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Sunday, June 30, 2013

reality TV will inspire

If you watched this week's episode of Extreme Weight Loss, I hope you were inspired.  
His story was shared with millions and I hope it changed at least one other life, in that very moment.  
For me, it only helped push me further.  Knowing he did it with only one arm, among other obstacles.   
It gets rid of all of the excuses...doesn't it?  

It's amazing stories like that they help me believe in reality TV...while much of it is filled with shows for pure entertainment, a few such as Extreme Weight Loss and Biggest Loser-INSPIRE. 

Yes I sit in front of my TV each week, usually crying over their stories.  Their struggles.  Their weaknesses and self-doubt.  Of course I pick favorites...I'll tell my husband, "Oh this girl or this guy is going to be running marathons by the end, look at his/her determination!"  It gets me SO excited just writing about it.  
And sadly, I also "pretend" that the former contestants are my friends in real life!  I'll talk about them in conversation like their our neighbors! Oh how embarrassing! Ha!

But I love to follow their journey after the show.  
I like to see how day to day life has changed, the opportunities that come their way, how their healthy way of life inspires them to start living a new way of life.  I like to see their foods and workouts, ALL OF IT! 

So incredible how they appreciate the opportunity to get healthy more than anything else in their lives...pretty cool that a show can do that, huh?  
Their transformations are INCREDIBLE and I think that's what draws us in each week!
  
And I'm sure part of what I love so much is that I can relate.  
Although I was never morbidly obese, during my years as an overweight teen/adult I felt empty.  I felt lost. Almost as if each day was a repeat of the day before and I needed help.  I needed to know there was a way out and that I wouldn't be on this weight loss journey alone.  
      
Whatever it may be that makes us feel empty and hopeless, we FIGHT BACK and that's what makes us strong!  
Still beautiful but STRONGER!  

That's how I feel as I go through each day of my weight loss journey....as I travel down that never ending road, I must remind myself: 
There will be bumps and unexpected turns BUT we will conquer those fears, we will be stronger, and we will never feel empty again -Move It Momma

Be healthy, live healthy, help your family and friends get healthy too-
For the sake of ourselves, our children, the growing number of obese children, the growing number of people developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other health-related illnesses.  
And if you don't find inspiration through these shows, find something that INSPIRES.

*And if you haven't watched Extreme Weight Loss, I suggest you give it a try...it's pretty amazing!*


And now let's talk about FOOD! 
It happens each day as I'm scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest....
My mouth begins to water, my tummy starts to growl and I think
Hmmm what foods am I going to make this week?  
I go through the "hard" recipes and see if I can find a way to make them simple.  
Next, I think about the foods I have in my fridge and pantry.  
Then I get to work...

Here's some of what I've come up with this week!  Enjoy!  

Sweet Potato Fries
2-3 sweet potatoes with the skin.  
Slice them any way you'd like :)  Have fun with it but as you can see, these are pretty lame!
Sprinkle with black pepper and spray with coconut oil spray or other cooking spray.  
Bake at 450 toward top of rack until cooked through
Flipping after 10 minutes to get both sides crispy.  


Fire Roasted Zucchini
3-4 zucchini, sliced
Saute with 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil on medium heat.  
Add Fire Roasted Tomatoes with no salt added and simmer until warmed and zucchini are tender.
Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and you'll feel like you're eating at a gourmet, Italian restaurant! 


Banana Whip "cream"
2 frozen bananas, sliced
toppings of choice :)
I placed the banana slices in my Magic Bullet and that's IT!  Mix and enjoy!  It did require some stirring to get the banana to blend properly since it's ONLY bananas in there!  
Once blended like ice cream, serve and enjoy!
I topped with a few, mini chocolate chips but I think this wouldn't tasted AMAZING with a little scoop of PB on top! 

As you can see, my boys enjoyed it!  
They keep asking for it, so I better freeze some bananas!  

Have a great week!  
Get out there and PUSH YOURSELF BEYOND YOUR LIMITS!

Do you enjoy reality TV?
Are you obsessed with Extreme Weight Loss and BL like me?!

Friday, June 28, 2013

i am enough.


Jill @Fitness, Health and Happiness is onto something and I hope you'll join me as we discover once and for all that we are ENOUGH!

