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Sunday, July 31, 2011

I'm a sweaty mess...

I look like this... because we enjoyed ourselves a little too much these past few days!

Friday we went to a really cool restaurant with my mom and ate chips and salsa with our meal!
Saturday, we woke up to my niece's b-day party filled with JUNK FOOD and of course, we didn't turn it down-and I think we might have even split a cupcake?! Whoops! And we won't even talk about the few beers I had around the pool yesterday!!

We usually control ourselves, but the hubby and I gave in to temptation A LOT this weekend :( Then last night we took the boys for Berrylicious yogurt and although it wasn't too terrible, it was TOO much in our weekend, that's for sure!



**I just ran 4 miles and hubby is out now doing the same!!! Here's hoping we have some better days ahead and we kick things back into gear with our eating! We just didn't have it together I guess, but we sure had fun being BAD!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

baked apple deliciousness!

Today was a lazy day...laundry, cleaning and picking up around the house, so this afternoon I decided an early run would be great! And I haven't pushed the stroller in weeks, so it definitely made the run even more challenging and my oldest rode his bike like a champ in these hot temps! I felt great afterward but wanted something sweet...Hmmm, so I invented my baked apple deliciousness! Is that even a word??
You'll Need:
apple, core removed-I used small Gala
cinnamon
brown sugar
1/4 cup oats
2 tbs flaxseed

Bake your apple in the microwave. I take a bowl, and place the apple w/ core removed, in the center.
I add about 2tbs water and 1tsp margarine to bowl, until bottom is covered.
Place in microwave for about 2-3 minutes, add water if needed and microwave 1 min intervals until cooked through.
Remove from microwave and while HOT add oats, sprinkle of brown sugar, flaxseed and cinnamon to taste!
Make sure your apple is nice and cooked through and it'll have the BEST flavor, plus the flavor from the other ingredients...it's THE perfect snack on a day when you've exercised hard and deserve a treat :)

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

lettuce wraps!

Not the kind you're probably used to, but these are SO yummy! And for my boys, all I did was alternate the spicy cheese for regular and add a whole wheat pita instead of the lettuce :) Enjoy!

Move It Mommas Lettuce Wraps
You'll Need:
2-3 chicken breasts, sliced
1 bell pepper
1 onion
romaine lettuce
1 can black beans-warmed on stove
slices of pepper jack cheese
plain Greek yogurt for dipping(optional)

Saute chicken with the bell pepper and onion, until cooked through. I used chicken my husband had grilled the night before! Makes it quick!!
Layer your lettuce with chicken, onion and bell pepper, black beans and top with pepper jack cheese...roll up and ENJOY!
We dipped in the Greek yogurt and it was a nice, filling meal!
My boys loved it and as I said above, alternate a few things and you have a great dinner for your kids too!
Make sure it's all served HOT so that your cheese melts for extra deliciousness!!

Yesterday's Workout: a nice, three mile run! I averaged a 9:30 pace, which is SO good for me. These past few days I've learned to embrace the humidity and heat and just RUN! It seems to be working too! All of your comments were motivating, so I decided to deal with it!! Tonight, we have tball at 7pm, so I'm thinking I might run before the game and go all super sweaty...who cares, right? Am I the only one who will go places all gross and sweaty, in my workout clothes? I just don't seem to care...which sounds SO awful!! Ha!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

running in TX

This morning I headed out for my run at 6:05am.
I was excited because I had told myself FOUR miles at a faster pace.
As the garage door went up, the heat started coming in...then BAM! the humidity took my breathe away...
GROSS.
I started off at a pretty good pace, after mile 1 I picked it up a bit and was in a pretty good groove.
The sun started peaking out and then the humidity started to make it difficult to catch my breathe and there was NO breeze....NONE!
I made my four miles, but was DRENCHED in sweat and had to take five or six breaks to take deep breaths, since the air was so thick.
JUST GROSS.

I remember one blogger said Texas running was like running through SOUP. I'll never forget that comment because it's SO true. Like a big, hot bowl of soup! You can't breathe and you can't even get a nice breeze to come by and cool you off :(


**Ok, enough complaining...I'm off to take a super COLD shower and then get ready for my cousin's wedding. My oldest son is Ring Bearer today @ 4:30, so TOO MANY pics coming soon**
Thanks for all of the QUINOA tips, I'll try it again this week :)
How is your running weather?

Thursday, July 21, 2011

what a flop!

Tonight I attempted Quinoa, and what a failure! I used Bob's Red Mill, since I love their flaxseed meal so much. Followed the directions and totally screwed it up...how is that possible? It was watery, not the right texture...just ALL wrong :( I was totally bummed, because I have been wanting to try this stuff forever. We don't eat rice or pasta very often, so I thought the quinoa would be a nice, healthy alternative for the whole family to try...

