NRM: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

So you know that scene in Forrest Gump where Bubba names all the things you can do with shrimp? That's kind of how I feel about hummus. Rarely does a day go by that I don't have hummus at least once. I love it in my wraps, as a snack with raw veggies, and I've been known to make my one-year-old hummus/avocado sandwiches (which he loves). Because we eat so much hummus in this house, we go through it quickly. Homemade hummus is fresh, easy, cost efficient, and eliminates the chance of unwanted "extra" ingredients. For New Recipe Monday, I thought I would share with you my go-to hummus recipe. This recipe is based off a recipe given to me by my sister-in-law, Emily, and we love it! As a matter of fact, after I made this batch, I had my three-year-old, Landon, taste it and he immediately requested I put some on a piece of bread for him. Hope you love it as much as Lando!

ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS

Ingredients:
2 15oz cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbl tahini
3 garlic cloves, quartered
1 roasted red bell pepper*
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
Juice of 1 medium-sized lemon

(sorry, pepper, you didn't make the photo shoot)

Put all ingredients in a food processor and combine until smooth. That's it!

Eat however you like and bon appétit!

*You can get your roasted bell pepper from a jar or roast your own (I usually roast my own, but buying jarred is convenient). To roast a red bell, cut it in half lengthwise, and get rid of ribs and seeds. Flatten and place skin-side up on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 5-10 mins or until mostly blackened (no, really, there will be big black charrings on there). Place in ziplock bag for 10 mins or until cool (can place in fridge to quicken this step). Peel blackened skin off and voila- you have a roasted red bell pepper!

NRM: Protein Pancakes!

**Err... New Recipe Tuesday? Sorry for the delay, but these are worth it!

After seeing these "pancakes" in a Huffington Post article titled, "Healthy Breakfast Ideas: What Nutrition Experts Eat in the Morning," I had to give them a try. The recipe is given as if it serves one, but personally, I think it's perfect for two (or one mama, and two babes). And, guys- IT'S DELICIOUS!! I give it a 10!

PROTEIN PANCAKES
Serves 1-2 people

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
2 eggs
1 Tbl. natural peanut butter (I'm sure any nut butter would work)
sprinkle of cinnamon
drop of vanilla

Optional toppings:
peanut butter
blueberries (I wish I had some!!)
Pure maple syrup (for the kiddos)


1) Mash banana in bowl.

2) Add eggs and mix.

3) Add peanut butter, cinnamon, and vanilla and mix.

Looks a little like this:

4) Spray a pan with cooking spray and turn heat onto Med. Low.  Add about half of the "batter" (about a 1/3 cup) and cook just under 3 mins a side. Do the same for remaining batter.

5) Bam!!!

All three of us gobbled these down. They were so good. I topped mine with a little more peanut butter, but next time, I hope to only top with a small handful of blueberries :)

Bon appétit!

I Just Want to Be Normal!

Recently there has been a bit of speculation about what/how I eat. I think people see a picture of a salad I'm having for lunch (because, yes, I'm a bit obsessed with photographing food), and assume that means I'm not "eating carbs" or that I am on the Paleo diet. I've even had people tell me what my diet must be, without ever asking me directly what I eat. So here it is. I'm just going to lay it all out there for ya.

**Please recognize that this is the way I choose to eat. I am not saying that what is right for me, is right for everyone.

First off, I eat 5-6 times a day. I've been told by multiple RDs, nutritionists, and/or health buffs that people are built to eat every 3 hours or so. As soon as I started to not feel guilty about the obvious hunger I was feeling between meals and began preparing myself healthy, nutritious snacks, my overeating at mealtime took care of itself and I didn't walk around like a crazy lady all hungry and grouchy all the time. I'm a pretty routine person and my eating schedule looks something like this:

6:00am- Breakfast

9:00am- Snack

12:00pm- Lunch

3:00pm-Snack
6:00- Dinner

8:00pm- Snack

While this is definitely subject to change, this is more or less when I eat every day. No really, my stomach tells me when snack time is coming. (Does this make me like Pavlov's dogs?)

