The journey is the goal

I promised I would write a post last week all about my big plan. Only, I lied. I didn't have a big plan. Just the plan to make a plan. And it didn't happen. Then life happened: I got swamped at work. A tick bit me. I got sick. And you know what? It's no excuse. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is NO EXCUSE. Why? Because life always happens! And that's the thing of it all ... I've finally figured out where I went wrong. 

The journey is the goal. 

All this time, and by that I really mean ALL THIS TIME, I've been focused on this goal of getting to my healthy body weight and maintaining it. And that has been my mistake. All this time I've been dreaming about and obsessing over a number on the scale. That number meant success. That number has been my goal. Well, I hit that number and then lost it. I lost sight of what I'd worked so hard to achieve all because I was focused on the wrong thing.

The JOURNEY is the goal. 

Remember when it was about making lifestyle changes? Well, that was the right way to go about it - only I did it with the wrong goal in mind. Instead of that magic number on my magic scale, I should have been focusing on turning myself into someone who could maintain a healthy lifestyle moving forward. Not just when she wanted to lose weight, but always. Even when life happens. And I was there! During the big 50n50 push I worked out 5 days a week, at least. I walked more than ten miles a week, at least. I ate healthy foods 80 percent of the time, at least. And silly me, I didn't even know I was where I needed to be. I was in shape. I was fit. I was healthy. And I lost it.

The journey is the GOAL.

When life happens, you can't stop living and that's what I let happen. I let the stresses in my life take over and I lost sight of the life I want. I want a life where I can sign up for a 5k on a whim and go run it. I want a life where I fit into a size 6 and don't look like a stuffed sausage. I want a life where I don't need help opening a pickle jar.


So, here it is. My official goal. Get back in shape. Get fit again. Get healthy. Now, how do I do that? It's easy enough. Prioritize myself and my health back into my life. Work out because I love my body, not because I hate it. Make the act of working out be the goal. Every day. If I spend thirty minutes working out then I achieved my goal that day. Easy peasy! Seriously. As I do it each day, my body will change. I will get healthier, stronger, happier with myself. And in that is the goal. The journey to a healthy life involves a step every day. So I need to take a step. Every day. And that is what I mean when I say:

THE JOURNEY IS THE GOAL.

Again.

It's been almost 3 years since I stepped on that scale and saw myself in my target BMI range for the first time. And proudly, I kept all 50 pounds off for almost a year. Then life hit. I spent two months in the stressful Hell of studying for the Bar Exam and then 2 months of the worrying wait while my score was calculated. Add in time to find a job, start the job, get settled in a new community, breaking up with my boyfriend of 6 years, and learning to balance the demands of my career and BAM! I'm overweight again.

My clothes look awful. Nothing fits like it did. I see my face getting fuller again and I avoid mirrors. I am so angry with myself and I'm back on this blog in an effort to get things back under control. I blogged about this before, but clearly, I didn't stick with it.

For the record: MAINTENANCE IS HARD. Oh so very hard. I knew all along this entire thing had to be a life change. It wasn't about dieting. It was about learning to make the right choices. Life's stressers attacked. I thought I could handle them and thought I was prepared to weather a break up without gaining weight, but I handled it all wrong. I stopped counting calories because that's no way to live each day. I let some bad foods find their way back into my life ... Food took it's place again as comfort and reward. "I had a bad day, I deserve this glass (bottle) of wine," has been recited by me more times than I can count. And it has to stop. I have to stop. 

When I sat down to start blogging about this again, I mapped out a plan. After doing it for 60 weeks, I officially hate counting calories. I just can't bring myself to do it again. I mean, is that really a way to live? I don't think so. I know what is good to eat. I'm no dummy. I learned a lot when I lost those 50 pounds.

No, I'm going to try something a bit different. I'm going to focus on a different life change. I'm going to focus on adding activity to my life. It's been easy for me to say I'm too busy to work out and too broke to join a gym. But as the weather warms up, I've got no reason not to walk out side and move my ass. Yes, I'm still busy, but I need to prioritize myself over work anyway. I've actually been spending this year trying to focus on a work/life balance that has been seriously lacking. I'm doing better and as part of that focus, I'm adding my health to the picture!

But I'm adding another twist: This journey isn't going to be about the scale. Nope. It's going to be about MyGoalSize. I want back into the size 6 I was wearing when I graduated law school. I'm squeezing into 8s now, and if I'm being honest, should probably be wearing 10s, but can't bring myself to admit it.

It all starts Wednesday. I'm going to move my scale into the shed and ignore it. I'll blog about that soon. I'll track my progress by measuring myself every 2 weeks. Also, instead of counting the calories I consume, I'm going to start announcing the calories I burn. I'm going to blog about my activities. Finally, I'm going to focus on strength-building, both mental and physical. Also, I'm going to focus on drinking water. I know it's sounds simple, but I've blogged before about my issues with water and it seems it will be a life-long struggle.

