Productive Wednesday

I seriously had the most productive day today! I finally crawled out of bed around 8:45 this morning. Originally, I didn't have to be at work until 1pm, so I allowed myself to catch up on some zzz's. Then, mid-morning, my scheduling coordinator told me we were over-staffed, so I could take today as my day off. Umm heck yes! So here's how my day went:

• Did two Focus T 25 workouts (Speed 2.0 and Upper Focus). Got a great calorie burn and my arms were jello at the end! 



Laughing at myself because I couldn't flex anymore… and being utterly exhausted after 50 minutes of Shaun T kicking my butt!


• Read a couple of chapters from the book "The Compound Effect"  It's discusses how the smallest steps you make now to better your life can greatly impact your future. Pretty interesting read.
• Played tons with my kitties 



Eloise pulled the blanket off the chair to snuggle in it. Kind of wish my life was as awesome as theirs!

• Chased my dog when he got out of our fenced-in yard. Luckily, he has pretty decent recall when a ball is present, so we didn't have any major problems.
• Did some coach work. Yay Team Beachbody!!
• Finished up the laundry. I hate the smell of bleach, so I always avoid whites for as long as I possibly can.

I wanted needed to clean, but instead I spent more time with my pets. Priorities, right?

Their heads are resting against each other. They're like Forrest and Bubba!

For dinner, Mike and I had Mexican Pumpkin Rotini that I had prepared Sunday night. (Meal planning has seriously been a huge blessing for me!) While I was cooking, Mike gave me the suspicious look, questioning all of the ingredients. Turns out he actually liked it. Take that!  I got the recipe from TheGraciousPantry.com She has tons of clean recipes that aren't super complicated. 

Clean Eating Mexican Pumpkin Rotini

(Makes 10 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 small red onion, chopped,
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1/2 lb. frozen, organic corn
• 1 1/4 lb. ground turkey breast
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
• Salt to taste after cooking but before adding pasta (I used about 1/2 tsp., but do it to your tastes)
• Fresh, chopped cilantro for garnish
• Whole grain Rotini pasta, cooked separately to package directions

Directions:

1. Saute the onions in the coconut oil until they become translucent.
2. Add corn and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the turkey, being sure to stir well so it crumbles well.
4. Stir in the spices.
5. When the turkey is very nearly done, add the chicken broth and the pumpkin. This will create a bit of a sauce.
6. When the meat is done, cool slightly and ladle over pasta. Top with fresh cilantro and serve.

Nutritional Content:
(Data is for 1/2 cup and does not include pasta.)

Calories: 91
Total Fat: 2 gm
Saturated Fats: 1 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 35 mg
Sodium: 42 mg (does not include any you add)
Carbohydrates: 4 gm
Dietary fiber: 1 gm
Sugars: 1 gm
Protein: 15 gm

Read more: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-mexican-pumpkin-rotini/#ixzz2hHRt61X3

Changes to the recipe: I used ground venison instead of turkey because that's what we had in the freezer.  Plain corn from a can was used, as we don't really have many organic options in my area. I made my own broth by using chicken bullion cubes. I used a yellow onion and canola oil (might as well use what we have in the house!). No cilantro was harmed in the making of my dish. I also used the "veggie" rotini, as our grocery store didn't have any whole grain options. The joys of living in a super small rural town! Overall, I'll most likely make this again!

Earn Your Shower

This morning I woke around 5:15am, not feeling the best. I wanted to get in a work-out but was scheduled for Alpha Total Body. In other words, lots of moving around, and that did not sound appealing. So, rather than just go back to sleep, I opted to swap days and knock out Alpha Lower Focus. I'm not sure if it's because I felt like poo or if I just really pushed, but either way, I was dripping sweat by the end of this session! Like, tickling-as-it-slides-down-my-back dripping. I'll take it!

Elliott did not approve of all of the sweat

I was asked on Simply Motivated ( https://www.facebook.com/simplymotivated ) to discuss how I work up the motivation to not hit snooze and actually get up early to exercise.  To be honest, it's not easy. Not easy at all. If I ever had an affair (other than with my cats), it would be with my bed. I love that snuggly place so much! My comforter is super fluffy with a duvet cover imported from Holland. We got an amazing mattress topper for a wedding gift that feels like a cloud. Add in the ceiling fan producing a gentle buzz, no alarm clocks blazing red numbers, and black-out curtains... it's a dream come true. That bed and I are like two peas in a pod. Sleep is amazing and that bed is my oasis. Unfortunately, I have to be a productive member of society and leave it daily. Luckily, it knows I'll return to it every. single. night. What can I say? I'm faithful!

