Kicking *kitten* In Our Twenties - March Challenge!! Take 2!

Awkward30

Hi! I haven't done this challenge thing, but I have a rough month planned, so I could use the formal goal writing. This month I officially hit the halfway point through my 20's (turn 25), have my qualifying exam for my PhD program, and my first half marathon!

-CindyM29 -log in everyday, run at least 2 miles a day, lose 8 lbs this month, drink at least 8 cups of water a day, be able to do at least one pull up.
Eleanoreb (Eleanore or El for short)- find time for cross training (yoga, spinning, athletic conditioning, swimming..) eat healthy ( use up calories with healthy and nutritious foods rather then cookies etc)
-Kendib - Get my MOTIVATION back! Get ready to rock the 5k race in the beginning of April.
lalonmeg000 (meghan) tell my job I quit! (scary but exciting). Start insanity back, keep up with the water intake, start using my planner again. Buy new clothes for Cali because I deserve it and I will have lost ssooo much weight
Twisted88 - Bring dinners on school nights, limit my eating out to a maximum of 5 times total, workout at least 6 days a week, and lose 2 inches off hips and waist
-Ratchettconde - Complete the 30 Day Shred, lose 15 lbs and at least 10 inches, drink more water, motivate my friends to stay on track, and I want to find 10 new friends on MFP to motivate and get support from. Oh, and I need to weigh less than my mother ( shes lost 150 lbs..... 370-220ish) Love you Mom lol
-shattoy (Stephanie) - Go to spin class at least once a week and workout one additional day at the gym (weights, etc.), drink more water (at least 4 servings) and loose 1-2lbs. I also want to log more (at least 5 days/week) on MFP as I have been infrequent as of late!
-mebohan--Master Push-ups and be able to do at least one pull-up/chin-up. Train for half marathon in April by at least running 2 times a week. Workout 5 days a week minimum. drastically decrease carb intake. lose more than 4 lbs!
-rintin88 (Erin)- Workout at least 4x a week, up my water intake, no fast food, walk at least 5,000 steps a day, and lose 6lbs by the end of the month
-SweetMelissa222 - Start running again, hit a total loss of 35lbs. (7 more lbs to go)
-JessYas- finish the LA marathon in under 5 hours (hopefully close to 4:30!), continue weight workouts 2x/week, graduate from "girl" push-ups to "real" push-ups! happy
VLaaber (Vicci)- Lose at least 5 pounds within the month, start learning to really how to run, go to bikram yoga at least once a week, go to the gym at least 4 times and day and work on my upper body strength.
Award30 - Pass my oral qualifying exam for grad school, still lose 2 lbs this month while studying for said exam, complete my first half marathon in less than 2:20

greenhumanclay

Logging in tom unfortunately have an ouf of town emergency that doesn't look good my bf sis is seriously injured (car accident). Keep up with u guys tom when I get a chance but 100% in this month!

meagalayne

Cynthia - I am SO sorry to hear about your boyfriend's sisters :ohwell: My thoughts are with him and his family. I am sure he is very thankful to have you there for him during such a tough time. Please keep us updated when you can. Definitely sending my love, lady

Welcome to the newbs - Happy to have you, as previously stated! And very happy birthdays for those celebrating this month! :drinker: What better time to kick start some mega goals! :laugh: I've always got a reason, eh?

Meg- Love the job quitting goal! I've had that one in the past :laugh: In fact around this time last year. I think maybe March or April 2011 I set quitting my job as my major goal for the month. It's a big step! But it sounds like you could use the change and you have lots of great stuff to look forward to :bigsmile: Are you MOVING to Cali or just visiting?

Love all the running goals in such a selfish crazy runner sort of way. So many of us running mega races this spring and loads of training ongoing. I love it! And I hope that you folks keep posting about your training runs and races. I really do enjoying hearing about everyone's victories, big and small. AFM - I am running my LONGEST training run tomorrow - ever! And my longest training run before my 30K race in March. It's 16-17 miles for me tomorrow and I've got to figure out where the heck I am going to run it. Should be interesting :huh:

My Feb goals:
~Meagalayne- Complete 4 more weeks of ATB training (modified for my travel schedule) including a long run up to 14miles; weight train 2x per week + spin with CrazyCarl on Mondays; Try hot yoga; No weigh-ins after Feb 3rd until post ATB; allow myself to indulge while in Austin, but not to completely derail my progress with food and emotional eating; Start/Finish another novel on vacation.

** Completed 4 more weeks of ATB training, which I modified for my trip and due to my folks being on holidays the last week. This week has been a bit NUTS schedule-wise but I haven't missed any runs so I am happy. Ran a boatload in Austin and had a great time. WIN. Longest run in Feb was 15.06miles, so I can check that one off, as well. Did hot yoga 3 times this month which was awesome, but only got to spin twice due to my schedule/trip/Carl being on vacation. Just wasn't worth it. I did manage to get 30 minutes of self-directed spin in on Wednesday, however, on my own time. So not bad. And NO weigh-ins! :bigsmile: I started but have yet to finish my novel... Still working on that!

The March list... Updated!

