weightloss – Page 2 – Runs With Hips

Cool-ish Run, Cold-ish Chakra

July 18, 2014July 19, 2014 runswithhips

Hola Hip Hip Huggers!
***
Can I just say, the weather here this week has been fantastic!
So nice, we spontaneously took the kiddos to Hurricane Harbor.
For a day outdoors in North Texas, in July, to be pleasant??
Unbelievable! I don’t think it even broke 90°!
Great weather for a day of walking, swimming, climbing endless stairs,
and indulging in ~~ridiculously overpriced~~ food.
But I spent a lot of time here, so I was content-ish 🙂

***
I did take off 2 days to rest, accordingly. My legs had been tired from running, and it rained all day Thursday.
Sure fit signs to slow down and let my body recover, unrushed.
Today, I got back out there because the weather was peeerfect for some miles!

I was probably still a little dehydrated. I didn’t drink nearly as much at the park as I should’ve
and I’ve been eating a TON of sweets!
So, I tossed in a fruit punch Nuun to my wawa and got my fizzle on!

Running goal: I planned 6 miles. Felt god, but 1st mile was long.
I’d decided I would concede at 4-ish, and just focus on my long run Sunday.
But got a 2nd wind and just kept going!

8 Miles! Long-ish run for the week is ~~accidently~~ officially done!
And just under an 11 min/mile pace.
I have to thank my hubby for bringing me water ~~and Spark~~ at about mile 6.5.
I wouldn’t have made it otherwise, totally saved my run!
Here’s my splits to keep me accountable.

I am truly learning to run easy. Yes, its slowed me down, but it’s changed my running!
I am running distances I just would not a few months ago because I am not burning out.
***
Yoga-ish Time!
I stretched about 10 minutes opening up my hips before coming inside for yoga…

Utthan Pristhasana, or Lizard Pose.
~~Random-ish~~ SN:
That moment your yoga instructor virtually adjusts your ~~ass~~ Asana….

I just love her! Such an amazing teacher and the one responsible for
me falling in love with yoga! Namaste, Caitlin

***
I’ve also started working to unblock my Muladhara, or my root chakra.
It has been very ungrounded since I stopped eating LCHF. Truth.
Anxiety, isolation, fatigue… I can feel it all.
It’s mainly why I’ve been practicing/sharing less inversions and arm balances; to focus more on
standing poses during my practice, such as warrior, low lunges, etc.
Which brings me to a picture a dear friend on IG added some “love” to…

Anjaneyasana.

The light and strength of yoga I hope to share, spread to everyone.
I love my Omies!

What are your workout weekend plans?

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Goals and Holes

July 10, 2014July 10, 2014 runswithhips

Hello Hip Huggers!!

Ok, so the 2 weeks I REALLY needed to be keeping up

with blogging I didn’t. Now, I’m Fire in the Hole…

Good one, huh Trubies 🙂

***

Quick Fitness Recap!

I finished my month long running of miles!

Which might I add, didn’t start until approximately

2 weeks before the month ended, not too shabby.

I am at 34 of 85 goal miles I plan on running this month! Awesomeness!!!

***

I’ve been practicing yoga too, but not as much as before.

I really do throw myself completely ~~and unapologetically~~ into whatever

my heart desires… but, I am a balanced broad so, my goal is to find the middle ground..

which has been ~~post running~~ quick yoga outside on the ground as of late.

I will say the highlight of my running career gig so far has been

running the Flagpole 8k on Independence Day.

I have ran the Flagpole 8k once before and loooved the route!

It is at White Rock Lake and the run starts out on the

“boardwalk” and leads into a higher altitude trail … awesome right?

Buuut, this year it was at Flagpole Hill. Just down the street.

None of the beautiful amenities of running the lake, sadly.

Not the busling walkers and morning joggers.

Not the beautiful lake view and sounds.

But, it was flat, and it looped around just once.

That must be a huge advantage for someone like me because…

I placed 1^st in my age group!!!

In all ~~honesty~~ fairness, I will say, it was a small race.

Even with that, placing was never my goal, not even a thought.

