Cross-Training is Refreshing!

I think I've said this like 897 times now, but the cross-training I've been doing the past few weeks has been SO REFRESHING! I spent over a year doing nothing but running for exercise. Which was fine and all, but I really was feeling more like it was a chore.

So after the race on Memorial Day, I had no other races lined up--not a single one! And I decided to take this summer to take a break from my usual running routines and do something else (while maintaining my running fitness level).

You know I've always referred to my treadmill as a "dreadmill" because running in place is AWFUL--the most boring exercise imaginable. Since I became a runner back in March 2010, I could count on one hand the number of times I ran on a treadmill. I would much rather run in 10 degree snowy weather or 100 degree humidity than log miles on the dreadmill.

However, now that I decided to try cross-training, I discovered the pre-set programs for the dreadmill. Most of them are more walking than running, but they include some serious inclines. Have you ever walked briskly at a 10% incline? That shit is HARD.

I printed out some intermediate, advanced, and ELITE programs to do on the dreadmill, and I promise that a 15-minute elite workout (walking!) will feel even harder than 60 minutes of straight running at 7.0 mph. I did a 50-minute pre-set workout a couple of days ago, and I don't think my husband has ever heard me say the word "fuck" so many times in less than an hour.

I also started making an attempt at doing strength training via Jillian Michaels' Ripped in 30 and 30 Day Shred DVD's. The first time I did Ripped in 30, I was SO SORE for about 4-5 days afterward. I still have to modify a couple of things on it--namely the push-ups and one of the ab exercises.

One thing I've noticed since doing all this is that my measurements are getting smaller again--finally. My diet is far from perfect, but I lost an inch in my waist after just a week of the cross training. I was a little worried about not being able to run after the summer is over (in the fall, I plan on training again), but a lot of the workouts include some running (usually at an incline, so it's tough) and I might go for a run outside once in a while just to make sure I still can ;)

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So, for the first week of my Summer Challenge, I actually gained 3.5 pounds. It was a terrible week. I chose to count calories, because I had a bachelorette party, a wedding shower, and get-together with friends. I ate (and drank) a lot of things I normally don't. 

I'm actually really surprised I didn't gain more, but maybe it was because I exercised a lot this week. Although, my body tends to retain water when I do a lot more exercise than usual, so maybe that contributed to the gain as well--but I'd bet it was more about chips and liquor and ice cream than pounding it out on the dreadmill ;)

My new goal for this week is to eat a different breakfast every day. Sounds strange, I know--but I always get into ruts where I eat the same thing day after day, for weeks and sometimes MONTHS at a time. FYI, my "weeks" are going from Wednesday to Tuesday, because I weigh in on Wednesdays.

Sprouted grain toast with peanut butter, and coffee

Thursday breakfast: blueberry pancakes with butter and syrup

Today I am supposed to go out to dinner with Sarah and her fiancé. I'm thinking Middle Eastern food... which is healthy, but SO GOOD that I tend to have a problem with portion control. 

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In the kitchen

Today was the first official day of summer vacation for my kids. Instead of sleeping in, like I'd hoped, I was awakened at 6:00 to the sound of Noah screaming that he was bleeding--which, upon inspection, was a tiny little dot of blood from a hangnail. By the time my kids finally start sleeping past 7 or so, it'll be time for school again!

As I was making my breakfast this morning (oatmeal with coconut milk and banana), all of the bananas fell from their hanger because they were SO ripe. The stems were still hanging there, but the bananas all fell off. I decided that I needed to bake something with overripe bananas.

I chose Breakfast Worthy Banana Bread, because it's sugarless (the only sweetener is the bananas themselves!) and because it uses a fuckload of bananas (I used 500 grams, which was 5 1/2 overripe bananas). When it was done, I actually stayed away from it until lunchtime, which is a shocker.

Banana bread with coconut butter... yum!

Instead of using a loaf pan, I used an 8x8 pan. The first time I made this bread I used a loaf pan and I could NOT get it to cook all the way through--the outside was burned and the inside was still raw. So this time, with the 8x8 pan, it cooked through very evenly. The recipe says 30 minutes for a loaf pan, but I'd say 30-40 for an 8x8 pan.

