The process of Healthy eating starts IN THE GROCERY STORE.

Monday is grocery shopping day.

I am not the biggest fan of grocery shopping - because of 2 reasons.

#1.  It always takes way longer than it should - I swear I walk around there for at least an hour!
 (( and let me tell you a 2 year old can make for 1 unforgettable hour HA ))

and #2.  I am always forgetting an ingredient...

( which is why I should probably learn to actually TAKE my grocery list that I made to the grocery store instead of leaving it home on the counter :/ )

That all being said,
there is a healthy way to do grocery shopping and a way that will keep the calories to a minimum so you aren't too angry with yourself at the end of the week :)

 I have a few tips and tricks to make that happen.

#1. PLAN YOUR MEALS

I usually try to make a menu for the upcoming week Sunday night so I can make my grocery list.

This will help eliminate the "frozen pizza dinners" and / or "fast food" option that so many people resort to on a nightly basis.

For us, one day of the week is usually "left overs" or Eggs ( We keep it classy! HA ) and Friday night is date night and / or pizza night.

So basically I have 3 main MEALS to plan for.


#2. YOU WILL EAT WHAT YOU BUY
and you are what you eat..

Let's be real here, if I am buying 5 bags of chips... chances are I will eat 5 bags of chips!
If I'm buying excessive cake mixes, I am bound to be making cake for the next week straight.
I will snack on what is laying around in my pantry.
If you don't want to be snacking on it....        SIMPLE-         don't buy it.

I have a really really REALLY hard time wasting food.
Maybe it was just because we kept to a food budget for a little while through law school and I couldn't stand to have something go bad in the fridge!

So if I buy a fridge full of fruit and veggies, I will snack on all things fruit and veggies.

My favorite is buying the HUGE package of spinach from Costco or Sams.
HA I find ways to stick spinach into EVERYTHING just so it doesn't go bad on us.
( that is a lot of spinach for the week for just 2 of us )
Brown Rice, Eggs, Smoothies, Soup, Cooked Veggies I just throw it in with everything...
My husband thinks I go a little overboard with the spinach -
BUT GOSH IT IS SOOO GOOD FOR YOU!

My point being, if you are buying fresh foods, rather than chips and crackers,
you will snack on the fresh foods.
Don't buy something if you don't want yourself eating it.


#3. OUT OF THE BOX
I think people's biggest downfall when it comes to grocery shopping is buying everything in a box or a bag.
If it's in a box or a bag - it is (generally) PROCESSED food.
There is no way around the fact.
Limit your "box buying" ( AKA cookies, crackers, chips, cereal, granola bars (( as healthy as they may "seem" )) frozen meals, ETC. )

Focus on the produce and COLOR FOODS.
Which brings me to my next point....

90% of your shopping cart should look like a colorful rainbow.

These are some foods that are always found in my shopping cart...

**Berries - one of the best things you can eat.
 I have to have some type of berry every single day.
It will keep you regular and they are GREAT stomach flattening foods.

** Bananas - Although I'm not a fan of them plain,
I try and stick them in my smoothies to get the nutrients - SO GOOD for you.


** Spinach and Lettuce - I say them both because I ALWAYS buy both.
I have found that spinach doesn't have much of a taste - So, like I said earlier, I end up sticking it in everything.
Aaron jokes that I can always find a place for spinach in a meal.

** Avocados - MY FAV!!
I LOVE avocados. Aaron is the guac master and we love anything that has to do with that green stuff!
Although avocados are a fat - they are a healthy fat!
I try and stay away from dressings on sandwiches and salads and use avocados as a replacement.

** Apples - An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
I'm a believer!
No but really, I love apples, one of my favorite snacks!


** Veggies - I usually buy baby carrots and celery each week.
I know I am a health nut, but I have to be honest and say that besides lettuce and spinach, I have a hard time with veggies!
( Especially veggies raw - I like them better cooked! )
That being said, I still try and make buying veggies a priority because if I have them in my fridge, I will eat them.

REMEMBER this : THE DARKER THE COLOR THE MORE NUTRIENT THE FOOD
( Don't be thinking a little head of white iceberg lettuce is doing the trick of your veggie fill for the day )

#5. EVALUATE YOURSELF
Check your shopping cart at check out.

