What's For Lunch...Kale!

Here is my favorite new salad.  Simply Amazing Massaged Kale Salad

But I have to give credit where credit is due.  This amazing recipe came from my friend, Whitney Cabrera.  You will LOVE it!

Ingredients (sorry I don't really measure, but you can't go wrong with this, trust me!):

• fresh kale, washed, stems removed, chopped, and massaged (I'll explained later)
• avocado (if I'm just making a big salad for myself I use about half of a medium avocado)
• lemon juice (about a Tbsp)
• pure maple syrup (about a teaspoon)
• salt (to taste)

Optional Add Ins:

• chopped avocado
• strawberries
• sweet peppers (the red, orange, and yellow ones)
• chopped celery
• craisens
• nuts or seeds

So here's what you do:
First, wash the kale.  Cut or tear the leaves off the stems (the stems are kind of bitter).

Then roll up the leaves and chop.

 After chopping it, massage the leaves just like you are giving a back massage.  The enzymes will start being released and you will see the kale change to a brighter green.

 Next, mash the avocado in a bowl and mix in the lemon juice, maple, syrup, and salt.  After it is all blended add it to the kale.  I stir it altogether so the avocado mix is evenly coating the kale (this salad does not have dressing, but the avocado mix acts as one).

 While the salad marinates, chop the other veggies and fruits, add and ENJOY!

Surviving Winter...What's Next?

Last week marked the first day of Spring, and Jason and I are happy we survived the winter!  I'm not speaking literally...winters aren't very harsh here...but there is something about those chilly mornings that beckon you to stay in bed.  Those cold days invite you to eat warm comforting (but often less healthy) foods.  Maybe it's the "busy"ness of school, or football season, or the holidays, but there's just something about winter that has always thrown a wrench in our fitness goals.  Last year Jason put on 20 lbs. mainly over the winter.  He worked really hard last year to take it off (that's when he won the Beachbody Challenge :) ), so this year we knew we had to stay focused if we were going to beat the winter rut.  And I am happy to say we made it!  We have kept up with our morning workouts (having short workouts like Focus T25 certainly helped).  And though we were still tempted to reach for those comfort foods and indulge in the holiday goodies, we kept our portions in check, and kept each other accountable.

So here's what I've been doing:
I knew I needed a challenge.  I had already gone through ChaLEAN Extreme (CLX), Insanity, and Focus T25, and since I saw the most results with CLX I decided to go back and do another 90 days of that program.  I have absolutely fallen in love with strength training, which is new to me (I've always been more of a cardio girl).  When I finished the second round of CLX I decided to do what's called "Lean for Life."  During the past two months I followed a strength workout schedule which mixes all the CLX strength circuits.  For my cardio days I used a variety of programs including: Insanity, P90X, Focus T25, CLX Cardio and Interval workouts, and I even threw in a few Jillian Michael's workouts.  It certainly kept things interesting.  But now I'm ready for my next real challenge....P90X3!  Jason and I are doing this one together.  I've heard great things, and I already know the 30 minute workout deal works for me.  I'm getting excited!  Start date is scheduled for April 7th!  Send me an email at floridafitmom@gmail.com if you want to join me in this 90 day challenge and I can help get you set up for success.

So, one thing I want to leave you with, especially if (like me) you find yourself in a winter rut...and that is DON'T GIVE UP.  Even if you don't work out EVERY day, keep working out.  Those little steps add up in the long run.  Keep choosing healthy foods.  Even if you indulged in holiday goodies, you can still choose something healthy for the VERY NEXT MEAL.  You can do this...small changes make a big difference and over time you will see change.

A Different Kind of Challenge

Usually my challenges are geared towards fitness and focusing on healthier eating.  But starting tomorrow I have a new challenge on the horizon.  It's called The October Dress Project.  The challenge is this:  you wear one dress everyday for the entire month of October, yet you change it each day by using things that you already have.  The point of the project is "less is more" and "be thankful for what you ALREADY have."  So often I have felt like I "needed" a new outfit or pair of shoes or piece of jewelry (you name it!), when in actuality I have a closet full of more than I need!  Lately God has been speaking to my heart about this (and excess in general) and I knew it was time for me to participate in this challenge that I've known about for 3 years.  So now I'm all in!  And I'm excited to see what I learn through this!

Side note:  I will NOT be working out in my dress AND I WILL be washing it often!!  (These were the two things my husband was most concerned about. :) )

Pictures coming soon!

