The Greatest FOOD book is NOW available!

IT'S OUT! 

 

I am SO EXCITED!   The guy who wrote this book is SO SMART! 

Besides being so intelligent he has a way to explain 

things in very simple ways. 

So you don't have to be super science guy to 

understand how and why this great way of eating works.

I am VERY EXCITED TO GET MY COPY IN THE MAIL! 

I would love to hear what books has inspired your improved 

health, diet, and/or fitness.

HAVE A MAGICAL DAY!

If I had to take one supplement.. It would be Fish oil

It does not sound that tasty..  but I really think that this stuff is a super supplement. 

I first heard about it when my husband and I went to Vancouver to spend time with some other trainers. We met this awesome woman, Kelly Frankson She is an amazing athlete and Olympic lifter.  
She also knows so much about nutrition and how what we eat makes such a difference in our performance in life and during our fitness training.  

So Some of the things I learned about Fish oil...  

• It is rich in Omega 3

• is a healthy fat.. and our body needs good fat. (we even need it to loose weight - if that's a goal of yours)
• it helps reduce inflammation and recover from workouts  

Here is a great blog that has a great article by Ryan Andrews all about the science and benefits of Fish oil.   I hope to learn all this better so that I can say it as eloquently as these smart people.. but in the mean time I am SO THANKFUL that they are out there.  

ohh.. that voice in my head....

I tell ya..  that voice I can sometimes hear in my head...  the one that tells you, " I am so tired.  I will do it later"  OR "I can't do that, it's to hard"  OR   "What if I fail?!"   Then when we listen to that voice.. and then we feel guilty for listening to that voice...   Oh, that feeling just SUCKS! 

I am here to say..  you might hear that voice.  but REMEMBER you are stronger!  

I had a hard workout last night.. I had to run 3 rounds of 1000m and do 100 squats. Both of those are large feats.  When I was running my second 1000m the thoughts began, " I could just walk..  or heck stop".

but then I had another thought, I WANT TO BECOME STRONGER, FASTER, LEANER!  So I kept pushing.. and you know what.. IT FELT GREAT!   I FELT ALIVE! ( it was really hard to breathe) but I WAS DOING IT!  

This is an amazing book that I read.   What books have you read that have changed the way you look at things?  I would LOVE to hear about them.

When what you want seems so far away..

It seems to me that many and maybe most people want
to to be health. And what that means  to each of us is different.   Some want to be able to complete an UltraMarathon, 
others just want to be in a small pant size.   
That is where I was!   I felt miserable in my body. 
I did not like sitting in a chair and feel the roll around my middle. 
I really did not like running with my son in the backyard

and feeling all that jiggle or being out of breathe so quickly. 

So I decided the desire to feel better or even try to feel better became more dominate than the desire to be sedentary or to grab that bag of chips and self medicate with unhealthy food.  my husband and I found  P90X Plus - Workout DVD  and starting doing something.   It was really great doing it together.  It was still very hard.  There was many days when I tried to talk Luke out of doing the workout, I was really tired or it was a bad day.  But thankfully one of us was driven enough to say, 
WE ARE DOING THIS WORKOUT!

We starting having days were we felt our pants getting looser or feeling stronger. 
and that is great motivation to keep going..  we then found CrossFit
 and fell in LOVE!   these workouts average 7-20 min compared to P90X was 60-90 min a day. 
Being a busy mom and working and family stuff going on, hitting a workout within 30 min
 has much more appeal for me.  and interestingly enough
I was even getting more results. 
but I think that is because I did more workouts. 


I am getting a little away from my topic, and really
I just want to say. 
Look for your goals and dreams and even if they seem so far way you can get there! 
YOU CAN GET THERE ONE BABY STEP AT A TIME! 

Tonights Diner was.. Chicken ala.. Duncan

Cooking healthy does not have to be hard, I think this took me 15 min to put together.

I had no idea what I was going to make for diner tonight. 

so I took out some chicken thighs..  

while I imagined what I was going to make.

I saw my beautiful herb garden and became inspired... 

To make a Chicken with sweet basil, cilantro, rosemary.. 

