Motivational Shirts I design

I have always loved wearing motivational shirts, or getting a shirt from any place I visit. I just LOVE it!

So since I really can't find cute shirts that motivate me lately I decided to design my own using Cafepress.com

Here are the images: Please leave a comment if you like them or not and if you have any Ideas of your own!

Front  Image

Back Image

The T-shirt is designed on a women's T.. so if you would like it to be on a men's T-shirt for a looser fit, feel free to do so!! 

More to come!! If you have ANY ideas for a T-shirt you would want made, tell me about them and I will play around with it until you like it, hopefully I can figure out a way to save it on Cafepress.com so you can access it and buy it! Who knows! lol

If You're Tired of Starting over...

This is really speaking to me today.

I'm not sure why but my body has become so tired of late. Yesterday I got up an hour early so that I could workout before going to work at Olive Garden. 6 Mins on the treadmill and my legs felt so heavy I knew it would do me no good to try and run, I was exhausted! I went to work with the intention of running when I got home. But I was STARVING! So when I got home, I ate a few chips to quickly kick the hunger pains and went about my day.. but it didn't stop there. I was in a snacking mode, even after over snacking- being so full I can't even remember the last time I was that full, I kept eating. When dinner came and I woke up from my nap I could barely get the 2 corn on the cobs down before I felt like I was going to be sick. I had over eaten. WAY over eaten. I was to full, to tired and to sick to even consider running at that point.

I tried going to bed early, around 7:30 pm, I was so tired I could have gone to be early, but no matter how tired I was, how heavy my eye lids became, I couldn't sleep. So instead I open Kindle on my Iphone and start to read Fifty Shades Free (yes and the books are AMAZING!) At around 9:30 I finally can get to sleep.

This morning was torture. No matter that I wasn't comfortable in bed I was exhausted and couldn't wake up. Finally getting up late I quickly shower, get ready and rush to make my lunch.

I know I'm tired but I don't know why. But I don't want to give up, or "take a break" b/c I'm tired. But in all honesty I'm so tired of starting over!! I have not completed anything real substantial since... ever and I'm tired of telling myself I'm not strong enough, smart enough, skinny enough... pretty enough. It stops now. I am strong enough and everything else. I have started this journey and I will not strop until I have completed my goals. I have a half marathon in less than 7 months and I am so excited, its really what pushes me forward. I finally understand what everyone means when they say to give yourself a race, goal to look forward to, otherwise you might burn-out and stop. I will not stop, bc I'm tired of giving up and starting over.

I have been weak by not pushing myself farther than 1 mile here lately. 1.5 being my longest. I am strong than that! I will go home tonight, forget the time on the treadmill, forget the tiredness of my body, I will run 2 miles today and every other day I will increase by .5 miles. On my long days I will increase by 1 mile. And then repeat. I can do this bc I am strong. I am not weak. I am strong!!

50 Snacks Under 50 Calories

Satisfy your sweet tooth

1. 1⁄2 medium apple, baked, topped with 1 Tbsp lowfat yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon (45 calories)

2. 1⁄2 small banana, frozen (45 calories)

3. 4 oz unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon (49 calories)

4. 1 miniature box of raisins (45 calories)

5. 2 sugar-free ice pops (30 calories)

6. 1 sugar-free fudge ice pop (35 calories)

7. 12 cherries (48 calories)

8. 1 individual serving sugar-free gelatin with 3 Tbsp light whipped topping (40 calories)

9. 1⁄2 cup strawberries with 21⁄2 Tbsp nonfat yogurt (47 calories)

10. 14 seedless red grapes, frozen (48 calories)

Indulge a salt craving

11. 11⁄2 cups salted air-popped popcorn (46 calories)
12. 1⁄4 cup shelled edamame with sea salt (37 calories)
13. 8 oz miso soup (36 calories)
14. 1 pretzel rod (37 calories)
15. 1⁄4 small bag of Glenny's lightly salted soy crisps (35 calories)
16. 1 medium sliced cucumber mixed with 1⁄4 cup sliced onion, 1⁄2 cup chopped celery, 4 Tbsp vinegar and salt to taste (45 calories)
17. 6 oz eight-vegetable juice (39 calories)
18. 1 kosher dill pickle (10 calories)

