Fit2Flex*

Triathlon Training with Jet Set Performance

2013-05-22T21:30:00.000-04:00

Would you like the opportunity to travel to beautiful locations and train with Olympians to help make you a better athlete?

My hand is raised.

If you are a triathlete, then this doesn't need to be a bucketlist item anymore. You can spend the weekend improving your swim, bike, and run with Olympians, elite athletes, coaches, and experts. Totally true. Think of it as the ultimate "tri-cation" brought to you by Jet Set Performance.

Jet Set Performance was started by a friend of mine, James, who I used to work with "back in the day" as a performer. We walked on stilts. It was good times. However even back then James was a talented triathlete. Now he's taking coaching and training to the next level with Jet Set.

According to their most recent press release:

Jet Set Performance (JSP), a first-class travel and fitness service that specializes in providing unique upscale travel packages that provide the ultimate training experience to fitness-lovers, will officially launch May 30 in Orlando, Fla. with “Stealth Weekend,” a 3-day camp with clinics led by Olympian Debbie Ferguson, pro-triathlete Sara McLarty and other top athletes. JSP’s all-in-one travel packages take fitness enthusiasts of all levels to destinations coast-to-coast where participants enjoy a positive, health-focused mini-vacation where they train and work hard, but also play just as hard and indulge in some of the finer luxuries of life. “Stealth Weekend” will encompass all three triathlon disciplines—swimming, cycling and running—but because participants are encouraged to work at their own pace, you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete or a champion triathloner to join.

Their first Jet Set weekend is happening in Orlando May 30 - June 3. Here's a look at the itinerary.

I'm hoping to join in on one of the run sessions. Maybe I can keep up...haha

For those of you who are Florida natives, I think there is still space to register to attend the sessions as a local.

Even though I'm not a triathlete, I think this is a great idea. As a runner, I spend money on race fees and traveling to races. It'd be nice to have a unique experience like this that can help make me a better athlete and let me chill with Olympians. NBD.

What Olympian would you want to train with?

Love and Jet Setters,

Carissa & Kyle

Crock Pot Cola Pork

2013-05-22T08:00:00.003-04:00

When I first started blogging "What I Ate Wednesday" confused me. People were posting "What I Ate Wednesday" on Wednesday at 6am. How on Earth did they know what they ate on Wednesday? It was a real riddle. Then I realized how awesome the WIAW link up at Peas and Crayons was and that it's most likely What I Ate ~~Tuesday~~ Wednesday.

My understanding of WIAW has increased over the years, but I still stink at remembering to take pictures of all my foods. I did manage to snap shots of my 3 main meals yesterday. I also have a new recipe to share today. Let's go!
I tried to eat this banana on the way to workout. It was way over ripe. Side face banana and a workout fueled by coffee.

Man my hair looks good!

After a killer workout I knew I needed protein ASAP. I've been trying to have less protein shakes lately, but this one was needed. The creepy face..possibly not necessary.

I showered, cleaned up around the house, and heated up my pumpkin oatmeal bake. Sometimes I add peanut butter to give it extra "staying power". Sometimes I add peanut butter because it's delicious.

Lunch was yucky. Yup, my twice college educated vocabulary says yucky. The cafeteria at the hospital where I'm working is hit or miss. It's been very miss this week. After much debate and a walk in the rain to check both cafeterias, I settled on grilled chicken and quinoa with vegetables. I covered it in tomato sauce after this pic to enhance the flavor.

I arrived home to dinner in the crock pot. I made pork. I don't think I've made the other white meat in three years. I typically don't eat it, but Kyle was over crock pot chicken so I needed something new. This recipe was adapted from Rachel Ray's Magazine.

Being a Southern girl I'm a big fan of pulled pork. This roast had such a savory taste that I didn't need to add my favorite cider based sauce.

I served mine with roasted broccoli, dill pickles, and raw green peppers.

What's the best thing you ate yesterday?
What's your families favorite crock pot dinner?

Love and Yum-O,
Carissa & Kyle

Bouncing Around

2013-05-21T11:34:00.003-04:00

First and foremost, Kyle and I's thoughts and prayers are with the families in Moore, Oklahoma. My heart has been aching looking at the devastation that I cannot comprehend. Here's a list of ways you can help those affected by the deadly tornado.

Also Feeding America is a charity of over 200 food banks across the country. In Oklahoma they are mobilizing forces to be able to feed those in need. If you have a smart phone you can download the app Charity Miles. If you run (with your GPS on) and select Feeding America as your charity it will donate 2 meals for every mile you run, walk, or bike.

So what's going on with us?

I am in my third week of my community dietetics rotation. I am lucky in a sense that I am visiting 6 different community facilities and being able to learn about many different specialties. The bad part is that my schedule changes every week and I don't typically know my new schedule until Monday.

I've been having veggies!

It has made planning workouts and meals a little difficult. This week is my second week at the same place, so I was able to do a little more planning. I'm working later here, so I had to enlist the help of the good ole crock pot.

Here's a look at my weekly In & Out planning:

This morning's workout was two large supersets. One for upper and one for lower. My lower body routine was: leg extension, single leg lunge with shoulder press, close, low power squats, and hamstring extensions for two rounds. For the upper body we did all "suicide" sets with heavy weights. My rotation was pullover, close grip row, bench press, front db raise, shoulder press, chest press, and bicep curls. I finished with abs.

We have been trying to stick to healthy dinners on Fridays, which is so hard. Our mind goes to "weekend mode". I've been trying to think of "fun" Friday dinners that are good but still relatively healthy.

Monday's "kinda cobb" salad

I'm also looking forward to some relaxing BBQ time this weekend and my long run on Friday. I start my marathon training in about 2 weeks and then my schedule will change even more. Just call me Mrs. Bouncy.

Does your schedule stay the same or change every week?
What's your usual Friday dinner?

Love and please support the Red Cross,
Carissa & Kyle

Edgewood Children's Ranch Trail 5k

2013-05-20T11:17:00.000-04:00

Saturday I ran the Edgewood Children's Ranch Trail 5k here in Orlando. The race was very hot and challenging but....spoiler alert...I won my age group!

Race outfit - Beast Mode shirt, Under Armour shorts, SweatyBands "Viva La Diva", spi belt, 110% compression sleeves, Asics shoes

The race started at 8am so I arrived around 715 to pick up my packet. I did an easy 3/4 mile warm-up and waited for the start. It was a small race, but I could tell there was a fast men's contingency included a local high school cross country team. As I mentioned before the race was a trail 5k. This is the second trail 5k I've done in a row. I don't mean to or even want to do trail races, but the scheduling keeps working out that I'm only off those weekends.

