I had planned to quit, I added another run interval and kept moving for 10 minutes more than I had planned as my run began to fall apart!


So, here is the question for you, my readers - When you have a crazy day, what is one thing you can have readily on hand to provide adequate nutrition to fuel your body? And, can you make it a priority to make sure this weekend, as you hit some store, you be sure you pick some up to have it on hand? Let me know what you decide on and how it works out for you!

Where did YOU go for lunch today?

I know some of you are cringing at that question because perhaps your answer was "I hit the drivethrough on my way to run an errand during my lunch hour!"  Or maybe your answer is "What lunch? I had two screaming kids wanting to be fed and I ate cold spaghetti out of the fridge in between serving them!"  Hey, it happens right? 

I had an exceptional lunch today.  I am allowed an hour for lunch.  I don't always take an hour because I can shave off time at the beginning or end of my day by working through lunch, and sometimes that is necessary to care for my two children.  But today I ran the emergency stairwell in my building for 20 minutes (and, my quads don't like me very much right now!).  I can't do this every day, but every day I can is definitely ONE STEP (or several steps) in the right direction.  It is hard to find the time to workout, but if you think about it, I just made the time.  I brought my lunch (and many healthy snacks, but I will describe what works for me on eating at a later time).  I ate a healthy light snack about an hour before my "lunch."  Then I exercised, and followed that with a more substantial lunch.  In just roughly 40 minutes I exceeded my Time Limit AND my Money Limit.  The Time Limit is fairly straight forward - I fit in exercise, but instead of heading out to lunch, I also used the time I would take to go and get that lunch (drive time) and turned it into quality exercise time. 

I also saved a TON of money.  I typically, if I went out to lunch, would spend anywhere from $5 - $7 on a lunch.  If I make lunch and bring it from home I typically spend $2-$4.  So, I save anywhere from $1-$5 a day by bringing lunch.  Do that one time a week and you save roughly $4-$20 a month.  Or even $52 to $260 a year!  Do that two times a week and you save $104 to $520 a year!  And so on, you can do the math.  the numbers are staggering.  I almost NEVER go out to lunch, so I figure I save over $1000 a year!  And, when you bring your lunch, YOU control what you eat.  Furthermore, my workout was FREE!  I didn't need to go to a gym to hit the stairs in my building, both saving on a gym membership fee AND gas money!

Now if you don't work during the day and typically don't hit the drive through on a regular basis, your savings will obviously be less.  But planning a healthy lunch for yourself at the beginning of the day, maybe before the kids get up, to fit in between the "I want" and "I need" from your kids can help you be sure you are fueling yourself as well as you fuel your kids.  And, if the weather permits, maybe you can all go for a walk AFTER lunch.  I know my pre-schooler has a hard time sitting still long enough to eat a meal - but when I promise a walk if she eats a good lunch, well, it is amazing what that motivation can do! 

So, what is a healthy lunch?  I hope to bring you more ideas on that this week, but don't let that Knowledge Limit hold you back, I am sure you have some basic ideas of your own you can draw upon.  So, where are YOU going for lunch TOMORROW?  Leave a comment if you wish, it will help you feel motivated to do something other than the drive through if you post it for yourself, and others, to read!  (Hey, that is exceeding that Motivation Limit too!)

For now, my lunch break is over!

What are your LIMITS?

Frequently what stops me from succeeding at a goal are what I like to think of as my Limits. I don't mean my physical limits, but the more practical, mostly mental, Limits that allow me have excuses or allow me to rationalize why I didn't take that first step towards success. We all have them, and they are very personal. But at the same time, I have found them to be very common, in a general sense, to every person. You can't move forward until you recognize what has held you where you are for however long you have been stationary in that one place. My theme has become "Exceed your Limits, one step at a time and one day at a time!" I want to start by sharing my Limits, and ask that you share yours.

1. Time. I am a mom of two kids under 5. I also work full time. My time is limited for finding time to work out, time to plan meals, time to think about choices (whether it be food, type of workout, or just how to spend the little time I have that is not accounted for by kids or work).


2. Money. Let's face it, times have changed for almost all Americans. I am no exception. Gone are the days of reckless spending. Gone are the days of not worrying about where the money will come from for next week's groceries, next month's mortgage, or that random purchase of some luxury item, big or small. Gone are the days of purchasing something without a small thought of whether your paycheck will be deposited next month. Now, I plan every purchase, from food to clothes, to the occasional fitness gear purchase, to a penny. I use coupons, I read money saving blogs, and, I forego a lot of things or find perhaps a less expensive, and usually a compromise in quality, alternative.


3. Motivation. This is always an issue. Sometimes it is about being selfish, because I can usually find a reason to avoid taking that first step because it takes away time or effort from my children, from my job, from managing the family finances, from whatever someone else needs from me. Other times it is just a plain inability to realize that even one little step (e.g. going for a walk even if it isn't a 5K run) is a step in the right direction. Motivation is also inextricably linked to accountability for me. If I am not accountable for taking those steps, day by day, to someone other than myself, I can rationalize letting myself down (perhaps another Limit is self respect?). I need to be accountable.


4. Confidence. This is perhaps, for me, where my current physical limitations factor in the most. I can't run 8 miles on a group run, so, I don't go. I am SLOW.....so I am embarrassed to let others see how slow I am. When I can overcome my own lack of confidence, though, and actually SHOW UP I find it was NOTHING to be worried about. There is usually someone I can maintain with, and even if there isn't, pushing to do what I can usually reveals I can do a lot more than I thought! It is a daily struggle, one step at a time, one day at a time.


5. Knowledge. Sometimes I examine my choices and I just don't know enough about each choice to make an informed decision. For example, I need to get out on my bike to train. I want to explore purchasing a used bike since my current bike is really undersized. I am paralyzed because I don't know where to start. I struggled and struggled, and actually avoided the issue because, well, I just didn't know how to even take the first step. I then had the opportunity to speak to a bike rep recently who, in 15 minutes, answered some questions and sent me in the right direction. I don't have a new bike, but just knowing the direction I want to head, has moved me past paralyzed and has me looking forward to getting out there on my current bike until I can find what I want (of course, I still need to exceed my money limitation, but that is the next step!)


It is from these Limits that this blog was born. I have learned many ways of dealing with these Limits that I believe, if shared with others, will be helpful to promote success in healthy living for others and, honestly, our children. I can predict that every post on this blog will somehow be related to how I exceed my Limits that I shared above. This blog is, itself, a way I deal with a Limit. By sharing and putting a burden on myself to share and help others with the same struggles in everyday life, I have added motivation to keep me moving forward and accountability to fuel that motivation. In addition, if we share money saving ideas, we can all exceed the Money Limit. I plan to share healthy deals on this blog either from my readers or from my own research.


So, here is where YOU come in. I need to know YOUR Limits. Why, you ask? I truly do want this to be a resource for my readers, not a personal story of my journey. Everyone has different Limits and I want to know yours so I can perhaps add to our collective community Limits and become a resource for exceeding Limits that perhaps are not on my main list.


So, Welcome! And Please Join In- leave a comment with your Limits and briefly describe them so I can see what Limits you, my readers, are facing. This is an open invitation to leave these comments at any time, it is an ongoing process. Not able to exceed the Confidence Limit yet and post a public comment, email me at brickstrainingmomma@gmail.com. I can't wait to hear from you and learn more about what Limits you will exceed, one step at a time one day at a time! 

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