March Recap and April Goals

Hello, world! I can't believe tomorrow's April already and Saturday starts Final Four weekend! Who do you all have winning? I'm rooting for Duke on the men's side and my beloved UConn on the women's. Looking forward to an awesome weekend of basketball!

Anyway, since tomorrow starts a new month, I guess I should recap this one, huh? ;-) Here was what I wanted to do in March:

Here's how I did:

1) Meal plan one week. Planning took some work, but I did make a plan. Execution was about 75%. Not the greatest, but better than nothing. I may give this another shot in the future. Baby steps, right?

2) Register for two 5K's. Half accomplished. I signed up for one (Spring Into Summer on May 16). My race schedule is planned though, and after my next paycheck, I plan on signing up for others.

3) Hit 10,000 steps 25 days. NAILED IT! I hit my 25th day last night, and it's looking like I'll hit 26 today! Woo hoo! I think I may strive for this every month now. It's not hard if you think about it...or have a job on your feet eight hours a day...haha. ;-)

4) Drink 100 ounces of water daily. I made it 15 days, then started to realize that 100 ounces is simply too much for my body. After some calculating, I figured about 70-80 will suit me fine. I stuck with that and it works.

5) Complete a squat challenge. I made it about 20 days. Still, in that time, I felt a difference! This is something that I may try again as well. Just not in April.

So, since this month was not the greatest, I'm not buying the shirt I planned on. I did get two Sparkly Soul headbands to help support my friend Dani's Boston Marathon fundraising efforts, and taking that as the reward for what I did, plus discovering what worked for me too.

I already have a fresh set of goals which I started working on. Here they are:

1) Write and post three daily positives about myself. I'm a perfectionist who is working on being less perfect. I tend to dwell on the negative and focus less on the positive. Hoping to turn that around in April. Thanks to Dani for giving me the idea!

2) Complete a 30 Day Ab Challenge. The squats may not have worked, but the abs are worth a shot! I found this challenge on Pinterest, and it's from 30 Day Fitness Challenges. It looks realistic but challenging. Bring it on! 

3) Limit my coffee out to three days a week. I was good with this for a bit, then Rook Coffee opened up about 10 minutes away from me. In fact, I went there twice in one weekend. My wallet hates me. All that money does add up. Knocking it back down to three trips a week will allow me a treat while still saving some money. I do have a Mr. Coffee with K-Cups, so I can still get my Dunkin fix at home for a fraction of the cost. My wallet will thank me. ;-)

4) Back to Treat-End ONLY. Maybe it will stick this time! I do good with it, then I break down. Hello, Free Ice Cream Day was on March 16! Anyway, back to limiting sweets and alcohol to Friday-Sunday. I'm extending this to include any sweetened drinks like lattes and smoothies at work, but not chocolate milk. Hey, it's a better recovery drink than Gatorade!

5) Try one new recipe. Just looking to make something new! Skinnytaste and Runner's World have a ton of yummy looking options! 

My reward will be $15 in music downloads! I'm always looking for new music and this will be an awesome treat!

Well, that's how March went down and how I plan on buckling down and rebuilding me in April!

How about you? Do you have anything planned to make April awesome?

Friend Makin' Mondays: Food

Hi, everyone! Another Monday, another day it's still too cold here. I want it to be spring for real! =(

Anyway, I have some downtime, and decided to do a Friend Makin' Monday post, especially after I saw this week's topic: food!

For those who don't know what Friend Makin' Monday is, Sara over at Sara Runs This Weigh posts a different theme every week, with questions corresponding. You answer the questions (either on your own blog or in the comments), and link up to others!

Here are this week's set of questions:


Food

1. What is your favorite food dish?

Baby back ribs with fries. I limit it to once a year (usually my birthday).

2. What is your favorite food type (Italian, Mexican, etc)?

Barbeque/steakhouse type stuff

3. What is your favorite snack?

Luna and KIND bars, smoothies, or yogurt

4. What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Either Van's waffles and a tablespoon of PB or old-fashioned oatmeal topped with walnuts and cinnamon.

5. Do you eat your veggies?  What are your favorites?

I love carrots and steamed broccoli.

6. What is your favorite junk food/guilty pleasure?

Fro-yo and Italian ice, especially since all the Italian ice places are open for the season.

7. Do you cook most/all of your own food?

I do most of my own cooking for breakfast and dinner. Lunch during the week is usually food from work and I do get something out on the weekend.

8. Are you vegetarian or vegan?  If not, have you ever considered or tried it?

No way. I love my chicken and turkey too much.

9. If you eat meat, do you eat red meat, and if you do, how do you like it cooked?

Steak is usually my go-to in restaurants, and I love making my own burgers. Always well done. I hate seeing any pink in my meat.

