It's my birthday

Birthdays have a different meaning as you get older. You never really look forward to the number getting higher after you turn 21. Each year you try to pretend that you are not really XX years old. Why is that? What's wrong with turning another year older? For me, it was another year closer to my daughter graduating from high school and leaving home. It was another year of unhappiness pretending behind a mask.  In the picture on the left, the girl in the top was forcing a smile and wasn't truly happy. She was going through the motions of life pretending for the sake of herself and others. The girl in the bottom is truly happy for the first time in a long time. She loves who she is on the inside and out! There are so many changes inside that others do not realize. She can truly loves herself and wants to teach others to do the same thing.  I am looking forward to my 38th year because I know that big things are in store for me. There are goals to accomplish and lives to change. From now on, I am going to embrace every year that I am given because it could be my last. I am going to make the most of it and cherish each and every day!
     The celebration for my birthday started on Saturday with a special date planned by my boyfriend. It still feels weird saying that because I haven't had a boyfriend in over 10 years. The reason that I was finally able to agree to a blind date was because I love myself again and have self-confidence.

No matter how it went; I was able to step out of my comfort zone and be me. Luckily, he leads a similar lifestyle and gets my addiction to exercise and eating healthy. He was able to see the girl that I am now and not the girl that was shattered for so long. His support and encouragement has been amazing. He pushes me on our long training runs and builds me up when I am down. I never understood how important it was to have someone that supports you in your journey until he came into my life. I thank God every day for bringing him into my life! It is truly important to have someone that is going to support you in your endeavors and will tolerate all of your crazy ideas! It is so much easier to stay the course when you have someone in your corner that will encourage you through the tough times and celebrate with you through the good times.

I am currently in training for a 10 mile race; whenever I am in training, I usually give up sweets, alcohol, and bread. I want to focus on putting good fuels into my body. I went back and forth all day long trying to decide if I would have a drink and dessert with my birthday dinner. My best friend reminded me during our run that it was my birthday weekend, and I deserved a day of indulgences. I still wasn't 100% sure if I was going to have the courage to order either one at dinner. Kevin is very supportive of my lifestyle and knew that I might not indulge even though we were eating at a winery. I looked at the drink menu, sampled a couple of wines, and tasted his drink. It was delicious, so I ordered one. It was a caramel apple sangria. Before ordering dinner, I made a comment about wanting to try the sweet popcorn. When I went to the restroom, he ordered it for me, and it was waiting when I got back. It was everything that I hoped it would be. I didn't beat myself up because I know that all things in moderation will not hurt you! Unfortunately, I have to be an all or nothing girl because I am not good at moderation. It is something that I need to work on. Sunday was a Hibachi lunch with the family. Once again, I overindulged just a little bit, but I will be back on track today. Here's to my 38th year and all that it will bring. I am excited to see what it has in store for me. Next time you celebrate YOUR birthday I hope that you are looking forward to another year. We never know when it will be our last. By making little changes to my diet and exercise routine, I was able to find myself again.
  

Stepping out of my box

        Since starting my journey, I have been working on stepping out of my comfort zone when it comes to workouts, runs, recipes, activities, and life. I was comfortable in the status quo and convinced myself that I was ok with my life as it was going.  This was the path that I had decided on since high school: go to college, get a degree, and become a teacher. The only hiccup along the way was getting pregnant for Jadynn my senior year. After having her, I jumped right back on the path to becoming a teacher. Luckily, I found a job right out of college and started my fifteenth year of teaching. I love what I do and look forward to work most days, like everyone else. Until January, I was going through the motions of life. I no longer dreamed, I no longer lived for me, I no longer put myself first, and I no longer loved myself.
         When I signed up to be a Beachbody coach, I had no idea what I would gain from it. My intentions were to hold myself accountable and possibly help others along the way. Boy was I wrong! Through all of the books I have read for personal development and groups I have joined, I realized that I needed to start dreaming again and put myself first. If I take care of me, I am going to be a better mother, sister, aunt, friend, and teacher. I have started to love myself again and thinking about what I want to do with my life.

