On Your Marks…

I am registering for the Rock-n-Sole run again this year…  I figure that my experience is almost guaranteed to be better this year…  I saw this and thought I would share…  I am contemplating running a half-marathon in the fall…  I think it is a good “next step”…

Check out this guide to marathon running…

Recipe – Carne Guisada (Latin Beef Stew) – Colombian Aji Picante

I found these recipes on www.skinnytaste.com.  They are both in the “dinners for under $10 section”.  This dinner will be coming to a table near me very soon…  🙂

Carne Guisada (Latin Beef Stew)

Chunks of beef are simmered in beer with scallions, garlic, tomatoes, cumin and cilantro. Sometimes I make it with just the meat, sometimes I add yucca or potatoes. Serve this over rice with a little aji picante and you’ll have a delicious comfort dish, Latin style!

I get lots of emails telling me how much you all love my Latin dishes. It’s probably what I do best. When I crave beef stew, it’s always this Colombian version I crave. You can use water in place of beer if you prefer. If achiote or sazon isn’t something you can find near you, leave it out, it will still be good!

This is a great recipe for those of you who own a pressure cooker. The meat comes out so tender in half the time. I’ve included directions for those of you who own a pressure cooker. I’ve never made this in my crock pot, but I’m sure it would be great too, I may experiment with it next time I make it, I would probably add less liquid.

Forms Of Torture…

There are very few experiences I find more grueling than swimming suit shopping.  Honestly, it was easier when I was heavier, because the “big girl” suits are at least supportive.  Now, it is next to impossible for me to find a swimming suit that fits my chest and my butt together, or either of them separately.  This weekend I spent 8 hours at 3 different malls.  I probably tried on 150 swimming suits.  I purchased ZERO swimming suits.

I leave in a week, for an eight-day trip to the British Virgin Islands.  I have one swimming suit, I found it last year and I love it.  It’s a black one-piece and I could buy another one exactly like it, but I would like some variety.  It does not even come in any other colors.  I also have a “top” that I bought last year, but I cannot find a bottom that both fits and matches.  We will be on a sailboat, so there is no laundry service and I will need more than one suit for the trip.

Get Motivated…

I saw this on Shape‘s website and thought it was definitely worth sharing…  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did…

Get Motivated! Top 8 Sites for Fitness Inspiration

Nicole Jurick

Sometimes, you need a little extra inspiration to get motivated. Fortunately, these 8 websites feel your pain. Beyond inspirational stories and motivating tools, these sites each have special insights, points of view, or sharing features that help you follow through on an “I’m going to do it” impulse. Hire a life coach if you want, or use these sites to get (and keep) the change ball rolling.

1. Get Motivated Online:The Happiness Project

What is it? The Happiness Project is an online toolkit (literally) for success. Not only does it help you create specific goals (not just the “do what it takes” pseudoplan!), but the Happiness Project Toolbox lets you track your progress and document how fantastic it feels to stick with it. One entry: “Woke up for 7am yoga, and felt so energetic for the rest of the day!”.

Why we love it: Making a resolution or setting up “personal commandments” to live by in public (you can set it to private if you want) definitely inspires you to keep them. Plus, seeing other people’s ideas is endlessly inspiring (“Write one positive thing about my day, every day”) and amusing (“Tell my husband I love him every day and mean it”).

40 Photo-Illustrated Questions to Refocus Your Mind (www.marcandangel.com)

This is a re-post from a new blog that I found…  www.marcandangel.com…  Amazingly wonderful, thought-provoking posts…  I hope you enjoy…

post written by: Marc

Asking the right questions is the answer…

It’s not the answers you get from others that will help you, but the questions you ask of yourself.  Here are 40 thought-provoking questions to help you refresh and refocus your thinking:

1.

