Chia's to the Weekend

Ello peeps! It's almost Easter :) I'll be going to church, running 10.5 miles and hanging with fam tomorrow. All of which I am very excited for. I feel like I've been MIA for a bit so I'll just do a recap of the past couple days..

Thurday was an interval run day and Friday was chest, biceps and triceps. Nothing too crazy or unusal went down there.

Friday I tried a new recipe! And I am uber excited about it :) It was vanilla protein chia pudding. I briefly touched on chia seeds about a week ago. They are in fact the same seeds used in the infamous Chia Pets. Don't let that scare you off though! Chia seeds are both nutritional and medicinal. Born a member of the mint family (it doesn't taste like mint), it is usually a black or white seed and they are native to the Mayan and Aztec cultures. They help reduce blood pressure, stabilize blood sugar, provide energy, they have anti-inflammatory properties, they promote weight loss, have antioxidants, and lastly are high in protein, fiber and omega-3. The little seed has a lot of power! Chia seeds absorb about three times their size in liquid. Often times people mix one Tbsp of chia seed with two Tbsp of water and let it sit for a few until it forms a gel and use it as an egg replacement in baking. Chia seeds are just as nutritious as they are diverse. They can be used in basically anything.

Vanilla Protein Chia Pudding
3 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (or to mix up the flavor you can use any flavor of protein)
A dash of Cinnamon

Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender and pour into a container. Leave covered in the refrigerator overnight. The seeds will absorb the almond milk and protein and form a pudding like consistency. If you like more of a tapioca like texture then do not blend the ingredients together, simply mix them and leave to chill overnight. Top with fresh fruit or nuts and enjoy!

I've been running through veggies like crazy.. like that's something new.. so I had to make a quick trip to the grocery. I prepped some roasted pepper, sweet potato wedges, spaghetti squash and ground turkey for the upcoming week so I wouldn't have to worry about it tomorrow with all of the festivities it holds.

I just adore the bright colors <3

Well until next time, I'm off to tackle another lesson and exam followed by the game. Go Bucks! :) Then Bayli is coming over for a yoga party. Sounds like a good night to me!

WIAW 3/27/13

Woah. What a day. Needless to say I'm exhausted.

I woke up a little before 9 am. I went with oats, blueberry Greek yogurt and chia seeds for my morning meal.

The morning was slightly intense but I need not go into that today. Key point, my snack consisted of almonds and a cheese stick.

 

I made my way to the gym and did some core work and shoulder action. Followed by a long sit in the sauna. Normally when I'm in the sauna I just sit and listen to music and mind my own beeswax until I'm done. That's usually how it goes for most women in there, unlike in movies where the ladies are always wrapped in towels gathered round and gossiping. Today however was different. I made a new friend in the sauna :) We talked for about thirty minutes and it made the time fly. It wasn't until she told me that she sits in there for ONE HOUR EVERY DAY that I realized she must have to talk to distract herself from the fact that she is melting to death. One hour seems like an awfully long time. I did a little research and found that it's normally recommended that one only stays in there for 15-20 minutes.

 

I came home and made a very veggiful egg white omelet. Filled with eggplant (yep, eggplant again :p), peppers and pepper jack cheese. I had some cottage cheese on the side as well.

 



I proceeded to then crash on the couch for a while and watched an episode of PLL. Dinner consisted of baked chicken, sweet potato wedges and crinkle cut cooked carrots. Safe to say I got my beta carotene in today!

The late night snack consisted of a protein shake. Well this on was more like a smoothie. I've never made this one before but I'm oh so glad I did. I used almond milk, frozen strawberries, pineapple and mango, and one scoop of vanilla protein powder. It was great! It was very thick too so it was almost like eating a blizzard or something. I even used a spoon :)

 

 

Well off to do some studying! Until next time,

 

B.

Progress is Progress

I've been having to remind myself of this lately. Progress is progress. It may not be happening at the pace that I would find ideal but it's happening. It's not about the destination, it's about the journey. I'm constantly reminding myself of this with my fitness results, my blog "remodel", my work goals, everything. However, I've realized that as long as I stay motivated I am capable of finding the patience within. so moral of the story, stay motivated y'all!

I am fortunate enough to have very pretty and intelligent people in my life :p One of which is my cousin Jessica. She has probably been one of the biggest supporters of this here blog! She helps motivate me. She is helping me with ideas for expanding the blog and taking it to the "next level". I am so blessed to have such a fun, creative person in my life. I still secretly think we are sisters.. separated at birth. It just makes more sense that way. Anyhow, I went to Jessica's tonight for a drink and some top secret planning. Muahaha. Big things happening people, BIG things. Whilst I was there she dined me with a fantastic eggplant dish. I know, I know. Eggplant two days in a row. I can't help it though. If I had known how delicious it was going to be I wouldn't have the desire to eat it multiple times within 24 hours!

Eggplant a la Jessica
1 whole eggplant cut into 1/2 inch slices
3 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
Oregano
Dill
Thyme
Basil
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp Chopped Onion
salt & pepper to taste

Mix the EVOO, vinegar, seasonings, onion and garlic. Dip the eggplant slices into the mixture and pan sear over med/low heat for 7 minutes on each side. Top with mozzarella cheese, grape tomatoes, spinach, or don't top them at all. Either way they are fantastic! Thanks Jess!

That's all for today. I'll have a busy ole day off tomorrow but I'll be sure to keep up with WIAW. Can't miss that :)

Sweet, Sweet Satisfaction

Hello nuggets :) Another Monday has been so kind to come again this week, like a bad penny always turning up. However, I am so very glad that it made an appearance this week! So many great things happened today.