I was SUPER excited to use the quinoa to make taboule. Had all of my ingredients chopped and ready to throw in. Kept boiling the quinoa, thinking the water would absorb...I was WRONG, obviously! Had my lemon juice squeezed and I even made homemade, whole wheat pita chips to serve with the Taboule...BUMMER!

Good news, we ate the watery Taboule and it had great flavor, but yucky texture!

Attention all of you QUINOA lovers...
HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU PREPARE YOUR QUINOA??!!!
Please tell me there's a secret?...I'm usually a pretty darn good cook! Especially when it comes to preparing healthy dishes that my whole family will love...
WHAT WENT WRONG?!

after my run

I had my man greeting me at the door...asking my pace, time and distance! Clearly, he's been paying attention when Daddy and I have been talking about our runs :) Ha! He cracks us up because he'll run through the house looking down at his sports watch, and then he'll take off faster. Wipe his (pretend) sweat and get this determined look on his face! We might be raising a little runner in the future :)


As for us, we have taken off for two days...with the rain(finally) and the humidity, it's just a sticky mess out there! Hopefully tomorrow is a better day! and no treadmill or gym membership for us...so we are watching our diet and enjoying the days off with our boys!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

where CAN you eat?

Since changing my lifestyle back in 2001, when we are out with family or friends, I am often faced with a question,
"Where can you eat, Marissa?"

Hmmm... they almost say it with a bit of sarcasm.

What does that even mean? I CAN eat anywhere...right?

I may choose to make healthier choices when it comes to eating out,

but I would survive at ANY restaurant...well, almost any :)

So, my answer is usually "anywhere is fine with me, you all decide!"


So, I guess my question is...what is your favorite HEALTHY restaurant?

I'm counting on all of you to give me some great answers, so that I'm able to stump them the next time I'm asked to choose!!!


Today's Workout: Nice, 2 mile run at NOON. Yes, NOON! In the sticky humidity and blistering heat! I'm sooo dramatic, but it's true. I'm ready to wake up to 60 degree temps! Or maybe another one of those rainy runs??! I came home dripping in sweat with a pretty good pace too! So, I'm happy!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

what a morning!

I set out for 4 miles today, and it started out great...first mile was 9:10, so I was HAPPY! Then...mid way through the run, I decided I was going to attempt 5 miles. Why not? I was feeling good and my pace was excellent. *It was cloudy, but it's been cloudy here for WEEKS and no rain, so who would have thought.

Mile 3 and it starts POURING!!! I was drenched, but wanna know something crazy?

I LOVED IT!

The rain beating down on me was seriously AMAZING! I was even laughing at myself enjoying that run so much! The funny thing is, on the course there were TONS of runners doing the same thing...none of us seemed to mind.

Could be that it hasn't rained here in MONTHS, or that we were all drenched in sweat from the humidity and then at last...THE RAIN!

Not too sure, but this morning I felt completely refreshed!

I was in the zone, had a great run and came home SOAKED!

Here's proof: You can't tell, but I promise you that this shirt is SOAKED!

Have you ever run in the rain? And enjoyed it?

*I remember seeing a video on a blog about CrossFit and they were working out in the pouring down rain and I was thinking to myself, Wow...who would want to exercise in the rain?!

I guess that answer is ME and a bunch of other crazy, workoutaholics too!!!


My Accomplishment: Some people do not weigh themselves...they don't even own a scale. But since I have struggled with weight MOST of my life, I own one and probably use it too much. It decides my mood for the day, if I allow it (I try to stay away from it as much as possible) but today, after that nice run in the rain, I thought I'd jump on and see what's happening! To my SURPRISE, I lost 3 lbs, which makes me at my exact weight that I was when I first lost all of my weight, 11 years ago!!! AMAZING! I started crying...yes, I did and I'm not afraid to admit it!

I used to tell myself I'd never get back to that point, because at that time I was working out 3-4 hours a day, eating VERY strict with mega protein AND it was before having children or a hubby! but look at me...I DID IT!!!

Now, excuse me while I jump up and down in excitement!!!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

some seeds worth trying



Have you tried Chia Seeds?

Honestly, I have not tried them but I plan on buying some this week at the grocery store!

I found this picture on Bob's Red Mill website and since I love their brand flaxseed, I might as well try their chia seeds...anybody tried them?


These have been labeled another superfood. Being the highest vegetable source of omega-3 fatty acids, plus being packed with other valuable vitamins and minerals, I can see why they've become so popular in the health industry! They are 20% Protein and a good source of soluble fiber. They help to regulate blood sugar for diabetics and are naturally gluten free.