It was much easier to cut into even pieces in this pan than in a loaf pan.

For lunch, I decided to make Lemon Lentil Soup. I haven't made it in a long time, and I forgot just how good it is! My recipe is just 4 simple ingredients, and it is as easy as opening a can of soup, but SO MUCH TASTIER! Not to mention HEALTHIER.

Ingredients for Lemon Lentil Soup... so easy!

Lemon Lentil Soup

1 cup of red lentils (sort and rinse)
1 quart of vegetable broth (I've tried this with chicken broth, and it wasn't very good--it had a metallic taste)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (this amount gives a small kick--if you like it spicy, use 1/2 tsp.)
juice of one lemon (plus the zest, if you like!)

Combine the lentils, broth, and pepper flakes in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until lentils are soft and the soup has thickened. Add the lemon juice (and zest, if you're using it), stir, and heat through. Makes 4 small servings (about 1 cup) or 2 main-dish servings. For 1 small serving: 162 calories, 0 grams fat, 7 grams fiber, 30 grams carbs, 11 grams protein.

I counted calories (successfully) today. And I knocked 3.25 more miles off the Summer Challenge. I did three back-to-back treadmill workouts that were 15 minutes each. The 15-minute workouts are HARD--the incline goes up as high as the treadmill goes (mine goes up to 12%).

I saw Renee today and she mentioned doing a half-marathon on October 2nd this year, since I won't be able to do the Detroit Free Press Half-Marathon on October 15th (I'll be in Arizona for Sarah's wedding). I'm pretty sure I'll register for the one she was talking about. It'd be nice to do a half in the fall and again in the spring when I do Indy.

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Wedding Shower

Today was Sarah's wedding shower. Remember how I always complain about that size 4 dress that's been sitting in my closet unworn because it was too big in December and then about a month ago was too small to zip? Well, that's the dress I wore today. It fit nicely, I think--not TOO small, but definitely not big. Sarah actually gave it to me as a gift, so I was excited to be able to wear it at her shower.

Sarah (the bride-to-be) and me

Sarah and I have been best friends for about 28 years. She was born 3 days before me in 1982 and we lived 2 houses apart from each other for 14 years before my family and I moved about 20 minutes away. Then we were roommates in college (Eastern Michigan University). She ended up moving to Arizona in 2005(?) and she's a teacher there now.

Anyway, the shower was nice. I did really well with the food--it was a buffet, and I took very tiny portions. I had a chicken thigh, a tiny scoop of mashed potatoes, some green beans, half a roll, and half a salad. I was excited to eat cake until I realized that it was the kind of frosting I don't like.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE buttercream frosting--the kind that makes your teeth feel like they are rotting as you eat, because it's loaded with sugar crystals. Anyway, this was that whipped stuff that tastes kind of like whipped cream, and not very sweet. So I actually passed up the cake! But I totally made up for that with a handful of chocolate chips when I got home, haha.

I worked out this morning before I got ready for the shower. I did 3 miles on the dreadmill. I found some treadmill programs online and printed them out, then posted them next to the treadmill.
The one I did today varied from 4.0 mph to 7.5 mph, incline 0% to 4%. It was pretty tough at the end, and I felt like I got a good workout.

Someone asked about the drink mix I was talking about yesterday... here is what it looks like:

I bought it at Target, and I believe it's their own brand. It was with the Crystal Light products. I also found this website where you can order something similar, but you pay a small fortune. These things at Target were $1.84 for 10 packets. Easy to tuck in your purse! Like I said, I ordered a Tequila & water on ice, and then I just dumped a packet in the drink.

I've been doing well with my Summer Challenge, with the exception of my weekly goal. I picked a terrible week to count calories every day. I had the bachelorette party Friday, the shower today, and Sarah and her fiancé are coming over tonight, and then we're going out to dinner with them early next week. But I've been working out a lot and definitely eating as well as I can!

