Working Moms On The Run

6 Keys to Staying Hydrated

2018-07-01T12:18:00.001-04:00

Hydrate

Nutrate

Poop

Run

In the summer, planning out your run the day before is just as crucial as logging those miles. I am a Weather Channel app addict. Extreme amazement at how often they get it wrong. It still helps to have some sort of expectation as to the elements. The next two weeks are gonna be scorchers here in Chicagoland. With training runs of 16, 17 and 2 10 milers during the extreme heat I've gotta plan on getting up as early as possible to get some relief from the blistering heat and have a strategy for hydration.

If you are planning a long run, walk, or hike here are some tips to stay hydrated.

Hydrate before you go. This takes some planning so you don't have to "go" when you go, but if you start hydrated it's easier to maintain hydration.
Choose a course that provides water. Many public parks have drinking fountains throughout. I am lucky enough to live near one that even has fountains for my furry running companion. Gotta keep pups hydrated too.
Carry a water bottle. Not the most convenient because it gets tiresome carrying the bottle around. It's funny how heavy a water bottle can begin to feel when you start to get fatigued.
Drive ahead and leave bottles on your path. Not the safest most secure method, but if you are very familiar with your territory this plan can work for you.
Wear a water bottle belt. The sloshing around may be uncomfortable, but it is handier than carrying that bottle around. I found that strapping the belt around my hips was much more comfortable than around my waste. It also doesn't put as much pressure on your bladder if you take in too much liquid.
Wear a hydration pack. A new favorite of mine. My husband was careful to select one for me that couldn't get over-packed and become too heavy, the Camelbak Rogue is a game changer. Comfortable and able to store GU, keys and a cell phone it allows you to take frequent small sips and stay refreshed.

Happy running. Stay safe and hydrated.

My 2018 Chicago Marathon training schedule.

What's On My Reading List; Measure What Matters.

2018-06-26T22:33:00.002-04:00

Variety improves the things that we do too often, but it rules the things that we don't do often enough. -Daniel Gilbert

My reading list is much like my running play list. I like to mix it up. A little American history, running stories, motivation,business, self help, and some good science fiction. As the quote above indicates, by reading a variety it improves the experience by keeping it fresh.

Here's a review on a more recent read.

Measure What Matters: OKRs: The Simple Idea that Drives 10x Growth by John Doerr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The case studies in this book are a fun read, especially in the audio book version which has each person related to the specific case study read their portion. The variety in voices kept the book entertaining.

Where the book lacked
was in providing detail. It is very vague and although the case studies were from companies that achieved great growth it doesn't necessarily explain how the OKR's caused the growth. Would My Fitness Pal really not been so successful without an OKR ? Impossible to say from reading this book.

If you are a "techie" and would be interested in hearing case studies from Silicon Valley then you would enjoy this book. If you want details on goal setting and measuring what matters then I recommend finding a different book.

Every book has a lesson or two. This one had quite a lot of great quotes because of all of the influencers used to illustrate the purpose. Here's a few of my favorites:

“Leaders must get across the why as well as the what. Their people need more than milestones for motivation. They are thirsting for meaning, to understand how their goals relate to the mission.”

“There are so many people working so hard and achieving so little. —Andy Grove”

“When people help choose a course of action, they are more likely to see it through.”

What shall I read during Week 4 of Chicago Marathon training?

Build Flexibility into Your Marathon Training Plan

2018-06-10T09:54:00.001-04:00

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

A training schedule to prepare for a marathon is a must, but you must build in flexibility both in your plan and in your mindset. Things are going to happen. Life is going to happen over the course of the months you will spend training. If your schedule is too rigid it can cause frustration or worse, cause you to give up.

My 2018 schedule is loaded with
flexibility. Sundays and Wednesdays can easily be switched around if weather happens, or family events on the weekend. Strength day is ambiguous intentionally to add fun. I love group fitness so I go to a class on strength day. Two days have "or" built in so that the routine can fit the mood of the day.

“The measure of a person’s strength is not his muscular power or strength, but it is his flexibility and adaptability.” ― Debasish Mridha

That's the flexibility in the schedule itself. Your willingness to adapt is crucial to keeping a positive mindset when things go awry in your training. There will be rain. There will be business trips. There will be social events. You can avoid the feeling of defeat and frustration by making a few adjustments to your plan. Here are some examples:

Find an indoor track
Use a treadmill
Simply skip a day
Shuffle your training schedule
Get up earlier
Use the hotel stairwell for a great workout
Break away from the family fun and swim some laps
Find a YouTube cardio/no equipment video

Your marathon success has everything to do with your planning AND how well you can modify along the way.