I've tried to come up with a better acronym, but so far all I have is SWAM: Strength, Water, Activities, Measuring. Lame, but it's all I have so far. Totally open to suggestions!

So, here we go again ... See you Wednesday!!!

Lots going on!

I know it's been awhile since I posted, but I don't want you to think it's been awhile since I worked out or had a healthy meal, because it hasn't. A lot has been going on and that includes starting a new job, moving to a new town and making a big decision for my 30th birthday.

First, I started a new job a month ago. I'm officially a working attorney! This meant moving to a new town and starting a new routine. And I hope you're proud of me because it was my third day on the job that found me walking into a community gym and signing up on the spot. I've been working out consistently 3-4 nights a week since then. Not all of my workouts have been in the gym itself, but that's not the point. The point is that I'm getting into good habits as I start my new life!

The sad part of my move to a new town is that I am not officially living here yet. Kevin and the kids are still back in Kansas City and I drive 120 miles every Monday morning for work, rent a room for the week nights and then drive back to KC each Friday afternoon. It's really made for a change in my food planning and I've shifted to cooking the week's meals every Sunday afternoon. I divide the meals up for me and Kevin and leave him with a list of his dinners to be enjoyed throughout the week. On my end, I barely have any extra foods for snacking in the evenings or during the day so it's really working out well for my waistline!

Over the past 4 weeks, I've lost about 5 pounds. Weekends are rough - we've been going out to dinner every Friday night and I find myself losing my willpower a bit when it comes to drinking and ice cream, but I've gotten better over the past couple of weeks as a routine has developed.

And finally my last biggie: I've decided to participate in a marathon on my 30th birthday! It's in 7 months so I'm slowly getting my body ready for the training process. The intensity will increase in a couple of months, so my focus now is to get my foundation ready by consistently working out 3-4 times a week. I'm really excited about it because this is one of my life's goals and I want to do something that marks the big 3-0 in a positive way!

Here we go again!

I coasted through spring, coming up with a million excuses about why I was letting myself get away with NOT doing what I knew needed to be done. And I'm still 12 pounds overweight.

ENOUGH! (That's what I tell Sadie to get her to stop barking.)

I know what needs to be done and I've started doing it.

1) I'm signed up for a 5k on July 8 - I don't think I'll be running the entire thing, but darn it, I'm not going to make a fool of myself!

2) I'm back to calorie counting - between 1300 five days a week and 1500 two days a week. I know this is what I've needed to do all along, but I've been whiny and lazy. Lame.

3) I'm making good physical decisions again. Yesterday, I wanted ice cream, so we walked the 2.5 miles to get it. Today, I needed to return a movie and get some agave syrup so I walked the 2.5 miles to do it.

It's not rocket science, but man, once you get out of the good habits, it is HARD to get back in them. And working in Corporate America does NOT help. Do you know how many donuts pass my face in a month? It's ridiculous. But last week, I found myself saying "NO." Practically out loud even. I don't even like plain donuts that much! Definitely not more than I liked Healthy Natalie!

I weighed in this morning at 157.8 pounds. My goal is 135. There, I said it. It's out there and I need y'all to HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE! If you don't read a post from 50n50 next Wednesday, call me out on it!

 In 22 weeks - by Nov. 7, 2012 - I want to be at my new goal weight. And if the first ten pounds comes off at 2 pounds a week, you won't hear me complaining!

Want to join me? Let's do it together! I'll give you contributor powers and let you do this. I'll hold you accountable, too, if that's what you want. It's easier with friends so I would LOVE it if some of you decided to become a Lady in Weighting with me!

Here we go again, friends!

Dorito Taco Reviewo

I know, you've been dying to know what I thought of the amazing-sounding awesomeness Taco Bell has most-recently brought to usin the form of the Doritos Locos Tacos. Well ...

I LOVED IT!

Seriously, super tasty! My only criticism is that the bottom gets soggy. Obviously they know this because it comes with a thin cardboard wrapper thing announcing the awesomeness in your hand. Basically, the Dorito shell is thinner than a usual shell so the grease (ew) from the meat soaks through pretty fast. The second taco (yes, I had two ... so?) had to be eaten fast to lessen the affects of thin-shell, high-grease. Next time, I'm going to try one with beans instead of meat and fresca style. That will help on calories, too.

Yesterday, I reported the Dorito Taco came in at 200 calories each, but I was wrong. That's for the supreme variety (meaning with sour cream), not the regular. Lucky for us all, the regular taco comes in at 170. So, two tacos for a meal is a mere 340 calories - which is pretty darn AWESOME. It only gets better if you go for fresca.