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Bachelorette Party

As expected, I am feeling a little hung over today. But it was worth it! I had so much fun last night. Sarah came over at 4:30 to pick me up and then her other bridesmaids met us and we all rode together.

We went to a martini bar & grille for dinner first. I had shrimp fajitas, which were SO yummy. I had a margarita and then for the rest of the evening, I was ordering tequila and water. Sounds gross, right? Yeah, it was. BUT, I brought along these little packets that you stir into the tequila and water--they are flavored like margaritas and only have 5 calories (you know those Crystal Light packets? It's just like those). So each drink was roughly 105 calories--a shot of tequila and the flavor packet. I (think) I had about 9 drinks total.

Anyway, after dinner we went upstairs to see a comedy show. The headliner comedian was really good, but the other one was terrible. After the show, we went to the bar downstairs. It was kind of lame. I gave Sarah a book that listed things she had to do as a bachelorette, so she started working on those.

There were some soldiers there, and one of the guys was thrilled that we were even talking to him, haha. Per the book, Sarah asked him for a condom and then she had to blow it up like a balloon. One guy told us that the "happening" place to be was a bar down the road--that it was kind of wild and fun and it'd be a great place for a bachelorette party.

We went there (Maria, who is pregnant, drove us) and it was VERY fun. They handed us sticks when we walked in, that people used to clap together for fun. They told us we could dance on the chairs, but not the tables (lol) and then the DJ announced that it was Sarah's bachelorette party.

Krystal and I had a blast dancing on the chairs most of the evening. Sarah worked on her booklet tasks, and then the bartender had her sit while he straddled her and poured a shot into her mouth (the shot was called a 'blow job') and then squirted whipped cream in her mouth.

Krystal and I dancing on chairs

I'm not going to post the other pics I took, because I'm not sure Sarah would want them on the internet. We left at around 1:30 in the morning. Maria drove me home first, and I was wishing I hadn't drank so much, but I fell asleep quickly and didn't wake up again until 8:00.

I finally did the Ripped in 30 DVD again today. I was still sore, but not so bad that I couldn't do it. Then I walked on the dreadmill for 30 minutes (various inclines). Jerry and I went to some garage sales, and I found Jillian's 30 Day Shred for $1 and The Biggest Loser game for the Wii for $1. I'm loving the change from my usual running 3-4 times per week. Even the "dreadmill" isn't so dreadful when I keep changing up the incline and pace.

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Dress Shopping

Wednesday night, I went to David's Bridal with my friend Sarah and the rest of her bridesmaids to try on dresses. I was kind of dreading it, because I was afraid to see what size I was going to need. Sarah showed me the dresses she was interested in, and they were actually really cute.

The saleswoman who helped us said that all of their dresses run two sizes smaller than your typical jeans size. So, if you wear a size 10 jeans, then you'd wear a 14 dress. WTF kind of logic is that?! It's the opposite of vanity sizing. My jean size is between a 4 and 6 right now, so she told me to get an 8 and 10 to try on. Ugh. I grabbed a 6 too, just for my high hopes ;)

I planned on trying them on from smallest to biggest--hoping that I wouldn't have to get a 10. The first dress I tried on fit like a glove, and I was psyched--until I realized it was the 8 instead of the 6 like I thought, lol. But if their dresses really do run two sizes small, then I'm right on target, so that's fine. If I can somehow manage to lose about 10 pounds before I actually order the dress, I'll probably be able to get the 6 instead. Not that it even matters, as long as it fits me on October 15th!

I'm nervous about the whole thing--because what if I GAIN weight and the dress doesn't fit? The 8 won't fit me if I gain even 5 pounds. I wish I could put off ordering the damn thing until the last minute, but she said we have to order 12 weeks before the wedding!

Anyway, here is a pic of the dress--I didn't get a picture of me wearing it, but here is the photo from the website:

This the dress--same color. Black shoes.

The best part about the dress?? It has POCKETS!! After trying on dresses, we went to a shoe store across the street and bought black patent leather shoes. Two of the girls wanted short heels, but I reeeally wanted taller heels, so we bought the same shoes with different length heels. One of the other girls got the taller heels too. I just think heels make my legs look so much better and I FEEL a lot prettier in high heels.

