Carrot Cake Breakfast Smoothie | January fourth.

When it comes to breakfast I think the easier and quicker the better, so smoothies are a great choice. A breakfast smoothie needs to be filling enough for me to get through until lunch. I created this carrot cake breakfast smoothie with some inspiration from various Pinterest posts. 

To make my carrot cake breakfast smoothie you will need:

- 1/2 cup oats

- 5 to 7 baby carrots

- 1 tbsp WowButter (or nut butter if you can have nuts)

- 1 tsp honey

- 1 tbsp Greek yogurt

- 1/3 cup milk of choice (more or less to preference)

- cinnamon to preference

I start off by grinding the oats in my blender until they are super finely milled. I then throw everything else into the blender and blend until the carrots are shredded and everything is incorporated. 

This smoothie is so delicious, high in protein thanks to the WowButter and Greek yogurt. The oats make it filling and keep me full throughout the morning and the honey gives the smoothie a nice sweetness. 

This is a go-to, staple breakfast smoothie for me. If you try it do let me know if you like it!

Become a Runner in a Summer | Fitness

Every summer I get back into running and it reminds me why I love to run. I always regret falling away from running during the school year/winter months- hopefully this year I won't stop when it gets cold! 

I feel like getting back into running is really hard. I mean, the last time I ran (last summer) I was making my best 5km times and now I can barely do a 60 second interval... very discouraging. However, also very motivating because I know where I can get to!

Using my fitness plan from last summer, combined with new knowledge and goals I have put together a weekly plan to get back to a place where I can consider myself a runner.

Here it is:

Monday: 

run 45-55 minutes + brisk walk 35-40 minutes

Tuesday: 

optional cross training day

Wednesday: 

run 35-40 minutes

Thursday: 

run 30 minutes + cross train 30 minutes

Friday: 

complete rest day

Saturday: 

run 35-40 minutes

Sunday: 

cross train 45-55 minutes

For the runs I'm not just jumping the gun and running for the whole time frame. I'm using the app Couch to 5K to coach me through the runs and build my endurance back up in a healthy way.

Week 1: 

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

alternate 60 seconds jogging, 90 seconds walking

5 minute cool down walk

Week 2:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

alternate 90 seconds of jogging, 2 minutes walking

5 minute cool down walk

Week 3:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

two repetitions of the following: jog for 90 seconds, walk for 90 seconds; jog for 3 minutes, walk for 3 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 4:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds; job 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes; job 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds; jog 5 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 5:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 8 minutes, walk 8 minutes, jog 8 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 6:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 5 minutes, walk 3 minutes; jog 8 minutes, walk 3 minutes; jog 5 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 7:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 25 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 8:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 28 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 9:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 30 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 10:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 32 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 11: 

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 35 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 12:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog a 5k route- try to make good time

5 minute cool down walk

As far as warmup and cool down, the times are VERY short and should be extended. Before running I do a 10-15 minute warmup of dynamic stretches. After my run I will walk around my back yard for about 10 minutes and then spend about 15-20 minutes stretching out my muscles/doing a bit of light yoga. It's so important to not skip warmup and cool down! 

On my cross training days, I will either power walk, go for a bike ride, or go for a swim at the YMCA- whatever I feel like that day!

I'm so excited to get back into running- I'm already two weeks in and I feel great! I have SO much energy and I feel so much healthier than I did before. I think running can be so daunting but if you take it one run at a time and listen to your body so you don't push yourself way too hard, it's such a joy!

Are you a runner? Do you want to be a runner? 

Let me know about your running experience- good or bad- in a comment!

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo

Gluten Free Pizza Recipe | Food Friday

About six months ago I was diagnosed with celiac disease which has meant that I am now forced to live a gluten free lifestyle. It's not hard to be gluten free, per se; there's tonnes of stuff on the market that is gluten free. The difficulty has come because of my other food allergies- anaphylaxis to fruit and nuts. The majority of gluten free foods are made with fruit and/or nuts. 

This has meant that I've been experimenting in the kitchen. I've been trying to find good recipes and alternatives for everything from bread to cookies to crackers and beyond.

One thing I was really missing was a good pizza. Making your own dough is easy, but gluten free dough never seems to be right. It either tastes funny or the texture is all wrong. 

I've finally found a pizza base recipe that is absolutely delicious that I want to share with you guys! This pizza base is reminiscent of a thin and crispy crust pizza, not a thick or soft crust my any means. It's my favourite type of pizza crust!

So here it is:

To make this delicious pizza base I used a combination of oat flour and rice flour. As a binder I used a combination of eggs and mozzarella cheese. I seasoned the dough with black pepper and salt.

This dough has to be baked for about twelve to fifteen minutes before you assemble the pizza. I used homemade pizza sauce, corn, and mozzarella cheese to top my pizza. I then put it back in the oven for another fifteen minutes. 