Ok, so I kind of went on there... In all seriousness, though, I exercise first thing in the morning because I know I won't do it if I wait until the end of the day. Plain and simple. With my job, I am on my feet running back and forth, as well as wrestling animals of all shapes and sizes all day long. By the end of the day, I am wiped! If I were to skip my morning work-out, no matter how bad I would want to complete it, I wouldn't do it. How do I know this? I've tested this theory. And what's worse than dragging myself out of bed at 5:30am to do a 30 minute exercise program? Getting up at 5am to do two 30 minute exercise programs because I skipped the day before!

I developed a new motto:   It's been working pretty well for me! A shower is so much more satisfying at 6am when you stink. Yes, I just admitted that I stink after my work-out. That is one method that has seemed to have worked. My co-workers hate when I show up not having showered, so I may has well earn that water bill! 

Another way I get myself up every morning is by setting my alarm 9 minutes before I need to get up. That way, I allow myself to hit snooze once. I am not really sure what it is about hitting the snooze button, but those 9 minutes are pretty much the best sleep ever. So, I build it in to my day! It seems silly, but it makes all the difference for me!

Lastly, I see that my exercise program is actually working. It gives me that much more motivation when I notice the results. I can visibly see my tummy shrinking. I can feel my jeans fitting better. I don't see that muffin top nearly as much! And I get people who haven't seen me in a while telling me I look great. That is the biggest motivator! Insanity about killed me because I pushed myself and didn't see results (diet, Katie, diet!). With Focus T25, I am eating healthy calories and putting in the effort bright and early every single day, and it's paying off! 

The view from my front porch two years ago

Are you interested in waking every day, becoming more and more proud of what you feel/see? Shoot me a line, as I would love to help you see the same results as me!

Want vs. Need

This weekend was definitely a lazy weekend! Last night, I needed to do the dishes, sweep the floor, and catch up on laundry, but I wanted to watch the Purdue vs. Notre Dame game. My want won. Looking back, I wish I would have done what needed to be done, since Purdue was leading most of the game and lost within the last 11 minutes. Bummer.  Today, I needed to exercise and catch up on everything I didn't do yesterday, but I wanted to play with my cats and take the dog for a walk. My want won... again. Granted, my husband and I had a great lunch outside, took the dog on about a mile walk, visited with my grandma and grandpa (his birthday!), then went to dinner with my brother and his family, along with my dad and brother's mother-in-law. Tonight, I really wanted to watch all of the Miss America contest, but I still needed to work out! So, figuring it's only 25 minutes, I sucked it up and missed the first bit of the program to get my Focus T25 Alpha Cardio done... finishing up just in time for the evening wear competition! Perfect! I'll be honest, I'm rooting on Miss Kansas because she seems like a total kick-ass woman! I would love to have her represent as Miss America!

Faye encouraging me during my sweat-fest

I started drinking my Shakeology yesterday and absolutely love it! Saturday, I mixed it with chia seeds and caramel extract. Today, I added chia seeds, natural peanut butter, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. It was amazing! Drinking this may just be the highlight of my day. These mixtures feel like I'm having something I shouldn't, but it is insanely healthy! 

Discovering different editing programs has been so much fun. This is a great quote that I made into a pretty photo. I find it incredibly fitting to my life right now.

Now to the main point of this post: want vs. need. So many times in life we choose what we want instead of what we really need. Sometimes it's taking the easy way out, other times it is simply indulging. What we really need to do is listen to our brain. Take for instance this afternoon while at my grandma's house, I definitely wanted a piece of her homemade german chocolate cake but totally didn't need it! While I was envious of my husband eating the cake, I felt so happy that I didn't give in. Yes, I did end up having a 70 calorie natural lemon/lime popsicle, but you have to do that to avoid going crazy! 
My message to you is this: next time you are faced with something you really want, ask yourself if it is something you need. Is it going to benefit you overall? How will you feel about your decision 30 minutes down the road? Keep that little voice in the back of your head and always try to focus on how it will benefit you in the long run.