What's on My Reading List; Born to Run

2018-06-08T08:50:00.000-04:00

Running is a great sport to give a whirl because you literally do not need a thing to get started. Zero start up cost. You don't like it; no worries, you're not out a thing.

If you do like it and stick with it, unlike other sports that require a ton of expensive equipment, you can maintain a very low budget. One way I keep costs low is by not worrying if my running
shoes are the latest and the greatest. By purchasing last year's model instead of the newest release I save a ton of dough.

My normal run essentials are: Burt's Bees lip balm, Maui Jim sunglasses, toasted marshmallow GU, and a great play list. A very eclectic great playlist. I love to run to music. Black Eyed Peas, Led Zepplin, Bruno Mars . . . and then I met this book. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. On long runs it's my new fave. It gives me the motivation I need to get the miles in. I figure if they can run hundreds of miles then I can certainly get in 13.

A great friend gave me a great tip, use the speed feature on audible.com. Putting this story at 1.25 x speed is the perfect tempo to run to.

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very inspiring story. I loved listening to it while out for a run.
Just a few of my favorite quotes...
“You don't stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running.”
“If you don't have answers to your problems after a four-hour run, you ain't getting them.”
“Suffering is humbling. It pays to know how to get your butt kicked.”
"There was some kind of connection between the capacity to love and the capacity to love running."

View all my reviews

Training for the 2018 Chicago Marathon

2018-06-03T11:32:00.001-04:00

Chances of getting drawn were slim to none I thought. It was November 30th and the last day to enter the lottery for the 2018 Chicago Marathon. "I'll never get drawn anyway" I remember thinking as I completed the on-line registration.

The very next day I got fired. My very first thought as I stared at my boss as he delivered the message was "shit, now I'm not even going to live in Chicago. I'm going to get drawn for sure now".

Not that you need to live in the area of the event, but it does make it more convenient, much less expensive, and you don't have to burn vacation days to do it.

Fast forward, and here we are, day 1 of official training. I like to do my training in reverse of most conventional training schedules and start with the long day. This way instead of dreading
the impending doom of the long run I "eat the frog" and get it done first. The whole rest of the week is a piece of cake. Leading up to this week I started piling on miles to prepare for a 1/2 marathon in April and continued getting in one 13 miler per week since then. Last month was a record month for me logging 148 miles, something I've never done before.

Here's this week's plan
Sunday - 13 miles Check. Done!
Monday - Shred class at Lifetime Fitness
Tuesday - 5 miles
Wednesday - 10 miles
Thursday - 5 miles
Friday - 5 miles
Saturday - 5 miles or cross train depending on how the legs feel

Entire schedule

What's on my reading list: Shoe Dog

2018-02-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE by Phil Knight
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of my all time favorites! I listened to it on Audible during my commutes. Sometimes I would sit in my car in my driveway and just keep listening. I found the history, geography and world culture lessons given through the lens of someone sharing their life story absolutely fascinating.
In January 2008, I saw the movie The Bucket List and crazy as it sounds, as a non-runner put "run a marathon" on my list. I've been running in a different brand ever since, but now that I have read this story I am going to the running store to pick up some Nike's immediately.
Thank you Phil Knight for your contributions and thank you for sharing your story.

View all my reviews

What's on My Reading List: 1776

2018-01-16T08:05:00.000-05:00

1776 by David McCullough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Belief was a strong characteristic that enabled George Washington to stay with his task even when discouraged and feeling hopeless. His belief in 'why' they were defending the United States gave him remarkable courage and determination to stick out the war. At a time when he may have been the wealthiest person in the US it would have been understandable if at any time he would have backed down.

The book is great and written in a way that keeps your attention page after page. McCullough may be my favorite author.

View all my reviews

Competence Breeds Confidence

2018-01-10T08:49:00.000-05:00

I'm going to let you in on a secret.

Depending on the circumstances of us meeting, if we've met, there will be two dramatically different responses to this revelation. Very opposing responses.

If we were introduced socially, you're already in on the secret. If someone were to ask you "did you know this about her" your reply would be "isn't it obvious, everyone knows that about her".

