Goodbye Elevate! You have been OH so good to me.

Today is a really bittersweet day for me. I mentioned a few weeks ago that there were some changes in store for me as far as work is concerned and today those changes kick in.
Today is my last day working at Elevate Fitness & Rehab.

I have been at Elevate since October 2007. I began training in April of 2007 and the company that I started with merged with Elevate later that year. There has been a lot of stretching and growing in my career there, and I have loved it SO much.

I have worked with incredible fitness professionals that have taught me and allowed me to share with them all of the knowledge I've accumulated. I have the best clients in the world. There is no question there.

This past month there has been some changes made at Elevate which has given me the opportunity to look at where I want to be in my Career. I was presented with the opportunity to stay at Elevate or to explore some new options. I have decided to go with Cody, one of the best trainers I know, and help in opening up a new private training studio. I will be taking all of my clients with me, which makes this transition exciting for not just me, but for those that have put their trust in my abilities. I have some clients that will have now been with me at three separate gyms. Aren't they the best? I am one lucky gal! We will be working with brand new top of the line equipment that will enable me to expand my creative and torturous juices in a whole new arena. :)

I will certainly miss all of the fabulous people at Elevate, and I have loved the friendships and bonds that I have formed there. However, I cannot wait to try something new on for size. THE LAB is the name of our new location, and let me just warn you...It's gonna be BOMB. I can't wait to show it to you!!!

Wish US luck! :) xoxoxo

Do What You're Told.

Today I got to go to the dentist. Aren't I lucky? I actually really like my dentist. He is a family friend, and he does a really great job. I just don't like the dentist in general. Make sense? Good. So today was time for the fabulous bi-annual check up, in which the hygienist tells me I need to floss more and then sends me out the door with a return appointment to get my cavity(s) filled. Dread.

Well, at my last cleaning, my hygienist and I got into a conversation about how I should floss more, which lead into a conversation about how she should exercise more. We both began to laugh a little, and promised that next time we saw each other we would DECIDE to do what we were told. It's kinda funny how our jobs are fairly similar.
At her job, she gives people the preventative advice they need to save themselves the pain of cavities and mouth issues. Those people then go forward deciding if they want to brush, floss, etc. They know that if they would floss and brush everyday they will be more than likely to remain cavity-less.
At my job, I give my clients advice they need to lose weight, achieve positive health, feel better, and look better. They then leave with the information I give them and decide if they want to follow or not. They know if they do so, they will see positive results. If they don't, things will either stay the same or possibly worsen.

WELL. I will have you know...since my last cleaning, I took her challenge to heart. I did what I was told. I flossed every night, and brushed with my Sonicare. I put the good habits the dentist recommended into practice. I felt reeeaal good going into my appointment today knowing I did what I was told to do. I didn't have to cross my fingers, and hope that my few days last ditch efforts at flossing made up for the prior six months I hadn't flossed. (Let's be clear that I am an obsessive teeth-brusher. Call me a germ-a-phobe, but I don't like putting my hands in my mouth...hence...I hate flossing.)

Good news...All my hard work paid off. Aside from one minor little spot he was worried about, the Doc said he could tell my flossing and brushing habits were MUCH better. YAY! The hygienist confessed that she felt bad she hadn't lived up to her end of the deal, and next time I came in she was going to be able to report that she had been exercising four times a week.

BOTTOM LINE: 
- I still don't like the dentist.
- When you put the principles of good habits into action...good things happen.
- Consistency with GOOD habits will help you to achieve positive results. AKA: You can't floss the night before the dentist and expect them not to notice your plaque buildup. You can't exercise for one day and expect your weight to drop dramatically the next day. It just DOES NOT work that way. Consistency. 
- Do what you are told. (when you know it is good advice)

What positive practices have you turned into good habits? Do you hate going to the dentist as much as I do?

See Megan Run: 12 Miler and splitting long runs & rewards

I had a busy weekend and knew I was going to have to do my 12 mile long run on Friday this week instead of Saturday. I also knew this was going to be tricky to figure out because I had some things going on Friday that made my timing a long run difficult. I finally figured out I would have time to squeeze in 4.5 miles in between morning clients, and then 7.5 right when I got done training. I was somewhat worried about splitting up the miles, but I ended up being SO glad I did. Both segments of my run went AWESOME.
My goal pace from my training schedule was 9:50 minute miles, and I ended up doing 9:40 for 9.5 of the miles and 9:00 for the other 2.5.

