Recipe share... because we can all use some help!

For the longest time, I have focused on fitness and activity level. Although  I think nutrition plays an equal part in our overall health, I have spent less time focused on it here. So for whatever reason, I just haven't been sharing recipes. But then today I realized.... If everyone spends as much time on Pinterest as I do looking for good, healthly stuff to eat, then maybe I should share my faves here too. Because Lord knows, Pinterest, FB, and blogs can suck the life right out of your day.

I'll start to share some of my faves... I follow a few food blogs that I absolutely love. The first one is Skinny Ms. I have been following this one long before I decided to start this blog.

If you have a favorite website, food blog, Pinterest board, whatever - share it with me. www.facebook.com/befitforeverblog or befitforeverblog@gmail.com 

So here's what's on tap for the crock pot tomorrow... by the way, this came from Skinny Ms.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients
•4-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 40 ounces)
•2 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
•1 medium onion thinly sliced (Not chopped)
•4 garlic cloves
•1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (for gluten-free use White Balsamic Vinegar which doesn't have caramel coloring)
•1 tbsp. olive oil
•1 tsp each: dried oregano, basil, and rosemary
•1/2 tsp thyme
•ground black pepper and salt to taste

Directions: Pour the olive oil on bottom of slow cooker, add chicken breasts, salt and pepper each breast, put sliced onion on top of chicken then put in all the dried herbs and garlic cloves. Pour in vinegar and top with tomatoes.

Cook on high 4 hours, serve over angel hair pasta.

Try it out. Let me know what you think.

www.facebook.com/befitforeverblog

Running spectators are creeping me out!

A PR!

We all know I'm a runner, and most of my running therapy comes from running a 3.5 or 5.3 mile loop around my neighborhood. There's nothing spectacular about my 'hood. Nor is there anything spectacular about my daily running routine. I'm already here, its convenient, accessible, and for the most part, really safe - aside from the crazy teenage drivers testing out mamma's BMW that I see occasionally.

But Sunday afternoon I decided to go for the longer version of my run. It was pretty cool for an afternoon in Houston, the kids were gone, and its usually light traffic then, so off I went. I was in the last 1.5 miles of a 5 mile run, when I noticed a car.

Note: I always wave at cars that pass me. It's not that I'm unusually friendly; I just appreciate that they don't run me over. It's my way of saying thanks for not killing me.

Neighborhood running should not be a spectator sport...if it is, I'm completely creeped out.

Normally I don't what kind of car it is, but this one was a 7-series Beamer, and those are on my fantasy car list. I love those things. Anyway, I noticed the car. I did my normal wave, thought, "ooo, wow, cool car," and moved on.

A few minutes later, I see the same car again. For a minute I thought, "wow, 2 super cool people in my 'hood, or is that the same guy?" I waved and moved on. This time the guy actually slowed down and waved back.

So the third time the car came around, I was not near as impressed. In fact, I was starting to get worried. My running gear consists of speed shorts, a sports bra, and running shoes. There's not much there. (yep, I'm one of those runner moms) Maybe he was just slowing down to check out the scenery, but either way, I was nervous. I try to be aware of all the stuff going on around me during my runs, and look for an out. Like is there someone in there drive way I can pretend to talk with if something goes wrong, whose house am I close to, etc.

I'm glad he didn't show up for a 4th look because I was really getting freaked out. But it all goes back to safety while we're running. I love to run, and there's probably not ever going to be something that stops me, but something like this will sure slow me down. So just remember to be aware and have an out, even if your out is talking with a random neighbor you don't know.

Happy Wednesday!

You can always do a little more. 

Happy Wednesday!

What are my limitations?

The last couple of weeks have been very stressful for me. Throughout this, I have decided that our capabilities or limitations are what we put on ourselves, either in work or personal.

I work in a very male dominated industry and have for about 15 years. More times than not, I am the only woman in meetings. Over the years I have come to both accept this and expect this. This is nothing new, which means it carries over into other parts of my life. I have no reason to think that I cannot do anything a man can do. You can blame my mother for this one.

For example, last week, #2 started playing flag football, and is incessant about playing catch when there's a break in the action, so guess who throws the football. This happens to garner comments from dads because I do know how to throw a football. It's things like "girl, you have a gun on you," "were you a softball player," and my favorite... "you look like Steve Young." (Lets be real, there is no way on God's green earth that I look like Steve Young). I think all of that is meant to be a compliment, so I just go with it. But whether its relighting the water heater, changing a door knob, running, cross fit, throwing the football, whatever... a man may be more efficient than I am, but I can certainly do it.

