WIAW: a busily relaxing day?

sharing WIAW, on a Thursday!

 

^^I started the morning off with some bible-ing, journaling, and coffee-ing. accompanied by my bridesmaid bouquet from this past weekend :)^^

^^breakfast was a scrambled mess (the best kind of mess) including eggs, zucchini, and eggplant. banana and almond butter on the side.^^

^^I’ve been all about the jumbo salads this summer! lettuce, cucumbers, celery, carrots, salmon, and salsa.^^

after lunch, I chilled by the pool for a little. And by a little I literally mean 30 minutes because it was SO hot out & I have ADD. I was drenched in sweat just from laying outside.

^^snack time: frozen berries + almond butter. coconut butter + berries is my favorite, but almond butter does the trick as well!^^

Thank you thank you to my amazing parents for this new sleeping bag. PLUS it’s orange. I’m in heaven, and I can’t wait to take it out for a spin (but actually it’s so hot, will I even need a sleeping bag?!)

^^finally: dinner. ground beef, summer squash, zucchini, and tomato sauce.^^

Questions of the day:

Is it dead summer heat where you are yet?!

Pool or Ocean- what do you prefer?

I’m ocean all the way, but that’s 3-5 hours from here!

lately: meals + workouts.

hey all! I wanted to drop in for a quick recap of some meals, and what I’ve been doing for workouts lately! I’ll be back after the weekend with a recap of the most amazing wedding for my best friend!

meals lately:

^^a little snack pre-brunch last weekend. I don’t know about you guys, but I certainly can’t make it till an 11/11:30 brunch without a little snack beforehand^^

^^egg scrambles are my favorite. I think it might have something to do with how easy they are to make ;)^^

^^salads for lunch are my favorite, especially in this summer heat. canned salmon or some chicken (prepped over the weekend) are perfect to throw on top, and I usually go for either salsa + avocado or balsamic vinegar + EVOO for dressing^^

 

^^similar to my egg scrambles? throwing some veggies + ground beef in a pan and calling it a day. doesn’t get better than that^^

^^an afternoon espresso? don’t mind if I do^^

^^chocolate + brazil nuts: a favorite snack lately^^

fitness lately:

Unfortunately, I found out last week that I have a bad foot injury (I kind of figured from all the pain, but the doctor confirmed it!) so I am out of commission for most fitness-related activities right now. I am walking/running as little as possible (except when I waitress).

For workouts, I have been doing a little bit of lifting (mostly upper body), but for the most part I will just be sticking to the bike for the next few weeks. Not too excited about it, but I would rather speed up the healing time!

^side note: the week before the foot injury, I scratched my eye. yes, the doctors at Urgent Care remembered me…^

Hope y’all enjoy and get some healthy eating inspiration! I can’t wait to share all about my best friend’s wedding this weekend. The first event was last night and it has already been an incredible celebration!

Question of the day: 

What are you snacking on lately?

weekend adventures + the meals of the day.

Summer is definitely here in South Carolina 85+ every day, with a proper dose of rain. Just your typical southern summer! yesterday I got stranded for about 10 minutes in a torrential downpour. Being a northerner, I am not a  fan of driving haphazardly through the rain, so I opted to pull over and let the worst part pass. It goes from downpour to sprinkling rain in a matter of 10 minutes here, so waiting it out really isn’t too bad! Plus as I pulled in at home, I saw a double rainbow, just the joyful moment I needed!

 

food of the day:

breakfast: a mess of eggs, zucchini, eggplant, and salsa + avocado on top. easy & delicious.

lunch: eggplant, salmon, zucchini and olive oil. eaten barely warmed, because when it’s 90 out, I really don’t want to cook.

 

dinner: spaghetti squash, brussels, ground beef (the BEST) and tomato sauce. another simple meal for a busy day!

and another adventure from this weekend:

hiking which ended with sliding down rocks into the river. nothing better than nature 🙂

 

 

Question of the day:

How do you dal with cooking in the summer? Avoid it, or just turn up the AC?

WIAW: “clean” eating?

what is clean eating? so many different meaning that can come from this phrase. for me, clean eating means eating the way that makes me physically and mentally feel my best. between school, life, and spring break the past few weeks I haven’t been sticking to as ‘clean’ of a diet as I usually do. this means more sweets sneaking in, less nutrient dense foods, and more snacks/smaller meals. Nothing that will kill me, but not optimal nutrition.

