Getting Past Hump Day: Lunchtime Workout

I really look forward to my lunch time workouts. It gives me a chance to get out of the office, stop staring at a screen and to get in my gym time before it gets dark out. If you are like me, your motivation comes to a quick stop the second you get home from work.

Easy for me I have our wedding to motivate me to get into shape. I posted on my Facebook page today that today, 75% of people would drop their New Years resolutions. I got my workout in, did you?

The biggest advice I can give you is to not focus on seeing the pounds dropping from the scale, focus more so on how you feel. Is your body sore the next day? Great! You are working your muscles that have been in hibernation. If you watched the Biggest Loser, week 2 is ALWAYS the hardest. The first week you are loosing the extra water weight your body had been carrying around. If you don't see a change the second week, why not push through it and see how well you do during the third week!

My workout tomorrow will look a little like this: 

I'll start off with 20 minutes on the elliptical at a level 12-14 depending how I feel while doing it. Rather than doing chair dips, I plan on doing 20 overhead tricep extensions and standing cable tricep extensions.

To end the workout I always do 25 regular sit-ups, 25 reverse sit ups and a 40 sec - 1 minute plank.

Here is what's motivating me this week:

I'm trying on wedding gowns this weekend and am absolutely terrified! Hopefully I find something amazing! I'm doing a juice detox Thursday and Friday so I'll share my smoothie recipes with you!

What's In My Gym Bag

What's in my gym bag?

I always get blog post ideas in the strangest places. Yesterday while showering after my workout, I was thinking to myself that I bet you guys would love to know what's in my gym bag. I'm actually really curious about what's in yours!

This is exactly what's in my gym bag at this second:

1. 2 pairs of headphones. I always keep a second pair in case I leave one in the car, if it accidentally is shoved into my coat pocket, or if my workout buddy forgets theirs! Okay, so the second pair might be circa 1995, but they still work! 

2. 2 Cappuccino Larabars. I keep at least 2 protein bars in my bag for "just in case" purposes. I love the new Cappuccino flavor and that is saying a lot for a non-coffee drinker! I have these bad boys just in case I don't have time to make breakfast for the gym, in case I'm feeling weak after a big workout, in case Chris is hungry after our workout... you get the hint. I like having a healthy snack in my bag to help me make smart decisions!

3. Socks. I stuffed 3 pairs of socks into my bag because some days I wear heals or flats to work without socks and I hate hate hate not wearing socks with my tennis shoes. I keep a few pairs for the times I forget!

4. Shower Necessities. I have travel sized face wash, shampoo, conditioner, a hair brush, head bands, hair ties, chapstick, deodorant, tampons (sorry for the tmi) and mascara. To be honest, all the gyms I go to supply body wash and a towel service so I don't keep those in my bag. More room for extra junk! Half of the time I have my makeup bag with me in case I went to the gym before meeting up with friends. I also keep dry shampoo in my bag for the days that I don't have time to wash my hair in the shower. A few sprays and I'm all set!

5. Workout Clothes. Sports bra, yoga capris, tank top, shirt, sweatshirt and my brooks running shoes are in my bag at all times. 

6. Foot/Shoe spray. I spray my shoes (both work and tennis) after/before I work out. I'm always nervous that they are going to stink up everything else in the bag if I don't spray them! Plus, Chris gave me about 3 bottles two years ago as stocking stuffers. I think he was hinting at something...

7. Notes. I usually write notes of workouts I want to do or have done. The other day I wrote out a treadmill interval and arm workout routine I wanted to do. Writing it down makes me more efficient with my gym time during lunch!

I'm pretty sure that's it! Sometimes I find random things in there like camera chargers, jewelry that I took off before a run, license or gym class schedules. I don't keep my iPod with me because I've been using my phone as a stopwatch for planks and Pandora radio while running!

Am I missing anything?!

Treadmill Intervals, Lean Arms and Motivation

Yesterday I had a lunch meeting at work and missed going to the gym. I was actually bummed since I had washed all my gym clothes and packed my gym bag the night before to hold me accountable. When Chris called me at lunch the first thing out of his mouth was, "You on a treadmill?!" haha. That's because this past week I have actually been looking forward to my lunch time work out. It breaks the day up and I've actually found myself to be less hungry.

