Author Archives: betty

quick & easy guacamole

Posted in recipe by

the other day, i was rushing through the grocery store (because it is quite possibly the most hated thing i have to do every week) and passed by the packaged guacamole.  then, i spotted the avocados, ripe and ready to mash, a few feet away and knew exactly what was on the menu for dinner that night: bison nachos with a heaping side of guacamole.

i could probably eat guacamole for every meal if it was acceptable, i love it, but i only love it homemade.  i usually have a mexican-themed dinner once a week, and homemade guacamole always makes an appearance.  this recipe is easy to whip up while your meat is browning!

quick tip: if you find an avocado that seems ripe (deep green color and not too firm)  you can flick off the stem to determine whether it’s good or not.  if you take off that little ‘button’ and it’s brown inside, then your avocado is already past it’s prime and you shouldn’t buy it.  if the color is a yellow/green color, take that baby home with you!  (i learned this tip from a friend awhile back)

guac

quick and easy guacamole

(serves 4 or 1 if you’re greedy)

ingredients:

  • 1 large avocado
  • 1/4 C red onion, diced
  • 3 cherry tomatoes, diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 t garlic (or onion) powder
  • a pinch of sea salt

directions:

  1. cut open avocado, whatever your method may be, and scoop into a small mixing bowl.  mash the avocado with fork (or another masher of choice) until you reach the desired consistency.  (i like my guac more on the smooth side, while other people i know, like to keep it chunky)
  2. once avocado is mashed, place all but tomatoes into the bowl and mix well.  these ingredients are based on preference, so feel free to keep the seeds of your pepper, or add more seasoning, if you’d like.
  3. once everything is well incorporated, fold in tomatoes. ( i keep these last do that don’t get ‘mushy’ during the mixing process)
  4. enjoy!  scoop a dollop on your tacos, quesadilla, burger, fish, or chips – whatever you’re feeling that day!

i know its been awhile since i checked in on the weight loss side of this blog; it’s because i’m trying to figure out my body.  i’m not sure if i’m currently fueling my body with enough calories to where it burns fat, instead of stores it.  i have a RMR test scheduled on the 23rd to determine how well my metabolism burns calories and what my macros should be set at, so i’ll be checking in with that next week.

from the website: What is Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)? Metabolism, quite simply, is the conversion of food to energy. Metabolic rate is a measure of how much food, or fat, is converted to energy in a day.  Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the measurement of how much food, or energy, is required to maintain basic body functions such as heartbeat, breathing, and maintenance of body heat while you are in a state of rest.  That energy is expressed in calories per day.  So an RMR measurement shows how many calories you burn at rest, doing nothing more than sitting in a chair.

i don’t think that this test is the key to me losing weight, but i do think it will help me understand my body so i can fuel it more efficiently and effectively.  i’m sure i’ve done some damage to my metabolism over the years from various eating habits, some very serious, others were just fad diets, so i’m interested to see how my body has reacted to all of that.

so, like i said, i’ll be checking in with those results after the test to share what i’ve discovered!

happy tuesday everyone!

Q:  do you have any tips or tricks when it comes to picking a certain fruit or veggie to ensure its ripe/fresh?

sunshine award!

Posted in fun by

hi!  while i was catching up on some blogs this morning, i realized i was nominated for the sunshine award by janetha!  thanks, janetha!  i think this is a fun little award and perfect for a friday!  so here is goes..

Sunshine-Award

Rules:

  1. Include award logo in a post or on your blog.
  2. Link to the person who nominated you.
  3. Answer 10 questions about yourself.
  4. Nominate 10 bloggers to receive the award and ask them 10 questions.

here are the questions janetha asked…

1. do you believe in aliens? why or why not.

umm. yes and no?  i do believe there’s a strong possibility of us not being the only ones in the universe.. not sure if they’re aliens, but maybe other human beings?  i’d like to think we’re not the only ones around here living it up!