I hope you all enjoyed this recipe- if you try it let me know what you think! Also if you have any gluten free recipes/resources leave a comment below!

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo

10 Min, 10 Moves + Progress Update | Fitness

I have never been so busy as I am now that I'm in college- between school, work, and keeping the apartment clean there seems to be no time left to keep up with my fitness. Because of this lack of time, I have put together a ten minute workout that I do every morning as soon as I wake up!

My ten minute workout is only ten moves- go hard for 40 seconds, then rest/switch to the next move for 20 seconds. It's a quick workout that gets your heart rate up and your muscles burning!

10 Minutes, 10 Moves

1. High knees

2. Front kicks

3. Butt kickers

4. Mountain climbers

5. Plank walk star

6. Spider plank

7. Jumping jacks

8. Bend and reach

9. Windmill

10. High knees

I think we can all admit to having a spare ten minutes during our day and spending it working out is a great option! Being healthy and active is so important- please always take care of yourself. My health and fitness journey has been on going since the beginning of 2014. The progress has been slow but steady and I'm very proud of how far I have come. I'm not showing these progress photos to brag in any way, I'm sharing them to hopefully inspire some of you who maybe aren't completely happy with your body or are thinking of making some changes. Taking your health and fitness seriously is 100% a lifestyle change and you can never go wrong by practicing self love.

 I'm really happy with all the progress I have made- I'm getting so close to where I want to be! I have lost 63 pounds- I'm sitting at 107.6 pounds- and have dropped from a size 12 to a size 2. But it's not about the numbers, it never has been, it's all about how I feel! I have more energy, I feel healthy, and my self confidence has improved immensely! If you are thinking about taking your fitness a little more seriously I HIGHLY recommend you do. When I started making my fitness and diet a priority, my life changed (get an idea of my diet in my last What I Eat In A Day post). My decision to practice self love in this way was one of the best choices I have ever made.  

I wanted to throw in this little side by side to show you all the importance of posture- a hunch back adds about 10 pounds haha. Spending the majority of my time either sitting in class or sitting at my desk doing homework/photo editing has taken it's toll on my posture. I have been doing the exercises from the Blogilates Perfect Posture video and it really is starting to make a difference. 

I hope by sharing my progress I will inspire some of you to make your health and fitness a priority. How do you make a healthy lifestyle work for your busy schedule?

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

My Progress | Saturday Series: Fit-Spiration 6 of 6

I want to start off by saying that I realize I should have taken progress pictures wearing the same outfits all the way through, but I never thought of it back when I started my fitness journey. I also want to throw it out there that I am NOT trying to brag about my body in ANY way whatsoever. I'm posting my progress to hopefully inspire you guys and to show that if I can do it, then literally ANYONE can do it.

My journey began almost 2 years ago now. I really wanted to lose weight after realizing that I was quite self conscious about my body. I started off by simply altering my diet- less empty carbs and fatty foods and more whole grains and veggies. I was in a really bad place before starting my fitness journey; I was drinking a lot and eating really poor foods. I quit drinking all together (still haven't had a drink to this day), I cut out fast foods, and I limited myself to one "bad" food per day, which eventually turned to one "bad" food per week. I also began watching my portion size and trying to eat mindfully instead of snacking in front of the TV. By January of this year I had already seen such a remarkable difference- in just 11 months I had lost 40 pounds! I kept the weight loss going and began introducing a work out plan and by July I had lost another 15 pounds, making a total weight loss of 55 pounds and I went from a size 12 pant to a size 5. The biggest accomplishment for me wasn't necessarily the weight loss but how great I felt and how happy I was.

Over the summer I had quite a bit of free time and so began working out quite intensely. I would workout for at least an hour everyday, doing a combination of cardio and muscle building/toning. I found that I really love to walk long distances at a brisk pace, and I also really love yoga and pilates. Working out has become an absolute joy for me; it's something I really look forward to as it helps me to relax and feel happy.

This final photo I took whilst I was home this past weekend for Thanksgiving. I am maintaining my fitness despite being away at college by walking whenever I can as well as using the Sworkit app and doing yoga 3 times a week. I'm enjoying cooking healthy meals for myself with good, wholesome ingredients. Not that numbers matter in the vast scheme of things, but just as a reference if your interested my current numbers are as follows:

Weight: 108Lbs

Pant size: 2 or 3

Bust: 32"

Waist: 26"

Hips: 36"

Like I said (and will continue to say until the end of time) the numbers don't matter. They're a good gauge of progress but the important thing is how great I feel now and that I am living a healthy active lifestyle that will carry me through this life. I think a healthy lifestyle is a great thing to adopt as young as you possibly can, I think it will stick with me as long as I live. 

