Tremendous Day 6....

Even though today was beyond words, the blog is sure to be short.......again!! I need to blog earlier in the day as when I hit this bed, I feel so tired. Good hard working out will do that to you.

Todays WOD......

90mins of trails and hills - walk/run
9.3 miles of HIIT on the bike
Short but awesome ST session....

100 chops with sumo squat using a 12 lb MB
Quick bicep set - 30 lb DB's for 20 reps, then 20lb DB's for 40 reps and then two arm curls with 10 lb DB's for 20 reps.
229 military - NO knee pushups in celebration of this day 2/29 :) Just had to do it!!

Short ST for today as I have some heavy lifting tomorrow but the pushups gave me a great burn......

Here is the food log link.......sorry so photos again, too busy to remember sometimes....

Daily Food Log Link 

Resting now....off to get some hot tea and sink into bed and watch a bit of Pride and Prejudice.....a true favorite ;)

Let's do this!

What are you reaching for today?? Take a LEAP and truly go beyond your comfort zone!! Now is your chance!!!

PRESS ON and MAKE IT COUNT!!

Cloudy day, sunny outlook.....

It is another dark, rainy and foggy day here. The fog is so thick I cannot see anything but a sheet of white outside. It can be hard when there are days like this. I long for sunshine!

The photo below is one of the views looking out from my bed this morning. Where did the mountains and the other homes go? :) Normally, this view is stunning, and for the second day in a row it is totally grey outside.......ugh! The fog really rolls in quite a lot on top of the mountain whereas down below it can be totally different. Guess I just have to get used to it.......I love it here though so much, it is worth it!! :)

I am hoping the weather clears up as I have to walk to the store later for some food......that sounds so funny to me. Living over here is so different than back in Texas when I would jump in my SUV and drive down the street for what I needed. No wonder my fitness is increasing leaps and bounds. Not only are my workouts killers but just the daily life activities....getting out etc...are an added calorie burn!!

My knee is still bothering me and due to the weather I think it will be a day of cycling on the Lemond and yoga with ST. Today is Day 5 of my 10 day challenge which means I am at the half way mark and I have to say it has flown by. I am very happy with my progress. My arms, legs and hips are toning up SOOOO well and my measurements are right on track. My stomach.......well, that is another story. I have decided that whatever fat/excess skin is left in my belly is as stubborn as I am and that toning this area of my body is going to be a great challenge. Some people find it hard to tone their legs, others it may be their upper body. For me, it is my belly all the way. It is where I gained the most amount of weight and while that weight is now gone, we have the issue of skin and excess baggage if you will that I am working on. It requires GREAT patience and it is hard....VERY hard, but I am just trying to do what I can day by day and sometimes that is all you can do.

So, I am choosing to be POSITIVE focus on what I CAN control, what I CAN work on and what blessings I have on this day.

I have said it before and chances are I will repeat this over and over until I go home to Jesus......this journey, this life, this road of weight loss is HARD! But it sure does make you TOUGH as nails :)

Press on! Cast doubt aside......We've got this!!

It's not about how many times you fall down.....

I posted this on FB but I cannot stop thinking about it and wanted to share it here as well. Watch the entire video and then tell me what is your excuse today for NOT giving this LIFE your all.......

Day 4...DONE!

These blogs are getting short and shorter :)

Today was a rest day....much needed but I was on track with my food, water, etc....

Calories today - 1,411 See food log in the link below.....

Daily Food log 

Day 5 starts tomorrow.......I feel ready.

Insanely tired but day 3 is DONE! Doing well......

Need to sleep but I cannot :( So tired.....Ok, this is sure to be the shortest blog yet......

Strong day 3 of challenge. All goals reached......

Fuel was 1,484 calories. I took some pics but here is the link to my tracker so you can see.....

Day 3 Food Log 

Fitness was awesome!! A long 105 min hard walk pushing Kayla in the Bob then after lunch we went out for another 40 mins.....