My son LOVED it.  So now I am calling this dish 

Chicken ala Duncan. 

I went and cut a bunch of the sweet basil, cilantro and rosemary from my

herb garden and cut it up and covered the chicken in the pan.

Then I added some delish chopped tomatoes with lime and cilantro.

I never saw this kind before but boy was it tasty. Put that on top of the herbs.

Then I added a can of tomato sauce..

I baked it in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour 20 min.

Oh My Goodness!   It smelled SO GOOD in my house! 

I was nervous.. I was not sure how this was going to taste. 

but it was DELISH!

Its FuN and exciting trying new dishes or even making them up. 

Most of the time you get good results. 

Sometimes it's time to order in. LOL

HAPPY HEALTHY COOKING!

Strive for your goals sometimes the road gets bumpy.

I have been thinking about my fitness goals.  We all have them. 
If you have had a baby, or you want to get married, you want to run a marathon, or you just want to do something that you have not done yet. Write a book..  I guess goals are not limited to physical.. but since that is my passion I am gonna focus more on that. 

IT HARD!


Its hard to get up and go practice.. or keep to the diet..  
Sometimes, I don't wanna.  I want a cupcake or I want bacon!  
but when I have goals to eat clean, Paleo, that is NO SUGAR! well any cupcake that does not have sugar would be a better paperweight than cup cake..  so CRAP!  You have to keep choosing in your mind that the goals you want are bigger and more important than that quick gratification of that treat.. or skipping the workout!  
So if you have a slip up and you eat that cupcake or ditch the workout..   8-( 
    that does not feel good. but giving up will feel worse..  

so forgive your self have some grace and compassion.. 
and get your ASS to your next workout and give it 100%
because YOU CAN get to your goals. 
One step at a time! 




Today is a fitness rest day, (well I might go for a mile run) but that's it. My triceps are so sore and my right arm is so twitchy it is driving me nuts..  my hubby said what do you expect.. but still I want my cake and eat it too. I want to work out hard and have my body feel fine after. :-)   LOL

The past two days have been super hard and intense workouts.. 

Day one 

and

Day two was 

15 rounds for time,  

one round of

5 pull ups

10 push ups

15 squats

next round of

5 pull ups

10 dips

15 sit ups 

alternating each round

GOT IT DONE IN 23:12

I am watching the World Cup soccer/football USA vs England match as I type this and it is very exciting.. 

I don't fallow this sport but I get that this only happens every four years and that this is the most popular sport in the whole world.  

It's kind of like the Olympics and more..  it seems like everyone has played soccer/football at some point in their life.. not everyone has participated in an Olympic sport.  I have to say..  

I LOVE watching people strive for their dreams..  weather it is to win the WORLD CUP  or to learn to do a pull up, run a mile, loose a couple pant sizes. 

 We need to keep striving for our goals.. 

SO GOOD LUCK TO THE PLAYERS

GOOD LUCK TO YOU IN YOUR GOALS 

I would LOVE to hear what your goals are and how it going.

My thoughts for the day

What do you think?

Meal in a meatball .. Paleo stlye

I made a super easy meal for super tonight and it took me 15 min maybe 20!  

And its a Meal in a Meatball!

I love meatballs!  I thought I like to sneak veggies in there so the kids get more veggies..  well I went all out...  these have, spinach, mushrooms (don't tell my daughter), green peppers, carrots and green onion.

• 2 lb of lean ground beef
• 1lb of ground turkey
• 1 green pepper
• 1/2 bag of baby spinach
• 1 cup of baby carrots
• 1 package of mushrooms
• 2 stalks of green onions

Put all the veggies into the food processor to chop it all up 

then all veggies to meat and mix throughly

I also added

• 2 eggs to told meatballs together better
• 3 cloves of garlic, cuz I LOVE IT
• handful of sweet basil, rosemary and cilantro from herb garden- yum!

Form mixture into balls, I like the size of large golf balls

put into pan, oh heat oven to 350 degrees

and I like to pour some tomato sauce over the meatballs, not tons but just a bit!

BAKE IN OVEN about 45 min 

THEN ENJOY!

Quick easy lunch

Looking for a quick lunch idea..  here ya go..   