And yes, there was that lovely Dorito-dusted finger phenomena after. So. Freaking. Awesome.

I'm in (serious) trouble ...

Photo from TacoBell.com

Seriously, the moment I heard about it, I thought I was dreaming. I started salivating and I couldn't get it out of my mind. Kevin was just mentioning it to a neighbor. He had no idea how life-altering the news would be for me.

I quietly waited an hour, but then I couldn't stand it. I had to see if the rumors were true. AND THEY ARE.

Taco Bell is officially serving Doritos Locos Tacos.

I'm not going to lie - I was scared. My love of Doritos is hard to explain. When I was a girl hosting slumber parties three things had to be present: Oreos, Dr. Pepper and Doritos. Always Doritos. The Nacho Cheesier, the better! Why was I scared? Because I know me. I can't resist the draw of that taco treat. I'm pretty sure that will be lunch tomorrow since I just can't stop thinking about it. And my fear, understandably, came from the nutrition facts. I can't say no - I have to try it. I can already see the ten pounds I will gain because this amazing awesomeness is available down the street.

I bravely clicked on the link for the nutrition facts, tense and ready to be heartbroken. But the angels must be shining on my waistline ... The taco is ONLY 200 calories - for the supreme. And you can order it fresca style! Oh man, oh man, oh man. That might be worse for me, come to think of it.

Maybe it will taste awful and I will be spared. One can hope.

I'm back! And so is my belly

I know ... it's been awhile since I blogged. And if you can't tell by the lack of posts, you could tell by my waistline. Yikes!

So here's the not-so-skinny from the past three months. Basically, I finished law school and took the Bar exam. Written in one sentence like that it doesn't seem like much, but man was it intense! The last month of law school came with finals and the pressure to do better than ever. I'd like to say I studied my butt off, but that would only be figuratively true. Oh, I studied like crazy, but my butt didn't even almost come off. Then, when I finished my last final, I turned my attention to studying for the Bar Exam. The next two months were spent binging and cramming 3 years of law school and 15 million pounds of peanut M&Ms into my mouth.

And now it's over.

And I gained 13 pounds.

I had to buy new pants - a size up - and have lost all ab sucking-in muscles.  My muffin top is world class and if I stand just so, I look pregnant. I call it my Bar Baby. I've been joking about taking maternity pictures.

But tomorrow is a new day with a new adventure! I start a temp job in the corporate world of cubicles and fluorescent lighting. It's at the world headquarters of a really big corporation and comes with a few perks - like a gym!

For the next three months, I get to wait on my Bar exam results, work an 8-5 job and enjoy free time. There is a little college graduation ceremony in there (though I graduated in Dec. the ceremony isn't until May). You know what that means? I get to put the majority of my energy into getting back on track with my weight. I couldn't be more excited!

Goodbye, Bar Baby!

Recipe: Natalie's Thanksgiving Turkey and Rice

As promised ... the recipe I made for our Thanksgiving dinner!!! It was phenomenal, if I do say so myself. And I just did. So there.

Natalie's Turkey and Rice 

2 turkey legs
1 cup wild rice, uncooked
1/2 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1/4 cup apricots, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
water

Heat oven to 350.

Place turkey legs in 9x13 casserole and season as desired (sage, garlic powder, pepper, etc). Cover and bake 30 mins.

After 30 mins, remove turkey legs from oven. Place turkey legs on plate. Pour turkey "juice" (broth) into measuring cup. Add water until you get 1 1/2 cups. Add cream of mushroom soup and mix.

Pour rice into casserole dish and poor soup/broth/water on top. Sprinkle craisins and apricot across rice. Top with turkey legs (flipping them so the other side of the drumstick is up).

Bake another 45 mins or until turkey legs are done. Remove cover for last 15 minutes to give drumsticks a pretty brown glow.

Makes 4 servings. Perfect for a Thanksgiving dinner for two and leftovers for the next day!
Calories: 290; Fat: 10.1g; Protein: 18.1 g; Carbs: 33.1 g

No Fuss, Just Us Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is an interesting time when you are knee-deep in studying for final exams and 9 hours from your family (not to mention living on student loans). Basically, I don't have the time or money to go home. Two years ago, I hosted my boyfriend's family. Then last year we went to them for the holiday. (Search "Thanksgiving" on this blog for funny stories and low-calorie recipes!)

Past Thanksgivings have involved a lot of money, a lot of stress, and a lot of work. So, this year we have decided to stay home and have a Thanksgiving for two - "No Fuss, Just Us." We are even volunteering at a homeless shelter! And I couldn't be more excited.