When changed into a gel-form by adding water, they take longer to digest which will help you feel fuller, longer. The seeds may also be eaten whole and are said to taste great with salads, granola, oatmeal, breads, yogurt and MORE!

I'll let you know how they taste as soon as we try them as a family!

*Yes, I will totally add them to things for several weeks before letting my husband and kids know they are in the foods they are eating :) Ha, I'm so sneaky!


Have a great, nutritious food you've tried lately that I need to know about?!

I'm always up for trying new things!


Today's Workout: Went pretty good, considering I had taken so many days off to cure this darn sinus infection :( I did 3 miles at a fairly good pace, but I can feel that my distance will be a problem for now, since my breathing is all screwed up from coughing/sneezing/etc! Blah! Have I mentioned how much I HATE being sick? I hate it!

I believe that my half marathon is 26 weeks away?!...which may sound like a LOT, but I'm starting to get nervous!!!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

I'm BACK!!! and the winners are...

the winner of the WaterGeeks stainless steel water bottle w/ filter is...
#46(picture entry) Katie Schmidt @ Sweat and Sippy Cups



The Nuun 4-pack and sports bottle goes to...#63 (finishing time entry)
Kim @ Another Running Mom





The Inperspire Fitness Towel goes to...#18 (picture entry) Jess @ Run With Jess





BondiBand-winning one band of their choice is...# 33 (Just) Trying Is For Little Girls( spread the word entry)







and finally, the winner of the GU Performance Energy Sampler is #78 (photo)Pam @ Moms Run This Town
WINNERS: You have 48 hours to contact me via email with your shipping info!

I am emailing all of YOU, NOW!!! Go and check your email...hurry up!
Congrats to ALL of the winners AND participants...and a big round of applause to all of us for completing this race and trying our best each day to be the healthiest women that we can possibly be :) I think hosting my very first virtual race was a success and I hope all of you had as much fun as I did! Like I said before, I am totally amazed by all of you and the support you gave to me during the organization of this race! THANK YOU!!!!


I am feeling MUCH better and actually ran 2.6 today after NOT running for NINE days :( I don't think I've ever gone nine days...well, except for when I gave birth to my boys both times. That sinus infection sure knocked me down but I'm back and ready to go! My oldest son has recovered from his middle ear infection...that was NO fun. I think it's safe to say we're ready to enjoy the rest of our summer! Now if only these Texas temps would drop below 95+, I'd really be happy! It's not fun running in what feels like a sauna!







Monday, July 11, 2011

SICK and tired.

I have been fighting this cold for 8 days now, haven't run since July 4th(when I ran my Independence 5K), and I feel worse. So, I sucked it up and made a doctor's appointment, brought both boys with me (big mistake!- asking four year old and two year old boys to sit in a small room with two chairs for 45minutes is asking for TOO much!) and come to find out, I've been fighting a sinus infection and throat infection...blah!!! Explains why I've felt so awful and had NO energy.

Here's hoping my meds kick in VERY, VERY soon :(

Hope you are all well and working out hard, maybe even gettin' a few workouts in for me?!
Do you know how long it's been since I've gone EIGHT days without exercise??! I don't even wanna think about it...yuck!
Good news: I'll be drawing names tonight for giveaway prizes, you have until midnight tonight to get your time in, so HURRY IT UP!!!!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

I'm simply AMAZED

by ALL of you...

























I have been completely touched by all of you and your stories.

Some of weight-loss, overcoming stroke, heart disease, back injuries, foot injuries...etc.

Some are mothers, grandmothers, daughters...


I realized throughout this week, that we ALL share something in common, no matter what our story may be...we are HEALTHY WOMEN! We strive each day to make our health a top priority and we are taking others on this journey with us. Whether its a running buddy, friend, neighbor, sister, our readers...whoever.


I am SO proud to have you all as my readers and loyal followers! After hosting this race, I have realized that we are ALL in this together. This journey to the highest quality of life possible, together. I faced many obstacles on my weight-loss journey and continue to battle them each day, and with my blog, I now know that I am not alone. We all set out each day to commit to being fit. To exercise. To promote healthy living within our community and family. Although we may live far apart, we are like a support system for each other. I know that when I'm feeling lazy and don't wanna get up and exercise/run, I can visit my favorite bloggers and know they are out there pushing themselves to the limit and striving to meet or exceed their personal best! That is motivation enough for me. Knowing my family benefits from a healthy wife, mother and daugther is motivation enough for me. AND knowing that THIS blog has reached all of you in some way, that is reason enough for me to know that I AM working hard to make a difference, share my story and struggles to hopefully impact another person who seems so lost, as I once was.


