snow day eats: bacon and chocolate.

Monday night into Tuesday, we had a sleet/ice/rain storm. the streets were sheets of ice, all the cars were covered, and woo classes were cancelled!

My Tuesday started off a little tumultuously. Long story short, the boyfriend came down (quickly) with a nasty stomach bug//food poisoning of some sort. He started to get really dehydrated in a scary way (fingers/legs cramping up), and despite the icy roads, another friend and I decided to head to the ER with him. I am so glad that we did, and he is doing okay now, but it was  scary/long night. We didn’t arrive back until 3 am, and the driving was extremely slow to stay safe (no complaints here).

^^a snow covered campus yesterday morning. well, more sheet-of-ice covered than snow.^^

Despite getting back so late, I woke up around 8 and could not get back to sleep. {It might have had to do with sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag to make sure the boy didn’t need to go back to the hospital}.

I watched the highlights of the Bachelor, did some reading, and mostly relaxed because my brain was not fully functioning. I finally got around to eating breakfast around 10:40, which is unheard of for me!

^^canned wild salmon, roasted brussels and kale, + a paleo banana muffin with Kerrygold butter.^^

^^not pictured: the almond butter + dates I snacked on after this^^

Mid-morning to mid-afternoon was spent getting intermittent work done but mostly caring for my sick boy. When the roads seemed clear enough, we ventured out to get the usual stomach bug supplies and the prescriptions that we received at the hospital last night. It was slow going, but no problem to drive the ~1.5 miles to the store and back.

^^before my workout I cooked up my last two pieces of bacon for a treat//to calm my grumbling tummy.^^

^^a little later, I headed to the gym. I was tired of being inside all day. the 1 mile walk to the gym + a HIIT workout on the treadmill + arc trainer certainly did the trick.^^

^^scenes from Furman yesterday. this is not common for my little Southern school.^^

Another hour of trying to get work done… it was a struggle! Between the snow day mentality and the tired brain, it just wasn’t going.

^^a sweet potato snack, picture taken after most of it had already been eaten. delicious, simple real food.^^

^^dinner in two parts: apple salad. this was basically eaten for the sole purpose of getting that delicious Honeycrisp into my dinner! apple, cucumber, lettuce, and a drizzle of Apple Cider Vinegar.^^

^^dinner part two: salmon, butternut squash, onions, spaghetti squash, and tomato sauce + herbs.^^

after dinner I also enjoyed a square of 85% dark chocolate, it hit the spot! It’s amazing how 85% chocolate used to be way too bitter for me, but now it has the perfect amount of sweetness!

Question of the day:

What type//percent chocolate do you enjoy the most?

WIAW: food freedom.

Happy WIAW y’all! Another addition of my daily meals and activities to share.

I used to be one of those people who had to plan out what they were going to eat before the day even began. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, packed up and planned out– I mean otherwise how could I control what I ate and the ‘healthiness’ of it all, right? And don’t even get me started on the stress of unplanned activities like going out for ice cream with friends or an impromptu dinner out with the family.

Eggs + veggies // paleo banana bread with Kerrygold grass-fed butter.

Random veggies, I only had a few spoonfuls of these.

Coconut cashews// I ate way to many of these to finish up my breakfast, but they’re so delicious I couldn’t help myself.

Now, I can’t imagine going back to that controlling, crazy mindset. The only time I plan things out now are dinners I’m making with the boy or lunches I have to pack on the go. An ice cream run in the afternoon, why not? Dinner out with a friend who’s visiting, sure thing! It’ll sound  crazy to say, but I actually eat healthier now than I ever did before. Getting out of that hectic mindset allows me to be more in tune with my body. If I have a bigger breakfast, I don’t have to stress, because I know my body will just tell me when it’s hungry again.

Afternoon salad leftovers // Chicken, lettuce, walnuts, and a little pomegranate dressing. I wasn’t too hungry after such a huge breakfast so I just went with it.

Workout time- walking, HIIT, and some upper body exercises to round it out.

