Not a DIY Life

Chickpea Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:05:00 +0000

I have been wanting to try more vegetarian recipes lately. However, my husband loves meat. So I have to tread lightly and not go overboard with an entirely meatless menu plan. I came across a recipe for Chickpea Burgers a while back, and finally had the chance to try it. They were a hit!

I made quite a few changes to the original recipe to suit our family's tastes. You can certainly change the spices up. We love onion and garlic, but cumin would make a nice addition too.

I was hoping that this would be both meat-loving husband approved as well as picky preschooler approved. The preschooler said she liked it but only ate two bites. So one out of two isn't bad.

Chickpea Burgers

2 cups soaked, cooked, and drained chickpeas
1 medium carrot
1/2 large onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs
1/2-1 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper
a dash of crushed red pepper flakes
a splash of lemon juice
1 egg

Combine all ingredients except egg in a large food processor. (Mine isn't big enough, so I did the vegetables first, then the chickpeas, crackers, and seasonings.) Empty into a large bowl. Add egg, and mix until well combined.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil. Make small, flat patties of the chickpea mixture, and cook patties until golden brown on each side. (about 3-5 minutes)

Serve as you would a regular burger.

Makes 10 patties
Serving size: 2 patties

Giving Up (for Lent)

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:24:00 +0000

I had this post all crafted in my head telling y'all about what I'm giving up for Lent. Until I went to Ash Wednesday service this morning. The sermon was on Matthew 6:1-4:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

²“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ³But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

This made me stop and re-evaluate what I was planning to write. I don't have as much time to share here as I would like, and I want what I write to meaningful, not just to me, but to others as well. But I had to ask myself WHY I wanted to share what my Lenten discipline would be. To receive pats on the back, and a few "you go, girl" comments?

If what I give up for Lent is for my own personal spiritual discipline, then why do I want to share it? Granted, it is health and weight loss related. And it might give someone else inspiration.

But my goal for my Lenten discipline is to draw on God's power to accomplish something that I can rarely do on my own. I need His strength to see it through.

And that is exactly what a Lenten discipline should be. We shouldn't "give something up" for Lent just because we always have, or because others do it, or to lose weight. Giving something up for Lent should center on deepening our relationship with God.

And that's what this needs to be for me. He alone is my audience, and I need to focus on receiving His praise and His praise alone. Not that anything I do could be worthy, but only through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ can I hope to achieve His approval.

So I decided that I would not share here what I'll be giving up for Lent. If you are insanely curious, you can tell me in the comments and I might e-mail you to share (or I might not).

Seen On My Run

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:16:00 +0000

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Overcoming Emotional Eating

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:53:00 +0000

I had a huge victory this week. One of the biggest struggles in making healthy lifestyle changes has been taming the emotional eater within. I have made a lot of progress in two years. But there are times when the beast raises its ugly head.

On Thursday, I made my first attempt at passing the personal trainer certification exam. I didn't pass. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I know that it is an extremely difficult exam to pass the first time. But I studied hard and was really hoping it would pay off.

When I walked out of the testing center with results in hand, my first thought was of my old comfort. Food. Especially sweet food. Cookie dough, ice cream, cookies. I managed to stop those thoughts by reminding myself how sick I would feel. An overabundance of sugar would not only give me a stomach ache, but would leave me feeling lethargic and potentially trigger a migraine.

I looked at the clock. 10:00am. I could still get a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. I somehow reigned in that thought too. I knew I had bagel thins at home, so I finally decided to just go home. I knew the idea of eating wouldn't leave me until I had a snack. I made one of my favorite healthy sandwiches. A farm fresh egg and spinach on a whole wheat bagel thin with a little bit of real butter (because we use real food in our house). It was delicious and satisfying, both physically and emotionally.

This was a huge accomplishment after a disappointing morning. A huge victory for this recovering emo eater.

I have had lots of victories in the past two years of choosing a healthier lifestyle. This is definitely one I want to savor.

Always Learning

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:01:00 +0000

This healthy living journey is one of constant learning. You would think that after two years, I would know everything. (Please note the sarcasm.)

Absolutely not. I hope I will always have the attitude of a student of healthy living. There is so much to know, and new research is constantly being published. And I am always learning something about myself.

This week, I learned the value of rest. Not just taking a rest day every week, which I do. But also allowing my body some recovery time from the rigorous workouts that I put myself through. As I mentioned in my most recent update, I have learned to love exercise. I don't skip workouts because they are a part of my life, my daily schedule.

I do cardio six days a week, strength training two to three days a week. I base my workouts around running, because that is my favorite cardio/therapy. And last week, I put together a new training plan with the goal of running a half marathon in May.

In chatting with several running friends on Twitter, someone recommended building in "step back" weeks into my running plan. Weeks with less mileage and less strenuous workouts to allow some time for my body to recover. I know about step back weeks, but I've never put this concept into practice. Maybe because I'm too driven. Or I'm afraid of losing ground in my weight loss progress. I don't know.

As I wrote out my training plan, I decided this past week needed to be a step back week. I only did two strength workouts, and I ran three miles less than the week before. Mentally, this was tough. I wanted to work hard like I usually do. But I didn't.

And the pay off was an AMAZING run this morning! Faster and stronger than I have felt in a month. I am now a believer in the need for recovery weeks. I learned something new!

Always be a student. Even if you have reached a maintenance level of your healthy living journey, there is still plenty to learn!

