I had a busy day, but I made sure to stop and admire the wildflowers…

… and the beautiful, stormy Florida sky.

I also went on an AMAZING 3.0  mile run this evening.  For a split second, I was tempted to blow it off, but I thought to myself, "Look, Caitlin — you NEED to get back into the groove! Running has to be a priority again!"  And off I went on a SUPER speedy run!

• Duration:  28 minutes
• Distance: 3.0 miles

And I came home and did some push-ups and knee moves (from the C&K 10 Minute Strength Routine).

Here are the eats for the day.  Mid-afternoon snacks included cereal:

Apricots:

And around 5:30, I ate a whole wheat bagel with some PB for Part I of dinner.

And then after work + my run, I drank an Amazing Grass smoothie:

Which contained Chocolate grass, a banana, 1 cup of unsweet almond breeze, and some Stevia.  Yum!

A Reader Q&A

Today, I got a reader question in my e-mail and I thought it would be perfect to share on the blog.  I bet you guys have some good suggestions for her, too!

Question: I am wondering if you have any suggestions – I am not as nearly dedicated as you are to eating healthy and working out – but I am going on a beach vacation (Mexico!!!) at the end of July and would like to make smarter decisions leading up to then. Do you have any advice for healthy meals, foods I should eat and foods I should stay away from (for example, I am starting to eat more fruit than usual but is fruit even the best/smartest choice), etc. that I can fit into my normal routine but still try to slim down in a few weeks? And do you have any workout advice as well…? Obviously I’m not going to drop a ton of weight over night and tone-up in my sleep but I am sure there are smarter decisions I can make and ways to maximize my time in the gym to help prep me for bathing suit time.   Any advice would be so greatly appreciated.

Answer:  YAY for vacations! You must be so excited.  I love Mexico, and I know you will have a blast.

My first tip is focus on how you want to FEEL on your vacation, NOT how you want to LOOK.  When I go the beach, I want to feel confident, healthy, and… pretty!  So, my first tip is go buy a bathing suit that you feel attractive and comfortable in.  A good bathing suit makes ALL the difference on a beach vacation.  If you want, buy a cute matching cover-up to walk around in.

Secondly, you are right not to expect a total body transformation in four weeks.  However, if you really focus on eating balanced meals and regularly working out, you can definitely see a difference in muscle tone and drop anywhere from 4 to 8 pounds (a healthy weight loss is 1 – 2 pounds a week). 

That being said, you don’t want to freak your body out by working out too hard or not properly fueling.   In fact, if you do that, you could end up sick!  Just strive to get in a little cardio everyday (whether than means going on a run, doing the elliptical, or taking a long walk after dinner) and do some strength moves (like sit-ups, push-ups, or the the C&K 10 Minute Strength Routine).  When you work out, make the most of your cardio sessions by doing speed and intensity intervals every few minutes.  You’ll burn more calories and challenge your body!  Every little bit of effort you put in counts, so just focus on putting your best foot forward!

In terms of diet, I would recommend focusing on portion control and balanced eating at each meal.  That means read the labels to make sure you’re not accidentally eating 3 servings of cereal when you mean to have one!   Try to eat a mixture foods at each meal — a lean protein, a complex carb, some healthy fats, and a veggie or fruit.  A good example of this would be a peanut butter sammie with a sliced banana for breakfast. 

Pay attention to "empty calories" like soda or sugary lattes.  You’re much better off eating a piece of fruit or something with fiber (to keep you feeling full) than something that will go straight through you.

I don’t think you can really eat "too much" fruit within reason, especially when you’re trying to pick up healthy eating from scratch.   If you’re torn between a bag of chips and an apple, an apple is always the best choice!  But, it’s a good idea to try to eat some veggies too, as fruits are high in sugar (even if they are natural sugars).

And — drink lots of water!  Since you’ll be exercising more, you’ll need to stay extra hydrated.  Plus, the water will improve your skin’s appearance, and by the time you are in Mexico, you will be glowing from the inside out!

Do you have any tips for my reader?  How do you get "ready" for a special vacation?

PS – A BIG THANK YOU to Sharon, one of my favorite readers EVER, who donated to my Team in Training efforts.  Sharon, I hope we get to meet in real life one day!

PPS – The Healthy Living Summit Golden Ticket auction starts tomorrow at 6 AM!  Check out the rules here!