SALATA 50.00 GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY!!!!!

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GIVEAWAY TIIIIME! with the long, sugary, indulgent, holiday road ahead of us this gift card will be your saving grace!  november and december are typically the months where we tend to eat really heavy meals.  halloween actually gets that snowball rolling and it just keeps on growing...if you let it!  thankfully, Salata is filled with healthy options to help keep you on track with your nutrition throughout the holiday season.  if you're looking for a healthy, super quick lunch break or dinner option, you are in luck and in the right place.

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 i would love to gift one of my supporters with a 50.00 gift card!!! so that's just what i'm gonna do!  i'm hosting this giveaway via here and Instagram, so you can enter via both places by answering this question:

Q: how do you plan to stay on track with your nutrition during the holidays?! 

BROWNIE POINTS: if you tag two friends on Instagram, that will double your chances of winning, FYI!20151118_190611-01

we had dinner at Salata tonight and it was incredibly delicious, filling, and healthy, as always.

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i got 5 zillion fresh toppings along with the seafood mix (salmon, crab, shrimp) for my protein. clearly Dego was gunning for that multi-grain roll!

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 i also got some chipotle ranch & fat-free mango dressing on the side.

there are SO many toppings to choose from (i know!), but below are some lighter lunch and dinner combos you could stick to during the holiday season. see, i got chu.

Antioxidant Rich:

Spinach, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Pumpkin Seeds, Red Beans, Carrots, Cucumber,  Cabbage, Salmon.  Dressing: Fresh Herb Vinaigrette.

Post-Workout Fuel:

Salata Mix, Carrots, Pineapple, Red Onion, Dried Cranberries, Almonds, Grilled Chicken.  Dressing: Honey Mustard

Salads Men Love:

Romain, Red Onion, Bell Pepper, Corn, Black Beans, Cheddar Cheese, Avocado, Bacon, Cilantro, Spicy Chipotle Chicken.  Dressing: Chipotle Ranch


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next thing on my agenda, the 5/10k TURKEY TROT is upon us!! i've been doing this race for like the last 5 years and i'm gonna keep the tradition going! join me if you're local or have a great run in your own city if you're participating!  i just registered and the price goes UP on November 21st, fit friends.  i'll see you out there that morning to make room in our tummies for Thanksgiving goodies!!!!

now, who wants this gift card!? a random winner will be selected on the morning of 11/23! good luck, fit friends and thank you in advance for entering :)

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thanks & giving & food & family 2013

 i hope Thanksgiving 2013 was one to remember for you and your family.  here's what we did:

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who eats like this on Thanksgiving Eve? sammiches and sushi @ Central Market.  it wasn't as crowded as i expected AT ALL. is it weird that i wanted it to be?

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lemon ricotta pancakes for the boy. 20131128_070352

on TG day i sped downtown to run in the traditional Turkey Trot 10k and left Sonny and Chi in our nice, warm, comfy bed :(

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  this is THE coldest weather i have ever run in. ever. 32 dang degrees. the Chevron Houston Marathon in January isn't even this cold!!!! _71

so because of the dip in temp earlier that week, i switched from the 10k to the 5k y'all. keepin' it real. i believe i have become one of those people who like cold weather but hate being cold.

 i met up with some bodybuilder and UH alum friends afterwards.

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FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS RUN ALONE!!!! thanks for that, Charlene ;) 

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plate # who even knows from later that evening! each one was sampler style so i could get a little bit of everything of course.

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always good to see and hang with my beautiful cousins!

Q: how many places did you visit on TG day? 2 for us- my MIL and then Grandma's house.

le

disaster recovery

 we got back from Vegas monday morning at 6am and went straight to work from the plane.  didn't sleep a wink on the flight or the night before.  however, Chiso did get some good sleep and snoozed the entire way home, WHEW.   you bet it was a long day that day.

while i attempted to catch up on rest, i neglected our empty fridge for two days!  i hadn't grocery shopped on Thanksgiving eve in a really, really long time.  HEB's parking lot was filled to capacity as expected, but as you see, they had every single lane open to accommodate the crowd.  take note, Walmart!!!!!!!!  AND, *big cheese* i happened to meet one of my readers in the store that night! i didn't want to scare her off, so i screamed on the inside :lol:  shout out to Nneka from Austin! *waving*

 i had just hauled my cart up to the belt when she quietly stepped behind me with her hand basket.   of course i told her to go ahead of me since she only had a few things (don't you appreciate when someone does that!?) which is when she introduced herself.  just goes to show how you never know who knows you or who's watching-  treat others how you want to be treated at ALL times.

soooo, how was your TG 2K12?!

