Color in Motion 5K is coming to Texas!

Hey bloggers! I'm Kate from over at Color in Motion 5k. I am so excited to guest blogging here today and also to be offering Move it Momma readers a promotional code for our upcoming fun run on November 17th in Dallas and February 2nd in Houston! Color in Motion 5k is the funnest color run on the planet! You are guaranteed to have a blast if you participate.


***Use this PROMO CODE to get 15% off at registration: MOVEIT12 ***

You might be asking yourself what is a color run? What is Color in Motion 5k? Well, it's definitely not your average 5k.  Let me explain:

You come to the race in your sparkly white clothes... 

Dress up with your friends, wear a costume, whatever... but definitely wear white.

Start running... Every kilomter, we have a "COLOR STATION" where volunteers throw colored powder on you as you go by. 

Stick to the outside lanes for heavy coloring and stick to the middle if you want just a sprinkling of color.

  

Run, walk, or jog. It's not a timed event. We're just here to have fun while getting out and being active.

At the finish line, get your color packet out (you will get it in your race packet) and join the countdown for the post race color party! 

There will lots of music, dancing, partying, and color.

 Bring your friends and family and get ready for the 5k of your life. 

The color will wash off when you get home, but your smile won't.

 Sign up as a team with at least 2 other friends and receive an extra 5$ off. Don't forget to use your promo code MOVEIT12. This is an awesome deal! Don't delay.. Sign up here!!

**My husband and I will be participating in the Houston race along with our five year old and we're all so excited!  Looks like such a fun time and we're hoping to get a lot of people racing out there with us!  
Who's ready??
Let me know if you sign up, I'd love to meet up with all of you at this FUN event!!  

We are "champions"

Last night after our son's T-ball practice, we received a package on our doorstep!

Yay, it was a huge supply of Chobani Champions for our family to try!

Look at all those flavors to choose from...

...and markers, a snack bag and cool water bottle for the outdoors...my boys were SO happy :)

What'd we think?
WE LOVE THEM!  Packed with protein and delicious flavor varieties that my kids love, what's not to love?
We decided to open one of each flavor and all sample to give our opinions!  
Verry Berry:  AWESOME!  Tasted like a fruit smoothie and my son thought this one was sooo good!  
Vanilla Chocolate Chunk:  Tasted great and had just enough sweetness!  Would make a great dessert when those sweet cravings kick in!  Or a special treat for your kiddos on a Friday night!
Honey-Nana:  Might be my fav!  YUMMY!!!  The name says it all!
Orange Vanilla:  Tastes great but as a family, our least favorite!  That's probably because the orange flavor, my son's just aren't huge fans!  BUT it still has great taste and tastes like a dreamsicle, which my Mom loves!

And most importantly, what did our picky eater think? ?

He loved the Vanilla Chocolate Chunk which is a HUGE deal since he does not like yogurt AT ALL!  Guess Chobani Champions have changed his mind :)  and that makes me a happy Momma! Both of our boys asked for one with breakfast and kept saying how great they tasted!  
Two, happy and satisfied boys were ready to start the day!

Some great facts about Chobani Champions,

• You can freeze them and pack in your kids lunches!  They can freeze up to three months.
• Made with 2% milk and contains 20% of daily amount Vitamin D
• 100 calories and packed with 8 grams of protein
• Made with only natural ingredients

To learn more, visit Chobani Champions

Today's Workout:  3 mile run at my fastest pace since last Fall!  Woohoo!  
That's something to be proud of, right?  Maybe it's the new running shoes??  
YES my husband surprised me with a pair of Mizuno Wave Creation 13 
I love these shoes!  They gave me the right support in all of the right places and I felt faster!  Is that possible?  I know that my shoes were over a year old, which had way too many miles on them so that might be why...whatever the reason, I'm loving them and today's run was fabulous!  My husband and I are committed to getting back to where we were at this time, last year!  It's sad to see how much we've slacked off over the summer, but we have been working for several weeks on getting our miles back up there and our pace where it belongs :)  

I'll keep ya posted on our progress, but so far I'm averaging a 10min mile and he's at 8.5
No where to go but UP so I'll consider these past few weeks our practice and starting off point!  Our five year old is our running buddy so when we're not feeling the run, he's there telling us to push, go faster and keep going!  Especially on those days where we'd really like to take a day off, he's begging to go out for a run, putting on his clothes and shoes and telling us to hurry up!  Ha!  

