PRAGUE!!

We made it to Prague... I have started a blog for our Prague adventures:

loveandpivo.blogspot.com

Hopefully I can continue to update it frequently as I know I am going to be very busy here with the TEFL course and adventures throughout the city!!

Grandma shoes

It is hard to believe that I will be living in Prague a week from today with my love! We have been doing much preparation for our big move abroad!

I have spent a lot of money on new clothes, a new suitcase, travel accessories, and shoes. I spent hours in Dillards trying to find the perfect shoe for walking around on the cobblestone streets. It is difficult finding a shoe that is super comfortable, cute and versatile to wear with both skirts and pants.

I decided upon Merrell brand flats because they were super comfortable and fit my feet perfectly. When I got home from the mall I decided that they look like grandma shoes.

Why can't shoes be both super cute and super comfortable without spending a fortune? I mean sure, I would love to own a pair of Christian Louboutins, but that ain't happenin' anytime soon. So back to the mall I go, hoping to find some shoes that are cute and comfortable enough to spend hours walking on the cobblestone streets of Prague.

What's the most you will spend on a pair of shoes? Are there any inexpensive cute and comfortable shoes you recommend?

Green Monster

Today I made a super tasty Green Monster Smoothie!

Ingredients:
1 c. vanilla soy milk
6-7 ice cubes
2 cups spinach
1 banana
1/2 c. blueberries
1 scoop vanilla protein powder

So healthy, tasty and good!

Day 2: BFL Challenge

I could not fall asleep last night and ending up rearranging my room until 2 in the morning. I woke this morning at 7 and laid around in bed before getting up for an 8:30 Body Pump class. I was so tired before the class I could barely see, but once I got Body Pumpin', my blood was flowing and I was energized!

Before the gym, I had a Strawberry Chobani with blueberries along with my usual coffee and soy creamer.

After doing Body Pump and 20 min. on the elliptical I was hungry! My body was shaking throughout Body Pump!

After the gym, I headed straight for the kitchen and toasted up an english muffin and spread it with a tablespoon of peanut butter. Delish!

I didn't snag photos... I need to get in a habit of carrying my camera with me everywhere!

I do have to say that this blog is definitely holding me accountable and motivating me to stick to this!

Catch ya later!

Day 1: Body for Life Eating Challenge

I have been thinking a lot about my diet and the changes that I need to make to it in order to look and feel my best. I have always had an issue with emotional eating and bingeing on unhealthy foods that are in the house (i.e. cookies, ice cream, chips, crackers, pretzels, chocolate).


I'm frustrated because I have struggled for so long with my eating and reaching my goals. I really wanted to be at my weight loss goal before we left for Prague. I lost about 6 pounds and then put 3 back on. It is so hard for me to lose weight it seems. I know I have not been consistent with eating healthy and have been eating way too much junk. I work out pretty much everyday so I know the only thing holding me back is my diet.


Back in September I had read the Body for the Life book and really liked the eating principles (not so much the exercise component). Bill Phillips' principles for eating clean, whole foods are spot on. I tried it out for a few days but immediately fell back into my old habits. I loved the way I felt during those few days and wasn't hungry at all. I want to try this way of eating again but this time stick it out.


Therefore, I am challenging myself to 21 days of Body for Life Eating.


They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so if I can successfully complete this challenge then I can change my habits, and make this way of eating a way of life!


Body for Life Eating Principles:

• Only eat whole, clean foods.  
• No white flour or rice, sugar, candy, ice cream, chips, or any other "junk"!

• 5 - 6 small meals a day
• Eat every 2-3 hours
• Each meal = a serving of one protein and one carb
• One serving = the size of the palm of your hand or the size of your clenched fist 
• Incorporate fruits and vegetables into as many meals as possible (modified)
• You may eat whatever you want one day each week! Reward day for eating healthy all week!

Ready... set.. goooo!


I started things off with a Strawberry-Banana fruit on the bottom Chobani with some blueberries mixed in (excuse the half-eaten yogurt) and a cup of coffee with Silk soy creamer (not pictured).

Two and a half hours later I had four whole grain crackers and some cucumber slices with two tbsp of hummus sprinkled with paprika. 


Surprisingly, this had some serious staying power. Three hours later, I wasn't hungry but I had a protein bar anyway to prevent myself from getting hungry.

After a few hours of shopping I went to the gym. I had a ton of energy and busted out 4 miles on the treadmill and 15 minutes on the elliptical! 


I still wasn't all that hungry after the gym but I stuck with my Body for Life principles and had a green salad with Annie's Tuscany Italian dressing, raisins, and feta cheese. I also had some leftover Crockpot Chicken Cattiatore from the other night sprinkled with some parmesan cheese.

...I spy a little girly...

 After dinner I had a small amount of penne pasta with olive oil and some peanuts and raisins.


I loved the way I felt all day. I had a TON of energy throughout the entire day and was never truly hungry the whole day.


Day 1 was a success! Bring on Day 2.

Cookies for Breakfast

After eating dinner last night, I was overcome with a serious urge to bake. I had a Costco-sized bag of Ghiradelli chocolate chips just sitting in the the cupboard waiting to be turned into some tasty treats.

I decided to make Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies from Tina's blog Carrots 'N' Cake. I had come across this recipe on her blog a couple days ago while browsing through her recipes section and knew that I needed to make my own!

I tweaked the recipe a bit by substituting the butter for applesauce to make them a little more heart-healthy. I also added half of a mashed banana to the mix.

(Tip: When baking with applesauce it is usually best to bake a few minutes longer than the recipe calls for because of the added moisture.)

The Result = Major Chocolate-y Moist Goodness!

They were so good that I had five cookies last night... and five for breakfast. Oops.


But let's be honest, what could be better than delicious little morsels of oats, applesauce, walnuts, banana, and chocolate to start off the day?

Who says cookies are just for dessert? Do you eat cookies for breakfast?

Greek Crazy

I went Greek crazy last night at the grocery store.

I bought a 4-pack of fun-sized Yoplait Honey Vanilla Greek yogurts and 4 more Chobani greek yogurts! Can you say Greek crazy? I wonder if they sell them in Prague?

These little greek guys are perfectly sized for a light snack or breakfast with 9 grams of protein each. I chose to have one for breakfast before I went to the gym.

At the gym I did a 3.5 mile run on the treadmill and 10 minutes on the elliptical. I started feeling really light-headed so I rushed home for some breakfast, er, lunch.


I made myself two waffles topped with strawberries and agave syrup. I had egg whites, deli turkey and grape tomatoes on the side. Major yum.


Later on in the afternoon my stomach started rumbling again so I snacked on some cottage cheese, pretzels, and a fuji apple.

After all that snacking I wasn't all that hungry for dinner.

I still managed to whip up some sweet potato soup for me and my parents.

Super Easy & Healthy Sweet Potato Soup:

 3 sweet potatoes (cleaned)
 3 - 14 oz cans of chicken broth
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4  tsp nutmeg
Black pepper, Cinnamon, Curry Powder, Cayenne Pepper to taste
1/3 c. skim milk or regular almond milk

How to:
1. Cook sweet potatoes in the microwave on high for 8-10 minutes until soft.
2. Let cool then peel.
3. Once peeled, cut into pieces.
4. Puree sweet potato and chicken broth in a blender.
5. In a large saucepan, bring sweet potato-chicken broth puree to a boil.
6. Reduce to a simmer (low heat) and add all spices.
7. Simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and add milk.

Voila! Sweet potato soup!
 Enjoy :)