Here's the word - trail 5k's are hard. I can never totally settle into my stride and my quads are burning in the first 1/2 mile. This race was primarily on grass and we spent mile 2 in a dried up lake bed. The race was also hilly. Hilly for Floridians is hard, and I overheard at the start there was a major hill right near the finish. Game on.

Since this was a smaller race and a tough course I didn't have a time goal. I always "want" to PR, but I didn't think it would happen. I made my goal to race and try to be more competitive on the course. Mile 1 was around the 8:20 mark. I was working harder then I wanted to be and I knew it was going to be a long 3 miles.

Mile 2 was through the lake bed. I was pretty uneven and had some soft ground. I was holding 4th place for the females but hurting. Mile 2 was around 9:00.

At mile 2 I decided to stop at the water stop. I never stop for water during 5k's and I'm not sure why I chose to here. I think I just wanted a legitimate reason to take a walk break. So I told myself it was hot and I needed water. Looking back I wish I hadn't taken the 20 seconds.

I don't remember much of mile 3. I just kept telling myself to keep an even pace and finish with no walk breaks. Around mile 2.5 we turned a corner and there it was. Massive hill.

Okay, so in this picture it doesn't look massive but after 2.5 miles in soft ground any hill feels massive. I just told myself to not walk and keep moving up the hill. I looked down and my Garmin was over a 10 minute pace at this point. Not good. But I didn't walk.

The downhill was good and it was just a final 1/4 mile push on pavement to the finish. I finished around 26:20. Not a PR, But a solid time on a tough course. Talking with some athletes after the race, most of them said their time was about 90 seconds slower than their PR. Mine was only 60 second off, so I don't feel too bad.

I finished as the 5th overall female and won my age group! 1st place medal for the win! I realize that my time isn't blazing, but it was a small race and I did my best. I'm proud!

It's also worth noting that when you wear a "Beast Mode" shirt to a race people think you are like lightening fast. I'm Carissa fast, but I'm always in Beast Mode when I compete with myself! (ps- Beast Mode shirts are still for sale. Shipping more this Friday)

After my big win, I rushed home to shower before heading to my wonderful friend Carissa's baby shower. I wanted to wear my medal but decided against it. :)

So here's my question to you veteran racers. I've only run 4 5k's ever. 2 were trail runs and 1 was a Disney fun run, so my expertise is low. I've announced about 50 5k's but I'm clearly is less pain than the runners there.

At what point in the race should it start to hurt?
At what point should you start to hate life and question your sanity?

I think I'd rather run a half marathon over a speedy 5k. I'm the tortise and not the hare. How about you?

Love and bling x 2,
Carissa & Kyle

Friday 5 Food and Culture

2013-05-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Do you like how I called this week's Friday 5 "Food and Culture". It's because I read a book. I read one book and I'm all renaissance woman-like. It was a really good book...but we'll get to that.

It's Friday and I hope you're had a wonderful week of life and fitness. This week was another new internship stop for me. I'm at this location for another week, so I will tell you all about it next Friday. I've been working with overweight kids and families, which has been both inspiring and frustrating.

This weekend I have a 5k on the docket and a baby shower for my friend Carissa at wonderful Rosen's Shingle Creek.

Carissa x 2

I'm trying to convince Kyle to just get a room so I can stay out there Saturday night. I just love the smell of that place and I know I'm there I won't want to leave. Am I totally odd that I love the smell of a place?

Enough rambling..here are 5 things on my radar this week.

1. LaraBar Alt Bars

I love awesome companies who send me their newest goodies to try. I received a package of LaraBar Alt Bars, which I love because they have 10g of protein from peas! Yowza! Most bars have a blend of soy or whey protein, so this change is refreshing. Pea protein isn't as bioavailable to your body as whey, however it's a good change and great for vegans.

I'm impressed by Larabar's healthy ingredients. I had the lemon pound cake during a 11 hour day on Thursday and it contained dates, almonds, pea protein, brown rice syrup, sunflower oil, lemon extract, vanilla, and natural flavor. It tasted drier than a traditional LaraBar. At first it was odd, but I ate it slower which was good. The lemon flavor was great.

2. Nasoya Vegan Mayonaisse

Apparently I'm talking vegan today. A while ago the folks from Nasoya reached out and asked if I wanted to try their vegan mayonaisse substitutes. I told them "thank you but I'm not a vegetarian or vegan". They said that was okay, so I said okay.

The Vegan mayo from Nasoya is a healthy alternative to mayo and its egg free. I was hesitant at first, but the texture is like traditional mayo. If you're looking for a healthy or vegan alternative give this a try. Plus it has B12 and Omega - 3's. Those are nutrients we all need, but nutrients that vegans really need!

3. Push-Up Killer

Between this month's Muscle Up May challenge and the Under Armour What's Beautiful campaign, I am working the push-ups. My goal is to do 100 non-stop in 6 weeks. Ehhh..I'm nervous. I fought through 50 last night and Kyle counted. I look like I don't go all the way down, but he says I did. I just have gorilla long arms.

Pic from my successful 40 push-up attempt last Saturday.

How's your push-up progress coming?

4. Vegetarian Eats
Yup, today's a veggie day here on Fit2Flex. The cafeteria we've been visiting at lunch is a vegetarian cafeteria. I usually pack my lunch, however I have credit as an intern so I don't want to waste it. Somedays the food is hit or miss and I feel like I'm getting more carbs and sodium than I think. My favorite meal was a thai burger. It had beans, wheat flour, cilantro, and curry powder. I had it with a side of stir-fry veggies.

5. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

What a great book! Jodi Picoult, who wrote My Sister's Keeper, is one of my favorite authors. Each time she has a new book out I pour through it in a matter of weeks. I actually broke down a bought The Storyteller via my Kindle . What drew me in was it's focus on the Holocaust. For some reason, even as a child, I was fascinated and horrified by the holocaust and loved reading about it. I visited Anne Frank's house in high school. If you liked Sarah's Key then this is a great book to pick up.

Now I need a new read. I was halfway through the second book in the Divergent series, but I had to return it to the library. Any tips on older books my library might have? I'm also thinking about re-reading Gatsby.

See I can be cultural! :) Pop-cultural!

What's on your radar this week?
What's the last book you read?

Love and F Scott,
Carissa & Kyle

Be An Artist!

2013-05-15T22:30:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday I did something I have not done in over 10 years - I painted. I consider myself creative and good with words, but I am not artistic at all. My Mom and Kyle are both talented artists. Me? Stick man for life.

Thursday was the May social for the Orlando Dietetic Association. I really enjoy being a part of ODA and I think it provides many wonderful networking opportunities. Plus we always get food at our meetings.

This social was held at Creative Canvas and Wine in Altamonte Springs. I knew we were painting, but I thought I could just come and paint whatever I wanted. No ma'am. There was a painting lesson about to go down.

Before the painting we had some ODA business and mingled. A big shout out to our new President-elect, Love and Zest blogger, Kristina! Check out her blog for beautiful photos and recipes.

