How To Protect Your Eyes from UV Damage

My father passed away from Melanoma Skin Cancer when I was two months old. Therefore, I've spent all of my life being aware of the sun and the damage that it can do. Given my family history and the fact that I'm a pale, freckly, red head - the sun has never been my friend. As a mom to three fair skinned kids (one less than the others), I feel like my family goes through gallons of sunblock each summer. MUST PROTECT OUR SKIN! However, I had honestly never really thought about protecting our eyes before. The kids wear hats but again that is for skin protection more than anything else. Last year when I thought I was going blind (turned out I was just getting old which you can read about HERE), I bought a pair of sunglasses that I occasionally wear. Before that I didn't even own a pair. So when I was recently asked to listen in on a webinar for The Vision Council I was very interested to hear what they had to say. How had I gone this long in life being somewhat obsessively concerned about skin damage and never even considered my eyes?

During the webinar, I was able to hear Dr. Dora Adamopoulous discuss the recent findings of the 2015 Vision Council's UV Protection Report. Here are some of my biggest takeaways:

• 1 in 4 Americans rarely or never wear sunglasses
• Unprotected UV exposure can cause sunburned eyes, cataracts, and macular degeneration (vision loss/blindness)
• 65% of Americans consider sunglasses a fashion accessory and not a necessity
• Sunglasses should be worn year round (even on cloudy days)
• Peak UV times for eyes is 8am-10am and 2pm-4pm
• Eye damage is cumulative and can never be reversed
• Unlike the mature lens of an adult eye, a child’s ocular lens cannot effectively filter out UV rays so more harmful radiation reaches the retina.

So now that you're sufficiently scared about UV radiation and your eyes, what can you do?

• Buy sunglasses from a reputable retailer. You don't need to spend a lot of money but you want to know that you are getting a quality pair.
• Buy glasses with UVA/UVB protection. Most glasses have a sticker or label indicating their coverage. If the glasses don't have a sticker or you are not sure of the coverage - get a different pair.
• Choose glasses that best fit your lifestyle in order to ensure that you use them frequently. Also, for children consider a wrap around style or similar so that they stay put.

So really the main takeaway is wear your sunglasses as frequently as possible and have your family members do the same. Since the webinar, I'm definitely trying harder to wear mine more often and working on it with the kids, too. I think I might buy a case for each of the kids to keep their sun glasses in in order to protect them from scratches. I'm naively hopeful that maybe they'll take better care of them if they have a special home for them. Although, I have no doubt that within a week Henry will have lost both his sunglasses and the case. One battle at a time...!

The future's so bright we gotta wear shades

*Disclosure: I attended The Vision Council's webinar and received a complimentary Sun Safe Swag Bag. As always, all opinions are my own.

Can You Eat Healthy At McDonald's? #McDOpenDoorTour

Can you eat healthy at McDonald's? The answer is no, right? McDonald's food is full of fat, fake stuff, and just kind of gross, right? You might stop there on the fly on a road trip, when pressed for time, or when in need of a quick dinner with overtired kids. You might go there for the kids to enjoy the air conditioned indoor play place on a sweltering summer day (guilty on that one!). However, you wouldn't eat there if you actually wanted a decent, fresh meal, right? Isn't that the general public consensus?

I was recently invited to an open door tour of McDonald's to learn about the quality of the food they offer. Given my preconceived notions above, I was skeptical. I figured I would go, see the restaurant tour, here what they had to say, but leave feeling the same way that I did when I got there. In reality though, that wasn't the case. I was pretty blown away by what I heard there which surprised me. The most interesting part of the day for me was listening to John Cisna speak. Have you heard of him? Nope, I hadn't either.

Me and John - I'm lovin' it

John is a, small town, Iowa high school science teacher who conducted an experiment with his students where he ate ONLY McDonald's food for each and every meal for six months. Only after his experiment did corporate McDonald's find out about it. He must have packed on the pounds and became so unhealthy, right? Nope, he actually LOST almost 60 pounds and lowered his cholesterol. How is that possible? How could you possibly eat McDonald's multiple times a day for that long and actually become more healthy?

John's sophomore students were actually the ones who chose his meals each day. They used My Meal Builder on the McDonald's website to find out the full nutritional information of all of the products and to build John's menu each day. They used the parameters of a 2,000 calorie diet and 15 required nutrients based on the FDA's recommended daily allowances. They were able to find that there were 56 meal combos that John could eat off of McDonald's menu to keep him within the goal parameters. The only nutrient that they could not keep within the daily allowances was sodium. John said that he generally consumed about 166% of the recommended amount for sodium which he compensated for by increasing his water intake.

Ninety days into the experiment John had lost 37 pounds, 7 inches off his waist, and lowered his cholesterol from 249 to 170. These health improvements were the result of the McDonald's only food and doing 45 minutes of walking four to five days a week. Isn't that pretty crazy? I was totally surprised by the results but I suppose I shouldn't be. This is the perfect example of it's WHAT you eat and not WHERE you eat. There are healthy choices out there everywhere (yes, even at McDonald's!) but it's up to you to make the choice.

