Bon appetit!

Food Prep.

What is it and why?

For me its 2 hours, give or take, once a week where I make my food for the week. Breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. 

Why?

Because it's cheaper and healthier. Before you say "But healthy food is expensive!", let me say I average $3 per HEALTHY meal. That's the actual meal (a carb, a protein, and vegetables) and a piece of fruit. That's also 300-500 calories.

But fast food? Even if you get 3 items from the dollar menu good luck getting a lower calorie count than 1,000. And something that's actually food.

And fast?

My 2 hours a week means 2-3 mins a meal. Just as good, or better, than a drive thru.

And now for some how. That rhymed. ;)

1. Containers 

Buy some. But a lot of them. All sizes. Think about how many you need: a week's worth of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. That's roughly 42 containers for me, give or take. Sometimes I use one big container for a meal then dish it out day of if there's no space in the fridge. 

2. Frozen vegetables

Yes, fresh is best. But ain't no body got time fo chopping a week's worth of vegetables. Bagged frozen is a BIIIIG time saver. Bonus: cut a slit in the top of the bag and any bag of frozen vegetables becomes a "steam in bag" pack. You're welcome.

3. Freeze often

No, I don't mean stock up on frozen pizza bites and ice cream. But do stock up on sale items and save them in the freezer for later. Make chili, waffles, soups, what have you and defrost when needed. Freeze peeled bananas for "ice cream" and frappes, too.

4. Crockpot

Sauces, chicken, sweet potatoes. There's a lot you can cook with little effort.

5. Instant brown rice.

Cooking non-instant rice can take forever and can test your patience (underdone, too wet, burnt). Instant brown rice takes 7 mins in the microwave and you're done. 

6. Write it down

I'm a visual person. I need a list I can see or I will forget that I bought avocados to use with lunch then they will go bad... Wasted food is a no-no. Write down what you're going to eat this week. Put it on your fridge or save it as a note on the smart phone you currently have in your hand. This way you will be fully prepared for food prep and not have to use pre-packaged food.

7. But what store boughts are worth it? 

If you can pronounce the ingredients and the ingredient list isn't a novel, you're allowed to buy it. If you suck at tortilla making like me, you're allowed to buy whole grain tortillas. If you suck at making bread like me, you're allowed to buy whole grain bread. I suck at making salsa too... Just make sure the product has real ingredients. 

8. Bulk. 

Bulk is your friend. Why? Because it's cheaper. My pantry looks like an episode of hoarders sometimes. Yikes.

9. The most important tip I'm going to give you today? LEARN TO COOK. Learn a new cooking skill at least every other week. People don't cook anymore (that's not a judgmental statement if you can't cook). Somewhere we decided that frozen microwave meals and fast food were ok. They're not. But, cooking doesn't have to be TV show worthy. We have YouTube and Google at our disposal. Look up how to brown meat, cook noodles, scramble eggs, roast a chicken. You'll thank me for the sense of accomplishment when you're done. 

One of the many good things about food prep is if you have a meal ready to go, there's no need for junk food. But, don't forget to live. Eat a burger. Have some pizza with friends. It's your birthday? Have a piece of cake. Just make sure that 80-90% of your food is healthy and, if possible, all made by you. 

Bon appetit! 

Second chances.

"I didn't know!!!" 

"What's your story? Or do you not want to talk about it?" 

"Why are you such a fitness freak?" 

Since my 2 year survivor anniversary is coming up (March 27th) I'm writing a refresher story. Because there are people who do not know I am a cancer survivor. There are people who know, but do not know the story. There are people who know, but think I don't want to talk about it (If I post survivor stuffs on Facebook/Instagram for the world to see, you can ask me about it ;-) ). 

Ready? Here we go: I graduated high school in 2007. I ran maybe 2 miles 2-3 times a week and that was all I did working out wise back then. In 2008 my dad starting running more and eating right to lose weight. During that time tried to up my running game and I worked up to running 5 miles 2-3 times a week. We also picked up cycling and would ride 15ish miles on occasion. 

I started YWAM (missionary school) right after high school then started Bible college for 4 years after that. Until 2011, I was here, there, and everywhere for missions and didn't always have the opportunity to run. So my fitness level went up and down. 