In an effort to focus our Thanksgiving on simple things, Kevin and I are spending it with people who don't take it (or food!) for granted. Then, we are going home to have a lunch of turkey and ham sub sandwiches. After watching the Cowboys game, I'm going to throw a couple of turkey drumsticks in the oven and try to create my own version of a turkey and rice bake (If it's good, you know I'll post the recipe and pics!).

There are a few nods to the traditional Thanksgiving fare - the turkey subs made will be made with Hawaiian sweet rolls (my fave holiday bread) and I'm going to make my grandmother's macaroni and cheese and am excited about a sweet potato bread pudding I'm planning - but for the most part, it's going to be a day to relax and be thankful that we have each other.

And that's definitely a reason to give thanks!

Yo-yo is a no-no

Is this what it's like to be a yo-yo dieter? On again, off again, weight fluctuating by up to ten pounds, loving myself then hating myself. I mean like whoa. This is not a happy feeling!

You've followed me through this - and I hope you aren't super annoyed at me. But I'm human and I need help. I will NOT allow myself to go back to my old life. I WILL NOT!

Clearly, this is a mental thing. I gained back ten pounds ... and we all know how I feel about weighing more than 145. Sigh.

Somewhere over the past year, I lost my will power. I lost my drive and I lost everything except the desire to be a healthy weight.

Sure, I work out - but not consistently.

Sure, I count my calories - but not consistently.

Sure, I make healthy eating decisions - but not consistently.

Lately, it's been about sugar, chocolate, sugar, and ginger snaps. I KNOW BETTER!

And here's the annoying thing - I know that if I just get myself working out on a consistent basis, then I will be able to treat myself, even daily, with a reasonable serving of sugar, chocolate, or ginger snaps! But I just can't seem to get my butt in gear.

I've got plenty of excuses: no time thanks to school, worn out running shoes, early sunsets and late sunrises, too cold, bed is too comfortable, blah blah blah. If only I had a treadmill, if only I had more running pants, if only I had someone to hold me accountable. Are you kidding me? If only I would stop making excuses!!!

So, now that is out of my system ... I am ONCE AGAIN pledging to get myself back on track. I need a plan and I need accountability. So far, I've planned two 5ks for the upcoming weeks. I'm not in 5k shape, but who cares - that's just another excuse!

My trail running buddy (yes, I have one and yes, we meet just about every week!) have designed our own 5k route and are hosting the First Annual Plaza Lights 5k - it's untimed and doesn't involve t-shirts, but it does involve friends and the most-famous holiday lights in our area. It's going to be fun - even if it will be cold and really early.

Then, the next weekend will find me running another 5k dressed like Santa. See? I'm making this running thing fun! That's important, right?

And I'm scouring Craiglist for a treadmill ...

Reunion recap

I'm sure a couple of you are curious about how my reunion went ...

It was a blast! Everyone looked great and had big smiles on their faces. Only about a tenth of the class came, but it was great catching up with those who did and hearing about those who couldn't make it.

My fave part of the night was hearing a conversation that went kinda like this:

"Who is that?"

"That's Natalie H."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"No way!"

:-D

I definitely said goodbye to a couple of internal ghosts this weekend.  I mean, at one point, I had to pull up one of my old pictures to convince someone who I was/am!!! Talk about winning ...

10 years ago ...

Senior year - 2000

My ten-year high school reunion is this weekend and who would have thought - I'm actually super excited about it!

Sure, I'm going alone because the boyfriend has to work. And sure, I'm not married, have no offspring, and am (only technically) unemployed because I'm still in school, but I've lost 50 POUNDS since high school! Heck yeah I'm going to this reunion!

Maybe my history isn't that well-known to my blog readers, but in fifth grade I was dubbed "Fatalie" by a jerk and the name spread like wildfire. Luckily, the fire was put out before junior high started - but the damage was already done. My self-esteem received third degree burns and I still carry the scars.

Junior year - 1999

In fact, as I type this I hear those kids taunting me with phrases like "I can see your fat jiggle when you walk!" Man, kids are cruel.

I suffered from debilitating depression throughout my adolescent years and there were days when it was a struggle to get out of bed, much less go to school. But as I grew up, they got nicer and I became more comfortable with myself and my body, but I was never proud of it.

Another episode I remember occurred my senior year. In an act of bravery, I wore a short skirt to school. I remember it specifically because it was super cute and maroon and suede. (Yes, suede. Don't judge.) I was walking down the hall during class and a guy passed me and said "Mmm, I love me a thick woman."

I was mortified! Until it was explained to me that some men consider "thick" to be a compliment. Ok, so it was nice that a guy thought I was attractive, but once I processed this I was still not happy. The thing I hated most about myself is not what I wanted others to like.

