Inspire Me! Series-Week 1

Welcome to week 1 of my Inspire Me! Series

I'd love for you to meet one of my favorite bloggers and a person who inspires me each day to push myself...Bridie!

http://www.iheartveggies.net "Healthy Living"

What motivates you? I started running for fitness. After having my second child, I was almost 20 pounds heavier than before having kids. Being a former ballerina, I was always very slim and in great shape. I was very unhappy that I had let myself "slip" and decided it was time to make time for myself. My motivation comes from not settling for less than I used to be. I don't believe that just because I had two kids, I have a free pass to be less than happy with my body.

If you made a lifestyle change, what helped you make that change? The biggest change came when I changed jobs in June 2010. My commute went from half an hour to 4 minutes. I also met up with some people that regularly ran together over lunch. At first I wasn't ready to join them - I was barely up to run a mile, much less the 3-5 they usually ran. But eventually I had the guts to join them, and I didn't want to look like a wimp, so I was forced to keep up with them. This year I made it a goal to run a half-marathon, and unfortunately suffered a series of overuse injuries leading up to the race. I ran it anyway (poorly) and am now in rehab and forced into cross training. While some would see an injury as a setback, I find it a blessing. I am now taking bodypump classes, cycling, doing yoga, and using the elliptical, as well as easing back into running. This is just going to make me a more well rounded athlete, and a stronger one.

Are you sharing your passion for healthy living with others? Yes! See my blog. I also just joined the Board of Directors for Johnston Running Club which is developing a youth track and cross country program. Not only am I serving on the Board, but I will also help coach the youth club. First and foremost, I am sharing my passion with my family. I have two boys (7 and 2 1/2) that WILL grow up understanding the importance of exercise and healthy eating.

And lastly, who inspires YOU? While it is great to draw on others for inspiration, you absolutely have to be able to inspire yourself. You are the one that has complete control over whether you are going to fail or succeed. I inspire myself almost every time I run, because when I started I had such a mental block against it, that is was so hard, that I was never going to be good at it. One day I ran three miles. Within a few months I was going on 5 and 6 mile runs. That was an accomplishment in itself. 10 miles seemed so out of reach. But I slowly built up my endurance and it became easier. I got faster. I'm doing things I never thought I would ever be able to do, much less enjoy doing. I'm also inspired by all the other moms out there taking time for themselves and fitness. It is hard to do with little ones at home. I'm very inspired by watching the Biggest Loser. This morning I took my first BodyPump class and it was so hard! As I was reaching muscle failure, and thinking I couldn't keep going, my mind went to the contestants on that show and how hard they fight through their work outs. If they can put in the effort and have so much working against them, surely I can finish a one hour class.

*I read Bridie's blog almost every day! Her recipes, thoughts and mostly her workouts inspire me to get out there and get it done! Isn't that what we all want? That drive to make us do the impossible! Make sure you drop by and say hello...you never know, you may find her to be one of your favorite bloggers too!

Would you like to be featured? Email me: rissarose80@yahoo.com with your blog address, a picture(if you'd like!), and answer those same questions or throw in some extras...it's totally up to you on what you'd like to share! Easy, right? So whatcha waitin' for??!!! I will feature a new blogger EVERY Monday so stay tuned...

birthday-brussels-holiday races-Inspire Me!

What a crazy title, right?
Well, I have a lot to talk about this morning...

TODAY is my hubby's b-day...yep, he's 33!

Those brussels sprouts last night-OH MY GOODNESS, SO GOOD! Here's what I did a little differently. I sliced the brussels, mixed all of the other stuff-the olive oil, red wine vinegar, thyme, garlic slices(I used 2 cloves instead of 1) and a little seasalt! Then I tossed the brussels in that mixture, and then spread onto the pan evenly. I baked at 450 for 10 min. and then flipped, and roasted another 10min. Take them out of the oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese! I'm SO serious, they were so good. We had both of our parents over for dinner. Served these with grilled chicken breasts and baked sweet potatoes! A few of them had never tasted brussels sprouts in their life and LOVED THEM!! Yay! TRY THEM :)

I need some great Thanksgiving/Christmas virtual races?? Please share if you know of a few! My husband will be working for both of these holidays and I'd like a virtual race that motivates me to RUN on those days, since I won't be able to attend a "real" race. I'd really appreciate you sharing!

And don't forget about my Inspire Me! Series! I know many of you that comment and read my blog have amazing stories and TONS of inspiration to share with my readers! Come on! All you have to do is email me a little about YOU! Why you blog about fitness? What gives you motivation? I love reading all of your blogs, they inspire me and push me to keep doing what I am doing...knowing there are others out there that share my passion, so why not share your story and gain some new readers too?! Email me, rissarose80@yahoo.com with your blog address and tell me whatever you'd like to share! I'll feature these on Mondays, so hurry up! Feel free to send pictures to go along with your story/accomplishments! Can't wait to open my inbox and see all of YOUR emails!!!!

hot off the press...AND 13.1!

