Checking In & Melissa Bender Fitness

I was so pumped with the "finish the year healthy and strong" and have loved reading your comments about your plans to do the same.  Week one getting back to the gym was really tough, I was sore, sore, sore.  But, that's the pain that comes from being sedentary too long and it's a good sore- if you know what I mean.  Sitting in the steam room at my gym after a hard workout is on my thankful tree list this year. 

Week two, I started to feel like I was getting my groove back.  Don't get me wrong, it's still difficult getting into those workouts, but about 15-20 minutes in and the music is pumping on my iPod and something just clicks and the workouts start feeling GOOD!  Do you know what I mean?  That is the best.  And in just two weeks, I can see small changes to my body that are really inspiring.  

And now, week 3, I'm backing off because I'm not feeling too good- got run down, feeling sick, and have to listen to my body and take a little break for about a week.  I am just like you and I can't do everything all the time, and obviously I don't kill myself to post on both of my blogs daily, but just when I have something I want to share with you and can make the time to share.  I only want to write things here that you will find useful, beneficial, inspiring, or informational.  

So, today, I'm just saying, I'm not giving up, I'm not giving in.  I just needed a little break.  Back at it real soon.  Can't keep me down.  :)

How's it going for you?  

And I wanted to share a fitness blog I found that I was really impressed with- Melissa Bender Fitness.  This woman trained for a fitness competition without ever training in a gym- she did all her workouts at home. No excuses, right?!  I know getting to a gym is a struggle for a lot of people, so I thought you might want to check her site out.  She shares in great detail all her contest prep including food and workouts.  Let me know what you think and tell her I said hi!  

_________________________

Finishing the Year Strong Update & Tex Mex Casserole with Egg Noodles

We last talked about our goal of finishing 2013 healthy and strong and I so appreciate your feedback in the comments.  Your courage to share where you are in your journey helps me be transparent in mine too and I feel like we're in this together.  I got in 4 really great workouts last week, and I feel that that's a good fit for my current schedule through the end of the year.  It takes some planning and preparation to make sure to get to the gym, but if I workout hard for at least 50 minutes, I'm good with 4 days. 

Getting started back into a weight-lifting/workout routine is especially hard because you are so SORE for the first few days.  I had to take Advil a few times, but I'm already fine.  And isn't it funny how after just a few workouts you feel 5 pounds lighter?!  My scale says I'm down half a pound.  It's a start!

via

On Halloween, I ate 2 chocolate chip cookies that a mom from my son's school made and a mini Reese's Peanut Butter cup.  To be honest, the cookies were delicious, but I should have just had one, and the Reese's didn't taste that good- probably because I'm a PB cup snob now, having fallen in love with the homemade variety.  The point is, if I'm going to "cheat" I want it to be worth it!  And I know that finishing the year strong requires some sacrifice and diligence with my food especially during the week.  So, I'm being more conscious of what foods I'm choosing and having something really good to look forward to on the weekend.  On Saturday night, we went out to a great restaurant and I ate oxtails and potatoes- so good, but really rich, so I only ate about 1/3 of what was on my plate.  I had 2 glasses of wine and for dessert, had a big ole ice cream cone that I really enjoyed.  Back on the wagon for Monday.   

My other tip for this week is to SHARE MEALS when you go out to eat, if possible.  I'm usually full after half my meal, but feel like I need to finish, so I'll end up eating too much.  Leftovers from restaurants usually end up in the trash and it's a shame to waste the food and money.  Sharing with someone eliminates that and you don't leave the table feeling so heavy from overeating.  

via

I made a healthy meal last week that I think you might like too.  I warn you that it's not the prettiest dish, but very tasty and full of protein.  It's kind of a Tex-Mex casserole with egg noodles.  I really believe that "abs are made in the kitchen", which is why the eating portion is so crucial to seeing results.  My meals last week pretty much consisted of:

7am- oatmeal and coffee

10am- protein shake 

12pm- this casserole

3pm- tuna sandwich and Sun chips 

6pm- this casserole

8pm- Greek yogurt or hot cocoa

I also stopped in Starbucks a few times (which is a step back from my previous daily addiction).  