I woke up early and went to the gym for some bicep and tricep action. I contemplated giving myself enough time for some cardio but my bod is still recovering from yesterdays ten mile run. Later on in the day I was feeling particularly drained so I'm glad I decided against the cardio! Ha

Next I did the whole work thing from roughly 8-5. I managed to get out early today :) woo hoo! I must admit, there was a hitch in the get along at work. Our system went down for about an hour making us incapable of doing anything.. On a Monday.. not good.

I came home and made dinner and ladies and gentlemen this is where the evening gets interesting. I made something I think I have decided to call Eggplant Toppers. I had never eaten eggplant before in my life, shockingly. Part of that being because it is a nightshade plant which has properties that cause arthritis inflammation in joints and for a long time I had to be nightshade free. And prior to that I just had no desire to try it. I am so glad that I finally came to my senses and tried it! It was insprired by mini pizzas I saw on Pinterest where eggplant slices were the "crust" and topped with red sauce and other various pizza toppings. I put a little twist in my recipe and I'm going to bet it was 2345434x better than those silly little pizzas. And more nutritious as well ;p

Eggplant Toppers

Eggplant slices (I used 4 because I was just cooking for myself)
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 Veggie Patty (Chopped)
1/2 cup light pasta sauce
1Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Tomato Basil Goat cheese
Crushed red pepper to taste
Oregano to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and lay your eggplant slices on a cookie sheet. Lightly salt and pepper them and bake for 10 minutes flipping over half way through. While those are baking, mix all the chopped ingredients and spices in a skillet and saute the veggies over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add the pasta sauce and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Then add the goat cheese and continue cooking until the mixture thickens up a bit and isn't watery. Remove the eggplant slices from the oven and top with spoonfuls of the veggie mixture. Then place the topped eggplant back in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Remove, let cool for a few.. if you can wait that long and then enjoy!

I know some people have issues with mushrooms so a good substitution would be ground turkey or TVP (textured vegetable protein - If you don't know what this is, stay tuned. Ima learn you about some TVP next week :p)

After dinner I hit the books and did my first exam. The results? Drum roll please... a 95! :) I'll take that thankyouverymuch. Such a satisfying day. Hope yours was swell too!

Where's the Weekend?

This weekend went by pretty quick, especially for not doing anything too crazy. Friday just consisted of work, gym (back & shoulders), dinner and a movie with Mom. We went to Bj's Brewhouse and then saw Olympus has Fallen. It was a pretty intense movie, really good though. Gerard Butler is one of the main characters.. meow. Reason enough to go see it right there!

Saturday I worked and grocery shopped and then babysat with a little company. Somewhere in there I made a new kind of sweet potato, well new to me. It's a white fleshed sweet potato. To the untrained eye it looks like a regular white russet potato but when you take a bite the sweet flavor makes it evident that its a part of the yam family.

 

Today was Sunday Runday! I woke up and went to Bob Evan's for breakfast. I had the Farm Fresh Omelet with a side of turkey sausage links and a cup of oatmeal instead of the home fries. I just learned today that you could substitute any side for a cup of oatmeal! I was pretty delighted about that one. I could only eat about half of everything that I ordered but I got a perfect balance of carbs, protein and fat to get me primed for my run.

 

 

5.83 + 4.17... you do the math. Boom. There was 10 miles. Just like that. Today's run was exceptionally easy. I can attribute a large part of that to all the squatting and other leg exercises that I've been up to. It's crazy how the strength training helps so tremendously with the running endurance and speed. I ran the 10 miles in 111 minutes. If I stay at that pace I will beat my goal time that I signed up for the marathon with! :D

The one thing that I wanted more than anything to recover from the run with was a raspberry chia kombucha. I'm sure you don't even know what those words mean, most people don't. Kombucha is a new interpretation of an ancient elixir. With its high nutritional value and unique blend of proprietary probiotics and powerful antioxidants, it makes it an ideal recovery drink from a solid run. The kombucha that I bought was a chia variation. Chia is often called "runners food". Chia is a nutrient rich superfood that provides substantial energy to your body. It has more than eight times the omega-3 found it salmon, three times as much fiber as oatmeal, and more antioxidants than blueberries. This small little seed has a very large nutritional value! All in all, this bottle holds organic acids, aminos, electrolytes, enzymes, probiotics and detoxifiers. I had a great recovery and I think it's safe to say I owe it to this guy..

Lauren and I closed out the evening with a trip to Graeter's. Sunday's are days that I don't limit myself to low fat ice cream for dessert. I still eat my healthy meals throughout the day and because of that my net calorie intake is usually around 200 calories (because of my run). So, because I could afford it today I got a scoop of cinnamon flavored ice cream and a scoop of toffee chip. YUM. The cinnamon was my favorite for sure, though the toffee chip was fantastic too with HUGE chunks of toffee in it. While it was delicious and I ate every last bite of it, it's safe to say I would have been just fine and dandy with only one scoop. It was so rich that I felt a little lethargic afterwards. Not quite what I was going for. Oh well, you live and you learn!

Well I'm off to do a little homework and hit the hay. I'm le tired :( Hasta manana amigos!



Thoughtful Thursday

It seemed like I could focus solely on things unrelated to work while I was at work today. I kept having things run through my mind. What important dates were coming up, things I've been waiting on in the mail, things I want to do to improve my blog, how I could make a healthier version of Chicken Parmesan, where to buy a new vacuum, what to eat the week prior to running a marathon, what I needed from the grocery store and how long I thought I could make it without going. The list goes on. You name it, I thought about it. We weren't really busy at work today either so that certainly didn't help my case. Today was nothing less than a thoughtful Thursday!

