Healthy Donuts - They Do Exist!

A little over a month ago I made the best decision of my life...

I bought a Mini-Donut maker.

 

I bought it on a whim and cried when it came in.

 Yes, I'm serious.

 

Apparently these things are popping up everywhere. When I bought mine from Groupon I found out that Wal-Mart was selling them for $6!

That's a steal! These things are amazing and there are so many different recipes you are bound to find one you will love!

Go out and buy one, I promise you won't regret it.

This is the one I bought, it's called The Original Donut Factory Mini Donut Machine. It makes 6 Mini-Donuts at a time and takes about 3-4 minutes to make!

Think about it, say you want to make 30 Mini-Donuts... it would only take about 20 minutes!

The second I ordered that mine I immediately started looking up healthy donut recipes on Pinterest.

There are so many I started to get overwhelmed and lose sight about the fact that I wanted to make "healthy" donuts not just donuts!

When the donut maker came in I ripped it open and grabbed my favorite recipe I had found!

At the time I wasn't Paleo, I was just sticking to eating healthy. Since I've been Paleo for a while now, I've learned that there are tons of ways to make recipes Paleo, yes EVEN donuts!

Next time I make these I will definitely try to make them as Paleo as possible and let you guys know how they turn out!

I used THIS recipe I found on Pinterest and altered it a little!

I made a chocolate protein glaze for the topping!

Ingredients:

for the donuts

5 TBSP unsalted butter, softened

*I used Coconut Oil instead about 3-4TBSP

½ cup sugar 

*I used Zero Calorie Sweetener

1 egg

*I used about 1/2 cup egg white

½ cup milk

*I used 1/2 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

1½ cups all-purpose flour

*I used whole wheat flour - Almond Flour could be used here to make it Paleo

*I added 1 TBSP of Chia Seeds to the mix as well for added fiber.

 

for the topping

1/2 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

7 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Nuggets

A few TBSP of Almond milk (enough to make it creamy and dippable)

 

 

Directions:

 

1. Turn on Mini-Donut Maker to preheat it.

2. Combine all dry ingredients. Mix.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix well.

4. When Mini-Donut maker is ready spray top and bottom molds with non-stick baking spray. Then spoon in 1 large TBSP of batter to each donut mold.

5. Close lid and wait 4 minutes or until donuts are golden brown.

6. Place Mini-Donuts on cooling rack and allow to cool.

 

for topping

1. While donuts are cooling place 7 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Nuggets in bowl and melt in microwave.

2. Stir in Almond Milk to make it creamy.

3. Stir in Vanilla Protein Powder

4. When Mini-Donuts are cool enough dip each into Chocolate topping, flip back over and let cool on cooling rack.

5. Top with toppings of choice. I chose shredded Coconut and Rainbow sprinkles for a fun and festive look!

 

ENJOY!

 

 

If you do not have a Mini-Donut maker but have a donut pan that would work just as well!

Bake at 325oF for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and insides are cooked through.

 

Nutrition:
Serving Size 1 Donut - Batch made 24
66 Calories, 7.2g Carbs, 3.3g Fat, 2.3g Protein


 

 

 

 

 

 

What are you favorite kinds of donuts?

Have you ever made your own?



April Goals!

Spring has sprung!

March is basically over and April is quickly approaching.

 It is time to set goals for this upcoming month!

I've made a decision to start setting goals for myself at the beginning of each month. These goals can be anything from fitness related, food, friends, family, school, ANYTHING!

It has been proven that the more people you tell about your goals, the more likely you feel obligated to complete them!

 

What better way to start this beautiful Spring season than setting some fantastic goals?

Throughout the month I will post about my goals and my path to meet them. At the end of the month I will do a "Goals Recap" post and repost my goals and say whether or not I met them! 

 

So, here I am! Asking you guys to keep me motivated to complete my goals!

And I don't want this to just be about me!

I want to help you guys too!

Let's set goals together and be the best YOU, you can be!

 

Let's get thangs rollin'!

Goal #1

Be able to run 8 miles again. Since my Half Marathon in February I have not done a single long run. And I miss it. They always would relax me and it was my "me time" to just run, listen to music and enjoy the day. With Spring just beginning, its the perfect time to get my mileage back up before the heat waves of summer come back...

