Wrap-tastic

WARNING: this post may be long.

I finished up the 10 day cleanse.. The only reason I like the cleanse is because it makes me feel lighter and especially if your diet has been a bit out of whack.. It's like a fresh start! 

What I {personally} don't like about it is that it isn't realistic for me. Like, I'm practicing moderation for all foods. Trying to be strict dieter, not a restricted one. The cleanse doesn't allow sweets. I heard on the Dr.'s TV show this week from a lady who lost a BUNCH of weight was, "If I can't see myself doing this {referring to what she eats} for the rest of my life, then I won't do it. It's not realistic to say I can't have cookies because I will eat cookies for the rest of my life". All about moderation, baby! 

I've been pondering about somethings... I decided that if I just did the max phase for about 4 weeks instead of just two, I'd have better results than the cleanse! {Note to self for challenges to come..} The cleanse just isn't realistic for me. But, I do love the way it made me feel!

Random selfie after squats.. 

My little monster and I post-cardio day. Running {in my case, jogging} with Thor is 100x better than myself. He's ridiculously fast and it motivates me to keep up with him. 

This is definitely how I felt after jogging in the heat...

What keeps you motivated during a hard workout?! Comment at the bottom and let me know! 

Now, for the good part. FOOD!!!

My go-to lunch, like, everyday! 

What you'll need:

1 tortilla shell {I use whole wheat}

1 Laughing Cow cheese wedge {I LOVE the variety of flavors of this brand..}

Lettuce {How much or little as you want}

Lunch meat {Roast beef was used}

How to assemble:

Lay tortilla shell out.

Spread your cheese onto tortilla shell. 

Take your lunch meat and lay out on tortilla shell. 

Lay lettuce on top.

Roll up tortilla and EAT! Nom nom nom. 

And that's a WRAP folks! 

LEG DAY!

I needed a little humor especially after today... 

And I'm mentally preparing myself for leg day.. 

BRING ON THE WADDLING! 

AND NIGHTTIME RECOVERY! 

Quick pic of lunch {Lettuce, Spinach, Carrots, Lunch Meat, Sugar Snap Peas, Orange Pepper, Salsa, 1 small plum and cherries. I also devoured sesame sticks..}

Ate a few bites of grilled chicken and green beans when I got back from babysitting.. I would have an awesome body if I STOPPED STUFFING MY FACE. UGH. It's when I get tired and hungry things start going south... There was my rant of the day. Thanks for listening. <3

Sipping on spark right now... Gotta go destroy leg day!  

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday!!

I bet you don't hear that often.. 



This is SO appropriate for my situation right now...

The cleanse is not going as planned...

Here's my excuse {I HATE excuses btw..} We had a family picnic on Sunday. Family + Good food = not a 24 day challenge friendly diet. 

I had some cake and a small slice of pie.. NAUGHTY!

It's so frustrating because I used to have bullet proof will power and all of a sudden it STINKS! I'm definitely mad at myself for doing that... Because it was going so well. UGH... Can't dwell on it too long otherwise I'll make the same mistake. 

But, look what I did do.. I hit 15,000 steps!!!!

And I did the dreadful stadium stairs... There's three sets of stairs and I run up and down them. I did that about 5 times. Thor only did about 2&1/2 until he had enough. I always swore I would never go back and do the stadium stairs after softball conditioning.. I guess I couldn't resist.. ;)

Lunch was an omelette with spinach, yellow peppers, egg whites, and turkey. 

Topped it off with some Bacon Cheddar seasoning and hot sauce. YUM!!! Omelettes are my go-to.

Here's one cute photo to end this day on.....

Even dogs want Quest Bars!!!

That's a banana muffin quest bar...One of my favorites! 

Day 5 {Of 24} Update

Good morning!!

I'm in 5 days deep into the 24 day challenge. 

And let me tell you, it's hard from going from eat all the food you could ever want {and more} to having control of the food you eat. 

Moral of the story is, don't let yourself go after losing weight or reaching a goal. Keep going! Because now I'm trying to lose the weight I originally had already lost. 

Learn from my mistake!!!

I just HAD to share the story behind this fitbit photo..

It was about 11:30pm on Wednesday, and I was laying in bed reviewing my stats for the day..  And saw that my steps were at 12,985.