I hope you feel inspired by this to live a healthier, more active lifestyle. Like I said, if I can do it anyone can. It's all about making good choices and loving yourself enough to do so. If you have any questions about starting to live a healthier lifestyle or any tips you could provide me to help with my own journey leave a comment!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

19. Health | 52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge

The topic of health could not have come at a more appropriate time as the past few weeks I saw all my doctors before heading away to college. 2 years ago I began having allergic reactions to fruit and nuts- anaphylactic- 9 hospitalizations in total over a 11/2 year span. All the drugs they had to give me to ensure I stayed alive really took their toll on my body and left me with less than ideal health.

I wasn't allowed to exercise for an entire year because the high doses of epinephrine left my heart so weak. On top of this I was having issues with my thyroid that no doctor in my city could figure out. Eventually I was sent to a specialist in a city about 4 hours away who diagnosed my thyroid condition as Hashimoto's disease. I was finally getting some answers!

Now, 6 months post year hiatus from all things physical, I'm starting to see some changes in my body that I'm really happy with. I'm looking more lean and strong, my energy levels are better, and my general outlook toward life is a lot more positive than it was (my heart also doesn't feel like it's going to explode, which is good haha). 

Yes Hashimoto's will be with me for life, as will my severe allergies. But they're manageable now and I feel like I can live a normal, healthy, and active life like that of any other twenty-something. I can finally say I'm in good health and I'm so freakin' thankful for that!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

100 Calorie Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins | In The Kitchen: Baking

Hey guys, I haven't posted a recipe in quite some time it seems so I decided I would share with you my oatmeal breakfast muffin recipe! I have been working on perfecting this recipe for quite some time now and I've finally gotten them (what I consider to be) perfect!

So for this recipe you will need:

Equipment

Oven preheated to 350F

Muffin tin & liners

Spatula

Measuring cups and spoons

2 Mixing bowls

Whisk

Ingredients

1 cup oats

1 cup milk

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter softened

11/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4-1 cup dark chocolate chips

The first step is to mix half the milk and the oats in a small bowl. This allows the oats to soften before being incorporated into the muffin mixture. This step is optional, but highly recommended as it allows the muffins to retain a lot of their moisture during the baking process.

After you set that oat and milk mixture aside you'll want to mix together the wet ingredients -greek yogurt, brown sugar, butter, vanilla- making sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated.

After mixing the wet ingredients you'll want to add the flour, and baking soda gradually and mix well. Next, mix in the oat mixture and the rest of the milk. Lastly, you'll want to fold in the cinnamon and dark chocolate chips. These two are both completely to preference; I used 1/2 tsp cinnamon (I'm a huge cinnamon fanatic) and 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips.

The next step is to fill the muffin liners 1/2-3/4 of the way with the batter- it should be the exact amount for 12 muffins. Bake them in your preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, until they're golden brown. Once you take them out of the oven, transfer them out of the muffin tin and onto a cooling rack as soon as they're cool enough to touch. Taking them out as soon as you can removes them from the heat of the pan, keeping the moisture locked in instead of continuing to bake them from residual heat.

They are absolutely delicious! I cut mine in half, spread some plain greek yogurt on it and then sprinkled some cinnamon. They're so soft, moist, crumbly, and taste absolutely gorgeous. I must say, they are best consumed warm!

The best part about these muffins? They taste like something you'd pick up at a bakery- full of sugar and fat.. you know the kind that you feel guilty for eating. These taste just like them but they're only 100 calories!

I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe post. If you try it let me know how you get on and if you like them!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

Food Friday | July 17, 2015

Oatmeal Pancakes

I'm a big pancake lover, that's for darn sure! I always have loved pancakes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks- anytime of the day I'll have a pancake. I love trying new pancake recipes and playing around with them instead of just the typical fluffy, white Aunt Jemima style that we all know and love.

Recently I have been making a batch of oatmeal pancakes once a week and storing them in the fridge. The recipe I am going to share today makes about 10 medium sized pancakes- which means 5 days of breakfast! They re-heat really well in the microwave without getting mushy or dry like typical pancakes do so they're perfect! Warming these up in the morning has let me feel like I'm having a nice, luxurious, sunday-morning-style breakfast on any day of the week.

Ingredients

2 large eggs

12/3 cups rolled oats

1 cup + 2 tbsp milk

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon (to preference)

3 tsp baking powder

1/4-1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (to preference)

Instructions

1. Whisk together eggs, oats, milk, sugar, and cinnamon. Let sit 20 to 30 minutes so oats can soften.

2. Whisk in powder and chocolate chips. Let sit another 2 minutes.

3. Melt butter in hot pan. Spoon batter into pan to make pancakes of desired size. Cook on low heat until bubbles come up on top.

4. Flip and cook one more minute.

5. Top with whatever you desire and enjoy!

I hope you like this recipe! If you do try it let me know! If I could still eat fruit I'd probably replace the chocolate chips with berries or apple chunks for a slight variation. 

Tip: these taste amazing along size some bacon strips!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn