Running = Not Easy!

My runs are just getting harder.

Maybe it's the humidity. Or the ache in my knee. Or my not-getting-any-better asthma. Or the fact that half my run is up a mild incline, but an incline all the same. Or maybe it's because I'm pushing a sixty-pound non-jogging double stroller. Or maybe it's because my running shoes are in horrible condition and I FEEL every step my feet take.

Either way .. I'm pushing through. I'm determined to do this. What doesn't kill ya will make ya more strong! (thanks, Metallica. I need you in my running music play list!)

I can see the changes that running is making on my body - my legs and bum are more toned, and my arms and tummy and really slimming down. I'm in better shape now than I have been in about 12 years!! I feel fantastic! And I can credit this to running.

Struggle as I may, bitch as I might, I actually enjoy my runs. I love the clear-headed calmness that my mind becomes while running. I love how it's just me vs myself. I love to feel the burn, and I love to push myself to go harder and further. Yes, it can be really challenging ... But what is life without a challenge to overcome? There is little in life that is more satisfying than achieving a personal fitness goal and kicking the pants off a personal challenge!

I'm a proud runner. I may not be a perfect runner .. But dammit, I'm having fun!!

But yeah ... I really need new shoes. And a jogger stroller. And a little less humidity ;)



Today's run made me sweat in places I didn't know existed. You're welcome for the tmi.



Something New Thursdays - First Edition!!

I've been so excited for this day!!

Welcome to Something New Thursday!

For the first week, what a success!

To recap the joy that is Something New Thursday: I challenge you all to try at least ONE new thing per week. It can be a recipe you made at home, a new snack you found at the grocery store, or a great new meal that you enjoyed at a restaurant. Trying something new gets you out of your comfort zone and helps to prevent getting stuck in a food rut! Then, I want you to take a picture of your food and email it to me to share it every Thursday! As long as it keeps within our "healthy lifestyle" theme, we all want to see it!

So without further delay ... here are the pictures from week one (warning: do not look when hungry - these look fantastic!!)

Cindy made this recipe from Skinnytaste. It is turkey sausages with bell peppers, zucchini and potatoes. The recipe normally calls for chicken sausages but Cindy wanted to use hot turkey sausages, which she said made the meal THAT much better! The entire plate was only eight points!

Christina (you can read her blog here!) got busy baking and made this delicious Honey Brown bread this week. She said it tasted really good and was happy with how moist it was! I'll include the recipe in a later post!

I made these apple-ginger sweet potatoes this week. In all honesty, they weren't bad, but I'm not sure if I'll make them again. There was just something about the dish that wasn't agreeing with my taste buds. However, I'm happy to have tried a new sweet potato recipe!

Cindy made this Red, White and Yahoo! Salad from The Looneyspoons Collection (my bible!!) and absolutely loved it. It's made with grape tomatoes, bococcini (Mmmm cheese), finely chopped red onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and fresh basil. The recipe also called for chickpeas but she chose not to add them. I had the pleasure of tasting it, too - it was incredible. You totally couldn't tell it was a light recipe!

Doesn't this look delicious!? This chocolate chip zucchini bread is only four points per piece! Christina said that she moderated the original recipe to make it points-friendly. You can see the recipe here!

These pinwheels are also a recipe from Looneyspoons. Cindy says that if you make them the day before and let them chill in the fridge overnight, they are MUCH better the next day! (but still delicious when just made!). She absolutely adored them.

And last but not least, rye bread. Yes, I've had rye bread before .. But it was a new purchase in our house. We have NEVER brought it into our home before! And look at those low-sodium pickles! They're SO good!!  

And that wraps up the first week of Something New Thursday. Don't forget to send your pictures to mama_lego@yahoo.com to have them included in next week's post!

Also .. stay tuned for a Something New Thursday contest!!

Week One of 100-Mile On Foot Challenge - In the Bag!!

I made it through my first week.

I'll admit, after the first couple of days of just my regular, ordinary walking (to the grocery store, playing soccer with the kids, evening walk to work, morning walk outdoors, etc) I thought that I'd really bitten off more than I could chew with this challenge. 

