Probably the Best Granola Recipe...Ever!

Hello There!  I hope that my greeting sounded as friendly to you as it did to me because today, I am happy.  I have been without sweets for 7 days and I'm feeling pretty dang fabulous about it!  I know, I know, 7 days is not that long for most people.  But hey, 7 hours without sweets is a huge accomplishment for me!  I've also refrained from most other junk food/fast food and I'm back to exercising.  Go me!

 

I have been trying to find meals and snacks to eat that will fill me up and keep me satisfied for more than 10 minutes.  Well, ladies and gents, I want to share one of my favorites with you.  My husband found this granola recipe a few months ago and it quickly became a favorite in our home.  This recipe is from Cook's Illustrated with one minor change in it. 



 

Cook's Illustrated Granola

Just look at that picture, doesn't it look delicious?  Is your mouth watering yet?  Yes?  Good.  This granola is so simple to make and it makes ALOT so you won't have to worry about getting enough before your husband or kids get to it ;)

The Best Granola Ever!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup light brown sugar
4 tsps vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups hand chopped raw almonds
2 cups dried fruit (we use dried cranberries or cherries)
1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds

*The original recipe calls for 5 cups rolled oats and no pumpkin seeds, but I find it better by substituting 1 cup oats for 1 cup pumpkin seeds, they are a great source of iron.

Instructions:
Oven at 325, line a full sized rimmed baking sheet w/parchment and adjust the rack to upper middle.

1. Whisk maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in bowl
2. Whisk in oil
3. Fold in oats and almonds until coated
4. Place all ingredients onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, level it off, make a nice rectangle, pat it down hard to compress (should be about 3/8th of an inch thick).
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotate half way through baking.
6. Once cooled, break granola "bark" into pieces as large as you'd like. 

Servings/Calories:
This recipe makes roughly 11 cups of granola and there are 225 calories/half cup.  I know, that seems like too many calories for such a small serving, but that's about normal for granola.  And trust me, 1/2 cup with some milk or Greek yogurt really fills you up! Plus, it gives you plenty of energy.

Try it out, I bet you will love it too!

xoxo, Whit

New Year, New Beginnings

Me and my mister on New Years Eve
 

Happy New Year everyone!  I don't know about you, but I LOVE the month of January.

 Is it beyond freezing?  Yes. 

Are the holidays over and therefore the holiday blues might arise?  Sure. 

Do I get sick of seeing the beautiful white snow that once sat on the sidewalks get uglier and more grey?  you bet. 

Inversions?  No thank you.

BUT, I love the chance to start over.  A clean slate.  A new beginning.  Almost nothing can beat that!

Because I love the newness of January, it shouldn't be surprising that I also love writing down my goals for the new year.  I have never accomplished all of my goals, but I find that I do better myself, at least a little, If I write down the things that I want to achieve the next year. I also love coming up with a theme for that year, something to live by that makes me a little better.

This year I want to focus on not just my physical health, but also my mental health and spiritual health. 

Here are a few of my New Year goals for 2015:

- Floss everyday
- REALLY cut back my sugar intake (like only have sugar on special occasions).
- Go to the temple once a month.  (Click Here to learn more about temples)
- Read one book/month
- Run 300 miles. 
- Stick to a budget/keep that credit card out of my wallet!

And I've decided that my theme is Control (yo'self).

I have never been good at practicing self-control and so this year I want to try.  I want to prove to myself that I can control how I treat my body, I can control how I spend my time, and I can control how I spend my money.  Wish me luck!

HIIT Treadmill Workout aka My New Obsession

     After becoming a mother of two, I quickly realized that I have almost NO time for myself.  For the first few months it didn't matter.  I was adjusting to life with two little boys and soaking it all in.  Then, I found myself in a rut.  I wanted to do so many things like read, shop, watch tv, exercise, all by myself.  The constant companionship of my children was making me agitated, angry, and claustrophobic.  I even found myself not wanting to be around my husband once the kids went to sleep. I just needed time for me. 