For me it's an ongoing battle with myself every day.  To be enough.  
I will go workout, push myself hard and come home feeling like...geez, I have a long way to go.  
I wish I could see faster results.   
I wish I ran at a faster pace.
I wish I could run for a longer distance without giving out.
I wish my tummy was flatter.
I wish I would've found a healthier lifestyle earlier in my life.
I wish I was shorter.
...and the list goes on and on.  

It's exhausting!!
I am tired of feeling less than enough.  
I am tired of telling myself look how far you've come, only to beat myself up the next day.
I want to be ENOUGH.  I AM ENOUGH.  And you are too!
We are all enough and it's about time we believed it!
So, please join me and read more about her campaign HERE and I hope you'll consider joining in and spreading the word too!
This goes right along with the Under Armour #whatsbeautiful campaign by helping all women feel confident, beautiful and amazing...as we all are!  

I know for me, I have a huge issue with self-confidence and feeling beautiful and it's not fun.  I want to walk into a room with confidence and think to myself, 
You bust your butt in your workouts, you prepare healthy foods for yourself and your family, BE PROUD!  But it never fails, I'll feel as though someone is staring at how tall I am, a wobbly body part or my flabby tummy and I FREAK!  
Then all those demons come creeping back into my life...slowly.  WELL, NO MORE!!!  
Today will be different.

There's a fine line between wanting to get healthy and feeling beautiful.  
I truly believe we should all put our health as a priority.  If we're overweight, eat a poor diet, rarely exercise...well, that needs improvement and it must be fixed.  
However if we are in good shape, eat healthy and exercise daily, what's not to LOVE??  
What's to not be proud of??

Let's do this together!  Are ya with me??  





Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Just DO IT!

Yea Nike came up with it, but today I'm using it!

You have the choice to make each day when you wake up...
You can make excuses or you can DO IT!
Some days we're tired, we have a lot to accomplish in one day and adding exercise and eating healthy just seems a little overwhelming right?  
Well again we have the choice...
make excuses or DO IT!

My workout schedule is usually flexible because I run and workout at home.  I stay at home with my boys, so during the day I am able to pop in a video, run upstairs and hit the bag or lift weights...BUT there are definitely days when I feel overwhelmed, I feel tired, I can think of a million other things that need to be done before my workout BUT I choose to DO IT anyway!  

When I did have a full-time job outside of the home I woke up at 5 to DO IT, I used my lunch break to DO IT and I made an effort to pack a balanced lunch that would keep me focused during the day so I wouldn't wanna run to the nearest fast food restaurant and grab something not-so-healthy!
  
Remember, being prepared is SO important to our health and fitness goals each and every day.  Like anything in life it takes time, effort and determination.  
If you don't truly want to DO IT, the transformation will never take place.  

And here are some foods we've been loving lately...


1 slice of Ezekiel bread, toasted.  
1 egg, 2 egg whites served with a clementine orange!  
Yummy, balanced and takes only 5 minutes of your time!

Never tried Ezekiel bread?  
No worries, it tastes delicious especially when toasted!  
My boys eat it too!  


What's for lunch?  Salad!
It's the easiest way to feel full while packing in your veggies for the day!
This beauty is spring mix, romaine topped with artichoke hearts, green beans, snap peas, peas, avocado, Craisins and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil!  
I like olive oil as my fat on most days because I think it gives the salad great flavor. 
For our protein, I did add a few slices of grilled chicken from the night before, but we chose to eat them on the side because they took longer to heat and we were hungry!  Ha!

SNACK TIME! 

rice cake topped with natural PB, natural sunflower seeds-with no salt and a half of apple! 
This snack was made for our entire family!  And you can pack it on the go as well.  

I packed these snacks for our days at the water park, on vacation last week.  I pack them in a ziploc and face 2 toward each other so the PB doesn't smear all over the ziploc.  Then open them up, take them apart and there ya go!  
*If your children see you and your husband making healthy choices each day, they'll start to ask for the same things...TRUST ME!  
I had a picky eater and now he eats ALL foods that we eat!  Of course I make modifications here and there with our meals but usually we all eat the same, healthy foods!  My older son always says to my youngest-who used to be the picky eater....
"you get what you get and ya don't throw a fit!"  Ha, it makes me laugh :)


And now what's for dinner?
Homemade pizza and eggplant...on a sports plate of course!  Ha!