Right now, I try and eat foods that give me more bang for my buck. Meaning, I eat foods that have fiber, protein, or a meal that combines the two. It's scientifically proven that foods that have a lot of nutrients but fewer calories help us lose weight - and mother nature went ahead and took care of what that entails.

So, "what" do I eat? First and foremost, I eat fruits and veggies. I pretty much have at least a fruit or veggie in every meal/snack I eat. The only exception is when I am on the run and have a snack of just nuts. I love a colorful plate, and the color is mostly from nutritious, fiber-rich fruits and veggies.

I eat lean meats like turkey, chicken breast, and lean cuts of pork. Love fish, although avoid high mercury seafood like swordfish. I don't avoid red meat, but I'd say I have it about 1-2 times a month and really watch portions. I don't eat bacon or cured meats. There are a lot of people who speak up for bacon, but my thinking is if it's a red meat that is more than half fat and often processed, I can find a better option.

I love me some beans. You can probably tell, considering they have ended up in just about every recipe on here. Currently, I have a fondness for lentils (droooooool). And I don't think a day passes that I don't eat nuts.

Bread, wraps, english muffins, tortillas are all okay in my book, I just buy "whole grain" and try to find options with few ingredients, or in the very least, ingredients that I can pronounce. I am at a point where white flour products don't even taste good to me, so sticking to whole grain isn't really a challenge. I am trying to "expand my repertoire" a bit in the whole grain department. Quinoa, oats, [enter popular grain here] I eat all the time, but am yet to try a bulgar recipe (NRM?).

When possible, I buy organic. I feel most strongly about buying organic when it comes to produce, milk, and meat. But overall, this household buys mostly organic. To me, organic even tastes better. And while I used to think that the lowest fat was the only option, I'm learning now that natural fats are things our body needs, it's the factory-produced fats to be really weary of. This leads me to...

Processed foods. I would say that I try to keep processed foods to a minimum. The more I learn, the easier it is getting to identify over-processed, and seek out more natural options. But I am still learning. Artificial sweetener was one of the hardest additives to drop. The very last habit being Diet Coke, which started from a young age. Once I rid my body of artificial sweetener, I truly started feeling good. Once in awhile, I'll steal a sip, and I can't believe how "chemically" it tastes to me. I drank it for so long- weird.

And now the big finale, ready?! I'm not perfect! And guess what?! I don't want to be! I just want to be normal.  I want a normal relationship with food. I will never say something is completely off limits (yes, even bacon) because as soon as I do, it's all I want. Instead, I try to eat a wide variety of healthy, delicious foods MOST of the time. I do a great job of eating healthy, but eating is a social thing and we don't have 100% control all of the time. So instead of feeling guilty, I try and choose the best option available and allow myself to indulge here and there. As soon as I let go of the guilt- guilt over snacking, guilt over having chocolate at a party, guilt over anything pertaining to food, really- THAT'S when change happened... and I have never felt better.

I just want to be normal when it comes to food, and I wish you all normalcy, as well.

Please feel free to leave me a message, if you have questions. 

UPDATE: I realized after I posted this I left out eggs! I love me some eggs. Especially, organic brown eggs. I don't go overboard, though, and stick to 1 whole egg a day or 2 at most. This is only based on the information given from a R.D. I heard speak at a conference- egg yolks are power-packed of nutrients, but can be a little high in fat. Egg whites are wonderful, though, and don't need the same reservations as yolks. Eat eggs :)

Happy Workout Wednesday!

ACE, or American Council on Exercise, has declared today Workout Wednesday. In an attempt to get people moving before the big day of eating, they encourage us all to get out and burn some calories! In the article they remind us that an average Thanksgiving meal is 3,000 calories!!! Yowza! Don't over-think it, just get out and get moving! Every calorie burned helps.

Just in case you need a little direction, below is a "Thanksgiving Burn" interval workout you can try. Keep moving and the intensity high! Interval training is a great way to burn more calories in less time. Also, I picked exercises that I think most people are familiar with, and they don't take anything but you and a chair (you want a hard chair like one from the kitchen table)! Put on some good tunes and get to work!

