tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64888667378868355922024-03-14T04:54:18.103-04:00Walking on my Own 2 FeetLiving my life the way I want...one step at a time...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-17114671132057813122013-05-31T21:25:00.002-04:002013-05-31T21:25:32.998-04:00Finding Ourselves
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Losing
family obliges us to find our family…The only thing left to say will be ‘I wish
I had seen this’ or ‘I wish I had done that’… ” The word family, in today’s
generation, means so much more than we think. No longer does it mean simply
father, mother, sibling, etc. It now ties the terms foster parent, friend,
classmate, teacher, neighbor, fans, etc. under the umbrella. We no longer live
in a world where “normal” makes sense. There isn’t a “normal” way of being
anymore. The phrase has evolved into so many different meanings now that it is
hard to tell them apart anymore. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When we tie in these different
meanings of “family,” we strive to find it anywhere in our lives. It is a sense
of belonging and allows us to be a part of something, a group, a team, a unit
of love, liking, or understanding that we may not get elsewhere. We lose it and
the situation shakes our world until we are able to grab on again to possibly
another family. We become lost and ever searching for the companionship of
others that are most like us. Finding our family is like finding ourselves. We
find our best partners, our greatest supporters, and our finest moments. Our
family is the biggest reflection of who we are as individuals. They are the
mirrors we often avoid yet strive to always look into. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When we start regretting things in
our past or even in our present, we often find the words, “What if…?” most
comforting. There is always something else we could have done or said to ease
our minds and our hearts. In these situations we, more often than not, shut
people out or push them away just so we can bottle our regrets within ourselves
and not allow anyone else to see the reflection we give to ourselves. Real
family is always there to give us the true reflection that we need. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Death, new beginnings, forgotten
pasts, change, new futures can all be unfortunate times when we lose our
family. But in these losses, we then struggle and endeavor to find them again
in the most unknown locations. No matter whom they may be. A friendly neighbor
who clips flowers for us, a teacher that becomes a mentor, a foster parent that
gives us hope for a brighter future, a fellow fan that greets us at every game
with a smile, a friend that lends a shoulder or a hand when we need it most. We
find them yesterday, today, and tomorrow. For it is when we find our family
that we find ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-52838148162747048442012-10-06T22:46:00.000-04:002012-10-06T22:46:03.958-04:00Foodie Penpals!Yet another month has gone (can't believe where the time is going!) and yet another Foodie Penpal reveal! This month Amy Barnett sent me some fall favorites! <br />
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The granola she sent (in the big bag) was delish! It is already gone...so soft (which is how I like granola!) Yummm!! The Cajun flavored nuts made for a great on-the-go snack and I love a good kick and spice! <br />
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Next I pulled this out...<br />
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I can't wait to put this on some fish and grill or broil it! Amy suggested putting it on steak, which is how she likes it, so I know there are many options! And just like the container says, "Great on Everything!" Woohoo! <br />
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So apparently this picture came out upside down but you get the point...a Vidalia Onion Tomato Salad Dressing!! Ahhhh! It's like she has known me for years! This may be my favorite item in the box! Amy wanted to be extra sweet and put a little fall fever in my package for she added this at the bottom:<br />
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Such a nice touch, thank you Amy! I loved everything in my package! I was a little late sending my package to <a href="http://culturejaunt.com/">Nicolle</a> because I was deathly ill for DAYS (Sorry Nicolle!) Hopefully she liked everything I sent and can share it with you all soon! To find out how you can become a Foodie Penpal, head on over to <a href="http://www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/">Lindsay's blog</a> to find out more! <br />
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Make sure to check back later this weekend for a <strong><em><u><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">giveaway</span></u></em></strong>!!<br />
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Hope you all are having a great start to your October...on your own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-27088057732135085562012-09-30T20:56:00.001-04:002012-09-30T20:56:33.461-04:00Look 10 Years Younger! People have been recently telling me I look younger than my age (25) when I have been told for YEARS that I have looked and acted older than I am. Say whattt?? Totally new territory for me. So when doing some digging, I found out that there are some body tricks to help you stay lookin' young! <br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Posture</strong></span><br />
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Hunching over is a sign of weak ab and neck muscles- and can add <em><span style="color: #0b5394;">8 years</span></em> to your appearance. Standing tall has an instant de-age technique. The trick? Get up more! Walking engages those same muscles that need to be strengthened, improving your posture. Walk to another floor to use the restroom at work. Walk to work or the grocery store if you can. Take 5-10 minutes every other hour or so to get up and take a lap around whatever building you're in! <br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Abs</strong></span><br />
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Too many crash diets can result in a more saggy midriff. It wears your skin's elasticity when you gain and lose weight repeatedly. Throw away those BS juice detox diets and simply log your meals and exercise in a journal to see where you need more improvement! <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Legs</span></strong><br />
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You must keep these babies strong! When you see flabby legs, it is a sign that you are losing muscle mass and wimpy muscles lower your endurance which in turn makes you weak and looking <em><span style="color: #3d85c6;">20 years older</span></em>! Add a couple 15-20 minute strength sessions a week to your normal workout and you'll be showing off those gorgeous stems for years to come! <br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Eyes</strong></span><br />
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Computer screens give off shortwave light which can cause dry eyes and blurry vision. Not to mention that when you squint to check your twitter or facebook feed, it can lead to premature crow's feet, making you look <em><span style="color: #3d85c6;">10 years older</span></em>. Yikes! The trick? Foods that are high or rich in lutein, like eggs. This power antioxidant helps your eyes process those shortwave lights better! <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Teeth</span></strong><br />
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Check out your smile in a mirror lately? A grin with nothing but teeth could mean your gums are receding- aging your face and putting you at risk for periodontal disease. Womp womp. Root canals are something no one wants to go through. Brush gently and floss twice daily (pressing too hard can wear down gums!). <br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Hands</strong></span><br />
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Your hands can appear <em><span style="color: #3d85c6;">10 years older</span></em> than they are if you are not applying sunscreen daily! Try using a moisturizer with sunscreen to help avoid sun spots and keep your skin glowing! <br />
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There you have it. No one wants to age early, right ladies? So now when people tell me I look younger, I take it as a compliment! Hopefully these tricks can help you looking younger and help boost your confidence to walk on your own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-89577877032567840412012-09-07T03:21:00.003-04:002012-09-07T03:21:47.252-04:00Foodie Penpal Reveal! This Foodie Penpal thing just keeps getting better and better. I am able to "meet" new friends and getting a package filled with goodies isn't so bad either! It is interesting to see where the different packages come from- all over the country! <br />
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This month, Carolynne sent me some quality items. The first thing I noticed about her box was the beautiful stationary letter on the top of the box. In it on a lavender plant stationary was a handwritten note and even one of her favorite recipes that she loves to make (what a great idea!) Of course tearing the box open is always a must when it comes to Foodie Penpals...<br />
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Out came all of these goodies! The first thing I noticed was the Guacamole mix. I don't think you can ever go wrong with guacamole. I am in the process of having many get togethers at my house so this little baby will definitely come in handy! <br />
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The rosemary potato soup...has anyone ever seen this combo?? I have yet to try it but I was very close to ripping it open and drinking it out of the carton. It sounds delicious! <br />
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Carolynne must have ESP and know that I like spicy foods because she added Red Chili Hot Sauce so I can have that extra kick to my dinners! I love putting this kind of sauce on fish or make my own stir fry! Thank youuuuu Carolynne!! <br />
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Also included in my package? Coconut cashews...YES! I love snacking and these bad boys were gone instantly! Woohoo! <br />
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All in all? Another amazing Foodie Penpal success! Want to be a part of the group? Head on over to Lindsay's blog <a href="http://www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/">The Lean Green Bean</a> and fill out a participation form! Believe me, you will not be sorry! <br />
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Want to see what I sent SallyAnn? Head on over to her <a href="http://hodgepodgelodge-billsgal.blogspot.com/2012/08/foodie-penpal-reveal.html">blog</a> to see her write-up of my package to her!<br />
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Until the next step bloggers... Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-63838041068498410932012-07-03T04:49:00.001-04:002012-07-03T04:49:36.644-04:00June Foodie Penpals Reveal!This weekend has been crazy! I am still getting back into the swing of being on the night shift again at work after a nice long 3 month "vacation"...this weekend was no exception to the madness! Being awake for 28 hours, not being able to sleep, working, dogs getting sick, etc. AHHH! However, it is one of my favorite times because I get to reveal yet another awesome Foodie Penpal! <br />
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This month, the lovely Lisa over at <a href="http://drinktoomuchcoffee.blogspot.com/">I live for coffee...</a> (I mean come on, she had me at her blog name!) sent me what she considered "quality over quantity" this month...and boy did she! <br />
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Lisa lives in Utah and they must have crazy good organic treats and Farmers Market because that is exactly what she sent me! <br />
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First up was the Pop Art popcorn...Rosemary Truffle- how original! Just a touch of the lovely herb with one of my favorite snacks can make any girl's heart melt! Lisa- I hope you get the chance to try a bag sometime soon! (And it was a big bag...Ok ok, it was easy for me to eat almost the whole bag but I controlled myself...)<br />
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The plum jelly she sent was made from locally grown plums and lavender...a HEAVENLY mix! It has gone great with low fat cream cheese and whole grain toast...YUM! I have also made a couple of PB&J sandwiches which make them mouth-watering as well! <br />
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The honey (Lisa's favorite part of her sent package and one of her favorites!) is made thanks to pumpkin blossoms-which help pollinate their bees! Who knew?! I love honey in hot tea at night and in my <a href="http://www.toneitup.com/">Tone It Up</a> Bombshell Spell so this little baby will come in handy! <br />
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She also sent me a small jar of homemade raspberry jam made with Utah raspberries, orange zest, chia seeds, and honey! How did she know raspberry was my favorite?! Utah did well! Thanks so much Lisa!! <br />
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I sent Laura her first ever Foodie Penpal package! You can see what I sent her <a href="http://wyldethyme.com/2012/06/30/im-foodie-pen-pal/">here!</a><br />
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<em><u><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>What is a Foodie Penpal?</strong></span></u></em><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Great question! </span><br />
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<strong>Here’s a detailed explanation of the program:</strong><br />
-On the <strong>5th of the month</strong>, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.<br />-You will have until the <strong>15th of the month</strong> to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the <strong>last day of the month</strong>, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!<br />-The boxes are to be filled with <strong>fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats</strong>! <strong>The spending limit is $15</strong>. <strong>The box must also include something written.</strong> This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!<br />-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)<br />-Foodie Penpals is <strong>open to blog readers as well as bloggers</strong>. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you can choose to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.<br />- Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian residents & UK residents. <strong>Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada! </strong><br />
<strong>***If you’re in the UK, please contact Carol Anne from <a href="http://thisisrocksalt.com/">This Is Rock Salt</a> at rocksalt@thisisrocksalt.com to get involved!</strong><br />
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<span style="color: black;">If you are interested in signing up and getting goodies like I do every month (and meeting new people!) head on over to see Lindsay at <a href="http://www.theleangreenbean.com/">The Lean Green Bean</a> and sign up! </span><br />
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Here it to a new month full of healthy eating, smart decisions, fun and adventure...on our own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-64909907289426210352012-05-31T14:53:00.002-04:002012-05-31T14:53:36.610-04:00May Foodie Penpal Reveal!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time again! Come see what Jessica from <a href="http://jessicaisbaking.wordpress.com/">Jessica is Baking</a> sent me for the month of May! I am super excited to try the healthy fruit strip...I remember diving into a box of Fruit Roll-Ups as a kid and now I can enjoy one of my favorite past times in a healthy way! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the cute card she sent me along with all these goodies! </td></tr>
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It's like she knows me or something!! ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f9oeRKaMqKU/T8e7xXPjcQI/AAAAAAAAAuU/10bAnFdSxyw/s1600/kashi+cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f9oeRKaMqKU/T8e7xXPjcQI/AAAAAAAAAuU/10bAnFdSxyw/s320/kashi+cookies.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who knew Kashi made healthy cookies?!</td></tr>
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Is it bad that I jumped right into these??<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eY9Plx9BZ3s/T8e8A2B7GkI/AAAAAAAAAuk/BrdstxevWA0/s1600/trail+mix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eY9Plx9BZ3s/T8e8A2B7GkI/AAAAAAAAAuk/BrdstxevWA0/s320/trail+mix.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite item in my package! <br />
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</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mk7AdCc71NU/T8e8Y9MitNI/AAAAAAAAAus/S9AJWk_7L8I/s1600/to+go+mix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mk7AdCc71NU/T8e8Y9MitNI/AAAAAAAAAus/S9AJWk_7L8I/s320/to+go+mix.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love my new "on the go" snack! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Thank you so much Jessica! You gave me some favorites and some new things to try and I loved everything! Two thumbs up! <br />
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This month, I sent <a href="http://learntocookbadgergirl.com/foodie-penpals-may-fiesta/">Kimberly</a> her foodie penpals package and I let her have a FIESTA!! Check it out!<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">Sign Me Up! </span></strong><br />
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Want to be a part of this awesome monthly group?? It is a great way to meet new friends and try some new favorites! Head on over to <a href="http://www.theleangreenbean.com/">Lindsay's blog</a> to fill out a participation form! Here are some general details on the Foodie Penpals program! <br />
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<em>On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.</em><br />
<ul>
<li><em>You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!</em></li>
<li><em>The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!</em></li>
<li><em>You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)</em></li>
<li><em><strong>Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers.</strong> If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.</em></li>
<li><em>Foodie Penpals is open to US & Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!</em></li>
</ul>
