Daily eats

Food, food, food...love it! I changed my eating habits after the birth of my second daughter and really believe that with running and cleaner eating, I was able to shed the baby weight much more quickly than the first time around. Or maybe I was able to lose weight faster because I had 2 kids to chase around, instead of 1. Most days, I will prepare oatmeal (OIAJ, OOIAJ, or hot off the stove), greek yogurt (Chobani) with granola (homemade or Bear Naked), 1 egg with bagel thin, for breakfast. Breakfast will keep me full until lunchtime which is usually around 11 AM or 11:30 AM for me. I have to eat when I can because the girls would rather me play with them or hold them instead of eat. Lunch sometimes consists of last night's leftovers or a salad with chopped ham, boiled egg, cukes, tomatoes, and a few drops of salad dressing. About 2-3 hours later, it's snack time for me and my 2 year old. She will have hummus, while I may have an apple with almond butter (homemade or pre-bought), cheese with olives (if I want something savory), crackers, a few pieces of dark chocolate, or a SODA! Dinner always includes a protein, two veggies and a carb. Last night, I made hamburgers and creamed spinach. Delish! And before bed, I may have a piece of banana bread with peanut butter. I seem to eat quite often throughout the day. Although I like to travel, I get anxious because I don't drink as much water or have as many healthy eats to choose from.

In a Slump

For the past several weeks, I've been in a slump. Maybe I hit a runner's "plateau"? I'm not quite sure what happened, but between April and May, my mileage went from 15 miles to about 8 miles per week. You know that I've been waking up at 4:30 AM most weekdays to work out before my husband gets up for work at 6 AM. That's the best time, I thought, to get a workout in so that I wouldn't interrupt playtime, snuggle time, etc. with the girls. I began getting bored by running. By this time, I was comfortably running up to 10 miles on my long run days (Saturdays) and 6 miles two other days of the week. I also squeezed in interval runs. AND not because I was training for a race either! So, last week, I talked to my husband about changing my workout times so that I'm not waking up so early and trying new workouts. Perhaps ease back on the running?! I purchased the Jillian Michaels' "No More Trouble Zones" DVD and 2, 5 lb dumbbells. Adding in strength training has been really fun. I now run 3 days a week with a 3 or 4-miler and a long run of about 6 miles. I maaaaaay slip in a fourth run when I can. ;) I'm liking my new workout routine and should probably consider changing it up every 3 months just so I don't burn out. Shockingly though, I've lost all of my baby weight. I don't understand it because I wasn't working out consistently for 2 months. GAH! I'll take it though. Just need to tighten up and tone up. :) Have you ever been in a fitness slump? If so, how did you wake yourself out of it?