You all are such a fabulous resource for racing tips! Thanks for the great suggestions in my last post. Some popular ones included:

• don’t go out too fast
• hydrate the day before so you don’t have to drink too much before the race <--- my weak bladder appreciates this one
• get enough sleep the night before
• believe I can do it

I am so excited for Saturday! Now, hopefully the weather will hold off from storming. Any tips on how to change the forecast? 😉

So, yesterday I had a nice little mid-week lunch date with Peter.

We had yet another Groupon to use up before its impending expiration date and I figured breaking up the week with a meet-up could serve us both well. We visited The Rising Roll – a “gourmet” sandwich shop found in the metro Atlanta area and a few other locations in Texas. They had a wide variety of sandwich choices, but one kept drawing my eye back to it. Clearly, I had to order it.

The Rhythm & Blues on multi-grain bread. Chicken salad topped with blue cheese, bacon, lettuce, and tomato.

It involved many of my favorite sandwich components all in one sandwich. Yes, please! On the side I had some delicious carrot salad with carrots, cranberries, walnuts, and apples in a light dressing with a hint of cinnamon flavor.

We picked up a brownie to split as well. They looked too decadent to not try one! And they were. Super fudgy inside with a nice chew on the outside and a bit of crunch from some nuts on top. Perfection.

This made for quite the pick me up during a rather standard day and week. In my opinion, little moments like this truly make such a difference.

On the drive home from my lunch with Peter, I got to thinking about how differently I approached that meal compared to years ago. Even though I currently am working towards achieving my “happy weight” post-baby, I felt no need to deprive myself of what I wanted for the sake of ordering something “good”. I originally did plan on eating one of their lighter sandwich options and did not anticipate having any dessert. Then, when looking at my options I knew I really felt like what I ended up ordering. I feel no guilt for it, either.

Beforehand, I would have found myself in a binge from this scenario. I would have felt so deprived and restricted from not ordering what I wanted that I would inevitably binge out of frustration. Or, on the other hand, I would have felt so guilty for “blowing my plan” that I would have just given up on trying to “be good” that day and binged as well. Now, I know that consistent choices for my health brings me my progress. Consistently not going overboard, paying attention to my hunger, honoring cravings reasonably, and not putting myself down will work to my advantage. I know I can have special meals and treats like this on occasion because on the whole I still make very wise decisions with how I choose to eat.

I enjoy my food, don’t allow myself to feel deprived, and therefore keep up my healthy habits, which bring me progress. Please don’t think you have to eat super strictly and never indulge to make progress on your fitness goals. If you can’t achieve a goal with some fun along the way, then you are probably working towards an unrealistic one. That’s my two cents anyways. Now, go find a moment of fun while working towards one of your goals today. I promise it is possible.

• What is a goal you’re working towards? How do you keep it fun/exciting?

Almost every week we have a “taco night” in our house. It gives me a break from having to think too much in the kitchen. Tonight called for tacos. I had a busy day that all started at the gym. I switched up my workout routine because, well, I felt like it and wanted a weight lifting schedule that would allow my rest days to go back to Sundays. We have lots of busy weekends coming up and I know fitting in workouts both days isn’t reasonable.

Today called for a light push workout. I did the following 5 moves in a circuit that took about 15 minutes to run through 3 times.

I then followed up with a 45 minute spinning class that included LOTS of hills. Ouch!

I came home to a long list of to-dos, such as laundry and cleaning, but I could not ignore the weather calling me outside. Simply gorgeous here today! I spent one of Braedon’s naps outdoors with Makenzie playing ball, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and driving around in her little car. It felt good to get out in the warm sun.

Unfortunately the to-dos didn’t disappear, so a large portion of the afternoon included things like vacuuming and folding laundry. In between rounds of checking in on the sick husband. Yep. I had three to care for today. No surprise that when dinner time rolled around, I turned to “taco night”.

Who cares if it’s an easy meal when it includes things like fire roasted salsa and avocado? I think if you add avocado or salsa to any savory dish, you have a winning combo. I feel the same about goat cheese and hummus. I wonder how a goat cheese, hummus, avocado, and salsa wrap would taste? 😉

Before I wrap up this post, I did want to touch base on something. I had a recent question about how the whole “weighing but not knowing my actual weight” thing is going. To put it simply…I’m loving it! I have no desire to know my weight and don’t feel caught up with numbers or obsessive over the scale at all. However, knowing that I have a weigh-in each Saturday morning  helps hold me accountable and keeps me mindful of my goals. I find myself making steady progress and the weekly confirmation of my progress keeps me motivated. I still don’t use the scale as my only tool (check my Progress Posts), but it does serve a purpose to help me with my Body After Baby progress. I feel myself getting closer and closer to my “happy place”…although, no doubt, I am already so happy with the strength, health, and vitality my body has shown me. I truly feel amazing. 🙂

• What could you add to any savory meal and likely love it?