**Please note that this workout is for those without injury and who are in good-standing health. 

THANKSGIVING BURN

1 minute each exercise, do each round twice. Give yourself a 30 second break in between rounds to recover (try and move from exercise to exercise with little to no break).

**With a 3 minute warm-up and cool down, this should take approximately 30 minutes**

NRM: Taco Dump!

This Crock-pot recipe is easy, delicious, nutritious, and a real family-pleaser. While the name isn't exactly attractive, I named it that because all you do is dump everything in. It's so easy, in fact, that I feel like I'm cheating using it for New Recipe Monday. But after making and eating it last night, my husband reassured me that he really does love this meal. Alright, you ready for a meal that may just make your life easier? Here we go!

TACO DUMP

Serving Size: Food for Days

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts (can sub pork tenderloins, which is what is pictured)

2 bell peppers, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cans black beans 

Salsa (about a small jar's worth)

Taco Seasoning, 1 packet (if you only have a big container, I would just say a hearty amount)

Healthy tortillas (optional)

Optional Toppings:

Shredded cheese (the boys in my house would not call this "optional")

Avocado, slices or chunks

Hot Sauce (I would not consider this optional!!)

"Dump" all ingredients in the Crock-pot and cook on low for 6.5-8 hours. I always set mine for 7 hours:

Before shredding, it will look something like this (and your house will smell wonderful):

30 minutes before cooking time is up, take 2 forks and shred the meat:

Wrap in healthy corn or whole wheat flour tortillas (try and find ones with few ingredients that you can pronounce!), eat as chili, or put over cooked brown rice. Personally, I like mine as chili with hot sauce and sometimes an 1/8 of an avocado. The boys like them as tacos with cheese sprinkled on top.

Lando's taco last night:

Note: You could cook this on high for half the time, but I have found that cooking meat on high in the crock-pot makes it a little tougher. But in a pinch, it works!

I Do It For Their Health

There is a funny conundrum that comes along with deciding to provide your children with healthy, whole foods, and limiting or avoiding processed foods: others who choose a different lifestyle can take personal offense and feel attacked. It's a difficult situation. I sometimes feel like I have to tread lightly when I decline a certain food for my kids that someone else may be feeding theirs at the exact moment. But please understand, I am by NO MEANS judging you for what you feed your child, I just choose to do otherwise for mine.

The author of one blog that I follow, 100daysofrealfood.com, recently found herself under attack when it came out that her child was sneakily eating junk food at school. For some reason, people saw this as an opportunity to reprimand her for feeding her children only whole foods (with an occasional treat). "Restriction will only have the opposite effect" and all that jazz.  She received about 3,000 comments on her Facebook page about what I would consider a personal family matter. However, beautifully, instead of caving under the negativity of the moment, she found some really amazing positivity. Amongst the ugly things being posted, there were comments of reassurance. People with significant health issues wishing that they had learned the importance of a healthy diet when they were young. [Read the post entitled, "Raising Our Children on a Healthy Diet is Not Going to Ruin Them" HERE.]

 Lando the Monkey

Park the Veggie Monster

This brings me to why a choose to feed my children a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. What I want for my kids is that when they grow up, eating healthy, nutritious food is a no-brainer. Grabbing an apple and dipping it in sunflower butter is a snack they choose because it is delicious, satisfying, and they know it will give them nutrients they need. To me, it's like choosing to teach your children a second language at an early age. When you start them young the language is embedded in them. It becomes second nature and they don't have to over-think it like those who learn a second language later in life (like me in high school Spanish, "What is the word for food?" Oh, como. No, no that's not it.... Ah! Comida. Right!").  Eating healthy is what they know, what they like, and so, inevitably, what they do.

Parenting is about the hardest job around. We are all doing our best. I would never put someone down for what they feed their child, that's their business. I'm not perfect and I'm still learning, but I also will never stop trying to offer my children healthy, whole foods. I am teaching my kids so much right now: how to count to 20, how to sing the alphabet, how to use the potty, how not to put dirty shoes in their mouth (talking to you, Parker). And I also am teaching them to eat delicious, healthful foods that will set them up for a life of good health.

