Hiking Mount Nittany

Mount Nittany is the big mountain that's the cornerstone of the area: of Penn State University, of State College, and of Happy Valley. The elevation isn't really all that high, but it is part of the Allegheny region of the Appalachian mountains. [or something like that.] It's the mountain for which the Penn State Nittany Lion is named -- the mountain lion that once roamed Mt. Nittany.

Anyway, enough of that. The hike.

You may or may not remember when I posted back in the fall about our attempt at hiking Mt. Nittany. And you also may or may not remember that we failed. Pretty much big time. Turns out, it's not so easy to hike rocky terrain when you're wearing an extra fifty pounds, most of which makes you completely front-heavy, infringes upon your lung space, and makes your ankles swell. 

So recently, we gave it another shot. Mike asked me if I was going to carry Ella. Um, no. I was privileged enough to carry her around for nine-plus months, so it was his turn. 

We drove to the base of the mountain, slathered on the sunscreen, and began our hike. 

Just in case you're ever in the area and you decide to hike this mountain, take our advice:  don't take the short route. It's shorter, yes. But what they don't tell you is that it's rocky, steep, and killer. The map is very deceiving. [i thought we were in the appalachians, not the rockies!] After a few quick breaks and over an hour, we finally made it to the top. I can't lie -- the summit was kind of anti-climactic. We looked around a little, then headed down the other way. It was about a half-mile longer, but so much easier. It's the kind of trail you want to walk; the kind you enjoy walking. Much more enjoyable; much quicker. 

It was a fantastic two-hour hike; a great way to spend our afternoon. Ella enjoyed it at least as much as we did, and she even fell asleep on the walk back down. [but next time you're in town, you get to backpack-hike with her.]

taking a break at one of the flatter areas on our way up

obligatory selfie at one of the look-out points

a view of State College from the look-out

the summit

summit selfie

we made it to the top!

Ella loved jumping on the cool rocks

exhausted, she fell asleep on the way down

Another successful weekend adventure. Another first for Ella.

What's next??

Roasted Chickpeas

Well... have you tried the peanut butter/coconut/chocolate balls I shared with you last week? I made a new batch for this week, and they're just as delicious as I remembered. I forgot how messy they are to shape into balls though!

As delicious as they are, I have been in search of more healthy snacks. I ran across several recipes for roasted chickpeas, so I thought I'd give them a try. They were beyond simple, and they're really pretty good. I doubt Mike will be eating them anytime soon, but I think they're a great afternoon snack. 

I didn't know what would be the best seasonings to put on them, so I'll definitely be experimenting. If I find any to-die-for combinations, I'll definitely update you. This time around, I played it safe with a few seasonings I like on just about anything - a dash of salt, and a sprinkle each of paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. What seasonings sound good to you?

There really isn't much to roasting these little guys. Just rinse a can [or half of a can, as i did] of chickpeas, spread them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Shake them around a couple times to help them  bake evenly. Once roasted, remove them from the oven, coat with a little olive oil, sprinkle with your favorite seasonings and stir to coat evenly. Eat immediately, or wait until they're cool. Mine were gone before I even blinked, but it doesn't sound like they're quite as good the next day.

They're cheap, they're simple, and they're really quite healthy. It's a winner in my book!

Healthy Snack -- Oat Balls

It's no secret that I like to eat. And while I like healthy foods, I really like yummy foods. Cookies, crackers.. you name it. I want something that's going to fill me up and also satiate my taste buds. And let's be real, celery sticks don't always cut it. Granola bars and protein bars are great; they're quick and I can eat them on the go or sitting on the floor playing with Ella. But they can get kind of expensive, and who really knows what's in them sometimes. So I've been in search of some healthier snacks. Something nutritious, natural, and delicious. 

Well guys, I think I've found something. I saw this recipe online at one point and jotted it down, but I don't know where it came from. So if you deserve credit, feel free to claim it - and thank you! [i made some minor changes, i hope you don't mind.]

1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut
1 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients well and shape into balls. 

It's probably the easiest recipe ever, but I really love it and I hope you do too!

The Smallest Loser

Mike recently informed me that I need some new material. [i'm boring. i get it.] He said I need to blog about things other than Ella, and more than once a week. He suggested I tell you about things I learned on Live with Kelly & Michael, or on Kathie Lee & Hoda. But really, I'm not sure that's blog-worthy. One day it might be, but not today. I will, however, start to give you a little more material. You might not be interested... so stop reading! I might be opinionated... sorry [not sorry]! How about some editorials, opinions, recipes, outings... here we go! [computer, don't crash on me again...]