Easily less than 100 people, but who cares? either way,

of the far and few that are embracing their early dirty 30’s such as I am trying to,

I was the one to beat!

And this, I will treasure.

***

In other running new, I decided to run a half marathon!

‘ That Dam Half’ in Lewisville October 19.

Training for that doesn’t begin until the end of the month,

so I am just keeping things injury free and nimble for now.

I will be doing all the necessary speedwork and tempo runs.

Really going to stick to this plan and try to have a great race!

And a great day, as it is Bring-your-girls-to-visit-dad-and-have-Chili’s-with-dad Day!

Taking a couple days off to rest up for my kinda long 8 mile run Sunday morning.

A new friend is coming to run with so, I plan on…

That’s the goal!!

Have an Awesome Friday and Enjoy the Weekend!!

Question: Have you ever ran a 1/2 Marathon? Awesome?

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Boom! and Bloom

June 21, 2014June 21, 2014 runswithhips

Happy Solstice, Hip Huggers! Today started out absolutely gorgeous!

Summer is in full bloom!

I jumped in yesterday with a quick share about my natural hair feature, because

a) I can’t hold water, and

b) It was a special post that earned its own special spot.

**Quick Friday Recap: **

Yesterday was my hubby’s birthday so that is my excuse explains by leave of absence.

Not from running though! I got a good run in about 9am.

Funny, my brain said 6 miles and my body adamantly said 5. My plan was to break even, or at least

convince my body that was the plan…

Friday Workout: 6 Mile Run

Clearly, the gams lost… I just have a weird peeve of half miles –

so I knew that wasn’t happening.

Today’s run was a little smoother. I knew I was running 6 miles, so I could totally zone

and win races in my head, as we should.

Saturday Workout: 6.2 Mile (10k) Run + Yoga

Some Sirsasana (Handstand) Love.

And I love this filter! It’s called Bloom.

My shoulder felt good, too! Just needed a few days

To rest I guess, glad I obliged and backed off of the challenges.

I’m good at listening to my body, totally over overdoing it.

***

I’m also ~~totally~~ over 27 miles for the week! Boom.

So a 3 Mile run is the ONLY running I am

Planning to do tomorrow. Boom.

Long time since I’ve been able to

Tout those stats .. ~~boom~~

I’m encouraged!

And rehydrated.

I found this absolutely perfect quote on a Yoga page and

It just absolutely speaks my heart about being the best you…

Bloom Big, Hup Huggers 🙂

Question: Do you find yourself competing? Does it help or hurt you?

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Kinda Klassy

June 20, 2014 runswithhips

Good Evening Hip Huggers!

I just wanted to jump in and let you all know I have been featured on a blog! Again!! And it’s kinda a big deal for me!!!

Kinda a big deal because it involved ~~oversharing~~ talking about 2 things that I never even considered in my life 4 years ago

that ~~more than~~ kinda set me apart from the flock of fitness folk…

Fitness and Natural Hair!

Yes, this is a fitness blog ~~kinda~~, and I absolutely love it that way!

I feel when I was trying to get healthy, I had no one that looked, talked ~~ate~~ like “Me” and that made me go it alone.

My fitness goals were realized and achieved this way, and I have maintained this lifestyle well. But

I know someone needs to see it can happen…that’s why I am here! 🙂

***

I L.O.V.E. being NATURAL!!! Absolutely, 100% happy being Fit Bloggin’ Naturalista!

Becoming natural ~~crazy sounding ain’t it?~~ changed me in a lot of ways just like getting fit and healthy did!

I don’t see a lot of women of my color where I live embracing a fit lifestyle. I’m in no way saying they don’t or don’t exist,

but it’s not something I see often. Everyday. All the time.

I don’t see a lot of women of color where I live embracing being natural either, but that’s ok! To each, her own.

But, for me to make the decision, build up the courage, and shave it ALL off to become content

with what God gave me was…. is…freeing. Something I’ll never forget.

And if I can help in just one woman’s choice to get fit, go natural or run their hips,

this blog has a heartbeat. And I know it does. I can feel it!

So, ~~sniffle~~ Hip Huggers, please go check out the interview at Klassy Kinks!