The Negotiator

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:53:00 +0000

Scene: the snack aisle of a big box store (not THAT big box store, but a big box none the less)

This week is our turn to provide snacks for Ladybug's preschool class. We have to bring in juice boxes and prepackaged individual snacks so the teachers can allow the kids to help themselves, encouring them to be more independent. If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you know that we try to limit processed foods.


My preferred snack

And this is reflected in my choices for the class snack. I would prefer to buy bananas, grapes, or dried fruit and nuts, but they require a little too much effort (refrigeration & washing the grapes, avoiding bruises on the bananas, possible nut allergies, etc). So I usually opt for individual boxes of raisins and some type of whole wheat cracker. (Versus a non whole wheat product that would have even less nutritional value.)

I do not believe that cookies, Cheetos, or other such snacks make an appropriate mid morning snack for children who need brain power to learn and energy to play. I definitely do not think that "fruit snacks" are healthy in way. However, my daughter, as a typical four year old, thinks they are awesome.

Photo credit: stock.xchng

So, we are in the snack aisle, and I am trying to remember how many snacks I need to buy and peruse what is available. LB sees the "fruit snacks." (I use quotation marks because there is precious little actual real fruit in them.) She is fixated and starts to ask if they can be the snack we bring to school.

Absolutely not. Over my dead body, I think to myself. But I say, no, they are not real food, and Mama wants to buy real food for your snack. LB counters with, but you don't have to eat them Mama. They are for my friends, and they like these. We go back and forth like this for a minute or two. Thankfully, the store wasn't busy and there were no other customers nearby to hear me explain (for the thousandth time) that Mama likes to provide snacks that are healthy and good for growing boys and girls.

My child is quite the negotiator. She came up with several good arguments why I should buy them. Finally, I found enough better quality prepackaged snacks and we were able to move on. But not before she tried to sneak a box into the cart. I have made certain decisions about what snacks I will and will not allow in my home. Fruit snacks are NOT acceptable.

Do we eat processed snacks? Yes, because I do not have the time or energy to make crackers every week. (Homemade crackers are awesome, but time consuming.) However, I opt for the best quality I can find. I read labels. If the ingredient list is short, it's on the good list. If the first ingredient is enriched flour, it's out. If there is HFCS, it's out. If there are artificial dyes, it's out.

I'm not trying to sound holier than thou and say that our food choices are better. What I am trying to say is that I have certain food priorities and I try my hardest to stick to them. Even if my four year old has learned some great debating skills.

Do you have food priorities?

Happy Mamavation Anniversary to Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:23:00 +0000

I can't believe I missed my 2 year anniversary with Mamavation! It was last week, and my Ladybug (4.5 years old) was still on break from preschool. I don't get much down time when she's home. Even now that she's back to school (mornings), my days are full to over-flowing. Studying for my certification as a personal trainer, church activities, family activities. Also I'm still trying to figure out blogging from my android tablet, and find a twitter app that I like. That makes for times when I seem a bit AWOL. It's not intentional. Mamavation gals, I miss connecting with y'all!

Here's a quick recap of what's been going on with my healthy living journey.

Fitness: I've stayed on track with my workouts during the last few weeks. I really do enjoy exercise! (I certainly couldn't say THAT two years ago!) I ran a Prediction 5k on New Year's Day. I got new dumbbells for Christmas. Oh boy, those are fun! My android tablet was also a Christmas present, and I found a fun workout app called Workout Trainer. When I'm at a loss of what workout to do, I look there for direction. All is well in the fitness department.

Nutrition: Now that the holidays are over, it's time to re-group and re-focus. Keeping processed food and added sugar out of my body are a priority, as are proper portions. I know in my head that proper nutrition is a huge part of the weight loss/healthy living equation. Now to work on my follow-through.

Days full of activities make menu planning a necessity. I found a fun magnet menu planning list that I keep on the fridge. That keeps my plan right in front of my eyes. And the bottom portion tears off as my grocery list. Hello, organization! I need all the help I can get!

The Scale: I sort of took time away from the scale during the holidays. I wanted to enjoy and not feel overly guilty. As I said, now is the time to re-focus. I weighed in last week (up 5 lbs since Thanksgiving, not great, but not bad), and re-measured myself. So that is the new starting pointing. I still celebrate that I've lost 35 lbs and numerous inches in the last two years.

I've written down my goals for 2012 to help keep me focused. My goals are not only about losing weight, but about being a healthy person, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. If you don't have any goals written down, I highly recommend that you do that TODAY!

Welcome to all the new members of the Mamavation Sistahood. Feel free to let me know that you are new and what your Twitter ID is so we can chat on Twitter.

Here's to a healthy 2012 for all of us!

Healthy Appetizer: Spinach-Cheese Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:14:00 +0000

When I'm invited to a party or get-together and I'm asked to bring food to share, I always like to make something healthy. However, I've had some ideas that I thought would be good and they were real bombs. Healthy food should taste good!

I finally found a winner of an appetizer. And even though it calls for biscuit mix, I made it a tad better by making my own with unbleached/unenriched flour. Even small little changes like that can improve the health factor of a recipe without losing any flavor.

A favorite appetizer around these parts is a sausage-cheese ball, and this is the same thing only with spinach. I don't have anything against sausage, I was just trying to offer a somewhat healthier appetizer option at the party. They were a hit! And you can easily double this recipe for a larger crowd.