Goal #2

Lose 10lbs. I started Paleo at the beginning of Lent. Two weeks later I had lost 7lbs. It felt amazing. Since then with family events, different functions, etc. it has been hard to stick to Paleo when I am away from home. My goal is to lose at least 10lbs by the end of April to keep my body moving in the right direction.

 

 Goal #3

Reach out to long, lost friends. This past weekend I hung out with a group of gals I haven't seen in months. It made me realize that even though everyone is busy, you should still make time for those who matter most to you.

Goal #4

Practice yoga every Sunday. Yoga is something I really have started to like. Although I am the type of person who enjoys pushing myself, sweating intensely, and not being able to walk after working out, I think yoga is just what I need to wind down after a stressful week and recharge myself as the next week begins.

Goal #5

Be outside as often as possible. Nature relaxes me. There is nothing I love more than sitting down, with Cabela of course, outside in my backyard. There is something completely therapeutic of letting go of everything on your mind and focusing on the here and now. This is definitely a goal I will have no problem completing.  

 

These are goals that are well within my grasp. I just have to be dedicated, put in the work and I know that I will be able to accomplish these goals with flying colors!

 

Fabletics, Kate Hudson's fitness company, sent an email out this morning with this picture in it. I loved it and thought it was so perfect for the post I was planning on writing today.

Now, go out there enjoy your day, better yet...ROCK your day!

 

 

 

  

 

Will you be setting April Goals?

What are they? 

Happy FITtastic Friday!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Better yet, Happy FITtastic Friday!

 

I've decided to make Friday's my weekly days to post about fitness, fun, Fridayness and everything in between! So check in every Friday to see what's happenin!

 

On Monday, Wednesday, Friday I only have one class. A 7:30am jogging class.

I can hear the groans all the way on the other side of the computer screen... but I LOVE it! I love waking up early enough to get the most out of my day. It makes me feel like I am living just a little bit longer each day and that is definitely something to love!

On those days after my jogging class I like to work out a little more for about an hour to an hour and an half. Friday's are my favorite fitness days.

Why?

 

Because TGIF that's why!

 

Think about it. You're already in a great mood because it's Friday. You're already at the gym. Why not make the most out of your Friday workout and push yourself a little harder?

 

Exactly!

 

"Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands workout harder, they just don't do."

Gotta give myself a little pat on the back here. I set a goal earlier this week to be able to squat 130lbs again. I haven't been able to do that since high school. And today, I DID IT!

It felt amazing, and to see the looks on those guys' faces when I was doing it by myself... that was just an added bonus.

Today's Workout was pretty great!

Here's what it consisted of:

Bench Press 3x8

Squats 4x8

Barbell Curls 3x8

Barbell Lunges 2x10 (each leg) lifting opposite leg back

Barbell Squats 2x10 (each leg) lifting opposite to side (in video, ignore jump part)

Lat Pulldown 3x10

Tricep Rope Pulldown 3x10

Superset: 3 Cycles

10 Dumbbell Tricep Kickback 

10 Alternating Dumbbell Curls

10 Arnold Press

Leg Machines:

3x10 Quad Extension

3x10 Leg Curls

3x10 Inner Thigh Squeezes

3x10 Outer Leg Press

Abs:

(16 minutes - Alternating Exercises every 30-45seconds)

Crunches

Push Throughs

Bosu Ball Pushups

Bosu Ball Squats with Medicine Ball touching opposite foot

Plank

Cross Body Crunch

In and Outs

Heel touches

Bosu Mountain Climbers

Bosu Oblique Crunches

*When the numbers say "3x10" this means to do 3 sets of 10 reps.

*A superset is doing a certain number of given exercises back to back taking a small rest after each cycle.

*Click the names of each exercise and it will take you to a short YouTube video showing you how to do each one with you are unfamiliar with it.

ShareItFitness is one of my favorite fitness companies and love the work they put into making fitness easy and convenient for everyone. Their YouTube videos are the best. They have every workout you can think of and they are each only about 15 seconds long. Straight forward, to the point. Can't ask for anything better!