-CindyM29 -log in everyday, run at least 2 miles a day, lose 8 lbs this month, drink at least 8 cups of water a day, be able to do at least one pull up.
Eleanoreb (Eleanore or El for short)- find time for cross training (yoga, spinning, athletic conditioning, swimming..) eat healthy ( use up calories with healthy and nutritious foods rather then cookies etc)
-Kendib - Get my MOTIVATION back! Get ready to rock the 5k race in the beginning of April.
lalonmeg000 (meghan) tell my job I quit! (scary but exciting). Start insanity back, keep up with the water intake, start using my planner again. Buy new clothes for Cali because I deserve it and I will have lost ssooo much weight
Twisted88 - Bring dinners on school nights, limit my eating out to a maximum of 5 times total, workout at least 6 days a week, and lose 2 inches off hips and waist
-Ratchettconde - Complete the 30 Day Shred, lose 15 lbs and at least 10 inches, drink more water, motivate my friends to stay on track, and I want to find 10 new friends on MFP to motivate and get support from. Oh, and I need to weigh less than my mother ( shes lost 150 lbs..... 370-220ish) Love you Mom lol
-shattoy (Stephanie) - Go to spin class at least once a week and workout one additional day at the gym (weights, etc.), drink more water (at least 4 servings) and loose 1-2lbs. I also want to log more (at least 5 days/week) on MFP as I have been infrequent as of late!
-mebohan--Master Push-ups and be able to do at least one pull-up/chin-up. Train for half marathon in April by at least running 2 times a week. Workout 5 days a week minimum. drastically decrease carb intake. lose more than 4 lbs!
-rintin88 (Erin)- Workout at least 4x a week, up my water intake, no fast food, walk at least 5,000 steps a day, and lose 6lbs by the end of the month
-SweetMelissa222 - Start running again, hit a total loss of 35lbs. (7 more lbs to go)
-JessYas- finish the LA marathon in under 5 hours (hopefully close to 4:30!), continue weight workouts 2x/week, graduate from "girl" push-ups to "real" push-ups! happy
VLaaber (Vicci)- Lose at least 5 pounds within the month, start learning to really how to run, go to bikram yoga at least once a week, go to the gym at least 4 times and day and work on my upper body strength.
Award30 - Pass my oral qualifying exam for grad school, still lose 2 lbs this month while studying for said exam, complete my first half marathon in less than 2:20
Meagalayne- Run and finish the ATB 30K race and ENJOY the victory; no weigh-ins until Mar 30th (when I will update my weight and all measurements and set goals for Spring/Summer weight training); finish my novel and start a new one; plan another trip in April and register for at least 2 races this spring

I've got a few races on the docket... May make that last goal a reality tonight! Heading into work early again today so I better run. Keep it up folks - Work it out! :drinker:

kendib

Happy Friday!!!

Cynthia - So sorry to hear about your boyfriend's sister. It is good that you will be able to be there to support him and his family during this time.

Ratchettconde - Completing the 30 day shred is my unspoken goal for this month. I would include that into getting my motivation back. I usually do good for the first couple of days and then wind down. I am determined to finish it this month. I have measured myself for some before stats and hopefully will have good loss both on inches and weight.

meag - looking for more races is exciting. I have looked at a couple for this summer but am waiting to see how the race in April goes before deciding on distance. I may need to keep at the 5k for a little bit or be able to increase and work for a 10k. My goal is still to be able to run a marathon in 2013.

AFM - My wonderful husband totally called me out the other day about my gym and running attendance. Back in September when I was 253 pounds and offically starting my weight loss, we set some goals. The big one was if I could be at my goal weight by his birthday he would buy me a day at the spa, or a new wardrobe, so that's $300 hanging in the balance. The catch is that if I don't meet the goal he gets to spend the money. In September that was 73 pounds to be lost in about 8 months, his birthday is at the end of April, which would be an average of 2 pounds per week.

So fast forward to now. We are 2 months away from the goal date and I am 47 pounds away from the goal. My motivation has been seriously lacking and I've been fighting with the same several pounds trying to get past the 30 pound lost mark. So anyways, we were talking about the goal and I said "I'm not going to make it, so why bother?" I know really bad attitude right?!? Good thing is that he called me on it. He did it in a way that wasn't mean or didn't make me feel bad but told me that I'm better than that and he can't believe I've given up that easy.

So I am trying to keep my new motivation going! I can do this. I have lost 25 pounds and have made great strides in how I think about food and what and how I eat. I am capable of loosing the rest of the weight and if I don't get there by the goal date it doesn't matter cause I still won, I won't have the weight anymore.

Hope all of you are having a great day!

Kendi

GuamGrly

February goals…
~GuamGrly (Bethany) - create a meal plan each week, workout 3-4 times per week, keep up with 5K training for the mud run on March 31st, consume no less than 64oz of water per day, up fruit and veggie intake
Actual February…
Have yet to create a meal plan but I am doing much better with making dinner at home. Didn’t get in as many workouts as I would have liked and I’m not gonna sit here and tell you all of my excuses. Decided not to do the mud run since I won’t be ready but I’m still continuing with 5K training. Water consumption has been on the rise but still not as much as it needs to be. Fruits and veggies have been increased. I think I am slowly getting my head back in the game and with the exception of visiting my parents in a few weeks, I am going to own this month!!

March goals…get into the 130s’s (5 pound loss), continue 5K training, try one new recipe per week, continue to up water consumption, and read one book.

Meag – thank you again for getting us started on another month of challenges, motivation, and encouragement!!

Cynthia – so sorry to hear about your boyfriend’s sister! You and the family will be in my prayers. Please keep us updated!!

Kendi – sounds like you have great incentive to keep working toward your goal!! That is awesome that your hubby is helping keep you on track though. You can so do this girly!!

Meghan – when are you coming to Cali? And where will you be staying?? I’m in Cali!! Would love to meet up if you are in the area and your schedule allows it.

