Facing my Fear: Getting Back to Running

I have been scared to start running again.  It's been two years since I last ran.  I decided today was the day to get back out there and just go for it.

Before run

After run

 

 

I'm so proud of myself!  I ran a quarter of a mile today!  That's an accomplishment after two years of not running.  I cannot wait until tomorrow so I can go back out and try to go farther!

 

What's your fear?  What can you do today to face it?

 

"Keep Moving Forward"

Snacking

A friend of mine asked me about snacks.  What can she put in her bag without having to keep it at a certain temperature?

If I have them on hand, I'd throw in a Kind bar.  They're quick and delicious. 

Apples or pears are great for throwing into a bag.  I usually wash it at home then put it in a Ziploc bag along with a napkin.  Then I just have to grab it out of my bag.  Oranges could work too, but they can be messy.  Applesauce is great too.  They have these nifty little packs now.  You just squeeze it like a juice box.  No spoon required. 

Having a bag of nuts/seeds/dried fruit comes in handy.  I try to eat the raw nuts/seeds/fruit since they're healthier for you.  For dried fruit, go for the ones without sugar.  They're harder to find but are healthier (plus I just think they taste better).  I personally love almonds, pecans, walnuts, dried cranberries/cherries, and sunflower seeds. 

Whole grain crackers are great.  Popcorn is also great.  Pop some before jumping in the shower in the morning.  Then separate it into bags for a quick snack.  Make sure that the popcorn is cooled off first.  I know we're in a hurry a lot, but hot popcorn is not something you want in a Ziploc bag.  The bag will melt.  I learned that the hard way when I was in high school.  I was in a hurry and just threw some in a bag after it came out of the microwave.  I had to throw out a lot of the popcorn and had kernels roaming around my bag.

Those are my ideas for quick snacks you can just throw in your bag without thinking about keeping them at a specific temperature.  If you don't mind bringing a small lunch box, pack some veggies and hummus/carrot dip (Kris Carr has a great recipe I'm dying to try).  And always pair a veggie snack with some fruit.  Cut up some strawberries or watermelon.  Have a cup of grapes or berries.  Cherry tomatoes are also great.  Don't forget, tomatoes are in fact a fruit!

All my suggestions are based on my favorites and what I've found convenient. 

What are your favorite snacks?

"Keep Moving Forward"

My Meal Planning Guide

In order to eat a vegan diet, I need to make sure I'm keeping my nutrition levels in balance.  For a while I had a hard time giving up chicken entirely because I'd crave it.  I figured out that I probably wasn't eating enough of something to make a complete protein.  So I paid attention, altered a couple things, and now I don't crave chicken.  I have been officially meat free for 17 days.  I feel wonderful.

My goal right now is to start meal planning.  I'll start by planning one week at a time and then eventually be able to plan for an entire month. 

I'm using the vegan food pyramid as a guideline.

I want to make sure my body is getting all the nutrients it needs to live.  I also want to be able to eat what I want.  I'd want to be able to bake vegan cookies or anything else I want to make.  I love baking.  Right now, however, I need to meal plan so I can get everything I need on a daily basis.  After a while, I most likely won't think about it.

According to a vegan pyramid, I need to consume fats/sweets sparingly and preferably in liquid oils.  I need 2-3 cups of dairy substitutes, 2-3 cups of legumes/seeds/beans, 6-11 cups of whole grains, 3-5 cups of vegetables, and 2-4 cups of fruit.  I also need to drink 8-10 glasses of water and take a multivitamin, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D and calcium supplements. 

I've written out a guideline for myself based on the food pyramid:


Morning - drink 2 bottles of water (one average water bottle is two cups of water) and take vitamins
                 Eat 1 cup whole grain (i.e. oats for oatmeal/breakfast cookies, whole grain pancakes/toast/bagel)
                 Eat 1 tbsp. nuts (in oatmeal/cookies/pancakes)
                 Drink 1 smoothie for 1 cup fruit, 1 cup soy milk, and 1 tbls. chia seeds (meets serving size for seeds)
                  Eat another serving of fruit, either by itself or mixed in with your grain


Snack #1/2 - Eat a serving of fruit
                  Eat a serving of a vegetable
                  Eat nuts
                  Drink 1 bottle of water
          All of the above paired together will fill you up until lunch/dinner time.


Lunch/Dinner - Eat 2 servings of vegetables
                          Eat a whole grain (pasta, rice)
                          Eat a serving of beans
                          Drink 2 more bottles of water


Snack #3 (if you're a little hungry) - 1 cup vegan ice cream


Tally of my servings: Vitamins, 10 cups of water, 3 servings of whole grain, 6 servings of nuts/seeds/beans, 2 cups of dairy substitute, 4 servings of fruit, 6 servings of vegetables

With my meal planning guide, I meet all my goals.  All the meal ideas I have listed above are examples.  I mainly eat oatmeal for breakfast or breakfast cookies.  I do need to add more dairy substitutes to my diet.  Without the last snack, I wouldn't have reached the minimum.  I'll have to look up some recipes to try. 