Nite nite....Day 4 I am coming to get ya!!! Watch out :)

Day 2 Results....

Another short blog. So sorry just totally zapped....in a great way!

Fitness - 90 mins

45 mins Pre-breakfast HIIT with ST - Cathe Circuit Blast DVD with extra pushups.

45 min walk outside pushing my girl in the BOB then back home for more stretching and pushups. Total military push for the day....150 reps!

Fuel - 1,502 calories

Fats - 26.5%
Carbs - 45.0%
Protein - 28.6%

Pre-breakfast VM green and detox tea

Post workout....2 eggs with one egg white scrambled along with my protein pumpkin pancakes and some strawberries and Teavana weight to go tea with black tea.





Snack was PB, cucumber, tea with soy milk

Lunch was one piece of buckwheat GF bread with tuna salad....apple, celery, mustard and low fat organic keifer. Tomato and avocado on the side. Jasmine green tea....





Dinner was baked Salmon, roasted brussel sprouts, spinach salad with broccoli and tomato and butternut squash.

Tea and grapefruit for dessert. Then VM green before bed.






Day 3 here we come!!!!


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Day 1 of my 9 day challenge DONE!

I am officially finished with day 1 of my 9 day challenge and all is going very well. This challenge is an attempt to get back at blogging my foods and tracking my calories etc....the formula that has worked so well for me in the past.

Short blog on this Day 1.....here are my results.

Fitness - 80 mins

30 mins on the Bike - HIIT hill intervals with one speed interval. 12.3 miles ARPM 68 due to the climbs.

Cathe Turbo Barre DVD - 50 mins

Fuel for today - 1,273 Calories...on the low side I know but I am full. 52 grams of fiber today :)

193 grams of carbs
30 grams of fat
80 grams of protein.

Macros -

Fat - 19.9%
Carbs - 56.6%
Protein - 23.5%





Morning VM Green blend




Oat bran, strawberries, apple, almonds, soy milk, chia seeds and flaxseeds along with Jasmine Green tea with lemon.




Bean salad with spinach, broccoli, onions, avocado and hot peppers.


Snack was raw broccoli and natural PB with banana and more tea along with a blood orange.




Protein shake made with water and frozen berries





Afternoon tea with Organic unsweetened soy milk





Protein pumpkin pancakes!!!

Along with the pancakes I had a grapefruit and tea.

Post dinner VM green and LACV to end the day.....

Day 2 here we come!!!!!

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Hooray for Beachbody and their new Vegan Shakeology!!

VERY excited to see that Beachbody finally has a Vegan Shakology option for those wanting an awesome plant based meal replacement!!

Check out my friends Beachbody page where you can order your Shakeology and all of the motivational tools that Beachbody carries!

HealthyHabitGal 

Good morning glutes....

My glutes are feeling yesterdays run.....that is all I will say about this. :)

For my friend Anne, I am taking the day off. Ok, well it is more the fact that I am totally sore and walking around here like a cave woman which I guess would be ok if I was following Paleo or Primal but I am more Vegan :)

Today's workout might just be the playtime Kayla and I have at the little park next to our house which if I am honest, isn't that is MOST rewarding workout of all. We did this two days ago and had a blast. The best part is that the park is literally next to our house. There is a large grassy area there and then a little park with slides and play areas, so nice for her.  I am sure she thinks it is just one big front yard and we have the coolest house ever!

I am hoping the rain stays away for a bit so we can play. I am realizing just how rainy it is here now that the weather is slightly warmer and now above freezing, all the glorious snow we were seeing is now rain.

Goals for today......

Now that I am taking today off I need to stretch and make the most of this time while my body recovers, so it will be a yoga day for sure. Either Rodney Yee or Cathe Yoga.....cannot decide.

In terms of my food, this morning I had the Bob's Red Mill 10 grain mix with ground flax and berries. For lunch and dinner I have no idea what we will have as I think I am so tried I cannot think past this morning. Maybe a Dahl...that is always my go to food, love it so much.

I am going to the International and Health food store to stock up on ACV and lemon juice as I am totally out.......can you imagine this?? :)

Wishing everyone a blessed day! Thank you for your amazing comments in response to my blog yesterday!

YOU INSPIRE ME!!!

Today, I found my inner strength once again.

I am sitting here looking out at a totally dark sky filled with fog and rain and I cannot believe that it is today of all days that I found a strength within that I have not seen in a very long time. When I was heavier working out was a challenge, a struggle. Once you lose weight, it almost becomes natural, a part of your daily routine. You burn less calories for the same activity so you must press on harder to achieve results. In Russia when I was losing all of my weight and during my triathlon training prior to having Kayla it seemed as if all my workouts left me completely zonked and practically immobile afterward. Some may say that is a bad thing but I love pressing hard....very hard in my workouts. Something changed though this past year.  I focused more on diet rather than 3 hour long workouts. I lost a great deal of weight this past year so whatever  I was doing worked but I longed to get back to the sweaty, dead tired workouts from my past.

As stated in my blog yesterday I think we can get comfortable when we reach a goal and there is not a pressing need to really REACH as we did before. I realized that I became the girl who lost the weight as opposed to the girl who was trying to lose. I did it, I reached my dream but I still wanted more. Not more in terms of the scale but more in terms of that feeling you are reaching towards something. Moving to Norway sparked something inside of me that I feel was dormant if you will.....lost somehow, but today I found it again.

It all started this past week when for the first time during a run I made it up the monster hill......the long one that takes us to our home. In the past I would have to take a break to walk but this time I made it! I of course ran to the soundtrack from Rocky in honor of past victorious runs! Remember my Rocky River Run from back in Russia??? I was thinking of this as I was running up and realized just how far I have come, not only in weight loss but in fitness.

Here is a link to my Rock blog from several years ago......Rocky River Run

Today I took things to a whole different level. Yesterday's nearly 2 hr workout left me sore and not too motivated to get out there today. It was dark, cold and rainy. My husband was fearful I would get sick running in the rain but I felt the need to really push myself today and so I did. You know, sometimes it takes a bulldozer to slow me down ;)

I layered up.....3 layers of pants, fleeces, thermals, and every waterproof thing I could find in the house. I started off and I realized this was going to be a slow run. I could feel my legs aching before the first mile. But I pressed on. What it wise? Not sure but it is me and it is what I do.......

After running 2 miles I headed to the hill, you know that glorious small but steep hill I found yesterday. I charged up that hill like a warrior.......it did not last long. Ok, now for the totally honesty part......IT KILLED ME! I felt terribly out of shape and so slow. I looked down and I was running a 12:27 mm........seriously, I was going SLOW! My heels never touched the ground as the angle is so steep but I just kept going and going.  When I reached the top, I stopped, bent over and I mean this with all my heart......I nearly threw up. Not to be funny here.....totally serious. I forgot to stop my watch which makes me mad as my overall pace was then messed up but I was not thinking straight. I used up every last bit of glycogen I had in my body --- it was gone. I had no GU, no sports beans, gatorade.......nothing and yet I was running 6 more miles of hills.

I stood up and kept running and within 2 mins I was headed up again another hill. MERCY ME....I was thinking this is seriously going to kill me. FACT  -- I am NOT ready for this. It is just something I am going to have to own up to and deal with it. What I do know is by the end of these 3 years living here, I am going to have some serious strength in my gluts and legs......I can already see a HUGE difference just within this past month of running.

Back to the run.....

I kept going and going, mile after mile and it was a struggle. I was so tired, soaking wet and wondering if I was crazy, dedicated, completely nuts or all of the above. My two gloves were totally soaked and when I was running there was water spraying off of them. A side result was they got very heavy weighted down with the water....it felt as if I was carrying hand weights and after the hard weight workout from yesterday my biceps were burning. I was just thinking this is the craziest run EVER! Here I was pressing as hard as I could, running VERY slow and feeling totally fatigued. This was not me? I am in better shape than this. What is wrong with me? I truly feel my body was just tried today but despite this I keep pressing on......