F.Y.I: Before you get too excited and ready to congratulate me,

NO I have NOT run my 13.1...yet!

My mom in law brought me the "delish" section of the Houston Chronicle featuring a recipe for

Parmesan Brussels Sprouts-I can't tell you how they taste because we're trying them out tonight, but I will say that they sound AMAZING!

Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

1 1/4 pound brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp fresh thyme

1 clove garlic, sliced

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1/4 coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450. In large jelly roll pan, toss brussels sprouts, olive oil, thyme, garlic, s&p. Spread evenly. Roast 20 minutes, stirring once. Toss with vinegar and Parmesan cheese!

and now back to my 13.1, mentioned in the post title. I've been thinking a lot while I'm out increasing my mileage for my first half marathon, and I think about a lot of things! Isn't that why running is so great? Just me and my thoughts!! I have been thinking about what those 13.1 miles will mean to ME. Some things that come to mind: accomplishment, this will teach my children that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, triumph, fear, pushing myself.

I sometimes find myself feeling giddy out there(crazy, I know) because I think about how my life "used" to be. Before exercise. Before exchanging my sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits for a new, happy, healthy way of life! THAT is what will push me to that finish line on January 15th. That and the fact that my husband will SMOKE me to that finish line! Ha! But that's ok, I'm darn proud of him too and it'll be a great way to celebrate our 7 years of marriage! Maybe champagne and strawberries will greet me at the finish line? I mean, how many couples get to run their first half marathon TOGETHER on their anniversary?! But yea, he's still going to totally kick my booty!

Baked Apple OATMEAL!!

Oh my goodness, this is GOOD!!

Start by preparing your oatmeal, steel cut or oats! I bake apples in the microwave, which I'm sure is better in the oven but I know the microwave works, so why change it!
Core your apple ( I used red delicious!), sprinkle with a little brown sugar, Cinnamon and put a little margarine down in the core! Add a little water to the bottom of your microwave safe bowl-I used corning ware! Microwave 5 min., then 2 min or until cooked through and soft!

Slice up the apple and add to your oats! ENJOY and savor the deliciousness!! I'm thinking banana added to this mix might be yummy too! Mmmm and perfect with our cooler weather, eventhough it will be 80 degrees here again on Sunday! Ha!

Walking Workout: Who would have thought that walking would make my booty burn SO much! Ha! It was a nice change from my running schedule. Yesterday was super windy and muggy, so my friend and I decided to power walk our normal route! It was a WORKOUT! Seriously, we were sweaty and our butt's were burning toward the end. I felt great doing something different and changing things up. Sometimes it's nice to get out of our normal workout routine and just do something totally "off".
What about you,
do have an "off" day, kick booty workout that changes things up with your routine?
*and don't forget about my Inspire series...I'd love to share your stories and successes with my readers, that may not know about your blog, find out how to take part, HERE! it just takes a minute...

You INSPIRE Me! Series

Blogging has introduced me to SO many inpsirational women! Some are just beginning their weight loss journey, others have reached and exceeded their goals. Some just make it a habit to workout during the week, all while trying to keep their home, family, and work in order!

Doesn't matter your story, YOU inspire me!

On the days when I have no drive to get up and workout, I look to all of you. I read your stories, your posts, race recaps and I find the motivation that I need to get it done! Thank you for giving me that.

I want others to feel that same inspiration and motivation, so I'd like to ask that you share your stories with myself and my readers!

And that's why I've decided to start the "You INSPIRE Me!" Series!

How does it work: I will feature one of YOU every Monday.

You have a platform to tell your healthy living story...your struggles, your accomplishments, goals, anything! You might be just beginning your weight loss journey, may have reached your weight loss goal, found a new way you lead a healthy lifestyle, how you help others reach their goals, races that you've rocked!, a marathoner, triathlete, ANYTHING!

And it will help you gain new readers :)

Want to be featured? Just email me at rissarose80@yahoo.com and tell me a little about you. Email me your blog name/address, and answer some questions for myself and others...What motivates you? If you made a lifestyle change, what helped you make that change? And then just tell me your story and share whatever you'd like! Are you sharing your passion for healthy living with others? And lastly, who inspires YOU? I'd love a picture to go along with your feature, so please attach to the email as well! I'll email you on the week that you'll be featured, so that you may give your readers the heads up!

So, let's INSPIRE ONE ANOTHER!!! Hope you'll join in and spread the word! I'd love to meet new bloggers and I bet you would to!

**BONUS ENTRY: If you blog or tweet letting others know about my Inspire Me! Series and send me that link, you'll gain 2 extra entires into my Healthy Steps giveaway for the dressing lid and dressing cruet-which are totally great tools in helping with portion control and would make great gifts too!

SO EXCITED about My Healthy Steps and today's workout!

Dr. Oz had some really cool products on his show recently and it just happened to be Healthy Steps! They have an entire line of portion control products that are great for on the go and for those busy family nights! As a health educator, I always stress the importance of portion size! This product helps you do just that, watch your portions to prevent overeating! Yay! I received many of their items for review and when the package arrived, my entire family was EXCITED!