Lunch was at the Flying Avocado - a local cafe across from my work that serves organic and healthy lunches. I ordered the ahi tuna avocado ceasar salad. Their salads are huge and so good! I probably had 6-7 oz of tuna in my salad! Ahi is one of my favorite things to eat! I love it blackened with lots of spices :)

I wish I snapped a photo, but I was in public with co-workers... oh, and too busy stuffing my face!

If you are working out like me over lunch here is what I'll be doing!

and for your motivation...

If I could have one celebrity's body it would probably be Jessica Beil! She is fit, in shape, toned and not super skinny... just what I strive to be! That's sexy!

Hope you have a great workout!

How to Stay Accountable in 2012

While asking myself how I will stay accountable in 2012 with my workouts and healthy eating, I've decided to share my personal tips and goals with you guys as well so we can all stay on track past January.

1. Download an app on your smart phone to keep track of your food and exercises. I have the app "Lose It" and "Map My Run" on my phone to keep track of what I eat daily and how many calories I am burning on my trail runs. Obviously this only works as well as the amount of effort you put into it, but if you get into a daily routine about logging down your exercises and food you are sure to see results. Don't lie to the app and say you only had 10 chips, when you really had 20. Use it to your advantage to help you make smart decisions! This app has helped me say no to desserts while out to dinner and making meal selections. Sometimes we think a salad is a healthy choice, but after logging in all of our toppings and dressings it may surprise you that a salad can easily be calorie dense.

2. Pack your lunch and gym bag the night before. Let's face it. We all love pushing the snooze button on the alarm. The more you have to do in the mornings, the less likely you will be to complete it. The night before take out your dirty clothes from your gym bag and stuff it with new ones before you have a chance to forget. Make sure your shower stuff is in there along with fresh socks and your tennis shoes. Don't forget your headphones either! Pre-make a huge bowl of salad for the week or a healthy soup to take to work. Stock up on fruits and veggies that are easy to throw into your lunch box. This way you can easily pack your lunch without wondering what to take!

3. Plan your weekly schedule each Sunday. Look at your schedule for the upcoming week and plan at least 3 days to go to the gym and 1-2 days where you will hold yourself accountable to work out at home. Call your friends and see what their schedule looks like for the week. Having a workout partner always helps to hold me accountable at the gym.

4. Find a gym near you! Some of us are just unable to wake up an extra hour early in the mornings and drag after a long day of work. If this is the case for you, find a gym near your work. This allows you to go during your lunch break or after work. For me, it's hard to drag myself to the gym after I get home. I'd rather spend my night with my pups and family. By finding a gym near work, I am giving myself a mental break and getting my workout out of the way!

5. Don't get discouraged. Just because you have one off day where you eat crappy or don't have time to fit a work out in, that doesn't give you an excuse to continue that habit the next day. Pick yourself back up and start fresh!

6. Search for new recipes! I know that searching Pinterest or Whole Foods website for new healthy recipes helps me plan my meals for the week. I find a list of 5 new recipes and write down all the ingredients I'll need, that way I make sure to grab them at the grocery store. 

Hopefully these tips will help you stay accountable in 2012! I'm planning on including them all into my daily routine.

Beach Getaway

Thanks for all the get wells and the new followers! You guys are pretty swell ;-)

I am planning on bringing my laptop to the beach (I read the condo has internet) so I can update you on our trip and all the things we do and eat! WIAW beach edition!

I think the worst thing about getaways is the packing... I still haven't unpacked from last weekends beach trip, yet alone start to pack/shop for this weekends beach trip!

When CL and I took the pups to the beach earlier this year, see below, we made a list of all the things we wanted to do; just to make sure nothing was forgotten! It worked like a charm then, so here are a few of my lists... what to see, what to do, what to eat!

What to See:

Try to spot a dolphin in the ocean
Wake up early one morning to watch the sunrise
Take a photo of each day's sunset
I would love to see my girl friends who live/are visiting the beach
Sand crabs
Watch a movie on the beach (they are playing Megamind on Monday)

What to Do:

Take a walk on the beach at least 2 nights with just me and CL
Go running at least 3 mornings
Ride the ferris wheel on the boardwalk
Go parasailing/jetskiing
Take a nap on the beach
Take a family photo on the beach (hopefully color coordinated)
Brooonnnzzeeee
Make a family style breakfast once or twice
Take lots of photos and blog at least twice
Meet up with Jennifer from LoveEatRun
Fly a kite
Put-Put golf

What to Eat/Drink:

CRABBSSSS, I have been craving all summer long
Find a frozen yogurt shop in OCMD
Vegetarian lunches at least 3 out of 5 days
Frozen Strawberry Skinny Girl Margs
Sangria
I would love to eat outside at a restaurant on the bay at least once.
Make watermelon skewers for lunch, like these. 
Make Kate's orzo salad, found here.
Pack things to make sandwiches/wraps - turkey, avocado, etc.

