Friday, September 28, 2018

Friday Five: 5 Ways I Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

TGIF has never been more true until today for me! This week was crazy busy and I am just longing for a weekend of relaxation. Luckily my only plans as of now are to go to some Women's Health Summit event with my mom tomorrow morning and then a long run Sunday morning. I'm hoping my Saturday and Sunday evening stay open so John and I can finally get the rest of our boxes unpacked.

I was going to write some long, sappy post about how it's been 5 years since I hit my goal weight and it still feels so great and blah, blah, blah... but then I had another idea! Over 5 years ago I adapted to a new lifestyle thanks to Weight Watchers (WW) in order to lose the weight I needed to and get in better shape. This allowed me to reach my goal weight in September of 2013 and so far, I have maintained this weight! Adapting to a lifestyle, rather than just "dieting," is how I've been able to maintain the goal weight I worked so hard for. Today I am going to share with you 5 pieces of advice that I've learned along the way of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle! *I am in no way a professional so these are merely just tips I have learned and that have worked for me!*

Pay attention to portion size.
This is probably the most important. It wasn't until I joined WW that I started looking at portion sizes on boxes. I. was. shocked. Who knew that a 1 serving of cereal was 3/4 cup instead of about the 2 or more cups I fit into my huge bowl?! I started using measuring cups/spoons and a food scale to portion out my food and realized I had been eating way to much of some foods in just a single meal. At first I though "I'll never feel full after this measly meal!" but then that wasn't the case. I felt full, not grossly stuffed. To make this easier with snacking, I always pre-portion any snacks I get that aren't already pre-packaged, such as a big bag of pretzels or my cut up fruits/veggies.

Don't deprive yourself.
You may think that cutting your favorite sweet treat out of your diet is a great idea, but you're only torturing yourself and could possibly binge on something else later. Instead, allow yourself to enjoy your favorite treats now and again, just not all the time. If you're a planner like me, you could pick which days out of the week you want to let yourself indulge a bit. I tend to schedule my sweets around my running schedule. By doing this, I don't typically crave junk food because I know that I could have it if I really wanted it.

Work some cardio into your schedule.
You don't have to be a super runner, but adding movement into your day can show big results. When I first joined WW, I was not a runner in any way. I started by going on morning walks with my parents as a way of exercise. Once I felt more comfortable, I started running. The walking alone helped me out tremendously and prepared me for more rigorous exercise. It got me moving and helped me burn some calories!

Find accountability buddies.
I was lucky enough to join WW with family so we have been keeping each other accountable since then. This has been such a huge advantage for us. Family meals or parties tend to be healthier because we all have the same mindset. We're able to exchange recipes and tips. It's also nice to have someone to force me out of my house early on a Saturday morning to go face the scale AKA weigh in.

DRINK YOUR WATER.
It honestly blows my mind that people don't drink a lot of water during the day. I've spent hours with people and didn't see them take a sip of water even once. Meanwhile, I'm finishing up my third refill of my blender bottle. I always, and I mean ALWAYS, have a water bottle with me. If you know me well enough, then you know I either have my trusty blue blender bottle or one of my Tervis mugs with me at all times. Water helps with everything. Hungry? Drink some water. Feel a headache coming on? Drink some water. Tired? Go splash your face with water. Seriously. Water = life. I highly suggest you go get a nice reusable bottle (I love my blender bottle because it never leaks so I am able to throw it in any bag I have with me) and make a promise to yourself to take it everywhere with you to guarantee you are drinking enough. You'll notice a difference, I promise. 


Question of the Day: What is one way you maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Monday, September 24, 2018

Marathon Training: Week 10

W10D1: Speed Intervals Easy 3 miles
I used this run as an opportunity to explore my new neighborhood!

W10D2: REST DAY

W10D3: Strength Training 
Blogilates Toned Arms & Sexy Shoulders Workout video

W10D4: Short Tempo Run (9:24 pace goal) 6 easy miles

W10D5: Strength Training 
45 minutes strength training

W10D6: 16 mile long run 

W10D7: REST DAY

Total Weekly Mileage: 25 miles
I threw my pace goals out the window this week and focused on just getting the mileage in. It was a rough week since my body was not used to all this running but it felt good to get back out there! It's hard to believe that in less than a month I'll be completing my 20 mile run and then in less than 2 months it'll be marathon time!!