Today is the last day of the Independence 5K! This race and all of you have exceeded my expectations for a virtual race! Amazing.
I have received a lot of the great giveaways in the mail the past few days! You will be SO excited to see this WaterGeeks bottle...super cute and perfect for those hot days!

Some giveaways will be mailed directly from the company, so I haven't seen those yet, but I know they'll be great too! I will draw lucky winners on the 11th, that way people have time to report their times/pictures/blog post and more for all of their entries to count!

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY PARTICIPANTS!

I am forever grateful.

















Thursday, July 7, 2011

and they keep coming in...

The Independence virtual 5K is still going strong! I have TONS of emails, pictures, awesome finishing times and inspirational stories of weight loss, overcoming challenges...I have some amazing readers!! Can't wait to share more about the participants and more photos soon...


I'm SO excited that all of you took part in this race :) Thank YOU!

As for me, I'm dealing with a cold or allergies..not sure which??! Just came home from camping with my family-SO MUCH FUN! I totally think we need a camper, especially after seeing how much my boys enjoy being outdoors and filthy! Ha! I mean they love our backyard, but there's nothing quite like camping, ya know? It was our second trip in less than two months, I say that justifies buying a camper??! RIGHT?!

I took a few days off from running, but will get back into the swing of things on Saturday! I plan on running 5miles, so we'll see how it goes.
I just took 2 Benadryl and I'm off to bed...hope you all had a nice week!

Healthy Tip: Celebrate the holidays with the best of them! Like 4th of July, have a great time and eat some not-so-healthy dishes but then THROW IT OUT! Don't let the temptations stare at you each time you walk into your kitchen! Out of site, out of mind...if it's not there, how in the world will you eat it?

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

...crossing the finish line

Yep, there's me after my race! 31:41

And not even a BIB to show for it, because my printer is acting CRAZY :(









Katie @ Amos Adventures




Kelsey



















...and that's just naming a few!



I will add more pics throughout the week! Your 5K finishing times are amazing! Keep up the hard work and push through that heat! You have until the 9th, so keep the entries coming in :)





Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July, surrounded by family and friends!














Sunday, July 3, 2011

Do you have a tasty oatmeal recipe?

I know I am not the only one that uses Bob's Red Mill products?

I use the flaxseed meal in almost every recipe and I love their steel cut oats too!

I was sent information about this contest and totally thought of YOU-all of my fabulous followers! I know I've been blog hoppin' and seen some tasty meals using oatmeal in the ingredients...so if that's you, then check this out!



About the Contest:
The company announced today the launch of its “Spar for the Spurtle” Porridge Making Contest. The contest invites home cooks and professional chefs alike to submit videos demonstrating a unique recipe that makes use of Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats – the World’s Best Oats. From the entries, three finalists will be flown to Portland, Ore. to compete in a live cook-off. The winner of that cook-off will travel with the Bob’s Red Mill team to compete in the 18th Annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in Scotland.
“We are honored to have won the title of World’s Best Oats at the 2009 Golden Spurtle competition,” said Bob Moore, founder of employee-owned Bob’s Red Mill. “Now we’re looking to our fans to show just how creative people can be when they set out to cook whole grains for every meal of the day.”

To enter the Spar for the Spurtle contest, interested cooks should visit www.SparForTheSpurtle.com to submit a video demonstration of an original recipe that makes use of Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats. Videos should be no longer than three minutes and should demonstrate a creative use of the oats. Dishes can be sweet or savory – they just need to be able to be created from start to finish within 30 minutes.

The videos will be posted on www.SparForTheSpurtle.com where fans will be able to vote for their favorites. The top three contestants will be selected as the finalists to be flown to Portland for the live cook-off. Finalists will also receive a behind-the-scenes tour of the Bob’s Red Mill facility led by Bob Moore himself.

During the live 30-minute cook-off, the three finalists will prepare their oatmeal recipes from scratch for a panel of celebrity judges in conditions that mirror those of the Golden Spurtle competition. The winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Scotland, including $2,500 in cash, to compete in the 18th Annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship!

