SO worth a visit to yours...

Picture above and description below, taken from Jazzercise.com

"Burn up to 600 calories in one fun and powerfully effective 60-minute total body workout. Every Jazzercise group fitness class combines dance-based cardio with strength training and stretching to sculpt, tone and lengthen muscles for maximum fat burn. Choreographed to today's hottest music, Jazzercise is a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, and kickboxing. Start dancing yourself fit and change the shape of your body today!"

So, I can remember Jazzercise in the 80's and I'm sure you can too!

Tights, leg warmers, sweat bands and neon leotards!!

However, it has TOTALLY changed, just look HERE if you don't believe me!

My mom asked me to come to one of the classes she was attending and

1. I thought I was going to be the youngest one, but I wasn't!

2. I thought I was going to be bored and not break and sweat and I was SOOO wrong!!!

3. I thought the music was going to be lame, I was WRONG again!!!

More importantly, that class was like a little family....there for each other always. Totally embraced me coming into their class!

The support system is HUGE, so if you're stuck at that point where you won't step foot into a gym, and can't find the motivation on your own,

this might be for YOU!

**Our local instructor here is BEYOND amazing...there are NO words to describe the person that she is, the motivator and strong woman that she is...no words. I can't promise that you'll find what we have at our location, but I can say I think you might give it a try!

Some of our favorites...

*Breakfast/Lunch FAVORITES!*

Now that my husband is almost at a 90lb weight loss-YES, THAT'S RIGHT, 90 lbs!

(Don't worry, this Momma is trying to keep up but its FLYING off of him)

I have had so many people ask, "what do you cook and what are your favorites?"

So, here are a few...These cinnamon-raisin biscuits served with a slice of turkey bacon and scrambled egg whites are a family favorite-my boys LOVE these biscuits and I bake 'em, stick the rest in a freezer bag and thaw as I need them :) Keep in mind, PORTION CONTROL! We eat one biscuit, one slice of turkey bacon and about 1/2 cup egg whites!

You'll Need:

1 1/2 cup any baking mix-I used Bisquick

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup skim milk

1/3 cup sugar-I use a little less

1/3 c raisins

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbs flaxseed meal-once this is added, I add a little water because the batter will get thicker!

Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes!

Whole Wheat pumpkin muffins-

sorry, no pics of this one but it's SO good!

You'll Need:

1/2 veg oil

2 eggs

1 2/3 c whole wheat flour

2 tbs. flaxseed meal

3/4 c sugar

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/3 c water

1 c canned pumpkin puree-I use almost the whole can!

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Mix eggs, pumpkin and oil, until well blended

mix dry ingredients and then slowly add to other bowl

Mix well, bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes!

These freeze well and are perfect for FALL!! SO good for the whole family!

Grilled Cheese w/ a TWIST!
*Our boys LOVE these too :)
You'll need:
100% whole wheat sandwich thins
apple slices of your favorite apple!
sliced 2% cheese of your choice
small amount of tub margarine

I use the small amount of margarine to coat the inner side of the sandwich thins, so you don't lose the sprinkled grains on the outside, add my cheese and layer of THIN apple slices
and that's it! It's actually very filling and taste great too!
*Added bonus, I sprinkle 2 tbs. flaxseed meal that I told you about in THIS post
to the top as its grilling...gives added fiber and omega 3's!


Hummus Wrap!
Wow, does this have good flavor and its filling too!
You'll Need:
Whole Wheat, Low Carb Tortillas-we use Mission brand
Romaine lettuce
and my hummus was SOOOOO easy to make!
1 can 15 oz garbanzo(chick peas) drained and rinsed
2 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all in food processor in mini-chopper is what I use! Mix until well blended and almost a paste texture! This stuff is G-O-O-D! trust me!!! The garlic adds GREAT flavor!



Ok, later I will share (and hopefully take pics) some of our favorite dinner recipes! As for snacking, my husband and I love a small apple with peanut butter or
grapes with a slice of string cheese!

Eating healthier will help you feel good throughout the day,
have more energy and hopefully start to see results!
Since our weather in Texas has FINALLY cooled down a bit...
a family walk, bike ride or jog is a perfect way for us to be together as a family after dinner!

guest post with a GREAT recipe!

I am so happy that Laura from The Gruneisen Family News

wanted to share a before and after meal with all of YOU!

If you haven't read her blog, you should check it out-she has a precious family and her recipes are DELICIOUS...just see for yourself with the recipe she shared with US! Laura writes:

Let’s face it – dieting is really hard! No matter what kind of diet you’re on – the basic principle is always the same: less food, less choices. For me, this was the worst part of trying to lose weight. I hated eating food that tasted like cardboard, and I really hated eating the 1 or 2 bites of the food I loved, and being left hungry after dinner. But I’m here to tell you that there are ways to still enjoy your favorite meals in a light and healthy way. Here I have a Before and After Chicken Taco Mac that I improved upon.

