Quotable Friday | Be Your Biggest Fan

Happy, happy Friday! Not only is it the weekend, but a three day weekend! I think that’s cause to celebrate (cue: mini dance party to Roar by Katy Perry. K, done).

After work, I’m jumping in the car and driving down I-94 to spend the weekend in Milwaukee. I’m excited to see my parents and spend some quality time with Jessi! I’m also looking forward to home cooked meals from my dad…and watching cable tv…and invading my parent’s dog, Ella’s, personal space…

Anyway.

I’ve been reflecting a lot lately about where I am, about self-confidence, and about believing in myself. In the past, I know that I have been my biggest enemy. I often fall into a pattern of negative thinking, of telling myself that I’m not good enough or strong enough or pretty enough. It’s really debilitating.

But I’m really trying to be conscious of this and to take every effort to stop the negative thinking circle. And to be honest, I’ve noticed a huge difference in how I feel about myself.

Since I’ve really started running again, I’ve noticed a huge change in how I think and how I feel about myself. Every mile and every run (whether good or bad) have become an accomplishment. When I’m running, I actively try to support myself and to think positively. Some things I’ve started to do regularly are:

• Only looking at things with a glass half full mentality – I’ve already gone 1 mile! Only .5 miles to go!
• Mantras. Mantras can be short sayings you use to help power through a run. I like to say to myself “You are good enough” and “You can do this.” To me, it feels empowering.
• Counting my breathing to focus on the run and not how I feel. I know that I can run the distance, so I need to stop letting me mind believe otherwise!

To be honest, this has become pretty empowering. For me, believing I can do something is more than half the battle. If I can reduce that negative voice in my head, I’m truly amazed by the things I can accomplish!

I think it is important to have a strong support group of people who you know believe in you and that you can go to when you’re doubting yourself. However, I also think (at least for me), that no matter how strong my support group is, I can only get so far before I need to actively believe in myself as well. At the end of the day, it’s my decision and my willpower that gets me out to go for a run (or anything else!).

So often, we let ourselves make decisions based on that little voice in our head that doubts us. It’s so easy to take the easy way out and not try or not take chances because of a fear of failure. But in order to succeed, we also have to be willing to fail, right? Taking chances is a scary thing; it means that we’re actively looking to step out of our comfort zones and try something new. The truth is, there is a chance of failing. But, so what? There is also a chance of something really great happen. I can say, first hand, that by taking chances this summer, my life has become much more happy and fulfilling than when I was sitting inside at my apartment, alone and scared.

I’m not trying to say that things will come easy; in fact, taking chances and putting yourself out there, regardless of what you’re doing, is really scary. But taking chances is what helps us get better and grow, right? That’s my two cents, anyways!

Your Turn!

• What are your plans for the long weekend?
• Any chances that you want to take, but haven’t?

 

Accidental Motivation

Happy Thursday!

So I’m going to be honest with you guys (I really always try to be!). I wasn’t going to post today. I usually post goals on the first of the month and I wasn’t feeling it. My eats weren’t that exciting and my workouts have been kind of a mess, so I thought I’d take today off.

That was until I got a text message from my dear friend Jessi with a picture of her run from the Map My Run app.

But let’s backtrack a bit, first….

I had a weird day at work, mostly due to my being neurotic. I went home and read for about an hour (Bitter is the New Black <–LOVING IT!) to clear my head. Then I got dressed and headed to my 15-15-15 strength class with Heidi. The class was good and challenging, but kind of how my yoga class was Tuesday night, I wasn’t focused.  My mind was all over the place and every. single. thing. was a flipping challenge. Kind of discouraging.

After class, I thought maybe I’ll go to the gym and get some cardio in. And then I drove past the gym. Didn’t turn in. Totally bailed on my cardio sesh with myself.

It was then I got my text from Jessi with her run. And I thought, HEY! If Jessi can run, then I can run. If my best friend can fit it in, then I can fit it in. I have absolutely no excuses.

So as I close to home, I didn’t even go to my apartment. Instead I drove one of my city’s many trails. I plugged my headphones in to my phone (which I NEVER run with anymore), turned on Map My Run, and just ran.

