essential ingredient: exercise

moved!

2011-05-20T10:31:00.001-05:00

so i decided to make the switch to wordpress because i like the set-up and think it's easier to deal with then blogger. :)

http://www.essentialingredient.wordpress.com

head on over!

intimidated by the pull-up bar

2011-05-18T11:59:00.004-05:00

Mom, I'm surprised you didn't comment on my last post. If you comment, I'll bring you a treat next time I come over to do laundry. :)

today i am feeling GOOD! the weather is amazing, my workouts are awesome, my eating is going pretty good for the most part, and my cold is quickly leaving my body. (i hate having a cold when it's nice outside. makes it feel so much worse.)
i am just all about embracing life today.
i plan on getting some things accomplished....like...
- selling my textbooks via barnes and noble. check.
- cleaning the apartment (much needed....it's been neglected because of school & finals week)
- organizing apartment (i got way too much crap. time to go to goodwill)
- work on my new managerial activities! (got a promotion at the gym :) i am now "service desk coordinator" and get to train staff, communicate with all departments, come up with new ideas, and basically be an assistant to my manager)
- practice my step n tone routine for my first class tomorrow. CHECK & it went awesome!
that's about all the time i have for today.....might have to some tomorrow too.

moving on.
bootcamp because i love to post my workouts. :D
okay..so this morning i wasn't feeling it as much as monday. it seemed intimidating. but i still pushed through and felt great after as usual.

we had 6 different stations. 1 minute at each station. we rotated through the whole thing 3 times.

#1: slideboard mountain climbers (these are much harder on a slideboard!)
#2: squat w/ 25 lb kettlebell (easy enough..until you get to round 3)
#3: pull ups (i put my knees in a resistance band to do assisted pulls up because i can't even do one pull up) it looked like this: scary, right? i though the band was going to come up and slap me in the face each time i was done.

#4: hanging knee tucks. again.....intimidating. but do-able. i almost felt like a trapeze artist. gosh..they are strong..

#5: rope exercise that looked like thiswhy do all the pictures on google feature males? well..i guess it makes me feel even more badass.
this one suzi (wednesday b.c. trainer) kept telling me to make big circles. these things are heavier than they look. especially right after holding yourself up from doing hanging knee tucks.

#6: run two laps with a heavy sandbag. enough said. felt like i was on the biggest loser carrying their weight that they lost. power to them....that sucked.
speaking of the biggest loser....i have cried at literally the past 3 episodes. it makes me so emotional.
obviously i need to go into this field of helping people live a healthy lifestyle.
last night i went to dinner with my dad & his fiance, val, and they asked me what i would want if they won the powerball lottery. (they buy tickets all the time and are convinced that they're going to win at some point.) i said i wanted to own my own fitness studio for group fitness classes like kickboxing, yoga, step aerobics, cardio intervals, and much more. i also want to help people learn how to make nutritious choices and just basically counsel them into living healthier lives. THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO. why am i not pursuing this more?

anyway back to bootcamp...
we did all those 3 times then headed in straight to core work. suzi is the champ at teaching core and i think mine has gotten much stronger because of her. i no longer hate doing core exercises and can hold a strong plank for more than 1 minute.
we did...
bicycle crunches for 30 sec.
basic crunches for 30 sec.
plank pose for 30 sec.
all 3x
easy enough. :)
she came around and tried to push us over during planks. ha

alright..well off to tackle my to do list. & watch little fockers at the same time.

random eats. banana almond butter muffins. bootcamp relay.

2011-05-16T07:47:00.006-05:00

whoops. it's been a while. finals, babysitting, working at the gym & coffeeshop, and practicing my step aerobics routine has taken over my life.
doesn't leave too much time to blog about it.
i did take a few pictures, however, of my recent eats. so ill start with that. then end with a recipe of muffins that i made & i took to work & were gone within a couple hours!

favorite bowl of oats: 1/3 cup oats, 1/2 whipped banana, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp chia seeds, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp chunky natural pb, & 1 tsp unsweetened coconut

i bought so many strawberries. used them for my protein shakes. gonna be sad when june is over & the
some steamed broccoli, carrots, chickpeas all drizzled w/ ranch? & sweet potato wedges
mexican salad w/ romaine, tomatoes, black beans, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, and sweet potato

another mixture of steamed veggies drizzled with ketchup
my love of roasted sweet potatoes
these are seriously crack.
random salad w/ leftover quinoa
and feta because feta makes it betta

kale artichoke ricotta pie. this was delish. i got the recipe here

so i was at wal-mart the other day. (hate that place). and i spotted maranatha almond butter for only $4! couldn't believe it. this stuff is not that cheap. it's usually $8-10 for a jar at the co-op. i snagged a jar & decided to use it with some ripe bananas that were sitting on the counter in hopes of making a delicious baked good.
i couldn't decide until i came across heather's recipe. yes please.