Right now, I am reading "Start" by Jon Acuff. In his book, he talks about living an average life in comparison to an awesome life. He discusses that most of us settle for the average life because that it was we are taught to do. There is the master plan for life that all of us tend to follow, and we lose sight of being awesome. As a child, we are on the path to be awesome, but someone convinces to jump on the path to the average life. This got me thinking about my own life and what I am doing to my daughter. Am I making her jump on the path to an average life when she could be awesome? I really want to support her in her dreams, but what happens if they bring her nothing but heartache? It is such a fine line to walk. I am committed to helping both of us finding the path to awesome. The first step is to figure out where we are now and embrace the surprises that we find along the way.
            I have been an athlete my entire life and love being active. With

that being said, I truly enjoy working out and running. But I have never pushed my limits until this year. I truly feel like a runner for the first time in 5 years. My times are getting faster and faster, and I love doing long runs with a partner because I can run and talk with ease. I always made excuses for not pushing myself during workouts when something was too hard. Now I just do the best that I can do. FINALLY, I can do big girl push-ups and push through workouts. I am done making excuses.
            Nutrition is still my biggest struggle, but I am learning to step outside my comfort zone and try new foods. There are some things that I eat now that I used to turn my nose at in the past. I cook more and firmly believe in meal planning and prepping. My pallet is changing, and I can truly say I enjoy trying new foods. This weekend I tried two new recipes for my breakfast and lunch this week.

Since it is Fall, I felt that it was time to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. I found the recipe on Skinnytaste. If you would like it, click here. I used whole wheat flour and Truvia in my batch. For lunch, I am having Mexican quinoa. Quinoa is a new staple in my diet, and I am always looking for a new way to make it. I tried this recipe because I love Mexican food. It was delicious. Here is the recipe that I used:
1 pound ground turkey seasoned with cumin and chili powder
1 cup of cooked quinoa
1 can of black beans (rinsed)
1 can of corn (rinsed)
1 1/2 cups of salsa

Mix everything in a glass baking dish and sprinkle cheese of your choice on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
          I look back over the last 9 months, and I am so glad that I decided to start stepping outside of my box. Life is a different, but I love it. I cannot wait to find the path to awesome and what that looks like for me. Don't be afraid to step out of your box!!

What's this 21 Day Fix all about?!?

My nutrition has always been a thorn in my side since starting my journey. I started with simply counting calories without realizing that there was a difference between good and bad calories. As long as I stayed under my calories, I was a happy a girl! Then I started educating myself about the different types of calories and what "clean" eating was all about. I started learning that low calorie and fat free were doing more harm to my body than good. Skinnytaste became my best friend, and I started whipping up recipes. I finally found my home in the kitchen and felt like I was Julia Childs. Even with these changes, I wasn't getting the results that I was expecting. What was I doing wrong? I started realizing that my portions were out of control, and I wasn't always eating all of the right foods.
     Enter the 21 Day Fix- I was super excited for this program because it was the answer to my prayers. It was going to tell me what to eat and how much I could have of each group. When I first got the program, I thought that I was going to starve because the containers were so small. I found out that I needed to eat a lot more vegetables and my love, carbs, were going to be minimal. I was determined to make this program work, so I swallowed my doubts and forged on. On the first day, I was completely shocked at how much food I was able to eat. I couldn't even eat all of the containers. I realized that I needed to plan and prep a little bit more than I did if I wanted to be successful. There were many days that I cheated and didn't follow the plan. It was full of trial and error and figuring out what foods I liked to eat and adapt to the idea of eating the same thing all week.
     I just recently completed my fourth round of the "fix". This was my most successful round because I finally had the program figured out. I knew what I needed to do to be successful. The key was figuring out my food ahead of time, putting my workouts in my planner, figuring out new ways to get vegetables in my day, and finding someone to hold me accountable. This time around I lost 7.6 pounds! The trick is going to be figuring out way to keep up the habits that I developed and stick to it. If you are interested in hearing more about the basics of the program, listen to my Youtube video.

Buddha Bowl: 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green

Whole grain wrap with scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms
1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green

Recipes and Challenges

I decided it might be easier to put the recipes here since I did get enough likes on my page, Teaching Myself and Others to be Healthier . I will share the original recipe and then the tweaks that I have made to satisfy my taste buds.

Sante Fe Chicken (adapted from Skinnytaste) 

Ingredients: 

• 24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
• 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
• 15 oz can black beans
• 8 oz frozen corn
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
• salt to taste

Directions: 

Combine chicken broth, beans (drained), corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Seasonchicken breast with salt and lay on top.  

Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, removechicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning to taste. Serve over rice or tortillas and your favorite toppings.

For me, I use a jar of salsa instead of the tomatoes with chilies

Turkey Meatballs

1 lb. ground turkey breast
3/4 c. feta cheese (I used parmesan)
1/2 c. whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 egg
3 cloves or garlic (I use garlic powder) 

I put them in the crock pot with our homemade sauce on low to cook. 

