K, so I’ve decided it’s very hard to write a health and fitness blog when I’m not feeling very health and fitness-y! I’m still passionate about health, but my body just doesn’t want to cooperate! A scripture in the bible (Matthew 26:41) comes to mind, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Um ya, that pretty much sums it up.
I have been so darn tired lately. I’m not just talkin’ a little bit fatigued, I’m talkin’ MEGA worn out, run down, lay on the couch and veg kind of tired. Man. My whole body is startin’ to say “Uncle” I think.
Sadly, when I get run down and tired, I start to crave COOKIES!
I’m proud to say I haven’t given in to the “cookie demons” yet, but they are sure callin’ my name. It’s interesting how the whole cookie making and eating process makes me happy. It always lifts my spirits and gives me a temporary boost of energy.
Not good.
So, for the time being, I’ve been quieting the “cookie demons” with this….
A fresh peach with cottage cheese. It’s no cookie, but man, fresh peaches taste JUST LIKE candy right now. They are so so yummy! I also decided to enjoy my “peach cookie” out on the deck the other day and it was very nice.
My sweet dog, Jimmer, was very happy to “chill” with me as well. It was a nice break.
I’ve been trying to cut myself a little slack, listen to my body and take it easy this week. I talked some of my kiddos into snuggling with me for a little while today.
It was so nice.
I also took the kiddos to the park the other day so they could play on this awesome playground…
Isn’t that cool? It’s not very close to our house, so we don’t go there too often. The kids had so much fun playing, but it was so HOT (right around 100 degrees!) They were so grateful the sprinklers were on nearby and kept taking little breaks to cool off…
I LOVE summer! I also enjoyed sitting with Jim in the shade while reading a book.
I’ve been reading The Selection and just finished it today. It was a great book! My sister recommended it to me and my daughter. My daughter just finished it a week or so ago, so I thought I would read it too. It’s an interesting love story. I just requested Book #2 (The Elite) from the library today and can’t wait to read it too.
I really enjoy reading a good book, but usually don’t make time for it. It’s such a nice escape and stress reliever. I think I need to read books more often!
I also talked Kev into taking me on an impromptu date the other night. It didn’t take much convincing, lol. I was just so dang tired, so we got pizza for the kids and Kev and I went to Olive Garden.
I usually order something healthy from the menu (the Apricot Chicken and healthy Lasagna Primavera are two of my favorite dishes!), but I decided I needed some good ‘ol comfort food this time.
I ordered the cheese ravioli with half marinara sauce and half Alfredo.
It is so dang flippin’ good and I never, ever order it. FYI, the nutrition facts for the ravioli with marinara sauce are 740 calories and 29 grams of fat. That’s not including any Alfredo sauce though, which is worse than marinara. It’s a HUGE plate though and I only ate about 2/3 of it.
It definitely scratched the “comfort food” itch and tasted so good to me! Kev ordered some pasta with grilled chicken and a spicy marinara sauce.
He said it was really good. We had a nice night and it was so good get away and unwind for a bit.
I also got some fun things in the mail recently.
SweetLeaf sent me three flavors of their Sweet Drops (Watermelon, Vanilla Creme and Peppermint) and I’ve really enjoyed them! They’re made with stevia leaf extract and natural flavors. They also have zero calories, zero carbs and zero glycemic index. Sweet! (pardon the pun, lol.)
You can add them to coffee, tea, yogurt, oatmeal, protein shakes, etc. I used the Vanilla Creme one in my oatmeal the other day…
I used about 5-6 drops and it was just perfect. I also used the Peppermint one in my Protein Pudding to give it a Chocolate Mint flavor. YUM!
I haven’t tried the Watermelon flavor yet, but I’m excited to try it in a fruity protein shake. I’m sure I’ll love it. Oh, and SweetLeaf Sweet Drops come in over 20 flavors. Check out their website if you so desire.
Well that’s all I have to say today. I’m hoping my tired, worn-out-ness will be temporary and I’ll get my mojo back soon! I’m sure hoping I won’t feel like this the rest of this pregnancy. Good thing I only have about 5 weeks left! Holy crap guys.
I’m SOOOOO excited to meet our little baby. I can’t wait! ‘Night.
I’m so glad you’re writing and being way more healthy than I am, also at 35 weeks prego! I need the inspiration to be more healthy so every little bit counts and some of your healthy food ideas look so good and I wonder why I didn’t think of them too!! I’m super tired recently and have been having a hard time getting any kind of energy so I’m going to try to do a healthy week to see if it helps! If not, it will still be good for me and baby! 🙂 thanks again!
