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BEET IT! Beet, Goat Cheese & Arugula Salad
You had me at goat cheese. Seriously, you could put goat cheese on cardboard and it could make it taste good. So, when I saw a goat cheese and arugula salad on a menu, I just had to try it. The beets (in my mind) were my cardboard I thought, but I just had a feeling that this salad was going to surprise me – and it did. So, over the weekend, I picked up some beets and decided I’d repeat this yummy salad I had on vacation. I searched google for something similar to the menu item and this is what I found.
First, I must confess, I’ve never even bought a beet before, much less cooked one. I don’t even know if I had ever had one (that wasn’t pickled or something). This means I actually had to follow directions, which were simple: Peel, chop, boil. I just had to boil them like I would a potato. It was kind of fun getting my hands “dirty” in this new experience – literally! I never thought about the extreme red juice that would come from this vegetable while cutting it up and boiling it. I swear I think I could have dyed clothes with the water I boiled it in. It reminded me of coloring Easter Eggs. What can I say, I am so easily entertained.
All in all, this recipe was super simple – and SUPER yummy! I added grilled chicken, which I marinaded in Lemon Pepper marinade and topped with seasonings, to complete my meal. Besides my typical substitutions, like trading sugar for stevia and diluting olive oil with water, I pretty much followed this recipe (for once) to the T!
I don’t think Steve was as excited about my beet salad as I was, but judging by his empty plate and full tummy, I’d say it was a success in his eyes too when it was all said and done! The sweetness of the beets paired with the flavor of the goat cheese complimented each other so well! This salad will be a regular treat at the Pfiester Pfit Cafe for sure!
Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese Recipe
Salad Ingredients:
- Beets – (boiled until a fork easily goes in it, about an hour), peeled, sliced into strips
- Fresh arugula – rinsed, patted dry with a paper towel
- Goat cheese – chevre (just a little if you are watching calories!)
- Walnuts – chopped (don’t use too much)
Dressing ingredients:
- Olive oil (as always, I cut my olive oil with water)
- Lemon
- Dry powdered mustard
- Sugar (I used Stevia)
- Salt and pepper
Get the rest of the directions and measurements at Simply Recipes.com
Cali-Quinoa: Curried Black Bean & Mango Salad
Yesterday I made a couple of amazing Quinoa salads for this week. I made a Mediterranean salad (which I’ll share later) and this delicious California inspired salad.
When I think of all the flavors that go in this salad, I can’t figure out for the life of me what to call it. I don’t feel like it’s truly “Mexican” cuisine. Maybe you can tell me where a dish like this originated.
The curry and mango almost give it a tropical flair. Personally, for me, it reminds me of California – or one of my beach days when I walked across the beach to grab a Diego salad with curry sauce from Da Kine Diego’s Insane Burrito in Satellite Beach. Either way, as soon as this little salad hits my mouth, I guess my mind goes on vacation. No wonder I love this one!
I love the sweet with the spicy, and all the textures. This will definitely be one of those salads I bring to parties because all these yummy flavors are like having a party on your tongue!
Chicken, Black Bean and Mango Quinoa Salad
1 cup (uncooked) quinoa
Diced chicken (I cooked 3 breasts)
1 cup chopped mangoes
1/2 cup chopped
cucumber
2-3 chopped onion
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
handful of torn cilantro
Salt
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
(you can dilute this with water to reduce calories)
4 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
Cook 1 cup of quinoa as directed (in 2 cups water for 15 minutes). I added a dash of salt and fajita seasoning. Remove from heat and let it to continue to steam (this makes it more fluffy). While cooking your quinoa, also cook your chicken and diced into small cubes. I cooked my chicken in lime juice, cumin and curry. While the hot food cools, start chopping up the cool ingredients. I use the Vidalia Chop Wizard and LOVE it! (Thanks Kristie – that’s a gift that keeps on giving!) In a separate bowl, combine the dressing ingredients. Finally, combine the quinoa and chicken with the fresh ingredients and drizzle the dressing over it while mixing it until it is all well coated. Salt to taste. It makes 6 delicious servings.
369 Calories per Serving
- 21 gms Protein
- 12 gms Fat (only 1.7gm saturated fat)
- 45 gms Carbs
- 6.9 gms Fiber
This is a perfect salad for people who don’t have access to a microwave during the day.
Ways to reduce calories and make it even healthier:
- Use Stevia instead of honey
- Use less (or no) oil
- Use more chicken, and less quinoa
This recipe was inspired by Curried Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango at Babble.com
CLICK HERE to learn more about Quinoa – including where to get it, great nutritional information and more!