The eggplant is made once a week here because it's SOO good!  
I slice one eggplant with the skin-the best part!
Heat oven to 450 and layer the slices on a baking sheet.  I drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil or yesterday I used my Trader Joe's coconut oil spray.  Bake for 20 minutes on middle rack until eggplant starts to soften.  I then top with diced tomatoes-no salt added, chopped garlic and a little parmesan cheese.  Bake for another 20 minutes until bubbly and ENJOY!  My boys eat this up and have no clue what vegetable it is!  
The pizza-
1 1/2 cups low fat baking mix
2 tbs flaxseed meal
1/3 cup very hot water
Mix until blended and dump onto greased baking sheet...spread until forming pizza shape that you prefer.  My boys like round, so I shape it and then add a small edge for the crust, using my fingers.  
Top with 2-3 cloves chopped garlic-this gives great flavor without the fat!
Then add your toppings! 
I used diced tomatoes, mushrooms, black olives, turkey pepperonis, and a 1/2 cup low fat Mozzarella cheese.  
Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes!  
Both of these are a HUGE hit in this house.  As we were eating last night I asked my boys if they liked the pizza and they both said it's so good and better than the pizza from the box!  My husband said he could eat it every night!  ha!  Don't worry I won't make this every night but it sure is a weekly thing at this house!
My favorite part is that it's so easy and takes care of that junk food craving that we all get from time to time.  It feels like you're eating delivery pizza without all the fat and calories!  The dough gets crispy and tastes delicious especially with that roasted garlic directly on the crust!  YUM!  


And a shout out to a family member that made my day!!!  
We are Italian, so our family gatherings tend to be HUGE and always revolve around food!
My mom had made a signature dish that my grandmother always prepared, crabs and spaghetti.  Yes, it's crab legs cooked in the homemade spaghetti sauce, so I opted to eat a large salad my aunt prepared, which was delicious!  

Our cousin, Marla brought a dessert and I usually stay away from the dessert table at family gatherings..I love my family but it's usually full of fat and sugar!  Marla walked up and said, I think you'll like my dessert it's Greek yogurt, cool whip, berries and chopped up sugar free angel food cake!  IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!!  I took a picture before I gobbled it up and told her I'd share her recipe on my blog for all of you to enjoy :)  
Even my family members that like unhealthy desserts thought it was amazing!!!  Pretty cool to know that my family does make an effort to be healthier because of me.  I don't push it on any of them, but when we all get together they usually ask health and fitness questions, ask us about foods, recipes, etc so to see that she cared enough to bring something Brandon and I could enjoy without the guilt...well, it meant A LOT!  And as I said, it was OH so good too!

Get out there and make today incredible.  Fight hard for the changes you want to see.  DO IT!  

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Don't forget

It's like forgetting your keys, purse or wallet when you're headed to run errands...sort of!
If you want & need it bad enough, you will do what it takes to get it, won't you?

Same goes with your health and fitness!

If you "leave it at home", things will never get done, results won't happen, you will not improve.
BUT if you treat it like forgetting your keys- can't get things done without it? your results will surprise you! It's where the amazing happens...the life-changing moments are on their way :-) 
MAKE THAT CHOICE TODAY

Don't leave home without a PLAN each day. 
What will you eat for breakfast? 
One smart decision here will result in healthier choices throughout your day, trust me I've experimented with this one all too often :-(

What about lunch?
Will you raid the vending machine as your hunger kicks in at 1pm? 

OR will you PLAN? 
Pack a lunch with fresh fruits, veggies and protein.
Get moving? PLAN your workout while you're eating your lunch. 
Will it be a 25min jog through the neighborhood or a walk in your work clothes at lunch? The beauty is that it can change each day!
I PLANNED my workout last night, while on vacation! It CAN be done folks!
So it was the elliptical & some free weights and then my husband went for a 3 mile run...all before the boys woke up! Yep, our campgrounds have a workout room but if they didn't, I'd improvise to get it done...wouldn't you?! YES!
And it doesn't stop there. Make that decision each day to PLAN healthy meals . Because while at the beach, I knew we'd be hungry but the only options were chicken tenders & French fries :-( uh oh! BUT we are planned, so no worries.
Make it work :-) every, single day!!! 