Fuel: I had cereal suicide for breakfast. A mixture of Kashi Go Lean Crunch, Special K protein plus, and Raisin Bran.

After my 4.5 I had to go back to training clients, and somewhere in between training and my next segment of running I had a piece of Kamut bread with some peanut butter and honey. It did the trick. 

I was really nervous about this 12 miler because my 10 miler wasn't my favorite. This run was a whole different story. Aside from some chafing under my arms, (I had some chamois butter, but I didn't take the time to put it on...I wished I would have) the run felt so good. My joints, muscles, insides all felt great. It reminded me that I actually do like to run sometimes. Let's hope that keeps up. :) 

I rewarded myself with a pedicure. My feet were very pleased. I am all about rewards for good efforts!

Setting goals, and giving yourself non-food rewards like pedicures, new music, a massage, or a new shirt can make reaching those small goals a lot more exciting! They are a great way to celebrate accomplishments. Map out the goals you have for yourself whether it be with weight loss, nutrition, race times, etc and determine what your rewards will be when you reach those milestones! 

SO...about splitting up my run. I was super nervous that this might defeat the whole purpose of doing a long run. I did some research on doing so, and these were the pros and cons I found.

CONS:

- There is a part of marathon training that is very mental. Being able to talk yourself through long runs is definitely a part of that mental preparation. 

- Physically, long runs are a necessary part of your preparation as well. There is something important about logging the necessary miles.

- You don't have two segments of time to complete a marathon.

PROS: 

- Dividing up a long run can help mentally. Sometimes knowing you are running a shorter distance makes getting those runs in much easier. 

- There are a lot of studies that show that splitting up mileage in a day can be beneficial. It allows you to get your miles in without fully letting your muscles recover, so you are still receiving the same effect.

- It can help to prevent injury for slower runners. Speedy runners can pound out a lot more mileage in two hours than slower runners can. Many marathon experts discourage runs over 2.5 hours in marathon training, regardless of the speed and mileage. 

My thoughts?
Well, running an actual marathon doesn't depend wholly on one long run. It is an accumulation of correct training over a long period of time. This being said, I think there definitely is necessity in having long runs so that you can mentally and physically experience what they feel like, and recognize what you need to do to prepare to get through them. BUT, I think there is nothing wrong with splitting a few long runs here and there. It can make some of those days when the long runs seem impossible a lot more manageable. In talking to some of the AVID marathoners I work with they agreed.

What are your thoughts? Have you ever split up your long runs into segments? Do you have rewards for your goals? You should!!

February Mix Giveway Winner!

Happy Saturday! It's time to announce February's Mix giveaway winner...

drumroll...

and the winner is......... Ashley from Ash & Diz!
She said, "my fav love song... is probably 'the dance' by garth brooks. or anything by josh groban. or adele. ;)" 
I LOVE all those options! Email me and I'll get you your tunes girlie!! :) Congrats! xoxoxo Megs


For other workout playlists click HERE.

Homemade Whole Grain Kamut Bread

My clients are totally awesome. Not only are they fabulous people, but they are always sharing their good finds with me. If they find something delicious that is healthy and new, they will sometimes bring me a sample of it to get my stamp of approval. One of my clients has been talking about how she has the best whole wheat bread recipe ever, and I had to try it. I am always willing of course, so I asked her for the recipe. Not only did she bring me the recipe, but she brought me some freshly ground Kamut flour that the recipe calls for. I am not going to lie, I had never even heard of Kamut flour...so, I had to do some research.

Kamut flour is a kind of whole wheat flour that comes from the Kamut grain. This type of flour isn't going to be in all typical grocery stores. You are more likely to find it at a health food store. I am not quite sure where my client bought it, but I do know that she ground the wheat herself before she brought it to me.