Cooking with the best friend // and he’s wearing the same shirt I had on earlier.

Dinner as gluten free pizza (homemade!), bacon, and pineapple.

Post dinner: dark chocolate at bible study- YUM.

Stressing about what we eat each day will not make us any healthier. Worry about what you’re eating in the moment. Choose that healthy salad, or a piece of fruit instead of candy. But– don’t stress about that choice all day//week. Our bodies are smart and although it takes practice (and sometimes metabolic healing) we can learn to be in tune with our hunger and nutritional needs. That is the healthiest living of all!

Questions of the day:

Do you eat intuitively?

What is the biggest struggle of healthy eating for you?

WIAW + My HIIT the Track Workout

What I ate.. was surprisingly boring this week. But I’m not complaining. I’ve been getting lots of vegetables in, and trying to eat more protein. If that means my meals are boring.. I can live with that! Plus- I’ve included a super sweaty + intense HIIT workout to keep things exciting.

Breakfast:

After a morning walk with my mom and her baby boy, I headed back inside, ready to eat. Breakfast came in the form of an egg, spaghetti squash, eggplant, hummus, and salsa. Followed by more salsa, hummus + Trader Joe’s blue corn chips. Two servings of vegetables (not including the salsa) before 9 am. Not too shabby.

Lunch: 

After mindless (read: boring) studying all morning, I took a quick break for lunch. First- I decided to do a 15 minute circuit, just to get the blood flowing again.

Lunch was romaine lettuce, chicken, cucumber, blueberries, pico de gallo, hummus, and a few crumbled chips for crunch. I ate in our basement because it was ~10 degrees cooler than the kitchen (curse you skylights!). It was just the break I needed to push through the afternoon.

Snack:

Normally I don’t eat a snack before I workout, because it’s usually within 2 hours of when I eat lunch. Today, my workout was a little later, so I had a little chocolate + AB for some workout fuel. This combination can’t be beat.

Workout:

My workout was a 60 min HIIT workout on the Arc Trainer. Simple, sweaty, everything I needed to clear my mind and rejuvenate me.

Dinner:

A little bit later, after a shower and some more studying, I threw together this dinner for myself. Into the pan: spaghetti squash, chicken,and  onions. Added on: pesto, and hummus.

Snacks pt 2:

That dinner didn’t quite do it for me, so I followed up with a little popcorn. Followed by frozen strawberries with a sprinkling of chocolate chips. Fruit + chocolate? You can’t go wrong!

Last but not least- my HIIT the Track awesome interval workout. My gym was only open for a few hours  Saturday-Monday, due to the holiday this weekend. Due to that, I ended up doing 2 workouts  out on the track.

I don’t know about y’all, but Im not the kind of girl who can run around the track for 6 miles. 1- it’s too boring. 2- it was way too hot this weekend and there is no shade on a track. To keep things interesting, I made up some intervals for myself, mixing strength moves and cardio bursts.

The workout ^^ workouts your arms, abs, and legs, all while keeping your heart rate up and giving you an intense workout. Be sure to drink plenty of water during, and after the workout- it’ll have you sweating buckets.

 

What did you eat this Wednesday?

Coconut Butter (or the new topping to everything I eat)

Well, y’all- I made it! Spring Break has finally arrived. The past week was midterms, which is always a busy & challenging time. But the reward- a week off, and maximum relaxation! This morning I’m off to Savannah, GA to enjoy a week of beach and exploration with my friends- I’ll be sure to update you all on how it is!

Here is some fun from the past week: captions included.

^^Smoothie bowl and muesli topping.^^

^^All wrapped up for the unexpected cold this week.^^

 

^^HAVE YOU HAD NIKKI’S COCONUT BUTTER? You must try this. It’s better than you could imagine!^^

    

^^An unconventional breakfast. Pumpkin puree, protein powder, coconut butter, and muesli. This tasted like pumpkin cake and I will DEFINITELY be recreating it in the near near near future!^^

^^Oldie but good one. Oats, banana, and granola.^^

 

^^Midterm stress = a lot of HIIT and circuit workouts this week. I love getting a sweat session in to combat stress and refresh my mind for more studying^^

  

^^Uh…. I guess you could say I like salads? Any way, form, version. I’m a sucker for salads.^^

^^Finally off. Enjoying the weekend. Packing for Savannah.^^

Are you doing something fun this weekend?