The Before recipe, found in Family Circle magazine, contained
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast 12 ounces garden pasta 1 medium bell pepper 1 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tbsp all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/4 cup milk 8 ounces pepper jack cheese 3 scallions 2 ounces lime-flavored tortilla chips
for a total of 557 calories and 22g of fat (with 10g sat fats!).

I wanted to keep the basic idea and taste of the recipe, but make it something that I could enjoy without breaking my diet. I thought about what went into a taco, and then went from there. To make this a healthier meal, I did a few things:
· Reduced the amount of chicken to 8 ounces, and added a cup of whole black beans to add fiber.
· Replaced the butter with olive oil. Butter contains a ton of saturated fat (7.3g per Tbsp) and doesn’t add a lot of flavor in this meal.
· Added a medium onion, tomato, jalapeno and lettuce to make the portion size bigger and add much-needed vitamins.
· Added more flavor with spices such as ground coriander (gives a really smoky, citrusy flavor) and garlic powder.
· Changed the cheese to reduced-fat, and lowered the amount (only by 2 ounces) to make the sauce lower in fat.
· Used 1% milk in the sauce. When making a cheese sauce, I’ve found that using 1% works WAY better, because fat free doesn’t contain enough fat to thicken properly and make a creamy sauce.
· Used whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour to add fiber. Every little bit helps!

By making these few easy changes, this lowered the total to 407 calories and 13.3g of fat (with only 4.7g sat fats). That’s 150 calories and 8.7g fat saved! So here’s the new and improved meal – enjoy (guilt-free)!

Laura’s Chicken Taco Mac (serves 6)
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small chunks
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup rinsed and drained black beans
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (feel free to add more if you like it hot!)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp whole-wheat flour
10 ounces pasta
1 large bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/4 cups 1% milk
6 ounces reduced fat, shredded 4 cheese Mexican Blend (I used this cheese because my store doesn’t carry reduced fat pepper-jack. Feel free to substitute for pepper-jack with the same calories)
3 scallions, sliced
2 ounces tortilla chips
3/4 cup chopped tomato
3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
Cooking Spray
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. While you’re waiting for the water, toss the chicken with the ground coriander, garlic powder, pepper, and ½ tsp of salt.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add a 1-second spray of cooking spray. Add the chicken and sauté until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
To the water, add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to the same pot, along with the tomato and scallions. Set aside.
In the same pan, add the onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. Saute until soft and the onions are translucent. Add the black beans and the chicken back to the pan and remove from heat. (This will keep it warm while the rest of your meal cooks.)
In a small pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the flour and whisk for a few minutes until the flour mixture is bubbling. Add the milk and whisk constantly until thickened slightly, about 4-5 minutes. Add the other ½ tsp of salt and the chili powder, and then remove it from heat. Add the cheese and whisk until combined and creamy.
Add the veggie/chicken/black bean mixture to the pasta, and then pour the cheese sauce over the whole mixture. Mix well, and then pour into a non-stick 9x13 baking pan. Crush the tortilla chips and sprinkle over the top of the pasta.
Broil the pasta in the oven until you can smell the tortilla chips, about 2 minutes. This step is mostly to heat everything through again and make sure the tortilla chips are toasty and crispy.
To serve: Spoon portion into bowl and then add ½ cup chopped romaine lettuce to the top. I know what you’re thinking, but don’t knock until you’ve tried it. It really does make it taste like a bowl of taco, and gives a great crunch to the meal. Plus it adds more fiber and greens. But if you’d rather not, no biggie – it still tastes great without!

did YOU watch?

The season premiere was this week and I think I cried the ENTIRE two hours!

Was I alone?

It was soooo emotional, especially when the woman said her daughter had been starving herself because she didn't want to be fat like her mother. It tore me up. If this show isn't motivation, I'm not sure what is. The ONLY complaint that I have is that sooooo many people depend on the Biggest Loser for weight loss...

We ALL have that drive and strength behind us,

we just need someone there telling us that we CAN do it.

What I LOVED about this season starter was that they brought people that had found motivation AT HOME and they lost weight with NO help from others,

just the motivation they found from watching the show each week.

There were people that had lost over 100lbs with NO help at all!!

If you haven't watched this show and are willing...give it a chance. I think its great weekly motivation and it gets my head stirring on what I can do to promote healthy living in MY family here at home :)

and as a celebration of the Biggest Loser kick-off,

I have a delicious, healthy recipe to share!

Ranch Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast(I pound mine out for extra tenderness!)

light ranch dressing

whole wheat breadcrumbs

Heat oven to 350

Dip chicken into ranch dressing, then into breadcrumb mixture, then onto baking sheet for 35-40 minutes until cooked and crispy on top!