Today is Day 3 of my Summer Challenge. I had planned on doing Jillian's Ripped in 30 yesterday, but I was still SOOOO SORE from doing it three days ago. Then this morning, I was going to do it--but I'm STILL sore. For sure tomorrow!

Or maybe not, as I'll probably be hung over (bachelorette party tonight!!) Thursday I decided to go easy and walk 3 miles on the dreadmill. I did do some incline on it, so it wasn't TOO easy. Speed was 3.0-4.8, Incline was 0%-5%. I walked for an hour, doing 3.6 miles. For some reason, the last part of the walk didn't show up on my total--I got fed up with messing with it, so I gave up trying to get the numbers right.

This morning, I knew I was going to be consuming lots of calories today, so I did some extra exercise. I ran 3.1 miles outside and then did an hour on the dreadmill (walking inclines).

336 calories

So that's a total of 787 calories burned this morning. Tonight, for Sarah's bachelorette party, we're going to a martini bar & grille for dinner, followed by a comedy club, and then the bar. One of the bridesmaids is pregnant, so she's driving... and that means I'm probably going to be drinking too much. ;)

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Summer Challenge starts today!

I can't believe it's June already! This year is absolutely flying by. It's almost been 7 whole months since I fainted and broke my jaw. Anyway, June 1st means it's the first day of my Summer Challenge. I've added a separate blog page to keep track of my goals in one easy-to-see spot.

You might also notice that my blog is actually now www.runsforcookies.com. I have no idea what possessed me to buy the domain yesterday, but I did. And I added an e-mail address, if you'd like to contact me. So, about the challenge...

First things first:  I weighed in today at 146. Which, believe it or not, is actually down 5 pounds from last Wednesday. More on this later.*

I also logged 3.25 miles today. I did a dreadmill workout that was 5 minutes walking and 30 minutes running. The running segment was only at 6.0 mph, but the incline went from 2-4%, which made it hard. I'm really sore today because I did Jillian Michaels' Ripped in 30 DVD yesterday.

I'd like to start doing strength training, and I've heard good things about her DVD's, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I liked that it was short and to the point, and definitely challenging. I had to modify the push-ups, because I cannot do more than a couple of Army push-ups. Hopefully by the end of the summer I'll be doing them by the dozen!

The weekly goal I set for myself is to count calories (and stay within the guidelines) at least 6 days this week. Friday, I have a bachelorette party, and I don't even want to pretend that I'm going to keep track of calories for that.

So that sums up Day 1 of the Summer Challenge goals. I took Eli to the beach today. We met my friend Andrea and her two kids there. The kids had a blast, but it was SUPER windy. We saw a woman walking on the beach in her BRA... and it wasn't even passable as a bikini top! It was purple LACE.

Tonight I have to go try on bridesmaids dresses with my friend Sarah. I think I mentioned that I'm the matron of honor in her wedding this October. She lives in Arizona, and she's home for a couple of weeks for her wedding shower and bachelorette party, and to pick out dresses. I'm kind of dreading it. I have no clue what size dress I'll need. I'm guessing a 6, but who the hell knows what size I'll be in October?! Hopefully I'll be back into a 4, but I could very well be an 8 or a 10. I'm going to wait as long as possible to order the dress.

Speaking of dresses, I put on the size 4 dress that is hanging in my closet unworn and I was able to zip it again! I think it still looks too tight to wear in public, but I'm glad that I was able to zip it with ease. Maybe 5 more pounds and I can wear it. I'm dying to get back in the 130's. Vacation shot me into the 140's and I haven't seen the 130's since!  I tried on all my jeans a couple of days ago and separated them into two piles--ones that fit and I can wear in public, and ones that don't (my "muffin top" jeans).

On the left: muffin top jeans. On the right: jeans I can wear now.
ALL are size 3/4, and ALL are different brands.

*Oh, about the 5 pound weight loss. Buying that size 6 dress for the wedding was SO helpful in getting me back on track. Not because I was ashamed of buying a 6, but because it gave me so much RELIEF to actually ADMIT that I had gained weight and was a 6.