While I was doing my Squats today I looked around and realized 2 things:

1. I was singing out loud and tapping my foot to my new favorite song to workout to - I Lived by One Republic. Check out the song here! Do I regret it? Nope, it's a great song... listen to it and tell me you don't start tapping your foot!

And 2. I was the ONLY girl working out on the "boys side" of the gym. Who made these rules? Who says girls can't workout on the same side as the boys? I've never seen any signs that say boys on this side girls on this side, have you? No. Be confident. Do it.

Couple things I've learned from my experiences at the gym:

1. Wear what makes you feel MOST confident! - never, never, never wear something you are not comfortable/feel confident in. That will directly reflect your workout. If you feel uncomfortable with how you look and if your "rolls" are showing your workout will suffer. Wear something that makes you feel strong and makes you want to power through that workout and work towards a better, stronger you!

2. Don't push yourself to look more intense! Go at your own pace! - Don't ever feel pressured to do more than you can by those around you. Yeah, the guy next to you may be bench pressing 150lbs. Does that mean I need to bump my weight up to something that is too high for me to handle? No. Go at your own pace. Realize that if you keep working at it you will be at that level.

3. Don't think about what others are thinking about you! Own the gym! - 9/10 the guy you think is staring at you, judging how "wimpy those weights you're lifting are..." is probably just checking himself out in the mirror. Thinking about how cool he looks in his cutoff tee. Don't let these people shake your confidence. Realize that you are there for you and not for the image of being there. Own the room and believe in yourself. Your workout will thank you for it!

4. Push yourself (within reason)! - No one of any importance got to where they are by coasting along! You have to push yourself to better yourself! But that doesn't mean jumping into something you aren't ready for. Know that to get better you have to challenge yourself and test your limits. If something seems like a bit too much, back off and try a lower weight or lower repetitions until your body feels comfortable. Push yourself again and see how you feel.

5. Make a confidence boosting, up-tempo playlist and zone in! - There is nothing more therapeutic like listening to an amazing playlist that is completely on point with how you are feeling. I know that for me different tempos make me workout differently. Listening to "Sail" is a great song for me to do  Bosu Ball Squats to because it makes me focus on my form and I zone into my balance. Check out the video on how to do these if you are really up for a balanced filled, strength training exercise.

6. Replay a positive quote in your head! - Think about your day ahead, think about what you want to get out of it. Do you need the clarity to do well on a test later that day? Do you need the strength to deal with a difficult situation? Think about a quote or a song lyric you love and hold onto that during your workout. Replay it in your mind when you start to feel fatigued and remind yourself of that.

7. Never give up! - You may not reach your goal today, or the next day or the next, but if you have the determination to get yourself there - YOU WILL. Realize that every day you work hard at it your strength, your confidence and your bod is getting better!

One of my favorite quotes that came on while I was working out was a song by One Republic. I usually listen to Counting Stars by One Republic Pandora station every morning while I workout. I just love the mixture of music! This song I realized had a lot of meanings, to me at least. And I thought that it was a great way to close today.

"I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
Yeah with every broken bone
I swear I lived"

Take this into your next workout. Wouldn't you rather leave a workout knowing that you "did it all" without stopping, not giving up? Leave everything you have out there and "own every second"... and live.

Have a fit and happy FITtastic Friday everyone!

 

 

 

Berrilicious Greek Fro-Yo!

Frozen yogurt may been the most refreshing desert, snack, any time of the day treat. But there can be a lot of added sugars and those can creep up on you if you aren't paying attention!

 

Recently I decided to make my own Greek Fro-Yo and might I say, it is perfect.

This only took about 5 minutes total. 5 minutes 20 seconds if you count getting the items you need out of the freezer and refrigerator.

 

Ingredients:

2 - 2 1/2  cups non-fat plain Greek yogurt

2 TBSP vanilla extract

1-2 TBSP honey (for taste)

2-3 cups frozen berries

 Directions:

1. Put yogurt in food processor.

2. Place frozen berries in food processor.

 3. Blend, blend, blend! Once smooth and fro-yo like it's ready!

4. Pour into container and place in freezer for about 30 minutes to let harden and become scoopable. 

 

 It's that simple and so, so easy!