Newbies – welcome to our group!! Please, please, please stick around for motivation and encouragement!! Feel free to post as little or as often as you would like. We are here to chat about anything and everything so please don’t be shy!!

Question of the day – how are you gonna start the month to keep yourself on track to reach your goals?

GuamGrly

-CindyM29 -log in everyday, run at least 2 miles a day, lose 8 lbs this month, drink at least 8 cups of water a day, be able to do at least one pull up.
Eleanoreb (Eleanore or El for short)- find time for cross training (yoga, spinning, athletic conditioning, swimming..) eat healthy ( use up calories with healthy and nutritious foods rather then cookies etc)
-Kendib - Get my MOTIVATION back! Get ready to rock the 5k race in the beginning of April.
lalonmeg000 (meghan) tell my job I quit! (scary but exciting). Start insanity back, keep up with the water intake, start using my planner again. Buy new clothes for Cali because I deserve it and I will have lost ssooo much weight
Twisted88 - Bring dinners on school nights, limit my eating out to a maximum of 5 times total, workout at least 6 days a week, and lose 2 inches off hips and waist
-Ratchettconde - Complete the 30 Day Shred, lose 15 lbs and at least 10 inches, drink more water, motivate my friends to stay on track, and I want to find 10 new friends on MFP to motivate and get support from. Oh, and I need to weigh less than my mother ( shes lost 150 lbs..... 370-220ish) Love you Mom lol
-shattoy (Stephanie) - Go to spin class at least once a week and workout one additional day at the gym (weights, etc.), drink more water (at least 4 servings) and loose 1-2lbs. I also want to log more (at least 5 days/week) on MFP as I have been infrequent as of late!
-mebohan--Master Push-ups and be able to do at least one pull-up/chin-up. Train for half marathon in April by at least running 2 times a week. Workout 5 days a week minimum. drastically decrease carb intake. lose more than 4 lbs!
-rintin88 (Erin)- Workout at least 4x a week, up my water intake, no fast food, walk at least 5,000 steps a day, and lose 6lbs by the end of the month
-SweetMelissa222 - Start running again, hit a total loss of 35lbs. (7 more lbs to go)
-JessYas- finish the LA marathon in under 5 hours (hopefully close to 4:30!), continue weight workouts 2x/week, graduate from "girl" push-ups to "real" push-ups! happy
VLaaber (Vicci)- Lose at least 5 pounds within the month, start learning to really how to run, go to bikram yoga at least once a week, go to the gym at least 4 times and day and work on my upper body strength.
Award30 - Pass my oral qualifying exam for grad school, still lose 2 lbs this month while studying for said exam, complete my first half marathon in less than 2:20
Meagalayne- Run and finish the ATB 30K race and ENJOY the victory; no weigh-ins until Mar 30th (when I will update my weight and all measurements and set goals for Spring/Summer weight training); finish my novel and start a new one; plan another trip in April and register for at least 2 races this spring
GuamGrly (Bethany) - get into the 130s’s (5 pound loss), continue 5K training, try one new recipe per week, continue to up water consumption, and read one book

twisted88

Just checking in. So far I've already lost a half inch off my waist this month.

allie7383

Hey everyone! Yay for a new month! Well let me quickly go over my Feb goals:

Allie7383- PR in my Disney Half Marathon, be under 145, log 5 days a week and drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.

Well I ended the month at 148.5, though I did see 145.5 at one point, so maybe this month it will happen. I’m going to try upping my cals and doing mroe strength and see what happens. I was doing ok on logging and then I was on vacay so it didn’t happen then. However, I didn't binge out completely every day and we did tons of walking around Disney so I didn't really gain anything when we got back. Water I’ve been good with.. And as for the Disney race… new PR! My previous Half time was 2:27:36, and this time I finished at 2:23:34! I walked a bit more than I wanted to, esp during the last mile but I had an awesome time doing it, and would totally do it again, and this time actually stop for character photos and such. I dressed up like Ariel (see my profile pic) and was only gonna stop for her, and since she wasn’t on the course, no stops..

I’ve come to realize that I’m my own worst enemy and I need to practice thinking more positively, esp during a race when you’re right in the thick of things and you just need to push on. I have another Half on the 18th, so maybe I can knock a few more minutes off. I would love to come in under 2:20.. I found that there’s a local running club that gives lessons so I’m planning on joining up for that as I want to get my mile faster, not to mention the social aspect. I need to make some new friends.

Meghan- I can’t wait to walk into my boss’s office and say I quit. It’s a big fantasy of mine right now lol. Just sticking it out through school and hopefully in a year or so I can seriously start applying for jobs and get off night shift!

Cynthia- Hope everything is ok with your b/f’s sister..

Bethany- Glad to hear you’re making progress with the running, keep it up!

Meag- I saw your long run today, amazing girl! I need to get back into reading for fun. I have this problem where I love to buy books and then take forever to get to actually reading them, so as usual, I’m in the middle of several now.. I need to put the remote down!

QOTD: I think I’m going to make an actual schedule of workouts. I have a schedule for meetings and such and I think it would keep me more on task if I see them right there alongside everything else.


