Biggest Loser... Bigger Realizations...

So last night was a sob fest for me on Biggest Loser. It is rare that I take time to look back. To see where I started, where I was, how I could change things, but last night struck me right where it hurt...

When I saw the overweight people of Texas walking the 5K, I was in awe of them. I was so proud to see people who so desperately wanted to change their lives that they would get out and do something so big, so far beyond their norm. I used to be one of them. My weight was no joke, but like some of them, one day I decided that I was not going to follow in the path of others before me... destined to be fat, blame it on genetics...

...and then the crusher, I mean the really ugly, uncomfortable cry where you can't catch your breath, and for a moment, you don't want to...

Did you see CJ finish the 5K? She was the last one in taking over 2 hours to complete the 3 mile walk. She said that she normally uses a motorized cart to shop at Walmart... but what got me was her daughter holding her moms hand, being a shoulder to lean on as she walked with her mom, and coached her all the way to the finish line. I wanted to be her daughter. I wish I could rewind my life by 10 years, and coach my mom across the finish line. I wish this change could have happened to me sooner, so I could have helped the one I loved the most before it was too late... but I can't.

And this is where my mission begins. TO NEVER WATCH IT HAPPEN AGAIN. To never sit by and allow someones obesity to kill them. It's crushing to me to think I may have been able to stop it for her. I'm not sure words can truly explain how deep this went into my soul...

...and as if God were preparing my heart for this mission, this afternoon, someone I care about almost as much as my mom came to me to tell me that her weight has caused her to have Type 2 Diabetes, and she needs help now. She has 90 days to lose 30 pounds to try and reverse this. So we will.

I will hold her hand, or be her support. We will work this weight off, change her diet, and cross the finish line, victoriously, so I can turn around and go back for one more.

This is your chance for change. Do you want it? You may only be 20 or 40 pounds overweight today, but as each day passes, and the pounds creep up, your life changes. You have to take control NOW... stay tuned, tomorrow I will have opportunities for everyone...

River Run, Final Reminder

The River Run is coming next weekend (Saturday, May 8th)! I am so excited to complete my first 10K run, and look forward to walking the 2-mile walk with some old and new friends/workout buddies.

The 10K run starts at 8:00, and the 2-mile walk is at 9:40.

Are you going to join us? I hope so. (I would like to get entries squared away this week if possible.)


If you want more information, leave a note in the comment section, and I will contact you... check back in the comments to see if I've responded.


Let's see how many workout buddies we can get together that morning, it will be a blast!

Turbo Certification

I have been so excited to share the Turbo Certification with you, but as I mentioned earlier in the week, my camera ran out of batteries the minute I walked in the door that day. Thankfully my friend Kimmi was at the training with me, and was willing to share her camera. Thanks Kimmi!

Let me start by introducing my friend, mentor, workout buddy, and trainer Sherri Hill. When I needed a fitness buddy back in January, and Sherri offered, I never knew what I was getting myself into, but I wouldn't have it any other way. She is amazing and encourages me to push myself to "Do More" each day!

The day consisted of some lecture, some fun, and a lot of sweat. To give you an idea, I took 3 outfit changes, and I took 3 showers that day.

This is one part of the Turbo combination that requires jumping jacks!

This is a jab/cross combo. We spent a lot of time mastering the technique of each move.

The famous "Mandy pose"- me with my hands on my hips again...

Here's a roundhouse kick... (I'm front right)

This is me and Sherri with another workout buddy Kimmi. It was so fun to have her and her daughter (the photographer) along for the certification also.

This is the group of 13 girls that attended the certification that day. Most of them are from the Oklahoma area. We ended the day with a written test, and a round of Turbo that Sherri watched and graded us on. I will know in the next 4-6 weeks if I passed, but fingers crossed I will be teaching turbo real soon! Hope to see you in class : )

Diet Coke Chicken

I absolutely love this recipe, and have my friend Lindsay to thank for introducing me to it a couple of years ago. It's super simple, and although it takes some time on the stove, it's a very low maintenance recipe that your whole family will love.

Note: even if you don't like the taste of Diet Coke, that is not the flavor that comes through in the end. It ends up tasting kind of like a BBQ sauce. Give it a shot!

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can Diet Coke
1 cup ketchup
2 c uncooked brown rice

Directions:
1. Chop the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes
2. Throw the chicken into hot pan just for a minute, you don't have to cook it.
3. Add the Diet Coke and ketchup
4. Boil the ingredients for 5 minutes
5. After 5 minutes, turn the stove down to a point in which the mix will bubble, but not boil.
6. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove from heat and allow to sit for a few minutes to finish thickening before serving.