Top with anything and everything! I topped mine with Dark Chocolate Chips and Coconut Chip Flakes!

 

 

Nutrition for entire batch:  

405 Calories, 48.9g Carbs, 48.5g Protein, Fat 0.2g

 

Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

Lots and Lots of Meal Preppin'!

Let's talk about meal preppin!

It may be one of my favorite things to do ever. Seriously. It may be my OCD in me coming out but something about going to the grocery store, bringing everything home and prepping it equates to the best day ever!

 

This past Saturday I went to Trader Joe's. I love that place. The Baton Rouge location opened in October and I've been obsessed with it since Day 1. On the day it opened I went twice... I know, I have a problem.

 

Every time I go I walk in with a list of what I need and attempt to stick to it. But that never works and I end up wandering the store for hours grabbing everything I see.

This is what I walked away with this weekend.

 Beauty ain't it?

 

This was a full sized grocery cart, by the way.

 

Some of my favorite things I got this week were:

Coconut water

Root Vegetable Chips

Spinach Kale and Greek Yogurt Dip (delicious!)

Crunchy Almond Butter

Coconut Milk

Garlic Chipotle Salsa (heaven in the form of spicy tomatoes)

Coconut Chips (get up and buy them now)

 

I also got some of my regular items: a few packs of Organic Spinach, Arugula, Kale, Frozen mango and pineapple, frozen Chicken breasts, unsweetened almond milk, a pineapple, baby carrots and a large container of non-fat plain Greek yogurt and that's not even everything (it's just all I can remember)!

Trader Joe's has such great stuff it's hard to leave without filling up an entire buggy full!

 

 

I decided to set aside the day to do some meal prepping for the rest of the afternoon.

I decided to work on slicing fruits, putting lettuces into containers and trying a few recipes I had seen on Pinterest. I've been meal prepping for a while now and had my fair share of mess ups with it!

 

So...

 

Here's a couple tips I've learned from my meal prepping journey:

1. Keep lettuces in air tight containers to keep them for twice as long! -  I have been doing this for a while now and I cannot believe I haven't been doing this all along. I kept spinach in that container for close to 2 weeks before even ONE leaf started to get gross. And that Kale, stayed good in there for close to 3 weeks.. 3 WEEKS. That's making the most out of your dollar y'all!

2. Label, Label, Label! - I am the type of person that forgets whatever I put in containers the minute I put it in there. A great way for you to keep track and see at a glance what you have when you open the fridge is to label your containers! It also just looks really cool, don't you agree?

Excuse the terrible image quality.... and the third grade handwriting.

 

3. Your freezer is your best friend! - You can premake anything and freeze it. One of my favorite freezer meals I made recently was  meat and vegetable stuffed bell peppers! The total cooking time was about 15 minutes and all I did was put everything in the peppers, wrap them in cellophane, put foil around them, label them and I was done! A few days later I took 2 of them out, popped them in the oven and the rest is history! They were fantastic! Another great idea would be to place a label on the foil and write how long to cook it and at what temp! It saves time and is a lot faster than having to look it up!

 4.Store you premade juices in mason jars to keep them fresh! -  If you're a juice person, but not a morning person, and don't have a lot of time in the mornings you can store homemade juice in mason jars to keep them fresh for a couples days after making them! This was some juice I made Saturday that had basically a culmination of everything: Carrots, Kale, Spinach, Lemon, Apples, Strawberries, and Oranges. The color does not match the taste! This thang was nutrient packed and a huge morning pick me up!

5. Make a quick and easy breakfast to eat throughout the week! - This weekend I also spent the 10 minutes it takes to make these Paleo Bacon Muffins to eat throughout the week. They are a perfect post or preworkout breakfast to give you the energy your body needs! They also only take about 30 seconds to warm up in the microwave and taste fantastic! If you make these and have a toaster oven that would be an even better way to warm them up and get them extra crispy!

