Talluluh Throws a Pity Party . . . and Bakes Protein Brownies

So, you've heard my story about gaining fifty pounds when I was pregnant with my daughter.  And you've heard the story about how I lost it all.  It was as easy as that . . . I wish.  It was hard work.  After having Marleigh, I knew right away that I would have to make a big change to lose all the weight.  I found The Eat Clean Diet and began to run.  I liked the Eat Clean principles.  It seemed easy enough:  Stick to lean meats, green veggies, and unprocessed food.  No problem.  EXCEPT.  I like chocolate.  And cheese.  And pizza.  And cookies.  And enchiladas.  But I stuck with it best I could, and it did help me drop the weight.  It changed the way I ate, but not totally. It just made me more conscious about what I was choosing to eat.  So, fast forward a year, and I'm pregnant with Tucker.  This time, I was bound and determined not to gain all that unnecessary weight.  I did it.  I only gained 30 pounds.  Like with Marleigh, I immediately started eating clean after he was born.  I started running after only 4 weeks! (shhhh, don't tell my Dr.).  I made it back to my pre-pregnancy weight in about 2 months.  YAY!  Only, I wasn't exactly crazy about the way my body looked.  Also, I couldn't even look at a cookie without gaining 5 pounds.  This second baby really took a toll on my metabolism.  In fact, I think it vanished the minute he was born.  Poor me. I didn't think I could really make the leap to clean eating.  Then, I stumbled across the Tone It Up girls.  I love them.  I want to be them.  I stalked their twitter and blog for a few months, and then convinced myself I just couldn't live without their nutrition plan any longer.  So I bought it with my birthday money in October.  I read it, got motivated and hit it hard.  For a week.  Yep, a week.  I know. You envy my dedication, right?  Holidays came and went, and I ate, and ate, and ate.  I vowed to start over Jan. 1.  So I did.  And now, a month later, I can honestly say that I'm loving the food I'm eating.  The Tone It Up nutrition plan had such yummy recipes.  I also started working out twice a day.  In the morning I do a 20 minute cardio, and in the evenings I do some type of toning, or I do my training for the half-marathon.  And I've never felt better! I won't lie, it's hard to take the time to plan my meals.  It's hard to get out of bed 30 minutes earlier in the morning.  It's hard to say no to certain comfort foods.  Sometimes I do "cheat," but in moderation.  I found this quote on Pinterest:  "Will power is a muscle.  The more you use it, the stronger it gets."  I just keep telling myself that.  Over and over.  So this weekend I decided to make brownies.  I found a recipe on Pinterest that linked me to Skinny Brownies at Sally's Baking Addiction.  But the recipe wasn't exactly what I was looking for.  So I tweaked it a bit.  And here's what I got:  a healthy brownie! Is it the best tasting brownie I've ever eaten? No.  But it is yummy.  And it makes me feel a whole lot better about eating brownies.  And it curbs my craving for chocolate.  Even the husband approved (those of you who know him know how rare this is)!

Protein Peanut Butter Brownies

6 oz. nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 c. almond milk (I used unsweetened)
1/2 c. water
1 egg white
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. stevia
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1 scoop organic brown rice protein powder, to texture (I used Perfect Fit)
3/4 c. natural peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick olive oil cooking spray.  Set aside.
Grind oats into a fine oat flour using a blender and set aside.  Mix yogurt, almond milk, water, and egg white in a medium mixing bowl.  Add dry ingredients and combine.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish.  Microwave peanut butter for 30 seconds and drop by spoonful onto the brownie batter.  Use a knife to swirl gently and create a marble look.

Bake 20-25 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting.  Brownies will have a fudge-like texture.

Run, Talluluh, Run!

I feel like I should preface this post by saying that I used to HATE running.  When I was in high school, I was a basketball and softball player.  I never had to think about exercise, because my beloved coach worked our hineys off.  In college, I decided I would try to be active, but treadmills bored me to death.  I tried running again after Ty and I got married.  I probably ran about a half a mile.  Maybe.  Then I went home and ate a cake.  When I was pregnant with Marleigh, I gained 50 pounds.  FIFTY.  That's a lot.  So I knew I had to do something.  After she was born, I did the Ease into 5K program and lost all the baby weight.  I was finally a runner.  But not an avid runner.  Just a when-the-weather-is-nice or when-my-pants-start-getting-tight runner.  I started to like running, because it was time away from spit-up and dirty diapers and messes that awaited me at home.  I liked that I could justify eating the whole pan of brownies.  Because running three miles totally negates a pan of brownies.  You can quote me on that . . . or maybe not.   I also liked that I could take my stress out on the road.  After Tucker was born, same thing.  Ease into 5K.  But this time, I stuck with running.  And I have grown to LOVE it.  In December, I bit the bullet and registered for a half-marathon.  That's 13.1 miles.  I am terrified, but also so excited!  I have several friends doing the OKC Memorial Half Marathon with me.  I also registered for the Color Me Rad 5K two weeks after the half.  I now own running pants and a Garmin running watch.  I still feel uncomfortable calling myself a runner, but I guess I am.  I'm sure this post has a point.  I just don't know what it is.  I guess I just wanted to brag a little so I can feel accomplished.  Or to inspire you to get out there and move.  The picture at the beginning of this post was exactly how I felt three years ago.  And today, I ran 5 miles! If I can do it, you can too.  Look for an update following the half-marathon.  I'm sure I'll still love running, right? Right?

Talluluh who?

Hey ya'll.  Thanks for stopping by to read.  I've officially joined the blogger bandwagon.  Because my plate wasn't full enough (hahahaha!), I thought I'd start another project.  Somewhere where I can post the funny things my kids do and say, the trials and triumphs I face as I start a "clean" and fit lifestyle (more on this later), show love for my favorite products, share recipes and photos, and a little of everything in between.  I know most of you probably know me.  I highly doubt that I'm already famous and drawing the attention of readers around the world, so I'll spare you the "About Me" post.  However, you may be wondering, who is Talluluh?   Well, if you've known me my whole life, you know the answer.  So you can stop reading.  But for the rest of you, here it is.  Talluluh Laverne is my alias.  My mother thinks everyone needs an alias.  And you just don't argue with your mother.  Sometime in my teenage years, my mom disclosed that she wished she would have named me Talluluh instead of Lauren.  This name came from a story from this book:

The girl in the story was named Talluluh, and she spent her days hiding in a chinaberry tree reading books and spying on people passing by.  My mom always loved that story, and read it to me many times.  So, I adopted the name Talluluh as my alias.  It's been my nickname for years.  I had it printed on the back of my warm-up jersey in basketball, on my class ring, and it is my name on Twitter, Instagram, and anywhere else I can plaster it.  Talluluh is who I am at my core, my best self.  I know you will sleep better tonight knowing this.  Stay tuned for more riveting posts.  

Signed,

Talluluh