Finally around mile 6.5 I headed back home. I thought the worst was over but I was wrong. This is the point where my mind took over and I literally became a machine charging up hill. The final climb was also the longest.....1.15 miles in a steady climb up....up....up!! There was only a short period when turning further uphill that you get a small break, other than this the entire distance is a climb...and a hard one. Not as steep as the small, deadly hill where I nearly threw up.......we need to find a name for that one ( NATF....I will need your help on this one ;) thanks! ).......the last hill nearly finished me off. I just kept going and going and going. I was yelling out loud to myself and kept thinking the Norwegians here are going to think I was mad.  Towards the final turn of the hill all I could say was GO! GO! GO! In a tearful voice, I just knew I had to keep going.  It did not matter if cars passed me and noticed I was crying.......I did not care. I know we have all been there. The point where you are working so hard that you are in this zone, a crazy zone where you just HAVE TO keep going and you pull from within this strength you did not know you had.  I was pulling with my arms as my legs had nothing left, I was crying out......GO GO.....and somehow through God's strength I made it!! 8 miles of hills DONE and a feeling I can only describe as a rewarding spirit in my heart that I will never forget.

I get asked often where this drive and determination comes from. Remember the man in Russia with no legs? That blog....that experience changed my life and I think of him often. There I was running around him in Russia as he sat there not able to even walk. What would he give to just walk for a single moment. I wish I would have talked to him. He will never know the impact He has left on my heart. Thinking of this man and many others who will never be able to run.....it motivates me. We are blessed to have this beautiful ability and no matter how slow we go........JUST GET OUT THERE and use what God gave you!!! Just move, be active. Take advantage of the gift that is health.......please, make the most of this life while you can. You will NEVER regret giving something your all.

And so now, I am even more sore and my spirit is filled with a sense of achievement. No awards were given but the reward lies in my heart forever.  I am VERY proud that I got out there and practiced the mantra I live by which is each and every morning to RESET, REFOCUS then REACH!!!!!

Just as I look back and read the Rocky River Run blog and smile, I know the same will be for this day. Always remember, the climb is worth it. No matter how hard it seems to be, no matter the struggle, it will be worth it and the view from the top......well, it is beyond words!

KEEP CLIMBING! Do not focus on the size hill....or problem in front of you, stop looking to your left and to your right at all the distractions around you......just keep your head down, your eyes focused on the road....or challenge before you and CLIMB!! You will reach the top before you know it! :)

Now for the stats of my run......warning......I was crazy slow :)

8 miles - 1:28:26....a bit off as I did not stop my watch during the near hurl incident :)
AP : 11:03
Calories burned - 771
AHR - 162....I was working hard!
MHR - 184

Splits.....to be honest I feel so out of shape seeing this but it is what it is......

M1 - 10:51
M2 - 9:37
M3 - 11:38
M4 - 9:44
M5 - 10:30
M6 - 11:11
M7 - 12:10
M8 - 12:44.....insane I know. This was the hard hill.

Cannot wait for my next run to BLAST past these numbers!

Workout DONE for today.......

Cathe High reps DVD....DONE!!!

To be honest, I am shaking and SO TIRED! It was amazing!! Now.... I did modify it to make somethings a bit harder......for example, instead of just standing there doing bicep curls, I did curls with sumo squats, then I would drop to Medicine ball pushups with mountain climbers etc......I just kept moving for the whole hour. I also did not do the chest presses but instead I did more pushups, to me it is better as I am working  more muscles and it gets my HR up more....I am all about calorie burn these days. Instead of tricep extensions........I did diamond pushups and close grip pushups - I wanted more combo moves than just standing there lifting......for me it just works. Now for some things like dead lifts, I did not do anything else but for the lunges with sliders, I raised DB's overhead.....it really made the workout POP - BIG TIME!!