Sunday, September 23, 2018

My Summer Bucket List Update

With the craziness of the end of this summer, I completely forgot to check in with an update on my summer bucket list! What better time to check in than the day after the first day of fall?! Back in June I made a list of 5 things I wanted to do this summer. Now I'm going to share that list again with a comment of whether I did it or not. 


1. Read 10 books. 
I did complete this goal! I actually read a total of 10 books this summer. I had hoped to read more but with all the other stuff I had going on, I'm impressed that I finished these 10. I read mostly thriller books this summer, such as The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison. My reading time mostly took place on my lunch breaks at work. I would hide out in my room and read while I ate when I wasn't in the mood to socialize.



2. Go on at least one road trip to somewhere new.
I didn't go on any specific road trips to anywhere new, but I did travel to places I had been before and visited new attractions in that area. My biggest trip was to Knoebel's, which I had been to years ago, but I barely remembered anything about the place. Maybe that counts? Haha, it felt new to me!



3. Spend more time outside.

I definitely spent a tremendous amount of time outside. Between running, going on walks during lunch, and spending time outside with my nephew, I feel like I spent as much time as I could outside. Even when it was hot as anything, I made a point to get in some sort of outdoor time.

Marathon training in the summer made possible thanks to neighborhood sprinklers!
4. Stick to my marathon training schedule as closely as possible.
I am happy to say that I definitely did this! Up until the past 2 weeks, my training has been going smoothly. I only had to alter it one or two times, and that was due to weather/safety reasons. Honestly, I've been enjoying the detailed schedule because it makes me feel like each day is a new mini goal. I think that helped me out with this goal during the summer!



5. Enjoy life!

Yes, I really did! For some reason this just felt like the most relaxed, care-free, fun summer. I worked, but it was fun! When I wasn't working, I was doing whatever I wanted to do. I rarely felt stressed which is a win-win!

Question of the Day: What is one thing you were happy you did this summer?

Friday, September 21, 2018

Friday Five: 5 Things I'm Loving This Week

Hi, everyone! Happy Friday :) I wasn’t sure if t was ever going to get here, but now it’s here and I’m happier than ever! This week has been such a busy one with continuing to unpack and then just various events I’ve had to attend. I’m truly looking forward to a (pretty much) uneventful weekend. My goal is to unpack all boxes or at least put the box in storage if I don’t need it right now. Let’s see how that goes... haha. Before we can even get to the weekend, let’s recap some things I’ve been loving this week!


1. Copper Chef Perfect Egg Maker
As many of you know, John and I moved into our new house this past weekend. To start us off on the right foot, we made a trip to Bed Bath & Beyond and Walmart to stock up on necessities. One of those happened to be an egg maker! I may sound lazy, but the last thing I want to do is make boiled eggs on the stove so this egg cooker is perfect for me. It's super easy to use. You just poke the bottom of the eggs you want to boil with the poker(?) at the bottom of the given measuring cup, add the amount of eggs you want to the trays (you can make up to 14 at a time!), pour in the amount of water for that many eggs, and turn it on. That's it! I definitely suggest following ALL the directions in the book it comes with in order to end up with the perfect eggs. The egg maker can also make soft or medium boiled eggs, poached eggs, and omelettes. I'm hoping to play around with it a bit more this weekend so I can try different things out!

2. Vacuum Sealing
My mom was nice enough to give me my very own vacuum sealer for my new house. On Saturday I was able to use it and I loved it! My mom had made a ton of food for our move in weekend which meant we had a ton of leftovers. She let me vacuum seal all the extra chili, sausage, and meatballs for John and I to freeze and then have for dinner sometime in the future. I never realized how easy it is to use! I'm looking forward to buying more food in bulk, or making meals in bulk, and then freezing them for later.

3. Baths
It's been a long time since I comfortably fit in the tub at my house. I forgot how much I loved to sit and relax in a nice bath every once in awhile. Luckily, our new house has a decent sized Jacuzzi tub that I have taken advantage of since moving in. It's been perfect for a Epsom salt bath when my body is tired or even just a warm bath after a long day. It's crazy to think that I used to hate baths as a child!