I've mentioned before that I feel so much pressure to keep this weight off because of the recognition that Sparkpeople has given me. I get a lot of e-mails from people saying that I inspire them, and it's so hard to read because I don't feel worthy of it. Admitting the gain, buying the size 6 dress, and blogging about it really helped me to relieve the pressure... which somehow made it easier for me to get back on track.

I've been counting calories for 10 days now, which is the longest streak I've had since I broke my jaw! I feel back to my old self, 100% focused and determined to reach goal. I don't feel the pressure to get back to goal right this second.

Do any of you have specific goals for the summer? Do you find it harder to eat healthy and exercise in the summer or easier?

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Memorial Day Run Happy 8k--2011

While I was in Indy earlier this month running my first half-marathon, my friend Jessica suggested that we run an 8k race on Memorial Day. When I got home, I registered for it.

Since running the half, the furthest I've run has been 3 miles. Today's run was 4.97 miles (8 kilometers). I was nervous, because I didn't really feel "ready" for it. Which sounds dumb, because I JUST ran a half marathon 3 weeks ago, but I haven't done much as far as training since then.

Last night, I was really regretting signing up for this race, but I already paid for it and I already got my race shirt--which I wouldn't feel entitled to wear if I didn't actually run the race! They gave us sweatshirts, which I think is awesome! I won't be wearing it any time soon though--it was 80 degrees and super muggy today.

Like the night before ANY race, I slept like shit. I was tossing and turning and when I did get some sleep, I was dreaming about all the things that could go wrong during the race. I don't know why I get so nervous... it's just running!

I finally got out of bed at 5:30, although I didn't have to leave until at least 7:30. I had all of my race stuff ready to go...

Running gear, ready to go

I stepped waaaay out of my comfort zone and decided to wear a tank top. I have NEVER in my life worn a tank top--seriously! I was super self-conscious of my arms when I was fat, and I'm super self-conscious of my arms now that they are very saggy from the weight loss (more on this later...) 

Jerry and my kids decided to actually go along with me and cheer me on at this race! A couple of my friends were going as well, so I just told them I'd meet them there and I rode with my family. When we got there, Jessica (my friend) was pulling in right behind us. We were a little early, so we watched the kids do the "fun run" which was 1-mile. I really tried to get my kids to do it, but they didn't want to (too shy).

We took a pre-race photo:

Me, Jessica, Tammy, and (I think) Trena (I just met Trena at the race)

Notice my lovely farmer's tan?  That's pretty much permanent. I've been wearing t-shirts for so long that I have a permanent tan line from them. We waited around until it was time to start the race. Tammy and Trena did the 5k at 9:00 and Jessica and I did the 8k, which started at 9:10.

Jessica and I stood at the start line together, but didn't plan on running together.  My only real expectation of this race was that I would finish. Lately, my pace has been terrible and I didn't feel ready for this, so I just wanted to finish.

Finally, the horn sounded, and we were off. The beginning annoyed me because everyone seemed like they were going so SLOW and I wanted to get around them... but there were a lot of people in groups and pairs, and the course wasn't very wide.

It wasn't feeling "easy" by any means--my lungs definitely were working hard--but I wanted to get comfortable with some space around me. The first mile was nice because it was right along Lake Erie. I saw a bunch of boats in the water and the marina. After about a mile, I was SO HOT. I hate running in the heat, and it was 80 and really humid today.

Normally, I don't need water during a run unless I'm going more than 10 miles or so. Well, at about mile 1.5, there was a water station, and I definitely needed it. I choked on the water because I was breathing so hard. I realized I had been running at an 8:30/mi pace, which I haven't done in a long time.