Then in June that year I left for a 5 month trip to Honduras and Colombia. I ended up getting sick right before I left. And I stayed sick with different lung infections the whole time. There were times I couldn't get out of bed I was so worn out. There were many days I had to rely on meds and an inhaler to have the lung capacity to just walk around. The only "tests" I had when I went to clinics down there were x-rays and them listening to my lungs because I refused blood work since I don't do well with needles. So they didn't see the cancer and thought it was just an infection. With the medicine they gave me I would be better for a few days but since the cancer wasn't treated I would go back to not being able to get out of bed. 

I came home from that trip a month early in November, completely worn out and desperately wanting to not be sick anymore. I went to the doctor here in the states not expecting anything but more medicine that wouldn't help. I was wrong. 

"Your blood work is a mess and there are masses in between your lungs. We think it's Lymphoma." 

To which I thought, "What's Lymphoma?" And, "Is that bad?" 

Since I had been sick for months and didn't know what I had just been told at first, the fact that I had just been diagnosed with cancer sunk in slowly. By early December I was formally diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which is a type of blood cancer, and had enlarged lymph nodes in my neck and chest. 

I started 6 months of chemo treatments the very end of December. I had 4 chemo drugs plus a plethora of other medicines to go along with them. I did my treatments in one day, for 4-5 hours, every 2 weeks. I would feel like crap day of, start to feel better over the next 3 days, then be good enough to go back to work til the next treatment day. Though my energy level was still not normal for a 22 year old, chemo was managable. I even ended up keeping almost all of my hair. I was, however, eyebrow-less. I got pretty good at penciling them on. 

In March, half way through chemo, scans showed that the cancer was no longer there. Which meant I was technically a survivor, but I had to finish out my treatments to make sure any microscopic cancer cells that wouldn't have showed up were gone and to decrease my chances of the cancer coming back. I finished my chemo treatments in June of 2012. There were many tears of joy as they unhooked my IV for the last time! Then the nurses sang, "Hit the road Jack, and don't you come back" as I left. 

Last day.

With my eating habits that were not what they should have been, plus not being as active, plus medicine that made me gain weight, I had put on 20 pounds more than pre-chemo weight. And my fitness level was pretty much non-existent, I could only run a half mile. Plus life in general was put on hold. Scratch that, life came to a screeching halt. So the task of starting life over again as a survivor was challenging. 

Even though I was cancer free, I was not healthy. And so began my journey to health. I started eating right, running and cycling again, and joined a gym so I could start swimming. I did my first sprint distance triathlon three months after I was done with treatments. That race was the first time I had run 3 miles without stopping since before getting sick. I remember thinking, "Don't stop. Don't stop." the whole time. For those of you who think running comes naturally for me, that was a hard run. Took me 34 mins and I didn't think I'd ever come close to breaking a 30 min 5k again. To show you the progress I've made since then: I can currently run a 23:09 5k. 

First triathlon.

Then I decided I wanted to do something big to celebrate being cancer free for a year. I decided to run my first marathon, 26.2 miles. At the time I was struggling to get to where I could run more than 5 miles. The most I had run before that was a half marathon, 13.1 miles, in 2009. My first long run during that training period was 8 miles, on a treadmill since it was raining. I thought that run would never end. But marathon day came, I ran the marathon in just under 5 hours, and said I would probably never run another marathon as long as I lived (I'm about to run my second. Ha.)

First marathon.

I have continued to try and reach new fitness goals since then to "stick it to the man". I've run from my house to the hospital where I did chemo and back a few times. That's about 18-20 miles depending on which route I take. I have, and will continue to, train for races that are bigger/longer than a marathon like the half ironman I'm training for in June, which will mark 2 years off chemo. And I've recently become a certified trainer through NASM, in the hopes that I can help others with their health. 

I have an online training system set up and I've given out my resume at a few places. So now, I wait for clients.

And wait the 6 days til my 2nd marathon. THREE days til my 2 year anniversary. I used to count down days til I left for a  mission trip. Now I count down til race days for a chance to flex my survivor muscles and have people ask me why I run. "Missions" will never be the same for me. Just like health, missions is a lifestyle.

Long story short: God's grace is enough.

Sunriiiiiise, sunset. And a secret identity.

Close your eyes. Envision a sunset. 

What words come to your mind? 

Beauty?

Colors? 

Serenity? 

Awe? 

DISTRUCTION?!? 

BITTER ENDING?!?

DOOM?!?!?!? !!!!!!!! ? 

Sorry to ruin the moment there. 

Why do we see only the beauty in the end of a day? Because we know a bright new tomorrow is coming. We know, because God created it that way. 