 This is a simple Chicken salad. 

What ever chicken breasts that you have cooked

I think this has two in it.  and I took a fork and pulled it apart

I like that pulled apart pieces vs. chopped up pieces. but do what ever you like

Two stalks of Celery

two carrots chopped fine

a green onion stalk chopped fine

1/4 cup dried berries this one had blue berries, crasins, cherries 

1 tsp of mayo

seasonings I used were a blend for chicken and poultry, that had dried peppers

onions, garlic, salt and pepper.   but use what ever you like. 

I am in love with cold chicken salads, their are so many options out there..  What are some of your favorites? 

I'd love to hear

Fast food Vs. Home cooked food

I suppose some people will not like or disagree with that statement..  but hey, you entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine..  I used to think that there is not enough time to cook a good, healthy meal.
or that my kids don't like any veggies.  But I got sick of feeling crappy, fat, like I am on an emotional roller coaster.  and I had to do something about it.   I got sick of that roll in your middle that you can feel when you sit in a chair.  YUCK!   I WAS DONE!  

There are a million ways to "Diet"  and Some work well, Paleo diet...  others work not so well..  


For me it has been an evolution..  started out by trying to eat better.. and by that I mean being conscious but really tried.. but not really very effective.    Next my hubby and I started P90X P90X Extreme Home Fitness Workout Program - 13 DVDs, Nutrition Guide, Exercise Planner
And with that came a food/diet guide and menu.  and I have to say that it was very effective and complete.  The meals in there were delicious.   I still use some of them today.   and they break the 90 days into 3 groups.   First 30 day..  very lean, NO PASTA, BREAD and the like.   the next 30 day introduce some whole grains into your meals..   We never felt hungry, actually we were eating all the time.   For me it was to time consuming, prepping all the ingredients and measuring out the specific portions. My hubby was one portion, I another and the kids a third.



I was getting ready for the weekend and thinking what we have planned and what to eat. and I have to say, I wanted to cook.. I did not was to budget for pizza or going out.  Now don't get me wrong I LOVE to socialize.  And try new places.  but when I think about eating a meal, I want something that is flavorful, has good veggies and lean meat.  What mainstream places offer that?  NONE, that I have found.   I have found that I enjoy prepping veggies and talking to the kids about what veggies I am using..  It feels very good to me to be the one who is preparing the food that my family will be putting into their bodies.   The meals are SO tasty..  they fill you up and keep you full with less cravings.

REALLY..  How do you feel after you eat a burger from a fast food place?  Its greasy, and filled with other chemicals to preserve things.. and your body was not made to ingest that stuff.    So after you eat you feel, blah! and constipated.  and then two hours later your hungry again.    NO THANK YOU!
I AM DONE!   I AM COMMITTED TO EATING AND FEEDING MY FAMILY AND MYSELF THE BEST THAT I CAN.       HOW ABOUT YOU?

Another reason for being a good cook

I have fallen in Love with Cauliflower

thanks to freefoto for image

I used to see cauliflower in my grandma's salads.. and it is a dense and a blah veggie taste..  But it has so much potential..   It has a high potassium content, Potassium is an electrolyte that gives your heart the energy it needs to work.. and that a real good thing!  more nutrition info  So, in a nutshell.. it is good for ya..

This ball of a veggie can be turned into some delicious Faux Mashed Potatoes Super easy to do!
And they are a great creamy texture.

So then when a friend of mine was telling me that she loves to bake Cauliflower in the oven.  I thought
REALLY?!?!   Hmmmm..  lets give this a try..  So I washed a head of cauliflower and cut it up into bits.


I pre-heated the oven to 350 degrees.  I poured some Olive Oil over the cauliflower and sprinkled some garlic salt and what ever herbs that sounds good..  I had a herb blend of, thyme, rosemary, sage and pepper.   and bake in the oven for 20-30 min.   OMG!   YUMMY melt in your mouth! DELISH!

Breakfast... Eggs scrable with mixed veggies

I made this for my hubby for breakfast...  