 

 

6. Checkout Pinterest, blogs and websites to research recipes you might want to make! - If you're like me, I need tangible pieces of paper, at all times, for everything. I've recently started keeping track of recipes and workouts I love by combining them all into a huge binder. This helps keep my on track and organized! I know whenever I am hungry I know I can look in my binder and there will be nothing but delicious healthy recipes. If you're looking for some great recipes, Paleo or not, I pin... a lot... so check out my Pinterest page here!

 

7. Cut fruit ahead of time! It saves so much time! - "I hate, hate, hate, double hate, loathe entirely..." cutting fruit. I hate it, I cannot stand it. It takes forever and especially if you're in a rush and all you want is some pineapple and you've just got some big, prickly, vegetablish fruit, thing staring at you, it can get annoying. One thing I've learned is to definitely set aside time to cut your fruit and store it ahead of time. I typically like to cut pineapples and strawberries up, for me it saves time and it's super easy to grab and go on the way out the door. One thing I have learned with fruit is if you're going to cut a fruit beforehand especially if it is known to brown, squeeze lemon juice on it and it will keep it from getting as brown. Also a great trick if you plan on taking an apple to go, but want in in slices, cut it before you leave and use a rubber band to keep it from browning! Genius, I know! Wish I would have thought of it first!

 

8. Plan your day around your food! - Like most college students, I am constantly on the go and with being Paleo it is hard not to plan my meals ahead of time if I plan on staying on track for the day! I've learned that the best way to keep myself fueled and focused is to always be prepared. I love taking a huge lunch box and filling it with great food for the next day! A great way to stay on top of your eating is to plan it out the night before. Think about what your day is going to be like and think of when the best time to eat what would be. For me my day starts off with breakfast, a 7:30am Kinesiology jogging class, a workout, then a post workout breakfast. My day continues to work (10:30am-4:30pm) where I eat my mid morning snack, then lunch, and then mid afternoon snack. Having my day planned out makes other food choices less tempting and keeps me on track throughout the day!

Well, that's pretty much all I've got for you guys today! Hope my tips helped!

 

 

 

 

 

Have a fit and fabulous day!

 

 

A Beautiful Saturday and a Spur the Moment Picnic!

Saturday mornings with nothing to do are my absolute jam. There's so much happiness and so much fun I just can't contain my excitement!

 

One of my favorite Saturday morning activities is to go to the Red Stick Farmer's Market on Main Street in downtown Baton Rouge.

Everything is local and they have great prices! They have anything and everything you can think of: different kinds of fresh homemade bread, cheese, fresh meat, milk, fresh whole chicken, veggies, plants, flowers, eggs, premade soups, a place for the kids... SERIOUSLY they have it all!

 

Over the summer I would go every Saturday morning and cry out of happiness! But with school going on it's sometimes hard to get out of bed that early. But I promise, it's worth it. It's such a great sight to see so many people up early on Saturdays with their families, getting out, enjoying the day and eating local!

 

Here's a little snippet of my fav things from the market this weekend!

 

I love, love, love fresh honey! There is something about the taste that just DOES NOT compare to store bought whatsoever!

Bocage Bee and Honey Co. has fresh, local honey that is to die for! They also have the cutest soaps and candles that are adorable.

Go up and ask them to taste any and all kinds of their honey and they will gladly break out the tiny spoons and let you have your go!

I am obsessed with their "Old Bridge" honey! It's right near my house which is great and I know it's definitely local, so that's a plus!

There are so many benefits of eating honey that is local to your area. One of the best is it helps build up your immune system and helps control allergies.

 

As you walk down Main Street you will come across tons of farmers and their families and each of them have a story. One of my personal favorite is these goat cheese farmers.

I'll admit. I have an obsession with cheese. All cheese.

Most especially, goat cheese.

These people are at the Farmer's Market basically every weekend and they never disappoint.

They have SO MANY different types of flavors it is overwhelming... But don't worry, they have a small table set up to the left of all the flavors with free samples. I may have had a little more of my fair share of those free samples... whoops!

 This week I got the Tuscan flavor. I have no clue what is in this stuff but it tastes like heaven so I'm okay with a little mystery in my life.