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There you have it folks. Another great FPP month in the books! Each month just gets better and better and the group keeps growing! I hope everyone is having a great week and ready to take on the weekend ahead...on your own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-80291608152703399402012-05-23T18:54:00.000-04:002012-05-23T18:54:18.042-04:00Then and Now!Don't you hate it when your favorite food goes on a "blacklist" for weight loss or it gets bashed in the news for having a salmonella outbreak?? Well, low and behold, many of our favorite foods are making a comeback and are just waiting to be consumed! <br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Eggs</strong></span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Then</span></em></strong>: The yolks were considered to skyrocket your cholesterol. <br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Now</span></em></strong>: Although a single yolk contains nearly the recommended daily limit for cholesterol, it is the most nutrient-rich part of the egg! It is packed with zinc, iron, vitamins A and D, and choline (which help you ladies reduce your chances of breast cancer!) In addition, the yolk contains almost half of an egg's protein, which is why whites-only omelets are not quite as satisfying! <br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Bring it Back</span></em></strong>: Hard boiled eggs make great go-to snacks with staying power- and at only 70 calories, who can beat that?? Just be sure to be conscious of companions that cause that caloric intake to increase such as cheese, bacon, and butter.<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Peanut Butter</strong></span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Then</span></em></strong>: Some people saw this glory food as being high in fat and calories. <br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Now</span></em></strong>: Sure, PB contains 16g of fat per 2 Tbl serving, but it is the heart-healthy, monounsaturated kind. It helps appetite regulation without a question about it! A recent study found that people who remained on a diet that included this amazing staple for 18 months lost an average of 9 lbs! <br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Bring it Back</span></em></strong>: Don't go for the "reduced-fat" selections at your grocery store- they are often heavily sweetened to replace the lost flavor. Stick with the "au-natural" and watch the portion control. Have a hard time with portion control? Buy the individual packets (like <a href="http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/">Justin's</a>) for 200 or fewer calories! <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rsuy3Ppo52c/T71p_tAn9zI/AAAAAAAAAtc/ViO3puFxT6c/s1600/PeanutButter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rsuy3Ppo52c/T71p_tAn9zI/AAAAAAAAAtc/ViO3puFxT6c/s320/PeanutButter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Red Meat</strong></span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Then</span></em></strong>: This food has a bad rep for heart disease and wide waistlines. <br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Now</span></em></strong>: New research suggests that "sat fat" (saturated fat) within moderation, may not be as evil as we make it out to be. We all know it is full of protein but it can also help you gain metabolically active muscles, which burn more calories at rest than fat. <br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Bring it Back</span></em></strong>: The cut of beef is key. Extra lean choices, such as sirloin, filet, and eye of round roast have fewer than 5 grams of total fat and 2 grams of "sat fat" per 3oz. serving. Avoid anything labeled "prime" as these cuts tend to be fatty. Go for 3 or 4oz. portions and then grill, roast, or bake it!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R60aBLb5hNs/T71qEP4yMnI/AAAAAAAAAtk/33nvt7qS0FI/s1600/imagesCAUPJ0KJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R60aBLb5hNs/T71qEP4yMnI/AAAAAAAAAtk/33nvt7qS0FI/s1600/imagesCAUPJ0KJ.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Bananas</strong></span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Then</span></em></strong>: Bananas used to be carbs that were considered to pack on the pounds and be higher in calories than most fruits.<br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Now</span></em></strong>: These delicious treats contain a type of fiber known as resistant starch that your body cannot absorb so it fills you up temporarily without the risk of filling you out. Also, research has linked the resistant starch to an increase in post meal fat burning! <br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Bring it Back</span></em></strong>: Choose a greener banana; once it turns yellow, the starch inside has broken down and is no longer resistant to digestion. If you don't like firm bananas, toss it in a blender to make your favorite smoothie! Make sure to take a big whiff before sipping though; research shows that the smell helps reduce appetite! <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F0-j5GrUUvU/T71qIsq9hOI/AAAAAAAAAts/nomJLpjwfSg/s1600/banana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F0-j5GrUUvU/T71qIsq9hOI/AAAAAAAAAts/nomJLpjwfSg/s320/banana.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Coconut Oil</strong></span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Then</span></em></strong>: It is high in saturated fat, therefore it was banished by dieters! <br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Now</span></em></strong>: It is actually infested with medium-chain triglycerides, fats that can be metabolized faster than the long-chain ones found in others like sunflower oil. The body prefers to use them for energy so it rarely gets stored. Two tablespoons a day can fuel a reduction in abdominal obesity while helping to elevate HDL (good cholesterol)! <br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Bring it Back</span></em></strong>: Because it is calorie dense (about 120 calories per tablespoon) you still want to watch your intake. Swap other oils you may use daily- like corn or vegetable- for virgin or extra virgin coconut oil! <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GsGhRQ3G6xQ/T71qMpjB2AI/AAAAAAAAAt0/qpgcVxjaHGA/s1600/coconut_oil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GsGhRQ3G6xQ/T71qMpjB2AI/AAAAAAAAAt0/qpgcVxjaHGA/s320/coconut_oil.jpg" width="294" /></a></div>
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Bananas, eggs, and peanut butter are some of my favorite foods. I probably consume them almost every day. The great thing about it is, if you throw them all in a blender (smaller portions) you can have a protein-packed smoothie in the morning and you will be full until lunch and ready to work out those muscles! <br />
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So there you have it...our favorite foods are making their comeback into our kitchens and back into our hearts. I am excited to bring these staple items back into my diet and back into my daily living...on my own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-58852282567652081542012-05-16T13:06:00.001-04:002012-05-16T13:06:48.322-04:00Upper Body Day!Ok so if you checked out my latest <a href="http://www.youtube.com/iwillovercome42">check-in video</a> yesterday, you would know that I am back in the gym (finally!) after 7 weeks of recovering after surgery. Even though I can only do the elliptical bike as far as my foot is concerned, that doesn't stop me from doing upper body! <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-om0sbGkdAjc/T7PeSFT1kDI/AAAAAAAAAtA/XyrRbY0lSfQ/s1600/quote_never_give_up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-om0sbGkdAjc/T7PeSFT1kDI/AAAAAAAAAtA/XyrRbY0lSfQ/s320/quote_never_give_up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So today, I thought I would share with you all my workout for today:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Seated DB shoulder press (works shoulders and triceps)- 3 sets of 10 reps</li>
<li>Skull-crushers, which I will superset with narrow grip bench press (works chest and triceps)- 3 sets of 10 reps for each exercise)</li>
<li>DB lateral raises (works shoulders)- 3 sets of 10 reps each</li>
<li>Cable chest flyes (works the chest)- 3 sets of 10 reps each</li>
<li>Rear delt cable flyes (works the shoulders and back)- 3 sets of 10 reps each</li>
<li>Wide-grip lat pulldown (works the back)- 3 sets of 10 reps each</li>
<li>Reverse grip pull down (works back and biceps)- 3 sets of 10 reps each</li>
<li>Alternating DB curls (works biceps)- 3 sets of 10 reps each</li>
<li>Bicycle crunches-3 sets of 25 reps each</li>
<li>Basic crunches- 3 sets of 25 reps each</li>
</ul>
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Make sure when you work out a specific part of your body (upper body or lower body) you work all the muscles! Superset your workouts to get more of a calorie burn and toning! <br />
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Hope everyone has a great Hump Day...on your own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-38030193831948689742012-05-12T13:57:00.002-04:002012-05-12T13:57:48.156-04:00Tone It Up Meet Up!!...Literally!Ok so let me back-track a bit and start from the beginning...<br />
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For those of you who don't know, some local ladies and I found each other on Twitter through <a href="http://www.toneitup.com/">Tone It Up,</a> two trainers based out of the L.A. area that work hard to promote health and beauty towards women! We called our group BmoreToned just for kicks and just between us but the name stuck and spread, as well as our group! <br />
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If you look back on previous blog posts, you will find we have social nights, run races together, workouts every Friday morning (among other times during the week), and just generally motivate and inspire each other to live active, healthy lifestyles. <br />
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Much to our surprise was on Thursday afternoon when an email came out to the group which was titled, "EXCITING NEWS!! " What did the email say? <a href="http://twitter.com/katekatebear">Kate</a> and <a href="http://bmorejams.blogspot.com/">Jami</a> were informing us that the lovely ladies of Tone It Up, Karena and Katrina, would be in Baltimore the next afternoon and wanted to meet all of us! I may have screamed out a little, others wrote back in all caps with an infinite number of exclamation points, smiling from ear to ear, etc. Bottom line? We could not contain our excitement to meet the reason we all became friends!<br />
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Friday afternoon- THE TIME HAS COME!!! Meeting at a central location, we met two of the sweetest (and GORGEOUS!!) women ever. We were so giddy, we probably said some weird or crazy things...I know I did. After a small photo shoot, which included some casual planking, lots of chit-chatting, and hugs, our dreams were made complete! <br />
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We hope you Tone It Up ladies come back to Baltimore with more time to enjoy the city and hopefully we can all get a workout in! It was so amazing to meet you both and we can't wait to see what the future holds for us as a group together! Can't wait to see you all again! Thank you for all that you do!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ly3NtAQI7w/T66jpnMN4JI/AAAAAAAAAss/Lpc0nSfd7bI/s1600/Planking+with+Tone+It+Up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ly3NtAQI7w/T66jpnMN4JI/AAAAAAAAAss/Lpc0nSfd7bI/s320/Planking+with+Tone+It+Up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yD33R3DABgQ/T66jtSD1l2I/AAAAAAAAAs0/7nL5K9O6cgU/s1600/Tone+It+Up+Group+Shot+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yD33R3DABgQ/T66jtSD1l2I/AAAAAAAAAs0/7nL5K9O6cgU/s320/Tone+It+Up+Group+Shot+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks Kate and Jami for the pictures!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Hope you all have a great (and healthy!) weekend...on your own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-59000904296306259562012-05-01T22:05:00.000-04:002012-05-01T22:05:25.529-04:00Playing Catch Up, an Apology, and Foodie Penpal Reveal!Wow. I have been a terrible blogger. Words cannot describe how emotionally, mentally, and physically drained I have been over the past month. I am here to play a quick catch up...<br />
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For those of you who don't know, on March 26th I went under the knife to remove an accessory navicular bone in my foot that was severely detached and to have my tendon screwed back onto my ankle bone. I also had a procedure done on my toe so I had a double whammy of recovery and pain. It has NOT been easy. At all. (Sorry in advance for the small pictures-they are all from my phone :( )<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-awFIJL7oT1o/T6CS2aX97xI/AAAAAAAAAqg/UiGXBhhF_z8/s1600/Ready+for+surgery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-awFIJL7oT1o/T6CS2aX97xI/AAAAAAAAAqg/UiGXBhhF_z8/s200/Ready+for+surgery.jpg" width="113" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for surgery!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nV5HOuqB6XQ/T6CTFjQAxFI/AAAAAAAAAqo/4J7Tkb2jhBg/s1600/Mom+and+me+surgery+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nV5HOuqB6XQ/T6CTFjQAxFI/AAAAAAAAAqo/4J7Tkb2jhBg/s1600/Mom+and+me+surgery+day.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom wishing me luck! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pB2OoN726uQ/T6CTPc5wJqI/AAAAAAAAAqw/SSmQCyeIWy0/s1600/Before+foot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pB2OoN726uQ/T6CTPc5wJqI/AAAAAAAAAqw/SSmQCyeIWy0/s1600/Before+foot.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two bones to the right of my ankle/foot...You're only supposed to have one protruding...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oGjjBT1vk7w/T6CTc3AhMTI/AAAAAAAAAq4/nGIlVIOQ8tQ/s1600/Cast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oGjjBT1vk7w/T6CTc3AhMTI/AAAAAAAAAq4/nGIlVIOQ8tQ/s1600/Cast.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home after surgery... This was about 15 pounds of cotton and ace bandage alone. Yikes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Not only has the pain been hard to manage, but I will JUST begin walking on my foot tomorrow. That's right. No running, no biking, no walking, no treadmill, no swimming, nothing. I can't even drive since my car is a 5-speed manual. Though I am anxious, nervous, and excited to enter this new phase of my recovery, it is not a speedy one at all. This is very frustrating, especially for someone who has a loving relationship with the gym. <br />
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I have been off of work since my surgery day and am not expected to return until the middle of June. Literally, I have had nothing to do for weeks! People say I am lucky and to enjoy it while I can...For the first two weeks, it was great. I was waited on by family and close friends since I felt like I was going to die and I caught up on much needed sleep and even was able to read a book or two, something I haven't done for leisure in a long time. Now, I am antsy and frustrated though. I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but it's tough! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4vXbSxG8Z_s/T6CUFrgSBuI/AAAAAAAAArI/JvGonwa_GRU/s1600/First+day+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4vXbSxG8Z_s/T6CUFrgSBuI/AAAAAAAAArI/JvGonwa_GRU/s1600/First+day+out.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day out after surgery. Felt so good to simply go to the movies! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I8WUFgjQ-2s/T6CUQi_EIBI/AAAAAAAAArQ/55rlEeVh9uI/s1600/Goodie+basket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I8WUFgjQ-2s/T6CUQi_EIBI/AAAAAAAAArQ/55rlEeVh9uI/s1600/Goodie+basket.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to some girlfriends for putting together a goodie basket (actually bucket) for me :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n4oDNEeNkFQ/T6CUcxmG21I/AAAAAAAAArY/AXE8HU1QJ_M/s1600/Handicapsticker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n4oDNEeNkFQ/T6CUcxmG21I/AAAAAAAAArY/AXE8HU1QJ_M/s1600/Handicapsticker.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuck my dog in my knee scooter basket with my new handicap sticker!</td></tr>
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WARNING! These next few pictures are from post-op appointments and may not be for those with weak stomachs! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only one bump out of my foot/ankle!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10 days post-operation!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TSYwO36mX5U/T6CVOnwjcFI/AAAAAAAAAr4/hKFdOd3wYPg/s1600/5wkpostop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TSYwO36mX5U/T6CVOnwjcFI/AAAAAAAAAr4/hKFdOd3wYPg/s320/5wkpostop.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken today- 5 weeks post-operation...Still lots of swelling but incision looks beautiful!</td></tr>
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With not being able to do anything or go anywhere, my mood has really been down in the dumps. That may be putting it lightly. I have been in a slump for about 2 1/2 weeks or so and am not really sure when I will emerge. One thing that has brought a smile to my face, however, is knowing I am still a part of the Foodie Penpal program thanks to Lindsay over at <a href="http://www.theleangreenbean.com/">The Lean Green Bean</a>. <br />
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Before I get to my reveal, let me say that I have a HUGE apology to send out. For the month of March, I typed up my penpal reveal, and apparently it never posted and has been sitting as a draft ever since. I apologize, sincerely and profoundly to Mallory from <a href="http://theoriginialplasticcalifornia.blogspot.com/">The Original Plastic California</a> . Your package did not go unnoticed and I shall put you in the spotlight with this post as well. <br />
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For the month of March, Mallory must have been my best friend in a previous life. Her mind-reading skills were amazing and on point for this package. First of all, she sent me Nutella To Go, the delicious hazelnut, chocolate spread with cracker sticks for dipping... Um where has this been all my life?! I didn't even know they made these! Let's just say I couldn't even take a picture of me eating it because it was gone that fast! The next thing I noticed were the multiple snack/granola bars. Apparently Mallory sensed that I love to snack throughout the day and she was kind enough to send me healthy alternatives! (The Larabar Uber Apple Turnover one was my favorite!)<br />
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I started laughing as I dug my way deeper into the box because I was JUST mentioning to my mom that I wanted to make homemade pizza with sun-dried tomatoes, yet it was the only ingredient I did not have and thus could not bask in the glory that is homemade pizza. Low and behold, I pull out a bag of tasty Trader Joe's Sun Dried Tomatoes! <br />
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Mallory has great taste in treats and even got me hooked on the tomatoes, the dark chocolate bar, and Nutella to go...I went out and got some more for myself! Guilty! Thank you so much Mallory for your wonderful package for the month of March...I got to enjoy everything before my surgery and I loved each and every item! <br />
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As for the month of April, like I said, my package could not have come at a better time. I was really not feeling well and feeling pretty "blue" when a pretty white USPS box came from Brittney (@HerleanFitness). Woohoo! Instant smile on my face...the first one in a while :) Of course I do the best that I can trying to carry the package in with one hand yet maintain my crutches. I immediately rip the box open to a note with some of the neatest handwriting I have ever seen on top of, what else? Foodie Goodies! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got mail! Yay! </td></tr>