In spite of my thoughtfulness, I made lists. Lists on lists on lists. I'm a list person. I LOVE them. There is just something so satisfactory about being able to cross a completed task off and feel accomplished. I feel a little more organized now so hopefully I'll be back on track at work tomorrow!

I opened at work today so for sake of my sanity I waited on the gym until after work. I simply wouldn't have been able to handle waking up at 4:45am. On days that I don't go to the gym before work I like to spend a little more time on making my breakfast. I have the extra time and there is no sense in having a protein shake before work, I save that for right before the gym. Today I made oatmeal topped with an egg cake, almonds and a dollop of cool whip. SO GOOD. Oh and there is a drizzle of mayple syrup somewhere in there too.. ;p

Working through my thoughts I managed to make it through the day. Next stop; gym. It was leg day!! Legs legs legs legs. Squats, calf raises, wall sits, squat jumps, the whole nine. It happened. I did it. Boom.

I made my way home and had a very colorful dinner, tilapia aside, I had orange, yellow, green and purple overflowing my plate. And I liked every bit of it :)

I mentioned earlier that I was looking for a new vacuum and I ended up buying one from Target. I didn't go cheap because I wanted one that will last. Let me just tell you that the Hoover I got works. Little did I know, I was going to be getting an arm workout in addition to my legs today! This thing suctions so tight to the carpet that my arm was literally sore by the time I finished vacuuming my room. I'm all for the extra workout while cleaning so you won't hear any complaints over here!

I'll leave you with a quick and easy late night snack recipe I tried out last night..

Nutty Nighttime Snack
2 rice cakes (whatever flavor your little heart desires)
2 Tbsp PB2 or Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp Sliced Almonds
1 tsp Chocolate Sprinkles

Top the rice cakes with the remaining ingredients and enjoy!

WIAW 3/20/13

Yooooooo, it's Wednesday. In other words.. the week is half way over! :) Not only that but it's What I Ate Wednesday in these whereabouts.

I started out this morning (EARLY) at 5:45 with my chocobanana protein shake. I tackled the gym before work today because I had a feeling that after work I would want to come home and just relax, and I was right! Today was core and shoulders day.

I got ready and made it to work. It turned out to be a great day! Lot's of fun and laughing. That hasn't been the norm recently so it was a nice refresher :)

By the time 9:00 rolled around my stomach was lightweight screaming at me. I had a lite Greek yogurt to tide me over until lunch.

Lunch turned out to be quite the pleasant surprise! At 12:35 a fine young lovely took me out to eat at Red Robin (YUMMMMM). I love me some Red Robin! While they have gluten free hamburger buns, I don't find them sensible. They aren't 100% satisfying. Knowing what real buns taste like and comparing the gluten free ones I've decided I'll just avoid the disappointment. So, I get the Lettuce Wrap Your Burger. It can get a little messy but it's still delicious :) I got the Grilled Turkey with extra pickles. Burgers are nothing to me without pickles, then again most of you probably think a burger is nothing wrapped in lettuce without a bun.. oh well, we all have our standards I suppose ha ;p On the side I got steamed broccoli and carrots. Fiber fiber fiber.

Around about 4:30 a snack was in order. I brought sweet potato wedges that I baked up yesterday. The sweet potatoes that my Kroger provides are so hugesque that I can easily divide one into three servings. It makes it easy to just slice one and bake it and take it as I need it throughout the week.

I made it out of work by 5:35 today and got home by 6:00 (remember when I said it was an awesome day? This certainly contributed!). I got home and made spaghetti squash with baked chicken. It was fantastic. So much so that I figured I'd leave the recipe for you :)

Easy Skettie Squash
1 c cooked spaghetti squash
1/2 c roasted peppers
1/2 c pasta sauce
1 chicken breast
1 Tbsp feta cheese
1/2 c raw spinach
basil
oregano
salt
pepper
crushed red pepper

For starters, my advice to you if you are busy throughout the week, bake your spaghetti squash in advance and remove the seeds and fork the flesh out into a Tupperware container so it is at your fingertips throughout the week. Same with the peppers. Make those those in advance, not only to add to this dish but they are great to toss into eggs, salads, anything really. Season the chicken with the basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees. Once the chicken is cooked through, heat the squash, peppers, pasta sauce and spinach in the microwave. Cut the chicken while everything else is heating and once it is finished mix it all together! Top it with feta cheese and badabing badaboom, you're golden :)

For my late night snack at 8:30 I had a half cup of Edy's Slow Churned Peanut Butter Cup Ice cream and a few Salt & Pepper Pop Chips. Salty. Sweet. Bliss.

Listen to Your Bod Yo

I. Am. So. Tired. I woke up at 9 am today and I feel like I've been up since 9 last night. When I take a step back to realize all of the work I've been having my body do, it's no surprise to me that I am tired. It's no surprise to me that I wake up in the middle of the night starving or that I get hit with hunger attacks from nowhere. Whether I am in the gym or not my body is constantly working. Always repairing muscles and recovering. Instead of trying to fight through the tiredness and random hunger spurts, I am listening to my body. If I'm hungry, I'll eat. If I am tired, I'll nap (that's what is next on my to do list). Too often people obsess about the guidelines they have "committed" to. We need to listen to our bodies. Chances are if you are limiting yourself to a certain caloric intake yet you are starving after you've used up your allotment, you aren't getting enough. Forget the obsessing and just listen to what your body is telling you. It knows what it needs more than you think you do. Therefore, I'm not ashamed of the late night snack I had last night. And I'm not going to try to fight a nap. My body wants needs it.