I decided to try and keep my pace under 9:00/mi for the whole race.  I was SO HOT though, and I was seriously looking for any of the 5k signs so that I could take a short cut and finish the 5k instead of the 8k--but they were two totally separate routes, so that wasn't an option ;)

We ran through a nice neighborhood, and I don't remember much about miles 2 and 3. During mile 4, we had to go on a trail through the woods. Well, the trail was ALL MUD due to all the rain we've had this Spring. I had horrible flashbacks of The Warrior Dash I did last year.  I couldn't run in it because I was sliding all over the place, so I basically had to tip-toe/hop my way through 1/3 of a mile of mud--which completely screwed any chance I had of keeping pace. My pace had shot down to 9:22/mile after that, so I decided just to run "comfortably".

Well, it is NOT comfortable to run in 80-degree weather with the sun beating down on you! The last mile was like torture. I was pouring sweat and I just wanted it to be over. The last stretch was on a high school track. When I got on the track, I saw Jerry and my kids waving to me. I waved to them as I ran by, and I finished in 47:23. (Average of 9:33/mi).

Just yards from the finish line

Jerry took this photo as I ran by him

Afterward, I was soooo thirsty. I gulped down some water and ate a banana. The kids wanted to leave right away, so that's what we did. All-in-all, I'm glad I did the race. I read on someone's blog recently (I can't remember who--tell me if it sounds familiar!) that she "has never regretted a run". That's awesome! I've certainly never regretted a run (well, except maybe The Warrior Dash, lol).

Me with my kiddos--Noah and Eli

I always take a pic of my Garmin after a race... dunno why!

***Now, I mentioned way up above that I'm super self-conscious of my upper arm flab. You can't really see how bad it is in any of these pictures--and I always cover my arms with shirts or shrugs or whatever. It's no secret that I have saggy skin after losing 125 pounds--I've mentioned it numerous times.

But a lot of people write me and say that I don't look like I have any saggy skin, that I look thin and that I look like I never used to be fat. I've always been too embarrassed to post a picture of my saggy skin (because who wants to look at THAT?!) but to keep my blog honest, I think I may post a picture.

But I don't want to taint this race report with a picture like that--because I want this post to be HAPPY in honor of the Run Happy race I just did :)  But I may make a post about it tomorrow, and show you that my skin is NOT in good shape.  Maybe I'll get REALLY daring and show you my thighs, too!  lol***

Our sweatshirts. And me, sans make-up, with pajama bottoms on:

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Cheesecake? Really?

I feel like the only person in the world who doesn't like Greek yogurt. I don't like ANY yogurt really--even the super sugary stuff. Wait, I take that back. I do love frozen yogurt!

But that doesn't count as "real" yogurt. So anyway, Greek yogurt... everyone talks about it like it's so special, but it's really just yogurt that is drained of liquid to make it thick. And the only reason the protein is higher is because it's concentrated.

When I tell people I don't like yogurt, they almost always ask, "But have you tried GREEK yogurt?!"  Yes. Yes, I have. Many different times, many different brands. And I don't like it.

Strawberries and yogurt with graham cracker crumbs. Nope!

I really WANT to like yogurt--because it's healthy, and, well, because everyone else is eating it. About once a month, I get in a mood where I am completely determined to eat yogurt and enjoy it. I despise the taste of artificial sweeteners, so that eliminates a lot of the low-fat yogurts. 

The calorie content of the high fat yogurts are just too much for me. So that means I usually end up buying plain non-fat yogurt and sweetening it myself. Dannon plain yogurt has the least amount of ingredients of any brand I've seen, so that pleases me.

But anyway, you're probably saying, "But I thought this entry was going to be about CHEESECAKE! WTF Katie?!"

So today I bought some Greek yogurt in the hopes that my tastes have changed in the past three weeks or so. Looked up some ideas online for making it taste good. One message board caught my attention by saying that they made it taste like cheesecake.

She mixed some cheesecake pudding mix into the yogurt, which made it super thick and "taste like cheesecake".  Sounded good to me! I mixed it together and took a little lick. Gross. Maybe I didn't stir enough. Nope, still gross. Added some chocolate chips. Nope, just not doing it for me. As a last resort, I added a packet of True Lemon to make a lemon-cheesecake flavor... and still, just wasn't into it.

