Heidi's Favorite Meatless Foods! No Need To Have A Cow Look Below and See How!

My good friend at work Peaches (Keith) came up to me and was asking me that since I am a vegetarian and he is considering becoming vegetarian for health reasons if I could offer any advice on things I like to eat, meals, etc. I rattled off several of my favorite options and told him that I would send him a list of things that I have tried and loved so he would not have to go through the process of spending lots of money on icky vegetarian products. He then asked me if I had a list on my blog and it hit me that I don’t and have no idea why because I should since it just might help anyone else out there wanting to be a vegetarian or just try some meatless options.

Below are some of my favorite vegetarian products that you can buy in most grocery stores. Now these are my favorites and you may like something else but I have tried some vile stuff and I say all below ooozzzzzeeeeee yumminess and are free of animals. By the way nobody is paying to put them on my list although I wish they would because I would like a vacation soon. Lol

Heidi’s Favorite Vegetarian Products!

Boca Flame Grilled Meatless Burgers-MMMMM… Grilled or on the oven these are my favorite meatless burger! They have 5 grams of fiber and only 1 net carb with 120 calories and 14grams of protein. I love these with sautéed mushrooms, mustard, lettuce and tomato. Best taste and I have tried a lot!
Lots of great recipes and product information at their website Boca.

MorningStar Farms Veggie Crumbles, Veggie Bacon, Veggie Sausage Patties, Links-Pretty much anything from MorningStar Farms I love. Their corn dogs are to die for too!!! They also have entrees like lasagna with the meatless crumbles, and a veggie chik enchilada as well as a new biscuit with veggie sausage in it. Their website gives some great recipes and product information… MorningStar Farms

Amy’s Kitchen Natural and Organic Foods-Okay again so many wonderful entrees and products but my two personal favorites are the Organic cheese enchiladas (my kids love these too) and their spaghetti rings with veggie meatballs. They have so many incredibly good and healthy products that it is very hard to choose but I have NEVER tried anything of theirs that is not outstanding!! Probably one of my favorite brands. Amys

Yves Veggie Cuisine Veggie Dogs, Pepperoni, Salami, and Bologna- I like this brand a lot for the lunch meat and hot dog substitutes. I have not eaten their veggie crumbles, brats, or veggie chicken but they are on my list to try. Yves

Quorn Naked Cutlets and Turk’y Roast-These are hands down the best meatless alternatives when it comes to a meatless chicken breast or meatless Turkey roast. I make the Turk’y roast on holidays and it is amazingly simple and delicious! Sometimes I have to double check the box to make sure it really is meatless .lol. They have other products as well like a Gruyere meatless chicken breast and it is beyond words good! Quorn

Tofu-Believe it or not I have not I have not even come close to mastering making good tofu even though I have been a vegetarian for 20 plus years. I don’t know why but I can’t seem to make it to where I like it. I do know the extra firm tofu is the best as far as taste. If you have any recipes that are easy (that’s the key word-easy) let me know! I am forever trying to find a way to make good tofu or I would settle for even edible at this point.

LightLife Smart Deli-I love their faux turkey and ham deli meat!

Tofurky- Great meatless turkey lunchmeat and jerky, also a tofuky roast and gravy. Very good.

Now, I also eat tons of fresh (try for organic when I can afford it) veggies and fruits, lentils, black beans, whole grain breads, hummus and well of course chocolate and Cheetos (we all have to splurge). I don’t really care for milk or eggs but if eating eggs only do the organic, cage free where the chickens are treated kindly and not pumped full of antibiotics and other unhealthy things as well as either soy milk or Organic milk. I am sure that I have forgotten some things but I think above gives you a good idea of some delicious meat alternatives. I think I’m off for a piece of triple chocolate cake now-all this healthy talk is making me crave some sugar balance:)

Heidi

Bikini Mom Body Wanted and a Big Bad Belly-Daily Mail Belly Tricks!!Bikini Mom!!