Spinach-Cheese Balls

Spinach-Cheese Balls

1 box frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
1 cup biscuit mix (homemade or boxed)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
a pinch of salt
tomato sauce for dipping (optional)

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray (or line with parchment paper). In a large bowl, mix all ingredients, except tomato sauce. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls; place on cookie sheet.

2. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve with tomato sauce for dipping.

Makes about 30 balls.

Linking this post to Healthy Food Friday on Mamavation.com

Prediction Run 5k Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:31:00 +0000

The first day of a new year. What better day to have a race! Our local running club hosted the Prediction Run 5k, which is a very unique race. There is no race fee, but they ask that you bring canned goods which are donated to a local food pantry. Also, when you register for this race, you have to predict your finishing time. The winner is the one who finishes closest to their prediction.

I've been struggling with some chest congestion for the past week. I know the rule: if a cold is above the neck, you're good to go. But be extra careful when the symptoms are in the chest. I ran today being careful. I wanted to run, and I'm stubborn. I predicted a finishing time of 39:00, which would be faster than my most recent 5k finish. I really believe I could have come close to that if I had been 100% healthy.

The race was at 10:00am, plenty of time to get myself up and going. (I did stay up alter than usual last night, but not until midnight. I never make it to midnight!) Since we didn't have any music duties at church this morning, Hubby and Ladybug dropped me off at the race while they went to hear a friend preach at his church.

One of the catches with this kind of race is that no electronics and/or timing devices are allowed. It is on a certified course with timing chips, but runners have to just run and pace themselves. (There were walkers too.) I had plenty of time after I checked in to stow my gear and make a visit to the porta potty.

This is the third time I have run a race at this park, and I struggle every time. I finally figured out what the problem is: no shade. The temps were in the upper 40s at race time, but the sun was bright and felt hot. This made me appreciate my usual o'dark-thirty running time.

There were about 100 participants, and the course was 3 laps around the lake. I'm not fond of this kind of course because the faster runners lap me. But I had to get over than and focus on running my own race. I gave myself more walk breaks than I usually would and gaged my pace on how easily I could breathe.

My finishing time was 41:27, much slower than my prediction. But considering how I felt, I'm happy with this result.

My warm fuzzy moment of the day: there were lots of other folks out walking, biking, and running. There was an older couple walking their dog and were going in the opposite direction on my second lap. As I saw them on my third lap, the woman had started jogging and was out-pacing her husband. She gave me a big smile and said, "You inspire me!" I gave her two thumbs up and a "You go, girl!" As I was coming into the finish, she was there cheering for me. We gave each other a thumbs up, and I told her to stick with it.

You never know who you will inspire when you keep your eyes focused on your goals! What a great way to start a new year!

2012 Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:01:00 +0000

Photo Credit: stock.xchng

Last week I realized that I never wrote down my goals for 2011. I know I had them in my head, and I'm sure there was more than one. However, I can only think of one goal that I set out to accomplish this year. I'm not big on making New Year's resolutions, but there is a lot of value in setting (and writing down) goals, no matter what time of year it is.

Here are my goals for 2012:

1. Become a certified personal trainer (taking the exam in January!)

2. Continue to improve my running, clock a sub 12:00 mile

3. Train for and run a half marathon (13.1 miles)

4. Not freak out over my child going to kindergarten

5. Lose another 20 lbs (This has been my yearly average loss for the last two years. At this rate, I'll reach my goal weight in 2015.)

6. Daily Bible reading, an area where I always struggle for consistency
Edited to add: 7. Volunteer for one or more local races.

Now that I have these goals recorded for all the world to see, hopefully I'll remember to check back on them periodically so I can see progress.

By the way, my one goal for 2011 (that I can remember) was to improve my running pace to 12:00/mile. I have run a race and two training runs in the 12:45/mile range, so I'm very close. Well, much closer than I was a year ago when my average pace was 14:00+/mile.

What goals are you setting for 2012?

Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:23:00 +0000

Christmas break has kept us busy, especially now that we all have new toys to play with! My new toy is a Toshiba Thrive tablet (my preference for everything non-Apple), and now I'm trying to learn not only a new gadget but also a new platform. Typing on a mobile device takes a little getting used to. I'm a fast typist when I can feel the keys under my fingers so typing on the touch screen takes some getting used to.

So that's my new trick. Blogging and typing from a mobile device. Let's see how this works...

Tomato Sausage Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:02:00 +0000

One of my favorite things about winter is soup! Warm, filling, comforting, and delicious. This is a very versatile soup, full of healthy ingredients. I like to use oregano and garlic to give this soup an Italian flavor, but adding chili powder, cumin, and paprika would make this into a great chili! Play around with the spices and the amounts, according to your personal taste.

I like to make this in the slow cooker. But you could certainly simmer this on the stove for an hour or until the vegetables are tender. And you can use whatever veggies you have available. Totally customizable!

Use whatever kind of sausage you like. I used venison sausage, and it was very tasty.

Healthy Tomato Sausage Soup

Tomato Sausage Soup

1/2 lb crumbled sausage, cooked and drained

1 large can petite diced tomatoes

3 large carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups non-meat spaghetti sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic

additional water to give soup the consistency you prefer

Add all ingredients to a large slow cooker and cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours.

Linked to Healthy Food Friday on Mamavation.com

Seven

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:15:00 +0000

Photo credit: stock.xchng

Seven years ago, our world changed. Seven years ago, our first daughter was born from my womb directly into heaven.

