Saturday, April 30, 2011

i like it green.

(photo courtesy of wearenotmartha.com)

yesterday was beautiful outside.
too bad i had to work.
and guess what? today is beautiful outside.
and i have to work.
hopefully it's beautiful tomorrow because it's the mall-to-mall run! 8.8 miles running from lindale mall to westdale mall. like i said earlier, i might have to walk it if my calf is giving me issues.
im taking a rest day today so im crossing my fingers that ill be ok.


i had a very refreshing lunch today. i decided to have a green monster smoothie! (my meal plan said salad, but that's too hard to consume while working at the front desk at the gym so it looks more polite to drink my lunch instead of shoving food in my mouth while checking people in.)


in the smoothie:
1.5 cups of almond milk (52 cal)
1 large handful spinach (7 cal)
1 medium frozen banana (105 cal)
4 strawberries [i just picked up a pound for 99 cents!] (22 cal)
2 pumps of sugar free torani strawberry syrup (0 cal)
1 scoop vanilla whey protein (120 cal)
1 scoop ice


i topped it with a half cup of kashi good friends high fiber cereal (80 cal) and slurped the smoothie and let the cereal soak into it and ate it with a spoon!


this has kept me full for a good 3 hours already.
im also sipping on some chai green tea.
im all about the green today.

so i was reading Bobbi's blog and thought that i should also incorporate a "spring into summer throw down" challenge!
52 days until the first day of summer (june 21st) and i feel that is the perfect time to really focus on some serious exercise and nutrition goals.

here are a list of my goals so far:
- drink more green tea
- limit coffee consumption to 1-2 cups per day
- eat more greens. at least once per day (whether it be smoothies, salads, or side dishes)
- do boot camp 3x a week (m, w, f mornings @ 6am)
- do yoga at least once a week. hot yoga if possible
- run, walk, or bike 30 minutes per day
- keep on drinking the large amounts of water
- take vitamins every day (CLA, B complex, and biotin)
- floss 2x per day and brush 2-3x per day (sometimes i forget at night!!)
- no more than 2-3 tbsp of nut butter a day

if i think of more, i will add to the list.

heres some other goals that do not involve exercise or nutrition:
- clean & organize apartment
- get rid of clothes that dont fit!
- make a hook for my keys (my room-mate always loses her keys)
- do other fun crafts
- use my crockpot!
- finish my online class (due july 15th! have barely started...)
- work on my continued goal of becoming a group fitness instructor

Tentative Schedule for upcoming week 5/1-5/7:
S: 8.8 Mile run(walk); Work @ Java 1-9:30pm
M: Bootcamp @ 6am; hot yoga @ 9am; work 1-5; practice step; STUDY
T: last day of human biology lab; bodycombat 8:30 am; practice step; work 5-10pm; STUDY
W: Bootcamp @ 6 am; hot yoga @ 9am; practice step; class 5-8:30pm; STUDY
Th: AUDITION @ 9:30am; Step N' Tone (teach warmup and 1 combo) @ noon; Muscle Mix(teach step) @ 5:30pm; STUDY
F: Bootcamp @ 6am; work 1-5
Sat: work 7-11; bodyattack @ 11am; babysit 12:30pm

phew, busy week ahead of me thats for sure.

what are your goals?
breakfast yesterday: 1 sandwich thin w/ half a banana(ate the other half before boot camp), 1 tbsp pb, and 1 tbsp honey. sprinkled with cinnamon.

this powered me through my step one-on-one training.
i also had some frozen red grapes somewhere in there.

lunch was 1 cup steamed zucchini drizzled with mustard(been my go-to "dressing" lately!), 10 food should taste good multigrain chips, and a veggie wrap with 1 tbsp hummus, 1 slice tomato, 1 slice reduced fat cheddar cheese, and 1 cup spinach wilted.

i love me some colorful veggies. yep.
dinner was some bulgur wheat(i ran out of quinoa) with some mixed veggies.
and i did a lot of snacking last night.
ugh. sometimes i binge eat when im bored. then i feel like complete crap afterwards. =\
but i cant dwell on it.