And on a side note: we are having a great vacation! Hope you're enjoying your day too!! 

Friday, June 14, 2013

BUSY but productive!

I don't think I've ever gone an entire week without writing...
Things have been pretty busy around here with the start of summer, hosting a baby shower for my friend tomorrow and we are headed out of town on Sunday!  
Plus, we've had some medical issues with my oldest son that we've been at doctor appointments trying to figure out...so please send a little prayer up for my boy if ya can :)

Although I've been busy, I've still been meal prepping, working out HARD and finding cool things to share with all of you, so here we go!

**WINNER OF THE REEBOK SPARTAN RACE GIVEAWAY**
sorry for the delay on this announcement...
Hiker Mom- Rachelle
You have 24 hours to contact me and thanks to all who entered! 



If you're a member of a gym and want to challenge yourself this summer, 
you may want to give Les Mills BodyPump a try!
a little added motivation to get ya to try something new,
When you spend as much time in front of the camera as a reality TV star, you want to ensure you look your best from every angle. Several reality TV stars rely on LES MILLS programming to get camera ready. From Bachelorette beauties Ashley Hebert and Real Housewife Tamra Barney, these women have turned to the transformative quality of BODYPUMP™ to sculpt and strengthen their bodies and ensure that, when it comes to a little friendly competition, they’ve got the power of PUMP in their corner.

One of the world's fastest ways to get in shape, BODYPUMP™ uses a proven formula, THE REP EFFECT™, to challenge all of your major muscle groups while you squat, press, lift and curl. THE REP EFFECT™ is a breakthrough in resistance workout training. It focuses on low weight loads and high repetition movements to burn fat, build strength and quickly produce lean body muscle conditioning.

And now for some BURRITO fun I'd like to share...

 Move It Momma burrito bowl
 99% lean ground turkey-browned
Add kidney beans, peas, string beans-I used fresh that I had previously steamed, and whatever other veggies  you'd like!  I added 1/2 cup brown rice to the bottom of each bowl and then topped mine with spring mix greens! Mix up and enjoy!  The kids thought this was so fun and ate it all up!  You can add salsa, plain Greek yogurt or avocado for added flavor and a great topping to make the bowl look pretty!  ENJOY! This really took about 10 minutes to prepare, so don't ever say healthy eating takes too much time OR money...a healthy, cheap and easy meal right here!!!



Move It Momma PB breakfast burrito
 *my boys request this breakfast often!
whole wheat tortilla of any kind, I use Ole brand
2 tbs natural PB
1/4 banana, sliced 
1/4 c flaxseed Bran cereal-I used Nature's Path Organic
Layer the burrito as pictured.  I also crumble the cereal so it's smaller pieces.  Wrap it up and serve with a Chobani Champions tube! 

Two healthy burrito recipes for on the go that are FAMILY-FRIENDLY!  Healthy eating can be easy, it can be cheap and delicious too!  If you are taking the time to feed yourself nutritious foods, don't we think it's important to do the same for our children?  We MUST take the time and effort to prepare healthy meals for our families and to teach our children the importance of healthy living!  It's never too early or too late.  They want to know and want to learn what fuels their body.  They need to learn that soft drinks aren't a food group and that the rice krispie treats at their school check out line aren't part of a balanced lunch every day!  Our children know math and science but do they know about the heart muscle and how we must take care of it to grow strong and healthy?  Probably not as much as they should.  Take each moment to teach your children as you're washing veggies, preparing meals...show them what's the "good for you" foods and what are the "special occasion" foods! They will surprise you and when they learn the why and how on healthy living, they just might be open to trying new things, to putting down the TV remote and going outside!  
It's worth a try...at any age!  Adults too :)
MOST IMPORTANTLY: Don't make healthy eating a chore.  Make it part of daily life.  Once you figure out what works for your family, it just makes sense...you'll feel like it's the only way and it'll come second nature!  Then your family will feel better, have more energy and they'll be asking for more of your healthy creations!  Trust me!  But shhh, you don't have to tell them you learned it from the Move It Momma!



