Toned and Tight Tuesday: Bridge Lift with Leg Lift

Last Tuesday, I talked about how much I like compound exercises (and if you tried out last weeks exercise you probably know why!) So today I have another compound exercise that works your glutes, inner thighs, outer thighs...basically your complete lower half, and your core!

Bridge Lift with Leg Lift:

Start by laying on your back with your knees pulled in so your feet are flat on the floor.

Lift your hips up pushing them toward the ceiling as high as possible, tightening your glutes.

Lift one leg (in this case your left) about 3-4 inches off the ground...just a little lower than I have it here. (Lexi had to make her debut)

Bring your leg up until it is perpendicular with the ground or as high as possible, keeping your hips pushed high.

Drop your hips and touch your lower back to the ground, keeping your leg up and extended.

Push your hips back up to the ceiling with your leg extended.

Lower your leg back to the starting position.

That is one rep.

So essentially, you are pushing your hips up, raising your leg all the way, dropping your hips, pressing your hips back up, and lowering your leg. Continue this for at least 10 reps without letting your left leg touch the ground. Switch legs and repeat for at least 10 more reps.

You will immediately start to feel this one in your stabilizing leg. In the inner part of your thighs, outter part, your core, EVERYWHERE! This is a great, challenging move! It can seem kind of complicated but once you get the hang of it, it flows easily.

I know it can be kinda difficult to follow with just pictures so please don't hesitate to leave me a comment or e-mail me with any questions you may have. I would eventually like to do videos of the exercises but we have to start somewhere right. :) Thank you for your support!!

So try it and let me know how it goes! :)

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Fast, Filling Lunch

With such an eventful weekend, I really had no time to do any grocery shopping or buy things for lunch for this next week, as I usually do on Sundays. So I decided that I would just grab some lunch somewhere on Monday. This can be a dangerous thing if you do not plan ahead. You may go to a drive-thru with every intention of getting the healthiest choice they offer, but when you pull up and see all those enticing things on the menu, it can be difficult to get excited about something healthy.

So I started my planning at home and decided I would get a Southwest Grilled Chicken salad from Jack in the Box. It is one of my very favorite salads and is so filling! I say I started my planning at the house because I know the dressing that comes with the salad has around 20 something grams of fat...what's the point in getting a salad if you are going to drown it in all that fat?! No, thank you! So I took some Fat Free Italian dressing from home and planned to use that instead. I also carried my usual apple and water.

The salad comes with lettuce, roasted corn, black beans, tomatoes, onion, cheese (which I take off), and chicken. It is so delicious!

A few of the ladies I eat lunch with get this salad regularly as well and just the other day were talking about how it seems as if you can eat and eat on this salad and it just never seems to get any smaller! I usually get tired of chewing before I actually finish it...so needless to say it's a huge, filling lunch option!

I know most of the time ALL fast food can have it's down side, whether it be a salad, burger, quesadilla etc But when you're in a crunch and it comes to ordering a Sourdough Jack or this salad, I'm pretty sure this is a WAY healthier option and something I can feel good about!

What are some of your healthy lunch options when you haven't had time to pack a lunch or go grocery shopping?

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Half Marathon...CHECK!

Yayy! I officially completed my first (and definitely not my last) half marathon yesterday! It was quite an experience but overall I was happy with how everything turned out.

I did not set my goals too high for this race because I knew I hadn't trained like I should have. Plus, it was my first one so who really knows what to expect! Not to mention, my sister and running partner, Lacey, was diagnosed with bronchitis just a week before the race! She's a trooper for still getting out there and doing as well as we did! Thanks for sticking by me, sis! :)

(I've had some people ask me about the shirts we have on. I make and sell these shirts. Here is a direct link to my shop on Etsy where you can find these tanks and some other things!)

Here we are before the race waiting in the never ending line for the bathroom, or shall I say the port-a-johns! We actually ended up starting the race about 5 minutes after the gun because of this long line. But it turns out we actually kinda preferred it that way...we didn't have to fight through the crowd of people or weave through the walkers.