Recipes – Margaritas

In honor of National Margarita Day, I am reposting this blog from www.hungry-girl.com…  Enjoy…

Here at Hungry Girl, we’ve been whipping up guilt-free margaritas since 2006. Made with HG’s secret ingredients, each one is INSANELY delicious yet has just 105 – 135 calories and a PointsPlus® value of 4 – 5*. In fact, they taste sooooooo good, we think they’re actually better than ANY other margarita out there (high-calorie or low-cal!) — try ’em and see! Enjoy them frozen, over crushed ice, or virgin-style. Your call…

Magical Low-Calorie MargaritaPER SERVING (entire recipe): 115 calories, 0g fat, 55mg sodium, 2g carbs, 0g fiber, <0.5g sugars, 0g protein — PointsPlus® value 4*The original low-calorie margarita. It’s our most viewed cocktail email EVER, and it’s served at practically every Hungry Girl party. Classic!

Rockin’ Razzy RitaPER SERVING (entire recipe): 105 calories, 0g fat, 5mg sodium, 2g carbs, 0g fiber, 0.5g sugars, 0g protein — PointsPlus® value 4*This one’s crammed with fantastic berry flavor. Yes!

Types of Yoga

I found a great yoga article on Women’s Health’s website.  A few weeks ago I posted a chart to help people find the right yoga for them and I thought article would be a good follow-up to share.  They have great info on each of the following types of yoga:  Anusara, Ashtanga, Bikram, Hatha, Iyengar, Jivamukti, Kripalu, Kundalini, Power, Prenatal, Restorative, Sivananda, Viniyoga, and Yin.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/yoga/types-of-yoga

Namaste.

Recipes – Mardi Gras Dinner

I made this dinner last night to celebrate Mardi Gras…  All of my recipes are slightly modified versions of recipes I found on either www.skinnytaste.com or www.hungry-girl.com…  Enjoy!!!

 

KEY LIME CHEESECAKE BITES

Servings:  12

Calories: 108.6

Fat: 4.7 g

Carb: 12.6 g

Fiber: 1.1 g

Protein: 3.6 g

Sugar: 7.1
Sodium: 107.9

PointsPlus® value 3

Ingredients:

• 12 ginger thin cookies
• 8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 oz fat-free Honey Greek yogurt
• 2 large egg whites
• 3 tbsp key lime juice
• 1 tbsp key lime zest
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 24 blackberries

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°.

Line cupcake tin with liners.  Break one cookie into pieces and place at the bottom of each liner.

Gently beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in fat free yogurt, egg whites, lime juice, lime zest and flour. Do not over beat. Pour into cupcake liners filling half way.

Bake 25 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature. Chill a few hours in the refrigerator.

Top with fresh berries.

Choosing The Right Workout…

I found this article though another blog I was reading today and I thought it was certainly worth sharing…  I hope it helps you find the “right” workout for today 🙂

Choosing the right workout

by Laura Williams

Choosing the right workout is like choosing a pair of pants: One day, you want to wear skinny jeans, while another day you want to wear bell bottoms or slouchy sweats. You wouldn’t force yourself to wear one pair of pants all year long, so why would you force yourself to do the same workout every day? Whenever you have 30 minutes to exercise, use these tips to choose the right workout for your mood.

When you’re bursting with energy

Maybe you just found out you got a promotion, or your best friend just told you she’s pregnant. You’re over the moon with excitement and bursting with energy, so now’s the time to try something new. Try that strip aerobics class at your gym or that rock climbing wall that’s been staring you down. Whatever it is, your current confidence and excitement will help propel you through your nerves and enable you to undertake a new activity with glee.

When you’re sluggish & tired

When all the coffee breaks and 5-Hour Energy Drinks in the world won’t wake you up, there’s no better exercise than simply taking a walk. The American Council on Exercise notes that regular, moderate-intensity exercise battles fatigue and improves overall energy. The best thing about walking is that you can do it anywhere and anytime; plus, it’s unintimidating enough that you’ll be more willing to give it a shot despite your exhaustion.

No Gym Membership???

 

 

You do not have to belong to a gym in order to get a good workout.

I am listing three workout routines from Health.com that you can use to whip yourself into shape:

30-Minute Workout, No Gym Required

5 Weeks to Your Best Body Ever

The Beach Body Workout

There are MANY other resources for at-home workouts.  If you know of a great workout, please let me know…