Encouragement for Procrastinators
When you think of starting a diet or workout routine, you should not just think about starting the WORK. You should think about starting the RESULTS.
You immediately start benefiting from fitness as soon as you begin. You don’t have to wait until you’ve reached your goal weight to “cash in”. You will begin to feel more energized, better, healthier, stronger, leaner, more confident, and proud – just after a few days of consistent healthy living. Unfortunately, in our little pea-brains, all we can see is the work. And, that work is SO big to us, it temporarily overshadows the even GREATER rewards waiting for us on the other side.
The next time you even think about putting off a diet or workout, remember: You are not just putting off the work – you are putting off the results. Don’t you want to start enjoying results today?
Mind, Body AND, Don’t Forget, Spirit
Sundays are the days I really reflect on my prior week – what i did, what I didn’t do, what I want to do better, what I have to change. I think about the things that need to be removed, and the things that need to be added. This requires me to strip away the flesh (the skin, muscle, clothing, make-up & appearance) and think about what is underneath it all. Then I ask myself, “what needs work?” Of course, my answer is a loooong list, but I know the things I need to tackle first – I think we all do.
However, if we don’t stop to purposefully analyze our life and give ourself a little spiritual “check up”, it is so easy to let the days slip by, the problems build up and our soul deteriorate. Just in the same way our muscles deteriorate when neglected – so does our relationship with God when we neglect Him.
The question for me today was “Are you where God wants you to be?”
Am I doing what God called me to do?
Am I being obedient – in the big and the small things?
Am I ignoring Him?
Do I even know what I am supposed to be doing?
Am I giving Him enough time in my week to even let me know?
These are all things I am reflecting on today, and just wanted to share my thoughts with you. While we are on a quest for physical fitness, we should want to improve all areas of our lives – not just our body. I don’t know about you, but I have a LOT of work to do! :)
Have a great and reflective Sunday!
Fitness Motivation: The Hardest Step is the 1st Step
In my opinion, the actual run (or workout) is not the hardest part. It’s getting there. It’s putting your workout clothes on, and stepping away from the computer, kids, and responsibilities to START your workout.
Once I’m “there” (whether on the road or in the gym), I love it – but it’s like there is an invisible forcefield at the front door that makes it so challenging to step through that door and transform into the fit girl I love to be.
May the Force Be With You
For some people, there is an evil forcefield that seems to block them from going to the gym. It comes in the form of work, kids, laziness, fear, embarrassment, procrastination, guilt and many other forms.
BUT, once you have made a commitment to show up, the forcefield is broken. The same way Snow White could be woken from the curse with the most simple task, with true love’s kiss, YOU can break the curse by an equally simple task. You just have to show up.
Don’t Think So Much
I think we overcomplicate things. We spend too much time worrying about what we are going to do when we get there, what we are going to wear, what our kids are going to think when we stick them in day care, what we have to cook for dinner, how we will squeeze it all in, what we are going to look like when we are floundering around the gym as a newbie, or how we are going to feel – embarrassed, fat, weak or out of shape.
Some people even think they need to lose weight BEFORE they go to the gym! That’s like trying to get well before going to the doctor. All these silly thoughts do is allow that forcefield to go up.
Just Show Up
It’s time to tear down the walls of intimidation, fear, laziness, and excuses – and just focus on one thing: Show Up. Day after day, just keep showing up. Once your feet hit the pavement, it’s golden. Once your body walks through the gym doors, you are set. The rest is easy! Most people would agree that they enjoy the feeling they get when they workout, they just have a hard time with the “starting” part.
Commit.
Start.
Do.
Succeed!
The shoes in this pictures are the Reebok DMX Sky. They are really cool shoes that use air as cushion. I’ve been having ankle issues and I wore these yesterday and had the first day in several days with no pain. So, if you need extra support and like extra cushion, I’d definitely give these shoes a try. Very cool kicks.
FitFluential LLC compensated me for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Fast Shoulder Circuit
Yesterday was shoulder day for me, and this is the workout my girlfriend and I did. Instead of doing traditional reps and sets, I wanted to set up stations that we could quickly move through to really set those shoulders on fire, as well as get our heart rate up too. It was a quick workout, but judging by how nice and sore I am today, it was a successful workout! Have Fun!
Tools: One medium weight Bar/plates or dumbbells (I only did 30lbs), yellow bodylastics band or 5lb dumbbells, 8-10lb dumbbells, 25-35lb plate (or the bar) and a green bodylastics band (or 8-10lb dumbbells).
Complete the following exercises as quickly as possible, with no rest between exercises or rounds. Click on each exercise below to review the demonstration video.