Some AWESOME facts I learned about Kamut flour...
- It contains 40% more protein than regular flour. Awesome. You know I love this. (In 1/4 a cup there is 4 grams.)
- It has a sweeter taste to it which means you can cut down on the amount of sugar you use with it when Baking.
- It has a naturally buttery flavor which makes the taste of whatever you are making delicious.
- It is high in fiber. (In 1/4 a cup of Kamut flour there is 4 grams)
- Those who have an allergy to regular wheat can usually tolerate Kamut a lot better.
Basically it is a better tasting whole wheat flour.

Isn't that just pretty? It is SO. DANG. TASTY too. 

Whole Grain Kamut Bread
(Recipe from: Hall and Gibson)
This recipe makes 4 medium loaves

Grind 9 cups of Kamut on medium/fine setting
gently combine together:
3 1/2 cups warm water (105-110 degrees)
2/3 cup honey
4 cups Kamut flour
2-2 1/2 TBS instant yeast

Turn mixer on speed 1 and add in:
3 cups Kamut flour
3 TBL vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 TBL salt
**let this sit for 20 mins**
add in:
1 more cup Kamut flour and mix until it is combined.

add in:
1/3 cup softened butter

Turn mixer on speed 2 and knead for 8 minutes. Dough should be soft, but not sticky. You can add some more flour if needed. Let it raise in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray, covered for 30 minutes or until dough has doubled. Section dough out into 4 pieces. Loaf into pans. (I rolled out each section into a rectangle with a rolling pin and then rolled them up so they were pretty and smooth in the pan.) Let raise for 30 minutes more, covered. Cook for 32 minutes at 325 degrees.

Before yesterday I had also never baked bread with wheat gluten. I actually wasn't quite sure what it was. Gluten is the main protein in wheat. It is made from wheat flour that is washed until all the starch dissolves, and the elastic mass of gluten remains. Because wheat bread can be so dense, using vital wheat gluten can help to increase the rising potential.

This bread is UNBELIEVABLY good. The consistency of the bread is awesome, and it smelled like heaven in my house all night. I think even those who don't usually love wheat bread might go for this bread because of it's light and buttery taste. It is DIVINE. Try it out!

Have you ever baked or cooked with Kamut flour? Do you use vital wheat gluten in your baking? Do you ever make homemade bread? I have a friend who's mom makes fresh wheat bread every week for their family. I think THAT is amazing! If I had a family to cook for I would TOTALLY do that. For now, I'd probably end up eating entire loaves on my own...

Also...Don't forget to enter February's mix giveaway HERE!

What I love about Sundays

One thing I miss about being a kid/living at home is definitely Sundays. I used to love going to church with my family, coming home and putting on my sweats, taking a nap, waking up to the smell of mom cooking an awesome dinner, getting to lounge and watch movies, and finishing the evening with a fabulous dessert. With my parents being in town this weekend it was almost like old times. Young times? You get it.

Here are a few things I love about Sundays...

Being DONE speaking at stake conference. Man, that was scary. It was a great experience though.

Sunday dinner of COURSE. Thank you mom, it was delicious. Garlic roasted veggies, roasted red potatoes, Swiss chicken, and fresh fruit. All favorites. It was so good. I devoured every single bite! Nothing like a good, healthy, home cooked meal!
 
I got to lounge around in all of my lazy/pajama wearing/Sunday rest day glory. I watched the old parent trap. Helloooo pocket sized Haley Mills. I can't wait for you to grow up and become Miss Bliss. I really do love this old flick. It's such a good one. 

 My mom topped the evening off by whipping up a batch of my FAVORITE Low Fat Zucchini Cookies. Man, these are so good. If you haven't made them yet, please set aside all important obligations and do so now. They are worth EVERY bite. I can tell you that much.

I just have to say one thing. Ben is the most boring bachelor EVER. He makes awful decisions. Also, Lindsey...you're darling, but wipe off about 9/10ths of that makeup. K? That is all. 

What do you love about Sundays? Is Sunday your rest day? Did you get the holiday off today? I worked, mainly because I am here, and I would rather not interrupt my clients schedule if possible! I did get to spend some time with the family which was AWESOME. 

If you haven't entered February's Mix Giveaway do it now! 

February Mix Giveaway - Beats to make you LOVE working out!