2. if you could do ANYTHING in the world and have that be your career and your skills, paycheck, or anything else was not an object.. what would you do?

easy. i have always said, if i won the lottery, i’d quit my day job and start up a doggie daycare.  i spent most of my teenage years volunteering at a veterinarian clinic just for fun (not because i was forced to). the whole surgery/seriousness of being a vet is something i don’t think i could handle, so doggie daycare would be the next best thing!

doggiedaycare(source)

who wouldn’t want to spend their days hanging out like that?!

3. what is your earliest childhood memory?

my grandparents used to take my brother and i on trips to different states during the summer!  we traveled to about 30 states (so i was told) but i only remember visiting a few with them.  i remember yellowstone national park (the buffalo) and some place with a lot of prairie dogs!

babyme

i was probably 3 or 4?

4. what’s for dinner tonight?

good question?  i think it may be this tuna, cauliflower, and cheese bake:

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i already have some tuna filets sitting in the fridge and some cauliflower that’s about to go bad, so it seems appropriate.

5. what was the most fabulous vacation you have ever been on in your entire life?

costa rica. hands down.  i haven’t been on many vacations, but i loved costa rica.  i wish i could have, at least, spent a month there to soak up all the culture.  the dogs, the people, THE FOOD! GAH I MISS IT!

costa rica

6. if you HAD to give up one of your senses (touch, taste, sight, hearing, or smell) which would it be?

ooooh. good question!  i think i would have to go with touch. no way would i want to lose my taste, sight, or hearing.  smell.. maybe. touch is the last one on my list.

7. would you rather always be super freezing cold or ridiculously overheating hot? (and no, you can’t have a warm blanket or AC to combat the issue!)

cold. absolutely.  i absolutely HATE being hot.  i live in virginia where the summers don’t exactly reach extreme temperatures, but 95-100 degrees when it’s almost 100% humidity.. no thanks.  i always joke that i belong somewhere out west, like jackson hole or cody, where the temps may get hot, but its DRY heat.

8. why did you start blogging?

i started awhile back to try and keep myself accountable, and that didn’t work out so well..  the thing is, i love the blogging community.  for the most part, its a tight knit group that is always there to cheer you up if you need it!  yes, there will always be haters, that have something nasty to say, but such is life.  i haven’t made a ton of friends since i moved to richmond, and the few bloggers i do talk to here and there feel like friends, at least they do to me.

9. what was the last compliment you received and what was the last one you paid to someone?

the other day at the gym, i was doing deadlifts, and one of the trainers complimented me on my form.  that definitely made my day.

a compliment i paid to someone?  one of my co-workers got eyelash extensions, which i’m obsessed with (but too cheap to shell out the money for) and she was really happy someone noticed.  I WANT EYELASH EXTENSIONS SO BAD!

10. what is your most favorite thing to eat?

guacamole. all day, every day.  i love this stuff, but it has to be homemade.  i actually made some last night, and it was the most perfect batch i have ever made.  perfect amount of add-ins and seasonings.

guac

who am i going to nominate?

my ten questions are:

  1. would you rather cook dinner or bake dessert?
  2. if you could only shop at one retail store (clothes-wise) for the rest of your life, where would you shop?
  3. what’s your favorite music genre?
  4. if you could pack up and move ANYWHERE in the world you would like (money doesn’t matter), would you move or stay where you are?
  5. what is your favorite month of the year?
  6. do you paint your nails or keep them polish free?
  7. if you had to eat the same thing for breakfast for the rest of your life, what would it be?
  8. what’s your favorite part of your body?
  9. what’s your favorite form of social media and why its your favorite?
  10. what’s the last 3 purchases on your debit card?