I used DB's for this workout - 5 lb DB's for bent over flys, and some shoulder work, 10 lb DB's  for biceps and shoulders and 20 lbs DB's for biceps and dead lifts along with a 12 lb MB.

If you want a great burn, check it out!!

My scattered thoughts this morning....

Ever wonder what goes on in my mind? Here is a look, an honest look at a conversation with myself this morning. I too face fear, worry, and doubt.....

To be honest, I feel tired, but I have goals to reach. I see the weights sitting here and I want to lift them like I want a hole in my head right now. I am looking out at the trails and I feel like curling up on the couch rather than running.

I MUST stay focused....I Must remember how it feels to reach that goal, that dream.....I can do this. I can do this.

It is not going to happen overnight. It is not going to happen with me taking the easy way out and saying I will do it tomorrow. The time is NOW!!!!

What will I reach today? What will I accomplish? What are my goals for the week?

I need to stop and evaluate where I am and how I have made it so far. I cannot sit by and be content in my maintenance zone thinking there is not more to be done. We will always have something to reach for.

Do I have goals set for this week? NO! Why not? Well, because I am comfortable with where I am and all I have accomplished. Why? Is there not more to strive for? Yes! So, I pledge to set goals and do all I can to reach them.

Be accountable. This has worked time and time again. You know what works, you have done it before...now go out there and DO IT!

You tell people who write you what to do, how they can lose weight, train and eat well...etc. Do you want to be a living example of what you say or do you want to just sit back and be comfortable where you are?

See those hills, see the trails. They are calling you! You are blessed to have legs, a strong heart, a healthy mind and a fighting spirit. Use it.....

Reset. Refocus and then Reach!

Goals for the next 2 weeks - not this month, not this year......just the next few days before me. Small steps lead to BIG changes!!

1. Get in 3 days of ST each week
2. Try and walk everyday for at least 30 mins... If raining, go for the bike.
3. Run...Run...Run...every chance I can.
4. Stay on track with foods. Going back to the formula which got me here....Pescetarian.....Fish, whole grains, legumes, veggies, fruits........this has worked for me so very well.
5. Keep my grains to the morning and focus on veggies and fish at night.
6. Get my VM green in EVERY morning and night.
7. Stretch and use my grid roller - cannot keep forgetting about my ITB....my marathon training WILL suffer.
8. Concentrate on the core. Planks, planks, planks.......
9. Where is my water jug? Get back to that lovely 128 oz of good old fashioned water every day, it worked so well.
10. Grapefruit, raw carrots, broccoli, fennel, apple etc....during the day. Remember your snacks. Eat them. Eat, eat, eat throughout the day - good, clean  foods. Must remember to EAT!!!

Fitness Goals.......Runs may change due to weather here, substitute will be Cathe HIIT or other cardio DVD.....kickboxing etc...along with the bike.

Tuesday 2/21 -  Cathe High Reps dvd ( which was set for yesterday....never got done) along with a walk outside with Mimi for at least 30 mins.

Wednesday 2/22 -  Run at least 45 mins but as long as I can......or as long as Mimi lets me while she sleeps!

Thursday 2/23 -  Run at least 30 with HIIT intervals

Friday 2/24 -  Cathe Drill Max DVD or another ST program along with core work

Saturday 2/25 -  Bike... 10 miles Run....at least 30 mins, longer if I can...weather permitting....I need a treadmill........

Sunday 2/26 - Bike 10 miles

Monday 2/27 -  Cathe ST dvd along with core - Run/walk outside with BOB and Kayla

Tuesday 2/28 - Rest

Wednesday 2/29 - Bike 10 miles, Cathe HIIT 30/30

Thursday 3/1 - Run/walk outside with BOB and Kayla

Friday 3/2 -  Cathe ST dvd with core work

Saturday 3/3 -  Rest

Sunday 3/4 - Rest

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Another good day.

Short blog tonight...

