Surviving the Invasion of the Chocolate Bunny

Easter has come and gone once again.  I always get a little bit nervous around holidays because I know that I lack self control in the eating department.  I’ll go in with good intentions but always end up over eating.  I’ll have “just one” treat which turns into two, then four, then before you know it I’ve eaten a whole bowl of chocolate eggs, devoured a chocolate bunny’s head and torso and then…well why stop there…bye bye bunny. And then of course there’s always the Easter feast full of good food like glazed ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole and all the extra delicious and not necessarily good for you foods that I don’t often get. And since I don’t get them often I tend to stuff myself full enough that you’d think it was my last meal…ever.  So this is what I was trying to avoid this year.

Well, I am very happy to report that this year I made it through:

1. Without stuffing myself so full of the Easter feast that I needed to switch to maternity pants
2. Without eating a single chocolate egg or any part of a chocolate bunny
3. Without straying from my clean eating plan
4. Feeling completely satisfied

I know, I know, you probably think I must be some kind of super hero with super will power right? Well, I made it through by hosting the Easter dinner myself this year! I always say I want to host a holiday meal for the family but am usually not on the ball enough to actually make it happen.  But finally, I made it work. And I have to say that it was a lot easier than I expected.  I was hosting dinner for 12 adults and 2 kids so I tried to keep the dishes as simple as possible and prepped what I could ahead of time.

I have two crockpots so I was excited to find out I could cook both my ham and sweet potatoes in the crockpot and then use the oven for my roasted potatoes.  The asparagus was done on the stove top so none of the food was competing for cooking time/space.  In the end I felt dinner for 14 was way too easy and I should throw some flour on my face and mess up my hair or something to make it look like I slaved over the stove.

I really wanted to keep everything as “clean” as possible.  Turns out it’s a lot harder than expected to find a ham that’s not full of nitrates etc.  So I had to make do with what I could find and opted for the one without any glaze or sugar.  Other then that I think the meal would meet clean eating standards.

Here’s my menu:

Honey & Thyme Glazed Ham

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes

Coconut Cardamom Sweet Potatoes

Chocolate Banana Freezer Pie

Mixed Berry Pie

My sister in law also brought over a fabulous salad, my mom provided a veggie tray and whole wheat buns.

I think everyone enjoyed the meal for the most part, I know I sure did! Of course when you are feeding 14 people you are bound to make things that won’t suit everyone’s tastes.  But as far as I know no one left hungry!

I knew that there would still be chocolate treats brought over so I tried to offer alternatives so I didn’t feel the need to indulge. I also asked the family to please refrain from bringing baskets full of chocolate over for the kids and me. If I’m not left with a bunch of chocolate, then I won’t feel the need to eat said chocolate!

For the most part, everyone listened to my chocolate free requests and we had much less chocolate brought over for the kids than usual. Of course there was a bag of chocolate eggs hanging out on the coffee table that everyone sat around and ate.  But, honestly I really wasn’t even that tempted by it.  I’ve been avoiding sugar for awhile now and I definitely don’t feel the same urge to gorge myself on it that I used to. I was satisfied from my meal and then enjoyed my clean eating desserts afterwards without feeling guilty or overstuffed.

All in all I would consider Easter dinner a success! And I think I showed that it’s possible to have a yummy holiday meal without straying from clean eating. So instead of sitting around complaining about stuffed tummies we were free to sit around and enjoy each others company…and the wine of course.

Do you tend to overindulge over the holidays? What are your favorite healthy foods or tips to help stay on track?

Now That’s Hot: A First Timers Bikram Yoga Experience

When my friend, Brandi,  asked me to join her at Bikram Yoga my first thought was “Yikes! I’d probably pass out!” But I’ve decided this year that I’m going to put myself out there.  I want to try new things and challenge myself in ways I never would have before.  So instead of running away, I said yes.  Even if I go and absolutely hate it, then I can say I tried and move on to the next thing. But really, you never know what you’re going to love if you don’t even try, right? As if it was fate, shortly after Brandi suggested it, I found a Groupon for 5 sessions at a Bikram yoga studio in Calgary and decided now was a pretty good time to give it a shot.