Maybe questioning my decision. But not for long!

Me, before the run. Wanna know why I’m making this face? Because about .10 miles in, I realized I haven’t gone for a run since last Sunday (like a week and a half ago). How did this happen? I love running. It’s a priority to me. So how have  I not only not run, but NOT REALIZED I haven’t run in that long? I was a little more than shocked at this.

And then, it’s like things clicked in to place. I started realizing that in combination with a lot of other things going on, my accidental break from running may be contributing to my overall crankiness/emotional craziness.

I’ve stopped making fitness a priority, without realizing it. Time for that to change.

Isn’t it pretty?

It took me awhile to get my groove back. The first half mile my legs felt like jelly and my mind was convinced I was dying a slow and painful death. It was a combination of not running for a week and a half and just having completed a strength class filled with squats, lunges, wall sits, etc, and being mentally unfocused.

But then, I hit my stride. All of a sudden, it’s like things fell in to place. My mind began to clear. I knew I wasn’t going to run far. I just wanted to run. So I ran out a mile and then I turned around and ran back. BOOM. Done.

When I was done I looked at my app. I ran 2 miles in under 20 minutes. OMG. OMG. OMG. I maintained a less than 10 minute mile FOR TWO MILES. And that is with running (ok with a little walking) up the big hill (oooh, that hill will be the death of me!).

Talk about a mood booster.

I needed this. I don’t always run for speed and my distance pace is slower. But to finish 2 miles in under 20 minutes was exactly what I needed. I needed this to be motivated again and to feel empowered and to know that even when there are SO MANY THINGS that I can’t control in my life, there are some things that I can.

So, a huge thanks to Jessi for maybe not KNOWING that this is exactly what I needed, but definitely giving me that nudge to get my butt in to gear. She helps keep me accountable and I’m so grateful to have a friend that I know will push me.

Your Turn!

• Do you have a friend that is also your workout buddy? How do you motivate each other?

Bears. Beets. Battlestar Gallactica.

Happy Thursday!

So…my post for today was going to be all about decision making and how taking an active role in my life really changed my mindset and stuff. I plan to post it eventually, but it seemed wrong to post it today because yesterday was nuts and I basically did everything my post would have said not too. Between work and my personal life, I’ll be honest, I went a tad off the deep end yesterday. So I felt I couldn’t genuinely post my planned post, because it didn’t feel like I was being honest.

Follow that? Me either, haha.

Anyways. So yesterday I kind of went a little nuts. The past two days at work, we have registered incoming students for their fall courses, which is always a hectic day (and can be exasperated by unhappy students). Then I got a *little* worked up (read: balls to the wall crazy) over a huge text message debacle. Seriously, ask Jessi. I blew up her phone and probably made her very grateful we have iMessage, so she doesn’t have to pay for my texts! (Luckily she loves me and made me seem reason!).

Yes, I’m 26. Yes, I still act like I’m 14. No shame!

Feeling a tad crazy. Totally normal, people!

I wanted to bum around and feel cranky about myself and life, but instead I picked my butt up and met Heidi at our 15-15-15 strength class. This helped. Then I went to my car and the whole text message debacle still hadn’t been resolved. So I decided to head to the gym and run to get some of the energy/aggression out. I got on the treadmill and sprinted a mile. That’s all. I wasn’t there for a distance run or good workout. I just wanted to run away from things. To be honest, it felt good. Though I did feel weird for being at the gym for about 11 minutes!

Not the best pic – but my first treadmill pic! It’s proof, I really do run on it! haha

After the quickest gym visit ever, I got home and realized I had 2 minutes until the #blogsmarter chat started. No lie, participating in the chat totally changed my night! It felt good to throw myself into bloggy things and connect with fellow bloggers. For an hour, I forgot about the day’s craziness and was just surrounded by positive people that I really admire and look up too.

And by the time the #blogsmarter chat was over, the whole text message misunderstanding was figured out.

And then, kind of exciting, Wednesday ended up being a big day for Racing Bananas – I had my highest website views yet! So THANK YOU, everyone, for following along with my exciting, crazy journey!

