During this holiday season, so many people I know are having difficulty eating healthy foods in healthy quantities and fitting in consistent exercise.  Like me, some are getting sick and having to take unwanted breaks from their workouts to take care of their bodies.  Some are so busy with holiday tasks and activities that they just can't seem to fit it all in. And then there is the food--why does unhealthy food seem to call my name?  I have never looked at a carrot and thought, "If I don't have that carrot right now I am going to scream," but chocolate and other treats seem to call me by name.
          The first thing I am going to suggest is that if you are healthy and not succumbing to the numerous bugs surrounding you, find some way to move your body to counteract the extra calories you may be ingesting.  Go for a walk, take a hike, pop in an exercise video, take an exercise class, run, swim, bike--whatever you can fit into your busy schedule will counteract a little of the seemingly inevitable extra calories.
          Now if you are sick, you will just need to be more careful with what you are eating.  You have to listen to your body when you are not feeling well and rest up until you begin to feel more like yourself.  No exercise+Overeating=Extra pounds, guaranteed!  So be careful!  It is the small things that can make the difference.  Use chicken stock instead of butter to flavor your mashed potatoes; add pumpkin or applesauce to your baked goods to replace some of the fat and oil the recipe calls for; skip smothering your food in gravy; or just eat smaller portions of the food you love. 
          My goal for this season is to maintain the progress I have made and not focus on losing weight, not even the five pounds I have gained since Ironman.  I find that this goal allows me to enjoy the season without going crazy. I found this great Livestrong article that offers some great ideas for how we can minimize the impact of our holiday eating: 12 Holiday Feast Mistakes That Make You Gain Weight
          As shared in this article by August McLaughlin, the average holiday meal will cost us about 3000 calories, and I am willing to bet this is conservative for what what is served at most Thanksgiving feasts. Here is a quick run-down of the 12 Mistakes, but click on the above link for more details:

1. Try not to trick yourself into treating every meal as a celebration.  It is this attitude that allow us to let down our guards and eat without thought to the consequences.
2. Use smaller plates--I know this sounds crazy, but it really works. Psychologically if there is empty space I like to fill it up.  Even paper dinner plates come in smaller and larger versions--be mindful of this when planning your tablescape.
3. Sit father away from the food and you will eat less.  I have never tried this suggestion, but I do know that I have been nibbling more than usual.  If the food was farther away maybe I would not make the effort to move to get it.
4. Make sure your daily intake of fiber reaches the 25-30 gram recommendation each day.  You can do this by serving whole wheat rolls, making sweet potatoes instead of mashed, and how about adding an extra vegetable like kale to the dishes you serve?  The Garlic Roasted Kale (#15 of the 23 recipes) looks delicious! 23 Kale Recipes from Cooking Light
5. Leave the extra butter off of items like bread and potatoes and you will be happy you did. Two tablespoons of butter alone will add over 200 calories to your meal and greatly increase your saturated fat intake.
6. Remember that just because something is a fruit or a vegetable does not mean it is healthy...watch for added fat, sugar, and artificial ingredients.  
7. Be mindful of the holiday sauces.  Gravy, hollandaise, and cheese sauce can really add unnecessary fat and calories to otherwise healthy foods. If you must have sauces, this article suggests dipping your food in the sauces instead of pouring the sauce over the top.  My suggestion is to dip the fork in the sauce before spearing your food.  This will allow you to have the taste of the sauce without the excessive amount of calories.  This is a trick I use when eating salad as well--order the dressing on the side and then dip your fork in the dressing before grabbing your greens.
8. Minimize the toppings you add like marshmallows, whipped creams, and crusts.  You can save a few calories by eating your food naked. Try crust-less pumpkin pies like the one in this Hungry Girl blog, but remember to also watch the artificial sweeteners when you can: Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes from Hungry Girl
9. Try and fill up on healthy food so you do not load up on desserts instead. And if you do indulge in dessert, take a small slice or a few bites of each dessert offered to you.  Don't be afraid to say no if you want to.  You should never be afraid to hurt someone's feelings by just telling the hostess you are full.
10. If you do have a bad day, don't punish yourself by just giving up on your healthy eating altogether.  Remember that each meal and each day can be considered a do-over.  You don't have to be perfect, you just need to be smart.  We all have bad days...we just need to move on from them and get right back on track.
11. Don't drink your calories.  Drinking alcoholic beverages also makes it less likely that you will choose healthier foods.  How many times have you had a beer or glass of wine and thought, "Man, I am really craving a salad right now." Never for me.  After drinking alcohol I tend to then want chicken wings, chips and salsa, or some other unhealthy food. And this rule doesn't just apply to spirits.  Instead of drinking juices or full sugar sodas, it is better to eat whole fruits and to choose waters and teas when you are thirsty.
12. The final suggestion is to minimize the stress in your life, which is almost impossible at this time of year.  However, stressing about overeating and your weight just adds to the pressure that this time of year brings.  That's why I am choosing to just be careful right now.  Be nice to yourself: you might want to get a pedicure or manicure, schedule a massage, and most certainly give yourself a break if you overeat a little.