Have you tried Chobani Champions with your family?
What shoes are you loving during your workouts?  I know you have a favorite :)

**Stay tuned:  I have some exciting news for all of my readers 

from Color in Motion 5K race series! **

HEALTHY taco night!

What family doesn't love a great, taco night?  

I love to cook healthy and create recipes that my family will enjoy TOGETHER,  

So when my five year old asked for tacos, I decided to put my healthy spin on the popular dish!

You'll Need:

1 lb extra lean ground turkey or chicken, I used turkey

1 tbs chili powder

1 tbs cumin

1/2 onion, chopped 

Garnish: 

shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red fat cheddar and/or greek yogurt 

Sides:  

whole wheat couscous with chopped garlic and extra virgin olive oil

black beans with a little chopped cilantro

*store-bought taco seasonings are usually packed with sodium, so by adding cumin and chili powder you are adding flavor without all of the sodium.  Plus, these seasonings make foods taste SO great!

I served these with a crunchy taco shell this time, but I usually serve on a whole wheat soft tortilla and they taste great that way too!  It'll save you on calories plus the added fiber from the soft, but I figure with portion control used at our dinner table, a crunchy taco shell from time to time is okay!  

That decision is up to you and your family!!

I also layered some of the black beans on the taco as well as served on the side!  Yum!

Today's Workout:  A great spin workout in my garage!  

Nothing like getting your sweat on in a garage in Texas at 6am!  Woohoo!  

Yesterday was a great run with my son!  He loves to get out there and sweat just like his Mom and Dad and I cannot tell you how great it feels as a mother and health educator, to see my son out there WANTING and CHOOSING to exercise because it is fun!  That is the main reason that I studied physical education, I wanted to be different.  I wanted to be the teacher that made exercise FUN!  Yes it's hard work and it takes dedication but if someone doesn't love or at least like exercise, they are going to find a million excuses NOT TO EXERCISE...right?  Right!  So by making exercise a family affair and by making it fun and challenging at the same time, we're teaching our children to LOVE exercise!  

Before we had kids, we did the exercise with our dog, Dixie!  She was quite the motivator as well...dragging us on the leash if we didn't pick up the pace :-)  

Animal or kids-they can both be motivational when it comes to our workouts!!!

Do you enjoy taco night as a family?  Healthy variations you'd like to share??

Do you exercise with your kids?  The dog?  

To the North Pole!

Dear Santa, 

     I know you're really busy this time of year but I'm thinking of these really cool products that I'd sure love to have?! -Marissa

A new pair of running shoes?  

These Mizuno shoes look perfect...but possibly in a brighter, in-your-face color?  

I gotta make a statement out there right?

Maybe one of these?

It's like a pedometer where you can compete with other people all over the world...

How's that for motivation to keep you moving throughout the day??

Or possibly this Athleta Printed Swift Zip Skort?

source

And no outdoor workout is complete without the perfect pair of sunglasses...

I'd really like these Costa Del Mar Stringer sunglasses!  They were voted one of the top sunglasses for working out...I think I'd love having these as a workout accessory!!  

Ok Santa,

I know it sounds like a lot to ask but I'm a good wife, mother, daughter, friend and I love working out!  It makes me feel good, it gives me strength both physically and mentally.  I love pushing myself and others to go beyond their limits, so will you consider one OR all of these items under the tree this year??  Pretty please.  

Your turn, 

What's on your list to Santa this year??  I'd love to know...

what about discipline?

To reach our health and fitness goals, we've discussed that it's going to take hard work, dedication, motivation and we can't get there by making excuses!
But, what about discipline?  
I personally think that it takes quite a bit of discipline to accomplish our fitness and weight loss goals.  I mean, think about it...
We must choose food wisely and make healthier choices.  
We must get ourselves to the track, gym, garage, or wherever we choose to workout!  
We must set goals that are within reach and figure out what it takes to get there!  
All of these things require discipline!  

