PB2 Woohoo!

Happy Tuesday! How is everyone doing adjusting to daylight savings?...Except those who are in states that don't have to adjust, I am jealous of you guys. 

I really miss that hour

I had a few minutes this morning before work and had to share my favorite snack find. Let me start off by saying I love peanut butter. I like almond butter, but I LOVE peanut butter. As you know peanut butter also comes with a lot of calories, not the best to devour while trying to shed a few pounds (just ask my scale). And sure you can have a serving size, but who really has a serving size of the deliciousness. Then some genius came out with PB2. 

Looks so simple,
yet so much deliciousness in a powder and less calories!

PB2 is powdered peanut butter and according to the label 85% less fat and calories than traditional peanut butter. You just mix the powder with liquid and voila peanut butter. Okay, sure it's not exactly like eating from a jar of the real deal, but it definitely helps to satisfy my peanut butter craving. I have also started using it in my morning shakes...chocolate, banana, and PB2...hello happy taste buds!!! 

I know there are lots of brands out there now, but I noticed some other brands have added "stuff" to them. No thank you. I love having a little bowl at night while watching tv or during the day with a cut up apple. 

Apples and PB2
Low carb, low calorie, super filling

Just a bowl of PB2 to watch some TV
I usually try to make it thicker but this was still delicious 

Hmm I wonder if I can bake with it...might have to play with that idea.

Have you tried it before? Do you mix it in shakes or eat it alone?  

Have a great day everyone. I am off to work!

It's a great day to have a great day!

Summer Fun!

I love summer time. The warm sun on my skin (sorry mom I do love the sun), the sound of the ocean at the shore, the kids laughing in the nearby pool, the smell of sunscreen (see mom I do wear sunscreen), and the longer sunny days. I also love that with summer comes our yearly family trip to Point Pleasant Beach/Boardwalk.

I had decided to take off this past Friday and it worked out that all of us were free to go. From the moment we figured out it would work out I was excited. I love our time together, seeing my nieces smiles and hearing their belly laughs as we play games, watching my family relax and enjoy each other's company, walking along the boardwalk and talking with each other, and of course the gift shops. It's our time. I also admit I was feeling a little nervous this time. Along with all the fun usually comes all the food. You know which food I am talking about...funnel cakes, fried oreos, french fries, ice cream; the delicious list goes on and on. I have been doing so good eating healthy and enjoying it for a while now I was torn between letting loose and eating it all or behaving and eating as little as possible. All week it was rolling around my mind. One second I thought eh let loose enjoy just this once and then I would think it's one second of enjoyment and then lots of feeling yucky. What is a girl to do?

Friday morning I woke up and it was beautiful out. I decided that no matter what I ended up eating later a walk was still a great idea to start the day off right. I did a nice 4.6 mile walk around my town. I ate normal for most of the day not wanting to be starving later. For the first time in a long time when I got dressed for the boardwalk I didn't want to cry at my reflection in the mirror. I actually thought I looked pretty darn cute. Off we went.

  

Family Pictures

  Playing on the Sand

After walking around and playing games it was time to eat. I told myself to just check out the menu and I would know what to do. I thought about my cute outfit, I thought about my walk in the morning and I thought about how good I felt. The decision turned out to be pretty easy. I found a place that served salads fully of chicken, avocado, mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes on a bed of delicious mixed greens. That along with a bottle of water and I was very stuffed and very proud of myself.

Yummy Salad! Love they put avocado in it

We walked more, played games, went on some rides, and then my mom suggested walking on the sand. It felt like freedom walking along the sand and near the water. The wind blowing through our hair. Hearing my nieces giggle as the water got closer to their little toes. When we walked back onto the boardwalk it was time for ice cream before we were ready to call it a day and head back to the car. I thought to myself well you did great at dinner, you played lots of games and walked on the sand that has to burn some calories, you can have a small ice cream. I was waiting online with my sister and brother-in-law when my mom called my name to show me that right next to the ice cream place was a fresh fruit stand and they had my obsession blueberries. I decided that sounded way more appealing. I got a large mixed fruit cup and felt more like a giddy kid than had I gotten the ice cream or frozen coffee deliciousness that my sister and I usually get (yes she still got it and said it was delicious).