 

Q: answer any one of the questions above!

never forget

Posted in life by

September11

12 years ago, today, i was sitting in 8th grade civics class when, one-by-one, students were being dismissed from class because their parents were picking them up.  at that point, we hadn’t heard the news of the terrible events that happened that day, but we knew sometime wasn’t quite right.

i will forever remember September 11, 2001. i got home from school and realized my my mom still couldn’t get ahold of my dad, because phone lines were tied up. i also found out that my dad was working a landscaping job near the Pentagon that day.  luckily my dad was safe, but he was close enough, at the time, to see the plane hit the Pentagon.

so many lives were taken that day, i cannot being to imagine being directly affected.

i’m keeping this post short and sweet today.  hold you loved ones a little tighter tonight, you never know what tomorrow will bring.

my motivation, monday

Posted in life, motivation monday by

i think one thing that has kept me semi-sane through my years of diet and exercise ups and downs is that my goals have never been unrealistic.  i knew growing up that i was built a little (or a lot) bigger than my friends.  it was definitely hard going through high school and your 3 best friends are 5’2″-5’3″ and 100-115 pounds.  i always kept in the back of my mind that i was never meant to be that small.

to this day, when i’m scrolling through pinterest and i see these tiny women  with not much muscle definition pinned into “motivation” or “inspiration” boards, it makes me kind of sad.  sad, that something like that is envied by so many people.

i wanted to share my three, main, inspiration pictures.  i think these women are beautiful and i hope that i can get down to a size around them and be confident in myself.  i would hope that if i can look like that, i could be happy with what i see in the mirror, which is something i haven’t been able to do in a longggg time.

83175924340657684(source)

 

3dafca221f4bbd8dba6896d4b4f74a41(source)

 

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as you can see, i’m not hoping for a supermodel body.  i think i could be very comfortable with myself in a size 10-12 (maybe?) and around 165-170 pounds.  the only reason that number sticks with me, is because when i lost a lot of weight in middle/high school (yes, that long ago), i got down to 177 pounds and i was very confident in myself.  i will always be able to reassess that goal once i get around those numbers, i just hope to get there someday.

in other news, i took a break from clean eating this weekend and enjoyed myself at the bbq with friends and family, followed by hibatchi sunday night (no rice), and my body is feeling the effects today.  i’m bloated, tired, and dehydrated!  i’m chugging down my water and made sure my meals were simple and light today, in hopes to return to normalcy as soon as possible.  i don’t regret a single piece of food i ate, because i don’t want to feel restricted, but my body is begging for clean eating, so that is what i’ll give it.  i also put in a good workout saturday morning, knowing i would indulge later that day.

that’s all i have for you guys today! hope you have a great monday! i’ll leave you with a scene from the weekend.. a very lazy sunday: scenes from the weekend

Q: how was yall’s weekend?  anything fun and exciting? 

 

 

Advocare 24 Day Challenge Results!

Posted in advocare, clean eating, weight loss by

you guys! happy thursday! wouldn’t it be great if it were just friday, already?  well it’s not, but i’m having a great day anyways!!

GUESS WHAT? the 24 day challenge is over!  i’m not happy its over, because i enjoyed (and will continue with) the structure of the program, and something about 24 days just made all the goals SO ATTAINABLE.  but, i’m also happy that i get to enjoy my upcoming weekend without the fear of failing at this thing.

Capture

i had AMAZING results with the cleanse. i was actually a little hesitant the second part of the challenge, because i was afraid to set myself up, too much, in fear that i wouldn’t do well and disappoint myself.

i will continue to say that this is not a miracle pill/program.  i ate clean and worked my ass off in the gym. with all the temptation i was faced with, i had zero cheats.  i was in the gym from 5:15-6:45 a.m. every week day and at some point on saturdays.  i did not slack off and i think my progress shows that.  but, the products helped push me through it.  i had the most energy i’ve had in a LONG time.  my workout motivation came from my favorite morning cocktail of spark + arginine extreme. the cleanse helped kick my bad habits, including my relentless sweet tooth.  and i think the MNS C helped curb any other cravings i had.

so, how did i do?  well.. here you go:photo 124daychallengeresults

and here are Barbara’s results:

photo 2

pretty amazing if you ask me.  we both feel great and can’t wait to see where the future will take us.  i’m promising myself that this challenge wont be the end and i can revert back to old ways; i feel too good to do that.  this is a lifestyle change, for sure.  and i’ll make sure to keep you updated along my journey!

have a GREAT day!

tomorrow and beyond.

