Marcy Utility Workout Bench
My husband prefers to work out at home, so we have turned one of the rooms in our house into a home gym. He needed a work out bench and some weights so he could do some additional things that don’t include our machine. We bought the Marcy Utility Workout Bench, but it came unassembled. We were supposed to assemble it together, but I was alone on Saturday and decided to give it a try. I put a couple of pieces on upside down and had to go back and fix it, but even with that it took me about 40 minutes.
I don’t have any wrenches or tools either, so I had to use some random tools that came with other things I have bought over the year. I’m pretty sure real tools would make it much easier to put it together and I could have done it faster.
I really love this bench. I may even have to use it myself if I ever decide I want to work out at home!!
Marcy Utility Workout Bench: https://amzn.to/3a1J5X5
Girls on the Run 5K
The Girls on the Run program is so empowering for young girls. This year I got to take my niece with me. I was amazed at how far she could run without stopping. I was the one who held her back!! We ran about 2.5 miles of it, then I had to take a break and run/walk the rest of the way.
I will have to say that being 30 lbs. lighter, really helped me with my running. I just started back at Orange Theory about two weeks ago, after I hit my goal weight, and really didn’t expect to be able to run as far as I did.
BTW, I got my cute Sherpa Sweater at my favorite boutique in Rowlett! Girlfriends is such a cute store! Definitely stop in if you are ever in Rowlett!! 
Low carb steak fried “rice”
As always, I’m trying to figure out what the best diet is for me to help me lose weight. I’ve always had a pretty good work out ethic, until recent years, so my new obsession with Orange Theory Fitness is really going well. I have gone 3 – 6 times a week since I started in late October. I have to do better with food though!! I think a low carb diet is probably going to work the best for me. I’ve been interested in the Keto diet, but I haven’t been able to get low enough in carbs each day. I’ve kind of decided that my diet will be lower in carbs with the majority of the carbs happening with my breakfast shake, (which has a banana in it).
One of my go-to staples in this diet is the cauliflower fried “rice” plate. It’s super easy to make, especially if you buy the cauliflower fried rice package in the vegetable section. Here is my recipe:
2 bags of cauliflower fried rice packages
5 scrambled eggs
1 carton of sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 pound of stew meat or cubed steak (or chicken)
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
soy sauce to taste
1st step: Scramble an egg then put it to the side.
Step 2: In another pan or wok, put sesame oil then add two packages of Cauliflower Crumbles “Fried Rice” Blend. (If you want to add mushrooms, I’d put the mushrooms in before you put the cauliflower crumbles.)
3rd step: Stir in soy sauce to taste and cook until semi-translucent. 
4th step: Stir in the scrambled eggs and the stew or steak meat. Add more soy sauce if you like it. 
This is seriously the best low carb meal I make. I highly recommend it to everyone doing any kind of diet. You can substitute chicken instead of meat if you like. Or you can add no meat at all and use as a side dish. There are a lot of options with this deliciousness!! This makes anywhere from 6 – 8 servings.
Fabulous at Fifty
I turned Fifty in October. I’ve decided to be Fabulous at Fifty. I began a challenging new workout by starting Orange Theory Fitness. I’m obsessed with this workout. I love being able to monitor my heart rate as I do the hardest workouts I’ve ever done in my life. Since I started at the end of October, I’ve gone 3 – 5 days a week. A lot of people I know have caught the OTF bug, so it’s been fun going with a group and pushing each other.
Unfortunately, though, I haven’t changed any of my bad eating habits, so I may be getting stronger, but I haven’t lost any weight. It’s hard to out-exercise a bad diet, especially at fifty. I seriously think I gained ten pounds the DAY I turned fifty. My metabolism seriously just STOPPED!! I’m just going to have to make some real changes soon.
I’ve been reading about the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey and Lemon. So that’s going to be the next thing I add to my lifestyle. Each morning I’m going to drink a little of that on an empty stomach and see if that will help me curb my appetite and bring about some of the other health benefits I’ve been reading about. I’m thinking I’ll commit to it for a month and see how it goes.
Recipe:
Mix together:
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
8 oz. warm water (1 glass)
I’m still not sure what diet I’m going to do. I really love how easy 21 Day Fix was, so that may be my next lifestyle change. 
Meal Prep
The key to the 21 Day Fix is meal preparations. I decided I’m only willing to eat food that have been in containers for three days at a time, so here is what my three days looks like!