-CindyM29 -log in everyday, run at least 2 miles a day, lose 8 lbs this month, drink at least 8 cups of water a day, be able to do at least one pull up.
Eleanoreb (Eleanore or El for short)- find time for cross training (yoga, spinning, athletic conditioning, swimming..) eat healthy ( use up calories with healthy and nutritious foods rather then cookies etc)
-Kendib - Get my MOTIVATION back! Get ready to rock the 5k race in the beginning of April.
lalonmeg000 (meghan) tell my job I quit! (scary but exciting). Start insanity back, keep up with the water intake, start using my planner again. Buy new clothes for Cali because I deserve it and I will have lost ssooo much weight
Twisted88 - Bring dinners on school nights, limit my eating out to a maximum of 5 times total, workout at least 6 days a week, and lose 2 inches off hips and waist
-Ratchettconde - Complete the 30 Day Shred, lose 15 lbs and at least 10 inches, drink more water, motivate my friends to stay on track, and I want to find 10 new friends on MFP to motivate and get support from. Oh, and I need to weigh less than my mother ( shes lost 150 lbs..... 370-220ish) Love you Mom lol
-shattoy (Stephanie) - Go to spin class at least once a week and workout one additional day at the gym (weights, etc.), drink more water (at least 4 servings) and loose 1-2lbs. I also want to log more (at least 5 days/week) on MFP as I have been infrequent as of late!
-mebohan--Master Push-ups and be able to do at least one pull-up/chin-up. Train for half marathon in April by at least running 2 times a week. Workout 5 days a week minimum. drastically decrease carb intake. lose more than 4 lbs!
-rintin88 (Erin)- Workout at least 4x a week, up my water intake, no fast food, walk at least 5,000 steps a day, and lose 6lbs by the end of the month
-SweetMelissa222 - Start running again, hit a total loss of 35lbs. (7 more lbs to go)
-JessYas- finish the LA marathon in under 5 hours (hopefully close to 4:30!), continue weight workouts 2x/week, graduate from "girl" push-ups to "real" push-ups! happy
VLaaber (Vicci)- Lose at least 5 pounds within the month, start learning to really how to run, go to bikram yoga at least once a week, go to the gym at least 4 times and day and work on my upper body strength.
Award30 - Pass my oral qualifying exam for grad school, still lose 2 lbs this month while studying for said exam, complete my first half marathon in less than 2:20
Meagalayne- Run and finish the ATB 30K race and ENJOY the victory; no weigh-ins until Mar 30th (when I will update my weight and all measurements and set goals for Spring/Summer weight training); finish my novel and start a new one; plan another trip in April and register for at least 2 races this spring
GuamGrly (Bethany) - get into the 130s’s (5 pound loss), continue 5K training, try one new recipe per week, continue to up water consumption, and read one book
Allie7383- PR in the NYC Half (3/18), keep logging, get to 145 or below, start and complete Ripped in 30.

abby459

Ok....I am finally making my appearance for this month...just posting my goals real quickly and I will be back on later to catch up with everyone!!


-CindyM29 -log in everyday, run at least 2 miles a day, lose 8 lbs this month, drink at least 8 cups of water a day, be able to do at least one pull up.
Eleanoreb (Eleanore or El for short)- find time for cross training (yoga, spinning, athletic conditioning, swimming..) eat healthy ( use up calories with healthy and nutritious foods rather then cookies etc)
-Kendib - Get my MOTIVATION back! Get ready to rock the 5k race in the beginning of April.
-lalonmeg000 (meghan) tell my job I quit! (scary but exciting). Start insanity back, keep up with the water intake, start using my planner again. Buy new clothes for Cali because I deserve it and I will have lost ssooo much weight
-Twisted88 - Bring dinners on school nights, limit my eating out to a maximum of 5 times total, workout at least 6 days a week, and lose 2 inches off hips and waist
-Ratchettconde - Complete the 30 Day Shred, lose 15 lbs and at least 10 inches, drink more water, motivate my friends to stay on track, and I want to find 10 new friends on MFP to motivate and get support from. Oh, and I need to weigh less than my mother ( shes lost 150 lbs..... 370-220ish) Love you Mom lol
-shattoy (Stephanie) - Go to spin class at least once a week and workout one additional day at the gym (weights, etc.), drink more water (at least 4 servings) and loose 1-2lbs. I also want to log more (at least 5 days/week) on MFP as I have been infrequent as of late!
-mebohan--Master Push-ups and be able to do at least one pull-up/chin-up. Train for half marathon in April by at least running 2 times a week. Workout 5 days a week minimum. drastically decrease carb intake. lose more than 4 lbs!
-rintin88 (Erin)- Workout at least 4x a week, up my water intake, no fast food, walk at least 5,000 steps a day, and lose 6lbs by the end of the month
-SweetMelissa222 - Start running again, hit a total loss of 35lbs. (7 more lbs to go)
-JessYas- finish the LA marathon in under 5 hours (hopefully close to 4:30!), continue weight workouts 2x/week, graduate from "girl" push-ups to "real" push-ups! happy
-VLaaber (Vicci)- Lose at least 5 pounds within the month, start learning to really how to run, go to bikram yoga at least once a week, go to the gym at least 4 times and day and work on my upper body strength.
-Award30 - Pass my oral qualifying exam for grad school, still lose 2 lbs this month while studying for said exam, complete my first half marathon in less than 2:20
-Meagalayne- Run and finish the ATB 30K race and ENJOY the victory; no weigh-ins until Mar 30th (when I will update my weight and all measurements and set goals for Spring/Summer weight training); finish my novel and start a new one; plan another trip in April and register for at least 2 races this spring
-GuamGrly (Bethany) - get into the 130s’s (5 pound loss), continue 5K training, try one new recipe per week, continue to up water consumption, and read one book
-Allie7383- PR in the NYC Half (3/18), keep logging, get to 145 or below, start and complete Ripped in 30.
-Abby459 --- My main goal this month is to keep training and then complete my first 1/2 marathon on 3/25!!! Secretly I have a goal of 2:30 but at long as I finish I will be happy!! My only other goals this month are to keep up water and fruit/veggie intakes.