SO proud of this guy!  Had his first golf camp this week.  By day 2, you'd think he had been golfing for years!  So cute to watch!  Although it was hot here in Texas, he pushed himself and learned a lot.  The last day they were able to get in a foursome and play a tournament and my little man placed second in his age group, so I was VERY proud!
My little golfer!  
I don't think it'll ever get old watching him carrying those clubs like a big man!
 a little picture of us waiting for the tournament to begin!  
Yea we had been running around acting goofy, so we're already sweaty!!!  
I love these boys more than life.  We've had a rough week with my oldest and the doctors appointments, ya know it really puts into perspective how precious and beautiful life really is.  We must cherish each and every moment...make it count.  Show our families how much we love them, treat our bodies right by fueling them with the RIGHT foods and exercising to feel good so we have the energy to ENJOY LIFE and the little moments that count most!

If you don't think you're living life to the fullest, what are you waiting for?
The other day while visiting with family, my husband and I were talking about signing up for a half marathon together since we haven't done it since 2012 and BAM! we signed up right there in our Aunt's living room!  October 27th HERE WE COME!!!!  Why not?  
We must live and enjoy life and every moment we are given.  Don't waste time on this Earth feeling tired, achy, worthless and meaningless...get out there and LIVE!  Experience all that this beautiful world has to offer TODAY!  Tomorrow will come too late, so start now.  Do something you've always wanted to do but something has held you back.  Break that cycle and just get out there and do it.  You'll surprise yourself, I promise!!  


And lastly, thanks to CHOBANI for our wonderful surprise package yesterday!  The boys thought it was Christmas in June when they opened the box!  Their favorite yogurts and LOTS of them!!!!  In every flavor! We had two, happy boys in this house last night!!!  
We can't go to the grocery store without picking up a box of these.  They like all of the flavors but Blueberry might be their favorite!  These are great frozen as a healthy treat in replacement of ice cream on those hot, summer days!  Sometimes I open one and squeeze it into their smoothie mixture for some different flavors!  

Quick recipe TIP:
Last week I mixed a Jammin' Strawberry Chobani tube with almond milk and a 1/2 frozen banana Blend and enjoy!  My boys thought it was the best dessert EVER!  
Keep guessing when it comes to feeding your kids healthy foods...you'll be surprised what you can come up with that they'll end up loving!  

Friday, June 7, 2013

enough.


Yesterday was a great day at the boardwalk, celebrating the end of the school year-my boy will be in 1st grade next year :( and while it was a GREAT time and the kids had a BLAST, 
all I could do was think about how self-conscious I felt the entire day.


Why is that?
Why will I pick myself apart every, single time I'm around a group of women?  
Big or small, tall or short...I tear myself down in comparison.  
I literally made myself sick about it last night.  
For one reason, I wore a tank top.  
Wearing a tank top for a former fat girl is like gong somewhere naked!  Seriously.  
But when it's 99 degrees in Texas, tank tops are about the only option :( 
But it's more than that. 


Good news:
Today I am telling myself to get over it!  
To be proud of who I am and to be comfortable and confident in my own skin.  Easier said than done, I know but I have set a goal to TRY.


Part of the life-long journey is to push ourselves and set new goals right? 
Losing the weight is the easy part...honestly, it is.  It's the working on the self-esteem and lack of confidence that's a work in progress for me...a constant battle.  To finally shed that fat/big girl image I stared at for so long. 

I am sick and tired of feeling so self-conscious!  
I must accept that I'm 5'10" and a large frame.  
When I am home alone I feel confident, it's when I get in large groups of smaller, shorter women...I usually tower over them :( that's a huge complex for me.  
I have come a long way.  
I am healthy.
I work hard every day to be my healthiest self through exercise and healthy eating! 


What is there to be so worried about?  
Am I worried that someone will see a stretch mark or a jiggly part of my tummy?
WHO CARES.  

Today I will set a goal to work on my insecurities and try to embrace my body...such a hard task but I will sure try.  There is never a goal that's too far out of reach for me and I know that.  I will TRY my hardest and that's the best I can do.  


