Posted on by Karissa · 1 Comment

Creating Health Goals

So, being an accountant means that I basically sit on my rump 40-50 hours a week (including commute time). Then there is Netflix and other non-active activities to engage in when I’m home. This has led to being at a state of health that I do not like. I have tried combating it with spur of the moment diets, halfhearted home gym work outs, and even a personal trainer. Nothing has really stuck. 2020 is the year I change that.

In October, I started going to OrangeTheory Fitness. I go twice a week as my work schedule allows, and I really enjoy it. OTF is an hour long HIIT group class that utilizes the row machine, treadmill, and weight floor in order to improve muscle and cardio. The coaches are super supportive so far, and I feel like I can modify as needed, depending on what my body tells me. You also earn “splatpoints” which is a great pull on my competitive side and makes me push harder.

On the food side of things, I am working on snacking less and eating more veges and fruits. This is a huge challenge, and it’s where I am the weakest. I am using MyFitnessPal to keep track of calories and macros, but I know I am not doing enough in this area to really get me where I want to be.

Now that the setup is complete, I give you my health goals for 2020:

  • Lose an overall 10-15 pounds
  • Move to a jogger from a power walker
  • Complete my first 5K with a time under 50 minutes (which, I actually have signed up for one at the end of April)- I currently have a 16.5ish minute mile.
  • Complete my first 10K with a time around 1 hour 45 minute (the original plan was only to do the 5K, but I managed to snag spots for the Wine and Dine 10K in EPCOT in November!)
  • Cook with more fresh veggies
  • Less SUPER processed foods for meals (I love my Chef Boyarde ravioli in a pinch, but I will not be unrealistic and say all processed foods. I’m still human)

I have dedicated a page in the back of my planner to keeping track of my progress when it comes to OTF. Every month I update/ choose new parameters for myself. Basically, as my fitness gets better, my speed on the treadmill and weights on the floor increase. I know it’s not always going to be a linear thing- it is very import to listen to what your body tells you. One day I be able to jog a few minutes, the next power walking may be a struggle. The progress is in the long game.

To everyone in their own health and fitness journey: may we all suffer together and support each other. This is a team sport, y’all.

Posted on by Karissa

Goals for 2020

So we are six weeks into 2020, but I am still trying to figure out what my main goals for the year are. I am trying to have at least one for what I believe to be the important parts of my life. As soon as I share them, you guys can help hold me accountable. But, here are the couple I have so far:

My reading goal for the year is 50 books. That’s a little less than a book a week, and I think I can pull it off. Heck, I have 12 done already which will be good if I get into a reading slump later in the year.

Health goals are going to be non-scale based. I think that is part of the reason why I have such a hard time with it- numbers get into my head. I want to complete a 5k by the end of the year and move from power walking to jogging on the treads at my Orange Theory class. I just started jogging on the all outs without inclines, and man, that makes me super winded. Cardio is not my thing, y’all.

I want to finish writing my NaNoWriMo 2019 novel before NaNoWriMo 2020 starts. My plot decided to not follow my outline so I have been stuck with how to get things going again.

Make the most out of my annual passes. I am paying for Universal and SeaWorld, and I don’t want that money to be wasted. I don’t see it happening because I just love theme parks and roller coasters, but my life isn’t 24/7 Disney (it basically is, but we keep getting blocked out thanks to Star Wars).

Career wise I don’t have any specific goals yet. Last year was huge for my job, so I feel like this year will be honing my knowledge on skills I need for industry accounting. The change from public was a welcome one, but a lot of my every day smarts are not used here as they were tax related. It’s a different brain and I am enjoying it very much.

I plan on keeping you updated on these goals and more as they come up. I also plan on bragging about all the fun theme park stuff I get up to, so if you have any questions about Orlando theme parks, let me know and I will do my best to answer!

Posted on by Karissa

Healthy Microwave Apple Pie

This is basically my favorite healthy snack: apple pie in the microwave. It’s super easy. All you need is an apple (I prefer granny smith, but use your favorite variety) and cinnamon.

20180918_2020197437138522850344631.jpg

Step one: Slice the apple. You can also cut the slices into smaller cubes if you wish.

20180918_20210268879837376237162.jpg

Step two: Cover slices with as much cinnamon as you like (some people add a itty bitty bit of sugar, but I like just cinnamon)

20180918_2023587580843822893428449.jpg

Step three: microwave for about 45 seconds

20180918_2024272302531956560563622.jpg

Step four: enjoy your healthy apple pie!

20180918_2024531393492163470870392.jpg

Bonus: no extra carbs.

It is so yummy and refreshing and My Fitness Pal gave it less than 100 calories for the snack. If you like apples, you will love this!

Posted on by Karissa · 1 Comment

Easy Peasy Healthy Breakfast Muffins

One of my favorite breakfasts is egg-white muffins. You can make them anyway you want, but I find them to be a much healthier alternative to power bars and cereals. According to My Fitness Pal, one muffin using the ingredients listed is about 70 calories, give or take. I do not use exact measurements on this, so if that bugs you, I am really sorry.

I use the following ingredients:

20180704_080445

  • A small thing of egg whites
  • Jimmy Dean crumbled turkey sausage
  • Green pepper, chopped
  • Onion, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • A little bit of cheese

The actual making of the muffins is easy:

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Grease your muffin pan
  3. While oven is preheating, chop your veggies
  4. Put a pinch-ish of each dry ingredient into muffin pan
  5. Add salt and pepper
  6. Add just enough of egg whites to each tin to make ingredients float (you may need to redistribute with a spoon at the end to get things more even)
  7. Stir each muffin a tad with a spoon to mix up ingredients and to make muffin fluffier
  8. The pan should look like this: 20180704_081827
  9. Bake for 20 minutes
  10. Enjoy!

20180704_084005

I end up making containers of two muffins and storing them in the fridge. My husband and I then can grab them and throw them into our lunch boxes to eat when we get to work. I warm up a container for a minute, then let it sit for another minute so I don’t burn my mouth.

Feel free to change up the ingredients to make the muffins just the way you like them. My husband likes to add sriracha to his after they are done cooking, but we have not tried adding the sauce to the actual muffin yet. Let me know how your experiments turn out!