Breakfast:
Shakeology: Shakeology, 1/2 banana, flax seeds, coffee
Mid-morning snack: 1 egg cup with tortilla
Lunch: Chicken, Veggie Mix
Mid-Afternoon snack: 2nd Egg cup/whole wheat tortilla, Fruit
Dinner: Pork tenderloin, Lettuce w/ Balsamic Vinegar, Veggie Mix
Interested in joining me on this journey, get your 21 Day Fix HERE!!!
What’s your favorite?
I started the 21 Day Fix this week. It’s going to be so easy to stay on track with my diet if I am able to prepare my meals for the week each Sunday. This should eliminate me making those bad food choices when I get hungry. No more binge eating for me!! Meal prepping can be a pain, though, so it’s nice to be able to eliminate the preparation for one meal a day by substituting Shakeology. I drink the Shakeology for breakfast since I’m not always in the mood to eat when I get up! I’m still debating over which one is my favorite. What’s yours?
If you haven’t tried Shakeology yet, you can order it here today!!
Born To Run
I am not a very good runner, but I kind of enjoy it. I’ve successfully completed Couch to 5K…several times. I usually quit running right after I get to 5K. This happens EVERY time I start running. My friend and I signed up for the Dallas Half Marathon, but about 3 weeks before the marathon, I quit running on a regular basis. I finished the Half Marathon, but it wasn’t pretty. By the 11th mile, I couldn’t even alternate running and walking and had to walk the last two miles. That’s ok. I still finished and I still got a medal. Of course I said I’d never do another one, but within 3 days, I was already planning to try again. This time I’m going to be in better shape!!
My friend found this work out on pinterest. I’m not sure where it originated, but since she did it, I had to, too!! I didn’t think I’d make it through the first time, but I did it!! Now I’ve done it twice!! I’m so proud!! I am hoping mixing it up like this will help me with my training for the Cowtown Half Marathon!! Maybe this will be the year that I actually lose some weight, too!!
Jalapeño Sausage Balls
This is a year of creating new Christmas traditions!! My new German Shepherd puppy, Kaizer, finally has all of his shots and is able to go to places that other dogs go. First stop on Christmas morning was to take him to the Katy Trail for a walk. While we were out, we noticed that the Katy Trail Ice House had the fire pits going, so after our walk, we went and warmed up by the fire. I’m not sure if they were open on Christmas day, but they were nice enough to come build a fire and leave water for all the people who exercise on the trail. Kaiser absolutely loved being out there and greeting all the other dogs. We have hereby renamed the Katy Trail to the Kaizer Trail and the Katy Trail Ice House is now the Kaizer Trail Ice House.
After the walk on the Katy Trail, we went home and made Jalapeño Sausage Balls. They were so delicious and will be how we start off all of our future Christmas mornings!! They are SO easy to make and they are SOOOOO good!! I wasn’t sure I’d like the jalapeño in them, so I made half with peppers and half without. From now on I will make them ALL with the jalapeños!!
2 Cups of Bisquick
1 Cup of Cheese
1 lb of browned sausage (I prefer the Hot)
Diced Jalapeños to taste
Combined the ingredients until all the Bisquick is mixed together and there is no dry flour. Roll the mixture in to small balls and put on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 – 25 minutes until brown.
I work out!!!!
I’ve been trying to mix up my workouts each week so I don’t get stagnant with exercise, but my motivation has not been very good lately. The proof of my laziness is the lbs. on the scale and the way my clothes are fitting me. I know exercise isn’t the way that you lose weight, but it has what keeps me successful keeping off the weight. I ordered a new series of kettle bell workouts from Amazon this week and it showed up today!!! Kettleworx was a good way to get started with kettle bells, but after six weeks, I am tired of all the bad editing and repetitive work outs. I can’t wait to get started on Kettlebody by Brook, but I think I will be one of those people that starts things on Monday because I’m off to the Katy Trail to get my six miles in today!! Happy exercising!!
Dash Down Greenville
One of the best things Dallas does is the St. Patrick’s Day parade and run. I wasn’t too sure I was going to go this year, but I’m glad I did. This was probably the first time I ever ran a whole 5K. I almost always get tired and have to walk. My friend ran with me and kept me going, so I didn’t want to embarrass myself. At about 2.5 miles, she took off and I could have quit, but I kept going. I got a text telling me I could do it right at about the same time I was about to start walking and that kept me going until I crossed the finish line! Since I ran the whole way, I think it was my fastest 5k, too. I did it in 32.39 minutes. I came in 41/142 in my age division, 2146/4253 overall, 853/2349 in gender. I’m so proud!! Thank you to those of you that helped push me to run the whole thing!!!
Next week is the Rock and Roll Half Marathon. I can assure you I won’t be running all of that!!! 🙂
Fabulous after FIFTY 