Suppose our meeting happened in a professional setting. Revealing this truth about myself would receive a much different reaction. "No way". "It's not possible". "Not her".

Here's the secret

I am not just a little bit shy. I am deathly shy. My preferred role in a social setting; wall flower. The thought of having to introduce myself to total strangers and be able to make small talk with them gives me the same pit in my stomach as having just ate some bad sushi. I can't do it. I won't do it. I remember being on a bus trip and someone yelled out "why don't you ever talk"? My valiant hero responded "she never talks". Shy. So shy. Paralyzed with fear.

In a professional setting a totally different persona comes to life. A hostess with the mostest, A larger than life very social figure. Someone who is outgoing, approachable, even . . . LOUD. Put her on a stage and let her speak to the room and she shines. Who is this person? Where does she come from?

It wasn't always this way. I remember early on in my career I would have to do morning sales meetings. As I began to speak I would feel it. The burning red creep. It would start on my chest and the warm burning sensation would climb. I would think "don't be visible, don't be visible" as I felt it creep up to my neck. "Don't be visible", now my ears are on fire. "Don't be visible", my cheeks are certainly crimson with the burn. The horror. Complete terror.

What is different now? Competence. Studying your craft, becoming an expert and doing something over and over again until you build competence. Action builds competence. Competence then breeds confidence. Look at the athletes about to take part in the 2018 Winter Olympics. As they are about to begin their event they radiate confidence. It wasn't always there. There was fear. Confidence came with repeated practice of their sport making them competent.

There are two reasons I decided to share my secret with you. First, you may be holding yourself back because, like most people, you have a fear of speaking. This can be conquered. Be a subject matter expert and keep throwing yourself into situations where you have to give presentations. Eventually, it will get easier and even become enjoyable. Second, as you're working on yourself at the onset of the new year you may have some limiting beliefs about your abilities that are preventing you from setting certain goals. I can't possibly give a presentation, don't you know that I'm shy? Maybe it's not speaking, perhaps it's writing. Maybe it's exercise. Just start doing it. Action builds competence and competence breeds confidence. You can do this.

A Year of Total Fulfillment

2017-12-27T09:07:00.000-05:00

Ever crush a goal and have a strange sense of emptiness? Make 2018 a year of total fulfillment.

Are you joining millions who are going to the gym this week? Here's a plan to kick off your next several trips to the gym. Focus on lifting weights with one arm. Each time for the next bunch of visits keep working that same arm. Curls, flies, lift, press, repeat . . . work it!

We all want a toned arm. Actually, none of us want just one toned arm. We would look ridiculous. No one is setting a fitness goal for 2018 to look weird, but many are setting goals in just one or two areas putting themselves at risk of feeling very unfulfilled even though they've achieved their goals. When working on your personal plan for 2018 take a look at more than just your job or your financial status or your relationships. Take time to reflect on and plan for your whole self. Gift yourself a year of total fulfillment in 2018 by thinking through and planning in the following 8 areas

1. CAREER: Are you considering a new career or advancing in your current one? Do you have the job you want? What about your job do you love? What can you do to make your job better? Many people think that the employer is responsible for making their job better, but it's more in your control than you may think. What - if you did more of it or less of it at work would make you enjoy it more?

2. FAMILY: We can be mutually fulfilled in career success and family success when we take the time to decide what is important and how to manage our time.

3. FINANCIAL: Financial planning should include short term, mid term and long term. What are some things on your "want" list? What steps can you take to make those a reality? Are you thinking big enough?

4. PHYSICAL: I worked with a CEO who would say "get out and run, and if you can't run, then walk, and if you can't walk, then crawl, but get up and do something". We all only have one body. What can you do this year to take care of yours?

5. RELATIONSHIPS: Which relationships do you want to build? Do you have any that are toxic? "Who you spend time with is who you become". These are great words of wisdom from Tony Robbins.

6. SPIRITUAL: This doesn't have to be about religion (but it sure can be). What are your beliefs? Your beliefs drive your actions and your actions get your results. Do you have limiting beliefs keeping you from being more, doing more, and having more?

7. INTELLECTUAL: I read that Mark Cuban reads 3 hours a day, Elon Musk ran out of books to read in the library so he would sneak into a bookstore to read more, and that Warren Buffet devotes much of his time to books. Success leaves clues. If these three very successful men devote time each day to sharpen the saw, we all should. If reading is not your thing then find something fun. Ted Talks are entertaining, impactful, and full of knowledge.