Prizes
Based on the video submissions, three finalists will be chosen to receive the ultimate trip for Bob’s Red Mill fans. The finalist prize package includes:
· Roundtrip airfare to Portland, Oregon
· Three-nights’ accommodations at a downtown Portland hotel
· A tour of Bob’s Red Mill led by company founder Bob Moore
· A gift basket filled with Bob’s Red Mill products and merchandise
· $100 Bob’s Red Mill Gift Card
· A spot in the live cook-off for a chance at the Grand Prize
· $100 for cook-off supplies

The winner of the live cook-off will receive the grand prize, which includes the following:
· Round-trip airfare for two to Scotland to help represent the Bob’s Red Mill team at the 18th annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in October 2011
· Two nights’ accommodations in Edinburg, three nights’ accommodations in Carrbridge (for two)
· Rail transportation between Edinburgh and Carrbridge
· $2500 cash

To submit a recipe, vote for a video, read the contest’s official rules or learn more about the World’s Best Oats, please visit www.sparforthespurtle.com. The deadline to submit entries is July 30, 2011.





Those of you participating in my virtual 5K...today was the first day and I'm SO overwhelmed by the response! THANK YOU soooo much for supporting me as I host my first virtual race! Everything has gone smoothly and I'm receiving race times and pictures throughout the day! Yay! Plus, I'm having new participants sign up like crazy, so thanks to all of YOU and getting the word out there, this race is a huge success and it's only the beginning!

July 3rd-9th, so there's still plenty of time to race! There are extra entries for spreading the word on your blog, facebook or twitter and I appreciate all that you've done so far by getting the message out there :)





To sign up, simply email me at rissarose80@yahoo.com that you'd like to sign up. I'll send you a blank BIB and add you to the list. Then after completing the race, send me your finishing time and a picture(optional) for your entries! Good luck, have FUN and thank you again for participating!!!

**A BIG shout-out to Just Trying is for Little Girls because I've been getting entries from her followers all day! THANK YOU :)**

Saturday, July 2, 2011

It's TIME!

It's time for the Independence virtual 5K!
Are you ready to race? If you've signed up, you have July 3rd-9th to complete the race!
Remember, it's not about speed...you are doing this to have fun, be healthy and maybe win some great prizes too! Right? RIGHT!
Distance: 3.1 miles at your favorite location...on the pavement or the treadmill!
If you received your BIB from me, feel free to fill in your favorite # and/or your blog name! *Extra entry for taking a picture of yourself competing in the race or in your favorite 4th of July attire! Your picture just might be featured, so have FUN and be creative :)

Make sure you email me at rissarose80@yahoo.com with your finishing time. And picture, which is optional.
Participants will be able to sign up throughout the week, as long as they complete the race by the 9th, so keep spreading the word about this FUN and FREE virtual race!
To the participants: Thank you SO much for making this race a huge success and getting the message out there! I had SO much fun organizing, creating and getting sponsors for this race! Even if this is your first 5K, as long as you're out there doing your best and moving, you are succeeding! And look at all of the motivation with our virtual group of blog buddies doing it with you! To those dealing with INSANE heat, like we are here in Texas...hang in there!
Let that sweat pour down as you run to that finish line!!!

GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN!!! Lots and lots of FUN! And Happy 4th of July!
Love,
The Move It Momma
*anybody notice that I've joined the world of Twitter?! Oh wow, it took me three days to figure out how to "tweet", but I think I got it! I'm still not a FB girl, but I figured Twitter was a step in the right direction? We'll see how it goes!

our garden experience

has been SO positive. You can click HERE to see how it all began. The only plant we lost was strawberries :( But we've got squash, string beans, tomatoes, okra, and eggplant growing like crazy!!! We have mint and parsley herbs too! Something is ripe every day and I'm able to serve FRESH vegetables to my family! My hubby can eat a tomato like an apple...but that still totally grosses me out! I'd say our first time growing a garden has been successful! Last night I made homemade okra and tomatoes with garlic...so simple! It felt great to use all ingredients from OUR garden! I'm so proud of my hubby and son, because they are the ones taking care of it each day and taking pride in it! I think it's also, in some way, teaching my son about responsibility. Every day he wakes up asking if it's time to feed the garden! Our next season we'll plant lettuce, zucchini and I want broccoli too! Any other veggies you think we need to grow?

How about you, do you have a garden?

Today's Workout: Holy cow, we're attempting a LONG run today...it's 6:30, which means here in Texas it's already HOT and HUMID :( But I will stay positive and kick some running booty today!! I've got my new playlist and ready to go...
**Update: We did it! 5.4 miles in 59 minutes and that was even with my sore body from Jillian's 6 week 6 pack yesterday! My whole body hurts after mile 4, every time...but I will NOT give up! The new iTunes mix definitely helped but toward the end, there wasn't a song that could get me back in the zone, I was ready to be FINISHED.

oh and check out my new page at the top! I am going to journal my journey to the half marathon!! I took a picture, shared my running stats and I'm hoping they'll improve over the coming weeks!!!