Today has been pretty laid back but great at the same time. I woke up and met with my b-e-a-u-tiful (re-read with Bruce Almighty voice) cousin, Jessica, for brunch. We had Marie Scrambler's. I had oatmeal and turkey sausage patties. Then we bummed around TJMaxx.. I could spend millions there I tell you.. Millions. Today was leg day so the oats and the turkey sausage were perfect to get me all set to go at it.

^^WORD.

 

Lunch was tuna salad on a plain rice cake with a hefty side of broccoli. I chose the tuna salad for two reasons; it has high protein and it can be ready in two shakes of a lambs tail. I was HUNGRY so the quicker the better.

 

I completed my online orientation for school today :D Now I just need my books to get here so I can hop to it!

 

Meanwhile.. about that nap.. it's goin' down. Ta ta :)

Mind Over Mondays

Today started out with freezing rain and gray skies for days. It was my first day back to work in a week and it was Monday. This all seems like a recipe for disaster. Alas my fine friends, it was a grand day :) I put my mind over matter attitude in my pocket and strutted myself to the gym before work. That always make me feel like I can conquer anything the day is going to throw at me. And it worked! Today was no walk in the park but my attitude made it somewhat pleasant.

Nothing too exciting happened today though. Gym. Work. Applebee's. Watched Red Dawn (odd ending but overall good movie). And here I am now. Ready and waiting to fall asleep :)

I get tomorrow off work. I know, another day off already! I think they are just trying to wean me off of my vacation slowly haha.

I put together a little midnight snack because my stomach simply wouldn't stop talking to me and this is what I had.. Recipe of the day/night:

Healthy Cottage Cheese Dessert

1/2 c low fat cottage cheese
1 Tbsp slivered almonds
dash cinnamon
drizzle maple syrup
Chocolate chips if desired

Mix it all up in a bowl and whabam. High protein, low fat sweetness.

Until tomorrow, I'm hittin' the hay. This chica is pooped! Nighty :)

All Green Everything

Today is St. Patty's day! I love St. Patty's day. I come from a very large very Irish family. My name is Bailey for goodness sake, I'm basically named after an Irish cream. And I ain't mad about it :) Today I decided to get extra festive and eat nothing but green foods. Not only did the foods have to be green but they could not be artificially colored. The color had to be derived from a green food or vegetable. Chlorophyll more or less.

I started out the day with green oatmeal. It looks so odd but I thoroughly enjoyed it. People's reaction to the look of this oatmeal makes eating it worth it in and of itself.

This is how it's done:

1/2 c Old fashioned oats
1 Tbsp Chia seeds
1 c water
1 c spinach
1Tbsp PB2

Blend the spinach and water together in a blender until it looks like purely green water with no leafy pieces left. Then mix all of the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl and microwave for about 1:45 minutes. If you desire a sweeter taste you can always add a dose of your favorite sweetener. The chia is beneficial because it slows the body's absorption of carbs which keeps blood sugar from spiking as drastically.

For my next meal I had an omelet. My hands were a little tied for this meal because after church mom wanted to go to Bob Evans. So, since I couldn't make this an entirely green meal I figured I would at least make sure there was plenty of green in it. I ordered the Farm Fresh omelet made with egg lites and subbed the home fries for turkey sausage links. The omelet had mushrooms, onion, spinach and provolone cheese. It was great! And I am a sucker for some turkey sausage.

Next I came home and did a few odd ball things and grabbed a snack of Greek yogurt with Amazing Grass ORAC Green Superfood Drink Powder. It's an antioxidant powder. These superheroes of nutrition help defend your body against the effects of evil free radicals. Their power is measured through ORAC, or Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity. For comparison, a 3.5oz serving of carrots have 210 units per serving, Plums 949...and Amazing Grass ORAC Green SuperFood? 15,000! Using a combination of 5 key antioxidant blends made from high quality fruits, vegetables, and herbs, it’s the perfect sidekick to the whole green organic SuperFood of Amazing Grass. It also supports healthier skin, brain function and immune system. We all know I'll take the help with the immune system any chance that I can get!

I went to a local pub with a few buddies and grabbed a green Strongbow. It's St. Patty's day after all and what kind of Irish gal would I be if I didn't celebrate with a green beverage?! A lousy one, that's what kind.

We watched an intense game of the Buckeye's beating Wisconsin and hung out for a while. Then it was time for me to get my run in. Only six miles for me today. My leggies were pretty worn out from getting my groove on last night.. sorry I'm not sorry.. :)

For dinner I had chicken loaded with spinach and garlic and a little bit of feta cheese. That was green enough for me. I was so hungry that my original idea of zucchini noodle pasta with pesto just wasn't going to be quick enough. I settled but not for less. Actually, it was for more. I desperately needed to get some more protein in for the day and the chicken did the trick.

For dessert tonight I'm still debating.. I think it's only right for me to make a healthy shamrock shake. Yes that's it.. Spinach, avocado, almond milk, banana and peppermint extract. I'm telling you guys, don't knock this stuff until you try it. Utilize spinach! It's tasteless so why not add it to more of your everyday foods?! Worst case scenario you get a little extra roughage and vitamins for the day and a dose of cancer fighting goodness. Do it!

Alright that is all for today, I'm off to shamrock shake the rest of my evening away. Happy St. Patty's day!

Simple Saturdays

One thing never realize I miss until they roll around are Saturdays off. Saturdays where I don't need to have a care in the world. Nothing to do, nowhere to be, just simple relaxation. I slept in as late as I pleased today which happened to be 10:42. Then I took the Molly girl for a walk :) (Mom and I traded off Molly yesterday. I decided she needed to come visit for the weekend hehe).

