I Heart...

this collage! And all the things in it! I had soooo much fun making it.... I hope to do it again sometime. :) You know, I find so many things on the Internet that I find inspiring- crafts, people, quotes- and I always have hoped that someday I could be that inspiring. Tonight, however, I inspired myself to make this collage....and I'm inspired by looking at it. So, maybe then, the noble quest may not to inspire others to do great things, but maybe it's to inspire yourself to do great things. That in turn, might inspire someone, but even if it doesn't, you have changed yourself. 

Whoa. On that deep, thoughtful note, I'm going to bed. :)

Gettin Back in the Groove

First of all, Happy Father's Day to my family! I don't have a father, but I do have a pretty amazing family that is uber supportive and always there for me no matter what. I feel so blessed to have them in my life and don't know what I would do without them! :) Love ya all! <3

I just finished the most amazing workout! I was pretty bored this evening. I have so much stuff to do, but I didn't want to do any of it (imagine that! lol) I went to the mall first, but they were closed, so I went to Hastings next. I read a magazine, but I wasn't really feeling it, so I came home. I decided to work out, and I am sooo glad I did, because it was exactly what I needed! :) I had fun coming up with a workout plan beforehand (it took me all of 2 minutes). I drew on my high school gym class for inspiration. This is what I did:

Walk 1 minute @ 2.5 mph
Walk 1 minute @ 3 mph
Walk 1 minute @ 3.5 mph
Run 1 minute @ 4.5 mph
Run 1 minute @ 5 mph
     20 Squats
Run 1 minute @ 5 mph

     20 Pushups

Run 1 minute @ 5 mph

     20 Lying hip raises (each side inner & outer thighs)

Run 1 minute @ 6 mph

     20 Bicep curl and presses

Run 1 minute @ 5 mph

     20 Calf raises

Run 1 minute @ 5 mph

     20 Side arm raises

Run 1 minute @ 5 mph

     20 Bridges

Run 1 minute @ 5 mph

     20 Front arm raises

Run 1 minute @ 5 mph

     20 Flutter kicks (lying on stomach)

Run 1 minute @ 5 mph

     20 Triceps extensions

Walk for 5 minutes @ 3.5 then 3.0

I sweat buckets and now I feel amazing! I drank a whole bottle of water during this workout, which I usually only do during Zumba! :) I had so much energy afterwards that I cleaned up the kitchen and did some dishes...which, if you know me, is a big deal cuz I HATE doing dishes! :D

I have been listening to this album for the past week and a half straight:

Good stuff! Check it out! :)

I am pretty excited for tomorrow. I asked a friend to teach me how to swim (properly, that is). I know enough to get by, but since I want to do kayaking now, I think I need to know more than that. We are going at 6 in the morning (if I can wake up....lol) I'm not a morning person so much. I'm better than I used to be though! :) Then, tomorrow after clinicals is Zumba if I feel up to it. I think I will because exercising gives me so much energy, but we'll see. I am off to drink some dandelion tea (a great detoxer, btw, if you can get past the taste) and go to bed! Happy Sunday Night! :)

Time Flies

Wow! I can't believe summer is almost half over! It hasn't even started feeling like summer yet...I think the highest temp lately has been 62 degrees F! Anyways, there's a lot I have to say, so bear with me. First of all, it was my one year anniversary of completely changing my diet (and my life) on June 7th. I plan on writing a little more about that later.

I bought new running shoes! My one and only pair I've ever had (for that specific reason) I bought in 2006, so I thought it might be time for a new pair. The old ones didn't fit so well and kind of hurt my feet, so I went and got a foot analysis at a running shop and had help picking my shoes out. I think it's kind of a fun, symbolic way of ushering in my new year. :) I ran a lot when I first got my treadmill a couple of months ago, but got out of it during finals. It is hard starting over, but one good thing I can say about myself is, I am good at beginning again.

I also got on the dean's list for the second semester of my program....that's two in a row, baby! :)

Aaaaand I had a moment today. It was during Zumba, which I haven't been to in a couple of weeks or so. Anyways, we were dancing during a song and I looked at myself in the mirror and was like "Dang, I look good." I don't have moments like that, so that was pretty amazing! Usually, I am like "I look good for (blank) pounds" or "I look good compared to what I used to look like." Actually, most of the time I look in the mirror and say "I will look good when my stomach/butt/thighs/hips/arms are smaller." Anyways, I am proud of myself for that and wanted to share! :)

Hope y'all are having a great Saturday! :)

Yep, I'm Still Here

Eeek! It's been so long since I've posted anything of substance! School kind of does that to me. :) Let's see, what have I been up to? I've finished my first year of radiology tech school (YAY!) and I've started my summer semester of clinicals. I took a kayaking class! It's was a BLASTY-blast! I'm in lurve! :) I don't have a kayak, but I do plan on using my newly acquired skillz several times this summer, even if it's mostly at the pool. :) I rode my mom's bike to work a couple of times (5.62 miles one way), but it's been rainy and cold since then, so I haven't done it any more times than that. I got my own bike! Totally stoked about that! AND I have my own treadmill now! Woohoo! I used it several times when I first got it, but exercising kind of fell by the wayside during finals. I DEF need to pick it back up tho.