meagalayne

Hi ladies :drinker: Happy Sunday! And by happy Sunday, I mean where the heck did my weekend go.... :grumble:

Bahaha! OH - Right, it went to running, eating and more eating. :blushing: Yesterday was BANANAS! I ran for 3-whole-freaking-hours! :noway: Definitely the hardest run of my life. Of course, it was exceptionally satisfying to finish and made me realize, for the thousandth time, that I am so much more capable than I give myself credit for. I can push and achieve things I never thought possible, given enough patience, determination, and sheer willpower (with a little crazy mixed in).

This run was challenging on so many fronts; it was my farthest and longest run ever (16.98miles according to GPS); we were under wind warning advisories with wind gusts up to 45 mph and a head-wind for the first 9 miles of my run; and I climbed a total of 1399 feet over the course of my run -- from the base of the Niagara escarpment to the top -- on several bike and hiking trails, including one that was completely swamped/water-logged at parts. I could not believe at times how far beyond my limits I was extending myself. It's absolutely insane to think how far I can continue to push myself but it's so rewarding to run on legs that are basically refusing to run anymore. It's empowering to know how much "mind over matter" there is to running. It is probably what I love the most about the sport.

Other than running, I just did a lot of errands, ate really well and binged a little at night last night on a huge chicken + veg burrito but still had about 800 calories left over from my run. Today I ended up at the gym again and did some recovery on the elliptical along with some heavy lifting and core work. Tomorrow's spin and then starting to taper before my race. I have also already signed up for a race in April - another 5K on Good Friday. I am hoping to PR my 5K this Saturday coming up, but I know that my legs are going to be damn tired. We'll see how my times pan out. I'm not overly worried about my 5K times but it would be nice to start the racing season off right. OK Enough about me! :laugh: Although I will share a recipe below from tonight.

Abby - Welcome back girlie! :flowerforyou: Happy to have you back for another challenge. As usual, love your goals. We all need to set our goals based on circumstance and reasonable expectations of what we can set out to achieve. Looks great to me girl :happy: And we'll be racing together on the 25th. I am CERTAIN that we'll both have amazing races, too!

Allie - You did awesome on your Feb goals, my dear! :drinker: I know you'll be kickin' it in Mar and you'll show that scale who's boss. It's all a matter of time! I think that upping your cals and a focus on strength will do wonders for your weight loss. Just exercise moderation and keep your nose to the grindstone, as they say. Keep chipping away at it. And the same goes for running - It really does take a lot of "dig". You have to DIG DEEP on those runs. If it means walking - walk! Just keep it positive and instead of doubting yourself, push yourself with lots of positive self-talk. You know you can do it. And you know it's mind over matter. Just have to make the choice to push and not allow yourself to say "I can't". No excuses You'll find it girl. It takes us all a lot of time and work.

And oy vey - Reading! I have a million books to read. Gotta pick mine up again tonight. And then the dozens of others I still have waiting to be read... :noway: Thanks for the reminder hehe

OK! Recipe time, quickly! Had this for dinner tonight for the second time and it was so good, filling, healthy and just plain awesomeness. Very easy too if you have all the stuff.

1.75-2 cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked over night
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
454g (1lb) low sodium smoked//black forest ham, chopped/cubed
14oz (1/2 a Canadian tin) no salt added diced tomatoes
2-3 chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3-4cups no salt added chicken broth
4 cups raw kale, chopped
cilantro and sour cream, to garnish

In a small soup pot, cover the soaked beans with water (by 1-2 inches) and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes or until the beans are soft. Turn off the heat and allow to cool in their own liquid. Do not drain/discard the cooking liquid.

In a large soup pot/dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and garlic and saute until fragrant and the onions are translucent- 5-7 minutes. Add the chopped ham and cook another 5 minutes until everything smells delicious. While that's cooking, add the diced tomatoes, chipotles and adobo, and spices to a small food processor and pulse until combined. Once the ham and onion mixture is nicely sauteed, add the tomato base, beans and reserved liquid, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil at medium heat, lid slightly ajar, and cook for 15-20 minutes or so until all flavours are married. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the fresh kale and cook another 10 minutes, and then garnish and serve!

I top mine with sour cream and cilantro, but you can eat it as-is and it's delicious. You may wish to use more broth if you find it too hearty. It's totally flexible. Strongly recommend trying this one out. It's SO healthy and very tasty. Everyone here loves it.

Enjoy! :flowerforyou:

GuamGrly

Happy weekend’s end Lovelies!! I hope everyone managed to make the most of their weekend!!

Twisted – congrats on the inches lost!!!

Allie – I agree with you…yay for a new month!! And congrats on the new PR!! That is a major accomplishment!! And unfortunately I have to agree with you again…we are definitely our own worst enemies!! At least, I know that I am my own worst enemy as well. I let circumstances from my past continue to shape my present and future when I know that I can definitely make changes and adjustments in my life to push through situations and make the outcomes much better than they could have been. I am trying to take on a completely new outlook this year that will help me become a better person all around. I have my moments when I begin to sink back into my old way of thinking which is only natural since I have been thinking that way most of my life but it is exactly that, MY life, and I want a better life than I have been giving myself. Look at what you just accomplished at your Disney race!! Put your mind to it and I guarantee it that you will be unstoppable!!

