I'm Thankful I Work Out Because....

Here's another top 10 list for the holiday season: Reasons why I'm thankful I work out regularly. Sometimes it's good to take a step back and imagine what your life would be like without your exercise. What aches and pains would you have? What weaknesses? Would you feel more sluggish? Would you have problems sleeping well? Would you start to become more depressed and negative emotionally? Once you have the full picture of the "you" that doens't exercise, be thankful that you're NOT that person and that you've successfully made exercise a given part of your day and life!

I'm thankful I work out because...

10. There's no question about whether or not I can do push-ups on my toes.

9. I don't have to think twice about picking up a 45 pound box (I use that as an example, because I just did that today).

8. Even at my most "out of shape" moment, I know I could run a 5K at the drop of a hat....perhaps even a half-marathon (although my time certainly wouldn't be great).

7. Fast metabolism! Let's pray that sticks around beyond my 20's!

6. Things that once made me self-conscious about my body are now non-issues.

5. I've been able to make a great career out of it!

4. I rarely get sick. (In fact, I have to really stretch to find reasons to use my "sick days!")

3. The renewal and stress relief that tells me everything is going to be ok.

2. Accidents aside, I'm set to live a long, happy life with my husband and future children.

1. The positive, accomplished and empowered feelings I get after every single workout. It never gets old.

Happy Thanksgiving! I challenge you to make your own Top 10 list of why you're grateful for exercise!

My Top 5 Healthy Fall Recipes

As we're approaching Thanksgiving, and the fall season will soon be winding down, I wanted to post my list of my favorite healthy fall foods! I did this for summer as well, so I figured it was worth putting a fall list together too.Some of these are tried and true over the past few years; others are new for me this season (thanks Pinterest!).

1. Pumkin Pancakes. A lot of people assume that pancakes aren't healthy, but it really depends on what kind of toppings you use (i.e. a lot of butter and syrup will start tipping the scale to "unhealthy.") Pancakes themselves normally only have a little bit of brown sugar, and I try to sub in ingredients like skim milk, egg beaters and whole wheat flour when I have them available. Since I love both pumpkin and pancakes, it's no surprise these are on the list.

2. Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal. Again, surprised? This was a good change of pace for fall from my typical banana or blueberry oatmeal. I used pumpkin pie spice instead of dealing with all of the separate ingredients it calls for (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.). It definitely made me excited to get out of bed and make breakfast!

3. Rachael Ray's Chili for Veg Heads. I've been making this recipe since college.The chili is so rich and tasty that half the people I make it for don't realize it has no meat! Aside from the broth/beer, everything that goes into it is either a vegetable or a bean. I mix in a little bit of light sour cream to complement the southwest flavor.

4. White Chicken Chili. This is what I've been eating for lunch this past week. It wins the award for the easiest recipe on this list--dump it all in a crockpot and come back 8 hours later. This doesn't include any cream-based soups in the ingredients, just cream cheese--and I use the light version.

5. Warm Black Bean and Corn Salsa. I make this often for parties or football games--definitely a favorite among my friends. Here's the recipe:

-2 cans black beans

-2 cans white corn

-1 medium jar of salsa

-1/2 packet of taco seasoning or just a hefty sprinkling of cumin

-1 to1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (optional--I used to always include cheese in the mix, but to be honest, it tastes the same to me either way, so lately, I leave the cheese out to save calories.)

Put everything in a crock-pot and heat on low for 3-4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I'm thankful for the people who take the time to read the little thoughts I have during the day!