Crunch and munch

19. 1⁄2 cup jicama with 4 oz salsa (49.5 calories)
20. 11⁄2 cups sugar snap peas (40 calories)
21. Small celery stalk smeared with 1⁄2 Tbsp natural peanut butter (49 calories)
22. 1⁄2 small apple with 1 tsp soy butter (46 calories)
23. 1 brown rice cake with 1 Tbsp sugar-free jam (44 calories)

Smooth and creamy

24. 1 Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb wedge spread on cucumber slices (35 calories)
25. 1 tsp almond butter (34 calories)
26. 1⁄2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt with 1 tsp sugar-free strawberry jam (43 calories)
27. 1 oz avocado (about 1⁄8 of an avocado) squirted with lime (45 calories)
28. 8 grape tomatoes dipped in 1 Tbsp light cream cheese (46 calories)

Cheesy whizzes

29. 6 pieces of endive filled with 1⁄2 oz reduced-fat feta cheese (49 calories)
30. 1 slice fat-free American cheese (30 calories)
31. 1 large tomato, sliced, topped with 1 Tbsp Parmesan, broiled (44 calories)
32. 1 oz fat-free cottage cheese on 1 slice caraway Finn Crisp Crispbread (38 calories)
33. 1 oz fat-free mozzarella dipped in 1 tsp marinara sauce (46 calories)

Power up on protein

34. Turkey rollups: 2 slices white meat turkey rolled in 2 lettuce leaves (46 calories)
35. 1 oz smoked salmon (about 1 slice) on 2 Wheat Thins crackers (Multi-Grain) (48 calories)
36. 1 tofu dog with 1 Tbsp sauerkraut (48 calories)
37. 1⁄2 cup plain fat-free yogurt sprinkled with 1 tsp sunflower seeds (49.6 calories)
38. 1.3 oz water-packed tuna with 1 tsp Dijon mustard (48 calories)
39. 2 large hard-cooked egg whites with 1 cup sliced cucumber (48 calories)
40. 1 slice Wasa Fibre Crispbread with 2 tsp hummus (45 calories)
41. 1 medium water-packed sardine with slice of red onion (35 calories)

Solid standbys

42. 1⁄2 cup melon with 2 Tbsp 1% cottage cheese (47 calories)
43. 1⁄2 small grapefruit (32 calories)
44. 1⁄3 cup blueberries with 1 Tbsp light sour cream (47 calories)
45. 1⁄2 cup carrots with 1 Tbsp light ranch dressing (45 calories)

Thirst quenchers

46. 1⁄2 cup nonfat milk with 1 Tbsp Walden Farms calorie-free chocolate syrup (40 calories)
47. 1 packet of sugar-free hot chocolate made with 1⁄4 cup skim milk and 3⁄4 cup hot water (47 calories)
48. 3⁄4 cup almond milk (45 calories)
49. 3⁄4 cup seltzer with 1⁄4 cup cranberry juice and a lime wedge (33 calories)
50. Homemade iced green tea (with artificial sweetener if desired) (0 calories)

Challenges

I will continue to add challenges that I accept to this post, until I can figure out how to add tickers to my blog page!!


New Challenges:

*Run 50 Miles in August

Accepted: 8/5/2012
Last Day: 8/31/2012

My First Mile.. and Half!

I can not express how proud I am of myself right now. Last night was Sunday and I had to work at Olive for 6 hours on my feet stand, greeting and plastering a smile on my face. I had only eaten breakfast and had a tall skinny vanilla latte from Starbucks.

I was determined to workout before I went to work, but after waking up to late and then eating pancakes Jeremy made me, I just couldn't do it. I didn't want to up-chuck my breakfast. So instead I go ready and headed to work. With a side stop at Starbucks.

I had a hard time fighting the tiredness I felt after waking up at 6 am from Jackson, my moms dogs, barking and wining till someone took him out. After doing this I was awake. I went back to sleep but it really didn't do me any good.

So work ends around 4:30pm and I go home hungry. I eat Roman noodles for Lunch/Dinner and I'm exhausted I probably could have gone to sleep then, but instead I head to Walmart with Jeremy for some small items.