Congrats on being 35 weeks pregnant too! So fun! It’s so so so dang hard to be healthy while pregnant. Sadly, it’s probably one of the most important times in life to be healthy, but it’s also the HARDEST! Just hang in there and do your best. We can both work hard to get back in to shape after our babies are here, right?
I definitely think part of being a “healthy” blogger is about being “real” and acknowledging your cravings. There is NOTHING wrong with eating cookies, but yes…everyday maybe not so much. I eat dates and PB with cinnamon when I am craving cookies and know I don’t need any extra treats. Whatever it takes! I use peppermint oil in my water, so..that’s kinda like this stuff? HA.
Dates and PB with cinnamon are both great ideas! I love all of your creative treat ideas. I totally agree with you about acknowledging cravings too. It’s tough, but it’s REAL!
I love that verse from Matthew! It’s a great encouragement when I fall flat on my face. Stay strong Melanie, you’re a beautiful (again) mama to be! And sometimes, you just need that cheese ravioli 🙂
I love that verse so much too. Thanks so much for your sweet words!
The sweet drops sound yummy. Vanilla would go great in my coffee, and I bet my daughter the vegetarian would love watermelon drops in her protein fruit shakes. I’ll have to check out their website for all their flavors.
Reading is one of my favorite things in the world. I usually go outside for lunch at work, and I always bring a book. Lately I’ve found that I love several of the young adult series that my daughter likes. I started just checking them over to make sure they were appropriate for her, and I got hooked on them!
I really love reading too and need to make more time for it! I think that’s so great you’re able to read on your lunch hour, especially outside. Sounds heavenly.
WOW – only 5 weeks left?! Keep going, keep going! You’re so close!
That makes me so happy to hear you say that!!! I’m so ready to be DONE!
YOU NEED TO MAKE MY COOKIES!!! Then you can eat 5 billion and not feel guilty 😉
You are RIGHT! I really, really want to make them and eat them ALL!!
You are seriously making me crave Italian food right now! I actually have a gift card to Olive Garden that I still haven’t used yet!
Sorry to hear that you’ve been feeling tired lately. There’s definitely nothing wrong with craving cookies!
I know the ravioli isn’t the most gourmet Italian food out there, but it is SERIOUSLY so dang good! I hope you get to enjoy some Olive Garden very soon!
Umm…you know that with 5 kids and 5 weeks before having your 6th, you are entitled to feel tired. In fact, it would be crazy if you weren’t!!!!
Glad you and Kevin had at least a few minutes and dinner to relax and catch up.
Thanks for helping me feel validated Kim! So sweet. It’s so tough to be so tired all the time, but I know it goes with the territory!
Love that your dogs name is Jimmer! Of course you are tired, glad you are listening to your body… and not giving into your demons at the same time! Fresh peaches…. yumm!
My husband is the biggest BYU fan out there and we got our little doggie at the height of Jimmer fever, so we decided to name him that, lol! I’m lovin’ the fresh peaches SO MUCH!
Oh girl, I am always, always craving cookies, hahaha! You are entitled to have cookies and take a breather. My goodness, Superwoman, you have multiple children, are in your last weeks of pregnancy again and are deserving to eat some cookies and be tired! I telling you, I mean this with all sincerity, you deserve a trophy for what you do, you seem like the sweetest, coolest mom on the planet and always so positive, meaning you have the best attitude about life in general. I need some of you to rub off on me…I carry too much anxiety!
Oh my gosh, you are the sweetest and I ALWAYS appreciate your kind words. Sadly, I have a ton of anxiety all the time too! I’m just a bit of a spaz as well, so I think it camouflages some of the “high-strung” parts of me, lol.
The sweet drops sound very yummy!
You look absolutely amazing, so I say you eat those cookies, girl! 🙂 I am not pregnant but still always crave cookies! haha
I’ve really enjoyed the Sweet Drops and I’m happy to say I enjoyed some cookies on Sunday. I loved them!
You’re a little Cookie Monster! So cute! Glad you enjoyed your comfort food. You deserve it.
Cookies (preferably the warm chocolate chip variety) are my #1 favorite treat out there! YUM!
You’re so close to meeting the baby! Good for you for staying healthy. Here is a “cookie” recipe you might like – I make them when I’m doing show prep for a fitness competition. It’s really just clean eating lemon meringue, but it feels like you’re eating a cookie, and it’s only 9 calories. Enjoy!
http://sheslosingit.com/2013/06/02/brookes-lemon-meringue-cookies-only-9-calories/
Oh my word, those cookies look fabulous! AND at only 9 calories each (amazing!), it’s just what I need to satisfy my cookie problem. Thanks for sharing!
Oh my gosh that playground is amazing.
I wish we had a place like that around here. I would love to take my nephew.
It really is such a fun playground! It’s almost too big though, I can’t keep track of my kids because they disappear in there!