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!