          I hope that you can see that you have some control even during the stressful holiday season.  If you just make a few changes, it can make a big difference.  Choose a few of the suggestions above and hopefully you won't be making a New Year's resolution to lose the ten pounds you gained during the next month.  And don't forget to get out there and play--the extra movement really will make a huge difference!

          I have not always been a pumpkin lover, I acquired my taste for it, so I hope that those of you that think that pumpkin is not for you will still read on and give this fruit, and this week's blog, a chance.
          As many of you that read my blog regularly know, I love food. The more the better.  And when I am having difficulty controlling my hunger like I am right now, I try to find high-volume/low calorie alternatives to trick my body into thinking I am splurging. This is where my love of pumpkin comes in.  Not only can this versatile squash be used in savory or sweet dishes, but it is low in calories and fat while being high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  One cup of canned pumpkin contains 80 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 7 grams of fiber. This means that by adding pumpkin to my dishes, I am getting bulk without adding many calories. (One word of caution--it is very easy to mix up "canned pumpkin" and "pumpkin pie mix."  The pie mix is not as friendly for diets--it has about 90 calories for a third of a cup and 17 grams of sugar).
          The first person to turn me on to pumpkin was the nutritionist Joy Bauer who is a regular contributor on the Today Show. Her recipes for pumpkin pudding (really pumpkin yogurt) and pumpkin oatmeal were staple breakfasts for me when I was first losing weight. Not only are they super simple to make, but you can easily vary the ingredients you add to them.  I often added wheat germ to the pudding recipe to give it some crunch, and I sometimes added brown sugar and/or almonds to the oatmeal.  And for the oatmeal recipe I always cook the more nutritional steel cut oats in my mini crock pot overnight, so my breakfast is all creamy by the time I get up in the morning: Joy Bauer Vanilla Pumpkin Pudding and Joy Bauer Pumpkin-Chia Oatmeal
          The other place I get an almost unlimited amount of pumpkin recipes is through the Hungry Girl (HG) daily emails I receive and through the HG cookbooks I have purchased. While before HG many of the recipes I encountered were sweet uses for pumpkin (shakes, cakes, muffins, scones, etc.), Lisa Lillien also introduced me to more savory options. She uses pumpkin in chili, soups, and there is even a pumpkin enchilada recipe I want to try next week. I really encourage you to give pumpkin a try: HG blog on pumpkin, More HG pumpkin ideas, Even more pumpkin recipes from HG, Ideas for using a substitute in fattening desserts, More pumpkin desserts, and Safe storage of unused pumpkin
          For your information, I have avoided most artificial sweetener for years, so I substitute an equal amount of white sugar when the recipe calls for small amounts of Splenda. In these cases the calorie difference is not an issue for me.  If it calls for larger amounts of sweetener, I will sometimes use Splenda because the calorie difference is greater. In addition, when I am not baking, I try to use honey or agave instead of the sugar because I like the taste.
          Inspired by a delicious chicken soup my friend Kay made to help me recover from a nasty bug I had all week, I decided to pull out some of my favorite soup recipes to warm us all up on a chilly Saturday.  I made my Albondigas Loca that I created after trying a similar soup at Soup Plantation (I will share this in a future blog).  I also made a creamy soup that fits right in with this blog.  Pumpkin-Coconut Bisque Soup is a quick meal that is sure to bring you comfort.  It feels like a decadent cream soup, but at 200 calories a serving it will not break the calorie bank.  This pumpkin recipe is a must try!
          If I haven't convinced you to try pumpkin yet with all the delicious recipe links I have provided, here is a final link to show you the varied nutritional benefits to adding pumpkin to your diet: Livestrong article on the nutritional value of pumpkin. 
          I hope that I have given you enough reasons why you should give pumpkin a chance.  If you have any amazing pumpkin ideas I have not shared in this blog, please send them my way.  I always have room in my weekly menu for one more pumpkin treat!