     I don't like feeling that way.  I love my kids, I love my husband, and I really am an extrovert.  I just also have a small bit of introvert in me and I need my own time everyday.  I realized that one of the things that I missed most about my pre-kid years was being able to go to the gym on my lunch break.  That was always the time that I could be alone, do something good for myself, and just let myself think.

  So, I decided to bring that gym "me-time" back into my life.  Unfortunately I can't take a lunch break from my kids.  I also didn't want to give up the time with my husband at night, so I decided I had no other option than to go before everyone else wakes up. 

  I've started going to the gym at 6 a.m. 3-4 times per week and it feels fantastic!  I go to spin on Mondays (which I love!) and the other days I do cardio and weights.  I also go to yoga during the day once a week. I pay my amazing babysitter and peace-out while she feeds the boys lunch :)  Going to the gym first thing in the morning is such a great start to my day, and forces me to go to bed early which is so nice! 

  Before kids I used to run on the treadmill a lot, I loved it.  The last two years I have done most of my "running" (I say that because its mostly a pathetic fast walk/jog where I'm panting the entire time) in the warm weather months with my kids and our trusty Bob stroller.  Now I am getting back into running on the treadmill and I decided to try a HIIT workout. 

  HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training.  Below is an example of a HIIT workout, one that I use and love. 

  It keeps you engaged and if you only focus on the current 3-minute interval you are doing, you don't
think about how long you will be running for.  Plus, it burns those calories!!  In 30 minutes I burn 350 calories, I'll take that!  Afterwards I usually spend about 10 minutes working on upper body, lower body, or abs. 

  The first week I started HIIT I lost two pounds.  It really does kick your butt but it feels so good!  Give it a try next time you find yourself staring at the treadmill not wanting to do the same old run. 
 

Off With Her Hair!!

Well, I did it, I cut my hair!

Twelve inches of beautiful, thick hair all gone.

Well, that's not true, its still around it will just be on someone else's head.  I donated my hair to Locks of Love so that someone else, going through something much harder than I've ever had to face, can have her hair back again.  I'm glad that I am able to donate something that I was so proud of and so attached to, to help someone else.

 

So, why did I do it?

  My first reason was that it has been on my bucket list to donate my hair (check!)

 

My second reason was that I didn't want to have my little monsters pulling my hair anymore (check!)

 

And my third reason was that I thought my long hair was beautiful.  I know, if I thought my long hair is beautiful, then why cut it?  I thought that it was the best thing about me, I had gorgeous hair and lots of it.  But that was the problem, I realized that I thought it was the ONLY beautiful thing about me.  The ONLY thing that people noticed, the ONLY thing that made me attractive, inside or out.  I had a realization one day that if I cut my hair, I'd be forced to find other things about myself that I liked. That is a work-in-progress right now, but I'm giving myself a lot of love and I'll see those good and beautiful things soon.

 

Now don't get me wrong, I still LOVE my hair.  I feel new and sassy and young and more energetic with my short hairstyle, I think I'll keep it for a while :) 

 

 

xoxo, Whit

 



Motivation

Well hello blogging world! 

 

It is I, your long-lost friend Whitney.  Its funny how having another child has made it almost impossible to sit down at a computer unless absolutely necessary. 

 

Since my last post (roughly a year and a half ago) I have had another little baby boy!  He is now almost 6 months old and I am so incredibly in love with him.  Expect to see a post about how much I love my little men on here very soon. But not today, today I want to talk about motivation. After all, I am still trying to lose 25 pounds that I packed on while carrying my children and I want it gone!

 

It seems like I have plenty of motivation to lose weight (feel better, look better, sense of accomplishment, etc..) and yet I just can't seem to put down the ice cream.  Seriously, its ridiculous.  I haven't lost a single pound in the last 5 months, not one!  I know that part of that is that I am not nursing this time around.  Another HUGE part of that is that I just love food.  

 

 

 

So, I am trying something new.  I have collected a few shirts (on sale, of course), a pair of new workout pants, and a beautiful new shade of Essie nail polish.  I will let myself have one after every pound I lose.  Lose a pound, get a shirt.  Lose another pound, I get to rock my new nail polish.  I'll start with the smaller items (or those that I'm not as in love with) and have to work harder to get the stuff I really love, like those awesome Indy Brand shirts.  I've also thrown old clothes into the mix.  Things like pants that I can't quite squeeze into yet, or a shirt that just doesn't fit the same way it did last summer.  I love to shop, I love new clothes, so I am hoping that these things help motivate me to kick start my weight loss!   