I'm going to start by giving you my two cents about last night's finale of The Biggest Loser.  Maybe you watch the show or maybe you don't, but here's what went down. The finalists came out and showed off their new bods, then they each weighed in. The winner is the person with the highest percentage of weight loss. Well this season's winner was a lady named Rachel. She's 24 years old, 5'4", and started the show at 260 pounds. After her time on the show and then a few months at home, she lost a whopping 155 pounds! That's right, she now weights 105 pounds. 

via

According to magazines, she looks great! I have to admit, she does look great. But when I saw her in action, I realized that she was quite thin. While the goal of The Biggest Loser is for these participants to lose their extra weight, it's also to get healthy. Her new BMI of 18 is [according to the CDC] considered underweight. Sure, she wins $250,000 and looks like the magazines' idyllic 24-year-old. But I have to wonder how she did it. Did she develop an eating disorder? I hope not. I hope she's working out and eating a healthy diet.

While thinking about this result, I can't help but compare myself to Rachel. We're around the same age. We both love food. We're both overweight. At the end of my pregnancy, I was creeping my way up to 200 pounds. Now, four months later, I'm still struggling to get the pounds off. I'm still overweight. But I'm doing it the healthy way. I try to exercise several times a week, I eat pretty healthy foods, and I even enjoy my dessert. 

On the show, they lose 5 to 10 pounds per week. Could I do that? Heck no. Could I get down to 105 pounds? Heck no. And if I did, I'm sure there are plenty of people who would tell me that I don't look healthy. Aren't friends and family supposed to keep you in check? Mine would. Where were hers?

I do want to be supportive. She's getting her life back. She's getting healthy [i think]. She can probably do more things than she could 155 pounds ago. So to Rachel -- good for you. That's a huge feat. But please, be healthy about it.

While we're at it... As far as my progress goes, I have lost 12 pounds since the last time I checked in. I'm only 5 pounds above my heaviest, 12 pounds above pre-baby, and 18 pounds from my goal weight. I'm getting there, slowly but surely. And I'm doing it in a healthy, enjoyable way.

And Now to {Lose} It All

If you're reading this now, you likely followed along during my pregnancy journey. And witnessed my gradual [yet significant] weight gain. Ella was born at 41 weeks, so I had gained a little more weight and was slightly bigger than I was when I last checked in at 40 weeks. 

I had never weighed that much in my life, so it was a little tough for me to accept. As I think I mentioned somewhere along the way, I considered sharing my weight-loss journey with you. While you may not really care, it's another part of my pregnancy journey -- and so I'll share. [of course you may not really care about a lot of things I post....]

Society tells me that it's not so lady-like to share exactly how much you weigh, so I'll try to talk in weight gained and lost. Pre- and post-baby weights. Because really, only my driver's license needs to know how much I weigh :)

By the end of 41 weeks, I had gained 51 pounds. Yep, fifty-one pounds. Yes, I am well aware that they recommend gaining 25 to 35 pounds. Woops! So far it's been two weeks since little Ella joined the world, and I'm down 27 pounds. Still up 24 pounds from pre-baby weight. [and i got the classic 'when are you due?'... without being pregnant. ugh.] But I can again wear my wedding ring and button some of my pre-pregnancy jeans!

Why am I sharing this? I am about to embark on a 30-Pound Challenge with a few family members. No, I won't out you guys... I know you didn't sign up for this blog business. But I do thank you in advance for keeping me accountable and getting a little healthier with me along the way! We'll have weekly weigh-ins as we each race to lose 30 pounds. I promise I won't bore you with weekly updates as we go, but I will likely share some milestones with you. Why? Because I can. And because it's going to be tough for me. I'm hoping you all will encourage me and keep me accountable along the way. In the end if I make my goal, I will be 6 pounds below pre-baby weight. That's not going to be an easy task, but I'm going to try.

So far, here are my before and after pictures:

9/27/13 -- 2 pounds under top weight

10/22/13 -- Down 27 pounds

[i do realize the bathroom mirror selfie is a little weird.. just go with it]

So here goes. Thirty more pounds to lose. Here's to eating healthy and making time [not excuses] for exercise. Wish me luck!