Howdy!!

How has your day been so far? I hope your Thursday has been terrific. Between my crazy schedule and my annoying cold/sinus infection (I'm not really sure which it is), I have been a little behind in the blogging world!

The other day, I was reading Tina's blog Faith, Fitness, Fun, and she said she cooked her oatmeal on 50% power with extra water to make it more voluminous. I had heard that adding extra water and cooking it for longer makes the oatmeal absorb more water and therefore look and feel like more, but I had never tried cooking my oats on a lower power. Let me tell you, Tina knows her stuff. I made 1/3 a cup of oats with 1 tbsp chia seed and 1/2 cups of frozen blueberries and you would have thought I used the entire bag of oatmeal. Talk about a super satisfying breakfast!

This morning, I had a client at 6:00am and had to head to work straight from the client so I had to be ready for the day when I left my house at 5:30am. This meant makeup on, hair straightened, and lunch packed, which also meant there was no time to make my normal oats. Have no fear though. I would never ever, ever skip breakfast. It simply needed to travel with me, so I put 1/3 cup oats, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 packet of stevia, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a handful of raisins in a zip lock to make once I got to work.


Due to my 4:45am wakeup call, I felt like I deserved a little morning treat (aka Starbucks)! I ordered my favorite non-fat, sugar-free vanilla latte, and it was delicious!! When I got to work, there was a tiny bit of coffee left in my cup. I needed something to make my oatmeal in, and I thought my Starbucks cup would work perfectly. Instead of drinking the last bit of coffee, I decided to leave it in the cup and mix it in with my oatmeal. Yummy! It gave my oatmeal mixture a little extra kick (thank you caffeine)!


I cooked it on 50% power for double the time again, and look how much oatmeal it made! I was one satisfied little blogger. :) I was ready to hit payroll running.

Q's and A's:
Do you ever have to take your breakfast with you on busy mornings?
What's your go to portable breakfast?

In health,

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Howdy!

How are you today? Did you have a good Monday?

I am excited to report that I felt surprisingly good yesterday despite running my legs off on Sunday. I taught a step class in the morning and then a strength training class in the afternoon. Weirdly enough, the only thing that is sore is my right (yep only my right) quadricep. I'm not sure why only the right one is sore, but it is.

While driving home today, I was feeling pretty stressed out about work and school. I have quite a few large papers due soon and work is just busy as always. I was going over everything in my head and becoming more stressed out by the second when this song came on and put everything in perspective.



It was like God was trying to tell me something (don't worry, I was listening). I was literally so moved by the song that I was crying within seconds. I'm not talking about a few little tears, but full on runny nose, elephant tears rolling down my face, hard to catch my breath sobbing. I'm sure the guy next to me at the stop light must have thought something truly awful had just happened. The part about the guy's wife almost sent me over the edge. This song came on at the absolute perfect time. No matter how stressful things get, there are people out there in the world going through much worse and all you can do is focus on all of the things you have to be thankful for. In the grand scheme of things, what I was stressing about is really not that big of a deal! Thank you Craig Morgan.

Speaking of inspiring songs, I love Sara Evans new song "A Little Bit Stronger." Although she is talking about getting over a guy, I think it can really apply to anything that is getting you down. Any obstacles you have to overcome make you stronger in the end if you choose to learn from them and push on. You are all extremely strong, and if you ever need to be reminded of that, simply turn this song on and belt it out at the top of your lungs. I promise it will make you feel better :)



There are so many songs out there that make me laugh, cry, smile, think and inspire me that I could never list them all!

What song inspires you or helps you keep life in perspective?

In health,

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Happy Monday Everyone!!

I hope everyone had an amazing weekend! We had a sports filled weekend to say the least. On Saturday, Eric played in two softball games, and I practiced my cheerleading skills. The sun was shining, and it was the perfect weather to spend time outside. The sun felt great, but it definitely left its mark on my pasty skin. I resembled a lobster by the time we left the fields!

After softball, it was time to carbo load for the race on Sunday! We headed over to our favorite Italian restaurant in Las Colinas. I took full advantage of the opportunity to order a giant slice of veggie pizza. I tried to make it at least a semi healthy meal by ordering a side salad to go along with it.

We ate out on the patio and had a great time! While we were eating dinner, the temperature started to drop pretty quickly. It was about 47 degrees outside on Sunday morning. Only in Texas can you get sunburned one day and need to wear two jackets the next day! E and I woke up early on Sunday to drive to the race. I had my normal pre-race breakfast of a banana and a blueberry crisp Cliff bar. It does the trick every time. I had my outfit all picked out right down to my matching headband. (Please forgive my pink hue, sleepy eyes and shiny forehead!)