I've been saving this analogy for a while. I think I've saved it for a good post:  

Younger Elizabeth was überly quiet, painfully shy, and lacked confidence like no body's bidness (Yes, I said bidness). Although I still struggle with that, my confidence level is way up compared to back then. Some from the various mission trips I went on, a lot from having/surviving cancer, a whole lot from having to rebuild my health. Exercise builds confidence. It's a proven fact. 

I started as confidence lacking, over weight, can't run a half mile Elizabeth. Fast foward to healthy about to run her 2nd marathon (26.2 miles) doesn't care who she's annoying on Facebook with her running posts Elizabeth. 

I started as the new girl in the gym who didn't know what the heck she was doing, didn't make eye contact with anyone, and just tried to finish her workout without drawing attention to herself. 

Then I found the Fitfam on Twitter. Anonymous accounts where you could post your accomplishments and struggles and nobody cared because they were going through it too. A place for encouragement. A place to say what was on your mind about your health journey just so someone could see it and not judge you.

Here's where the secret identity comes in, and where you might think I'm crazy if you don't think so already: I made an anon account for myself. Didn't put my name on it. My profile picture was my bicep when I first started. All anyone knew about me was I was a cancer survivor and a runner. The only ones that I told in person I had it were my sisters and my dad because it felt weird to not tell anyone.

A year and a half later I have 2,226 unpaid (just so you know I'm not making it up) followers who listen to my rambling about running, eating, and progress reports. I couldn't decide if I should post my back progress picture to my personal Instagram and finally shatter the "anon" mindset, then I decided to go for it. The fact that nobody seemed to think anything bad about me posting it to Facebook and Insta, paired with being a personal trainer I felt it's unprofessional to have a secret identity. And I want to use the account as my official trainer twitter. I've eased into posting about fitness on Facebook and Intsa 24/7 almost. It probably gets annoying to you all, but now, more confident Elizabeth doesn't care (as much) and will post what she wants about fitness (within reason) and share with the world. 

The sun set on quiet, shy, sick Elizabeth. It was a chaotic sunset. But ended up being a beautiful sunrise on a more confident, healthy, and ready to tackle whatever God has for her next Elizabeth. 

A friend of mine asked a very simple yet genius question: What do you wear to workout? 

This question deserves a whole blog.

My favorite places to get decently priced (and sometimes awesomely clearanced) workout attire: Target, Old Navy, Academy Sports, Marshall's. 

If you don't want to spend a whole lot on shoes Kohl's and Academy have a good selection. If you can spend a few more dollars I'd highly suggest going to Runner's Market, Fleet Feet or the New Balance Store to get fitted for shoes at least once. Shoe fit is everything and can prevent injury. Make sure they are comfortable to walk around in, wide enough, and there's ample room for your toes. DO NOT cram your feet into a pair of shoes just because they're cute or on sale.

Here's a link to an article about shoe fit: Runner's World Shoe Fit 

You know how Edna Mode (Mode meaning fashion in French, those clever Disney peeps) says no capes? Well, NO COTTON! This includes underwear and socks (Ladies, get a well fitting sports bra, you'll thank me). 

You might be able to get away with cotton socks. But, after cotton gets wet and sweaty it's heavy and can cause blisters. Which is no fun 6 miles into a 20 mile run, let me tell ya. Workout clothes are generally made of what's called technical fabric. It's light and drys fast so it's perfect to work out in. Also, don't put technical fabrics in the dryer, they'll last longer. 

Back to skin blistering for a sec. I don't like my legs rubbing together. Solution? Yoga capris or men's compression shorts under my running shorts. 

Why men's? Women's tend to be shorter and ride up. If they don't stay on my thighs that kinda defeats the purpose. 

Now, body glide. Not an article of clothing but it needs to be talked about. Probably not needed for workouts under an hour either. But go beyond that and sometimes no amount of well fitting technical fabric is going to prevent your sweaty clothes from rubbing against your sweaty skin and causing blisters. You don't have to buy the expensive, real deal "Body Glide". Vaseline will work. Usually you'll need it under your arms and between your thighs. Even if you have long pants/shorts on. 

And, also not an article of clothing, but arm bands for your phone. You can get cheap yet good ones at dealextreme (dx.com). 

I think that covers it. Have a good workout. ;)

You are what you eat.

Elizabeth, what do you eat?

Elizabeth, how much do you eat?

Elizabeth, what do you eat before a run?

Elizabeth, how do you have time to eat right?

These are questions I get a lot, so I figured I'd post it all in one blog. 

