Trying to Keep Family Vacation Healthy at Disneyland

We are definitely a Disney family. I think we pretty much own all the Disney animated movies, and, yes, we probably know the words to all of them, as well. We have tried to make a trip to Disneyland once a year and we have been very successful at doing that, even when we lived in Oregon. Now that we are back in Southern California it's so much easier for us to go regularly.

With our trip last week I was somewhat prepared to make it as healthy as possible. There are amazingly healthy food options at Disneyland and California Adventure. I had a super yummy chicken caesar salad and water from the Pizza Port on our first day there. It was a really hot day, so the salad was so refreshing! I even snagged some of my son's carrots that came with his little pizza meal. For lunch the second day I had brown rice and grilled chicken with veggies from an Asian food restaurant in California Adventure. I, again, also had carrots from my son's meal. :) The third day for a snack I had the juiciest pineapple spear...it was heavenly!

Overall, I did pretty darn good considering all the yummy sweetness that Disneyland is infused with. I wasn't perfect, by any means, but I really did try hard. I indulged in a churro and some soda, but I did refuse some candy when offered to me. I also had a few bites of my husband's ice cream sundae and some frozen lemonade. I did do a whole lot of walking those 3 days, so that has to count for something! :)

Vacations can be done healthy! Planning it out is key, but also keeping positive thoughts going through your mind when you see those sugary treats is vital! We are heading back there in a few weeks for some more vacation time...probably just one day. I'm determined to make it 100% healthy! I will let you know. :)

Everyone Needs Chocolate for Breakfast

Yesterday morning I just decided to try something different for breakfast. My typical breakfast is my delicious chocolate Shakeology blended with homemade peanut butter and a frozen banana....I love it! And if it's not that it's usually a green smoothie. I very seldom have anything other than these two things.

But out of my adventurous-ness came this super quick and easy breakfast bowl.

Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

• 1 cup milk (any kind works, but I prefer some kind of milk over water for that creaminess)
• 1/2 quinoa, rinsed
• 1 scoop chocolate Shakeology (blend of 70+ whole food & superfoods)

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Add milk, quinoa, and chocolate Shakeology to a pot. Stir to mix in the Shakeology. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn down the heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes.

I added some milk over my chocolate quinoa and ate it just like that. My mother-in-law and 2 of my brothers-in-law had theirs with milk and a little sweetener. So there are so many options to serve it! I thought it would be good to maybe mix in some homemade peanut or almond butter with sliced bananas.

But this was a huge hit! We all loved it! My husband was jealous that he didn't get to try any because he had to leave to work before it was done. This is probably going to become a breakfast staple, especially now that fall is setting in.

I had about 1/2 a cup and I was full all morning long! I love the fact that I was getting such an amazing dose of protein with the quinoa and the Shakeology....it was the perfect combo!

I hope you enjoy!!! :)

Finally Friday: Let's Get Our Groove On to Bastille!

It's FRIDAY!!! Woohoo! Just push through today and then it's the blessed weekend! And to get you through the Friday funk, I'm going to share with you a song that my aunt shared with me and now I can't stop listening to it! I don't know how many times in the last two days I've played this video.


What do you think?! What are you currently listening to? I LOVE music, so please tell me who you think are "absolute musts" on a playlist. :D

Happy Friday!!!

Being Healthy Means More

It took me a while to realize that "being healthy" was more than just a number on a scale or a number on my jeans. It was more than just the type of food I put in my body and what I was doing to exercise. That something more is the spiritual. Without it, I believe, you aren't completely healthy.

There's something that happens when you are feeding your soul. Attitudes are more positive. Days are brighter. Smiles come easier. You are more prone to loving yourself and caring for your well-being.

For me, I find solace in reading from the Book of Mormon. I'm not perfect at reading this daily...I wish I was. The words feed my soul like no other book has ever done...and I love to read!

I have also found that if I take time to pray and meditate each day, it does wonders! I don't know about you, but I need that quiet time from the noise of the world...even if it's just a moment!

I guess this has been on my mind a lot because I've been slacking at feeding my soul these last few weeks. I know those moments when I don't want to read or pray are the moments when I need it the most!

I have these fitness challenge groups that I do that range from 10 days to 60 days, and I love them. They have definitely helped me along in becoming healthier. But what I know I need to do is challenge myself, again, to feeding my soul every day along with the daily mini challenges that the groups have.

I know a lot of you are super busy, too, so how do you find the time to feed your spiritual self? And what do you do to nourish it? I am always looking for new things to try as I like change! :)

Moving Forward!

