Archive Page 13

06
Aug
12

Paleo Blondies Recipe

By garagegym107 7 Comments
Categories: Recipe
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Rarely do I post a recipe.   Scrumptious comes to mind.  As in all things moderation is key only a bite will do, you don’t need to eat the whole pan.  Yes, I know you will be tempted to.  

Almond Butter Blondies:

1 16oz jar Justin’s almond butter (or if you are a purist, make your own, just roast raw almonds then process them.  I’m lazy)

2 large eggs

¼ honey (I would have climbed the tree for honey as a cavewoman, no doubt about it)

1 cup Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chips

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon KerryGold Butter, (this is grass-fed) melted 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, butter or spray an 8×8 pan.

Mix almond butter, butter, eggs and honey until mixed.

Add baking soda and salt, mix well. 

Fold in chips.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown.  Ovens vary.  I prefer them under-baked to too brown.  Who likes burned nuts anyway?

 I under-baked mine intentionally so they’d be a little gooey in the middle.

If you still eat a lot of sugar, these are not the treat for you as they won’t be overly sweet to you.  

These are lightly sweet and satisfying especially if you don’t eat a lot of sugar.

You see if I was meant to be a food blogger, I’d have taken a picture to go along with my recipe.  I’ll gladly leave the recipe blogging to those whom are good at it!

06
Aug
12

Sulking Over Silver

By garagegym107 4 Comments
Categories: Random Thoughts
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve got to rant for just a minute and then I’ll leave it alone.

What are our young daughters and granddaughters and nieces to think when they see our beautiful and talented gymnasts sulking over silver medals? 

I mean really? 

Our baby girls are already bombarded by outside influences telling them from the earliest age that perfection is the only acceptable.  Acceptable what??

 Acceptable body, acceptable hair, nails, clothing and now gold for the athlete.  Pishaw!! 

Smile your little glorious behinds off for being an Olympian!! 

Good grief have we ever lost sight of the accomplishment because sponsorships, etc. are determined by all or none? 

I’m so stinking proud of every single American Athlete that has stepped totally out of their comfort zones for most of their young lives to go before the masses and lay it all on the line.   Win or not, they are Olympians! 

Shame on the all or none attitude surrounding those young people setting perfectionists goals and creating self-doubt and sulking over silver!

Have you heard all of the Brits singing their national anthem after each and every gold?  Not the athletes but the whole crowd!!

Hat Tip: selihpxe8

 

 

 

 

03
Aug
12

Let’s Talk About Time

By garagegym107 4 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
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How long did it take you to lose all that weight?  I get that question a lot.  Through clean eating and working out 6 days a week in 12 week cycles, it took me the better part of a year to lose the first 125#.  

I’m sure there are people out there thinking “That’s like forever!”.  Well it may seem like an eternity but in reality that was pretty fast and consistent.

What other choice do you have?  You are not going to wake up one morning and be magically thin, so just get busy doing what must be done.

Don’t think I’m unkind or harsh, that’s not it.  But the truth is it is just a waste of precious time sitting there saying I’ll start Monday.  Or I’ll start when I finish this exercise book.  Or I’ll start working out after I lose 10# or 20# or 30#.  Or I’ll start once little Johnny starts school. 

Does it really matter how long it takes?  I used to think that I had to have spectacular results in x amount of time.  Now I just focus on doing the work each and every day and the results naturally follow.

It’s time to get busy!

01
Aug
12

It Is Not About Them

By garagegym107 1 Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the world of weight-loss it’s easy to play the victim.  Blame all of our shortcomings and lack of results on our upbringing, our past relationships, our lack of relationships, our jobs, our family time, our lack of money, and the list could go on for a full paragragh.  In all honesty, it is not about them, it is about you.

You can make valiant attempts to make lasting change, but until you realize that you are ulitmately responsible for your food intake and moving your butt, you are playing victim.  Sure life will give us lemons on occasion and we’ve got two choices, sit and sour along with the juice or make some lemonade.