Ijeoma is doing great things reaching out to Naturalistas everywhere!

I gave some sound advice on getting started fitness wise and how to keep that natural hair looking fabulous, too!

Share the knowledge, you never know whose looking 🙂

Enjoy the Read, Hipsters!

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Side Lines of Energy

June 16, 2014June 16, 2014 runswithhips

Happy Monday! Did y’all catch the Finals last night?

Being a Die Hard Mavs fan, it was REALLY hard to go for either team. But, I’m loyal to Texas now, so Spurs it was.

Plus, that whole “championship DNA” byte really started getting on my nerves. Glad they’re sidelined ’til next year!

Hilarious.

And Congrats Spurs! Valid until Opening Tip October 2014

This morning, I woke up with a hankering to get outdoors! I started gearing up to drive to

the city park and run a few miles before the kids got going.

Then I remembered my truck is getting a new compressor and I have no life car.

So, I treated myself to a Spark, and when for a short stroll instead…

Back home and not much of an appetite. Boo. So, I drowned my sorrows in this

half melted here Quest Bar I thought I’d eat in route but didn’t.

Speaking of halfway, over the hump for June’s Yoga Challenges!!

But first, I got in about an hour of exclusive yoga stretches. Sure, the asanas are cool and

do wonders for the internal body but there is more to Yoga than just poses.

A CPT/ Yoga teacher I follow on Instagram know said (before I ever began yoga)

“Muscles need to be intensely stretched daily”.

At the time I waved it off because it was not what I wanted to hear sounded like it involved yoga,

and I was just not feeling that.

However, it has less to do with yoga and more to do with flexibility, toning, and strengthening of the muscles.

I’m sold now, as you can see, and have started incorporating more and more stretching before I move on

to the’ Flow of the Day’ and my daily summer challenges.

All the stretchy stuff is perfect timing because today’s challenge really stretched my limits legs…

~~Day 16 ~~

Started out with Baddha Konasana, or Cobbler’s Pose after my stretching to get my hammies ready.

They are massive and always tight.

Challenge Poses today: Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle)

& Dwi Pada Koundinyasana (Side Crow)

Are those my LINES of Energy?

I literally held that last asana for 4.3 seconds…or 2 breaths. Work to do, yet!

I was also in awe of a Yogi I follow on Instagram and her rendition

of Baddha Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) was so beautiful, I had to imitate.

Now to catch up on some OITNB and H2O… as best I can

considering I ate all my cheddar popcorn here chatting it up with y’all Thursday…

But, I’ll live… I guess… kind of.

I’ll catch up with y’all Later 🙂

Question: Do your run/workout close to home or do you have a favorite spot a drive away?

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New-bie Continued…

June 12, 2014June 19, 2014 runswithhips

Happy Throwback Thursday! What are y’all up to?

I finally got up and got some things done today.

It’s the kid’s first official week of summer vacation

so, I’m still paying myself back for all those 5am musters all year…

Reveille.

Just glad to be up and at ’em! This time last week, I was curled up in my bed suffering from the worst stomach cramps ever

thanks to a good ol’ tainted box of green tea. And how did I KNOW it was the green tea?

After 3 day, and finally a little relief, I had a nice brewed cup…and got sick. ALL. OVER. AGAIN.

Truly the pits. But this week, I am feeling refreshed and full of energy again.

So, I cooked up a quick breakfast for this champ.

Also enjoyed a great conversation with my neighbor who’s on vacation.

Just kidding, we mostly watched dumb videos on Facebook. But all in all, good times.

And now I’m snacking on processed popcorn and H20 chatting it up with all of you cool Hipsters 🙂

Getting on with the fitness and all ~~why we are here~~ I started my day off with my now daily 60-ish minutes of yoga practice…

and…….

Day 12: Anjaneyasana & Salamba Sirsasana, also known as
Crescent Moon & Supported Headstand.

I’m such a ~~show-off~~ student of the practice, and am excited about my growth! 🙂

#ThrowBackThursday when I was running with hips…

and foolishly still ran in cotton shirts, LOL! The Days…

I’m logging off now to get some stuff done… holla Hipsters!!!