Now I want to know, What motivates you??

I've earned my stripes, but it doesn't mean that I need to like them.

 

 

 

I guarantee I am not the first, and I won't be the last to admit that I preferred my pre-baby body over my post baby body.  I had much less sag, much more bladder control, and my stomach didn't resemble a deflated balloon.  I have the tendency to get a little depressed when I think about how I used to look and how I look now. The pictures above were taken in Istanbul and on the Black Sea.  Little did I know that I was a baby mama at the time (I just took that picture to document that Greg actually agreed to watch it with me).  I can't believe I thought I was so fat back then. 

 

 But the other day I heard this quote and it made me feel a little more love towards my not-so-perfect body because I have the ability to make oh-so-perfect babies. 

 



 "You're body is not ruined, you're a tiger who earned her stripes."

 

    First of all, this picture is so fake.  At least for 99% of mothers out there, we do not have a flat belly and a few stretch marks.  Our stomach has stretch marks AND flabby skin, AND dimples, and all other signs of being stretched almost beyond capacity. 

    Second, AMEN SISTER!  motherhood is an amazing thing and the fact that my body can nurture and grow another human is incredible.  So yes, I would say that instead of being left with these horrible marks, we need to look at them as something earned. 

 

...that being said, I don't think I'm ready to go run around in a bikini and show them off.  I just felt like this was a good reminder to me (and any mothers or future mothers out there) that my body has been pushed to the edge, it has been stretched, it has been pained, it has been put to use to bring a perfect little boy into this world.  And I will do it over and over again.  I gave up a very big part of me to have a child but when it comes down to it there are no regrets.  If I work hard and care for my body maybe one day I'll fit into my pre-baby jeans.  Maybe I never will again.  Who cares, I am a mother and that feels a million times better than having a six pack.  

 

 When I see pre-baby pictures I immediately think "oh what I would give to look like that again!"  But you know what, its all about what I wouldn't give.  I would never give up my opportunity to be a mother just to have a few less stretch marks on my stomach.  I can (and will!) lose the weight, even if it is after my child bearing years are over.  But the little (or big) belly sag that comes with a C-section, the marks, the wider hips, those I will keep and that's okay.  Its okay because I am a mom and that is exactly what I want to be. 

 

Starting Over

I have started my weight loss counter over.  The 50 pounds I have lost so far is great, but I feel like it came off relatively easy after having Rees.  So, its the last 17 that are killing me.  Losing these last 17 pounds will be MUCH more of an accomplishment than the first 50.  Besides, 8 of that was baby, and about 30 was water weight.

What scares me most is that I'm planning on having another baby relatively soon (not an announcement!) and I just don't want to go through this all again.  It is so hard.  It depresses me a little bit.  It makes me question whether or not Rees needs siblings.  But, as my mom says, this is my season.  My season to give of myself completely, in every way possible, and bring beautiful babies into this world.  When this season is over I will miss it so much, and I won't care what I weighed.  I love my mom, she is always there to encourage me, in everything.

I am a goal setter, so if nothing else, just seeing that number on this blog will remind me of my daily goal to take care of myself.

A Fitness Workout.

I'm thinking of taking up Prancercising.  Just watching this video gives me a pretty good workout.

 

The Truth Is...

The truth is that I have about 15 pounds to lose.
The truth is that I love unhealthy food so keeping myself away from it is soooo hard.
The truth is that I also love healthy food, so that is a plus.
The truth is that I haven't felt comfortable in my own skin in a LONG time.
The truth is that I tend to say to myself "diet starts tomorrow"
The truth is that I can't imagine myself actually losing weight, and I think thats the problem.
The truth is that I get really jealous of those who have never had to struggle with their weight.
The truth is that I do love my curves and I wouldn't want to lose them.  I just want to slim a bit.
The truth is that I run 12-15 miles each week, you would think that I would be a lot thinner.
The truth is that I know my husband loves me for exactly who I am, so why do I even worry?
The truth is that I always think "well, when I finally lose the weight then I'll do _____ or go ____"
The truth is that I can't stand when people label others as skinny or fat, why not as smart, or kind, or beautiful?
The truth is that I HATE thinking this way.  I want to just worry about being healthy and not about how much weight I need to lose all the time.
The truth is that I need to change my mindset.  Here is to thinking healthy and not being fixated on the number on the scale.