mine started bright and early at the crack of dark.  i left Chiso and Sonny slobbering and snoring to run the annual Houston Turkey Trot 10K.  i love that the free t-shirt this year is long sleeve; that's rare.  i have not run long distance in forever, smh, but my cardio @ the gym definitely helps keep my endurance up.

before i hit the road, i made and devoured these babies:

coconut caramel pistachio pancakes.

 i used the base recipe for my banana pancakes and added the toppings- raw unsweetened coconut flakes, chopped bananas, Walden Farms caramel sauce, and crushed pistachios.

racing fuel!

might as well call these dessert pancakes- they were off the chain.

 over 12k people laced up their running shoes and showed out on Thanksgiving morning.

i was standing around and counting down to start time and noticed the people around me had on such cool colorful running shoes!

   i don't like the front or the very back, but the middle serves me just fine!  i was about two minutes or so from the starting line.  and yes, i ran with my phone in my hand the whole time. i need a fanny pack.

finished around 50 minutes or so.

   just wanted to support the cause and get some exercise... didn't care about breaking or making any PR's.

forgot to stop my watch immediately afterwards as usual, but i burned somewhere in the high 600's. which was only like half of one of my Thanksgiving plates :lol:

my heart rate really got up there! normally when i do HIIT, i top out around 176 before my HR starts to decline.  when i heard a lady shout  'last mile!!!' i turned my burners on and sustained my HR above 180 until i crossed the finish line. my legs and chest were on FIRE.

post race, you can find me by the food.

they gave out some flavored vitamin water, bananas,

and chewy granola bars.  chocolate chip, peanut butter, and a smores flavor.

 i met up with my friend Nichola post race- she competed in Vegas for Fitness America Weekend as well!  always posing;)  and sorry Nichola, no donuts at the post race party LOL

by now i am almost sick to my stomach of seeing plates of Thanksgiving food on Instagram so i'm gonna chill on sharing mine.  i will, however, share my 5 ingredient dump cake recipe!  indulgent, um yes.  so you should prolly stick to making this on holidays only.

1. canned cherries. i was über happy to see this 'no sugar added' variety of cherry pie filling, but was bummed that it was still sweetened with Splenda. womp, womp. however i got it anyway cause the original stats were just way too high. i couldn't do it.  i'm a changed woman.

2. pineapple chunks.  the 'skinny fruits' caught my eye like the manufacturers intended, but that big Splenda stamp ruined it again.

so, i grabbed what i always use- dole.  a little higher in the calories and sugar vs. the Libby's, but it's still all natural and no sugar added.

dump the can of cherries into a pan

followed by the pineapple chunks, juice and all.

3. box of yellow cake mix. it's not pictured, and any brand will do.  pour it on top of the cherries and pineapple.

4. stick of butter :shock: yeah, those are pads of butter.  they melt into the yellow cake mix when baking and form something so incredibly delectable and Paula Deen approved.  i mean you don't have to use the entire stick though, and you could very well substitute it with a lighter whipped butter, Earth Balance, or Smart Balance spread instead.

5. pecans. sprinkle them on top before popping the whole thing in the oven for 1 hr on 375-400 deg.  no stirring required! hence the name, dump cake.

so............how many times have you admired your Thanksgiving food baby in the mirror today?

do NOT let that or food guilt completely ruin the happy, positive memories of  Thanksgiving 2k12.  you ate those delicious foods cause you wanted to and you've been waiting all year for them.   you may have woken up with a tummy ache and the need to make a mad dash to the rr like i did this morning lol, but that's OK.  like most people, i ate a lot of carbs  and white sugar: pie, cake, dressing, rolls, etc, so i did cut some of my carbs today to balance my intake, but i did not cut them out.  do this:

  • get back on track with your clean diet - do NOT starve yourself.
  • physical activity...asap.  hit the gym for your routine as normal, or go outside for a walk, jog, or run.   you'll feel a lot better, instantly.
  • drink plenty of water  and green tea with each meal as it speeds up digestion.
  • let the food guilt GO.
  • chunk the leftovers or give them away.  if the temptation is too much, stop torturing yourself and get rid of them. liquid soap to the rescuuuuuuuue :shock:

i slept in this morning but i made my way to the gym eventually for some cardio and light leg work.

20 minutes of HIIT on the stairmaster (60 rest rate / 90 work rate), legs, then 40 minutes of steady state cardio .  yep, put in a little extra work to combat yesterday's feasts.

i bought some chicken drumsticks a few weeks ago cause i could not pass up the sale price, so i went ahead and made them for dinner for the weekend.  we have been eating only chicken breast for........a really long dang time!!! 

it's nice to eat a different part of the bird for a change. smokey chipotle paprika drumsticks.

 i do hope your Thanksgiving was filled with family time, memories, lots of good food, and fellowship.

if i had ten thousand tongues, i could not thank the Lord enough!!!!!!!

le