 

Ohhh the dreaded bikini and the very, very, very bright sun that exposes every inch of us. Sigh.  Well I am always in search of new ways to banish my booty and belly (amongst other things) and saw this article in the Daily Mail today! I love it and the tips in it are some that I have been told by trainers and nutrition experts.  I hope that this will help you feel a little more confident in your swimsuit.  My personal favorite tips are the eating of the good fats, exercise, lots of water, eating mostly fruits, vegetables and nuts (I am a vegetarian so don't do the lean meats they recommend ).  I like to run but since my ankle has been bad I have had to tone it down and do maybe 4-6 miles 4-5 times a week instead of the 10 miles I was doing most everyday and that has been hard on me so I have been compensating in my eating by focusing on hummus and carrots or nuts for snacks, egg white and vegetable omelets and unfortunately not nearly as much wine as I would like. lol.   Also, I like the recommendation below of doing weights because that really does help in that the more muscle you have the more you are going to burn calorie wise.

As you can see by my bikini pic I am a work in progress and trying everyday to improve my health and body but the temptations of my beloved sodas, Cheetos, chocolate and wine make it hard. I don't care what anyone says.... there is no way a berry tastes as good as delicious chocolate. 

Anyway, enjoy this great article-it is a bit long but very, very, very helpful!

Heidi

 How to tame your tum: Is yours a spare tyre or a stress bulge??? Finding out your tummy type is the key to getting a perfect midriff

By Daily Mail Reporter

For many women, getting bikini ready means tackling one dreaded area in particular — our tummies. 

Most of us still think the best way to achieve a washboard stomach is by doing hundreds of sit-ups. Not so, says A-list trainer and body guru James Duigan.

James, who sculpts supermodels Elle Macpherson and Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley among others, insists there is no ‘one size fits all’ method for getting a flat belly. Instead, he’s identified five key ‘tummy types’, all of which require a different approach to achieve successful toning.

Get a flat stomach: First you need to identify your tummy type 

Once you’ve identified your type, you can transform it following James’ tailor-made plan and get that flat tummy fast.

THE SPARE TYRE TUMMY

The spare tyre: This is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate because it's caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough

HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE

These people are likely to lead sedentary lives, perhaps with jobs that keep them desk-bound. They may also have an emotional attachment to sugary foods.

Luckily, this ‘spare tyre’ is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate as, according to James, it’s caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough. 

TYPICAL BAD HABITS

‘If you exercise very little, eat lots of sugar and refined carbohydrates in products like biscuits, cakes and white bread, or rely on starchy carbs like pasta and rice, you probably have an overweight tummy with accompanying fat on your legs and hips,’ says James. 

MIDRIFF MAKEOVER PLAN

• Cut down on alcohol. ‘Alcohol is a fat bomb for the tummy — pure sugar which goes straight to your waist and stops you burning all other fat until the booze has been processed,’ says James. ‘Just a few glasses three to four times a week will lead to a “wine waist” — a thick midriff and podgy tummy. ‘If you want to drink occasionally that’s fine, but the bottom line is that you have to cut back on booze to get a flat belly.’
• Once you cut out alcohol for two weeks, it’s time to overhaul your diet. ‘In a nutshell, eat well and move more,’ says James. Avoid low-fat and so-called ‘diet’ snacks. ‘These pre-packaged products are often packed full of chemicals, refined sugar, salt and preservatives to give them flavour.
• ‘Ditch calorie counting in favour of a healthy diet full of unprocessed fresh foods such as fish, eggs, organic meat and vegetables. ‘Start the day with eggs and smoked salmon, or even grilled chicken and vegetables, and snack on sliced lean meats. ‘And don’t be afraid of eating good fats, such as avocados, nuts and oily fish. These encourage your body to burn midriff fat, giving you a flat tummy.’
• ‘Exercise is the key to helping this tummy type,’ says James. Simply going for a long walk, doing lunges, squats or dips at home or a yoga class will be beneficial. You don’t need a gym.

TOP TIP FOR THIS TUMMY 

If you regularly reward yourself for a hard day with a piece of cake or deal with bad news with a biscuit, it’s important to remember that being beautiful is as much about how you feel as how you look. The starting point for any tummy transformation is feeling happy.

THE STRESS TUMMY

Stress tummy: These types are typically over-achievers with perfectionist personalities

HOW TO IDENTIFY  THIS TYPE 

Stressed-tummy types are typically over-achievers with perfectionist personalities. They are usually also susceptible to digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can cause bloating and make their tummies look far worse.
‘Stress tummies are easy to spot, as the weight is specific to the front of the midriff and the umbilical area,’ explains James. ‘When stressed, we produce cortisol, a hormone which encourages the body to cling on to fat around the stomach.’
Stressed tummies will also be fairly hard to the touch, rather than wobbly. 