I thought to myself that there is NO WAY I'm going to bed until I hit 13,000 steps. So, I hop out of bed and walked around my room until I hit 13,000.

This was my breakfast omelette and spark before babysitting.

Can I just say that it is HARD to say no to all the kid food. Graham crackers, chocolate, and cheetos.. Major self-control was practiced on Wednesday. 

DISCLAIMER: This mirror is tilted and makes you look thinner. And of course I had to take a workout selfie in front of it.. ;) 

RUN, don't walk, to your nearest Target. And grab this whipped peanut butter. To be specific, Maple Brown Sugar peanut butter. IT'S FANTASTIC. 

It's the perfect ratio of peanut butter to maple flavor. 

What a great post-workout treat. 

Keep on, keeping on, friends!

Fair Time

Be proud. Be very proud.

I started my 24 day challenge during fair week. 

That takes some major GUTS! 

And will power {which I'm working on}.

But, before I get into detail on the challenge...An update...

Monday was the dog show. 

Isn't my monster adorable?!? 

And to add he did AWESOME! 

I'm seriously so proud of him.. He got third in obedience (which is a MIRACLE. Thor is one of the least obedient dogs ever. Last year, he got a red ribbon. What an improvement!!!}

He also got third in OFF-LEASH agility. Which is nothing short of another MIRACLE! Off-leash is a huge deal to us because he is a runner. And a bolter. And a, "I'm going to do whatever I want when I don't have a leash". Thor is literally made for the agility field. Watch out AKC. We're coming for you.. 

And for showmanship he got fourth. Which is once again, a MIRACLE. He's no show dog if you know what I mean... 

All-in-all, it was a MIRACULOUS day. And I'm thankful for this opportunity God and 4-H has given me! 

Thor was straight chilling after a tedious day of fair. 

Updating... Once again.

Earlier I was thinking that if I just blogged regularly, I wouldn't have to keep doing updates. 

But, since I've noticed I've been lacking discipline lately... I'm not surprised I haven't been consistent.. 

I'M WORKING ON IT, PEOPLE!!!! ;)

Seriously though.


ANYWHOOOOOO.

I've been ocupied with getting my Mary Kay business started up! I've been practice makeovers on faces...I need to get 30 done by the 31st! WOW! So excited to share the #1 makeup product (to me) to the people I know and love!

I've also been getting Thor ready for the fair. Fair is Monday. Let me say that again, Fair is MONDAY. Pray for me. 

He's so cute when he begs for licorice. 

ATTENTION: I'm doing the 24 day challenge starting Monday. Don't worry, it's totally safe. It's been since 90 days since I've done the cleanse. 

Bad news is.....I'm pretty sure I've gained back the weight that  I lost when I my first challenge... :( I did that to myself and no pity parties are allowed! I'm going to DESTROY the challenge and remain active and eating like a normal person. 

Until we meet again,

XOXO Katie

I Don't Always Eat Oats..

I am guilty of being a repeat eater of oats.. {As you may or may not be able to tell by my previous posts..} 

I love oats because you can put peanut butter in them.. And I love anything that you can eat with peanut butter.. 

But, I don't ALWAYS eat oatmeal. 

Believe it or not, but I made a bagel sandwich. And it was glorious.

It's not so beautiful looking.... But it was beautiful TASTING!!! 

I had to take out the pepper and eat them separately because it was too hard to handle all of it. #foodieprobs ;) 

1 whole wheat bagel thin

Lettuce

3 slices of lunch meat {turkey}

4 slices of yellow pepper

1 laughing cow  sun basil  flavored cheese.

Toast the bagel. Construct as wanted. Devour. 

4th of July Festivities

Good morning my lovelies! 

Hope you had a WONDERFUL 4th of July celebration this weekend!! I hope it was filled with lots of friends, food, and great memories! 

My 4th was pretty low key {I didn't mind..}. I stayed home with my family and later on in the day went over to a friends. Caught some rays, had good conversations, and ate some fabulous food!! 

I did get a little festive and made a blueberry, strawberry and yogurt covered pretzel tray {Inspiration is from Pinterest.. S/O to Pinterest for always giving me GREAT ideas!!!} 

Isn't it adorable?!?! 

It didn't last long... Actually, it lasted long enough to take is picture.... 