I'd choose discipline over regret ANY DAY, what about you?  

     Looking back on my life living as an overweight teen and young adult, I have many regrets.  

     Something that has never changed is my want and ability to have FUN!  To not take life too seriously and use laughter as a stress relief!  Plus, if I was funny then they wouldn't see my weight, right? 

But did I have self-discipline?  I really don't think so.  Not when it came to my eating habits, my lack of exercise, my emotional attachment to food...nah, don't think I did and with that came regret.   

    I guess I just look at today's youth, with so many of them overweight or obese and think...I hope they find the motivation, courage, and the discipline needed for change before they look back and regret SO much of their life.  I feel sad that they sometimes don't see the light, the hope and happiness that is there waiting for them.  

We all have it inside of us but sometimes we must change things and push things around to finally SEE it!  It's there, in each of us.  That ability to push forward when things seem hopeless.  When the goals seem too big and that they'll never be reached.  We've all been there.  

The marathon runners had to start somewhere.  The Olympic athletes started somewhere.  

WE ALL START SOMEWHERE.  It's when we choose to make that change 

and how we achieve our goals that truly matters!  

Get out there and make TODAY that day :-)

All I need are these pictures to keep me in check and help with my discipline...

January 2001

*Don't even know who that girl is anymore and I'd like to keep it that way FOREVER!!

RACE TIME...finally!

For a family that loves 5K races, we've sure taken some time off :-(

but we are back and stronger than ever, ready to tackle this Houston Texans 5K!  Our son is very excited to run with Toro, Texans mascot in the fun run, so I'll make sure that I take lots of pictures!

Running is sort of a family affair in our home.  We all love it, even our three year old!  We run as a family, stay active as a family and we will, in a few weeks, race as a family!  

I will push our little man in the stroller, while my husband and son run side by side!  They love running as a duo, and our son can keep up!  He ran the golf course the other day while I rode my bike...he stays focused and has a gorgeous stride...as only runners would appreciate!  

I am very proud of him because as I've said before, we don't pressure him or force him to exercise, it's by choice and I truly believe that from watching his Mom and Dad, he WANTS to run, bike and be active.  Something that makes us so proud!  

**And if your family doesn't love to run, then find something...anything you can do together to BE ACTIVE!  Sometimes we forget that just getting outdoors and playing with our children will keep them ACTIVE and MOVING.  We all have busy lives, but I promise if you make the effort, your family will make memories that will last a lifetime.  And your children will develop healthy living habits that they can take with them for years to come!     

And after our race day, we're sure going to have some smelly workout clothes which leads me to a product review that is a MUST HAVE in every laundry room,

I keep forgetting to share my Downy Unstopables experience with all of you,

 Downy was nice enough to send the "Fresh" scent and although I haven't tried the others, Fresh is my favorite!  Super fresh and clean scent that keeps our workout clothes and towels smelling great!  You literally want to sniff your laundry while you're folding it!  Yea, that good!!  

I'm pretty sure Shimmer and Lush will smell great too but that Fresh scent during the cycle, smells fabulous! I'm really funny about smells that are too strong or smell fake-if that makes sense but a little sprinkle added to your wash will do wonders...I promise!  I use Unstopables with all of our workout gear and all of our towels, I've even sprinkled it onto the boys' clothes to add freshness to their loads!  

and these "Tea of a Kind" flavors arrived in the mail today for us to try and if you haven't heard about these, check these out here.  I'll be sure and share our experience with these drinks, very soon!  

Do you have a race scheduled this month?  

What are some products you're loving these days?  

PORTION CONTROL...or lack there of!

Just thought I'd share some great products that are there to help us with portion control!  If you're struggling to lose weight or get your diet in control, sometimes portion is KEY.  Just because something may seem "healthy", we can always overindulge and at that point, we were better off eating that greasy cheeseburger.  The key is moderation.

In a world with the "bigger is better" attitude in regards to food, we sure could use some products that help make it all a little easier for us to see how much Americans are actually being served...and a way to help feed our families the right amount of food, every time.  Sometimes when we really measure out portions, we're shocked at the actual serving size...take a look at some of my fav's!