Some of their flavors include:

Sea Salt, Cracked Pepper, "Sweet Home Jalapeno", Tomato Roma and that's just to name a few!

 

Besides my goat cheese and honey I also bought 1/2 a flat of strawberries and a huge, ginormous head of crunchy lettuce.

If you have a free Saturday morning I highly suggest going check this place out! It is a great representation of all that BR has to offer. And all the people are so welcoming!

 

 

After the market, Peter and I decided to grab some lunch to-go and find a spot to enjoy the morning! We picked up Jimmy John's took the long way to the BREC Milford Wampold Park aka "Baton Rouge Beach". Sometimes you just have to enjoy the ride.

  

Look how beautiful this view is! This is one of my favorite things about LSU.

Every turn around the lake route there's another beautiful view!

This picture doesn't do it justice as to how many people were out running/walking in the morning! It was jam packed with people! I love it!

 

And... let the picnic commence! It was such a good idea to do this. Something about random adventures does the body good.

 Cabela loved it too. It was his first time in the sand, I don't know about you but I think he loved it... what do y'all think?

Seriously, look at that smile on his face!

 

If you haven't found this out yet, Jimmy John's does this thing called an "unwich" basically it's whatever sandwich you want, but without the bread and wrapped in an Iceberg lettuce leaf!

My go-to JJ sandwich is always the Totally Tuna Unwich, but today I was feelin' the roast beef so I got the Big John Unwich! So delicious, definitely the right decision!

It's just so fresh and crisp it just makes ya feel good!

 

Overall my morning was fantastic and couldn't have planned it better myself!

In review. I love Saturdays. I love the Farmer's Market. I love Cabela. Cabela loves sand. And I love Unwiches!

 

 

Hope everyone has a restful + fun Saturday!

 

 

Stay Lean, Drink your Greens

 Recently green smoothies have become the new craze around the Internet and for goon reason too. Green smoothies are a great way for people who have a hard time getting their daily dose of greens in to get those added nutrients their bodies crave! Spinach especially is a great source of iron and antioxidants! But, adding spinach to a smoothie is an awesome way to add nutrients with virtually no "spinachy" taste!

But, green isn't always the most appealing of colors to sip on.

And sometimes they don't always taste too great either.

FEAR NOT!

I have found the green smoothies to end all green smoothies.

And I mean it.  

Ingredients:

1 LARGE handful of baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks

1/2 cup frozen mango chunks

1 frozen banana (non frozen works too)

1 cup coconut water

Directions:

Combine all in your blender and blend, blend, blend!

To get the blender going start by adding 1/2 cup coconut water to get your blender going.

Serving Size 1 smoothie

Nutrition per Smoothie:

230 Calories, 0.7 g Fat, 47.9 g Carbs, 6.1 g Protein

Smoothie Recipe adapted from here.




Have a great day everyone!



Paleo Bacon Muffins

Just. Take. That. In.

Who doesn't love bacon? And who in their right mind can turn down a muffin?

 

Exactly.

 

Well my friends, as I have perused the internet I happened upon these lovely creations and they are amazing. Let me repeat. AH-MAZ-ING.

 

Look at those beauties.

 

 

Here's the thing. When I made these I didn't know what type of mood I was in taste-wise. So I made two different types in this batch.

 

Type #1 

Ingredients:

3 slices turkey bacon  

3 Tbsp. green onions (chopped) 

1/2 cup liquid egg whites  

3 jalapeños (jarred)

 

Type #2

Ingredients:

3 slices turkey bacon  

3 farm fresh eggs 

Small handful organic baby spinach leaves  

3 Tbsp. green onions (chopped)

 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 

Grab a muffin tin. Grease the thing up with some nonstick spray  

Take 1 slice of turkey bacon and line it in one muffin pocket (Is that what you call them?) circularly  

For batch with spinach line bottom of 3 muffins with spinach - covering the bottom  

Crack 3 farm fresh eggs into muffins with spinach on the bottom. For those without spinach equally distribute the liquid eggs whites between the 3 muffins  

Evenly disburse the chopped green onions into all muffins. In muffins with liquid egg whites place one pickled jalapeno in 3.  