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First thing I saw...Justin's Natural Nut Butters... Maple Almond and Chocolate Hazelnut to be exact. Breakfast was served my friends! I love putting these spreads on whole wheat toast with banana slices on top for breakfast. Quick, easy and that's speaking highly given I could do it on one leg :) I used some of her Gluten Free Rice Thin crackers as bread crumbs for a homemade Mac & Cheese I made (healthy options, of course!). I still have a handful of them that will be gone soon, I am sure! She even sent me a little container of Mentos gum...she must LOVE me! I ran out of gum and threw this little baby right into my purse! Among other things, this foodie penpal was once again a success. Thank you, Brittney for putting a much needed smile on my face in a time of need! <br />
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Want to find out how you can join the club and become a Foodie Penpal yourself??<br />
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<strong>Here’s a detailed explanation of the program:</strong><br />
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-On the <strong>5th of the month</strong>, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.<br />
-You will have until the <strong>15th of the month</strong> to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the <strong>last day of the month</strong>, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!<br />
-The boxes are to be filled with <strong>fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats</strong>! <strong>The spending limit is $15</strong>. <strong>The box must also include something written.</strong> This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!<br />
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)<br />
-Foodie Penpals is <strong>open to blog readers as well as bloggers</strong>. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you can choose to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.<br />
- Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian residents & UK residents. <strong>Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada! </strong><br />
<strong>***If you’re in the UK, please contact Carol Anne from <a href="http://thisisrocksalt.com/" target="_blank">This Is Rock Salt</a> at rocksalt@thisisrocksalt.com to get involved!</strong><br />
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If you need any more information, check out Lindsay's awesome blog to find out more or contact her with any questions. :)<br />
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So thank you for allowing me to vent a little bit. I forgot how easy it is to just type feelings out and that blogging can actually make me feel better. I have wanted to write updated posts but didn't really know what to say. The Foodie Penpal Rveal may just be the jump start back to my old habits that I intend to keep...on my own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...<br />
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-39230637225902396832012-03-30T07:25:00.000-04:002012-03-30T07:25:31.168-04:00A Lot to TellI wake up to start my day like everyone else. I put my pants on one leg at a time. I attach a smile on my face, sometimes because I have to and sometimes I really mean it. I realize that each day is to bring new encounters, adventures, and up and downs. I still have a lot of my story to tell though...<br />
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I think about what I can give back today. To a friend. To a total stranger. To someone I haven't talked to in years. Will it be a kind word? A nice email? A smile in passing? A hug? Anything to give a little love. I try to give these small "gifts" daily, though sometimes it is difficult to get them back. I am not looking for it, just aware. But I still have a lot of my story to tell...<br />
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I think failure is a blessing in disguise. And I have had many. I think it is a chance to test our faith. Our strength. It is a chance to get off a beaten path and take a new one. We may find exactly what we have been looking for all along. We may never look back. We may lose some people along the way, and gain great ones. Who knows? That is the blessing of failure and then jumping into the unknown. But I still have a lot of my story to tell...<br />
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I am a dreamer. I doodle in notebooks and in my calender. My to-do lists are covered with hearts, flowers, or faces I come up with in my head. I daydream. A lot. And I think it's good for you. It lets you find out what you are really searching for. Make sure when you do it, you dream big. Don't hold anything back. Let your imagination run wild and free. Get creative and don't let anyone tell you your ideas are stupid, unrealistic, or childish. They are your ideas and dreams. I still have a lot of my story to tell though...<br />
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I am a victim. I am a survivor. I am a role model. I am my own hero. I have been beaten to the ground, figuratively speaking and literally, yet I managed to get back up. I have told my story to those willing to listen. I hope I have told some of the right people who can take my story to heart and help themselves or someone else. My past is in my past. It does not define who I am now nor will it ever define who I am as a person. It has helped me create tough skin and raise my standards for friends and loved ones. I am so thankful for this aspect of it. Nothing but positive energy surrounding me now. Make sure you talk to your friends and loved ones on a deep level sometimes. You never know who is struggling or suffering underneath their smile they fake when they wake up in the morning. You could be the difference to help them create a new and positive life. I still have a lot of my story to tell though...<br />
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I am a friend. I am a daughter. A dancer. Procrastinator. A work in progress. Dog lover. Runner. Cook. Blogger. Student. Hard worker. A healer. Survivor. An inspiration. I wear many hats but sometimes it is hard figuring out which one to wear when I am deciding whether to wear my fake or real smile. Which will hide my pain and my story the most and which will show my true colors? Everyday is different. Every day brings new fears of new unknowns.<br />
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I like dancing, laughing, working out, cooking, and traveling. I am a new fan of brussel sprouts and Indian food. I enjoy making scrapbooks and giving gifts to people who may be down. I like cheering people up and being a positive person in someone's life. I love sports and enjoy being "one of the guys." I really do like long walks on the beach. I am just trying to find an ear to listen to my story and a hand to hold on my journey...walking on my own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-71654116448190184572012-03-04T14:12:00.001-05:002012-03-04T14:12:39.825-05:00Get To Know Me Better: The Question Game!Ok so I saw an intriguing tweet from the ladies of <a href="http://chaarg.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/your-inner-skinny-questions/">CHAARG</a> and sooner rather than later I had been "hit." Uh oh. I went to their blog to find out they hit me with The Question Game, a fun trivia post that has been apparently circulating around the blogger community. Hmmm... <br />
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Anyway, before I begin I must tell you the rules:<br />
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<ol>
<li><em>Post these rules.</em></li>
<li><em>Post 11 random things about yourself.</em></li>
<li><em>Answer the questions the person who tagged you set for you in their post.</em></li>
<li><em>Tag 11 new people to participate.</em></li>
<li><em>Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.</em></li>
<li><em>Go to their blog/Twitter/Facebook and tell them you’ve tagged them.</em></li>
</ol>
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Here We Go!...<br />
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11 Random Things About Me:<br />
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1. I am probably one of the most spirited people you will meet! Whether it was for my high school teams, college teams, or any sporting event I go to, I always make sure to be decked out. I don't care that I lose my voice or that my ears are ringing for days afterward, I always show my friends and my teams the support they deserve! <br />
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2. I broke my wrist in 3rd grade falling off the monkey bars. The worst part was it was my writing hand so I had to learn to be a lefty for about 2 months! It was waterproof though so I enjoyed being able to take a shower, swim, etc. without needing a bag over it! I went to Disney World when I had the cast on and while watching a parade, one of the Green Army men from Toy Story came over and signed my cast "Green Army Man." I still have the cast :)<br />
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3. I used to play the clarinet...and was pretty good at it. I started playing in 4th grade and quickly realized how easy it was to play and to read music. I became 1st chair every year and in 6th grade went to NYC to audition for Disney's Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra. I did not make it but I did make All County Band three years in a row and was a first alternate for All State Band :)<br />
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4. I like Dunkin' Donuts coffee better than Starbucks. Sure if a Starbucks is the first one I see I head into it to get my caffeine fix but I secretly like Dunkin' better. Almost everyday I drive by one and almost everyday I stop in when I hear it calling my name. Hazelnut with cream and sugar is what I usually get from Dunkin' :)<br />
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5. I saw Titanic four times in the movie theater when it first came out. And I cried every time. Nowadays with it being on TV and coming back into theaters every April, it is kind of annoying. Sure, it's a great love story but come on, it's kind of redundant now. <br />
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6. The place I would love to go to more than anything would be Italy and Greece. I would love to go check out my heritage and see where my family came from. Plus, both countries are so rich with history and culture that there would just be SO much to see! <br />
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7. My first official job was when I was 14 and it was a candy store! Talk about temptation! We were allowed to eat whatever we wanted... I stuck to eating all of the red Sour Patch kids but what a great job it was! <br />
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8. I learned to drive a manual car when I was 19. I wished it would have been sooner but I didn't get my first manual until I was 19. It was very hard to learn but I am so glad that I did! Let's just say I stalled out many times...especially on hills, which may not be the best place to stall out. After knowing how to drive both automatic and manual, I think I will stick with automatic...<br />
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9. I miss my grandmother everyday. She died semi-suddenly back in November and I am still numb about it. Thankfully, I was there with her when her heart beat for the last time, holding her hand and talking to her (you hearing is the last sense to go), but it still is hard sometimes. She helped raise me as my mom was a young, single parent trying to support us. She was always someone who supported me and I could count on to be at every dance recital, band concert, major accomplishment in my life, etc. <br />
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10. I have all dominant genes. My mom likes to call me the "Alpha-Female" because simply put, I have all dominant genes and she doesn't. What are my dominant genes? Brown eyes, brown hair, right-handedness, Widow's peak in my hair, dimples, unattached earlobes, can roll my tongue, etc. Weird I know but hey, we said 11 "random" things about myself...<br />
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11. My friends are better than yours. No really. I have found the most amazing group of girls that live close to me that I never would have found had it not been for social media websites and Tone It Up. I look forward to talking with them everyday and allowing myself to be inspired to live a healthier, happier life because of them. I love our get-togethers every month and every week, especially when we talk about the most random things. I know I can tell them anything without being judged, mocked, or made fun of which is something I think is rare to find in a "friend." I cannot wait to see what other kind of crazy adventures we get ourselves into and cannot imagine what I would do without them now! <br />
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Now its the time to answer the questions those lovely ladies asked of me:<br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: #674ea7;"><strong>1. What is one thing on my bucket list that you want to cross off in 2012?</strong></span></em><br />
<br />
Honestly I think I would have to say skydiving. I have always wanted to do it and just never have had the opportunity. Heights has never been a problem for me, I actually love them- you see so much more! I hoping some LivingSocial deals or Groupon deals become available to do it. My surgery is taking away a good chunk of the year so I would love to cross skydiving off later in the fall! :)<br />
<br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #674ea7;">2. You're at Starbucks. What do you order?</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
IF I was at Starbucks which is the big question... But I would order a skinny nonfat caramel macchiato. Depending on how tired I am I may ask for an extra shot of espresso! :)<br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #674ea7;">3. If you could be on one TV show, reality or game, which one would you like to star in? </span></em></strong><br />
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I would probably say Wheel of Fortune. I am really good at solving those puzzles at home, even when there are only like 3 letters up. I think I would do really well and have always wanted to go on but they never contact me :(<br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #674ea7;">4. Ideal date?</span></strong></em> <br />
<br />
"That's a tough one. I'd have to say April 25th. Because it's not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket."<br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #674ea7;">5. A bad habit that you want to get rid of but just can't?</span></strong></em><br />
<br />
I kicked it already! I used to bite my nails (since I could chew!) and I have finally grown them out to the point where I need to clip them constantly! Yay me! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #674ea7;">6. What do your fingernails look like right now?</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Speak of the devil... <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--VOTmgCETFw/T1O5KpszHRI/AAAAAAAAAqY/RWRIZtPxL6Y/s1600/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--VOTmgCETFw/T1O5KpszHRI/AAAAAAAAAqY/RWRIZtPxL6Y/s320/0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />French manicure on my REAL nails! Yay! I love being able to say that! <br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #674ea7;">7. What's your favorite machine to use at the gym?</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
Great question! Honestly, it would be the cable machine. You can do so many exercises using that one machine. I am on it usually two or three times a week doing strength exercises. I try to show the boys up but usually I am in my own little world :)<br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #674ea7;">8. If you had to pick a new language to learn, what would it be and why?</span></strong></em><br />
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I am pretty good at Spanish. Though I am always learning, I took it for 6 years. I would love to go to Mexico and come back fluent in it. Spanish is the obvious answer since our country will be mainly Spanish within 20 years. If I had to choose another one I would say Italian. It is similar to Spanish but I just love the way it sounds :)<br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #674ea7;">9. Where's your favorite place to buy a bathing suit?</span></strong></em> <br />
<br />
Well, Victoria's Secret came to my mind first but I don't get many bathing suits from there. I like to have a variety so when I want to buy cheaper I get them from Target! <br />
<br />
<br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #674ea7;">10. Zip Lining or Sky Diving?</span></strong></em><br />
<br />
Hmmm... can I answer this when I cross sky diving off my bucket list (hopefully this year)?? I have been zip lining many times but I would have to see what sky diving is like to compare the two! <br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #674ea7;">11. What's your favorite thing to do when you procrastinate?</span></strong></em><br />
<br />
Zzzzzzzzzzzz<br />
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<br />
Now onto my questions:<br />
<br />
1. What was your first car?<br />
<br />
2. What's the best beauty tip you've ever gotten?<br />
<br />
3. What is your biggest pet peeve?<br />
<br />
4. Best breakfast food ever?<br />
<br />
5. What do you like to do on a typical day off?<br />
<br />
6. What has been your biggest accomplishment thus far? <br />
<br />
7. What were your New Years resolutions and are you sticking to them?<br />
<br />
8. NYC or LA?<br />
<br />
9. What was your first kiss like?<br />
<br />
10. Grape or strawberry jelly (or jam)?<br />
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11. Coke or Pepsi? Coffee or tea?<br />
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<br />
My Tags:<br />
<br />
Sorry peeps, but you gotta do it! Once you do it, post a comment with the link to your blog because I want to read them! If you have already done it – DO IT AGAIN! ButIe would love for you to still comment with a link of your questions so I can get to know you better <img alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" src="http://s0.wp.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif?m=1306911986g" /> <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blondeponytail.com/">www.blondeponytail.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://sweetlyserendipity.com/">http://sweetlyserendipity.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.runningwithsass.com/">www.runningwithsass.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://peanutbutterandpeppers.com/">http://peanutbutterandpeppers.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.foodfitnessandfamilyblog.com/">www.foodfitnessandfamilyblog.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bridgetnicole26.blogspot.com/">http://bridgetnicole26.blogspot.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fitfoodjunkie.com/">www.fitfoodjunkie.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://healthyhelperblog.com/">http://healthyhelperblog.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://gothextramileblog.com/">http://gothextramileblog.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://simplefoodhealthylife.com/">http://simplefoodhealthylife.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.paceofme.com/">www.paceofme.com</a><br />
<br />