Posted in advocare by

tomorrow is the last day of my Advocare 24 Day Challenge!

Capture23(source.)

i can honestly say, i have enjoyed the last 23 days on this challenge.  i’m stronger, i have more energy, my diet is clean, and MOST of my cravings are gone.  i still have days when all i want is a diet coke or i think chocolate will cure my cramps, but that’s what the little bit of willpower i do have is for.

is this something that can be sustained?  yes, i believe it can.  i think the challenge gave me the tools to kick bad habits while developing better habits.  it helped me with a number of things, including:

  • kicking my sweet tooth.
  • restarting my metabolism.
  • developing good gym habits.
  • improving my energy.
  • helping me gain muscle.
  • resetting my mindset on portion control.
  • giving me the confidence to keep going.

i know all the things above will be key in finally getting to ‘goal’.  not just working out, or just eating clean.  my downfall has always been, if i let one thing slip, the rest are sure to follow shortly after.  if i skip the gym, it’s not an excuse to eat a pint of ice cream for dinner, or vice versa.

i know every day wont be perfect on this journey. i might eat too much and feel stuffed.  i might miss a day at the gym.  i might look in the mirror and catch myself the wrong way and hate how i look.  NONE of those are good enough reasons to completely shut down and revert back to my old ways.  like i’ve said before, these aren’t super pills, they simply give you the tools to get on track or stay on track.

what about after the challenge?  this whole challenge, i’ve reminded myself that it DOES NOT stop on day 24.  i don’t plan on being as strict as i have been throughout, but i’m not going to let it fall to the side.

i do plan on incorporating ‘free meals’ once every one or two weeks, because i believe balance is key to a healthy lifestyle.  i don’t love using the word ‘cheat’ because i feel like it insinuates i’m doing something bad or wrong.  i want to be able to go out with friends and have a drink and dinner and not worry about the calories i’m about to consume.  i also know that if i leave that as a ‘free DAY‘ i will consume enough calories for the entire week and not make any progress (i know this from my experience while attempting body-for-life).

i’m attending a barbeque on saturday, so this will be my test as to how well i do without strict guidelines.  at one point, i caught myself thinking about how i was going to gorge myself with all the food at the party, and realized if i go into it with those kind of thoughts, i’m setting myself up for failure.

i’m slowly learning that it’s going to take a lot more strength to rebuild the inside than the outside.  i’m damaged. i’m much more damaged than most people realize.  the more i write on this blog, i become aware of the fact that i’m much more damaged than i ever thought i was. but, i do think, if i can continue this journey slowly like i am right now, i’ll be happy with my results this time next year.

will you continue taking advocare products? yes. here is a list of products i will continue to take after the challenge:

  • catalyst for muscle repair & protection, i may lower the dosage i take.
  • spark + arginine for a pre-workout drink (love this combo!).
  • omegaplex for my omega-3 support, plus i have a lot leftover.
  • vo2 prime bar (half a serving/bar) for something light on my stomach during a workout.
  • MNS E for daily supplements and extra energy.  i was taking MNS C for appetite control, but i would like to see what the E can do, if i don’t like it, i may switch back to the C.
  • sleepworks definitely helps me go to sleep quick, i wouldn’t say it helps me sleep any harder (i’m a VERY light sleeper), but it does help out for falling asleep.

i’ll check back in with final results on thursday and hopefully some before and after pictures.  it will take all i have to post those, but i want to show my results and be PROUD of them.

Q: do you believe in free meals, cheat meals, or cheat days?

currently.

