Veggie Bee

Where in the heck did January go?! In my effort to stay on a healthy track all year, I decided to have monthly resolutions rather than New Year’s resolutions and it’s a good thing, because I get easily distracted by new and fun things to do. So let’s check in with last month’s goals:

• Writing ~ still working on consistency on the blog, but I am going to be writing more for my job at IHMOnline in the blog section and on Facebook, so that should help me to stay on track at least with creative ideas. We shall see!
• Food ~ Vegan is easy! Well, it’s super easy at home and really the only difficulty when eating out is learning to not feel apologetic for taking my time and ordering something special rather than something on the menu. I also feel like I’m always explaining why I’m vegan, which isn’t terrible, it’s just sometimes I like to just eat and not have to explain myself. Even if you’re not vegan, but feel like you have to defend yourself when eating healthy, the lesson is to become unapologetic about asking for healthy foods, even when it feels like a spotlight is on you as you order.
• Fitness ~ I started trying the P90X DVDs while still running and walking regularly and they are hard-core… I love them!! I’m going to start implementing the schedule that they give you this week and I should be very sore by week’s end. I’m still working on the early morning workouts, this is harder than anything else!
• Health ~ I’m on track to get my blood work done in the next couple of weeks. I’ll let you know when I get my results and what you should be looking for also in your results. Have you made an appointment with your doctor to get a check-up?

So for February, I’m going to continue on track with what I planned for January. One thing I am adding however, is planning a weekly menu so that both David and I are eating healthy every night. This made a huge difference a couple of weeks ago when I did it, but it is still not a habit yet. So for this week, I present our simple weekly menu:

• Tuesday = Quinoa with Stir-fry Veggies
• Wednesday = Vegan Tacos
• Thursday = Leftovers or Amy’s Enchiladas (since I’ll be working late)
• Friday = Slow cooker Black Bean Soup
• Saturday = Tofu Curry (adapted from Spice Up Your Life, I’ll be reviewing soon!)
• Sunday = Healthy pizza and vegan Spinach Artichoke dip for Super Bowl!! WHO DAT?!

Are you still on track with your New Year’s resolutions?? Or is it time to refocus and get motivated again??

I’m sorry to be a little late in my new year wishes, I’ve just been moseying into the new year rather than hitting it head on, peeking around the corner to make sure it’s January. So now I’ve decided to come out of hiding, clear away the cobwebs, and get the year going full steam ahead. My first move, implementing "new month" resolutions, rather than the grand New Year’s resolutions that gets everyone fired up ever so briefly only to die a lonely death sometime in February. Maybe month by month we can stay on track together.

So, to get the party started, a complete list of January’s resolutions!

• Writing ~ my goal is to get more consistent with posting to the blog, which clearly is off to a lumbering start! I do have lots of great ideas and now it’s just a matter of putting "pen to paper" or more accurately, fingers to keys! I plan to post 2 or 3 times a week and will include some food pictures and recipes as well.
• Food ~ I am definitely continuing on my vegan journey. Although I know that not everyone will go vegan along with me, I am definitely using it as a way to inspire you to be more conscious of what you eat and how it affects you and the world around you. No matter what else you’re eating, the more fruits and veggies you learn to eat, the better you will feel, especially if they’re local and organic. I say "learn” to eat intentionally, because "knowing" is not "doing" and part of the learning process is developing new skills around incorporating them into your diet.
• Fitness ~ I struggled with this a little bit because initially I was going to make it a goal to join a running club to train for a marathon. However, I think I have some other fitness goals I want to reach first. One of those is finding a plan to follow for strength training. I am a cardio junkie and right now I will focus on developing strength. I’m starting the P90X plan next week and David and I are planning to do it together first thing in the morning. By first thing, I mean 5:30 a.m. Anyone who knows me, knows this will require divine intervention and daily miracles, but it can be done!
• Health ~ Although I am healthy and have no underlying health issues, I regularly have my blood work checked just to make sure that there is nothing out of the ordinary. Since I know my weight is within a healthy range, I’m looking especially for healthy numbers in cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose and blood pressure. The new year is a good time to do a reality check on your weight and to have your blood work checked out by your doctor.

So, there you have it, I’m focused on January and I’ll revisit my "resolutions" in February and revise as needed. I’ll also be reviewing some recipe books soon, I promise!

What are your resolutions this year or this month??  Anyone doing a "reality" check on weight or blood work??

There are many things for which I am grateful as we take a day to enjoy our friends, family and food. I am grateful for the many meaningful relationships that I have, but in particular my BFF & kindred spirit David. I look forward to many Thanksgivings spent together, while he patiently smiles while I’m trying to cook some new dish that supports the Veggie Bee life. I’m a rookie in the kitchen, so it does take patience!

Here are some of the other people for whom I am thankful. The bloggers who put in so much time and effort to share their journeys in the hope that it helps others to live a healthier or more balanced life. I hope they know they inspire others with their personal stories and the things they’ve learned along the way.

The Vegans
My inspirations to lead a healthy vegan life!

• Choosing Raw
• Vegan Hope
• Clearly Vegan
• Chocolate Covered Katie
• Kristen’s Raw
• No Meat Athlete
• The Lunch Box Bunch

 Healthy & Fit
These girls focus on positive healthy changes for weight loss and maintenance!

• Kath Eats Real Food
• Eat, Live, Run
• Carrots ‘N’ Cake
• Roni’s Weigh
• MizFit Online
• Fitnessista
• Heather Eats Almond Butter

The Recipe Gurus
Actually, everyone above could be added to this list too, but these sites are great resources for recipes!

• 101 Cookbooks
• Eat, Drink & Be Vegan
• Fat Free Vegan
• Green Lite Bites
• Zesty Cook

Have a happy & healthy Thanksgiving day!! Don’t forget to get in some exercise too

Katie at Chocolate-Covered Katie is currently in the middle of a Page View Charity Drive! What is that, you ask? For each page view on her site, she receives money from Foodbuzz, which she has generously decided to donate to The Enough Project. All you have to do is click over to her site and look around!!

The first thing you might want to check out is the Your Choice Giveaway post! You could win $35 toward any item at Cookware.com. If I win, I’m definitely getting a spiralizer, so I can easily make the raw zucchini pasta recipes I keep seeing everywhere! Then I can test out all the yummy sauce recipes and report back to you.

Another good post to check out is Guilt and Exercise… we’ve all been there. Join the conversation over there on taking rest days from exercise and how you best deal with guilt or stress or in your life.

What charities are you supporting with your money or time during the holiday season this year??

I had intended to chop up the romaine I had in the fridge and have a huge, yummy salad for lunch before I went into the office. But I lollygagged too long and had to grab something fast on the run. Good thing I had an Amy’s Black Bean Vegetable Burrito! Next time I’ll plan ahead, but this got me through in a pinch.

Spinach+fruit vegan smoothie is on the menu for a snack when I get home and then I’ll get to have my big salad. Still plenty of time to get lots of veggies in for the day!

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