Do "I" see the colors of the rainbow?
( And no that does not mean buy a fruit loop box and call it good ;)

How many "BOXES" of processed foods did I buy?

Is there a food in there that I will be mad at myself for eating after I eat it?
( Don't buy the Twinkie, it's not worth it! )

Did I stoop to the level of buying the frozen casserole lasagna dish??
( Don't do it! - SO bad for you!!!! )

Is my cart 90% colorful and fresh!?

P.S. Do not read this and think I deprive my husband and child of fun treats!
Of course I buy a box of fruit-loops, a bag of goldfish, tortilla chips and the occasional Dreyer's Ice Cream.
The point being 90% of my grocery cart is colorful and fresh.
Make that your goal because THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART.


Happy HEALTHY grocery shopping and remember your lists..
My husband is convinced I will be 80 years old and finally remember to grab my list ;) XO

So I have to be honest,
I wrote this awhile back and couldn't bring myself to post it
because I felt like it was something I was still working on myself.

Everything I write about, I truly believe in.
I like to actually feel that it's worked for me before telling the world my opinion.

That being said, 1 year ago, December of 2013, we found out we were pregnant with our second child.
We were so excited.

In February of 2014, I lost the pregnancy.
It was really really really hard on me.
I was 13 weeks along and rejoicing to be over that first trimester of sickness
only to find out the baby didn't make it.

I am usually a happy, easy going, people pleasing person
and this little experience I had threw me for a loop.

Complications followed my miscarriage D&C surgery and 5 days later I ended up in the ER for excessive bleeding,
causing the recovery process to be longer than normal and a little more painful.

My mom was able to fly down immediately and she took care of Ryan while I couldn't lift him and take care of him myself.

My "sac" ( and tissue ) that was removed during my D&C surgery was sent in to LABS to be tested.
 A few weeks later, I got a call from my doctor saying they wanted to see me immediately because they had found a "mole" or abnormal growth in my "sac".

I soon found myself in another hospital gown while they x-rayed certain parts of my body to see if this "abnormal growth" had spread or worst case scenario, if it was cancerous.

My poor husband.
The slightest smallest chance that "your wife has cancer" ate him up inside.

He was in his last semester of Law School,
and trying to balance school,
while being there for me while I was in a very sad state of mind made it really hard on him.

After waiting for results,
we got the news that it was not cancerous and had not spread.

It was a complete blessing and a small miracle and we were so grateful.

However, because of this "mole" I was to come in for 6 months each week for blood work so they could monitor my levels.
It took 4 months after my miscarriage of my blood levels indicating I was still pregnant (( even though I clearly wasn't )) to  FINALLY go back down to normal and then I only had to go in once a month.

Each week as I went in to get tubes of blood drawn at my OBGYN office....
I held back tears.

I watched as ladies held their little baby belly's in the waiting room and I couldn't help but wish that was me.
Instead, I was having to be pricked with needles and stuck in a "waiting period" for my body to get over the traumatic experience.

6 months finally past and I was cleared.
My blood levels were back down to normal and everything looked ok.
It was a long awaited 6 months and I was so happy and relieved that my body was completely "healthy" again in that aspect of life.

Fast forward 1 month -
Pregnancy Test - Another Positive.
We were SO HAPPY.
We told Ryan he was going to be a big brother and ran around the house saying "BABY" every day.

8 weeks later I woke up in the middle of the night with terrible very painful cramping.
I woke Aaron up at 2 AM in tears and told him the baby wasn't going to make it.
I knew right then and there I was going to miscarry.

Sure enough...my body miscarried naturally 3 days later.

Oh my goodness....
It crushed Aaron and I.
It hurt so bad.
I was so upset inside.
And I felt so helpless.

I found myself back in the Doctor's office with yet again another blood test, playing the same mind game with myself all over again.


It has been 2 months since this most recent experience.

I share my story not because I think my trials are worse than someone's else's trials,
( because I know for a fact they aren't even close)
and not because I am looking for sympathy because I promise we are doing okay over here :)
but I share it because during these experiences I found myself longing and wishing for what I had didn't have.