The race actually started in downtown. The Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders were there to see us off, and Troy Aikman wished us all good luck before we started. It was a very lively start too.


It was still pretty chilly when the race started, so I left my running jacket on. Luckily, I have a very nice husband who met me at mile two to take my jacket once I got warmed up. The race itself was really fun. The course was great. It weaved all through downtown, uptown and some of the really beautiful neighborhoods just north of downtown. I had a great time picking out my dream house while I ran. :)

When I started the race, my legs felt great. I started out at a really strong pace, but I was worried it might have been a little too strong. I was about a minute ahead of my goal pace of 8:45 min/mile when I saw Eric at mile two. By mile 8, I was about 5 minutes ahead of my goal pace, and I was just waiting for my legs to come out from underneath me. I was thinking to myself, "surely I can't keep up this pace." Then I saw mile marker number 9, and I thought, "Hell yeah, I can keep this up for 4 more miles. I run 4 miles all the time, no big deal!" I swear I ran the last 4 miles with the biggest grin on my face and came across the finish line in 1:47:43! That's about an 8:11 min/mile. I pressed stop on my watch and couldn't believe my eyes! Eric informed me this morning that I beat Troy Aikman by 28 seconds. My life is complete!


As soon as I stopped running, I couldn't wait to find Eric and more importantly my jacket. Luckily, my mother-in-law was tracking me on the computer (oh modern technology) and informed Eric that I finished, so he found me pretty quickly.  The race was a blast, and I can't wait until next year. Congratulations to all of the other runners! You ROCK!

After the race, Eric took me out for our traditional celebratory visit to IHOP for Harvest Nut N Grain Pancakes and coffee. MMMMMM MMMMM Good! After a power nap, Eric was off to play in a flag football tournament in which he scored two touchdowns one of which was the game winner! Go E!

Overall, we had a fun filled weekend! I hope everyone has an amazing day!

Q's and A's:
What did you do this weekend?
Have you ever done a Rock N Roll marathon or 1/2 marathon?

In health,

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Happy Thursday!

How are you this glorious morning? I hope you are having a good day so far!! I started my day off with an easy 3 mile run in absolutely perfect weather. When I headed out for my run, the sun was starting to climb in the sky and it was a wonderful 51 degrees.

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Towards the end of my run, I found myself very dissapointed it was over and really wanting to continue running. I have come to realize I am awful at tapering before a race. My training plan called for a 3 mile run on Tuesday, a 5 miler on Wednesday and then a 3 miler on Thursday. I taught strength training and did 30 minutes on the elliptical on Monday, ran 4 miles and taught yoga on Tuesday, ran 5 miles and taught strength training on Wednesday, and then I did manage to stick to my plan today and only run 3 miles. As you can see, I didn't exactly follow my training plan to a "T." The fact that I'm not going to run again until Sunday makes me a little sad. Is that crazy? hahah Not in the oh my gosh I have to work out all day every day kind of way. Running is such an amazing stress reliever and gives me time to just relax and think, so I find myself missing my "special time" when I cut back on my mileage. Does anyone else feel like this? I promise I am going to be good from now until Sunday! Rest and the foam roller here I come! :)

I LOVE Greek yogurt. It is delicious, versatile, full of protein, and easy to take with you on the go (if you haul around a big pink lunch box like I do). I usually always buy the plain kind and add my own extras to try and keep the sugar in check. My favorite mix ins are peanut butter (duh), raisins, granola, plain oatmeal, and stevia. Until now, I haven't found a plain Greek yogurt that I like to eat all by itself with a little bit of stevia. Usually, they are still a little too tart for my taste without mix ins.

When I went to Kroger the other day, Brown Cow Greek Yogurt was on sale for $1. I decided to give it a try, and I absolutely loved it! It was so creamy and when mixed with a little stevia it was like eating a mini dessert.


The best thing about this little guy is his nutrition facts!


Only 80 calories, 0 grams of fat, 6 grams of sugar, and 15 grams of prtein. Wow!! This yogurt is a great snack that will help you sneek more protein in to your diet without extra fat. I must say I was very impressed. I have to tell you that many of the flavored versions had a lot more sugar, so be sure to scope out the nutrition facts if you are buying any of those.

I'm off to work! I hope you all have a terrific Thursday!!

Q's and A's:
Do you ever find it difficult to taper before a race?
What is your favorite type/brand of Greek yogurt?
Do you prefer your yogurt plain or flavored?

In health,

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Howdy!

