out with the old, in with the new

It started with me buying and using my very first Groupon.  I needed a new mattress so badly.  I blamed a lot of my upper back and shoulder issues on running, BUT I'm sure my mattress had something to do with it.  It was given to me from the parentals.  They purchased it for me following our house fire (lightening) back in the summer of '93, I believe.  I took it with me my junior year in college once I had the apartment.  It moved with me into my Houston apartment, and then it moved again into my house 10 1/2 years ago.  So, if you have mad math skillz like I do, that means my mattress was 17 1/2 years old.  Uh...yeah...that's bad. 

My $50 Groupon purchase got me $200 off a mattress / box spring set from Mattress Firm.  I went there on Sunday, 1/2, and got tested in their test bed for what kind of bed would be best for me...one with mild firmness.  All I knew is that I did NOT want too firm.  My parents have ridiculously firm beds in their house and I hate them (the beds, not my parents).  So, then I had to test out all kinds of beds in the store that the print out said would be just right for me.  I flopped around on my side and stomach on 6 different beds until I found mine.  It's a pillow top plush bed with memory foam and a certain level of firmness.  It's all mumbo jumbo to me, honestly.  I just liked the way it felt. 

The dudes delivered it on Tuesday, 1/4, and dragged my old set away.  This bed is much higher, so I worry about my poor Penelope (the blind one) getting on and off the bed.  We had to forego the puppy staircase and now we use the ottoman instead.  The memory foam is cool and weird, but it's a lovely bed and I've had such pleasant nights of sleep in it.  Ahhh...

just showing off my new area rug

Younger sister Linda decided she and her husband, Craig, are having a garage sale.  She asked if any of us wanted to sell anything.  I was thinking that since I got the new area rug for my living room and the new entrance way rug for Christmas that I could sell my old ones.  I'm not expecting to make big money or anything, but a few bucks never hurt anyone.  Then I got to thinking about how I really hate my couch.  I loved it when I bought it.  It is still comfy.  It's just that it has a tear in the leather (thanks, Delilah) and it's old and now I no longer like the color.  I had looked a few months ago at some couches...  Anyway, I got the idea in my head to sell my couch and love seat at the garage sale.  I have a big chair that sort of matches the set, but it's a couple of years newer and is hardly ever sat in, so I'm keeping it for the time being.  This meant...FURNITURE SHOPPING...one of my favorite things to do!

I started on-line just to get an idea.  Man, things are really expensive!  I just really didn't want to spend a whole lot, you know?!  I knew what style I was looking for and I knew kind of what color I wanted.  I mean I would love to have a dark brown leather, BUT I can't do that because I have dark wood floors and a dark entertainment center and dark tables, so I need to bring a little light into the picture.  After work on Monday, I went to Lifetime Furniture - a little corner store located near my office.  I had been in there before and was interested in a couple of things they had.  I walked in and told the saleswoman what I wanted.  She took me to the set I would come to purchase.  The color was right.  The price was right.  So, out with the old, in with the new...here are some pictures!

old sofa and love seat (beige)

new sofa and love seat (nutmeg) with the added bonus of Delilah

Oh and in case you are wondering what's next...I'm just fixing up my master bathroom.  I got most of the stuff for Christmas.  I will have to purchase a few items myself and get to work on that.  I have some other stuff in the house that needs to be hung up - decorations and whatnot, but I won't do that until I finally paint.  Oh how painting haunts me.  I've been meaning to do it for years now.  Someday...

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff: South Beach Style

If you don't like mushrooms, this one won't be for you.  If you don't like beef, we can work with that.  I love me the website allrecipes.com.  Once you find a recipe you like on there, often people will write in with their suggestions/modifications to improve upon that recipe.  You can use those or not...whatever, but I like to read them to get ideas.