If you’ve been reading my blog you might remember that I get slightly nervous before trying new things. (Check out Pre Race Freak Out Time!) So my next panicked thought was “what do I wear?!?!” (Because you know, that really is the most important question in whatever you are doing.) Since Bikram yoga is done in a room heated to 40.5 degrees C, you know it’s going to be HOT! And you’re going to want to wear minimal clothing.  I was told to wear shorts, but me in shorts while working out with other people…well, I’m just not there yet.  So I opted for the capris and tank.

They told us to drink plenty of water the day of class.  So I nervously downed about 5L.  I think that’s the most I’ve ever peed in one day.  I kind of felt like I was pregnant again with all those trips to the bathroom. But man was I hydrated!

When we got to the yoga studio the first thing we noticed were the front doors dripping in condensation.  Hmmm, a lovely sign of what was to come.  The friendly staff directed us where to go but after seeing that door I couldn’t concentrate on anything but the voice in my head saying “What the heck did you get myself into?!” Good thing Brandi was listening.

We opened the sliding doors and walked in.  Immediately I was hit with the heat wave.  What I wasn’t expecting was a dark room where everyone was laying down quietly on their mats not making a sound.  Not going to lie, I felt a little awkward and out-of-place.  It looked like I walked into nap time at the yoga studio.  I probably would have turned around and walked out had I not been with Brandi, but she seemed to know what she was doing so I just followed her lead.

We laid down on our mats in the dark and the heat for what seemed like an eternity.  Again, not knowing what to expect I was very unsure of how long we were supposed to be laying there.  I kept telling myself that I was on a beach in Mexico and tried to just enjoy the heat and relax.  But I was still feeling pretty awkward and wasn’t sure when everything really got started.

Finally, the instructor walked in and  turned on the lights. We soon found out that the front row spots we scored were not the place for first timers and were promptly asked to move.  Whoops! We ended up right behind an old guy which midway through the class I nicknamed “Sir Fartsalot”.  Mental note: next time, pick spot carefully and away from gassy old man in spandex.

Once we got started I was surprised to find out that the instructor just calls out the poses and talks the entire class but does not actually demonstrate the moves.  I got used to that and then just started watching the people in the front row because obviously those people aren’t first timers.   It wasn’t too long before I was sweating more than a dog in a Chinese restaurant.  Like dripping, puddles of sweat. I had been told you should just sweat away and not worry about wiping as it would help you to stay cooler.  I was able to do that thanks to my trusty Lululemon headband which kept the sweat from dripping into my eyes. But the worst part was when we were supposed to grab our feet in certain poses and I just could not hold on because everything was so slippery!

I really wasn’t sure what to think through most of the class and couldn’t decide if I liked it or hated it.  But kept reminding myself that it was my first class and the first time in any class is always pretty difficult. Towards the end I was actually starting to enjoy it though and was loving the good stretches I was getting.  I sweated, slipped, fell from poses and was pretty confused most of the time.  But I did manage to last the whole 90 minutes in the room.  And really, as a first timer I’m told that is your goal.   So I would consider that a success! I’m looking forward to going for the rest of our sessions and who knows, maybe I’ll become a yogi after all.

Tell me, what’s your experience with hot yoga? Do you stay away or are you hooked?

My Answers to the Pre Race Freak Out Questions

In my Pre Race Freak Out Time post I raised some complete newbie extremely important questions and thought you might want to know how I answered them! While I am definitely not claiming that these are the RIGHT answers to the questions, they are the answers that worked for me.

What am I supposed to wear?  I decided to go with my ultra comfortable, tried and true, all time favorite Lululemon gear. Run Inspire Crop II, Cool Racer Back Tank Extra Long, and Jacket (sorry can’t remember the name and now it is discontinued!).  And of course don’t forget the Bondiband! I love these headbands for holding back my bangs and keeping the sweat out of my eyes.  Lots of cute designs as well.

I found it to be the perfect outfit for the -1 degree C temperature.  Not too hot, not too cold.  Plus the built in gloves in the jacket were perfect for the start of the race before I was totally warmed up.  It must have been a good choice of outfit cause Rachel showed up in the same thing!

So this bagel happens to be frozen and isn't loaded with cream cheese. But whatever...you get the drift!