Follow me on Instagram ( @eatprayworkitout ) for more peaks into my daily life!

What I Did This Weekend!

Hey y’all! How was your weekend? Mine seemed to just fly by- isn’t that always the way?

Here’s the short version of my weekend!

Saturday:

On Saturday morning, I woke up early to get started on work and chores for the day. First up, I made some breakfast for myself, and a little later when NMK came over, breakfast for him as well!

^^Breakfast for me. Fish, vegetables, and sweet potatoes.^^

^^Chocolate pancakes for the boy^^

While my boy was over, I did a little devotional and shared some prayer time with him. There is no better way to start the day.

Then it was homework time. Physics, Spanish, and MCAT work. Boring stuff, you guys don’t care about that!

A few hours later, I headed over to the dining hall for lunch with my roommate. The options were pretty slim, but I managed to get some good vegetables, some hummus, and a few chips for crunch.

The rest of the afternoon was spent studying. Boring.

I did manage to fit a workout in- 45 minutes of easy steady state on the Elliptical. Perfect for the weekend.

A little bit later, we gathered our Spring Break group to sort out details for the week. Next week is finally our Spring Break, and we’re going to Savannah, but I’ll fill you all in more after I make it through this crazy week!

We had planned to eat at our on-campus restaurant, but when we got there, the line was wrapped around and just horrifying. We ended up back at the good ole Dining Hall. Not my first choice for a Saturday night, but hey- free is free! ^^I ended up with some Moroccan Vegetable Stew and potatoes on the side. Simple and healthy {ish}.

After dinner, I finally took a break from homework and hung out with my boy and our friends for the rest of the night. Simple and fun.

Sunday:

Sunday was pretty much the same as Saturday– filled with homework. So I’ll just hit you guys with the details!

^^All dressed up for Sunday morning Church. The message was all about praying, and something I really needed to hear this week. I usually feel that way though :)^^

^^Workout– another 45 minutes on the Arc but this time it was a HIIT workout. And it nearly killed me. But in the best way ;)^^

 

^^A healthy dinner to round out the night, whilst watching the Oscars with my roommates. Sweet potatoes, asparagus, Sole fillet, hummus, artichoke hearts, green peppers, and onions. I spoil myself!^

Question of the day:

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Recovering and poor decisions.

I cannot believe it is already Friday! This week has been insane. I flew back in on Monday, and literally went straight to class. My roommate picked me up from the airport and dropped me off just in time for my 12:30 class. It’s been a lot of catching up these past few days, but that’s the price for an amazing weekend in Florida.

Here’s what I’ve been up to!

Eats:

This Tuesday, I started a Virgin Diet-esque approach. I have still been having some stomach issues, despite dropping gluten. The biggest thing was feeling stuffed and bloated after only having a small meal– no fun. My mom’s friend suggested I try this approach- dropping some other highly reactive foods {like eggs, soy, dairy +4 more}. After leaving them out of my diet for a while {the Virgin Diet is 21 days, but I am probably going to try it for about 10 days} you reintroduce the different food groups, one at a time, so you can figure out what you’re really reacting to.

^^A simple breakfast- toasted coconut, rice cakes, apple.^^

^^A berry + protein smoothie. I use SunWarrior rice protein and I love it- clean and not a huge ingredient list.^^

 

^^Salad, Dining Hall style. All the veggies please :)^^

^^A simple dinner- fish, sweet potato, vegetables, hummus and salsa^^

^^A healthy dessert creation- pumpkin puree, cocoa powder, almond milk, and a little stevia^^

Workouts:

On Monday I travelled back from Florida. My legs were ridiculously sore from the half marathon, and I honestly could barely walk. That night, when I had some free time, I stretched for a while and went for a 30 minute walk. It hurt but it also felt good to move around and get some blood circulating through my legs.

