My before arm pictures and the program I am following.

Slightly embarrassing. I have flabby arms! I'm going to fix that though! Not only am I getting married next year with a strapless dress but I really want to be in a bathing suit that summer. So many people have been telling me "if you lift you're going to get bulky!". No, It takes a lot to get bulky. You can track my progress on this blog. I may take a belly picture if I get the courage to show off my stretchmarks - Yikes!

                                                         The Lifting Program

Not Flexing

Flexing

Oh yes! Barefoot Running! (and some lifting too!)

I am in love with my fivefingers! I was skeptical at first. I thought they looked outrageous. When I started training for my 10k I got horrible knee pain (runners knee).  I was recommended fivefingers by a fellow runner.  I quickly dismissed this.  Mostly because I didn’t like the few pairs I had seen and I had just purchased my Asics.  I really wish I would have bought my fivefingers instead.  3 months after I wrote off the idea of barefoot running my Fiancé asked the KMD Sport LS.   When we got them in the mail I quickly became envious.  I had to get a pair of my own. I bought the bikila - Nothing super fancy. I actually got them on 6pm.com for 39.99$ (free shipping!).  The Male version is even cheaper, at 37.99$ my roommate also bought a set. Almost 55$ cheaper than my asics! You can’t argue with prices like that. I don’t think I will ever stop barefoot running. My knees/ankles feel amazing and my feet aren’t weighed down. If you buy some fivefingers expect to be sore! You’re using different muscles to run now. It’ll be worth it!

In addition to my barefoot running, I’ve started weightlifting. I’ll post more about this later. I haven’t gotten far! Perhaps I should take some “before” pictures! 

Garlic Almond Flax crackers and a cream cheese dip.

Craving crackers? Want some dip? I got you covered! I mixed a few different recipes to make these. I used a cereal recipe and a different cracker recipe.



1/2 cup + 1 TBS golden flax seed meal
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp of garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

1. Preheat Oven to 300

2. Mixed everything up

3. Spread out on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet to about a 1/4 inch thickness

4. Cook for 15 minutes and lower temp to 250 cook for another 10 minutes.

5. Pull out crackers and cut into squares.

6. Lower temp to 170 and cook for another 2+ hours until hard

7. Pull out and eat!


I just mixed cream cheese, salt, garlic, and pepper for my dip :)

Per Serving: (3 servings in a batch)
Calories:  240 Carbs: 11 Fiber: 7 Net Carbs: 4

Crock pot tomato soup.

My family wanted a tomato soup for lunch/dinner today. I'm really not a fan of canned soup or canned anything really. That started my search for a tomato soup. I'm not the best cook, I just wing it most of the time. So I was hoping for an easy to follow recipe. I found this on pinterest. Instead of using canned diced tomatoes I used ones I made myself. I only used 3 cups of water so it would be a bit thicker. This soup is perfect for a cold day. Extremely filling. The only con is you have to have self control unless you'll eat it all!
5 out of 5 stars!


Per Serving:
Calories:  38 Carbs: 7 Fiber: 2 Net Carbs: 5

Per Loaf:
Calories: 600 Carbs: 117 Fiber: 36 Net Carbs: 81

                                                   Crock pot Tomato soup Recipe.

POTATOES? No thanks, I have Jicamas!

I'm sure you're missing potatoes...I know I am. I've been trying a few different subs. Cauliflower is good but not really close. I've found the missing link. JICAMAS! They're a bit difficult to peel but once you get the hang of it, it is easy! I had to use a knife to peel it. They take a while to boil. After about 45 minutes they were still a bit firm, though perfect for frying. I boiled them in chicken stock with garlic and fried them in olive oil with some leaks. My Carb loving family ate them; They even wanted more! At 5 carbs a cup they will be a rare side for our meals so I'll keep searching for something more low carb. 4 out of 5 stars, I only took a star because of the carb count.


Per Serving:
Calories:  209 Carbs: 12 Fiber: 6  Net Carbs: 6

Per Loaf:
Calories: 628 Carbs: 35 Fiber: 18 Net Carbs: 17

Almond/Flax seed Bread. Low-Carb and Keto friendly

The one thing I'm sure you miss being on a low-carb diet is bread. That's what I miss most. I'm going to be trying  a few different bread out these next few weeks. My first test was an almond/flax bread. I followed the directions and added my own touch of sesame seeds/garlic powder. I also baked it for around an hour instead of 45 minutes. My Fiance said it tasted like stuffing. It's good in small amounts. I toast it to have with my eggs. I'm going to give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

Per Serving:
Calories:  149 Carbs: 4 Fiber: 3 Net Carbs: 1

Per Loaf:
Calories: 1494 Carbs: 40 Fiber: 26 Net Carbs: 14

                                                   Almond/Flax Bread Recipe

I'm back! With Cereal!

I tried my hand at some Almond/flax cereal. It has an insanely simple recipe. It's amazing. I did leave the oven at 170F for 30 minutes before turning off the oven. It's crunchy, sweet, and everything cereal should be. I may use this recipe to make crackers. I'm going to rate it a 5 of 5 stars. I doubt it will last long in my house.

Per Serving
Calories: 164 Carbs: 11 Fiber: 9 Net Carbs: 2

Per Batch:
Calories: 655 Carbs: 43 Fiber: 36 Net Carbs: 7

                                                    Simple Homemade Cereal