Tag: Truth

food, goals, Recipes, restaurant reviews, Sunday Supper, weekend wrap up

Weekend wrap up

Movin' it with Michelle

Hey gang!! How was your weekend? Friday my hubby and I went on an impromptu date in downtown Tampa. We are at a place called Oak and Ola and it was amazing. I wrote about it on Yelp (Michelle D. in Tampa), but may start writing more restaurant reviews here on the blog again this year.

oakandola

Saturday we did some errands and went and saw “Jumanji” and we thought it was really cute and entertaining. We also hit up my favorite consignment shop as I still had money left over on my Christmas gift card.

Sunday I slept in which I always allow myself to do when I’m not training for anything, because I have to get up early enough every day for work. I also decided to meal prep for the week, as this is where my diet/exercise regime have gone to crap over the last six months. I made some egg muffins for the week, as well as a big pot of Chicken Soup. (Click the link for the basic recipes but feel free to change up whatever protein/veggies sound good to you!!!)

Tonight after dinner I went for a nice walk with my neighbor, and did my plank. I’ve been planking since October 1st, and haven’t missed a day yet. I did this back in 2016 when my husband was deployed, and managed to plank for an entire year straight.

IMG_6738

 

How was your weekend? Does cooking ahead of time help you? Any tips for burning belly fat?

Have a great week, everyone!!

Cheers,

Michelle

moving forward, Novo Renew

Weekend wrap and more!

Movin' it with Michelle

Gosh I’ve been so busy I’ve not had time to write, or read many posts over the last several days. My weekend was cram packed full of fun which always makes for good memories.

My friend that took me in when I moved here (one of my dearest Air Force friends whom I love dearly) got tickets for me and herself along with her Mom and sister to see Blake Shelton. She surprised me back in January for my birthday gift and we had a complete blast. She believes in making memories for gifts vs. buying an actual gift which I completely love. She and I headed down to down town Tampa and had dinner at Sparkman’s Warf. It’s a new outdoor food court for lack of better description but that has yummy “elevated” food. After dinner we met her Mom and sister at the concert and we had such a great evening. Here are a few photos:

 

Saturday my daughter had her “belt promotion” ceremony for Jujitsu and Muay Tai, and wouldn’t you have it, who got promoted to yellow belt after just four months of training? Yup, that’s my girl. It’s so amazing to watch her train. She simply glows, and has gained so much confidence. I LOVE it.

 

Sunday was a much needed retreat to the beach for the day. We relaxed in the sun, and although the water was too cold for my liking, my husband and daughter had a blast playing around in the water while I napped and searched for seashells (not at the same time, LOL).

 

Today I have vowed to get back into routine workouts. I have both a core (SworkIt) app and a Yoga app so I have no excuse. Tonight I did a 10 minute core workout and an 8 minute Yoga workout after work, and it felt great. I am also shooting for at least 2 runs per week.  My goal is a minimum of 3-4 workouts each week.

I’m also happy to report that my back and knees are singing since taking Novo Renew.

(<—Affiliate link) I have even noticed a difference in the smoothness of my skin due to the collagen component of this amazing supplement. I hope you will all give this a try, and make sure to use Michelle25 at check out to save 25% off of your order. There is a 30 day money back guarantee, so I urge you to give it a try for your ailments. My joints, knees, and shoulders as well as my neck have felt tremendously better.

How was your weekend? Is the weather getting any better where you live? Have you considered trying an all natural alternative to NSAIDs?

Cheers!
Michelle

half marathon training, Keto adventures, moving forward, Recipes

What a difference a day can make

Movin' it with Michelle

Wednesday I went out for my short run after work, and felt incredibly strong. I always wonder how I can pull these runs after working all day, but I got it done and it felt great. Fast forward to today’s long run, and whoa…but we’ll get to that in just a bit. I haven’t gotten a chance to write since my last post about mid-life due to crazy schedules, but just thought I’d share a little about my week last week.

Like I said, my mid week 5k went great. I settled in after the first mile and was able to let go and just run. While I often miss my once speedy average pace of 9:15 for short runs, I will celebrate my time no matter what. I didn’t get to run much for the year of 2016 while my husband was deployed, and 2017 was busy playing catch up for the year I lost with my husband, and moving my family across the country to start our Florida adventures.

 

This weekend started out really lovely. Friday night I cooked dinner and we relaxed at home. Saturday my husband came up with the idea to drive to Clearwater to watch the sunset and have dinner with one of our neighborhood friends. It felt SOOOO great to have my toes in the sand!!!!