My workout was a short 18 min Ab set from Cathe's STS Abs circuit. I did the segment with the sliders. It was crazy. I loved it. :)



Fuel was spot on today. Though I keep debating this whole Vegan vs Non Vegan thing.....will not go into that right now....

Another time perhaps....

Breakfast....protein shake with berries and a ton of spinach with GOL raw fiber blend.










Fresh strawberries with the grain mix I found here....steel cut oats, rye, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, cracked wheat and then I added in oat bran as well.





More of that amazing salad with turkey and brown rice from last night along with a small Japanese sweet potato......crazy about these!

I also had a grapefruit and a small amount of the grains mix with some yogurt....about 1/4 cup....not much.

Dinner tonight will probably be another shake with more of the salad mix....it was just too good!

Workout for tomorrow is a good run outside and some more core work.

Have a blessed day! I will be sure to post a pic of my food tonight :)

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Checking in....

Great day yesterday. Worked hard, ate well....felt amazing. Today, I feel...well, to be honest.....SORE to say the least! I was so happy to say I used 10's and 20's during my Cathe workout yesterday and today my gluts are feeling it. No, not my shoulders, arms....my gluts!

I did Cathe's Athletic training DVD and I was determined to use heavier weights while trying to keep tempo. I did really well except for some of the shoulder exercises where the reps where crazy high as they were using 5's and I was trying to do the same with 10's!!! I was impressed with how well I did but after awhile it really got to me. Proud I pressed hard.

Here is a look at the dvd, I highly recommend it.....



A look at my fuel yesterday....







5 egg whites scrambled with spinach along with oats and oatbran, banana, strawberries, chia seeds and almonds.







Tuna salad made with hot peppers, lemon juice, plain yogurt, Djion mustard, apple, onion, red bell peppers over napa cabbage with chia seeds....of course :)







Protein shake with mixed berries and GOL raw fiber blend.







Brown rice with white turkey breast along with a raw Mediterranean salad.....olives, capers, sun dried tomatoes, zucchini, parsley, red onion, mint, lemon juice, white beans, egg plant, hot peppers, red bell pepper, celery and spinach.

Funny story about dinner.....my husband went to the store to get us some natural chicken breast and came home instead with white turkey breast. The funny part is how much it was.....170 Kr for 750 grams! That is  almost 18 dollars a pound!!! So we paid 29 dollars for 1.65 pounds! Crazy.....

We are excited that we found an organic farm near by where you can get grass fed beef, organic chicken, eggs, veggies....all of it. We are looking forward to going tomorrow and stocking up!

Back to my report of yesterday......

After dinner I had a small amount of oats with nuts, raisins, apple, chia seeds over plain yogurt with some fresh strawberries along with some tea.

Today I will doing only core. Not sure what dvd I will use....will report back :)

BLESSINGS!




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Ready for bed...it was a good day!

I am getting ready to hit the bed and I just know I will be asleep in no time! I am so tired but I feel really good about today and all I got done. My workout was good, I thought I was going to get a Cathe dvd in but instead we headed out on the trails. It was a clear day...windy but no rain or snow and I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful sunlight! Kayla slept and I got in 90 mins of walking the hills pushing her which is always a great challenge, and we went to the grocery store so on the way home the load was even heavier!

Once home I did a quick ST session and I do mean quick.....less than 15 mins. Only 2 things......pushups and MB chops. I love chops both diagonal and front as it gets your shoulders, back and arms. So I did 200 reps of chops with a 12 lb MB then I did 100 reps of pushups. All where military and where a mix of solider plank, wide fly, close grip and standard....totally worked me so hard!!

This evening we went to a fitness store here called XXL.....great place...like REI meets Academy! I looked at a few treadmills and other weight equipment for my gym. Very excited to see everything coming together.

Kayla is now fast asleep and I am about to start spelling things crazy and such in a minute as I am just zonked.

Hope you all have a truly blessed day! Nite Nite from Norway! :)

Winter fun! Weekend road trip.....