My "Miracle" Transformation.. in Minutes

Yesterday a friend posted THIS article on Facebook about how one Australian Personal Trainer did her own debunking of those notorious "transformation" pictures we see in ads for diet pills, miracle cleanses, and/or any other generally unhealthy approach to weight loss. With a few quick appearance and lighting changes, her "transformation" took her 15 minutes. Well, I just found the whole thing too tempting and had to try out my own "Before and After" shots.  So here it is, my "miracle" transformation:

While I am not in the habit of posting pics of myself with a shirt off, you still get a really good idea of just how deceiving these ads can be. And, people, mine took minutes. So what did I do? Here is a quick list:

• Before pic is slightly zoomed in to make me appear bigger.
• Messy, unkept hair with some pieces in face in the before pic. In the after, I put my hair down (if I was really going for it, I would have straightened it).
• Frumpy shirt in unflattering color in the before, and dark, tight-fitting exercise tank in the after.
• A little belly push-out in the before. Add "skinny arm" to after shot.
• Cover face slightly in before, and a big, confident smile in the after. 
• White phone case in the before pic, case off in the after.

That was it! There is my miracle transformation. And that's how ads sell people on the quick fix. It's maddening, really. It was just too easy!

The truth is, my real health journey started 8+ years ago. It started with an interest in running. The more I ran, the more I began to see the effects unhealthy foods had on the way I felt. I began eating healthier, cleaner, and did some good ol' fashion sweating. Now I try to eat as little of processed foods as I can, and I work out 6 days a week. My real transformation is one that I am proud of... and it didn't take 5 minutes.

Note: The article I linked above was based on another article from the Huffington Post. Click HERE to read that one.

Always Learning, Always Growing

There's something about me that you may or may not know. I love learning! My parents have referred to me as the "chronic student" and I can't disagree. I always want to know more. 

Beyond this, I've never been happier doing what I'm doing right now. You know how life never quite happens the way you expect? That's how I feel about my current life as a fitness instructor. If I hadn't met Nate, I wouldn't have been as into enjoying a healthier life (SO lucky to have such a supportive man in my life). If we hadn't got married, I wouldn't have had my children. Had I not had children, I wouldn't have joined Stroller Strides. No stroller strides, no career in fitness. See what I mean? But I love what I'm doing right now, so much so I want to know more- NEED to know more!

What's next? This weekend I signed up to take the test to be a NASM - CPT. In short, for the next 6 months or so, I will be studying my buns off so that I can pass the test to become a nationally certified personal trainer. Exciting? Yes! Nerve-Racking? Yup! These things can get pretty darn expensive, and I've opted to go the least expensive, self-study route. That means success is all in my hands :)

As I study, I can't wait to share some of the things I am learning. Already, some of the percentages reflecting the health of this country is shocking... and makes me feel like I'm right where I should be.

NRM: Pumpkin Chili

I know what you're thinking, Another pumpkin recipe?! Well, in short, yes. I can't help it, it's everywhere right now and, BONUS, it's good for you! Naturally low fat and packed with vitamins and minerals, so there. That's why.

I found this PUMPKIN CHILI recipe on Pinterest and wasn't sure what to expect. But in the end, we all really liked it. I loved that it incorporated both black beans and garbanzo beans (which are often mentioned as a great food to give the kiddos). The chili had great flavor and was SUPER hearty. A great soup to dish up on a cold, winter's night :)

Some changes you may want to consider:

• Adding meat! I will definitely add lean ground turkey the next time I make this. I happened to have some cooked ground turkey that I mixed in with some leftover chili and it made the chili even better.
• Add more veggies! I don't see why this recipe didn't have at least a bell pepper in there, but I will for sure add 1 or 2 next time. 

Notes from recipe maker to heed:

• Double it. Definitely double this recipe. Some of the ingredients make more sense doubled too.  For example, if you double you will use a whole can of Garbanzo beans and not have a half a can sitting around getting forgotten in the back of the fridge (am I the only one who does this?). Also, the leftovers were delicious! I love having an easy meal, just a heat-up away.
• Watch your spicing! She recommends testing as you go, and I agree. I didn't have to double the spice at all. And if you're wondering, I used only 1 Tbl. cumin & 1 Tbl. of chili powder for my doubled recipe. Because the kids eat what we eat, we often add spice to ours at the table with good ol' hot sauce.