Maria from Second Harvest

Kelsee, current ODA president and UF sports dietitian

Each class at Creative Canvas completes the painting of the night. Ours was cherry blossom. We selected whichever colors we wanted for the theme and then waited for instructions on how to create our masterpiece.

The example art.

Here are some pictures of the progress of my work. We painted the background first, then the "tree", added the twigs, and finished with our blossoms.

I am very happy with the finished work. It looks way more normal that I thought. Each time we started a new component I was so nervous that I would mess it all up. We did it with acrylics, so technically you could "paint over" any mistakes, but I wanted to do it right the first time. Hello type A!

While we were painting there was music jamming and the instructor would come over and assist or give tips. When you're done the art is yours to keep and you don't have to clean up.

ODA dietitians and students

My friend Angela sent me a picture of a cherry blossom painting that she did at a party too, so painting parties must be all the rage! I think it would be a great date night to take Kyle too. Plus there's wine. I can't wait to see how my painting skills combine with red wine.

Thank you to ODA for a great night. And if you were wondering my painting is hanging proudly in my laundry room.

My finished work of art. How'd I do?

Do you consider yourself an artist?
Would you like to go to a place and learn to paint?

Love and starry night,
Carissa and Kyle

5 Minute Fried Rice

2013-05-15T06:30:00.000-04:00

Would you like to make a meal that has protein, whole grain carbohydrates, and even a little vegetables in less than 5 minutes?

I would. And I do. I've been making this meal at least once a week and it's a perfect post-workout meal.

I don't love eggs, but I know they're a source of fast and easy to make protein. They also have Vitamin D, choline (which aids in brain function), and lutein (an antioxidant that helps prevent macular degeneration).

Before I tell you this super fast recipe I need to scream one thing at you. Yes scream - EAT THE EGG YOLK! The yolk has many of the nutrients in the egg and the cholesterol found in eggs is not as bad as previously thought. (steps off soap box)

Onto the recipe. It can be made from start to finish in 5 minutes. I'll make it before I head to the gym and have it lukewarm after my workout.

5 Minute Fit2Flex Fried Rice
Ingredients:
- 2 whole eggs (I use Eggland's best)
- 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
- 1/4 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or liquid aminos)
- 2 sprays cooking spray

Directions:
1. Spray pan and add 2 whole eggs. Scramble.
2. While the eggs are cooking warm your brown rice for 30 seconds in the microwave. I will either make a large batch of brown rice over the weekend or use Uncle Ben's fast brown rice in a pinch.
3. Add frozen peas and carrots to the eggs and continue to cook.
4. Add rice and cook until eggs are done.
5. Add soy sauce and stir to combine.

The worst thing would obviously be the sodium from the soy sauce. I use a low sodium version and watch my intake for the rest of the day.

The nutrition stats come out to 2 servings of carbs and a good 17g of protein.

I think we could all use more healthy and fast meals in our life, so I'm sharing today's recipe with Jen's friends over at Peas and Crayons. Visit "What I Ate Wednesday" for a round up of eats from around the web.
What's your fave fast meal?

Love and soy,
Carissa & Kyle

psst - Congrats to Kristin M who won our Balance Bar Dark giveaway. Email us your address for shipping Kristin!

Weekend Snapshot

2013-05-13T20:06:00.000-04:00

Do you ever do so much in one weekend that you forget or feel like 1 day was 3? That was the case this very busy weekend, so I thought I'd share it with you in this "Weekend Snapshot".

Friday night we stayed at home and made carbs for Kyle's big 5k on Saturday. We made two pizzas using Pillsbury pre-made crusts.

We made a traditional Italian on the thin crust and it never, ever cooked all the way through. Even though I pre-baked it. (And yes, Karla, I know I should just make my own crust but I need serious lessons.)

The success of the night was a chicken, pear, goat cheese, arugula, and balsamic pizza made with the whole wheat crust. Just the right amount of sweet from the crust and acid from the balsamic glaze. Two carby thumbs up. We watched the Heat game and "Queen of Versailles" on Bravo, which was filmed in Orlando. We were so sucked in.

Saturday morning was a huge success at the I-Drive 5k run. I loved seeing all the Beast Mode and support for Evolution Fitness.

Instead of napping like we sometimes do on Saturday afternoons, I wanted to get outside and do stuff. I planted a mini herb garden in the backyard with basil, cilantro, and dill.

I also recruited Kyle to go blueberry picking with me! I haven't picked blueberries since I was a kid and it felt so good to do something simple outside.

It drizzled for a while, but the rain stayed away. We picked 2 pounds in the end and it cost $8. We also discovered that the sweetest berries grow in pairs near the bottom of the bush. Write that down.

Saturday continued with a Mother's Day dinner at Shogun, a Japanese steakhouse with Kyle's parents and grandmother.

I got plenty of strange looks from the table when I ordered my food "no butter/oil, double vegetables". Yup, that girl!

Sunday we slept in and put our blueberries to good use. I made our gluten free protein pancakes with tons of fresh berries. I cannot express my joy for Sunday's like these.

After some digestion we made our way to the gym for a Sunday workout with Kyle's sister, Kelsey. Fun fact: This machine was bought from the University of Florida football program and used by Tim Tebow. :)

Hello biceps!

Sunday night we seriously debated going out to dinner. We just didn't want to weekend to end. We went back and forth and I was literally getting dressed when I finally decided to cook at home. Healthier and cheaper for the win. We had shrimp and sweet potatoes and watched Silver Linings Playbook. Even though the movie is filled with Eagles fan we both really liked it. Have you seen it?

What was the best part of your weekend?
Have you rented any good movies?

Love and Violet Beauregard,
Carissa & Kyle

Related recipe: Oatmeal protein pancakes

Under Armour What's Beautiful Campaign

2013-05-12T20:30:00.000-04:00

This is my friend Alexis.

We are both bloggers, FitFluential Ambassadors, and girls who like to lift heavy weights. We both lift heavy and workout hard and we look totally different.

Why am I making this point? Because all women are beautiful and what's beautiful is more than just the exterior. I think fit women who push, grunt, and sweat are beautiful.

Women need to stand together to celebrate what's beautiful in all of us. Are you with me?

Under Armour has recently launched the third round of their What's Beautiful campaign and I'm happy to be one of many FitFluential Ambassadors (like Alexis) who were asked to be part of a campaign spread the word.

So what exactly is Under Armour's What's Beautiful campaign?

It's redefining fitness goals for women and getting the she-athletes to push each other past our boundaries.
Visit their What's Beautiful site, create a profile, and declare your goal.
Along the way you can follow other women, complete challenges, and encourage others.
You can join or form a team that shares a similar goal or passion.