Abby – glad to have you back girly!! Been thinking about you!! Can’t wait to hear all about your vacation!!

Meag – amazing job pushing yourself through that run!! You completely just inspired me!! I know that it may seem small but I was debating on re-doing week 2 of C25K because I wasn’t sure that I was ready for W3 but after hearing about all that you endured during your race, I know that I can muster up the mental and physical energy to push through my small run!! I will be running my first ever 5K in April!! I am super excited about it since it’s my first and I get to run it at Angel’s stadium!! Bring on baseball season!!

AFM…as usual, my weekend went nothing as planned. Was supposed to go out line dancing on Friday night with a “friend” but she cancelled on me after I had done my hair, fixed my makeup and changed. So I was kinda upset that she didn’t cancel sooner since she had been in communication with me just a little earlier in the night and knew I was getting ready. But this allowed me to get up earlier than I would have on Saturday morning and make it to the gym to get my W3D3 run in!! I made my first new recipe of the month yesterday and it was so yummy!! My daughter had 3 plates!! The kids and I stayed up late watching movies with my brother last night so we ended up sleeping in today. Had some good quality time with the family today and then I spent a few hours doing some much needed unpacking. Food choices weren’t the worse but I need to keep better track of my intake. We have a new rule at work that doesn’t allow us to eat at our desks which could be a good thing and a bad thing. But this means that I now have to figure out how to squeeze in breakfast before I make it to work since I would usually eat as soon as I got to work. I think it will be a good change but will also take more effort on my part, however, I am up for the challenge!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!

meagalayne

Guam - Great attitude girl - Push it! You can absolutely keep pushing yourself to run farther/harder/faster/longer. It's all mental my dear :bigsmile: Just be mindful of injury and keep your motivation to finish at the forefront of your mind while you're running. Always remember - you are worth it! It's a misery that only runners understand. And although when you're first starting out, you may not quite "love" that misery, just know that you will in time learn to love it more than you ever thought possible. Trust the process, as they say.

Also - BRING ON BASEBALL SEASON! ::drinker: I am soooo envious of your race! Would love to have a team/field closer to us but Toronto will just have to do.

When's your home opener?

GuamGrly

Our home opener is Friday, April 6th against Kansas City. I'm hoping to buy tickets early enough this year so that they aren't super expensive. I waited too long last year. But I will be taking the kids to spring training next week so I'm super excited about that. It will be a first for all of us!! And then we get to go visit my parents too since I haven't seen them since they moved away last July.

meagalayne

That so exciting! Apr 6th is Good Friday, so I am surprised that's the opener. Is that common? It's a national holiday here, and also a race day for me :bigsmile: But I'd give up my race in a heartbeat to see the Angel's play their home opener for sure. I hope you guys can score some sweet tickets! :happy:

Where is spring training? I'm clueless as to that, because naturally we have no such thing up here :blushing: Spring training here = winter. hahaha!

GuamGrly

If I recall correctly, last year's home opener was on Good Friday also. It's a holiday here. Some businesses are closed but we don't completely shut down.

Angels spring training is in Arizona...just a 4-5 hour drive from my house. And it also works out perfectly to go and visit my parents too!!

meagalayne

That's super sweet Guam! Very jealous, indeed... :blushing:

Quick selfish post: Feel like I've been eating my weight in EVERYTHING lately. I am just insanely bloated and feeling disgusted, which is no good at all. The funny thing is that I'm exercising and burning like crazy and actually not eating my NET calories on hardly any day. It's partially in my head and partially just my body retaining water weight to keep me hydrated. Either way it's really discouraging me right now because I SHOULD be feeling amazing about what my body has been accomplishing... :grumble:

Speaking of which, I ran my *kitten* off this weekend on Saturday - 16.98miles - and then did weights and recovery cardio on Sunday for an hour. Last night I finally made it back to spin class and CrazyCarl had returned :bigsmile: :drinker: :bigsmile: God, I love that man! He had spent a MONTH cycling through the mountains of the NE Dominican and was looking tanned, fit and very fine. A great motivation to spin my tush off! Unfortunately, due to some fueling errs on my part, I had a wicked huge cramp in my side for about 80% of the class which made pushing 110% like usual nearly impossible. It sucked but I made it out alive And I hung around after class to chat with Carl and my new spinning buddy for a little while. She and I am planning to sign up for a "Spin-a-thon" fundraiser together in April, one week before my 1/2 Marathon. Should be lots of fun and a great way to get to know her a little better! And we're scheduled to do some hot yoga together on Friday, as well. Looks good on the new fitness buddy front! :bigsmile:

I've finally hammered out my race schedule for the next two months, so here's how it's looking:

Mar 10th - St Patty's Day 5K Downhill (even though it's a week before St Pat's :huh: )
Mar 25th - 30K Around the Bay (with 4 of my Pals!!)
Apr 6th - Burlington Runners Good Friday 5K
Apr 29th - Waterloo 1/2 Marathon

As for May and June, I'm going to try and find some 10K and 15K races to keep me running and motivated, but nothing major. Just going to keep kicking it and enjoy the warmer weather.

QOTD - What do you lovelies have on tap for the Spring to stay motivated and inspired? Any big challenges? I'd love to hear about them!