Anyways, why am I telling you about my crazy? Honestly, because I like to real with you guys and think (hope?!) that you appreciate it as well. And maybe to serve as a gentle reminder that you can’t control everything and you shouldn’t read in to everything (easier said than done, I know!). I almost let my craziness ruin my day, but I’m glad I didn’t. Lesson learned 🙂

Moving On! Here are some things I’ve been reading lately…

Have you guys heard about “Bitchy Resting Face?” I’m semi-convinced I have it. And if you haven’t seen this video, I highly recommend it. It’s hilarious!

I work at a local college and was crazy impressed by the website made to promote the new Monsters Inc. movie, Monsters University. It’s more legit than a lot of real college websites!

This article from the Huffington Post is making me reconsider flip flops. Not really, but a little bit…they’re kind of gross and really bad for our feet!

And now…

To help get myself back to “normal,” I’m thinking I’m going to go to yoga tonight. It really helps to calm me and makes me feel good about me.

Love my Instagram fun!

So, I know today’s post is really kind of all over the place, but thank you for listening. I really appreciate knowing that you all are out there!

Your Turn!

• Most importantly, do you know where the title of this blog post is from? It’s one of my favorite things!
• Does anyone else ever have “crazy” days like me, where you know you’re being irrational but just can’t stop it? What do you do to help get yourself out of this mindset?

The Tale of the Evil Mirror in my Bathroom

Happy Thursday all! I’m glad the weekend is almost here. I’ve had a sore throat since Monday and am not feeling 100%, so the weekend sounds like exactly what I need.

Today I want to share a story with you. The story of the evil mirror in my bathroom (muah ha ha ha – evil laugh – you like?!).

Anyways.

As you know, I moved in to my new apartment at the beginning of June. It’s been a great transition. I have a nice open kitchen, tons of closet space, a big living room. But there’s something my apartment came with that I hate, that I despise, that literally makes me want to pull my hair out every day.

It’s a mirror.

Specifically, it’s the medicine cabinet mirror hanging in my bathroom. Sounds harmless, right? It’s not. But, I’m not crazy…so let me tell you WHY this mirror is so evil.

Sorry for the poor lighting! But can’t you tell it’s pure evil! That is me, standing in my bathtub (clothed, of course!).

The first morning at my apartment, I got up, had some coffee and breakfast, then jumped in the shower. After my shower, I opened the shower curtain to grab a towel. And that’s when it happened. The way the medicine cabinet is on the far well forces me to see myself naked when I get out of the shower (total TMI – sorry, shoulda warned you!).

I wasn’t expecting this and it really caught me off guard. And then it made me feel really horrible things about myself. I was forced to confront all of the things that I hate about my body. And then I realized I’m going to have to confront these things every day.

Everything that makes me incredibly insecure about myself – particularly my chubby stomach and thighs – would be highlighted in the harsh lighting of my bathroom every morning. EVERY MORNING. I would  have to confront with my insecurities and possibly learn to embrace them. As if that is as easy said as it is done.

Well, I’m on Week 3 of living in my apartment and it’s kind of funny, because I’ve found that some days are better than others. I find that when I have run the day before, I don’t feel so gross about myself, but a morning after I ate a little too much for dinner I feel pure disgust when I see my reflection in the mirror. It’s like a mental game that I play with myself.

So – why did I feel the need to talk with you about my naked body today? Ha. Well, because I have pretty extreme issues with body image and I want to try to confront them. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve come a pretty long way from where I was two years ago and I understand that how I feel about my body is not in line with how I should feel. I should feel proud and excited that I’ve come so far. Instead, when I see myself I’m just grossed out and disappointed. And that’s not ok. Since I’ve found that when I share my goals and hopes with you all, I am much more likely to follow through, I wanted to put out there that I want to begin to think more positively about myself. I’m not sure how to do that, but I’m going to try.

So, I’ll see how it goes. And let you know if I can change my thinking. I really, really hope I can.