Anywayz....enuff about me! Let's get on to even more exciting stuff: OATMEAL! Yep, I just said oatmeal. LOL I have never been a fan of oatmeal, well, any breakfast food for that matter. I would rather eat dinner for breakfast. I do make a point to eat breakfast now, because skipping meals slows your metabolism, but that doesn't mean I like it. ;) I think that's why my "regular" breakfast changes so often. It used to be smoothies, then it was brown rice cereal & almond milk, then leftovers, and now it's oatmeal. But not just any oatmeal. Almond butter chocolate oatmeal. Let the breakfast feasting begin!

ABC Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2 handfuls oatmeal
1-2 Tbsp. chocolate chips
Splash of almond milk
1 Tbsp. almond butter

Directions:

Put the first three ingredients in a glass bowl. Mix. Put the last ingredient on top & microwave for 1 minute. Stir thoroughly and enjoy!

After Microwaving

After stirring...look at that deliciousness! :)

Note: I don't use too much almond milk because I like my oatmeal chewy. Feel free to add more as desired. And a little chocolate goes a LOOONG way. Beware! :)

I am so excited for this summer!!! (If it ever gets here...LOL) There's so many things I want to do and try and it's just so exciting! Hopefully I get to do some of it so that I can write about it here. :) And I'll leave you with a randomness for the day: Yesterday was my first time mowing the lawn with gloves on. Yep, it was THAT cold and rainy! :)

Soooo...

Most of today was not so awesome. For some reason, people have been making more and more comments that have been hurting my feelings. When I first started the program, most things just rolled off my back, but the more I hear things, the more they have been sticking to me and weighing me down. This is pretty much the story of my life. People like to pick other people apart. I really don't understand, especially since I am the type of person that loves to help other people and take care of other people. But you know what? I've decided I've just gotta love me and be myself. . So I laugh. Sue me. So I care too much. Again, sue me. So I eat a healthier diet than most people? Sorry, I'm NOT gonna change that so that you can feel better about yourself! So I make mistakes because I'm a student and I don't know everything? You know, you were in my spot once too. I can't please everyone all the time, but I can strive to be the person that I am proud of. Angela @ Oh She Glows blogged about self-love today too. You can read about it HERE. I find her blog very helpful about that sort of thing, and it definitely reaffirms what I know I have to do for myself. :)

Anyways, that was just part of the day. Tonight I went to Pilates and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought that I would just drop the class and go to Zumba on Mondays instead, but it ended up being really challenging and really relaxing at the same time. I definitely think it is going to be great for toning and strengthening! The best part, though, with all the deep breaths I was taking, I totally forgot about the first part of the day! I didn't realize it until later, but it definitely improved my mood! Bonus! :)

I also have to share a couple of victories that happened on Saturday. The first is that instead of regular Zumba, we had a 2-hour Zumbathon. I was a little worried about whether I would be able to make it all the way through, but I decided to go, and if I needed to, I would let myself sit out a song or 2. Well, I ended up not needing that out! I danced the whole time! Actually, during a couple of songs, I almost burst into tears because I couldn't believe how good I am doing! Remembering where I was at last June, and seeing where I am now, I have to pinch myself sometimes. I definitely have made some good changes and am seeing good results. Plus, it raised about $1000 for the American Heart Association, so it definitely made me feel like I was doing something for the greater good as well as my own. The other thing that happened was that I went shopping with some of my friends at PacSun in the mall and....drumroll please....I actually fit into a couple of shirts that I tried on! Crazyness! I got goosebumps when I tried them on! :) I may not look like I'm changing much week by week, but overall, there is a big difference. And from now on, I am going to focus on myself and what I can be doing to be the person that I want to be and not worry about all the garbage around me. Cuz I can't change all that....I can only change me. :) 

Also, no one commented on my giveaway post, so I guess no one was interested. Bummer. :(

Today Was a Good Day...