I've spent the last 8 weeks cheating on Shaun T, and it is time for us to get back together. I will be starting a 4 week challenge group starting September 8th. Contact me at jenniferveigel@gmail.com if you would be interested in joining me and 2 other ladies. IF you are a t25 fan, I promise that you will not be disappointed.

My FREE challenge group for September is entitled "Stepping into September". It will focus on tips and accountability for those who are runners/walkers or interested in becoming a runner or walker. I will provide tips that I have used over the years to improve my running. If you are interested in joining, please feel out this form and look for an email in a few days. 

Today I am sitting in the waiting room waiting with my mom while my dad has surgery. He is having his right hip replaced. This will be his 5th surgery to try and put his body back together from all the abuse that it suffered from years working on the railroad and playing football. This made me stop and reflect on my own body. When I first started my journey, I thought taking care of my body only included eating healthier and exercising. Today made me realize that there is another piece of the puzzle. I started being an athlete at the age of 8 and never took time to take care of my body. There were numerous times that I should have iced my shoulder after pitching, but I didn't. I've done hundreds of runs and workouts without stretching before and after. What am I doing to my body? I don't want to be in constant pain as I get older because I was young and dumb, so I am determined to make a change. I WILL start stretching before and after workouts and I runs. I WILL NOT keep skipping the cool down part of the workout videos that I do. I am only given one body, and I need to make sure that I am doing everything in my power to take care of it. Remember that there are several pieces of the puzzle to take care of your body! If you leave on out, your puzzle will not be complete. What are you willing to change to ensure that you will be able to run and play with your grandchildren? What are you willing to change to not be another health statistic? What are you willing to change to be the one that breaks the cycle of bad health in your family? All it takes is the courage to get started and the strength to keep going. YOU can do all of these things if you want it bad enough. Is it going to be easy, NO? Is it going to be worth it, YES!! I am here to help in any way that I can; I know how important it is to have someone in your corner cheering you on!

Back to school eve

You would think after 14 years of teaching I would be able to sleep the night before school starts. But for some reason I cannot. I start thinking about all of the students that will come through my door and spend the next 100 plus days with me for 90 minutes. The first day is the most important because it sets the tone for the school year. I have to set the rules and expectations for the year and start establishing relationships with over 100 students. Building relationships is so important to me because if the students do not trust and believe you are genuine you are not going to teach them anything. Are all of the students going to like me? Probably not, and that is ok! I'm not there to be their friend; I am there to be their teacher and help them find a love of reading. Looking forward to meeting each and every smiling or frowning face tomorrow and the upcoming school year. I can only hope that I make a positive difference in each of their lives and help them become better individuals.

Prep Day

Most of the summer, I prepped in the morning since I had the extra time. With school starting back up on Monday, it means that I have to start food prepping for the entire week. I am starting another round of the 21 Day Fix so that means prepping and measuring. Since I want to spend our last day of summer together, I decided to do by prep today instead of Sunday. My prep for the day included: grilling chicken, making brown rice, cutting up strawberries and veggies, and making quinoa patties. After all of the cooking and cutting, it was time to measure and put in baggies, so I just have to pull out baggies for my lunch each day. Tomorrow night I will make steel cut oats in the crockpot for my breakfast. This was the first time that I made quinoa patties, and I have to say they were pretty delicious. My mom and daughter even approved! ;) I found the recipe on Skinnytaste and shared it below.

Quinoa and Spinach Patties
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 7 • Serving Size: 2 patties • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 6 pts
Calories: 236.2 • Fat: 7.4 g • Protein: 11.4 g • Carb: 30.5 g • Fiber: 3.2 g • Sugar: 1.9 g
Sodium: 429.5 • Cholesterol: 110.0 mg

Adapted from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 4 eggs, whisked
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 3 large scallions, sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup steamed spinach, chopped (frozen is fine)
• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs (for GF, be sure to use GF breadcrumbs)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly and place the grains in a medium sauce pan with 2 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until quinoa is tender and has absorbed the liquid, about 20 minutes. Let it cool.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, eggs, Parmesan, scallions, garlic, salt, steamed spinach, and breadcrumbs. Let everything sit for a few minutes to absorb the liquid. The batter should be moist, but not runny. Form patties 1/4 cup each.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. In 2 or 3 batches, cook the patties covered for 8-10 minutes on each side, or until browned and golden.

Makes 14 patties.

Patties in the making