My best is good enough today and every day!  And yours is too!
  
Do you have insecurities?  
Lack self-confidence?  
If so, set a goal to work on embracing yourself...loving yourself for who you are.  
It's often difficult for women since the media portrays the perfect woman as well...an image few of us can attain.  
But oh how freeing it would feel to love yourself for YOU!  
You must believe in yourself to conquer weight loss and fitness goals, but we must also believe in ourselves to know that we're worth it, we are good enough and we are beautiful enough!  
I will never be "petite" or 5'2" and 100lbs...it's just not in my future...ever!  
And I must accept that.  

Often times we don't give ourselves the credit we deserve.   I'm so guilty of this. 
We are worth the fight.  
It's not okay to accept our less-than-best.  
I don't like to see quitters.  Those that gripe about their body, their fitness level or lack-there-of, their health and they don't get up and do something about it! 

Lets stand up together!  Get moving.  Embrace ourselves!  
Be the healthy role model that our children, our families and WE deserve!
  
For me, I have set a goal to be positive.  To see the beauty in myself.  
I will not focus on my larger shoulders and jiggly tummy, but I WILL focus on the good stuff!

I have set a goal to run the Houston half marathon in October and beat my time by 30 minutes!  YES, 30 minutes and I know it's within reach and possible...because ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!  

What will you focus on today?    
What are some goals you'll set for yourself this summer?
Lets do it together!

**I will announce the SPARTAN winner tomorrow, so stay tuned!**

Prepared success!
A go-to lately!? Chicken with Greek yogurt! I drain can of chicken breast, add spoonful plain Chobani Greek, and sliced purple grapes! Serve on mixed greens! Doesn't even need dressing! 
Also,
Baked Tilapia, sauteed squash and green beans, steamed brown rice
 Easy, delicious and prepared in less than 20 minutes!  I steamed the brown rice, sauteed the veggies in extra virgin olive oil, prepared the fish with a little lemon pepper seasoning and popped in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes until flakes with fork!  It was SUPER easy and very satisfying!  See, healthy eating can be easy AND delicious!  
The whole family enjoyed it too, remember no special arrangements in this house...ya get what ya get!  

And today to celebrate the first official day of summer, my boys rode their bikes while I ran 3 miles at a 9:50 pace.  Nothing super fast but it kept us all moving and sweating in this heat!  Luckily some of the humidity went away for a few days, which made the workout MUCH more enjoyable :) whew!  
But as you can see, still SWEATY!  Gotta get used to it, it's only the first week of JUNE!

Will you sweat today?  


Another great recipe that was VERY kid-friendly?
Cheesy Garlic Cauliflower "breadsticks"
*breadsticks without the bread"
Here's a pic of them all sliced up & served with my turkey meatloaf-found on my recipe page at the top! And sautéed veggies-not pictured, they were still cooking when I snapped the pic!
For the sticks,
Steam head of cauliflower and then "rice" it with fork! I steamed with lid on medium heat for about 20minutes, until tender so it 
Did not require food processor! 
Mix 1 cup cauliflower-rice, 1 egg, 1 clove garlic-chopped, 1tsp dried oregano, 1/4c Parmesan cheese and 1/4 c low fat mozz. 
Spread on baking sheet and form into rectangle shape, bake at 425 for 15minutes or until browned. Top with a 2 -3cloves chopped garlic, 1/4 c cheese mixture of your choice and a little melted butter or margarine, just enough to slightly coat the cauliflower. Pop back in oven for 5 minutes, until cheese is melted!

Slice, serve & enjoy! I PROMISE my boys devoured these and never asked what it was! Just said, Yum breadsticks were yummy! :-)







Tuesday, June 4, 2013

National Running Day

What a great day!!!
In honor of this day celebrating one of my favorite workouts- 

wake up tomorrow and RUN! It doesn't have to be far or fast...JUST RUN! You might surprise yourself!!! 

Running is a beautiful sport to which I owe so much respect. The elite runners that inspire, those that wake up and push out 15 miles like its a stroll in the park, those that were never "runners" in their former life but somehow find a respect and LOVE of the runners "high"-that would be me! 
Running for me means To push ourselves further, faster and harder through each mile. To find our inner strength, that fight and determination that's buried deep within each of us! That feeling when you see another runner and you wanna rush home, change clothes and go push out some miles!!  its definitely a feeling like no other!!! 