 

10. Is there a food or a dish that you have always wanted to try and is there a reason you haven’t tried it yet?

I've been wanting to make cookies from the Runner's World Cookbook. Only constraint is time. I can never block off enough time to bake and do everything else I want to do. =/

MIA, Some Reassessing, and Other Ramblings

This post may go off as a bit ramblish as the title hints to. You've been warned. ;-)

Happy Saturday and Happy First Full Day of Spring! Although the weather here in Jersey says otherwise. Snow is still on the ground here from last night. I mean, REALLY?! Okay, who pissed off Elsa?!

Anyway, I haven't been blogging as much lately as I've been doing some soul searching and reassessing a few things.

Work has been crazy lately. Then again, in food service, it is more often than it's not. However, we're going audit crazy and I feel like one little mistake, and poof. All the hard work is down the tubes. I know, it's not all about one person, but the team as a whole. However, I'm one of the higher ranked employees, and feel like there's more pressure on me because of that. Eh, it'll be over soon enough. One of these days I'll learn.

One of my monthly goals was to drink 100 ounces of water a day. I made it 15 days before I realized that I was feeling the effects of that much water. In a nutshell, it was too much for my body. So, I looked up how much to drink, and figured out that I should be at about 72 ounces (half of my body weight), and decided to ballpark between 70-80. I've been doing this since earlier in the week and I'm feeling much better. Plus, it allows me to drink an iced tea once in awhile too. =)

Over the last few weeks or so, I've realized that I'm a perfectionist who will never be perfect and needs to stop trying to be. I don't have a size 2 body and probably never will. I love cookies and French fries. I can't whistle. I will never be the fastest runner in a 5K. Okay, enough self-pity. You get the idea. ;-) Point is that I may be just average on the surface, and far from perfect, but I can be the best ME I can, and that will be just fine. Whoever doesn't like it, it's their loss. Time to let it go and be happy with the me I am!

Okay, enough with the blah-blahs here. Time for some fun updates!

First, if you haven't noticed on the sidebar, I'm going to Fitbloggin' this year! I bought the ticket last week, and am so excited! It'll be my first since 2012, and can't wait to see everyone! Just waiting on the extra money (taking an extra week's pay instead of a second week off work), and I can get my flights booked! I can't wait!

Second, I signed up for my TENTH 5K! It's going down on May 16 at my fourth straight Spring Into Summer! This course is one of my favorites, and it's big but not overwhelmingly huge. Something else I can't wait for!

Third, I went bracket-free for March Madness this year and it's making watching the tournament more fun! Okay, maybe if UConn was in it, it would be, but still, I'm enjoying watching basketball just to enjoy it! See, this whole letting go thing is working already! ;-)

Whew! I think I said everything I wanted to in this post! Here's to a Happy Spring to you all!

Friend Makin' Mondays: Hobbies

Happy Monday, everyone! It's gorgeous here in Jersey! Temps in the 40's and 50's and the sun is shining! Best part is that I have spin tonight!

Anyway, I had some downtime, and haven't done a Friend Makin' Monday post in what feels like FOREVER, so I decided to do one today!

Here’s how it works: You copy the questions, answer them and post them to your own blog.  Then you go to Sara's blog at Sara Runs This Weigh, and in the comments, post the link to your blog post with your answers to this week’s questions.  If you don’t have a blog of your own, just post your answers in the comments.

Hobbies!
 

1. What do you do for fun?

Work out, watch sports on TV, read, and shop

2. What do you do to relax?

Write blog posts, run, bake, and watch TV (currently obsessed with Madam Secretary)
 

3. What do you do to waste time?

Spend too much time on the Internet!

4. What hobbies do you have that you do regularly?

Working out and blogging

5. Is your hobby something that could make you money? 

Not unless I get sponsored posts through Fitfluential or FitApproach.

6. Do you make money from your hobby?  Or would you like to?

I currently don't. If I get sponsored post opportunities with money and product compensation, then all the better. As for the working out, I would eventually like to become a personal trainer or group fitness instructor, but I am still thinking that through at this point.

7. Do friends or family make fun of your hobby?

No, they kind of just let me be.

8. Is your hobby expensive, moderate, or free to support?

Working out is a bit pricey, since I have a gym membership and need to get new gear every so often, but the money is worth it since I love it and keeps me healthy! Blogging is free, since I don't self-host.

9. How did you first get started with your hobby?

I started with the fitness five and a half years ago, when I was overweight and wanted to change my life. I've gone to loving working out, and actually get excited to do it (most of the time...haha). Blogging started shortly after as a way to document my progress.

10. Is your hobby something that you can do with other people?  If so, do you?

I take group classes at my gym, but do my own thing too. As for blogging, I currently don't, but if anyone is interested in a guest post, let me know! =)