Breakfast, and some Before and After's

It's Friday! It's Friday! Time for Happy Dance....

That is my Happy Friday Song because I lurve a Friday.

Yesterday morning Bex and I met at the (finally air-conditioned) gym for a workout. It was a good one:

5 mile treadmill run: 51 minutes

Cocktail Dress Arms Workout: about 25-30 minutes

I thought that 5 long miles on the treadmill would be miserable and boring but for some reason on this particular morning it was great. Sweaty but easy and 5 miles in 51 minutes is fast for me. Yes, you read that right....a 10 minute mile is fast for me and I'm proud of it!

I am thinking of doing a 5K on Saturday morning in Memphis. It is like 45 minutes from my house, which is a far drive to run 3.1 miles. But I haven't done a race in a while and I miss it!

I just love being in the race atmosphere...early morning....energy in the air....friendly runners....lots of bottled water and orange slices.

What could be better on a hot Saturday morning?

I would not, however, be going for a PR because I know it'll be hot hot hot. Don't want to crazy push myself and heat stroke out or anything.

My last PR in a 5K was 28:56 and it was back in April when it was overcast and about 70 degrees. Perfect running weather, especially compared to the muggy, humid 90 degree mornings we've been dealing with lately.

So we'll see.

A few weeks ago after a gym workout, I stopped by our local Subway to try one of their new breakfast sandwiches. It was wonderful, but I figured I could easily save $2 and make my own at home!

So this morning I did just that and it was sooooooo easy. If you are looking for a high-protein, great tasting breakfast to get you through a busy morning, this is a great option. And comes together in about 3 mintues!

First, get yourself a good assistant in the kitchen. Here is my assistant this morning:


Next, get together all your ingredients. You will need:

• cooking spray
• bowl or mug
• 2 egg whites
• 1 slice of cheese of your choice (I used American this morning, but Pepper Jack is also really good)
• 2 peices of whole wheat toast (or a sandwich thin, or english muffin, or bagel...you choose!)
  

First, spray your bowl or mug with cooking spray. Put egg whites into bowl. I don't have a fancy egg seperator thingy, I just carefully crack the eggs without getting the yolk in the bowl. If the yolk does fall into the bowl, just scoop it out with a spoon.

Your egg whites will just look like water in the bowl! See, here they are pre-microwave:
Pop your egg whites in the mircrowave for 45 seconds to 1:30 minutes. Depends on your microwave, but just take a look at your whites to make sure they are not liquidy anymore. They should look like this when you're done:
Because of the cooking spray, the whites will slide easily out of your bowl.

Next, microwave or toast your bread and cheese, just enough to warm it up and melt the cheese. I usually just put them in the microwave with the egg whites for the last 20 seconds or so.

If you want more crunch in your sandwich, pop the bread and cheese in the toaster oven for 3 minutes.

this picture is post-microwave. warm and melty!

Then just put it all together and eat! Voila! Breakfast!

Delicious and easy.
I think this breakfast sandwich is about 3 Weight Watchers points.

And last but not least, I came across a few 'before-and-after' pics of myself.

This first picture was taken at a cotillion in December of my junior year of college (2003). I remember this night like it was yesterday. I dredded putting on that big white dress and getting up in front of all my friends and family. Which is weird for me because I usually love attention.

In Knoxville, there are two girls cotillions we participate in (it's a Southern thing...). One is in April and the next is the same year in December. I had planned to wear the same dress for both events. But when I went home at Thanksgiving to try my dress on, it wouldn't even think about zipping up.

We had to have the dress taken OUT three inches. I had gained three inches in 5 months. I was so miserable on the inside.

My parents had gotten divorced earlier that year, and I was living in the sorority house. My emotional battle combined with a distructive relationship, lots of late night eating, and an overall unhealthy lifestyle made me overweight and unhappy.

I remember my GPA that semester was 1.9. At ALABAMA, people! You have to TRY to get that bad of grades at Alabama.

My boobs were HUGE...like, up in my face all the time! Ridic.

Needless to say, the downward spiral was strong and fast.

Fast forward about 2 1/2 years later to August 2006:(In case you're wondering, I miraculously rebounded from that 1.9 GPA and graduated on time with a 3.5)

Still not feeling my best, but feeling better. Tom and I had started dating, I had a good job in Nashville, and my relationship with my parents had been mended tremendously.

And today (yall have already seen this picture):Sooooooooo much more healthy and happy. Looking back on these pictures brings back a flood of emotions I forgot I had. Feeling defeated, alone, unhappy, and unhealthy.

It's amazing what can happen when you put yourself SECOND (God always comes first) and change yourself inside and out.

Happy Friday Ladies!!!!!!!

Have a great weekend!