Moving on to something more cheerful and yummy…
I stayed home on Wednesday due to a ridiculous sore throat and killer headache. I spent most of the day laying on the couch, watching TV (Pretty Little Liars, Graceland, and the Office anyone?!). But I also ate pretty well – here are two of the day’s highlights!

Left: Tropical Smoothie! Helped to coat my throat and was perfect for the warm, Wisconsin day.
Right: Dinner was a bagel sammie. Bagel, smashed avocado, herbed dill Havarti cheese, and an egg. Filling and delish!

I’m not 100% today, but am feeling better. I’m sure these yummy eats helped my recovery!

Your Turn!

• Body image – what are your thoughts? Do you struggle with your body image? Any tips from overcoming all of those negative feelings?
  
• Have you succumbed to summer sickness yet? I feel like it’s going around with my real and bloggy friends! What do you like to eat when you’re under the weather?

What’s Best for Me (aka shopping at Trader Joe’s)

Happy Thursday!

First, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone’s kind words yesterday in regards to my struggles with the Self Magazine Drop 10 program. I appreciate your comments, emails, and support! I really have taken what you said to heart – if this is not working for me, then I should not continue. I should focus on what’s best for me and what type of eating and exercise “plan” fits best with my lifestyle.

Sometimes conceding defeat is not failure; rather it’s just recognizing that what works for someone doesn’t work for everyone. And that’s ok!

So after work, I drove over to Trader Joe’s (which wasn’t too hard, since it’s a 30 second drive!) and stocked up on food for the next week or so. I’m pretty proud to say that I bought almost all fresh food and am ready to get back on an eating schedule that works for me.

Mmmm. Arugula, broccoli slaw, butternut squash and tomatoes. I’m definitely going to make my goat cheese and butternut squash recipe again. I’m thinking of using the broccoli slaw on sandwiches. Then there’s the arugula. Full disclosure, I’ve never actually cooked with/included arugula in recipes before. Any suggestions?

Next up, sweet potatoes and avocado in bulk. It was a much better deal, and I could eat both of these every day. Will definitely be throwing some goat cheese on my sweet potato again!

FRUIT! Strawberries and apples. I also bought bananas, but forgot to take a picture of them. Whoops. The apples will definitely be paired with PB or almond butter. Not sure about the strawberries yet…in yogurt or oatmeal, eat by themselves…

 
Frozen fruit. YESSS. I didn’t realize frozen fruit was so affordable at TJ’s. I’m definitely making some tropical smoothies. Might try making some tropical ice cream as well.

Goat cheese. Obviously. If you are a regular reader, you know I’m just a *tad* obsessed. I also picked up a Cilantro and Chive Yogurt dip. I’m really looking forward to trying it! I bought it in place of hummus this week. We’ll see if it’s as good as it sounds!

Bought some pastrami for sammies this week! I’m planning on whole wheat bread, broccoli slaw, avocado, and pastrami. Maybe goat cheese. Full disclosure – I’ve never had pastrami before. I’m hoping it’s as good as I hear it is!

    
Vanilla Greek Yogurt. Has anyone mixed PB2 in vanilla greek yogurt? I assume it will taste fine…

Finally bought almonds to make my own almond butter. WAY TOO EXCITED FOR THIS! Any recipe suggestions? I’ve mostly been told to throw the almonds in my Vitamix and blend. Have you made almond butter?

Pita chips. A must at TJ’s. And they’re only $1.99!

Bought sushi for dinner. I hid it pretty well, but I definitely dug into this for dinner before taking this picture. It was delicious – spicy, fresh, and very filling!

Bought this as a treat, because I love pizza. Apparently it’s made in Italy and imported here. I hope it’s as tasty as it sounds!

Trying these for the first time – dried strawberry fruit strip and an apple strawberry fruit roll up. For around 50 calories a piece, I thought I’d give them a try.

CHOCOLATE! I always buy the 100 calorie milk chocolate bars – it’s a great snack and helps provide me with some portion control. Though I will say, sometimes I have two for a 200 calorie snack. Oh well – you only live once! I also love these small bags of dark chocolate almond toffee – it’s like a little bag of heaven!