How are you today? I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I apologize for my absence yesterday; it was one of those marathon types of days. I had a personal training client at 6:15am, came home and went for a quick run, finished a little homework, headed to work, taught yoga, went to a meeting, attended class (oh how I miss spring break all ready), and then finally got home at 9:30pm. My brain was pretty much mush at that point, so I didn't think blogging would be such a great idea. hahaha It might have sounded like gibberish.

This weekend is the Dallas Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon, and I am so excited!!! I have done a Rock N Roll 1/2 in the past, and it was a party for all 13.1 miles. I also have quite a few friends running the race, which will make it even more fun!

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While I was sitting in class on Monday (paying very close attention of course), I started thinking about how much I have enjoyed training for this race and everything I have learned. I feel like each race teaches me new things about running, my body, and my will power.

Here's what I learned this time around the block:

1. If you are doing a good bit of your training on a treadmill due to weather, make sure you set your incline to 1% to simulate wind resistance and add in some hill intervals or else the elements will kick your butt when you head back outside.
2. Podcasts make excellent running companions, especially for long runs!
3. Don't tune out from your body. My shins started to hurt about three weeks into training, and I realized it was time to switch out my shoes. When your body is in pain, it is usually trying to tell you something so be sure to listen!

4. Reward yourself! Everytime I train hard for a race and stick to my training program, I reward myself with a new running top. It just so happens that my last three turned out to be pink. :)

Is anyone else terrified? [source]

5. Sometimes, what you think are cute baby beavers sunbathing at the park by your house are really yucky, scary NUTRIA (aka giant rats)!!!  Gross!
6. Running tights and tank top tanlines should be celebrated like battle scars, not hidden! Flaunt those babies!
7. Occassionally, 11 mile runs need to turn into 8 mile runs, and 7 mile runs into 5, and that's ok. This goes back to listening to your body. Sometimes you are just not feeling it, and forcing yourself through shin splints, an upset stomach, or overlly sore muscles will make your training miserable. As long as you get in the majority of your scheduled mileage, you will do great come race day.
8. Cross training is still, and will forever be, very important. I know my running has improved immensly since I started sticking to a regular strength training and yoga schedule. I feel stronger and more balanced overall which contributes to faster running times and an injury free race season!

I'm off to pack my lunch and head to work. I hope you all have an amazing Wednesday!

Q's and A's:
Does anyone else have a race coming up?
What have you learned from your training?

In health,

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Howdy!

Happy Monday everyone! Did you have a good weekend?

Friday night was pretty laid back around here since E had to work kind of late. On Saturday, E took me to my very first Major League Soccer game. We went and watched FC Dallas play the Chicago Fire at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco.

The stadium was so cool! You actually walked in at the top level and the entire stadium was sunken into the ground.


We even got to take a picture with the FC Dallas mascot. Although I had never been to a professional soccer game, I had heard they could get pretty rowdy. We sat behind the Chicago fans, and they were CRAZY! Let's just say there were a lot of swear words, random chanting I couldn't understand, unfriendly banter between their fans and ours, flag waving, and more scarves than I have ever seen in my life. :) It was interesting to say the least!

The game ended up in a tie. We had a blast, and I can't wait to go back to another game!

On Sunday, I did a 12 mile run in the morning. It was absolutely perfect weather- 63 degrees with a breeze. I don't think I could have asked for a better run. I feeling ready and excited for my race next weekend! The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to grocery shopping and laundry. I was really craving pizza for dinner so I decided to make a pita pizza.


I simply bought a package of whole wheat pitas at the store and topped it with diced tomatoes (from a can), spinach, mushrooms, zucchini and part skim mozzarella. After I piled on the toppings, I just threw it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes or until all of the cheese is melted. I pre-cooked the zucchini in a skillet with a little garlic salt and Italian seasoning. It was delicious, quick and easy!

I hope you all have an amazing Monday!

Q's and A's:
Have you ever been to a major league soccer game?
What did you do this weekend?

In health,

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Happy Friday!!



TGIF!! [source]

 I can't believe it's already Friday!! How are you today? Are you super excited for the weekend? I know I am. Even though I've had the majority of the week off for Spring Break, E has been working like a mad man so I am excited to see him before 9:00pm!

On to the exciting news!! Thank you to everyone who entered the Healthy Steps Giveaway. Unfortunately, I could only pick two winners. :( Since I could never choose on my own, I let random.org do the choosing for me. Drum roll please! The winners are....... Kristen and Sarah!


These lovely ladies left the following comments:


If you two could e-mail me (funfitandfabulouswithlauren@gmail.com) your addresses, I will send you your goodies ASAP! I hope you love them!

Since I have managed to get zero homework done over the break, I am off to hit the books. I hope you all have an amazing weekend?