An average day for John consisted of eating:

Breakfast

2 Egg White Delight McMuffins

Fruit and Maple Oatmeal

Milk

Lunch

Premium Southwest Salad

Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait

Apples

Dinner

An item off the value menu (including fries!)

One takeaway from my McDonald's tour is that you can customize your meals and orders at McDonald's to however best fits your needs. Switch the dressing, hold the sauce, remove a bun - whatever you need, McDonald's will actually do it for you. One of the reasons that John was able to lose weight and become more healthy, is because the food that McDonald's serves surprisingly (to me, at least) is actually not that bad for you. They use 100% fresh ground beef for their burgers. Produce is grown and shipped fresh (with most of it coming from U.S. suppliers). They use brands that you buy in the grocery store such as Dannon, McCain, and Tyson. Those "egg rings" in your Egg McMuffin? Those are USDA Fresh Grade A eggs that were cracked right on the griddle for you. I know this one for sure because I got to head behind the counter and crack a bunch of them myself! For the record, I did a horrible job and broke a shell in it so they had to throw away the whole batch. Clearly, I was not meant to work at McDonald's!

Not as easy as it looks

A peak at the produce in the cooler

So now after my tour of the McDonald's kitchen, seeing the food demonstrations, and listening to John speak, am I packing the kids up each day and heading to McDonald's? No. Am I way more aware of the changes that McDonald's has made to keep up with consumer's needs for healthy and fresh food? Definitely. Really you can blame fast food for obesity and poor health, but really it comes down to you and the choices that you make for yourself and your family. Educate yourself, make healthy choices, eat proper portion sizes, and enjoy a vanilla shake every once in a while (my favorite!)

*Disclosure: I was invited to attend a McDonald's Open-Door Tour and received compensation for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

Brothers Marketplace: Eat, Drink...Be Local!

This morning, I had the opportunity to attend an intimate blogging event at Brothers Marketplace in Medfield. Now to be honest, I knew pretty much nothing about Brothers Marketplace before today. The only thing I knew was that they are owned by Roche Bros so I envisioned that I would be going to a small cafe/market inside a Roche Bros. Nope, I was totally wrong. Brothers Marketplace is a gorgeous, stand alone, neighborhood market that is chock full of goodness.

We started off with a tour where we oogled and drooled over the prepared food section. All of the food is made fresh and in house. Some of the ones jumping out at me were the Eggplant Parmesan and the Maple BBQ Turkey Meatloaf. They also have a bacon guacamole panini that made my heart go aflutter. I can't wait to go back and try them (all) someday (soon).

We then headed over to the flower and produce section. Like with all departments in the store, they focus on providing goods from local farmers and producers so that the products are fresh, fresh, fresh! They also use minimal packaging on their fruits and vegetables so as to be as green as possible. How can you not love that?

 

Love the rainbow of pre-cut, ready to eat fruit!

Brothers Marketplace also has a large, meat, seafood, and cheese counter full of delicious, natural finds. The staff is super knowledgeable about the products. Need to know how to cook a certain type of fish? Just ask. Need a cheese recommendation? They've got you covered.

At this station, you can fill your own glass bottle (provided) with various infused oils

Oh, and another great thing - free samples all around the store every day! I sampled so much yumminess. 

Now keep in mind, like any local, specialty store, prices may be a bit higher. However, from what I saw they were in line with other natural, organic, prices at the local grocery store. In addition to all the fresh products and prepared meals, you can also pick up your weekly household essentials. In the grocery section, they still have all the day to day staples that you need. The selection is smaller (aka they won't have 15 brands of toilet paper) but you'll most likely be able to get all your essentials in just one stop.

Once you stock up on the necessities, make sure to swing by the bakery counter because let's face it - cookies and cakes are necessary, too. Many products are made fresh in house and the rest come from local bakers. You can grab a pastry and a cup of coffee and sit and chat with friends in their cafe seating area. My fellow blogging friends and I are already talking about when we can meet back there again.

The picture doesn't do these cookies justice. They are ENORMOUS!

And I've saved the best for last, at the Brothers Diner located in the market you can enjoy ice cream and burgers at the counter. It's like they designed this section just for me.

After our tour, we were invited to enjoy a tasting of several of their best sellers including salad, salmon, meatballs, sandwiches, sushi (which I passed on since I'm allergic to shrimp), and quinoa. Everything was delish. We then ended the meal with canolis and cookies. I almost had to be rolled out the door to my car. 

Seriously though, I feel like I was shown a hidden gem today. For those local to me, the Medfield location is only about 25 minutes away. They also have their original location in Weston as well.

Oh, and they had this sign in the store so I knew right off the bat that this place would be right up my alley.