So, I’m focusing back on the basics: no grains, gluten, sugar, legumes, or processed foods. plus a little raw dairy. aka the diet I have found to make me feel and perform my best! this doesn’t mean that my choices are right for everyone, but they certainly work for me.

also today: linking up to Jenn @ Peas And Crayons to share a day of my eats!

a morning walk is most definitely my favorite way to start the day. activity, thought time, podcast time. Plus, daylight savings time means I get to see more of these beautiful sunrises during my usual walk time!

probiotics + sauerkraut. two supplements that help keep my digestion on track and my tummy happy.

breakfast: eggs, asparagus, and spinach//cooked in ghee. my favorite cooking fat for flavor!

it’s been 75+ here the past two days. I know I live in the South but still.. 80 in March?! Not complaining. *it is supposed to go down a lot the next few days, boo!*

lunch a la Dining Hall. a huge salad with red wine vinegar and feta cheese on top.

afternoon snack: I didn’t know what to eat, so I just had a spoonful of this. hit the spot!

 

for my workout, I did a 5 minute warmup on the Arc trainer before completing this awesome barbell workout (2x) from Gina at The Fitnessista

dinner: taco salad paleo style. chicken, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, onions, salsa, and some mashed avocado. topped with salt + lime juice

after some homework, chores, etcetera, I needed a little snack. green apple + Happy Cow grass-fed raw milk cheese. #dontmindifido

Question of the day:

What does clean eating mean for you?

spring break 2015: the highlights.

 ^^nothing like these two friends for an 8 hour car ride. snacks, music, and entertainment included.^^

^^a quick stop at Subway, which meant a chopped salad for me. not too shabby for a ‘fast’ food establishment.^^

^^by the time we arrived around 6 (shaved an hour “off” our time thanks to the change from Eastern to Central time. for an easy/fun first night, we decided to walk down the street and see what we found. we ended up at a little restaurant, and they had karaoke! we didn’t really participate, but one friend got pulled into singing when she was too enthusiastic about a song coming on!^^

Sunday through Wednesday we were superbly lucky, and we were able to hang out on the beach all day!

^^I started every morning with a 60-80 minute walk. I wanted to ‘rest’ from hard workouts, but I just love being active and a morning walk really puts me in a great mood!^^

^^the beach was pretty sweet.^^

^another thing I started most mornings with: some sauerkraut (and unpictured probiotics). being on vacation/out of my normal eating routine can throw digestion our of whack. a little fermented food and some probiotics helps me keep my tummy happy!^

^^beach adventures^^

^^I threw together a lot of salads this week. They’re quick, easy, and cold after sitting in the sun. the bacon I had lying around took my salads to the next level.^^

^^eggs and veggies, perfect before a morning on the beach.^^

 

^^sand art. he was the artist, my relaxing legs became the unwitting canvas!^^

^^sand castle adventures. to be honest, digging the “moat” was my favorite part. back, legs, and arms were definitely sore the next day!^^

^^isn’t it kind of required to eat ice cream at the beach? there was a homemade ice cream shop (Blue Mountain creamery) just one block off the beach which = dangerous/delicious. I honestly don’t remember what I had, but the chocolate chunks in it were amazing!^^

^^a simple, throw together dinner. I cooked a bunch of veggies + chicken the first night we were there, and then I didn’t have to spend an hour on dinner every night^^

^^we walked lots every day, which I loved. between that and my morning walk I was getting 30,000+ steps every day (#Fitbitnerd) which, in normal people terms is about 10-15 miles of walking every day. that being said, I really didn’t feel the need or want to workout every day. I enjoyed relaxing with my friends while still getting lots of movement throughout the day. The one day I did workout, was a more rainy day when we couldn’t get out to the beach. I did a 40 minute HIIT workout. 1.5 miles out, then I ran halfway back to a good hill. I did hill repeats for about 10 minutes, and then headed home.^^

^^another day, another ice cream. personally, I think it’s amazing that I only ate ice cream twice. I normally like a 1 to 1 ratio of days at the beach/ice cream consumed ;)^^

^^my best friend//sometimes we match {by accident}^^

^^our big night out. the restaurant ended up being a disaster– pre cooked/cold food, unwilling to split our check, extra items on our bill, etcetera– but the company and laughter was great^^

Questions of the day:

Do you have a “spring break” this year?