todays breakfast was 2 of these waffles drizzled with sugar free syrup:
surprisingly very tasty. :)
i also tried eating a grapefruit, but couldn't stomach it. the initial taste is really good, but the after taste tastes like a chemical for some reason. anyone have any suggestions without putting sugar on it to make it taste less "household cleaner" like?
i regrettably threw it away.

today is my rest day. after a long hard week of working out, my muscles are shot. i feel the soreness all over my body. and tomorrow is the 8.8 mile run. i honestly don't think ill be able to run any of it because my calf keeps acting up, but ill definitely walk fast.

only one more week of real "school" then its finals week. AHHHHHH.

Friday, April 29, 2011

how?

i think i'm one of the only ones who didn't care to watch the royal wedding. i dont even like weddings all that much anyway. everyone thinks im crazy, but i can never picture myself getting married.
and as a little girl, i never imagined or dreamed of an extravagant wedding. never even thought about it actually.
instead i fantasized about becoming a singer and being famous for that.
i dont even have a good voice. haha, but i do have rhythm so maybe i should have been a dancer?

during my step training today, my instructor asked if my parents have musical experience. aside from playing the flute and being in choir, i think thats all my mom really did. they were both heavy metal listeners & my mom probably got most of her moves from jane fonda.
i, on the other hand, did play piano & violin. and sang in choir. and did dance. so maybe that's where my talent for figuring out musical sequences came from.
my step trainer said she'd hire me. very encouraging!


anyway..something i've been thinking about lately is how do i teach my friends & family how to eat right. they are stuck in their mostly meat and hardly any fruits and veggies way.
well...they should look at this food pyramid because im pretty much obsessed. maybe i should make posters out of this and hand them out to them?
its so frustrating. i just want them to get it.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

day 3 full of protein & muscle mix

today's lunch included almost 70 grams of protein. my jaw dropped too.
back when i was a vegetarian i dont think i even got this amount in a day.
things have definitely changed.
but this meal plan has been keeping me so full that i dont think ill ever not try to eat this much protein.
protein is good for muscle recovery as well and i have been working my muscles like a mad woman this week.

lunch day 3: 4 oz homemade chicken tenders (plain chicken breast cut into strips, dipped in egg substitute, then coated in panko bread crumbs seasoned with cayenne & garlic powder. bake for about 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. dipped in mustard.)
1 cup cottage cheese on the side. looks like a huge amount. and it was. but for 160 cals and 28 grams of protein...sure did keep me full.

i ate this after my first step n' tone class of the day. (i only shadowed the instructor in this one.) was a good work out!

before i headed to my next one (4 hours later) i had a snack of 2 wasa multigrain crackers with two spreadable garlic and herb cheese wedges.

my second class to shadow was muscle mix. not only did i shadow... I TAUGHT THE LAST HALF. which was 30 minutes of strength training. i was so nervous. this instructor had to leave early so she had me teach. here's what i had the class do all to the beats of 32 count music.

Squats w/ dumbbells - singles, 2 counts up and down, 3 counts down, 1 count up, hold&pulse, singles
Lunges w/ dumbbells - same as above
Deadlifts & Rows - singles, hold at bottom, single rows. down, row, up.
Shoulder press (on ball) - same kind of counting
pushups off ball - 2 counts down and up, singles
bicep curls with a wall sit (i think they hated me for keeping them sitting on that wall for so long)
tricep overhead extensions on ball
tricep dips
chest press on ball
chest flies on ball

abs:
plank - 30 sec
twisting plank - 30 sec
side planks - 30 sec
weighted crunches

stretch & cooldown

they all clapped when it was over so i took that as a good sign! and one girl stopped me when i was leaving and told me i did a really great job. YAY!

that left my tummy grumbling.
enter dinner #3: 3 oz grilled chicken strips (more protein yo), 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 cup yellow squash, 2 cups green beans, 1 cup corn

holy vegetables.
think i got my veggie servings covered.

yeah, just an allergic reaction to the universe.