8. FUN: All work and no play will make 2018 a dreadful year. What do you enjoy doing for fun? Do you have any interests or hobbies? How will you make sure to take some time for yourself?

Make 2018 your most fulfilled year yet by planning in all 8 areas for a complete you. You can do this!

What's On My Reading List: Leadership and the One Minute Manager

2017-11-15T12:34:00.000-05:00

Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Leadership by Kenneth H. Blanchard
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The principle of changing your leadership style to match the needs of your employees is very good; however, the writing style of this book is very distracting to the lessons the book offers. Referring to the main character as the One Minute Manager rather than giving them a name is also very annoying. I would not recommend adding this to your reading list.

View all my reviews

What's on My Reading List: Multipliers

2017-02-26T09:26:00.002-05:00

Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading the difference between Multipliers and Diminishers. I think we have all worked for both and we all can be both. What a great leadership question to reflect on: am I being a Multiplier or a Diminisher right now?

Here is one of my favorite quotes:
“It isn’t how much you know that matters. What matters is how much access you have to what other people know. It isn’t just how intelligent your team members are; it is how much of that intelligence you can draw out and put to use.”

View all my reviews

What's on My Reading List; Grit: Passion, Perseverance, and the Science of Success

2016-08-23T16:07:00.000-04:00

Grit: Passion, Perseverance, and the Science of Success by Angela Duckworth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book started out great. Her explanation of grit and the examples provided were very interesting. I feel that people will be encouraged to read that perseverance can win over talent or skill. Perseverance puts the ball in my court instead of in my heredity or environment. How badly do I want to be great? How hard am I willing to work for it? Imagine if everyone could get that and get the voice in their head lined up with that thought. Wow!

The book then turned very ordinary and repetitive and even sounded
just like plain common sense over scientific research. There is already plenty written on the 10,000 hours, or as this author calls it deliberate practice (yes, the deliberate part does make it somewhat different, I get it, but not enough different to spend so much time on it). Here was one of the low lights . . . If you keep at something you may eventually get it right, but if you quit you won't ever get there. Um, duh.

One of my favorite quotes . . .“...there are no shortcuts to excellence. Developing real expertise, figuring out really hard problems, it all takes time―longer than most people imagine....you've got to apply those skills and produce goods or services that are valuable to people....Grit is about working on something you care about so much that you're willing to stay loyal to it...it's doing what you love, but not just falling in love―staying in love.”
― Angela Duckworth, Grit: Passion, Perseverance, and the Science of Success

Staying in love is the key.

View all my reviews

What's on My Reading List; The Book of Forgiving

2016-08-22T12:34:00.003-04:00

The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World by Desmond Tutu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Truly beautiful book. The instruction for forgiveness is really illustrated well with fabulously shared stories.

View all my reviews

This quote was a really eye opening to me and changed how I look at things. Before understanding this I always felt that forgiveness meant letting someone off of the hook. I like this thought much better . . .

“Forgiveness does not relieve someone of responsibility for what they have done. Forgiveness does not erase accountability. It is not about turning a blind eye or even turning the other cheek. It is not about letting someone off the hook or saying it is okay to do something monstrous. Forgiveness is simply about understanding that every one of us is both inherently good and inherently flawed. Within every hopeless situation and every seemingly hopeless person lies the possibility of transformation.”

My 68 Day Challenge; The Whole30 Recap

2016-03-16T08:55:00.002-04:00

Boom!
Done!
We did it!
We completed the Whole30

We did this as part of an amazing program sponsored by my employer called The 68 Day Challenge.

Reading the book, It Starts With Food before beginning the Whole30 is definitely the way to go. The authors give you everything you need to be successful.

Even tough love.

One struggle I had while reading it is that each chapter begins with a testimonial on how the program is "life changing". Not to be cynical, but really, a 30 day meal plan life changing? How can eliminating certain foods from your diet for just 30 days be all that?

And then,
at about day 15
it happened.

My husband and I were both feeling so good that we said "I am never going back". What does that mean, never going back? We are not going to kid ourselves that we are going to be Whole30 all day every day, but we are going to do our best to be Whole30 80% of the time.

Why?

We feel that good.