Prepare the rice as directed, and pour your chicken mixture over the rice to enjoy!

A couple of things: 1. The mix will look really foamy and odd when you start cooking it. Don't worry, it does that. 2. If the sauce isn't thickening after 45 minutes, just keep simmering for a few more, it won't hurt anything, and sometimes it just takes a little longer.

This recipe is also delicious if you add some stir-fry veggies in at the end and mix them up!

Nutritional Information: makes 4 servings, per serving: 320 calories, 4 g fat, 66 mg cholesterol, 871 mg sodium, 2 g sugar, 14 g fiber, 27 g protein

Drumroll...

... and the winner is


Michelle Fuksa! Michelle is winning her choice of either a box of P90X protein bars, Activit Multivitamins, or a set of Beachbody sculpting bands! Congratulations Michelle! I will contact you to get you your prize. Thanks to everyone who participated. I will do another contest soon.

Who Are You?

So curiosity has killed the cat!... I want to know who is reading this blog :) I get over 100 hits per day, and could only pinpoint a few of you, so in the spirit of having a little bit of fun, I want you to tell me who you are, and I will reward one of my readers with a prize! Yep, my first contest. Here's how it works...

1. In the comment section, tell me who you are, and give me a way to reach you, e-mail, something.

2. If you are a follower, or become a follower today. ADD ANOTHER COMMENT, telling me that. This will give you a second entry.

3. Link my contest on your Facebook, Twitter, or Blog, and ADD ANOTHER COMMENT telling me where you did this for a third entry.

***If you don't know how to comment, there is a section at the bottom. If you don't have an account, sign as anonymous, but be sure you tell me in the comment section who you are, and how I can reach you in the future!

The winner will win a Beachbody product that I am excited to share!

I will be stopping the contest at 10pm tonight (Wed), so I hope you tell me who you are... Good Luck!

How Quick Are You Going to Get Up?

Recently I posted about this song, and told you how much I loved it. The words motivate me, inspire me, and get right to the core of where I am a lot. You see, sometimes this change seems so easy, but when it's hard, it's really hard, and that's when I ask myself, "How Quick Are You Going to Get Up?"

For example, I gain weight nearly every weekend. If I let the fact that I weigh in on Monday morning 4 pounds heavier than Friday mornings bother me. I would be right where I was 612 days ago, feeling overweight and defeated. Instead, I realize that ups and downs are a part of the journey, and by getting back on track quickly, the weight will come off in time.

I'm running again. The same type of running that took me out of the game last year. My knees ache and pop all of the time, but it's tolerable. What I'm saying is, sometimes pushing yourself to the next level isn't comfortable for your body, but I press on realizing that the running is getting easier, and I am getting stronger with each step. (Now don't get me wrong, never go against your doctors wishes if you're truly injured.)

Sure, you can mope for a week, a month, a year if you like about the fact that the pounds aren't dropping, or that your body aches, or that you're just not feeling it, OR

YOU CAN GET UP. CHOOSE THAT NO MATTER WHAT YESTERDAY BROUGHT... YESTERDAY IS OVER. EAT BETTER. MOVE MORE. MOVE ON.

You are strong. You are a fighter, and in the face of life and injuries, and frustration, you just have to chose that when you get knocked down, you won't let the 10 second count start. INSTEAD, you will face that struggle head on, and know that if you do that, you are unstoppable and unbeatable... if you just get back up. "Everybody gets knocked down. How quick are you going to get up?"

***BTW, Turbo training went great, and I will post about it very soon! (I am waiting for some pics b/c my camera pooped out on me that weekend) :( Should have something very soon. Thanks for your well wishes and comments!

I'm Off!

Heading out to get Turbokick certified :) Will post more soon.

I'm Confessing...

I'm going to eat a DQ Blizzard for dinner! Yep, you heard me right. My dad has been asking us to go out for ice cream for a week now, and he wants to meet right after my workout tonight (which is generally when I run home to fix dinner), so... I will be having a Banana Split Blizzard for dinner. There you have it. I don't think I've ever had ice cream for dinner, but tonight (and only for tonight) I will :)

A New Journey...

So as I feel like the first phase of my journey is winding down (don't worry, it's not over yet!), I feel like I am starting to see things differently. I am beginning to dream big things for this lifestyle change. I want to share some of those things with you, and some things will be kept in my heart until the time is right...