I will be grocery shopping this week.  I will post later on about my grocery list and how to be frugal about shopping vegan. 

"Keep Moving Forward"

Dream Activity - 1

Is there an activity that you dream of doing?  Skydiving?  Rock climbing?  Joining an art class?

I'm creating a vision board right now.  To create one, collect pictures of everything you want to do or want out of life.  Put them on poster paper or however you choose to create it.  The point is to see your dreams on your wall on a daily basis.

Example

I have many dreams, big and small.  I'm a very adventurous person.  I just can't afford to do everything I want to do right now.  I'm hoping to accomplish one of my dream activities next year.

I'd like to take a trip to Florida.  I want to visit family and go up to Gatorland.  I LOVE ALLIGATORS!!!  They are my favorite animal.  I've loved them since I was five when my parents took me to Gatorland.  They weren't able to get me to leave.  We were there from open to close.  I still would not leave until I got this large plastic alligator from the gift shop.  My dad ended up caving and buying it for me.  I loved it and I actually still have it.  We nicknamed it Visa Gator because my dad needed to use his Visa to buy it since he didn't have enough cash. 

Gatorland now offers a zip line that races above alligators!!  AH!!  Can you hear me squeal through the computer?!   I've always wanted to try a zip line and this one fits me perfectly. 
Zip line + alligators = BEST DAY EVER!

I'd also like to go to the Hippocrates Health Institute while I'm there too.

Hippocrates Health Institute promotes the vegan lifestyle and overall well being.  Many people attend the institute for a variety of reasons.  I am choosing to go to continue my education in the vegan diet and lifestyle.  I want to go for a week, minimum.  I'd also like to apply for a scholarship or financial aide since it is offered. 

My Florida trip is my dream activity/trip that can become a reality within the next year.  It's going to be first on my list.  I'm excited about it and cannot wait until I can go!

What is your dream activity?

"Keep Moving Forward"

Vegan Food Pyramid

This is the food pyramid I'm trying to follow.  I'm still working on substitutions and making sure to balance my nutrition.  Following this will help.

"Keep Moving Forward"

Pinterest Accomplishments

Anyone who has a Pinterest account also has thousands of pins.  Most of those pins are things you want to do: an activity, a workout, a project, different ways to organize, etc.  However, that's what most of those pins do...just sit there. 

I'm challenging myself to accomplish some pins.  I already did some!

 

Make a habit in 21 days.  Put up 21 post-its with the numbers 1-21 written on them.  Pick something you'd like to make a habit, like working out or drinking more water.  Then do it for 21 days.  Each day you accomplish your plan for the day, remove a post-it.

 

I have done this with post-its.  However, I am doing it slightly different right now.  I took a piece of paper and wrote down my Going Vegan Checklist with the numbers 1 through 21 written underneath each.  That way I'm making my checklist a habit one step at a time.

 

I loved this visual countdown to your goal weight with goals and rewards on the side.  I did mine on a piece of notebook paper and posted it on my fridge. 

 

I'm a visual person.  I love seeing my accomplishments.  So I also set up this project.  In one jar you have beads representing pounds lost and in the other how many pounds to go. 

 

 

I love this.  Find your weight, or a weight that's nearest to yours, and drink that amount of water daily.  Many people do not drink enough water.  It is challenging to drink all the water at first.  Maybe tie this in with the 21 day habit project.  After a while it does get easier.  I do find this challenging when I'm busy at work and I'm not paying attention.  I'm working on paying more attention so I take care of myself.  You can't help anyone else until you help yourself.  Staying hydrated helps keep you going.  It's amazing what it does to your energy!

 

All of the above did not cost me a penny.  I had all the supplies I needed.  You don't need anything fancy.  Work with what you have!

 

 

These are the projects I'm planning to do next.

 

 

Packing healthy lunches.

Prepping food once so you eat healthy all week.

 

Prepping food for every part of the day so I don't have to think about it.  I'm so busy now that I need to plan ahead so I don't have to think too much about food except for planning once a month.

 

Which ties into a month of meal planning.  I'm going to start with one week at a time until I make it a habit and then eventually transfer to once a month.

 

I need to work on sleeping better.  I don't always have a regular sleep schedule so if I make these a habit, I might go to sleep faster.

 

 

Do you have any Pinterest projects that you've been meaning to start?  Why not decide on one to do today?!  I challenge you!

 

"Keep Moving Forward"

 

Retraction

In the post "shout out to my dad," I talked about Kind bars.  I found out that not all Kind bars are vegan.  The Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew ones are not vegan because they have milk in them.  Read the ingredients on products, especially when you are choosing to eat a certain way (even if it's not vegan, but eliminating dairy or gluten).