Games, rides, prizes and more games

Haha..My dessert picture was photo bombed by my very hungry dad 

We stopped at one last gift shop where my mom treated my to a beautiful coffee mug to add to my collection and then headed to the car. On the ride home I felt so happy inside. I had enjoyed the entire day and ate delicious food all while staying healthy. It was an amazing day and boy did I sleep good that night!! I look forward to our next family adventure.

My new coffee mug with breakfast the next morning

Cindy

Just One of Those Weeks

You know those days where before 9 am you already know it's going to be a rough one. The day starts with you fumbling through your morning routine. You get to work and realize you left a bag at home you needed and have to run home. You spill your coffee. You make it through the day and drag yourself to the gym and then find out your trainer resigned and now you have to start with someone new. Well that was my Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty similar. Now I am not writing all this to complain or make you feel bad for me, but I am writing this because of the outcome.

I woke up this morning and felt like a kid, I don't want to get out of bed. You can't make me...who am I trying to kid I am going to work. The good news is I like my job so it didn't take much to talk myself to get moving. I had some coffee, a good breakfast, packed my snacks and gym bag for later and off I went. Let's just say the week was being consistent. By the afternoon I was sitting at my desk thinking I need my couch, I am going to skip the gym tonight and just go home and relax and do nothing. The more I thought about it, the more I realized by not going to the gym later I was hurting myself more. I knew I would sit on the couch all night thinking about how I let myself down by not working out. I thought about how great it felt to get dressed for an event the other day and I didn't have to suck in my gut to feel good. I thought that it is just a bad week, but it's going to get better and when it's better I still want to feel good in my skin. Around the time I was thinking this my coworker came in and we ended up laughing about some silly stuff. I mean full on belly laughs, it felt great. My entire body enjoyed the feeling of laughter. I held onto that and my determination and went to the gym.  I didn't do weights but I did a great cardio workout and treated myself to some fresh fruit from the farmers market on my way home.

As I was enjoying my fresh fruit I got to thinking that a month ago a week like this would have brought me to me knees, well couch. I would have skipped the gym, picked up a bag of Doritos, a chocolate bar and regretted it all the next day. Now I know the week isn't over, but I feel stronger than I have in the past and confident in myself and that is a great feeling. Life happens, for the first time I think I might be onto something, how to deal with the good times and the not so good. So in sticking with the positive thinking I will say that I am hopeful the rest of the week is full of way more laughter and fun!

Family Brunch

Happy Father's Day! I hope everyone had a fun filled day whether you were celebrating with your family or doing something else.

I decided to start the day off right, I went for a 4 mile walk with my headphones on and my energy high. My mom let me know halfway through that we would be celebrating the day over brunch. Okay I admit I was a little frustrated, my breakfast is my favorite part of my day and my routine after my walks is just as much enjoyable. After I was done with my walk, stretching, shower, and yes pouting I decided to not let it stop me from having a great time and off I went to my parent's house.

My mom was already cooking away in the kitchen and it smelled amazing! The good thing is my mom and I are really big into lower carbs/more protein meals. She was making eggs, bacon, sprinkle pancakes and even picked up a delicious fruit bowl. I was feeling pretty secure I could make it through this brunch and not completely blow my eating for the day.

But then it hit me, the growling stomach, I hadn't eaten since my walk and I was starving!! Okay Cindy remain calm, do not reach for the sprinkle pancakes. I reached for some fruit instead. Soon my growling calmed down and I found it was actually easier than I thought to not indulge in sprinkle pancakes, in fact, I didn't even want them. Now that was a very good feeling and I was feeling pretty proud of myself. I may have overindulged a bit with the grapes and blueberries, but I like to think that was better than indulging in pancakes and later cake.

We had a fun day and I'm guessing my dad did too, when I was leaving he was out cold in his recliner snoozing away, and I'm pretty sure there was a smile on his face.

I'm really thankful my family, especially my mom, respects my food choices and always has something yummy for me on hand. I can't even tell you the last time I saw my mom buy a fruit bowl, but it was absolutely a lifesaver for me today and I think she will be getting them again for future fun family events!!

Cindy