Biggest Loser 5K Experience

A couple of weekends ago, I was given the opportunity to participate in the Biggest Losers' 5K walk/race at the Cotton Bowl here in Dallas. Apparently, they were highlighting the unflattering fact that Texas is home to 5 of the "fattest cities in America". While listening to a radio show in the morning, after dropping kids off at school, I got lucky and was one of the 25 people that called in to get a spot!

I quickly recruited as many women as possible from McKinney Boot Camps to come with me! With very short notice, we were able to get 7 together, and all headed down to the cotton bowl at 6:30am on a very chilly Sunday morning. Most of the girls that went with me are 5am boot camp girls....so giving up their Sunday morning sleep in was a bit of a sacrifice :) It was early, and cold - so after a trip through Starbucks for some of us, we were off.

We arrived at the Cotton Bowl and surprisingly, there weren't many people in the parking lot. We assumed there would be hundreds, if not thousands there to take part. After bundling up and heading towards the entrance, we saw a door marked "extras" to the right and headed in. Once inside, we found the sign in desk and got to choose which contestant we wanted to pair up with! The excitement was in the air....and we knew we were going to be a part of something really fun.

While I can't post yet which contestant we chose or even which ones remained to date, it was an amazing, inspiring and FUN day. Knowing the format of the show and the length - we may only be a small segment of that particular episode, but we took much more than a t-shirt away from the experience. Everyone will have to tune in to episode 15 - supposed to be sometime in April (though with Olympics there might be some delay)...but that's the one that we are on. Something amazing did happen at that event, and I want everyone to watch....it's very cool. So, to say all of that..had to tell you all one thing that I asked the contestant we were paired up with - what they ate when they wanted a treat :)

This has become a treat that I enjoy and wanted to share....very simple and really yummy.

Greek yogurt with frozen berries...so delicious.

Calls for 1 C plain greek yogurt - then go ahead and sweeten with something natural like a packet of truvia, or stevia to taste...then mix in berries (I use mix of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) and enjoy! It's very low calorie and sort of an ice cream like treat......

Can't wait to share all the details of our day...but that's it for now ~

Melody

http://www.texasfitchicks.com/

Ordinary Women....Extraordinary Results!

Warm Up...why is it important??

So I am guessing that many of you, like me, don't really enjoy the warm up phase of the workout. I am one of those with the thought of lets just get to it...and get busy! Warming up before exercise (especially the high intensity workouts) is crucial for many reasons. Without getting too technical...I have broken it down to a simple explanation that might help you (and me) appreciate that 5-7 minutes we spend before class getting warmed up.

You are less likely to get injured if you have warm muscles. Since activity boosts the bloodflow to the muscles...they are oxygenated and thus more pliable. Or more flexible and ready for what's coming. They are warming up for the exercises that are going to call on them. Another great benefit is that increased bloodflow helps get rid of lactic acid (the exercise induced waste products) from working muscles. You know "the burn" you feel when you're working a muscle hard? That's a buildup of lactic acid you are feeling. The discomfort of "the burn" makes people want to quit the exercise before they are really tired. Therefore, you get longer workouts and ones that are more productive!

Love the analogy of a car on a cold morning. If it's freezing outside and you start the car - yes, it will crank up most likely and run...but it will run better once it warms up and has a few minutes to get going.

SO.....next time you are about to exercise think about the fact that the 5-7 minutes of warm up is essential for you to exercise to your fullest potential and not fatigue too quickly, or have to stop due ot the excess lactic acid! Give yourself all the best tools possible for the hour you are taking out of your day to do something good for yourself!!

Next post will be about the importance of stretching :)

~Melody
www.mckinneybootcamps.com
Ordinary Women...Extraordinary Results!

Healthy Recipe Ideas

So some of us aren't great cooks, including me! I look for recipes that have a small list of ingredients, that I can actually pronounce...and don't have to search all over the store to find them :) That being said, I found these yummy looking easy recipes in my fitness magazine and thought you might enjoy them. My kids actually love these. Here goes....

Lean Chicken Bites

Cooking Spray
2 Skinless Chicken breasts, raw
1/4 C egg whites
1/2 C instant oats
1/4 C sliced almonds, crushed
1 T Italian Seasoning
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

1)Preheat oven to 350. Coat baking sheet w/ cooking spray. Cut chicken into strips. Pour egg whites over chicken strips to coat
2)In a blender, combing oats, almonds and seasonings. Place chicken strips in a large ziplock bag with oat mixture and shake
3)Remove chicken from bag and place on baking sheet. Bake for 20 mins.

Nutrition Info: Calories: 270, Total fats 8g, Sat. fat 1g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 80mg, Sodium 140mg, Total Carbohydrates: 11g. Dietary Fiber, 3g. Sugars 1g, Protein 40g (WOW!) Iron 2mg

Salmon and Asparagus Pasta

Ready in 20 mins - makes 4 servings

8 asparagus spears, cut into chunks
4 oz uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
1 C low fat ricotta
1/4 C lemon juice
1/4 C reserved pasta water
4 salmon fillets, cooked and flaked (about 1 lb)
sea salt and ground pepper to taste

1)Blanch asparagus (to save time, blanch in a colander placed in the pasta water as it boils), then run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Boil Pasta.
2)Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ricotta, lemon juice and, once pasta is done, water. Toss with asparagus, pasta, salmon, salt tand pepper.

Nutritional Info Per serving: Calories 353, Total Fats: 15g, Sat. Fat: 5g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 124 mg, Total Carbs: 27g, Dietary Fiber: 5g, Sugar:5g, Protein: 33g, Iron: 2mg