Believe it or not, there are actually some reasons I do LOVE February. Not for the weather, nor for the snow, but for the celebration of Valentine's Day. Pink and red are a pretty cute color combo too. Oh, and who doesn't appreciate a good love song...one with some beats at least.

With that in mind...I thought this month's mix giveaway should probably include all of the best LOVE inspired workout songs. Some of which I can't help but shake my hips to.

We Found Love ft. Calvin Harris - Rihanna
International Love ft. Chris Brown - Pitbull
Love on Top - Beyonce
Lovelier Than You - B.O.B
Love the Way You Lie - Eminem
No One's Gonna Love You - Band of Horses
Love Drunk - Boys Like Girls
Elastic Love ft. M.I.A. - Christina Aguilera
Friday I'm in Love - The Cure
I believe in a Thing Called Love - The Darkness
Stereo Love - Edward Maya
No Love ft. Lil' Wayne - Eminiem
I Don't Wanna Be in Love - Good Charlotte
Your Love is My Drug - Ke$ha
Use Your Love - Katy Perry
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
Say Hey (I Love You) - Michael Franti
Love Today - Mika
Love You Like a Love Song - Selena Gomez
Skinny Love - Bon Iver (cool down)

to enter to win...

1) Become a Follower and leave a comment or tell me that you already are one!
2) Leave a comment telling me what YOUR favorite love song is
3) For additional entries...blog about it, tweet it, facebook it, pin it, etc.

To see previous workout playlists click HERE 
The giveaway will end Friday March 2nd at midnight. Winner will be announced Saturday March 3rd! Good luck!

A Saturday Smattering

Happy Saturday Y'all. One of my favorite days of the week. Here is a smattering of my thoughts for the day.

- I have been DREAMING of going on a warm vacation. More like salivating over the thought of it...What I wouldn't do to be the winner of some fabulous beach resort vacation right now. I even started flipping through some of my warm weather vacation photos from this past year...

I mean come on...wouldn't you rather be doing THIS 

 or THIS?

Instead of THIS? 

OK...in all honesty this winter hasn't been too bad at all. (That pic is from last year.) AND if you can't tell I am HATING my life on that tube. I wouldn't mind a warm Lake Powell trip though, sans death defying tube. I'm much more of a boat lounger. :) Let's just say I'm ready for spring already. I want shorts and flip flops and tanned skin. I'm over boots.

- My parents are in town this weekend. I love when that happens. :)
- I watched Whitney Houston's funeral while I worked out this morning. It made me a) remember how great some of her songs are b) feel sad that so many celebs ruin their lives and waste such amazing talent c) wanna dance with somebody. Don't worry I got ready to the greatest of Whitney Houston this afternoon and that CD is fabulous.
- I have to speak at Stake Conference tomorrow. Major butterflies. It is a semi-annual meeting my church holds in which ohhh about a thousand or so people meet together. Like I said, butterflies.
- I had a client bring me some fresh ground Kamut flour to make whole wheat bread, and I'm hoping to be able to make it and post the recipe tomorrow! YUM! What smells better than fresh baked bread? Not much. Maybe cinnamon rolls.
- Modern Family makes me smile.

That's all. Happy Saturday!

xoxoxo Megs


Are you ready for warm weather? Ever baked with Kamut Flour?

Awwww...nuts! National Almond Day

Yesterday was national almond day, and I didn't get to post about it. I actually planned on posting about it, but didn't have the time. SO...I'm celebrating yesterday, today. You follow?

I'm going to start by telling you a little story...Once upon a time I hated nuts in almost all forms. I say almost because I did like the little bags of peanuts I got on the airplane. That was about where I drew the line. I hated nuts in brownies. I hated nuts in bread. I hated nuts on muffins. I didn't want nuts in their natural lonely form. NO NUTS. The shocking part...I didn't even want much to do with peanut butter.

Time for some true confessions...
1. I still hate nuts in any baked good. They just ruin things, ok?
2. I didn't eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich until I was 16. (GASP!!)
3. I always thought nuts were too high in calories and fat and it was probably better that I hated them anyways.