Specifically, we both experienced these benefits:

Better sleep. This one matters most. It's amazing how many other parts of your day are better when you get better sleep. Better sleep = better performance.
Wake up easier. Definitely a result of the first benefit, but it is important to point out.
Running and workouts became easier, Tiger blood is a real thing and we really experienced it. Once your body adjusts to burning fat instead of sugar - look out gym!
No afternoon slump.
Better looking skin. Smoother and brighter.
Weight loss. The incredible part about the weight loss is . . .

The dirty details, I lost 10 pounds and my husband lost 15. To be completely transparent, some of that was holiday excess and would have dropped off anyway. Or, maybe not.

There was only one negative to this program, and no it wasn't going without our wine for 30 days. If you go pastured, organic, grass fed, all natural, etc.

IT.

IS.

EXPENSIVE.

This is what writer Eric Gillin had to say about that in Epicurious

IT HELPS TO HAVE TONS OF MONEY AND FANCY GROCERY STORES When did tree nuts and almond butter start to cost as much as uncut cocaine?

Our tips for your success:

Do it with a partner. It's so much easier when you're not the only one passing on dessert.
Cook once and eat many times. Making things like a beef brisket made meal planning for an entire week much easier.
Learn to love eggs.
Journal what you eat and how you slept. This will give you small celebrations throughout the 30 days.
Don't give up on yourself - you can do this. Our mantra was . . ."It's only 30 days"

My 68 Day Challenge; The Whole30 Day 17

2016-01-24T12:08:00.001-05:00

Feeling like a rock star!

They call this stage of the Whole30 Tiger Blood and I know why. For two weeks I went to spin class
and felt a diabolical force resisting the movement of my legs and feet. The harder I tried to pedal the more resistance there seemed to be. Like I was getting sucked in by quicksand. I've gone to class after, well, let's just say more than a few glasses of wine and done better, felt better, rode better.

This week; I owned it. There was no quick sand holding my legs down. In fact, it felt like there was no gravity. Like I was spinning on the moon and could spin forever. It was awesome!

We are in this very strange place in the Whole30 process.
We count down every day like it's a victory. Day 11 - defeated. Day 12 - defeated. Day 15 - we are 1/2 way there. And at the same time, we keep telling each other I'm never going back. I feel too good. I like how I feel. I want to feel like this every single day. Sure, I'll have ice cream and treats and wine, of course we'll have wine, but I'm never going back.

Last night we cooked cilantro lime shrimp. I would say this was my favorite meal of our Whole30 journey, but OMG - it did not compare to the leftover shrimp and spinach omelet I had for breakfast today. I felt like I was having breakfast at a Ritz Carlton in someplace very exotic (1/2 of that was how good the shrimp was 1/2 was the Michigan winter blues). When you make this recipe be sure to make enough for your omelet the next day.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

printable version

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. deveined shell on shrimp (15 to 1 pound)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs cilantro, minced
1 lime
coconut oil
salt
pepper

Instructions

Toss shrimp, garlic, cilantro, and juice from the lime in a bowl
(If you are prepping other dishes do not add the lime until you are ready to cook the shrimp)
Salt and pepper the shrimp
Melt the coconut oil in a skillet on medium high
Carefully place the shrimp in the skillet so that they are in a single layer
Flip after the first side turns pink (about 3 minutes)
Remove from heat when the second side turns pink (about 3 minutes)

My 68 Day Challenge: The Whole30 Day 10

2016-01-17T06:54:00.002-05:00

Days 10 and 11 are the biggest quit days for people on the Whole30. We are on day 10 and are feeling too good to consider quitting.

My husband had a business introduction meeting this week. I thought for sure he would cheat. No way was he going to be introduced to new business contacts at a restaurant and tell them about the plan. He surprised me. He had no problem telling them about the plan, in fact, it was a great icebreaker. Ordering compliant from the Italian restaurant they were at was no problem too. The server was more than ready to help. Awesome!

It's funny, but not surprising, that our keys to success with this plan are pretty much keys to success for anything:

Open communication - tell people your needs and vision and they will help get you there.
Look for ways to make it work - sure you can find a million reasons why you can't, but focus on why you can.
80% planning 20% execution - don't get caught unprepared. Plan!
Try new things - if you keep doing what you've always done you will get what you've always got

We are doing the Whole30 as part of the 68 Day Challenge. Join thousands of people looking to make 2016 their best year yet 68 Day Challenge.