I'm off to the gym! Make today a GREAT one! 

Raspberry Chia Seed Jam

Ripening raspberries + newly bought chia seeds = Raspberry Chia Seed Jam 

I've made jam before with like 4 tons of sugar.. But, this time I was thinking I should take another route {Inpiration credit to The Honour System} 

All the hype about chia seeds had me wondering what they were really all about. Turns out they have an amazing amount of fiber and healthy fats. Score! 

What you'll need:

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 cup raspberries

2 tbsp honey

Instructions:

1. Soak chia seeds in 1 tbsp of water for about 10 minutes

2. Place raspberries, chia seeds, and honey into a blender or mixer of choice.

3. Place jam in a container or jar. Refrigerate. 

4. Consume and enjoy!

Perfect for bagels, bread, or whatever else comes to mind! 

#Proyo

I'm trying out this new "program" {I'm not sure if you want to call it that... It's not a diet...not a challenge...Just a lifestyle changer..} called IIFYM. IIFYM= If It Fits Your Macros. Macros are your fats, carbs, and protein. It's amazing. 

Check out iifym.com to get more in depth details!

It's basically the whole 80/20 thing. Eat 80% "healthy" {I hate when people use the word clean when describing foods.} and 20% treat. This system is a beautiful thing. If I want Oreo's, I can have them. I just have to fit them into my macros. 

Like for example, tonight I made something called, "proyo". It's protein yogurt. I had 1 cup of Light and Fit Vanilla greek yogurt {protein}, 1 tbsp dark chocolate peanut butter {fats}, and 2 Peanut butter Oreos {carbs...btw these Oreos are AMAZING. OH MY GOODNESS. YUM.} 

If you're on Instagram check out the hashtags #proyo and #iifym. People get crazy with their macros! 

Don't worry.. I can have this GUILT FREE because I had room in my macros and I knew that I wanted something sweet tonight, so I made room! I didn't starve myself all day. And believe it or not, but I'm cutting and I still get to eat this!! Yes!

For breakfast, I had 1/cup oats, 1 tbsp dark chocolate peanut butter, and 56g raspberries. Raspberries are wonderful. Minus the fact I got like 50 seeds stuck in my teeth... But, I'm willing to make that sacrifice to eat these wonderful things. 

Welp, I'm off to bed.. Had a tough dog training session tonight... Looks like I need some more practice before fair.. {que the panicking} 

Beauty Business

In an earlier post, I mentioned about starting my own business.

I'm thrilled to be able to say that I am apart of the Mary Kay team! 

Call me crazy for doing Advocare AND Mary Kay, but these are two products that I whole heartily believe in. That's saying a lot. 

I can get you in shape while looking good. :)

If you feel it in you, check out my website and see what possibilities there are for YOU! { http://www.marykay.com/katierichards }

And as always, if you have any questions, PLEASE contact me! I enjoy the company... ;) 

Back in the Good Life

It's official. I am back!! Yay! I missed my dog. And family.

But, I had such a blast being with my aunt,uncle, and cousins! Texas was lovely. 

Got to take in Seaworld, Six Flags, and the River Walk. 

I had a whole lot of Whataburger {delicious}, Chick-Fil-A {delicious}, and other restaurants that I'm forgetting {also, delicious}. 

I'm ready to get on back my regular schedule! 

FitBit Flex Review

I wanted something fun to "spoil" myself after successful 13 years of school. 

 It so happens that I've had my eye on a FitBit Flex for the last month and was super indecisive about getting one.

The only reason I didn't want to get one was because I didn't want to get obsessive over numbers and such. I've had a history of getting quite obsessive over calorie counting (On My Fitness Pal, not FitBit). 

I had my mind set that if I got a FitBit and started tracking my exercise and what not, I would start counting my macros (see below). I mean, go big or go home?!?!

I've also had my eye on a program called "IIFYM". Aka- If it fits your macros. I'll go into detail later.. But, following this program would require me to macro count (using my fitness pal) and that scared me! I did not want to be that crazy obsessive girl again. Making a long story short (until my next post) I downloaded My Fitness Pal and the FitBit app.

Let's just say, I LOVE FITBIT. WOW. Best graduation gift a person could buy themselves. 

That is what it looks like. It comes with two bands (small and large) and the motion senor to count steps. 