And on unrelated note…

I got my first Bulu Box in the mail today. I’m excited to try the goodies I received – I’ll tell you more about it next week after I’ve sampled everything!

You know I NEVER pass up a chance to share a picture of Charlie! We spent all of last night sitting outside, and he looked like such a cutie in the sun, with his Care Bear nearby (he is currently obsessed with Wish Bear and this is the first stuffie he has destroyed!).

Your Turn!

• Have you ever tried a new food or exercise plan and it didn’t work? What didn’t work for you? What changes did you make?
  
• Are you a Trader Joe’s junkie like me? What are your favorite foods to buy there?

Quotable Friday | Perks of Being a Wallflower & Updates!

It’s Friday! I have to say, I’ve had a pretty fantastic week and am in a great mindset heading in to the weekend. I haven’t felt like this in a while, and it is great change!

Today’s Quotable Friday comes courtesy of the book, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky. Perks is a coming-of-age, young adult book (though I would argue is applicable across the ages) that was one of my favorites growing up. Have you read it? This is one of the more well-know quotes from the book…

(Source)

This really spoke to me this week. I’ve been thinking a lot about the past, decisions I’ve made, and how that’s affected where I am now. Have I made the right decisions? What could I have done differently? Where would I be if things were different? Guess what – those “what ifs” are nothing but a distraction from now; I can’t go back and make changes. All I can do is think about where I want to be and what I need to do to get there.

The truth is, I (hopefully) have a lot of time ahead of me and I’ve started to think of what I want to do and where I want to be. Changes can only happen if I actively decide to start pursuing the path to make changes. It’s my responsibility to achieve my goals and get to a place where I want to be, personally and professionally.

So what I’m try to say, is that I want and need to start taking a close look at my life and figure out what it is that I actually want. It can be so easy to fall into the familiar, comfortable day-to-day “stuff” that oftentimes, I feel like I’m in autopilot instead of taking an active role in my life. My goal this weekend is to sit down and really think – what do I want to achieve in the next five years? How can I get there? Because if I don’t start determining that now, there’s a chance that I never will.

Everything I’ve done in the past has got me to today. Now it’s time to determine where I want to be tomorrow. It’s my choice and that is pretty empowering!

In other exciting news…

First, I was accepted as a Sweat Pink Ambassador yesterday! I was so excited when I received the email (really, I squealed!). What is a Sweat Pink Ambassador, you ask? Well the website says, “Sweat Pink Ambassadors live the Fit Approach mission every day: they sweat hard, play hard, and inspire those around them to achieve their best selves.” I’m most excited to join an amazing community of women who live active, healthy lifestyles. I’m hoping to do a more in-depth post later, but wanted to share my good news today!

(Also, as an aside, I have to say I am so surprised and excited about the amazing community I’ve found in the blogging world. I never expected to “meet” so many inspiring and supportive people, and love that I can be a part of it!).

Second, this morning I saw that Kierston at CandyFit featured my “birdseed” granola recipe on her #RecipeFriday post!! I have to tell you, this is exciting for two reasons. First, this kind of validates the fact that I can kind of cook and make it look appealing. Maybe I’m a little better than I first thought! And second, totally selfishly, I feel like a mini-celebrity. Right?!

Your Turn!

• Ever read Perks of Being a Wallflower? Thoughts? Did you see the movie (I didn’t)? Did you like it?
  
• Ever feel like you’re in autopilot? How do you get yourself out of that mindset?
• Are you a Sweat Pink Ambassador? What have you gained from it?

 

My Night with Jillian Michaels – Maximize Your Life!

Happy Monday! And it really is a happy Monday. I had a fabulous weekend at my parent’s house in Milwaukee. I spent a lot of time with family and friends, and enjoyed the beautiful weather! Charlie and I spent a lot of time at the park and my stomach is nice and full from pulling out the grill and barbecuing a bit. I’m getting more convinced that summer is on its way (and that spring will most likely not make an appearance at all this year!).