Hope you enjoy this Fall fabulous chili :)

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

So, I've been on a little pumpkin kick lately. I don't know why, but I've just wanted to find some dishes that incorporate the delicious, naturally low fat, nutrient-packed food. And it's so readily available right now!

When I woke up this morning, I immediately wanted to make pumpkin oatmeal. I began searching on Pinterest, but didn't really find MY perfect recipe. With you all in mind, I made my own! And guess what?! It's Deeeee-lish! I hope you all enjoy :)

PUMPKIN SPICE OATMEAL
Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup water
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 Tbl. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch cloves

Toppings:
1/2 banana, sliced
chopped walnuts

In saucepan, bring water to boil. Add oats and bring back to boil and then reduce heat to simmer until cooked and water is mostly gone. Add pumpkin and maple syrup and stir. Stir in spices. Take off heat and transfer to serving bowls. Top with banana and walnuts. Devour.

This was so good, nutritious and filling. I'm sitting here waiting for my husband to wake up just so I can feed it to him (He is the one who turned me on to pumpkin in the first place). Some of you might find you need a little more maple syrup for sweetness, but I find by having the fresh banana I don't need to add it. Also, those who like their oatmeal creamy, may want to add a little milk of your choosing.

Bon appétit!!

Remembering to Take Care of Me

This morning at around 3:45am, I found myself crying. Just crying. My youngest, Parker, has been waking up at 4:45am for the day and with my husband traveling for work, that means I, too, have been waking up at 4:45am for the day.. everyday. But this morning, I don't know if it was sheer exhaustion or the utter disbelief that my son could be taking one more precious hour out of my "hopeful" 6 hours I get a night, but I broke down a bit. I'm not normally a crier, but today I did.  Clearly, it's time to remind myself of something important. Something that everyone could use of some reminding, and especially mothers: I need to take care of myself.

It's often believed that as a parent taking care of yourself, or even putting yourself first in some instances, is selfish. Here is the problem with that thinking: if I am not 100%, heck, if I'm not even 60%, how in the world can I expect to give my children 100%? During my Body Back training, Farel Hruska used a great example that has stuck in my mind. Every time we fly we are told that in case of emergency, put our own oxygen masks on first before we help others. If we aren't taking care of ourselves, we can't fully take care of others.

For some, this may come in the form of eating the right things that will fuel your body and give you the energy to attack your day. For others, it could be the need to get out of the house and get moving to give yourself a dose of happy endorphins and beat the feeling of lethargy. But for me, I need to remember to rest. And, for now, that might even mean getting in bed at 9pm. Maybe even try to nap (already my body is asking what a nap is)! Whatever way, shape or form, I need rest.

Today I am luckily. After an hour or so, Parker fell back asleep and my next "alarm clock" (aka the three year old) didn't wake me up until 6:15. Also, my husband gets back today and will help relieve some of the nightly duties and early morning wake-ups. I know I will catch a break soon, but that shouldn't leave the lesson unlearned. In short, I have to remember to take care of me.

Random side note: It's always times like these that I think of friends, acquaintances  or complete strangers who are a single parent, have partners in the military, or loved ones who are gone for far longer stretches than a week here or there. I just want to say, YOU ARE ALL AMAZING! I can't imagine doing what you are doing every day. 

NRM: Banana Muffin Larabar Bites!

What the heck is NRM, you say? New Recipe Monday! You should all know by now that I love to cook, and I've found one of my newest hobbies is searching Pinterest and other sites for healthy recipes to try out. So, I thought, why not include you all in my trials?

This first installment was brought about by a single, delicious-looking picture posted on Facebook. A fellow Strides instructor posted the link and I was sold. I LOVE Larabars and I happened to have had a couple of very ripe bananas sitting around that I feared would go wasted. They definitely did not get wasted. I give this recipe two thumbs up!