Then I went to sunny street cafe for a veggie omelet! Breakfast joints are my guilty pleasure. I think they are so fun! For one, breakfast is the best meal of the day and secondly, it's always so warm and happy in the atmosphere. What better way to greet the day?

Since it's Saturday and tomorrow is Sunday runday, I'm taking my day off from the gym. That gives me ample opportunity to play in the kitchen ALL DAY LONG :D Well maybe not all day long.. It may be necessary to leave the house. Dinner with mom won't have itself and that shopping with Lauren won't happen from the couch.. online shopping just isn't fast enough :(

Butttt, first I have to experiment with my multi colored cauliflower! You heard me.. Colored! I bought purple and orange cauliflower. Mainly intrigued by its color, I bought it also wondering if there would be a different flavor. Once I cooked it I didn't notice much of a difference between it and regular cauliflower. The orange variety is said to be a bit creamier (probably more noticeable when pureed) and has beta carotene in it. The purple variety is higher in vitamin A. I conclude that both were all together delicious :) And as a bonus, it turned the water that I cooked it in bright purple! How awesome is that?

Tonight I met with mom and Lauren and we had a lovely dinner at Panera where I got the Thai Chopped Chicken salad. Little bit of peanut and a little bit of spice makes the Bailey a whole lot of happy :)

On a bit more of an exciting note (not that dinner with mom isn't exciting), today I officially registered for my online schooling and paid in full! It's official. As soon as my books arrive I will begin my courses for health, diet and nutrition! Boom. Then after that I'll tackle the fitness and exercise degree and be golden. The best part is it should take me just over a year to finish. Yes.

In honor of being awesome, Lauren and I and a few other friends are going out to continue being awesome ;) Oh and it's St. Patty's day tomorrow.. Be ready for the chlorophylled green goodness I have in store for you. Green everywhere I tell you! Yeeeee :)

A day off from the day off

I considered yesterday to be my day off from my own vacation.. if that makes sense? I didn't have any elaborate project scheduled to complete, nothing I absolutely HAD to do. So, I made myself an appointment for a facial and a massage because I'm worth it. :) It was about time I had a massage. With the working out going on I have had a lot of lactic acid built up. Youch-o.

So rewind a couple hours and here's how the day went:

I woke up and made breakfast as usual. I tried out my handy dandy Green Skillet which supposedly doesn't require oil or cooking spray. Much to my surprise, it really doesn't! I made and omelet with peppers, onion, spinach, pepper jack cheese and turkey.

Next came the gym. I mixed it up a little today and did some polymetrics. It starts out 10 burpees, 10 crunches, 10 mountain climbers (1,2,3,1. 1,2,3,2. 1,2,3,3. 1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,5..) and then 10 tuck jumps. Then it goes to 9 burpees, 9 crunches, 9 mountain climbers and 9 tuck jumps. It continues on down the line until you hit 1. The key is to not stop and take breaks in between. After that I just ran a few miles and hit the shower. I was cutting it close on time and needed to be at the massage place by one o'clock. I ate a quick snack in the car of Greek yogurt, cinnamon and almonds. The best part of this snack is the cutlery that I used. This little compact is fantastic. I try to leave it in my car or purse so I have it on the go. You never know when you'll randomly need a spoon.. until you're in your car trying to eat chicken salad and all you have is a pen.. yeah it happened. I don't want to talk about it. Anyhow, I got this utensil kit at World Market and I have also seen them at Old Navy and it was a great investment to say the least.

The two hours I spent getting a massage and facial was one of my favorite blocks of time that I have had this week. Magnificent.

Once I finished up there I met up with an amigo and we grabbed sushi and hung out for the evening. Solid day :)

Today I got back into grind mode. I got up and made breakfast. Then went to the gym for chest, back and shoulders. Ouch, ouch, and ouch.. but I liked the ouch.. :) The main thing I want to share from this visit to the gym is the interval treadmill workout that I did. It's constantly changing speeds which in turn works as a great cardio workout. It causes your heart rate to be more alert and work a little harder to match up to the task that your giving it. And when the task/speed is always changing then your heart is working harder to keep up. The routine is as follows:

0:00- 5:00 4.5mph
5:00-7:00 6.0 mph
7:00-8:00 7.5 mph
8:00-10:00 6.2 mph
10:00-11:00 7.6 mph
11:00-13:00 6.4 mph
13:00-14:00 7.7 mph
14:00-16:00 6.6 mph
16:00-17:00 7.8 mph
17:00-19:00 6.8 mph
19:00-20:00 7.9 mph
20:00-35:00 repeat minutes 5:00-20:00
35:00-40:00 4.0 mph

Even if you can't make it through the sequence both times, one time is enough to get your sweat on.

One of Lauren's coworkers had a birthday so I was in charge of making a cake for him. I basically made a death by chocolate cake. Literally, death. Just looking at this baby could give someone diabetes. In this four layer devils food cake there is sandwiched a layer of chocolate peanut clusters, a layer of chocolate caramel crunch clusters and one last layer of chocolate peanut clusters . It's frosted in a classic fudge icing and then topped with chopped Snickers, Reese's cups, Baby Ruth, Milky Way and chocolate covered bridge mix. Holy shiboley. More power to the one who tries to conquer this monstrous cake.

After seeing this final product I decided it was time for dinner. And not only that, I wanted veggies. Lots and lots of veggies. I made baked tilapia, green beans and a spinach salad. Now I didn't feel so shameful about having such a glutenous mass in my kitchen.

