We are here for a few more days and have been busy, busy, busy! I wanted to stop by for a minute and share some of our favorite healthy travel snacks that we brought with us this trip. These are perfect for plane, train or automobile and are super tasty.
When we used to travel we would bring lots of unhealthy treats because I mean come on we were on vacation right? Well over the years we have changed our diet and lifestyle and instead of chips and candy we take fresh vegetables, fresh and dried fruits, kale chips, nuts and other healthier snacks.
On this trip we brought:
Go Raw Pumpkin Super Chips
Fig Cookies
Glee Gum
Inner Peas
Freeze Dried Strawberries
Lots of Blue Diamond Almonds
Strawberries
Mangos
Bell pepper and carrot sticks
Hummus
Bottles for water
We ate the fresh fruits, veggies and hummus on/in between our flights and have been snacking on the other items throughout our trip. We are staying with my parents and they live in the Middle of Nowhere, Vermont population 697 so we end up doing a lot of driving while we are here and healthy on the go snacks and bottles of water are essential.
I’m going to need to restock for our trip home so I might have a few new things to share later!
The following post is sponsored by Girls Gone Sporty on behalf of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation. As always all opinions are my own.
I am in the homestretch for completing Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation 4-week preview plan. I am often not one to stick with training plans (with the exception of running) so I am proud of myself for sticking fairly close to this plan. I’m not going to tell you I didn’t have off days because I did have 3-4 but overall I stuck to the plan and I can tell you I notice a difference.
Weight: My weight fluctuated during this training time but overall I saw a 2lb lost (according to today’s weigh in). My goal was to be closer to 5lbs but I’m still happy with 2.
Inches (or Centimeters): Here is where I have seen more of a difference. It was a bit confusing to do everything in metric although after going to University in Canada I get why metric is just more accurate overall (take note American teachers). Anyways I lost centimeters around my hips, waist, arms, and legs which for me is even more significant that the overall weight loss. Clothes fit a bit better and I even went and bought myself some new items!
Workouts: I tried to stick close to the plan and I got in 90% of my workouts including a lot more running. I am feeling good and back on my game for sure. I am planning to keep up with running, strength training and also some yoga.
Food: This was the only real place I found issues. I tried most of the vegan recipes but since there was such a small selection my husband, daughter and I got bored fast with the options. Now I refuse to cook separate meals for the two of them so whatever I make is for all of us so I had to consider them a bit when choosing our meals for the week. I ended up creating meals a number of meals that stayed in my calorie allowance that were low in salt, sugar, fat and were filled with protein and important nutrients. Some of the dishes I made were gluten free pasta with lentil marinara, Buddha bowls, tempeh with greens and roasted roots and banana ice cream (whipped frozen bananas).
Overall my experience with this program was a positive one. I lost a little weight, lost centimeters and got back on track with working out. As I said in the past I have heard rumors that they will be increasing the number of vegan options so if you are vegan the selection of food should improve. I also really enjoyed the weekly motivational videos from Michelle Bridges. They really helped to keep me focused and on track with my goals.
So would I do the full 12 week program? Although I know it would be a huge challenge I would love to try it out. I was impressed with the preview and think that there is a lot of potential for this to be a really great 12 week program.
Do you think you would be interested in this program?
The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Vitacost. All opinions are my own.
With a toddler at home getting out to the market is often a big ordeal so I often do a lot of my shopping online. On top of that I’m always on the search for a great deal especially on my favorite products so when I was offered an opportunity to check out Vitacost I was thrilled. Vitacost is an online retailer of a variety of products including nutritional supplements, beauty products, natural food items, herbs and even products for your pets and home.
When I first visited their site I was impressed to find a number of my favorite brands including Vega, Nutiva, Bob’s Red Mill, Tinkyada, Navitas Naturals, Sunwarrior and Eden Foods. They also have some of my favorite non-food products such as California Baby, Dr. Bronners, Jason, and Seventh Generation. Honestly they have just about everything that I tend to buy at other stores but the prices are better and I can do it from the comfort of my own home while Edith naps. Best part is there is free shipping on orders over $49 and when I can order everything I love in one place it’s easy to meet the minimum.
Here are a few of the things that they sent me:
> This was as new to me chocolate bar and it was so good! We go through at least one chocolate bar per week at this house and I think this one will be added to our rotation. Also I’m sure Neil is reading this right now and wondering why he didn’t get any- sorry love it was too good to share! > Now I have had these yummy power snacks from Navitas Naturals before and was beyond thrilled to find them in my Vitacost box. These snacks are bite-sized and a perfect mid day pick me up or post run snack. Edith loves them too. Also side note Vitacost has a ton of other Navitas Naturals products that I use regularly including chia seeds, raw cacao powder, cacao nibs and goji berries all at 20-40% of the price I usually pay.> Lastly two of my favorite products were also in my box. I love, love, love Vega Energizing Smoothie and Nutiva Hemp Shake. I love to mix these protein powders with banana and unsweetened almond milk and have as a morning snack or post run snack. On Vitacost this Vega Energizing Smoothie protein powder goes for $15.99 and I usually buy it for $19.99 at other stores; that’s $4 I could use for a Sunday morning coffee date.
Overall I am thrilled with the products that I received from Vitacost and I can tell you that I will be shopping from them in the future. Anytime I can get a good deal on my favorite products I’m all in and Vitacost is the perfect place.
Have you ever ordered from Vitacost? Tell me about it!
As you all know we are in the middle of another move. Although this time we are just moving across town it seems that it’s just as hard as our cross country move. On top of moving there is the expense of moving which for us includes paying double rent* and moving expenses so this coming month we are reigning in the budget. That’s where the challenge comes in to play.