***NOTE: This is not my own recipe. It was taken from HERE. Please click link for full recipe.

All it took was 2 cups of raw almonds, 11 seeded medjool dates, and 2 small ripe bananas (recipe called for one, but mine were small).

And what's a recipe without pics :)

Simple, whole foods - I love it!

Makes such a pretty "dough":

Rolled in balls and ready to set in the fridge:

Okay, maybe I didn't wait the appropriate time to let it set, but I still think it looks as delicious as it tastes:

Bon Appétit!

UPDATE - This recipe is kid-tested, kid-approved. Lando says, "Yummy!"

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Slight Change

Some of you may have noticed (although, more probably, none of you noticed) that I made a slight change in this blog's description. What used to read, "one girl's choice to be fit for life," now reads, "one mama's choice.." When I started this blog some 4 years ago, calling myself a girl was fitting. I was newly married and really only had to think of my own health. But I am not that "girl" anymore. Sure, I could have changed it to "woman," but no, I am more than that. I am a mom. I very much take pride in that title and I work hard at it every day. There are two little ones eating what I feed them and looking at my examples to help them navigate this world.

So that's why I made the change. A slight change with big implications.

Body Back Certified!

Last Saturday I accomplished something I've wanted to do for long time - I became a Body Back Professional. The training was head by Fit4Mom's National Fitness Expert, in-house motivator, and all around awesome, Farel Hruska.  With tons of information, 3 tough workouts, I left sore, exhausted... and completely empowered.

Farel's approach to the training was to not only inform on the "how" and "why," but to let the trainees experience the power of Body Back by doing a little mini-session through the day. After intros and first part of lecture, we headed to our "assessments." The Body Back program starts and finishes with these assessments, and although Farel didn't consider it one of our workouts, I definitely did! WooWee! 

Here is a little peek into our assessment. I'm the one in pink.... j/k. You'll find me doing sit-ups to the left.

Part of the assessment is to hold a plank for as long as you can. One of the mamas (because, yes, we are all mamas) held a plank for about 8 minutes. 8 minutes!! Talk about being surrounded by a group of inspiring women! Later, Bre "the plank master" told me, "Yeah, I do a 5 minute plank everyday before I go to bed." See, inspiring.

After a little more lecturing and a little break, we went out to our GRUELING traveling workout. In short, ouch. This workout was so physically demanding it was mentally exhausting. But when those negative, good-for-nothing thoughts arrived, Farel was there to ask, "Who is talking to you: your gremlin or your goddess?" We pushed on.

One point of this workout was a sprint up "Pride Hill." I happen to love the picture below. I will hold it dear for motivation in the future. Me and the other trainees on "Pride Hill":

The day continued with more information, more workouts, and, inevitably more motivation. I don't know if it's the Fit4Mom corporate office, the one and only Farel Hruska, or being surrounded by like-minded, amazing, and inspiring moms, but every time I leave a training I feel so empowered that I truly believe I can conquer anything. Body Back training was no different.

And now it's my turn. I can't wait to begin a new journey as a Body Back Professional. I hope to inspire and be inspired on this new path. Body Back truly has that effect. Motivation is contagious!

Our group of amazing trainees, to which I say, "WE DID IT!"

The Dreaded "Maintenance"

Well, I did it. I had two kids, and both times lost all of the weight I gained, plus a little more. My motivation was there, my goal in sight, and I did it. Yeah, great. What now?

Maintenance. Ugh. The no end in sight, but still need to keep momentum: maintenance. It's not that I hate working out and eating healthy. That's definitely not it. But it is hard to be strict, but not too strict. Be consistent, but allow enough leniency to not burn out. And the truth of the matter is, I'm still learning. I'm right in the middle of trying to find my "happy place" in health and fitness.  Let's look back to a few months ago.

Late June I completed a program associated with Fit4Mom (previously named Stroller Strides). The program, Body Back, included goal setting, food journaling, intense workouts, as well as accountability. In short, the program rocked. Through the program, I got down to my lowest weight in years (possibly ever) and really felt like I could do or achieve anything. Here is my "before and after" photo:

Flash-forward to now and I am looking more like my before picture and less like my after. So what happened? Life. After the program it wasn't an immediate jump back, but a much more gradual "undoing." A little more bread here. A couple more sweets there. And, now, here I am.  I'm not mad at myself, but clearly, my maintenance has not been as successful as I hoped.