TYPICAL BAD HABITS

It’s likely you skip meals, abuse your adrenal system with too much caffeine and grab junk food for convenience. 

MIDRIFF MAKEOVER PLAN

• Get an early night. ‘Stressed women nearly always sleep badly, which disrupts the production of leptin, the hormone which helps regulate appetite and metabolism,’ James explains. ‘This is why we eat more when we are tired and crave fat-depositing sugary snacks for an instant energy boost.’ 
• Combat exhaustion with a relaxation strategy of deep-breathing, meditation and long baths before bed to encourage a good night’s sleep and limit coffee consumption to no more than two cups a day.
• Don’t go for the burn when exercising. ‘Excessive cardio which increases cortisol levels isn’t the answer,’ says James. ‘Instead, yoga, long walks and resistance work with weights is perfect for sculpting and building up strength while calming the system.’
• Magnesium is a calming mineral to help soothe a stressed belly. James advises eating lots of magnesium-rich foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, Brazil nuts and seeds.

TOP TIP FOR THIS TUMMY 

Stress-busting stretches and yoga poses at night time can help to lower cortisol levels, while chamomile teas or James’ own Bodyism Body Serenity supplement (£30 for 20 servings, bodyism.com) can also help the body unwind.

THE LITTLE POOCH

The little pooch: These women are likely to be busy mums or have demanding careers - hey may even be a gym junkie

HOW TO IDENTIFY  THIS TYPE 

These women are likely to be busy mums or have demanding careers. ‘They may even be a gym junkie, but stuck in a workout-and-diet rut, perhaps always eating the same foods and doing the same routine at the gym, which keeps you slim but leaves you with a lower belly that spoils your silhouette,’ says James. 

TYPICAL BAD HABITS

‘Doing excessive crunches and using gimmicky gym items such as ab-rollers can place a strain on the hip flexors and the lower back, causing the tummy muscles to protrude so your belly sticks out,’ says James. 

MIDRIFF MAKEOVER PLAN 

• Good nutrition and plenty of fibre are essential to improve digestive conditions such as inflammation, bloating and constipation, which can make a pooch tummy worse. Green leafy vegetables, oatbran and wholemeal grains are good, natural sources of fibre.
• Sit-ups done incorrectly increase your lower back curve and accentuate the ‘pouch’ effect. Swap sit-ups for planks. Do these by lying face down on a mat, resting on your forearms. Push off from the floor, rising onto your toes and elbows, so your body is parallel to the floor from your head to your heels. Start off doing ten seconds and build up to a whole minute.
• It’s a common misconception that using weights bulks women up. In fact, the opposite is true. Using weights will burn serious amounts of fat in a short space of time, so try introducing circuits — repetitions of exercises like squats or lunges which work individual muscle sets.

TOP TIP FOR THIS TUMMY 

 Be kind to your tummy, reduce inflammation by drinking lots of water and eating easy-to-digest foods such as green vegetables and lighter proteins such as fish and chicken.

THE MUMMY TUMMY

The Mummy tummy: Women with these bellies have usually given birth in the past few years, and, being a typical mum, have little time for themselves

HOW TO IDENTIFY  THIS TYPE 

Women with these tummies have usually given birth in the past few years, and, being a typical mum, have little time for themselves. ‘After giving birth, the uterus drops and is much heavier than it was pre-pregnancy,’ says James. ‘It takes at least six weeks to return to its usual size, so don’t even think about trying to get a flat stomach until after then.
‘You need to re-train your pelvic floor and lower abs to increase blood flow and strengthen loose muscles.’ 

TYPICAL BAD HABITS

Rushing back to exercise too quickly. ‘I would suggest waiting around two to three months,’ says James. ‘Being stressed about getting rid of your baby weight will only make you cling onto it more. Give yourself a break!’

MIDRIFF MAKEOVER PLAN

• ‘Fish oil supplements turn on  fat-burning hormones and turn off  fat-storing hormones,’ says James. ‘Begin by taking three 1,000mg capsules a day with meals and build up to five. I’ve trained Elle Macpherson through two pregnancies and she takes these every day.’
• Try to eat good fats — found in sources such as nuts, oils and olives — every day. ‘Not only do they help you burn fat and absorb vitamins from food effectively, they also help combat tiredness — a big help for tired mums,’ says James.
• Gentle pelvic floor exercises (known as Kegels) act as a natural corset for the body to flatten your tummy from the inside out. Squeeze and clench your pelvic floor muscles 15-20 times, in five sessions a day.
• Steer clear of sit-ups. ‘After giving birth, the linea alba muscles — which run down the mid-line of the abdomen — separate and you need to allow them to recover,’ says James. ‘Crunches are the worst thing you can do, as they will force these muscles farther apart. Instead, breathe deep into your tummy while on all fours, then slowly exhale while doing a pelvic floor exercise.’TOP TIP FOR THIS TUMMY 

Daytime naps (try putting up blackout blinds) and stretching before bed are important ways to restore sleep hormones and boost fat-burning. 