Egg White and Egg Veggie Scramble 

          \

• 5 egg Whites 
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 jalapeno..  hubby loves heat :-)
• 1/2 c. chopped mixed veggies

We had someone give us a jar of maranated veggies.. ( cauliflower, peppers, onions, carrots)
My hubby had put the veggies in the food processor and chopped it all up...  this is what's left.

but I have to add.. this is a great way to add veggies to egg scramble..  YUMMY. 

With eggs.. I wanted a bit more carbs..  so he got a Mango!  OMG   DELISH so tasty and juicy!  Also some almonds for good fats.

This picture looks so good!  I just had to add it :-)

MIA ... So SORRY..

Hello..  and I want to deeply apologize..    I am really liking this blogging and the connections you
can make is just amazing.  I am also very excited that my little Blog is apart of Foodie BlogRoll.

I have a great camera that I want to use for posting my pictures of the yummy foods I am making.

But now I have to learn how to have this camera talk to my computer..  So there is a bit of a learning
curve..  but I think I am getting it.

I am very excited to blog about some great things I made...

• Meatloaf with peppers and spinach ...even my kids ate it!.. 
• egg bake with salmon and green onions 
• chicken stir fry

One of my intentions with this blog is to talk about TASTY HEALTHY food!!
that is EASY ON THE BUDGET!     SO PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT...  or a Question.. 
THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS..  

Healthy living! ~Malia

Tonight's diner......
Bison meat balls with spinach

• 2 lb ground bison 
• 1 brick frozen spinach 
• garlic 
• onion flakes or whatever you have 
• a dash of worcestershire sauce 

roll into balls and bake in the oven 350 for 25-30 min

I then added them to a pan on the stove and added a large can of crushed tomatoes
rosemary, Salt and Pepper and a can of Coconut Milk.   mixed all together.   Voila

And faux mashed
(cauliflower mashed)

Large head of cauliflower cut into med pieces and put in a pot to boil
once soft drain water and mash away.   You can also toss it in a food processor, that works great too
I added some butter, garlic and salt and pepper to give it some flavor.

Been a little MIA

The family has had a BUG.  and YUCK!!  YUCK !! YUCK!!

Thankfully almost everyone is on the mend.  With hopes that my daughter will be 100%  ASAP.
I am looking to get the family on an Elderberry extract.   I am hearing amazing things about this stuff.
it even is supposed to help heal from viruses.   It is said to boost the immune system.  and help with all sorts of things.   I am hoping that this can also help my children with their asthma.

It is time to kick it up a notch..   My husband who has been working so many hours is it ridiculous
was talking about his diet in the morning and at lunch..  and was wanting to make it healthier..  so I am going to cook breakfast for the family every morning, pack him a lunch and a morning snack..
Diet is so important.   You need to have the right fuel in your body.  to get it done.

So this morning I made Luke a 4 egg white, 2 egg scramble with peppers, orange and green.
(it was what I had in the house)

For a morning snack  I packed him,  2 hard boiled eggs and a Lara Bar.













For Lunch I made him a Grilled chicken salad.
8 oz of grilled chicken with tons of mixed leafy greens,

jicama,  (see picture) ..  peppers, snap peas
and rice wine vinegar . 





Oh and I also included some almonds for a healthy fat.

Diner last night... Steak!

Yesterday I was looking at some of my favorite Paleo Blogs  and I thought it would be yummy to
make smothered steak...  and it was DELISH

• Mushrooms - I used 2 packages we love mushrooms
• Green Peppers - 2 ..  my family loves these..
• Onion - 1 red onion 
• olive oil or butter to saute the veggies in 

• garlic cuz its yummy and a good immune booster.

You want to saute the veggies on a med heat for a while.. cooking them slowly with make them soft
and brown them a bit and that gives them extra yummy flavor.

Cook you steaks on the stove top..
add a dash of salt and pepper to each side and I toss on a splash of Worcestershire sauce

and when done add the veggies to your steak..  and ENJOY!

beef Soup

I made a soup... it was kind of an experiment.  it looked funny but tasted great.. 

