This Smoothie is The Bomb!

Good Wednesday morning to ya!

In case I haven't told you guys lately, thanks for reading. I appreciate your comments so much! I feel like this blog and YOU are such a huge part of the reason that I'm doing so well on my journey.

This morning was a Cross-Training day on my 10k training schedule. I really need to start building some muscle. I'm pretty sure this is the next step in my journey. Cardio is only going to take me so far. I've done 30 Day Shred a bit, dabbled here and there in different things, I do yoga. However, I've avoided weight training. I hate weight training. I know that my muscles feel worked and tired (this is a feeling I have learned to appreciate as a good thing) afterward and I like that feeling, but it doesn't give me the endorphin rush that I think I am addicted to. I found a 20 minute total body workout sheet on Weight Watchers online, I printed it out this morning and took it to the gym with me. It went fairly well, on the overhead press I could only lift the bar with no weight. :/ It took me all around the gym working everything from Abs to Legs. Maybe, with any luck, I'll grow a fondness for weight training.

Onto the Star of the Show!

Caitlin over at HealthyTippingPoint.com started talking about Chocolate Cherry Bomb smoothies. Of course, I decided to try my hand at making one. Here is my variation, I swear it tastes like you're drinking a chocolate covered cherry, no joke!

Chocolate Cherry Spinach Bomb

1/2 of a banana, frozen
1/2 cup of frozen Dole Dark Sweet Cherries
1 cup of fresh spinach
1 cup of Light Vanilla Soy Milk
1 scoop Chocolate Deluxe Biggest Loser Whey Protein Powder
2 ice cubes

Put first 4 ingredients in blender carafe the night before you want to enjoy your smoothie and place in fridge.

The next morning, add protein powder and ice cubes and blend until...well, blended. This smoothie is 3 Weight Watcher points.

That's it! For those of you who are scared to try the Green Monster movement this would be a fantastic one to try. You don't taste the spinach at all! It really tastes like you're having a Chocolate Covered Cherry Milkshake for breakfast. And cherries are a Superfood! Good for your joints and packed full of antioxidants!



No one paid me to say that. I just REALLY love this smoothie! :)

Last night for dinner I made chicken that I lightly breaded with panko breadcrumbs and baked. I also made Hungry-Girl's Cheesy Butternut Squash Bake. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures for you guys. See, I took a bite of the butternut squash after I blended it but before I baked it and I honestly thought I was going to hate it. So I didn't even bother...after it baked, I ate it too fast to be bothered with a camera.



But it's good and you should try it!

Ok, that's enough of my all over the place chaos for today. I hope you guys held on tight and didn't get whiplash!

How do you feel about weight training? Do you do it? Do you have a trainer or use printed work outs? I'm really interested, please tell me! :)

I swear I'm not as desperate as I sound...ok, maybe I am a little. Weights are scary!

Snap, Crackle, Pop, Ouch!

On Sunday I started to notice that my knees were hurting whenever I would stand up, sit down, squat down or go up and down stairs. Standing, sitting and walking felt fine, but the transition was painful. Yesterday, I woke up and did 30 Day Shred Level 2, pushed through the pain and then it was so painful that stairs almost brought me to tears. I spent a good chunk of last night like this



and practicing the RICE method. Rest, ice, compression, elevation. Today my knees feel significantly better, but just to be safe I decided to skip my run for today. I would rather miss one run than a week of runs because I pushed myself.

It's time for new shoes and I think that might be the culprit. I have well over 300 miles on my Asics. I think that a trip to the store for new shoes will be on the agenda for this coming weekend. Maybe that will help to alleviate some of the snap, crackle, popping my knees have been doing lately too!

For lunch today I brought the leftover Broccoli & Ginger Stir-Fry from Meatless Monday last night. It just wasn't my favorite Meatless Monday so far. Tonight I am making crispy Italian chicken with roasted tomatoes with a side of red potatoes and green beans. I'm way more excited about that! God I love food.

Speaking of food, I think I have perfected my favorite breakfast smoothie! Here it is:

Blueberry, Banana, Spinach Smoothie

1/2 frozen banana
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
3/4 cup fresh spinach leaves
1 cup Light Vanilla Soy Milk
1 scoop of Chocolate Whey Protein Powder (I use the Biggest Loser kind, 0 points per serving)
3 ice cubes

Place the first 4 ingredients in your blender carafe the night before and allow to sit in the fridge overnight. (This allows the banana and blueberries to thaw a little and makes the process in the morning much quicker!)

In the morning, add protein powder and ice cubes, blend until smooth.

It's fantastic and tastes like a chocolate banana blueberry chocolate milkshake! I have officially gotten hooked on smoothies. It also works great with frozen mixed berries.

I am really bummed not to be running today, but I know it's for the best. I don't have health insurance so a doctor visit will only be a last resort.

How do you deal with injuries or strange pain? When do you think it's time to call in the doctor?

A random spattering of thoughts

I am all over the place today like the Bubble Bee girl tap dancing in the No Rain video by Blind Melon! I had several ideas for structured posts this morning but instead you are going to get a random spattering of my thoughts. Hold on tight.

I cleaned out my closet after work yesterday. I had been putting it off for the past...year or so. I had all of my "big girl" clothes and was terrified of getting rid of them. What if I gain the weight back? What if I need them? I can't afford to re-buy them again? After a lot of shopping in Greensboro this past weekend, I needed more closet space...that's when it dawned on me. Time to let it go. The clothes served me well, but I will not gain the weight back. Holding onto the clothes in fear was merely enabling me to do so. So, I have 2 trash bags and 2 shopping bags full of clothes to go to Goodwill. Time to live in the now.

I also realized, I need new running shoes! I have over 300 miles on mine. A fact that absolutely thrilled and surprised me. I have ran over 250 miles since May of 2009 and I know I ran at least 50 in the month leading up to that when I got my shoes in March. I have never had to replace shoes in less than a year, but mine have much wear and tear with little holes popping up. I look at them proudly. :)

Last night I made a very yummy Oven Fried Chicken. I found the recipe on FoodNetwork.com, but I fiddled with it a little.



Ingredients

Cooking spray
1/3 cups crispy rice cereal
1/2 cups bagel chips or Melba toasts
3/4 teaspoon hot paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cups plain fat free yogurt
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 chicken breast halves (about 3 ounces each)


Directions
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Set a rack on a foil-lined baking sheet and generously coat the rack with cooking spray.

Finely grind the cereal and bagel chips in a food processor and transfer to a large resealable plastic bag. Add the paprika, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste and toss.

Whisk yogurt and the mustard in a shallow bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat, then transfer to the bag; seal and shake to coat. Place the chicken on the rack and mist with cooking spray.

Bake until the chicken is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160 degrees F, about 22 minutes.

I figured 4 points per 3 oz. breast half.

I paired it with some Zucchini Fries and I made up some dipping sauce for them using 2 Tbsp of the fat free plain yogurt and a few drops of Sriracha Chili Sauce.

It was a comfort food dinner for sure, but it was YUMMY!

This morning, I added more spinach to my smoothie, this time it was banana, mango and soy milk. I love these things! The extra spinach made my smoothie very green and it tasted a little...well, green. I probably need to work on the mix a little, but it wasn't bad.



I was supposed to get out of bed and do yoga this morning but the sleep monster won today, plus I was all cuddled up with the husband and that's something we rarely get to do working such different hours so I decided yoga could wait until tonight.

Hmm, I think that might be all I have for you today. Sorry it's all over the place, but that's where I am today!

For those of you who have lost weight, do you hold onto your bigger clothes for a long time or pack them up as you go down a size?