- 12 Dumbbell Overhead Press 30-45lbs
- 12 Lateral Raise Light Band or 3-5lb dumbbells
- 12 Ladder Presses 8-10lb dumbbells
- 12 Upright Row - 25-35lb barbell or plate weight
- 12 Rear Delt Fly - Light to Medium Band (or Rear Delt Fly with dumbbells)
When you are done, you will have completed 300 reps of nothing but shoulder work! YUMMY!!
#FitFluential #MOVE
75 Fitness Motivational Quotes
People who succeed in weight loss and fitness, don’t have extra energy or super powers. They have as many excuses as anyone else. They wake up feeling tired and lazy. They get frustrated and depressed sometimes. They are tempted to skip their workouts, and are tempted to give up and give in. They may have times they feel weak or defeated. They feel many of the same feelings people feel that cause them to quit. The only difference is, they don’t allow their feelings to get in the way. They don’t quit.
How do they do it? How do they hang in there, keep pressing on and finding the motivation to keep showing up? I think, often times, we have to keep talking ourself into not giving up. We must fight those feelings, fight our negative thoughts and literally argue with our fat, lazy, hungry, self.
I am constantly in an argument with my flesh – but I refuse to let it win. AND, the fit Bonnie is strong and has convincing words to beat the lazy Bonnie.
In this blog, I share some of my own thoughts – AND I share quotes from my facebook and twitter friends – real people fighting the fit fight with real words that really work.
15 things I tell myself to help me get my fat lazy butt in gear:
- You know you’ll feel better if you do it. And you’ll feel horrible if you don’t.
- You really don’t have a choice.
- You need to stop now and do it. You’ll be so glad you did.
- You know what you want, so you know what you need to do to get it.
- If you really want “that”, you really need to do “this”.
- It’s such a small sacrifice for such a great reward.
- Are you really going to let fat win?
- Do you want abs or not?
- You don’t have to be perfect, but you can be better.
- Don’t let your enemies watch you fail.
- I want to be fit and healthy
- Working out makes me feel like a super hero
- You need to just do it because it’s the right thing to do, whether you feel like it or not.
- Your husband is hot. Don’t be the fat wife.
- You you’re gonna preach it, you better live it.
The People Speak
I know I’m not the only one who has to talk to herself to get her butt going, so I yesterday I asked my facebook and twitter friends to complete this sentence below. I got SO many fantastic responses, I decided to share them. SEE, you are not alone! We all talk to ourselves! ha 
And some of you guys are saying some really great stuff!! Check it out…
“Today, I woke up tired & unmotivated – but then I remembered these words_________________”
Alexie Elizabeth Messer True happiness is being able to smile at yourself in the mirror…when you are butt naked!
Nadine Armstrong Just show up!
Christopher Borders I made a bet with Alfonso AngryTrainer Moretti to beat his time on a 500m Row. I didn’t beat his time but I got a new PR.
Joann Rosalia I’m worth it!!!
Ashley Brock Gibson Starbucks is in walking distance (Ashley, I’d definitely run for Starbucks!)
Carolyn Caruso ”that mile isn’t going to run itself”
Dan Pedley You vs you
Bart Mazzarella Stay the course! Only losers quit!
Laurie Duncan I’m gonna get sexy! lol Not quite as inspiring as all the above.
Sig Wynne-Evans Your cancer is most likely because you are overweight. (said by my dr last year when I had uterine cancer). Gets me to the gym EVERY TIME-
Brian Loff ”It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to get done.” 
Tracy Piko U can do anything if u want it bad enough. My dad rest his soul always told me that
Tavia Collins Smith If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results. – Jack Dixon
Kellee Murphy Get up!!!! make the bed so you don’t lay back down, get work out clothes on. I made it to the gym today and even met a new friend and she and I plan on meeting there again! Great day!!!
Jennifer Rataj Fat people make excuses. Fit people make time.
Nicole Hamilton Gonzalez This isn’t a choice. This is who you are and this is what you do.
Joy Cook Bouget Just do it. You’re lapping everyone on the couch!!
Becky Puckett Shealy No one’s going to do it for you
Mia Hann …I don’t get paid unless I show up?!!
Gayle Winrow ”Quitting is NOT an Option”!!!
Kylie Cole Just f…… Do it!!!!!
Khari Espinoza ^^ And that’s why I sign up for races all the time- Khari Espinoza I have a race in less than a month!!
Natalia Balandina Giving up is not an option!
Karen Robinson Why am I so tired and unmotivated… lol! Then I perked up! Lol
Kimberley Nash You must work for what you want.