Getting home I have already talked myself out of working out. I give Jeremy a haircut and my eyes are heavy ridden, I'm about to wash my face to go to sleep. I stop... I look in the mirror and think.. If I wash my face now I'll have to wash it again once I shower (presuming at this point I am still fighting with whether or not I'm going to workout) I stop. I put the face wash back in the shower. I walk, with determination and with stride, into the bedroom from the bathroom, change into my workout cloths, lace up my shoes (the hardest part sometimes) and go into the Florida room (aka workout room with the treadmill). I bring the dogs in there with me to do my workout, they usually lay about while I workout otherwise they will stare at me through the sliding glass doors (we bought the house with the outside porch renovated into another room) as I walk in there is what looks like either a dirt diver, or a wasp flying around.. I try and be noshelont about it and say screw it.. I'm going to workout anyways- but then I start to think what if it is a wasp? I'm so scared to death of them, and of getting stung again, that if I see one I usually have this like panic attack. So I go to Jeremy and start winning (yes I will admit it) asking him to kill it for me.. he tells me to "suck it up" and get the flyswatter and do it myself. I'm scared.. so I grab it.. stand behind the glass and watch its movements.. finally it lands on my water glass and stays about. I slowly slide open the glass doors and WACK the glass with all my might. It falls to the ground and starts to "shake" or whatever and I SMACK it again! Ahh.. I have killed it.. now I have no more excuses I have to work out.

I get on the treadmill to start my Week 5 Day 2 workout with Couch to 5k. After my first 5 min run at 5mph I could feel my eyes closing on me. I was so tired.. so I turned off the workout and decided to walk the rest at 3.8 mph (15.5 min/mile) but THAT was making my legs hurt.. I couldn't figure it out, I was tired, all my muscles were hurting and I couldn't even walk at a pace I could the day before. It almost made me want to give up. But no.. I was already on the treadmill, I was not going to settle for 100-200 something calories burned. Since getting my HRM and seeing my 355 calories burned I do NOT like to let it drop below that, so I pushed on. At first it was to reach at least 300 calories, I made myself stick to walking at 3.8 mph (after dropping it to 3.0 and then back up) but I was going to stick to it! at about 18 mins into my workout the 3.8 started to feel like a fast walk, but a slow run so I started to jog. I thought I would do it for 30 sec-1 or 2 mins like I normally do when I jog at that pace, thinking (at this point) that 5mph is my only pace. But I continue to jog, at about 5mins of this pace I think- Ive gone 7 mins before I can do that at least. So I do.. its about at 25 mins into my workout and I usually stop at 30 mins and I think.. I'm not tired, I want to see if I can do 10 mins straight (12 or so from beginning run-end) so I shoot for 30 mins until I will allow myself to stop and walk. Once I get to 30 I'm ecstatic.. I feel GREAT I KNOW I have run for over 10 mins straight I was worried about running 8 earlier! I look at my distance bc I planned for this workout to be my distance increase workout (only getting to 2 miles at 30 mins before) I decide for 2.5 at LEAST. When I started running at 18 mins I was a little over my first mile. When I looked down and saw that I had run a half a mile, almost a mile.. about 11 mins into my run I decide to keep going. Next time I look down~ I have run a full mile and had been running for 15 MINS~~~ YES My first 15 min run without me thinking I was going to DIE~ I wasn't breathing hard, my legs felt great! So I had run 1 mile straight and I felt on top of the world, AND I had done 15 mins straight without thinking I was going to DIE! So i think.. I still need to do another half mile.. I might as well run it. By the time I got to 1.5 miles running I had run for 20 mins. THIS was everything to me! I could have kept going, and I should have to see how far I could have gone, but after a little over 2.5 miles I drop my speed to 3.0mph and walk. my Legs felt like they were still going fast and it was hard to control them and slow them down it was such an odd feeling, but so great too! I finally felt that runners high you get.. its not just internally like I always thought, no, its in your legs when they feel like they can go for miles more.. and your body, instead of being tired, wakes up and you have more energy than you have had for week! Its everything that makes you happy..

At this point I wsa 45 mins into my workout and almost to 3 miles. I had already accomplished what I set out to do, .5 more miles AND made a new accomplishment for running that long. So I decide to shoot for 60 min workout. I ended up running for another 8 mins somewhere and walked the rest but it was fantastic!!

Total time: 1 HR 6 sec

Total time running at once: 20 mins


Total calories burned: 715

Strength: 3 (at one time!! ) lol

Weakness: 0

Mood: ♥

"Anytime Black Forest Blizzard"

A DELICIOUS Blizzard for a treat at any time of the day!

