Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Easter Weekend- Food, Family, & Fitness!

Who says you can't stay on track when you're traveling?

I drove home to PA this weekend to visit family for Easter and my dad's birthday and had such a great weekend! I got to see my entire family and some friends too!

I packed an apple for the drive and have made this trip many times so I know there is a Sheetz that I can get a fresh salad at on the drive. Man, I love Sheetz!
I ordered this beauty and they make it to order which is what I loveeee about Sheetz. You don't have to guess how long it has been sitting in that cooler! I got romaine lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, onion, yellow peppers, eggs, and chicken with a Fat Free Italian Dressing. NOM NOM NOM! Don't make excuses, don't ruin your hard work, prepare for success or you are setting yourself up for failure!

Friday, during the day, I spent time with my oldest sister, her husband and my two nieces who live in Pittsburgh. We walked everywhere we went. We went to a diner and did errands and enjoyed the weather and got to catch up. It was seriously a perfect day. I snapped a pic of her crazy mutt, Rika, that climbs trees, this cracks me up. She climbs the tree and barks at everyone who walk or run by the house, lol. Crazy girl.


Friday night, my entire family (17 people + those 2 beautiful babas) got together for a nice Chinese dinner. We do this once a year and we just order a bunch of dinners and pass them around. I passed on the egg roll and had won-ton soup instead. The soup has less fat and calories, plus anything fried KILLS my stomach. For my meal, I picked out chicken and veggies from the various plates and limited myself to 2 pieces of General Tsos. Chinese food tends to have excess oils and sauces that always leave me with a stomach ache, and the fried chicken dishes are higher in fat and grease, so just pick healthier options such as chicken and vegetables next time!
GAAAH! Can't even take the cuteness, if only I would have showered, lol! Regardless, I'm in love with my baby nieces! Lily is 3 and Clover is 5 months!

Friday night, my mom, dad, niece, middle sister (who's pregnant, yay more babies), and I all stayed at my parents and the 3 year old decided we should have a pajama party. So, we all dug out our pjs and watched a pirate Pixar movie. I was so happy to be home with the ones I love.

How cute are we all smooshed together for this pic?! :)

Saturday, we all went for a walk around our neighborhood and Lily decided she wanted to be pulled in her wagon. My family walked 1 mile while I ran 6, it was such a great day with beautiful weather! It makes me so happy to see my family enjoying being active!
Someone didn't quite make it, lol. It was nap time so we just left her in there when we got home. Soo stinkin' CUTE!

I managed to eat healthy when I was home and still get in exercise, don't make excuses, don't say you'll start tomorrow. THIS IS A LIFESTYLE. Make healthy choices today so you can have a long & healthy future. :)


This was my lunch today - Spinach base, shredded broccoli and carrots (I buy a bag of broccoli slaw pre-cut found in the produce section), clean meatloaf (made with wheat flour, and venison and turkey), some left over baked chicken, hemp seeds, ground flax seed, a hard boiled egg, and like 3 leftover organic pasta noodles from last night. I go with what I have and throw anything in there!
Hemp seeds are full of omega-3s and omega-6 plus all the essential amino acids! I love to sprinkle them on salads! Here is some nutritional facts - Click on the picture to make it bigger!


I usually use about 1 TBS in my salads with 1 TBS ground Flax Seed.

According to, Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D, Flaxseed's health benefits come from the fact that it's high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as phytochemicals called lignans. One tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains 2 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids (good fat plus omega 3s) and 2 grams of dietary fiber and 37 calories.  Flaxseed is commonly used to improve digestive health or relieve constipation. Flaxseed may also help lower total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease.  See the rest of the article HERE.

I have challenged myself to eat clean 100% of the time this month, with 1 "cheat meal" a week. A cheat meal is where you let yourself get the burger & fries, or even a less healthy version of a healthy dish, such as fried chicken salad over grilled. It's up to you how much you need to "cheat", but it is 100% necessary for success. You can not physically deprive yourself of everything forever. Everything in moderation. I have been eating clean about 85% of the time and have seen awesome changes in my body, particularly my abs and legs. So, I'm ready to see what being more strict will do for me. I have no problem eating clean, I don't feel like I'm depriving myself, and I FEEL BETTER. No more stomach aches, I feel less tired, and am eating every 3-4 hours so I am not leaving myself hungry.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF TODAY! MAKE AN "APRIL CHALLENGE" FOR YOURSELF! FOR the month of April, NOT for me, haha! Will it be exercise related? Food Related? Health Related? MAKE A SPECIFIC GOAL & STICK TO IT!

Make today a great one!
Xo- April

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