 

Today was my long run. The last one before the Gasparilla half marathon on the 24th of this month in downtown Tampa. We had ten miles on deck, and I knew as soon as we walked out of the front door, that this run was going to suck. Mile 2 my stomach started to talk to me and we had to make a pit stop at the house after mile 3. (I don’t think Mexican food is a good idea before a long run, especially when its going to be blazing hot with full on sun with absolutely no clouds for miles. Thank God for the breeze!!). Mile six, the same thing happened and we had to swing back to the house yet again. We had gone 7.5 miles and I just didn’t think I could keep going. I drank some Nuun and had some Huma Gel, but I was still grey and pale. My hubby said I needed to stay home, and he was right. He finished out his ten miler, and I spent the next 30 minutes getting my body temperature regulated. Looking at my Garmin stats it showed my heart rate had gone to 195 bpm. Yikes. This will definitely be my last long distance race this season. I’ll stick to 5K and 10K distance until the fall/winter months, or until I cave and get a new treadmill. (My Mom had given me one back in IL, but it was old and just wasn’t working anymore so we had to get rid of it).

2.10.19longrun

For dinner tonight I made Beef bourguignon over cauliflower mash and it was amazing. To keep it keto friendly I omitted the carrots, but I feel like it was missing something with leaving them out.

Please click the links for the recipes!

How was your week/weekend? Are you training for any specific races? How do you handle running in extreme temperatures?

Cheers, and have a great week!!

Michelle

 

 

 

Deployment thoughts

Tuesday Truths. 

Movin' it with Michelle

Not a lot makes sense lately. So while grasping for straws trying to hold on to some semblance of normalcy I give you the last two days of truth in pics. 

  
My baby girl isn’t a baby anymore. We’ve been practicing her driving in hopes she’ll get her license before my hubby leaves. 

  My amazing friend Jitka who invited me out for a run tonight. 
   
 Because running at night is fun with friends. 

  
Seven minute plank-whaaaaaa?  Yeah. My goal for 2016 is to keep. Getting. Stronger. 

And that my friends. Is a wrap. With my husband’s deployment getting moved up constantly, hanging on to little truths is all I can do!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

❤ Michelle

Tuesday Truth

When is the last time you told the truth?

Movin' it with Michelle

 

I like to remain on the side of positivity and happiness.  The last few years I’ve made that my mantra, my goal, and my daily prophecy so to speak.

I was recently asked, "Do you ALWAYS smile?" Why yes...yes I do...or I at least try to!
I was recently asked, “Do you ALWAYS smile?” Why yes…yes I do…or I at least try to!

But some days.  Days like today when the temps are plummeting and the skies are bleak, I catch myself lying.  I caveat this statement with the fact I haven’t slept more the 2 hours each night in the last several nights yet am a creature who requires 5-6 hours of sleep each night,  so my judgment with what I share could possibly be swayed.

I digress…

I hit a few bumps in the road of positivity today.  I caught myself looking in the mirror investigating the 42 years of ‘stuff’ that was now imprinted on my face in the disguise of wrinkles, pores, and fine lines that are no longer regarded to as ‘fine.’ I listened to myself speaking to my children in a way I swore I never would, and suddenly I found myself feeling very old…and very sad.

Where did I go?

Have I been lying all along when I say I’ve embraced aging?

No…I am telling the truth.

But it isn’t without struggle to see my youth pass me by…to see the once lean and fit body start to deteriorate.  The sagging skin, the droopy eyes, and the night sweats are truly for the birds.  Yes, I am missing my early/mid 30’s terribly, I won’t lie….

LOL right?
LOL right?

 

I dug up pictures from 20 years ago tonight.  Maybe in efforts to remind myself of the youthful and spunky spirit I once had…maybe more so to remind myself that I didn’t always look and feel so tired or hide my bags behind my unwanted glasses.  I am also listening to my favorite early 90’s music.  Don’t judge.

There I am, on the left without a care in the world.
There I am, on the left without a care in the world.

But I’d be lying…if I said I didn’t miss that girl.  Man, I had such fire back in the day.  I was fun. Sure – I was troubled. BUT I lived on the edge…always.  More digressing…sorry, y’all…

So here we go…

My fire is still there…refocused, rechanneled, and in need of a good recharge…

AMEN!
AMEN!

I will continue to run, and delve in to my gazillion other passions.  But a part of me will always, miss, that girl.

But she’s still there.  And I am reminded of that…daily.  ❤

My advice. Be you.  Be true.  Always.

❤ Michelle