Beth - I can't remember your QOTD and it's fallen off the bottom of my screen, so I am remiss to respond. I promise I'll be better about it next time around! :blushing:

Have a wonderful Tuesday, ladies! Rock it!

kendib

Happy Tuesday everyone!

meag - I love hearing about your runs. It inspires me to keep going. I'm on the W4 of the C25k and it almost killed me yesterday. So your posts about your running were just what I needed to read this morning. Spin class sounds interesting. A friend dragged me to a spin class once and I could barely walk out of the gym after the class. I'm in much better shape now so it would be interesting to try again. I think the instructor sometimes makes or breaks the class and CrazyCarl sounds like fun. What it hot yoga?

Bethany - I'm sorry your weekend didn't go as planned. Good job on your running. I am finishing week 4 of the C25k program. I am repeating day 3 of this week cause the run didn't go so well yesterday. It was just an off day for me. I like baseball but am not much of TV sports watcher, I like playing and going to the games though. In OK we only have a Minor League team that feeds into the the Houston Astros. The organization I work for has a Boys & Girls Club attached to it and we took 60+ kids to a game, many of them had never been to a stadium like that. It was fun to see their excitment and getting them to cheer for the players, etc. Even the teens who are too cool for anything were excited and had a good time.

AFM - Motivation is still going strong. I am 3.4 pounds away from my next goal of 30 pounds lost! I have this written on my hand to keep it in my mind. The no caffeine is still going good and getting easier my the day. Running yesterday was just awful. I couldn't make it. My legs were shaking and my lungs were burning. So I walked the rest of the workout and will try again today.

QOTD - I am planning on some races to keep the motivation of running to continue. Waiting till the race on April 7th to determine the length and where I am at. Also, looking forward to starting the New Rules for Lifting program! I have been reading up on it and it sounds great.

Hope you all are having a great day!

meagalayne

Quick response to your questions...

Hot Yoga is a lot of different things, depending on where you practice and what the place offers. The hot yoga that I practice is Hot Flow Yoga, which is a series of flow poses (a combination of strength, balance and constant movement to keep your HR up) for 75 minutes in a room that is heated by infrared to about 100-104F. It's HOT. There is also Bikram yoga, which is a series of 26 poses held in sequence for 2-5 minutes each. The classes are 90 long minutes and the room is kept around 40C. I am not sure how the rooms are heated. There is also Moksha yoga, but I know very little about that variety - I just know that it's not (quite) as hot. Around 37C I believe.

Bikram is the most popular variety of hot yoga and also typically the most expensive. Due to the length of the classes, it's a big commitment to make time for the practice. But people swear by it! It's really refreshing to just sweat out all your frustrations and focus on breathing, strength and stillness. It require serious focus and forces you to close off your thoughts about life for a while.

I definitely recommend it. Congrats on your running progress too - We all have those "my body feels hell" runs now and again. They can't all be pretty. My run today *sucked* after my crazy workouts the last few days, but I just kept pushing and made it just over 5miles. Not too shabby

Happy Wednesday ladies - see you tomorrow!

greenhumanclay

-CindyM29 -log in everyday, run at least 2 miles a day, lose 8 lbs this month, drink at least 8 cups of water a day, be able to do at least one pull up.
Eleanoreb (Eleanore or El for short)- find time for cross training (yoga, spinning, athletic conditioning, swimming..) eat healthy ( use up calories with healthy and nutritious foods rather then cookies etc)
-Kendib - Get my MOTIVATION back! Get ready to rock the 5k race in the beginning of April.
-lalonmeg000 (meghan) tell my job I quit! (scary but exciting). Start insanity back, keep up with the water intake, start using my planner again. Buy new clothes for Cali because I deserve it and I will have lost ssooo much weight
-Twisted88 - Bring dinners on school nights, limit my eating out to a maximum of 5 times total, workout at least 6 days a week, and lose 2 inches off hips and waist
-Ratchettconde - Complete the 30 Day Shred, lose 15 lbs and at least 10 inches, drink more water, motivate my friends to stay on track, and I want to find 10 new friends on MFP to motivate and get support from. Oh, and I need to weigh less than my mother ( shes lost 150 lbs..... 370-220ish) Love you Mom lol
-shattoy (Stephanie) - Go to spin class at least once a week and workout one additional day at the gym (weights, etc.), drink more water (at least 4 servings) and loose 1-2lbs. I also want to log more (at least 5 days/week) on MFP as I have been infrequent as of late!
-mebohan--Master Push-ups and be able to do at least one pull-up/chin-up. Train for half marathon in April by at least running 2 times a week. Workout 5 days a week minimum. drastically decrease carb intake. lose more than 4 lbs!
-rintin88 (Erin)- Workout at least 4x a week, up my water intake, no fast food, walk at least 5,000 steps a day, and lose 6lbs by the end of the month
-SweetMelissa222 - Start running again, hit a total loss of 35lbs. (7 more lbs to go)
-JessYas- finish the LA marathon in under 5 hours (hopefully close to 4:30!), continue weight workouts 2x/week, graduate from "girl" push-ups to "real" push-ups! happy
-VLaaber (Vicci)- Lose at least 5 pounds within the month, start learning to really how to run, go to bikram yoga at least once a week, go to the gym at least 4 times and day and work on my upper body strength.
-Award30 - Pass my oral qualifying exam for grad school, still lose 2 lbs this month while studying for said exam, complete my first half marathon in less than 2:20
-Meagalayne- Run and finish the ATB 30K race and ENJOY the victory; no weigh-ins until Mar 30th (when I will update my weight and all measurements and set goals for Spring/Summer weight training); finish my novel and start a new one; plan another trip in April and register for at least 2 races this spring
-GuamGrly (Bethany) - get into the 130s’s (5 pound loss), continue 5K training, try one new recipe per week, continue to up water consumption, and read one book
-Allie7383- PR in the NYC Half (3/18), keep logging, get to 145 or below, start and complete Ripped in 30.
-Abby459 --- My main goal this month is to keep training and then complete my first 1/2 marathon on 3/25!!! Secretly I have a goal of 2:30 but at long as I finish I will be happy!! My only other goals this month are to keep up water and fruit/veggie intakes.
GreenHumanClay (Cynthia) Continue my training plan for my first 1/2 March 17th, weight train 3xs, sleep more, gave up weighing myself for Lent (not religious purposes), so no weighing-in, eat out < 3 times per week (actual challenge for a project) focus on school, and really appreciate life!