The highlight of my weekend was seeing Jillian Michaels’ Maximize Your Life tour last night! My aunt drove to Milwaukee, we grabbed some dinner, and then drove down to the Riverside Theater.

My Aunt and I before the show!   

  
Dinner at Chili’s – skinny margarita and Margarita Chicken off the “light” menu.

The show started off pretty hilariously! Jillian came out and stage and in honor of Cinco de Mayo brought out a bottle of tequila to celebrate. I wasn’t able to get any pics because we were on the second level, but the front row definitely did their share of tequila shots! I could tell right away that the night would definitely be a more relaxed setting, which I appreciated. The night was split into two parts – the first half focused on nutrition and exercise and the second half was more “motivational,” focusing on yourself and being able to set and reach your goals. Overall, I felt I knew a lot of what she talked about, especially after just finishing her “Slim for Life” book, but it was interesting to listen to her speak more openly and in-depth about topics.

Jillian in action!

These points really stood out to me:

• The secret to losing weight and being health is simple…EAT LESS AND MOVE MORE! Pretty obvious, yet people (me included, sometimes) still can’t truly grasp the concept of this!
• Calories are like money; you only have a finite amount each day, so be mindful of how you spend them. As someone who is constantly thinking about her budget, this analogy really resonated with me. I don’t necessarily count calories, but this was a helpful reminder to think about what I put into my body.
• The FDA allows sugar to be named in 56 different ways. 56!!!! This is ridiculous, plain and simple. Allowing for so many different names for sugar makes it possible for food companies to not have to list sugar as its first ingredient. This means you may be buying a processed food you think is a better choice because of deceptive labeling. This was a good reminder to me to always be reading the ingredient list!
• It’s ok if you can’t buy organic everything – put your efforts towards buying organic meat and dairy, and pay attention to the Clean 15/Dirty Dozen list. Jillian showed us a pic of cows who have had hormones injected in them and genetically modified corn/food compared to a cow who was not pumped up on hormones and was grass-fed. The difference in cows was disgusting and the difference in what their meat looked like was equally gross. This is advice I may try to adhere to. I’d heard of the Clean 15/Dirty Dozen lists before, and the gist of it is, stay away from foods on the dirty dozen list because they have thin skins that absorb chemicals/pesticides more easily and more likely to have a negative effect on you. You can eat foods on the Dirty Dozen list, but if you do, go organic. (I’m planning to learn more about this and share my findings and thoughts!).
• When you can make the better choice, make it. It’s not practical to totally cut out carbs, protein or fat. It’s just not! So, 80% of the time make the healthy choice and 20% of the time, allow yourself that freedom. Example: if you want potato chips, try Pop Chips (Jillian invests in this company, and we got samples!) which are 100 calories per bag/serving and are not fried. Are these a health food? NOPE. But are they a better option that regular potato chips? YUP.
• Move your ass and move it fast! This is Jillian’s philosophy on exercise. You do not need to spend hours in the gym (which I was grateful to hear!). If you’re not a gym rat and instead, like me, prefer to get your cardio in by walking you dog…GREAT! Make sure you do it 30-60 minutes a day, and start moving faster than usual.
• If you’re looking for the best workout, do circuit training. Combine your strength training with cardio to get maximum calorie burn. She employs the method in her DVDs (I know from experience!) and it definitely gets your heart   rate up in a short amount of time.
• To be successful in your weight loss (or other) journey, figure out what your “why” is. What is it that is driving you to make a change. What is your motivation? Without the “why,” it can be really difficult to commit to the “how” (or the action steps you need to take to achieve your goals).

Free treat – popchips! Haven’t tried yet, but the flavor sounds delish!

Overall, I liked the show. Being 100% honest, the second half was more focused on setting and achieving goals and was a little long-winded for my taste. I would have preferred the whole night to be focused on nutrition and fitness, but that is where my interests lie. I definitely took a lot away from the show and am glad I went. I definitely thought Jillian was engaging  honest, and genuine. I’m happy to share more info with anyone debating to go!

Your Turn!

• How was your weekend? Did you get out and do anything fun?
  
• What your thoughts on Jillian Michaels? Love her or hate her?