Fail.

Do you ever just feel like a failure?

For the most part, I don't. But when it comes to eating healthy, I do. I just can't seem to stick with a plan. I eat until it hurts, and then I usually eat some more. It just isn't something I can control very easily. And then I feel like crap and get depressed and it's that much harder to start over again. But I have to, I have to always start again. I get so jealous of the girls that bounced back to their Pre-baby body so quickly. I get mad thinking about those that didn't have to work at it. I get depressed thinking about those that did because I'm not as strong as they are. The worst is that I think I look alright, until I see a picture of myself. Then I want to never eat again. But, that isn't the answer. The answer is to do something good for myself each and every day. What did I do today? I didn't eat any sugar. What am I going to do tomorrow? Ill decide that in the morning. I have decided that I can choose what is hard in my life. Would I rather have it be hard to control my eating habits or hard to live in a body that depresses me? I think I'll choose the first. Tomorrow is a new beginning. I can do this.

Friday Favorite

This Friday Favorite is brought to you by the men's section at Target. I found this shirt for $9! It is so comfy and is perfect to wear while lounging around the house. I may have bought two more because I was so pleased. I am not the kind of person that can stay in my sweats all day, but I'm also not the kind that likes to dress up everyday. That is why I love t-shirts. They are simple, just like me. I highly reccommend grabbing one for yourself!

Ps- this picture not only makes me look much thinner than I am, but it also makes me look like I have no legs...spooky!

Try This! Tuesday

I hereby promise to be a better blogger.  I really have a good reason, I promise.  My reason for not blogging is three fold. 
1. Blogger has not been letting me upload pictures.  Why, I do not know.
2.  Greg is both researching and writing his senior thesis paper this semester (this is usually done in two semesters) so he takes over the office every night leaving me high and dry with no computer.
3. During the day I am either chasing a little boy around the house, or recovering from chasing a little boy around the house and spending time on the computer doesn't sound as appealing as sitting on the couch.  There, I said it.  I'm lazy.

Balsamic Chicken, Spinach, and Tortellini Salad

Since it is Tuesday and all, I thought I would share a new recipe that you should all try.  My sister-in-law made this amazing main-dish salad when we visited a few months ago. I have been craving it ever since.  I vaguely remembered her saying that she found the recipe on pinterest, so I started to search. And guess what?  I found it!  I have made it a few times for our small family and I can never get enough. 

Click here for the recipe.  Enjoy!

Calories:  who knows
Weight Watchers Points:  7 for 1/4 of salad.

Friday Favorite

This week my friday favorite is the Nike Flex Run shoe.  I got a pair of these for Christmas and I love them!  They are so light!

I'm hoping my love for them will encourage me to run a little more this year.

New Beginnings

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hate new year's eve- I really don't understand the point of that holiday.  But, I do love the renewal that comes with a new year.  I love setting goals for myself and trying to find ways to be the best version of me. 

This year my goals involve my physical health, as well and my spiritual, mental, intellectual, and emotional well-being.  I am trying to be a more well-rounded person so it only made sense to me to set goals for all aspects of my life.  Some of my goals this year include....

1. Spending more time doing the things that I really enjoy.  Why waste time doing something you hate if you dont have to?

2. Tracking every mile I run.  I don't care what the total is at the end of the year, I just want to track it

3.  Create a recipe binder

4. Read the Book of Mormon with my hubby

5. Read more in general

6. Write in my journal more often

7. Do more yoga 

8. Get more sleep 

Here are some good ol' pinterest quotes that have motivated me and might have the same effect on you.

I love this quote.  The prettiest thing a girl can wear is her smile right?