Life has been completely chaotic these last few weeks. Moving to California and then my sister-in-law's wedding just this last Saturday...I'm still trying to recover! I am slowly trying to get myself back into some kind of daily routine with everything--working out, blogging, posting on facebook, keeping up with my challenge groups that I'm currently in, and spending time with my 3 year old. I'm getting there! So have patience with me...I promise, I will get there. :)

These last 2 weeks with life in complete upheaval, I have felt out of control! Some days were worse than others. I really tried my best to not gorge myself on total junk, but I did lose it some days. I realized that I am a stress/bored/no routine snacker. If I get totally stressed or bored, I start raiding the pantry. If I'm just wandering through my day with no plans, I go to food. I'm glad I can see this about myself, so that I can try and stop it when I start to feel those things.

I really had a plan to workout each day, even with movers and being on the road 16 hours. But that failed. I worked out here and there, but things were crazy! And I really did try my absolute best with eating as healthy as possible. I am proud of myself for not being as out of control as I used to be in the past.

I have realized, again and again, that this journey that I'm on to get to the healthiest ME possible is all about doing my best. I can't beat myself up if I fail one day. I also have to remember that what works for one person may not be the best option for me. I just have to keep figuring out what is going to be ideal for me.

So I am reenergized and ready to get my bootay back in gear! Are you with me?! What are you doing today to recommit yourself to a healthier you?

Changing My Thoughts

Aren't thoughts a funny thing?

I'm the queen of thinking negative thoughts about myself. And I probably haven't loved myself completely....ever, in my life. I just hate how those negative thoughts start to come then ooze out all over everything else!

I don't understand why I tear myself down because I would never dream of doing that to anyone else. I always look to lift others and be positive for them, so why don't I do it for me?!

The last few months I have been trying really hard to change this about me. Holy Hannah! It's hard! But I know that the longer I keep these negative thoughts hanging around, the longer it's going to take for me to change physically. Actually, I probably would have given up on myself months ago and found some excuse or given into some self-hating thought.

I have tried and tried to push through the negative waves and I have found that those positive thoughts really do make a difference! When I decided to love myself, every livin' lovin' inch of myself, I found that I care more about what I'm putting into my body to nourish it and what I'm doing to get my body moving each day. What a change it has been!

I do have my moments when I give the negativity a voice, but it surly does not stay around as long as it used too.

LOVE YOURSELF! Whatever stage of life you are in at this moment, love yourself completely! If you have a bad day, that's fine! Life has those. Just don't let it stay long. Switch your thoughts!

(via facebook)

And if you ever need a pick-me-up-motivational-positive-talk-off-the-edge conversation, I'm here for you! Call me! Email me! I'm serious! :D

Working on a Healthier Me!

For the past two years I have really been trying to get myself healthier. I've done two sprint triathlons and have tried to make healthier choices in food. But nothing was sticking! I don't know why.

I'm sure I could find excuse after excuse as to why I'm currently the heaviest I've ever been in my life! Would you like to hear them? Maybe some of them you've used before,

• I'm a SAHM and I get bored, so I eat.
• There is no sunshine here in the Northwest, so I've been really depressed and don't really care about things like working out.
• I don't handle my stress very well, so therefore, I eat or crawl inside myself and, again, don't care about life.
• It's too hot inside our home to workout, especially with no AC!
• Having family live with us, off and on, for the last two years has not been good for my eating habits.

And on and on. Back in April my friend mentioned something on Facebook about a fitness challenge group that she was going on. I really liked the idea of having a support group that you checked in with each night and the fact that my sister decided to do it with me helped, too. :)

So in April, I took my "Before" pictures and I wept! How did I let myself get this way?! I was truly heartbroken. Believe me, the negative thoughts were FLYING at me! I felt a constant barrage of them...hourly!

I was determined to change. THIS was now MY time and I was going to MAKE it happen! I wanted to see results.

I did INSANITY for 60 days and absolutely loved it! It was more challenging than anything that I had ever done! I also made Shakeology a meal, once a day. And I loved it! I was feeling more alive than I ever had! I felt more energized and able to keep up with my 3-year-old. Those ugly tentacles of depression were keeping their distance. I wasn't feeling as irritable and annoyed with things. It was great!

But it wasn't all glorious! There were a few days were I was literally balling my eyes out during one of the workouts. I was just an emotional wreck! It's funny how your body works when you start making lifestyle changes and how it can mess with your emotions as well. There were also mornings that I did NOT want to get up and do anything!

I just kept pushing. And pushing! I made it through all 90 days and it completely changed my life! I'm definitely NOT where I want to be and, sure, I would have LOVED to see more drastic results, but I MUST CELEBRATE what I have done!

I lost a total of 7.5 inches overall and a total of 2.7lbs! I was in shock when I saw the scale because I had been maintaining my weight throughout the entire challenge...until that last day! So, again, I know my numbers aren't huge and dramatic (YET! ;) ), but "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass"!

Today, I'm starting this!

There is another challenge group starting on the 19th of August! Contact me if you would like to join and take this new journey with me! :D