4. Routines
It's been awhile since I've been in a good routine due to starting a new job and moving. Now that things are starting to settle down, I'm eager to get back into all the routines that I put on the back burner lately. I didn't realize how much I love and miss having my routines until I had some pretty crappy lunches this week thanks to not meal prepping on Sunday's. This week will hopefully allow me to get back into my usual routines while also creating some new ones!


5. Special K Cereal
Some days I have a really great breakfast while other days I just eat whatever I find in the fridge/pantry. This week has been crazy and I haven’t been to the grocery store, so my breakfast each day this week has consisted of hot tea and dry Special K cereal. I eat the cereal dry because I’m usually snacking on it during homeroom or first period so milk isn’t really an option. I’m not mad though because I love Special K cereal and it’s been keeping me filled until lunch! My mom gave me two different types when I moved out, lemon and blueberry clusters and then another kind with peaches and yogurt chips. Both are so good!

Question of the Day: What are you loving this week?

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

We're Homeowners!

If you've been on my blog lately then you've figured out that I haven't been as active, aside from my weekly routine posts. I've been a bit busy the last few weeks with my new job and something else super exciting. For those who don't know yet, John and I bought a house!! 
Isn't this sign the cutest?! It was a gift from my brother-in-law AKA our realtor!

We had started looking for our first house together back in July when I finally received my full time job. After looking at many many houses (I actually should count how many we went to), we finally found the one we could see ourselves living in. The process moved along super quickly, and once the seller accepted our offer, we were set to close in 30 days! Needless to say, those 30 days were filled with endless paperwork, phone calls to everyone under the sun, and packing, LOTS of packing. Thankfully, John handled the paperwork and mortgage end of the deal while I packed and made any necessary arrangements for the big move-in day.

The week and a half leading up to settlement was probably the craziest time of all for the two of us. Working around two very busy schedules (did I tell you I JUST started my new job?!), we managed get a lot done even when nothing, and I mean NOTHING, went as planned. I'll only tell you a little bit about that because who wants to hear (read?) me complain all day...
I am so ready for this adventure!

After my first day of school, we took an hour drive to pick out furniture at a shore house owned by a friend of John's dad. The guy was very generous and let us have first dibs on the furniture he was going to be selling before knocking down and rebuilding said shore house. I'm not gonna lie, I was completely in shock at the amount of furniture we got for such an awesome deal. I will forever be thankful for this guy! Up until that day, we only had a bedroom set for the master bedroom and one for the guest room. 

As much as I was absolutely thrilled with the furniture, it just turned into a big to-do then we anticipated. John had to spend a full Saturday driving back down to get the furniture with his dad and uncle. Sounds easy, right? Well the U-Haul reservation was made for the wrong day, resulting in them ending up with a super huge and super expensive U-Haul. Then the loading process took so long that the storage unit we were taking it to closed before they could take it to unload it. That meant we had to take more time from our weekend to go unload it the next day. Needless to say, a lot got done but didn't get done at the same time. I was stressed but we had furniture for our house so all was good!
I'm already starting to decorate!

Flash forward to settlement this past Thursday! We were lucky enough to get an appointment late enough so I didn't have to take off of work during my first full week. I was amazed at how quickly we were in and out! We spent our first night eating Mexican food and just enjoying the fact that the house was OURS! Friday was spent with our families, cleaning the house and preparing to move in furniture on Saturday. My mom made us all dinner and everyone really pitched in to help clean and fix up a couple things. 

Saturday's move in went smoother than I could have imagined! After the last week and a half we had, I wasn't expecting anything to go as planned but I was wrong. We had all the furniture and boxes from his parent''s house loaded and unloaded in about 2 hours. Loading and unloading the furniture from the storage unit took about 2 hours as well. Everyone who came to help did an awesome job of putting everything where I asked. All day I just kept thinking how lucky John and I were to have such an amazing support team to pitch in and help us out!
My dad is the absolute cutest!

By the early evening we were all relaxing, enjoying another great meal prepared by my mom! Overall it was a great day! John and I have really been enjoying unpacking and setting up the house. I'm pretty sure my most put together rooms so far are the kitchen and bathrooms. Next on my list is our master bedroom which requires a bit of rearranging furniture. I'll have more pictures once everything is set up!