Have not been posting, thanks for the prayers and words for my boyfriends sister, last Thursday was a horrible my bf sister was in a bad accident she lives three hours up north where it's snowing badly to the point schools and places are closed down and unfortunately she slid on black ice, thankfully was wearing her seat belt but suffered severe head trauma and was scalped, 170 stitches/staples later and heavy meds she seems to be fully conscious and being cared for, just a sad sad accident were all happy she survived but unfortunately I can't get that image of her out of my head never seen anything like that! But she will recovery slow but little by little she is better, will be here in San Jose with us and between my bf, his parents and myself we will all be caring for her!

AFM I stopped weighing myself until the Saturday before Easter, it has been challenging but I know I can and will do it! Due to last weeks accident my exercise and eating was thrown off for a few days and my sleep has barely been caught up, slept in a car for 2 days but I really can't complain! So I will be on here supporting you ladies just need to catch up with life in general, sorry for being absent so early on but I see everyone is doing awesome and I have lots to catch up on!!

Meag wow very impressive on your long distance run geez 16.98 miles wow your are a running rockstar did you take any walking breaks and stretched?? I know when I did 15 I took 4 breaks to walk/stretch otherwise I wouldn't have survived 1 more mile and I would have been done so congrats on that long *kitten* run, you're going to rock that 30k! Nice to know Mr.Carl is back!!

Bethany sorry you're weekend was not as planned I've had that happen to me to where literally Im 15 minutes from being done and my friend cancels on me Im like WTF, I guess, but you're right you get to wake up early the next day and for me hangover free lol!!

Abby Welcome back how was your vacay??

Allie Excellent time and congrats shaving off a few minutes you can totally be under 2:20 that running club sounds interesting are they pricey?? Cute pic btw and thanks for the kind words regarding my bf's sis! I agree on the need to be more positive we actually all have a lot to be thankful for its just easy to get side tracked and complain about everything but in the grand scheme we have it well (speaking for myself) But as you said especially in racing we second guess our limits!! Great idea making a workout schedule, I make one also mentally and write it down on my training plan for my half (March 17th) makes its easier to keep track of what I did and the miles I racked in for that week!

Kendid Great job on the current weight loss and although you might not achieve your goal by your hubbys b-day set up a new goal and really push yourself and remind yourself why you started this journey! Your hubby sounds supportive and sometimes we all need a nice, non-sugar coated reality check I myself love those! :happy:

QOTD! Signed up for a Divas 1/2 marathon last month that takes place in May, so that will motivate me to continue running and I plan to wear short shorts this summer haven't in a long time so that is definitely a nice goal to look forward too!

Did a short interval run and had an awesome weight train session today, I plan to run an easy run tomorrow not sure what distance yet but it has to be done before work since I have class after work other than trying to rest up, catch up on sleep and these threads, well ladies hope you all have a great Wednesday! Cynthia!! :bigsmile:

lalonmeg000

Little hectic this week, I have 6 papers due on top of normal homework ! Eeeekkkk!!!

Quick post then bed

Cynthia- so sorry to hear about your boyfriends sister. Y'all will be in my prayers

Meag- thanks girl ! I need all the luck I can get when I tell my boss I am leaving! I am going to California for a week for a big theater convention, but I am also looking at grad schools and interns while I am there hopefully one day I will move out there. Also you cease to amaze me ! 3 hour run !? You go girl, man that is an awesome workout !!!

Bethany- coming for a visit in the last week of march ! I will be in long-beach , where are you at ? And yes I would love to meet up , I am not sure of my schedule just yet but we will have to try and work something out!! Keep up the running you are doing great !

Allie- I am excited to quit but nervous too, it's a HUGE leap of faith . Great job on your runs, the princess run looks so fun and loved your costume !!!

For the QOTD's: I keep on track by planning ! Even if it's a rough idea of what I will eat in the week it has to get planned and packed ahead of time! I am too busy to think what do I want to eat during my quick lunches.

I am motivated for the spring because of my trip to Cali and possible move to New York for the summer. Not that I am looking...but I wouldn't mind a little attention on the beach or in time square


AFM; it's crunch time ! I have 3 weeks till I leave for Cali and that's a solid 8-10 lbs I can lose, oh and it will happen ! I want the people I am traveling with to wish I hadn't gone with them because I look so awesome in all my cute interview and schmoozing clothes. Shallow? Very. Got back to insanity this week and it feels great ! 10x better than not doing it . Eating was spot on today, and it's only uphill from here ! Still a lot of work but can't wait till I get to the top. Spring break is in 4 days ! Yeasssss!!!! I need the break and hopefully after that I will gain the courage to tell the boss "see ya!"

Anywho, better get to sleep, waking up early early to workout before I go to work and class! Post again tomorrow, and glad to be back