Reflections...

As I sip on my herbal detox tea, I reflect on the monthly accomplishments God has allowed me to achieve. Today, I completed 40.11 miles for the month (last month I did 23 miles) and I am BEYOND overjoyed!!! My goal for this month was 30 miles and I have surpassed that with another week to spare. I am so grateful for the encouragement of family & friends and for the "nuggets" of inspiration God gives me everyday.

These inspirational nuggets come in many shapes and forms... This morning, after dropping the kids off, I saw this guy who was quite overweight (not being rude... just describing him) heavily wrapped in a coat, scarf, sweater hat and gloves.  As I sat at the stop light I could see the grimmise on his face as he wobbled from side to side, breathing heavily, as he powerwalked in the cold. I immediately began to feel his pain and see his will/determination to get through his workout!  He was giving it his all despite the pain, cold weather and extra weight.  So, what is my excuse???  NOTHING!!! 

What keeps me from going hard during every workout is the fact that my life depends on it!  My kids are worth it... my hubby deserves it and GOD requires it!!  I'm working hard at building my temple.  We only get one life and very few chances to get things right.  I don't ever want to end my workout feeling like I didn't give it my all.  I asked God to bless that man who gave me my morning nugget of inspiration.  He doesn't know it but he was a blessing to me!!!  I can only pray that my healthier lifestyle/habits can be a blessing to others.  

From this point on I will continue to go hard, set higher goals and cry less tears in the process.... Soooo blessed!!!

My "Nugget of Motivation" for today :)

Tennis: My absolute FAVORITE sport!!! I looove long rally's. Who has what it takes to outlast their opponent? Who will surrender in the end? Who has more endurance? What shot can you pull from your selection to give you the victory in the end? Can you tough it out while blocking out the pain? Allll of these thoughts apply to me when i'm gettin' in my workout. I'm in it for the long haul... building this temple to last!!! I grow stronger in the places I am broken and trust me, there has been some brokenness... you know what that means? Stay tuned :)

It's the PASSION... the WILL... the GRIND... the DESIRE.... All of these things and so much more! The Williams' (in their prime) show all of these characteristics. I just love it! The screams, grunts, fist pumps, sweat, athleticism.... gives me chills! Rafa has that too... Roger shows me the importance of the mental toughness one must have in order to dominate your opponent (or any obastacle in life). It's also about skill, preparation, tactics, exposure of your opponents weaknesses.... I could go on for days!!! I just loooooove it! I apply these things to my workouts and boy am I seeing and feeling the benefits! I'm going to get my workout in right now and I WELCOME the pain and discomfort... I rejoice when I overcome it :)

If you put in the WORK, your body will hold up long enough for you to be victorious in the end!!!! Hard work pays off :)

Hubby is coming HOME!!!!

Ok, most of you know that hubby travels once every month out of the country.... well, he's been away for 1 week in Belgium and is now on his way home as I type!! Oh Happy Day!!  Seriously! These kids have been running me ragged and I could definitely use a break! Soooooooo, customerily we make him a "welcome home meal"... even though I have started this healthier lifestyle :). I usually let the kids choose the meal they would like for me to make. They chose good, ol fashion SPAGHETTI!!!! No problemo... So, what i'll do is make a healthier version of it which includes ground turkey and whole wheat pasta. I did, however, make a homemade garlic & parsley oil mixture to go over some italian bread with fresh mozarella and parmesan cheese. This is my first time making REAL italian garlic bread. I plan to only bake half of the loaf and freeze the other half for another meal.  For dessert we are having a homemade apple pie with vanilla ice cream! Yes, I KNOW this is not the healthiest choice but we don't eat like this weekly or monthly... this is just a little something extra for hubby. I, of course plan to have some. I have been depriving myself of sweets, fried foods, fast foods, dining out and etc... for quite some time. So, this momma is taking a break to relax and enjoy her family!!!

On another note, I had a fantastic week of work outs. I finished my week having logged in 14.11 miles and a million calories burned!!! Yay me! My goal for the month is 30 miles and so far I have successfully completed 27.11 miles and we're only halfway through the month! I am SOOOOOO proud of myself, I could burst!!!! Anyway, I pray that you all have a fantastic weekend with your family and friends. I may log back in later and post a pic of our delicious meal tonight.... we'll see!

*For the apple pie recipe go to my "cooking from the heart" page*

~blessings to you!

~Gettin' It In Wednesday~

Hellllllo all! I'm just droppping in to say how proud I am of myself for gettin' IT in during my workout today. I did 4.06 miles on my tread, burned a ton of cals and ate REALLY good today!

My motivation for today's workout came from a lady that I saw running in the rain this morning. She had rain soaked hair, mud splashed on her legs and a look of determination with every stride she took! I wanted to pull over, give her a fist pump and cheer her on. She went HARD!!!! NO EXCUSES!!!! I thought to myself "I can't wait to get home and give it my all on that treadmill!!!" One day, i'll be out there running like the wind while my natural curls slap me in the face, lol. That day is coming VERY soon!  Here is my dinner from tonight... super delicious!

