Mom Works It Out by Angela Gillis

Notes on the weekend: Friend time and bikes

I spent the weekend visiting my bestie in Austin. We had a birthday pre celebration. My birthday is tomorrow, so we went out to do some shopping for my birthday at the good outlet mall in San Marcos. But all that didn’t happen until I got my morning run in. If you don’t know, I’m training for a marathon and I found a good beginner’s training program from this guy. I’m trying to stick with the plan but it’s always hard because I want to do more. But I have to train hard and SMART, which means I need to stick to the plan so I’ll arrive at marathon day injury free.

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The was good and I was deceived by the weather. It started off breezy but the temp quickly shot up. I think that day it got up to 106 degrees. I know the morning was hot. But I did the run and I was proud. It was slow, but I did it.  I had to take my shoes off though to take the picture. Don’t think I ran in socks.

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We traveled to the outlet mall where Melissa bought my birthday present from the Vera Bradley store. It was crazy nuts in there because everything was half off. People were buying up the stuff in the store like no one’s business. I was just happy to have my bag. It will come in handy when I travel for my races! Yes, that is why I wanted the bag. I’m crazy. And my Daddy Tony got us tickets to see the Backstreet Boys in August!  I’m super excited to relive the good ole days again!

After we left there, I finally got my roadbike. I’ve gone back and forth about getting a bike and I finally bit the bullet. I can’t believe it. Thanks to the nice people at Buck’s Bike Superstore in Round Rock for helping me get what I needed. Everyone was super nice and answered all my questions. This is going to be an expensive habit, but I love riding the bike. Now I’m just going to have to get someone to teach me about replacing the tires and such. I’m really nervous about that.

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I’m a triathlete in the making. Just wait and see, I’m going to rock your world! But first I’m going to conquer the playground!

All in all, it was a great weekend and I’m glad I got to spend the time with my husband. He listened to me talk incessantly about running and biking and we talked about a cooking together. I think he’s starting to get interested in cooking and creating which is great for me because that means I won’t have to cook as much! It’s a win/win situation for everyone.

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Giveaway: Rubbermaid Produce Savers

Giveaway: Rubbermaid Produce Savers

I love my produce!  When we go grocery shopping every week the basket is filled with nothing but produce.  There are lots of great benefits of eating produce like eating real food, a healthier body and just being able to cook among many other things.  The bad thing about buying fresh produce is it will go bad and quickly if it’s not stored properly. I was constantly going to the store to get more produce mid week which can really be expensive.  It’s funny because people always tell us to eat healthy but healthy eating is very expensive.  Let’s stop…

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Froyo, I’m going to quit you!

Froyo, I’m going to quit you!

Froyo (aka frozen yogurt) is my thing.  When I was larger, I would sit down with quarts of ice cream and devour them while watching television…along with a McDonalds 20 pack of chicken nuggets, two double cheeseburgers, large fries and just for my own health, a medium order of fries too.  Not my healthiest moment, eh? But froyo was/is my trip off the beaten path in our new lifestyle change. I can eat my weight in froyo, run a half marathon and come back for more.  (You definitely know what I’ll be eating AFTER I finish my first marathon.) My…

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Old school blogging: Angela from A to Z

Old school blogging: Angela from A to Z

There’s been this whole old school blogging thing floating around the web and I thought it would be a good things on my blog. Blog readers read the blog, but they don’t really know much about me except I lost some weight and workout A LOT. This is a fun way for you to find out just a little bit more about me. Enjoy! A. Attached or Single? Attached. I’ve been married for 3 and half years. He’s my partner in crime and in weight loss. I could have lost the weight without it, but it would have been much…

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Losing the weight. My friend Julie’s weight …

Losing the weight. My friend Julie’s weight loss story.

Everyone has a weight loss story and it’s important to share these stories so others can be inspired, motivated and know they are not alone. Today, I am sharing one of my best friend’s story with you. Julie and I met in high school, she was a sophomore and I was a senior sitting in a sophomore class. We instantly gravitated toward each other and from that day forward we were great friends. We fell out of touch because of a stupid argument after I graduated, but we reconnected 5 or 6 years ago…and continued to this point now. She…

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One hot weekend

One hot weekend

It was a hot weekend and I was supposed to spend it with my best friends in Mississippi. That didn’t quite happen. I prepped my food, filled a cooler, packed the car with my best friend and godchild and we set off. But there was a problem: traffic. The traffic was horrible and we stayed in place for so long we had to turn around and head back to Texas. Sitting in traffic is not the best place for a 2 ½ year old cutie. What did I pack in my cooler? Watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, carrots, honey dew, chocolate milk…

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Look inside our pantry

Look inside our pantry

Can you please tell me exactly what you ate and did to lose the weight?  That’s the number one question asked at We Beat Fat.  I constantly say this but what worked for us may not work for you.  It never hurts to try though.  Also, we didn’t do anything fancy.  We basically stopped eating at all those fast food joints, cut out the soda and started eating real food. I thought this would be a good time to show you the stuff in our pantry. The pantry isn’t exactly organized but it works.  Don’t pass judgement on us!  People…

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Facing the fear

Facing the fear

In life there are rule followers and rule breakers. I’ve always been a rule follower. I was a good kid that hardly broke the rules and if I did happen to break the rules, I felt terrible. I punished myself! It’s always good to follow the rules but I also think it’s put me on a path to only want to follow rules and think about the consequences. It’s stopped me from being a risk taker. I’ve lost all this weight which has really forced me to get to know the “new” me. I do feel like I can do…

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FAQ: My workout routine

FAQ: My workout routine

I’ve been getting a lot of e-mail and messages about my food and my workout routine. This morning I thought I would talk about my workout routine and how it’s changed from the beginning our journey to now. I want to first note I am not a doctor or expert on the subject and if you are planning on taking up a exercise routine or diet you should consult a physician first. The first day we went to the gym, I hopped on the treadmill for thirty minutes and no incline. I just walked at a pace that was good…

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Sharing our story on Huffington Post Live

Sharing our story on Huffington Post Live

Last night we had the opportunity to be on Huffington Post Live to talk about our weight loss experience. We’ve been getting a lot of requests to be on tv lately and I must admit this kind of makes me uncomfortable. I’m still really self conscious and haven’t settled into my new skin yet. Last night I felt like we were on a panel with a bunch of media pros! Everyone on the panel had such amazing stories and it was just fun to talk to them about their experiences. It is always great to have someone say exactly what…

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I run because…

I run because…

Today is National Running Day!  What a great day to celebrate running and why people choose to run. I’ve never really talked about why I run so this gives me the perfect opportunity to tell the world.  In 2013, I’ve run five half marathons, two 10Ks, one 10 milers, one 5K and logged many miles on the road in my free time.  This year I became a runner! I run for many reasons.  I run because I never thought I would be able to because of my weight.  I never thought I would shed the weight and be able to…

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