I'd thought that by just walking to work (which I do every day!) would have been more than enough to get me close to my goal. But when I actually got out the pedometer and tracked it, I saw this: my walks to work are 2.5 miles on foot. Now, multiply that by five times per week, then multiply that by four weeks per month? That would only give me fifty miles. FIFTY! Only half of my goal!

So I learned that I needed to step it up. Lots.

My husband is fantastic. I was doubting myself and my challenge and he was all, "No problem, Mama! We'll get you there! You've got this!" (I know right, how awesome is he?!). His confidence in me restored my self-confidence and I'm GOING to do this!!

So knowing that I'll need approximately 25 miles per week to accomplish my goal, I stepped it up. My aim is to get between 3-4 miles in per day. And I keep my pedometer on me at all times - even when I'm just getting up to check the mail, because every step counts! And now that I'm getting back to my 5K training, I'll have no problem getting in my 100 miles this month. Who knows, maybe I'll get even more?!

My grand total for week one is 23.58 miles. I know that this wasn't quite enough for my needed 25 miles per week, but I know that I can get those missing miles back in no time. 

Like Daddy Lego said: I've GOT this!!

Ps. I'm already thinking ahead to next month. What should my fitness challenge for September be? Does anyone have any challenges for me?!

Run, Lego! Run!

Hahaha thanks to Forrest Gump for inspiring this blog title.

You know the phrase:

Well. Since I've returned to work, I've been struggling with my 5K training. The Army Race is coming up FAST. I started my training program a long time ago and I'm only on week three now. I've been finding it difficult to find time to go for runs. My husband and I work opposite shifts so that one of us is always home with the baby Legos ..

He works days, I work nights.

I don't have a jogging stroller so I always think that I can't run when I'm home with the kids - it would be too hard. I hate running on the spot so I won't do it at home. I can't run to work because there are no showers to use there and I don't want to work all hot and sweaty. When Daddy Lego is home, I want to spend time with him, not run away (ha) so ..

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

I was so upset when I realized I was making these stupid excuses. Running is so important to me yet I was finding ways to not go.

To be honest with myself: week three is where my runs start to become more difficult. And I think I was just afraid of that. But I've been learning to keep pushing myself when things get tough (and watching the Olympics - holy inspiring!!).

So yesterday, I went for a run with my favorite people in the world walking with me - my family! Instead of following my training program, I went for a warm-up walk and then ran just to see how long I could go. My goal was five minutes.

I ran for SIX minutes!! (that is a HUGE accomplishment for this round girl with bad asthma who never ran a day before in her life!) :)

So now I have nothing to be afraid of! Week three - get ready to be owned!! Jogging stroller or no - I'm going for a run with my kids this morning! :)

And this is me post-run! Running with this stroller isn't easy, but I did it! And the kids had a blast, too!

Today, I'm smiling because ..

We all have days where we're feeling blue and it's hard to focus on being positive because we're SO down.

Well, I've been having more of those days since I have returned to work. It's been a HUGE adjustment to Team Lego's routine. We don't get to spend a lot of time together as a family and it really gets me down. It's been a struggle to keep on track diet-wise because I've been a little down and always used food in the past as a pick-me-up in these types of situations.

Because I fear getting off track with my ongoing healthy lifestyle (stupid emotional eating!!) I'm starting a "segment" in my blog where I'll be posting about what makes me smile .. It'll be a place I can go to in order to help motivate myself because I have so much to be grateful for! When I'm feeling down, I can go read my "happy" posts to cheer myself up instead of going for the fridge.

There are always going to be changes in life, but it is SO important to keep following the curves in the road that life throws at you and adjusting without driving off the road. This will be my way of adjusting .. with a smile :)


The weather outside was my FAVORITE kind. Sunny, spring-like weather with blue skies and no humidity. And because it was so nice, Team Lego and I were outside every chance we could get. I'm now able to fit down the slide and was able to take my daughter down for the first time! 

   I'm smiling because cheeseburgers and fries don't have to be off the menu with a healthy lifestyle. Everything in moderation and balanced with exercise. So delicious!