**I serve this with sauteed zucchini. I slice 2-3 zucchini's, saute with extra virgin olive oil
pepper and a small amount of garlic salt and parmesan cheese-a little goes a long way!

We ALL ate on our appetizer plates (smaller portions!) and enjoyed every bite together!

and for beverage...lemon water! YUM :)

now THIS is a cool book

If you are visiting from Welcome Wednesday this week, THANK YOU!

I am so excited to have been chosen as the spotlight blog of the week -thank you Ladies!

Check out my latest post below...

eating out? then you need THIS!!!

We all have VERY busy lives and sometimes fast food is the ONLY option. I've said before that you must find the healthy options that are available at each restaurant AND practice portion control, because how MUCH we eat can really make a difference!!

When I was teaching health and P.E., I was sent a sample of this book to share with the teachers and students. I think it's incredible and definitely something to have on hand at all times! The book is called, Nutrition in the Fast Lane, the website is HERE!

They list over 3,000 menu items for over 59 restaurants across the U.S! They list their most popular menu items along with nutrition facts and serving sizes for each. What I also love is that they list the carb exchanges for those customers with diabetes.

The BEST part...this book is only $6.95!

**I always look at nutrition facts, I want to know the BEST options for my family BEFORE we go in, and with this small book that fits in my diaper bag or purse

....it's SO easy!

an AWESOME guest post...

Meaghan from Daily Dose of Fitness and I have been sharing ideas and swapping healthy tips lately! Her blog is where I won my Polar watch(woohoo)! We decided a little guest post is just what my readers needed and if you haven't checked out her blog, you definitely should. She has great motivational tips, exercise advice and MUCH more! She also has "myth debunking mondays" each week, which is what she's sharing with all of us right now!

After you read her guest post, head on over and tell her, Move It Momma's sent you!!

Meaghan writes,

MYTH DEBUNKING MONDAYS - TARGETING THE LOWER ABS
This is my 13th installment of Myth Debunking Mondays. If you follow me closely you know that I write a lot of health and fitness related articles and have exhausted many topics. So for now, this will be the last Myth Debunking Monday. I am thinking I will start a new theme: The Monday Move which will feature a new exercise every week.
So, without further ado, here is my final installment of Myth Debunking Monday.
The Lower Abs get a lot of hype. Everyone seems to talk about needing to work the lower abs, exercises to do for the lower abs, etc. The truth is, there is no specific lower ab muscle. The rectus abdominis is the main abdominal muscle that runs down the center of stomach. It attaches on both the ribs and the pubic bone and can pull from both directions (the only muscle to do so). Many of the exercises typically considered "lower" ab exercises are actually targeting the hip flexors which act to raise your legs up in front of you, and are not your "lower" abs. We are talking about exercises such as lying leg raises, leg throw downs, etc. These are targeting your hip flexors, not "lower" abs. You are also putting a lot of strain on your back, and if you have weak core muscles you could get injured.
If you want to work your lower abs because there is extra fat on your lower abdomen then you need to burn the fat away with cardio, not try to "crunch" it away. Spot-reduction is a whole other myth. If you are trying to strengthen your "lower" abs, just do crunches, planks and other core exercises, you don't need to try to work the lower portion, it is all one muscle. Hopefully finding out the truth about this myth will prevent you from doing some uncomfortable and unnecessary exercises, and save you some time at the gym from now on.
Check out my previous Myth Debunking Monday posts. If there is something you wonder if it is a myth or not, email or send me a comment. Maybe I will do a surprise Myth Debunking Monday post again.
Thank you!

Meaghan Massenat, MS, CSCS
http://dailydoseoffitness.blogspot.com
http://www.associatedcontent.com/meaghanm
http://www.bellorelbaby.com

a MUST TRY recipe and a bike ride!

Not even sure what to call this recipe, but it is G-O-O-D!!

What you'll need:

*1.2 lbs Jennie-O sweet turkey Italian sausage

*4 cans low-sodium chicken broth (making your own broth would be best!!)

*1 head broccoli rabe-chopped (found near the cabbage and lettuce)

*2 cans cannelini beans, drained

*1 onion, chopped

*OPTIONAL- 2% shredded mozzarella cheese

In large skillet, brown Italian sausage...once browned, remove from pot and set aside. In same pot, place chopped onion and allow to cook for 3 minutes, add chopped broccoli rabe AND broth, bring to simmer about 5 minutes. Add sausage back to pot along with 2 cans of rinsed, drained beans and THAT'S IT! You can add salt/pepper to taste and the best part...

when you serve this soup, add the mozzarella cheese-it'll melt and be SO yummy!

My entire family LOVED this soup, it was filling and tasted GREAT too

give it a try, I'd love to hear what you think!