My Top 5…What Inspires Me To Be Fit! #3

Have you ever heard your kid say something that you knew came straight from you?  Little eyes are always watching, little ears are always listening.  Our kids will imitate the things we do.  So what kind of example will we set for them?  Hopefully, a HEALTHY one!  This brings me to #3...these little guys inspire me (and my husband) to be the best we can be.  Because they are noticing how we live.

For example, my husband has the same routine.  He chooses a Beachbody Challenge.  He gets up early and heads out to the garage to do his workouts, where he gets super sweaty. (The boys usually wake up sometime during his workout.)  He comes in, mixes up his Results & Recovery Formula and drinks it while he showers and starts getting ready for work.  When he completes a challenge we celebrate in some way.  The last time we went out to dinner (which is pretty rare around our house.)  So, the other day my little one, Bennett,started running laps around the outside of our house.  At first I thought he just needed to get some energy out.  Then he said, "Mommy, see how sweaty I am, even my clothes are wet."  (Hmm, just like Daddy)..."I better go get my special drink" (which for him was a Danimal), then he said, "I'm almost done with my challenge, maybe we can go out to dinner this weekend."  He was acting out what he sees Daddy doing!  Little eyes are watching, little ears are listening.

Recognizing that I am setting an example for my children in how I live and model healthy choices is a responsibility I take seriously.  Not only do I want to be fit enough to keep up with them, but I want to be a good example of what a healthy, balanced life looks like, so that hopefully they WILL imitate it.  Because I want the best for them.  I'm encouraged when I see things like this...

which is my son's drawing, "Mommy working out in front of the TV"...or when my kids ask for a "healthy" snack (which sometimes comes out "healthry"), and when my older son happened to be next to me and saw when my friend posted this...

and he asked, "Mommy, is that last green one standing you? Because I know you don't quit."

Little eyes are watching, little ears are listening.  What will they see?  What will they hear?  Don't just teach them about being healthy, SHOW them.  Then everyone benefits!

My Top 5…What Inspires Me To Be Fit! #4

The other day I was talking to someone about health and fitness and in a jokingly, yet in an excuse-giving way, they said, "Well, in the end, we all die from something."  My reply was, "It's not the dieing I'm worried about, it's the living!"  This brings me to my number four inspiration, the idea of LIVING FULLY.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be on seven different medications when I'm older.  I don't want to be so out of shape that I can't keep up with my kids or enjoy time with my husband.  I want to be able to go on hikes up really tall mountains, because I've seen the view from up top (and it's worth the trip!).  I want to be able to swim and walk and jog and play without completely loosing my breath.  I want to...

One of my favorite people was a man named Benny Phillips.  He has passed away now, but he was my sister-in-law's father.  What I remember most about Mr. Benny was that he always knew the best fishing spots, and he always told me to never stop doing.  He would say "when you stop doing, you stop living, and when you stop living, you start dieing."  What wisdom!  Mr. Benny lived a long and active life to the age of 89.

Now, I know that you can do everything in your power to live a healthy, fit life and still end up with a terrible disease or illness.  I know this can happens...but what if it doesn't?  You could die tomorrow, or you could live to be 100!  Only God knows the number of our days. So here is my personal challenge for living fully...approach relationships as if I'm going to die tomorrow and my health and fitness as if I'm going to live to be 100.  Do I do this perfectly all the time?  No.  I'm human after all.  But it's a goal I'm consistently striving and praying for (with God's help).

To be perfectly honest the physical part comes way more easily for me than the relationships part does.  Sometimes it's hard to ask for forgiveness, to say "I love you," to give a heartfelt "thank you."  I hate crying, but when I start speaking from the heart, tears usually follow.  God is helping me with this, because I don't want to avoid saying or doing what needs to be said or done at the risk of a few tears.  Relationships require more strength, energy, and self control then doing P90X and Insanity combined!  But they are so worth it!  And they are the other key component for living fully.  Because, let's face it, we could be fit enough to climb that mountain, but having someone there to share it with makes it all the sweeter.

So get out there...Be Healthy, Be Happy, Build Muscles, Build Relationships, and LIVE FULLY!