What am I supposed to eat? I opted for a bagel, banana and a ViSalus Pro energy drink to hydrate and give me some extra energy.  I also had a ViSalus Go instant energy drink about 10 minutes before the start of the race.  Oh how I love my Go and Pro…And they aren’t pumped full of junk, sugar and tons of caffeine like many others.  I use them every morning before Fitcamp and I really find they help to give me that extra boost. You can check them out by clicking here.

How am I supposed to carry my iPhone? Should I carry it in my hand or in my pocket? Well I ended up putting it in the back zippered pocket of my Lulu jacket and had the headphones come up around my back.  That way I didn’t have to worry about holding or dropping my iPhone and also didn’t have to worry about headphone strings flying around in front of me. Plus the jacket is snug enough that it didn’t let the iPhone bounce around when I ran.

What should I have on my Playlist? I got a few suggestions from people and realized that running music is highly subjective.  What gets one person moving may not motivate another in the slightest.  So I used some of the suggestions I received but mostly just stuck to songs I already had on my iPhone.  When I run I need uptempo songs that put me in a good mood or bring back memories.  If a song comes on and I want to break out into song or dance then it’s going to motivate me to run.  If there’s no words, can’t do it.  It could have the best beat ever for running but if I don’t connect to the song it’s not going to get me going.  Though the first two are slightly embarrassing they are songs that kind of make me laugh and always put me in a good mood.  So judge me all you want but I like them! I also have a much longer list then I needed but I wasn’t entirely sure how long the 5k would take me.  I’d rather have more music than not enough! So here is my list:

1. Dirrty – Christina Aguilera
2. Toxic – Britney Spears
3. Suddenly I See – KT Tunstell
4. Harder to Breathe – Maroon 5 (I placed this one about the time I would probably be getting a bit out of breathe mostly for the smile factor…it worked)
5. That’s Not My Name – The Ting Tings
6. Rolling In the Deep – Adele
7. Dog Days Are Over – Florence + The Machine (definitely one of my new fave running songs! Thanks Jilion)
8. Legend of a Cowgirl – Imani Coppola
9. I Will Survive – Cake
10. Here We Go Again – Everclear
11. Semi-Charmed Life – Third Eye Blind
12. Sex on Fire – Kings of Leon
13. Monkey Wrench – Foo Fighters

So there you have it! All your first time running questions answered in one place! Ok maybe not, but perhaps now you won’t feel as weird asking your own newbie questions on YOUR first race? Picked up a new song for your running list? Have this crazy urge to run to Lululemon? Either way…you’re welcome. 

And the results are in!

Well I did it! I completed my very first 5k race!  My official time was 31:56 and I placed 8th in my division and 31st out of all 180 women.  As you may have seen in yesterday’s freak out post, I was pretty darn nervous about this one.  There were just so many unknowns since it was my first time doing a race and my first time running 5k outside.  Not to mention the fact that I was just recovering from my hip flexor injury and hadn’t actually run in 3 weeks! I was fully prepared to walk this race if I had to.  So I wasn’t expecting amazing results. In fact I was expecting it to take about 40 minutes.

How cute are we in our matching outfits?

I was very lucky to have my bestie with me for this race.  We were able to drive down together and do the awkward/nervous pre race freak out together.  It’s always so much better to do things with friends and Rachel is also the best fitness motivator a girl could have.   So to do my first race with her was fantastic. Since she was doing the 10k I was able to see her start out and cheer her on. (Which by the way she kicked ASS at! Her first 10k and she placed 10th for the women!)

Hubby and kidlets made it just in time to give me hugs and wish me luck!

I took the advice of friends and decided to start at the back of the pack.  Better to be passing people then to have everyone pass you right away! This ego did not need to take a hit right at the start of the race since I was already freaking out a bit.  I was very happy with that decision and it really did feel good to be the one passing other people and not the other way around.

And we're off!!

Another piece of advice I received from a few friends was to make sure I didn’t start out too fast and just to run at MY pace.  Great advice.  I knew it would be very difficult to judge how fast I was running since I normally have the treadmill to keep my pace for me. So I decided to use Runkeeper and had it set to tell me my time, distance, average pace and current pace.  I found it really helpful to keep me on track that way so I knew when I needed to push myself a bit harder.