Have you seen these?

"Not only do these ultra-light bags take the mess and effort out of portioning bulk foods, Perfect Portions™ Bags offer unbeatable freezer burn protection* when used with Ziploc® brand Freezer bags. "

 I think these are pretty cool for those times when you buy large portions of protein and need a great way to separate but keep it all fresh...I'll be trying them soon, what about you?  It's a great way to keep our portions in check too...measure it out, use the portion bags and freezer bags and you're all set...then when you're ready, thaw cook and serve!  

What about HealthySteps?

They are known for their great products that help us eat a balanced meal while on the go.  Check out this cereal scoop to help you grab that perfect portion before you head out the door!  They have single serving containers for cheese, nuts, salad dressings and MUCH more!  

The Portion Plate

This is a great visual and teaching tool when learning about portion sizes and how to make sure we're not over eating or eating too little from certain food groups.  If you have a child/teen that may be struggling with weight, this plate may be a great resource to help show them, instead of only telling them about serving size.  It worked great with my health education students, they were shocked at the actual serving sizes of so many popular food items.  Great for those visual learners!

And the very cool, 

They have a very cool, Portion Prep Center pictured above,"cutting surface, scale and measuring cup all in one convenient tool. With a textured surface and non-skid feet this cutting board will stay put through the heaviest of use. It also has an integrated food scale with a detachable portion tray so you can make sure all of your tasty vegetables are in the proper proportions to keep you lean and fit! "

Hope some of these items will help you keep your portion sizes in control while at work, school or simply living your busy life!  It's nice to know that so many companies out there are striving to make healthy living easier for all of us!

Today's Workout:
THE UGLY TRUTH?
My husband and I are sure feeling the results of slacking on our mileage this summer and it's hard to face it 

HOWEVER, 

My husband and I have signed up with my son for our first 5K in...well, it's been too long.  

Sad but true.  

This means we've been out training...or somewhat training.  It is pretty disappointing but like we've both said, it's our fault.  We go through workout ups and downs and changed up our routines throughout the summer to deal with the heat.  

Not making excuses, we are 100% to blame BUT it's a sad truth.  To see where you used to be at this point last year and figuring out where you are now...definitely not where we should or want to be.  

THE GOOD NEWS?  That we see our goals, they are set, we are motivated and ready to get our training and mileage back to where they were at this time last year!  

It's never too late!

The great thing is that we have one another to keep one another on track.  We fix it before it gets out of control and thanks to our five year old, who loves to run, he keeps us motivated too!  He's ready to hit the high school track and try some intervals out there, BUT we need to step up our game before we're hitting the track with all the other runners.  

This gives us fuel that we need to succeed.  It motivates us because we wanna be the best that we can be for our children and for each other.

We used to be really good about signing up for races monthly, but obviously got off track. 

What are your favorite ways to keep your portions in control? I'd love for you to share!!

How do you keep your training and workouts up where they needs to be, year-round?  

  

new spokesperson and more!

What do you think of the new Jessica
Simpson Weight Watchers commercial?

source

"There is a lot of pressure to lose weight, but I'm not a supermodel," Simpson says in the video. "I'm just Jessica, trying to eat real food in the real world, and I really just want to be healthy for my daughter." - Jessica Simpson

Personally, I love Jessica!  I used to watch her on Newlyweds and thought she was hilarious and very real.  I watched the media bash her for her pregnancy weight gain, but I knew she was putting it on only to take it off as a celebrity face for one of the front running, weight loss brands.  While studying weight loss and nutrition on one of my college essays, I researched the trends in weight loss including companies like Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and NutriSystem.  In my research, I found that WW had the highest success rate because it was a program that allowed for flexibility and for its customers to eat "real" food instead of processed foods that its users could not sustain over long periods of time.  

Another hats-off to WW for gaining Jess as a spokesperson because I know she has the willpower to transform before our eyes...uh, I know we all remember her role as Daisy Duke!!  Sickening!!  Ha!

Also, my aunt and cousin have lost a combined 60lbs so far on the WW program, so if you're struggling to find what may work for you, Jessica may be on to something!  

