Author: Orange DECA

Creamy [clean] Peanut Butter Dip

Peanut butter is DELICIOUS and if you buy NATURAL, can be low in sugar and high in protein… two good things! It is high in fat, however, so too much of a good thing can be bad if you’re trying to lose weight.

These strategies will help you get the same great flavor with a lower calorie/fat count…

If a recipe allows, use peanut flour as its lower in fat & calories than regular pb
Mixing in the greek yogurt lowers the fat & calories and then a little pb can go a longer way!

This dip is also a healthy alternative to the yummy, but unhealthy fruit dip some make with marshmallow fluff and cream cheese.

Yummy, creamy, dreamy [clean] peanut butter dip

1 tb Krema natural peanut butter or two tb peanut flour
2-3 tb of non-fat PLAIN greek yogurt (no extra sugar!)
Dash of Cinnamon if you’d like
Pinch of maple syrup or stevia (I won’t be adding this, currently following a clean, no-sugar meal plan)

Blend, mix, serve with fruit!

Sources:

I heart vegetables

Fitsugar

It’s Half Marathon Training Kickoff week!

It’s TRAINING TIME! Our 12 week half marathon training program begins TODAY!

Our Living Fit Columbus running group is going to be training for the Cap City Half Marathon this spring. We have a few veterans and a couple first-timers. If you want to join us for the training or just a Saturday run, check out our FB page and/or blog page for more info.

*Note, this schedule has been designed by LivingFit and is based on our previous running experience and a combination of various training plans over the years (LifeTime Fitness Run Club, Coach Turnbull, Hal Higdon, Runner’s World… the list goes on, I’ve tried so many!) It is a beginner-intermediate, adjust based on your needs and fitness level*

Here is our week #1 schedule.

I’ll be posting some tips on Half Marathon training soon.

Rules for now. DO NOT OBSESS OVER THE SCHEDULE! It is here to help guide you, but ultimately listen to your body, do what you can to follow this (or any) schedule, and don’t freak out if you miss one occasionally. Remember, these are based on OUR experiences, not Golden Rules of Running You Must Follow.

Also drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest and sleep.

That’s all for now, have a great week & hope to see you Saturday!

Tour of Columbus ~ Laura’s Boot Camp

Tour of Columbus ~ Laura’s Boot Camp ~ Featured on LiveCbus.com

As promised, I’ve been trying to check out a new fitness routine, location or workout around Columbus each week.

This week’s feature highlights Laura’s Bootcamp, a challenging and calorie busting one hour workout! For only $10, you get a customized workout from fitness expert, Laura Santagata. I was SORE!!!!

Laura is a trainer & run coach helping people lose weight and meet other fitness goals. Read more about her in our FITNESS SPOTLIGHT.

Laura ~ Columbus Half Marathon

For more details on the bootcamp and my workout, visit Livecbus.com by clicking HERE.

Contact Laura if you want more info on her Saturday bootcamps and/or her personal training sessions! She is amazing!

Tata!

Interval running

Its Interval Running day around here (if you’re following our base building half marathon plan)…

How appropriate then that this little article popped up in my FaceBook newsfeed this morning (thanks Amanda!)

Article: Celebs can’t stop doing this treadmill workout and neither can we!

It features a 30 minute interval treadmill workout with walking, sprints, hills and everything in between.

*NOTE* Popsugar mentions that this workout is geared towards experienced runners. If you are a newer runner, just sloooooow down those interval speeds to what you are comfortable doing. No injuries allowed, half marathon training is almost upon us!

Well, off to the treadmill…..

[Chicken] Lentil Soup

Fall and winter bring cooler weather… the perfect weather to make a warm, yummy [healthy] soup! We’ve got two recipes for you below, both from Living Fit followers;

Mahvish’s Lentil Soup

3T EVOO
1T cumin seeds
1T mustard seeds
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t sea salt
2c red lentils
corriandar/ginger/red or black pepper & lemon to taste
cilantro for garnish
8 c water

In a pot heat oil and spices over medium heat, once sizzling add lentils and stir for a few minutes, add water and bring to boil, turn heat to low and cover about 25 min until tender.