My first announcement is that I signed as a Fitness Coach for Team Beachbody last week! I'm sure many of you are questioning what that means, but I'm sure you may have heard of their products, and not even realized it. P90X, Slim in 6, and other videos are part of the product. I have also started selling shakes and supplements, and other fitness gear. I am excited to be a part of the Beachbody team. If you have any questions about product, let me know. This is a link to my website. I would love to work with you to reach your diet/fitness goals, or to help you tweek your fitness routine to give you better results!


So the next part of my journey is Turbokick training! I am so excited to become a certified Turbokick instructor. I leave Friday afternoon to head to Stillwater, OK for a day long Turbo certification. If you've never done turbokick, it's kind of a cross between kick boxing and hip hop dance. You can watch this video if you want to see what I'm talking about (sorry, my dinosaur AKA computer takes a week to upload videos!). I've lost nearly 30 pounds since January, and I believe Turbokick is what did it. I really believe in the program as a whole body workout. So pumped. I hope to be teaching some classes soon, so if you are interested, let me know... they will be at places other than the Y until I get that certification...


... more to the journey... yep!

Recipe: Southwest Mini Omelettes

I love eating these for breakfast sometimes. The fun thing is you can add or subtract ingredients as you like! This is how I like them, but get creative, they're like mini omelets and you can have them your way. Plus, the protein in them will keep you full all morning. I usually eat 2 with some type of carb to round my meal. I let them cool for a little while, and when they've cooled off, I put a couple into a Ziploc bag, and throw them in the freezer, then they're ready when you need them. Just pop them in the microwave for about a minute and a half, and enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 cup Egg Beaters
1/4 cup drained green chiles
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 cup shredded cheese (I use Kraft 2% Mild Cheddar)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mist 8 muffin tin slots with olive oil spray.

2. Pour 1/4 cup egg beaters into each slot. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes until the eggs are almost set up.

3. In a small bowl mix the onion, chiles, and cheese together. Sprinkle the mixture on each of the omelets, and bake for another 8-10 minutes until the eggs are fully set, and the cheese is melted. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before serving.

Nutritional info: Serving size 1 mini omelet (I usually eat 2) 56 Calories, 1.5g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 5mg Cholesterol, 176 mg Sodium, 2 g Carbs, 8g Protein

*** I also usually put a little salsa on top of each one for taste. ***

Pounding the Pavement

That's what my feet do when I run outdoors. In times past, it was drudgery. A necessity to move forward. To try something new. Last summer I did a 2, a 5, and a 4 mile run (in that order), before losing my big toe nail, and deciding I had done enough damage to my knee for the time being, but that's not how I feel right now...

Right now, I LIKE running (love is a strong word, people) It finally happened on my run the other day- the like part that is. I was in about the 2 mile mark of my 3.5 mile run when like clicked on. Just like a light. Here's how it happened.

Like I said, I was about at the 2 mile mark, when I hit a small downhill stretch. I had this song playing (Thanks to Lacy- I recommend you add it to your workout playlist. It will inspire you to do great things.) when suddenly the air, which was a perfect temperature that day blew a light breeze, and all I could smell were spring flowers. It was perfect. And at that moment, I began liking running. I really felt like this was all God's creation working together... I know that probably sounds cheesy to you, but it was amazing.

So for now, I am training to run the 10K on May 8th. And I like running.

Just Do It!

Recently, I went to Kansas City with some girlfriends to get some new spring clothes. I left the NIKE outlet with some new workout t-shirts. Of course, one says, "Just Do It."

Today I got to thinking what is "it". I'm sure when Nike wrote the slogan they intended it to be anything that pushes you out of your comfort zone.

I think my JUST DO IT right now is running a half marathon. I have done 8K's, I'm getting ready for a 10K, and I will willingly sign up for things like that, but when it comes to running 13.1 miles, I shy away. I think I can't. There's no way. I think it's about time for me to Just Do It.

So what is your "Just Do It."? What do you wish you would just get out there and do? Do you have plans to JUST DO IT? Tell me!

Tired...

I'm just tired today. I'm also suffering leg cramps during my swimming workouts... any suggestions? That's all!

I'm in Heaven!

So it was a great weekend. Battled with the scale... won by a pound... ha! Starting the week off feeling strong. So I thought I would share three things with you today.