I had a hard time picking my goal at first. I went for a 4:15 marathon initially, but I wanted something I could accomplish in the 8 weeks of the campaign. So I thought, "What would make me feel tough and accomplished?" Push-ups! I want to be able to do a lot of push-ups.

I'm going to make mini-goals along the way and do 100 push-ups without rest in just 7 short weeks.

I also wanted to form a team to share my fitness passion. Ladies STRONG IS SEXY! Lean muscles look good on. And how do you get them? By lifting heavy. I hate the stigma that lifting heavy weight bulks you up.

Join Team Fit2Flex and I encourage you to pick up a dumbbell heavier than you usually use. Then in 4 weeks go up once more. I know you will see and feel that change. That's beautiful.

Besides the inspiration and power behind this campaign there are prizes. Under Armour will pick winner's each week to win a swag bag and at the end of the 8 week for lucky ladies will be sent to Costa Rica. How do you say "pick me" in Spanish?

Are you ready?

Visit the What's Beautiful site. Declare a goal. Join my team. Make a team. Be a force...because you're beautiful!

What's your 8-week fitness-related goal?

What's your DREAM BIG fitness goal?

Do you lift heavy?

Love and #IWILL,

Carissa & Kyle

Happy Mother's Day 2013

2013-05-12T13:49:00.000-04:00

We just wanted to pop in real quick and wish a very Happy Mother's Day to our wonderful Mom's and all the mothers and mammas-to-be out there!

We are blessed to have two amazing Moms and grandmother's too. We would not be where we are today without their love, support, and belief in us. We love you all to the moon and back!

A special shout out to Michelle who blogs over at Crazy Running Legs. She had an amazing mother's day gift in the form of her new son! Congrats Michelle!

Even though I'm not a Mom yet, Kyle still treated me to a mother's day surprise on Thursday night from Minnie and Polie. Roses, Coppola, cheese, and chocolate covered strawberries. Thank you honey!

How did you celebrate Mother's Day?

Love and my mommy,
Carissa & Kyle

Related Posts:
- Inspired by Mom
- Recipe for Love

Team Evo at the Track Shack I-Drive 5k

2013-05-11T12:43:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to the over 15 members of Team Evolution Fitness who completed Saturday's I-Drive 5k in Orlando. It was a Beast Mode party!

1/2 of our team pre-race

The I-Drive 5k is an event located in the touristy area of Orlando right by the convention center and SeaWorld. It's the closest 5k to our gym, so we decided to recruit some of our clients to come out and run and cheer.

A huge thank you to Pati who rode her bike out to take pics and cheer. Most of these pics are from her.

Thank you also to Carlos and Carissa who came out to document the fun. Carlos is our awesome web designer and friend and Carissa is a glowing mamma-to-be.

Doesn't she look amazing? AMAZING!

I was not running the race as I was announcing. Hello nerd.

At 730am we send the nearly 1000 runners off into the sunny, yet cool(ish) Orlando morning.

The winner was Paul Nielsen who did it in 15:43.

I pretended to win. I wanted some prizes!

Kelsey finished just over 22 minutes and won her age group plus 2 tickets to SeaWorld. This event gives great prizes to the winners (fyi).

Kyle took the run easy since his knee didn't feel great after his 6 mile Everest adventure last week. He finished around 28 minutes.

We had fun cheering on all of our clients and friends at the finish. A shout out to Cindy, Dr. S, and Thomas who ran PR's!

Congrats on your PR Tamara!

Cindy ran a PR!

Thomas zoomed to a PR too!

Kyle's parents came out too to cheer on Kelsey, Kyle, and Team Evo!

Eariler in the week I put a shout-out on Twitter encouraging any Orlando runners to join us and I'd give them a Beast Mode shirt to run in. Michelle took me up on the offer and it was wonderful to meet her before the race. She def got her Beast Mode on.

Thank you again to everyone who came out and congrats to Team Evo for having the largest team of any gym at the race!

Did you run today?

What's your fave race day running shirt?

Love and Evo,

Carissa & Kyle

Friday 5 Graphic Knowledge

2013-05-10T06:30:00.000-04:00

Well Hello Friday...let's cuddle...

It's time to celebrate the end of a week that literally flew by for me. The first part of the week was exhausting as I got back into my internship after vacation. Once I got my groove back and got into rhythm with my am workouts the week was gone in a flash. I spent Monday - Thursday interning at Second Harvest Food Bank in Orlando. I had a great time and got to accomplish a lot of projects. They even let me teach kids about reading labels and proper portion sizes.

I only stand under FSU flags.

Don't forget that this Saturday is "Stamp Out Hunger" day so please leave canned goods for your mail carrier to collect and deliver to local food banks like Second Harvest.

For this week's Friday 5 I decided to take some graphic nutrition knowledge from Pinterest to share. BTW are we still obsessed with Pinterest?

Enjoy the knowledge bomb about to be dropped on you. If you hover over the top right of the image you should see a "P" that you can click to pin these to your own boards.

1. Reasons to Eat Fruit
I don't need more reasons to eat fruit. I need more money to buy it. But if you do pin this great chart.

2. What vitamin does what?
Our bodies need vitamins and here's a simple chart to show you the function of those all important multi-v's.

3. What to eat after you workout?
I devoted an entire post to post-workout foods, but sometimes a visual reminder is helpful. What's your fave post workout nibble? I vote peanut butter and banana.

4. Healthy Baking Substitutes
If I bake a cookie (after I give the mouse it's milk) you can bet it's made with applesauce. I never think twice about making this swap. Here's a chart with more tweaks to make baking healthy.

5. Not Motivation
Pinterest is filled with motivational workout images. This is not one. But isn't it funny?

Happy Weekend friends! Don't forget to enter our Balance Bar Dark giveaway.

Are you still using Pinterest?
What did you learn today from this post?

Love and graphic design,
Carissa & Kyle

RunDisney's Expedition Everest

2013-05-08T22:00:00.000-04:00

What makes RunDisney's Expedition Everest different from other 5k's?

Well there's a 5k PLUS obstacles PLUS a scavenger hunt with puzzles though Animal Kingdom AND there's a party in Animal Kingdom until 3am. Yup, there's a lot and it's all fun.

As a RunDisney announcer, I arrived at Animal Kingdom around 630pm on race night. We had a script review and went over our agenda for the night.

After rehearsal I decided to test out the 3rd obstacle. Crawling under cargo nets is not easy!

At 9pm our start line show started and I was very happy to see a familiar face in the crowd - KYLE! Kyle and his sister Kelsey teamed up as team Evolution Fitness for the race. It was Kyle's first RunDisney event ever!

Around 9:55pm we held a moment of silence for Boston and at 10pm the first wave of Expedition Everest was off!