Seven. Has it really been that long? It seems like the blink of an eye. Yet it seems like forever ago.

Seven means I can't really call Susie my "baby" anymore.

My prayer is that I live differently because of my loss. Not with an air of grief about me, but that I live life purposefully, with no regrets. This was hammered home two years ago when my dear friend lost her short battle with cancer.

To live life with purpose. To be intentional. To love without question. To serve without asking for anything in return. To be the person that God wants me to be. And to live each day knowing that this world is not my home.

When the petty, bothersome things of life rise up, I want to remember that they are nothing but a vapor in the grand scheme of things. That they pass quickly compared to the eternity that we'll spend with God.

I asked Ladybug (our four year old daughter) how she wanted to celebrate her sister's birthday. She said she wanted to write her sister a note and send it to heaven. So today, we will release a balloon with Ladybug's note attached. Our prayers will rise up with that balloon, prayers that God will help us live with purpose and without regrets.

Remember the story of the woman who wanted to be buried with a fork in her hand? She said at church dinners, someone always says, "Keep your fork." And she knew that meant that something delicious was waiting. Being buried with a fork in her hand was to be a reminder that death means that something better is waiting for us.

I hold onto this hope. The hope for a glorious reunion. Not only with my child, but with my Lord.

Keep your fork; the best is yet to come.

#CreatingaBetterFit: Why I Want to Be a Personal Trainer

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:53:00 +0000


Photo Credit: stock.xchng

I have a confession: it has been YEARS since I've belonged to a gym. We did contemplate joining the new rec center in town, but it just doesn't fit in the budget or the schedule right now.

Since I started on this getting healthy journey almost two years ago, I knew exercise had to be two things: enjoyable and affordable. Affordable because I'm a stay at home mom without a lot of extra money at my disposal. And enjoyable because I knew I wouldn't stick with it if I didn't like it.

And the thought of going to a gym two years ago was neither of these things for me.

I knew I needed to be smart about exercising, so I did a lot of research. And I learned. And I connected with awesome, knowledgeable folks on Twitter and Facebook.

Now I love exercising. Well, most days. I know that exercise needs to be a part of my life and my family's life.

My frugal side makes me want to exercise without spending an arm and a leg. And thankfully, I've seen a fair amount of success with a minimal amount of home equipment.

I know there are people out there, especially women, who are tight on time and money, and that might keep them away from the gym. As I've mentioned briefly before, I'm studying to become a certified personal trainer. I am combining my passion of helping people with my new passion of living a healthy lifestyle. I want to help people just like me.

Whether it's discrimination, lack of time or accessibility, or lack of extra funds, these things don't need to keep a person from getting fit and healthy. All the gym owners out there, don't shoot me for this. But a person does not NEED a gym to get in shape. And my goal as a personal trainer is to help people be comfortable enough with exercising that they start to enjoy it enough to make it a part of their lives.

It takes all types of people to make the world go 'round. So exercise isn't a one-size-fits-all endeavor. As a personal trainer, I'll be able to work with clients and meet them where they are.

Nothing should hold a person back from taking control of getting fit. Fit doesn't have a shape or a size. It's more than how a person looks on the outside. Fit is also emotional and mental well-being that comes from being physically active. Physical fitness affects the whole person, and it is something that we all should take seriously.

I have discovered a whole new, healthier me, and I want to help others do the same.

(I am linking this post up with Creating a Better Fit over at Mamavation.)

Rivertown Reindeer 5k Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:10:00 +0000

I've been looking forward to this race for a year. I couldn't run it last year because I was side-lined with a hip flexor injury, so it was my "must do" list for 2011. And this fall, I have been able to train on this hilly course because of our recent move. I felt confident going into the race, but was not hoping for a PR because my most recent PR was on a flat course. Most of coastal South Carolina is flat, so most races here are flat and fast.

Rivertown Reindeer 5k souvenirs

Besides being my "hometown" race, I had several friends running. Our church youth director decided to run it and got several of the youth group members to sign up too. Several moms that I know were running as well. And it was a chance to dress festively! (Sorry, I forgot to get pics of my holiday accessories.)

I had my usual pre-race breakfast of a green smoothie: almond milk, 2 bananas, spinach, and flax oil. Race time was 8 am, and it was a cool, crisp morning. It was a small field, only 132 runners.

It was a fast start, and immediately started up a gentle slope. My breathing was really bad, and I don't usually have a problem with that. But I didn't want to drop back too far, so I focused on each breath and the street immediately in front of me.

The GPS on my phone didn't want to start, whether because of the cold or whatever, but I finally got it turned on and planned on using it to monitor my pace. I ran up each hill, gave myself a short walk break once I reached the top, then used the flats and the downhills to make up some time. There weren't a lot of people around me, mostly a few run/walkers.

The course wound through one of my favorite neighborhoods, some historic homes with gorgeous live oaks and Spanish moss. The live oak trees are protected here and the streets go around them. Gorgeous scenery to distract myself.

By the final gentle uphill, I was in a good groove and decided I didn't need any more walk breaks. I don't know whether I was looking pretty pitiful or just red in the face, but at one of the last turns, a few EMTs were standing nearby, and one of them asked if I was okay. Heck yeah! I was great!