Would you choose to travel to the beach or the mountains for vacation?

5 favorite foods this week.

college life. it’s busy, it’s fun, it’s exhausting, all in all- I’m pretty blessed to be where I am.

 ^^morning walks this week. I’ve been able to go on a 30 minute – 1 hour walk every morning, and it is glorious. i love the movement first thing, and i love listening to a good podcast in the morning. especially some Christian wisdom.^^

favorite #1: eggs. 

let’s be real– this is a favorite pretty much every week. eggs with veggies, eggs with salsa, eggs all DAY.

favorite #2: paleo banana bread. 

i made another batch of paleo banana bread. soooooo good. please enjoy with butter, you won’t be sorry 🙂

favorite #3: salads on salads.

I mean… this is pretty much an

favorite #4: grass-fed meat sauce.

grass fed beef, onions, tomato puree and spices. this was amazing.

favorite #5: alllllll the almond butter.

especially when complemented by chocolate.

 

have a great week!

What foods are you enjoying?!

WIAW: almond butter lover.

hey guys! wednesday already? where does the time go- am I right? my monday-tuesday-wednesdays are always very busy and homework filled, so I am very thankful by the time I make it to thursday!

I am keeping my eats this week simple, satisfying, and scrumptious (iI love alliteration!).

^^breakfast: eggs, butternut squash, spinach, and cauliflower. side of chamomile tea.^^

^^I don’t have class till 11:30, which means I don’t eat lunch till almost 2 pm. morning snack required: a few dates with almond butter. the perfect combination^^

after getting a walk in bright and early, I spent my morning doing homework blah. then I headed off to class. after class, it was the dining hall for an attempt at lunch. #collegelife

^^make it work: grilled chicken (which for some reason they only have on tuesdays), salad, salsa to top it off.^^

^^because there is no way that salad would hold me all the way till dinner: a little scoop of scrambled eggs, some cooked greens, and a little tomato sauce on top.^^

after lunch, I headed back to my apartment for some reading, cleaning, and more homework.

^^afternoon snack– one square of 85% dark chocolate with a swoosh of almond butter^^

mid-afternoon I went to the first meeting of a girl’s fellowship group I am joining this semester. we’re reading Faith Unraveled by Rachel Held Evans. You should check out her blog if you’re at all interested in strong women, Christianity, challenging your faith, or just hearing a new perspective.

^^unpictured: 1 small starbucks coffee consumed during our meeting. not a good idea, caffeine mid-afternoon is not my jam!^^

after a lovely meet & greet & chat with some girls, I headed over to the gym for a 30 minute sprint workout on the treadmill. 30 seconds sprint, 1 minute rest. repeat.

I rushed home after the gym to change for dinner and a meeting afterwards.

^^salad form the ‘pden’ aka our food court. lettuce, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, pineapple, and walnuts plus oil and vinegar. I brought some Applegate Farms pepperoni with my (yep I’m one of those weird people who brings their own food to dinner) to top my salad, because 1. I need protein and 2. I don’t typically trust meat from the dining hall/food court.^^

^^after a meeting and before hitting the books again, I absolutely had to have a little something to eat– dinner was not successful in holding me over at al :(! study snack: a little pumpkin puree, natural applesauce, cinnamon, and some crushed pecans. side of tea, a nighttime favorite^^

It’s WIAW check out Peas and Crayons for some more great food inspiration!

Questions of the day:

What are you eating this week?

Where is it the hardest for you to eat healthy?

    For me, it is the dining hall because of the sheer lack of options, especially clean meat options!

WIAW: fat loss distortions.

Lets talk about fat loss. A hot topic among many fitness gurus and many people around the world.  But what is a fat loss goal really? It is not a weight loss goal. If you have a fat loss goal– you should not have a “goal weight”. Muscle mass should be your goal.

 

^^like any good day, my morning started off with coffee^^

^^morning walk + sunrise. i’ll take it :)^^

Goal weights say nothing about how you want to look. How about you set a goal to do 50 squats, body weight bench presses, playing with your family for hours outdoors? That’s a goal you can work towards, and a goal that will enrich your life.