• 2lb of beef stew cubed meat 
• onion chopped 
• celery think I used 5 stocks 
• carrots ...  I used what I had left. 5 
• 2 cans beef broth 
• 2 cans coconut milk 
• 2 cans of black beans ( I wanted a bit more protein) *(do not use if fallowing Paleo diet)
• garlic 
• cumin
• salt and papper 
• rosemary
• parsley  

threw it all in the crock pot.. on low all day long..  very yummy.

FYI, benefits of coconut milk

Mango Salsa

 

 

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups diced mango

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1 cup red onion, diced

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2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

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Ice water

1 cup diced red bell pepper, roasted and peeled

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2 serrano chilies, stemmed, seeded, diced

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1 - 2 tsp fresh lime juice

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Salt to taste

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1 tbsp fresh cilantro

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Preparation

Use firm, but ripe mango. Over-ripe fruits are difficult to dice because they turn to mush.

Put the onion in a shallow dish and cover with vinegar and ice water. Soak for 30 minutes. Strain.

In a glass bowl, gently combine the mango, onions, peppers, and chilies. Season to taste with lime juice, salt, and cilantro. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Black Cherry Balsamic BBQ Glaze Turkey and spinach meatloaf

Oh this was super delish!   Sorry the picture is a bit pathetic I didn't remember to take a picture till it was almost gone.

2 packages of ground turkey
1 package of frozen spinach
1 med onion chopped
3 stalks of celery
2 eggs
Black Cherry Balsamic BBQ Glaze from Good Housekeeping Good Foods collection 
garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions and celery
mix all ingredients together in bowl.. add about 1/2 of the BBQ Glaze.. I love this part.. get my fingers all mushy and squishy.
save the rest for basting on top and once you are ready to serve.

Bake 375
for 55 min  about..  you want the internal temp to be 180 

I also made a butternut squash mash
Peeled 3 small butternut squash
cut into cubes .. boiled till soft
I did add some butter to make it a bit creamier
and mashed away...


This was a great meal... beautiful.  and really easy to make.. I'd love to hear what you think

Sweet Potato egg salad... Plaeo friendly recipe

Sweet Potato Bacon Egg Salad   

OMG...  this is SO YUMMY!  
If you like Potatos bacon and eggs! 
YOU MUST TRY THIS!!
It is good hot or cold. 

Some Delish Bison Chili

Yesterday I made a Bison Chili....  It was tasty, lean and very healthy.   Made it in my crock pot.

• 2 pounds of ground bison-- browned
• 1 pound of ground beef -- the leaner the better. this was 93% lean 7% fat
• **** Feel free to use any kind of ground meat****
• ****I just like the lean bison****
• 1 med onion chopped 
• 1 green pepper 
• 2   14 1/2 can crushed tomatoes..  you can also use a favorite tomato sauce.. my family is not a          big fan of chunks of tomatoes
• 1 can of corn (optional) 
• 2 cans of black beans or kidney beans (this is not Paleo so omit if you want)
  
• cumin 
• chili powder
• salt 
• pepper 
• garlic 

I added some ground beef because bison can be light on flavor.  and I did through in a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce and cumin when I was browning the meat.   toss it all in the crock pot and there ya go..   ENJOY

FOOD FOOD FOOD... DIET DIET DIET... what does that mean?

The past couple years my husband and I have been talking about our diet..  knowing that we need to get healthier.  First we tried a meal plan and that was good just very time consuming. We were constantly prepping food.    

Then we found the Zone Diet .   I learned SO much from the fact that veggies and fruit are carbohydrates.  I used to think that there was a few different food groups..  Meat and seafood, veggies and fruit, then the carbs.  The complex (quinoa, brown rice and the like)  and simple carbs( the pastas, white rice ..)  Well guess what. As I understand it ...  Its protein--meat and seafood,  Carbs-- veggie and friut, (good carbs) grains and pastas in both simple or complex,   Fats-- there are good fats like, Avocado, some oils like Olive Oil..  and seeds and most nuts..  I will need to do a post all about the benefits of fats.
so stay tuned for that.  














The Diet that I am TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH is The PALEO DIET

It is simple and it feels great...  I can eat as much as I want and I don't feel deprived of anything.  I have energy all day and far less mood swings.  I also have lots of energy for my workout.    I would love to hear what your doing and how it going for you.  

