On gym days i wear grey....or black...or navy

Hello beautiful people! How are all the things????

If you have been following the blog on Instagram I’ve been trying to post more.

I recently posted a picture of my socks only because they have cookies and milk on them! I mean, they had to be shared. This morning when I hit the gym my socks had squirrels and acorns on them.

My gym clothes are pretty bland, as I have notice since I started posting for the blog, so I like to add some fun socks to the mix. It’s just a little something to help me stay motivated to go to the gym. Is it weird I get excited to go to the gym so I can wear my fun socks? Huh? Yes? Maybe? I dunno, who cares. I usually get my fun socks at old navy or target. I pay between .50 and $1.50 per pair. It’s a small little treat for myself. Aren’t they fun!

Back to my gym clothes really quick. They are BORING. I wear so much grey and black and navy. I’m so conservative with my gym attire. In my mind its so I can just kind of blend in and go unnoticed but then I wear loud ass shoes. Doesn’t make sense. So, I’m going to start seeking out gym clothes that fit my personality a little more. I’m pretty out going but my gym attire says, You Can’t See Me. Any suggestions? Obviously, I wear boy clothes to the gym. Do boys wear fun gym attire? Maybe not. Maybe that’s why I gravitate toward black and grey and navy because that’s all I have to choose from. Hmm. Help me out here people. Any guys that read this blog, do you wear colorful gym clothes? If so, where do buy them?

Ok, ok I’m moving on. On Sunday I posted on Instagram about telling yourself every day, one thing you like about your body. This is so important to me, we need to be more body positive. It’s so easy to list the things you don’t like about your body. I spent so many years of my life focusing on what was wrong with my body. I even sacrificed my health and sanity to try to rid my body of what I didn’t like about it. Guess what, I still have problem areas. Being negative toward my body and punishing it for what I felt was wrong with it changed nothing. I still dwell sometimes on what I don’t like but whenever I feel myself being too negative toward my body I make sure to mentally list things I like and appreciate about my body. I make an effort to look in the mirror every day and tell myself one thing I like that day.  This past Sunday it was my quads. When I wear my running shorts to the gym I get to see my quads work. I am able to watch the muscles move and it makes me proud of the work I put in. So, appreciate your bodies people. They do a lot for you, don’t take them for granted.

So real quick I wanna talk Whole 30. A few blog posts ago I mentioned I was participating in the Whole 30 for the month of January. 30 days to reset my eating habits which were slacking for sure. Well, January is over so I want to share what I have learned over the past 30 days.

1.       30 days is a long time. It doesn’t seem that long but around day 5 it starts to seem endless.

2.       I am way too dependent on Almonds and Cashews. I rely on them a lot to get me past cravings and to fill the void between work and dinner time. I am more conscious about the amount of cashews and almonds I eat now.

3.       30 days does not get rid of a sweet tooth. I just love sweets! In particular chocolate. Restricting myself from chocolate has been SUPER difficult. 30 days later and I still crave it. Not that I was eating tons of it all the time but I guess knowing I can’t have it made me crave it more. Now that I have eliminated it from my diet for 30 days I’m not sure if I want to reintroduce it. It may lead to binging and I’m not about that life.

4.       Fruit is not the enemy. I have limited or eliminated fruit from my diet for a long time. Just the thought of how much sugar, natural or not, fruit has always turned my stomach. On the Whole 30 fruit is not eliminated. I mean, you shouldn't eat fruit at every meal but I have introduced some fruit into my diet. Guess what?! I didn’t balloon up. So that’s a win. Same goes for Sweet potatoes. Starchy veggies freak me out. I fear if I eat them I will gain weight. Well, a lot of my sweet cravings I have satisfied by eating some sweet potato. And boy o boy! Its been yummy. I LOVE sweet potatoes. I’ve realized I need to keep some starchy veggies in my diet. It helps rid my cravings for sweets and gives me more energy for my morning workouts.

5.       Alcohol, I could care less. Prior to the Whole 30 I really hadn’t been indulging in adult beverages that often.  During the Whole 30 I still haven’t missed it. I don’t miss feeling lousy the next day. I don’t miss feeling bloated or looking swollen. I certainly don’t miss making a fool of myself when I’ve had too much. I’m not saying I’ll never have another drink again but, to be honest, I could care less if I do have a drink.