anyone else miss the OC as much as i do? it kind of lost its' viewers after marissa died. but where has she gone in the entertainment business? she tried that one show where she was a model addicted to drugs..(wait isn't that her real life?) but it flopped after episode 1. i watched it, it sucked.
the OC was the best. i do love gossip girl, but miss the comic relief of seth cohen. adam brody is definitely number one for celebrity guy crushes that i have.
at least i still see him doing movies (scream 4 - has anyone seen it?!) and same with rachel bilson. oh and ryan...hes on some show where he plays a cop i think.

anyway even though all my friends made fun of me for being so obsessed with this show - i have all 4 seasons and still watch them constantly - it was a great time in my life. i wanted to live their lives, no matter how dramatic it was. i wanted to wake up and be able to go to the beach whenever i wanted. still do. i still envy people who get to have beautiful weather and a huge ass house.
iowa isn't cutting it for me anymore. even though i think it's really "safe" here and the cost of living is very manageable compared to other states, this gloomy-ness is killing me. i woke up before 8 am today and haven't moved from my bed. it's now 10:30. the sun makes me want to go outside and embrace it. and i miss it. and im not going to see it for another week if that. boo. :( im done complaining now.

yesterday's eats:
lunch was a turkey sandwich on a sandwich thin. (smart deli "soy" turkey, tomato slice, mustard, sandwich thin)
dinner was fab.
shrimp pasta. baked shrimp brushed lightly with olive oil, whole wheat spirals, vodka sauce, and broccoli.


i also had unpictured greek yogurt with honey and a dip into the peanut butter jar.

this morning i woke up so sore.
not good because i have to shadow two classes today that are both half step and half strength. and im teaching during one of them! im teaching a half hour of strength today. im so freaking nervous. but i have to be confident.

this mornings brekkie: 1 cup fiber one + 1/2 cup natural cinnamon squares, 1 cup almond milk, 1 cup frozen berries
see what i mean about not leaving my bed. i was even too lazy to grab my camera and used my webcam for this breakfast. weak.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

eggs for breakfast never happens.

i actually woke up to my 5:15 alarm this morning. every ounce of me wanted to keep sleeping, but i have to re-train my body to get up that early. it's used to 6, but not that extra 45 minutes.
it probably didn't help that i took a 2.5 hour nap yesterday, worked out until 8:30 pm, and didn't finally crash until after 10:30pm.
also, i randomly woke up at 2:30 this morning wondering if it was time for me to get up. i think i heard birds chirping. maybe that was just my dream because it still feels like winter around here.
i can't wait for the day i don't have to wear a coat.
or turn the heat on in my car.
luckily it's supposed to be a little better today, but the sun doesn't want to show his face.


anyway, i got up & went to boot camp.
it was suzi's day and she loves her core work.
"it's bikini season soon!" is her reasoning. even though she focused on core a lot last session too.

today we did legs+core.

for legs we did 4 different exercises with 2 sets. first set was for 30 sec, second was 45 sec.

#1: squats w/ kettlebell (i used 20 lb)

shuffle 1 lap (switch direction half way through)

#2: alternating step-ups with 10 lb weights at side

shuffle 1 lap (switch direction half way through)

#3: single legged dead-lift w/ kettlebells

partner bear crawl (one person does bear crawl all the way down the track while the other person has a resistance band around your waist pulling the person doing the bear crawl)
THIS SUCKED.

#4: lunges with barbell (i had 25 lbs)

10 burpees in between each set

then we did it all over again!

suzi wasn't my friend this morning.

and then we did core:
12 jack knifes each side
20 bicycle crunches each side
30 toe touches (10 normal, 10 with legs crossed each side)
10 scissors down and up
all x2

after laying on the track ready to heel over and die, i came home and made EGGS for breakfast.
this never happens.
i never crave eggs for breakfast.
maybe it was all the pumping iron that made me yearn for protein.
or that it's on my meal plan for today.
either way, ill take it.
4 egg whites seasoned with paprika, garlic powder[not salt], basil, and pepper.
added a handful of spinach for added nutrients.