This month we are challenging ourselves to eat at least 84 meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner) and all snacks at home/packed for work. We will be allowed to have a max of 9 meals out however they must on average be $25 or less for the three of us and we are allowed max of 2 coffees each out per week.
Challenge:
Groceries: 84 meals at $5 per meal +Coffee/Alcohol/Chocolate/Snacks + Oil/Spices = $550**
9 meals out + Coffee Out = MAX –> $275 Goal –> $200
Currently we are spending nearly $1000/month on going out, coffee and groceries – yeah I know it sounds like a lot. So this is really going to be a challenge but with moving, a Seattle trip and the holidays I have a lot of motivation to stick with this challenge. I plan on posting $5 meal recipes and would love to have others participate and share theirs as well.
If you are interested in participating in this challenge leave a comment below and then head over to your own blog and write your own post and goals and link back to this page by October 1st.
Who’s in?
*Portland has a crazy rental market and when you find an amazing place like we did you have to jump on it or take the chance that you may or may not find an equally wonderful place.
Earlier this week we discussed dining out now lets talk about eating in.
How can eating at home help?
You have control – You have all of the control. You can control: the portion sizes, the quality of ingredients and the costs. When we eat at home we are able to buy high quality ingredients to make dishes that are tasty, healthy and better fit our budget. You can control the salt and the fat, which helps you take control of your diet.
– Plan you menu for the week and make a grocery list. Make sure to include snacks and drinks on your list. Planning will help you to stay on track and to cut costs.
– Focus on simple, healthy meals during the week and one “WOW” dinner on the weekend. When you keep things simple you reduce stress and the desire to eat out. The “WOW” dinner is a replacement for eating out; make something special and make an event out of it. One of our favorite things to do is pick a movie and create a meal that follows the theme of the movie.
– Have a prep day. One of the biggest challenges many of us face is time. Take one day per week, I find Sundays work well for me, and prep your meals for the week. This helps things run smoothly through the week and you will have more time doing the things you want, rather than being in the kitchen all night.
– Buy in bulk and portion out. I love to buy nuts, seeds and dried fruit in bulk for snacks. When I get home I portion them out into little containers so they are easy to grab and go. This is also great to do with other snacks such as veggie sticks and hummus or whole grain crackers and salsa.
– Keep it simple and have fun.
1. Portions – Most of the times, your portions are way too much for one person. Many times, Neil and I will share an entree and a salad or appetizer. But, whether you just arenʼt feeling like eating the same thing as your partner, or you just feel like youʼre hungrier than you probably are, sometimes you just want your own meal. You could always ask the wait staff to box half up of your meal before they bring it out, but, honestly, how often does that actually happen?
2. Expense – Thereʼs no two ways about it, eating out is expensive. Just think about how much that pasta with salad dish would have cost you at home. Would that bottle of wine you shared at dinner really have cost you $35.00 at the grocery store? Often, a meal for two (as simple as the one i just mentioned) can cost upwards of $60. In reality, you can make it at home for $15-25 (including that bottle of wine!). I know that part of what you are paying for is the experience, but why not try to recreate that at home? And hey, tipping your partner with a kiss is a lot cheaper than 15-20% of that $60 bill (and more fun!).
3. Mystery – Often, it can be a mystery as to what you are actually eating. Unless a restaurant clearly labels each ingredient on their menu, you may not have any idea what is in your dish. Often restaurant dishes are filled with sodium and fats used to heighten flavor which makes you want more, creating repeat customers. Not to mention that you donʼt know what the quality of the ingredients they use are or whether they are packaged or made from scratch.
It’s been one of those months. You know the months when your social and work calendar are overflowing, where the laundry has been piling up, the dishes seem to never be done and when you remember you have house guest coming you buy a bunch of plastic totes to throw your clutter into rather than trying to organize and really clean. With all this happening I slipped back into the days of too many coffees, too much sugar and WAY too many meals outside the home and oh yeah workouts? Um haven’t had one of those in awhile *hangs head in shame*.
so good and yet so bad.
I feel like crap.
I look a mess.
I’m tired.
I’m feeling sluggish.
I need to recharge and reboot.
I don’t know what happened and I have no good excuse for falling so far from my healthy lifestyle. I mean seriously why do I do this to myself? That being said I’m owning it. I have been a lazy, crappy food eating, too busy lady and I need to slow down and recharge.
I anticipate the next few days are going to be rough as I try to quickly wean myself off the coffee and sugar tomorrow and then head into a cleanse for the next 10 days.
What this cleanse will include:
Gluten Free Whole Grains
Fruits
Vegetables
Beans, Legumes & Lentils
Nuts & Seeds
Healthy Fats: organic, first-pressed, cold-pressed (no heat used to extract the oil) and unrefined extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and unrefined sesame oil. Also whole nuts and seeds or nut butter, the fats in whole foods such as avocados and coconuts.
Natural sweeteners: Grade B Maple Syrup and Dates.
What won’t be included in the cleanse:
Animal Products.
Wheat.
Gluten.
Soy.
Caffeine
Alcohol.
Refined and Added Sugar.
Does this cleanse look familiar? Well it is the same exact one that I did in February. I honestly felt so amazing after this cleanse and it was just what I needed to kick my awful postpartum sugar addiction. Like before I am going to attempt to blog my way through the cleanse but we’ll see how that goes. You will at least get updates every few days and you can follow me on Instagram and Twitter where I will post photos and updates.
So who wants to join me? If anyone else would like to participate please let me know by shooting me a quick email lindsay@runningwithtongs.com If there is any interest I would love to do a few Google Hangouts together so that we could talk about our goals, our challenges and have support to keep ourselves motivated and accountable.