I say first and foremost, find what works for YOU!  We live in a world of quick-fix diets and we all want the easy way to lose weight and get healthy.  But we must keep in mind, it takes hard work and dedication to see lasting results and to truly change your life.  Famous people are going to make it look easy

 because ...well, they are famous!  Ha!  But it's something you work at each and every day!  

Push yourself and you'll find yourself doing things that you never thought possible!  

Ever add CRUNCH to your LUNCH??

Try layering a wrap with sunflower seeds, chia seeds, or flaxseed?  It adds crunch to an ordinary wrap and it adds some extra flavor!  I layered sliced turkey, avocado, lettuce and slivered purple onion with some chia and sunflower seeds to this low-carb, high fiber tortilla!  Mmmm!   

Although I have been sticking to a smoothie for lunch, this was a nice change! 

We made a difficult decision this weekend...

I think it all comes back to myself and my insecurities from being an overweight, inactive teen and I DO NOT want that for my children...ever!  Since Jake was 3, I have placed him in soccer, t-ball, and now football.  I have to stop thinking that if he's not overly involved in sports, he'll grow up unhealthy like I did.  Shame on me as a mother...

Although he looked super handsome in his football gear, football is NOT for him at this age.  He's 110% boy, loves to be outside and loves to be rough and tough...however, he tends to analyze himself and allows his timid and shy behavior to get in the way.  Like with baseball, now that he has confidence, he's amazing!  Hits 45mi/hr pitches and can strike his Momma and Daddy out when pitching!  From the beginning, he loved football and still does...in our backyard.  When he would hit the field, he would tense up and make himself a nervous wreck about doing the right thing, making the right move and it came to a point where he was no longer smiling on the field, only worried about doing something right or wrong.  It was hard to watch, especially when these kids are 5 and 6, different maturity levels, the kids that had their dads out there were getting all of the special attention.  At his age and with his personality, he needs assurance that he's doing something right and it wasn't there.  It's SO hard to see your kid, knowing he has SO much potential, not being able to show it because he feels nervous or afraid.  It's the worst feeling as a parent...the worst.  

It was NOTHING like I had imagined.  I had heard all of the bad rumors about sports...once your kids get into them you realize who your friends are, who is there just to see their kid succeed and so on.  BUT I never realized it would be as bad as it was and for a kid like Jake, he's not ready for all that.  He's extremely athletic, so I'm not sure why I pushed him to do this?  

We decided to pull him.  Yes, some would say we QUIT and you can say whatever you want, it was THE best decision for our family.  We enjoy running, camping, playing basketball at our house...we keep our family active, so I'm not sure why I felt so rushed to put him into so many organized sports.  ??  So I'm asking all of you...

What's your experience with sports and your children?  

For personal reasons, I have a complex that if children aren't THE best in sports, they'll end up the way I did...overweight, inactive and unhealthy.  

BUT I must remind myself that I'm setting the example, the standard for our family and we are active, we eat healthy and I won't allow my children to feel lost when it comes to their health.  EVER.  I think I need to let go of my insecurities that I felt growing up and just let my kids, BE KIDS!  They are happy, full of energy boys that we love SO much and I shouldn't ask for anything more.  

She's BACK

Jillian's BACK...and taking on childhood obesity!

photo source

The Season 14 premiere (January) will feature, for the first time ever, children ages 13-17 who are overweight/obese.  She will be tackling the issue of childhood obesity and this growing epidemic as she does best...by giving them a reality check that is much needed.  

I love Jillian!  Growing up as an overweight teen herself she's been in their shoes, she has the training to back it up and she's ready to end this problem in America.  

Our children are out of shape, eating over-sized portions, raiding vending machines full of high calorie/high fat items, drinking sugary sodas instead of water and milk, the list goes on and on!  It makes me ANGRY as a parent, former teacher, and as a girl who struggled with weight most of my life.  I'm very glad that Biggest Loser is using its fame and popularity for a great cause.  One that is truly close to my heart and something I strive to teach and help my children with each and every day!  

