Stephshaming.

It's the second week of the year, and I feel like it is my duty as "one who blogs" to discuss goals. I don't do resolutions, and I don't really do goals. (Ironic because I love love love lists.) And the changes I aim to make in my life don't necessarily relate to time of year (i.e., new year, new you!). This year, though, they kind of do  - just coincidentally. You won't get me admitting to any new year resolutions! ;)

Anyway, in a nutshell, I aim to keep up with my running and get to the point where I can easily run 3 miles. Not saying I won't run  more, but a 3-mile run on the treadmill a couple nights a week after work is reasonable for now. I was almost to this point this time last year (I'd done the Couch to 5k program), but a sickness in April threw me off and I never really got back on track... until late summer. And then there was the Steph + Heidi + sidewalk = concussion incident, and the repercussions of that didn't really start subsiding until mid-November. A handful of weeks ago, I printed out a novice-level 5k training (a little more intense than the Couch to 5k), discovering that if I have a schedule, I can't bear to screw it up. So I've stuck with it, and I haven't pooped out early yet. I'm up to 2.5 miles now, and I feel darn good about it. It's been a struggle to lose the weight I put on while I was laid off, and I'd be pretty proud of myself if I could put that part of my life behind me for good.

Eating better tends to naturally fall in line with consistent exercise, but I also aim to make a concerted effort to:

• MANAGE PORTION CONTROL. I truly believe that this is 90% of any food issues I have. I don't eat meat. I don't eat fast food. I'm not a big snacker. I do love a good hunk of cake (the other 10%). If something is yummy, I have a hard time stepping away. I'm looking at you, homemade pimento mac and cheese.
• Eat more fish. I think my constant hunger is a lack of protein. Fish = protein. More protein = happy Steph.
• Consistently eat more fruit and veggies. Not just in random bursts. 

The added bonus of all of the above being better general overall help, which while doesn't necessarily keep flares away.... keeps me feeling better on my sporadic bad days and, should I get sick anytime soon (boo! hiss!), sets me up for an easier time and recovery.

So in that vein, the past two nights I've manged all three of those goals in our dinners. Pat on the back! Hillary re-inspired me on cooked-at-home salmon (not my favorite nor something I excel at making), and I picked up (at Meijer, another Hillary inspiration) a 2-lb salmon fillet. Not just salmon, sockeye. We had sockeye for the first time ever on our Pacific Northwest trip last year, and it is definitely the way to go if you have any say in the matter. So incredibly delicious, and I managed not to screw it up. Fillet on baking sheet. Butter. Salt. Pepper. 450 degrees for around 15 minutes. We just had fish plus steamed broccoli plus corn on the cob last night. But tonight I threw together a delicious pasta with the leftover salmon. For the pasta, I used a handy portion control doodad Brad got me for Christmas. Seems silly, but this is incredibly helpful...

Not a snack.

Twist the lever to your serving size - in this case, 1 serving - and get cooking.

I made a "sauce" of one smashed-up avocado, juice of half a lime, a few springs of cilantro, about a tablespoon of olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper. I wilted a handful of spinach, and popped in a handful of cherry tomatoes for me (Brad's not a fan). Then I topped it with salmon. And JUST a half-serving of noodles for each of us. No cheating because I didn't make extra! Oh yeah, and a little Parmesan for good measure.

I still am mad craving a huge hunk of cake, but I'm actually pretty full. And I think a tall mug of hot cocoa will suffice. A decent start, I do believe. Maybe I'll see you back here, this time next year, a new year's resolution convert!