Can't wait to read all of your comments! Hope you all enjoy a relaxing Sunday...on your own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-21436094004199025042012-02-29T03:03:00.000-05:002012-02-29T03:03:08.269-05:00February Foodie Penpal Reveal!Ok so you may have heard of a penpal before but you may be asking, "What the heck is a Foodie Penpal??" Well, it may be the best thing since sliced bread for over 200 of us bloggers, food/fitness junkies :) <br />
<br />
Lindsay over at <a href="http://www.theleangreenbean.com/">The Lean Green Bean</a> came up with this fantastic idea back in September and it has just blown up to a whole new level. She matches you up with another fellow blogger, food lover, health nut, what have you and for that month you are to send them a package of your favorite goodies. The best part? You receive a package from someone else--so you get to make 2 new friends every month! I have been a part of it for two months now and can't speak more highly of it!<br />
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This month I received a package from Taryn from <a href="http://www.sweetlyserendipity.com/">Sweetly Serendipity</a> . She is a Bostonian that has a serious love for food. (Just look at her blog!) Not only is she too cute and nice for words but her package made my day! Anyway, when I opened up her "bag of tricks", there was such a variety! I love this because this means that I can have the goodies at different times and with different things. I even got a treat thanks to a recommendation from her boyfriend! She is being a good influence! :) <br />
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The first thing I noticed? The amazing blueberry fruit spread in the cutest jar. Let's just say the next morning I took full advantage of this treat. I had recently got Yoga Bread (<strong><em>Have any of you tried this bread?</em></strong>) It is basically whole wheat bread with dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds in it. I toasted some slices, put some lowfat cream cheese on it, then topped it off with the blueberry spread. YUMMY! A delicious, simple, easy breakfast! <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9R1W3PbXKeY/T03ZpBEJSaI/AAAAAAAAApA/BINWurCMq98/s1600/yoga+bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9R1W3PbXKeY/T03ZpBEJSaI/AAAAAAAAApA/BINWurCMq98/s320/yoga+bread.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vh09fAYvbOY/T03Ztjm7sFI/AAAAAAAAApI/t0ye3zLQRiU/s1600/breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vh09fAYvbOY/T03Ztjm7sFI/AAAAAAAAApI/t0ye3zLQRiU/s320/breakfast.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">REAL blueberries in this spread! Love it! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The next thing I noticed were the cheese straws. Oh. My. Gosh. A girl after my own heart. Cheese is the magic word in my book and she hit the nail right on the head. In her note she mentioned they may not be the healthiest thing in the box but hey, it's alright to indulge every now and then! Especially with cheese! These made a wonderful late night snack while sitting at work! <br />
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Tea I like to drink about 4 nights a week so the tea? Gone. Almond butter...gone (which I put in a protein smoothie!) February was just a great Foodie Penpal month for me! <br />
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If you would like to see what I sent to my foodie penpal, Ashley, this month, be sure to check out how she liked everything over at <a href="http://www.simplefoodhealthylife.com/simple-food-healthy-life-home/2012/2/28/february-foodie-penpal-reveal.html">Simple Food Healthy Life</a> !<br />
If you would like more information on how you can be a part of the Foodie Penpals, head over to Lindsay's blog <a href="http://www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/">here!</a><br />
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I have loved the last couple of months being a part of the Foodie Penpals program, meeting such inspirational and motivating women and making new buddies! Of course, it is always exciting to receive a package in the mail knowing what is inside--food! It is so comforting to know that I can be a part of a "close knit" community where every day they make me proud...to be walking on my own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-44816785691613107622012-02-27T15:41:00.000-05:002012-02-27T15:41:09.460-05:00End Your Workouts With a Bang!<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the past, we thought
our workouts were effective based on our heart rate “zones.” It turns out the
hours spent hunched over a spin bike or acting like a hamster on its wheel on
the treadmill is not only boring, but not the best way to lean out and look smokin’
hot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Quick
Workouts, Quick Results<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Research
has shown lately that the calories we burn can be increased with short bursts
of anaerobic exercise (short and intense, and relying mostly on sources of
energy other than oxygen). Examples? Lifting heavy weights or sprinting across
a football field. Women who participate in resistance training at higher
intensities (heavier weights and shorter breaks) sizzle more calories
postworkout!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
what does this mean for you? A steady 45 minutes on an elliptical does not
torch as many calories as a session spent lighting circuit
weights. Since the total number of calories you burn is what is important (not
the percentage that comes from fat), increase your intensity to get
more “bang-for-your-buck” routines! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hint: “Finishers” are high-intensity exercises done
at the end of a workout. Do one or two rounds of finishers for a speedy
stand-alone routine. Remember the key to success is keeping it peppy but
controlled! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">These two finishers blend body weight, free weight,
and band exercises to improve upper body strength and definition. Add one (or
both!) of these to your program when your metabolism needs a boost. The best
part? They can be tacked on to the end of ANY routine! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><u><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finisher 1<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Exercise</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><strong>Reps</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><strong>Rest<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Seal Jump<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>60
seconds<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALAP*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Incline-Bench Dumbbell Curl<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALAP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Barbell Overhead Press<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALAP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Walk-out Plank<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>30-60 seconds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Repeat circuit once.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">*ALAP
= as little as possible</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Finisher 2<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mountain Climber<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>60 seconds<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALAP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Rolling Triceps Extension<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALAP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Push-Up Plus<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just under your max<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALAP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Band Face-Pull<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>30-60 seconds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Repeat circuit once. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Benefits of Finishers:</span></em> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Better
at burning calories<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Enhanced
fat loss while developing strength<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Improved
aerobic (fueled by oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) fitness levels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">FINISHER 1<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Seal
Jump<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Targets: whole body<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Stand with your feet together and
your arms extended in front of you; your palms should touch. Jump, bringing your
legs out to the sides as if doing a jumping jack. At the same time, move your
arms out to your sides. Land with your body in a “star” position, then jump
your legs and hands together; repeat. TIP: Make your reps explosive and speedy!</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QJD9R4SmsLM/T0vnqg6C_sI/AAAAAAAAAoA/dOBmP4iCvNM/s1600/seal-jumping-jacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QJD9R4SmsLM/T0vnqg6C_sI/AAAAAAAAAoA/dOBmP4iCvNM/s1600/seal-jumping-jacks.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Incline
Bench Dumbbell Curl<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Targets: biceps brachii, brachialis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Lie faceup on an incline bench,
holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward. Bend your
elbows to curl the dumbbells. Squeeze your biceps hard at the top, then lower
until your elbows are semi-straight. Repeat. TIP: Don’t move your upper arms
with each rep! </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DuSeyIvtRVc/T0vn582K1cI/AAAAAAAAAoI/MdDIrTHEzRw/s1600/incline-dumbbell-curl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DuSeyIvtRVc/T0vn582K1cI/AAAAAAAAAoI/MdDIrTHEzRw/s320/incline-dumbbell-curl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Barbell
Overhead Press<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Targets: anterior and lateral
deltoids, triceps brachii<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hold a barbell, keeping your hands
shoulder-width apart and your palms facing forward. Keep your elbows pointed
down while maintaining neutral wrists. Press the bar overhead; your arms should
finish beside your ears. Lower to chin level and repeat. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WgjrW_kv0ws/T0voN5B8EQI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/SfwlTv7L0vA/s1600/weight-lifting-for-women-51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WgjrW_kv0ws/T0voN5B8EQI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/SfwlTv7L0vA/s320/weight-lifting-for-women-51.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Walk-Out
Plank<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Targets: scapular stabilizers,
abdominals<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Stand tall with feet together, then
squat down. Walk your hands forward until the are in front of your shoulders.
Carefully reverse, stand and repeat. TIP: As you walk forward, brace your core
and squeeze your glutes! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">FINISHER
2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mountain
Climber<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Targets: abdominals<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Start at the top of a pushup
position. Keep your elbows locked, with your hands directly under your
shoulders. Quickly alternate bring one knee towards your chest, maintaining a
neutral spine as you “climb.” Continue alternating for your entire set. TIP: Your
back should remain flat as you move your legs forward and back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Rolling
Triceps Extension<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Targets: triceps brachii<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Lie faceup on a bench. Hold a
dumbbell in each hand straight over your chest, with your palms facing each
other. Without moving your upper arms, lower the weights towards your forehead.
Roll your elbows behind your head, then reverse fluidly. Repeat. TIP: You’ll
press up rather than extend your elbows if the weight is too heavy.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0BXF_Z9-xg/T0vpVvx2TQI/AAAAAAAAAoY/ZCEWDI0PfDQ/s1600/tricep_ext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0BXF_Z9-xg/T0vpVvx2TQI/AAAAAAAAAoY/ZCEWDI0PfDQ/s1600/tricep_ext.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Push-Up
Plus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Targets: pectoralis major, triceps
brachii, anterior deltoids, serratus anterior<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Get into pushup position, with your
hands slightly turned out and roughly shoulder-width apart. Brace your core,
and keep your legs and feet together. Bend your arms, keeping your elbows
slightly tucked, to lower towards the floor. Extend your arms, then protract,
or press your shoulder blades away from each other; it will look like you are
slightly rounding your upper back. Repeat. TIP: The rounding of your back is
subtle, but you should feel it! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8IO147EW5ok/T0vpkIit4rI/AAAAAAAAAog/XK_-0MH4IC8/s1600/pushup-plus_470x360_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8IO147EW5ok/T0vpkIit4rI/AAAAAAAAAog/XK_-0MH4IC8/s320/pushup-plus_470x360_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Band
Face-Pull<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Targets: rotator cuffs, posterior
deltoids<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Anchor a band at a point higher
than your height. Hold one end in each hand, with your palms facing down,
towards the floor. Pull the band towards your face, leading with your thumbs.
Flare your elbows out and rotate through your shoulders. Finish with your hands
near your head. Extend your arms to return to the starting position, then
repeat. TIP: Don’t pull too low towards your chest because you will not
externally rotate your shoulders, and you will lose the effect of the rotator
cuff muscles. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JVmpxNr4ciQ/T0vp7rBC7XI/AAAAAAAAAoo/kgkwtKyOpko/s1600/BandFacejpg_00000008867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JVmpxNr4ciQ/T0vp7rBC7XI/AAAAAAAAAoo/kgkwtKyOpko/s1600/BandFacejpg_00000008867.jpg" /></a></div>
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Add these to your normal workouts and feel that extra burn! If you have questions about your form, make sure you ask a personal trainer! We don't want any injuries! We want you to be able to show off you new and improved bod... on your own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...<br />
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<br /></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-86664396135027641712012-02-17T16:35:00.000-05:002012-02-17T16:35:14.031-05:00No Pain, All Gain!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Women are hitting the gym…hard. (Yess! Get it ladies!!) In record numbers in
fact. But training injuries have LEAPED to 63%! Of course, none of us want this. You can still get all the
benefits of pumping iron while avoiding unnecessary injuries so you can come
out of the gym strutting, not limping. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
I am closely tied to this issue since I have been dealing with my foot condition. While I will be on crutches/knee scooter for about 4 months, I want to make sure I come back strong but smart! <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f;">The Mistake: Skipping Your Warm-Up<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Would you launch yourself into a full-on sprint as
soon as you got on a treadmill? So you shouldn’t be jumping into deadlifts as
soon as you get to the free weights! Cold muscles that start to work out can
lead to sprains and tears. Warming up is done to increase circulation and
improve range of motion. It is your muscle’s prep time! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">The Fix</span></strong>: Choose a dynamic warm-up. After completing
a 5-10 minute walk or jog, do 10-12 lunges and pushups before starting a
routine. Stretching should be completed AFTER workouts, not before. Dynamic stretching is always a better warm up than stationary stretching! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Mistake: Using Sloppy Form<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Probably the single most important factor in injury
prevention! Many women don’t give it much thought, especially when you all are
on a time limit. Well, thanks to our lovely wider hips (which we all love I am
sure), we are more susceptible to form-related injuries (leg and foot
especially!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Fix</span></strong>: Before starting any routine, trainer Robbi
Shveyd says to think “S.E.A.K.” <strong><em><u>S</u></em></strong>tand straight (head over shoulders, shoulders
over hips, hips over feet), <strong><em><u>e</u></em></strong>yes on the horizon (looking down encourages
shoulders to round and the chest to lean forward), <strong><em><u>a</u></em></strong>bs tight (helps to
stabilize your pelvis), and <strong><em><u>k</u></em></strong>nees over your second toe (women’s knees have a
tendency to turn in because of the angle of our hips). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">The Mistake: Stressing Out Your Shoulders<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Women who lift have less stable shoulder joints than
those who don’t lift at all. I know, I know, it sounds crazy but it’s true.
Doing too many exercises where your elbows are pulled behind your body (chest
flies and rows) can overstretch connective tissue in the front of the joints.
If your shoulders are tight in the back, you’re even more likely to overstretch
the front, increasing the imbalance at the joints. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong><span style="color: #f1c232;">The Fix:</span></strong> Modify your moves. Don’t allow your elbow
to extend more than 2 inches behind your body. (Be mindful in the lowering
phase of bench presses for example!) Also, don’t position a bar behind your
head. Being the lat pulldown bar in front of your shoulders, and when doing an
overhead press, use dumbbells instead of the bar and always keep your weights
within your line of vision. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f;">The Mistake: Neglecting Opposing Muscle Groups<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Having strength imbalances can make you more prone
to injury. Sometimes it’s your personal lifestyle (hovering over a computer all
day tightens and weakens your hip flexors while glutes become overstretched and
inactive). Often times, it is because both sides of the body are not worked out
equally (for example, working out your quads but not your hamstrings). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">The Fix</span></strong>: For every exercise that works the front of
the body (chest, biceps, quads, etc.) complete an exercise that targets the rear
(back, hamstrings, triceps).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Mistake: Doing Too Much Too Soon<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">More does not always mean better. If you increase
things too quickly, your body may not be able to handle the overload. Gradual
conditioning is best because the muscles and connective tissue have time to
adapt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Fix</span></strong>: Learn how to do an exercise using only your
body weight. When you can do 15 reps with proper form, add weight. Stick to one
set with light weights for 2 weeks or until you feel comfortable with the move.