1 slice ezekiel bread with 1/2 tbsp natural pb
handful of candy. okay, vitamins.
these would be really bad tasting(and smell) candy.
CLA, thermogenic push, biotin, and vitamin b complex
CLA contains fatty acids and helps with keeping the fat off your hips, waist, and thighs (apparently.)
thermogenic push is to help with my fat burn.
biotin is a good vitamin for healthy hair, skin, and nails.
and vitamin b complex helps turn food into energy.
snack #1 (approximately 3.5 hours after breakfast):
20 baby carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 tbsp hummus
gotta love veggies.
what's funny is, my room-mate came into the kitchen as i was preparing this and said "you and your healthy shit." haha made me smile.
at least im known for something good.

off to shower, read, and head to work.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

plyo+abs, training, day one success

i thought today was going to be a huge bust because i turned off my 5:15 am alarm and refused to get up for hot yoga.
instead, i made breakfast, wrote that blog, did some much needed reading for school, and contemplated on going to class. had everything ready and didn't go.
say hello to snack number #1:
1 cup nonfat greek yogurt with 1 tbsp honey & 10 almonds.

it's in my to-go stay fit container because i thought i was actually going to go to class. yeah no.
i did go to my human biology lab though! we learned about hormones and what not. oh and contraception even though i could probably tell you everything about that from many years of learning.
when i stop and think about it though, some countries and even schools in our own country don't teach about birth control. everyone should have a right to have knowledge about contraception and effective family planning.

before i went to lab i had this for lunch.
2 cups spinach with a couple mushrooms, diced tomato, and 4 oz grilled chicken topped with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. i didn't think i'd like balsamic vinegar plain, but added so much flavor with so little calories and fat like most dressings involve.

when i got home for lab i did a little internet surfing and had snack number 2:
[not pictured] banana w/ 1 tbsp peanut butter and 1 raspberry chobani yogurt.
i thought i was going to head to the gym after that. instead i laid down in my room and passed out for almost 2.5 hours! i couldnt believe it. i guess my body needed that sleep.
i woke up frantically and got ready and headed to the gym i work at.
i did a plyometric and ab circuit (from bess) and that took about 40 minutes and definitely kicked my butt. afterwards i wrote out a 30 min. strength routine that im going to teach thursday and practiced that along with a couple step combinations.

by the time i was done with that i headed home for a late dinner.

1 medium sweet potato, 1/2 cup chickpeas, and 2 cups steamed broccoli drizzled with mustard.

that actually filled me up a lot, but i needed something sweet like usual. (where did this need for sweet come from? i used to never have a sweet tooth!)
i made a "protein" muffin. part of my meal plan is to have a vitatop, but those are so expensive i decided to make my own.

3 tbsp liquid egg whites, 2 tbsp peanut flour, 3 tbsp applesauce(unsweetened), 1 tsp stevia, 1/2 tsp baking powder. microwave for about 3 minutes. topped with 1 tsp of natural pb.
oh my gosh. uh-may-zing.

time for sleep. boot camp again in the morning followed by hot yoga(maybe).
check ya later.

numero uno


day one of my meal plan!
breakfast: oatmeal made with 1/4 cup oats, 3/4 cup water, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 small chopped green apple, sprinkle of cinnamon, and 1 tbsp of peanut butter stirred in at the end.

um, wow. i'm full.morning snack will be a cup of nonfat greek yogurt w/ tbsp honey & 10 almonds.
for lunch it will be a spinach salad w/ grilled chicken & balsamic vinegar.

i better get ready. im actually going to class today. everyone watch out... i'm about to be a good student!
:)

ok. so scratch that. i didn't get ready in time to catch the bus.
and i teach everything to myself in that class anyway.
it's social & personality development. and almost every single topic is common sense knowledge. for the final the topics are: development of morality, sex/gender differences in development, and effects of family on development.
i've gotten an A on both exams already and i usually study the night before.
oh the life of a college student.

it's health psychology i'm more worried about. i got a C on the first exam & i have never even missed a class this semester. i guess it's just way to much information to remember.

human biology is meh. i dont expect to do any better than what i have been because his exams are awful.

anyway..i forgot to mention how bootcamp was yesterday.
i literally threw up in my mouth. usually i eat half a banana about 45 minutes before class starts, but i was running late, didn't have any bananas, and shoved a half of an odwalla bar down my throat on the drive there. [i get really dizzy if i dont have food before a tough work out.]
so this work out was tough. my heart rate never went below 150 and stayed around 162.

the work out was called a "10 to 1". You do each exercise in each set 10 times, then 9 times, all the way down to one and then either run or do stairs in between each set.