On Tuesday I was still sore, but not terribly. One of the most exciting things (in my opinion) about being done with half marathon training is that I have more time/energy now to focus on strength training. I did an upper body workout {based off of Meg’s} and a 25 minute session on the Elliptical.

Wednesday I went for a 1 mile run, followed by 30 minutes on the Elliptical. I then completed a 20 minute leg workout {based off of this program}. It was awesome. Let’s just say- today is Friday and my legs are still sore. Poor decision.

Thursday I was resting from leg day, so I stuck with an easy 30 minutes of cardio. Later in the afternoon NMK and I went on a nice walk as well!

Activities:

Some random pictures from my week.

 

^^Working in the lab sometimes means running tests on yourself. This one was particularly painful- you shave the area + scrub it to get the dead skin off + then wipe down with an alcohol wipe. All in the name of science.^^

^^Profound bricks by our bellower- “Donut Money”. I hope I can come up with something as wonderful this ;)^^

^^NMK. He’s fun. We adventure together^^

Question of the day:

What part of your body do you like to train most?

Week in Reivew + Weekend Adventures {to come!}

 This week has been awesome. Busy, but awesome. I have had a lot of work to do in preparation for my trip this weekend. I’m leaving this morning for Orlando, and my half marathon! I cannot wait to share that experience with all of you!

Here are my eat highlights from this week-

Breakfasts:

^^Who said you can’t have veggies for breakfast? with a side of hummus. This was awesome.^^

^^I have this Bob’s Red Mill muesli that I have been eating all week. With almond milk, and apples or bananas- it’s the perfect morning combination!^^

^^I love my salads. Anything and everything is game– leftovers are my favorite to throw on top of lettuce and call it a day.^^

^^Curry, dining hall style.^^

^^Salad from Moe’s. Rice and beans, don’t mind if I do!^^

^^A little dessert, dining hall style. Corn flakes, gluten free granola, and pineapple chunks under it all!^^

Workouts:

Workouts this week were simple– Tuesday and Wednesday I went on some interval runs, to get my legs moving and in race mode! Yesterday, I stuck with a class 40 minutes on the Arc Trainer, just an easy stretch out. I’m hoping to get a workout in at the hotel tonight, but we’ll see where the day takes us!

Activities:

^^All dressed up, nowhere to go. Actually, this was the last semi-chilly day we had this week {and it still got up to 65 midday.} The temperatures have been around 70 all week. Unreal! And now I’m off to Florida. One lucky girl!^^

^^I had a big interview yesterday, which is part of the reason this week has been so crazy! I get so nervous for these sort of things. I went with simple, all black, and a blue sweater for a little pop. I will hear back in a couple of weeks, so keep your fingers crossed for me!!^^

And now- I am off to throw a couple more things into my suitcase and head off to the airport! I am so excited for this weekend. My first half marathon is almost here!

The sun was shining, and I am feeling good!

Sundays are usually either a super busy or super relaxing day for me. This Sunday, I ended up with sort of a mix of things. I was busy, but not rushing around + doing homework like I normally am.

Sunday morning started off nice and early, at church with my favorite boy. This week was the last in their series about A Theology of Sex. Yesterday’s focus was specifically on Healing from Sexual Sin. We focused on 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. I felt like I got a lot out of the talk. It’s available online along with all the other talks, if any of y’all are interested {^click the link above^}!

After church, we headed off to the Dining Hall for a Sunday morning brunch. I went with gluten free granola, rice chex, peaches, and greek yogurt. Delicious and simple way to start the day.

 

The boy and I followed brunch up with episode 2 of House of Cards. OH MY GOSH. It is too good. No spoilers here, but Y’ALL if you haven’t watch HofC yet, you do not know what you’re missing. It is the most suspenseful and shocking TV show I have ever watched. And I love it for that.

