New Year-New Goals

Well I don't think I have even logged on to this site in the past four months, but I am ready to jump back on the band wagon for the new year. These past 6 months have taken me back to full time at The Little Gym as I still focus on a few clients. I am looking forward to 2011 and the new adventures that will come along.

This year with my site I plan to focus on my personal fitness and the tricks I am using and how everything goes. I am planning on attempting to keep up with a basic food journal, daily workout updates, pictures, and of course the goals I set for myself.

This in turn I hope will help you as my reader to get inspired and strive to be a healthier person as well.

Check back soon and I hope to have my site changed over to have all tools needed to keep you posted on my challenges and accomplishments.

Dream Big-Live Healthy,
Laura Steely

Get to Walking.....

It has felt amazing outside these past few days in Houston, which means it is the perfect time to set your goals and get outside.

I enjoy getting to wake up to sun and a breeze, most mornings I try to head out by 8 or 9 for a morning walk before work. The outdoors puts me in such a good mood and ready to start my day.

Over the next few weeks as we all hope our cool weather hangs around try to set a new goal for yourself. It could be walk 3 times a week or walk 10 miles a week. Don't make it to challenging so that you can make a better commitment.

My goal is to walk 3 miles four times a week. I am good right now getting out twice a week so now my goals is to keep up my walking and add some days in.

Get to walking.......

The sweet smell of stress

We can all admit that some time during our lives we feel stressed and need to find some way to cope with it. Many people fall into the category of emotional eaters, this is where I fall. I am a worry-wart and when things go astray I reach for the goods. I like to take good walks to think things through, but I do have to say once in a while if I want to make a batch of cookie, I'm going to make a batch of cookies! All in moderation, right?

Though if you don't want to indulge in the sweets quite yet I did find this funny, but I think true website that gives you 52 tips on how to reduce stress. www.hawaiihealthguide.com/healthtalk/display.htm (maybe its time to move to Hawaii).

Here are a few of my favorites.....

1. If you enjoy waking up, get up 15 minutes early to stretch and breath. Don't turn on the TV, computer, or open the newspaper.

4. Don't do anything that you will have to lie about later.

5. Make copies of all keys. Bury a house key in a secret place in the garden. Carry a copy of your car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring.

8. Procrastination is stressful. What ever you plan to do tomorrow, do today. What ever you plan to do today, do it now.

12. Eliminate (reduce) the amount of caffeine, artificial sweeteners and sugars in your diet.

14. Relax your standards. The world will not end if the grass does not get mowed this weekend.

17. Say No! Saying no to extra projects, social activities and invitations you know you will not have the time or energy for takes practice, self-respect and a belief that everyone, everyday , needs quite time to relax and be alone.

21. Make friends with non-worriers. Chronic worry-warts are contagious. (uh-oh, I need to work on this one)(I'm the worry-wart)

Those are just a few, many more good ones in the 52 they suggest.

I'm off to enjoy my cookies.

Today is a perfect day for a perfect day!

How Hungry are you?

Many people crave eating to deal with emotions, boredom, or stress. I am definitely a person who is willing to eat whenever and sometimes whatever. I read in a magazine, I believe it was an issue of SHAPE, it was talking about how you should put a number to how hungry you truly are. So I did!

The article said to range your hunger from 1-7. 1 for if you are completely full to 7 if you feel like you are starving. When I put this into my own practice I noticed that most times that I would typically reach for a healthy or unhealthy snack I was really only about 2 on my hunger scale. Meaning I was eating to pass the time not to nourish my body.

Give it a try and let me know how you rank on the scale.

Into the forest I go....

So today was actually my second ride on my bike but the first time I brought a camera along. I do have to admit even though I enjoy the outdoors, I still hate bugs and running into spider webs.
It is always a good idea to ride with a friend, but I do have to say these past two days I have been happy to be by myself.

I laughed at myself as a whimpered passed all the newly hatched dragonflies, shaking from left to right as a ride through spider webs, and jumping off my bike as a nearly miss trees. I definitely have to get back into the swing of things when it comes to riding a bike on a trail.

I plan on keeping up bike riding at least 2 times per week. My next adventure will be something I found out of a SHAPE magazine. It is a hula hoop workout. What can get better than that?
All that is needed is a hula hoop and yourself. I will try to post some pictures and I will definitely let you know how it goes.

Enjoy my bike picture, so far all body parts are still intact.

Back on the bike

I enjoy many different types of cardio activities, and I am excited to say I am going to start riding my bike again. It had been stored in my sisters garage since I moved to the Houston area two years ago. FINALLY, two years later I made some room in my car and picked it up after training down in Kemah today.

I was excited to see that once the tires were pumped up, they held the air and I was ready for a bike ride.
A few tasks I thought I should complete before my first bike ride.
Task one: Get my bike helmet from the closet.....Did I find it?..NO
Ok, I can go one day without a helmet.
Task two: Connect breaks. Front one...Check...Back one, oooppsss it does not work.
Ok, one break for now, I can deal with that.
Task three: Grease up chain....check
I grabbed my water and bag with keys and phone and head out the door. I rode around my apt complex quickly just to make sure everything would hold together. IT DID!!

So I headed down the sidewalk and around the corner to a local fountain, which I thought had a small trail around it. Nope, it did not. So I rode up and down the side walks for about 15 minutes and then headed back to the apt. It was a little disappointing not getting to get a great workout in with it today but I will try tomorrow.

The bad part about where I live is that it is in between 3 busy roads and the 4th, that is not so busy, does not have a sidewalk and is two lane. So tomorrow I will put down the seats in the bug, disconnect my one working break, take the front wheel off, put it in my car , and head off to the local park/bike trails after work.

Today made me miss good old East Texas Nacogdoches and being able to ride to a trail in about 2 minutes no mater where I was living in the town.
-Time to move out of the city!
-Off to find my helmet!

The infamous bike and myself!! It does not get the luxury of staying inside but it does get to be on our patio.

Hey, look what I finally found. I looked all over the closets and where did I finally find it? In the laundry room...lol

MMmmmm...Granola

I have been testing some new recipes in the kitchen and finally made my first batch of homemade (less expensive) granola. It was a treat to get to eat it in my yogurt today and taste the creation put to use. Now, I am not positive of the calorie out but it sure did taste great for the few ingredients I used.

Basic Granola-
4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 TBS oil (next time I am going to try apple sauce instead)
I also added many dashes of cinnamon and about a cup of cranberries

It took 2 1/2 hours on low in my crock pot. Don't forget to stir every 30 minutes to reduce the risk of burning.

Give it a try, it tastes great and is a great way to save some bucks at the grocery store!