It was pretty humid throughout the whole race. Luckily, the majority of the race was on a trail that, at some points, went through a wooded area, so we did at least have some shade from time to time.

Around mile 4, my knees started hurting but I definitely wasn't stopping. Other than that, I actually felt really good. At this time we started talking about how far we wanted to try to go before we had to walk. My sister, having been sick for the last week and a half and not being able to train like she wanted, was hoping to make it to mile 6. I told her I was shooting for 8 but we would just have to see!

We actually ended up running 9 miles before walking! We both think we could have actually gone longer had we been hydrating properly, which was an unintentional, unfortunate event. We got water around mile 4 and kept on trucking. We got to the next water station, around mile 6.5 or so, and decided to pass it up thinking that the turn around point was just right past this station and we would just get water on the way back.

Around mile 7, there were some of the most encouraging, spirit lifting signs put out along the side of the trail. Ones that had some bible verses about finding strength and power in God and others that said things like, "Keep running...don't give up!" Those signs could not have been placed at a better point in the race! I looked over at Lacey and said, "Ugh I can't read any more of those signs or I'm going to get choked up," only to see that she too was getting emotional. You see some of the greatest and most encouraging things while participating in a race. A man and woman out supporting the runners went and bought huge bottles of water and was offering a sip to those passing by because they knew they had run out of water at one of the most crucial spots in the race. We also passed a man a couple of times who only had one leg on a bike with hand pedals and it made me feel so grateful to have two legs and to be able to run be out there running and doing something great for myself and my body. You just never know where or when you will find inspiration or how God will show his generosity through other people or how He will show you different things to make you feel grateful, humble, and empowered.

Sorry to get sentimental on you but I just felt I had to share those things...they were such a great part of the race!

Back to the race...

So it turns out, we went another 1-1.5 miles before making it back to that water station and to top it off...THEY WERE OUT OF WATER! How in the heck do you run out of water in the dead middle of a 13 mile race, in this humid, Texas weather?! So, we decided to just keep on running. After talking it over, we decided to run until around the 9 mile point, not wanting to break our stride for at least a little longer. We decided to stop there because we knew it could get dangerous having gone so far without water. We were an hour and 45 minutes in at this point...not bad at all! So we walked for a bit, ran another .6 of a mile or so and then decided to take it easy until we found some water so we wouldn't overdo it.

Us around mile 10...still feeling pretty good!

If I had one major piece of advice to give to someone about running a half marathon, it would be to not stop running until you absolutely can not go anymore! Your legs tighten up so bad and when you start running again, it feels like you have two heavy weights strapped to the bottom of your shoes!

Around mile 10.5 we FINALLY got water! I guess another huge piece of advice would be to get water at EVERY opportunity because you never know what may happen. In previous races (although I've never done a half marathon before), I never drank water while running because I thought it would weigh me down or slosh around in my tummy and make me feel bad. But actually, I found that every time I took a sip of water, it seemed like it gave me a little more energy to keep going!

So we alternated walking and running for the rest of the race. Each time we stopped to walk, our legs tightened up even more. Around mile 12, my calves were in knots! Surprisingly, my legs always felt better when I was running...as soon as I stopped to walk, the pain set in big time!

We ran the last .5 or so of the race and crossed the finish line with a gun time of 2 hours and 53 minutes, but our actual time was around 2 hours and 48 minutes! I couldn't be more proud of our time considering ALL circumstances and obstacles! I truly feel we could have ran the whole thing had we been hydrating properly...oh well, you live and you learn! :)

Upon crossing the finish line, we got this nice little piece of jewelry placed around our necks! :) I can't tell you how great of a feeling you get when you cross that finish line! It's unlike any other feeling!

We chugged down bottle after bottle of water, got some snacks to munch on, and had our picture taken with our medals after the race.

After leaving the race, I stopped and got some coconut water. Coconut water is one of the best things you can drink to get yourself rehydrated! I immediately started to feel better after the first few sips.

