And the exciting news is...

I have created a website, which will actually be replacing this blog. It is called

A Fit Family

and it will be similar to Eat, Play, Love in that it is focused on ideas, tips, thoughts, recipes etc. etc. to keep the whole family fit!! I am asking all of you to please, please spread the word!! I will be working out the kinks in the next few weeks, but hopefully I will get a button up there soon that you can add to your blogs as well. I'd also love any thoughts, ideas or feedback you have. I feel so strongly about family fitness and I think there isn't really a lot out there about it.

So--change your Google readers, update your blog link, tell your friends and family. It's now

www.afitfamily.com

Come on over and visit!! Also, look for me on Facebook soon! Thanks for all your support!

Exciting News!

I am working on something I am very excited about--hopefully I will be able to share it within a week or so. I know you are all waiting with baited breath. Stay tuned!!!

Today I did Crossfit and then a 10 mile ride (I swear it was mostly uphill) against up to 50 mph gusts of wind with Lincoln in the bike seat. I NEVER get sore from riding, but my quads are already feeling it!! Tomorrow should be an adventure in walking!

You don't use it, you lose it.

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day (and escape the madness of being home with my kids for TWO WEEKS STRAIGHT NOW), I went on my first real ride of the season this afternoon. Not pretty. It is crazy to me that I work out all winter long and I still sort of have to start over in the spring. I did just over 10 miles in 47 minutes. That is not good. Last September I was doing 12 miles in 40 minutes. It still felt good, though!!

Check out my NEW clip-on shoes and pedals that I got for Christmas. I spent the entire 47 minutes praying that I wouldn't fall flat on my face and make an idiot of myself in front of anyone. (Apparently this is a very common occurrence in newbies such as myself.) So far, so good.

On a side note--could they possibly make cycling clothes LESS flattering? Hmmm...I think I see a need in the marketplace here.

P.S. Rebecca asked what the CrossFit diet is. It is the Paleo diet, if you have heard of that. Basically you eat like a caveman. Lots of lean meat (all grass-fed), eggs and vegetables. Some fruit. No grains. No dairy. Not even beans. Weird. I personally am choosing to reject it. They say you can lose a lot of weight by doing it. But you can also lose a lot of weight by becoming bulimic, but I'm not willing to go that particular route either.

Just getting old (not so gracefully)

My left knee has been acting up again. I don't know why. My kids are out of school, so I haven't even been able to go running, which is what usually triggers my knee pain. I have been icing it and wrapping it and dosing up on glucosamine and ibuprofen. So here is the question of the hour...

If my left knee is causing me so much pain that I can barely make it up and down the stairs, why does my RIGHT knee look like this???

Now I've had unexplained bruising before, but this seems more to me like unexplained massive internal hemorrhaging of the patella (I watch a lot of medical dramas.) This picture doesn't even do it justice. What the heck?!

Is this just a by-product of getting OLD?! Random bruises, joint pain like you wouldn't believe, sluggish metabolism, oh and numbness in my fingers for over a week all because I did some handstands?!

Cookies!!

I have been thinking about my last post all day--as I cleaned my house and did my laundry, as I made lunch for my family, as I took my kids on a nine mile bike ride to a nearby reservoir to play and as I made dinner. My blood was really boiling over this issue. I don't know who I was mad at--I was just mad! But I have since come to the conclusion: SCREW IT. We eat healthy foods in moderation. I am not cutting whole wheat bread or yogurt out of my diet. I may consider trying to cut back on the bread a bit and trying to get some more lean protein in, but that is it. Well, and I have given up Diet Coke again! I don't care what the "experts" of the minute say, because they are all just going to change their minds. I just want to do what is good for me and my family. And what is reasonable. That being said...

I made these awesome cookies the other day!!!!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (MY version)

1 cup white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

10 TBSP applesauce

12 TBSP cocoa powder

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

powdered sugar (to roll cookies in)

Mix together flours and baking powder. Add applesauce, cocoa powder, honey, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add eggs and mix in. (It is really thick dough--beware!) Refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make small balls of the dough (it is very sticky and you will have chocolate hands by the end!) and roll them in powdered sugar. Place sugar coated balls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Enjoy!