Terrific Tuesday

Trained someone this morning.. and SUPER impressed with how hard they pushed.  It is exciting and inspiring
to see someone push them selves.  She was working on a new lift. That can be overwhelming ... So much to think about. Placement, position.. drive .. all that.   It was so much FUN to work with her.

Today for lunch I made some DELISH Coconut shrimp and put them on a bed of salad greens
with sprouts and green peppers and cucumbers.   YUMMY  ..This is so tasty and good for you..  100% Paleo

I need to drink  more water..  It is cold this winter and I am having a hard time remembering to drink H2O.

Well that's all I got to blog about today...  Hope your day is Terrific.. 

UPDATE: on the home organization in the kitchen

Just a quick update..  I did pull everything out of my worst cup board.. it is this huge one and it had all my pots and pans and containers.  it was risky going in there.. LOL...Often it all falls out at ya if you open the door. 

So I took everything.. and put it out to see.. I was not even sure what all was in there.  Scary but the truth.
So I stacked the mixing bowls and that was that..  I had a few older pots that I still use so I stacked them.
The big problem was all the containers..  The tupperware and Gladware.  and when I took an inventory of what I had I was surprised to find that I had TONS of lids but not many containers.. and when I matched up the containers with lids.. I threw the rest away and that got rid of 1/3 of the extra crap. 
It looks great and I was surprised that it really did not take that long.   ...  So its your turn :-)
It wont take that long... and when its done it looks great and feels even better. 

Its a new year and time to organize my home.....

I don't know if it is because of the new year and people thinking of new year resolutions.  I am ready and
inspired to improve my home and self.  

One way I want to do that is to organize my  home..  get rid of clutter and the crap that has been collecting in my home, find organized and efficient ways to store and keep my things.
 
The place I want to start first is my kitchen...  my husband and I LOVE to cook.  We love cooking with delicious flavors and cooking taste healthy food.  I try to fallow a Paleo Diet.  Paleo is simple..  Meat.. Veggies.. fruit and some nuts.  That is NO measuring out portion sizes..  eating as much as you want...  Think about it..Who over eats on veggies?  There is no dairy or bread or pasta..  Lots of people have trouble with that.. but to be completely honest..  I have so much energy and I never have the moody afternoon crash or the late night cravings... So I have NO PROBLEM  saying good bye to those carbs and dairy. 


When I cook a meal the first thing I think about is what protein  do I want to cook.. Then what seasonings I want to use.. what kind of flavors I want to eat with that meat.  Then I plan the veggies and fruit to go with it..  Kind of like the accessories.  ;-)

Right now my seasoning are in two areas..  on my counter are the oils and large condiments..  and in the cup board are the dry herbs and dry seasonings.. in the cup board is a mess of different brands and sizes of containers.  I even have refills from the local market that come in baggies.. it can be messy trying to find what herbs I need.. Here is some great info about how to store herbs

Some products that I found that I  want to get to organize my cup boards.. These are great.. I can refill them and easily see how much I have left..  I know its good to store them in dark places.. but in a cup board and the door is shut its dark.  :-) 

I have fallen in love with our Concept2 Indoor Rower

This past summer my husband and I started working out more in our home and next thing we know our garage was turning into a gym..   One of the things we picked up are a couple of Concept2 indoor rowers.. I even made a squidoo lens about them.  If your curious check it out. Concept2 Rowers   Luke and I use them lots during the winter.. its a wonderful tool to help us on our way to our fitness goals.

They have this handy screen. It does the standard measures the time. Distance rowed.. calories burned..  It even has a game. my kids love it!  How fun is that.  My husband was telling me you can even hook it up to your computer and it can store info for you..  HOW COOL IS THAT!

the Concept2 Company is AMAZING! Concept2 they are friendly and professional..

  I always saw them at the gym or the community center.. but I never thought much of them .. Then I got on one!   You work EVERYTHING.. your whole body. Legs.. Arms. Core.. and it gets your heart pumping! Plus  its easy on the joints..  I don't like running.. and this to me is a GREAT substitute.