Place in oven for 15-20 minutes (depending on how you like your eggs)  

Take them out and enjoy!

And that, is what you call a power breakfast!

 

 

 

Nutrition per Muffin:

#1: 53 Calories, 0.5 g Carbs, 2.9 g Fat, 5.5 g Protein

#2: 72 Calories, 0.4 g Carbs, 4 g Fat, 6.2 g Protein





Have a fit + fantastic day guys!

 



hello there!

I did it finally.

 

What's that?

Well, this... a blog. Finally. I did it.

For a while I have been saying I wanted to do one but it takes a lot more courage to do it than you probably think!

 

I decided to start this blog as a way to express my love of food, fitness and fun - without having to blow up my friend's Instagrams.

 

For those who don't know me, or for those who do and want to know me better here ya go!



 

 My name is Morgan, I'm a Junior at Louisiana State University. I am majoring in Psychology and doubling minoring in both Nutritional Sciences and Sports Studies.

I have a passion for healthy living, fitness and anything that involves a good time. I've recently become involved with an organization called "CHAARG" - Changing Healthy Attitudes and Actions to Recreate Girls. Which started at Ohio State University in 2012.

From only being involved with it as a virtual member It has truly changed my outlook on health and fitness in a short amount of time. I've come to realize that fitness doesn't have to be repetitive but you can make it fun. It isn't about what number you seen on the scale but about how you feel on the outside. Check 'em out!

 

I have always had a passion for food and healthy eating. I grew up eating anything and everything and have no dislikes to food whatsoever. Except... well, no I like everything! I have always loved to experiment with foods no matter how exotic!

 

In high school I was very athletic. I played Varsity Soccer for 4 years and senior year I opted to take a class called "FIT" (Fun Intense Training - a triathlon training class) in place of PE. College rolled around and I fell out of my routine. I gained weight, a lot of it. I noticed pants no longer fit me right, dresses were too tight and I didn't feel like myself.

 

It wasn't until summer going into my Junior year that I realized I needed to get my fitness and my health back on track. My friend, Caroline, and I made a pact to get back into shape and started walking/running the lakes everyday after work. We started out small, running for 2 minutes then walking for 3. Each day we upped the anti and started running for longer and walking for less. We set a goal to be able to run the 4 mile lake route - without stopping. As the summer went on we keep on going along, building endurance and getting fitter by the day. During last 2 weeks of summer, our deadline to meet our goal, Caroline and I both were out of town. When we got back LSU recruitment started and took over our lives.

No running for us.

 

A few weeks into school a friend of mine asked me to go run with her. I decided "hey, what the heck, lets give it a go!". We just started running... and running... and running and when we stopped we were back where we had started. I had done it! I had accomplished a goal that I hadn't been able to complete since my senior year of high school! And darnnit.

 It felt fan-tas-TIC!

 

During the year I kept up with my running. And decided to test my limits and sign up for the New Orleans, LA Rock N' Roll Half Marathon in February. I planned, I trained, I triumphed. On February 2nd, 2014 in 2 hours 45 minutes (hey, no one said I was going for a gold medal here or anything) I crossed the finish line of my first Half Marathon. That feeling is something I will never be able to describe. It's like Christmas morning and getting hit by a bus all rolled into one... but really. Accomplishing this goal was one that I set for myself and thought that I would never complete. And crossing that finish line is one that I never will forget.

 

So here I am. It's March. I'm 7lbs lighter.

I'm Paleo(ish). And I've never felt better.

 

I have officially decided to make this blog a place to show my journey to become the best fit, healthy, outstanding me that I can be.

Why don't you join me?

 

  

Here are a few simple facts you just have to know about me:

1. I am over the moon obsessed with my Black Lab/Catahoula/We don't know what else because we adopted him puppy Cabela. I mean just LOOK AT HIM.  

2. I have an unnatural obsession with canned nacho cheese (yes you read that correctly).  

3. Taco Bell is God's gift to mankind.

4. I have recently adapted "Paleo"ish as my lifestyle after doing it for Lent - AKA see ya later #2 and #3

So this is me.

The unapologetic fitness foodie.

 

 

 

Welcome to my life!