My kids (and I) love these things! They are soft and chocolatey and taste like little brownie bites!!

NO WAY I'm giving that up. (So there. I'm sticking it to the man.)

Major venting

I'm FED UP and FRUSTRATED!! Does it not seem to anyone else that every time you turn around there are some different "scientifically based" facts about what you should and shouldn't eat? I can't take it anymore!!! Avoid fat. Eat fat. Eat only good fats. Eggs are bad. Eggs are good. Egg whites are okay. Eat the whole egg. Go low carb. Eat whole grains. Avoid all grains. Eat only grains. Don't eat beef. Eat lean beef. Eat grass-fed beef. Eat lots of soy. Soy is of the devil. Stay away from artificial sweeteners. Don't use sugar. Only use raw sugar. Eat local honey. Don't use any honey or agave nectar. Eat multiple small meals a day. Eating multiple small meals a day is "so last season." Supplement with protein bars and shakes. Avoid processed foods. Drink milk. Avoid dairy. Juice, juice, juice. NO JUICE!! Eat the whole fruit. Don't eat fruit. Eat only certain fruits. Try a baked potato. Don't eat white potatoes. Stay under 1500 calories a day. DON'T COUNT CALORIES!!!

When will the madness stop?!

My CrossFit nutrition challenge started today. I feel like I am a very healthy eater. Only according to the challenge guidelines I am doing everything completely wrong. Heaven forbid I eat a small serving of homemade Greek yogurt sweetened with local honey, blueberries and almonds every day. And, HORROR of HORRORS, I also make my own whole wheat bread and eat that too!!!

I don't know what to think anymore. I am certainly not an expert. But I'm starting to think that there AREN'T ANY EXPERTS out there!!!

Confessions, thoughts and a yummy breakfast

One of the reasons I took a big break from this blog was because I realized that I had gained weight because of reading other food blogs!! I mean, obviously it was still my fault--reading doesn't make you gain weight, shoving food in your mouth does. But I would get all these food ideas from other healthy bloggers that would sound so good. I wasn't realizing, though, that many of these healthy bloggers also happen to be 23 and have never had children. I may feel like I am 23, but my metabolism doesn't. Bummer.

So I'm trying to be really careful about what I put on here now. I have to be VERY careful with what I eat these days. I really try to keep my daily calorie intake low. I have many strategies for doing this--mainly myfitnesspal.com!! Usually I make separate meals for my family and myself for breakfast and dinner. That is my reality. I am almost 36 and things have changed.

Confession: my freshman year in college I ate an entire box of Little Debbie Nutty Bars in one sitting. By myself. I weighed 115 lbs at the time! I NEVER, ever worked out. I probably couldn't even have run for 30 seconds straight. Yes, things have changed.

Here is an awesome breakfast recipe for the whole family (like, I get to eat it, too!!!)

Baked Oatmeal with Bananas and Blueberries--adapted from Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

2 medium ripe bananas, (the riper the better) sliced into 1/2" pieces
1 1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup honey (or agave)
1 cup uncooked quick oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup fat free milk (or Almond Milk--less calories!)
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly spray a 8 x 8" or 9 x 9" ceramic baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
Arrange the banana slices in a single layer on the bottom of the ceramic dish. Sprinkle half of the blueberries over the bananas, 1/4 tsp of the cinnamon, 1 tbsp of the honey and cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes, until the bananas get soft.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the oats, half of nuts, baking powder, remaining cinnamon, and salt; stir together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining honey, milk, egg, and vanilla extract.
Remove the bananas from the oven, then pour the oat mixture over the bananas and blueberries.

Pour the milk mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute the mixture as evenly as possible over the oats. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries and walnuts over the the top.

(I do all this the night before and stick it in the fridge. Then the next morning...)

Bake the oatmeal for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal has set. Serve warm from the oven.
I always double this--those warm bananas...ahhh, heaven in the morning!!!

LUNCH...how do I love thee?

Let me count the ways.

Tuna, a little bit of Jalapeno Ranch dressing, sprouts, cucumber, tomato, lettuce on freshly made 100% whole wheat bread. Yes, please.