Homecoming senior year 2000

By the time I graduated high school, I was convinced that I was meant to be a size 16 forever. I told myself that it was clearly the body I was meant to have and I better get used to it. And I tried. I figured the key to happiness was coming to terms with myself as I was. There were times when I almost came to terms with my body, but deep inside I couldn't ignore the taunting voices on the playground at Farine Elementary. Those voices were part of the motivation when I started on the 50n50 journey. I was sick of hearing them and wanted those 10-year-old jerks to stop calling me names every morning as I looked at myself in the mirror.

I'm glad I never learned to be satisfied with myself as I was because then I wouldn't be where I am today. And I am thrilled to be where I am today! I'm truly happy and truly healthy - physically AND mentally!

I can hardly wait to go to tonight's homecoming football game sporting those old school colors and greet my classmates. I hope life has been just as good for them as it has for me. I am excited to see how the past ten years have blessed them and treated them.

Okay, so maybe there is a little part of me that hopes the guy who dubbed me "Fatalie" shows up ... He had the nerve to try and Facebook-friend me ... and he was perfunctorily rejected. But for the most part, I'm just excited to put Fatalie to rest and let the new me take over for the next ten years!

@MeatlessMondays - a year later

This week marks my anniversary following the Meatless Monday movement!

All in all, it's been a neat endeavor that has greatly opened my palate. I can see a difference in my grocery bill and have often found myself going meatless on other days of the week just because I'm craving the dish.

My boyfriend has joined the movement too, much to my excitement. This semester has us apart on Monday nights and last week he grabbed his dinner at a fast food place. When I asked what he ordered - out of idle curiosity - and discovered it was vegetarian, it brought a huge smile to my face. It was proof that he believes in the movement too and isn't just doing it because someone else is cooking the food and giving it to him.

Here are some meals that have come into our world thanks to Meatless Monday:

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 cup refried black beans, with lime
1 tbsp olive oil
1 c onions
1 poblano pepper
1 whole roasted, peeled chile
2 sticks string cheese
4 multi-grain wraps

Baked sweet potato at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until soft
Let cool. While potatoes cool, saute onions and peppers in olive oil until onions are caramelized and soft.
Peel sweet potatoes and mix with refried black beans. 
Put sweet potato mix on wrap, add onion mix and top with string cheese. Roll wrap unto burrito, place on pan and heat in over for 15 minutes, or grill in panini maker (as pictured). 
Number of Servings: 4
295 calories, 13 g fiber, 18g protein

Pumpkin and Black Bean Chili

Pumpkin and Black Bean Chili

1 medium onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 c. fire roasted red peppers, chopped
4 c vegetable broth
4 c black beans, cooked and drained
1 can pumpkin, no salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp parsley

Saute onions and yellow pepper.
In crockpot combine all ingredients.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours, until heated throughout. Enjoy!
Makes 10 servings.

128 calories, 8 g fiber, 7 g protein

Grilled Eggplant

Grilled Eggplant
1 Eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
Spray with cooking spray, lightly salt and let sit while prepping the grill. Place on grill for 5-8 minutes each side until soft and amazing. Top with chopped peppers or your salsa of choice.

PB&J Grahamwiches
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1 Tsp jam/jelly
2 sheets graham cracker
Make like peanut better jelly sandwich. Tastes better after sitting a few hours because the jelly side gets a bit soggy and it melts in your mouth.

I've also learned a lot about eating out on Mondays and ways to avoid meat at restaurants. I particularly love sushi for Meatless Mondays, but when in a bind you might find me at Taco Bell because of their myriad of veggie-friendly dishes.

If I had to criticize the Meatless Monday movement about anything, I have two things to say.

First, the recipes offered on the official Meatless Monday site tend to be amazingly complicated and expensive. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if that turns people off when they first think about going meatless one day a week.

Second, they don't talk enough about ways to meet protein needs sans meat. Someone like me needs at least 60 grams of protein a day - even on days I go meatless. There are a lot of ways to do it, I just wish the Meatless Monday organizers would talk more about it. Sure, you can miss it one day a week and make up for your protein needs later, but doesn't that defeat the purpose? Also, if someone chooses to go meatless more than once a week they need to know how to do it safely.

Lunch today is mashed avocado with chopped peanuts spread on a tortilla and cooked quesadilla style. It's another fave lunch I've discovered thanks to Meatless Monday and writing about it has my mouth watering!

Click here to read my first post about this awesome movement! I don't celebrate the end of August as my anniversary date because I fumbled a bit at the start. But since Sept. 20, 2010, I've consistently NOT eaten meat on Mondays.

Happy trails to us

As mentioned previously, I am back in training with the Couch to 5k program. However, what I haven't lately mentioned is the break I took for the past two weeks - first because it was triple-digit hot everyday and then second to acclimate myself to my new semester routine. During that break, we all reveled as I discovered a fascination with trail running.