THE BLOATED TUMMY

Bloated tummies: These are often flat in the morning, but swell throughout the day with gas or indigestion

HOW TO IDENTIFY  THIS TYPE 

 Bloated tummies are often flat in the morning, but swell throughout the day with gas or indigestion. Bloating affects both slim and overweight women. It is almost always caused by food intolerances and allergies, or sluggish bowels as a result of a poor diet. 

TYPICAL BAD HABITS

You eat the same foods and may have done so for a lifetime without realising you’re intolerant to them.

MIDRIFF MAKEOVER PLAN

• ‘The most common intolerances I see are wheat and gluten (bread, pasta, pastries, pizza, cakes and cereals), alcohol, yeast (in muffins, beer and pastries) and processed dairy (cheese, milk, butter),’ says James. ‘Gluten in particular can inflame the bowel and make the stomach look bigger.
• ‘Experiment to work out what bothers your belly as you know your body better than anyone else. Try eliminating key culprits such as gluten for a fortnight to see if your bloating reduces, or worsens when you reintroduce foods. Focus on a diet with lots of fresh veg, meat, chicken and fish.’
• Sluggish bowels are often a result of eating the wrong foods in the wrong way. Make breakfast your biggest meal, as this is when  digestion is at its peak, and avoid eating late at night which leads to bloating. Chew food properly and drink plenty of water to keep the digestive system moving.
• Bloating can be a sign of imbalanced gut flora. So to get your tummy really flat you need to repopulate it with friendly bacteria. Prebiotic and probiotic supplements are the simplest way. Natural sources include miso soup, sour cream and some fruit and veg including kale, garlic and onions. A healthy gut means a flat stomach.

TOP TIP FOR THIS TUMMY
 
Believe it or not, breathing can be the best thing you can do for this kind of tummy. Try this each morning: lay on your back, completely relaxed, and breathe deep into your tummy ten times. After eating, a walk will help the digestive process, too.

Oh how I love these Nike Just Do It Ads! I remember these from years ago! Inspiration for the soul!

One of my favorite posts for inspiration so reposting!

I remember many years ago when Nike came out with the Just Do It ad campaign and I was hooked and loved it!  They had wonderful ads that motivated and spoke to me-they hit home because it seems we all in one way or another can relate.  Here are a few of my favs! Enjoy some inspiration for the soul.....

“Sooner or later, you start taking yourself seriously. You know when you need a break. You know when you need a rest. You know what to get worked up about and what to get rid of. And you know when it's time to take care of yourself, for yourself. To do something that makes you stronger, faster, more complete. Because you know it's never too late to have a life. And never too late to change one.”  Nike

"Too often we are scared. Scared of what we might not be able to do.

Scared of what people might think if we tried. We let our fears stand in the way of our hopes. We say no when we want to say yes. We sit quietly when we want to scream. And we shout with the others, when we should keep our mouths shut. Why?

After all,we do only go around once. There's really no time to be afraid. So stop. Try something you've never tried.

Risk it. Enter a triathlon. Write a letter to the editor. Demand a raise. Call winners at the toughest court.

Throw away your television. Bicycle across the United States. Try bobsledding. Try anything. Speak out against the designated hitter.

Travel to a country where you don't speak the language.

Patent something. You have nothing to lose and everything everything everything to gain. JUST DO IT." -

1992: Barry Sanders

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough, they'll say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. They will tell you no. And YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." - Unknown Nike

"Why are we so hard on ourselves

and so much easier on others? Did somebody

say something once that stuck in our brains and won't

go away? Did we mispronounce something in French,

did we trip in front of some guy, did we make some

huge mistake that we've never gotten over?

What haunts our fine bodies and our fine

hearts and makes our heads spin with an image

of ourselves we can't accept? We tell our

friends not to be so hard on themselves and we tell our

loved ones not to be so hard on themselves and we tell

ourselves

we're just not being hard enough.