For a few hours, I just worked on homework and getting all the things done that I had put off during the snow days. It was a lot more than I thought… oops! The homework went on and on, before I lost my motivation and headed out for a walk + workout. There was some lunch-esque snacking during the homework at well- chips and hummus, carrots, and lettuce I believe.

I took advantage of the beautiful day and got my walk on while I talked to my mom on the phone. We talk pretty much every day, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Campus ^^ was looking especially beautiful in the sunshine, and it was great to get out of my apartment and enjoy some fresh air + sunshine.

My workout consisted of 30 minutes on the Arc trainer and a 1 mile incline HIIT on the treadmill. I walked at 4+ mph and put the incline between 9-12 %. It felt good to do a treadmill workout that wasn’t just a run!

^^and to finish off the night- a giant salad for dinner. Lettuce, peppers, carrots, rice, leftover fish {from Valentine’s Day}, and a little rice. It was entirely too delicious! I followed up this healthy dinner with some Ben & Jerry’s Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt. It is so good! The lavender swirl makes me swoon…^^

Question of the day:

What sweet treat are you loving lately?

Hurts So Good.

Ah, Sundays. For me that usually means church, active rest//light workout days, and lots lots lots of homework {which I’ve usually put off all week/weekend..}. This Sunday, I started my day off with a simple breakfast– banana, greek yogurt, and some trail mix. A little healthier today, since my trail mix didn’t include any M&Ms {disclaimer: that is because I ate all those m&ms yesterday ;)}.

After some studying in the morning {para mi examen de español esta lunes} I snacked on some trail mix + fruit.

^^my beautiful bag from my mama!^^

Then, I headed off to the gym to get a workout in. The 1 mile walk to the gym was a nice warmup. At the gym, I biked for 10 minutes, before hopping on the Elliptical for a 30 minute stint. My legs were definitely sore from that 12 miler yesterday, but this workout stretched them out. It hurt so good!

 

Sunday night was spent studying and trying not to stress over my Español examen Monday morning. Dinner was a mix– tilapia, bell pepper, onions, spinach, lettuce, and goat cheese. Basically all the leftovers I had sitting around! Followed up by some popcorn. Just the way I like to study 😉

Monday:

Monday morning started off early early. I woke up at 6:20 {guess I was nervous about my test!}, and studied for a few hours before whipping up something to eat. Greek yogurt, an apple, Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Raisin granola, and some cinnamon on top! Perfect healthy breakfast before a test day!

My first class was so long and so boring I practically fell asleep. #sorrynotsorry.. Physics just isn’t my thing!

Then it was more study study study and some lunch.

I went with a jumbo salad again! This is pretty much my classic Dining Hall meal– there aren’t many healthy options there, so I stick to what works. I don’t mind– this combination is pretty delicious! I used to nom hard on the pita chips, but now that I am gluten free, I can’t. Oh well.. probably healthier anyway ;)!

The test went well! It was long, but I am glad to be done with it. I always feel like the first test is the hardest– I don’t know what to expect, or what the professor’s style will be. But, once you get past that first hurdle, you have a better idea of how to study!

The afternoon was spent in the lab. Some days it’s the MOST interesting and I get a ton done. Yesterday, was not one of those days. I spent 2 hours trying to get a system to work. Oh well, they can’t all be fun days!

My workout was simple, because my little legs were still sore from Saturday. I hopped on the Elliptical for 10 minutes, before a treadmill freed up. Then I did a 30 minute HIIT workout on the treadmill. I ran 6.5-6.7 at a 0% incline, and then every .1-.2 miles, I increased the incline from 1-4%, and increased the speed. It felt awesome, and I definitely pushed myself harder than I normally do on the treadmill. I love a workout that changes it up and challenges me!

For dinner, I ate at the Dining Hall again– Chili and chips + hummus for me.

Then it was 6-9 pm of my MCAT class. Not the most fun night, but hey, it’ll pay off when I’m taking that test in May!

Question of the day:

Any snow by you today?

What do you do to challenge yourself in a workout?