My thoughts were consumed with the phrase "what if" and "how come",
 blinding me from what was right in front of my eyes.

My wonderful husband and beautiful baby boy.

I began to realize through this roller coaster of emotions that I was missing the happiness right in front of me.

I have SO much to be grateful for.

We all have our own battles to fight and lessons to learn.
I'm a true believer that every trial and life lesson comes with a reason.
There is a bigger purpose behind it all and one day it will all make sense.

Just have a little extra faith.

Life has it's ups and downs and will throw curve balls your way.
Don't let them get the best of you.

During this last year I have learned to love my "now".
Even if it isn't the "NOW" I had planned in my head.
I have stopped wishing and longing for what I DON'T have but tried to fully enjoy what I DO have.

For now,
This is my NOW.


And I am one lucky girl.

Wherever you are this holiday season,
whatever your circumstance,
look for the good.
Eliminate the complicated parts and the sad parts,
and love your NOW.
Time passes way too quickly to wish it away.

Just random tangent to start out with...
The other night on date night we got stuck in Anthropologie ( I wonder who's fault that was HA )
I fell in love with their darling mitts and aprons!
THIS ONE kind of stole my heart.
Not sure if it's functional but I told my husband I would feel cute cooking.

On to the topic for today.
So I was reading health articles the other day....

( just because that's what I like to do in my spare time #coolkid )

I read that the average American gains 5-10 pounds during Thanksgiving and Christmas....

YOU GUYS!

Because I'm slightly passionate about this kind of stuff it makes my heart SO sad!

I believe this slight increase on the scale starts when those leaves fall....

So rewind to the beginning of FALL.

I LOVE fall.
Don't get me wrong.

I love the cool crisp air, finally being able to wear boots, the leaves, the goodies... everything about it.

HOWEVER, for some reason, the season of FALL makes it easier to gain weight.

You somehow justify making treats all week and eating way too many pumpkin goodies but

 you tell yourself it's ok, because "IT'S THE HOLIDAYS!" ( and it's not swimsuit season )

Pretty sure I'm guilty of this!

Maybe you don't feel that way, ( and if you don't, you are superman )
but I feel the need to make desserts constantly.

Pinterest I could punch you!

These night time munchies are DANGEROUS.

I have the biggest sweet tooth.

I'm the type of person that eats something salty and has to have something sweet right after or my taste buds can't take it!

Ask my husband,

It's bad.

SO, I have to force myself to cut off the sweets at night time.

Before I address this topic, Let me first say, that IT IS the Holidays! 

I'm not some crazy fanatic that is going to tell you to not eat sweets for 3 months.

It is my favorite time of year and should be enjoyed to the fullest!

HOWEVER, just because it's the Holiday's doesn't mean that you "let yourself go".

You will pay for it when January comes around.

As long as everything is in moderation... You will be just fine.

Lets talk about the danger that puts on those pounds!

I call it "Nighttime Munchies"

You are generally not active in the evening which causes ALL those calories sit with you all night long

and convert into fat over night.

Don't think about it too hard, HA it's kind of gross.

I give myself the weekend to splurge but try and stay as good as I can in the week so that if I gain a pound or 2 over the weekend it can usually come off in the week if I'm strict with myself. HA

It's this crazy cycle that works for me and my body.

ANYWAYS....Here are my 5 tricks and tips.

#1. Cut eating at 7:30 or 8 ( at the latest )

Try and cut off eating about 3 hours before you go to bed.

This is hard. 

Especially when you are watching a good show and want a snack....

But I promise, you will feel a million times better in the morning.

You won't go to bed full or bloated and you will wake up hungry.

( I LOVE waking up hungry HA )

I try and do this Monday through Thursday. 

Makes all the difference.

#2. Have 5 different kinds of gum in your house

So now you are asking - well what do I do if I get the munchies after 8 PM?!

"EXTRA" dessert delight gum is my nighttime best friend.

My personal favorite is the Key Lime Pie gum.

I also love the Watermelon.

As soon as 7:30 hits I will throw a piece of gum in my mouth.

I like the sweet gum at night because it makes me feel like I'm eating something sweet.

#3. DRINK WATER

This is key.

Sometimes your body thinks you are hungry but in all reality, you are just thirsty.

