We’re starting to training this week, as we do not have much time left. The race is on April 15^th, ahhhh!

The best part about this race is that we’re running for charity with an organization called Team Hole in the Wall – an organization that sends children with life threatening diseases to Hole in the Wall camps. A nationwide family own camp that are fully equipped with medical facilities and staffed with doctors, nurses and so much more. Team Hole in the Wall works to ensure that all kids, especially sick children can have a normal camp experience.

I am plan on following a modified version of the fitness magazine 10-week half-marathon training. I am excited and nervous but so looking forward to training and to race day.

I know there are tons of marathon runners in the blog world and beyond, so I am wide open for any marathon tips you have for a newbie like me?

I have a dilemma though, I try to stick to my plan at least 90% of the time, however I do have some moments days where I don’t want to eat what I had initially planned and decide to change. I usually stick with something healthy, but not always. For example, today, I had planned on having left over fish and veggie rice from dinner yesterday, but instead I ended up going to my aunts house and she cooked one of my favorite Haitian dishes, an okra type stew with beef and shrimp and white rice. AGHHHHH, love her but why.. anyhoo, of course once I got home that’s all I could think about and had to have it for dinner after my amazing workout. Not cool, but it was oh so good!

This is/was my menu and exercise plan for the week. What do you think about it? I still have a few items to complete.

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY
BREAKFAST	BREAKFAST	BREAKFAST	BREAKFAST
Banana	1/2c Oatmeal	2 waffles with PB	Smoothie with fruits
Greek yogurt	FF milk, PB and Agave	1 banana
1 boil egg
SNACK	SNACK	SNACK	SNACK
Cascadian Organic Bar	Pret fruit salad	Almonds	Boil egg
LUNCH	LUNCH	LUNCH	LUNCH
Chicken Cesar Salad no croutons	Salad from chopt with no dressing, no tortilla	Rotisserie chicken	Salad from chopt with no dressing, no tortilla
Small lentil soup		Brocoli and corn
SNACK	SNACK	SNACK	SNACK
Chai tea	Cascadian Bar	?	?
DINNER	DINNER	DINNER	DINNER
1.5c white rice  bad	Turkey sandwich on 2 slice bread and cheese	Noodles and sardines	Veggie rice (leftover)
Okra stew with shrimp and beef	Sweet potato chips		Fish
SNACK	SNACK	SNACK	SNACK
	Chai tea	?	?
EXERCISE	EXERCISE	EXERCISE	EXERCISE
35 min cardio at the gym	Walking	Zumba	?

So, my question to all of you, do you plan your meals for the whole week? If so, do you stick with your plan no matter what?

How was your Sunday? What did you cook? Ready for the week?

I am grateful for my job as it has allowed me to experience a lot of things (side note — I try to see the positive in everything, because in life things can always be worse) and I know I can find that balance between working my job and working my passions, I just haven’t gotten there completely yet. I don’t know what to call this phase in my life maybe it’s an early midlife crisis, but all I know is that I’m going to try my best to take life one day at a time and go down the path that’s destined for me.

On the health front, all is well with clean eating, it’s been 2.5 month since I started clean eating and I am happy to report that aside from a few set backs last week because I was traveling for work, clean eating has truly become a way of life for me. I have even influenced my husband and sister to give it a try although they are not completely into it as I am.

What’s new with you? Ever go through a phase in life where you just have this desire to do so much but feel like you’re running out of time?

I am in an all day, multiple day meeting at work that involves a lot of brainstorming, presentations and work. Well, the snacks that were provided to us included trial size snickers, M&M’s, Hershey’s kisses and swedish fish’s. Needless to say by noon, I couldn’t help myself I had one pack of M&M’s and before you know it, I was downing one after the other. This is what my area ended up looking like, #EpicCleanEatingFailure

By the end of the day I felt like crap, I just kept drinking water all day in hopes of washing the sugar out of my system (I know so not happening, but I just felt so awful). My energy was so low and I was tired and not alert.  Sugar is evil!

How does your body react when you consume to much sugar?

P.S this is a short and sweet post.. time to go to bed…

I haven’t done a “Sunday Dinner” post since the holidays because I have been fortunate enough to not have to cook. Between the holidays, my hubby cooked and last week my daughter’s first birthday party, I haven’t been making Sunday dinner. Well today it’s back to reality. Today’s Sunday dinner was a whole baked chicken with brown rice and mixed vegetables (peas, corn and red peppers). I didn’t take a picture because I couldn’t find my camera.

How was your Sunday dinner? 

According to an article in Eating Well, “These nutritional powerhouses are one of the best sources of omega-3 fats, with a whopping 1,950 mg/per 3 oz. (that’s more per serving than salmon, tuna or just about any other food) and they’re packed with vitamin D. And because sardines are small and low on the food chain, they don’t harbor lots of toxins like bigger fish can”.

Additionally, according to Livestrong, some additional benefits of eating sardines including cancer prevention, anti-inflammatory effects, cholesterol health, bone health and so much more.

I usually buy Season’s Sardines, specifically the olive oil and the tomato sauce sardines.

Here are a few of my favorite Sardine recipes:

- Sardine Wrap (whole grain organic wrap, sardines, lettuce and tomatoes and a slice of swiss cheese)

- Sardines and Organic Noodles (boil noodles, then in another pot sautee onions, peppers in cooking spray then place       noodles once cooked in sardine mix and sautee together.

So, this is my pitch to get each and everyone of you to start eating sardines. I hope it works!

Do you like sardines? If so, how do you like to eat it?

As we start the New Year, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite quotes from what my niece had on her wall to remind you that no matter what you’re dealing with in life, always believe in YOU!

Keep your head high! (you're going high places)

Have fun!! No one else matters, as long as you're having fun!

Doubt yourself? Just say yes... Yes I Can

What are some of your favorite words of inspiration?

I come from a traditional Haitian family. On New Year’s Day, if you go to any Haitian families home you will find that they are having a special soup that we call “soup joumou” for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Soup joumou or “squash soup”, is a hearty soup that we have on new year to mark Haiti’s independence from France on January 1st 1804. Slaves were not allowed to eat soup and thus it has become a tradition for Haitian’s nationwide to have soup on New Year. For as long as I can remember, well my entire life to be honest, we have always had soup joumou on January 1st and I absolutely love it. There’s something so comforting with this soup, it’s yummy and beyond tasty, filled with squash, carrots, spinach, noodles and beef.

So today’s Sunday Dinner special is in honor of my beloved country Haiti. Thankfully, I didn’t have to cook, I was tired and I honestly don’t make the best soup joumou. My aunt had the pleasure of making a HUGE pot of soup joumou for the family. I totally forgot to take a picture of the pot, it’s an insanely big pot, but here’s a photo of my second bowl of soup, yum!

How did you celebrate the New Year? Any special traditions in your family?

2011 was the year that I gave birth to my baby girl, the happiest moment in my life, this year was also the year that I loss two people who were near and dear to my heart and soul. How can a year be the happiest and saddest all in one? I don’t have the answer and none of us ever will. I am a women of faith and believe that only god knows.  I just feel immensely thankful that no matter what challenges came my way, I survived and I just hope and pray for that same resolve in 2012.

As we enter 2012, I am not setting any resolutions for the new year, but more promises to myself. I promise to enjoy every moment with my family, I promise to not let work take over my life, I promise to do more for “me”, lastly, I promise to take care of my overall health and wellness.

I wish you all a beautiful and blessed new year. Happy New Year