Here I am in the second week of classes and I'm working out my workout routine. Basically, my running days will be Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays for the next couple of months. Since Kevin and I are both home by 4 on Tuesdays we've dubbed it Trail Day. Thursdays are neighborhood jog days and Saturday depends on our schedule, but we're always shooting for a trail somewhere.

Today was our first Tuesday Trail Day ...

It was also the first official run I've attempted since Aug. 12. I planned on repeating the last week I completed (Week 3), but accidentally hit the start button for Week 4 and decided, what the heck and gave it a try.

Success!!!

All things were in my favor: the weather was beautiful, the trail was fairly empty, and I had lovely music on the phone. The running itself wasn't so bad either! In fact, it was almost enjoyable. I got a kick out of the random dog that would run across the trail - without an owner in site. Maybe that's how dogs are in the wild?

This week's run routine involves running for 3 minutes, walking 1.5 mins, running 5 minutes then walking 2.5 minutes and repeating for a total of 16 minutes spent running and 18 spent walking (including 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down).

I started dragging in the last 2.5 minutes of my final run, but out of the brush came Kevin and Chester as part of their run! They joined me for a bit, but then ran past because I'm a lot slower. Chester was cute, however. I could tell he was torn between staying with me and going with Kevin. In the end he went with the faster choice and I finished my run in blissful solitude.

Kevin and Chester headed my way :)

Seriously, I was alone the rest of the time and loved it. I had calm music in my headphones and just took it all as an active meditation. I didn't stress about how long or how far I was running. I just focused on sidestepping the next rock in my path.

While Kevin finished his run, I chilled my the water fountain and watched the dogs playing with each other. This park - about a 20-minute drive from my house is pretty fantastic. Kevin said he and Chester both had a blast and we're pretty excited to make this part of our weekly routine.

Finally, I CAN

One of the BIG things on my summer To Do list was to learn to can. It's been on my version of a bucket list for several years, but this year is about making things happen. I bought the necessary equipment in July and have made my first goody a couple of weeks ago.

Jalapeno-Spiked Cherry Preserves

All in all, I've made Vanilla-Infused Blueberry Jam, Jalapeno-Spiked Cherry Preserves, and Ginger-kissed Honeydew Drizzle. While these are all fun to have made, they aren't foods I normally eat. Instead, I'm saving them to give as Christmas gifts (and am more than half-way done with my shopping thanks to them!). But to be cost-effective, I need to use my canning stuff for REAL food, you know?

When I went to the farmer's market this morning for my weekly groceries, I had this hope that I could find a great deal on tomatoes and make (and can!) tomato sauce. It's practical, useful, and something I can benefit from this fall and winter. Imagine my joy when I managed to buy 12.5 pounds of tomatoes for $8! Add the that the cost of peppers, onions, spices, garlic and lemon and I spent a total of $13 on today's adventure.

I based everything on a recipe published in Taste of Home last year and republished online this week. Here is a link to the original recipe, but I made a few modifications. First, I cut the recipe in half. Then, I chose to omit the canola oil. I see no reason for it at all and my mother said she's never heard of a tomato sauce calling for oil. Then, after reading the comments at the bottom of the recipe, I decided no oil was a good thing - food-safety-wise. Generally, tomato sauces require a pressure canner. In fact, I was pretty surprised by this recipe. But since it was first published last year, I figure if anyone got sick from it the magazine wouldn't have included it in their weekly emails this week. My mother agreed with this as well. Finally, I used fresh basil from my garden rather than the dried stuff - because I could, duh.

At the end of the day, I'm thrilled to have made 4 quarts of spaghetti sauce. We ate one tonight (with leftovers ready for tomorrow's Meatless Monday lunch) and have three to store for winter!

All ingredients necessary ... purchased from local farmers market

Prepping tomatoes for blanching and peeling.

Boiled 60 seconds until the skin started separating from tomato.

Thrown into ice bath to stop the cooking.

Peel is super easy to remove!

All ingredients cut, chopped, diced, etc. Ready to simmer 4-5 hours.

Still simmering after 3 hours ... just one more to go. Time to get water bath ready for jars.

Sanitized jars are filled with 2T lemon juice and the super-yummy sauce.

Dropped into water bath - carefully - for 40 minutes.

All canned and ready to store (well, once they cool).

Bon appetit!

P.S. Tomato sauce is SUPER low-calorie and high fiber. I like to serve it on julienned zucchini mixed with noodles in order to lessen the carbohydrates and increase the flavor and veggie love.

Very filling AND healthy zucchini "pasta"

Successful trial run for trail running

Ok, so this is super duper exciting for me ... FINALLY, I have found a way to love running!