Keala Keahi Vasconcellos My why my children
Kanoelani Patterson I got this!! Nothing worth having is ever done easily so get up & let’s do this thing!
Michael Petrosky . . . Own it Brother, own it !!
Lizzie Flintoff Then I remembered that I had boot camp at 6am and then pole class straight after! Gym done and dusted! YEAH!
Cindy Walter Rhoads Nobody is going to do it for me!! Today i will be the best i can be
Sean Jaftha What would Bonnie do?!
Lori Emm I always feel so much better after I workout
Gary Whitaker Embrace the pain. Finish the drill.
Kionna McNeal-Rowe Get’er dunn!!
Danielle Streich If you think you can or you think you can’t…you are right!
Amy Frazier Goleski Too damn bad!! : )
Melody Cordero Summer’s coming!
Rick Crosby There’s no quit in this boy
Andrea Uribe Unmotivated is a feeling. Feelings are just feeling and if you ignore hem they will catch up.
Ashlie Wynne ”How bad do you want it?”
Trish Tague Burnett I am responsible for me. I get to choose the best option for me and that is choosing my health!
Marcela Rhodus Dreams don’t work unless you do.
Sabrina Reitmeyer ”mom you’re the best”
Nell Lovorn Rela Just do it!!
Amanda Theresa Caravello More sweat now, less jiggle later
Friné Velilla Why don’t you burn more calories?
Meghan Boeckman make it count..
Linda Mcleod Every day above ground is worthwhile, so get to it!
Clinton Fuller Gotta get at it cause I won’t see the changes I want to see sitting on my ass!
Susan Brenner-Stutsman I fight on, I fight to win! Margaret Thatcher
Patti Ambrosia McLean ’STEVE WILL MAKE YOU DO BURPEEEEESSSS!!!!!”
Emme Green ”It starts & ends with me”
Andre Owens This is a day God has given me. I will rejoice and be glad in it
Judy Whitehead My goal is to keep going and get fit!
Brian Stolze Don’t Give up!! Don’t Ever Give Up! Just DO It……- Debbie Tosti @debbietosti15h today is a new day!
- Geraint Roberts @Gezzyroberts15h man up!
- TNCOWBOY7 @JasonSkelton715h I have not one pair of pants (out of probably 50) that I can get on. More important,my son is 9 so I need to b around awhile
- Damian Hunt @damian_hunt16h …winners never quit, quitters never win!
THANKS AMANDA FOR SHARING THIS!
It was so good, I made a fitness mantra pic out of it! More to come my peeps!
5 Gift Ideas for a Fit Mom
Mother’s Day is just around the corner. If you are still trying to find a fun gift for the fit mom of your house, here are 5 unique ideas that are sure to help you mom reach her goals – and make her smile!.
#1 Elegant Portions 3-Piece Place Setting: This place setting by Elegant Portions is the perfect gift for a mom who is watching her weight or just eating healthy. Designed around portion control, this dinner wear will help mom reach her goals in style. The Wine Traxx glass, which is perfect for high-calorie beverages like juice or wine, delicately marks 4oz, 6oz and 8oz servings. The next item is a pretty Snack Traxx glass bowl that is also marked the same way for 4oz, 6oz and 8oz pours (perfect for my yogurt & soups!) Lastly, the Meal Traxx plate also marks ¼-Plate for lean protein, ¼-Plate for starches or whole grains, and ½-Plate for fruits and vegetables. Simply brilliant – and beautiful!
#2 Super Socks for Supermom: Have you ever thought your mom was so strong, she should wear a cape? Even if the cape is a little too much for your mom, JoyofSocks.com has a pair of cool socks for just about anyone. Plus, high socks are one of the few ways to “dress up” a fitness outfit and bring a little personality into the gym. If your mom is in the market for compression socks, you’ll be pleased to hear Reebok has come out with some fun styles too. Socks are an affordable fun gift that would make any mom smile. And whether they wear them in the gym, or just wear them around the house, they will get worn – and with these socks, they will likely wear a smile to match!