99 percent of Americans DO NOT drink enough water.

Water will fill you up after enough glasses ha trust me.

**ALSO! Secret tip : Sometimes I make crystal light lemonade at night.

It's 0 calories and 0 sugar and the taste is enough to make it feel like I'm having something sweet.

#4. Brush your teeth

I brush my teeth at about 8 o clock.

No one wants to brush their teeth twice in a row.

HA plus things don't taste as good one you have a toothpaste mouth.

#4. Give yourself one or two nights a week to "TREAT yourself"

So if I know I am having a dinner with friends or going out on a date with my husband,
 I will set aside those nights as my "treat" nights.

Still enjoy the holiday goodies but in moderation on certain days of the week.

It will help you get through the "strict nights" of the week if you have good treats to look forward too:)

For example. Thanksgiving is next Thursday.

Meaning Monday through Wednesday will be strict - no late night snacks - 

and Thankgiving is obviously FREE DAY!

I'm doing it, so you guys better do it with me!

That all being said, there are some nights where you just need snacks. 

I wish I could say I followed that strict nighttime eating regiment 7 days a week but I DON'T.

So here are my top favorite snacks that cure the sweet tooth without the fat, sugar and calories.

POPCORN : 

Believe it or not but popcorn is one of the best snacks you can eat!

Don't get all excited and think it's the movie theater kind - HA no.

The healthy kind. I really like the "Smart Balance" brand. 

( but there are lots of "light" popcorn options )

** Just make sure you are buying the 94% fat free.

I LOVE popcorn because.... 

A. You can eat A LOT for a small amount of calories!

 ( For half the bag of popcorn (( which is like 200 popcorn kernals! HA )) it's only 110 calories and 2 grams of fat )

B. It has awesome amounts of fiber.

C. and maybe the biggest one - it's no sugar. So it makes me feel like I'm having a treat without putting excess sugar in my body.

FRUIT with a little Vanilla yogurt

This is a good option ( without the fat ) if you have a sweet tooth!

My favorite vanilla yogurt is the "Dannon light and fit vanilla yogurt"

( I buy the big 4 serving carton of it every week )

NONFAT PUDDING

Also a good option ( without the fat ) if you have a sweet tooth!

I love the white chocolate kind!

APPLE and Peanut butter

Apples are super sweet and it's proven that they make you feel full and satisfy the sweet tooth!

I like them with a little peanut butter.

Small bowl of cereal

OK I LOVE cereal. Aaron and I are obsessed.

Cereal gets a little dangerous because it doesn't fill you up.

Meaning you can eat 2 servings easily, which is about 250 calories ( with the milk ) and not feel full.

Be careful. Measure out one serving and call it quits.

** If anyone wants advice on getting carried away with cereal, just call my husband.
He understands the danger.
You should see his mile high bowls of frosted flakes.

SIDE NOTE : If you are going to have dessert, it is better for you to have it earlier than later.

The later it gets, the more dangerous those calories are.

Just remember that.

Seriously guys think of me when you want a treat at 10 PM and stick a piece of gum in your mouth.

It will be worth it!

Happy Friday!
XOXO

Need I say more.

And the beautiful world we live in.

I seriously couldn't get over it on my run this morning.

Focusing on the happy will always make the complicated part not seem so bad:)

After playing around with recipes, I finally found my favorite version of a bunch of them.


1/2 Cup Vanilla Yogurt
(It's way better with vanilla)

(I buy the big container of Dannon Nonfat Light & Fit Vanilla yogurt- It's in a big purple container- it's my favorite ever)

1 Navel orange or 1 Tangerine or 1 Mandrine orange

(I just peel whatever I have on hand- it's amazing with any type of orange)

2 cups of spinach

1/2 frozen banana

7 ice cubes

ANNDDDD BLEND! Put the yogurt in first and frozen things in last so it will mix.
P.S. to make it more filling add a little dry oatmeal (my husband loves it that way)

 p.s.s.  i stay away from juice in my smoothies because juice just adds lots of sugar.
I think it is the perfect amount of sweetness without it.
If it needs liquid I will add a little milk.

