Keep trucking

I feel like I'm kind of sliding off here at the end because I know it's ending, but I think it'd be pretty sad if I stopped living healthy just because there isn't a blog to write about it on (or money to try and win :)... which reminds me I still haven't sent that out). I agree with Josh, about eating more fruit and veggies, I've always liked plants and fruit for food. I've been known by some for late walks to retrieve 'produce' from all night grocery stores. But I think having a healthy quantity of fruit and veggies in my fridge more often just gave me the false sense of eating healthily. When you actually track how much of it you eat a day it's surprising how rarely I would have gotten 4 veggie 3 fruit servings with out forcing that last one or two.
   Otherwise I've started doing an elective morning PT program, we go to the on post gym at 5am every morning and spend an hour plus with headphones in and a highly motivated army ranger making sure our bodies hurt after. Getting all my exercise points, but loosing on sleep some days. Lots of rules is getting old fast, but I did sign up for the army, what else should I have expected. Really excited to go home next month and see all of you! I'm thinking about making one of those paper chains like christmas. It's amazing how something to look forward to can keep you motivated for all that time in between.

Keep on racking up those points! (we should tally total points earned at the end, because I think it'll be a big number, and big numbers have a way of feeling rewarding)

Fit As A Fiddle and Ready to Go

I don't know why but I was thinking about that old piano exercise book we had learning piano lessons, at the end of each section in the book there was a "fit as a fiddle and ready to go" song that put the ideas together, with a fabulous stick figure exercising. That's how the fitness challenge I guess is working out for me, I'm picking up more pieces each time we do this challenge, so it's pretty awesome, and pretty soon I'll be fit as a fiddle and ready to go. And seriously, my mind is kind of tired and disjointed so if this makes any sense I think I get 5 points :-).

Almost done?

The challenge is almost complete, though I plan on still eating four servings of veggies and fruit each day. Might as well keep good habits going.

This challenge has helped me realize that I wasn't not eating nearly as much veggies and fruits as I should each day. In fact, my fondness for veggies is returning. My fiber intake has increased because of it. Mayo Clinic has a list of high-fiber foods that are good to eat. Raspberries are a good source of fiber and the raspberries in the garden are beginning to ripen.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582

If you ever go picking with Eli, most likely you won't be bringing too much fruit in. He loves to pick the fruit and eat it.

We might start making our own protein bars for Jenna again. I debating on it or not. I need to find the recipe again, because I can't remember all of the ingredients. I think the bars will be more healthy for Jenna as well as to have some other snack for Jenna to munch on.

By the way, the kitchen looks GREAT! I cooked dinner tonight, and this is a kitchen that you want to always keep clean. I cleaned up while cooking because, the kitchen is so, so clean and new.

Get (Cottage) Cheesy!

Are we really almost done? Is it too late for someone to sabotage Josh? 

This week I discovered the wonders of cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is great! And it's useful for surprising things.

For example, I have a friend who absolutely swears by cottage cheese in health shakes and smoothies. She says it gives a thick, fluffy, "ice-creamy" texture and adds a ton of protein. Turns out she's right! You'll probably have to add some kind of sweetener (go for something like Truvia if you don't want to add sugar) because it has such a savory flavor, but you can use it in pretty much everything. Here's a recipe I pinned the other day, because I particularly like it:

You can also make it chocolate flavored by adding cocoa powder and about 2 tbsp of Truvia/sugar

Today I also made an awesome pancake recipe that I found online. High-protein, high-fiber pancakes that are still delicious? Yes, please! Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup egg whites (~3 egg whites)

1 tsp baking powder

dash of cinnamon

dash of vanilla extract 

dash of milk or water

Blend. Mix in baking powder. Blend. Pour on hot pan.

Nutrition breakdown according to the person I got it from (it was some internet forum...sorry, recipe originator!) - Kcals: 298.5 Protein: 34g/45.5% Carbs: 32g/42.8% Fat: 3.5g/10.5%

I need to adjust how much milk and baking powder I put in it, I think (how much is a "dash," anyway?), because mine came out kind of gooey. As a warning, I'm guessing these will always be pretty flat no matter what you do. So if you prefer big, fluffy pancakes, you might want to look into just using some healthier kind of flour or something.

I'm looking forward to more cottage cheese recipes, though I do want to mention that it also tastes great on its own, of course!

I'm really trying to get my "in training" diet down so I can successfully run this Half Marathon in September...reeeeally worried that I won't be ready for it. But like I was telling Dad, he and I will be starting at the same time that morning (I'll just be starting at a spot that's about 13 miles farther down the trail) - is it so bad if we finish at the same time, too?