Fitness Friday:  Find new inspiration

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."  - Dalai Lama

Happy Friday! We made it through another week. Hopefully you stuck to your fitness goals for the week and are ready to kick it up a notch over the weekend.

I only missed one day of walk-jogging this week, and I am ashamed to admit that my delicate toes just did not want to get out of the warm bed that morning.

I did manage to get up this morning and work out. The one thing that is nice about jogging in the morning is you get to see parts of sunrise. The mornings feel like a secret because many souls miss out on the beautiful colors streaking across the sky and welcoming another day.

While Friday's blog is generally devoted to a specific workout, today is going to be devoted to refocusing energy.

Even on weeks when I am good - working out everyday - I often let my food choices lag off. I get into a habit of telling myself that since I worked out, I can have that piece of chocolate.

Not a good strategy.

Working out and eating right go hand in hand. Without one, it is hard to achieve your goals of losing weight or staying healthy. You need both to be truly successful.

So this week is about getting back on the diet and exercise wagon. Here are some things that have worked for me:

• Consistency. Force yourself out of bed to do that workout. Make it an every day event and soon it will happen like clockwork. Make yourself go extra hard on those days you really wanted to stay in bed.

• Count those calories. Everyone has a way that works for them when it comes to monitoring food. Count calories or points once in awhile to make sure you are on the right track. After a few weeks of counting, you will have a better grasp on the amount of food you need.

• Humans are imperfect. We love to be bad. If "they" tell you not to eat pie, certainly you will go eat pie. It's in our nature. It's fun to be bad. So every weekend, treat yourself to something small. Are baked goods your enemy and something you always steer clear of? Allow yourself a single croissant on a Saturday afternoon. Just don't let it get out of hand.

• Fit in an extra workout. If you know you are going to enjoy yourself a little more than usual, try to get in an extra 20 to 30 minutes of exercise. This extra workout could really help you lose some weight this week!

So, what are you cooking this weekend? I plan to make this delicious butternut squash risotto - it's sure to be a hit with Droolface and the family. Check it out!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Remember the key to good risotto is to stir, stir, stir. Don't leave the stove and you will end up with a creamy and delicious main dish.

You will need:

2 cups of Alborio Rice

1 or 2 Butternut Squash {1 if large, 2 if small}, Chopped in bite-size pieces

2 Zucchini, Chopped

4 cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 Shallot, Finely Chopped

1 Yellow Onion, Chopped

2 C. Freshly Grated Pecorino + more for topping

Fresh sprigs of Rosemary

4 C. all-natural low-sodium Chicken Broth

2 C. White Wine

Salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle in enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a deep pot. On medium heat, saute the garlic, shallot and onion until they begin to brown. Add in the butternut squash and zucchini and saute for about 5 minutes or until the squash begins to soften a bit. Drizzle in more olive oil and add the rice. While stirring, saute for about 5 minutes.

Add in the liquid, one cup at a time, stirring continuously to prevent the rice from burning. Once the first cup of liquid has been absorbed, add in the next, until all 6 have been added and absorbed. Add in the Pecorino, stirring to melt. Taste and add pepper and salt accordingly.

Serve with additional Pecorino grated over top and a glass of white wine.

Enjoy!