I was given some chocolate covered bacon that I can't wait to devour try when the kids are in bed

 *I attended this media event and was provided with samples in-store and products to bring home. As always, all opinions are my own.*

Spartan Race Recap

On Saturday, I joined a group of friends and fellow boot campers to take part in a Spartan 5K at Fenway Park. Let me tell you - it was pretty gosh darn awesome! It was a bit chilly but once we got going we were fine. There were a bunch of obstacles and events including stair climbing, weight lifting, monkey bars, burpees, weight pulls, spear throws, jump roping (and climbing), and wall climbing. We got views of Fenway Park that were to die for. We did pushups in the visiting team's locker room. We ran through dug outs and Green Monster seats. We climbed a cargo net from the field to the bleachers. It was Fenway like I'd never seen it before.

Crawling up the ramps under ropes

Weighted Ball Slams

50# sandbag pulls

Wall climbing

Those wall climbs totally did me in. I assume that if you are tall and have great upper body strength they are easier for you. I am 0-0 for both of those and the picture above is one of the smaller walls (crazy, right?). Now my legs may never return to their normal color but I made it up and over every one of those suckers. The bruises just make me feel more bad ass :)

So all in all the day was awesome. There were laughs, there were grunts, there was teamwork, and there was a GREAT sense of accomplishment. We all left that day feeling like we could do just about anything!

Loving life (and the race wasn't even over yet!)

Oh and as always, giving credit where credit is due, my boot camp instructor Carrie is one of the reasons that I was able to accomplish this. She keeps me (relatively!) in shape and honest. If you are local to the Foxboro, MA area join us for some bright and early work outs. Find out more about The Extreme Challenge Boot Camp HERE!

Healthy Habits Kitchen: Balance Meal, Balanced Life!

At the end of the day sometimes the last thing I want to think about is dinner. I mean I'm busy all day. You're busy all day. We're all busy. Just the thought of cooking up a nice, healthy dinner can be exhausting. And in all honesty, some days I'm not too busy - I'm just lazy. Sshhh...that's our little secret! So I was super excited when I was approached by Healthy Habits Kitchen to try out some of their make ahead meals.

Healthy Habits Kitchen creates fresh, wholesome food made ahead of time from scratch. You can then pick them up at their location in Wellesley, MA or have them delivered right to your door. On a night when you need them, you just defrost them and cook them up. What I enjoyed is that it was really easy to cook them on my own. There weren't a ton of steps I had to take - just simple things like to pour a marinade over the meat and bake. Viola - a meal in just 10 - 30 minutes! The best part is though that you can feel good about eating them since each meal contain a maximum of 400 calories per serving, with less than 30% fat and no more than 800 mg of sodium. Convenient and healthy? No way...WAY!

Of course the next question would be how do they taste? Well we tried out a chicken, a fish, and a beef meal and they were all delicious. I actually had a hard time choosing which meals I wanted since they all sounded so good! These aren't your typical frozen meals - these are meals like you'd order in a restaurant. They're serving up dishes like Pomegranate Walnut Chicken with Brown Rice and Salmon Florentine with Creamy Polenta. Don't let the delicious names scare you though - you just follow the simple instructions and they come out perfect. Even a "bad" cook could do this!

You can also choose between small meals which serve 2-3 people or large which serve 4-6. I went with the small since we have some of the world's pickiest eaters here. Their loss was my gain! Oh, and I also cooked up an extra side of vegetables with our meals because I'm trying (so very hard!) to incorporate more veggies into my life.

So in case you can't tell - I'm really digging Healthy Habits Kitchen. If you'd like to try it out for yourself, Dollops readers can take 15% off their first order by using the code DOLLOPS at checkout.

Another cool thing they offer is gift certificates which could be a nice gift for someone in need of a meal (new baby, illness, or just a pick me up) but you're not sure of their taste preferences. Although I'm pretty sure you could order anything on the menu and they'd love it!

So go swing by their website and Facebook page and see what they're cooking up!

*Disclosure: I received complimentary meals in order to faciliate this review. As always, all opinions are my own.

My One Year Boot Camp-iversary!

Today marks the one year anniversary of the day I started boot camp. Like with everything, it seemed to go by so fast. In this case, I honestly can't believe I've stuck with it for this long. I have just never been a worker-outer. I don't like to get dirty. I don't like to sweat. I don't like to exert myself. Can you tell why it's a mystery that I've lasted this long?!

There's something about this boot camp though that forces me out of bed several days a week at 4:45am. Maybe it's the insanely petite and encouraging instructor (Hi, Carrie!)? Maybe it's the super nice people I've met there? Maybe it's the thought of some "me" time before the morning rush? Maybe it's all of the above?

What I do know though is that taking the first step to sign up for this class last spring was HARD. I actually didn't want to sign up but a friend convinced me. I hadn't worked out in years and years and I was petrified of the first class. I somehow managed to not vomit during it and survived that week by popping Advil and then never looked back.

One year later, I love how much stronger I feel. I love that I know what I am capable of and that I strive for more. I love that when one of the kids asks to race me from point A to point B I don't have to even hesitate to know that I can actually run that distance (even though I still hate running!). I love that working exercise into my life also made me make other healthy lifestyle decisions. I eat better. I drink better. I live better. So today, I'm thankful that one year ago I pushed fear to the side and went to that first class. At the time, I really had no idea how life changing it would be for me and the amazing people I would meet along the way.