Extra lean beef patty with light swiss cheese, mushrooms, spinach and tomato served with corn on the cob and homemade sweet potato fries!

Daddy Lego and I had two wonderful days off together this weekend. Since my return to work, we rarely get to spend time together as a family so we make every moment count! There was so much laughter and so many fun family activites and special moments.

I'm smiling because I'm kicking butt so far at my 100 Miles On Foot Challenge!

What got you smiling this weekend? :)

Nutso for Avocado!

I've been on a huge avocado kick lately. They've got such a light flavor, a soft and buttery texture, and they're the perfect compliment to just about any meal. Chop them up and toss them into a salad, slice them and add them to your sandwich (great substitute for cheese!), or blend them into a delicious guacamole for your tacos or nachos. They're also really filling.

Not only are they delicious and filling, they are packed with nutritional goodness! Avocados have a bit of a bad reputation because they tend to be high in fat (although it's the GOOD fat!) and loaded with calories, but their pros outweigh their cons. Here are some great reasons to include avocados in your healthy lifestyle:


1. Avocados are filling! There are over 3 grams of fiber in half of one avocado - fiber which, we all know, is good for keeping our digestive systems running in tip top shape.


2. They contain lutein, an antioxidant carotenoid that helps protect against eye disease.

3. Avocados are a rich source of carotenoids, yes - but they also help you get more of these nutrients from other foods. Carotenoids are lipophilic (soluble in fat, not water), so eating carotenoid-packed foods like fruits and vegetables along with monounsaturated-fat-rich avocados helps your body absorb the carotenoids.

4. Avocados also contain a healthy oleic acid, a fat that activates the part of your brain that makes you feel full. Eat more avocados, eat less junk foods!

5. Avocado slows digestion and helps keep blood sugar from spiking after a meal. A diet high in good fats may even help reverse insulin resistance, which translates to steadier blood sugar over long-term.

6. One cup of avocado provides almost a quarter of your recommended daily intake of folate, a vitamin which cuts the risk of birth defects. If you’re pregnant - or planning to be - avocados will help protect your unborn baby!

7. High cholesterol is one of the main risk factors for heart disease. The cholesterol-lowering properties of avocado, along with its folate content, help keep your heart healthy. Many studies have come to show that when those with high cholesterol start eating more avocados in their diet, their cholesterol levels tend to decrease.

Not bad for a delicious bite, huh!?

Mushroom Alfredo Over Spinach Linguine

I'm a very fussy Alfredo eater.


In all honesty, I find the "basic" Alfredo (cream, Parmesan, garlic, roux) to be good, yes - but I also find that after a couple of bites, I get bored of the taste. There just isn't enough flavor to keep me interested.

So I've been experimenting for a while with making healthy mushroom Alfredos and I finally nailed down a light recipe that pleased my taste buds ... And then some!

Hopefully you'll enjoy the recipe as much as Team Lego did!!

I take so much pride in this because the recipe was all mine!

You'll need:

- One can of low-fat cream of mushroom soup

- One can of partly-skimmed evaporated milk

- Four pieces of light laughing cow cheese

- 2 tsp minced garlic

- 1.5 cups of sliced mushrooms

- 1.5 cups of broccoli florets

- Salt and pepper to taste



Simmer, simmer, simmer!



Whisk together the mushroom soup, evaporated milk, cheese and garlic over medium heat, just until your cheese has melted into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, and add your mushrooms. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes (check on it often to stir it so the bottom doesn't burn) and then throw in your broccoli. Keep simmering on low until the broccoli is tender. Add the salt and pepper (to your preference) and ta da!! Finished!

We served one cup of sauce over one cup of spinach linguine and tossed in a chicken breast .. And we couldn't even finish it, we were SO full .. But we really wanted to finish it because it was so delicious!!



Just because the dish is loaded with veggies, doesn't mean you can't have more on the side! And yep, there's my trusty lemon water bottle!



And here's the awesome part: One cup of this Alfredo sauce = only five points!! WAY lower than any restaurant or store-bought, full-fat Alfredo!

Enjoy! :)