~Music of the Minute~

~Superman Banana~

I needed to get a little more info about this exercise and watched several superman banana videos and this is the one that shows this exercise at it's fullest potential....

~Whittle Your Middle~

Eat This and Lose Belly Fat! Twelve more Foods that help melt the belly fat! Got most covered for the day and several in my pizza alone!




Not sure that second slice will help ~Whittle Your Middle~ but dang I make a delicious Pizza!!!

~Foods of the Rainbow~

~Whitttle Your Middle: Day Two~

Tonight for dinner it would have been lovely if I could have planned a recipe from the many searches I've discovered. But, once again dinner plans were put on fast forward with little time to plan...oh the joys of a 2 and 4 year old! Luckily, the collaborative effort between myself and Craig created a super tasty dinner!
We had Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa with black olives, steamed mixed veggies: green beans, cauliflower, and carrots. Craig whipped up a tasty pan-grilled Tilapia with his marinade concoction...Olive Oil, Lemon juice, Sea salt, Cumin, Ancho Chili Powder, and Turmeric and a small side of cottage cheese to get in my dairy! A nice glass of Shiraz finishing it all off with 5 Raw Almonds and a small square of dark chocolate! YUM-MO!

I love Nutrition research so much! So much that I received a degree BS in Nutrition back in 1998...one day I'll put it to professional use but until then...I hope you enjoyed this blog post and find it useful in your life.

Without planning out a specific recipe...I still did pretty good according to this article:

Belly Fat Burning Foods
By Laura Nowak, eHow Contributor
Belly Fat Burning Foods | eHow.com

While there are no secret foods that just cure belly fat, certain foods will help your digestive tract, which will aid in losing weight around the middle section. Dieters must remember in addition to eating healthy to partake in regular exercise.

1. Complex Carbohydrates
Starting your day with a breakfast complete with whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk or oatmeal and fruit provides your body with the complex carbohydrates and fiber it needs. They raise your metabolism, and lower your insulin levels, avoiding a build-up of fat storage.

2. Protein
When you need a snack, try adding more protein to your diet, such as lean meats like turkey or chicken. It takes your body longer to process protein than it does fats or refined carbohydrates.

3. Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Eating fatty fish, such as tuna or salmon, aids in burning belly fat by changing the levels of the leptin hormone in your body. Leptin can directly alter your metabolism, deciding whether you will work off those calories or if they will be turned into fat.

4. Nuts
You should supplement your diet with a variety of nuts. Macadamia nuts promote a healthy heart, and add fiber to help your digestion, while natural peanut butter is rich with immune boosting and anti-oxidant vitamins B and E.

5. Oils
Try switching to Olive Oil as it decreases high cholesterol, and choose the light-virgin olive oil because it is rich in anti-oxidants.

follow my training!!!

~Whittle Your Middle~

Welcome to the 30 Day ~Whittle Your Middle~ Challenge!

wanna follow my training
or see my results???

There are so many benefits to strengthening your Core and I feel that this area will help me fulfill my complete body fitness goal since having two babies in two years! I have some time before my official training schedule begins for my half marathon...although the original one I planned in June conflicts with my high school reunion...I still plan to find one that I can race in before the Triathlons in the fall. I hope that you will follow along in my journey and accept this challenge with me!

~Whittle Your Middle~

~Who: Any and Everybody I hope...but me for sure!
~What: Commit to doing 6-10 minutes of ab work 5 days a week.
~When: February 18-March 20
~Where: Anywhere and Everywhere
~How: Investigate and incorporate the foods that claim to whittle your middle.
I will take before & after measurement of my waist along with photos.
Document my achievements and nutrition research.
Follow the routine listed below:

1. Straight Arm Plank...hold for 60-90 seconds

2. Side Plank...30-60 seconds each side

3. Superman/Banana from P90x...thanks Lisa


4. Prone Plank


5. Prone Plank Reverse Curl 10-12 reps


6. Supine Bridge w/ Arm Extension 10-12 reps



I will continue with my yoga, cardio and strength training.


This is MY Mission...Do YOU accept it???

"Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born."

~Dale E. Turner~


DISCLAIMER:
Please note that I am not a physician, dietitian or a fitness trainer. You should always consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

~Foods of the Rainbow~

Lunch Box Idea:

Now that my Lil Ruby is in school I'm packing two lunches!


Flower Bread topped with Laughing Cow Cheese and Sunflower Seeds over a bed of spinach and a side of pesto chicken...


Yogurt, Raisins & Granola, and Snap pea Crisps
I stretch my yogurt and cut the sugar by combining plain yogurt to the flavored cups!

STAY TUNED FOR THE ~WHITTLE YOUR MIDDLE~ CHALLENGE...striving to get it posted this evening!

~Tools of the Trade~

The idea of ~Tools of the Trade~ was intended to share websites that were helpful with whatever my moments pursuit of happiness may be at the time. Today, I'm going to challenge myself (and you) to ~Whittle Your Middle~

My challenges for the 2011 year are to run a half marathon and participate in two triathlons. My goal is to blog about the journey and share my training plans. But first I want to dedicate my training to core work for one month before my running training begins. My poor abdominals may never be the same after an abdominal surgery and two C-sections in three years but I'm going to make the commitment to give them some attention!

There are some amazing exercises out there and I am committing to doing 6-10 minutes of core exercises 5 days a week. I will be researching and documenting my findings and workouts.

I will continue with my yoga, cardio and strength training.

There are tons of superfoods out there that promise to specifically reduce the ole belly bulge so I promise to research and increase those foods in my eating plan.

I will continue with my yoga, cardio and strength training.

So stay tuned...and get ready to turn on your abs and ~Whittle Your Middle~ with me!

~Foods of the Rainbow~

Hello Hello anybody out there??? I know I haven't been for some time but I'm still capturing great photos and have big ideas on future blogs. Trying to get this back into my routine and hopefully this lovely holiday will do just that! This was a last minute plan since our last round of visitors departed on Friday. I know I'm a day late and a dollar short (and always have been) but my attitude is that I should be really good at this by the time Ruby is in Kindergarten ;-) Let's face it this blog is about raising happy healthy confident girls...and this is only the beginning. I have a lifetime to make up on blogging! Behold the party treats we made for the school party today...





Flour Tortillas and Cheese...does it get any easier than this???
Happy Valentines Day!