At about the half way point I almost started giggling to myself.  I couldn’t believe that I was actually running in a race.  Me, the girl who did NOT run.  The girl who after running for 3 minutes straight would be completely out of breath and want to die.  A year ago I remember thinking that people must actually run/walk every 5k or 10k cause there’s no way someone could actually run the WHOLE 5k distance right? It just seemed like an impossible goal.  A goal which I promptly gave up on   And after that, to be in the middle of a 5k knowing that yes, I WILL complete this and I WILL run the whole way, well it just kinda made me feel giddy!

So I pushed on and got just past the 4k mark where I got a huge side stitch.  Ouch!  I was grimacing a bit and slowed my pace down slightly when I looked over and saw this couple standing on the side of the pathway cheering for the runners going by.  They were so cute and she was yelling at me “You can do it! You’re almost there!”.  I couldn’t help but smile and push myself a little harder.

On the home stretch!

I came around the bend, saw the finish line and gave it my all.  I saw the clock was at 39:00 and thought “At least I’m going to be under 40!” Which honestly was better then I expected. So I finished and walked around to find my husband and kids.  Peter seemed a little too impressed with my time.  I mean I was happy with it, heck I was just happy that I actually was able to run the whole way, but I’ve definitely run faster at home. My best time on the treadmill was 34 minutes so even though I expected 40, I was still kind of hoping for 35. But I also knew that it was going to be hard since I hadn’t run in so long.

“At least I was under 40 minutes” I said.  He looks at me and says “You were under 32 minutes!” I was very confused so he continues “That’s the time for the 10k and they started 8 minutes before you!” Oh…right!  Well THEN I was excited.  I’d never run 5k in under 32 minutes before! I didn’t even think that was a possible goal for today!  I mean I realize this is not record breaking by any means, but it’s record breaking for ME! I was super pumped.

I still can’t believe I did it.  I faced my fears, I didn’t use my injury as an excuse to give up and I just showed myself that I am capable of so much more than I thought.  I’m so grateful for the people in my life that inspire me and push me to be better everyday. I’ve got an amazing support system of some seriously awesome people.

We did it!

So now I think I’m pretty hooked on running.  It was SUCH a good feeling to finish that race and I can’t wait to do my next one.  I guess the big decision will be…go for a better time in a 5k or try out a 10k? Hmmmm…

So what are YOU going to do?  Tell me about your next race.  Don’t have one coming up? Set a goal and post it here! Cause seriously, if I can do this, ANYONE can do it!

Pre-Race Freak Out Time!

Well, tomorrow is race day, my very first 5K, and I’m not going to lie…I’m kinda freaking out! I know it’s going to be fine.  I know I need to just relax and have fun.  But I cannot get rid of these butterflies in my stomach!  This morning I was looking some stuff up about the race and my hands actually started shaking, like uncontrollable, freaking out shaking!

I think it’s just because it’s all so unknown to me.  I’ve never done a race before, I’ve never even ran 5k outside before! So I’m not entirely sure what to expect.   I start thinking about details like, what the heck am I supposed to wear outside in 5 degree weather while running? What am I supposed to eat the night before the race or the morning of the race? How should I carry my iPhone to listen to my music during the run? Should I carry it in my hand? Should I put it in a pocket? What should I have on my playlist to keep me motivated? It’s all these little things that I’d never even thought about before that are freaking me out. And then of course the big one, what if I get out there and I just can’t do it?

I love trying new things but at the same time I hate trying new things.  The idea of pushing myself to do something different is always fun and exciting, but just before I do whatever new thing I’m trying it’s pretty much guaranteed that I will have my major freak out moments.  Doesn’t matter if it’s starting a new job, trying a new exercise class by myself, walking into a restaurant I’ve never been in to meet someone, auditioning for a vocal competition, getting together with someone who I haven’t talked to in ages, getting on a scary roller coaster, getting a tattoo…any kind of new experience for me is going to send me into a panic.  Could be days before, it could be minutes, but there will be panic.  But I always have to tell myself to suck it up and just do it. And this is why:

I don’t want to live my life with regrets.  I’d much rather face my fears, get out of my comfort zone and fail miserably than to chicken out and always wonder what would have happened if I’d just tried. No matter what, it’s an experience and you can learn from it.