Question: What are you a ‘newbie” in?

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Out with the Old, In with the Clone

June 10, 2014June 10, 2014 runswithhips

Hello Hipsters!!! Hope you are having a fantastic Summer-To-Be!!

What I have for you is yet, an other awkward post after a nother disappearing act. Yours truly.

Was kinda hoping no one noticed?

But, there is new perspective here. So, 3 weeks ago, my Instagram was deleted.

2 years of sharing progress, runs, milestones, food, and MANY other gratuitous pictures… gone. I can’t even get my name back; I’ve tried.

It’s suspended ~~in uselessverse~~ somewhere. Indefinitely – because @runswithhips just tells me some lame excuse about she’s “not found”… I miss her.

So, that unfortunate “break” allowed me a lot of time to reconvene what my purpose and point of even sharing is, really.

I mean, was I more disappointed that all my pictures were gone, or that I lost ALL those followers? My ducklings!

Gah, I couldn’t even deal… I was just done with stupid Instagram altogether.

Then, I (accidentally) sought peace in the most unassuming of places… my blog 🙂

In short: I went back just yesterday and started reading from my very first post. I laughed… A LOT!! The BEST therapy. I was actually proud of the content and direction I was once going in my blog but furthermore, I was proud I had ever even started it! Who am I?!?!

I figured this: just like IG 2 years ago, no one cared about runs or hips or how. It was just another page on a social media site with a bajillion other people posting the same. exact. story.

So, how’d I ever end up with 1000 people even remotely interested in my journey? How’d my page become “feature worthy” or even worth the Shout Out? Or a landing for encouraging words and goal setting? I think folks were genuinely encouraged! And something about my page was… INTERESTING!!!!!!

So, I removed the clouds out of my brain, and started a new IG page: @runswithips – Pretty much the same, sans an “h”…
Until Instagram changes its ugly ways, I’ll forever be a clone…

A bit painful, because the former was my little baby and I poured into it… but no way could Instagram ever have the audience that a REAL LIVE BLOG ever can. This is real stuff!! My new launch pad.

So, do I stop doubting my blogosphere skills and start making my space here? For real, for real? For real.

Exceptionally.

Question: Has a Shutdown on social media actually rekindled a LOVE for something else?

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Becoming Golden

February 6, 2014February 6, 2014 runswithhips

So, looks like we got a little snow today. This was just the beginning…

Which was fun because per the weather gods, we were only supposed to get a light dusting. No. full blown white, fluffy. edible ~~well, to my dogs at least~~ snow!

My only complaint was it kept me inside yet another day. I am truly a weather wimp. I do NOT like being cold! Maybe its that warm California Golden Coast blood flowing through my veins, but I am so uncomfortable when its cold… like, more than you..

Whining aside, I had to get a sweat in today. I haven’t mentioned it really since this prehistoric post, but I am running the Hot Chocolate 15k this Saturday. I was on a great training streak until my birthday…then I crashed and burned.

Not alarmed though, I have still been working out! I’ve done 30DS more times than I can count, some really awesome HIIT workouts from Fitness Blender and the Catching Fire Challenge, as well as hitting the gym and lifting heavy — before it got dumb cold.

So, am I ready to run 9.2 miles? Yes. Now, a 4:30 wake up call? A crowd of over 15,000 people? A frigid 30 degree start? Eh.

But, I am nonetheless excited out of my mind! My dear friend Lisa is running it with me and we always have a BLAST whenever we get together, so we’ll start painting the town tomorrow when we meet up for the Expo!

So, no more workouts, or runs…just deep stretching and taking care of this body the next 24 hours. Today, I ~~was bored crazy~~ found some very well timed holistic remedies for inflammation. I don’t get sick a lot, which I attribute to a good, healthy diet, regular exercise, my daily acv, and the Good Lord’s grace…but I do get flare ups from time to time with foods I eat and just random body pains…especially the tummy.

I was researching the benefits of ginger, which I am pretty well rounded in, when I came across this Ayurveda remedy for inflammation called, “Golden Milk”

So, I had all the ingredients to make the paste as well as the milk. I figured why not? I had tried my hand at oven baked cheese crisps earlier and they came out golden and perfect! Luck was on my side….