Q's and A's:
What are you up to this weekend?
Is it getting warmer in your neck of the woods? It was 80+ degrees here yesterday and I got to layout!

In health,

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Did you remember to wear your green today? Did anyone pinch you because you forgot? :)

Today's workout consisted of a 4 mile run, followed by 10 minutes of power walking at an incline, and LOTS of push-ups. I'm getting ready to participate in Morgan's PIPES challenge! Zillions of push-ups and toned pipes here I come! Head on over to Life After Bagels to join the Pipes challenge and push your way to toned arms in 6 weeks.

I admittedly have a pretty strong sweet tooth that likes to rear its ugly head around 9pm every night. I have tried many things to calm my angry cravings and lately majool dates have been doing the trick quite nicely! They are so sweet and juicy and knock out my craving with a one-two punch while still allowing me to stick to my healthy eating goals. Dates also work great in recipes to help hold your creations together such as Raw Oatmeal Cookies or Chia Power Balls.


You can tell I like them since there are only three left! :)

Since I've been doing more push-ups lately, I've been trying to shake things up. Try this move, compliments of Fitness Magazine, to take your push-up to a whole new level!


How To: Start on all fours (knees under hips, back flat), both palms pressing into ball directly below chest, fingers pointed toward floor. Extend legs behind you and balance on toes so that you form a straight line from head to heels, with feet about 2 feet apart. Bend elbows to lower chest toward ball, keeping arms by sides, abs engaged and back flat. Exhale as you push back up, straightening arms. Do 8 reps. Rest 60 seconds; repeat.

Another way I like to use the ball while performing push-ups, is to place one hand on top of the ball and the other hand on the ground in a plank position. Lower your chest towards the ground and then press back up to your starting position. Roll the ball to the other hand and perform another push-up. Continue alternating hands for 12-15 reps.
Hurry, today is the last day to enter my Healthy Steps Giveaway! I will be giving away two amazing sets of Healthy Steps products tomorrow. You have until 12:00pm tonight to enter!



Q's and A's:
Have you checked out Morgan's Pipes challenge? Anybody want to join me?
What's your go to food to curb a sweets craving?
Have you entered my giveaway yet?

In health,

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Happy Hump Day!!

How's your day going? It's Wednesday, and I am lucky enough to have the day off (minus the work I did from home this morning). Still, avoiding a 45 minute commute is never a bad thing! I started my morning off by teaching a yoga class (that doesn't count as work) and then came back home to do a little work on the computer. I was hoping to wait until the sun came out to go for my run. Little slivers of sunshine started to peak through my blinds at around 11am, so I decided to head out. It was still a little cloudy but when I looked in the mirror post run, I definitely had a few new freckles staring back at me. :) Don't worry, I put on sunscreen.

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I told you a few weeks ago that I was reading the book The Eat-Clean Diet, and so far I really like it. It is very practical and focuses on eating clean, whole, non-processed foods, avoiding sugar, and eating a combination of protein and carbohydrates at each meal. It also gives you lots of tips on how to stay on track in social situations and when your stranded without your pre-packed cooler of healthy clean foods (I 100% believe in taking your food with you as much as possible to avoid eating out and scary vending machines). Although I try my hardest to always pack my lunch (in my cute hot pink lunchbox) and have healthy snacks on me at all times, sometimes you find yourself starving and without your trusty Larabar to get you through. What are you to do? Panic? Cry? Starve? Have no fear, Tosca shows us the healthiest options at some of the most popular fast food restaurants.

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The Best Fast-Food Choices:

• McDonald's- Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken (without almonds or orange glaze)
• Burger King- Tendergrill Chicken Garden Salad (without croutons, dressing or cheese)
• Wendy's- Mandarin Chicken Salad (without roasted almonds, noodles or dressing)
• Subway- 6" Oven-Roasted Chicken Breast with Vegetables (without suace)
• Taco Bell- Chicken Ranchero Taco, Fresco Style (without cheese or avocado dressing)
• Hardee's- Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich (without BBQ sauce)
• Sonic- Grilled Chicken Sandwich (without honey mustard sauce)
• Chick-Fil-A- Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad (without croutons or dressing)
• Jack-In-The-Box- Asian Grilled Chicken Salad (without dressing)

Next time you are faced with the decision to eat fast food or starve (that's a little dramatic), you will know which meals won't derail your healthy eating plan!

Most of you know that I am a huge fan of yoga, especially for runners. Runners are very prone to tight muscles and over use injuries, and yoga can go a long way in preventing these issues. Check out this video from FitSugar on the yoga poses every runner should try!



For more information on yoga for runners, check out this post. If you'd like to watch another video about yoga for runners, click here.