...not because it was perfect, by any means! In fact, some things made me feel downright awful! I was kind of upset this afternoon. But then I came home and decided to have a good time and get a little more organized for this week. I cooked a delicious, nourishing soup for tonight and the rest of this week's lunches. Then I made portion sizes of my snacks for the rest of the week while dancing in the kitchen to Storyhill. Which, by the way, is my new music crush. :) My sister and brother-in-law played their songs over and over during Christmas because their babies like it. And I loved it! I couldn't get enough. Their songs are the perfect chill out and relax songs. So, even though part of my day was not so good, I decided today was a great day because of this relaxing, productive evening. :)

P.S. I signed up to take a Zumba class today! It was free through my college, since I am a full-time student. It's one day a week for a couple of months. I was a little worried about it, since grace is NOT my middle name, but I think I am just going to have fun with it. Tomorrow I think I am going to sign up for Pilates too. I'm pretty stoked!

P.P.S. I drank almost all of my daily requirements of water today! That hardly happens, so it was quite an accomplishment! :D

Randomness

1. School and clinicals started today. Goodbye, free time...and hello, stress! ;)

2. My mom made the most amazing Italian pasta salad for me yesterday. Recipe to come...stay posted! She also made pumpkin cookies just for me! How awesome is that?!

3. I managed to drink a whole bottle of plain water today, thanks to this:

I got a pink Bobble at Whole Foods in WA, because I've been wanting one ever since I heard about them when they came out. THEN, come to find out, they're on sale @ Target for HALF what I paid for it in WA! Oh well. It's beautiful, and makes water delicious, and it's BPA-free. Also, it's great for the planet if you're one of those people that still buys water in bottles and throws them away. 

4. I got a letter in the mail saying I made the dean's list this semester. :) Plus, the program director told me my grades were quite an accomplishment. :) Nice to have some praise once in a while. ;)

5. I get to see mah babies this weekend! (My nieces...for those of you that don't know...2 month old twins) :D Yay! AND it's a 3 day weekend! Thanks for having a birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr! :D

Anyways, that's all on my mind for now. I hope everyone is having a fantabulous week! :)

60 DAYS!!!

I was so busy yesterday, I didn't get a chance to post that it was my 60 day mark of eating a plant-based diet! Woohoo! :) I have never stuck to a "diet" that long, so I really feel this is a lifelong lifestyle change for me. :) I spent the day at the fair. It was kind of weird tho. Usually, I want to eat everything because it's the fair and it only comes once a year. This year, however, I researched my options ahead of time and picked the healthiest, out of the ordinary thing I could find, which was fried plantain chips. Yes, they were fried, BUT I made the healthiest choice under the circumstances. I also had 3 bottles of water, 1 lemonade, and a couple of sips of a smoothie. (It was made out of sugar water and raspberry pie filling. YUCKY!) I figured the best way to celebrate the day was to get one more day closer to being healthy and my goal weight. :)

I Heart...

1. Iced Passion Tea from Starbucks (unsweetened, of course...trying to stay away from sugar) Yum! It's fruity, a lil tart...perfect!

2. Mah new phone...well, I hope I love it more when I figure it all out. But for now, I love shiny new toys! :) And it takes great photos! :)

3. Falafel...I made it deconstructed, as suggested by Little House of Veggies. (She suggested it for kids, but what can I say? I may never grow up! ;)

4. Speaking of Little House of Veggies, I had a tech question and couldn't figure it out, so I emailed Morgan and she helped me right away! I love nice, helpful people! :)

5. Jicama...if you've never tried this veggie, DO IT! NOW! It's like the perfect veggie for dipping in, well, dips. lol Especially in hummus. It's crunchy, sweetish, and juicy! :)

6. Accomplishing new goals...such as knocking 2 minutes and 29 seconds off of my mile time! :)

7. Not giving up even though I haven't lost any weight this month...gonna keep trying. As B*Cakes (a new favorite blog) says, "Measure your success by how you feel, how you look, how your clothes fit, the changes you've made, the things you can do that you couldn't before. You KNOW when you are on plan and you are not. Just keep at it and the scale WILL catch up to you. But until it does- don't you feel better? Aren't your proud of yourself? Don't you look better?"

8. Having two people ask me for my coconut ice cream recipe...I feel like an ice cream master now! And I've only made it once! :D I will try to post the recipe soon so if anyone else wants it, I can just refer them to my blog.

