GORP

Well, the past week or so I have not done a very good job at sticking with a healthy lifestyle. There are many factors contributing to this: laziness, lack of money, lack of time, lack of motivation...I could go on. Anyway, I am realizing more and more that I have to stay on top of things, be organized, and not give in to temptations (to sleep too much, eat too much, etc.). When trying to lose less than 15 pounds, every workout and every meal seems to count extra. I will do well for a few days, lose 2-3 pounds, then do poorly for a few days and gain them right back.

One thing I have noticed is that I need to stay organized, and plan out meals, groceries, budget, etc. When I don't plan these things well, we seem to run out of food and money at the same time, and our "reserves" seem to always be junk food. This month one of my goals is to do a better job with all of this so that I will have good, healthy meals planned, and a good supply of healthy snacks. I noticed on Monday at work how hard it is to get through the day when you are hungry, and the temptation to eat a lot when you get home from work if you have not eaten well throughout the day. Last week I brought snacks to eat when I have breaks, and it really made a difference. On Monday I had a small, healthy lunch around 11:00, but nothing else to eat until after 5:00 when I got off work. My energy was low that afternoon, and I was starving when I got home.

So, I got paid (from one of my jobs) yesterday, and was able to pick up some groceries. A friend at school had given me a big bag of M&M's, which I definitely do not need to be eating in large quantities, so I decided to make some GORP with it. What is GORP you may be asking yourself? Well, it is basically trail mix. I have heard it stands for "Good 'Ole Raisins and Peanuts." When I worked at the Outdoor Pursuits Center in college, we made this to take on all of our outdoor trips. It was wonderful in the middle of a day of backpacking, because it helped give you the boost of energy you need. It generally has some sugar, salt, and protein. There are many variations when making this, and last night I made mine with equal parts M&M's, Raisins, and unsalted dry roasted peanuts. You can also add cereals, pretzels, reeses pieces, dried fruits, or anything else along those lines. Now, this is not something I need to eat large amounts of, but a handful in the middle of the morning or afternoon gives me a good energy boost, and calms my appetite.

Last night Josh had his night class, and I was coming back from coaching a basketball game out of town, so I decided it would be a good night to pick up dinner. I went to Rudy's Barbecue, which is close to my house, and very good. I ordered a turkey sandwich, which I feel is a fairly healthy option, but I decided to add a side of potato salad, which may not have been the best idea (probably a lot of mayonnaise in that).

On Monday, I tried to think of a healthy lunch I could make quickly at home during my lunch break. We did not have much in the fridge or pantry (this was pre-payday, so pickings were slim), so I decided to go with pasta. I cooked bow tie pasta, then added quartered cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, olive oil, dried basil (fresh would have been better, but I did not have any), fresh grated parmesan, and salt and pepper. It was really good and light! I think this might also be a good cold pasta you could make the night before, stick in the fridge, and eat it cold the next day.

Exercise update: I actually exercised! It had been awhile. Last night I went climbing again with some friends. I am really enjoying getting back into it. It is such a great workout, and I feel like I push myself more with climbing than any other sport I do. When you climb, your goal is very obvious, and I find the challenge really fun and rewarding (completing a difficult route after many attempts feels really good)! My motivation to push myself with sports like running is a lot lower. I know I could run harder than I do, but it is easy to just settle into a slow pace and go.

This morning, I tricked myself into getting up and running. This is how: last night I set my phone alarm and set it on my bedside table. I also set my ipod alarm for 10 minutes later, and put it on the floor so that it would require more effort. When the phone alarm went off this morning, I told myself I was not running today and reset it for 45 minutes later. However, when my ipod went off, I had to reach down and get it, making myself wake up more. I laid in bed fighting an internal battle of whether or not to get up, and the good side squeaked out the victory today! I ran for 20 minutes (in freezing temps), and came home in time to get ready for work and eat a good breakfast.
I like using this light vanilla flavored soy milk in cereal. It is healthy and a little easier on the stomach. Some of you may be thinking soy milk sounds really gross, which is partially true. I don't think it is that great as a drink on its own, but it tastes good in cereal, and I particularly like the vanilla flavor. So, I had a bowl of organic toasted oats (similar to Cheerios) with soy milk and topped with blueberries...not too bad!