Kyle and Kelsey were running as a team. We all know how speedy Kelsey is, so I was interested to see how Kyle would hold up. Kyle ran a 7 minute first mile and fueled every mile with sport gummies. Who fuels during a 3 mile race? This guy!

In addition to the cargo net obstacle, runners had to jump over hay bales and run through tires.

The winning coed team from New Balance...are you ready for this...15:55 5k! Wow! Kyle and Kelsey finished around 28 minutes, which is great considering stopping for obstacles and candy eating. I quickly snapped a pic of Kelsey and Kyle at the 5k finish and they were off on the obstacle course.

I was expecting them around 45 minutes so when I didn't see them I worried. I hoped Kyle was feeling okay....yup....he was feeling okay....they just got lost in Animal Kingdom! Whoops! I guess a major advantage of Everest goes to those who visit the parks a lot. Team Bealert does not. They came across the finish in 1:04.

Kyle was very eager to tell me that his 5k turned into 6.5 miles! I had to laugh! It was Kyle's personal distance record and with stops and everything that's pretty impressive in 64 minutes. I guess you should note that when you run Expedition Everest, your 5k may end in 3.1 miles but if you run during that scavenger hunt you can count on more miles.

After the race, Team Evo rode a ride and then went to bed. I stayed to finish announcing in the finishers and headed into DinoLand for the 1am awards ceremony.

There's a huge dance party inside DinoLand after the event and it's always a good time. See King Louie getting down?

Sunday morning we took advantage of a beautiful Orlando day to visit Animal Kingdom.

We didn't ride any rides, but we went on both of the animal treks and saw the bird show. Kyle loved the gorillas the most.

Baby Lily jumping - 3 years old

Thank you RunDisney for another great weekend! Next up is the DisneyLand Half Marathon weekend over Labor Day and our first ever Dumbo Double Dare! (psssst did you see the awesome medal?)

Have you ever done an obstacle or mud run? Do you like them?

Love and explorers,
Carissa & Kyle

Related Posts: Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge review, RunDisney recaps

Ruth's Chris Big Reds & Bourbon Dinner

2013-05-08T06:30:00.000-04:00

Everything in moderation my friends. This post is the far right side of that spectrum. If this dinner was covered by a major news conglomerate it would be Fox. This is a dinner of spectacle. My pants feel tight just thinking about it.

Welcome once again to What I Ate Wednesday...that time I had too much....
Last Thursday Kyle and I were invited to a 5-course paired dinner at Ruth's Chris. The dinner was called Big Reds & Bourbon and the food paired followed a barbeque theme. I love some big reds, but I do not drink bourbon. The food, however sounded so good that I thought I'd give the pairings a go.

I planned to get my hair done on the same night as the dinner so I had a semi new-do.

The dinner was set to start at 7pm, however due to pouring rain we started a bit later. I almost had to give Kyle an emergency Kind Bar from my purse but he survived. I also want to mention that I'm so proud of Kyle for trying everything. He doesn't do seafood but he enjoyed both seafood courses tonight and even had salmon for the first time!

The first course ended up being my favorite. It was bacon wrapped scallops paired with a mint julep. That julep packed a punch. I had about 1/4 of it before switching to the red wine for the next course.

The second course was a roasted pear, pecan, and blue cheese salad. I love fruit and cheese salads usually, but this one was just okay. It was paired with Pinot Noir.

The third course was also wonderful. I could have enjoyed it as my whole meal. It was a salmon with horseradish mustard. It was paired with a bourbon, which I tried and then passed off to some liquor loving stranger across the table.

The fourth course was our main entree and it was an extravaganza of food. And butter I'm pretty sure. We had NOLA BBQ shrimp, BBQ filet mignon, and peach glazed BBQ chicken. I had about 2 bites of each and took the rest home.

The best dish of the night was also part of this course - southwest mac 'n cheese. OHEMMMMGEEEEEEEE! It was creamy with a hint of jalapeno hot. I should have taken a picture but I reckon I was too busy licking the bowl. The course was served with a delicious red blend.

The fifth course was dessert and it was my least favorite. It was a smores cheesecake, but it just tasted sweet to me. However I still ate it all. Blame it on the wine. The pairing for dessert was a 10 year aged bourbon. I sniffed it and returned to red wine.

Overall it was a very fun experience and I'm so glad that we got to try new foods and drinks that we might not otherwise choose at a restaurant. The cost was $85 per person and I think that's reasonable for the amount of food we had.

This was the second "paired" dinner Kyle and I have been to. The first was in Atlanta at chef Kevin from Top Chef's restaurant. It was a 7-course dinner, but smaller and more human like portions.

ATL 2011

Have you ever been to a paired or multi-course dinner?
Any foods we ate that you've never tried?

Love and seven deadly sins,
Carissa & Kyle

Balance Bar Giveaway

2013-05-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

When I think about the way Kyle and I eat, two words come to mind - balance and moderation. We aim to eat foods that are high in nutritional value while keeping a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats in each meal.

We also snack. Without snacks I would be grumpy cat. Picture my face - same scowl!

The wonderful RunDisney nutritionist, the Diet Diva Tara Gidus says to think of snacks as a "bridge" between meals. You won't be full, but you will be full enough to get to your next meal sans grumpy cat attack.

Finding a healthy, balanced snack on the go can be tough. I have long been a fan of Balance Bars because they achieve the 30-40-30 balance between fats, carbs, and protein. When Balance Bar reached out and asked if Kyle and I would like to try their new Balance Bar Dark flavors I happily agreed....only if I could giveaway some to our readers. Bonus for you!

The Balance Bar Dark bars come in 3 flavors - dark chocolate coconut, dark chocolate peanut butter, and dark chocolate crunch. I had to fight Kyle for my "fair share" of the goods, but I liked the dark chocolate coconut the best. I actually prefer the traditional balance bars, the dark chocolate flavors add a nice variety.

Other good news? The Balance Bar Dark flavors are certified gluten free and made with Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa. Plus they are high in protein and have vitamins A,C,E, and 4 grams of fiber. Woohoo fiber!

Balance Bar Dark is a great way to "bridge" your hunger between meals and keep your metabolism moving and body full.

If you'd like to give these new bars a try use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. (it's best when viewed in desktop format).
a Rafflecopter giveaway You can also email us to enter.

What's your favorite fast snack?

Love and Ratios,
Carissa & kyle

Disclaimer: Balance Bar sent me these bars to review. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.

Muscle Up May Workout Challenge

2013-05-05T18:00:00.000-04:00

It's May and I have a new Fit2Flex month long challenge to help keep your core strength up and tone your arms. How does that sound?

AbApril was super successful and I'm so happy to see how many of you totally upped your max plank time by not just seconds but MINUTES! Y'all are fierce!

When we were designing May's challenge I wanted to keep some time focused on keeping your plank and core strong. I wanted it to be something you could do at home, the office, or the gym. Plus I wanted to keep the 1 exercise each day of the week method from last week. That way you can get stronger but keep your traditional workout schedule.