So I made it. I drank it. I lived to write about it. I must say, I feel very kinda weird right now. My tongue is a little numb, my stomach feels warm, and my head a little heavy….so, must be what detoxification/healing feels like!

I’d certainly research it before trying it, but its a win for me. I am going drink it nightly for 40 days and blog about it then…I hope to have a good report!!

Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup mineral water
1/4 cup turmeric

Paste:
In a small saucepan, combine the water and turmeric, stirring with a wooden spoon for a few minutes. Once it thickens, pour into glass jar (carefully because it stains) and cover tightly and store in the fridge.

Golden Milk:
1 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp. turmeric paste
1/2 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. raw honey
Heat milk and paste in saucepan until combined. Add oil, honey, and cinnamon if you’d like, and stir until warmed through. Enjoy!

I’m off to wrangle kids together, and get ready for a busy day tomorrow, Hip Huggers!

Question: Ever skip out on race training? Did you still do well?

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Lean in 2014 – Junk Food

January 21, 2014January 23, 2014 runswithhips

Hello Hip Huggers!

If you are anything like me, one of the greatest struggles in eating clean and staying lean in 2014 has been… junk food cravings, aaahh!! I can run 6 miles, go beast in the gym, but a pack of Oreos will have me on my knees. As I woke up today on my birthday (stay calm) and contemplated all the “permissions” I have today to get ~~cupcake wasted~~ my sugar fix, I came across one of my favorite blogger Kenzoufit’s post about quitting junk food.

I myself eat without a doubt 80/20 clean and try and keep MOST of my food intake within the low glycemic index, but every now and then, those Oreo’s start visiting me in my dreams! Ebony and Ivory is what I call them, and what a perfect pairing they are…

Anyway, she mentions some very great habits to adopt in the effort to combat that way of eating, which as we all know if abused can totally sabotage all the hard work you’ve put in! UGH! So, here are my favorite tips from her post:

Start Cooking. I cannot tell you how my culinary skills have improved by cooking healthy myself. Unless you want to pay an arm and a leg at the Hot bar at your local health food store, or eat mindless massive bowls of salad, you are going to have to learn to grill it up, bake it up, sauté it up so you can eat it up! And be creative! Grab eggplants, zucchini, veggies you have never tried before and cook them! I use coconut oil whenever I am cooking stovetop, and I cook on medium heat. Make a marinade for your protein, add Italian seasonings to your veggies, if you are eating a carb, look for something rice based (rice flour tortillas are so good!) or 100% whole wheat or brown. Trust me, once you start cooking, you will be Googling clean recipes daily and you will become quite the clean eating, culinary sensation!

Resist the Urge. Now, if you have youngins’ such as I do, you may find yourself with a pantry full of snack foods. Yes, I am that mom. For me and my house, we will serve the ~~snack food to friends and guests and even snack when bored because that’s what we do~~ snack every now and then. The problem isn’t having snacks in the house, its the lack of control that leads you to think they are for YOU! I don’t go anywhere near my kids snacks, really! I tell myself ~~you are taking food out of their mouth, you thief~~ “no” and that works for me! However, you are going to want to snack and enjoy a treat ever so often. So my advice, eat and walk away. Don’t go park it on the couch, cookies at arm’s length, but rather grab a serving and be done with it! Deprivation just leads to overindulging later, remember that. If you tell yourself you can’t have that cookie but can have some peanut butter, you will frequent that PB til the jar is bare! Way more calories ( good or bad) than a few cookies. So, have a taste, but not everyday and not when you haven’t eaten a meal! Remember eat healthy more than not. 80/20!

Don’t Give Up. Food management is an art, and it takes time to get down. Don’t give up on your whole healthy eating plan because you didn’t say “no”. Regroup, and get back to your plan! MyFitnessPal is a wonderful way to track your eating and stay accountable until managing your food is second nature, and it will be! Take the time to create meals and research the calories/nutrition so you don’t overwhelm yourself later trying to add up calories, make it simple and doable!

