Splenda...

An interesting thing happened yesterday. We stopped at Starbucks for a latte after our run. I thought I ordered a nonfat regular latte but it was vanilla when I got it. Vern said he heard me say vanilla so I thought, "What the heck? It's one latte so I'll just drink it this way."

Apparently, it was the sugar free syrup because by 8:00 last night my legs were aching so much I could barely keep them still. They ached all night and are still achy and sore this morning. This is a different kind of sore than you get from working a muscle. This is like the bones are aching. 

I don't know why my body reacts this way to Splenda....but it does. No more for me!!

We're trying to get back into the swing of things at work while also getting ready to take a couple more days off next week for The Tinkerbell Half Marathon weekend at Disneyland. I didn't think this schedule through very well when I planned our holiday time off! So, it's a bit chaotic. But I'm excited about the upcoming runs!!

I'm planning to pack our ice chest with some healthy food choices for me. Planning food choices, planning costumes for the runs, planning what else to take.....eeeeek!! 

Food choices have been on again, off again....mostly on. 

I need to get serious again about working through my devotional and getting my head in the right place in my relationship to food. 

So much  to do. So much to think about....maybe if I didn't need sleep :)

Update for Saturday 1/4/2014

Started the day with a 10K training run. The Tinkerbell Half Marathon weekend is in 2 weeks!!!! Eeeeeeek!!

Before going out for my run I had a smoothie made with Weight Watchers Creamy Coconut smoothie mix, skim milk, a banana and a few chunks of mango. 

I have recently realized that a latte is the perfect recovery drink for me. The combination of milk and caffeine recharges me really well. So after my run I made myself a latte from skim milk and a couple of Starbucks Christmas Blend Via packs. I ate two Cutie Oranges while I waited for the milk to heat. 

Our car is still in the shop so later in the day we walked over to the shopping center to find some white basketball shorts for my costume for the half marathon. Found them for $6.88......SCORE!!

I made myself a late lunch of steamed sweet potatoes topped with a lentil/vegetable stew that I made and had in the fridge. I added a couple of wedges of laughing cow cheese to give it a creamy texture. So yummy!!

My evening snack was a bowl of frozen banana and mango chunks blended wit a splash of skim milk to the consistency of ice cream :)

Day two of Simply Filling back on track....Done!

My Fitbit showed a total of 19,428 steps, 9.1 miles, and 17 floors climbed. 9 Active Link Points. 

Happy New Year 2014

New Year, fresh commitment, here we go

Update for Friday 1/3/2014

I was up 2 pounds at my WW meeting. No surprise there. My WW meeting always feels like the start of a fresh new week and a new beginning. This one was no different. I'm ready to put the holidays behind me, to leave 2013, and all of the stress of losing my Mom, in the past..and move forward. I'm ready to embrace a new year , renewed goals, and a fresh commitment to a healthy lifestyle. 

We're 3 days in and I've hit my goal of at least three miles a day and 10,000 steps each day. Yay!!

I've embraced the idea of the "Simple Start" plan that WW rolled out for the new year. I'm not strictly doing Simple Start as it's just a bit too restrictive for me. I am, however, using the premise and the materials as resources as I do "Simply Filling," the plan that Simple Start is derived from. 

So here's my meals and tracker for Friday:

I had coffee and a banana before my walk. 

For brunch I sautéed some onion and pepper and added kale and 1/2 cup cooked brown rice. When it was ready to eat I made a hole in the middle, added a bit of water for steam, and cracked 2 eggs into it. When the eggs were poached I transferred it all to a plate and added some fat free cheddar cheese. It was so good! I had an orange to finish with something sweet. 

For dinner I made a pasta sauce with 95% lean ground beef, onions, black beans, yellow squash, diced tomatoes, and spaghetti sauce from a jar. I served it over 1/2 cup of whole wheat spaghetti and broiled eggplant, with fat free mozzarella grated over it...it was so yummy!!

My evening snack was cutie orange segments. 

My portions were bigger than they really needed to be....today I will work on that. I am going to try and be very intentional about recognizing and honoring that moment when I pause, take a breath, and realize that I'm satisfied and it's time to stop eating. 

I tried on my running skirt for the Tinkerbell half marathon and I could REALLY see the weight that I've gained when I looked in the mirror...talk about fresh motivation!!! :)