Just hammering the morning away

Do you live near Foxboro, MA and are thinking of taking the exercise plunge? Click HERE to find out more about The Extreme Challenge Boot Camp! We'd love for you to join us!

Will I Ever Exercise Again?

This past week has kicked my butt. Actually, I guess it hasn't kicked my butt which is the real problem. Between a holiday last week, a snow storm, me being sick, and alternating sick kids, I haven't exercised in a week. The week before that was also pretty weak. Some days I've had the best of intentions with alarms set but have either woken up feeling like death warmed over or been up with a sick kid all night. Either way at that point you can be sure that the alarm was immediately turned off at 4:45am and I rolled back over. Now lots of people exercise at all different times of the day but I know that if I don't get up for boot camp then I will not work out that day. It's just how I am. I've tried to change it but it doesn't work. For me, it's first thing in the morning or never. So there have been a lot of "nevers" lately. I also find it hard to be motivated in the winter just to get in activity during the day. There's generally no trips to the park and outside time involves snow pants and icicles (shudder!). I'm longing for spring already.

BUT tomorrow is my day. We are all feeling good here, there's no snow in the forecast, and I am out of excuses. So tomorrow I will get up and work out. I'm declaring it here so that if I don't you can all call me out on it. You could even come by and beat me up. I'm weak from inactivity so I'm sure you'll all be able to take me.

My workout clothes have been on the couch for a week - longing to be used and abused.

My Ten Easy, Health Food Subsitutions

Over the past few months, I've done a couple of different healthy eating/drinking challenges with different groups of friends. I've tried gluten free, sugar free, and have loaded up on water. I've found that generally each challenge is a little easier than before since it's not a huge shock to my system anymore. I've also found that I could never live "{Fill in the Blank} free" at all times. I like pizza. I like desserts. I like lots of things. I've found the key is to eat in moderation and then switch back to a challenge when I've fallen too far off the wagon.

I've also made a few substitutions to my everyday eating habits that I believe are keeping me more healthy than before. The best part is that they are not huge changes and I honestly don't even notice them anymore. So here are some of the top, easy, healthy food changes that I've made:

(1) Bread - I would never be able to permanently give up bread. I like sandwiches and I love how easy they are to prepare. However, I've switched to Sprouted Grain Ezekiel Bread. It's made with whole sprouted grains, is flour free, and has no refined sugars. It is a little drier than a normal, hearty bread but you get used to it. I keep it in the freezer to prolong the life of it.

(2) Peanut Butter and Jelly - I switched to natural peanut butter made of just roasted peanuts and salt. You can also get the salt free kind but I like it salty. I'm a peanut butter junky and never thought I'd be able to make the switch to natural but I have! I've also switched from grape jelly to spreadable fruit. I like grape and strawberry which can be easily found in your grocery store or Trader Joe's. Oh, and yes, PB&J is a staple of my diet. I'm kind of like a 4 year old kid.

(3) Tea - I used to drink my tea with 1 (or sometimes 2!) Splendas. For the last month, I've switched to drinking it black. There was a little adjustment time needed on that one but now I'm used to it and don't miss it too much. I did try adding honey and also lemon but found I like black better.

(4) Iced Coffee - I don't drink hot coffee but occasionally I like to treat myself to an iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts. I used to simply order a medium iced coffee with skim milk and sugar. When you order it that way they add 3 sugars. I started dropping it down to 2 sugars and now I'm down to 1. There's definitely no (super delicious) crunchy sugar on the bottom but it's still good.

(5) Diet Soda - I've stopped purchasing it at the store so we don't keep it in the house. I do still occasionally have it while out but my consumption of it has dropped considerably. I find that the soda is actually the thing that I crave and miss the most :(

(6) Water - I drink at least 80 ounces of water a day. For me, that's a totally attainable number since I'm always drinking. However, it is more challenging on freezing days so I often heat up water and drink it warm/hot. It keeps me warm and tricks my body into thinking I'm drinking something else. I know lots of people add lemon to it as well but I'm not a huge flavored water fan.

(7) Easy Personal Dinners - My go to, easy meal for myself at night used to be a Healthy Choice frozen pizza. Now instead I make a minute brown rice (in an individual container) and frozen veggies. It takes the same time to cook, is super easy, and is healthier.

(8) Condiments - Instead of honey mustard on my turkey sandwiches I've switched to hummus. It's sugar free and has some added nutrients. I've also been cutting back on my excessive use of ketchup (sadness).

(9) Flaxseed - I've started adding ground Flaxseed to lots of things for added nutrition and fiber. I use it in my greek yogurt, bread mixes, sauces, and even on my PB&Js!

(10) Snacks - I've ditched the Cheez Its, Pretzels, and other crackery type snacks and switched them for nuts and cheeses. I do make sure to measure out the nuts otherwise I find I'll easily eat more than a serving.