Explanation of my true confessions...
1. Self explanatory. They just ruin things, ok? I feel the same way about raisins.
2. I was the girl who took salads in a Tupperware, cut up vegetables, and all sorts of fruit snacks in my lunch, but NEVER a sandwich. Never. I still am not the biggest jam lover, and I didn't used to love honey, so what in the world would I be eating with peanut butter on bread. Luckily...at girls camp one summer we were desperate for food (aka: I was once VERY picky and hated a lot of foods) and a PB&J was my only option. LIFE CHANGING. Don't worry I've made up for lost time...

see...

3. I had the wrong idea about nuts until I had an incredible class in college called Chronic Disease Prevention from Dr. Aldana. Our textbook was his book entitled, The Culprit and the Cure. If you haven't read it, read it. It is amazing, and it will change you view of food in a big way. I learned that nuts are a healthy food that are full of healthy fats and good calories. YES, they require some portion control, but eating nuts is VERY beneficial. Almonds happen to be one of my favorite foods now. I actually purchase them in bulk.

(Yep, I've used this photo before, and yep the bag was opened upside down.)

Almonds have so many health benefits.
- They fight heart disease! The good fats help to decrease the bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol.
- They have antioxidants and all sorts of vitamins and minerals.  The antioxidants are cancer fighting agents, and come in the skin of the almonds.
- They have protein in them! Always a bonus This makes them a great snack to take with you on the go. I ALWAYS have a plastic bag of them in my purse. ALWAYS.

So...include some almonds in your diet! One serving is about an ounce or 24 almonds. The stats for one ounce of almonds is about 163 calories, 14 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fiber, and only 1 gram of sugar! AWESOME. Try to portion out a serving at a time so you don't overdo it, but by all means, eat your almonds!

I love my almonds raw and natural, slivered on salads, and even mixed in with trail mix. I also LOVE cinnamon almonds. THIS recipe is a healthified version that is super delicious.

What is YOUR favorite way to eat almonds? Do you like nuts in your baked goods? You can say yes and we will still be friends. Are you a fan of the ole' PB&J?

Make Your Efforts Count

I hope your Love Day was LOVEly. Mine looked something like this...

Last week I had a client that was running behind due to the chaos that life can bring, and she ended up being able to make it for about 20 minutes of her session with me. At first she was bummed because she thought she missed out on burning lots of calories. I assured her quickly that you don't always need lots of time to get a great workout in. You can easily put 100 percent effort into a short workout and get some intense work done. Heck, I think sometimes people who spend three hours at the gym are wasting their time. I bet if you asked my client if she felt like her 20 minute HIIT workout was efficient she would say yes.

My tips for a quick and effective workout...
- Go big or go home. Use heavier weights, put forth maximum effort, and really make sure you are pushing yourself. (Safely, of course)
- Add in some cardio intervals. By adding in some cardio bursts you will be keeping your heart rate as high as you can. This helps you to burn the maximum amount of calories possible. Some good cardio burst exercises are jump squats, burpees, mountain climbers, or a quick sprint.
- Alternate exercise sets. I ALWAYS do this. ALWAYS. While one muscle group is resting I work another muscle group. I never just sit and recover. That is time wasted. If I just worked my legs doing squats, I'll allow my legs to rest while I am doing pushups, working my arms. Get it? Got it.
- Make your exercises multipurpose. This is another thing I ALWAYS do. Squats with an overhead press or doing an arm exercise while balancing on one foot to engage the core. When you make the most of your exercises you can fit a ton in to a short time period.

Don't let time be an excuse for not exercising. You don't have to have hours to spare. You just have to be willing to push yourself for the time that you do have.

Click HERE to see some of my previous circuit workouts that include all of these principles!

Do you include HIIT training into your workouts? How do you make your workouts as effective as possible?

My Love List

Happy Valentine's Day! I always like to make a list of the things that I love as a reminder of just how good I have it!