Today I was heading outside to work-out with a coworker.  As I turned the corner to go down to the locker room I glanced to the left and saw two gentlemen coming into the facility to enjoy lunch in our cafeteria. 

One was suffering from health related issues, I have no idea what, but he struggled to walk slowly with his friend supporting his arm on one side and walking with a cane in the other hand. 

I smiled and nodded as I usually do and as I continued on to the locker room I was overcome with gratitude.  Gratitude that the man had a friend to lean on and walk with and emmense gratitude that I am now healthy.

When I weighed 328# I used to see the obstacle of weight-loss as  chore.  I used to pout when I would have to eat a salad and someone around me would be eating crap, that whole “why me” thing. 

Over time (not overnight) I realized that I was starting to feel better, my clothes fit better and then it got easier.  My mind shifted from this is a chore to this is a choice.  That one little switch changed everything.  The sooner you acknowledge that you are willing to do whatever is takes willingly to succeed the easier this path will become.

Hat Tip: Elements of Your Life

 

31
Jul
12

Roller Coaster

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

My last post was about having patience to put in the necessary work to achieve your goals. 

I had lunch with a group of friends today and during lunch one of the girls made the comment of “yesterday’s workout made me feel bad about myself last night.”

The irony in that comment is that it was exactly what I was thinking Friday night after having such a great workout on Thursday. 

My conclusion is there will always be something that makes me question myself.  Especially if I desire to grow as an individual.  There will always be triumphs and trials.   It is in the aftermath of the trials that I have the opportunity to experience true growth.

I’ve got two choices, I can sit back on my ego and whine a little or I can dig deep and realize that it makes me better and better.  Do nothing or work on the skills that it takes to get better and better.

Today the workout left me feeling good simply because I finished it and got just a smidge better in the process.  It is taking the time to settle down and realize that with each and every hurdle, I can jump it or walk around it.  It truly doesn’t matter as long as I move forward.

Hat Tip to Wikipedia for the pic!

27
Jul
12

Do You Have Commitment?

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Living Fit Daily
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“Commitment is what transforms a promise in to reality.  Commitment is the words that speak boldly of your intentions and the actions which speak louder than words.  Commitment is making time when there is none.  Commitment is coming through time after time, year after year, after year.  Commitment is the stuff character is made of, the power to change the face of things.  Commitment is the triumph of integrity over skepticism.” ~unknown

I wish I could remember who wrote this so I could give them credit.  It has been hanging on my bulletin board in my office for years now.   I moved it higher so I could read it daily.  Do you have commitment to your health and fitness? 

26
Jul
12

Patience Grasshopper

By garagegym107 3 Comments
Categories: Nutritional Cleanse Experiment
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

When I first started doing CrossFit two years ago this month, I was fanatical about it.  I went all the time, trashed my body as often as I physically could whether I needed to or not.  For whatever reason (my age most likely) I felt like I had to get better faster.  I felt literally like I was watching an hour-glass as the sand passed through.  I wanted to get better overnight. 

No one was forcing me to lift heavier or go faster except for me.  Over time I went trough a bunch of cycles of self awareness, self-awkwardness and most importantly self-protection.  I wanted to remain injury free so I could keep doing what I love to do.

The one thing that no one can train in to you is patience.  Patience for progress is the skill I’ve needed the most.  And it’s been the most hard-fought internal battle.  Getting better at any skill requires practicing of that skill.  Repetitive movement over and over until you can do it to the best of your own ability is what reaps the rewards.

Sure, there will be days you leave with a stinging ego because we are all superhero’s in our own mind.  When reality shows up and teaches us that we are flawed and we require more work it’s hard on our MOJO.

For me, I take that time to reflect on the journey. Where I’ve been, the people I’ve met, and exactly why I started getting fit in the first place.  It keeps me grounded and it reminds me to be patient.