6.       Get your food right, you get your mind right. Since starting the Whole 30 I feel my diet is more balanced. I feel I listen to my body more and feed it what it needs. It’s not like I lost a ton of weight or anything but I have leaned out. I feel it in my clothes and see it in the mirror. It has been a real confidence booster. Not to mention I have been sleeping so well! I haven’t slept this good in a long time. Sleep Is super important for maintaining healthy weight, dealing with stress, retaining information, the list goes on. I just feel like I’ve gained energy and clarity

The Whole 30 may not be for everyone but I have certainly had a lot of positives come from it. I plan on sticking relatively close to the guidelines of the Whole 30 going forward.  

ALLLLLLLL RIGHT! Now the moment you have all been waiting for! It’s Super Bowl this weekend! Budah Bum Budah Bum!......That’s the NFL song if you didn’t catch that. It’s the Falcons Vs the Patriots. Who are you rooting for? Are you even into football? I feel like the Super Bowl is for everyone, football fan or not. It’s an excuse to eat a lot and drink a lot and hang out with friends. Its great! I am a football fan but unfortunately my team, the DALLAS COWBOYS, missed going to the big show by a hair. My hubby is a Patriots fan so that is who I will be rooting for. The Super Bowl also offers me a great platform to try new appetizer type recipes and desserts. We don’t usually eat in where an appetizer is needed nor do I bake a lot anymore due to the expense of paleo ingredients so when we have a gathering it’s my excuse to bring out the cook books, flip through Pinterest, and put together a nice spread!

I have two recipes In particular that I want to share with you all. They are both paleo and Whole 30 approved! Or if you don’t follow either of those lifestyles, ignore that last sentence. They are both delicious and non-paleo husband approved! I will be making both of these myself on game day.

The first recipe is a buffalo chicken dip. I mean, the Super Bowl would not be complete without buffalo chicken dip. The only difference is, with this recipe you won’t feel gross the next day.

Buffalo Ranch Dip

Ingredients:

13 oz shredded chicken breast

½ cup cashews

½ cup mayo (I use Sir Kinsington)

2 Tblsp ranch seasoning

(For ranch seasoning, combine the following

   ½ cup dried parsley

   2 Tblsp dried dill weed

   3 Tblsp garlic powder

   3 Tblsp onion powder

              3 Tblsp dried onion flakes

               3 Tblsp dried celery

                4 tsp dried chives

               4 tsp sea salt

                2 tsp black pepper)

½ cup hot sauce

½ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

1.    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Boil cashews in two cups of water for 30 minutes with a lid on the pot to avoid burning

2.    While cashews are cooking combine all other ingredients. Once cashews are done, place cashews into a blender with a ¼ cup of cooking liquid from the pot and mix until smooth.

3.       Fold in cashew cream with other ingredients

4.       Place into a small casserole dish

5.       Cook for 20 minutes until top is a little crusty

6.       Serve with celery sticks, carrots or my favorite, plantain chips

And the next recipe is roasted brussels sprouts with a garlic bacon aioli. I know…..brussels sprouts…but they are really delish with the aioli. If you really can’t handle the sprouts you can dip carrots, cucumber, zucchini, plantain chips. The aioli is good on ANYTHING! Trust me!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Bacon Aioli

Ingredients:

1 lb Brussels Sprouts

2 Tbsp Olive oil

-Salt and pepper to taste

For Aioli:

1/3 Cup Mayo ( I use Sir Kinsington or you can make your own)

2 tsp lemon juice

1 Tblsp minced garlic

2 strips cooked bacon (finely chopped)

1 tsp horseradish mustard

1 tsp fresh thyme

Instructions:

1. Pre-Heat oven to 350

2. Wash and trim ends of brussels sprouts

3. Cut each sprout in half

4. Place cut sprouts in a bowl, top with olive oil, salt and pepper, mix well

5. Place sprouts on a lined cookie sheet (I use aluminum foil)

6. Roast in the oven for about 30-35 minutes until slightly browned, tossing about every 10 minutes to ensure an even roast.

7. While the brussels sprouts are cooking, combine the aioli ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.

8. Place aioli in the fridge until sprouts are done

Once the brussels sprouts are done transfer to a serving dish with the aioli

Serve with tooth picks

FUN FACT: The Monday after the Super Bowl. antacid sales increase by 20%. But if you choose your Super Bowl snacks wisely you won't have to worry about it! :)

Enjoy! And Go Team!