After the last turn, it was downhill to the finish line. Now that is smart race planning! I saw Ladybug (our 4 year old) waiting for me. She ran the finish with me at my last race and wanted to do it again. So I grabbed her hand and we ran. One of our youth girls was sprinting up behind me (I had teased her as I passed her earlier that was letting an overweight, middle-aged woman beat her!), but I didn't have anything left in my legs. I was going as fast as they would carry me.

I saw the clock as I finished - 39:47 - a new PR by a full 40 seconds!! Wow! My average pace was 12:47. One of my goals for 2011 has been to break into the 12:00/mile range - woohoo!! And I was spent. I left it all out on the course.

I know compared to others I may not be fast, and I spent part of Saturday beating myself up about it. Races are a great challenge to keep me motivated. But when it comes down to it, I love running. I love the emotional and mental health that I've gained since August 2010. I still have a lot of weight to lose, and I hope that as that goes, my pace will improve too. But even if I never lost another pound, I would still run. And I'll still race.

The moment that made me laugh - I placed 10th out of 11 in my age division. I don't know why that struck me as funny, but it did.

And an inspiring moment from the morning - we stayed for the awards. There were three runners, one woman and two men, over 70 who ran this race. My goal is still be running and enjoying it when I'm 70. And maybe by then I'll place in my age division.

What Do You Do When You Fall Down?

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:54:00 +0000

My knees - 11/26/2011

I re-learned a valuable lesson this past week. When you fall down, you need to get back up again. This applies to so many areas of life, especially healthy living. Even if your knees get bloody, get back up.

First, let me tell you what happened on Saturday morning. At o'dark-thirty, I was out for a run. Yes, I like getting up early to run. I can sneak out of the house while the rest of the family is still sleeping. I can have some alone time, and I can get a good workout done with minimal traffic interruptions.

I was running a long route around town, and I wanted to add a new loop to extend my mileage a little. In order to do that, I had to cut down a main street that sometimes sees more traffic at that hour. So to be safe, I stayed on the sidewalk. Even though I run with a light and a reflective vest, I didn't want to dodge cars. I don't usually run on the sidewalk because it's more uneven than the asphalt, plus concrete is a harder surface.

All of a sudden, I caught my toe on a crack in the sidewalk, and I went tumbling. It all happened so fast. I was lying in a heap on the sidewalk in the pre-dawn light. I told myself to GET UP! Don't lay there, get up, get moving again. I got up and started walking. Once I made sure nothing was sprained or broken, I started jogging.

I could feel the stinging pain of ripped skin and once I got under a street light, I stopped to see how much blood there was. Thankfully, I had leggings on so it kept the dirt out, but my knees had a nice case of road rash, as well as the heels of my hands where I caught myself.

I decided to keep going. I had two more miles to go. I could have taken a direct route and made it home in a half mile, but I wanted to finish my mileage. As I got moving, the coolness of the morning air numbed the stinging.

I'm glad I kept going. It was a good run, in spite of the fall. It added up to one of my highest mileage weeks since I began running.

Just as I did on Saturday morning, when my 4 year old daughter falls, I always encourage her to get right back up. And the same principle applies to healthy living. There are a lot of ways to fall, but the important thing is to get up again. It's only failure when you don't get up again.

Don't lie there on the sidewalk after a piece (or three) of pie. Recommit to your healthy living goals. Remind yourself that food is FUEL and not comfort. Schedule your workouts when life is chaotic and over-scheduled. Reach out for help when you need encouragement.

*** Pep talk done ***

Personal Update: I have a Reindeer Run 5k this Saturday. I'm really looking forward to this race! I know several people who will be running, I'm wearing a costume of sorts to get in the holiday spirit, plus the race course is one of the routes that I have been training on.

I have not weighed myself recently. Since our move this fall, I've been struggling to get back in the saddle, I've been eating my stress away, and life has been too chaotic. Time to pick myself back up, jump back on the wagon, and re-focus. This week, I'll be focusing on 7 servings of fruits and veggies EVERY DAY. It's one small thing I can do to get moving in the right direction.

Have you fallen? Do you need to pick yourself back up? Just do it!

Ten Reasons I Don't Blog Much Anymore

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:48:00 +0000

In no particular order...

1. I am studying to be a Certified Personal Trainer, and studying means not much computer time.

2. The four year old needs my attention when she's home.

3. The husband needs my attention when he's home.

4. I am finally unpacking the last of the boxes from our October 1st move.

5. I can't say that I haven't been inspired, just that when inspiration strikes, I'm not near the computer.

6. I'm still focusing on fitness and healthy eating, which actually takes a lot of time.

7. I have been posting & promoting giveaways and reviews over on bookieboo.com. What little computer time I have is spent there some days.

8. Family and church life has been very busy this fall.

9. Pinterest... need I say more?

10. I sometimes struggle with the purpose of my blog, so when I do have inspired thoughts, I'm not sure how to share them.

For more inspiring Top Ten Tuesday posts, be sure to visit ohamanda.com

Controlling What I Can

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:25:00 +0000

Last week I mentioned that life has been crazy. So I made a plan, and it helped tremendously! Life is still just as busy, but having a fitness plan and menu plan for the week helped me take control over a few small things. Even a small amount of control goes a long way!

Fitness: I was able to stick with my plan and had 229 fitness minutes last week. Adding the core workouts this week was most excellent. I really had been neglecting my core. My running legs are feeling strong, and I know I'll be ready for my next 5k on December 3rd.