Ingredients

1 Jennie O- Extra Lean Ground Turkey

1 Laura's Lean Beef (94% Lean) - or go leaner

1 bag No Yolk Egg Noodles

1/2 container of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (1/3 less fat) - or use fat free

1 cup Shredded Mexican cheese (2%) - or use fat free

1 package Taco Seasoning (low sodium)

*Update 2/16/14:  add some minced parsley, chopped onion and garlic for added flavor

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil the egg noodles for about 8 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, (*Update 2/16/14, brown the onion and garlic) and then add the two meats until cooked though, add the seasoning mix with about a cup of water and let it boil until the water and seasoning is absorbed.  Then, I add the parsley.

Off the heat, add the cream cheese and the shredded cheese to the meat mixture and stir until all melted and mixed in.  Add in the noodles and stir until combined. 

Pour the entire thing into a 9x13 baking dish, top with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.  Bake for about 20 minutes.  *Update 2/16/14:  I'm not baking this dish anymore because I felt like that dried it out.  

I based this dish on a pin from Pinterest, but lightened it up.  To make it even lighter, use leaner beef and fat free cream cheese and fat free shredded cheese.  Some people may also like to add salsa to this for more flavor. 

If you portion this dish into 10 servings, below is the nutrition information.  I use myfitnesspal.com to calculate the nutrition- it's free and really user-friendly. 

So, how's it going for you?  If you've fallen off the wagon, just get back on!

via Nike

___________

Finishing the Year Healthy & Strong

*First let me apologize for having to truncate my posts (causing readers to have to click "read more" to read the post in its entirety) because my blog content has been stolen by some thief with a domain registered in India.  Thank you Leanne for letting me know- I had no idea.  Back in August 2012, several well-known bloggers started truncating their posts because "scraper sites" had been stealing their blog content.  I never worried about it and, as a reader, I find truncated posts kinda annoying, so I never did that.  But I have to now.  My entire blog- every word and photo has been scraped and is now appearing as original content on another blog.  So annoying! And the worst part is, I haven't yet figured out what I can do about it.  So, I just wanted to explain why I'm now truncating my posts- apparently this makes it much harder for the thieves.  I hope you'll keep reading!

* * * * * 

I think I need to get your attention and my own regarding the reality that the holidays are just around the corner!  I get giddy with excitement this time of year.  Halloween is in a couple days, which really just marks the beginning of the real holiday season for me.  I love everything that is related to this time of year, including the coziness of colder weather, wearing red and feeling festive, getting together more with family for longer, relaxed gatherings, celebrating family traditions, shopping for gifts for family and friends, decorating the house, and yes, of course, all the yummy FOOD and DRINKS!

But seriously, do we have to just check out in the health department this time of year?  I've already gained a few pounds in last couple of months as I've slacked off my workouts and discovered this ridculously delicious gelato that I've been induldging in too often.  It happens.  But, we need to be reasonalbe and balanced.  I know I'm less happy and more uncomfortable when I'm heavier.  Just a few extra pounds on my very short frame (5'1) makes my jeans too tight.  And even a couple extra pounds are hard to lose.

I want to look and feel GREAT this holiday season!  

via Nike

Read more »

Faith

just fyi . . . 

via Candy to My Soul

Healthy Yogurt Station

After seeing the breakfast bar in my kitchen (which now includes a quick morning oatmeal), Leanne (Away We Go) emailed me to share something similar she does in her home with yogurt.  She created an adorable, functional way to have a healthy yogurt snack with a variety of toppings.  It's great to have all these yummy ingredients on hand and easily accessible.  Here's Leanne to tell you how she did it.

* * * * * 

Yogurt cups have always been a popular snack in our house and over the past few months we have pretty much made the switch to Greek. The health benefits are plentiful and these days the options for flavours are endless! I absolutely love the individual containers that include a portion of toppings to add in.  I find the combination of nuts, granola or even dark chocolate to be a very satisfying late afternoon snack!  However, as much as I love these little treats, I do find their cost adds up. In order to save a bit of money, but keep this healthy option in our kitchen I decided to put together a little Yogurt Station. 

To get started, I gathered a variety of nuts, seeds and dried fruit from the bulk section of our grocery store and placed them in some glass jars that I already had on hand. 

I placed a washi tape label on each jar to identify it's contents. I think that washi tape is great for this job because it can easily be switched out as the contents of the jar change.  

The jars fit nicely in this small basket, which is a perfect fit for our pantry shelf.  

Here is a list of what I currently have in our "Yogurt Station"

~

roasted almonds

 candied pecans

homemade granola

dried cranberries

shaved dark chocolate

 pumpkin seeds

honey

cinnamon

Now I am able to buy large tubs of Greek yogurt, which saves money and waste (the individual servings are often too large for my kids). When we need a little snack we grab the basket from the pantry and top our yogurt to fit our mood! I love granola and honey in the morning, and pecans with dark chocolate before bed!