I present to you....MUSCLE UP MAY!

Push-ups may be hard, but they are great for toning your arm, strengthening your chest and triceps, and tightening your core. You are welcome to do regular or push-ups from your knees.

You can find a video of the inch worm push-up here and the plank push up here.

Inchworm push-up

Keep tweeting questions and your success to us @CarissaAnnB and use the #MuscleUpMay. There will also be another great giveaway at the end of the month to reward all your hard work.

Recruit your friends, co-workers, and family to get their muscle on this May!

Push-Ups...love em or hate em?
Are you in for Muscle Up May?

Love and "the beach is over there",
Carissa & Kyle

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

2013-05-04T14:42:00.001-04:00

If you love animals and a Disney vacation then Disney's Animal Kingdom is a wonderful place to stay during your next trip!

This weekend is the 6th RunDisney Expedition Everest Challenge and I am staying at the Animal Kingdom lodge for the busy weekend.

The hotel is wonderfully themed to Africa with a big lodge at the entrance.

The decor is great but I know what you really want to know about....the ANIMALS!

There are savannas all over the resort and trails where you can walk and see animals like the reticulated giraffe, zebra, impala, and eland walking around.

However my recommendation is that you pick a "Savannah view" room. That way you can watch the animals wander around from the comfort of your balcony. It's simply amazing. Currently as I type this there are 4 giraffe, 3 zebra, and one Ruppell's Griffon vulture outside my room.

I know I just said this but amazing. It's amazing.

Zebra crossing

The room has a wildlife field guide inside to help you identify all the wildlife you see.

I think these are white bearded wildebeest - they sleep in rows!

Roan Antelope - mainly active from dawn to dusk

The room is clean and again themed to Africa. Not a huge room, but there's a refrigerator too which is always a plus.

The Animal Kingdom lodge has two African themed restaurants, Boma and Jiko. I'm interested to eat there, but I've been alone on this trip so I didn't feel it was worth the expense. Last night I ordered a salad from room service and it was just okay.

Yesterday I also spent some time in the gym which is wonderful. There's a full set of life fitness machines, dumbbells, and a smith machine.

I got in some treadmill time in my new Raw Threads "Boston Wicked Strong" shirt. Love.

Another plus of this resort is that it's a "host resort" for the Everest weekend, therefore there are buses to take runners and families to all the events. If you come for a RunDisney event, try to find a host resort and take advantage of the stress-free transportation.

This morning was the kick off for the Expedition Everest running events. We had the kids races and the first-ever Family Edition Challenge. We also had rain. Boo.

The Family Edition Challenge was a very cool events. Families were given a clue book and map and had to race all over ESPN's Wide World of Sports looking for clues and answers. Then they raced to the finish inside the track. It was very cool to see families smiling, laughing and crossing the finish line together.

Tonight and 10pm we'll kick off the Expedition Everest Challenge at Animal Kingdom and runners can party in Dinoland until 3am! Wowza!

Have you ever stayed at Animal Kingdom lodge?
What's the coolest hotel you've ever been to?

Love and African wildlife,
Carissa & Kyle

Friday Five

2013-05-02T22:30:00.000-04:00

This has been a wonderful week! I was off for spring break and I got to relax and spend time catching up on things at home. I still feel like I have so many more things I want to blog and share with you (like our 5 course dinner at Ruth's Chris last night) so keep reading!

Here are 5 things that are totally rocking my world this week:

1. RunDisney's Expedition Everest
Saturday night is the 6th Expedition Everest Challenge. I will be announcing and Kyle and his sister Kelsey will be running. I'm a little bit jealous they get to run, but I look forward to seeing them and all the runners take on the course. If you're there look for Kyle and Kels rocking their "Beast Mode" shirts! It's also a partner race. Kelsey runs a 20 minute 5k and Kyle runs a 25 minute 5k. I'm sure there will be some fun conversations along the course! Here's last year's recap post.

2. Risotto
I made risotto. And it was good!

Score 2 iron chef points for me! I have been wanting to try and make risotto for a while and with the week off I committed to do it. I followed Iowa Girl Eats shrimp and asparagus risotto recipe. It was very easy, but did require constant attention. I like how easily the shrimp cooked in the risotto and the creamy flavor from the parmesan. Wanna come over for dinner?

3. Lemon Blueberry Bars
If you want me to make dinner then you need to get Alexis to bring dessert. Alexis is my friend, neighbor, and fellow FitFluential blogger and she gave me the most amazing dessert to try last week. You. Must. Make. These.

They are sweet with a lemony kick that's just perfect for summer. The full recipe is on her blog FitPossible.

4. Olivenol
Sometimes my body aches. I have a long history of hip and neck issues so I am in a constant battle with inflammation. This Tuesday I had the chance to watch our RunDisney nutritionist, Tara Gidus, host 3 segments for the Daily Buzz. One was on Olivenol, which is a pill derived from the olive pulp left after making olive oil.

It's amazingly high in antioxidants and helps reduce inflammation and boost immune health. I picked up a box to try and am looking forward to sharing the results in a few weeks.

5. Garmin Addict
The ill fated Lake Minneola Half came back with some very revealing race photos. I am addicted to my Garmin. Every single picture of me at the finish has me staring at my Garmin.

Now I credit my Garmin with making me a faster, more aware runner and I fully admit my addiction. And now I have the terrible race photos to prove it. I also wish I could share my friend Megan's pics, because sadly they are awful. Terribly, hilariously, awful. But I love her so I won't. :)

What's on your radar this week?
Make any new recipes?
Have you ever run a team race like Everest?

Love and cooking stars,
Carissa & Kyle

ThrowDown Thursday 3x4 Workout

2013-05-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

Throwdown Thursday is back for a one week special appearance! (or until I have more free time to write workouts). TT kicked our butts back in the fall of 2012 and I'm happy to have a butt kicking for you today.

This 3x4 workout will push you to fatigue. Complete each exercise in the first set for 1 minute. Keep moving the entire minute. Don't be a sissy and set the weights super low. Be a beast and push yourself. If you need to pause then hold in the contracted part of the move then keep going.

ps- hover over the image for an auto link to Pin It!

The second set is mainly dumbbell work and you'll move for 30 seconds.

Pull down, bicep curl, leg press

If you have any questions about the moves tweet me and I'll answer you so you can get your sweat on!

Other ThrowDown Thursday gems:

I am also very happy to report that I made it over the 5 minute plank mark. I was audibly grunting, but I toughed it out. Don't forget to enter our Beast Mode giveaway and share your plank story.

A huge shout out to our Twitter follower @brknshns who not only did a plank but did it AT EPCOT. That's big time.