I had the idea I wanted to make this.  Somewhere I have a recipe for a lovely hamburger stroganoff that my friend Kim (from college) gave me many moons ago.  The problem is that last week's meal had hamburger in it and I want to keep my meals different so I don't get bored.  So, I went onto allrecipes.com and found a basic recipe, but then I modified it according to some of the reader's suggestions and then I tweaked it some myself, so here is my version:

Ingredients
3 lbs of cubed stew meat (I feel bad because I can't remember what I used, but it wasn't stew meat.  The recipe calls for stew meat, but I sometimes find it to be a bit tough, so I spent the extra $1 per lb. and bought the next caliber up cubed meat instead.)
2 cans of Campbell's Golden Mushroom soup (not Cream of Mushroom)
1 small chopped onion
1 TBSP Worcestershire
1/2 cup beef broth (original recipe was for water, so if you are veggie, you can do that or veggie broth)
1 8oz container of mushrooms - sliced
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1 individual serving size of Yoplait Plain Greek Yogurt
Salt & Pepper to taste

If you are following Phase 1 of South Beach, you will want to use spaghetti squash as your foundation.  If you are following Phase 2, you can use whole wheat pasta or brown rice.  You can find my instructions on how to prepare spaghetti squash here.

Okay, so really you just put everything in the crock pot except for the cream cheese and yogurt.  Set your crock pot on high for 5 or 6 hours.  When done, stir in your cream cheese and Greek Yogurt.  If you don't have Greek Yogurt, you can use lite sour cream.  I prefer Greek Yogurt because of the nutritional benefits it provides over that of sour cream.

I find that the sauce works best when it's reheated as it manages to thicken once it is refrigerated, if that makes any sense.  It's quite tasty!  Some people recommended marinating the beef in red wine prior to adding it into the crock pot - I bet that would be quite tasty, as well!

Serve it over your foundation of choice - spaghetti squash, pasta, rice, etc... For an extra kick, consider mixing spaghetti squash with your pasta!  Hope you enjoy it!

the power of gum (apparently)

Saturday's schedule showed a 3 mile run.  Saturday's 3 miler didn't happen.  =/  Where to start?

I have been bad about getting proper sleep.  I averaged 6 hours per night all week long.  BAD KIM!  I went to bed around midnight on Friday night.  I had the crock pot working away and I'm pretty sure it woke my dogs up around 3am because they insisted on waking me up to "explore" where the scent was coming from.  I couldn't go back to sleep until 4:30.  =/  I didn't set an alarm.  I didn't wake up again until 9:45.  I am currently taking a couple of medications that require me to wait 30 minutes in between taking and then another 30 minutes before eating.  I took the first medication.  I waited until 10:15 and I took the next one.  My plan was to eat something at 10:45, but then I figured since my thighs were still so very pathetically sore from Thursday's 2-miler, that perhaps I should soak them in an Epsom salt-bath for a little bit (uh...maybe I should have done that the night before).  Next thing I know, it's 11:15.  OH CRAP!  Family lunch is at 12:30.  I'm a super slow turtle runner - especially since I have extra calcification on my pelvis slowing me down, so I need to book it - STAT!  I never had breakfast.

I leave the house.  I had already stretched, so that was good.  I did not remember my gum, so that was bad.  I know many of you think I'm a silly girl for insisting that my gum "keeps me hydrated" and helps "regulate my breathing", BUT I really stand by those statements.  One of my meds leaves me quite thirsty, so while 3 miles should not require a drink - especially in these weather conditions - I was dying for one after the first half mile.  I was breathing like I was dying, too, for that matter.  I finally got it somewhat under control for my second mile, but I was so concerned about time and my thighs really were sore, so I decided coming from the bench with only one other 2-miler under my belt, 2 miles was going to have to do.

I was able to plug my Garmin in and compare Thursday's 2 mile stats to Saturday's.  I took 37 seconds off my average pace.  That's pretty impressive!  It could have been that I felt more confident, that it was morning versus evening (after work), but still...  The disconcerting thing was my heart rate.  I forgot to lap out Thursday's run, but I know that my average heart rate for the entire run was 156 bpm.  I did remember to lap out my Saturday run.  My average heart rate for the first mile was a 197 bpm while my average heart rate for the second mile was a 157 bpm.  This made my average a 177 bpm for the run.  The even scarier number was the max heart rate for the first mile - 244!  Yikes!  My max on Thursday was a 177.  What happened yesterday?!  Was this all because of the gum?!  Lesson learned - never ever leave home without it!  Rest assured, I will be keeping an eye on this, however, as I know that 244 is not a good number.