I don't think I'll EVER hop on the yogurt bandwagon. There are very few foods that I really don't like, and yogurt just happens to be one of them. The rest (in no particular order):

Sodapop (any and all)
Couscous (which is strange, because couscous is just tiny pasta--but I think it has a funky taste)
American cheese
Salad (once in a blue moon I go through a craving-salad phase, but it's usually a short phase)
Sushi

That's all I can think of--and that took me a LONG time to come up with that short list! What are some of YOUR most disliked foods?

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A Summer Challenge

I need to set some goals. When I was consistently losing weight each week for over a year, I was working toward specific goals--improve my 5k time, have a no-sugar-added day each week, fit into size ___ jeans, etc.

I set a goal to run the Indy half-marathon 100+ lbs lighter than when I walked it in 2009... and I did it!!!

I think that's one of the things that really kept me motivated. When I met all my goals, I guess I just lost my focus. And now that I ran my first half marathon, I don't really have any goals left. So, I've decided to remedy that by challenging myself this summer to specific goals.

I'm going to be running an 8k race this Monday, but after that, I have no races lined up. And I think I'd like to keep it that way until the fall at least. Running in the dead heat of summer sucks. I'm not going to quit running, however.

I was checking out some of the dreadmill workouts and I did one yesterday and one today--and they totally kicked my ass! It included walking at the beginning and end of the workout, but the incline was high, and that made it HARD. So I think during the summer, I'll do a lot of dreadmill workouts and occasionally, on a nice day, run outside. My kids will be home with me all summer, so it's not like I can run outside whenever I feel like it.

Also, after much deliberation with myself, I have decided to revise my goal weight.  I had set a goal of 126 because it was HALF of my starting weight of 253... but I looked and felt really good in the low 130's, and I am going to make my goal 133 (for an even 120 pounds lost).

All of my size 4 jeans were very comfy at that weight, and I was happy with how I looked. I think I will always strive to get to 126 just for one day to say that I lost exactly half of myself, but I am desperate to reach my goal weight and say that I'm honestly in maintenance mode.

And speaking of all this half my size revision, I would like to rename my blog. I feel like a phony calling it "Half My Size", because I never actually reached that point--I was 2 pounds away! Any suggestions for a new title?

I was thinking "Running for Cookies" because that pretty much sums up my entire weight loss experience :)  Someone already has the "runningforcookies.blogspot.com" domain, but I can keep my domain as is "theycallmeslimkatie.blogspot.com". I've used Slim Katie as my user name for a looong time for anything weight loss related. I just want a different title for my blog. Now that I wrote it out, I really like Running for Cookies.  *edit* Okay, I renamed it Runs for Cookies. The domain is available, but it'd be a pain in the ass to change that, so for now, it'll remain the same.

ANYWAYS, the whole point of this post was to make some summer goals. So here goes:

• Log 270 miles over the 92-day period (June 1-Aug 31). That's roughly 3 miles per day. I can do this by walking, running, biking, whatever the hell I please. Dreadmill or outdoors or gym. 
• Stay sugar-free every Tuesday. I don't know why I chose Tuesday. It just seems like a nice day to have NO SUGAR ADDED to anything--including honey, maple syrup, etc.
• Weigh-in and POST MY WEIGH-IN every single Wednesday, like I used to. No matter what.
• Set a weekly goal every Wednesday when I post my weigh-in. Just something to challenge my willpower or my mind--like eating vegan for a week, trying a new recipe every night for a week, eliminate white flour for a week, etc.

Obviously, I'd like to track my food and all that jazz, but realistically? There are going to be days that I don't do it. So I'm not setting super specific food goals. I just need to practice some self-discipline until it becomes habit again.  Today, by the way, is Day 4 of calorie counting. I haven't gone over my calories at all--and definitely no binges.

Since losing weight is as much mental as it is physical, setting goals helps keep you motivated! What are some of YOUR goals?

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Things to Do With Powdered Peanut Butter

On my last entry, Anne (not sure who you are, but thanks for reading!) left me a note suggesting that I write about my uses for PB2. PB2 is a brand of peanut flour that you can reconstitute to be like peanut butter. I have no idea why I didn't think to do this before, because it is definitely a frequently asked question!