Why do YOU love running? 
If you aren't a runner, will you give it a try tomorrow?! PUSH YOURSELF! 

 Celebrate a love for running tomorrow and every day! And to help celebrate our love for running, the Rock N Roll Marathon Series is offering a one-day discount on their race entries!!! Woohoo!!! Check out their website for details regarding fun runs taking place tomorrow in honor of National Running Day too, in 30 cities across the US! And rocknroll.competitor.com is offering a TOMORROW-ONLY $20 discount on all entries to the Rock N Roll race series!!! Fun! 

 Details can be found at rocknroll.competitor.com 

Disclosure:I received this information in hopes that I'd share with my readers. No compensation was received. 

Monday, June 3, 2013

EASY?


I must make up my mind each day to workout, eat right and keep my family healthy.  
It's not easy.  Yes I stay at home with my boys so I'm not juggling a full-time job as well BUT I know plenty of women that do.  They never say it's easy but they do say it's worth it.  And I agree.  There are days where I feel like giving up and taking the EASY route by grabbing junk food, bags of chips or other "easy" foods but then I think do I want EASY or do I want HEALTHY?  
And don't get me wrong, healthy can be easy too, 
you just have to think about how and what to prepare? 
So I'll share a few supermarket secrets that help us stay on track each week!

Being PREPARED is the key to success.  
Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, get healthy or get your family eating healthier foods, being PREPARED makes things SO much easier....I promise!

When you look in my fridge or pantry you will ALWAYS find veggies, fruit, protein and frozen fruits & protein powder for smoothies.  

I keep things simple.  

I'm not a gourmet chef and I lack some kitchen skills but I can sure make some fabulous baked chicken and cauliflower mashed potatoes.  I can make a killer fruit salad.  I brown lean ground turkey in a skillet once a week and it'll make 2-3 different meals-quesadillas for the kids, a protein topper for our salads, add tomatoes and plain Greek yogurt and we've got spaghetti sauce for our spaghetti squash in minutes! 

My essentials each week from the grocery store:
natural almonds
almond milk
fresh fruits- grapes, apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries. 
frozen blueberries, tropical blend and pineapple for smoothies
brown rice
sweet potatoes
fresh veggies-zucchini, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, spaghetti squash, artichoke
frozen edamame for snacking
canned chick peas for hummus
avocados
lemons! for my water
boneless skinless chicken breasts
99% lean ground turkey
high fiber/high protein cereal
plain Greek yogurt that I add to almost every meal...make chicken salad and sub yogurt for mayo, use as a sour cream replacement on low carb burritos, use in smoothies, as breakfast topped with frozen fruits and a little high fiber cereal for the crunch!
eggs...LOTS of eggs!
Ezekiel anything!  usually cinnamon raisin bread and english muffins-a great addition to your daily eggs...I'll usually serve them on a slice of either of these Ezekiel options!
Neufchael cheese that I add to my cauliflower mash for that creamy texture.  The boys love this on their morning whole wheat bagel/toast and we add to many things for added flavor without all of the fat! 



Today was HOT here in Texas but my little man and I managed to get in over 3 miles on the golf course...love that our course is closed on Mondays so it changes up the scenery!


Is working out EASY?  
Heck no.  But isn't that what makes it SO great?  
Fighting through the pain and sweat to find your strength through an intense workout is what gives ya that AWESOME feeling that I lacked for so many years.  
And I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything in the world.  It's amazing!

So do me a favor and ask yourself...
will you push through wanting things to be EASY and push HARD today?  
It's always easier for some of us and for some of us it takes twice the work and that's okay.  

When we stop comparing and feeling sorry for ourselves, that's when the AMAZING transformation begins.  And this works for any health and fitness goal you may have!

For me, I make up my mind each day to know that putting in the work is worth it!  
It's a FAR better feeling than how I used to be.  The EASY route gets us nowhere but depressed and feeling tired all of the time.  Right?  RIGHT!  
So go for it.  Be amazing today and every day!