#2 Help Mom Accel: Live Well 360 offers incredible multi-function bags that do it all. Made with quality materials, and quality guarantee, they carefully constructed each bag to meet just about every need you can imagine. The Accel is the smallest of their bags, which carries like a purse or a gym bag depending on the strap you use. It has 13 pockets for organizing straps, gloves, headphones, ipod, clothes, jewelry, water bottle, shoes and any other must-have fitness accessory. It even has a padded compartment for a small lap top or tablet (which I carry every day because I watch online TV while doing cardio!). The detachable yoga straps make this bag complete, which is the perfect addition for the yogi mom. I warn ya, don’t even try to compare Live Well 360 bags to the bags you see in most department stores. Live Well 360 bags are the Coach of gym bags. They cost more (this bag is $167), because you get more – and you won’t buy another gym bag for a long time. Live Well 360 come in 3 sizes: Accel (small), Core (medium) and Luxx (large, which also holds a full-size laptop). SAVE 10% OFF with this code: PFIT10
#4 Dad, Give Mom HICKIES: NO! Not THAT kind of Hickie, HICKIES elastic lacing system, designed to transform tennis shoes into slip-on shoes. However, that’s not really why I love them. I love them because they add color – and lots of it. HICKIES have 16 different color combination that can completely change the look of your tennis shoes. Whether you are wearing Converse or Reebok, you can throw in some fun multi-color HICKIES and get a whole new look without buying a new pair of shoes. I personally love the HICKIES in rainbow colors for a multi-colored look that would help your shoes match just about anything in your closet. HICKIES are available at Brookestone.
#5 Fit Jewelry for a Fit Mom. There are two stores I really like for fitness jewelry. One is the Fitness Fan Store for CrossFitters and Boot Campers, and the other is Fashletics for all fitness fanatics. The Fitness Fan Store has fitness pendants unique to boot camp and CrossFit programs like tractor tires, kettlebells, jump rope, sledge hammers and even a sled. Fashletics has motivational pendants like “Live, Love, Lift”, and peptalk jewelry like “”YOU vs YOU”, that is sure to inspire any mom to keep showing up. In addition to their motivational jewelry, they also have some fun fitness pendants like a 45lb plate, barbells, running shoes and cycling charms. They even offer a way to build your own charm set to customize your gift with just the right message and fitness tool to match mom’s training.
PS: I was NOT compensated for this post.
Have a cool gift idea? Share it below!
We’d LOVE to hear about your gift ideas so I can share it with the PFIT PFAM!
Strong in the Gym, but Not in the Kitchen?
I’ve never heard anyone say “I feel so fat, if only I could be stronger in the gym”. No, that never happens. What they say is, “I’m so fat, I just wish I could be stronger around food”. The fact is, what we do in the gym is the easy part. It’s what we do in the kitchen that is tough.
We need food. It’s fuel for our body – BUT we have to learn to control food like we learn to control a weight. Think about this: When people first lift free weights, their weights are all over the place. Every movement feels a little unnatural. Newbies are shaky, wobbly and unbalanced. Lifting weights takes a certain amount of practice, which require repetition. Then, once we are able to control the weight, we work to improve, increasing the weight, and improving our skill.
We could use some of those same principles in the kitchen. We must first do what comes unnatural for us. For example, you may need to force yourself to eat 5-6 times a day at first. Like trying a new exercise, we have to try new things with our diet, like counting calories or making protein shakes. Then, you have to practice those things over and over – yes, you heard right. We have to practice eating healthy. You will practice new recipes and try new snacks – and just like when we practice anything else, we will not always get it right. So we keep working on it.
Look at the definition of what practice:
Practice: repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency. “Practice makes perfect.”
Don’t you think we could all use more practice when it comes to eating right? This means we have to REPEATEDLY keep trying to improve our eating habits, even when we fail, until we are proficient in healthy eating. Like anything else, it will take work. We can’t rely on shortcuts or happenstance. But, just like the work we put in the gym, the work we put in the kitchen comes with a great reward! You will get stronger.
Goal Achieved: Now What?
I see a lot of people work SERIOUSLY hard to reach a goal. Then when they reach it, they stop all the good habits they made and revert back to their old ways. I see this in boot camp a lot. People take a 6-week boot camp program, lose body fat, gain muscle, workout on a regular basis and then when it’s over, they never step foot back in a gym ….until the next boot camp.
That’s not the way fitness works. That’s more like going to the doctor when you get sick. Fitness should not just be about improving your health, but maintaining it. There are goals, and then there should be a new set of goals. Here are Steve’s thoughts this week on what to do after the goal is met so you don’t sabotage your hard work.
Rebound: Return, bounce back, setback, backfire, move backward.
“I recently took 18 competitors from my gym, Max Fitness, to compete in the NPC Southeast Classic (picture of some of the competitors below). The goal was hitting the stage. Not winning a trophy, but using the stage to make us push harder and be our best.
The goal was made, and the goal was met! What we do now defines what we learned on our journey to accomplish our goal. In the “realm” of goal acquisition, focusing solely on the goal can be a tragedy. What I mean is, the goal is just that: “a goal” – a means to an end. How we develop, the wisdom we gain, and the way we develop along the way is the real reward for meeting our goal. Goals are not the …READ MORE