Ever since I discovered PB2 (I believe in 2007), I've been hooked on it. I talk about it all the time and use it frequently. (Let me also say that I am in no way affiliated with Bell Plantation, nor did they even send me any for free to review or pay me in any way. I just ordered some after reading about it on a message board, loved it, and now I always rave about it.)

You can find the brand PB2 by Bell Plantation on Amazon; but they also have it it most grocery stores now and there are several different brands. I believe PB2 is the original.

Yes, I really do order this much at once!

However, when it finally arrives on your doorstep, it can be intimidating. What the hell do you do with it?! Here are some of my favorite uses.

Feel free to leave a comment with your own uses for PB2, because I'm always looking for more ideas.)

   Mash a banana and stir in 2 Tbsp. of PB2 for a pudding-like snack.

   Combine 2 Tbsp. of PB2 with 2 tsp. honey and enough water to make a paste-like consistency, and then spread it on crackers, graham crackers, fruit, English muffin, etc. Or add oats and roll into "dough" balls.

PB2 and honey spread on a 2-Minute Oat Bar

   Combine 2 Tbsp. of PB2 + 1 Tbsp. Lite Hershey's Syrup + enough water to make the consistency you like. Use it as an ice cream topping. I like to top a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich with this concoction and microwave for about 10 seconds for a really gooey chocolate-peanut-buttery dessert.

   For a decadent oatmeal, cook your oats the way you normally would, then add 2 Tbsp. PB2 + 1 Tbsp. of brownie mix (just the powder... I like the No Pudge! Brownie mix). You could use 1 Tbsp. of chocolate chips instead of the brownie mix.

   Stir together 1 chocolate pudding cup + 2 Tbsp. of PB2 for a chocolate peanut butter pudding. To make it more voluminous and mousse-like, add 1/4 cup of fat free Cool Whip.

   Cook a serving of oats and add a mashed banana and 2 Tbsp. of PB2.

Oatmeal with PB2, flaxseed, and walnuts   

 

   Combine 2 Tbsp. of No Pudge! Brownie mix + 1 Tbsp. PB2 + 1 Tbsp. applesauce + enough water to make a brownie batter consistency. Microwave for about 20-30 seconds, enough to make a gooey brownie.

   Combine 2 Tbsp. PB2 + 1/3 cup Cool Whip until smooth. Slice a chocolate Vitatop muffin in half and spread the PB2 mixture on one half. Then top with the other half for an "ice cream" sandwich. Or just pile the fluffy stuff on top and skip the sandwiching.

   Peel a banana and put it in the freezer. When it's completely frozen, put it in a small food processor with 1 Tbsp. PB2 and process until it's completely smooth--it'll be like banana/pb soft serve ice cream.

   Make a single serve no-bake cookie! Combine the following in a small bowl:

1 Tbsp. PB2
1 Tbsp. No Pudge! Brownie mix
scant 1 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. quick-cooking oats

Form into a cookie shape and put on wax paper. Refrigerate 1-2 hours. (Or just eat the goopy mess right away!)

Single-serve no-bake cookie

   Add PB2 to smoothies and protein shakes. I like a chocolate protein shake with a frozen banana and PB2.

   Add it to any baked goods--brownies, cookies, etc. You might have to add some liquid to balance it out. I'm a terrible baker, so I can't help with that! ;)

   Add just a touch of PB2 to hot chocolate (maybe 1 tsp). Don't add too much because the texture gets weird.

   Reconstitute the PB2 with jam, and use it as a spread for bread, crackers, pretzels, etc. Shown below is the PB2 with chocolate spread on an oat patty.

Some tips to consider when using PB2:

   Don't be afraid to experiment!! Use your imagination.

   Think of all the liquids you have in your kitchen, and try reconstituting the PB2 with any of those.

   If you're not crazy about the texture of PB2, try mixing it with regular peanut butter for a while until you get used to it.

   Keep in mind that the PB2 has salt in it, so you might want to take it easy on the salt of other ingredients.

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