When you can properly complete your reps with proper form, add another set or
more weight (you should increase weight by about 10% each time). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Be careful in the gym ladies! Of course we want to see those results but we want to see them accomplished in a safe and healthy way! I want to make sure you can show off those muscles...on your own two feet...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Until the next step bloggers...</span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-88441817063765041812012-02-02T11:42:00.002-05:002012-02-03T09:43:19.695-05:00Foodie Penpals and Giveaway!Finally! I don't know why my internet has been throwing up its middle finger at me lately but I am glad to finally get this post out! <br />
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About a month and a half ago, I emailed Lindsay over at <a href="http://www.theleangreenbean.com/">The Lean Green Bean</a> to sign myself up for her <strong><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Foodie Penpal</span></strong> program. With over 100 "members" she matches each of us up with another blogger/food lover to send a small package to. You send a package to one person while someone different sends one to you. For more information on how you can sign up, check out her blog! <br />
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If you want to see what I sent Courtney from <strong><span style="color: #e69138;">A So-Called Runner</span></strong>, check out her post <a href="http://www.asocalledrunner.com/2012/01/foodie-penpal.html">here!</a> Here is a preview though:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqXhyxDCKJA/Tyq6kJjBb8I/AAAAAAAAAng/RB-L9xtDN3o/s1600/IMG_0616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XqXhyxDCKJA/Tyq6kJjBb8I/AAAAAAAAAng/RB-L9xtDN3o/s320/IMG_0616.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last week I received a package from Joanna over at <a href="http://www.joannadoesitall.com/">Joanna Does It All</a> . She sent me a couple of Mexican inspired goods since she lives over in Arizona! Woohoo! Thanks Joanna! <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-opWaC_oeJgI/Tyq6pgasVWI/AAAAAAAAAno/Is4YeTdnJnk/s1600/mail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-opWaC_oeJgI/Tyq6pgasVWI/AAAAAAAAAno/Is4YeTdnJnk/s320/mail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VxztByV0iII/Tyq6uTndIrI/AAAAAAAAAnw/K7aG02bzt14/s1600/letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VxztByV0iII/Tyq6uTndIrI/AAAAAAAAAnw/K7aG02bzt14/s320/letter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I haven't had a chance to try them all yet but I did get a chance to try The Bee's Knees peanut butter (with honey in it! Gives it a more sweet taste!) and the Starbucks Peppermint Hot Chocolate! Yummmyyyy!! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--CqF6ELQdrI/Tyq6yjY22EI/AAAAAAAAAn4/imt1siL36pg/s1600/favorites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--CqF6ELQdrI/Tyq6yjY22EI/AAAAAAAAAn4/imt1siL36pg/s320/favorites.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The peanut butter bag is flat and the Hot Chocolate box is opened if you can't tell! Tore through these first!</td></tr>
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She sent me a lot of gluten free things too, which, honestly, I haven't really tried before. I am excited to try some GF goods and to connect with a fellow blogger who loves food as much as I do! <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Giveaway time!</span> <br />
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If you participated in my Jog for January challenge, you are in luck! As promised, I am giving away a <a href="http://www.gosportid.com/">GOSportID</a> so you can run in style! Here are some ways to enter:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Let me know how many miles you logged in the month of January! </li>
<li>Follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/i_will_overcome">twitter! </a></li>
<li>Follow GOSportID on <a href="http://twitter.com/gosportid">twitter! </a></li>
<li>Tell me the quote you would put on your very own! </li>
<li>Become a follower of my blog! </li>
<li>Tweet the following: " @i_will_overcome is giving away a @gosportid so you can run safely! Enter here: <a href="http://anotherchapterwritten.blogspot.com/">http://anotherchapterwritten.blogspot.com</a> "</li>
</ul>
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Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry!<br />
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You have until Sunday, February 5th at 11:59EST to enter! I will announce a winner by Monday at noon! Good luck and keep on runnin'! <br />
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I hope you join in on the Foodie Penpal "club!" There are a lot of great bloggers, inspiration, and people who are just livin' their own life...on their own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...<br />
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-25206158303595291482012-01-27T12:34:00.000-05:002012-01-27T12:34:41.601-05:00Healthy Tips for Everyone!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ok so last week I quickly learned that my work computers
are not updated enough to keep up with the new Blogger website. I knew I had to
write a new post, however, so I took to a Word document. I ended up writing 3 so bear with me as I try to play catch up...At least I got it
done, right? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So recently, I took it upon myself to sign up for a bunch of
races to make sure I stick with my goals this year. I am so excited to add to
my race list (as well as get some tax write- offs!) and am determined to have
them keep me accountable. Some of the races I am going to be running in include
a Valentine’s Day race, a race that supports domestic violence, <a href="http://www.warriordash.com/">Warrior Dash</a>, a
10K race my high school sponsors, and the <a href="http://www.toughmudder.com/">Tough Mudder</a>. These are only to name
a few. New races come out every week it seems but I will keep you all
up-to-date on the races! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So we are now, almost one month into the new year. Have you kept
with your resolution/goals? As everyone says, “It takes 21 days to form a
habit.” Are you stuck with it now?? Well, whether you are new to the
fitness/exercise world or have been knowledgeable for years, everyone could use
some fast tips on how to lose that fat! I wanted to share some with all of you so
you can drop that last 5 pounds or even a whole dress size! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Food Tips<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></span></u></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Get creative with your lean
proteins! If you can, try lean turkey, venison, or even bison. Put the grilled
red meat over a salad for a low-calorie, protein-packed meal! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Try a milk alternative.
Swap out cow’s milk for an unsweetened almond milk in your cereal for a lower
calorie/lower sugar substitute. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eat breakfast- and make it
high-protein! This gives you the fuel to conquer the day . You can also help
yourself feel fuller longer and prevent you from getting those cravings around
mid-morning! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Plan a healthy dinner party
with some friends! Everyone can bring one of their favorite recipes and bring
recipe on an index card for you to add to your own collection! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Drink water before every
meal. This can help you consume fewer calories! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Snack smart! Load up that
huge bag (that every girl has and every girl knows they all become bottomless
pits!) with baggies of pre-made almonds, trail mix, string cheese, berries,
etc. If you are running late, caught in traffic, or can’t leave your desk,
these will help you with the need to stop at a fast-food restaurant! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Getting a sweet tooth
craving? Indulge in nature’s candy- berries! Have a small bowl of them with a
tablespoon of whipped cream and dig in! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Make it a point to have a
shake after each workout! (You should indulge in some kind of whey protein once
a day!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take your time! If you eat
too fast, you are not giving your brain enough time to realize that you are
full. This can cause overeating and an increase in caloric intake. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Fitness Tips<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Heat things up! Try a hot
version of Pilates or yoga to get the sweat flowing and the metabolism boosted!
<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Replace two long distance
running sessions a week with a HIIT running intervals. <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Invest in a pair of great
running shoes. You’ll be able to workout harder, longer, and your feet will
thank you in the long run (No pun intended)! <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Love to hate burpees.
Adding them into your workout (between a set or in a series of plyometric
moves) packs that extra “oomph!” <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Run the stairs at a local
high school stadium. Too cold? Use the stairs in your gym, house, or apartment.
Hellooooo glutes! <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take shorter rests between
sets to keep your heart rate up (you burn more calories!) <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you hate running (like
me) just know that you don’t have to run a marathon to burn fat. Start with 20
minutes and work from there! <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Change things up! Varying
the intensity, weights, reps, and sets of your workouts will kick your
metabolism into high gear! <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Make time for fitness.
Whether that’s at 7am or 7pm, get it in! Make your workouts fit into your
schedule! <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Break out of your shell!
Try a workout or an exercise you have never done before. (Anyone up for pole
dancing??) <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Split your training by
doing cardio in the morning and weights in the evening. More energy without
feeling like you live at the gym! <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Try CrossFit, a program
that incorporates endurance, plyometrics, calisthenics, lifting, and
gymnastics. <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Commit to a 5K. Prepare
yourself by making short term goals and a training schedule. Ask some friends
to join you! <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Give it a rest.
Overtraining is stressful on your body and can be dangerous. Make sure to give
yourself at least one day off a week. <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you think you’re working
out hard enough, work out harder! <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<u><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Life Tips<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></u></div>
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</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Get that beauty sleep!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sleeping for 7-8 hours every night is key to
weight loss. Getting an extra 30min. of sleep can also help you make smarter
choices, food wise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep a strong support group
around you at all times. If you feel weak or not motivated at all, call them
and voice your concerns. Their job is to remind you of your goals and encourage
you to get the job done! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take an adventure vacation!
Let’s face it, as much as we would all love to be sitting on a beach drinking a
Pina Colada, there are more active ways to enjoy time off! Try hiking through
Yellowstone Park or take up skiing/snowboarding! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take progress photos! Start
with a “before” photo and continue every 4 weeks. Though you may not notice a
change at first, photos don’t lie! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Host a workout clothes/DVD
swap with some friends! Leave behind the worn out stuff! One man’s trash is
another man’s treasure!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep a food diary. Holding
yourself accountable helps you stay consistent with your program and reminds
you when you are falling off the wagon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t compare yourself with
others- especially fitness models. Each one of us is beautiful no matter what
our size is- be happy with you and the rest will follow! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stay positive!
Determination is everything! You can do anything you set your mind to!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">So there you have it. Just some tips to help you keep your eye on the prize! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I hope you all are logging in your #jogforjanuary time! Winner gets their own <a href="http://www.gosportid.com/">GOSportID</a> and maybe a couple of surprises from me! I am excited to also soon post about another product review/giveaway for <a href="http://www.thinkproducts.com/">Think Thin bars</a> , my Foodie Penpal exchange, and our 3rd monthly #BMOREToned social event :) Stay tuned! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I hope you go out there and accomplish those goals and resolutions...on your own two feet...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Until the next step bloggers...</span></span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-26554310688286677982012-01-18T00:47:00.000-05:002012-01-18T00:47:50.269-05:00Food Fight!!<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ok so you have probably heard many different theories about different foods and how they are good for you and what they accomplish in your body and so on and so on, right? Well, which "like foods" would win in a battle i.e. tuna v. salmon? Cow v. goat milk?</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Let's get ready to rumble!</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Popcorn kernels v. Microwave popcorn</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Usually this tasty treat gets a bad rap because of the nasty movie theater butter option, however, if properly prepared, it can be a great, low-calorie snack! Popped kernels are packed with fiber, but stick to those found in jars or bulk bins. The bagged versions can have a load of carcinogens in the packaging, not to mention a load on your wallet.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Champ?</span></strong> <span style="color: #e69138;"><em>POPCORN KERNELS</em></span> <br />
<strong>Get creative</strong>: Fancy it up! Top your popcorn with curry powder, cayenne pepper, old bay, smoked salt, or grated dark chocolate to satisfy other cravings! <br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Whole Wheat Bread v. Rye Bread</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of us believe that whole wheat bread is the greatest thing on Earth. But did you know that rye bread has almost twice as much fiber per slice?? For us ladies especially, keeping our fiber levels up can help with controlling our weight, keeping a healthy digestive tract, and maintaining blood sugar. Make sure to look for "rye meal" or "whole rye flour" as the main ingredient though! There are many impostors out there!</span> <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Champ?</span></strong> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">RYE BREAD</span></em> <br />
<strong>Get creative</strong>: Use rye to make sandwiches or as your toast in the morning! <br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Goat's Milk v. Cow's Milk</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sure they both have essential amino acids needed for muscle building, but goat's milk also contains omega-3 fatty acids AND the bone-building trio: calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Lactose intolerant? Goat milk contains less lactose in its protein!</span> <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Champ?</span></strong> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">GOAT'S MILK</span></em><br />
<strong>Get creative</strong>: Use it in cereal, coffee, or smoothies! <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Frozen v. Fresh Blueberries</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides the price difference, frozen actually has more health benefits than you may think. Frozen fruit is usually known to be picked at peak ripeness and then soon after frozen. This is known to lock in antioxidants, flavor, and nutrients.</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>The Champ?</strong></span> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">FROZEN BLUEBERRIES</span></em><br />
<strong>Get creative</strong>: Toss berries into oatmeal, smoothies, or pancake batters to give your meal a little more "oopmh!"<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Canned Tuna v. Canned Salmon</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hate to break it to you but salmon ranks superior in this battle. It contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids as well as Vitamin D.</span> <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Champ?</span></strong> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">CANNED SALMON</span></em><br />
<strong>Get creative</strong>: Use canned salmon instead of beef when making meatloaf or cooking burgers! <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Green bell v. Red bell pepper</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No contest here, too! Ok so red bell peppers are just green peppers that have ripened, but they also have TONS more Vitamin C and beta-carotene (helps boost your immune system)! Higher intake in Vitamin C can reduce your risk of upper respiratory tract infections too! In these cold months, you need all the help you can get, right?</span> <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Champ?</span></strong> <em><span style="color: #e69138;">RED BELL PEPPER</span></em><br />
<strong>Get creative</strong>: Add slices of this sucker to salads, tacos, sandwiches, salsa, and slaws! <br />
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The champions have spoken! We have our winners and all with good reason! <br />
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Have you checked out my <a href="http://anotherchapterwritten.blogspot.com/2012/01/starting-new-year-off-on-right-yet.html">Jog for January challenge</a> ?? Keep up with it for your chance to win a <a href="http://www.gosportid.com/">GOSportID</a> ! <br />
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So when it comes to a battle of the foods, I hope you notice what is better for you. Though all of these are/can be healthy choices, it is always good to know which ones are the best so that you can live life to the fullest... and on your own two feet...<br />