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Banana Muffins
adapted from heathereatsalmondbutter

Ingredients:

3 ripe mashed bananas
¼ cup almond butter or your favorite nut/seed butter of choice
½ cup sugar or 1/4 cup stevia (i used 5 packets of pure via)
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups oat flour (I pulsed 2 cups old fashioned oats in my food processor)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt (omit if using salted nut butter)
½ cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans (i left these out since i didn't have any)

Directions:

Mix first 5 ingredients until creamy. Stir together oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to banana mixture stirring to combine. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Bake at 350 degrees 18 – 20 minutes in paper lined or greased muffin pan.

Yield: 15 muffins. (i only made 12 muffins)

these were so good! each one had 157 calories, 23g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 3.8g protein

grinding the oats took about 30 seconds
mash mash mash....

i took about 8 of them to work and they were gone by the end of the day. :)

this weekend was pretty good. i worked, practiced my routine, did an off day workout that consisted of this:

12 push-ups
12 deadlifts (i used 45 lb bar)
12 tricep pushups
3 rounds of stairs
all 3x

12 chest press (did this on stability ball w/ 15 lb dumbbells)
12 sumo squat w/ 15 lb dumbbell
12 chest flies (on ball w/ 15 lb dumbbells)
run 2 min. fast
all 3x

12 bent over row w/ 15 lb dumbbells
12 lat raises w/ dumbbells
12 russian twists w/ 12 lb med ball (each side)
all 3x

12 kettlebell swings
12 box jumps
12 burpees
all 3x

GREAT workout.

today's bootcamp this morning was also awesome. we competed against the cy-fitters. (Cy-fit is a group exercise class that consists of 30 minutes on the spin bike followed by 30 minute strength moves)
we all got into pairs and did a relay race. we each had a card with markers in different orders and we had to run around the gym finding the cones with the colors and each one had an exercise we had to do.
krystal was my partner & this was our order:
15 side band steps each leg, 15 monster walks with bands & backwards
50 kettlebell swings (25 lb)
20 burpees
30 tricep dips
side shuffle long side of track, lunge forward & backwards on the short sides
sled push down & back
30 pushups
30 ball tucks
20 wall balls

it was fun!

outdoor bootcamp

2011-05-09T08:47:00.004-05:00

i took a few pictures of my recent eats from the past week. its been a busy one!
finals this week. AH.

greek yogurt w/ fresh strawberries & bagel thin with lowfat cream cheese.

this would be tofu w/ salsa & spinach. i drenched and spiced the tofu like crazy. it tastes like nothing if you don't.
and a tofu scramble.
inside two la tortilla factory tortillas.
this was my cinco de mayo lunch.
gotta celebrate with my favorite food.
outfit that i wore on cinco de mayo. just for fun.
my favorite bowl of oats.
1/4 cup oats, 2/3 cup almond milk, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, chopped green apple, cinnamon topped w/ peanut flour sauce & chia seeds
mmmmmmmm.
snackage: green apple slices on top of a sandwich thin w/ almond butter.
today, however, i had unpictured protein pancakes.

bootcamp was outside this morning! loved being outside. :) the work out was a killer too.

run two laps around the gym
squat and flip tires
15 squats
roll tire back
15 tricep dips on tire
1 lap
squat and flip tire
15 incline pushups on tire
roll tire back
20 cross over mountain climbers
1 lap

squat & overhead press w/ resistance band (1 min)
rows w/ resistance band around pole (1 min)
chest press w/ resistance band around pole (1 min)
suicide runs
x 3

1 easy lap
ab work
easy lap

DONE.

holy burn. im going to be sore tomorrow.

time to study for finals. :(

8.8 mall to mall

2011-05-02T07:19:00.005-05:00

I FINISHED! & I ran the entire thing! :)
i am still on runners high a day later.
i can't believe it.
8.8 miles in 1:28. this is crazy for me because i do not consider myself a runner. (now i do.)
i have never ran more than 4 miles straight. [i ran the 5 mile july 4th race last year, but had to stop and walk]
i didnt even think i was going to run. i thought i would just walk it. maybe it was the fuel from 1/2 cup of oats + banana? nah..it was just my DRIVE! i kept repeating in my head "mind over matter, you can do this, sharelle. its all mental."
well i stayed at a pace of 10 min/mile the whole way and did it. i am so proud of myself right now. im just..speechless.