There are number of things that have come up recently in my work life that make me think of how far we have come as women, and actually how far we have to go. There still seem to be limitations on what a "woman can do". But in the same breath, I wonder how many of those limitations are self imposed. (Take a look Lean In, I really like this)

In our fitness life, how many times have you told yourself "I don't think I can do that" or "there's no way I can pull that off." When in reality.... you haven't tried. You didn't give yourself a chance because you were afraid to stumble. There are lots of things we try as beginners, and we look ridiculous (i.e. my first time in Zumba). But everyone needs to start somewhere, and you should have the courage to try at least once. If you try it, and don't like it... GREAT! at least you had the courage to try.

The part I like the best about being a beginner is being able to tell all your beginner stories later. Like 3 years ago when I started yoga, I couldn't even find my core. Or when I started marathon training for the first time, and my running coach told me "get off the treadmill and get outside." I was pretty sure I was going to die that day. But that marathon training was about 9 years ago, and running still hasn't killed me. In fact, it's managed to keep me sane for the last 9 years.

So before you start with the "I can't" or "there's no way," just try it. Only you can set your limitations.

Prayers for Boston

I'm not entirely sure what is going on this week. If I left it up to my grandma to decide, I'm sure she would say "it must be something with the moon". Most of the time I have a tendency to agree with her, but this has to be more than the moon.

Eight days ago started off with work travel to Louisiana. I was coming home to write more about the crazy eating in another state. I think every meal there you could get fried stuff with cream sauce. Like in Oklahoma it was fried stuff with gravy. It was a pretty stressful three days from a work perspective and it was coupled with no workout or running for those three days. It was a perfect situation for me to self-destruct, but I made it.

Then over the weekend, off spring #2 fell and took a bump on the head. We made two trips to the emergency room over the weekend. Everything is good now, but that's possibly the most stress we've had around here in LONG time. We haven't really slept since Friday, and guess what.... no running for therapy over the weekend either. So another opportunity to self-destruct, but so far I had managed.

But then Monday..... Honestly folks... this is something I DO NOT understand. I just don't see what makes someone target such a celebratory event. For me, there is nothing more inspiring than the Boston marathon. Its the 117th running; everyone there has run a qualifying event to get there; they are way psyched and proud of themselves for being there, so many emotions of pride and success, and then this. The tragedy and chaos we saw unfold on TV, radio, social media, was just insane.

I watched the coverage for a while, and some of the pictures were really graphic. This hit me pretty hard, and I think it hits everyone pretty hard. This is a sport we love. These were not soldiers, or politicians... these were every day people like you and me, doing what they love, and being supported by friends, loved ones, and other random strangers.

I'm sure, like me, many of you knew someone or lots of someone's in Boston. I searched Facebook and twitter to make sure everyone we knew was ok. We were fortunate that way.

This is still a tragedy I will never understand. There are a lot of political interjections you can make here about what should have been done, and who is to blame, and "if they had only done...," but that's just not helpful, and it won't bring anyone back. I am just hoping the investigators are allowed to do their job and we all can have some resolution and peace with this, especially for the three families that lost loved ones.

God bless all of you and keep running....

Be Fit Forever Blog

Happy Wednesday!

When you do it right, it sticks!

Happy Wednesday!

Who eats like this?

I must have said this 4 times over the course of 2 days. I have to travel for work pretty often. So I am generally left to the mercy of my host or the local restuarants for food. This last trip was to OK City. I have been to OKC a lot, but mostly it's for meetings where lunch is brought in. This trip I had to go to a restaurant for every meal, and it was REALLY rough.

I should have known better, but obviously I did not. My first lunch in town wasn't what I considered to be "bad"; baked potato soup and salad. But the rest of the afternoon,  I was not feeling good. Later I looked up the copy-cat recipe, and it was made with 2+ cups of heavy cream. Not what my body is used to.

Dinner that night was over cooked salmon. The place was a popular chain in Texas and OK. I knew  the food was not going to be great, but again I was at the mercy of the host. Mostly I try not to complain. The next morning,  I was good. Fortunately for me, my typical breakfast is really hard to mess up; two eggs, wheat toast, and fruit.  I can always count on breakfast being good.

The lunch before I headed out of town was the icing on the cake, though. Toby Keith's restaurant is a popular place in Bricktown. (That's the new part of downtown OKC.) I had never been there and it should have been a "treat." I spent forever scouring the menu looking for something that wasn't deep fried or covered in gravy. Down in the tiny corner of the lunch menu was a club wrap. SCORE! I found something.

Later the waitress brought my food, and I kid you not, my wrap was over a foot long! It was the biggest wrap I have ever seen. There was a pile of chips and salsa that covered half the plate. I asked my lunch party... who eats like this?? The response was "people in OK." I just have a hard time believing that.

I ate about a third of it and the waitress came by and asked if I needed to-go box. When I said No, she asked "well you only eat half all the time?" I told her "when it's this much food, yes." Her response was "well that's interesting". Almost like I was slightly abnormal for leaving food on the plate.

I'm guessing when you go to Toby Keith's you expect to get a lot of food.

Happy Thursday!

Always remember, when you do the work,  you feel so much better about the accomplishment.

Happy Thursday!