My fitness plan for this week (thanks to Janice for helping me tweak my schedule):

Monday - a.m. run - hill workout
Tuesday - a.m. core workout, p.m. cardio/strength class
Wednesday - a.m. run - speed workout
Thursday - a.m. core workout, p.m. cardio/strength class
Friday - a.m. core workout, power walk
Saturday - long run
Sunday - rest day

Nutrition: It was a good week. I knew I had been eating way too many sweets, so I focused on reaching for fruit when I had a sweet craving. I also make an afternoon smoothie to share with my 4 year old daughter twice last week (that's when my sweet cravings always hit). I know my veggie intake hasn't been great lately, so I'm planning to have salads instead of leftovers for lunches this week.

Here's my menu plan:

Monday - veggie/cheese egg scrambles, whole wheat biscuits/toast
Tuesday - baked chicken, baked potatoes, steamed veggies
Wednesday - church night
Thursday - paninis & salad
Friday - vegetable lasagna, salad, garlic bread
Saturday - BBQ with friends
Sunday - FIFI (Find It, Fix It) a.k.a. leftovers

Having a plan really did help last week. Even if I didn't follow the plan to the letter, it helped to manage the chaos. Maybe it was just the chaos in my head, but whatever....

The Scale: Frankly, I haven't weighed myself recently. But I did re-check my measurements. Bust & biceps remained the same. Thighs are down 3/4 inch each. But my waist & hips are both up 1/2 inch. Yes, I've been neglecting my core!

Non-scale victory: My running! Never would have thought that running almost 4.5 miles would be fun, but it is!

Thanks for all of your encouragement & support!

Making a Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:47:00 +0000

Life has been chaotic lately. I feel like I'm on a roller coaster, and I forgot to fasten my seat belt. I know from experience that when I have a plan to tackle the chaos, I do a better job of hanging on when things get crazy.

Here's my fitness plan for the week:

Monday - a.m. run (hill workout)
Tuesday - a.m. core workout, p.m. cardio/strength class
Wednesday - a.m. run (speed workout)
Thursday - a.m. core workout, p.m. cardio/strength class
Friday - power walk, or Pilates, or yoga (depending on what I need)
Saturday - a.m. run (endurance)
Sunday - rest day

Making a menu plan has been challenging because of the busyness, but here's this week's plan:

Monday - baked chicken, pasta, sauteed veggies
Tuesday - breakfast for dinner - veggie/cheese scrambles, turkey sausage, biscuits
Wednesday - dinner at church/Bible study
Thursday - crockpot chili, cornbread, side salad
Friday - chicken cordon bleu casserole, steamed veggies
Saturday - FIFI (Find It, Fix It) a.k.a. leftovers
Sunday - personal pizzas, side salad

Non-Scale Victory: My next 5k is December 3rd, and this past week my Hubby told me he wants to run it too! He has four weeks to prepare and is planning to run/walk, but I'm VERY excited that he wants to do this with me!

My goal for this week is to manage the chaos and not feel like I'm a chicken with my head cut off. Hopefully making a plan will help! Have a great week!

Udi's Gluten Free Cookies Review & Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:17:00 +0000

*** This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by! ***

I have a sweet tooth, I won't deny it. But I've come to view cookies and other sweet treats as just that - treats. We don't have any allergies in our household, so making "traditional" (although somewhat healthified) sweets isn't difficult. But what do you do if you have a sweet tooth and a food allergy? It's great to know there are companies out there that specialize in treats for folks with allergies and/or food intolerances.

Udi's Gluten Free Foods is one such company. Even though our family is not strictly gluten-free (we try to be gluten-light), I was very pleased to be asked to review their gluten-free cookies.

Some people might have the perception that if you can't use regular white flour, cookies won't be very tasty. Not true! There are a lot of great alternative "flours" out there that do not have gluten and still produce a delicious treat.

My family received samples of the Udi's Gluten-Free Cookies in Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, and Oatmeal Raisin. They were very tasty, and in fact, tasted like they came from a high-end bakery that we have in our town. Their texture and taste were like any other gourmet cookie. My personal favorite was the Snickerdoodle cookie, while Hubby and Ladybug loved the Chocolate Chip. (The Oatmeal Raisin is delish too!)

Udi's has a large variety of gluten-free products, including bread, bagels, granola, muffins, pizza crust, and cinnamon rolls. If you or a family member need to follow a gluten-free diet, you need to check out the variety! They have a store locator on their website so that you can find where you can find them locally. (That's always one of my favorite features of a company website when I discover a new food that I like!) Even if you are not gluten-free, it's nice to know you can find quality products to share when you have guests or friends who are gluten-free.

The only downside of the cookie samples that we received was that they disappeared way too quickly! But that fault lies strictly with the people in this household.

You can "like" Udi's Facebook page or follow them on Twitter. They even have a coupon available on their website that you can print for your first purchase.

Now for the fun part! The giveaway! One lucky reader will receive samples of Udi's Gluten Free Cookies of their very own. And you can be entered for the low price of a comment: Tell me one thing you do during the holidays (now through New Year's) to balance out all the sweet treats with a healthy lifestyle.

Bonus Entries:

1. "Like" this post using the button below. (1 entry)
2. Tweet this post using the button below. (1 tweet/day = 1 entry)

*** You must leave a valid email address or Twitter ID for each comment so that you can be contacted if you are the winner. ***

Leave a separate comment for each entry. This giveaway is open until Monday, November 14, 2011. One winner will be selected randomly.