Crab & Salmon Cakes, Organic Salad with Zucchini/Sweet Potato Hash

Be Encouraged!!!! If you decide to give this meal a try be sure to let me know how it turned out :)

I'm back with another delicious meal "Garlic, Lemon & Herb Salmon"

I made this meal tonight and it was delicious! I paired this salmon with a baked sweet potato and an organic mixed green salad. I'll include the recipe on this page but you can also find it under my "cooking" page as well. If you give it a try let me know how you like it. I can't wait to make it for hubby when he gets back into town :)

Btw, i'm still working on a healthier me! My workout today left me drenched in sweat with soreness all over afterward. I'll do what it takes to get to my goal :)

~Place your salmon on a sheet of foil (large enough to cover your fish)
~Season your salmon with salt, pepper and garlic powder (I crushed a garlic clove and used fresh garlic instead of garlic powder), fresh rosemary, thyme and sage (a little goes a long way)
~add a slither of butter (a pat of butter to keep your fish juicy and moist) and a slice of lemon.
~seal your fish with the foil so that no air gets in
~place it in the oven and bake it on 350 degrees for 13 minutes!

While that is baking rinse off your sweet potato, prick it with a fork (go all around your potato). Place it is a microwaveable shallow dish and add water to cover the bottom of your dish. Place your pricked sweet potato in the dish and microwave it for 3-5 minutes (depending on how quickly your microwave heats up). I would recommend that you check it after 3 minutes and rotate it. Once it's done I added a little butter, cinnamon and splenda (use any sweetener you'd like or none at all). The organic mixed green salad was purchased in bulk from my local grocery store. I just shredded some fresh carrots and added some low fat raspberry walnut dressing (also purchased from my grocery store).

THAT'S IT!!!!! Seriously it was both delicious and healthy!

Working on a healthier ME!!!

Just checking in to share a recipe for a Chicken Vegetable Soup that I made tonight. I am working on developing a healthier me so healthy eating is included in this process :). I've been researching some fun meals to make and i'm having fun adding my own twist to my dish. I've set a few goals for myself this month. I have lost 10 lbs over the past 4 weeks (22.8 lbs since Mid October) and I just want to keep it going. This past week my focus was on increasing my cardio... which I accomplished... however, my calorie intake was off quite a bit. I wasn't prepared to compensate for the extra cardio I was getting in. I found it quite difficult to get in all of my foods (based on a 1200 cal diet) and would often end the night having hundreds of calories unobtainable. This led to a slow weight loss this week. So, my goal this week is to scale back a little on the cardio/cal burn and try to make sure I get in enough nutritious meals to fuel my body. Another one of my goals it to log in 30 miles of jogging/power walking on my treadmill for the month of January. Last month I logged in 23 miles... Here are my totals so far for the week of 1/1-1/6 :
Calories Burned~ 2847
Fat Calories Burned~ 887
Miles Run/Powerwalked~ 13 miles (woo hoo)

I'm encouraged to continue this journey!!

Chicken n Vegetable Soup

Here's What You'll Need:

 ~Shredded Chicken, Cabbage, Onions, Carrots, Green Beans, Peas, Corn, Tomatoes, Celery, Low sodium chicken Stock/Salt/Pepper... topped with fresh chopped parsley~ Yum!!!

You basically bring your low sodium chicken broth and water to a boil... add a little salt, chop your cabbage (wash it thoroughly) and add it to the boiling water. After it has boiled for about 15 minutes add your mixed veggies (carrots, peas, corn, green beans), tomatoes (canned or fresh), add your celery and let it cook for 30 minutes (until your cabbage is nice and tender. Then you add your shredded chicken (i took a short cut and used a rotisserie chicken, deboned it and removed the skin), let it cook with your veggies for about 5 more minutes. Add a little more salt and pepper to your liking and top your bowl of soup off with freshly chopped parsley. ENJOY!!!

This will last me for a few days. It is very healthy and quite tasty. Give it a try and of course you can add your own twist to your dish :)

Zucchini Frittata w/ mushrooms, peppers, turkey sausage & mozzarella cheese

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  I am so blessed to see another year and I want to make the most of it! I started my day with Jillian Michaels "Ripped In 30" and then I finished up my 3.50 miles on the treadmill. My goal for this month is to log in at least 30 miles... I'm off to a great start. After my workout I made this dish for breakfast and it was super delicious. My serving size was 1/4 slice of what you see pictured. I ate this with an 8 oz glass of blueberry pomegranate cranberry juice... 295 cals!

You can make this meal even healthier by using egg whites or egg beaters and by eliminating the turkey sausage and adding spinach. Here's how you make it:

~Heat your skillet and add extra virgin olive oil... add green, red and yellow peppers along with onions, mushrooms and zucchini

~Add Turkey sausage crumbles with your sauteed veggies

~Add a little salt and pepper and let your mixture cook while you beat your eggs (3) and 2 % milk (about 3 tablespoons) together in a separate bowl. Pour your egg mixture over your veggie mixture...

~Scrape the sides and allow the runny egg mixture to fill the bottom of your skillet (do not scramble). when most of your egg mixture becomes solidified add your mozzarella or parmesan cheese.

~ After you add your cheese, put your skillet in the oven on BROIL and let the cheese melt and get a little brown... KEEP YOUR EYE ON IT!!!

~Gently remove from the skillet, sprinkle some fresh parsley on top and serve!

I hope you enjoy this meal... Tomorrow is a new day and I look forward to getting my sweat on!!! I'm down 8.4 lbs in 3 weeks... 21.2 lbs since October.... Gotta keep it up!  Ciao for now... busy week ahead :)

~blessings to you all