This past weekend we ventured off for a little road trip to Sirdal, a ski town about 50 miles from where we live. We did not ski but instead we toured the various ski areas and then went sledding with our baby girl. It was great fun! She loved going down the hills and when done she would say...MORE! MORE! We plan on going back soon.....maybe this weekend again. We want to get our own set of skis....both downhill and XC as we feel we will really get so much use out of them living here. Apparently there are several ski places near, some of which you take a boat to get there through the Fjords! That just sounds amazing to me. We noticed the other day at the port in Stavanger a boat unloading a bunch of ski's and later found out it this the boat that takes you 2 hours from here to a ski town. You can also take a speed boat to Bergen and from there take a train that takes you to some nice places as well. SO much to see here!!!!

We stopped at this cafe and store on the way home from Sirdal this past weekend. The inside of this place was amazing! The gift shop was apart of the mountain and they had some beautiful Norwegian gifts and candles inside. I bought a few things but we definitely need to go back! SO much to see....and buy :)

It is just so lovely here with all the Fjords.  It makes me want to explore more and more.....

I took this with my iPhone and will try and post the ones Micah took with the good camera which I assure you are far better!

This was just part of the drive to Sirdal........so pretty! We have so many more....will do my best to post them this week.

Looking forward to more winter memories here! Love it so much......

Happy Valentines Day!

Good morning all....

This morning my husband was so sweet as he greeted me with this little book he bought for me. It says on the front.....In Love with you! It is a book of love quotes in Norwegian and he wants to write the English translation below each quote of the book....so sweet. To be honest, I did not even remember it was Valentines day until last night! Looks like I need to be creative today and Kayla and I will make Daddy a special gift!

For tonight, I think we might have some dark chocolate as a little treat!!  I have some 100% cacao powder and I have 90% dark chocolate so maybe I can make him a special little something ;)

Onto fitness.........I am so very sore from yesterday....big surprise! ;) Today's workout is going to be a Cathe dvd....Cardio Fusion or something similar, I have not decided yet.

Last night was good. We went to the mall here and I got highlights from a very nice salon called Modern Design.....it was great.... and I am happy to say it was a success. No more crazy hair stories from other countries! Well, at least not while we are living here. I guess they know how to take care of blondes here :)

Dinner was good, simple and I am happy that I stayed on track and did not give into the scones at Wayne's! Goodness those are good.......oatmeal scones :)

Here was my dinner last night....grilled Salmon and Spinach

My breakfast this morning was Bob's 10 grain mix along with wheat bran and chia seeds, 1/2 apple and a few almonds.

Have a truly blessed day!! REACH HIGH!

Ok. Not the lunch I planned...

Not the lunch I planned when I posted the earlier blog but it was good. I had the cracker with PB then some brown rice mixed with tuna, lemon juice and hot peppers.



I also had 1/2 orange and this crazy good tea!

Hope you can buy it in the US! It is amazing....



Finally, check out the fog from earlier....it is a very dark and foggy day. Just starting to clear up thankfully. I miss my mountain views!





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Great way to start the week!

Workout is DONE for today and I feel amazing. It always feels so good to know you are starting the week off right and on track for your goals.

I fueled my workout this morning with something a bit different than my normal oats etc...today was 1 egg scrambled with a few egg whites along with 1/2 apple and cinnamon and a flax cracker with natural PB and honey. The cracker is amazing only wheat bran, rye and flax.....nothing else! No salt, no sugar, no oil, no taste.....just kidding, well not really but I still liked it : )

I started my morning off with a great run outside. It was going well until I fell quite hard sliding across the road. I was running on the side of the road as I thought the ice would be best and as I was trying to cross I fell on my side and slid to the other side......quite gracefully I might add :) I was a bit dinged up but I was ok. Mostly just wet as there was slush on the side of the crib where I ended up. I kept going but headed back after a while as I was so cold.

I then began my ST workout. Today was a mix of Cathe Drill max, Jenny's ST plan ;) and segments of Cathe Total body tri sets. I did a new combo today that I really loved. You guys know I have been lifting lighter these days with higher reps......for me, it has worked very, very well but we are all different and it may not be for everyone.