In the end, I'm okay with only doing 2.  I don't want to push myself.  I don't want to re-injure myself.  I want to be able to have a successful journey this year!  I would rather have a good 2 miler, than a crappy 3 if that makes sense.

Since I got my doctor's full release, I am now ready to move onto that other part of THE PLAN regarding picking out at least one 24-Hour Fitness class to attend per week.  I've picked out this week's class.  I'm a bit nervous about it, but I told myself that if I hate it, I don't have to go back to this one.  It's Tuesday @ 6pm and it's called the 24S.E.T.  Here's the description from their website:  This cardio/strength combination class alternates strength exercises to sculpt every major muscle group with easy to follow step moves.  Hmmm...easy to follow?  We'll see about that!  I was never very good at Simon Says or Follow the Leader!

The week's exercise plan:
Sunday - rest
Monday - 2 mile run
Tuesday - 24S.E.T
Wednesday - 2 mile run
Thursday - kettle bell workout (DVD)
Friday - cross-trainer elliptical (with arms) for 45 minutes
Saturday - 3 mile run

There you have it - one 24-hour class, two cross-training arm work-outs, 3 runs - perfect!  We'll check back in Saturday or Sunday to see how I did!  =)

back on the happy healthy train

I know I wrote about my PLAN for the new year, but I didn't explain that I was going back AGAIN to Phase 1 of South Beach.  Are y'all getting so sick and tired of me telling you that?!  Truth be told, I kept doing it and then I kept falling off the wagon.  My commitment and focus were lacking.  I really let this whole injury thing get me down.  I hate that.  Ah well...hopefully there won't be another.  If there is, however, hopefully I can be a bit more responsible in how I handle it.  So, the point is I have a little bit of depression/holiday weight that needs some removable before I can even chip away at the rest of this extra baggage that's been keeping me company for so many years.  I decided the best way to do this was to return to old faithful with true commitment and a renewed spirit.

When I first started doing South Beach in July '09, I actually did Phase 1 for 6 weeks to really give me that jump start, though the program only calls for 2 weeks.  The difference between Phase 1 and Phase 2 is really just that there are no bread carbs and no fruit in Phase 1.  Bread carbs, in South Beach terms, consist of wheat bread, brown rice, wheat noodles, sweet potatoes, etc.  This go-around, I am going for 4 to 6 weeks on Phase 1 before moving to Phase 2.  The point of Phase 1 is to get you in control of your cravings and to detox your body.  I can already (after a solid one week) feel the difference.  I can go to the grocery store without salivating as I pass the bakery section.  I can go to a restaurant without longingly looking at menu selections I can't eat.  This, my friends, is progress.

So, what have I been eating?  Well...I typically make one or two meals a week.  For breakfast, I usually eat a green monster protein shake.  This is by no means a low calorie meal, mind you.  Since I cannot put a banana in it (no fruit, remember), I like to add a tablespoon or two of peanut butter to the mix.  My favorite protein powder is Jay Robb.  I tried to fight it because it's a bit pricier than some others, but the nutritional content and the taste can't be beat.  I take a cup of either skim milk or Blue Diamond chocolate unsweetened almond milk and put it in the blender.  I then add one scoop of my chocolate Jay Robb Whey Protein Isolate and the peanut butter.  I use the Simply Jif peanut butter because it has less sugar in it than regular peanut butter.  Next, I add in my spinach.  I don't measure...I just throw in a whole bunch.  I go ahead and blend and then I add in my 6 ice cubes or so.  I drink it on my way into work and it typically lasts me until lunch.