We are such funny women sometimes. We

blame ourselves when blame does not apply (terrible

word, that blame). We feel guilty about what we should

have done better (terrible word, that should). We are

harder on ourselves, harder than we would be on

anybody else, anybody. Complete strangers! Big dogs!

People we don't even like!

And the things we expect are so darn

weird, things our mothers once said we should be

able to do or our fathers wanted us to achieve or our

great Aunt Charlotte wanted us to try and they didn't

know that their words would stick

like glue to our hearts with a list of

expectations wrapped around it. Look: all these

expectations get old, real old, and only you know

when to yell uncle.

Uncle. Uncle. Uncle.

Because for one moment of your life you feel like

feeling ... perfect. You feel like dashing into those hills

or those open roads or right into the air itself

and that's just what you might do

so Ha

You feel like that rusty old image you carry

is slipping away, right over the edge of a mirror and out

of view. You feel like moving and if you trip, you trip, if

you fall, you will get up. And the air feels like it will

carry you and push you and it's like nothing your feared

it would be. And of course everything you expected it

would. Nike

The last paragraph in the last ad is the one that I can relate to when I run! I feel so free and the world is behind me and I can do anything in that moment."

So as Nike says (yes I'm being cheesy here)..JUST DO IT:)

Diet Soda & 48% Risk of Stroke-Izzy Graduates Pre-School, A Vacation and Accepting Horatio is Gone!

A few quick things today-the sad news first is that Horatio my cat has been missing over a week now so I am beginning to accept that regardless of the flyers, reward, and endless searching-he is probably not coming home.  I am just hoping that he is safe and okay wherever he is.  I miss him terribly but I don't know what else I can do to find him so now I have to get through my sadness at the loss of him:(

On a positive note-Izzy my 5 year old is a pre-school graduate and is on her way to kindergarten next year! Woohoooo go Izzy:)



 And now for the very astounding information Ann the trainer told me today!  I love, love, love my diet Coke! I LOVE it and look forward to it so much!  Well I have not had any diet Coke in 4 days (which is hell pure hell) so I figured hmmmm I could have just one and it wouldn't hurt but Ann looked at me and told me that everytime I drink a diet soda I raise my chances of a stroke by 48%!!! Almost half! I was astounded so I looked online and found the study that showed this so now I really need to stay off of it!  I found this in the Los Angeles Times:

"Here’s the outline of the study, which was started in 2003, and what it found:

A total of 2,564 people in the study were asked about their intake of sodas (among other questions) at the start of the study. After nine years, 559 cardiovascular events had occurred, and those who had reported drinking diet soda every day had a 60% higher rate of these events, which included various forms of stroke as well as heart attacks.

The scientists adjusted for certain factors, such as age, sex, race, smoking, exercise, alcohol and daily calories. When they added additional factors to do with heart disease risk, such as metabolic syndrome, the risk was still 48% higher for the daily-diet-soda-drinking group. (Metabolic syndrome is a group of factors that can include extra weight around the waist and the inability to efficiently process blood sugar.)
“If our results are confirmed with future studies, then it would suggest that diet soda may not be the optimal substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages for protection against vascular outcomes,” noted the study lead author, Hannah Gardener of the University of Miami School of Medicine, in a release from the stroke association. "

And finally,  I am hoping to return to my very favorite place on the earth where monkeys sit in trees as waves crash on the shore!  I am hopefully going to be going to the beach where I am my happiest this summer so I guess we will see.  I love the anticipation of going on a vacation but unfortunately I won't be having a diet Coke when there.

Have a great weekend!

Heidi

Interesting tips from the trainer-Mix up your workout for better benefits!

This morning when I went to do my daily 5 mile run I ran into the trainer at the club where I work out at.  She is amazing, very knowledgeable and always willing to help with little tips to optimize my workouts and eating habits. She asked me how much cardio I was doing and I told her roughly running 10 miles a day.  She explained to me that I really don't need to do 10 miles of running a day that as a matter of fact I could burn more by mixing my workout up.  I was fascinated because I believed that running this much was the best cardio to burn the fat.  The trainer explained to me that our bodies are extremely efficient machines and if we are doing the same routine all the time our body recognizes it and uses less energy to do the workouts than in the beginning.  I am so glad she told me this or I would still be running 10 miles a day thinking I should really be losing more weight.  She suggested that I run on the treadmill on a higher incline for a minute or run faster for a minute and then go back to my normal pace.  This would push my body harder, vary my routine and I would burn more.  She also suggested that I run at a comfortable pace and focus more on time than miles.  I need to throw in the bike, classes and the elliptical too.  By mixing my routine up we can all burn more and hopefully achieve the results we want quicker.