Ingredients:

1- Heaping cup frozen, dark sweet cherries
1- Frozen banana, cut into chunks
1- Cup chocolate soymilk
1/4- Cup Greek yogurt
2- Teaspoons honey or agave syrup
1/4- Teaspoon almond extract
4- Famous Chocolate Wafers, crumbled

Directions:

Place all the ingredients- except the Famous Chocolate Wafers- in a blender; process until creamy smooth. Divide between two glasses. Top each with a portion of crumbled Famous Chocolate Wafers. Serves Two.

CALORIES PER SERVING: 273
CARBS: 53 G
FIBER: 4 G
PROTEIN: 7 G
FAT: 4 G

♥~ENJOY!! ♥

Eating Before or After a Workout: Revealed.

To eat or not to eat before exercise…that is the question. Should we exercise on an empty stomach? Should we eat before exercise to provide the energy needed to get a good workout?
Those on the “exercise while fasted” side of the argument suggest that exercising while fasted allows you to burn fat as soon as you start exercising. They suggest that if you exercise after eating then the body will have to burn the calories from the food you recently consumed before it will be able to burn away the gut and butt.
The other group thinks that fasting before exercise is nonsense. They believe that having a snack shortly before exercise will provide the energy needed to have a meaningful and effective workout. They argue that a calorie is a calorie and it doesn’t matter if it’s eaten before exercise or three hours later.
Both arguments seem logical. So who’s right?
Admittedly we are some time away from being able to answer this question definitively, and when all is said and done I imagine that the final answer will be, “It depends”. With that said, a recent study does add support in favor of the “exercise while fasted” argument.
In this study researchers fed subjects a high calorie/high fat diet to induce insulin resistance and weight gain. The subjects were assigned to one of three groups:

• Group 1: Control Group – Did Not Exercise
• Group 2: Fasted Group – Did not eat before or during exercise
• Group 3: Carb Group – Fed Carbohydrates before and during exercise

At the end of the study, the researchers unveiled some interesting insights. The fasted exercise group did not gain significant weight during the course of the study despite consuming 30% more calories than they needed and a diet composed of 50% fat.
The control group gained 3 kgs (6.6 lbs) and the carbohydrate group gained 1.4 kgs (3.08 lbs). They all ate similar diets and burned similar numbers of calories.

What Does It All Mean?
As I have suggested in past posts, exercise should be judged by how it impacts hormonal balance in the body, not by how many calories it burns. Exercising in a fasted state improved insulin sensitivity, which is a great thing.  It also increased GLUT4 protein content of muscle; GLUT4 acts like a straw that slurps sugar into the muscle without the assistance of insulin. GLUT4 decreases the quantity of insulin needed and thus decreases fat storage. Finally, exercising while fasted also activated fat burning genes, which helped to prevent a harmful buildup of fat within muscle and liver cells.
In a nutshell, exercising while fasted had a lasting impact on the hormonal balance of the body, which would work to maintain a healthy insulin level, prevent diabetes, and immunize the body against weight gain. It doesn’t get any better than that!
One final take home message is that although exercise has not proven itself to be a powerful weight loss aid, it does seem to immunize the body from weight regain after weight loss. This study lends support to this hypothesis. The control group, who do not exercise, gained the most weight. The group that exercised but were fed carbs before and during exercise gained approximately half the weight compared to the control group.

Take Action…
This is not the first study to demonstrate significant benefit to exercising while in a fasted state. To date, the majority of the research on fasted exercise has been performed in people who suffer with insulin resistance.
It is a well-known fact that we can develop insulin resistance from eating excess carbohydrates for long periods of time. Such a circumstance results in chronic insulin resistance. Most people do not realize, however, that an acute form of insulin resistance can develop from a single episode of gorging on carbohydrates, an example would be a party or celebration. Such an episode could delay fat burning for days.
Even if we are not ready to accept fasted exercise as the only way to exercise, it certainly does seem advisable to use fasted exercise as a primary tool whenever insulin resistance is a problem. This would include:

1. People with metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes)
2. People with full-blown type II diabetes
3. People who just gorged on carbs and tasty treats

A simple way to implement these findings into your life is to exercise first thing in the morning before breakfast. After your fasted exercise, have a high protein/low carb/low fat breakfast or skip breakfast altogether. Try both approaches and find out which approach your body responds to best.

(I reposted this from: http://cutthefatpodcast.com/897/fat-loss-podcasts/episode-34-should-you-eat-or-fast-before-exercise)