Passion + Goals = Success

Those of you that read this blog--even if you've just glanced at the archives--you know that I LOVE to bake/create sweet treats.  I am famous for my cupcakes--my pumpkin heath bar cupcakes have been called "the best cupcake I have ever had"--by my former boss.  Well with my new goals and new life direction I was feeling kinda sad that I wasn't going to be able to bake anymore--because who wants that temptation in their house?  When I bake it is usually for others in the first place.  I never just bake a batch of cupcakes or cookies for myself but once they are done and before they go out the door somehow you lose track of just how many you ate and how many were given away.

I have been determined to figure out how to make treats that are good for you, enter these babies...

FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE

These are completely amazing, it sounds simple but (a) I never thought of it before and (b) who would think that frozen hot chocolate would taste as good as ice cream?  In this version I used Fat Free Hot Chocolate--you literally make the hot chocolate, let it cool and then stick it in the freezer.  I used these cute baby mason jars that I may or may not also use to make skittle vodka--they are perfect for one package of hot chocolate and they are portioned out, I dieter's dream.  The other fantastic thing about these little gems---25 calories!  SERIOUSLY people the best thing since sliced wheat bread!

INDIVIDUAL CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKES

Normally I am not a cheesecake fan, but since these babies pack only 107 calories each I had to give them a go.  The crust is made with grape nuts which gets the perfect level of crunch on the bottom-with a few sprays of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.  There is no sugar in these, the flavors are accomplished with vanilla yogurt and a little honey.  These are so good (1) because they taste awesome, (2) they are portion controlled!  I have never been the person that can buy a bag of cookies and have them last 2-3 weeks--that bag lasts 2-3 days at the most which obviously is in direct conflict with the stated goals to the right!

Both of these recipes come from the Biggest Loser Cookbook, which is amazing by the way nearly all my meals come from that book.  I think the best selling point for me is that the recipes are done by serving sizes so it's not like you have a ton of food left over to binge on.  You can get the cookbook here (I have not been paid to advertise this book--I just love it).

Lastly, here is a pic of me doing something fun (besides baking)--hanging out at the Yankee game-with Amy, Operations Coordinator for the LPOTC

Podcast LOVE

I have been struggling since I moved to Lake Placid to get into a regular workout routine.  In SLC, I would hit up yoga at 24 Hour Fitness at least 3-4 times per week and if I wasn't doing that I was running on the treadmill or getting my cardio in.  The thing about gyms is that you can workout rain or shine.  Here in LP, there is no 24 HR-which for me is honestly a tragedy!  So I decided I was going to run outside, which is a good idea until it rains every other day--or lately everyday, which means the last few weeks I have gotten a good run in on Monday and then the rest of the week it just doesn't happen.  Take today for example, I was ready to go and then around 3:45 a sudden storm hit, including HAIL and really strong winds that lasted quite a long time--long enough to dissuade me from hitting the trail.  Yes I could run around town, but there is something about running in the trees that just makes me so much more comfortable--probably because no one is really watching you run, I am super self conscious about running in public.  Anyway this predicament lead me to search for gyms--and yoga studios.  There is only 2 yoga studios here and one of the studios only offers classes during the day and the second is a Bikram studio which I do want to try but it's too pricey for this girls budget right now...

Enter the podcast...  I'll admit I never really had much interest in Podcasts--every now and then there would be one that was interesting but I never regularly listened to them, until now.  Yoga Journal has an awesome podcast series with a bunch of yoga practices targeted at specific areas.  Some have video and some are just audio.  They are awesome and my new addiction!  With no dining room furniture right now I have the perfect space to do as much yoga as I want--and its FREE!  Thank you Yoga Journal!

Where I live...

I finally got some time-and recovered from Colorado, to walk around and take some pictures Fourth of July Weekend in Lake Placid!

Canoe/Kayak National Championships on Mirror Lake

Happy 4th!

New Furniture!

Today after work I drove the hour to Plattsburgh to look at some couches since I am currently chillin' and watching TV on an air mattress :(

I went to the Ashley Furniture Home Store mostly just to look, I knew the amount I could spend because I pre-qualified for no interest financing!  I didn't spend the max (which is new for me :))

Here is my couch that was $899, but I got it for $499--$400 OFF!  Thank you 4th of July Sale!

The cool think is that the chase part can be on one side or the other so it's really versatile!  Since I got such a good deal on the couch I decided to pull the trigger on a dining room table too.  Not the best picture, but it has a brown table top and seat bottoms, and the legs are black--which matches the hutch that I already have.  It's also counter height, taller than a normal table and its a square, I am in love :)

Can't wait til it all gets to Placid!

June Update

As promised this is my accountability space for this journey.  While it pained me to weight myself in the middle of the week (I usually like Mondays)--today is the first day of July therefore time for the report of how June went and how much weight I lost.

My June goal was to lose 12 pounds.  I almost got there.  I lost 9--which is pretty good but still a tad dissapointing.  Here is a recap of weeks 3, 4 and 5.

Week 3
Fairly uneventful-I discovered this week that I need to find a way to get cardio indoors because it rained ALL week during the times (after work) I was going to go running outside

Week 4
Crazy week in Colorado-I could not have been more exhausted when this week was over.  It was great to see all the athletes and people that I work with all in the same place, and we all know the love I have for the Colorado Springs OTC--but those were some of the longest days of my life.  I didn't make the best food choices this week--can we say gooey brownie cake and frozen yogert at the OTC?

Week 5
This week--still trying to recover on the sleep scale from last week--came home exhausted most days and couldn't get my sleeping scheudle back on track. I hope to use this weekend to rest and reset!

Bring on July--less moving, more unpacking, and puppies coming to live with me at the end of the month!