Josh’s Chicken Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
2 lbs of chicken breast cut into cubes
1 large white onion finely chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
2 large carrots finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
3/4 cup dried lentils..we use orange lentils
1 can chicken stock (sodium free)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can tomato sauce (10 ounce)
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (we use fresh)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oil in skillet and then brown the chicken. Remove from skillet when done and set aside. Place onion in skillet and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Mix in carrots, garlic, and celery. Stir in lentils and broth and season with salt. Bring to boil, cover, reduce hear to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Return chicken to skillet, cover and cook for 20 more minutes…if mixture becomes too dry, add in more chicken stock to moisten. Stir tomato sauce into skillet, season with rosemary and basil. Continue cooking for 10 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in lemon juice and serve warm!

Fitness Spotlight [Laura Santagata]

Expertise: Laura is a teacher, personal trainer, performance nutrition specialist, run coach and founder of Laura’s Bootcamp ~ whew! Read about Laura’s Bootcamp featured in our Tour of Columbus section.

What are your proudest fitness accomplishments?

I have helped clients with fat loss, building lean muscle mass, improving endurance, training & running marathons, enhance their current sport, improve self-esteem & overall happiness in daily life. My goal is to continue doing what I love: helping people find their true passion & true selves.

Too humble to list her own accomplishments, I will add that she has been featured in Shape Magazine Success Stories and is a Boston Marathon finisher!

Motivation for LIVING FIT: There is nothing more important than my health. The healthier & happier I am, the better trainer, mom, teacher, mentor I am for others.

Favorite healthy food: Salmon salad

Favorite FIT place around Columbus: Loves going to any outdoor park, especially Thaddeus Kosciuszko Park in Dublin. Laura’s Bootcamp takes on a ‘primal playground’ role in warmer months as she uses nature to get in a workout… using rocks as weights, using trees and logs as obstacles to do box jumps, push ups, etc!

Favorite workout: MetCon (if you’re like me and didn’t know what that meant, click HERE to read an article on MetCon!)

Fitness role model: Mark Sisson

Laura’s Primal Playground

Laura’s Bootcamp ~ Sat 8:30AM

Laura ~ Columbus Half Marathon

Living Fit’s 8 week challenge comes to an end…

Screen Shot 2014-02-03 at 6.06.58 AM

Our 8 week challenge has ended!

Here is a glimpse at the Leader Board…

A $20 Starbucks gift card is headed to Peggy and several challengers are eligible for the $5 card for earning over 500 points. Congrats to all on your hard work [and free stuff]!

Check back soon for our next FIT challenge and send any ideas you have our way.

Weekly Workout & countdown to Half Marathon training…

Although the doldrum of cold weather, treadmill running and holiday eating often keep us from sticking 100% to our fitness goals, January and February often bring something exciting… TRAINING SEASON is upon us!

Our Living Fit Columbus running group is going to be training for the Cap City Half Marathon this spring. We have a few veterans and a couple first-timers. I always get excited as a new racing season begins and I’m especially excited this year, as I didn’t experience it last year (for good reason, my precious little guy was born Jan 24).

Our 12 week training program begins in just NINE days and our first group run is only two weeks away!

Here is the base building schedule I’ll be following for next week.

If you are a new runner, you shouldn’t increase your mileage more than 10% per week. I had been running consistently (approx 3-4 miles, 2-3x/week) for about a year before I began training for my first half. Runner’s World and other sites recommend a solid running base of 6+ months before conquering your first half. Overuse injuries are common if your body is not ready and not used to the high-impact pounding.

If you want to join us for the training or just a Saturday run, check out our FB page and/or blog page for more info. I’m happy to provide support, training tips, success stories and answer any questions you may have. There is no fee, so remember you get what you pay for 🙂

I’m also excited to join MIT on a run next Saturday, before our group training begins. They are a fabulous training group if you are looking for a BIG group to train with! I’ll be running with coach Turnbull and her group. She helped me PR at the Detroit Marathon (4:05!) and is an amazing, inspirational mentor of mine. Update 2/10 ~ unfortunately my son and then my husband & I got the stomach flu last week, so I didn’t make it to the run with MIT (not to mention the fact that it was -14 degrees!). I do plan to run with Coach Turnbull soon!