Ugh, so you're telling me that if I want a rockin' bod then I'm going to have to work for it?  Geez! 

This quote has actually helped me out a lot in the past few months.  I found that I compare myself to others.  a lot. And I need to stop.  I need to stop because its okay to just be me.  I don't need to wear what everyone else is wearing, or look the way everyone else looks.  I don't need to feel like a failure because I don't exercise everyday and I'll never be a size 4. I don't need to feel like a crappy mom because I see all of these women who seem to do it all.  As long as I am doing the best I can, and am happy with the person that I am, its okay.  Rees will love me just the same.  Greg will love me just the same.  I doubt either of them will ever notice if I am not wearing the cool shade of toe nail polish or my house isn't decorated perfectly.  They love me for me and that is all I can ask for.  

I hope you have had a fantastic holiday season and here is to an amazing new year!

Friday Favorite

This favorite has nothing to do with exercise.

With all the snow lately my favorite thing has been Greg's old beanie I found in our snow gear. He used to wear it in high school and I love it.

It's perfect for those days when I don't want to go my hair.

Try This! Tuesday: Creamy Cucumbers

Alright, alright, its Wednesday.  But hey, at least I'm posting SOMETHING on here! 

I did not weigh myself today because truthfully, I know I have gained a pound or two and I just don't want to make it real by seeing it on the scale.  But I promise, I will weigh in next week.

 

The following is a delightful little snack that I had today.  It is SO easy to make and really satisfying and delicious. 

Creamy Cucumber Slices

Here is what you need:

\

- 1/2 of a cucumber, sliced (I found the thicker the slices, the better)

- 2 Tbs fat-free cottage cheese

- 1 Tbs fat-free sour cream (I didn't have fat free, so I just used regular)

- Ground black pepper

 

The How-To:

Take your cottage cheese, sour cream and a little bit of pepper and mix it together.  You can also add 1 tbs chives.  I didn't have any, but wish I did! Spread the mixture onto your cucumber slices and top with a little more black pepper. 

please don't judge me for my HORRIBLE picture-taking skills.

 

Voila! 

Easy peasy and so yummy!

 

Calories:  35

Weight Watchers Points: 1

 

Recipe Via Weight Watchers Weekly

 

 

Recap

Well hello there.  

I am happy to say that I only have ten pounds to go!!  Thats right, ten pounds!  Unfortunately, I've learned that the last ten pounds are really, really hard to lose!

I am also happy to say that I can fit into my pre-baby jeans, but they are still too snug to ever go out in public in them.  I just remember that first time I tried them on this summer I couldn't get them past my booty...so I'm happy for the visible progress!

The last few weeks have been really hard, just too many sweets around and too much time sitting on the couch.  I have made a few goals for myself to remedy this bit of slouchiness:

1. Run 3 times a week.

2. No fast food

3. Stay within my daily points

I'm just sick of always thinking "maybe next month I'll reach my goal."  I'm ready for it to really happen.  Any tips???

Weight watchers

I'm sitting waiting for my first meeting to begin. I've swallowed my pride. Wish me luck.

Friday favorite

Today's favorite is brought to you by No Doubt, who I love. Yes, it's true. A little part of me lives ska and reggae music and No Doubt is a little part ska and a little part reggae.

Anywho... Their new song has such a good beat and gets my energy up on a run. Give it a listen and I bet you'll love it too!

I'm a rough and tough, I'm a rough and tough.. And no ones going to knock this girl down...

Too long

It has been way too long since I last blogged.

To be honest, I have kind of been in a rut and depressed enough to not want to talk about something I am struggling with which is making healthy choices for my body.

Let's be honest- for most of us losing weight is hard! I feel like no matter what I do these last 20 pounds just want to stay. So then I get depressed and eat pizza for dinner instead of grilled chicken and a salad. Who can relate to that?

Anyway, I am ready to renew my commitment to healthy living because I want to feel comfortable in my own skin, not be so sluggish, and of course, fit into those Pre-baby jeans.

I have thought about joining weight watchers. Do any readers out there have experience with that program?

Well, here we go. I'll be back soon!