Holla for Thursday!!! And all the new faces I keep seeing popping up around here in the comments. Hi, friends! 🙂

This week keeps going at the speed of light! It also keeps getting better and better. Things keep turning out better than expected. Like my speed work run on Tuesday. Or getting lots of things accomplished which I expected to cause a ton of stress. Or receiving exciting news I did not expect to get. Or when a random dinner pulls together tastier than I could have hoped.

I shall call this little masterpiece “Rainbow White Bean Salad” for its colorful variety. So simple – aka open, chop, mix, and toss a bunch of random whatever. So flavorful – aka lots of fresh goodness going on in that bowl. So Tina – aka filling and good for a budget.

Rainbow White Bean Salad (for 2)

• 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 6 oz artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced small
• 1/2 large cucumber, chopped
• 1 T minced garlic
• 2 T olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon

Simply combine all the ingredients. Stir to combine. Allow to chill until ready to eat. I love summer food. Why can’t winter food come together this easily? Oh, yea. You have to actually cook. Blech.

Now that I have enticed you all with beans at breakfast time, I shall move on to other things rattling around in my brain. Like my race on Saturday and the question I currently bat back and forth in the tennis courts of my mind. To Garmin or NOT to Garmin?

I love my little run toy. It does wonders for me during training runs. It allows me to just go without having to plan out every bit of my route. It helps me learn more about my pacing. It guides me during things like tempo runs where I have a goal pace. Yet, as this is my first 10K and I mainly have the goal to finish strong (which hopefully involves a sub 1:00 time), I’m considering running the race without my little pal.

I want to see how simply trusting my body and just going works out for me in a race setting. I wonder if trying to focus on my pace by keeping up with Mr. G could actually hinder me during a race. Right now I lean toward going without it to see how it plays out and if it would be something I enjoy for future races. I want to trust my training and trust my body. I guess in my mind all I can do on race day is get out there and run. Hopefully I have learned enough to race smartly and finish strong.

• If you run races, how closely do you track your pace?
• What is your favorite thing about summer food?

I faced a sad sight this morning.

One sad, lonely, small bar left. The last of the batch of Tropical Flax bars I made this past Friday. I shall miss you, dense bars of chewy, yummy goodness. Until I make more.

Speaking of which, I need to share this recipe with you all. It’s a good one!

Tropical Flax Bars

• 1/4 c honey
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c rolled oats
• 1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 c ground flaxseeds
• 1/2 c dried mango slices, chopped
• 1/2 c dried pineapple, chopped
• 1/4 c whole wheat pastry flour

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 8x8 baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Beat the eggs, honey, and salt until blended. In a food processor, combine the remaining ingredients.

Pulse until finely chopped and blended. Place mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the egg/honey mixture and stir to combine. Make sure the mixture is evenly moistened. Press into the baking dish in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are browned. After cooling, remove bars in foil from pan and cut into 12 even pieces.

Now, it’s time to discuss this month’s progress check-in. As many of you know, I update my Body After Baby progress once a month so I can fully share this journey of getting back in shape and achieving my “happy place”. So far, slow and steady has certainly made this venture a successful one. On with the results!

[Month 2 photos on the left – Month 3 (recent) photos on the right]

FRONT:

SIDE:

For the real kicker – check out the changes since 1 week post-partum!

I don’t think I look too shabby. Three months post-baby or not. 😉

And here are the progress stat totals for my accountability and tracking purposes.

Each month reminds me of many important things to keep in mind while striving to reach these goals. This month did no different. On my 3rd week of this month, I didn’t have much progress according to the scale. Despite my lower weight loss, I knew I was making appropriate choices to reach my goals in a healthy manner. I refused to immediately freak out, think my efforts lacked, and try going overboard with restricting calories or adding more workouts. Those things all sounded tempting to keep progress going, but I knew that one week did not show the whole story. I needed to wait it out and trust my body.

Well, wouldn’t you know, trusting my body after that week meant resting for a few unplanned days thanks to getting sick. I decided to keep on keeping on how I could. I ate balanced meals, took it easy, and focused on getting healthy. When I weighed in for week 4, I had lost the most I have ever lost in a single week in this process. My body proved to me then and there that it knows what it’s doing. All I have to do is care for it with proper nutrition, challenging workouts, adequate rest, and self-love. Consistently doing those things will bring me results. Sure, it may not come as quickly as it could with more restriction, but I know the results will come. And they will last. And I will be happy going through the whole process.

I hope you continue to join me for the rest of the year! 🙂

• What lessons have you learned while working towards a physical goal?
• What is your favorite dried fruit? Pineapple! Hence, the tropical bars.

ETA: Please let me know if you have any specific questions about my “Body After Baby Progress”. I would love to do a Q & A post if there’s enough interest. 🙂