Disclosure: I was provided with free product from this company. All opinions expressed are strictly mine.

Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:05:00 +0000

Ladybug (on the left) and one of her preschool friends at the pumpkin patch

Time for a Sugar Detox

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:36:00 +0000

This will be short & sweet. Well, not too sweet. Read on....

Life has been really hectic lately. We moved into a new house on October 1st. Then Ladybug (4 years old) & I traveled to see family & attend a family wedding, so we were gone for 5 days. Last week was also my birthday. And some girlfriends and I had our annual Choctoberfest celebration.

Add all of that up, and it equals a lot of extra sugar in my diet. And it's starting to take it's toll. I feel like crap. I'm cranky. I can't focus. Blergh.

Not that any of these things in and of themselves is bad. But all the sweets are. It's time for a sugar detox. That's what I'll be focusing on this next week. And I'm not worried about Halloween candy. The usual stuff doesn't appeal to me anymore because it all tastes so processed.

On a positive note, I ran my sixth 5k race this past weekend. And there's a great giveaway of flax oil products over on bookieboo.com. Check those out!

Thanks to New Balance for sponsoring this week's Mamavation blogging carnival. This week's blogging carnival question is: How would you brand your health and wellness lifestyle? How do you want others to know you in this area?

I want to be known for three things: clean eating (minimal processed foods) (with the exception of all the recent celebrating), running, and mutual support and encouragement. After all, my blog is titled "Not a Do-It-Yourself Life." We're all in this together, and we're stronger when we can support and encourage each other along the way.

Coastal 5k Race Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:36:00 +0000

I don't know if I have words to describe my feelings coming into this race. In 2010, this was my very first race. I didn't know what to expect. Now it's 2011, and this was my SIXTH race. "You've come a long way, baby," doesn't even begin to describe what a year this has been!

I have come a long way.

10/23/2010 - Coastal 5k - 46:12
2//18/2011 - RBC 5k - 46:30
4/9/2011 - SOS Autism Clinic 5k - 42:13
6/11/2011 - Susan G. Komen 5k (w/ a team) - 48:00
9/24/2011 - Strides for Autism 5k - 41:56

Each race has been a unique experience. But I came into this year's Coastal 5k with a lot more confidence because I knew what to expect. I didn't register until the week of the race, but I've been mentally committed to it for months. My goal for this time around: 40 minutes.

After setting out all my gear, I went to bed fairly early on Friday night. I set my alarm for 5:40, but knew I wouldn't need it. I woke up shortly after 5:00 and immediately the race day jitters set in. I got up, got dressed, and piddled around on the computer for a while. Finally, it was time to wake the family, start getting them ready, and make my pre-race breakfast.

On an average running day, I don't eat before running. I get up at o'dark-thirty & sneak out the door as quickly as I can. Race time wasn't until 7:30, so I knew I need some nutrition before the race. The best thing for me is a green smoothie. I absolutely love them & know they are a great way to pack in the nutrition without over-filling my belly. This one had: almond milk, a banana, 2 cups of spinach, a teaspoon of chocolate-flavored flax oil, and ice.

(Side note: if you are a member of bookieboo.com, rush over there and enter the giveaway for these amazing flax oils, open until 11/4/2011)

Hubby and Ladybug came along to cheer for me. Poor Hubs. Wrangling a four year old in a crowd that size for 40 minutes is hard. He earned many gold stars on this day.

We arrived at the race site around 7:00. Plenty of time for a porta-potty stop and warming up. I lined up around 7:15 and chatted with an experienced runner for a while. It's so amazing to feel the camaraderie that comes immediately when running is the topic.

At 7:30, the gun sounded and we were off! I started near the middle of the pack. I didn't want to dodge a lot of walkers. It was cold, about 45 degrees with clear skies. I'm glad I bought arm warmers at the expo. Last year I wore a long-sleeved shirt and was too warm by the time the sun came up. The arm warmers were perfect.

This is the first race that I monitored my pace. Most of the time, I just go with how I feel, wanting to have fun and enjoy the experience. But I knew that if I was going to make my goal, I needed to keep pushing myself. I was keeping around a 12:15 pace during the first mile, which is fast for me. So I eased up. I didn't want to run out of gas before the end. I finished the first mile in just under 13:00 minutes. Right on pace.

This is an out and back, flat course. I knew the main challenge would be weaving in and out among the other racers. Most people around me were doing run/walk. I was running the whole way. I know that if I slow down to walk, it gets harder and harder to get myself running again. But when others run/walk, they pass you, then you pass them, etc, etc. It gets a little annoying after a while. Especially when they have earbuds in and aren't paying attention to who is coming up behind them.

I hit the turn-around point at 20:15, so I knew I couldn't ease up any more if I was going to make my goal. I started some positive self talk to keep myself moving. I put my head down and focused on the ground in front of me.

As I came into the final stretch, I saw my cheering section waiting for me. I had told Ladybug that she could finish the race with me. So I grabbed her hand and we started running hard. I didn't look at the clock as we crossed the finish line, but I knew I was close to my goal time. I knew it would be a new PR no matter what, and it was a fun race. Even though I was pushing myself, I still want to enjoy the journey, and I did.

Official chip time: 40:27, 474/683 overall, 50/74 age division.

Ladybug was upset that she didn't get a medal too, so I let her wear mine for a little while. This year's medal is a smaller version of the half marathon medal, and even sports a bottle opener. Very cool race bling!

