"Springing" into 2015

With Spring quickly approaching, I thought it would be appropriate to share some of the new, fun, and somewhat petty items that have brought some smiles to my March, 2015! This is not one of my deeper posts, but I think it's fun! I decided it was necessary to provide a fun, Spring themed bible verse graphic to counter balance the fluff with some serious. 

Walking to work is life changing. Since starting to work at the VA Hospital, I’ve been able to walk to work in the morning. I’ve found that it’s a great way to wake up in the morning on the way to work and decompress at the end of a long day. I’ve found that this habit has added an additional 2000 steps to my FitBit count daily, which is a huge plus! Additionally, it’s a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and decrease traffic (especially in Houston, TX).

I’ve cut the cream and added some spice! At the beginning of March, I completed a health cleanse called the GM Diet. As part of this cleanse, I wasn’t able to have my beloved cream in my morning (or let’s be honest, CONSTANT) coffee. The first couple of days of this cleanse were a real challenge, but by the end, I found that I preferred it BLACK. I’ve also found that adding cinnamon to my coffee gives it an extra kick, but keeps calories to a minimum. Plus, there are all sorts of Pinterest worthy benefits of cinnamon including high amounts of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, can improve insulin sensitivity, lowers blood sugar, and MAY have antibacterial and antifungal properties.

I have discovered Podcasts for the first time. One of my friends from school pointed me to an awesome Podcast series called Serial. If you are a lover of Law and Order, Bones, Criminal Minds, and other popular criminal dramas, THIS IS A PODCAST FOR YOU. I’ve started listening to the 45 minute to 1 hour episodes during my treadmill runs and I can’t believe how quickly it makes the runs go by.

Crockpotting has become an obsession. I’ve recently discovered shredded chicken in the crockpot. It’s wonderful that 4 chicken breasts, 1 jar of salsa, and 4 hours of HIGH cooking in the crockpot provide me with shredded chicken for salads and wraps ALL WEEK LONG.

Wait, is this Greek yogurt? I’ve started using plain, 0% fat, Greek yogurt as a substitution for many fatty dressings and condiments. Greek yogurt and sour cream taste the same to me, but with about ½ the calories.  Greek yogurt plus blue cheese crumbles make the most delicious “skinny” blue cheese dressing. Finally, use some Greek yogurt and our crockpotted chicken and make a delicious chicken salad without all the fat and calories of mayonnaise!!

Hope you've enjoyed this little post!

PAs Get 10K Steps Daily...YEAH RIGHT!!

On Valentine's Day, I joined the FitBit revolution and purchased a basic FitBit Flex at Costco to prove to myself that I meet the 10K step goal daily by walking around the hospital and exercising just boosts me ABOVE and beyond. 

YEAH RIGHT!! 

Unfortunately, I have proved myself VERY WRONG. Not only was I not reaching 10K steps, but I wasn't even reaching 2.5K steps. I might be on my feet all day, but it doesn't mean that I'm active! 

One great thing about the flex, minus the hit to my fitness pride mentioned above, is that it motivates me to GET MOVING. There is something rewarding about meeting the goal! In the past week I've noticed I've taken Samson to the more frequently AND have upped my mileage on the teadmill. I've also found myself taking the stairs more than the elevator!! CLICHE I know, but hey, whatever wkrks! 

I'm attaching my log for the past couple of days! I highly recommend joining the fitness tracker craze if you haven't already. It's been lifestyle changing for me already!