Getting ready for Cabo

So Jeff and I are trying to be better at eating healthy.  I have always been aware of what I eat...if I eat crappy food and don't work out, I gain weight.  I don't have the luxury that Jeff has of eating whatever he wants and never working out, and not gaining a pound.  However, we both have decided to be more diligent in eating right and working out often.

Jeff's motivation comes from our Cabo trip coming up in 2 months with his family. His brother and he have a competition going about who can look the best with their shirts off.  I am somewhat excited to see how long Jeff can keep up this diet and exercise.   Today is day one the P90X workouts and eating healthy.  He is really excited and has turned out garage into a workout zone...10 ft. projector screen with surround sound, yoga balls, medicine balls, foam rollers, mats, fans blowing and a water dispenser...He hopes to have a few friends workout with him to keep him going.

I have enjoyed running a lot lately.  I have a few friends in the ward that run pretty often, and we have had a lot of fun spending time together.  I have particularly enjoyed listening to Conference talks as I run...it keeps my mind focused and I hardly feel tired.  This last Saturday we ran 10 miles....the farthest at one time I have ever run in my life...I am pretty proud, and glad I have good friends that help motivate me.

Part of the eating healthier goal has been fun for me...I enjoy trying new recipes and finding alternatives to junk food.  Today was one of those cooking in the kitchen days.  I attempted to make two different types of power bars/cookies, granola bars, 35 calorie brownies, and fruit snacks for the kids.  I say attempted because a few didn't work out quite how I would have liked.

These are raw peanut butter cookies...they actually turned out pretty good.  Made with almonds, cashews, natural peanut butter, dates and vanilla

The granola bars were a fail...I spread them out on a cookie sheet and let them cool...when I went to cut them, they all fell apart and are now a huge bowl.  They taste a lot like the chewy granola bars, I will just have to give the kids a handful...quite a bit messier than I had hoped.

These are peanut butter chocolate "lara" bars...Jeff's favorite...taste a lot like traditional power bars

And these are the 35 calorie brownies...they started out in a pan, and when Jeff and I tried them, we couldn't do it.  I'm all for saving calories, but it was definitely not worth it.  It tasted very fake and had the texture of tofu.  So I decided to roll them up into balls and let the kids have one for dessert or something...Aidyn didn't mind at all.  Maybe they would be better with ice cream?

Oh and the fruit snacks...I'm pretty sure they are a fail as well.  They are still in the fridge trying to harden, but they have been there all day...I have given up hope.  I don't know where I went wrong...

Overall...a pretty successful day...I found a few new recipes I like, and they are pretty healthy.  Hopefully they will fill my crave for something sweet-ish...hopefully