Thanks so much for sharing Leanne!  I adore the jars and washi tape labels too! - Megan

* * * * * 

If you have a healthy food recipe with bright, gorgeous photos and would like to be featured on Honey We're Healthy, email me at: honeywerehealthyblog@gmail.com

Vitamix Blender- Worth It?

Last year I was considering purchasing a Vitamix blender and then was shocked to see how expensive they were when I visited the website.  I was so naive about the price!  I wrote about it on Honey We're Home, asking people if they thought the Vitamix was worth it and got a lot of responses, mostly people encouraging me to make the splurge and others saying blenders that sell for much less will do the job fine.  I was still on the fence when I was at Costco one day and they had a Vitamix 5200s on sale (but now I can't recall the exact price) so I went ahead and bought it.  Amazon sells a Vitamix5200s for $449.99 ($100 less than the Vitamix website).

I have to say I love it!  I mix protein smoothies in it almost daily and they contain ice and frozen fruit, which blend up perfectly.  Perhaps a less expensive blender would also work, but I'm confident this one will last a very long time- it comes with a 7-year warranty.  

I will say, the downside of my Vitamix blender is it's height- it won't fit on the counters under our cabinets because it's too tall.  We tend to keep ours out near the kitchen sink because we use it so often, and store it in a lower cabinet where it fits fine.  I just rinse it with hot soap and water right after each use, and lay it upside down to dry.  

One feature I really like is that it's not that loud compared to other blenders I've heard.  Now, I want to venture outside of just making smoothies.  I know you can make soups, dips, salsa, and have even heard of chicken salad and dough.  

Do you have a Vitamix?  I'd love to hear what you are making in your blender besides smoothies.  

I'm considering pureeing up some veggies to sneak into my son's food (maybe into his blueberry muffins or something like that).  Any recommendations? He's the pickiest eater I've seen!

* * * * * 

On Honey We're Home: Easy Homemade Kids Halloween Treats

Faith

Worship and worship music is a huge part of my expression of joy, thankfulness, faith, and love of God.  I enjoy different kinds of worship music, listen almost exclusively to contemporary Christian radio in my car (89.3 KSBJ), and sing in the choir at my church.  I often feel the closest connection to God and His peace and love in my times of worship.  Many tears of both joy and heartbreak have fallen during my worship time.  Only He really knows everything we've been through.  But, I almost always feel a deep sense of peace after a pure time of worship when I didn't hold anything back.  To me, worshipping through music is pouring out your heart to God through the songs and acknowledging Him as Lord.  Then, feeling His responsiveness and connecting to it.  It blesses my soul. 

When I first joined my church in 2001, the song I recall getting me "hooked" on contemporary worship music was "You Are Good" by Isreal Houghton.  Do you know it?  We actually just sang it again two weeks ago and it's as good as I remember.  It's really upbeat and FUN!  Gets you moving and dancing and just celebrating the genuine goodness of God.  Did you know that worship music could sound like that and that some people dance and jump at church?  I didn't.  

Here's a video of Isreal and his band New Breed signing You Are Good and Rejoice in South Africa.

Certain songs in life just take you back- they don't even have to be Christian songs- to a certain time in life and you can almost taste the experience.  I vividly remember how I felt as a "baby Christian" going to church regularly for the first time as an adult, completely ignorant of Christian music and definitely feeling a little . . . weird about even hearing lyrics like, "I worship you Almighty God, there is none like you." And I felt really out of place because I didn't know any of those songs.  I was more familiar with My Love Don't Cost a Thing (it was 2001 after all).  At church, I was self conscious and awkwardly clapped my hands to the beat of the music, but my mouth was shut tight.  

Slowly over time, as I continued to show up on Sunday mornings, the songs became familiar.  I bought our church worship CD (or maybe it was given to me?)  and started listening to it in the car.  At church, I looked forward to my "favorite" songs being played.  It wasn't long before I knew ALL the words and was sining in my car.  Then, the girl who used to keep her mouth shut, auditioned for the choir. When I look back now, I realize I didn't need to feel self-conscious about not knowing the songs (I doubt anyone even cared or noticed).  We all start somewhere in our walk with God.  What matters is just starting and knowing that HE IS GOOD!

Do you have a favorite worship song?  

* * * * *