For lunch, I ate my pizza chili all week long.  I accompanied it with cut up colored peppers.  Did I ever tell you I don't ever eat cooked peppers?  It's true.  I hate them cooked.  I love them raw.  I buy them in the little multi colored 3 pack - red, yellow, and orange - and then I cut all 3 up and split them up into 3 baggies for lunch.  It's cheaper when you buy them in the 3 pack than when you buy them independent of one another.  I also eat either a sugar free / fat free jello pudding (my fave is the dark chocolate) OR I have one of those Carb Master yogurts from Kroger.  Now since it's the no fruit Phase, I eat the new Chai Vanilla flavor.  Yum!

For dinner, a few nights I ate egg salad (no bread, of course) accompanied by some roasted yellow squash and zucchini.  One of the nights I didn't have as much left over as the other two nights, so I accompanied it with a piece of chicken Italian sausage.  Another couple of nights, I ate a rotisserie chicken I had gotten from H.E.B. along with some veggies.  I then eat whichever I did not have for lunch - the pudding or the yogurt.

I have had 2 restaurant opportunities to choose wisely since I jumped back on this healthy happy train.  The first was last weekend at Family Lunch.  We went to Texas Roadhouse.  I ordered the grilled pork chop and for my two sides, I got the broccoli without butter or oil and the chili.  The second was at this week's Family Lunch.  We went to BJ's Brewhouse.  I ordered the bowl of chili, a side salad with no croutons and ranch dressing on the side (I do the fork dip method), and then a bowl of steamed veggies (no carrots, no butter, and no oil).

I mostly drink water, except in restaurants where I always seem to order iced tea.

This coming week's meal:  Crockpot Beef Stroganoff served over spaghetti squash - stay tuned for my recipe blog!

some things never change

Guess what, guys?  I still hate the first mile!  Do you hear me???  I HATE the first mile!  Do you know what that means?  I ran my first mile...and then...I ran a second mile!  Yep.  2 miles were on the schedule and I was bound and determined to do exactly what the schedule mandated (well as long as I could do so without pain).

I have had a problem lately with feeling chilled ALL THE TIME.  It's not even cold here.  People in the Midwest and on the East Coast would laugh at my ridiculousness.  I was not sure how to handle running in this weather.  Also, I have started having major anxiety about getting hit by a car while running.  I know how to properly gear up to best prepare for avoidance of such things, but still...  Furthermore, I was just plain sCaReD to actually get my booty out there and run after all this time wondering if I was truly healed.

I went to Target during lunch and bought a couple of light weight long sleeved shirts that had some reflective stitching on them.  I came home from work and charged my iPod and my Garmin.  I geared up, stretched, walked outside, said a little prayer, and hit the streets.  It was very important to me to be able to run the full 2 miles without stopping.  I did it.  It was slow...proof that I'm still a special kind of turtle...but I did it!  Too bad my calcified pelvis didn't bring me some magic super speediness, huh?

I'm a little coughy...apparently my lungs weren't used to working.  Time should fix that, right?!

Hopefully I wake up tomorrow with all my body parts feeling as they should!

Tomorrow is cross-training.

and she shall run free...FINALLY

After 10 whole weeks of being benched, I can finally be proud of my pelvis for healing up so nicely.  I had a follow-up visit with my orthopedic doctor today.  Have I mentioned how great he has been?  Sure, I had to wait an hour in the waiting room for him, but I didn't mind...not really...maybe it had something to do with Angry Birds keeping me occupied, but alas...I digress.  He really takes that time to talk to you...to listen.  I like that.

So, he had mentioned during our last visit that upon my return he wanted to take x-rays.  This confused me since my stress fracture did not show up on the x-rays we took 8 weeks ago.  He explained that the injury was too new at that point and that he should see that the bone has calcified in the new x-rays.  Hmmm...interesting.  So, I took x-rays and it was soooo cool to see my calcified former stress fracture.

