Life After the HCG Diet Race for the Cure 2014

This weekend, I had the opportunity to run the Race for the Cure with my best friend and my stepdad. The race is only a 5K (which is great because Im totally not a distance runner... yet, and Im not all that fast.). I did this race last year when I first started running. During the 2013 Race for the Cure my 5K time was 42 minutes. I was unable to run the whole thing, but I was pleased that I finished.

This year I went in with the goal to run the whole thing and beat 37 minutes. In the last couple months, Ive been pretty consistent with running. I started increasing my distance to the point that I could run/jog a 5K. Once I knew I could do it, I tried my best to set goals to get faster. I started at 40 minutes, went down to 39, the 38, then about 37:30. And then.... I plateaued. Despite my consistency, I just couldnt break that 37 minute mark. As discouraging as it was, I kept running. The weather got warmer and I started running at work on lunch breaks, up hills, down hills, and all around trails.

When race day rolled around on Saturday, I was optimistic that it was going to be a fun run. And IT WAS! My friend Brice and my stepdad are much faster than me, but I was able to run with Brice for about the first mile. The whole race I was feeling pretty good. When I completed my second mile, I was surprised to find out that my time was only 22 something. That meant that I was on track to beat 37 minutes! This helped me relax a little bit more and just enjoy the last mile. I crossed the finish line at 35:24! My fastest 5K time EVER. It was an incredibly motivating experience. Im so glad that I didnt quit when I plateaued. I just kept running even though I felt like I wasnt seeing the results I was hoping for. :) I am so happy with my progress. The experience was motivating enough to help me realize that my hard work really is paying off. I surprise myself all the time at what Im able to accomplish when I just hang in a little longer.

Running has been a tremendous blessing for me as Ive been trying to maintain my weight loss. Now that Ive surpassed a 5K, I want to work on training for a 10K :) Theres an awesome race coming up in July!

When you lose weight, I cant stress how important it is to find something you love doing, whether its at the gym, on the trail, on a field or in a studio, GET MOVING. :)

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Healthy Reeses Cup Oatmeal

Ive always hated eating breakfast. This is mostly due to my distaste for nearly every breakfast food. I dont like bacon, sausage, french toast, crepes, and for the majority of my life I didnt like eggs or oatmeal either. Talk about picky, right?

 As Ive been losing weight and trying to be healthier, I learned how critical it is to eat breakfast to get my metabolism going each morning. Being so prejudice against breakfast food makes this task kind of hard... So I decided to suck it up and try to eat oatmeal.

Oatmeal is low in calories, and high in fiber which means it keeps you full! What more could I want in a breakfast food? Oh yeah... for it to taste good. I set out on a quest to find some tasty oatmeal. Quaker makes the flavored oatmeal packs, but when I looked at the nutritional facts I realized that all of that flavoring makes the oatmeal much higher in carbs than it needs to be.

Using original oatmeal as a base, then dressing it up yourself using natural ingredients and sweeteners puts you in control of how many carbohydrates youre getting. It also opens up a world of options when it comes to adding in some protein to make it an even heartier meal!

I started experimenting... and out of that experimenting came this mock Reeses Cup Oatmeal. Oh. My. Gosh. Its freaking tasty, and it only takes about 5 minutes to make.

1 package Quaker Original Instant Oatmeal
1/2 tablespoon peanut butter
1/4 scoop Chocolate Triumph Slim
1 teaspoon Trulicious stevia

Prepare oatmeal as the package instructs. Add in protein powder, Trulicious Stevia, and peanut butter. Mix well and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes before eating to give the peanut butter a chance to melt. This recipe has 168 calories, 23 g carbs (thats nearly 10 g less than Quakers flavored instant oatmeal), and 8 g protein!

Whats your favorite way to make oatmeal?

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