My Journey........
There is a whole lot that goes with this story before I got to this current chapter in my life. What moved me to write this blog entry was fashion....what else!
So I was at Macy's and I found THEE perfect deep blue palazzo pants BCBG jumpsuit with an open back in a silk blend, that just flowed effortlessly. I didn't need it, didn't have anywhere to wear it, but it would be PERFECT for something. Thinking....let me try her on. It fit perfectly but there was one small defect, I would have to wear a scuba suit underneath to keep my delicious womanness under control ;-). Don't get me wrong Spanx are a necessary evil when you want to have a smooth finish but if you wear undergarments that totally reshape your body i.e. Body Magic, well that's another story.
This was my first MESSAGE!
The next message I received was in my kickboxing class with Mary Jo at Bad Boy Gym
http://www.badboygym.net where I literally leave a pool of me on the gym floor. It is so intense! Just imagine Kickboxing to Detroit House Music sped up to like 16 BPM! I love to sweat so I love her class, but I was thinking....why do I workout so hard but the scale just won't budge. It is probably due to my love of all things crispy, bready, and starchy. I made up in my mind something has to change!
This is where my workout fairy God-mothers come in......the one seen below is my "workout BFF". When the gym regulars see me without her, their first question is "Where is your BFF?"
I call her Jillian, she pushes me to do things I would never do on my own...namely running, push-ups, mountain climbers, squat thrusts....I could go on. Its funny how you meet people at work that you have absolutely nothing in common with, but when you take the time to get to know them you find that we are all the same. She was placed in my life to get me to my goal weight by my upcoming milestone birthday.
Next up is A-Train, seen below.....
She is a powerhouse woman who could put most 20-somethings to shame. I met her about 2 years ago at the gym and she was just like me. Working out, not really seeing the results until she started running and changing her diet. She has run several half marathons, she teaches boot camp classes at Better Life Fitness
http://www.betterlifefitnesscenter.com/. She is my inspiration for what 40 should look like. Armed and dangerous!
I talked to both of them about my goal to look flawless in that BCBG jumpsuit and A-Train put together a plan she calls "Go Hard or Go Home". It is an eating plan that eliminates all the good stuff of course but it works! I have been following it religiously for 3 weeks and even lost a few pounds.
I shared the plan with my circle of friends and family. My BFF and right hand Toni, always willing to try whatever craziness I'm into, said "Lets do this!"
Toni and I at the Riverwalk with Run this Town
In addition to changing our diets we decided to join a running group called Run this Town
https://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/groups/runthistowndet/ They meet every Tuesday @ 6 p.m. at the RiverWalk and Saturday @ 10 a.m. They call it "networking out", think of it as happy hour only with water and alot of sweat. They socialize, network, laugh for about 30 minutes, stretch, run/power walk to the Joe Louis stairs...PAUSE....if you make it from one end of those stairs to the other you can do anything! Then we run/ power walk back to a cheering RTT crowd of the most encouraging, motivating, and inspiring group of people Detroit has to offer!
Candice, pictured below pulled me in when I was at the Riverwalk one morning killing some time.
She is a boat load of high energy and good vibrations
Me running my OWN race...trying to obtain MY personal best. RTT Philosophy
There has been a surge in talk about fitness and eating healthy on FB amongst my friends and former high school classmates as we approach a very important milestone within the coming year. This sparked the creation of a FB group that is yet another source of encouragement, well wishes and tips on how to help all of us get to our goal. My hope is that by reading this you become inspired in some way to get up and move and make better food choices so next time you don't have to rely so much on the Spanx or dare I say wear a bathing suit without a cover-up! Those are my goals...
Here are a few things that may help you along the way.
Tiffany the Trainer!
Hands down the best personal trainer in S.E. Michigan. No brow beating here, but she is still tough. She is offering a fall special right now until November 1st, so if you need help reaching your goals, give her a call!
Quick, Easy, low-cal Protein-Rich Recipes
Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers
- 4 Green Bell Peppers
- 1 Cup of Uncooked Brown Rice
- 1 Can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 Cup of Diced Onion
- 2 Cups of Water
- 1 Can of Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 Can of Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 Tablespoon of Chili Powder
- 1 packet of your favorite taco seasoning
*Note* I add ground turkey for more protein.
In a non stick pot, add brown rice and onion. Cook for 5 minutes until onion begins to soften.
Add tomatoes, 2 cups of water and chili powder to rice. Cover and let cook until water is absorbed.
Preheat oven to 350f.
While rice is cooking, cut tops off of bell peppers and remove seeds. Place peppers in large pot of boiling water. Let boil until peppers become light green, and soft. Remove from water and place the peppers in a small pan.
Place beans in a non stick pan, add taco seasonings, and 3 tablespoons of water. Mix well, and add cooked rice mixture.
Scoop rice and bean mixture into bell peppers.
Place them in the oven for 10 minutes.
Black Bean-Corn Burger
Ingredients:
- 1 can (15 ounce) low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup corn, thawed if frozen
- 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1/4 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
- 8 cups baby spinach
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1/2 avocado, mashed
- 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Preparation:
In a bowl, combine beans, corn, bell pepper, breadcrumbs, cilantro, egg whites,
chipotle, oregano and cumin. Form bean mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook
patties, turning once, until browned, 5 minutes per side; remove from pan. In
same skillet, sauté spinach in remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat
until wilted, 3 minutes; season with nutmeg and salt and freshly ground black
pepper. In another bowl, mix avocado with sour cream and juice. Place 1/4 of
cooked spinach on bottom of each bun, then 1 burger and 1/4 avocado mixture. Top
with other bun half.
Happy shopping and sweating!
MB