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday! If you haven't already, there is still time to enter my Healthy Steps Giveaway!!


Q's and A's:
What's your go to healthy fast food option?
Have you read Tosca's book?
Do you cross train be doing yoga?

In health,

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Howdy!

How are you doing today? I hope your week is starting off nicely!

Since I had yesterday off, I spent the day catching up on work, taking care of a few errands, running and relaxing. It was quite nice! I also made some more Chia Power Balls! I have cut my energy bar intake in half by making these little guys every week. They make a great snack and are so easy to take with you on the go.

Unfortunately, Eric had to work late, so I was on my own for dinner. You know what that means - Jason's Deli! Eric claims Jason's Deli never fill him up, so anytime I'm on my own for dinner I hit up my favorite salad bar for much needed veggie deliciousness!

I am pretty picky when it comes to my salad, so I love being able to choose exactly what I want in/on it. This one included: hearts of romaine, spinach, mushrooms, green peas, raisins, walnuts, a little scoop of couscous, a scoop of some sort of lemony pasta, and some sort of bean blend (chickpeas, red beans, edamame, and other things I could not identify). Somehow Jason's Deli's boiled eggs always taste better than mine! I only ate the egg white, but it was delicious!


The best part of Jason's Deli is the free non-fat frozen yogurt!!


You know you want a taste! Trust me, it was delicious! :)

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I have been receiving a lot of reader questions lately, and I LOVE it! A lot of times, I feel like I just ramble on about this, that and the other, so it's great to know what y'all want to hear about. I would love to do a reader request every week, so I am calling all questions and topic requests. It doesn't matter what it is. I am open to anything. You can ask questions about my personal health and fitness routine. How often do you workout? When do your workout? What do you eat for lunch every day? How do you train for your races? Etc. etc. Or questions about specific topics. Will aspartame really give me cancer? How much constitutes a grain serving? What is tabatta training?

You can send me your questions by leaving a comment, shooting me an e-mail at funfitandfabulouswithlauren@gmail.com, or posting it to my facebook page. I can't wait to read your questions!

Have you entered my Healthy Steps Giveaway yet? If not, you still have time. The giveaway is open until midnight on Thursday, so go check it out!

Q's and A's:
Where is your favorite place to get a salad?
Do you have any questions you would like to send my way?

In health,

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Happy Monday!!

How are you today? Did you have a nice weekend? Ours was full of friends, fun, food and basketball! That all adds up to a pretty amazing weekend! I also got in an 11 mile run that went pretty well. My legs were a little tired from my strength workout the day before (I know I should have left a day between for rest, but there just wasn't time), but I made it through and held a pretty decent pace at right around 9 minutes a mile. I'll take it!

Now onto the exciting news! The lovely people over at Healthy Steps sent me some amazing goodies to give away! Yay!!

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Healthy Steps is an awesome company that helps people reach their health and fitness goals by teaching proper portion control. We all know eating lean protein, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and fruits and veggies is good for us, but if we are eating way too much our health goals will still stay out of reach. Allow me to let Healthy Steps speak for themselves.

"Healthy Steps is not a program you have to follow, it is not a deprivation plan - in fact it isn't a plan at all. Healthy Steps is a line of kitchen products designed to help you prepare properly portioned foods at home and gives you the tools necessary to enjoy the foods you currently eat in a more healthy manner. We understand that today's family is a busy family and so our kitchen products are aimed at saving you time in the kitchen as well."


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They sent me four of my favorite products to share with my readers! I received a serving ladle perfect for pouring the right amount of sauce, gravy or soup every time. Next out of the box, was the water diffuser which turns plain old water into a fruit infused sensation in no time. Then came the portion control pasta basket. Who doesn't need a little help keeping their pasta servings in check? Finally, I pulled out a three piece serving set which allows you to serve the perfect portion of vegetables, starch and protein at every meal.

There will be two winners for this giveaway! One winner will receive the water infuser and three piece serving set and the other will receive the serving ladle and pasta basket!



Are you excited yet? What are you waiting for? Start entering now before I decide to keep them all for myself! Just kidding! :)

How to enter the giveaway (one entry per comment):

1. Leave a comment telling me which Healthy Steps product you would like to try.
2. "Like" Fun, Fit and Fabulous on facebook and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
3. "Like" Healthy Steps on facebook and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.
4. "Follow" Fun, Fit and Fabulous on twitter and leave a comment below.
5. Place a link to this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment below.

The giveaway will be open until 12:00pm on Thursday, and I will announce the winner on Friday!
Thanks Healthy Steps for sharing your amazing products with us!

In health,

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