 

Solid. That's all for tonight! Tootles :)

 



WIAW 3/13/13

Another successful day hath come and gone. I knew it was going to be a great day as soon as breakfast hit. I had a green protein shake and let me tell you, I would trade one of these shakes for a milkshake any day. The recipe is as follows:

-1 scoop vanilla protein
-1/2 of a frozen banana
-2 Tbsp. chocolate PB2
-1 cup almond milk
-1 cup leaf spinach
Toss it all in a blender and viola! It tastes soooo good. The chocolate and peanut butter mixed with the banana makes it seem like such a treat. For those who are concerned, the spinach is neutral and can't even be tasted. It's just an extra blast of tasteless vitamins. :)

Next I hit the gym. Today I really focused on my core and upper back. I used cables and the low row for the majority of the exercises. Both are extremely efficient for the upper back. Even a couple oblique and ab exercises too! Then I moved to a mat with an exercise ball for some crunches and a Bose ball (looks to be half of an exercise ball used for balance training) for some planks and mountain climbers. Once I finished with the strength training I knocked out a quick three mile run and called it done for the day.

For lunch I met up with a friend at Jason's Deli and got my usual Spinach Veggie wrap as a gluten free sandwich and a side of steamed vegetables. Sorry guys, I was so hungry by this point that I had to forgo a picture of it. Better luck next time I suppose. :)

After lunch I went to the grocery store and got stuff to make Cabbage Lentil Soup :D I snagged this recipe from Clean Eating Chelsey and boy am I glad I did. While it's not entirely too appealing to the eye, the nutrition totally makes up for what the visual lacks. And not to mention it's tasty!

Cabbage Lentil Soup
-1/2 head cabbage cut into 1 inch cubes
-2 carrots chopped
-2 ribs celery chopped
-1/2 yellow onion chopped
-4 tsp minced garlic
-1 cup lentils (dry)
-4 cups vegetable broth
-2 cups water
-1 Tbsp oil
-1 Tbsp basil
-1Ttbsp oregano
-salt and pepper to taste

Cook the onions and garlic in the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat for two minutes. Next add carrots and celery. Cook for 3-4 additional minutes until onion becomes translucent. Next add vegetable broth, water, lentils, cabbage and spices. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for approx. 40 mins or until cabbage gets soft and lentils are fully cooked.

Yumz yo.

While the soup was simmering I got really hungry and decided it was time for my next mini meal. I decided to make a stuffed pepper. I had some left over brown rice on hand and a veggie patty I needed to use up. I crumbled the veggie patty and mixed it with the brown rice, red pasta sauce and chopped up spinach, red, yellow and orange peppers. I added some crushed red pepper for a little bit of a kick as well as some Italian seasonings. All that was left to do was stuff the pep and toss it in the oven for a bit. Finally, to top it off I added a slice of pepper jack cheese in the last few minutes of its bake time, just enough to get it melty :)

The rest of the evening consisted of a few odd ball errands and a pit stop at chipotle for fourthmeal. I needed more protein today so I got a salad with fajita veggies, chicken and tomato. The key to life; veggies and protein for days.

 

Today was supposed to consist of a car wash and detailing as my project but the weather so rudely interrupted that plan with its bitter cold and snow business. Pshh winter. What a joke. Needless to say I am not amused. Oh well. The sun has to come out again sometime so until then you can catch me ridin' dirty. ;p

 

Later gators!

Day 3 of Vaca; Mission Complete

Ahhh. I just can't get over how fantastic these past couple days have been. SO productive. I woke up and made myself an egg cake with three egg whites spiked with a scoop of vanilla protein and some apple pie spice. I topped it with a Tbsp of sliced almonds, a drizzle of maple syrup and a dollop of cool whip. I think I have only used protein in an egg cake one other time and I forgot that it requires a lower cook temperature because the mixture is more dense. The middle of the "cake" doesn't cook by the time the bottom starts to burn a little. Luckily I saved it before it burnt today :) The vanilla protein added extra oomph to the flavor and got me revved for my workout. Oh, and yes, I ate breakfast in bed because I'm on vacation and I can do what I want :) Judge me.

 

I got some of my clothes together that I never wear anymore and took them to Plato's Closet, a consignment shop near our house, and dropped them before I made my way to the gym. I figured I would just leave them and pick up the $$ (a whole whopping ten dollars.. I swear they get stingier and stingier) on my way home.

 

Today was legs at the gym. I started at the leg press. I worked my way from two 25's up to two 45's and then back down to the 25's. I did three variations for each set. One with my feet spaced shoulder width apart, one with my feet together and centered and one with my legs spaced wide (those hurt the worst) for twelve reps each. Next I did lunges while holding 25lb dumbbells, leg extensions and then climbed the stair master for 20 minutes. The stair master is fantastic, that thing makes me sweat like no other. To finish off I ran a quick mile and hit the sauna (as if the stair master didn't make me sweat enough).

 

I got home and was so ready for lunch! I decided I was going Greek today. I made a primarily veggie plate with a few slices of roast beef and some hummus with feta for dipping. Well dipping was the original idea until I became genius and decided to make sort of a vegetable roll up with all of the ingredients. So yummy! And on the side I had a Greek yogurt.

 

 

It was now time to attack my room. I cleaned and reorganized everything! That was my target project for the day. Let's just say it's a good thing I set aside a good amount of time to handle that noise. I popped in the movie Crazy Stupid Love (AWESOME movie) and let it run while I was in scrub mode. Here's the final product;

 

I made dinner for a friend and myself and we had Mahi Mahi, Red Inca Quinoa and broccoli. Quinoa always surprises me by how much water is absorbs but I'm not mad about it. It fits in with the more for less idea. More protein, fiber and volume yet less calories. Win.