Kenzou has a TON more tips and even for a weight loss guru such as myself, I was taking notes and taking names! She has lost over 70 lbs. with Low GI eating and has fantastic recipes and weight loss motivation. Check her out at kenzoufit.blogspot.com

Until next time, Hip Huggers! Eat clean, train mean!

Oreos for me! What is your hardest food to resist?

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Smoke and Mirrors

January 21, 2014January 21, 2014 runswithhips

Hello, and Good Morning to you all out there!

Guess what? I am 33 years young today, and I truly mean young! I have never felt more awake on a birthday in my ~~failing~~ memory as I do today. Full of energy, high on life, and looking forward to a great year.

So, let me touch upon something I mentioned a post awhile back. Today, ~~I gave up on~~ turned down a job that 3 weeks ago meant the world to me. No, not a dream job, but something I felt I needed to do to keep me busy and possibly enhance my hopeful future career as a fitness trainer. But, it was not for me.

Funny how from one angle, an opportunity can look like field of gold. But really, slows you down on that path to where you have professed you want to be. Smoke and mirrors. Things look one way until the smoke clears or that mirror becomes distorted. Then, you are stuck looking around wondering how the heck you ever got wrapped up in all of it? Why your eyes deceived you. Why your thirst for something was unquenchable until you see it for what it is REALLY worth. That was a not-so ~~scathing~~ tough lesson as it was just a part time job, but it was a stark reminder that dreams take focus and hard work! You can’t just pure wet your way around that fear of failure, but you must tear down that wall, brick by brick..

Yesterday being MLK Day, we all are inundated with that one word… dream. What is my dream? Being a phenomenal mom? Loving wife? Well yes, those are efforts I strive ~~most days~~ daily to improve upon, and happy to be the mom/wife that I am. But what is my DREAM? What do I lie in bed at night and think about. When I am feeling my bossiest, where am I on my way to?

My dream is to be a fitness trainer. I want to help people lose weight and gain knowledge. I want to be fortunate enough to change lives for a living, not make a living fortune. That was corny, but I really mean it. I want my days to be filled with sessions and travelling, bands and kettle bells, spandex and hoodies. I want my biggest job expense to be a gym membership. I want my phone to constantly be going off with texts, and emails from clients about their non-scale victories and prospective clients to ask if I am taking newbies. I want to end a session and go pick up my kids from school. I want the first GNC charge card, lol!

From a child up until last year, I wanted to be a social worker…always. I have lived with that desire of leaving my job everyday knowing I made someone’s life better, and may even perhaps saved it! I looked forward to helping people that could no longer help themselves. I wanted them to leave knowing I was going to do everything I could to lift them out of their situation.

Well, you know what? Health and fitness IS my social work. This is me helping someone make a better life. I have transformed the eating habits of my family. I have helped friends lose 20-30 lbs and see frowns turn into smiles. The looks on my friend’s face when their body changes. That late text, “can I eat this?” That “you’d be so proud of me the way I ate this weekend”… that is life to me!

So, as I have been blessed to see yet another year of life, I am also blessed to have a passion and a desire to do something for the rest of my life that will make a difference! I am standing up and walking in what I know is my destiny. Step by step. Onward and upward.

Even so with this blog! I am a very comical person, I live to laugh and joke. However, when I started this blog, my vision was to help people lose weight.

I found myself scrolling through older posts and realized, “wow, my blog is a whole lotta bout me!” That is not my intention for this blog, and could very well be why I have gone from hoping to post twice a day, actually posting once a day, to posting once or twice a month. Why this change? Fear. I may have to be certified to exchange fitness services for $$$ but I don’t have to be certified to share what I KNOW about losing weight, and keeping it off while enjoying food and life! I AM the expert at that, ~~damn it~~.

So, the landscape around here will change a bit. More self-help and less self-seeking, sum that up as you please ~~not too harsh hopefully, I’m still learning.~~ So, be on the lookout for my next post… really soon! And thank you, readers! You are honestly the heartbeat of this blog. Whoever and wherever you are.

Question: What is your dream job? Your REAL dream job?