I am working on a May challenge that will keep up your core strength and tone some other areas too. Stay tuned! Any suggestions for moves you want to see?

What's the toughest exercise move for you to do?

Love and pushing it,
Carissa & Kyle

My Clean Eating Diet

2013-05-01T06:30:00.000-04:00

Do you know what's scary? Having to wear a bra top on television. Yup.

Last week I was asked to host an informercial for the Ab5 Body Shaper. I love talking fitness and being on camera, but I was very nervous about having to wear a sports bra and tiny shorts. So nervous that I almost totally turned down the gig. Turned out to be a really fun day with a really wonderful crew to work it.

I found out that I booked the gig about 5 days before it was supposed to shoot. Basically I found out on Friday and had a half marathon on Saturday and the shoot the next Thursday. Well you can't exactly try to lean down before a half marathon, so I fueled my body with the healthy carbs it needs to perform like always. Then I had from Monday - Wednesday to eat a really clean diet. I wanted to feel energetic and good about how I looked on Thursday.

Many of you asked what I ate preparing for the shoot and since it's What I Ate Wednesday I thought it was the perfect time to share.
Note: This is a sample of what foods I ate for 3 days. Somedays there were other snacks (almonds, grapes, almond milk) added. It's not a diet or a plan to lose weight. Kyle ate similar foods, but with more carbs and overall calories.

Breakfast - When I'm eating super clean I look forward to breakfast the most. Each morning I made a smoothie with 1 cup of almond milk, 1 cup of frozen berries, and 2 tablespoons of Nuttzo nut butter.

The nut butter is important and I needed all those calories and fats to keep me full. Nuttzo is also great because it has omega 3's and the dark chocolate peanut butter flavor was a perfect compliment to the berries.

Morning Snack - It's not exciting, but it did keep me full. Hello cucumbers.

Lunch - 2 cups of spinach, 3 oz of rotisserie chicken, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Green tea.

Afternoon snack - Sugar snap peas, asparagus, almonds

Dinner - 2 cups of spinach, 3 oz of chicken cooked in coconut oil or baked tilapia, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I added roasted brussels sprouts like here.

What was the hardest part?

The food prep the night before was time consuming, however having all the food packed and ready to go makes you stick with the plan. Lunch was also a tough meal and if I was still hungry I would have some carbohydrates for brain power through the rest of the day.

The good part was the huge vegetable intake that Kyle and I both were having. I have kept that up this week and Kyle is snacking away of greens at work every day.

Now that I don't have to show my tummy to millions of people I am keeping some of this plan in place (shakes and veggies) and I am eating more carbs at lunch. And rice cakes. I have been on a rice cake hunt this week. Luckily the bag is almost gone!

How do you eat when you are trying to be "perfectly clean"?

Love and leafy greens,
Carissa & Kyle

AbApril Challenge Giveaway

2013-04-29T20:30:00.000-04:00

In the beginning of April we challenged you to "Improve Your Plank" time with our #AbApril challenge.

We loved seeing your tweets and watching so many of your both simultaneously hate us and love seeing your core strength increase.

If you've been diligently following #AbApril kudos! We want to you take Monday or Tuesday to record your max plank and then tweet, facebook, shout it from the roof, and comment here on how much you've improved. Use #AbApril!

I started around 4:24 and grew to 4:37 in week 2 and I haven't been able to match that since. I'm taking today off and I'm going to nervously take on the 5 minute mark tomorrow.

The irony is that when I started #AbApril I had no idea that mid-April I would be asked to host an informercial for an ab product. I only had 5 days to prepare and get ready, so I'm glad I had already been focusing on abs this month.

We think you guys went "Beast Mode" on this challenge so we are going to reward you with a fun giveaway!

Use the rafflecopter widget below to win a Beast Mode shirt of your choosing and a box full of Fit2Flex approved treats!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
You can also email us to enter. Sometimes you have to view the page not in mobile version to see the widget.

Tell us: How long was your max plank or how much did you improve by?

Love and six-pack beasts,
Carissa & Kyle

Gaylord Palms Orlando

2013-04-29T10:17:00.000-04:00

The Gaylord Palms hotel in Orlando is a majestic and beautifully designed resort. It's located right next to Disney World and features a huge convention center, restaurants, live gators, 3 pool, and a mini water park. Kyle and I spent the weekend there to celebrate my mini dietetic spring break.

Usually we spend our staycations at my favorite resort Rosen's Shingle Creek (which is also where Kyle's sister is getting married in December). Sadly the resort was completely booked so we decided to try somewhere new. We had been to Gaylord Palms for Ice during Christmas and knew it was a large and unique resort.

We booked the "Romance for Two" (I now find it odd that they had to specify it was for two?) package that included the room, parking, resort fee, sparking wine, and breakfast buffet. Buying the package actually saved us about $20 and we got the sparking wine as a bonus! I upgraded to the "atrium" view which looks in on the interior of the resort. My vision was a view like this.

We got this. Corner view for the win.

However our room was huge and in the comfort arena the bed scored a B+.

Our first order of business was the pool. The resort has 3 pools and we chose the "adults only" pool. The pool is designed like resorts in South Beach and a lot of the lounge chairs were on astroturf. Interesting to say the least.

Kyle and I were both hungry so we ordered a pool side lunch. I chose a mahi sandwich (didn't eat the bread) and Kyle picked a turkey sandwich. We also had a pitcher of Sangria.

We spent about 5 hours enjoying the pool. Kyle watched the NFL draft on his iPad and I read "Finish Line Feeing" that was given to me by Liz Ferro. Side note: check out her Girls With Sole organization.

I also had to investigate the water park. Kids would love it here! There were 4 slides and this structure full of falling water and water guns you could aim at complete strangers. Good times. Before I went down the biggest slide the life guard told me that "if I held my ankles I would go faster". Well, I've never tried that theory so I did. HOLY MOLY you go fast. Like really, really fast! Kyle tried the same strategy but it didn't work as well since he had on board shorts. I clearly won the slide speed contest.

We had a great time at the pool. It was in the low 80's and a perfect afternoon.

After a quick nap and a shower it was time for dinner at Old Hickory Steakhouse.

Kyle and I came here for his birthday in 2008 and we had great memories. The restaurant is made to look like you are literally sitting in the Everglades and its visually stunning.

We started our dinner with the cheese course. It's always fun to try new cheeses and since we did this last time we were here the tradition needed to be continued.

We picked a smokey blue, firm goat cheese, and a mild cheddar. The best combination was the blue cheese with the fresh honey.