        Some weeks when I sit down to write my blog, the words just flow from my mind to the keys as I type away.  Other weeks, like this one, I struggle to find a message worthy of you taking the time to read.  This week I think my difficulty was that I had so many things I wanted to share, and so much of this message was individual thoughts that did not seem to come together in any comprehensible way.  I try to use my run/bike/swim time to gather my thoughts to share, and today's run was no exception.  The longer I ran, the more I began to realize that the common theme of today's message is that I am just thankful. I am thankful for mundane everyday things, for prayers answered, and I am also thankful for freedoms and opportunities that I could never repay.  I hope to share just a little of why I am grateful so that you, too, can be reminded of how truly lucky we all are. 
          First, I am so thankful that Kay has fought her cancer and is feeling well enough to consider coming back to work next school year.  It was a rough year for her, and I am so happy that all the prayers you sent her way have been answered.  Selfishly, I am so happy to have her back as my running partner, but I am more thankful that she is healthy and back to her amazing self.  Thank you all for your support through this difficult time in her life.
          Lately, I have been consistently working out, but not with the same enthusiasm I have in the last year. At these times I feel I am very lucky to have multiple groups of friends that enjoy different kinds of exercise. Rarely do I have to work out by myself, because I know someone in my network will be doing some kind of exercise pretty much every day of the week. I do have the motivation to text my friends daily to make plans for what I will do each day.  This ensures that when I get up in the morning, even if I want to roll over and go back to sleep, because I know someone is counting on me to work out with them, I work out anyway. I am so thankful that when I am not motivated, I have friends that remind me why I love to run, bike, and swim.
          I am so appreciative of the community I live in and how this area makes it so much fun to get out and play on a daily basis.  For example, yesterday I asked some friends if they would like to come and run trails with me this morning.  As we set out, I had a route in mind that would take us through some trails with small rolling hills.  It would end at the Murrieta City Hall where there is a touching display called the Field of Honor that has hundreds of flags displayed to honor our veterans.  After a couple miles, we decided it would be more fun to add a run/hike up the hills behind my house before heading to City Hall. So instead of going straight, we turned right to run through a meadow, up a pretty steep windy hiking path, and made a brief stop at the top to take a picture on a huge rock overlooking Murrieta.  I am so thankful that there are so many amazing places I can run and play with my friends!  This route made almost 8 miles of running so enjoyable!  I can't believe I can have so much fun working out.
          I am also thankful for the kind people who work in my community.  At the end of our run today, we decided to run to Terry's Coffee Trader in Old Town Murrieta.  Luckily, one of us had brought a credit card, because we were thirsty and quite hungry after two hours of running.  However, after we all had our drinks and a couple muffins to share, we realized that Terry only accepts cash.  Terry just told us that we could pay him next time--what kind of store owner is that generous and trusting?  Of course, I felt so bad that I made Sean come down and pay him right away, but it is people like Terry that make me love living in Murrieta so much.
          On this Veteran's Day weekend, I am so thankful for living in a country where I have the freedom to have an education, where I can choose the church I want to attend, and where my children have the opportunity to become whatever their hearts desire.  I often forget just how lucky I am--especially as a woman.  I am offered so many more freedoms and opportunities than women in other countries.  I can wear what I want, run and exercise where I desire, and I am lucky I have these choices I can make on my own.  I often take my freedom for granted, and I am thankful to be reminded that my freedom is possible because of others that make the sacrifice for me. 

On a lighter note, thanks to all of you, my friends and family, for keeping me accountable by reading my blog on a weekly basis.  Knowing I need to confess to you each week keeps me on the straight and narrow, and I am very thankful for that!

          When I was at my heaviest, I used to fantasize that someone would see my potential and offer to train me for free.  I didn't have the money for a personal trainer, but I knew that if someone would just give me the chance that I could be good advertisement for their business.  I knew what I needed, but I just didn't know how to get there on my own. Often I would imagine Jillian Michaels hearing about my progress and thinking, "That girl could do big things if only she had someone like me to guide her."  I even imagined Jillian standing at the edge of my treadmill reminding me, in her not so subtle way, to get my f*&%ing hands off the handrails and to give my run 100% effort.  That kept me working harder more times than I would like to admit.  As you can probably understand, I was desperate to change my life, and even hallucinations were not too low for me at this point in my life.
          When no help magically appeared, I had to dig deep and take the initiative to find creative ways to get the guidance I so desperately needed.  In past blogs I have written about coming across a "walk to run" article in Weight Watcher Magazine that inspired me to embark on my running journey.  And when that plan became too easy for me, I was then guided to Team in Training (and Coach Bryan and Mentor Stephanie) when a timely postcard arrive in my mailbox announcing their search for participants for their current running season.  In a way, the guidance was appearing to me, but I had to take the initiative to see that those resources were exactly what I needed and then follow through by doing my best to take advantage of everything that was being taught to me.
          I have also had the great fortune of having the right people enter my life at exactly the perfect time.  Once Sean finished his third half-marathon, his body decided that it was done with Sean pounding it on the roads.  After that, I was forced to do a lot of running on my own.  It was really tough to get up in the morning by myself...I did it, but was not really enjoying my running as much as I had in the past.  That's when Kay, Emily, Karrie, and Leslie came into my life to challenge me to push my body in ways I never thought I could.  Kay pushed me to do ridiculous hill training, and because of Leslie, Karrie, and Emily I can now call myself a Tough Mudder and an Ironman.  I also now have a consistent group of people I run with in both Temecula and Murrieta that love running in the early morning, so I have no excuse not to get up and do my morning runs.
          Over time I have realized that my fairy god trainer has resided inside of me all along.  I am the one that decided I needed to change.  I am the one that took the initiative to find the resources I needed to improve my weight and my lifestyle.  I am the one that has discovered the power of surrounding myself with supportive friends and family that keep me moving forward on my journey.  I am the one that did not quit running after completing my first half-marathon and the one that continued to challenge myself by entering increasingly more difficult races.  I am the one that had the discipline to follow my Ironman training plan to a T,  and I am that one that pushed through more than fifteen hours to cross the finish line at Vineman.  I think sometimes we lose confidence in our abilities to help ourselves, but we need to remember that we are stronger than we give ourselves credit for.  Dig deep and find that inner fairy god trainer inside of you--you will be so thankful that you did!