So that being said, I’m still freaking out, it’s just part of my nature.  But is it going to stop me? Absolutely not.  I’m excited and I can’t wait to give this race my best shot! EEEK!  Wish me luck!

Count Your Blessings

This morning I had Fitcamp.  As you may know from my last post Pride is Out, Gratitude is in, I haven’t been able to do the running portions or a lot of the lower body work during this class.  On the way to Fitcamp this morning I started thinking again how you really don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.  So I had a little conversation with God and thanked him for all the blessings that I do have in my life.  I also acknowledged how little I appreciated the fact that I was able to run before I hurt myself and knew that this experience would make me appreciate it all the more.

I think sometimes God does need to take things away from us in order for us to appreciate them all the more when they are returned.  Sometimes we never get them back but maybe it just makes us more grateful for the rest of our blessings in life.  I realize that in comparison to many people’s big eye opening experiences in life, having a minor hip flexor injury is really no big deal.  There are WAY bigger things going on in this world.  In fact, there are bigger things going on even in my own life.  But I think sometimes God whispers, and sometimes He whacks you over the head.  He may have whispered this time, but He got my attention. By taking that little thing away from me, I’ve taken notice of a lot more of the bigger areas in my life.

So back to the beginning.  This morning I had Fitcamp.  During the running portions I decided to give it a try. Well, I actually ran. I didn’t have pain.  I was freaking ecstatic! On the way home I was so excited and just feeling completely blessed that I almost started to cry. When I came home and told my husband that I completed all running portions, I completely teared up again.  I may not be out of the woods for this injury just yet, and I’m going to take it easy.  But I’m definitely going to have a new mindset every time I lace up those running shoes.

You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, but if it’s ever returned to you make sure you don’t ever take it for granted again!

Pride is Out, Gratitude is In

A few weeks ago, in true Leesa fashion, I randomly injured my hip flexor.  How I did it, I have no idea. I imagine it had something to do with my running technique but I can’t pinpoint it to a specific time.

For the first week of the injury I pushed through the pain and kept running until I finally decided I needed to tell my trainer about it. I’ve now been off running for two weeks. In the past having an injury would almost give me a sense of relief because being the queen of excuses, this was THE perfect excuse not to exercise.  But now in my new “addicted to exercise” state it’s been driving me CRAZY.

During Fitcamp when all the other Fitcampers are doing their running sessions poor sad Leesa is walking around the field with steam coming out of her ears.  It’s starting to make me a little twitchy not being able to join in when I see everyone else working their tail off.

Race day is one week from today. One week! And I haven’t been able to run for two weeks.  My goals of running my race and making decent time are now out the window.  IF I can even run for this race I am going to be nowhere near my goal time. *sigh*

It’s been a little frustrating for me for many reasons.  One of the biggest ones is that I’ve set these goals, announced them and now I feel like I’ve failed before I’ve even been given a chance. My pride is taking a huge hit.

So today I decided instead of just steaming about it I would just go outside and get a good refreshing walk in the sunshine. Then I started seeing the runners pass me and immediately my pride takes a big sucker punch once again.  So the first part of my walk was spent with self pity and pride taking over.  And then, I took a deep breath of that fresh morning air and thought, Leesa, you have legs to walk.  Be grateful that you can do that because not everyone is so lucky.  Quit focusing on what you CAN’T do, and start being grateful for all the things you CAN do.

Why is it that we take so many things for granted? I don’t stop and thank God on a regular basis that my body is capable of running, jumping, hiking, picking up my children, driving my car etc etc.  We just expect everything to work as it’s supposed to.  And then the minute something doesn’t work as it’s supposed to I feel I have the right to feel sorry for myself.

Well today I decided to thank God for what I do have and to just let that be enough. I also decided that I am going to set pride aside and enter that race whether I can run or not.  If I have to walk the whole way, so be it! These legs are fully capable of walking and for that I am truly grateful. I’m giving that pride a swift kick in the behind and letting gratitude take its place.

What are you grateful for today?