Fall into Fitness!

Life has been so busy lately! Between being sick, making a lot of trips to visit my boyfriend, and my TSS hours increasing I have been insanely busy/tired! I haven't been making it to the gym as much and I've been eating a little less healthy which is a very bad thing for me. While I've been able to maintain my weight, I feel like complete crap! I've decided that no matter how tired I am, or how long my day is, I can squeeze at least 30 minutes of fitness in a day. I need it!

This is why I joined the Planet Fitness by my boyfriends house. It's only $10 a month, and while they don't have classes or anything too great, it's just what I need! I joined during the $10 down sale, which made it even more worth it!!

The next big adventure was my decision to become SPINNING certified! I have loved Spinning since I first started taking classes in October 2011. I believe that, along with healthier eating, Spinning was a big factor in my losing weight. So, I decided to share my passion for fitness and healthy lifestyles and become an instructor. That way I can help people along their journey - wether its losing weight or gaining fitness. I took a certification class from 8-5 in Latrobe, Pa and it was wonderful! I took my exam and passed! I am now a certified Spinning instructor!! Woohoo! I have yet to begin teaching, but I did create a Spinning profile for my first class! Hopefully it's soon!!!

I believe that's everything exciting that has happened to me since my last post. I will be spending my Thanksgiving break from work with my boyfriend and his family. I decided that I thought it would be fun for Alan and I to participate in a Turkey Trot Thanksgiving morning 5k. He agreed that it would be fun, so we signed up! It's gonna be so COLD for the 8 am run, but I think it'll be fun, and a good way to work out a bit before we gorge ourselves on Thanksgiving dinner!! :) It's my favorite dinner of the year - yes even though I am a vegetarian....

Also, as of today, we have been invited by some friends to join their Spartan Race team July 2013. So that'll be our next fitness adventure!

In May, I plan to run the Independence Blue Cross Broad Street 10 Miler Run - with no injuries this time! I plan to run with the American Red Cross, but to do this, I need to raise $500. As of now, I have $20. I am still in need of $480 more! Please please please help! Any little bit helps!!! Here is the link to my page where you can donate: Katherine's American Red Cross Profile.

That's all I have for today. Next time I will be posting some recipes, I just need to do some more tests on them!

Peace, Love, and Happiness. xo

Today was a LONG day...

So when I got home, after I ate about 5 cookies... They were delicious;  made them last night to take to the preschool I work at and had some extras. Anyway, I showered and decided I needed something quick (I was HUNGRY!) and healthy. I had spaghetti squash, already cooked, in the fridge, so I poked around and decided to make this wonderful dinner. It was quick, super easy, and delicious! (I also knew I had to make something light because Alan is on his way to my house for a few days, so I am making him a peanut butter s'mores bake ... I'll post how it turned out after we try it tonight!!)

Anyway, here's a photo of my Greek inspired spaghetti squash with cauliflower 'mashed potatoes'. (Click on the picture to get the recipe!)

Buon Apetito! 

Peace, Love, and Happiness. xo

Make A Lifestyle Change. Tips and Advice To Help You Lose!

So, when it comes to losing weight, I'm not any kind of master, but I do have experience. Dieting does not work. It just doesn't. It's a short term fix, but generally as soon as you get off your diet, you're going to start eating the foods that you weren't allowed on your diet, and you're going to gain the weight back - and sometimes more! No body wants that. Ew!

You need to make a life style change. This means watching your portions, choosing healthier foods, and exercising. You want a piece of that delicious cheesecake that's been staring at you all day? Have one! But make sure that it's a small piece because, let's be real, it looks SO much more delicious than it tastes (unless it's my dad's cheesecake, of course!). Even if it is delicious, the first few bites are always the best, but then it just loses it's oomph (not always, but usually), but it's there, on your plate, so you eat it. 