Running a half marathon is challenging and leaves you feeling completely drained but I would do it all over again in a heart beat...which I fully intend on doing soon! :)

Red faced and drained...officially a half marathoner! Woo Hoo!! :)

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Light Oatmeal Pancakes

Omar and I had these awesome pancakes for dinner last night!

Yeah that's right...I said dinner...

We're rebels like that...

The great thing about these babies is that they're so healthy, you can eat them any time you want! Breakfast, lunch, or dinner...or all three if you prefer! (But I wouldn't recommend it ;) )

Light Oatmeal Pancakes (inspired by this recipe from Spark Recipes)
makes 10-12 pancakes

• 1 cup old fashioned whole grain oats
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 packets of sugar substitute (I used Splenda)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until mostly smooth.

2. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.
3. Pour approximately 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.

4. When you start to see bubbles forming on the pancakes, flip them and cook on the other side until brown.

These pancakes are so versatile and can be made many different ways! If you want to add in fruits, be sure to do it after you have blended everything or the batter will come out too liquidy. Mini chocolate chips, my personal favorite, would be a great addition to these, as well! I topped mine with sugar free syrup and slices of banana!

The skinny:
Each pancake (made with 1/4 cup of batter) has approximately 53 calories and .5 grams of fat! So go ahead and serve yourself up a short stack!

Try these out on the kids and family...no one will EVER guess they are healthy! :)
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Interval Training

Yesterday, I wanted to get one more day of running in before our half marathon this Sunday! (eek!) I can't believe it's already here! I'm definitely nervous but excited at the same time! :)

Anyways, I didn't want to do a long run but I did want to do some sort of running so I decided to do some interval training on the treadmill. Some of you may be saying inter-who?! So let's start from the beginning...

What is interval training?

• Interval training is when you alternate high intensity, short bursts of speed with slower, recovery phases during your workout.

Do any of you remember in high school when we used to run the straights and walk the curves on the track? That is the perfect example of interval training!

What are some of the advantages of interval training?

• Increases your speed.
• Burns more calories in less time.
• Increases your endurance.
• Increases your metabolism.
• It keeps your metabolism and fat burning furnace reved up for at least the next 24 hours!
• It prevents boredom since you are constantly changing your speed and intensity.
• No equipment or machines are necessary.

You can do interval training many different ways. You can do it while jumping rope, biking, running, while doing high knees, mountain climbers, etc. Just as long as you are alternating short bursts of high intensity exercises with a slower recovery phase, you are doing interval work!

As I said, I decided to do mine on the treadmill yesterday. I wanted to take it easy on my knees and not kill myself so this is the plan I used.

Time	Speed	Incline
0:00-5:00	3.5	1.0
5:00-10:00	4.0	2.0
10:00-12:00	6.5	1.0
12:00-13:00	3.5	1.0
13:00-15:00	6.6	1.0
15:00-16:00	3.5	1.0
16:00-18:00	6.7	1.0
18:00-19:00	3.5	1.0
19:00-21:00	6.6	1.0
21:00-22:00	3.5	1.0
22:00-24:00	6.7	1.0
24:00-25:00	3.5	1.0
25:00-27:00	6.7	1.0
27:00-28:00	3.5	1.0
28:00-30:00	6.8	1.0
30:00-31:00	3.5	1.0
31:00-33:00	6.9	1.0
33:00-34:00	3.5	1.0
34:00-36:00	7.0	1.0
36:00-42:00	3.5	2.0

This is a fairly simple plan but it still had me sweating! If you are new to interval training and would like to try it out on the treadmill, this would be a great start for a beginner!

Have you ever tried interval training? If so, what kind of interval training do you do?
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Strawberry Protein Bites

These things are good...

I mean REAL good...

Omar heard me talking about how good it was and wanted to see if it was TRULY good or just "okay...for healthy stuff" kinda good...

He said it was TRULY good...

