I wanted to share a quick photo of my lunch because it was really that delicious! I cooked the sweet potato in the microwave last night and reheated it for lunch. I made a modified version of the farro salad last night as well and it’s exceeded my expectations. This was one of the recipes I’ve been looking at making for a while now and I think it’s going to become a regular for sure. I’d recommend trying it!
Meal planning is something that I’ve done somewhat ever since I’ve been married but I’ve never stayed extremely dedicated to the plan because I’d get tired or lazy some weeks and eventually end up just buying groceries willy-nilly. Whenever I do take the time though, I eat healthier, spend less money on food overall and I feel better all around.
Usually I like to meal plan on Fridays or Sundays, so I’m a day late and my week calendar will be off a day, but I’ll sort that out for next time. I like to center my meals more around natural/fresh foods so I am eating minimal amounts of processed foods and additives. And in case you didn’t know, I’m vegetarian preferring vegan most of the time.
The main goals for this week are to prepare and eat ALL the planned meals, NO going out to eat for this week. Drink more water throughout the day.
This early onset of spring is so wonderful and I’ve been trying to soak up this warmth that makes me so happy by going on a lot of walks! The birds are all singing loudly because they’re so happy too. I’m excited to start running again soon, but I’m taking it slow at the moment due to spinal issues that won’t allow the high impact. So walking has to be good enough for the time being.
Earlier today, I went for a walk through the neighborhood and while I was out, I passed a handful of guys throwing a football around in a driveway. Just after I had passed by the foot of the driveway, one or two of the guys started cat-calling and making some offensive noises. I just kept walking and acted as if I didn’t notice what they were doing, but it set my mind on a series of thoughts that I have from time to time when I’m out exercising alone.
Do I feel safe when I’m out by myself? Maybe it’s irrational, but I doubt that I’m the only one who has these kinds of thoughts. They may not be the most common stories you see on the daily news, but there are enough stories of young women being abducted or abused to make me feel uncomfortable in certain situations. I don’t want to feel unsafe or that I have to bring my husband along each time I go out for a walk or a run but I do feel safer when he’s with me and that makes me sad.
Maybe I’m blowing an innocent enough situation out of proportion, but I don’t think it’s ok to objectify women and make them feel unsafe when they’re alone. Am I the only one who ever feels that tinge of fear?
In other news, moving day is in less than 2 days! We’re on our way back to Maryland and will be officially through with living in Michigan. It’s been most of 6 years that we’ve lived up here and now it’s finally coming to a close. I don’t know if I can say it’s bittersweet but there are a handful of things that I will miss having close by, namely St. Joseph and Lake Michigan.
Also, I made my first microwaved sweet potato today! It actually turned out pretty well and it’s kind of nice that I didn’t have to wait 45+ minutes for it to cook in the microwave. Winning!
Anyways, keep us in your thoughts for the next 48 hours as we drown in packing boxes and a long drive. <3
It’s been just about 3 months since I signed up to repeat my favorite (only) race from last year and now we’re sitting on 5 months until Iron Girl race day! I get really excited when thinking about doing this race again especially now that I have an understanding of what I’m doing and how training for a triathlon feels like.
Sometimes I feel wimpy when I say “training for” because it is a sprint distance and for someone who is doing an Ironman, this race is basically like any training day for them. But I remind myself to stop feeling pitiful because if I didn’t bother to put in the time or the effort to train for my little race, then I could still be sitting on the couch like I was last year dreaming that I’d one day lose weight.
Losing weight is hard. —If anyone has ever had an easy time with it, tell me your secrets please!— Last year, I knew I had to have a tangible goal that I was excited to work towards and that’s why I went in search of an event that would remind me daily of what I was training for. While there were definitely difficult days, I was never sad or upset to do my daily workout and I actually was usually excited for it because I knew that with each workout, I was building myself up to succeed once race day arrived. Just imagining crossing the finish line with the knowledge of what I had accomplished is what pushed me through the tough days.
My goal in doing this race was to build fitness, build confidence, and lose weight and I feel like I really succeeded last year. This year’s goal is build on that foundation and keep going, because there’s so much more that I want to accomplish.
Along with my fitness goals, I am trying to work on my diet and improving the quality of the foods I eat. I’m trying to drink more and eat more of a veggie based diet. I’m vegetarian but a lot of dairy, grains, and processed foods tend to dominate what I eat so I’m trying to scale back and make it more about the healthy stuff.
Over the next several months, I’m going to be sharing what I’m doing to improve my diet as well as how I’m preparing for this year’s race. I need support to make it on this continuing journey and I also want to be a support for those who need some encouragement to meet their own goals.
If you’re interested in signing up for the Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon on August 7, 2016, –> Click HERE. (The price rises $20 on April 1st). I’m not advertising for any personal gain but I’m passionate about it because I really believe that this race is an empowering event for women.