3 lap run - warm up

set #1:
goblet squat (i used a 10 lb dumbbell)
pushups (i didn't do any girl ones!)
tricep dips off bench

run 3 laps

set #2:
burpees
prisoner lunges
spider planks

6 sets of stairs

set #3:
seal jacks
renegade rows (w/ 8 lb dumbbells)
situps

run 3 laps, 3 sets of stairs

i threw up in the middle of set 3. but kept on fighting!

i also did hot yoga yesterday.

for todays work out, ill probably run and practice for the class im teaching on thursday.

Monday, April 25, 2011

8 week goals

8 week boot camp started today.
this is my second session & i'm going to work much harder this time around.
with school ending in 3 weeks and vacations+bikinis+sun! coming soon..i really want to work on my eating and exercise goals.

our challenge of the week this week is to publicly announce our goals for these next 8 weeks. perfect, since i was planning on it anyway. :)
the following goals are for 4/25-6/17.
i leave for colorado june 18th and we are planning on going mountain biking, white water rafting, and spending a lot of time in swimsuits outside so this is a perfect end to my 8 weeks.

goal #1:
- stick with my running training.
i'm following a plan to get myself to run a half-marathon. i'll probably do a few races this summer to also focus on.

goal #2: get stronger.
- i do cardio. i do weights. i want to maintain the strength i have from both and get even stronger. i love feeling strong.
goal #3:
-drink more tea. i dont hate tea, i just never think about it. i feel like caffeine "wakes me up" more than tea. but tea doesn't dehydrate. and tea is full of fat-burning antioxidants. and there's nothing wrong with drinking a whole pot of tea compared to a full pot of coffee.


goal #4: take more pictures.
goal #5: laugh more.
spend time with friends more.


along with these goals, i want to continue to eat healthy and not mindlessly eat. when i snack, i inhale. i really need to learn how to eat intuitively so that will be a main focus.
also bess from over at bessbefit is sending me a training plan with workouts and a "diet" to help me maintain my goals.

:)

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

get your fash-on




nutella may or may not be my prince is disguise.
it's okay to be in love with a spread, right?
im sorry peanut butter, i cheated on you.

today has been nothing but a big sweat sesh.
no wonder i have friends on my face. but these aren't "true" friends. say hello to pimple #1, 2, 3, and 4. hopefully they don't stay too long. i only have a few extra blankets and pillows in this apartment.

back to my workouts.
alarm goes off @ 5:13. yes i like waking up at odd numbers.
take advantage of free bootcamp this week or go back to bed?
ugh my body wants to get up. thanks a lot, stupid alarm.

go to bootcamp and get my butt handed to me a silver platter by miss suzi. who looks all nice and innocent but inside wants to make all of us suffer. congrats suzi, you did me in.
if that wasn't enough, i went to hot yoga not even two hours later. [only hot yoga, no power, no vinyasa, i would have died...and that wouldn't be a very fun way to die.]
then.....insert morning snackage here.....and off to "learn" by taking a muscle mix class combined with 30 minutes of step and 30 minutes strength.
my muscles are done for the day.

now i need to exercise my brain for this biology exam tomorrow. barf.

my 2:30 p.m. lunch did not make me barf (may look like it), however. it was one of the best i've had.

i got the recipe from Lee over at fitfoodiefinds! (that girl has some great recipes)

it was a Salmon & Vegetable Frittata!

i adapted a little changes, but mostly stuck with the original.

