Let The 2020 Fun Begin Continues!

Wow! The last 15 days have flown by so quickly! Shaking off the Holiday cheer and getting back to reality was tough, but I think I finally regained my equilibrium. I'm checking in to see how everybody's doing with their New Year's resolutions? Are ya still on track? Did you fall off the edge already? Are you teetering? Maybe you need some Health Coaching to get your rear in gear! (wink wink!)

Anyhoo... A few weeks into the new year finds me already 5 pounds lighter and really excited about it! My little dietary tweaks are working like a charm! I'm appreciating all of the fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds I've been indulgently munching on. And I LOVE that I can eat until I'm comfortably full! Ain't no starving at Erin's house! The oil free food prep is not as challenging as I had imagined. I've found some great wines and vinegars (and wine vinegars!) to use in place of oils when I'm sauteing. Citrus fruit, squeezed onto my salads, with a few hearty shakes of the nooch (nutritional yeast) shaker, is all I really need for a dressing. The citrus brings out the vibrance and individuality of each ingredient, and the nooch gives it that umami that satisfies the palate. However, I think what I'm liking the most is the big breakfasts I've been enjoying. Breakfast, as the largest meal, really does help sustain my energy throughout the day.

I'm feeling amazing and these cool winter days have been so perfect for getting out there to hike and cycle the seemingly endless number of trails in my area of Northern California. My new bike, now officially named Jeff, was a great purchase! It has taken me to some fun places so far. I also have this great friend, named Sarah, who is always ready to find a new trail with me. And OH MAN, did we find one last Sunday! It's official name is the "Training hill", but I was calling this diabolical 4 mile loop by a few other names that day. The first half is a challenging, washed out, rocky climb. It's practically straight up, about a thousand feet. Then it levels off and loops back to the beginning. Sarah and I decided to go up, and then turn around and go back down the hardest part. Slow and steady definitely won the race and we made it back down in great time. So I'm gonna brag a little bit! (little happy dance!). But all joking aside, I was truly impressed by my performance, and my ensuing soreness was not nearly what I had imagining it was going to be. And I give all the accolades to the fuel I'm burning. That's just Plant Strong baby! I can't wait til the next adventure! Stay tuned...