**Total Calories: 187 

I am not a big fan of weird ingredients. The simpler, the better.
I don't cut food groups out, I like eating food I can just throw together that I have on hand.
These are every day ingredients that are ALWAYS in our fridge.

Probably the easiest recipe ever.

It takes me about 3 minutes to throw together.

In fact, I am drinking it as we speak.

The best part about it- I double the recipe and fill Ryan's sipper cup with this almost every day and he downs it! 

Seriously. Obsessed.

I happen to love spinach just eating it as a salad, but this is a great way to get those antioxidants from spinach if you hate it!

Happy Friday!!

hahah trust me, the hatred runs deep!

ANYWAYS..... Sometimes the treadmill is just necessary.

Don't worry I still do it even despite my dislikeness... every winter, or on vacations.

(some of you maybe just prefer running on the treadmill - CRAZY people -teach me your ways!)

I have some tips for treadmill running to help burn a few extra calories.

I figured this post was fitting given Winter is among us.

Happy Friday everyone!

Come 10:30 PM tonight and I will have my husband back again! FINALLY.

I hope he crushes this last final.

One more semester to go!

Let the Christmas celebrations begin! xoxo

We are totally the couple that "waits until after Thanksgiving to put up our tree"
mostly because of my husband.
(I have secretly listened to Justin Beiber's Christmas Album on my i-pod while running for about 2 weeks- NBD)

However this year I insisted we put it up this weekend with Thanksgiving being so late and us leaving out of town in a few days.
(I wanted to enjoy the tree for longer than a few weeks!!!)

We finished decorating late last night while the babe was sleeping.
So this morning I had Aaron go turn on the tree and get it all ready for when Ryan woke up.
I seriously felt like it was Christmas morning.

I got the baby out of bed in his Christmas Jammies,
and we took him down the stairs.

You should have seen his face.
He kept looking at me like he didn't know what to do he was so excited.

In that moment it was magic.
Seriously.
That is what the spirit of Christmas is all about.

I don't think he has stopped staring at the tree all day.

I'm in heaven just seeing his excitement.


Thanksgiving is just around the corner.
One of my very favorite holidays.
(and my birthday just happens to fall on Thanksgiving this year- 
don't worry the last time this happened was when I was 12. 
My parents put candles in the Turkey- Awesome.)

What is better than a lot of food and people you love!? All mixed together in one day of gratitude.

The average American consumes more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving Day.
SOURCE
That's a lot of food people and A LOT of chubbiness in one day.



A couple tips.

I know it's a Holiday, but trust me, it will SAVE your poor tummy from going into food coma.
We ALWAYS start Thanksgiving morning with a nice and early run and then come back and cook and cook and cook and eat.
(sign up for a turkey trot! Those are SO fun!)
It makes you not feel so guilty for the couple pieces of pie and multiple rolls you will consume.

I am in love with pizza.

Sometimes I dream about a really good pizza (my obsession is that bad) hahaha

Ask my husband. 

If I could, I would eat it multiple times a week.

Every Friday night is Pizza night at our house.

And it's most definitely my favorite night of the week.

Only usually we don't go out to eat pizza.
(sometimes we do but we usually just make ours at home- we LOVE it, It's cheaper ((yay for grad students)) and healthier:)

I want to introduce you to my beautiful mamma!

My mom is the cutest cook on the planet, and a really good one.

I seriously lucked out as a child.

I grew up eating a super healthy lifestyle, and I'm so grateful to her to teaching me proper nutrition at a young age.

That being said I will give you her famous whole wheat easy pizza dough recipe.

It's SO easy. 

Calls for 5 ingredients!- one being WATER!

Cooks for 7 minutes in the oven and wahlah!

Pizza Dough

Makes 6 crusts or 4 large crusts

I usually half it when I make it for Aaron and I and freeze what dough we don't eat.

6 cups of hot tap water

4 TBSP honey

6 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

Mix to a paste using mixer, then add:

2 TBSP. saf instant yeast

2 TBSP. salt

Then add 6 MORE cups of flour 1 at a time (12 cups total) until mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Mix for 10 minutes. Divide in parts and roll out or freeze dough for later use in individual Ziploc bags.

Baking:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Roll crusts to desired shape, add favorite toppings and bake for 7 minutes (if using baking stone)

If using pizza pan add 2-3 minutes to baking time.

