Lower Body Strength Interval

I will be working on getting other videos together so you have a total body workout you can follow. Here is a 5 minute one for starters. I would suggest doing this without the bench to begin with until you feel comfortable doing the back lunges. To increase the intensity you could add some 5 or 8 lb handweights in each hand.

Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes

ALMOST MEATLESS SLOPPY JOES

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

6 ounces lean ground beef or turkey

1/2 cup (or more) grated carrots

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

2 cups canned crushed tomatoes

1 (15.5 oz) can low-sodium red beans, rinsed, drained, and divided

4 (2 oz) whole-wheat sandwich rolls, split and toasted

4 (1/4 inch-thick) red onion slices, separated into rings

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt black pepper, and beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to crumble beef.

2. Add carrot, chili powder, sugar, oregano, and red pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium ; cook 10 minutes or until thickened and carrot is tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Partially mash 1 cup beans with a fork or potato masher. Add mashed beans and remaining whole beans to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Spoon 1 cup bean mixture onto bottom half of each roll; top each serving with 1 red onion slice and top half of roll.

Enjoy this sandwich with a bunch of yummy veggies and you have a delicious, healthy meal!

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

CALORIES 405; FAT 14.4g (sat 3.2g, mono 7.5g, poly 2.3g); PROTEIN 19.4g; CARB 53.3g; FIBER 10.4g; CHOL 28mg; IRON 5.1mg; SODIUM 781mg; CALC 148mg

Spring Vegetable Carbonara

If in need of a pasta salad on the lighter side, this is a great one to try. It went over very well in our home. If you are wanting to make it even more healthful, try using a whole wheat pasta.

SPRING VEGETABLE CARBONARA (found in Cooking Light magazine)

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed (I added a whole lot more than 1/2 cup)
12 oz. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 oz. uncooked cavatappi pasta (or any spiral pasta)
1/2 cup (2 oz) grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped seeded red bell pepper (I used tomatoes instead, just because)

1. Cook peas and asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water; drain. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Combine pasta and vegetables.

2. Combine cheese and the next 3 ingredients (through eggs) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Gradually add hot cooking liquid to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 TBSP drippings in pan. Add bacon to pasta mixture. Cook bell pepper in drippings for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta mixture; cook 1 minute or until thoroughtly heated. Remove pan from heat, and stir in egg mixture. Return pan to low heat; cook for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly, stirring constantly.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)

The servings are set up to be a whole meal. If you want to use as a side dish you can go with a much smaller portion size which will cut back on the calories and fat a lot.

CALORIES 425; FAT 14.4g (sat 5.9g, mono 5.3g, poly 1.6g) PROTEIN 22.2 g; CARB 52 g; FIBER 5.4g; CHOL 183gmg; IRON 3.6mg; SODIUM 614mg; CALC 210mg

Pure Inspiration...

When Harriet Anderson crossed the finish line at Kona — the Ford Ironman World Championship — in October 2009, there were a few reasons she stood out. At 74 years of age, she was the oldest female competitor to complete the race. At 11:53 p.m. she finished, just seven minutes before the cutoff. And the reason she’d taken longer than usual? The arm taped to her side was a clue. She’d broken her clavicle at mile 80 of the bike ride when another cyclist bumped into her. Did that deter Harriet? No. She picked herself up, finished the next 32 miles on the bike, and promptly walked the entire 26.2 miles of the marathon.
Meet Harriet, the Women’s 70-74 Ironman World Champion.

Lululemon...

I discovered Lululemon when on a girls' trip to Chicago.

I am in love.

Of course at full price I can't afford any of the clothes.

But I scored a fabulous deal on a pair of the shorts. So I gave them a try.

I wish I had 10 pairs!

They are cute, comfortable and high quality.

I am usually one who buys most of my workout clothes at wal-mart or target. I have a hard time spending money on clothes I am just going to sweat in. Problem is those clothes get ragged really quickly. I should just spend more money on fewer clothes and get nicer stuff.

I will be investing in more of the Lululemon. Go ahead and check it out!

Inspiration from What Not to Wear...

I am a huge fan of the show What Not to Wear on TLC. Probably because it would be a dream come true for me to have someone hand me $5000 to go shopping for a new wardrobe, and then make me beautiful with new hair and makeup. I also love watching the people go through such amazing transformations.

I know beauty really is about what is on the inside, but our outer appearance is often a reflection of how we feel about and value our body.

On the show you will often hear the person receiving the makeover say that they want to wait until they are a certain size or weight to buy cute clothes. Or that they don’t deserve the attention. In one of the episodes Clinton in his mighty wisdom expressed how important it is to take care of yourself in your current situation, and that as you come to love your body the way it is you will probably start to take better care of it. In the end you will be more successful at reaching that desired weight or clothing size you were hoping for.

From one of Jillian Michaels books she talks about what it took for her to finally make the changes she needed to in order to lose the weight she had gained when she was a teenager. She says, “It wasn't until I started to love and accept my body-and work with it rather than against it-that i got real results".

I completely believe these statements.
How often do we throw on the clothes that are comfy, yet ugly, because it supposedly hides all our trouble spots, and makes us blend into the background?

I am guilty.

On those days I find it so much harder to eat healthy and take care of my body. I begin to pick out all my flaws, and my ugliness is emphasized. From there it is a downward spiral.

Why even try, right?

Now I don’t want to give the message that we should all take hours each day to make us look pretty, and I understand that some days we are lucky to get a shower. Even more I know that most of us don’t have access to a $5000 shopping spree. But we can all find a few minutes to do those things that make us feel better about the way we look.

I guess what it comes down to is having an attitude change. What is it that is holding you back from reaching your fitness and health goals? Are you discouraged every time you look in the mirror? Do you feel pretty? I challenge you to find ways to feel beautiful, even if you are 60 lbs over what you think beautiful should look like.

It is time for us to all show our body a little LOVE!

You have to see your inner beauty and accept your body the way it is if you ever want to make any changes. It is what will get you through the hard times and temptations.