Hitting Goals!

Drew and I went to the gym today, as promised, and I ran. This is a pretty big feat for me. Since I was a (hefty meatball of a) kid, I've disliked running. The worst two days during school were the timed miles. I dreaded those days worse than any other day on the calendar. And there I was... running.

Okay, it was more of a fast jog, but I did it for half a mile before powerwalking. HALF A MILE! Usually, I can't get one time around the eighth mile track without stopping. Treadmills are great for pushing yourself when you don't have the will to do it. Run like heck or fall off, that's what works for me. I timed it and I got 13:00 minutes. THIRTEEN MINUTES. That's much better than I thought it would be. I'm going to have to do it again to cross my thirteen minute mile goal off the list, but looks like I have some shopping to do now that I blasted through two cardio goals today...

On the food side of things, I did treat myself to half a chocolate filled croissant from a local bakery this morning in celebration of getting an unexpected day off work. The way I made the treat really work with my nutrition plan was that I cut it in half, got out the good china, and sat and savored it for as long as possible. It made it worth it! I would rather eat a small amount of good, handmade food than gobs of processed, preserved unspecialness. (Thank you, Gesine!) I also made a kick butt focaccia today, and thought watching Drew enjoy it was almost as good as eating all that myself. I did try it, of course, but in very small portions. I'm going to take it to work tomorrow, so I'm not tempted to snack on it.

I made a filling soup the other day to take for lunch and snacking. It got good reviews from its smell at work. :)

Mexican Corn and Bean Soup from Cooking Light
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 frozen chopped onion (I used fresh)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano (I doubled it to 1 tsp)
1 c frozen whole-kernel corn
1/4 tsp black pepper
(pinch cayenne)
1 14-oz. can of fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes & green chiles, undrained (I used two 10-oz. cans)
3 lime slices (I omitted)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add onion, cumin, garlic, and oregano. Saute 1 1/2 min. Stir in corn, pepper(s), broth, beans, and tomatoes (I had some frozen chopped green, red, & yellow peppers, so I threw those in, too.); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 min. Serve with lime. 3 large servings.