I want our children and all children to want to lead healthy lifestyles, to be active, to know good vs. not-so-great foods and know portion control-a very big problem with our youth!  We are an active family and I know that if we practice what we preach to them, they will hopefully adapt our behaviors for a lifetime!  It is something our family works on every day and I hope other families will find motivation to do the same through Biggest Loser Season 14!  Can't wait!

What about you...what do you think about Jillian joining BL again to tackle childhood obesity?

Today's Lunch, compliments of Chiquita!  Yummmm...

• 2   whole Chiquita Bananas (best with brown flecks on peel)
• 2   cups Ice
• 1/3   cup Yogurt - preferably Greek yogurt flavored with honey
• 1/2   cup Cooked oatmeal
• 1/3   cup Almonds

Today's Workout:  2.5 mile power walk outdoors...and the reason it was 2.5 was because the heat was outta control today!  Yesterday was a great run, just myself and my iPod jamming to Let's Go-Ne Yo and Whistle-Flo Rida!  Whew, it felt good!  

I'm (NOT) patiently waiting for cooler temps, but I'll take ANY workout...because any workout is better than NO workout!  

And will Fall approaching, we are ready to plant our fall garden!  Yay!  The boys have been looking forward to this for months now and we're finally ready!  We are thinking green beans, lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, and maybe some peppers and tomatoes!  I think a garden is a great way to teach your family about healthy eating!  They will love learning about the different fruits and veggies and they'll take pride in eating something they helped grow!  My younger son, the picky eater, enjoys veggies from our garden because he's watched it grow so that definitely makes me happy!  Last fall, he tasted zucchini and green beans from our garden and he now eats them regularly!  Woohoo!  

Fall garden?  Have you ever planted a garden?  It's a great thing to create as a family...give it a try!  There are TONS of websites that will show you what will grow best in your climate, so enjoy and have fun growing healthy foods with your family this season :-)

Bring your Friends!

Fun, party-like 5K races are super popular...all over the world!  You've probably seen them advertised in your cities too.  They are designed for participants to have fun while exercising and for that reason, I LOVE these races!!!

Looking for some great Fall motivation, then bring your friends along for some of these super fun races in your area...

The BEST part, they don't have to be elite runners to have fun and enjoy a great workout with ya!  You'll probably help motivate and encourage your friends to give running a try, ya never know...

At the top of my list,

The Color Run

The Original Mud Run

Dirty Girl Mud Run

5K Foam Fest

Some tips to keep in mind for these type of events, 

• KEEP IT FUN!
• BRING YOUR FRIENDS...AND THEIR FRIENDS, AND ya get the idea!
• BRING YOUR NON-RUNNER FRIENDS TOO!  This would be a great way to show them how much fun 5K and 10K races can be!

*I'm hoping that soon I can take my own advice and finally run one of these races...trouble is as soon as The Color Run opened in our area, it SOLD OUT :-( bummer.  So one more piece of advice, 

• BE PROMPT when signing up!  They are popular races, so when they come to a place near you, BE PREPARED to sign up as soon as registration opens...I learned that lesson the hard way!  Boo.  

What FUN races are on your fall race calendar?

This recipe looks like a great one to keep on hand when you're in the mood to bake or to satisfy that sweet tooth without totally blowing your healthy diet...  

recipe from HellaWella.com

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 cup of oat flour
• 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder
• 1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 6 to 8 packets of Truvia
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Pace bananas in a mixing bowl and mix until you have a pudding-like texture.
3. Add all remaining ingredients, except nuts, to bowl and mix well.
4. Carefully fold nuts into batter.
5. Prepare an 8-inch-by-inch Pyrex dish by spraying it with a nonstick spray.
6. Evenly place batter in dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is completely cooked.
7. Cut into 12 squares and enjoy 3 to 4 squares for a well-rounded, on-the-go breakfast!

Brittany Davila is the author of LittleBsHealthyHabits.com, which follows her as she strives to live a clean, fit lifestyle. She shares lots of clean eating recipes and workouts, and gives glimpses into her everyday life, hoping others will recognize you don’t have to be a fitness model or competitor to live a fit life. She is just a normal girl that works 40-plus hours a week but chooses to make fitness and health a top priority.

Visit Brittany on Facebook or Twitter.