Our main course was the obvious steak for Kyle. I had a harder time choosing. Their fish options were salmon and Chilean sea bass. I had such an amazing sea bass last weekend that I wasn't sure I wanted to try and top it, however I went for the sea bass... This is where I can't believe my blogger skills left me. I didn't take a pic of my dinner. It took about 35 minutes to come out so I was pretty hungry. I took and bite and was immediately disappointed. It did not taste like the delicious sea bass I had. Actually it didn't taste or look like sea bass at all. It had skin, the meat was dark, and didn't flake. Eventually I asked the waiter if it was sea bass and after some discussion he returned to tell me it was striped bass...which is very different! I was pretty disappointed, because I don't like striped bass at all. He offered to get me something else, but by this time Kyle was done with his food. Plus all of our sides came out cold too, so we were pretty bummed about dinner. We didn't complain, but I guess they saw we were bummed so the manager ended up comping our entire dinner which I thought was a good gesture. I'm still not sure we would return there because it's very pricey, but I have high respect for the service.

After dinner was walked the hotel and enjoyed the neat surroundings.

There's a live gator display and I was astonished at how many gators were awake at night. I was also astonished that they were following Kyle and I as we walked around the enclosure. Gators are scary!

See the eyes glowing?

Okay this post is massive and long, but I'm almost done.......the next morning we had the breakfast buffet at Villa Del Flor. Overall it was a good buffet.

The amount of bacon on this plate is impressive.

Pricey, but the beautiful location makes up for it.

There was also a Shrek sighting. This hotel is great for kids.

Overall it's a very nice hotel with lots to see and do without ever leaving the location. It can be pricey and you'll be charged for parking, a resort fee, and huge Florida taxes which is annoying. I think it's a great getaway for families.

Why is my knee bent like that?

What do you look for in a hotel?

Love and room service,
Carissa & Kyle

Sunday With Fit2Flex

2013-04-28T18:44:00.003-04:00

We are unwinding from a terrific relaxing weekend! I have several posts coming up next week to recap all the fun and share our hotel experience with you, but today I thought I'd pop in real quick and share our day.

Except for the first part where we had brunch at the hotel, because clearly that has to go in the "hotel recap" post. Duh!

After brunch we left the hotel, I cried, and we headed right to the gym for our Sunday workouts. Kyle killed me with his 3 x 4 workout. Good news for you guys - Throwdown Thursday will return this week and I'll be sharing the 3x4 workout with you! After my workout I did abs then ran 1 fast mile in 8:06.

Sports bra from c9 at Target

We then had some exciting errands to run. Lowe's was the first order of business since our shower broke 30 minutes before we headed out to our staycation. It wasn't anything drastic, but we needed a new shower knob. The joys of being homeowners.

We also checked out the lighting options at Lowe's. We have a florescent light in our kitchen that I HATE, but I don't know how to change it out to something more stylish? Do you? I also want to get a new light for our dining room...and someone to install them for me!

Sports Authority was also on the agenda as we needed a few new yoga mats and bands for the gym. I spotted a pair of black and red Saucony on sale and decided that Kyle needed them. Since he's not a runner he doesn't own running shoes, but he has a 5k the next 2 weekends so I wanted him to have some real gear.

Minnie had to inspect them.

Kyle sported his new Saucony shoes and my 110% Play Harder compression socks on a 2 mile training run Sunday afternoon. He looked just like a runner...until mile 1 when he told me (again) how boring running is.

Dinner was simple. Baked chicken fingers, zucchini medley, and sweet potato.

My friend and fellow blogger Alexis posted a pic on Instagram of these delicious lemon blueberry bars she made. I told her I wanted some and she offered to let me come over and try some (she lives .25 miles away) but I decided to bake too and whipped up some of A Girl Meets Life Red Velvet Cake Batter Brownies.

They're still in the oven, but I know they're delicious. If you've never tried her cake batter brownies it's a MUST! You can do it with any type of cake mix and they're ready to eat in about an hour with cooling time. Dense and sweet.

I think we'll finish the night up with a movie rental. We watched Erased last week. Any recommendations?

What's the last dessert you baked?
Do you remember you first pair of running shoes?

Love and zoom,
Carissa & Kyle

Dietetic Internship Update

2013-04-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

As of Friday I am officially half way through my dietetic internship. <insert unicorns dancing and candy falling from the sky>

The first 8 weeks of my internship were spent in clinical practice. I first observed how to assess a patient’s nutritional status and write a nutrition prescription. I spent several weeks assessing and following up on patients and having the RD’s at the hospital go over and sign my notes. I also worked with calculating tube feedings and choosing the correct tube feeding formulas. The final two weeks of my clinical internship I did staffing relief. That means I took a floor and was responsible for seeing all patients that needed to be seen. My work was focused on the PCU, ICU, and oncology. I have always oddly liked calculating tube feedings, so the ICU was my favorite.

Hello. I'm sitting at my desk.

My next internship rotation was Food Service and Management, which I did at the same hospital. This internship varied from the first in that it was much less structured. In clinical you did the same thing every day and in food service there were many different aspects to tackle.

Here’s a rundown of some things I did do:

Patient meal rounds discussing food and meals with patient
Completed a process improvement to improve the hospital’s courtesy scores in relation to the hostesses (the people who serve the patient’s food)
Cost analysis of the current patient menu. I made adjustments and changed some menu items that resulted in a $36,000 annual savings for the hospital.
Studied the food preferences of patients on a dysphagia 1 diet to see if they preferred formed or pureed foods. This also included a plate waste study.
Took temperature logs for the patient food trays to determine the temperature change. This was related to the number of trays on each cart that’s being delivered. The hospital wanted to buy smaller carts to make delivery faster, but they needed the statistical data to prove it was a worthwhile cost so I was the data collector.
Created and sold a recipe for fish tacos in the main cafeteria

I also observed all the other aspects of food service and management from procurement to ordering to cooking to HACCP to human resources.

Again I like numbers, so I most enjoyed analyzing the food budget. Nerd alert!

Next week is our “spring break” and then I start my third rotation in community nutrition.

A HUGE, massive congrats to Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean who passed her RD exam this week!

What part of my internship would you have enjoyed most?

Do you like math?

Love and higher education,

Carissa & Kyle

Fit2Flex*

Triathlon Training with Jet Set Performance

Crock Pot Cola Pork

Bouncing Around

Edgewood Children's Ranch Trail 5k

Friday 5 Food and Culture

Be An Artist!

5 Minute Fried Rice

Weekend Snapshot

Under Armour What's Beautiful Campaign

Happy Mother's Day 2013

Team Evo at the Track Shack I-Drive 5k

Friday 5 Graphic Knowledge

RunDisney's Expedition Everest

Ruth's Chris Big Reds & Bourbon Dinner

Balance Bar Giveaway

Muscle Up May Workout Challenge

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Friday Five

ThrowDown Thursday 3x4 Workout

Top 5 Pinterest Posts

My Clean Eating Diet

AbApril Challenge Giveaway

Gaylord Palms Orlando

Sunday With Fit2Flex

Dietetic Internship Update