Happy Saturday! How is your day so far?
It’s super bright and sunny here in Cali today.
[From the Android]
The gorgeous weather makes me want to go to the beach or hike somewhere high up in the mountains! 
I appreciate all of your feedback on the “Save the Date” pictures, so please keep them coming! I will be printing them out really soon. Probably by tomorrow, or so I hope.
All I wanted for breakfast this morning was a thick, hearty bowl of oatmeal. After having realized that I am out of nut and seed butters, with only a few speckles of it left in the jar just enough to scrape, I decided OIAJ wins today.
OIAJ: (n.) Oats in a Jar. A delicious concoction of cold raw oats or hot oatmeal poured into a nut butter jar. Preferably, one should have at least some spots left of the nut butter in order to scrape the bottom and sides for maximum pleasure on the taste buds.
Sorry, I just had to explain what OIAJ is to those who have never tried it before! 
A commenter asked me once, “Whatever compelled you to put oats inside a jar? What’s OIAJ?” Hahaha.
In the mix there is pumpkin puree, ground flax seeds, milk, cottage cheese, Coach’s Oats, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and mashed banana. Today’s toppings featured fresh blueberries, Artisana coconut butter, Biscoff spread, a chunk of La Brea dark chocolate bark, and walnuts! It was delicious and hearty indeed…
Do you eat leftovers well? Or do you just frown at its site and toss it away?
You see, I am quite good at eating leftovers. Actually, I love leftover food more than fresh food sometimes! I know, I find that strange as well.
Remember the turkey chili I made 2 weeks ago? It was sitting in the freezer so I used the last of it on top of a whole grain toast along with cheddar, Greek yogurt, and avocado.
On the side I had about a bowl full of steamed broccoli dipped in a Korean hot sauce/paste.
Korean Gochujang Sauce *Spicy*
- 1/2 C Gochujang (Hot pepper paste from the Korean store)
- 1/2 TBSP vinegar
- 1 TBSP water
- 1 TBSP toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tsp sugar (any kind)
Mix it all up until it becomes diluted. Enjoy with vegetables or other side dishes!
This is seriously a classic in Korean cuisine. It can also be eaten with a bunch of stringy vegetables, rice, and Sashimi thrown together in a bowl.
Today, instead of going to the gym I will be doing a quick workout at home. There will be a little bit of jumping but I will make sure to leap gracefully like a gazelle. Wait, do gazelles leap?
I will be repeating this circuit 3 times. The only drawback of doing this at home is that I just remembered I don’t possess 40 lb. weights. I’ll make it happen somehow.
If some of you recall several months ago, I mentioned that even when we don’t go all out for more than 30 minutes of exercise, even 10 minutes is still something.
As long as we keep our bodies moving, we will grow stronger and healthier. If weight loss is involved in one’s fitness goals, then it is a relief to know that the more weight one has to lose, the quicker he or she will see results. 
I have also something to share with you that I am quite proud of! Not to mention, I feel way more liberated after taking this step to “mental” health.
Thoughts on Image (Warning: Spiritual talk involved)
I have completely 100% stopped weighing myself. At all costs!!! It has been about 2.5 months since the last time I did, unless I’m at the doctor’s office. If that’s the case, then I just don’t let it affect me.
A few months ago when I began to up the challenge on my workouts, I noticed that I was looking healthier than ever. In addition to that, I was actually liking what I saw in the mirror. However…my weight started creeping up like crazy!! (Think 10 lbs. within a month) Don’t worry, I checked with the doctor and my health is fine. After giving it some thought, I came to the conclusion that yes, it is possible for women to gain a significant amount of muscle weight.
As you may already know, muscle weighs more than fat. However, although I felt great and I thought I looked pretty fit, the numbers on the scale kept “bugging” me because I thought that maybe somewhere in my deluded mind, the image that I saw in the mirror was not true. It’s truly hard when we, as women, are being exposed to subliminal messages that we should be a certain size or weight. I am not only speaking for us females, but also for all the males out there. Believe it or not, men also feel the pressure to be at a certain fitness level. To them, being called skinny is actually a really offensive comment!
I am learning that numbers really do not matter. The way that I feel physically, mentally, and spiritually are far more important than a little machine.
My point is, even the way that I look or feel aren’t important in the end! Everything becomes null once my heart is set on something other than Christ Himself.
Okay, I know what you are thinking now…“Why does she have to throw God into everything? Gosh” (In valley girl’s voice) 
The reason I mention all of this is that I do sometimes struggle because I want to look a certain way, maybe even like a VS model! I mean, I certainly wouldn’t mind that! And it’s not always easy in this department when I know that I will be walking down the aisle in as little as 3.5 months. Then again, even if I look a particular way, is my physical health holding up? Let’s dig deeper than that…
Even if I had all of the strength and health in the world, is my heart beautiful and shining with God’s love? I believe that if or when I get negative thoughts about my self image, I am actually yearning for something more profound. Something deep inside of my heart that only God can fill. You see, we are beings wired to have all of the 3 components working together: body, soul, and spirit. So let us take care of all of those components!