If you decide to eat something 'bad for you' (nothing is bad in moderation.. unless you're eating pure sugar!), you just need to make sure to balance out the rest of your day. This is why I use an app/website called Lose It. It allows me to customize a plan where I count my calories easily, put in my workouts for the day, and it gives me reports on % of calories from fats, carbs, proteins, etc. It also gives you reports which are easily accessed on the website. You can also befriend people that've signed up through the website. It doesn't reveal your weight, just the work you're putting in and the pounds you've lost or gained. It helps me to feel accountable for my actions; if I eat a lot, and gain, others are going to see that. That keeps me motivated to stay on track. 

The biggest thing about using Lose It! is that you don't want to lie. Lying about how much you ate is only harming yourself. You are the only one that sees the calories and information about that; its a tool to keep you on track. Your body is the most accurate record keeper; if you're lying on the app, you're still going to see the effects of your habits on your person.

The app runs on apple and andriod systems. (No, I'm not getting endorsed for this, but I should be with the amount of people that I've turned onto it!). *Even though I say that I count calories, I make sure not to be obsessive about it. If I go over,  I go over. I just make sure that I eat a little better tomorrow, and maybe workout for an extra 10 minutes or so. It's a HUGE balancing act, but the reason I use it, is to keep myself mindful of portions and how quickly calories add up and cause excess weight!

One more tip I'll give in this post is about weighing yourself. There's people who don't weigh themselves, there's those that weigh themselves once a week, and then there's people like me who weigh themselves every day. I've looked into this a lot because I've been told its bad to weigh yourself everyday. Personally, if I don't weigh myself everyday, I tend to get more off track. You do whatever you need to do; whether its once in a while, monthly, weekly, or daily. Its just a way of keeping yourself on track. Whatever you decide to do, try and make sure that you're weighing yourself in the same fashion every day - in the morning, at night, naked, clothed. You'll get a more accurate reading if you weigh yourself at the same time and in the same fashion. The big thing is to make sure you do not obsess over the numbers. I assure you that if you're eating a healthy and balanced diet, and working out, you will lose weight. Don't be discouraged if the numbers go up occasionally; bodies fluctuate and retain water, which can mean an extra few pounds on the scale. 

That's all for now. I need to study for my GREs (yuck!) and take care of some errands. 

Peace, Love, and Happiness. xo

Green Monsters

I need to take a minute, a whole entry, to just glorify a smoothie. It's a life changing smoothie. It's delicious, and nutritious, and you can make SO many variations with it.

Its called a green monster. Seriously, Google it. The possibilities are endless!

Okay, I totally get that it looks unappealing. I assure you, it's delicious. The basic green monster is spinach (I promise you can't taste it), a banana (I use frozen; it adds a nice chill without the chunkiness of ice and makes the smoothie a bit thicker), flax (optional, but always good for Omega-3s!), and milk - whatever kind makes you happiest; I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk. 

The green monster is completely fabulous in its most primitive form, but I generally add some berries, 1/2 of a mango, or peeled apples (don't worry, I eat the peel while I'm anxiously awaiting my smoothie to blend) - you really can add whatever you like. If I am having it as a breakfast or post workout smoothie - I add a scoop of protein powder to it so that I stay full longer. Sometimes I'll just have a bowl of oatmeal in the morning and then drink a basic green monster as my 'coffee'. Its full of so much nutrition and deliciousness, that it wakes you right up and makes you feel good. 

Start your day off right with some green deliciousness! :)

Welcome to my new blog. A lot of people have been coming to me and asking for advice; saying that I've inspired them. This seriously brings so much happiness into my life. If I can help one person on their way to a healthier lifestyle, I'll be thrilled. Getting control of my weight has brought me so much happiness because its been a huge lifestyle change. I'm eating better and working out more, which means I'm leaner, my skin is more clear, my brain is more focused, and most of all - exercise releases endorphins, endorphins make you happy, happy people just don't shoot their hus... oh. This isn't Legally Blonde?

Anyway, I hope that my posts can inspire you to go out there and create a new world for yourself. One that will make you the best you can be!

Peace, Love, and Happiness. xo