Personally, when all else fails I put on my Adidas, hop on the treadmill and run and run and run until all the frustration,sadness or what  I feel is on it's way out and that euphoric exhausted feeling takes over.  When I am having a bad day of it I run so hard until I could collapse and I tell you what it is the best feeling.

Anyway, off to bed... hope this helps you in your workout-sure did me!

Missing Cat-My Broken Heart-Horatio Hornblower Cudnik Please Come Home!

Horatio where are you?
My Horatio has been missing 5 days now and I am beyond sad and worried. I am not being pessimistic but the chances of him returning I know in my heart are very slim. In the 12 years that I have had him he has never not come when I called him or wandered off so I just know that something has happened where he cannot return because I know that he would if he could. I will always hold out hope and do what I can to find him but these last few days have been painful and devastating not knowing where he went. Horatio is my 3 legged cat who purred if you just looked at him and cheered me everyday. I ran the entire neighborhood today and called for him but to no avail:(((

Maybe to some people it seems I am being dramatic over my loss and they might say, “oh he is just a cat” but “just a cat” to me is a creature warmer than the sun, a companion truer than most anyone and a joy that cannot be compared. I hope Horatio comes home but I imagine I need to appreciate that I was ever blessed to have him in my life for 12 years and that any sadness I feel now at his loss is nothing compared to all the love and joy that he gave me.

It often happens that a man is more humanely related to a cat or dog than to any human being. ~Henry David Thoreau

Bikini Body Booty Busting! Oh No Here We Go Again-What Is Your Plan??

Kick it!  It's Swimsuit season again!


I have been running and running lately to get ready for the bikini/swimsuit fiasco season that I will have to endure shortly. I decided that this year I am going to be in the best shape of my life so I have really started taking steps to make that happen even more so than I ever have. In my fantasy life I can sit on the couch and eat chocolate, Cheetos and have diet cokes and chocolate martinis and be perfectly toned and thin. Unfortunately this is reality so my booty is hitting the gym hard and eating all the things to get me healthy and trim. I started a 24 day challenge today at the fitness center and it is tough! I am going to have to be very disciplined and stick to this diet and keep up my exercising. I will give more details as I go on but what I am doing now is running 5-6 miles every morning before taking the kids to school and going to work, then in the evenings I run another 5-6 miles. I try to do at least 4 days of running 10 miles per day (and my circuit weights) and then I rest one day, and the other two days I do about 6-7 miles as well as yoga on Monday and Wednesday of every week.

As far as my eating habits go I can assure you that sadly enough Cheetos and chocolate, diet Coke and Martinis are a no, no, no! Instead I am sticking to lots of fruits (lots of berries) and vegetables, oatmeal, healthy fats such as avocados, olives, nuts and clean complex carbs such as rice and hummus. I am a vegetarian so this is a little tough on getting everything in but my trainer said if I eat eggs (which I despise bc of the childhood vomit/boat issue but that’s another story)-but will do) I should be able to meet my goal soon. I can tell since I have been doing the 40-55 miles of running per week that my legs are getting very toned and stronger so that is a plus! Now if my booty and belly will just do what I want them to as well I will finally be content.

I will give more information as I am going on this 24 days challenge. I am committed to sticking to it but may be CRANKY without my diet Coke and chocolate. It doesn’t help that people are so nice (you know who you are) that they keep giving me chocolate to make the day go by. Wish me luck and I will let you know the hurdles as well as what can make something like this easier for you.

Heidi

P.S. My cat Horatio has been missing for 3 days now and I have walked the neighborhood everyday crying and calling for him. He is a little 3 legged cat I rescued about 12 years ago and I am just a sad mess without him.  He has been my companion and a source of great joy in my life and now he is gone:(  He doesn’t generally go outside or wander off and comes when called so if you think of it please send positive thoughts that my Horatio will return home. I have put up flyers and called shelters. I appreciate any good energy my way. I miss my little Horatio Hornblower:(

 “The smallest feline is a masterpiece” Leonardo da Vinci