1. The race was amazing. Nothing all that special about the race, but for the first time ever, I felt like I belonged there. It was a tough one. Two miles isn't all that bad, but somehow I got stuck behind this group that I needed to pass, and just couldn't, so when the break came, I took off. I ran like there was no tomorrow. The bad thing was I was having to pass in the grass which included running on mole hills, dodging under low hanging branches, and jumping back on the course occasionally to give my ankles the reprieve of solid ground. It was great. I ended up finished the race at an even 20:00, and 23rd (out of 60) in my age bracket. This is the only pic of the day because I forgot to give the camera to anyone!



After my 2-mile race, I got to do another 2-mile walk with some friends and family. This was the boys first "race", and they were so excited. So I run back to our post, grab another race chip, and take off to find our group. Everyone is lined up, and the start gun is about to go off. I am dodging and weaving between groups trying to find my family. The gun goes off... I'm lost. I start walking, I have no other choice. I eventually talk a nice stranger into letting me use his cell phone to call them. Thankfully, my brother-in-law, Jeff answered his phone, and we were reunited. The boys ran their little legs off, and finished nearly the full 2 miles on foot in spite of having strollers with us. They did amazing. It took us 47 minutes to finish, but we did it! I look forward to many races in their future.

2. I heard this Sunday and would love to share it..."The truth about us is, we all live at the mercy of our ideas about the way things are." I encourage you to think about this. I had never thought of it like this, but it's so true. What do you believe yourself to be? What are your ideas about yourself or your abilities. It really only takes you believing in yourself, changing who you THINK you are to be different.

3. Finally, I want to share this recipe because it's so simple, and so delicious, but it's so practical that I may eat it daily this summer :) This weekend I had Strawberries and Angel Food Cake with a couple of tweeks.

First off, I cut up 2 pounds of strawberries, and added 1 cup of ZERO CALORIE Splenda. Therefore, you are only taking in the calories of the strawberries. Let the strawberries sit overnight to make a juice. Then, I discovered Walmart has an Angel Food Cake made with Splenda, so 1/6 of the cake is only 60 calories. So cube up some cake, pile on the sweetened strawberries, and enjoy a BIG dessert for less than 100 calories... compare it to one of those 100 calorie desserts, and I bet you'll choose this every time. Plus, you're getting all the health benefits from the strawberries! Enjoy, I know I will be.

Easter Happenings!

I am so excited to get this show on the road! Easter weekend is here, and we have some fun things happening. First of all, we are running in the Easter Sun Run tomorrow morning. I will run the 2-mile run at 10:15, and then I have a great group of friends and family who are going to do the 2-mile walk at 10:40. I even registered Cole and Carter to race with me in the morning. They are so excited, and I am excited to take my children on this journey WITH me. I want them to know these things, and to do these things.

So tonight we will start the weekend with a pre-race dinner at Doc Greens. If you remember, this is kind of becoming a tradition, and I like it! It's so much fun to take a minute and sit with the people you normally move with. To chat without sweating! Here is a pic of some of us at our last dinner.


After the race, we plan on having an Easter celebration with friends. As you know, I have kind of been stressing about weight gain this weekend, so I will be taking dessert. I have decided to make and Angel Food cake and take fresh strawberries. I figure this will give me a dessert that I really like, that is reasonable to eat.

Sunday will be filled with family, food, and fun. Have a Happy Easter, and I will post about the race on Monday!

How will you survive?

No, it's not that dramatic, but sometimes it feels that way... what am I talking about? Holiday eating! Holidays NEVER last one day anymore. With holiday eating comes holiday weight gain. It's lovely, yummy, beautiful, gut wrenching, overindulgent and frustrating all at the same time

Easter kicked off at our house today with an egg hunt and brunch. Now, since I was hosting, I had some control over what was offered, making good choices a little more simple. I served cheese and crackers, strawberries, grapes, cut up veggies with 2 kinds of dip, and some sweet breads. I wouldn't punish my guests, so I just knew what I had to stick to, and made sure healthy options were available. But this is not the end my friends. It's just the beginning...

Friday night we will be eating pre-race dinner at Doc Greens, so I'm not worried, but Saturday, after the race, they are having an awards ceremony and BBQ! Saturday night is Easter dinner with friends, and Sunday Easter Brunch will also come and go... what's a girl to do? It's so frustrating to put on 5 lbs over a holiday weekend just because the foods are so much heavier than my day to day routine.

Don't get me wrong. I don't want my life to ever become so regimented that I can't enjoy things like holidays, I just don't want to have such a major setback each time- and it seems like there is 1 holiday per month that constitutes this type of eating behavior.

So what do you do? Do you have any tips, tricks, survival plans? I could really use some advice if you have it to give! In the meantime, Happy Easter kickoff, let spring begin!!!!!