Posted in life by

happy friday! anyone have an big plans for the long weekend? not me; just hanging out or working out.  before this whole thing, i would have never included working out into a holiday weekend.  pushing through until wednesday to finish this challenge strong!!

i wanted to keep today’s post light, so i thought i would share some of the things i’m currently doing or currently loving!

listening:

girl talk radio on Pandora.

girltalkradio

it’s usually either that or Fun. radio.  i love both and they always play songs i love.

lunches:

lunch

wasa thin and crispy crackers + hot peppered horseradish + banana peppers + no salt added turkey breast and a side of asparagus  (all eaten at my very glamorous desk at work).  omg. if i could eat this for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 3 snacks a day i would.  if you like stuff with a kick, try out this combo. you can thank me later!

snacks:

from this –

snack1

to this –

snack2

wednesday and thursday after my morning snack, 1/4 cup of almonds, i started to have really bad stomach cramps.  i became nauseous and felt terrible.  the only thing i could pin point it on was i ate raw almonds right before both episodes started.  i’m not sure if it’s because they’re raw or what, but i only use almond milk and have never had a reaction to that, plus I’ve been eating almonds for snacks most of this challenge.  i guess its possible to form an intolerance?  maybe I’ve eaten too many almonds?  for now, i replaced my almonds with a small gala apple.  i can’t wait for honeycrisp season to start!

protein powder:

beverly international UMP in cookies and cream. this stuff is amazing. i’ve always read that whey is better immediately after a workout and casein is good before bed, since it’s slow released protein that feeds your muscles all night.  i’m not sure if that is true, but, i do know this protein has me fooled that i’m not drinking an actual cookies and cream milkshake for dessert every night.  i wish i could say i’m exaggerating, because most of the time i think people are crazy or have been eating clean for way too long when they say ‘this tastes just like the real thing!!’, but i’ve had this since the beginning of week 2 and even then i thought it tasted amazing then.

the company also sells a rocky road; i wish i could try a sample, because it seems like it might be a really rich flavor and not something i would enjoy every night like i am right now with the cookies and cream.  i’ll let you know if i venture out.

reading:

nothing.  sad face.  i have quite a few books on my kindle ready to read and i just haven’t been feeling it lately.  i can’t remember that last time i read a full book!

tv shows:

oitnb orange is the new black.  i heard a lot about this series from quite a few friends so i gave it shot.  i wouldn’t say i’m completely enthralled, but i enjoy watching it.  it’s a Netflix series, so the whole first season is available right now.

wd

i found walking dead season 1 and 2 on Netflix awhile back and season 3 finally became available on dvd this past week.  so i’m watching these episodes as fast as Netflix sends them!  i was so set that i ‘wasn’t a zombie’ person and i fell in love with this show.  i also really enjoyed world war z.  so i guess, maybe i am a zombie person? who knows.

stressing:

debt.  between buying a house last year, getting new credit cards, and other high item purchases recently, i’ve racked up quite a bit of debt.  i’m on a mission to cut down my spending budget and pay off this stuff as fast as i can (except the house obviously, i’ve got years and years to pay on that).  i hate the thought of  debt looming over my head!

excited:

i know this sounds forever away, but two of my best friends are having a destination wedding in puerto vallarta next november and i’ve officially booked my room! it’s on the west coast of mexico.

cande savethedate

thinking about it makes me miss costa rica, though.  i traveled to puerto viejo back in february and i miss it like crazy.  i wish i could live there for awhile and just soak up as much culture as possible.  if you ever have a chance to travel to costa rica, do it; it will be the best decision you ever made!

workout:

i really love working out my back these days.  some of my favorite exercises include hyperextensions and dead lifts.  i still dread cardio every day.  i hope that changes soon, because it wont be going away.

weight loss:

12 pounds.  the number hasn’t moved in the last few days. i’m not sure why, but i’m still pretty happy with it.  i just hope it goes down a little more before the challenge is over.

well, that’s all i have for you today, folks.  sorry if i bored you.  not much going on in my life other than eating clean, working out, and trying to relax when i’m not prepping meals or cleaning the house.  i wish i could train my dogs to clean the house when i’m away at work.  i always tell scout to vacuum up some of his hair (he sheds A LOT) while i’m out, but he never listens. oh well.

scout

Q: what’s one of your currentlys’?

listening to my body

Posted in life by

one of the hardest things i’ve had to deal with in the past in listening to my body.  all the diets and exercise plans i’ve ever tried, i wasn’t listening to myself, i was listening to what the plan was telling me to do.  i believe this had a lot to do with my constant failing.  my body was asking for something and i was ignoring it, to the point where i couldn’t keep going.  learning to listen to my body and realizing what it’s asking for will be a long journey, but i know if i want to be successful at this, i’m going to have to start somewhere.