Beachbody Challenge- Insanity

I have now completed my next Beachbody Challenge, Insanity!  My goal upon starting was to improve my cardiovascular fitness, and Insanity certainly fit the bill.  However, during the first week of workouts I thought (multiple times) "WHAT have I gotten myself into!?!"  But, thankfully, about a week and a half into it, something clicked.  My body adjusted and I was (as Shaun T says) "in it!"  I am so glad I didn't give up during that first week, which I've unofficially named "shock week."  Believe me, at times I really wanted to.  But by sticking with it two things happened... 1. I got the results I was after and 2. I started LOVING it...at least the first month's workouts.
Then month two rolled around with Max workouts (because Insanity is not insane enough!)  Once again I had a shock week. Once again I questioned if I could do it.  I thought, "Maybe I'll just repeat the first month...that's 60 days of Insanity, right?"  But I knew that wouldn't be right.  I wanted to complete the program, not just a number of days.  So once again I had to dig deep and stick with it.  Thankfully, I didn't give up (do you see a reoccurring theme here) because once again my body adjusted and I was able to finish the entire Insanity program!
To measure progress every two weeks I did a fit test.  I would sometimes get discouraged and wondered if I was getting anywhere with all this sweat and hard work.  But then my fit test would come around and the numbers astounded me!  And that was all the motivation I needed to keep going.  I knew it was working!
So here are the results of my first and last Fit Tests.  For each test I did my maximum number of reps for each exercise in one minute...

Exercise                                    First Day                          Last Day
Switch Kicks                             55                                      126
Power Jacks                              47                                       64
Power Knees                            64                                      100
Power Jumps                             25                                       45
Globe Jumps                              8                                         13
Suicide Jumps                            17                                        21
Push-up Jacks                           16                                        32
Low Plank Oblique                    26                                        52

So, as you can see, it worked and I achieved my goal!  And now, especially now, I'm so glad I didn't give up.  DON'T EVER GIVE UP!

My Top 5…What Inspires Me To Be Fit! #5

#5 My Mom

Today is my mom’s birthday, so I thought it the perfect time to start my inspiration series, beginning with her.  Here is my favorite picture of my mom.

Isn’t she beautiful!  She was about 25 years old in this picture.  And I tell you, she is just as beautiful today.  If  I’ve learned one thing it's that true beauty comes from within and my mom has a heart full of love.  And I have always loved her.  Neither one of us are perfect, but love covers over our imperfections.

My mom inspires me to be fit.  All throughout my life I’ve witnessed her honest struggle with her weight.  I’ve watched her loose up to 80 pounds, only to gain it all back and then some.  I’ve watched her hopes rise as she tried a new pill or diet.  I’ve watched her try exercise programs but be unable to stick to them.  As weight and health choices added up over the years, I’ve watched her suffer from serious medical conditions including a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery.  But thankfully, the Lord has brought her through it all, and she is still here with us today.

Thinking back over her life, there were a lot of things against her.  She was a single mom and time was not always on her side.  She was so busy working and taking care of everyone else, she put herself last.  She had very little support (which is a key component).  Exercise was never a consistent part of her life, and we lived in the south where fried food and butter were (and still are) glorified.  It happened very innocently actually.  Just being busy, finding comfort in the wrong things, a little here, a little there, and before she knew it, she was overweight and unhealthy. 

And I had the potential to go down that very same road.  You see my mom could follow a diet for a little while, but that’s the thing about diets, they are viewed as a temporary change, not a lifestyle change.  Somehow (through a series of events that I will share throughout my blogs) I learned to live and embrace a healthy lifestyle.  Has it always been easy? NO!  Do I have days where I just want to be lazy?  YES!  Have I always been fit?  NO!  Do I have the same struggles as everyone else?  YES!  A healthy lifestyle is something I learned.  I didn’t get it genetically.  I wasn’t raised by a health-nut.  I’m just a regular person.  I’m my mom’s daughter.  And she has always wanted the best for me, so for her I will be my best.

Here we are today:

She’s still beautiful.  She’s learned a lot, even in the recent years (especially since her heart attack).  And she still has her struggles.  But I love her just the way she is! And she loves me!  And she believes in me, and that gives me more strength than she will ever know.

And she inspires me as a coach.  I want to be that support for others...that support that my mom never had.  And here’s what she doesn’t know…often if I’m doing something in my workout that is very physically demanding I think of her, and I keep going.  I do it for her.  Because she never wants me to go through what she has had to go through.  I do it because at this point in her life she can’t.  In that moment, whether she knows it or not she gives me strength.  Thank you, Mom, for being an inspiration.