So there you have it - some of the changes that I've made to my diet to help keep me on track. I find that keeping in check on day to day stuff helps to let me splurge on other days and have treats.

These substitutions work best for me. What works best for you? I love new ideas!

This is my "I was bad all weekend" Monday morning smoothie

Easy, Natural, Homemade Power Bar Recipe

I often eat breakfast while doing a hundred other things in the morning so I don't have time to make a "real" meal and sit down to eat it. Therefore, I've grown to rely heavily on power bars (especially mornings that I exercise). I recently did a gluten free challenge and then a sugar free challenge which has opened my eyes to all the added ingredients in lots of products including my beloved bars.

I briefly looked into making my own bars but got scared off when I saw lists of ingredients that I had never heard of never mind had in my house. Then my boot camp instructor made some and shared them and  they were good. So I decided to bite the bullet and make some of my own this weekend by tweaking her recipe. I was able to find all the scary ingredients in the Natural/Organic section of my local grocery store without any trouble at all. So without further ado, I give you Diane's Nutty Power Bars which contain only natural ingredients and sugars.

Diane's Nutty Power Bars

Ingredients:

1 Cup Walnuts
1 Cup Almonds
1 Cup Sunflower Seeds
6 Pitted Dates (roughly chopped)
2 Tbsp Coconut Flour
2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed Meal
1 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter
1 Ounce Dark Chocolate (roughly chopped or you could use chips)
1/2 Cup Agave Nectar
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grind Walnuts, Almonds, and Sunflower seeds in a food processor. Transfer nuts/seeds to a mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients to bowl and mix well. Spread into a 8x8 (or similar size) pan and bake for 20 minutes. When you remove from the oven, bars will not be fully hardened/formed but will set together as they cool. Allow bars to cool completely before cutting into squares.

There you have it - easy, peasy and yummy. Do you have a power bar recipe that you love? Feel free to share!

The No Sugar, No Booze Diet

I'm a sucker for a challenge. I just can't say no. So when I was recently asked to participate in a Game On! Diet challenge, I quickly looked over the rules and said yes. There is a book with all the rules but I'm participating in a Facebook group with one expert (Hi Susan!) who answers all my questions. Anyone who knows me knows that I'd have lots of questions since I'm a stickler for the rules.

So yes, the rules there are a ton of them, but the main points of the diet are that you can't eat any sugar (including any products made with sugar) or any sugar alternatives (like Splenda, etc). You also can't have any alcohol or snacks (except cucumbers or celery). The game is scored on points which you earn for:

• Eating 5 small meals a day (including a minimum of 2 servings of vegetables daily)
• Exercising for a minimum of 20 minutes a day, 6 days a week
• Drinking a minimum of 3 liters of water a day
• Sleeping for a minimum of 7 hours a night
• Maintaining a healthy new habit
• Letting go of a bad habit
• Communicating with your teammates daily

You are allowed one day off a week though where you can eat (and drink) whatever you want and one meal off a week, too. Those days are like godsends.

So yeah...I started the challenge last Friday so today marks one week. It has definitely been a challenge and eye opening. For anyone who doesn't know me well, let me make this clear - I LOVE SUGAR. I am a eat brown sugar out of the bag kid of girl. Oh, and did I mention this challenge started the day after Halloween? Do you know how much trick or treat candy was in my house with three kids?!

Basically, since you can't eat any sugar it really makes you eat food in its natural state - meats, nuts, fruit, veggies, etc. If you check the labels on just about anything else you will see some form of sugar in it. Also, some brands have sugar in their products while others don't. For example, the salsa we had in our fridge listed sugar as an ingredient. However, at the store I found another brand that didn't. Before this challenge I never would have even bothered to check for that. Conveniently, I had recently finished another crazy challenge where I couldn't eat any "bread" products so that helped prepare me for this challenge. I found that a lot of the gluten free products that I purchased do not have sugar in them so I am able to eat them. In general, I've found that the organic and more natural products do not have as much sugar in them. Of course, they are also more expensive though!

The no alcohol thing has been manageable since I can still drink one day a week if I choose. The main thing that has been a killer for me is no Diet Pepsi. I drink Diet Pepsi each morning as if it were my coffee so the first few days were hard. All I could think about each morning was how I wanted a soda! It has been getting easier each morning though. I do miss having something else to drink besides water though. I drink a ton of water anyway each day so I always meet the requirement but I miss having something different to drink each day. I was so desperate the other day I even drank a flavored seltzer water (ick!).

Soooo...anyway, that's my latest, crazy health kick that I've been working on. And I must say - it is working. I weighed in this morning and had lost 3 pounds in the last week. I really think the main reason I'm losing is because I can't snack on anything. I mean I guess I could eat celery but come on now, let's not be ridiculous.

Yum?