9. Black beans...it's funny to me how I have a favorite bean now! Before, I was like, "Beans? Eh. I like refried beans, I guess." Then later, when I had all of my stomach problems, I abhorred beans. I avoided them like the plague! Anyways, I love black beans. They're so cute, and yummy, and perfect. :)

10. Mah birthday! So far, I've gotten a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, some antique table linens, some fabulous clothes, and the possibility of getting some Keen's...which I have been coveting for YEARS!!! Oh, and I found a $20 gift card to Starbucks and a $10 Walmart gift card in some of my stuff....what to buy, what to buy! ;)


11. Discovering new blogs and people not being weirded out that I'm reading their blogs...I'm feelin the love, peeps! :)

Peas and love, Sierra

Starting to feel more balanced...

I went to a potluck tonight with friends. Surprisingly, there were tons of veggies and fruit and even some corn chips and salsa! I loaded my plate up with broccoli, sugar snap peas, strawberries, my coleslaw, corn chips, and salsa and no one even took another glance at my plate! :)

I drank 100 oz. of water yesterday! I feel so good today! I drank 64 today. I definitely hope this is a habit that sticks. It does NOT feel good to be dehydrated!

I also worked out today! I got home after the potluck and realized that I only had an hour until the gym closed, so I rushed over there. I managed to eke out 10 minutes on the elliptical and 2 on the stairstepper. I was so sore and so weak by the end of it. I definitely need to kick it up a notch! My goal is to 4 times this week. I was inspired by looking at this pretty little lady's blog: http://rivertrekker.wordpress.com/ to ramp up my working out. I have always wanted to be a kayaker! But I have to work to get there. I'm realizing I don't need to get so overwhelmed about making so many changes: I just need to make a conscious choice when faced with a situation to make the healthier choice! :)

I started an online food journal to track how many calories I am getting, as well as protein. I didn't want to, but it seems that I either eat too much or too little. I want to fit in the happy medium until I can intuitively know how much I should be eating every day. Check it out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

In other news, my mom told me today that she is cutting out wheat to help curb her allergies and coughing. If that doesn't work, she is going to try milk next. I acted cool, but inside I was all "Yay!" I would like to think I had a small part in her decision. Maybe she sees what I'm doing and is like "If my crazy foodaholic daughter can cut things out of her diet, so can I." Plus, she sees it working in my life. I no longer have as many "seasonal" allergies as I used to...turns out most of them were caused by milk!

My life has felt so out of balance lately. One day I eat too much and don't exercise and the next I eat too little and don't. Today I felt myself returning to more of a happy medium. Here's to more days like this! :)

Meanieheads Among Other Things

I had a run-in today where someone basically told me that I had no right to try to help them with their health because I'm not healthy myself. Ha! That's what you think, Buster! I AM healthy and becoming more so. I may not look like it yet, but someday I will, and guess what! I will be the better person for it! This encounter DID hurt my feelings-yes, I did have to cry about it for a while. But you know, after a while of thinking about it, I decided the other person was right. I DON'T look like someone is healthy and to try to help someone who obviously doesn't even want to help themselves was overstepping my bounds. I need to just work on myself and SHOW people that being healthy is possible. If I can learn to love vegetables, anyone can! I do hope to help someone else someday, but it will be because THEY came up to ME and asked me what I have been doing to achieve such great health. And you know what? Before, I would have become a victim to this person's comments and eaten a whole bunch of unhealthy stuff. But guess what? I DIDN'T EAT A SINGLE THING! I realized the best way to "get back" at this person for their comments was to get healthy. And that means that I will be victorious, not for anyone but myself.

In other news, I went to the farmer's market today with my incredibly supportive aunt and it was so much fun! I got some kale, swiss chard, and cabbage. I'm not sure what I am going to do with all of it, but I hope to be coming up with more recipes and posting them up here soon. :)

Also, I realized my goal for this month has been to go to the gym or workout more often and I haven't gone once! And the month is a third over! I'm getting back on that one. I also need to drink more water...anyone have any strategies for forcing myself to drink more water?

I Heart...

I'm loving food, my life, trying new things, feeling lighter....the list could go on and on! So here are a few things that make my heart especially happy right now:

1. Early morning walks in the park

2. My supportive mom...she has tried everything I have made and has hardly eaten meat at home since I cut it out of my diet! :)

3. 'Music of Our Life' on 1310 KEIN

4. Simple easy food that tastes GOOD! like sweet potato chips, hummus, tomato soup, veggie sandwiches, and R.W. Knudson's Spritzers...

5. I can still eat CHOCOLATE!!! :D

6. Peace.....by being kind to myself and my body (and yes, the planet) life is so much more serene.

Peas and love, Sierra