Lexi wanted a bite too...But I didn't give her any...that was just me again :)

:(

I truly didn't have very high hopes for these. Unfortunately, most of the other "healthy" desserts I have attempted just didn't turn out well for me. But after reading the reviews for this recipe on the Kraft website, I decided to give it a try with my own spin on it!

To me, these things are like little clouds of protein wonderfulness! They are the perfect size for an after dinner dessert or a quick snack! Plus they are so quick and easy to whip up...they only have 2 ingredients! Here's the "lengthy" recipe! :)

Strawberry Protein Bites (makes approximately 7 servings)

• 1 3oz box of sugar free strawberry gelatin mix
• 2 1/4 cups Greek 0% non-fat yogurt (I use Oiko's or Chobani)

1. Mix together the gelatin mix and Greek yogurt in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave on high for about 1 1/2 minutes. (Some say this is not necessary, that the gelatin dissolves fine without putting in the microwave. So it's up to you!)
3. Line a muffin tin with foil muffin liners.
4. Fill all the muffin liners about 3/4 full.
5. Place in the refrigerator to let them set up. Mine were set within 30-45 minutes.

I decided to top mine with crushed almonds to give it a little crunch, plus sneak in some healthy fats! You could top these with whatever you desire...fresh fruit, mini chocolate chips, light whipped cream, anything really!

You could probably really turn up the strawberry flavor even more by adding strawberry flavored yogurt or chopped or blended pieces of strawberries! And just in case you haven't been down the aisle where all the sugar free gelatin mixes are stashed, there are TONS of different flavors, so if you're not a strawberry fanatic, I'm sure you can find something you will love! I think next time I will probably try it with lime or pineapple gelatin mix! Yum!! :)

The skinny:

These little bites of protein goodness have only approximately 45 calories and 0 grams of fat! But the best thing of all, each one packs about 7 grams of protein! That's what I'm talking about!!

Let me know if you decide to try these out or discover a new delicious flavor that the rest of us should try! :)



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Toned and Tight Tuesday: Pendulum Lunges with Bicep Curl

The old days of doing boring isolation exercises are gone! Compound exercises are where it's at! I love compound exercises because it's like getting a two for one deal! You maximize your workout by getting two exercises done in the time it takes to do one! What's not to love?!

In this exercise, by adding in the bicep curl as you lunge forward, you are also working your arms in addition to your legs, abs, and glutes you work with the traditional lunge! Of course there is a lot more going on than in an isolation exercise so just be sure to stay focused and maintain good form!

This exercise is called a pendulum lunge because you will going in a forward and back motion, like a pendulum! Remember to not hesitate or rest on your knee as you are doing this exercise...keep it moving just as a pendulum does!

For this exercise you will need some hand weights.. I am using a 5 pound weight in each hand.

Start this exercise standing up straight with your hands to your side and arms turned so that your palms are facing forward.

Lunge forward with your left foot, keeping your back straight. As you are lunging, lift the weights up towards your shoulders as you would with a normal bicep curl until your forearm is almost vertical. (In this picture, I did not do a full curl. You will want to follow through with the curl until the weights are up near your shoulders.) Do not let your elbows flare out...keep them tucked at your sides. Touch your knee to the ground, or as close as possible, making sure to keep a 90 degree angle at both knees.

As soon as you touch the ground, push back up to the starting position, uncurling your arms so they are back down at your sides. Remember, KEEP MOVING!

Then you will step back with the same leg you stepped forward with (in this case your left leg) to a reverse lunge. Remembering to keep your back straight and keeping those 90 degree angles at your knees. Repeat just as you did with the forward lunge. Lift the weights to your shoulders, keep your elbows at your side, touch your knee to the ground and push back up to the starting position.

 So your are first lunging forward, back up, and then lunging to the back, all with the same leg...that equals one rep! Aim to do 15-20 reps. Repeat this with the opposite leg, 15-20 reps as well!

You will definitely start to feel this one after only a few reps but keep going and get through all your reps! You'll be glad you did! :)

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