The No Bread Challenge

A couple of weeks ago my boot camp instructor challenged us to go two weeks without eating bread. At first I scoffed at the idea but I can't pass up a challenge so I went for it. I envisioned just not having sandwiches for lunch and I'd be fine. When I agreed I didn't realize that "bread" is actually everything that I eat. Suddenly it meant I couldn't have bread, pasta, crackers, pizza, or Cheez-Its (gasp!). The first three days of the challenge were HARD. By the late afternoon each day I was feeling miserable. Two days I thought I would vomit and one day my hands were shaking. I think my body was literally going through detox! Once I started day four of it though I was good to go and I'm happy to report that I went the full two weeks without "bread"!

So how did I survive?

Nuts - I think I've eaten more nuts in the past few weeks than I have in my entire life. They were my go to snack since they are easy and portable. Nuts (and cheese) kept me going.

Make Ahead Meals - One of the things I found the most challenging was having meals ready when I needed them. Before I would just whip up a PB&J while I made the kids their lunch but that wasn't allowed anymore. I found that it worked best if I made a dinner the night before that I could have leftovers of the next day. I ate a lot of chicken and steamed veggies and you know what? I didn't hate it. Veggies are always a struggle for me since I don't like them. Cooked I can do but raw in a salad - ick. If I didn't have a meal made ahead I would whip up some scrambled eggs with veggies since that's pretty quick.

Fruit - If you run into me now I will most likely have a banana or an apple in my bag. Before this challenge started I wouldn't have been caught dead with fruit in my bag (the kids bag - yes, but not my bag).

New Foods - Since basically everything in my prior diet was on the "do not eat list" I had to find new things to eat. Much to my husband's dismay I brought home things like edamame, quinoa, and kale chips. Although I didn't love everything new, I was proud of myself for trying them and would eat some again.

And these don't even taste bad - who knew?

I'm now a week or two out and am still loosely following the diet. I'm not being as strict about it but am trying to keep up with the habits I formed over the challenge. I don't think it's reasonable (for me) to completely exclude "bread" but I have been eating more healthy as a result and do want to keep that up. Some people say that they feel worlds better after not eating bread but honestly I didn't feel a huge energy boost or anything like that. However, I did lose a couple of pounds and I feel better about what I'm eating so I'd call that a win!

Electric Run 5K at Gilette Stadium

 

Last Friday night, I laced up my sneaks and headed to Gilette Stadium for the Electric Run 5K. I honestly was not excited about it. In fact, I was pretty much dreading it. If you've been following along you know that I ran my first 5K ever this summer and then the Diva Dash last month. The problem is that I keep signing up for races but when all is said I just don't like to run. Plus, during the races and after I just feel down on myself. I want to be a better runner. I want to be faster. I want to like it - but I don't.

So when the Electric Run arrived (which I had signed up for a while ago), I was expecting another torturous race. They also had 15,000 registered runners and I envisioned traffic and parking being a nightmare. Much to my surprise though I actually had a really good time! I easily parked, met up with my friend the Maven of Savin and her sister, and we headed to the starting line. The atmosphere was so fun that it would be hard not to have a good time. There were no timing chips and not even a clock at the end. The vibe was all about having a good time. Some people ran the whole thing, some walked the whole thing, and some did a combo of both (that's what we did). The course went around the parking lot of Gilette and then into the actual stadium. At the end they had a stage with music and glow sticks galore. The whole night was a lot of fun and I MIGHT even *gasp* consider doing it again sometime (someone please stop me).

Feeling Electric

Staying Fit for Fall #Fit4Fall

Since the spring, I've been working on getting fit. I've been exercising and eating better. It's become part of my daily life and minus some hiccups here and there I've been pretty good about being accountable for it. The hard thing about life changes like this is sticking with it. So when Planet Shoes invited me to join their Fit 4 Fall Campaign I jumped at it. They are running a six week (9/9-10/20) challenge where you set your fitness goals, share updates, and if you meet your goal you're entered to win a $500 shopping spree. Pretty cool, huh? To find out more details about the program or to sign up click HERE!

So what's my fitness goal? To run two 5Ks this fall. Yup, you read that right, the girl who had a miserable (yet awesome) first 5K experience is doing it again. Actually, I'm already on my way to completing my goal since last weekend I ran the Diva Dash 5K with obstacles.

"I Run for Wine"

I actually was excited about the obstacles sine when you're doing obstacles you aren't running. The running gets me every time and this time was no different. I ran with a friend and it was great to have someone there to tell every second about how horrible I felt while running after we hit mile 2. Gotta love friends!

While overall I enjoyed the race, I hate that I get down on myself for not being a great runner. I know that I should be proud of myself for even doing races but in the moment I find it so disappointing. I hate that it continues to be so hard for me. I even told my friend during the Dash that I thought I was going to bail on my next 5K. But I'm not - I'm going to do it. When all is said and done I know that I need to learn to silence the doubt and negativity that shouts at me when I run. I tell myself that if I keep running that I will like it more. Honestly, I'm not sure that that is true. I guess time will tell.

Are you local and thinking of making the plunge and doing a 5K? Join me on October 4th at Gilette Stadium for the Electric Run.