Sharelle Allamand, F21

Cedar Rapids, IA

1:28:03

1:30:10

2:06

10:00/M

i placed "50" because it was a time prediction race. the winner was the person who came closest to their predicted time. they were 2 seconds off! my mom & stepdad were 20 seconds off!
i was 2 minutes faster than my predicted time. :D
i also was the youngest runner there. [there was one 16 year old but everyone else was 25 or older.]
i have been grinning ear to ear these past 24 hours.

after the run, i went to work at the coffeeshop for 9 hours then came home and finally got to crash, put some biofreeze on my legs and fall into a deep slumber.
woke up for bootcamp & actually did pretty ok!

for our work out we did 5 minute rounds at each station:

station #1:
sled push (high)
sled push (low)
20 pushups
20 situps

run 1 lap

station #2:
25 jumping jacks
20 goblet squats
15 diamond pushups
10 burpees

run 1 lap

station #3:
40 mountain climbers (total)
30 tricep dips
20 incline pushups (using a step with 3 risers)
10 plank up downs

run 1 lap

#4:
20 sumo deadlift high pulls (20 lb barbell)
20 push press (20 lb barbell)
20 arm wide pushups
side planks (30 sec each side)

run 1 lap

#5:
25 decline pushups
20 ball tucks
15 ball pass
plank hold (30 sec)

run 1 lap

#6:
prisoner lunges (20 each leg)
20 side ball throws (each side)
10 ball slams

walk 1 lap
stretch

i hardly did more than one round of each. my muscles were on fire today!

breakfast [sticking with my meal plan!]:
1 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt w/ 1 cup strawberries [about 185 cal]
1 bagel thin w/ 1 tbsp low fat cream cheese [180]
total: 365 cal

also had 2 cups black coffee.
ready to tackle this day. after catching up with reading blogs all morning im about ready to start on some much needed homework. health psych is my first final next week so im going to focus on that first. i just got an email about the exam and its 5 essay questions. (1 for each chapter)....actually excited about that. i rock essay tests in comparison to multiple choice.

i like it green.

2011-04-30T14:57:00.003-05:00

(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?

2011-04-30T10:02:00.002-05:00

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.

how?

2011-04-29T12:04:00.002-05:00

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.

day 3 full of protein & muscle mix

2011-04-28T20:08:00.003-05:00

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.

2011-04-28T10:00:00.004-05:00

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.

eggs for breakfast never happens.

2011-04-27T10:18:00.004-05:00

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.

plyo+abs, training, day one success

2011-04-26T22:00:00.003-05:00

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

2011-04-26T07:41:00.004-05:00

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.

8 week goals

2011-04-25T08:19:00.003-05:00

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.

:)

get your fash-on

2011-04-20T14:54:00.007-05:00

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

have less. do more. be more.

2011-04-15T07:46:00.001-05:00

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.
:)

2011-04-14T14:40:00.004-05:00

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

eat clean in a dirty world

2011-04-14T10:41:00.002-05:00

Two months.
two months until im colorado bound. for a week at least.
:)
im beyond ready for this vacation...i cannot wait to get out of iowa again. its a fun-sucker here. all i do is worry about school, work, life in general. i need breaks here and there to remind me there is still enjoyment left.

even though i am mentally ready for colorado, im not physically comfortable with myself to be in a bikini i guess you could say.
so here's my goal.
eat clean. for these next two months.
i will abide by jackie warner's rules because i basically eat like this anyway, but it will help me actually follow something.
and i like the fact that she says to drink tea every night. maybe ill actually listen and do it. tea is good for the soul. and would help me not snack so much at night.

so heres the plan:

eat four 4 oz servings of "Detox proteins" a day. this will include....
basically any kind of fish, lean poultry, lean meats (this area won't be difficult for me...being i only eat chicken and fish)
low-fat dairy foods: greek yogurt, low-cal cheeses, low-fat cottage cheese, almond milk, low-fat ricotta cheese
eggs
beans & other legumes
whey protein

detox carbohydrates:
3 cups of vegetables, 2 whole fruits, two 1 cup servings of whole grains

detox fats:
2 tablespoons of clean oils, nut butters or nuts/seeds and 1/4 avocado

selections: almonds, almond butter, avocado, brazil nuts, butter, flax, hazelnuts, olive oil, pb, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, walnut oil

she also recommends drinking 3 liters of water daily, particularly with lemon juice

today so far...
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

1/3 cup grains
1/3 fat serving
1 protein serving
1.5 fruit serving

i will update throughout the day :)

salad beasts

2011-04-13T16:06:00.003-05:00

typical breakfast was oatmeal. been having oatmeal for the past week and im okay with that.
i use the volume trick by using a ton of liquid and chia seeds. it pumps up the surface area of only 1/3 cup of oats.
oh and i cant eat oatmeal without peanut butter. :)

yesterday and todays lunch was a "salad beast"
today i roasted some sweet taters and made a mexican salad.

so hard not to eat every single one before plopping them into my salad.

yesterday had some tomatoes, feta, and the last of my leftover chickpea and spinach dish. (i got 5 servings outta that sucker!)

my body is on fire today.
yesterday i did that 3.5 mile run.
well today, i decided it'd be a good morning to run again. the weather is freaking amazing, why not!?
i started by walking 2 miles. (the neighborhood i chose has huge hills so i figured i'd follow my training plan and walk.) after my 2 miles were up, i was luckily on a flat road and pounded out another 2.5 miles before i was running out of time.
i ran home and rinsed off..and headed to a 12:00 "muscle mix" class at the rec center. holy crap it was hard. the personal training director was the instructor. and she kicked my butt.
and now my body is super sore. yoga in the morning? i think so.

nikki didn't end up coming over last night to make cupcakes, so we're doing it tonight.
:)

if a tree falls down in a forest and nobody is around.. does it make a sound?