Salmon & Veggie Frittata
(serves 1)

3 oz salmon filet
1/2 yellow squash
1 egg & 3 T egg whites
1/2 T seasoning of choice (i used Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime)
2 mushrooms
1/2 cup broccoli

Preheat oven to broil. Chop veggies & saute them until tender. Add diced salmon and seasoning. Cook for 1-2 minutes on medium heat. Turn skillet to medium/low heat and add egg mixture and cook for about 3 minutes. Put entire skillet into the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!

I sprinkled some feta cheese on top. delish.



and had some sweet potato "fries" on the side.


Be yourself. What a cliché, we hear it over & over in literature, fairy tales, songs, but we still don't get it. It might be because we dream, we don't worry whether the dream is worthy of us, but if we're worthy of the dream. So we lose our identities in order to chase what we want, but if we can stay proud of who we are & not run from ourselves, then maybe your dreams, like a prince with a glass slipper, will come find us.

here's my outfit from today. i felt like it needed to be presented because it's different from the yoga pants & t-shirt look i usually rock every single day.
not even kidding.

time for a hair-cut geeez

Friday, April 15, 2011

have less. do more. be more.

don't pay attention to my "menu" towards the top of my page. im still working on it.
and im too frustrated to figure it out right now.
im about to go to hot power yoga in a half hour so im focusing on hydrating myself :)

so yesterday (besides the spoonful of frosting) clean eating was a success.
i forgot to drink my nightly cup of tea though!
must remember this today.

be back later with a better post.
:)

Thursday, April 14, 2011

no this is not blood.
we decided on...
red velvet cupcakes!
i just wanted sprinkles. thats why i wanted to bake cupcakes. i only had one. surprisingly. did have a spoonful of cream cheese frosting though....
glad i decided to start my clean eating today and not yesterday.
or i would have failed in an hour.
except now i have these cupcakes staring at me in the face just feet away in the kitchen. saying EAT ME. well im not Alice from alice in wonderland...i have a little bit more self control than that.
hmph....except i have a problem. where the heck should i take the leftovers? seems rude to take them to the gym i work at. trash just seems wasteful..
i guess i can wait until sunday when i work at the coffeeshop. people there like cupcakes. who doesnt think sugary sweets goes well with coffee? crazy people, that's who.

on to my lunch.
my freezer is so stocked that i feel like my refrigerator is just going to stop working one day. so i thought i should probably use something out of there to incorporate my lunch.
and i came up with ground beef. because i also want to get rid of that in hopes of never buying it again. i dont even like beef, wtf?

but after a hard sweat sesh (half step, half strength again)..meat didn't sound so bad.
hopefully my stomach doesn't yell at me.
i went with a midwest specialty. maid-rites.
if you've never heard of them, its essentially a loose meat sandwich. i diced up some onions to brown with the lean beef and seasoned it with onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
put it on a whole wheat bagel thin, with some low sugar ketchup, mustard, mozz cheese, a mushroom, and romaine lettuce.
definitely have to eat maid-rites with a fork, p.s.

on the side i had leftover sweet potato that i roasted yesterday.
1000 times better than any fast-food lunch. mcdonalds aint got nothin' on me.

oh! i forgot to mention that ashton kutcher was in iowa city the other day. (he's originally from cedar rapids, iowa..which is where i'm from too)
too bad i missed him! ugh people in my classes were talking about it all day....
i hate when i miss something exciting like that.
plus, it doesnt help that im a little obsessed with the guy.

okay...so far for my eat clean plan

breakfast: 1/3 cup oats, 1 tbsp nut butter, 1 cup almond milk, 1/2 banana
24 oz water (1 liter)
2 cups black coffee

morning snack: 1 pear
24 oz water (16 oz w/ lemon) - 1 liter

lunch: maid-rite & 1/2 sweet potato

1 1/3 grain servings
1/3 fat serving
2 protein servings
1.5 fruit serving
1 cup vegetable serving

update..

afternoon snack: 2 dried dates

dinner: 2 eggs, 1 cup spinach, sprinkle of feta cheese, mushrooms, green peppers, yellow squash

evening snacks: 2 no bake cake balls, spoonful of cream cheese frosting (AHH), yogurt w/ granola and strawberries

protein: success
vegetables: success
fruit: success
fat: probably success
grains: almost