It's seriously great. It counts calories, water, steps, miles you walked, active minutes, and how much sleep and the quality of sleep!! 

It's so simple and easy to use. You can download an app or use it on your computer.

If you double tap your band, the sensor will light up and tell you where you are for your goal. It uses 20%'s at a time. 

This is also a fool-proof step counter. I remember I would wear the step counter that attaches at your hip, and I would take it off and shake it so I had more step... :) Mwhahahahaha!!!! I tried that "technique" on this one, and that was a no-go.

FitBit Flex is a huge motivator! It was well worth the investment.. 

A Month Too Long

I CANNOT believe that it's been a month since I've last posted. 

Hope you don't feel abandoned...

In this last month, I've managed to graduate, get back on the workout grind, hang with some friends, buy a fitbit (WHICH I LOVE and I'll write a little review about it!!!!), started my own business (more to come at a later time), and just enjoy summer. 


Instead of boring you with my words, I'll just bore you with my pictures. :) 

Thor and I before graduation!!

Proof that I did workout! My shirt was a totally different blue color then I started with.

Supporting my buddy Sam at state track!

Banana with Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter.. YUM!! 

Took a cat that found it's way to our house camping with us.. 

My moms allergic to cats so I had no choice!

So, that is what my life outside of blogging looks like. Isn't it glamorous?!? 

Change in Mind

Good morning, everyone! 

I want to update you on some decisions that I've made... 

Because I totally screwed up my 10 day cleanse, I've decided to put my 24 day challenge on a halt. I am finishing out the cleanse, but I will not do the the max phase... I will do the max phase at a later time! 

You can say I'm a quitter. But, I believe that this is best for me. 

I don't want to waste my money and time by not following the program correctly. 

On a lighter note, this fits me exactly! 

Day 4,5,&6

What a week it's been... 

Friday I went to a student fashion show with a committee I serve on. It was awesome!!!

But, you know what wasn't awesome? The fact that I didn't stick to the herbal cleanse diet over the weekend.. :( 

I had dessert....white pasta....cookies..chips... I know, I know. How hard is it the eat clean for 10 days? IT'S HARD. LET ME TELL YA. {No wonder they call it a challenge}. 

On the bright side, I stayed on track with taking the pills and what not. And now that I think of it, I did this last time too. Since I don't eat a all "natural" diet in my lifestyle, it's a hard 10 days. Like eliminating coffee and sweets. I love eating all things and I don't like depriving myself. I don't see how people can do it... Actually, I commend people who do because IT'S HARD!! 

In other words, I'm ready for the 14 day max-out phase. :D 

But, I am excited to show you new pictures of my meals!! How exciting! ;) 

Friday's lunch- Egg whites, turkey sausage, potatoes, and salsa.

This morning's breakfast- Quick oats, chunky peanut butter, and a banana. 

I also made it into a flower shape because it was raining and it reminded me of spring!

Stayin' hydrated during Friday's workout. 

I noticed I wear a lot of grey t-shirts when I workout. Partially because I want to see all the sweat I'm making! Gross? Nah. 

The 3rd Day

DAY 3. 3 DAY. 

WOW. 

MUCH SORE.

SUCH INTENSE.

Okay...okay.... I'm done... :p

Would you like a recap of today's adventure? No? Well, too bad. You're still getting one. 

Breakfast: Frosted mini wheats, a pear, and the fiber drink. 

Lunch: Tuna wrap {Flatout wrap, hickory smoked tuna, spinach and some guacamole} and a strawberry/kiwi mix. 

Pre-workout: 3 catalyst and whole almonds.

Workout: Cardio! Day! Wow! Am! I! Sore! Or! What!

Post-workout: Cookies and cream protein. Then I had carrots and sugar snap peas. 

Dinner: Asparagus, Potatoes, and Oatmeal {Don't judge... What my mom made for dinner wasn't acceptable for the challenge.} 

{Oats, cinnamon, water, and raisins}

Snack: Apple Pie Quest Bar and an apple! I guess I was in the apple mood..

Before Bed: Catalyst and Herbal Cleanse pills! 

P.S- I did the polar plunge for Landon! It's when some nominates you to jump into a lake for the fundraiser of Landon. It was cold. It was like an ice bath. But, with fish.