What I Ate Wednesday {WIAW}

It's that time of the week again! WIAW = What I Ate Wednesday!

Last week over 100 bloggers shared what they ate with Jennifer over at Peas and Crayons! As always, if you need meal inspiration click on the logo below to drool over lots of appetizing photos and recipes!





My body has decided to reject the idea of coming home from the beach... I am now sick, but taking every precaution to get well before I return to OCMD this weekend! I have been taking medicine, drinking lots of orange juice (the more pulp the better) and resting (days off from the gym - boo).

I always have the strangest urge to work out when I am sick, but I made a promise to myself that I would take three days off so I could heal. Hopefully I will be back to spin class tomorrow!

Before I talk about the boring breakfast and lunch eats I have to share with you last nights dinner!!

Shrimp "Fried" Rice loaded with veggies!

1 medium red pepper sliced
1 cup brocolli
1/2 cup peas
1/2 eggplant sliced
1/4 cup sliced carrots
1/2 pound shrimp (cooked and peeled)
1 cup rice (brown or white - i add fiber when using white)
1 egg, 2 egg whites
1 teaspoon fish oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Cook your rice (1 cup rice, 2 cups water) and set aside. In a large pan add all veggies and olive oil and cook until soft (with some bite left). I always add in the peas last since they cook faster! Add fish oil, sesame oil and soy sauce to pan with rice. Crack your eggs and mix in a separate bowl (no egg shells in my food!). Add to the rice and veggie mixture. Cook over medium high heat, mixing until eggs are fully cooked. Top with shrimp, a couple extra shakes of soy sauce and pepper!

I love making this dish when I have tons of veggies left over and hardly anything else in my pantry! So delicious and easy!

In other news...

I have been having a packet of this for breakfast:

With this for lunch:

Told you it was boring!! I also had half of a light ceasar salad with my soup. Yup, still boring.

Since I am headed to the beach again this weekend and had no time to shop I am going to write out my shopping list so someone please hold me accountable!!

-New bathing suit
-Easy cover up
-Black and white shorts
-Bronzer
-Eyeliner
-Wine (sangria and jazzberry)
-Flip flops
-Snacks and lunches

Tomorrow/Friday I am preparing lots of snacks and lunches we can take with us on the beach, so stay tuned and suggestions are always welcome!!

Recent Workouts and Coconut Milk French Toast

First and foremost Happy Father's Day!! I hope all of you have sent some love out to your Dads! It takes a strong man to raise two girls and I'm thankful for my dad and all the support he lends to me! xoxo

My dad was so proud of me at my college graduation! My sister graduated this year and is off to vet school! My parents definitely raised two strong and successful women!

Last night we went out to dinner in Little Italy to one of his fav restaurants! Chiapparellis!

Sunday Funday is in full effect. I know I have neglected my blog for almost two weeks, but I'm feeling relaxed today and ready to get back into gear! It's been busy at work and when I get home the last thing I want to do is stare at a computer after being on one for 8+ hours! So thank you for hanging in there with me!!

Lately I have been doing spin class on Thursday and Sundays! I love walking out of the gym looking like a hot mess. It means I worked out hard and strong!! Today it literally looked like I had taken a shower... long, thick hair = hot and sweaty!

Our spin instructor said something today that I really agreed with. She said you control your ride. You control your resistance. You control your results. Which is so true! Nobody but you knows how hard you are pushing yourself in spin class so make sure you aren't peddling for nothing! Make that hour count! (or 75 minutes today)

I have also been adding in arms and abs afterwards. Here are some of my favorite ab moves:

Britt and Cara's Ab Pyramid:
25 reps of sit ups with your legs flat
25 reps of sit ups with your knees bent and feet on the ground
25 reps of sit ups with your legs up, knees in
25 reps of sit ups with your legs straight in the air. Climb that rope!