Going back to the topic of working out. Don’t get me wrong. I am totally for working out, staying in shape, and feeling great!! And that is the reason I like to share my workouts and [sometimes] healthy cooking with you all. I’m also a firm believer of working out for the enjoyment of it! I truly love the rush I get when I lift heavy weights and feel like Wonder Woman. I just hope you understand where I’m coming from, especially when I say that health isn’t only for the body, but for our inner spirit.
So let us be free from whatever hurdles that may come into our lives! My prayer is that I will love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and that I will love others as He has loved me. I just want to be honest with God, myself, and everyone I come in contact with. Fly freedom fly.
PS: I hope I’m making sense and that I’m not accidentally contradicting myself! And I sure hope it doesn’t come off as “preachy”, but more encouraging than anything else.
Do you weigh yourself on the scale? If so, does it affect the way you think?
Is it difficult to love yourself? What causes those difficulties?
-I believe that we all go through this in one way or another
What hurdles have you recently overcome, or are wanting to overcome?
Love,
Ellie <33
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Gochujang!! yum!! My mom sometimes makes her own using quality ingredients – it tastes so much better than the store bought! Ahh…how I miss those days she made Tuk-Bok-ki for me
I weight myself once a week. I don’t own a scale (threw it away long time ago!), so I just use the one in the gym I go to. Now that I don’t really obsess about my weight, I can focus more on the ‘real ‘benefits of exercise such as better mood, better body shape, and increased energy. But still – yes, I definitely have those days when I feel very insecure about my body. And I don’t worry about it; after all, I’m pretty sure even Victoria Secret models have those days they feel not-so-confident about their body
Have a great day!!
Hi Steph! Whoaaaa your mom makes it like, fresh out of scratch?!! That’s awesome
And that’s great that you don’t really think about weight anymore~I seriously think that it’s such a blessing. BTW, I’m curious…but did we meet in Foodbuzz fest? I met several stephanies, so just making sure.
I love this post girl! I’m not sure if I’ve read your blog before, but I was following you on twitter and I’m happy I clicked your link!
I think it’s dangerous to weigh yourself on a daily basis because our weight can fluctuate based on water weight or even a heavy meal or two. I weigh myself once a week or LESS because otherwised it is easy to get obsessed with that number. The way my jeans feel help me know if I need to cut down on the sweets.
Thanks for the honest post and I’m now following this blog!
aww thanks for the love Amanda!
And I completely agree with all of your points. I think the downfall for most people is that even when we know some of these facts, it just becomes a HABIT.
I love your OIAJ! And jealous of sunny so cal
If thinking and talking about God helps you grow in strength (and muscle
), then you go right ahead, lovely lady! We all have things we turn do to help us see the light and keep moving towards a better life.
And phwoooooar! That OAIJ would be one such thing for me!
Congrats on kicking the scale to the curb. I wrote a post about that probably a year ago. I dont like how people think that that number defines them. I mean, according to the scale and bmi chart, I am borderline overweight. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is to someone who had an ED once?! But then of course lookig at me you would NEVER think I was borderline overweight!
So I just STAY AWAY from the scale. I refuse to look at the doctors office when they weigh me as well. Theres just NO point.
God made us in His image, which means we are fine just as we are
Woww awesome Kat! I think that there are 2 ways of looking at it. Some people may think that it’s “running” or “avoiding” from fear, but more than anything…I think it’s the way that the Lord would have it be!! If we KNOW that something affects us in a negative way and we don’t need to do it, then He’d rather have us stop that which entraps us, rather than just go on doing the same thing over and over.
Just like if a guy/girl knows that drinking is their addiction, then the last place they should go into is a BAR. Thanks so much for sharing that!
Thank you so much for this post, Ellie. When I was losing weight, I ONLY focused on the number I saw on the scale, and nothing else. I ate way too little, and I am still feeling the effects now. It’s hard to totally shake that mindset, though.
I have a feeling I’ve gained weight since I started running, and my first impluse is to just lose the weight again. but that’s not healthy! So thank you Ellie.
Thank you so much for sharing such a touchy subj. Kelly~
Love ya girlie <3
First of all Kelly, you are a beautiful young lady inside and out! And I hope you know that (and you’re funny). In addition, you are still maturing physically in many ways so it’s natural to fluctuate quite a bit. TRUST me!! I would know, I’m 24 now…-_-” lol. And furthermore, I believe that the more we work out and run, the hungrier we will get, but that’s a good sign b/c we just need to feed our bodies/muscles in a healthy manner! So I think that as long as we eat wholesome foods (everything in moderation) and stay active, there shouldn’t be a problem. Hang in there and I know it can be hard, but remember that this is a journey to becoming better people in every aspect! Quick and short term fixes will only be that–quick and short.
I love Gochujang – Bimbibap is one of my all-time favorite dishes! I haven’t been able to find a gluten-free pre-made gochujang sauce here, so I can’t wait to try your recipe!
such a candid post. i love it. i really try hard not to weigh myself and won’t let my nutritionist tell me my weight b/c it’ll bog me down. i felt like i was losing weight the past month actually, but when she told me that i hadn’t lose any on the scale, i was surprisingly okay with it. i’m learning to love myself in the way that God made me and believe that truth that i am wonderfully and fearfully made!
has your workout changed in terms of how much weight you are lifting or more HIIT?