As monotonous as the word "maintenance" sounds, for me, it looks more like a constant up and down. I will figure it out. I will live life happy and healthy, but I want that to include being in my best shape (aka my after picture). I know to get closer to my "after" I need to cut my refined sugars, I need to eat as close to nature as possible, and I need to bring intensity to my workouts. I'm not saying that every day everyone should be killing themselves with sprints, weights. and plyo-craziness. But should you have a high intensity work out at least twice a week? Probably.

I am excited to announce that in two weeks I will be getting Body Back certified. I figure becoming an instructor can only help me understand why the program I loved was so successful in changing my and other people's health and bodies for the better. With a certification, I can better help coach and inspire others to achieve their own heath goals.  And I can't wait.

In the meantime, off I go into battle, armed and ready for this war I've raged against the dreaded "maintenance." If you're in your own battle today, I wish you luck, as well.

Getting Back to It

After a looong sabbatical, I'm here to say that I have every intention of getting back to it. Although I don't  feel as though this blog is one many read, and at times I am nervous to write how I really feel about living a healthy lifestyle (I don't want to step on anyone's toes and worry of sounding too preachy), I do feel that this blog deserves a chance to achieve it's true purpose - to inspire. Therefore, I'm going to give it another shot. Stay tuned for what should be an honest (a possibly lengthy) update.

Showin' 30 What's Up!

*** I know it's been awhile and I've fallen of the blogging boat, but I'm just gonna act like I was never gone ;)

I did it! I ran the Surf City Half Marathon in my hometown on my 30th birthday!  I'd be lying if I said it went as planned (in short, I went out way too hard and paid for it the last 5 miles), but I finished under 2:00 which seems to be an average for me.

Instead of focusing on the negative, I have to say what I AM happy about. First off, I trained my little buns off. I followed my training, and even added more cross and yoga on my non-running days. And, I finished! All things considered, I look back on the race happy with what I achieved.

 And, of course, what's a blog without pics.

Oh, heeeey!

 
 Finished!!

 

While I don't have any half marathons scheduled for now, I do have some new and exciting things on the horizon and I look forward to sharing them all with you :) Stay tuned for more!

Resolution Run - 15k

Sunday I completed my first 15k here in San Diego. I used this run as a training tool for my upcoming Surf City Half Marathon and to test the waters in the pace department. Now, even though I run a lot, I still don't necessarily think of myself as a runner. Instead, I'd say I'm a soccer player who likes to run. That said, I don't have the background in running races like some might. Basically, I've had to teach myself how to hold a pace and sustain it. More recently, however, I've realized that I can run a lot faster than I give myself credit for. Speed, I'm learning, is about 75% mental.

This epiphany came before last Sunday so I went into the race with the goal of keeping under an 8:30 pace. Well, the Garmin doesn't lie:

I ran all 9.3 miles at an average pace of 8:18- goal achieved! I am proud of myself and feel like I'm even more excited for my upcoming half. Training for the half has been going well and I'm finding that I'm more motivated than ever for Surf City. It's a perfect blend of motivation - my 30th birthday in my hometown. I can't wait for February 3rd!

New Year, Same Me

Every new year is a time when people decide that THIS is the year they are going to change this, that, or the other thing. Often times, goals are set that are meant to motivate, but do the opposite. Choosing measurable goals ("I am going to weigh 130 by September") that are not achieved can leave a person feeling as though they have failed ("I only got down to 132"). Therefore, when thinking about making your resolutions this year, please choose ones that 1) do not put your "old" self down ("I'm gonna get my big butt movin'") and 2) are unmeasurable goals to a healthier you ("I'm going to eat more green vegetables."). If you're wondering, this year I do have a resolution - it's the same as it was last year and probably the same it will be next year: this year I will be the healthiest person I can be :)

HAPPY 2013!