What do I eat, and why did I choose to eat what I do? I eat to live. I eat to be healthy. I eat to perform. Our bodies are not made to digest processed food. I eat ice cream and hamburgers on occasion, sure. But for the most part I eat real, healthy food. I don't exclude any food groups either. I believe that unless you have a real medical reason to not eat something, eat it. I eat complex carbs, healthy fats, and lean protein every meal. 

But carbs are bad!!! NO. Empty calorie carbs are bad. So I make sure to eat good carbs: whole grains, rice, sweet potatoes, fruit. Carbohydrates are what our bodies mostly use for energy.

But fat is bad!!! NO. Trans-fats are bad. Fat helps our bodies absorb vitamins and also supplies energy.

Why lean protein? Because the less animal fat the better. Protein builds body tissue (muscle) and helps us feel full. 

I get asked a lot if I do juice diets. I do not. I use juice as sports drinks, nothing more. Juices are rapidly digested and for me, personally, that doesn't work. I need that food (energy) to hang around while I'm running 10, 15, 20+ miles. So I eat whole food. I also do not believe in juice cleansing diets. God created our bodies to detox themselves. So as along as you're eating real, whole foods and not crap, you're good. 

How much do I eat? Depends on the goal for the day, i.e. what workout(s) am I doing. The number of calories varies for each person, and for me, depends on the day. There are a certain number of calories you need just to survive, not including exercise, manual labor, etc. If you don't want to figure those numbers yourself you can "cheat" and use a calorie counter app. 

What do you eat before a run? Or any workout? I've already touched on this a bit. So in continuation: I eat slow digesting carbs like oatmeal or bananas. Cinnamon helps carbs digest slower, too. Also, fats are used for energy. Cinnamon, banana nut oatmeal? Perfect! Happens to be my pre run/race meal of choice. If the workout, whether it be cycling, weights, swimming, will be under an hour in duration I might opt for a fruit and nut (carb and fat) bar. After a workout, our bodies need carbs and protein to rebuild and recover. I usually have a snack before a workout, then have breakfast or dinner after so there are enough nutrients to rebuild.

How do you have time to eat right? Ever heard, "If you keep good food in your fridge you will eat good food"?

If you don't buy it, you're not going to eat it. If you have it, you're not going to have to get fast food. Saturday and Wednesday are my food prep days. I break it up so that the food doesn't have to sit for almost a week. 3-4 breakfasts, 6 lunches (Dad and I), 3-4 dinners, pre-workout snacks, all in 2 hours give or take. Depends on what I'm making, sometimes I'm done in under an hour.

Like this time I made a loaf of pumpkin bread which will be part of breakfast for the whole week which will save me time next food prep.

And there you have it.

Any other questions? Seriously, ask away.

16 days til Christmas!

What do I want from the big fat man in the red suit? 

Chocolate.

Peanut Butter. Covered in chocolate...

More chocolate.

But I'm a practical person. So what do I really want?

Grace. More than I have already been shown.

Love. More than has already been given to me.

An abundant life. Actually, that I wouldn't forget I have an abundant life.

I realized just the other day that I was envious of other's lives. I had a case of Madam Blueberry. I wasn't content with what I had. It took one moment of complaining to God about it then He promptly slapped me in the face, "You have a good life, Elizabeth. I just made yours to look different". My life is good. It's just a different good. How selfish of me to forget what God has given me. To forget how awesome this life I have is even though it does look like I want it to sometimes.

I mean, Hello! Look at all the cool things I've gotten to do! I have to, have to, have to focus on the good and not the bad. Even though it all plays it's part in life. 

That being said, I'm ready for this new year. I remember saying at the start of 2013 that I was going to make this year MY year. I think I've done it. First marathon, 50 mile bike ride, first mission trip since having cancer, first overall female survivor in the Buddy's Race Against Cancer, began studying to be a personal trainer, and the latest development of becoming a member of a running team in Knoxville. All because of grace. 

Can't wait to see what 2014 holds.

I hope it holds a 22 minute, and eventually faster, 5k. A job at the gym that I interviewed at, I really liked it there. And Olympic & Half Iron man triathlons. Those are the "big ticket" items. Along with again, learning to love the life I have been given.

Will run for food.

Will run for food! Namely protein, like BBQ for Buddy's 5k!

Which I have to say: NAILED IT. I was first overall female survivor (23:09). That is also my fastest 5k to date. I'm hoping by next 5k I'll hit my goal of 22 something for two reasons: 1) progress is cool and 2) come January 1st, though I will still be 24 til July, I'll be in the 25-29 age category. And there are some pretty fast mid to late 20 females. Am I really mid 20s? Didn't I just graduate highschool?