Stay tuned for weekly updates and tips for FIRST TIME HALF MARATHON TRAINING from the field!

Are you planning to do a half marathon this spring? Is it your first? Your 50th? Tell us, we want to know about your experience!

New to running?

New to Running // 2014 // by T Gellenbeck

Featured runner: Katie ‘Kate’ Shick

Hometown: Canton, Ohio

Goal accomplished: To run a 5K

My best friend is a classic example of a ‘non-runner’ turned runner.

When we first met, I’d always try to get her to come on a run with me… she would say ‘I’m not a runner!’ and we would end up walking. After years of requesting and pressuring her, she FINALLY gave in and started training for her first 5K. After that, it became a 10K (see photo below). And now, I THINK I’ve got her on a half-marathon training schedule! She is fit, FAST and loving running (and the many benefits!)

Canton 10K ~ Katie’s first

I’m a firm believer that if you WANT to be a runner, you CAN.

Here are some TIPS FOR NEW RUNNERS…

Make sure you have been fitted properly for the correct shoe. This is perhaps the most important thing you can do. A good pair may run you around $100, but it is totally worth it. Stores around Columbus that are especially helpful include Columbus Running Co, Fleet Feet and RoadRunner. All three are good, but RoadRunner has the most in depth fitting process.
START OFF SLOW. Too much, too soon is where you will run into over-use injuries including shin splints, knee problems, IT band problems, etc. Find a good training plan that has you increase mileage by no more than 10% per week. Some people want to come out of the gates full force and run everyday, but unless your body is used to that, I don’t recommend it.
Determine what your motivation for running is (weight loss, overall health, bucket list, etc) and set up some way to keep yourself accountable. Maybe you need a running buddy or group (check out ours!) Maybe you just need a training schedule. Whatever works for YOU, stick to it. Set yourself up for success!
If you have any health conditions or are pregnant, check with your doctor. Both my family doctor and my OB were good with me running while pregnant, but my body was already used to it. A good rule of thumb is to not try anything NEW after you’ve become pregnant (with the exception of walking).

For more information and in depth tips, read this article by Active.com ~ there is some very useful information. We will update the NEW RUNNERS page, so check back for more info.

If you are a veteran, what got you started into running?

If you are new to running, how is it going? What has helped?

Feel free to leave a comment and/or send any questions our way. Run on!

Another day of indoor workouts…

It is -9 here right now, -20 with the windchill.

Good news ~ school was canceled, so I am home with my little guy 🙂 Also had some time to Pinterest running stuff! Loving FitSugar right now.

Bad news ~ too cold (again) to run outside!

With the Cap City Half Marathon training beginning in mid February, I’m trying to run at least 3 miles, 3-4 times per week to get my base building in. Those were the orders I’ve given my running group, so I need to be a good example! I don’t belong to a gym currently, so for now, I head to my basement for another indoor workout. I’ll show you a ‘before’ picture of the basement sometime soon and you’d understand why I have to really motivate myself to head down there. I hope to have an ‘after’ picture by Spring! We don’t plan on doing a total renovation (yet) but at least fix it up so its a bit more cozy down there. Here is the treadmill workout I plan to do today…

The only things I will alter are the 4.0 segments. Since I want to jog for a minimum of 30 minutes, I’ll substitute 6.0 in those spots. I don’t usually walk to warmup, but I do often walk at the end to cool off, so I’ll add a 5 min 4.0 walk at the end. Mixing it up (changing the speed and/or incline) not only burns more fat, but also breaks up the boredom of the treadmill. You break your run into smaller chunks.

After the run, I will STRETCH (don’t skip this step!) and I also plan to do an indoor mini-circuit to get in some toning. Maybe something like this…