Sorry for not having pics of the finished product on here,

I am SO bad about taking pictures while I'm trying out a new recipe :( Sorry!

So, after a delicious dinner-why not take a bike ride?!

that's what we did!

I try to change up my workouts as much as possible, because I don't want them to get boring or repetitive AND since I have two little ones needing me at all times, and NO gym membership, bike rides are a perfect solution. This bike trailer is what I have and it's GREAT!

Hope you try that recipe soon

and that you find some motivation OUTDOORS with your family too!

SET A GOAL and a motivational story you MUST read...

Its a great idea to set a goal for yourself before you begin a journey toward healthy living

or healthIER living! I like to set goals to push myself and

to keep things interesting with my workouts :)

So, my goal will be...

** To do THIS!

I will register as soon as dates become available in my area...

maybe its something you'd be interesting in trying along with me??!

I love reading Big Mama's blog all about changing her life and the lives of others, one change at a time, I was featured last week and now this wonderful mother of 5 shares her weight-loss story and I find it SO amazing!! She has a beautiful story with a happy, HEALTHY ending...

PLEASE READ HERE for the story

and tell me what you think!!!

an award AND a contest...

I am SO happy to have received the Life Is Good blog award

from Cardio Bunny @ Fabulous n Free! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!

* You should check out her blog, she's an inspiration to all women!

I have promised to fully accept this award after this weekend :)

*Now for the CONTEST, I am SO happy to have been asked by World Martial Arts to be their "health professional" this weekend for their Biggest Loser contest kick-off!

It is a six week program, designed to help contestants achieve weight-loss goals in a short amount of time and make healthy changes that will last a lifetime! It begins tomorrow, with an introduction of the program and a one-hour bootcamp style workout!

(I will be taking contestants weight, BMI and measurements)

I invite you to join this contest along with us. Make SMALL changes that will give big results. For example, add more veggies and fruit to your diet this week. Make a commitment to exercise at least three days this week, no matter what the exercise may be! Eat on a smaller plate the ENTIRE week and see if you notice a difference in your appetite!

I will share with you the motivational tools I plan on using with the contestants and feel free to ask questions or leave a comment saying you're taking this journey with ME!

MUSIC = MOTIVATION!

Not sure about you guys, but if there's NO music,

then there's NO working out for me!

I MUST have music to motivate and help me push through my workouts!
This has become much more difficult with children, because if I'm doing a workout video, I have to listen for the monitor for my youngest, so I can't have the music cranked up quite so loud, and when we're jogging or bike riding, I can't turn it up too loud, because I need to be focused on the things around me for safety reasons...however, when I have a chance to have a good 'ol Mommy workout ALONE, I crank up my iPod and GET MOVIN'!

I have a special section on my iPod dedicated to workout tunes and I have a HUGE variety of motivational songs to get my heart pumping and the calories burning!

**If you are stuck in a workout rut or can't seem to find an exercise that you like, then I suggest to try finding some of YOUR favorite songs, listening to them while you're walking, running, biking, at the gym or WHEREVER! Then let me know you feel...

So, what's your favorite workout tune?

and like I told you before, if nothing else motivates, turn on the tv to music choice, find some great new songs and have a dance party in your living room....

or wait, does that just happen in our house? Don't judge, I can get a totally great workout just by dancing like a crazy woman in the house :)

diet pills/supplements

**I did my FIRST GUEST POST! CLICK HERE TO READ ALL ABOUT IT!**

now, back to my post...

So, I'd like to know what you think about

DIET PILLS/WEIGHT-LOSS SUPPLEMENTS?

Do you agree with people who take them?

Do you think they are dangerous and would NEVER consider it?

Maybe you think there are certain situations where its acceptable?

Have YOU ever taken them?

And, were they successful in helping you/or someone you know lose weight?

Here's my personal opinion...

I can't judge anyone on what they want to do, however from knowing people that have had SERIOUS complications and health issues from these "drugs", and with my health background and education, I would not suggest it!

**In high school, I was desperate to lose weight and decided to try Metabolife

(hope you guys remember what that was??!)

and it was VERY successful...I remember feeling my heart race each time I took it, but as a high school student wanting to "fit in" and lose weight, I was looking for ANYTHING that would work. I have to admit, it worked. I lost 30 lbs. very quickly but sadly when I stopped taking the pills, I gained every pound back, PLUS a few extra! ughhhh...

I can't say I stopped there, I took several other weight-loss supplements after that. Looking back, it scares me that I would have put my body in danger to look/feel good about myself...pathetic, right??! This blog has helped me realize and and open up all of those old emotions I felt growing up-so hard to re-live it sometimes!

This blog is like my therapy, if that even makes sense? and along the way,

I'm hoping to motivate others to learn from MY struggles and how my determination to change, became reality!