This morning patience paid off for me.  After several months of practicing this movement, slowly and methodically increasing the weight in small increments it felt just right this morning.  I finally broke the 100# plateau for multiple reps.  Patience grasshopper.  A big thanks to my friend Christina Barnett for catching this photo!

 

 

25
Jul
12

Leaning on Accountability

By garagegym107 3 Comments
Categories: Nutritional Cleanse Experiment
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Some of us require accountability.  Not someone to police us, but instead a person that knows our intent and that will call us out when we are not holding ourselves to the standard of which will take us closer to our goals.

I have a couple of these accountability buddies.  They know who they are.  

Recently I talked about a goal I had and made the comment to my friend “What if such and such is still there?”.   It took her all of 3.2 seconds to send me a response that simply said “Oh, I didn’t realize we were living in the world of “what if.”

I love her for it.  It was an eye opener of the underlying lack of belief I still carry in some areas.  That just means there is more work to be done on my personal belief system. 

I have another accountability buddy that shares daily meal structure along with pictures of her meals.   We strive for small balanced meals every 3 hours.   I’ve begun to do the same with her.  It keeps my meal plans fresh because I know she will call me out for not having a variety of fresh veggies. 

I also have hard-core friends that never ever need anyone to hold them accountable, they don’t judge me just as I don’t judge anyone else.  It’s not my place.  Weight loss and fitness are a process, that process is different for everyone.

I like having someone to lean on from time to time.  It makes leaning solely on myself much more doable. 

Want to eat cleaner and work harder?  Find someone that will call you out, even if it stings a little.  You’ll be better for it!

24
Jul
12

Community

By garagegym107 3 Comments
Categories: Living Fit Daily
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I love it when I meet new people who are struggling.  This morning I saw a woman walk by my door and as I glanced up I noticed what a pretty dress she had on. 

A little later my boss pushes open my office door and there stands the woman in the pretty dress and she was saying “I knew she was the one!”   Hmmm…

Well, needless to say she wanted to talk workouts.  I love that.  I work for a company with over 1600 people.  When someone says “I knew she was the one” man that’ll make your day. 

Anyway, she was telling me about a recent weight gain, low iron and the fact that she’d been put on medication for it.  She is struggling with her mojo for sure.  Lack of energy, poor diet, etc.

As we talked, she mentioned knowing all about meal-timing etc., and that she wanted to get back in to shape.

My first comment was simply “get back to basics”.  You know about meal timing and working out so the only thing I see missing is community.  I asked her when the last time she hung out with like-minded people? 

It doesn’t matter what you do, whether it’s Zumba, Body Pump, Jazzercise, CrossFit or Running, remember to find like-minded people to do it with. 

Everyone struggles, everyone has an “off” day or even an off week.   Food may be spot on but workouts stink or just the opposite, workouts are great but food stinks. 

In a community though there will be days you will push, pull or drag each other along but that’s the point. 

Do it. 

It’s not always about YOU.  You soon realize that the greatest part of community is what you can offer to another person in the way of support. 

 

20
Jul
12

Random Friday Thoughts

By garagegym107 3 Comments
Categories: Random Thoughts
Tags: , ,

For the first time since  my spousal unit and I met, we actually went to a movie theater last night.  He’s not a fan of theaters and after the tragedy in the late night in Aurora, Colorado we may never go back again.   My thoughts and prayers are with the people and the families involved in that tragedy.

Here where we live we have this relatively new open air mall and even in the sweltering southern humidity the mall seems to be doing ok.  We bought our tickets to see TED  and settled in to our seats. 

Here comes the rant.  A couple sat behind us and shortly after they sat down, the male started giving play by-play of the movie.  As if his girlfriend didn’t get the humor.  This went on throughout the entire movie.  WHO DOES THAT?  Of course we got up and moved about 10 seats down but could still hear him talking the ENTIRE TIME. 

Anyway enough of my complaining.  If you have kids, even teenagers, know that this movie is very bawdy and filled with the mother of all cuss words (as we say in the south).  It’s rated R for very good reason.  So just know what you are getting in to when you go.

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