TJ fav's and thoughts on the journey...

We had our first Move It Mommas "field trip" the other day and it was a HUGE success!  
We had a great time, Trader Joes treated us like royalty and we can't wait to do it again!  

For so many years I wanted to grab up a group of strong women and start a workout group!  I feared that it wouldn't catch on...and that fear drove me to waiting and waiting...and waiting.  Finally I decided to take a leap of faith and just TRY IT!  Put myself out there, which is often difficult for me to do.  Then all of a sudden...THIS HAPPENED!  

I couldn't have asked for a better group of Momma's.  They support one another like they've been friends their whole lives!  Amazing!  And we all have FUN while we improve our health.  That is SO important to me.  Often times people use exercise as a burden.  Something they "have" to do and they dread it, put it off and never really stick to it.  That's sad to me since exercise and healthy living is obviously a HUGE passion of mine.  I wanted to change all of that...
I wanted to have these ladies associate exercise and getting healthy with FUN!  I think we're on the right track :)

Some finds:
This DIP!  WOWZA it's good!  I dipped with celery and it was UHmazing!  Definitely worth a try.

I love Ezekiel bread!  Like LOVE it!  So it was hard for me to try the TJ's brand alternative but with 90 calories/slice, 5g of protein and 5g of fiber I was SOLD!  But does it taste good?  YESSSSS!
IT was so delicious wrapped up with Arugula and low sodium turkey.  I also had a small, snack-size apple with a spoonful of PB!  

My thoughts:

SET YOUR MOOD!  
YOU ARE IN CONTROL!
YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF PUTTING YOURSELF AS A PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE!

I think in our minds we want things to come easily.  Little to no effort and BAM! we are magically healthy, happy and fit!  Is that reality?  Absolutely NOT.  The quick fix sounds better doesn't it?  

We wake up one day healthier still able to hit the gym or treadmill twice a week, drink margaritas and eat chips and salsa on a Friday night and indulge throughout the weekend?  But we'll watch our portions throughout the week, won't we?  Well yes except for that great girls night out Thursday night?  And then we'll have to eat out after the soccer game Wednesday night too...and on and on.  Seems like it gets away from us SO quickly.  So the easy way would be better, wouldn't it?  UGH absolutely BUT if it were easy, we'd slip into the old ways so much faster.  We wouldn't appreciate the journey NEAR as much.  This is why each day is part of the journey to be proud of.  Taking things one day at a time, slow and steady and celebrating each day that we've improved our health and the health of our family members.  Is it okay to have not-so-perfect days when it comes to foods and exercise?  Well YES.  The trouble comes when we allow those "once in a while" days to make their way into our lives every, single day.  And it happens before we even realize it.  

I've been there.  We go strong for weeks, even months but then one night we indulge.  Pizza?  Maybe.  So we allow ourselves a few slices and move on, which is okay.  But then the next weekend comes along and let's order pizza again?  YES!  Uh oh...then it turns into every Friday night, or every few nights...YIKES now we have a problem.  This coming from the girl that "needed" fast food every day to survive or so I thought.  Isn't it strange how our minds can take total control of our bodies?  Strange.  

For some of us that have issues with food, the mind can make or break our success.  If we make up our minds that THIS time will be different...it WILL BE DIFFERENT. 

Our mind is a powerful thing.  Trust it and do not allow the mind to prevent you from success AGAIN.  After many failed attempts at healthy living I had pretty much given up.  Thrown in the towel and said, "Oh well, this is what my life is suppose to be I guess."  WRONG!  So WRONG!

I am worth more.  YOU are worth more.  Don't settle in life...in all aspects of life.  You are worth more than settling for the way things are today.  There's always room to push harder.  

Make the impossible POSSIBLE!

Move It Mommas mashed "potatoes"....shhhhh, it's cauliflower!

I've posted this several times but it's so good I don't want you to miss out.  Easy, delicious and my kids eat it up!
1 head cauliflower
5-6 cloves of garlic, whole
1 cup water
Cup up cauliflower and place in 1 cup water, simmering on stove.  Add garlic cloves, whole.  Allow to steam with lid until very tender.  
Drain all of the water and add 1/2 cup Neufchatel cheese and whip until creamy.  TRUST ME if you cook cauliflower long enough, it WILL BE CREAMY :)
Serve and ENJOY.  
I served this with fresh string beans and back strap deer meat!  Mmmmm!  

I run my second half marathon THIS weekend!  Eeeek!  I am terrified, excited and nervous!  I will cross the finish line yet again and I'm not worried about a time, a pace or a specific goal.  I am running for ME.  I am pushing myself 13.1 miles because I CAN.  Because I WILL and because I AM STRONG.  Make your impossible a reality.  Make up your mind and DO IT!  

Now let's hope I survive.  I haven't trained AT ALL but these Move It Mommas have pushed me in our workouts, that's for sure!  I will focus on the journey...each step closer to my goal.  That's all that I can ask of myself today and every day!  SO happy I'll be running with my college friend, Amanda.  Together we will finish that race.  My husband will be running too but he's so fast he'll most likely have showered and eaten lunch before we cross...hehe!  KIDDING!

GOOD LUCK to all three of us...and whoever else out there is running this weekend :)