I love...the feeling I get after an awesome workout. Pizza Factory's Salad Bar. My family. Oatmeal. My friends. Laughing. My seafoam green skinny jeans. Nike tempo shorts. Frozen yogurt. Being Tan. My fabulous job and coworkers. Reading a good book. My bed. Peanut butter. Summer. Striped everything. The Bachelor. Hugs and kisses. Diet Dr. Pepper. The beach. My iPhone. My religion. Finding new music. My moccasins. Sweats. Soft blankets. Road trips. Anything soft really. Healthy food. Hulu. Incredible clients. Baking. 80's music. My nieces and nephews. Cute boys. Glitter. Shopping. The internet. Chevron print. Inside jokes. Ibuprophen. Sunshine. Cooking. Traveling. Sunglasses. Fresh fruit. Helping my clients progress. Going to Last Chance. My computer. Blog friends. Instagram. Cereal. The Temple. Makeup. Not having to wake up to an alarm clock in the Morning. My scriptures. The weekend. Great roommates. Cinnamon. Pita Jungle. Fairytales. Pictures. Arizona. Fresh flowers. Vintage inspired style. My cheetah print wedges. Thick framed glasses. Rollerblades. Going to a movie. Pools. Smiling. When Harry Met Sally. Dance Parties. Anthropology Sales. Reruns of Friends. Getting funny text messages. Spinning. Coming up with crazy new workouts. Christmas. The Blue Lemon. Crafting. Hanging out with my mom and sisters. Lip gloss. High heels. Ryan Reynolds. Naps. New workout clothes. My car heater. Airplanes. Painting my nails. Leather Jackets. Stained glass. Downton Abbey. Massages. My beach cruiser. Mango Salsa. Foam Rollers. My flat iron. Cameras. Beach waves. My toothbrush......and on and on and on...

Speaking of things I love...I just found these photos on my phone...

More than anything, I must say I have so many amazing people in my life that I love SO dearly. What a great day to be able to tell all of them just how much I love them!

LOVE YOU!!! 

What/who/where do You love?

I love Valentine's Day. I always have. I usually don't even have an actual Valentine, and I still love it. To me, Valentines Day is a day to show all the people that you love, just how much you love them.  I still make Valentine's and pass them out like I'm 12. It's the best. I also like to make a list of the things that I LOVE...just as a reminder. That will come tomorrow :)

For today, I thought I'd throw out some ideas for how you can make your Valentine's Day full of love, and delicious too! 


Breakfast:
Whole Wheat Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

 

To make them into heart shapes bake them in cupcake liners and after you pour the batter in place one marble between the side of the cupcake tin and the liner, forcing it to bake into a heart shape.
or
Whip up some Whole Wheat Pancakes
My mom used to always make heart shaped pancakes with a cookie cutter. We also had a darling waffle iron that made heart shaped waffles. BUT if you don't want to go to the trouble of doing that dye the pancakes pink or use some berry topping to make them festive. 

Dinner: 
Make Heart Shape Mini Meatloaf Muffins the same way that you would make the heart shaped zucchini muffins with the marble.
or
Go Italian with Chicken Scampi

add to that a side of some delicious 
Copycat Carrabbas Bread Dip

If you are looking for something to take to a party this beautiful Fruit Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Chips is TO DIE FOR.

or keep it red and festive with some whole grain chips and Homemade Salsa

Dessert:
I love these Fruit Kabobs Make your own angel food cake with some pink food coloring and use strawberries and raspberries to keep it pink and red. If you want to get real snazzy cut the angel food cake into mini hearts with a cookie cutter.

Cinnamon Bun Cake This is another one where you could use a cookie cutter to make these into heart shaped pieces! You could also dye the cake or the icing pink with a little bit of food coloring.

Another beautiful and delicious dessert that is always a hit, and could be made beautifully into Valentines day colors is this English Trifle. Chocolate lovers could sub fat free sugar free chocolate pudding for the usual banana or vanilla.

Of course, you absolutely cannot go wrong with my all time favorite Low Fat Zucchini Cookies.

Hopefully these ideas can help make your Vday Celebration fabulous, tasty, full of love, and healthy too! Are you planning on staying at home to cook or are you going out for a night on the town? What is your favorite Valentines day treat? 

Also...Happy Bday to my darling Janae!! LOVE YOU GIRL!! 