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Marathon Training: Week 9

W9D1: Speed Intervals (4:18 goal pace)
Warm up, 6x 800 (4:23, 4:08, 4:12, 4:20, 4:19, 4:31), cool down

W9D2: REST DAY

W9D3: Mid-Tempo Run (9:39 pace goal) 2 easy miles

W9D4: REST DAY
Settlement for our new house!

W9D5: REST DAY
Moving some stuff = strength training!

W9D6: REST DAY
Major move day = strength training!

W9D7: REST DAY 

Total Weekly Mileage: 6 miles 
This was a VERY crazy and busy week for me! We made settlement on our new house Thursday, which then turned into days of moving and attempting to begin unpacking. I took it upon myself to add some extra rest days in and take a quick break from marathon training. I’m confident in myself that I’ll pick right up where I left off this week! I’m eager to explore my new area and get a nice long run in this weekend :)

Friday, September 14, 2018

Friday Five: 5 Things I'm Loving This Week

Happy Friday, everyone!! I'm super pumped for this weekend for a variety of reasons but I'll fill you in on that information sometime next week :) This past week was crazy but good! I am absolutely loving my job and looking forward to the year ahead of me with my students. I am definitely looking forward to sometime in the near future when I can finally relax a bit. Who knows when that will be but anywhooo! It's Friday which means here are some things I'm loving this week...

This waistband is what dreams are made of!
My New Pants
A few weeks before work began, I went on a shopping trip to Kohl's where I got some new pants to wear to work. Flash forward to this week when I finally have gotten a chance to wear them to work. I am IN LOVE! They have a yoga pant- type band and no button/zipper so they just pull right on and don't dig into my stomach. They are a real game changer! I bought them in navy blue and grey. Now I'm wishing I got them in every color! Check them out here if you want a pair (or 3)!


Wawa Pretzels
One of my favorite snacks, especially after a run, is a soft pretzel. I've always been a Philly Pretzel Factory kind of gal up until recently when I was introduced to the best pretzel of all: the Wawa soft pretzel. They have a sweeter taste to them which allows me to eat them without spicy mustard. That's a real win when I want to eat my pretzel while driving. The best part of all? I can buy 2 of them for close to one dollar! Now every time I run into Wawa for something I just HAVE to pick one (or two!) up.

This Weather
I feel like all I've talked about each week on here or in random conversations with people is one thing: the weather. Whether it's been too hot, too rainy, too windy, etc. the weather is the hot topic of conversations. I just have to take a moment to say that I am officially content with the weather at this time. Yes, I wish it was a bit sunnier and yes, the rain could go away, but it's finally not extremely hot or cold and I love it! It makes my running better because I'm not overheating quickly and I can finally wear my favorite cozy clothes!

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Somehow it took me until now to finally read the book Wonder. I finished it up while away for Labor Day last weekend. A few people had told me it wasn't worth the hype but I decided to read it anyway. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed it! As a teacher, I believe all middle school students should read this book at some point because it really teaches some valuable lessons! I'd love to find a way to work the book and some good discussions into my classroom one day. If you haven't read this book yet, you really should! Now I just need to watch the movie and see how it compares!

Hot Tea
Since I gave up drinking coffee back in April, I have been pretty much free of all things caffeine. Coffee was my main caffeine source since I don't drink soda. Lately though, I've been drinking hot tea as a way to warm up in the morning and to give me that little boost for work (although I don't feel as awake as I wish I did. I don't think caffeine helps me that much). I'm really loving the various flavors of tea I've been having! I've always kept a lot on hand but never got around to drinking them because coffee always trumped tea until now. Now I feel like I need to get to the store and stock up on more to get me through these chilly days!