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Until the next step bloggers...Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-5528390735114469512012-01-14T00:30:00.000-05:002012-01-14T00:30:38.542-05:00Running 101<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ok so I am not a huge runner. To be honest... I hate running. I get bored so easily. Am I the only one who feels like they have A.D.D., and when I start concentrating on something else, lose focus on things like breathing, pace, and time? Ugh. When I do cardio, I always do circuit cardio. I have to switch it up every 10-15 minutes or else I would never get through a workout. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">However, if someone would have told me things I needed to know before starting to run in general, it probably would have helped me out a lot. So that is what I am here to do for all of you beginning runners! :) Hopefully this will help you newbies get off your couch and go! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Go shopping.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Though running requires a very little amount of equipment, it is still important to get the best and most supportive. To be honest? All you will really need is a great pair of running shoes and a great sports bra. Look up a running specialty store and get fitted in person. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Start out easy.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Running can be an extremely challenging physical activity. When starting out, stick to a flat path or run on a treadmill without an incline. Why make it more difficult for yourself? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Set a personal goal.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Aim to run a certain number of miles or minutes a week. Use short and long term goals to help keep yourself accountable. Make sure they are reasonable and attainable. After a couple of months, register yourself for a 5k. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4. Warm up and cool down.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Easing your body into a run can help you sustain enough effort to keep pushing through the pavement. You should start and finish each run with about three minutes of walking. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5. Follow the three-week rule.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Doing too much too soon is the number one reason why people will quit a new running program. Stick with a routine you are comfortable with for at least three weeks. Give your body time to adapt before amping your running rules. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">6. Walk, run-walk, then run.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Start by walking several times a week for about 30 minutes. Gradually throw some running in there (15-60 seconds worth) for every three minutes of walking. Slowly but surely, you will start to run more and walk less! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">7. Take the talk test.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Remember that you are starting out <em>easy</em>. If you are alone, try to recite Happy Birthday, the ABC's, or the Pledge of Allegiance a few times. If you are struggling to get the words out, you're running too hard. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">8. Track your progress.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Many people I have talked to say that keeping a log or a journal is a great way to see where you have been and where you want to go. Things to include? Your pace, your time, and how you felt to see if what you are doing is working for you. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">9. Mix in activities you love.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Once you get the hang of a fitness routine, you should start cross-training. Trying classes like yoga, pilates, or just getting outdoors for some biking gets you moving without letting your body become tired or bored. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">10. Have fun!</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We have all heard that exercising with friends helps you stick with a program. Many employers, gyms, or even running stores offer beginner's programs or running groups. You can meet new people and have a great time!</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Runner's Slang</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Runners can sometimes sound like they have their own language. Here are some "must-knows"...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Chip</em></strong>: A timing device built into a race bib number or can be attached to your shoe that clocks exactly when you crossed the start and finish lines. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Chub rub</em></strong>: Chafing that is caused by the upper thighs rubbing together that can be painful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Negative split</em></strong>: When a runner finishes the second half of a run/race faster than they did the first half.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>PR</em></strong>: A "personal record" or best time for a certain distance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Speedwork</em></strong>: Hard workouts, often done on tracks, that includes fast-paced intervals or sprints. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Tempo run</em></strong>: When a runner sustains a comfortably hard effort for an extended period of time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">So there you have it. Running 101 in a nutshell. Get out there and get moving!...on your own two feet...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Until the next step bloggers...</span>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-24528056867174425752012-01-08T23:47:00.000-05:002012-01-08T23:47:38.335-05:00Timing is Everything!<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thank God that I saved my Nutrition book from the class that I took! I forgot it had so much information in it that could be so helpful to me right now! So I decided to do some searching and researching as far as workouts and snack were concerned. If I could snack all day, I would! But if you are like most people who forget to include snacks in your daily diet, than this is the post for you! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Of course we all want more energy throughout the day so when it comes time for our workout, we accomplish great things. Well, when it comes to supporting that active body of yours, eating foods at the right time can make all the difference. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is important to know and understand how timing nutrient intake and eating the right foods affect your sweat sessions.</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Morning Snack</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>What's the goal?</em></strong> Boost your energy! You never want to be running on empty and risk an unstable blood sugar level. Eat a small, rich meal with carbohydrates that doesn't spike the blood sugar.</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 slice whole-grain bread + 1 Tbl. natural peanut butter + 1 cup protein-fortified skim milk</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 packet plain oatmeal made with 1 cup low-fat milk + 1/2 cup chopped walnuts</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 med whole-grain tortilla + 2 Tbl. hummus + 2 tomato slices + 4 cucumber slices + 1 oz. tuna (opt)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Afternoon Snack</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>What's the goal?</em></strong> Slow down those cravings and restore sugar levels! Do you get those afternoon slumps when you are constantly looking at the clock and yawning every 5 minutes? Snacking two hours after lunch has its benefits! It helps keep your blood sugars normal which will help keep you from munching on those vending machine goodies. Make sure it contains fiber, some protein, and healthy fats as it will help slow down digestion and provides a slower release of energy. Sugary sweets release a big gush of energy which causes you to be tired earlier.</span> </div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 small pita + 3 oz. chicken breast + 1/2 cup cucumber slices + 1 slice tomato</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup whole-grain couscous + 4 oz. cubed tofu + 1/2 cup broccoli + 1 tsp olive oil + </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbl. balsamic vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before your Workouts</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>What's the goal?</em></strong> Energize those sweat sessions! Eat a carb-rich snack within an hour or two of your gym time and you'll be able to go harder and consequently, burn more calories. Make sure to drink water with this snack as well to improve your strength and performance at the gym! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you are doing a strength training session, your gym time utilizes muscle carbs as a fuel source, so keeping yourself "fueled" is essential. Heidi Skolnik, a dietitian and author, says that you should "aim for 15-25 grams of carbs before weight training." Are you working out first thing in the morning? You should add 6-15 grams of protein to the mix.</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 1 slice of toasted rye bread + 2 Tbl. hummus + 1 sliced hard-boiled egg on top + 8 baby carrots </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">20 unsalted dry-roasted almonds + 1 cup mixed berries</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup vegetable soup + 3 small whole-grain crackers + 1/2 cup applesauce</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 rye crisp crackers + 1/2 cup cottage cheese + 1 small piece of fruit</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">During your Workouts</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate! It is a must, especially when your resistance training sessions are back-to-back with cardio. However, if you are one of those people with a "fast metabolism" and it's hard for you to gain muscle (I wish I had your genes!) you should have some carbs during a workout, whether it be a sports drink or energy bar. Small amount of protein wouldn't hurt either, though!</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After your Workouts</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>What's the goal?</em></strong> Repair and jump start muscle recovery! Up to an hour post sweat, your muscles are like sponges waiting to refill those sugar stores. Make sure it contains carbs and protein with low fat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Known as the "window of opportunity," this definitely is not the time to miss a meal! You should be replenishing fuel stores and jump start your body's repair and rebuilding by eating some carbs and protein within ONE HOUR of your last rep! Carb replenishment is based on the intensity and duration of your sweat session, but you usually need about 45-65 grams post-workout. Whole foods work great for this, but supplements (like a whey protein shake) works wonders as well if you are in a hurry!</span> <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #134f5c;">Chicken and Acorn Squash Tacos</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #134f5c;">(510 calories, 54g carbs, 37g protein)</span></strong></div>
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1 acorn squash, cut into cubes</div>
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6 oz. chicken breast, cooked and chopped</div>
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1 Tbl. fajita seasoning mix</div>
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2 8" whole grain flour tortillas</div>
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1/4 cup low fat shredded Swiss cheese</div>
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1 whole avocado, cubed</div>
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1/2 cup salsa</div>
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</div>
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2. Place squash in a baking pan with 1/4" of water. Bake for 45 minutes, until tender.</div>
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3. When done, add to a skillet set on medium heat. Mix in chicken and seasoning and let warm.</div>
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4. Divide chicken and squash mix evenly among tortillas. Add cheese, avocado, and salsa to tacos. </div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">1 cup skim milk + 1/2 cup strawberries + 2 scoops whey protein powder</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">1 1/2 oz. roasted, unsalted soy nuts + 1 medium orange</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bedtime Snack</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>What's the goal?</em></strong> Stop cravings and prevent muscle breakdown! If you are genuinely hungry after an active day (which I usually am!) this meal can help. Though not a time for heavy carbs, starch, or fat, munching on a high protein treat can help you feel full through your Zzzzz's and until breakfast! Protein also releases amino acids to the muscles for repair while you count sheep</span>. </div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000;">1 low-fat string cheese + 1 small pear</span></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000;">1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese + apple slices</span></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000;">1 cup low-fat milk + 1 scoop whey protein + 2 strawberries + 1/4 cup blueberries</span></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So there you have it! As you can see, timing is everything! Your snacks help burn more calories, regulate your body's normal levels, and help restore muscle strength while you aren't working out. Make sure you pack those snacks! No matter what time a day you are working out, snacking can make it or break it when it comes to toning and losing! Now you can pack your meals with knowledge and reason behind it and of course you can spread the word on the importance of snacking...on your own two feet...</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Until the next step bloggers...</span> </span></span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-23122503117999158582012-01-07T01:32:00.000-05:002012-01-07T01:32:54.075-05:00Party It Up the Healthy Way!<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I am very lucky to have an amazing group of girls that inspire and motivate me to live a more healthy lifestyle. We make an effort once a month to have a pot luck/go out night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As the time draws near for us to be heading to Super Bowl parties or hosting some winter house parties ourselves (Go Ravens!), there IS a way for us to party it up in 2012 the right way! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Millions of us make that vow on December 31st to lose weight or get more healthy, but a lot of people will flake out by February. Eating at home can help this downfall, but doing a little planning can go a long way.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Benefits to dining in rather than out</span>:<br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><strong>Cheaper</strong></span>! When you add the cost of a restaurant, taxes, tip, and even gas (Damn you $3.30 gas prices!) it can be a burden our your wallet, especially right after the holidays! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><strong>No hidden surprises</strong></span>! You have complete control over your ingredients when you eat from home. You know exactly what is going into each dish so there isn't a secret salt or sweetener stash somewhere that you don't know about! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><strong>Great opportunity to catch up with friends</strong></span>! You can help each other eat more healthy, exchange recipes, or gossip while you all are cooking together!</span> </li>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9zzttZgp1BI/Twfj_b5b-xI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/Qn7zp3luXD0/s1600/thanksgivinggroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9zzttZgp1BI/Twfj_b5b-xI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/Qn7zp3luXD0/s320/thanksgivinggroup.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">You Are Who You Eat With??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">According to a study, women who eat in large groups consumed, on average, 100-150 calories <strong>MORE</strong> than those who ate in smaller ones! (Ok ok ok so there are about 10 of us in our group...We love each other too much and we are too good of cooks to dwindle down now!) Also, women who dined with men, on average, ate 100 <strong>FEWER</strong> calories! Try to keep your party to three or four to avoid overeating! Evidence:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B0WNEp1orwk/TwfjlVWQxrI/AAAAAAAAAmA/vQeoXsFSkJg/s1600/thanksgivingfood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B0WNEp1orwk/TwfjlVWQxrI/AAAAAAAAAmA/vQeoXsFSkJg/s320/thanksgivingfood.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was our Friendsgiving spread! Ahhh SO much food! </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FaeZVjP22Rs/Twfjn3Mw0fI/AAAAAAAAAmI/YzJJmIscXac/s1600/xmasfood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FaeZVjP22Rs/Twfjn3Mw0fI/AAAAAAAAAmI/YzJJmIscXac/s320/xmasfood.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Christmas party spread half gone- again, SO much food! </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Social groups can influence the eating patterns of others. If you make a healthy decision while out or going to a party, you are likely to be a positive influence for the others involved! Who wouldn't want to take the time to cook healthy for the ones you love??</span> <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pruxVsDSxMU/Twfk2x6G-jI/AAAAAAAAAmw/5eDFUH67Hx0/s1600/thanksgivingrecipeswap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pruxVsDSxMU/Twfk2x6G-jI/AAAAAAAAAmw/5eDFUH67Hx0/s320/thanksgivingrecipeswap.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our wonderful Thanksgiving recipes! </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hoXPW6J1jrs/Twfk4yk-uXI/AAAAAAAAAm4/E2IoqYmiFcw/s1600/xmasrecipeswap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hoXPW6J1jrs/Twfk4yk-uXI/AAAAAAAAAm4/E2IoqYmiFcw/s320/xmasrecipeswap.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exchanging recipes at our Christmas party! </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>FUN FACT</em></strong>: Those who did not eat food from a window were more successful at losing weight than those who ate from fast food restaurants twice a week or more!</span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blame It on the A-A-A-A-A-Alcohol!</span> <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FbeReGAXxFk/TwfkPjqxUII/AAAAAAAAAmY/NTgZG-J-fKI/s1600/wine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FbeReGAXxFk/TwfkPjqxUII/AAAAAAAAAmY/NTgZG-J-fKI/s320/wine.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok ok ok...so we indulged a little bit...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Alcohol can contain about 75 calories per ounce, yet it is usually the highlight of every adult party. It promotes fat storage by not allowing your body to burn fat as a fuel. Want some tips? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Spa Water</span></strong> Slice a lemon, cucumber, and an orange and place into a large glass pitcher. Fill with water and let chill overnight in the refrigerator. Calories per drink? 0</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><strong>White Wine Spritzer with Grape Cubes</strong></span> Wash and freeze a handful of green grapes. Place several of the frozen grapes in a tumbler with ice. Mix a half cup of white wine (My favorite is Riesling) with a half cup of seltzer and pour over the ice and grapes. Calories per drink? 104</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ok so now that you want to be a positive influence for your friends and for your party, what should you bring??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here are some great ideas for meals that can feed many yet still remain healthy:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">Appetizer</span></strong>: Butternut Squash: This winter treat is rich in antioxidants and vitamins that work together to promote healthy eyes, teeth, and bones, as well as boost your immune system, and help with a healthy circulatory system.</span> <br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><u>Curry and Ginger Butternut Squash Soup</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 butternut squash</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 cups water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp canola oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup chopped sweet onion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 clove garlic, crushed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp curry powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbl. fresh ginger (about 2" long), grated</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sea salt and ground black pepper to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Place face down in a baking pan with water. Bake for 45 minutes or until soft when pierced with a fork. Let squash cool and save the water the squash was cooked in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add onions and garlic and saute until golden. Stir in curry powder, ginger, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer on low for a few minutes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Pour the water the squash was cooked in into the skillet and hear. When squash has cooled, scoop out the flesh, leaving the skin, and add to the skillet. Remove from heat and let cool. When room temperature, puree the vegetable and spice mixture in a blender or food processor with the broth. Serve. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">125 calories per serving, 26 mg sodium, 3g protein</span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Pear and Brie Bites</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 can Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creation</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 pear, peeled and finely chopped*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbl. packed dark brown sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 sage leaf, finely chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 oz. Brie cheese, rind removed, cut into squares</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbl. walnuts, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease or spray 12 mini muffin cups. Unroll dough onto work surface. Using a small circle, cut out 12 circles. Gently press into mini muffins. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. In a small bowl, mix pear, sage, and brown sugar. Place 1 cheese cube in each cup. Top with pear mixture. Sprinkle with walnuts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Bake 10-15 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. Cook 5 minutes and remove from muffin cups.</span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Can substitute dried cranberries for nuts or replace pear with grapes and sage with rosemary.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Thanks </span><a href="http://twitter.com/laurenecannon"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lauren</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for this recipe!</span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">Dinner: </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;"><u>Chicken Florentine</u></span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 x 4oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 4oz. can crushed tomatoes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp oregano</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbl. fresh basil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10 oz. fresh spinach</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sea salt and ground black pepper to taste </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbl. freshly shredded Parmesan cheese</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat the oil and cook chicken until lightly browned on each side (approx. 6 min).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Reduce heat to medium and stir in tomatoes, oregano, and basil. Place spinach on top of the chicken and cover tightly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through (approx. 15 minutes). Stir in salt and pepper and top with cheese. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">260 calories per serving, 320 mg sodium, 3g fiber, 40g protein, 3mg iron</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><u>NOTE</u></em>: Spinach is very high in iron. Iron works to deliver oxygen to your muscles which increases your ability to exercise harder and burn more fat.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;"><u>Quinoa A L'Orange Salad</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups water </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup quinoa, rinsed well</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup grape tomatoes, halved</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup diced celery</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbl. chopped fresh parsley</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup orange juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbl. olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp grated orange rind</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ground black pepper to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa. Return to a boil and simmer until water is absorbed (approx. 15 min.) Remove from heat and place in a large mixing bowl to cool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add tomatoes, celery, and parsley to the bowl. Mix together with quinoa. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients to make dressing. Pour over salad and toss well to combine. Serve with Chicken Florentine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">200 calories per serving, 161mg sodium, 4g fiber, 7g protein</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><em>NOTE</em></u>: Quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids which is linked to tissue repair and growth. </span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;">Stuffed Peppers</span></u></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 large green peppers (hollowed and halved)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 lb/1 pack sausage (chorizo or turkey sausage)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 can corn (Del Monte Summer Crisp)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 egg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 onion (chopped)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup breadcrumbs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4-1/2 cup salsa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbl. olive oil (divided)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup cheddar cheese (divided)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">salt and pepper to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread 1 Tbl. in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan and arrange halved pepper on it facing upward. Drizzle 1 Tbl. olive oil in a large pan and saute onions and sausage until sausage is cooked through and browning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. In a large bowl, combine sausage mix, egg, corn, salsa, breadcrumbs, and 1/2 cup cheese then season with salt and pepper. Spoon an equal amount into each hollowed pepper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top of each pepper. Bake for 1 hour until peppers are tender/al dente and cheese begins to brown.</span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Thanks </span><a href="http://twitter.com/katekatebear"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kate</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for the recipe!</span> </em></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>Dessert:</strong></span> <br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><u>Mini Chocolate Souffles</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nonstick cooking spray</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 Tbl. white whole wheat flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup low fat milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 Tbl. honey, divided</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large egg whites</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/8 tsp cream of tartar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the bottoms of 4 single serve ramekins. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. In a heavy saucepan, combine cocoa and flour. Add milk and 3 Tbl. honey and whisk until smooth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Cook, stirring, over medium low heat until thick (approx. 2 min). Stir in vanilla and set aside to cool slightly.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a small mixing bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining honey and continue beating at high speed until stiff peaks form. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Fold 1/4 cup egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in remaining whites. Divide mixture evenly into the prepared ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes, or until puffy and set. Serve immediately.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">140 calories per serving, 37mg sodium, 2g fiber, 4g protein</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><em>NOTE</em></u>: Egg whites are a great protein source that are low in calories and fat free. With only 16 calories and 4g of protein a piece, they are a great addition to any recipe.</span> <br />
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<u><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Homemade Peanut Butter Cups</span></u></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 4oz. bar of your favorite milk or dark chocolate</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your favorite peanut butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chocolate chips (optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peanut butter chips (optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cinnamon (optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Prepare about 10 tiny muffin cups to spoon mixture into. Melt about 2 squares less than half of your chocolate bar with about 1 Tbl. peanut butter. Spoon this mixture into the bottom of the cup. Let the first layer set in the freezer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Remove cups in the freezer. Melt 2 Tbl. of peanut butter and spoon in small amount in the middle of chocolate. Let sit in the freezer and repeat for as much peanut butter as you want. Be sure to freeze in between each layer setting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Melt the rest of your chocolate with another Tbl. of peanut butter. Spoon on top of peanut butter layers in cups. If desired, add chocolate/peanut butter chips. Allow to sit in the freezer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Melt a small amount of peanut butter to drizzle over top of cups and sprinkle with cinnamon. Let sit in the freezer and keep cool until ready to serve.</span> </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OJ6Xbi7_nNE/Twfkj-X5D4I/AAAAAAAAAmg/L7jn18JP93c/s1600/xmaspbcups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OJ6Xbi7_nNE/Twfkj-X5D4I/AAAAAAAAAmg/L7jn18JP93c/s320/xmaspbcups.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>-<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks </span><a href="http://twitter.com/beermeamartini"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brittany</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for the recipe! </span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-</span><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks Oxygen for some of the recipes!</span> </em></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OT-x3iRjF1o/TwflLTCHwRI/AAAAAAAAAnA/OMz7JtWA00o/s1600/thanksgivingpiepops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OT-x3iRjF1o/TwflLTCHwRI/AAAAAAAAAnA/OMz7JtWA00o/s320/thanksgivingpiepops.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We get excited for Molly's desserts aka Pie/Cake Pops! </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AtSyaRR7E2E/TwflM5W24xI/AAAAAAAAAnI/5uoJo8V9rYE/s1600/xmaspiepops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AtSyaRR7E2E/TwflM5W24xI/AAAAAAAAAnI/5uoJo8V9rYE/s320/xmaspiepops.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, we get REALLY excited about Molly's desserts...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So now you are ready for that house party with your girlfriends. You can still have a great time but do it in a healthy way!</span> </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NDrd-9ifA1U/Twflcp5f82I/AAAAAAAAAnQ/SVviE3OhRdg/s1600/xmasbmoretoned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NDrd-9ifA1U/Twflcp5f82I/AAAAAAAAAnQ/SVviE3OhRdg/s320/xmasbmoretoned.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Don't forget if you participate in my <span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>Jog for January </strong></span><span style="color: black;">Challenge, you have the chance to win a <a href="http://www.gosportid.com/">GoSport ID</a></span> at the end of the month! Just make sure to use the hashtag #jogforjanuary and LINK UP to my blog every MONDAY! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now is your chance to "wow" your friends with your party hosting skills and they will be amazed that you did it...on your own two feet...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Until the next step bloggers....</span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-20793920785265588002012-01-03T00:04:00.000-05:002012-01-03T00:04:28.748-05:00How is Your January So Far??<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello everyone! How is your January so far?? Are you sticking with those goals and resolutions?? How are you staying motivated? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you all are getting in your <strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">Jogging for January</span></strong> challenges in! Walking or jogging for 30 minutes daily can help you build up to a run or a new personal record (PR). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted new inspiration to come onto my blog so I asked Kasey over at PowerCakes to write a little something. There can never be too much inspiration!</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is her story:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dqf-U__7sGM/TwKJM18e8wI/AAAAAAAAAko/zTaF3bWVcwM/s1600/onstagekasey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dqf-U__7sGM/TwKJM18e8wI/AAAAAAAAAko/zTaF3bWVcwM/s320/onstagekasey.jpg" width="110" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Hi all! My name is Kasey &
I’m a Senior Health & Physical Education Major! I blog over at </span><a href="http://powercakes.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="color: blue;">http://powercakes.blogspot.com</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"> ! I’m also a FitFluential
Ambassador! I love being able to give people ideas to live a healthy
lifestyle!! I’m so glad that I was asked by Sarah to do a guest post! Here’s a
little background about my story!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So
where does "PowerCake" come from, you ask? </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Well, ever since I can remember my family has had huge Sunday morning
breakfasts. Whenever I was younger; I was NOT a fan of healthy food.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sidenote:
My mom is a personal trainer & would always have healthy options; but I
always threw temper-tantrums in the cereal isle because all I wanted was sugary
cereals! Anyways, On Sunday's my dad would always make pancakes before my
soccer games. (I've played soccer since I was 6!) My mom would always ask, <i>"did
you sneak in protein powder to make them<u> <b>powercakes</b></u>?"</i> <i>See,
being the "healthy eater" that I was <b>not </b>as a child, my mom
always wanted to make sure that I had some form of protein so that I had energy
to play in my soccer game!</i> So for years now I've called our pancakes,
"<b>powercakes</b>"!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Which really means, a very healthy
pancake</span></i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">that gives you "power" to get
through your day!</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cooking and baking has always been a
part of my life!</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Growing up, I had many stomach
issues </span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and we got frustrated not being able to
find the problem behind them.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I thought I was eating so "healthy" by constantly
eating whole grains and whole wheat everythingggg. But in reality, I was <b>over-doing</b>
it and I developed an intolerance to Gluten. I also developed more recent
allergies of Almonds, some beans, green beans, and egg yolks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was told I was just eating too much
of these foods and</span></u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">my body developed an intolerance to
them.</span></u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So after figuring out this on-going stomach trouble, I got
super creative in the kitchen!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was driven to figure out</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">healthy alternatives</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> to all </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">of my favorite foods.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Which leads me to my decision to do
fitness competitions:</span></i></b></div>
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</o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></span></v:shapetype><v:shape alt="Description: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EPBFO_6R6M0/TtvGtplE1yI/AAAAAAAAAH0/tNs9sn3hhZs/s320/IMG_4428.JPG" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EPBFO_6R6M0/TtvGtplE1yI/AAAAAAAAAH0/tNs9sn3hhZs/s1600/IMG_4428.JPG" id="Picture_x0020_8" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 240pt; left: 0px; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-top: 8.6pt; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; mso-position-vertical: absolute; mso-wrap-distance-bottom: 0; mso-wrap-distance-left: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-right: 9pt; mso-wrap-distance-top: 0; mso-wrap-style: square; position: absolute; text-align: left; visibility: visible; width: 105pt; z-index: 251658240;" type="#_x0000_t75"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
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</w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:fill></span></v:shape><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Last year I decided to compete in my
school's Body Building & Figure Competition. I've always been a competitive
person - I've played soccer and I ran track (triple jump and hurdles) since 7th
grade. I've also play numerous intramural sports here at school!<br />
<br />
My friend from here did the show the year before and I was amazed at her
results.<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">So I decided to train with her.<br />
</i>I started a year ago, in the fall - building muscle.<br />
After months of training and "dieting", <br />
I competed in our school's show in the Spring!<br />
<br />
<i>I got 2nd in my height class - it was such a great experience!</i><br />
<i>I ended up competing in 2 more shows after that last year.</i><br />
<br />
This whole "dieting" concept sparked my interest into the different
ways that I could do this the healthy way. I listened to so many people telling
me to cut things out of my diet like <b>carrots & blueberries</b>...When in
reality, I was just making myself more un-healthy and I wasn't<i> listening to
my body.</i> So, I decided to listen to my body & give it the nutrients it
needed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
This past Fall I competed<br />
in Miss Bikini New York!<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I ate CLEAN ;</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<i>veggies, protein, healthy fats, fruits, dairy, carbs </i><br />
just broke it up into 6 small meals a day!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I didn't weight
myself once; just used the mirror to<br />
check on my progress.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
feel very strongly about "dieting" the healthy way (or as I like to
call it, my LIFESTYLE). With eating 5-6 small meals a day and getting every
component of a healthy diet in each meal.<br />
<br />
There are some unhealthy ways to go about it,<br />
but I really stay true to being healthy and I'm proud of myself for it!<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I believe in a balanced life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Clean Eating &
Working hard in the Gym!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I try to make the most of it<br />
<i>with my amazing family & friends.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My Website is
currently under-construction, so take a look for my recipes but keep an eye out
for my UPDATES!! :]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t wait to get it where I want it to be!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can Follow me on
Twitter @PowerCakes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Facebook - </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/powercakes"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.facebook.com/powercakes</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blog: </span><a href="http://powercakes.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://powercakes.blogspot.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Instagram: @Powercakes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks so much Kasey! You have such an awesome story and you are such an inspiration! What a gorgeous girl! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How have your New Years workouts gone so far?? How are you going to keep with them??</span></em></strong></span></div>