 

That's all for today guys! I'll be back tomorrow with another mission complete ;)



 

-B

 

 



Here's to This Vacation :)

I am so overjoyed to be on vacation this week :) I took the week off with goal of knocking out some deep spring cleaning and time to gather my thoughts and just relax. We ALL need to do this once in a while. It feels great to have work out of sight and out of mind (don't get me wrong, love my job but I can appreciate a break). I can fully devote my time and energy on things I want to do and have been putting off. I have assigned little mini projects to myself that I will set time aside for each day. I may even get to blog every single day this week... woah, I just got excited :)

Sunday went a little something like this..
At first I contemplated being angry with myself because I let myself stay up entirely too late. I knew I had a long run ahead of me the next day (being Sunday) and stayed up until 5:15am the night prior. Then let's add the time change that shaved an extra hour off my sleep time.. ouch. After further evaluation I decided that being angry wasn't necessary. Ain't nobody got time for dat. I woke up Sunday at 8:30 and got ready. Mom and I met up for church and then hit the health food store. We went to Raisin Rack which is one of my FAVORITES. They have FIVE isles of strictly gluten free foods. There are no other health food stores that I know of that maintain such variety and volume of gluten free goods. If I need it I know I can find it there. While we were there I bought a Chai Svelte protein shake for my pre-run energy blast.

I am a sucker for any and all things chai spice flavored. This was pretty good, not as good as I was hoping for though. I could take it or leave it.

 

I then made my way to the gym and killed my nine mile run. Afterwards I made my way home and vegged for the rest of the night. I was exhausted! I am still in shock that after only two hours of sleep I had accomplished so much.

 

Today I woke up and went to the gym. It was all about the bi's and tri's. Oh, and a little bit of abs. I try to squeeze a little core work in every work out. I finished out with some cardio on the AMT (Adaptive Motion Trainer, a resistance elliptical and my secret obsession). If your gym has them, TRY IT. Seriously amazing. It's both strength and cardio all wrapped into one!

 



I made my grocery trip today so I would be certain that I would have lots and lots of healthy foods to nosh on throughout the week. After all, I will be home and able to make all of my meals fresh. No Tupperware for me this week!

Now you have to admit, that is a pretty darn good looking grocery cart. I got new things that I have never tried before so stay tuned for posts about them this week :) Eating healthy doesn't have to break the bank, I got everything in the cart above for under a hundred dollars. And there is A LOT going on up in there.

I came home and put away groceries, cut and prepped veggies and then proceeded to make lunch. By this time I was nearly ravenous. I made an open faced sammich with a veggieburger, roasted garlic hummus and spinach on millet chia bread which was accompanied by a side of cantaloupe and cottage cheese. I normally prefer my cottage cheese loaded with fresh ground pepper but I was feeling trying something new today.

It was now time to attack my mini project of the day; the kitchen. I emptied and organized the cabinets in our kitchen, did the dishes, and scrubbed the counters. Hooray for a clean kitchen! There is nothing better than an organized kitchen, so much more efficient.

Now lets see if you can guess which side of the fridge is mine.. ;)

 

I'll finish out this post with a picture of the fruit bowl. My mom and I have a silly saying that "all seems right in the world when the fruit bowl is full". Silly as it sounds, it's so true. Everything always seems okay when there is a bright and colorful fruit bowl on the counter. Walking down stairs and seeing it there on the counter first thing automatically motivates me to grab something healthy to munch.

Until next time,
    B.

 

Highlights of the Past Week

This past week has been crazy busy. Jam packed with work, work outs, meal planning, and then aiming for my full eight hours of sleep each night. Not to mention trying to maintain some sort of social life. Anyhow, I have made some great foods this week and I'm excited to share them with you! Also, side note- I thought up what I'll be blogging about for St. Patty's day.. genius I tell you.. genius :)

Let us start with the bestest and most important meal of the day. This lovely (yes, that one up there) never fails to pull me through the busy mornings. Protein filled and delicious. In this omelet I used two egg whites, one egg, turkey, spinach and a sprinkle of light Mexican cheese. Yum-oooo. Oh, and the strawberries were just as juicy and fabulous as they looked too ;)

Next, we have a fiber filled stir fry. Portabella mushrooms are ALWAYS too expensive so I hardly ever buy them. I got lucky though because I stumbled upon a package on mark down at the store :D All that meant was I needed to use them ASAP because they were a tad closer to reaching their expiration than usual. I tossed the package of mushrooms, fresh sliced peppers, broccoli florets and shrimp in a skillet with some soy sauce (the wheat in soy sauce doesn't seem too bother me too much if it's in small doses) and ginger and garlic with a wee bit of honey. It was fantastic!

My workout routine this week went as follows;
Monday- Runday
Tuesday- Legs
Wednesday- Bi's, Back and Abs
Thursday- LEGS LEGS LEGS
Friday- Chest and Obliques with Plyometrics
Saturday- Recovery day so I can be all prepped for Sunday's NINE MILE RUN!

I'm FINALLY seeing my long lost results from this hard work. I'm striving for more definition and tone and it is oh so rewarding to finally see some sort of progress. I'm unsure if it has something to do with having small meals every three hours, cutting back on carbs and a little bit on the protein, or just a mix of all the hard work paying off but I'll take it!

I have a slight passion for buying new workout clothes and boy was I in luck. Old Navy had a great sale going on the other day and I toooootallyyyy snagged up a few good deals! Having cute clothes to hit the gym in always puts a little more pep in my step and helps me feel more excited to get my tush where it needs to be to workout. (Workout clothes shown below brought to you by Old Navy :p)

Well that's all for tonight y'all. Cheers to the weekend :)

Why Are You Eating a Caltein Bar?!