No. And I must say: after graduating college I didn't ever want to go to school again. But here I am more than a week into personal training school. And Dad and I have job interviews Tuesday to work basically as payed interns. Ah! This change is becoming more real.

I've questioned this change a lot lately. Mainly because I have known for a good two years now that missions will never be the same for me. I thought that a survivor testimony would be the only change in how I did missions. Years before that I had someone prophetically tell me I had a gift of healing. It never made since to me even through there has always been opportunities to pray for the sick while I've been on trips. Then I thought my greater understanding of God as a healer would play a part in that. But it still didn't seem right. I kept thinking of how your God given gifts and talents are a major part of how you do missions. Then it hit me. I know what it's like to be sick. I know how to rebuild your health and your body. Around 70% of people live with chronic diseases that are preventable with diet and exercise. I know how to help people reverse their health situation! That is where the gift of healing comes in. It comes in a very tangible way. So here I am. Back in school with a new missions statement. Never think you have your life and God's plans figured out peeps.

So where do you start in taking control of your health? I posted on our TRI level fitness Facebook page the other day that 70% of your immune system is in your digestive system. You either feed yourself healthy, or you feed yourself sick. Your body will only function well if you fuel it well. Whether you are looking for better athletic performance or wanting to lose weight, correct nutrition is key. Ever heard, "Eat for the body you want"? I'm going to add "Eat for the health you want", too.

Things you should never eat:

Foods with long, unpronounceable ingredient lists.

Why? Simply, it's not real food.

High fructose corn syrup.

High fructose corn syrup, and any other unnatural sweeteners, are chemically altered and cannot be processed by your body. It also leads to diabetes, weight gain, and many other chronic diseases.

Trans Fats.

Trans fats have no nutritional significance, raise your bad cholesterol and lower your good.

Things you should always eat:

Fruits and Vegetables.

Why? They are full of vitamins, nutrients, fibre and are low calorie, so eat up.

Lean proteins (Meat, eggs, low fat diary, beans).

Protein, like fiber, helps keep you full and helps build muscle. You want to eat lean proteins to keep your bad fat intake down.

Good fats (Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, nuts).

There are bad fats and good fats. The correct portion of good fats will raise your good cholesterol and help you lose fat. (Yes! Healthy fat makes you LOSE fat!).

Whole grains & other carbohydrates (Whole grain pasta, bread, oats, fruit, beans and most vegetables).

Like fats there are good and bad carbs. Bad carbs are things like white bread and pasta that are made with enriched (nutrition-less) flour. Good carbs will keep your blood sugar level and give you sustainable energy. Carbs will also contribute to your fiber intake.

Health eating means finding a balance of proteins, carbs & fats.

Low calorie DOES NOT mean healthy for you. There is a major difference in a 100 calorie cookie pack and 100 calories worth of fruit. You should monitor nutrient intake as well as calories whether you are losing or maintaining weight. If you need help to track the calories you eat and the calories you burn there are many phone apps that make this easy. Like the free versions of "My Fitness Pal" and "My Plate". Or you can go the old pen and paper route.

Here is a guideline for what a plate/meal should look like: 

As for potatoes, I'm going to say a serving of sweet or red potatoes would be good for you. All things in moderation. Like these broccoli and salmon stuffed sweet potatoes that I just pulled out of the oven. I made some BBQ sauce to go with them, too. That will be in the next blog post. ;)

And let's talk about sugar for a second. Sugar has no nutritional value what so ever. Which is why you should never eat processed sugars. Get some organic sugar. Even then, it still has no nutritional value but at least its natural. Honey is also a good natural sweetener. And if you work towards not eating added sugar you'll find that your taste buds will adjust and you just might like eating less sugar. And to be honest, I struggle with this change. But coffee with just almond milk is growing on me.

Start to make small changes here and there in your new healthy diet and you'll find that it gets easier to make better choices after a while. Start telling yourself that your and your family's health is worth the effort!

Then make time for 30-60 minutes of exercise a day and you've got it made. Get out and walk, run, bike, whatever you like. Find something that you love to do so that you'll stick with it. Exercise shouldn't have to be boring! And again, there are phone apps to help you get moving. Like Sworkit App. It has strength, core, and aerobic exercise routines you can do anywhere.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to sort out my training plan starting December 1st for marathon season. ;-)