My 68 Day Challenge; Whole 30 Day 9

2016-01-16T17:30:00.000-05:00

The authors of the Whole30 say that most people give up on days 10 and 11. The novelty has wore off, food fatigue, temptation. A whole lot of reasons. Being on Day 9 it doesn't feel like I'm ready to quit tomorrow or the next day.

How are you doing on your 2016 goals? Need some motivation? ET always does it for me. Check out this video

Making the Whole30 fun by being able to be creative has been our focus. By just focusing on making it through each day until you get to 30, I could see how you might give up. If you focus on trying new things and being creative then you look forward to each new experience and don't even count the day you're on.

I've never even eaten a chicken burger before. That didn't stop us for cooking them up for today's brown bag lunch.

Chicken Burgers
Printable Version

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken breast
1/2 onion diced
1 egg
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs minced mint
1 tsp lemon juice
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix to incorporate.
Divide into 4 parts
Form into burgers
Heat non-stick skillet to medium high with a small amount of cooking oil.
Gently place burgers on skillet. After 4-5 minutes flip.
Cook until done - about 4-5 more minutes

If you have a bacon griddle press, burger press, or a panini press they work fantastically to cook these through. Place on top of the burgers once they have been flipped

Dead Arm Mayonnaise

2016-01-13T08:02:00.000-05:00

Many homemade mayonnaise recipes require power tools and face it, many kitchens do not have them. I love this recipe because it doesn't require any tools except good old arm power and it doesn't make too much. This is a concern because homemade mayo doesn't have a long shelf life. You need to use it up quickly.

Homemade Mayonnaise
Printable Version

Ingredients

1 egg yolk (reserve the white and add to an omelet, scrambled eggs or a frittata)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp ground mustard
dash white pepper
3/4 c avocado oil

Instructions

whisk the egg yolk and spices
very slowly - painfully slow - add the avocado oil and continue whisking
continue whisking until thick
*by painfully I mean "how long could this possibly take" not "oh my gosh, this is killing my arm"

This recipe is Whole30 compliant. I'm on day 6 of my first Whole30 as part of my 68 Day Challenge.

Beef Brisket with Endless Possibilies

2016-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Busy households need easy solutions. What could be easier than cooking once and making 4 (or more) great meals out of it?

As part of the 68 Day Challenge, a great "your best year starts here program" my husband and I are doing the Whole30. In a nutshell: meat, vegetables, fruit, and healthy fats for 30 days.

Slow Roasted Beef Brisket

printable version

Ingredients

1 beef brisket
1 small box portabella mushrooms, sliced
2 onions, sliced thick
1 cup beef broth
1 tsp garlic
2 bay leaves
cracked pepper
salt (adjust this depending on the sodium content in your broth)

Instructions

heat oven to 325
put all ingredients in a dutch oven
cook until meat is fork tender - approximately 3 hours
let stand for 30 minutes
slice and serve

Meal 1 - dinner: serve with oven roasted potatoes and roasted root vegetables

Meal 2 - breakfast: substitute beef brisket for hash in this great recipe Chicken Hash

Meal 3 - lunch: Make brisket tacos or quesadillas (this is the only non-compliant meal for the Whole30)

Meal 4 - dinner: open face brisket sandwich. Serve on Texas Toast with mashed potatoes (or left over oven roasted potatoes)

Meal 5 - lunch: pulled brisket with bbq sauce

My 68 Day Challenge: The Whole30 Day 2

2016-01-09T21:01:00.001-05:00

Beware of labels!

Headlines this week all read "Americans Eat Way Too Much Sugar". Hello! That's not news. Some, OK, most is no brainer stuff like soda and snacks. Some is legitimately hidden in food that is made to appear like a healthy choice, We are trying to be good and are tricked by the label.

A typical can of soda may have almost 40 g of sugar in it, and who drinks a can anymore. You grab a Vitamin Water thinking you are making a better choice. There is still around
30 g of sugar. At snack time you choose a yogurt thinking this is the best choice and since you didn't read the label you missed that your tiny little container of yogurt has 25 g of sugar in it.

My first Whole30 mistake was misreading a label on a jar of nut butter. With the attention span of a gnat
- squirrel -
I read the portion of the jar that said "Contains: Sunflower Seeds". Perfect! One ingredient and no sugar. In the cart it goes.
Wrong!
When I got home and looked at the jar more closely what I read was not the ingredient list.
In the store I read what I wanted to see. I was hoping for no sugar and there wasn't any. Unfortunately I was reading the warning for allergies and whatnot and not the ingredients.