This dressing lid and cruet might have been the MOST exciting part! The dressing lid attaches to almost all dressing bottles and simply squeeze to the fill line, squirt and ENJOY! Totally helps us watch the serving sizes on dressing, which can be misleading and packed with empty calories and saturated fat. This was super easy to use and the boys had a great time helping us with our dressing portions, they thought it was a toy! I used balsamic vinagarette on our strawberry salad and it turned out DELICIOUS! I simply chop some purple onion, add some chopped walnuts, sliced strawberries, serve on baby spring mix and ENJOY!

After a nice workout, you can get pretty hungry and want to over indulge when it comes to your favorite foods. We all know that I have a serious weakness for starches like pasta! Blame it on the Italian in me or my addiction to all things carb but they have a starch serving spoon! Oh YES! This works great for us! For lunch, I had prepared whole wheat spiral noodles, peas, extra virgin olive oil, pepper and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and I used THREE of the Healthy Steps products for this one, simple meal! The vegetable server for the peas. The cheese grater for the parmesan cheese and it actually stores the grated cheese right inside the container for future use, if necessary! And of course, the starch server to dish up one serving of the whole wheat pasta! The best part of all of these products is that you can't tell that you're measuring servings. The servings are listed inside the spoon, so your family will never know you are measuring how much they eat!

I don't think I've been this excited about products in a long time! My husband was actually pretty excited too. We ripped open the packages and started using them right away! They are made great and seem like they'll last a long time. I think these would even make great gifts! I would 100% use these as teaching schools if I were still in the classroom. My health students would have been able to visually associate portions with these products. How great is that! I can already think of the lesson. I would use several size plates, add foods according to their serving using Healthy Steps and begin by filling the plate. The students would be able to see how much food they are getting and will be able to compare to how their plate usually looks for a meal. Are they eating too much/too little? They will be able to SEE it and change their habits by remembering how their plate looked in my classroom and how it SHOULD look in the future and for all meals!

It must be giveaway time here at Move It Mommas! I just hosted the New Balance shades, which are pretty cool and now Healthy Steps is ready to offer something to my readers as well!

Healthy Steps would like to offer one of my lucky readers a

Dressing Lid and Dressing Cruet!!

How to Enter:

You MUST be a follower of the Move It Momma and leave a comment telling me why you'd love to win these Healthy Steps products?

Extra Entries:

Follow Healthy Steps on Twitter here (1 entry)

Follow Healthy Steps on Facebook here (1 entry)

Blog this giveaway (1 entry)

Tweet this giveaway (1 entry)

GOOD LUCK, GIVEAWAY ENDS at midnight-Friday, November 11th

Today's Workout: I was pretty excited to get out there and use my Nike+! Yes, I'm probably the last person in the world to finally use one of these to track my workouts, but my hubby bought me one and I've finally figured it out! Ha! I can see why most of you use the Garmin when running. I felt like I was competing with myself using the Nike+. I pushed myself harder and because it tracked my pace the entire time, I was able to keep going and push myself a little harder! Whew! I feel like this will really help me with the rest of my half marathon training and help me kick it up another notch! Right now I am loving alternating Jillian Michael's 6 week 6 pack and 30 day shred on my off days...it seems to be working well! My hip pain is not bad right now, so that's great news too. How are your workouts coming along?

plan ahead and a WINNER!!!

I know you're all too excited to wait, so the winner of the PlanetGear Breast Cancer Awareness sunglasses are...

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE...

Comment #13, Jill Conyers @ Life...As I see It!

Congrats, you have 48 hours to respond with your shipping info, and I'm emailing you now!

and now for a plan ahead breakfast tip that we are going to try this week:
Steel Cut Oats in the freezer? Yep, sounds a bit crazy but if you prepare your steel cut oats with water, once cooked split into one-serving portions and freeze, you'll have breakfast all week long! Awesome, right? Saves you time AND money, plus you'll be having a super nutritious breakfast that's sure to keep you satisfied until lunch! Want some variety each day? Try adding canned pumpkin and a dash of cinnamon. Mashed banana and peanut butter. Nutella. Fresh fruits. Flax seed. Dark chocolate chips. See, the possibilities are endless and you won't be stressing about what to prepare for breakfast, it'll already be ready for you.

My Workouts: they have been awesome and I'm totally feeling a bit more confident about this half marathon. I am enjoying running in these great temps that are in the 60's! Yay! FINALLY! Yesterday I went for a quick, 2 mile run(at a 9:40 pace, so I was happy!) and then came home to Jillian's 6 week 6 pack level 2! I am changing things up a bit because I don't wanna get bored with my routine. I like change! Now that I have been increasing distance and I only run outdoors, I keep changing my mind about which is better...sidewalk or street? Obviously the sidewalk is a safer option, but I'm wondering if the uneven areas are what could be causing my hip pain?? I'd love to know your thoughts...