Electric Run is the World's Premier Nighttime 5k run/walk experience, where the participants are an integrated part of the show. Featuring immersive "Lands" of light and sound that transport the participant into an electric wonderland, Electric Run promises to transport the mind, body and soul to a new world in a healthy and drug-free way. Participants are encouraged to join in on the art by lighting up with glow sticks, LEDs and anything else their imagination can conjure up.                            

Just think - I can tell you in person how much I hate running and we can pretend to be dancing while we actually are gasping for breath. Doesn't that sound fun? Join the team I'm on HERE!

*As a Fit4Fall blogger, I received a complimentary pair of sneakers to help me on my fitness journey. As always, all opinions are my own.*

Don't Compare Yourself to Others

It's a saying I repeat to myself frequently now - Don't compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to who you used to be.

As many of you know, in April I started working out which was something I hadn't done since before I had kids. Truth be told though I never really did it much before then anyway. I've never been athletic. I've never been someone who loves the gym. I actually pretty much hate working out. Exercise, running, all of it does not come easy for me. I am not one of those people who just naturally picks it up. Just about every minute that I spend doing strenuous activity feels like the worst moment of my life. That's the truth. But a new truth I've also discovered over the last few months is that although I don't love the workouts when they are happening I do love how I feel afterwards.
 

For me each day of exercising is a struggle both physically and mentally. As I am virtually dying on the side of the road while attempting to run and someone whizzes by me with not a drop of sweat on them I think "How do they do that? Why can't I be like that?" When people at boot camp easily complete the exercises with time to spare and I barely finish I want to know why they are so much better than I am. When someone posts their race times on Facebook I wonder why I'm not as fast as them. Also, in the moment I'm not graced with encouraging thoughts for others. I'm not sending them virtual high fives - I'm refraining from punching them in the face for making it look so easy. Why can't I be happy for their success? I just find it so hard not to compare myself and my stats to others. Jealousy can be ugly. I also find it hard to sing my own praises. When people congratulated me for completing my first 5K I was quick to point out that I had to walk parts of it. Why can't I just accept the compliment? Why do I have to be so down on something that is indeed a great accomplishment?

It's something I'm working on though - every day. I'm working on not thinking about other people and their stories but focusing on my own path. I'm comparing myself to the Diane I was six months ago. Don't compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to who you used to be. Old Diane would never have even tried to go for a run. Old Diane would not be getting up at 4:45am a couple of times a week to exercise. Old Diane would not have had a salad for lunch. Old Diane would not care how many steps she took each day. Old Diane was not really a healthy role model for her kids. Old Diane is not around anymore. New Diane kicked her to the curb. If New Diane can continue to focus on these positives (and stop hating on others) there will be no stopping her!

Isabelle never drew super cute pictures of Old Diane running

Running My First 5K

Saturday morning I set out to run my first 5K. For a lot of people a 5K is no biggie but it was a huge biggie for me. I only started working out in April after about a five year hiatus. I've actually never been big in to working out. I had never run ever in my life before the last few months. And although I was hoping I would be one of those people who picked it up easily and loved it, I've learned that I'm not that person. I struggle with running and honestly don't like it. But sometimes we have to do things that are hard and sometimes we have to do things we don't like - so I run.

Last week I felt like everything was telling me to back out of the race. A heat wave and an ankle injury made me way less prepared than I wanted to be heading into it but I knew I had to do it. When the horn blew at the start and I took off with the pack of runners I felt amazing. I couldn't believe what I was doing - I was RUNNING in a RACE. It felt so great. That great feeling lasted about 3/4 of a mile before it was taken over by the WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING??? thought that remained with me for the rest of the race. I feel like marathon runners hit "the wall" around mile 20 or so. I hit it before mile 1! It was so hot, so so hot. I ended up having to do a run/walk combo in order to get through it. I felt like it was never going to end. I literally remember thinking that it was the worst thing I had ever done in my life and that I'd rather go through natural childbirth again. Dramatic? Perhaps, but totally what I was thinking!

I ended up finishing the race at 41:01 with a 13:13 pace. It was slower than I wanted but since it was my first one and given the heat I'm happy with it. After I finished, sat for a few minutes, and downed several water bottles, that amazing feeling that I had at the beginning of the race returned. Umm...hello...I had just RUN a RACE! It's honestly something I never thought that I would do. I was on a high from it for the rest of the day. Oh, and my ankle held up great for the run. I iced it when I got home because it was starting to bother me but not as bad as I thought it might. So yeah, first 5K done and a total success (minus the heat and minus the whole wanting to shoot myself on the course part)!

Who just ran a 5K? This girl!

This was the temperature at 9:45am when I crossed the finish line- HOT!

Frustrating 5K Training

My first 5K is on Saturday. I currently cannot run two miles straight. It's actually debatable if I can even run a mile straight. The forecast for the next week up to the race (and including Saturday) is 90 degrees and humid which is when I feel like I can't run at all. Yesterday my ankle started bothering me which it has not done for months. So I'm back from boot camp today and rocking an ankle brace with an Ariel ice pack.

I'm trying not to feel too discouraged since I know that worst case I can just walk the 5K. I just hate it when a plan doesn't come together the way I want. Argh!