Alternate Heel Touches:

Lay flat with feet on the ground, knees bent and feet on the floor. Crunch up and alternate touching your right and left heal.

Medicine Ball Twist:

Cross your ankles and lift feet off the floor, knees should also slightly be bent. With a medicine alternate sides, tapping the medicine ball on the floor.

Leg Pull in:

Lay on a workout mat with hands behind you, fingers facing your back. Lift legs out straight. Bring the knees in toward you as you move your torso closer to them at the same time.

Planks:

3 sets of 1 minute planks.

Hopefully I can start adding in photos of me performing my favorite workout moves! It might have to be with my webcam!

Here is what I've been up to to catch you up!

Heading to the Annual Crawfish Party!

Chris and his gorgeous mom Kelli!

Me and my silly man with my Marc Jacob goggles on!

Many of these lil creatures were eaten!

My hottie in the pool grabbing a tan!

My bestie and I with lil Jayden! You can see how big she is getting from my About Me tab!

Me and my man relaxing in the pool!

My Breakfast this morning! Three egg whites, red pepper and mexican cheese omlette and french toast!

Coconut Milk French Toast:

1 egg

1/4 cup coconut milk, or So Delicious french vanilla coconut milk creamer (what i used)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

bread, there were leftover pieces of a french baguette i used!

Directions:

Mix coconut milk, eggs and cinnamon in a bowl. Soak your bread in there making sure you get both side covered and heat in a pan on the stove until your desired doneness! Serve with Sugar free syrup!

I'm off to take the dogs for a walk and mow the lawn before catching up with CL and his family for dinner tonight! Hope you have a wonderful day!!

Healthy Comfort Food

woohoo! it's friday and the work day is over! fridays in advertising usually mean half days - but we haven't seen any so far (hint hint).

this weekend is supposed to have gorgeous weather too - in the low 80s! perfect running weather which is good because i need to catch up on some miles!

i brought my running shoes with me to the beach intending to wake up and run every morning... staying with 8 guys i thought one of them would definitely love to get in a morning workout. nope. i went solo. only one day... of three mornings.

i could definitely get used to running next to the bay! those rum runners held me back from waking up early!

luckily a month ago i found a park one street down from my house (yes, i know i am blind) which has now become my home away from home. i love running in the summertime on trails where you can smell the honeysuckle! i definitely am not a long distance runner, but i try to do at least 3-4 miles a session!

i woke up this morning, took a walk outside and found this lil guy hanging out on my cilantro plant!

how crazy is that? luckily my car was only a couple feet away and i always have a camera in my purse!

a lot of you asked where i got the dresses for dinner and wine in the woods... Forever 21! i hope i can shop there for another 10 years without it looking too young because they have a bajillion different dresses in the summer and they are all under 20 bucks!

it's good to stock up on a few plain summer dresses because you can always layer accessories with them. i like to add color with a fun bib necklace or chandelier earrings (my fav)!

Thanks to Cait at Beyond Bananas I was craving the ultimate comfort food for dinner.... Sloppy Joes. I can't remember the last time I ate that!

How good does that look? Run an extra 1/2 mile and pick up some potato rolls because they are only 50 more calories than your sandwich thins and we all know they taste amazing with comfort food like this!

Make the sloppy joes with turkey and add lots of fresh veggies like jalapeno, onions, grated carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes.

Healthy Turkey Sloppy Joes
from food.com

1 lb lean ground turkey (i always use ground turkey breast, it is the leanest)
2/3 cup onion
1/2 cup green pepper
2 jalapeno peppers
1 cup no-salt-added ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon mustard powder
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions
1 Remove seeds from jalapeno peppers and dice.
2 Dice onion and green pepper.
3 Sauté onion, jalapenos and green pepper in EVO then set aside.
4 Cook ground turkey crumbling into little pieces.
5 Drain and return to pan.
6 Over med-high heat add all of the ingredients into the pan.
7 Stir mixture for 3-5 minute.
8 Lower heat to low and simmer for 5-10 min to fuse flavors.
9 Serve on either crusty rolls or hamburger buns.
10 Leave out the jalapeno if you don't like it hot. If you do throw in 2 more.
11 Additions: Try adding diced tomatoes or olives and top with cheese if you so desire.

i'm off to go mow the grass... I expect a call from CL in 15 because he reminded me 5 times on the phone to be careful and not cut any of my toes off! hopefully i can squeeze in a small run afterwards!