If you want the soda, then buy the soda. But, if you want the healthy alternative you must read the label.

MY 68 Day Challenge; Whole30 Day 1

2016-01-08T06:55:00.000-05:00

You cannot improve in one area of your life without it having a positive trickle effect into other areas.

Testing the waters before "go" day we omitted cream in our coffee about a week ago. This seemed a little more challenging than other sacrifices. No rich creamy coffee goodness. No grande non-fat latte frothing in the green cup.

To pull a quote from The Whole 30 by Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig

Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard, Losing a parent is hard. Drinking your coffee black is. not. hard. You've done harder things than this, and you have no excuse...

Truthfully, it is a little hard. We create these morning rituals to start our day happy, invigorated, and fulfilled. Black coffee just isn't as rich and delectable and yummy. There is a positive trickle effect to drinking it black ...less coffee. 1-2 cups instead of 2-3 cups.

We can do this.
What is the 68 Day Challenge? Check it out on Facebook: 68 Day Challenge

My 68 Day Challenge; The Whole30 Shopping

2016-01-06T19:29:00.000-05:00

Today was an adventure. Reading up on the Whole30 I wasn't intimidated or discouraged at all about the plan. We eat pretty healthy now. Everyone in my family can cook and, except for mushrooms, we are pretty daring when it comes to food. The only piece that seemed to be a challenge is where to find the ingredients? There are no fancy grocery stores or health markets to find organic farm raised meats around here. Today we went searching for one. Since when is shopping not fun?

Stop 1, a large health food market. It looked promising from the outside.
Inside not so much. The produce was ok, but the meat choices were pretty much chuck roast, chicken and ground beef. That won't do it for 30 days. Moving on.

Stop 2, Whole Foods. Here we hit pay day. The meat counter pretty much had all of the cuts an ordinary meat counter would have and it had this awesome rating and tagging system to figure everything out.

We were lucky. We only had to go to two stores to find an easy and reliable store. You may have to go to more but, don't settle. Don't go for less. Keep at it until you get exactly what you want. Wait for the best.

My 68 Day Challenge; The Whole30

2016-01-03T09:24:00.000-05:00

To successfully achieve a goal you should spend 80% of your time in planning to ensure that the 20% you spend executing can be done with excellence. Planning on successfully completing the Whole30 program I started my planning by reading the book It Starts With Food.

After reading this book, with an open mind, I believe that adjusting your diet for 30 days can make you feel better, sleep better, think better, and perform better. If you want to lose weight, that is an added benefit.

It Starts With Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways by Dallas Hartwig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is absolutely fascinating.
To those who gave it very skeptical reviews, I ask . . .why did you buy this book in the first place? Did you not read the description first?
I will be gifting this book frequently.

View all my reviews

I'm doing the Whole30 as part of a great program sponsored by my employer The 68 Day Challenge. It's open to the public. Check it out!

My Whole30 Challenge

2016-01-02T08:20:00.001-05:00

The top reason I have stayed with the same employer for over 20 years (dating myself) is that it is so great to work for a company with tremendous opportunity that encourages you to grow as a person. Several years ago they made it even more fun to do so with the 68 Day Challenge. Check it out here on Facebook: The 68 Day Challenge.

The challenge I am taking on this year - the Whole30 Program. 30 days of cleaner eating for better health. No grains, beans, dairy, added sugar, and alcohol for 30 days. What is attractive about this program?
First, anyone can do just about anything for only 30 days. Next, I love this philosophy that eating healthy is easy, it's the psychology that gets in the way.

So, the challenge is 68 days and the program is only 30. No worries. This isn't a program to jump right into. The first few steps that I am working on now:

emptying my pantry of temptation
reading It Starts with Food
meal planning - for family members on the plan and those not on the plan
schedule planning

This last one, schedule planning, has actually been the hardest part so far. Why make this program more difficult by trying to do it when there is extra temptation and will power busters? We've (I'm lucky that my husband agreed to go along on this journey) moved our start date from February 23rd (the day after my husbands birthday) to January 4th (let's stop talking and get started) to January 8th (really, you have 2 business dinners this week).

Happy New Year 2016

2016-01-01T10:33:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year. May 2016 be your best year yet!