Don't Fall Back Into Old Habits

After a small absence from blogging, I have returned once again!! Ever want to accomplish 1 million things all at once and get absolutely nowhere at light speed? I define that feeling ;) There is a certain irony to me in the fact that I have become extremely healthy over the course of a few years and I have gone from no motivation for physical activity to being depressed if I cannot get at least 20min a day in. On top of that, I have two completely opposite-side-of-the spectrum hobbies loving working with various technologies (servers, laptops, computers, cellphones, etc) that keeps me stationary and my love and desire to absorb all things health and fitness. I keep teeter-tottering between finishing up my Net+ certification to be a better nerd and getting personal training certification through AFAA, NASM or ISAA to become a personal trainer. *sigh*

In other news, fall is rapidly approaching and if you are like me, your motivation levels are dropping as daylight wanes. As it gets colder you will desire to move as little as possible and eat those oh-so-delicious comfort foods that will tease our senses. I think it is a perfect time to remind yourself why it is you are trying to lose those last few pounds or attempt not to gain some of last years weight back.

A few of the people who always WOW'ed me with their weight loss are Ron Lester, Ethan Suplee and Drew Carey. Heck do a Google search for 'weight loss before and after' under images and there are a plethora of inspirational people there.




Finally, here is a fantastic example of a pregnant woman in her final trimester (39th week) who continued her healthy lifestyle and managed a marathon. Imagine how many excuses she could have come up with as to why she could not or should not do this event?

Remember that these people took it upon themselves just like you did to make healthy choices. They may have all the money in the world and professional trainers but they still had to do some work. There is nobody stopping you from succeeding a this point but you. Look to inspiration wherever you are and always remember the losses and gains you make are yours. You did the work and You shall reap the benefit.

Now how about a beat to drive home the point.




So now it is time once again for us to part ways, but before we do I would love for you all to share with me your inspirations. What drives you? Do you look up to any celebrities or even to a 'real' person? What healthy changes have you made in your life and how has that worked out? Leave some feedback.

As Long As I Can Hit My Notes

Welcome to another entry in my blog! This one has a lot of little things. To start with, I am excited to say that the Warrior Dash went as planned and felt amazing. It was filled with more obstacles than the Dirty 30, but it was less muddy (so I guess the Dirty 30 is aptly named). It was incredibly crowded there with nearly 6000 participants so I am looking forward for the professional pic to be posted (here on the 29th). It was amazing temperatures and even when I finished I felt I could run an additional 5k. For some reason that is what my body has felt with. Literally Wednesday I had the same experience when I was pushing myself and I ended up doing ~3mi at my fastest pace ever and plenty of energy left in the tank. Usually I find that my best times are reserved for races rather than training so it was encouraging and repeated over the weekend. Hopefully that feeling will not go away because I love it!!! Here I am post-race and post-shower (the kiddo loves the hat)

Additionally I finally decided to purchase a camera that  has what they call 'gourmet' which is supposed to be for taking food pictures. I am hoping I can use it as soon as I get it and show off my healthy pesto recipe! The colors of a fresh pesto are the most vibrant you can get and only a decent camera will show it off so it will be a true test!

There was some tragedy mixed in with this happy event for me. My girlfriend and I were all set to go to the Atmosphere concert this weekend and she had her deluxe edition photo book (1 of 1500 copies) ready for autographs and it made its way on the roof of the car and was not seen again until we were down the street and heard it fly off the car. The spine was broke in half and the cover torn to shreds. She was devastated and I genuinely felt just as depressed because I saw how excited she had been. This story has a magnificent ending, though. When we got to the concert, we were both a little depressed and headed towards the merchandise booth. The great thing about the rhymesayers label (maybe others as well, but I do not do too many concerts) is that the artists are usually promoting there own stuff and readily available for autographs so we approached hopting to get something they could sign. Lo-and-behold, there was a single copy of the limited edition book they were selling and we managed to get it, and had the entire group of Atmosphere (Slug, Ant, Nate and Erick) add a very personalized autographs to her book.

On that same note of high and lows, I would like to say that there WILL be lows along your path to a healthier you and they may even seem disproportionate to the highs that you achieve but trust me, you will see positive results. Remember, Rome was not built in a day, and I am sure not every step along the way was met with 100% perfection. Even a perfect 5 star chef has dishes that do not have that appeal that they aspire by so do not be concerned about hitting a low or maybe not making a goal along the way. Look back at what you were doing and adjust and learn. If you are hitting a plateau, then it may be time to re-adjust your intake or switch up your workout routine. I believe this Atmosphere piece demonstrates the resolve you must have to conquer those tough moments.

Fishing For a New Recipe?

I do not cook alot of fish, mainly because I just have never cooked alot of fish, but I was experimenting with some from the local Sunflower Market last night when I found some fish called 'basa.' I do not know my fish types or what the best way to bring their natural flavors out but I figured better late than never so I experimented with a cooking technique called 'en papillote' meaning 'in parchment.' It is basically just steaming the fish when it is wrapped inside of foil or parchment paper. The first night I tried, I am pretty sure I undercooked it but last night I made some adjustments and it turned out DELICIOUS! So without further ado, I introduce you to a new culinary delight.

Fish En Papillote
2 fish fillets (~8oz each), sliced very thin
2 purple or red potatoes (~6oz each), sliced very thin
1 medium yellow squash, sliced very thin
2 baby bell pepper, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Season the fish to taste with your favorite seasoning (lemon pepper was pretty good)
2. While oven is heating, layer the potatoes and squash like dominoes slightly overlapping, one after the other on the parchment paper or foil.
3. Place the fish on top.
4. Cover fish with peppers, and cover that with the lemon slices.
5. Place the tomatoes along the side of the fish.
6. Fold the parchment/foil so the fish is completely encased. First fold it long ways and then fold the flaps under the bottom (here is another method). Place the fish packet on a baking sheet and insert in oven.
7. Plan on cooking for about 18mins before you need to start checking for doneness.
8. Once cooked to completion, gently slide the contents to a plate, cut each fillet in half, and serve with a side of steamed rice.

Yields: 4 servings (pictured is 2 servings)
Cals: 220; Fat: 1.5; Carbs: 22; Protein: 29

*Note on cooking fish: there are several ways to tell when a fish is ready to be pulled out  of the oven 1) the fish is flaky and easily pulls apart, 2) the outside of the fish is opaque and the center is very close to it, 3) the inner temperature reaches ~140. Remember that food continues to cook for about 5min after they are removed from heat so use this in your estimate to avoid drying the fish out.