I was told to take it slow and easy and to stop if I feel any pain or discomfort at all.  He said to make sure I'm incorporating cross training into my schedule and to avoid hills for the time being.  I asked if I needed to start out on that horrible awful treadmill and much to my delight he said it wouldn't be necessary.

So, I have 11 weeks to prepare for my next half marathon - Dallas Rock 'n' Roll on March 27th.  I've created a schedule based on Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training guide, but modified to fit my needs.  I'm excited, but kind of a little scared to get started.

Oh and another thing...since I've last run, some cRaZy things have happened.  The time has changed.  The weather has changed.  It is now dark in the morning before work and it is now dark in the evening when I get home.  Even though it has been in the 60s and 70s the past week or so, the air is damp and I find myself being so chilled.  However am I going to deal with the really cold temperatures we get?!  It's all going to be one big adjustment, but I can do it!

So, Saturday's big huge "long" run is going to be a 3-miler.  Sounds rough, huh?!  ;)  Don't laugh, but it probably will be for me since it has been 10 weeks since this girl has run and over a month since I've worked out.  When the doc said REST IT to HEAL IT, I did just that!  So, cheers to a new season of running - hopefully this one will be injury free and worry free so that I can run free!

Pizza Chili: South Beach Style

Since I'm vowing to kick the rest of this weight to the curb in 2011, I figured I had better get to cooking!  Eating out is lazy fast and easy, but that isn't gonna get me to my goal, so to keep things interesting I have decided to branch out and try new things.  For me, trying new things doesn't necessarily mean attempting other people's recipes, though I will do that, as well.  I like to come up with my own stuff - maybe it's pride, maybe it's my own little quirkiness needing release...who knows, really?!  Regardless, sometimes little masterpieces are created like this - Pizza Chili!

Here's how it happened...I had bought ingredients to make chili since I decided to take that step back again and do Phase 1 to kick the sugar craving (darn you Christmas cookies).  They were sitting in my fridge and in my pantry wondering when I would put them to use.  I was uninspired by them, honestly.  All I really wanted was pizza.  That's when it hit me - why do I have to make plain old boring chili?  Why can't I up the ante - kick it up a notch - and take the concept to a whole new level by making it into Pizza Chili?!

So, I'm kind of a boring pizza eater.  I kinda like just plain cheese with extra sauce.  When I'm feeling being bold and daring, I'll do mushroom or olive or maybe a combo of the two.  On occasion, I like onion on my pizza, too.  I know a lot of people dig pepperoni on their pizza - I don't mind it, but it's so fattening, so I usually avoid it.  I do, however, like the Hormel turkey pepperoni, so when I am making my healthy version of pizza at home - using a whole wheat tortilla in lieu of pizza crust, I will sometimes use that.

Here's what you need - think of your favorite pizza topping that seem like you could put them in chili.  Then just do it.  Note:  green peppers might be awesome in this if that's your thing.  I don't do cooked peppers cuz I hate them.  I eat them raw all the time, but I hate them cooked - go figure! 

Here's what I used:

1 large white onion
some minced garlic (didn't measure)
2 lbs 96% lean ground beef (of course turkey would work, too)
1 package Hormel turkey pepperoni (slice the pepperonis in half)
1 large can sliced black olives (or buy them whole and slice them yourself)
1 container of sliced mushrooms (or buy them whole and slice them yourself)
1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 15-oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes (fire roasted would be delightful)
oregano
basil
garlic powder
salt
pepper
2% Italian cheese blend as a topper

Here's what I did:

Chopped my onion and added it into the skillet with the hamburger meat cooking it until the meat was browned.  While that was cooking, I sliced my shrooms and pepperonis.  I opened my cans.  I drained my olives.  I seasoned my meat with all the seasonings above.  Once it was all cooked, I transferred the meat and onion into a large pot and added in the canned tomatoes, the shrooms, olives, and pepperoni.  I let it simmer on the stove until it was all nice and bubbly.  I then scooped it out and topped it with some mozzarella.  It was like pizza, but without the crust.  It was like chili, but without the beans and chili powder.  It is a Kim creation.  Enjoy.