See Megan Run - 10 Miler & iMap my run app

So, yesterday was the first time I have ran outside in a LONG time. Like...we are talking over a year. For those of you who haven't experienced the difference between running on a treadmill and running outside in a while, there is a definite difference. My goal yesterday was 10 Miles. I wanted to get a 9:14 pace, but I ended up being about 10 seconds slower. I know some of you are cheetahs, and that seems slow to you, but this girl is trying to build her running legs back up injury free! 

The Running Recap:
- Breakfast: Slow cook oats with a dallop of PB and a handful of frosted mini wheat bites cinnamon flavored. They're new. They're divine. They're full of carbs which is just what I needed. 
- Conditions/Temperature: 45ish not too bad for February. Still a little chilly for my liking. I am a total weather snob when it comes to running outside. I get why it was so warm yesterday now...it's a blizzard today! I will NEVER understand you, Utah weather. 
- Attire: Adidas running tights/capri length, Dry fit tank, Dry fit t-shirt, Columbia shell, ear warmer, Aisics Speedsters. (I wished I had some gloves, but I was pretty good temperature-wise.)
- Fuel: I should have taken my waterbelt, but didn't because I hate running with it. I stopped at a tiny little grocery store and ran in the bathroom and drank from the sink 1/2 way through. So gross. I know. I also took a couple Swedish Fish to pop in 1/2 way through. Yes, I ate candy. I didn't want to open up a whole pack of shot blocks when I knew I only would need a little bit of a glucose boost. The fishies worked like a dream (and tasted great.) 
**Usually the rule of thumb for long runs/refueling is with any runs over 75 minutes you should have some fuel. For longer runs you want 25-50 grams of carbs per hour.
- Overall Feelings on the run: My body felt great. I felt like I had the energy to keep going and my muscles/joints felt good. For whatever reason I was bored to death yesterday. I think my route was a little boring which may have been part of it. It was a decent run though. 


I have a list of about 5 million things I want. On that list is a Garmin, and because they are expensive I probably won't be getting one for a while. BUT...in the meantime. I am LOVING the iMapMyRUN app on my iPhone.

 - It is free, which is always a bonus.
- You can set it to give you stats whenever you'd like.  I am always jamming to my favorite tunes when I run, and I didn't want to be too frequently interrupted, so I set it to give me my details every mile. I wanted my distance, time, pace, and mph. It was great. I actually did a full 10 miles, but started the app a little after I took off.

It also records where you are, and includes your elevation. I love this aspect. As you can see the first part of my run was a straight incline. Maybe that is why I wasn't feeling it? Who knows. Anyways. The app is cool for Garmin-less runners like me, check it out.

Other weekend highlights included:
- Seeing The Vow, which I loved, but apparently nobody else did.
- Lunch with my Co-Workers at Zupas...some crazy/exciting changes coming up with work that I will share.
- A night out with the buddies to Coldstone. Remember that place? I haven't been there in FOREVER. I much prefer my frozen yogurt, BUT if you are looking for a healthier option there get the sinless sweet cream with bananas and raspberries. It's good stuff.

Also... Do you think it is normal for a person to have as many pairs of workout shoes as they do regular ones?? I may have an addiction. I get it.

Do you use a Garmin? Do you love it? Do you prefer to know your stats for your runs, or are you just happy to be outside running free? Do you know of any support groups for people who have more workout clothes than real ones? Hey people...it's my job. (That is just what I tell myself to feel justified...)

Friday? Yes please.

T.G.I.F.

I must say. I'm ready for tomorrow to be Friday.
You?

My two cents for the week

When I have good info I like to share it. These are some tips that I think everyone should know...

 1. Orowheat Whole Wheat Bagel Thins are BOMB. They help to lower the carb count in your diet if you are looking to do so. They have some substance to them so they are tasty. They are only 110 calories. They still have some fiber and protein and they are delicious. I like them with turkey sandwiches (as pictured above), with tuna, or even open faced in the oven with some marinara, spinach and a little mozzarella. Try them. You will be in love.

 2. The only way to buy your slow cooked oats is at Costco. It is the best deal. This box comes with two separate five pound bags so one stays perfect and fresh while you soldier through the other. If you are anything like me...soldiering through oats is what I do best.