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<br /></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-26462982818286015772012-01-01T21:49:00.000-05:002012-01-01T21:49:52.884-05:00Starting the New Year off on the Right, yet Painful Foot...and A CHALLENGE!<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Happy New Year to all of you! I hope you all enjoyed ringing in the New Year with friends or loved ones and you made your resolutions! The only question is... <strong><em>Are you going to stick to them this year?</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We have all been there, done that. We vow to make some small changes in our habits or lives and low and behold, a couple of weeks into the year and we are back to our old ways. UGH! Well, just remember this my friends: <em>It takes 21 DAYS to form a habit.</em> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Maybe starting off with some small goals would be better instead of committing to doing something for a whole year. My challenge this month works in perfectly for this. But more to come on that later...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today I started 2012 off with a bang! My lovely girlfriends Lauren, Molly, Kate, and myself participated in </span><a href="http://www.charmcityrun.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Charm City Run's</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> New Years 5K! However, my day leading up to it was not entirely rainbows and butterflies...</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vhSMZZGBGhk/TwEaJTkK-2I/AAAAAAAAAjs/tFJCa6blHBY/s1600/resolution_run_2012_LOGO_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vhSMZZGBGhk/TwEaJTkK-2I/AAAAAAAAAjs/tFJCa6blHBY/s320/resolution_run_2012_LOGO_web.jpg" width="240px" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Last night was a nightmare. I bartended at a radio station's annual New Years bash in Baltimore and was really excited about it. Until I got there... </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ef7byYYhuLY/TwEaawiofpI/AAAAAAAAAj4/kxDoQSS4CJQ/s1600/big-night-baltimore-2011-po.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199px" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ef7byYYhuLY/TwEaawiofpI/AAAAAAAAAj4/kxDoQSS4CJQ/s320/big-night-baltimore-2011-po.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was the most unorganized hotel staff I had ever worked with, the attendees were completely out of control, during the party my bar was almost empty (4 times!), and we had to stay to do other people's jobs. Needless to say I was cranky by the time I walked to my car at 3am. @#$%&* !! Oh and did I mention that my foot was throbbing in pain. Stupid accessory navicular bone coming out of my foot...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I woke up later today than I wanted to but needed as much sleep as I could since I would be running the 5k, watching the Ravens game, and then heading into work tonight. On my way to Baltimore, I realized I forgot my breakfast on my kitchen island. Ok Problem #1. No worries, right? I got into Baltimore around 1:30pm. The race started at 2pm...It took me a half hour to find parking. @#$%&* !!! Oh but wait, since I was so frustrated with the whole parking situation, I left my car with my ipod inside. So no music for me during these 3+ miles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As I was sprinting to try to find my Baltimore Tone It Up ladies (and to get my bib number!), the buzzer went off...and I wasn't anywhere close to them. Great. So I thought I would make the best of it and have a nice run by myself. Reflect on this time in my own head and think about some new and attainable goals.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vYmQuXkuOIw/TwES-Em_CRI/AAAAAAAAAio/E2aWMDEJQW0/s1600/focus-on-goals-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241px" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vYmQuXkuOIw/TwES-Em_CRI/AAAAAAAAAio/E2aWMDEJQW0/s320/focus-on-goals-1.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here is what I came up with:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Goal #1: Run more. I strongly dislike running long distances or on a treadmill but maybe I will learn to tolerate it if I can get my distance up without wanting to die from oxygen deprivation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Goal #2: Do 2-3 days a week of strength training. Ladies: You will never lose weight/ tone up if you don't lift weights. Only doing cardio gets your endurance up and sure, you may lose a few pounds but your biggest results will come with strength training. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Goal #3: Get out of debt. I am oh-so-close and only have a little bit to go. Hopefully by June I will be debt free! After that, it will be saving up to move out on my own (although I have a pretty sweet set-up with my mom). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Goal #4: Do one thing I have never done once a month. This could be a new adventure, a new restaurant, etc. I am hoping to get some ideas on </span><a href="http://www.groupon.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Groupon</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> or </span><a href="http://www.livingsocial.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Living Social</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and I hope to include some friends along the way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">These seem attainable right? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyway, back to my story...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So as I am running by myself today (without any music or my girlfriends mind you...) I quickly noticed the pain coming from my left foot. At first it wasn't too bad but quickly progressed. Apparently 10 hours is not enough rest time for this sucker to rest. Oh boy...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My breathing actually felt great to me. I didn't feel the sting in my lungs or winded at all but something was very apparent. I was in pain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I crossed the finish line though! I didn't even bother looking at the time because I knew it was my best and I knew that my foot was a factor in it. After crossing, I collapsed quickly. Immediately ripping off my foot to find my foot was super swollen. Ugh! Thankfully, my girls waited at the finish line for me and cheered me on.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2vvgOd0XkJY/TwEUu0nHusI/AAAAAAAAAjA/tCK3kLO-crk/s1600/10pxsvlj7girp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2vvgOd0XkJY/TwEUu0nHusI/AAAAAAAAAjA/tCK3kLO-crk/s1600/10pxsvlj7girp.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For the cherry on top of the day? On my hobble back to my car...it started raining. *Sigh*</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P7Zj4FkO34A/TwEY3PcufgI/AAAAAAAAAjY/K9Z_vivb_qs/s1600/foot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" closure_uid_e1z04p="91" height="320px" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P7Zj4FkO34A/TwEY3PcufgI/AAAAAAAAAjY/K9Z_vivb_qs/s320/foot.jpg" width="180px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was my scene when I came home! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qZMZv-WQVDs/TwEY4PIqHAI/AAAAAAAAAjg/a58TDul_bng/s1600/5k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" closure_uid_e1z04p="92" height="180px" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qZMZv-WQVDs/TwEY4PIqHAI/AAAAAAAAAjg/a58TDul_bng/s320/5k.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks Charm City Run! </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ok now to introduce to you my <strong>New Years CHALLENGE</strong>!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Caitlin over at </span><a href="http://www.beyond-bananas.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Beyond Bananas</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and I, being </span><a href="http://www.fitfluential.com/"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">FitFluential</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> ambassadors together, wanted to do a challenge so that all of you could have a chance to say you started off 2012 right! We have decided to do alternating months. January will be mine, February will be hers, and so on. I am so excited to team up with someone for a challenge. It helps network and it keeps me accountable. Therefore, for my month of January, my challenge?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><u>Jogging for January !! </u></strong></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Whats the challenge?</span></em><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Everyday try to jog for at least 30 minutes. Don't have 30 minutes allotted together in your day? Take 10 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night or vice versa. Break up the minutes but just make sure you get it in! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Link up to my blog every <strong><span style="color: #38761d;">MONDAY</span> </strong>to let everyone know how your jogging is going! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Use the hashtag #jogforjanuary on </span><a href="http://twitter.com/i_will_overcome"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">twitter</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> so people can find others for motivation and support! </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At the end of each month, we will be hosting a giveaway so there are plenty of chances to win---but you have to make sure you are active in each month with our challenge for your chance to win! Upload pictures, videos, workout details from your phone, whatever it takes! We want to see you <strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">Jogging for January</span></strong>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So there you have it folks. All in all, the beginning to my 2012 was not a horrible one. I have new goals in place, a new mindset, great supportive friends, and a new outlook on life. I am definitely ready to make this year a better one...on my own two (maybe one and a half right now) feet...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Until the next step bloggers...</span>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-73439727641752559732011-12-27T21:10:00.002-05:002011-12-27T21:13:04.313-05:00Why Not Start Right Now??<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Many people don't realize it, but we all have the power to accomplish<br />great things. I, myself, was not a believer of this fact. Life gets in<br />the way of actually living it sometimes. Many of us don't take a step<br />back, take a deep breath, and just be ourselves for a few seconds.<br />They sit back and let others take the glory and think to themselves,<br />"I could do that if I..." or "Next month I vow to..." My question to<br />them? <strong><em><span style="color: #674ea7;">WHY NOT START RIGHT NOW?</span></em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><br />What is stopping you from doing today what you want to do tomorrow?<br />Stress? Kids? School? Work? Throw it away. For one hour a day. Shut<br />the world out and spend time with the only person you can REALLY count<br />on; yourself. Meditate in the morning. Take a yoga class. Go for a<br />hike. Sit on your bed and punch a pillow. Get that much needed<br />massage. Have a good cry. Will it make you feel better about YOU?<br />Good... Let's move on...<br />
<br />I am a statistic. I am one of the <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">25%</span></strong> of women that will experience<br />domestic violence in their lifetime. I was one of the many that put<br />off today what I wanted to do tomorrow and that was to live. I never<br />found time for myself because my time was spent making sure somone<br />else was happy and satisfied. I was wrapped in hypothetical chains<br />that weighed me down and it really came down to just not caring about<br />me. I hit an all time low in my life until one day a light came on. If<br />I wanted to live, I had to save my own life first. So I did...<br />
<br /><br />Now, I shut the world out when I need to. I throw it all away for an<br />hour a day...and I have lived to tell my story. Who will listen? The<br />real question is...who cares? I might tell my story to 1,000,000<br />people and 999,999 might not care to listen. But it only takes that<br /><em><strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">one</span></strong></em> to change the world...<br />
<br />I have been told that I can't. I have been told that I can. I have<br />been told that I am a dreamer. A free spirit. A lifer. I have been<br />called a motivator. An inspiration. Strong. Driven. A role model. My<br />message to them? You are too. You want to listen to my story,<br />therefore you are my motivator. You drive 3 kids to school each<br />morning, organize bake sales, clean 5 loads of laundry a day, pick up<br />crafts for Grandmom's Christmas present this year? You go to work a<br />9-5 job and try to go through life day to day while your husband/wife<br />is deployed overseas and you live for the one day a week when you can<br />see their face and hear their voice? You are a young girl with big<br />dreams of being President, or a little boy who is determined to cure<br />cancer? A headliner making front page news of every magazine or the<br />one who reads it in line at a grocery store paying for their month's<br />meals with food stamps? We are America's story. We are the<br />inspiration. We change the world for the better by living our lives.<br />Let's do it together. Let's encourage the world to LIVE healthy,<br />happy, and hopefully. <strong><u><span style="color: #cc0000;">WHY NOT START RIGHT NOW?</span></u></strong></span><span style="color: #888888;"><br /></span>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6488866737886835592.post-60246746688888684482011-12-27T13:58:00.000-05:002011-12-27T13:58:39.232-05:00My Trip to LA/San Diego Part 2!!<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Merry Christmas everyone! I hope Santa was good to everyone this year! It was great to hang out with family but it's time to get back in the grind! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So I left you in my last post explaining about making it to the Venice Beach pier in time for the sunset! Definitely needed a California sunset picture! With a great meet up with our friend Melissa and after a great Italian dinner, we headed to Long Beach in anticipation for a night full of fun.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well...it was an interesting night that's for sure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After walking through the ghetto of Long Beach, being asked twice if we were headed to the club, etc. we finally landed at an Ale House that wasn't all that bad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We spent a drink at the Ale House and then headed to a place called Alex's Bar. For those of you who are True Blood fans, this is Fangtasia. The outside of it where they tried to kill Russell, the inside, the stage where the bands played is where Eric sits on his "throne", etc. Literally...this bar WAS Fangtasia. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This bar was a good time:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The band wore Whip It hats so of course we had to take a picture with them!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The next morning we headed to Manhattan Beach and took a short drive through Hermosa Beach and part of Redondo Beach (which is gorgeous) and then headed back up to LA to see the infamous Hollywood sign.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This was your view from a scenic overlook- all of LA! Wow! Just around the corner, of course, was this:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a0QzeVuimJ8/TvoQmesC6fI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/mMUwH2dwU2s/s1600/hollywoodsign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a0QzeVuimJ8/TvoQmesC6fI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/mMUwH2dwU2s/s320/hollywoodsign.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>An interesting fact about the Hollywood sign</em>: It used to say "Hollywoodland" but in the 1930's (I think that was the decade) a landslide wiped out the "land" letters. In the 1970's they paid over $20,000 PER LETTER to restore "Hollywood" and dubbed it a social landmark.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Due to time restraints we could not go on a hike, but instead started to make the 2 hour drive down to San Diego... BYE BYE LA!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our drive took us through Laguna Beach (for you MTV lovers out there) and through much of San Diego. Unfortunately it was dark by the time we arrived but the city gets all lit up so it was actually pretty! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The next day we visited La Jolla Beach. Apparently seals hang out at the beach all the time and you can actually go swimming with them! Though we did not go swimming, I was able to capture these:</span> <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n6GPcSOuH94/TvoRsQl0pRI/AAAAAAAAAhc/EmSgmaWun1M/s1600/lajollaseals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n6GPcSOuH94/TvoRsQl0pRI/AAAAAAAAAhc/EmSgmaWun1M/s320/lajollaseals.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SqEuf_WHRr4/TvoRvLT7k7I/AAAAAAAAAhk/PsjHM0m6YQ8/s1600/closeupseals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SqEuf_WHRr4/TvoRvLT7k7I/AAAAAAAAAhk/PsjHM0m6YQ8/s320/closeupseals.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Very cool sight to see...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyway, now it was down to business and the whole reason why we went out there in the first place... The Baltimore Ravens!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Making signs for our Ravens and NBC was something we really wanted to do so we gathered some materials and went to it!</span> <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K1rXX00JblE/TvoSG_C8G2I/AAAAAAAAAhw/We4mdFx5aVw/s1600/makingofsigns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K1rXX00JblE/TvoSG_C8G2I/AAAAAAAAAhw/We4mdFx5aVw/s320/makingofsigns.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tGms6rL-a1M/TvoSITWp5RI/AAAAAAAAAh4/vH0XYYzlu40/s1600/makingofsigns2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tGms6rL-a1M/TvoSITWp5RI/AAAAAAAAAh4/vH0XYYzlu40/s320/makingofsigns2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Nothing fancy, just enough so you could read it from far away :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our final products?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vd6Kv5kWDqk/TvoSVtXLPYI/AAAAAAAAAiE/TEWsnwZSdwE/s1600/oursigns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vd6Kv5kWDqk/TvoSVtXLPYI/AAAAAAAAAiE/TEWsnwZSdwE/s320/oursigns.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Sean with our signs! </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(We had no idea that our signs would never be put to use because of the disgust that was the Ravens that night but we had fun anyway!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Tailgating was a lot of fun as we saw SO MANY Ravens fans! I even met up with a bunch of people I went to high school with and saw some old friends along the way! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As we took our seats inside Qualcomm Stadium, we were so excited about our view:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kUfOLATqy64/TvoS1EQ-dXI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/gJAgGu1g51I/s1600/ourview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kUfOLATqy64/TvoS1EQ-dXI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/gJAgGu1g51I/s320/ourview.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had GREAT seats! Thanks StubHub!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Like I said before, we sat almost in total silence for the game since my team played like crap.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">However, San Diego fans were actually very nice and not rude, unlike other team's fans....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our time in San Diego was short lived as we had to return to Baltimore the next day (Boo!)... If I could move out there tomorrow, I would! It was such an awesome city! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Having a non-stop flight from LAX to Dulles is very tiring but I got a second wind when we landed, I looked at my phone, and saw that the Steelers were losing to the 49ers! Woo hoo! Thanks San Fran for helping the Ravens out! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This was one of the sights I came home to:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RcJh2pG0C-s/TvoULarFeoI/AAAAAAAAAic/F0VyN5oXKEw/s1600/ravensbabies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RcJh2pG0C-s/TvoULarFeoI/AAAAAAAAAic/F0VyN5oXKEw/s320/ravensbabies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They even lost their team spirit that day!</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyway, that was my trip to California in a nut shell. If I come across any more great pictures I will share them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year! Be on the look out for a duo challenge with me and </span><a href="http://www.beyond-bananas.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cait</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> !! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Let's welcome 2012 with a bang ... and on our own two feet...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Until the next step bloggers...</span>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00140030916462433250noreply@blogger.com1