Working Out Gives Me Superpowers

Hello my friends, I am sorry that I have been MIA for the past few days, I am on a new schedule and need to figure out a way to squeeze in my blog posts.  There are so many topics that flood my mind at times that I want to share with you all because I think they can be helpful to at least one of you.  One specific topic came to mind when a friend commented on a 5 mile run I had done, she said she is exhausted after 3 miles so she must be doing something wrong.  I encouraged her and explained to her that she should be out of breath and exhausted in my opinion and she is doing it right.

This comment just made me want to clarify this myth that some believes to be true about people who work out.  There are many who believe that working out on a regular basis makes you a superhero or that it even gives you supernatural powers.  Stay with me here, I know you think this is silly but it is true and seldom conveyed by asking the famous question “but don’t you work out (pause) ALL the time? Ah, I hate that question, not because I feel offended by it but rather because I know it is being asked out of lack of knowledge of how the process works. 

I was asked this question by my husband the other day while we were playing tag with the kids, I was out of breath about to pass out and he looked at me, shook his head and asked “the question” and even added, “Aren’t you a Duke?” followed by “Don’t you flip tires?”

The beauty that I find about a healthy lifestyle is that in order to live it you have to continue to challenge yourself, to get faster, stronger, more confident.  Even if you have run a full marathon you can still challenge yourself by improving your time and 5k’s are still very challenging.  The process does not get easier you just get better with consistency but it will always be challenging. 

I would hate to discourage someone starting to exercise by making them feel like I have it all together and I am an exercise guru because I am far from it.  I do admit to learning a great deal but there is always something new awaiting when it comes to fitness.  I do want to encourage you to see past the appearances and understand that working out is just as difficult for seasoned veterans as it is for beginners, we just do it at a different levels.  Therefore, I encourage you to forget about how confident anyone looks doing a certain exercise and just go for it, dive in head first and do the work because the rewards are uniform for us all. 

Now go, get moving!

Fun Things to do on a Budget

Have you ever gone through financial difficulties that hold you back you from doing fun activities with your kids? No? well lucky you! I have had plenty of those, we became experts at gathering all the change we can find, going to the Coin Star Machine and getting enough for gas to go somewhere.

We all go through these times but if we play our cards right as parents we can make things work out for our family.  I am a firm believer that your kids will not remember that expensive game you bought them but will always cherish the times you spent together. 

The majority of Americans live check by check leaving very little room to enjoy life.  The bills need to be paid before we can do anything else so prioritizing fun activities becomes difficult when you live on a limited income.

I would like to share some of the activities my husband and I do with the kids when money is tight:    

A picnic at a local park - this may sound simple but it is always memorable.  Make the packaging look pretty and give it a fancy look and you turn an ordinary dinner into a great bonding time with your family with no distractions.

Drive to the beach at night - This is one of our favorite things to do, we go to the beach and bring flashlights and just walk as far as we want.  We take pictures, laugh, get our feet wet and just enjoy each other’s company.

Hide and go seek in the dark - We turn off all the lights in the house so its pitch dark and we play hide and go seek.  The kids love it so much and we have such a great time doing it.

Get a movie from the library - Our local library allows us to borrow movies free of charge with our library card so we watch family movies together.

Watch funny YouTube videos together - This is so much fun to do because we laugh so much while we watch people doing silly things.

Ice cream run - Who doesn’t love an ice cream run right? we sit together and enjoy the ice cream or frozen yogurt together and just enjoy each other’s company.

Go for a long bike ride - We love doing this, we make sure to bring snacks and drinks and just enjoy a morning or afternoon riding our bikes.  My daughter is the photographer so she takes lots of pictures.

These are great ways to not only do things on a budget but also to spend quality time with the ones you love and I am confident they are the ones they will remember the most.  Please share your ideas with me so that I can incorporate them into my budget friendly activities.

What do you do on a budget?

Sauteed Tofu

Today's dinner was delicious, I have been wanting to make tofu for a while and I finally did, this one was sauteed with some red peppers and spinach.  I loved it! it was very filling and delicious I could not stop eating it.  This is a perfect example of how healthy eating does not have to be boring.  My new go to recipe!

Intredients

14 oz pack of extra firm tofu patted dry with paper towel
1/2 of a red pepper sliced
2 garlic cloves diced
1/4 cup chopped sweet onions
3 tbs. Olive oil
1/2 tsp each of 
tumeric
onion powder
garlic powder
paprika
corriander
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbs of Olive oil (for marinade) 

Nasoya Tofu

Directions: 

Cut the tofu into small cubes and add all spices and the 2 tbs. of olive oil set aside. 

Sautee sweet peppers and onions in the olive oil until translucent and then add garlic for about 2 minutes.

Add Tofu and cook for about 10 minutes on low heat until all flavors are well combined and voila! you are done, enjoy with your favorite sides and please feel free to change to spices to whatever you like.  Don't forget to share if you make it.   

Running for a Cause

This weekend was a fabulous and very busy weekend, my daughter graduated from High School on Saturday, yikes! And yes I am feeling old, but other than old I am feeling extremely proud of her accomplishment.  I was very busy getting everything ready for her and as always those last minute tweaks always needed as you are trying to walk out the door to make it on time.  We had a good time, went to dinner after and just smiled and enjoyed each other’s company as we celebrated this milestone. 

For those of you who don’t know, I work out with a group called The Dukes based out of Deltona, we exercise around the city in various parks and trails and it is a free.  Aside from exercising together, we also try to assist the community whenever possible.  The latest project was a 5K race scheduled for this past Sunday to raise funds for one of our team member’s mom who was recently diagnosed  with Stage 4 Bladder Cancer and is in need for funds for medication.

Although excited, I was also a bit anxious and unsure of what the turnout was going to be.  There was rumbling of thunder as well but I said a little prayer and requested God to please move them out of our way.   When I arrived, my friend Trish and I went to the trail to place some signs we had prepared to encourage the participants in their run/walk.  By the time we got back to the parking lot, the place was full of people, more people than I would have expected.  

The sky cleared up and the weather was perfect, we began the race with a prayer and some words of encouragement to the family accompanied by some tears and off we went.  This race had nothing to do with personal records, being faster than the next guy or winning first place, it was a group of people coming together for a good cause.  We encouraged each other, high fived each other and smiled all the way to the finish line.  This was my 8 year old son’s first 5K and he was very excited to do it, my husband and daughter also participated making it the perfect race to date for me.  

We managed to raise $2,000 for our friend a number that just baffled me because I was not expecting it to be that much.  This goes to show the power of a few people coming together to help others.  Humanity showing their love and doing their part to help others is an amazing site to see and an overwhelming feeling to have. 

I encourage you to give your part to give to others, take some time from your busy schedules and give, whether it is your time or a little bit of money the feeling will fill you with joy.  Today I feel full of happiness for being able to help even just a little bit with the burdens that come along with this disease.  I am thankful that I serve a God who makes this possible.