 3. Edamame in individual frozen packets is an AMAZING quick protein source. Three minutes in the microwave and you have 13 beautiful grams of protein for 156 calories. This is an amazing afternoon snack, or side to any meal. I got this one at Costco. (I promise I have no affiliation with them aside from the fact that I like to give them lots of money in exchange for produce.) I have seen similar individual packs at different grocery stores as well.

4. I am a huge fan of buying veggie trays for my produce for the week. I ditch the dip that comes with it and use my own low-fat versions of ranch or hummus. I love this option because the veggies are ready to eat and you get a variety. I'll snack on these for the next week or so with dip, in salads, oven roasted, or even thrown in some cottage cheese like I had for dinner tonight. This method is great for those who need produce on the go.

5. Swiss Miss Diet hot chocolate with light whipped topping is my favorite sweet treat in the winter. You can't beat the 25 calorie hot chocolate packets, and the whipped topping for an additional 20 calories makes you almost feel decadent. It's good. Promise. 

There you have it. My two cents for the week. Do you have two cents you'd like to add?

Exercise of the Week Sliding Plate Lunge

Today's workout was cross training and strength training. I did a full body strength training workout and I decided to throw one of my new favorite leg exercises into the mix.

My workout was as follows...

Strength Training: Full body 60 Minutes 

3 sets of each/alternating

- 12 rows with the tower cables in a static squat (45 lbs on each side)

- 12 alternating reverse lunges with a bicep curl (20 lb db's)

- 12 alternating reverse lunges without the curl (20 lb db's)

- Plank with feet up on a med ball (one minute)

3 sets of each/alternating

- 15 pushups with the TRX

- 12 Tricep pull downs with the bar (40 lbs)

- 12 sliding plate lunges right (25 lb plate)

- 12 sliding plate lunges left (25 lb plate 

Sliding Plate Lunges

Step 1. Start with your right foot on top of a plate

 Step 2: Push the plate out into a lunge as far as you can go. Keep the back leg straight and go deep. Leave the weight on the front right heel and step the back leg to the right leg. Repeat on the same leg.

 Apparently smiling while doing these was too much effort. Actually I just wasn't thinking about the fact that you'd see my face... ;) These can also be done on a hard surface with a towel under the weight, or with just a towel. They can be done at home with a paper plate or towel on a slick surface or with furniture movers on carpet. I finished my workout with...

3 sets of each/alternating
- 15 Medicine Ball squat pick up throw downs with this mean guy...It may look harmless but it is dead weight I tell you. Dead weight.

- 12 upright row to a dead lift (15 lb db's)

Cardio:
60 minutes on the elliptical

I hope your Tuesday is fabulous! What is your workout for the day?? Try out the sliding plate lunge. It's a good one!

I'll Celebrate That!

Happy National Frozen Yogurt Day! Like I'd leave this day uncelebrated...

We attempted to make it to Yogurtland for some free yogurt, but the line was out the door and then some. SO...I settled for 2nd best. When all else fails Maverick's fat free frozen yogurt for a dollar is a preeettty good substitute. I hope you celebrated too!
xoxoxo megs

Healthy Chocolate Banana Puff Pillow Cookies

I am not going to lie, I got bored during the super bowl after half time. I decided to come home and make some cookies. It was one of my darling clients birthday's today, and so I wanted to make a healthy treat I could take to her. I ended up mixing a bunch of recipes and came up with these delicious little guys. 

Healthy Banana Puff Pillow Cookies

Makes 48 Servings 

Wet Ingredients: 

- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

- 1/2 cup smart balance butter

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1 egg

- 4 egg whites

- 4 tsp vanilla

- 3 ripe bananas, mashed

Dry Ingredients: 

- 4 1/2 cups wheat flour

- 2 tsp baking soda

- 2 tsp salt

- 1 cup oatmeal

- 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream together butter, applesauce, and sugars. Add in eggs and vanilla. Blend in bananas. Combine dry ingredients (without chocolate chips) and slowly add into wet mixture. Once combined add in chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes.

 

This is a great recipe for when you have some bananas that are a little past ripe!! These could also easily be frozen, so that you have a healthy treat on hand when needed. They are very light and fluffy, and they will make your home smell delightful.
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What is your favorite thing to do with bananas going south??