We LOVE BBQ chicken pizza so that's our favorite but I also love plain cheese pizza so we will usually do one of each and have lots of leftovers:)

**For our BBQ pizza, I usually just get a rotisserie chicken from "Sams" or "Costco" and de-bone it.

Spread BBQ sauce mixed with a little marinara sauce (it's the trick people!)

and some Mozzarella cheese!

**For the least fat use Mozzarella cheese, rather than cheddar.

There's a healthier DELICIOUS Friday night meal!

I usually combine it with Crystal light lemonade (sometimes we cave and my husband gets rootbeer and I sip his (ha somehow it's better for you if you don't have your own??)) and it's the best "treat" meal for us!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween and Happpy Friday!! xo

BY the way. We totally found Aaron's hip Radio Flyer from the late 80's in his parents garage,

and whipped that thing out for Ryan.

It worked like a dream and we had the best Halloween to date. 

Oh my gosh holidays are so fun with kids.

I always used to tell myself, "behind every smile is a secret."

*The day where nothing seems to go right.

(mommies- the day where your baby will not stop crying and you have no idea what they want)

*The day where you eat one piece of junk food and because you have already "ruined your healthy eating" for the day, you might as well eat as much junk food as you can on that day while saying "my diet starts tomorrow"

That "No good dirty rotten very bad day". (LOVED that book as a kid)

I HATE those days!
(my husband has since learned that us girls just have these days every once and a while and the best thing he can do is to listen:) Words of wisdom right there boys)

Why talk about this on Fit Friday??
You cannot be fully 'healthy' if you are not happy.

Lets really try to avoid these days.:)  Here are my top 5 to avoiding the bad day.

#1. Get yourself moving before you do ANYTHING!

Here's the deal. As soon as you wake up and sit your little bum down by the TV or eat some breakfast, it is that much harder to do any kind of workout for the day! So to avoid feeling like a bum on a log: GET YOURSELF MOVING.

Seriously who knew exercise could make your day 100 times better?!

It doesn't have to be a lot! **WORKING PEOPLE: Before I had Ryan when I was working early, I got up ten minutes earlier than I would have and did my favorite 10 minute workout in the history of ten minute workouts. INSANITY CARDIO WARM UP

*So even though it was ten minutes, (and trust me if you have done 'Insanity' you will know it's not an easy 10 minutes) it made me feel so much better for the day! (I still would try and workout when I got home from work to do something a little longer; but the 10 minutes in the morning made all the difference)

YOU WILL BE SO MUCH MORE MOTIVATED ALL DAY LONG.

#2. Make a list of things to accomplish for the day.

Write down 5 things you want to do for the day. My list may look like this:

1) read scriptures

2) call my mom

3) go on a walk with the babes

4) go to the grocery store

5) clean closet drawer.

They don't have to be big things. Just simple things and by the end of the day you will feel so accomplished. (even though sometimes we don't get all 5 done ha- it's the thought that counts)

(I love to doodle, so I think I have more fun drawing my list then checking it off)

#3. Eating one piece of junk food doesn't give you a green light to eat junk all day

I am so guilty of this. I have no idea why our brains think that the second we eat junk, the easier it is to just keep eating as much bad food as you can in that day. 

***The more calories you eat, the longer it will take for you to burn them all off. 

There is no such thing as "ruining your day" by eating a little candybar.

We all deserve something good every day.:) Keep your body happy with having sweets here and there. Just stop at a few little candy-bars instead of feeling terrible when you go to sleep after eating the whole bag. 

#4. Eat breakfast

Start the day off right.

I don't know about you, but I'm a total grouch when I go without food for a few hours at a time. (ask my husband) I talked HERE about eating 5 smaller meals a day. I'm a huge believer. Skipping meals is the ultimate NO NO and I'm convinced will put anyone in a bad mood.

#5. Look for the good in every day.

I promise, there is something good in EVERY DAY. It might not be big. It may be that the "sun is shining today". If I ever get down on myself, I ALWAYS try and think to myself, "someone out there is having a worse day than me." It totally changes your perspective and makes it easier to find the good.

Just remember "YOU choose your own happiness!"

Happy Friday! xo