Another great race experience! I feel more confident, not only in my ability as a runner, but in navigating the racing experience. Now that I've been racing for a year, I look forward to repeating past races. But I also look forward to conquering new distances. The Diva half marathon series is coming to our area in May 2012. I'd love to tackle that challenge.

I know I've come a long way, but there are still so many more miles out there to be run. And I can't wait!

Settling In

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:42:00 +0000

I can't believe I missed updating y'all on my healthy living journey last week! We moved into our new house on the 29th/30th, and we did have internet. But I just didn't have time or brain cells to compose a post.

We're getting settled in, trying to find a place for everything and then remember where I put it! I need to get myself and this house organized so I can stop looking for things. ;-)

Here's my recap of last week:

Fitness: It was a super-duper fitness week! 250 fitness minutes! Not including being on my feet with unpacking, and not including walking Ladybug (4 years old) to and from school. Now that we live in town, we're only four blocks from church/school. Why start the car to drive such a short distance? It's .81 miles round trip. Some days, I walk the round trip once, some days twice, just depends on what else I've got going on and if I need to stay at church to get church work done. So I spent a lot of time on my feet last week!

And I also ran longer distances than I usually do. Monday, I ran long because I missed the previous Saturday's run because of moving, and I was anxious to get out there and sweat. Wednesday, I ran long because I ran with a friend and even though we have a similar pace, she goes for longer than I usually do. Then I did a 4 mile run on Saturday. Running is my therapy time. It's time alone, time to think and pray. I know that I'm a better mom, wife, and person when I can run often.

Monday: 3.12 mile run
Tuesday: a.m. Pilates & stretching, p.m. cardio/strength class
Wednesday: 3.23 mile run
Thursday: p.m. cardio/strength class
Friday: rest day, my legs were killing me!
Saturday: 4 mile run
Sunday: rest day

I'll try to keep a similar schedule this week, although I'll miss cardio/strength class on Thursday due to traveling for a family wedding this coming weekend. But I'll definitely get my miles in!

Nutrition: It was a decent week for nutrition. The kitchen was the first room that I got set up in the new house, so that definitely made it easier to cook. We ate out a few times in the midst of moving, and really, that got old. At home, we kept things simple and had lots of side salads to round out our veggies. I always feel better when I get adequate amounts of fruits and veggies, especially dark green vegs.

I was able to go to the farmer's market this weekend and get stocked up on squash and collards, so our meals will revolve around those foods. And Ladybug and I will pack healthy snacks while traveling this week.

The Scale: I'm down 1 lb from my last weigh in, and I think I've got some PMS bloating, so I'm happy with that.

Non-Scale Victories: Not really a personal NSV, but by Friday, Ladybug ASKED to walk to school. There was some mumbling and grumbling earlier in the week, but by Friday, she was looking forward to that time. I realized that some of the grumbling was on the walks home after school, and she is hungry and tired by that point, so I've been trying to remember to take a small snack for her to munch on while we walk home.

A Favor: One of my absolute favorite people is Carla, a.k.a Mizfit. She is in the running for Fave Fitness Blogger at Shape Magazine. Please go vote for her. Pretty please? Thank you!!

Good luck to the Mamavation finalists! See you at the Twitter party!

Flat Stanley Came to Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Underwood) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:21:00 +0000

We moved into our new house a little over a week ago. Then we had a visitor arrive by mail - Flat Stanley! Hannah in Indiana sent him to visit us. Boy, isn't he lucky missed moving all that heavy furniture!

The first few days of his visit was filled with unpacking boxes. Flat Stanley did his best to help. And while we were unpacking, we found another visitor that had arrived a while ago - Fit Stanley! Fit Stanley is just like Flat Stanley, with the addition that he likes to do active things and eat healthy food. (Fit Stanley is the brain child of my good friend, Mizfit.)

So, once we got some unpacking done, we got back to our normal schedule. One of my favorite things to do on Saturday morning is go to the local farmer's market. We buy fresh fruit and vegetables, and by buying them at the market, we are supporting local farmers.

This week, we bought a big bunch of collard greens (a favorite food here in South Carolina), a small decoration pumpkin, some zucchini, and some cucumbers.

After the farmer's market, we did some yard work because Fit Stanley insisted that we do something active. By lunch, we had worked up a big appetite, so I made Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles that everyone enjoyed. My 4 year old daughter loved sharing her waffles with the Stanleys, even though she doesn't look very happy in the picture.

After lunch, we did some more yard work (sorry that there isn't a picture of that, we were so dirty and sweaty!). Then we had a healthy dinner of whole wheat spaghetti and salad, including the fresh cucumbers that we had bought at the farmer's market. (But no mushrooms, because Hannah said that Flat Stanley doesn't like them.)

On Sunday morning, we always go to church. My husband and I lead worship, so the Stanleys joined right in. They are both very good singers!

After church, we went to Sunday School. My Sunday School class doesn't usually have treats, but today we did - donuts. Fit Stanley said it was okay to have one donut because it was a special treat, and treats are okay to have every once in a while.

Then we came home and had veggie and cheese omelets for lunch, and settled in to watch my favorite football team, the Steelers. Both Fit Stanley and Flat Stanley are big football fans.

We didn't do anything special this weekend, just our normal activities. But it was fun to include both Flat Stanley and Fit Stanley. I'm going for a run in the morning. I know Fit Stanley will be up for it. I wonder if we can convince Flat Stanley to come along too?