Well today I did a combo of shoulder presses with sumo squats for 12 reps with 10 lb DB's then without stopping I went into two arm bicep curls for 12 reps then back to the shoulder press with squat......I repeated this set 3 times WITHOUT a break. It gave me such a good burn and it was only with 10lb DBs!! It was amazing. I also did lifting with some 20's. 5's and my 12 lb MB....along with 100 military pushups....standard, close grip and incline along with solider planks which are like pushups but you lift up one hand and one leg......crazy hard!

I am off to grab some much needed lunch...not sure what it will be. Mostly likely a protein shake with GOL raw fiber added in and some fresh blueberries and probably one of those tasteless crackers with PB.

I am going to post some pics from this weekend sometime after my lunch. We went to Sirdal, the ski town near where we live and it was a great deal of fun!!

For now, it is fuel time.....feeling sluggish now.....need food....pronto ;)

Trail Run.....Norway style!

Just came back from an awesome trail run. I absolutely love running here!





My view from some of the trails.










Signs telling me which way to go....but of course it meant nothing to me as I am new here and do not know the area.





I took a detour and went through the forest. It was so lovely and super soft to run on.





One of the easy trails.....





One of the NOT so easy trails!! I had to turn around due to the big tree....well, ok I could have kept going but I was too scared as it started to go down and was icy. Maybe next time :)

I am zapped in the best possible way. Going for a soak in the jacuzzi and stretch to get ready for tomorrow's run!

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Foods for today....

Breakfast was egg whites with spinach and tomatoes. Along with oats, apple, flax and rye.

Post workout.....

My take on the green drink from Dr. Oz....

Cucumber, Parsley, Lemon, Lime, Celery, Mint, Ginger, Spinach and water....





Spinach salad with a white bean salad mix I made. Raw fennel with Mrs Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning, apple with cinnamon.





Snack was canned Pumpkin with oat bran.

Dinner will be a protein shake along with more of the bean salad with dark chocolate for dessert :)

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Fast and easy workout today......felt great!

Shortest workout in history :) Fast but effective especially with no rest in between!

Military pushups - 50 reps
Dips - 50 reps
Two arm bicep curls with sumo squats - 3 sets of 12 reps with 20 lb DB's
Medicine ball front chops with sumo squat - 50 reps with a 12 lb MB
Side chops or functional rotations - 3 sets of 12 reps with one 20 lb DB

DONE!! Told you, super fast but my arms are feeling it :)

I like this kind of ST workout....remember the ones from when I was is Russia that latest for hours ;)

Tulsi Tea?

Most of you may or may not know that I am very much into alternative foods and medicine. I would rather read about herbs, wheat grass and teas than weight lifting! It is just were my interest lean towards.  I have been reading more and more about Ayurvedic medicine and foods and I keep coming across a tea called Tulsi. Not a new find by any means but something I have never used.  It is also known as Holy Basil which I used before but I have never used it in a tea form.

Does anyone have experience with this tea? What effects did you notice? It is caffeine free and it is supposed to be very good for you!


Here is a video from Dr. Mercola regarding Tulsi......

Beautiful Norway morning!

My view this morning from our bedroom! It was so lovely.....







Here is my breakfast....a 10 grain mix from Bobs Red Mill plus an oat, rye and brown rice blend with flax and chia seeds.

This was the lovely plant my neighbor brought to us last night! So very sweet of her.






Have a blessed day!!! I am getting ready to cool a Dahl for lunch as Daddy is coming home to be with us :) I love that he works so close, such a blessing.

Will post a pic of my Rajmah Masala Dahl later!


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Food....

Just a few fun pics of my food....



Vegan Thai red curry with brown rice





Afternoon tea. Weight to go from Teavana




Fresh bread from the local bakery. No oil or sugar....good seeds, nuts and whole grains.




White bean salad with herbs and raw veggies.




Fresh herbs!


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