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Marathon Training: Week 8

W8D1: Speed Intervals 3 mile run
Warm up, 3x 1600 (8:57, 9:02, 9:05), cool down

W8D2: REST DAY

W8D3: REST DAY

W8D4: Strength Training
15 minutes of weights

W8D5: Mid-Tempo Run (9:39 pace goal) 7 mile run
*Due to a long work day and the heat, I decided that instead of running a 7 mile tempo run, I'd just run the mileage at an easy pace.*

W8D6: Long Run 5 mile run

W8D7: Strength Training
1 hour of moving heavy furniture (yes, this counts for me haha)

Total Weekly Mileage: 15  miles 
This week didn't go as planned in any way whatsoever and THAT'S OKAY! It was my first week of my new teaching job, I was super busy with life stuff, and the heat was unbearable. I altered my schedule a ton and just did what I could to make it through the week. I'm disappointed that a long run never happened but I'm seeing this as a good rest week for myself. I just have to remember that I'm at a busy point in my life (more information on that later ;) ) and I have done marathon training before so I'VE GOT THIS! Next week might not be any better but hey, we'll see!

Friday, September 7, 2018

Friday Five: 5 Things I’m Loving This Week

I’m not gonna lie, I wasn’t really sure of Friday was even going to get here... This week I started my new teaching job and it’s safe to say I love it so far! The only downside at the moment is that our school isn’t air conditioned. If you live in my neck of the woods then you know these past few days have been scorching! Luckily, the weather is supposed to cool down from here on out (though I struggle to believe that). Anywho, I’ll give you all more of an update on life soon because boy has A LOT been happening. I’m one to really add a lot to my to do list and lately the list(s) have been never ending! I still had time compile another list which would be my list of things I’m loving this week!


1. Pumpkin Spice
With fall quickly approaching, I’ve been loving all the pumpkin spice flavored treats. I have been trying to be good and not indulge in too many pumpkin baked goods just yet, so the extent of my pumpkin flavored loving has been the one pumpkin spice chai latte I had over the weekend and the Yoplait yogurt I’ve been eating for lunch. The yogurt really hits the spot when I’mtrying to steer clear of pumpkin rolls and muffins and other goodies.

2. Cooler Weather
The past weekend we got a nice sneak peek of what weather is to come and let’s just saying I was obsessed with it! I spent the weekend in the Poconos which is already usually cooler than home. Well I was pumped when for two of those days I was able to wear jeans and hoodie. Like what?! Hoodies are my absolutely favorite! I was thrilled but then not thrilled when the heat came around on Monday...


3. Dresses
Unfortunately, the school I work in doesn’t have air conditioning in most of the rooms. Dresses have been my best friend the past week because they’ve been the perfect thing to wear in this heat. I’m so used to working in cold environments so my dresses haven’t gotten as much wear as they have been lately. I forgot how comfortable and convenient they were!


4. Long Runs
I could go on for days about why I love my long runs during training, but I’ll save a lot of that for a future post. Basically, I’ve been appreciating my long runs lately because it has been time for “me time.” I use my long runs to think about random ideas I’ve had, listen to interesting podcast, and just be by myself. I truly enjoy getting lost in the miles and seeing the mileage go up as I continue to chug along.

5. This BuzzFeed Article
One of my favorite things about the beginning of a new month is the new “Life-Changing Things to Try” articles. I’ve learned about so many new products, ideas, and more from these simple monthly articles. Some highlights of this month is the inexpensive oil diffuser and the idea of a weekly dinner with friends. These articles are just great because some ideas are simple or I’ve already heard about them, but the writers of this article have actually tried said things so I have someone’s real opinion on them!

Question of the Day: What are you loving this week?

Monday, September 3, 2018

Marathon Training: Week 7

W7D1: Speed Intervals (8:51 goal pace)
Warm up, 3x 1600 (8:57, 9:02, 9:05), cool down

W7D2: REST DAY

W7D3: Short-Tempo Run (9:24 pace goal) 2 mile treadmill run
Due to weather and pure exhaustion, my 6 mile tempo run turned into 2 fast miles on the treadmill and I'm okay with that! The rest will benefit me!

W7D4: REST DAY

W7D5: 15 mile long run + Strength Training
*I was supposed to run 13 miles today but then decided to tack on some more miles. The weather was great and the next few weeks will be crazy, so I took advantage of being able to get ahead! My rest this week helped!*
45 minutes strength training

W7D6: REST DAY

W7D7: 3 mile recovery run

Total Weekly Mileage: 24.5 miles 
This week started out rough but ended with a nice long run! I’m hoping this nice weather continues and my runs get better from here!