Sweet goodness it has been one of those days today. Well I suppose it's just been a compilation of the past couple days and today is just the breaking point.

Since I have upped my protein intake I haven't been able to digest food properly. Lets just say things aren't moving the way they should be. If you know me you know that just doesn't work for me. So when I was asking the people who help me put my diet plan together what the deal was I found out that at first too much protein can stop one up. Then when we revisited how many grams of protein I was eating a day we realized that I have been eating 50 grams too much of protein a day... 50 GRAMS!!!! Apparently they had originally thought I wanted to put on more mass.. um hello no thank you!! For weeks now (only three thank goodness) I have been eating 200 extra calories a day in protein. -__- It may not seem like that much but over time that can really add up. So its no wonder that I have been feeling hugesque in the mid section. Between my poo baby and my upped protein, the odds were simply against me. Blast.

That being said, I have to laugh a little bit. Mainly at Lauren. When I explained to her what had happened all she said was "Why are you eating a caltein bar, coach makes us eat those when he wants us to go up a weight class.." The famous line from Mean Girls where Regina George is eating caltein bars to lose weight and maintain her hot "plastic" bod and in reality she is gaining weight like no body's business. Oh the irony. I have never felt like I related to that movie more than this very moment. I'm grateful to have Lauren to make me laugh at this situation. Sometimes I just get so caught up and take it to heart and beat myself up about it. Her jokes help remind me that this is life. And it's not the end of the world. And it's just a speed bump in my fitness journey that can be reversed just as quickly as it happened in the first place.

The weather is a bit of a bust which never helps me when I'm down either. I was so ready for spring a couple days ago and I'm three times as ready now. I feel like I could just go into a hibernation with all of this cold and gray. I've been dragging enough that my workouts don't feel satisfying. I vow that starting right now I am changing my attitude. And tomorrow I will wake up recharged, refreshed and ready to get back in my groove and away from this temporary funk. Mind over matter baby. If you don't mind then it don't matter :) We can thank my mother for hammering that phrase into my head as a child.

My only advice to you from this post is to remember that regardless of what is happening right now in the moment, life goes on. We all take steps back and mess up but it's most important to not dwell. Instead take it and learn from it. Make a change. This is life and it's beautiful so don't get too caught up in the negatives or you might miss out on something else greater :) Oh, and don't eat caltein bars.. ha. ;)

Attack of the Hidden Wheat

I would like to start off by saying that wheat is out to get me. It hides in everything and tries to sneak into my food. Well, not only my food but also my beauty products. And shakes. It's ridiculous all of the things that wheat is in. Many of which don't even need it! It's just in there as a pointless additive.

I just bought new shampoo and conditioner a couple of weeks ago and was super excited to try it out because it was a kind I had never tried before. It is the Organix brand which is the brand that I normally buy. I just switch it up on which scent I buy every time. This time when I went to the store they had a new one so you know I was all over it. It has biotin and collagen for full and thick hair and it smells so good! I started using it but much to my dismay I noticed that my hair was feeling thinner and frail. I also started getting deep pimple like bumps along my hair line. I didn't understand. I love Organix products but this one was not tickling my pickle. I read the bottle and what did I find? It has WHEAT in it! Gasp. Outrage. Hydrolyzed wheat proteins are supposed to strengthen hair. Well it's no wonder why I noticed my hair having the opposite of positive effects. Thankyouverymuch to my wheat intolerance. It looks like Lauren's lucky day because her wheat eating butt just inherited a new shampoo and conditioner. Humph.

As if my beauty products weren't enough of a disappointment, I later found that my protein shake that I switched over too has wheat in it too! That caused a problem with the skin on my face and with my digestive system. Yikes.

Even after multiple years of being gluten free wheat still manages to sneak into my life. Looks like I should take the time to make sure I'm reading labels and ingredients. Just when you think you have it down to a science and have it all figured out, what has wheat and what doesn't, BAM. It surprises you. Catches you right off guard. Oh well, I guess something in my life has to keep me on my toes ;)

I can't believe that it is already March! Bring on the sunshine and bring on the spring time. I am ready for some added color in my life. Every year when spring rolls around I feel like my entire mindset is changed. I'm constantly in a better mood. I also tend to have an "anything is possible" mentality. Love it. I blame the sweet sweet sunshine.

To wrap up February my manager bought us lunch from Chipotle and it was heavenly. I got a bowl with chicken, fajita veggies, tomatoes, guacamole and lettuce. So so good :)

I think my body may be trying to fight something off or I may just be sleep deprived because this weekend I have been oh so tired. Saturday I slept from about 7:30pm until 8:30am Sunday. I NEVER do this. I couldn't even bring myself to work out on Saturday. Or today. It's not that I don't want to. Believe you me. I just know that I need to listen to my body and if it is this tired I should load up on the zZzZzZz's. Tomorrow I should be well enough to get a good workout in though. I'm feeling an arms day tomorrow and a running day Tuesday. Tuesday will be a nine mile day so my legs will be nice and rested and ready seeing as I won't have worked them since Friday morning.

When I was younger if I ever felt sick parents would make either chicken noodle soup or tomato soup and grilled cheese. In light of my groggy sick feeling I made myself a pepper jack grilled cheese and it was AMAZING. It's been a while since I treated myself to one of those. Lauren loves my gluten free grilled cheeses. I blame the awesomeness on the naturally stale like consistency of the bread haha. Same goes for french toast.

Well that is all for now. I'm off to finish some laundry and get things ready for the upcoming week. I'm totally prepping my lunches again. Yeee :) Here's to a new week y'all!