As you know, I've struggled with this. I want to love running, I really do. However, I don't. It's boring and each morning my run just feels like 30 minutes of torture that I endure so that I can feel proud of myself for said torturous endurance the rest of the day. Sure, I feel fantastic after my runs - but I feel miserable during them. Until yesterday.

Kevin and I joined a Meet Up group that goes hiking every other week. We drove about 45 minutes out of the city to a small state park and joined 24 others in a lovely four-mile hike. We took Chester (dog) and had a blast.

About half a mile into the hike, Chester decided he needed to relieve himself. Kevin bagged it up and we left the bag planning to come back at the end of the hike so we wouldn't have to carry the stink package with us. So, after our hike and a lovely little picnic lunch, we rested and went back into the woods to retrieve Chester's doggy bag.

Feeling refreshed, we decided to run the trail. And it was AWESOME! Admittedly, it was a hard run. And I was pretty ashamed when I realized I could barely breathe after running a mere quarter of a mile, but the shame was replaced with joy as I realized how much fun I was having. First off, while running this trail, I felt very in-tune with my surroundings. I wasn't worried about anything but where to put my foot next and whether I was going to fall and roll down a hill to my death. The exhilaration I felt while gravity and my athleticism (ha, yeah right) propelled me down the steep hills was indescribable.  My blood was pumping, my lungs were burning, and my face was lit up with delight.

Basically, I loved every second of the hardest run I've ever tried and am not even disheartened by how hard it was (um, hello: wearing pants + full stomach from lunch + already hiked 4 miles that day = exhaustion and lack of energy). I said something to Kevin about the idea of trail running and he said he really enjoyed it, too.

Lucky for us, we live in an area of the country with a lot of trails to run. And we've decided to run them. I visited Active.com today and found a great article about the best trails to run across the country. That, plus my decision to register for an actual train race in the next few months has me very excited for fall and training. (I'm pretty sure this will be a race I run ... or this one ... or both!).

Yes, there is a lot of training ahead of me - and sadly during the week very little of it will get to be on trails - but I'm excited for weekend runs. That's right. I'm excited. About running. How awesome is that?

Gym Nat

It's been a roller-coaster summer, weight-wise for me. I was headed on a lovely downward roll a few weeks ago and was swept right back into an uphill climb by some dumb decisions (one drink rule!). This week hasn't all been brains, but I added some brawn and feel pretty good about it.

Basically, it all started two weeks ago when I saw my dog pee on the playroom carpet. I couldn't stand it anymore, my friend came over and we just ripped it all out. Bye-bye stinky carpet! I stepped on the scale right after hours spent pulling and moving furniture and stuff and saw a beautiful 145.4!!! And then, I went to a party...

So, fast forward to this week, I finally decided just what I wanted to do with the space my organization efforts created in the playroom. After two days of work: painting, scrubbing, hauling, lifting, and even some wall-art making, I'm now the proud owner of a Zen Gym!!! It's ok, I'll answer if you call me a Gym Nat.

Ta da!!!

I wanted to make a place for me to easily access all of my workout equipment. I'm looking for some workout charts and still need to hang my resistance bands and jump ropes on the wall, but otherwise, the room is all done. I've got space for yoga and stability ball work and the tv is ready in case I decide to buy another digital converter for evening watching (rarely do it, but when I do I should totally multi-task for my body, right?) or a dvd player or vcr to watch movies and workout videos. Of course, there is always my laptop for that too ...

Anyway, I've used it two days in a row now! Perhaps it's my imagination, but I'm already seeing more definition in my legs. I swear.

The motivation has followed me in other areas of my day too: I'm sticking to my healthy eating better and I went on a 5-mile walk with a friend last night! The scale was pretty friendly this morning, though it doesn't count as a weigh in, and I'm pleased.

I just need to keep up this momentum! In fact, I think I'll go lift a bit now ...

Fro Yo Go Go

So, we all know just how much I love all things ice cream-esque. Last summer Kevin and I discovered a lovely ice cream and sno-cone shop two miles from the house and made it our habit to walk there whenever we wanted tasty goodness. Since then, two amazing things have happened.

First, our television was stolen. We didn't watch a lot of tv anyway, but with nothing but an old console left we don't watch nearly as many movies or video games these days. Instead, we look for other ways to pass our evenings.

Second, two frozen yogurt shops moved into the area.

Did you just hear angels singing? Yeah, I know: Evening activity + Fro Yo = Natalie and Kevin walking at least three miles almost every evening.

It's totally win, win, win too. I satisfy my ice cream fix, the dog du jour gets their energy walked out, I burn calories, and Kevin and I get to spend quality time together. It's awesome! I burn 250 calories or so walking two and from the fro yo shop and only consume 150 calories (and calcium!) eating my tasty treat. Plus, it makes for a lovely cool down in the middle of working out (yes, we walk briskly!) in this heat.