^^breakfast: eggs, spinach, some seasoning. a side of paleo pumpkin bread and some Kerrygold butter. my favorite!^^

^^a blurry (sorry!) lunch on the go. salad topped with grilled chicken.^^

Gaining muscle– it has everything to do with health and how we look.

In contrast, a certain weight, that number on the scale, has very little influence on our health. Sure if you have a lot of weight to lose, it might be a little fun to watch your scale go down but 1) that is fostering unhealthy behavior and thought and 2) isn’t it just as much fun to watch your clothes become looser?

^^class, followed by a 30 minute sprint workout. It was the bomb.^^

^^dinner, was the same as breakfast…one of those days, ya know.^^

^^fro-yo with my roomie. to discuss her wedding and life as college seniors :)^^

The scale doesn’t validate us, and it also can’t measure your health, it is literally just a matter of how hard gravity is pulling on your body. Yep.

I also want to point out that not everyone is created to look the same. Your healthy body weight is different from another person’s, and that is beautiful!

go on over to Peas and Crayons to read more WIAW posts!

a weekend day in the life.

After a coffee and some water I started my morning with a 30 minute walk. It’s the best way to wake up! I love that movement first thing, and the fresh air is amazing. When i arrived back in my apartment, I talked to my parents (always a treat) and worked on homework.

After boring homework and laundry, the boy finally came over (he likes to sleep in…. one way we are definitely not similar). We went out for a late breakfast at Tandem – a coffeehouse and creperie. Coffee for her, latte for him. Tomato soup and cheese crepe for him, mediterranean (egg, feta, tomatoes, and spinach) crepe for her. It was a beautiful morning (let’s be real– it was almost afternoon at this point) to sit outside and enjoy each other’s company.

During the afternoon I grabbed some groceries, cooked for the week (paleo pumpkin bread #yesplease). Then I headed to the gym and walked on the treadmill while I watched an hour long documentary for class. I loved being able to move and get work done at the same time– there’s nothing worse than being stuck at my desk/staring at my computer all day.

Some snacks included chocolate chips, a banana + almond butter, and some carrots + salsa. Weekend meals are always a little less structured for me, especially because of the late breakfasts.

Before I headed off to lead Youth Group, I packed a quick dinner of Dubliner cheese, Applegate Farms pepperoni, spinach, and a sweet potato + Kerrygold buttah. Quick, easy, and incredibly delicious.

After I arrived home, I was pretty hungry so I had some 85% dark chocolate topped with almond butter.

All in all a successful and delicious weekend day 🙂

Questions of the day:

What does your typical weekend look like?

Are your weekend meals usually different than weekdays?

 

lately.

it’s been quite a while since a shared. sorry guys! beginning of the semester madness, you know how it is! but I am trucking along, tying to keep a good balance of healthy eats as I settle back into the college environment.

eats lately:

breakfasts:

^loving my bone broth lately. it’s a gut healing spectacular nutrition powerhouse.^

^all the spaghetti squash, eggs, tomato sauce, vegetables, and goat cheese.^

^canned salmon for the win. plus Kerrygold Dubliner cheese.^

^Eggs, spinach, celery, avocado.^

^I recently tried the Applegate bacon made from the pork shoulder rather than pork belly. I love the meatier nature of this bacon, it feels more substantial and has a delicious pork flavor. All that aside, I will always have a special place in my heart for bacon.^

^a pre-hiking breakfast last weekend with my boy. bacon, eggs, red pepper, and goat cheese.^

lunches:

^i made paleo banana bread last weekend. it was amazing. served with veggies and meat, please.^

^all the kale. when I make kale chips I just eat them all. I can’t stop. It could be worse, right?^

^cook your veggies with your bacon. then tell me you don’t like them.^

^an afternoon studying/coffee-ing together.^

dinners:

^to go form the dining hall. added canned salmon on top, because the ‘clean’ protein options from our Dining Hall are pretty much nonexistent.^

^it works for breakfast or dinner- spaghetti squash, sauce, Dubliner cheese, buttah, and chicken.^

^kale chips AND plantains?! these are seriously amazing. with avocado? just STOP. it’s too good.^

^pretty much the same mess, with some extra vegetables thrown in. yummers.^

^dinner at Sidewall, a new local pizza place. Salad + gluten free pizza with broccoli and Brussels. I’m in love. it was a little pricey, but freshly made so… #worthit.^