yesterday i had a bad day, all around.  i had a bad workout, didn’t feel well, and if there had been the least bit of temptation at work, i probably would have ‘cheated’.  when i got home, i made the decision that i would take today off from the gym.  my body was telling me all day that it was exhausted and needed to recover, so i listened. i upped my carb intake at dinner a little and  by 8:30 p.m., i had already taken my sleepworks and nighttime recovery and was headed off to dreamland.

listentoyourbody(source.)

i woke up this morning feeling really good.  i didn’t down myself for skipping the gym. i got ready, put some effort into my looks, and headed off to work. on my way into work, i just felt better. i felt 20x better than i did the day before.  i wasn’t making an excuse to skip out on the gym, because i actually enjoy lifting; my body was telling me something and i listened to it. skipping the gym this morning doesn’t mean i’m allowed to binge all day. this whole situation may not seem like a lot to someone else, but it is a real accomplishment to me.

i want my body, not my mind, to control how i live my life.  if i’m hungry, i want to make sure it’s because i’m actually hungry, not just bored.  if i’m bored, i need to find something for my brain to do.  if i’m actually hungry, i’ll eat.  if i’m craving something, figure out what my body is actually craving.  instead of eating a pint of ben and jerry’s, i want to grab a handful of grapes and be satisfied.  if i’m exhausted, i want to figure out if i’ve just had a long day or if my body needs a break.  like i already said, this will take time, but i think i’m currently on the right track.

tomorrow i will be back in the gym bright and early to take on my final few days of the 24 day challenge.  i’m ready to finish this thing strong!

 

Q: do you find it hard to listen to your body or are you a pro?  did it take you awhile before you figured out what it was actually asking for?

advocare 24 day challenge update

Posted in advocare, life, motivation, weight loss by

hey there!  after a four day weekend away from just about everything other than the gym, i’m feeling.. awful. i know part of the reason for my feeling like this is cramps + bloating; but, there’s nothing i can do to control that so i’m not going to let it get in my way.

this morning, i fell got out of bed,  got all my things together, then headed down the road to my gym.  (sidenote: my gym is 30 minutes away, along with most civilization, but it’s only 5 minutes from my work; so, i shower at the gym and the distance doesn’t phase me, since i would be driving that far to work a couple hours later anyway).  15 minutes down the road, i realize something: i forgot my work clothes. ugh. i drive home, scoop them up, then head back to the gym.  i started out a little early this morning, so my mishap made me on-time to the gym around 5:15ish a.m.

once i got to the gym, i jumped right into squats and kettlebell swings for leg day, but something just felt off.  my legs felt exhausted and my right quad/hamstring kept feeling like it was about to pull.  so, i backed off and did as much as i could and followed-up with 15 minutes in the sauna.  i’ve been going into the sauna for about 5-10 minutes after every workout and i haven’t felt that sore compared to how i think i should feel.  i’m really pushing myself in the gym and the sauna seems to help keep the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) away.

here’s the thing, i’m not happy with my day in the gym this morning, but i’m also not upset.  i could have easily pushed sleep on my alarm clock and slept for two more hours, but i didn’t.  i’m not saying i’m new and improved and will never skip a workout, but, after 3 weeks of this, i can feel a change in my attitude.  something i’ve never felt before.  i want this change to stick and become permanent.

i know it wont be easy and i know its going to be a long road, but i know it will be worth it if i just keep sticking to what i’m doing.

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i’m currently down 12 pounds since the start of my Advocare 24 day challenge, and before i became a bloated mess, i seriously just felt ‘slimmer’.  i wont say these are magic pills that are going to make you skinny overnight, but i do think this challenge gives you the right tools to get on track with a healthy push along the way.

can’t wait to complete my final weigh-in next wednesday and share the results with you all! sorry for being whiney this afternoon.

have a great day!