BUT don't let my negative nelly-ness stop you from joining me on Saturday. You can find out all the race details HERE!

Sometimes it's hard to look this cool

Top 5 Reasons I Love the Fitbit

I recently purchased Fitbit One which allows you to track your steps, distance, calories burned, stairs climbed, and even your sleep quality. Like so many before me, I have quickly become addicted. Here are the top five reasons why I love it:

• It's easy to use. Put the tracker in your pocket or bra and just do your thing. You can then check your results directly on the Fitbit or on your phone/computer. Trust me if you get one you will constantly be checking it!

• It encourages you to add extra steps to your regular day. At Target yesterday, I parked further away than I normally would. After taking out the compost, I walked a lap around the yard. The little things add up to lots of extra steps!

• It tracks your sleep and determines if you are restless or awake during the night. I find this particularly interesting given my sleepwalking habits. I'll see sometimes that I was awake for several minutes during the night at a time. Wonder what I was doing?!

• The kids are in to it. They have started asking me how many steps I've done so far each day. They're also quick to comment if they think my number is too low!

• It has a silent alarm. You wear the tracker to bed on your wrist in a little bracelet type thing that it comes with. When the alarm goes off it sends you silent vibrations that wake you but not anyone else. This comes in super handy for boot camp mornings when I don't want the rest of the house up at 4:45am!

Some other cool things about Fitbit are that you can link up with other friends who use Fitbit to help encourage each other. Fitbit also links up with several other apps (like My Fitness Pal) so you can transfer the data between the two. Not too shabby, eh?

The Fitbit One runs for around $100 so it's not cheap but I am really enjoying it. You can head on over to Amazon HEREand purchase one of your very own. Once you do, come back and tell me if you've become obsessed with it, too!

10,000 steps a day is my goal!

*I purchased the Fitbit One with my husband's hard earned money. No compensation has been received for this post. I simply wanted to share this product that I like with you.*

4th Annual Run, Walk or Crawl 5k - We Won't Lay Down 2 Cancer!

I just registered for a 5K and I checked off the "Runner" box. Yup, RUNNER - not walker. This is a first for me! In all honesty, I plan on running some and walking some. Although, a 5K is not long for a lot of people it is hella long for me. I've made no secret of the fact that I do not like to run but I do it - sometimes. And at a minimum I know that with this 5K it is for a great cause supporting Dana Farber and The Jimmy Fund.

Both my husband and I lost our fathers at young ages due to cancer. My friend Becky (who co-started this race) was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 13 weeks pregnant with her first child. You can read more stories HERE and we are all aware that there are a million more stories like ours. That's why I registered. That's why I donate. That's why I share.

If you are local to the Boston area - come walk run with me. The family friendly, race is in Franklin, MA on July 20, 2013. You can register by clicking HERE. If you are not local but would like to donate, you can click HERE.

Daniel at the walk in 2011 (Yes, we let him play with trash and eat food off the ground while barefoot!)

The Rut

I was doing really well with eating healthy and working out and then something happened on Thursday. Something big happened. Okay, okay, nothing ACTUALLY happened, I just hit a mental block. I found myself popping excessive amounts of Goldfish in my mouth. I had a (delicious) martini rimmed with sugar with dinner. It was a "bad" day but that's okay. I would never be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle if I didn't treat myself to things on occasion. Friday would be a better day - except it wasn't. I skipped boot camp. Saturday was no better and by Sunday, I was washing down chips and pizza with Stoli Raz. I didn't even set the alarm to exercise yesterday since I knew it wouldn't happen. Then last night I had a Board meeting for my MOMS Club and I was basically the most Negative Nelly ever. We were talking about things like disabled people, animals in need, and small children and I was being a total grouch about it. I'm pretty sure puppies were crying in Heaven when they heard my comments last night.

So I KNEW that I had to get back to working out this morning. It makes such a difference with my mental state. So even though I didn't head to bed until midnight I still got up with the alarm at 4:46am (because 4:46 is mentally much later than 4:45am!) and went to boot camp. So now I'm back and feeling good. I also got my prize today for winning the photo contest which is pretty cool.

A PINK hoodie (my fave!), a jump rope, and a coupon for future classes. Side note: I bought Isabelle a jump rope recently and showed her how to use it. She took one look at me doing it and said, "I think you need more practice with that." Burn! 

Exercise: It's a Family Affair

My boot camp instructor recently asked for us to take pictures of us working out for her to potentially use on her website. Now as we know, I am a big fan of pictures so of course I was all over it. My friend (who also does the class) and I met at a playground and took all kind of pictures of each other doing random different things/exercises. Yes, we were totally THOSE cool people at the playground.

Once we started snapping pictures, the kids wanted to get in on the action (I've trained them well!). I'm not going to lie the pictures with them are pretty awesome. So without further ado I give you the coolest pictures of kids exercising ever (in my biased humbled opinion)....

Isabelle pumping some iron

How did I get stuck doing all the work here?

Cutest toddler workout picture EVER