There are two frozen yogurt shops to choose from - PeachWave and Yogurtini. Peachwave is a 3-mile walk through the hip part of town. Yogurtini is a 3.9-mile walk through the fancy part of town. They each offer different flavors and different scenery so it never gets boring.

Today was hot. Officially the hottest day of the year with the high at 110 in some locations. My phone said it felt like 104 just a few moments ago. When I got up this morning and saw that the temp had already reached 90, I decided I wouldn't be able to handle my Couch to 5k routine. I was disappointed because I really do like the way I feel once I'm finished.

Anyway, because I missed the run this morning, we decided to walk the 3.9 miles to Yogurtini. The weirdest thing happened on the way home. I blame the heat ... and the fro yo.

I grabbed Sadie's leash and started running. I hollered to Kevin to tell me when 90 seconds had passed. Then, I walked 90 seconds and started running again - this time for 3 minutes. As I started that three-minute run I decided to just do today's Couch to 5k routine. And I did it!

Once I got home and brought my body temp out of the triple digits using a sugar-free Fudgesicle, I was thrilled with myself. The old Natalie would have let the heat stop her and use it as an excuse. But it looks like I turned it into a challenge or something. Because I certainly didn't let it stop me.

The last three minutes about killed me. Did I mention the heat??? And I hadn't really hydrated with running in mind. And I'd already walked 2 miles before even contemplating running. And even Sadie was so exhausted she just laid down at one point. BUT I DID IT. And I kind of feel invincible. Almost.

At first I was just proud to make myself work for my treats. I recommend it to everyone. All working out should come with awesomeness like frozen yogurt, right? Plus, you'll feel like you can take on the world. Or at least 110 degrees at 6 miles an hour - in intervals.

Weigh Day Happiness

I weighed in this morning at 146.4 - a mere 1.4 pounds away from re-entering Healthy Land. I'm beginning to feel like my new self again!

I completed Day 2 of Week 2 of Couch to 5k this morning. I missed last week because I was in trial - but trust me, that is a work out on it's own. I wonder how many calories you burn writing 100 mph for 8 hours. The running isn't too terrible - hardly even painful - and I feel GREAT after.

I'm also beginning to see a lot more muscle definition. I'm not quite at a six pack or anything, but there is definitely improvement in just the past month.

Did I mention that I quit my part time job? I worked at a gourmet grocery store from Thanksgiving until the middle of June - the exact time frame when I started struggling with maintaining my weight. I don't think that's a coincidence. I'm pretty sure all the expired chocolate I consumed in that time is the culprit (as was my lack of will power) and I am VERY glad to be separated from it. Honestly, the weight loss started up again after I quit.

I just love how good I feel about myself right now. When I was gaining some of the weight back, I felt lost and out of control. But now that I am back on track I feel good again. I feel healthy and happy.

And that's how I want to feel forever!!!

Great Resources to Start your Journey

Want to lose weight? Here are some resources that REALLY helped as I embarked on my weight loss journey. Seriously.

1. Hungry Girl. Visit www.hungry-girl.com and sign up for her daily (yes, an email every day) emails with great snack ideas and meals. She takes "normal food" and figures out how to make it healthy. I loved her when I was easing into healthier eating. She is great for the beginning changes in lifestyle.

2. Eat This, Not That, from Men's Health. Again, this is a daily email. I like daily emails bc they remind me, first thing - everyday - that my goal is to eat healthy and make good decisions. Sign up for the free e-newsletter here: http://eatthis.menshealth.com/home

3. Find an app or site that will help you track calories and foods. I love Sparkpeople.com a good friend of mine loves Loseit.com ... Also, Weight Watchers has one too, I think. After each meal (snacks too!), enter your foods and keep track of your intake. Don't do too little, but of course don't eat too much! Sparkpeople also allows me to track my fitness stuff and then gives a differential so I know how many calories I burned over what I consumed. Know this: to lose ONE pound, you must burn 3500 more calories than you consume.

4. Fast Food Salvation: We are busy people and can't always cook every meal. For that, I keep a list in my glove compartment of 35 fast food options that are less than 500 calories. VERY handy! http://weightloss.about.com/od/eatsmart/a/052207a.htm

5. Not a resource, but still important: Eat breakfast. Seriously. Everyday. Kick off your metabolism within an hour of waking up and your body will learn to trust that you are going to feed it. Then, eat every 3 hours or so. A lot of times our bodies horde calories out of fear it won't get fueled again soon. Give your body what it wants (and what you probably love if you are like me): FOOD. Just not too much :)