WIAW and Mother's Day Ideas

Ahhhh... is there anything better than a nice lukewarm shower after a long run? CL and I met up after I got off work at the B&A trail for a nice 4 mile interval session. It started raining on and off which felt amazing. I could live in this weather forever. I don't mind evening thunderstorms... as long as they don't interfere with my television!

love my CL <3

 Mother's Day is next Sunday, so I have been brainstorming things to do for the most important person in my life! I know sometimes she stops by my blog so here are MULTIPLE things you can buy/make for your momma bear! Gotta keep her on her toes!

Sending flowers are always a great way to show someone you care. Send them to her work and surprise her a few days early ;-) Shows you were thinking ahead of time!

Go to your local Paint Your Own Pottery store. Mom's love handmade gifts and usually are coffee/tea lovers. Give her something that will remind her of your love with each sip!

Make her a basket full of things she loves! My mom loves to garden. A planter filled with gloves, seeds, snacks, chocolate, tea and suntan lotion is a great gift! Does your mom love relaxation? How about filling a shower caddy with a monogrammed towel, face mask, chai tea, and nail polish (and a spa gift card if you are feeling extra nice!)

Whatever you do, your mom with love it. You could make her a homemade card and bring tears to her eyes! I already found the best recipe for a lemonade cake with blueberries I plan on making for her! YUM!

Breakfast

2 slices bacon, coffee and a banana

Lunch

Black bean cheese burger

A spinach, pecan and strawberry salad with homemade dressing:

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 tablespoon honey

fresh lemon zest

salt and pepper

Snack

Carrots and Guacamole

Dinner

Chicken and Steamed Brocolli

Dessert

Honey Greek Yogurt with Strawberry slices

Have a great night guys and start planning your mother's day gifts!

Easter Weekend Recap

Tuesday already? I'll take it considering me and CL are headed to the beach Friday evening for the weekend. It's the last weekend in OC before the dogs are officially no longer allowed on the beach for the summer season.

Chance loves getting his tan on. Can you tell?

 

What a cutie. I might be biased, but I love love love my lil gremlin!

Friday night my sister came over to help me dye Easter eggs and make some treats to bring to my Grandma's on Sunday. We made chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate cake pops. The best desserts are the ones with the ingredients I don't enjoy... that way I can just take pleasure in seeing other people eat them!

Whoever thought of putting brown dye in an Easter egg kit is bonkers. What happened to primary colors people? 

Chocolate Cake Balls with Toasted Coconut:

1 bag unsweetened/sweetened coconut flakes

1 box cake mix 

1 can whipped chocolate frosting

1 pound almond bark

lollipop sticks

Spread the coconut flakes on a baking sheet (ungreased) and cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, tossing every five until they are a golden hue. Separate your dipping choices. (i chose sprinkles and toasted coconut, nuts would be good too).

Cook your cake according to the box directions. While still warm crumble in a mixing bowl.

Add  entire can of frosting to warm cake and mix well until all is covered. At this point I suggest rolling your balls (hehe) and chilling for an hour in the freezer/fridge (this way they are easier to roll, I learned the hard way). Melt your chocolate - I suggest in a glass bowl over boiling water (again, I learned the hard way and microwaved mine and it got hard faster!). Roll balls in chocolate and dip in your toppings! Stick a lollipop stick in them while hard and cool on wax paper in the fridge. Serve cold!

What to do with the left over chocolate??? Make chocolate covered strawberries!!

It's a Polish tradition to eat White Borscht on Easter. It is a horseradish soup with homemade stuffed kielbasa (made by my mom and uncle) which is smoked (by my cousin) and/or boiled, hard boiled eggs, pumpernickel bread and ham. I think the older you get the more you appreciate the traditions your family celebrates. I hope to pass this on to my kids one day! 

I come from a family who definitely knows their way around a kitchen! My uncle brews his own beer and my cousin Ryan made his own wine last year we finally got to try! Sooo good!

There were plenty of desserts!

CL worked on Easter, which was nice in a way because I got to spend the entire day with my family instead of running back and forth between our families!

Thank god I finally got new running shoes! I got fitted and treadmill tested for a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11's! I love love love them! It really does make a difference when you have the right pair of shoes!

 

Hope everyone had a great Easter!!