2011-04-12T17:43:00.002-05:00

im feeling amazing today.
did a vinyasa hot yoga class this morning which rejuvenated me for the rest of the day.
went to my human biology lab and dissected an eye.
interesting to say the least.
then came home and ran 3.5 miles without stopping. and did it in 34 minutes. thats amazing, to me.
:) because i am NOT a runner.
yet.

after that i had another protein cupcake to replenish my muscles and a fair share of salted peanuts.

now im off to a dinner date with an old friend. well, not really "old" friend but i never see him anymore! his schedule is nuts. and mine doesnt really help the situation.
we're going to cheba hut. its a sandwich place that is centered all around weed. haha pretty amusing.

laterrr

cupcakes galore

2011-04-12T07:27:00.004-05:00

i'd be lost without my morning cup of coffee. the inspirational mug makes my day that much better.
oh and i take it black now. i feel like a true grown up.

check out this awesome snack i had yesterday. its a protein cupcake. no added sugar. hardly any carbs. pure amazing-ness in a cup. and kept me full for like 5 hours (i ate it right after lunch)

recipe came from lauren over at biochemista.com

Vanilla Protein Cupcake
serves 1

1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 egg white
1/2 t vanilla extract
baking powder, pinch
stevia packet
sea salt, tiny pinch
water, to moisten (hardly any!)

microwave 1 minute and 30 seconds. but the cake will expand very quickly so stop the microwave in 30 second increments otherwise you will have a mess.
lesson learned.

my "frosting" topping was plain nonfat greek yogurt sweetened with stevia and sprinkled with cinnamon.
the nutritional stats on this baby (without the "frosting) were 120 cals, 8.5g carbs, 4g fiber, and 19g protein. NICE.

yesterdays work-out was awesome. besides the fact that i thought i pulled my quad because it hurt to walk. a bad hurt, not a good "i must have worked hard because im so sore" hurt. but i did some hot yoga, stretched it out and i feel much much better now.

speaking of hot yoga.
i love it.
and im going again this morning. in an hour.
i better hydrate up because i almost passed out last night.

i should probably start doing homework again.
i tried reading last night, i really did.
but 20 minutes in...my eyes shut.
whoops.
and i should probably stop watching so much gossip girl.
but i love chuck bass.
its a problem.
sense a theme with this post?
i made a healthy cupcake and then made you drool with photos of sugary sweet ones.
yeah, well sometimes in life you deserve a treat.
and so tonight i am making cupcakes with my friend nikki.
ill probably take some in to work. so that people who just spent an hour working out at the gym i work at can totally ruin it with one of these cupcakes.
okay..i probably shouldn't do that.

laterrr

go as far as reason will take you. then leap.

2011-04-11T08:01:00.007-05:00

nice weekend. didn't go out, but didn't really "stay in" either.
friday night - worked at the gym.

saturday morning - trained to be a group fitness instructor finally. :) we did a 4 hour workshop and learned how to teach step and even got to teach a couple step combinations to everyone. it was fun. we also learned "circuit training" which i am welllll prepared to teach. thanks to my classes @ performance, jillian michaels, and jackie warner.

saturday afternoon/night - went for a 6 mile walk/run with my mama (i missed going on the trail with her!) and then we rented a movie and called it a night.

sunday - worked at the coffeeshop, went to manager meeting, and went grocery shopping.
OH and i made chocolate covered cake mix truffles! im surprised i didn't eat the whole batch. they were delish to the max.
and i talked on the phone with someone who makes me smile.

before i get to that recipe and other meals i've eaten recently....i want to talk about this training.
so if i want to teach both step and a circuit training class, i have to attend 4 classes a week at the rec center and shadow instructors. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS YOU GUYS. eventually we get to teach a portion of the class....and at the end of 3 weeks, we audition to get our own group exercise class! i need to put my foot into gear. now. and keep up with my classes as well...
good thing im also going to enjoy unlimited hot yoga for the next 3 weeks. i think the added stretching will definitely help and bring peace to my mind during this madness.
maybe ill be able to do that one day.... bahaha probably not.

okay..onto the food.
:)

first meal is a Chickpea and Spinach dish. The original recipe is from cleaneatingchelsey and it said it "serves 2 really hungry people." Well...I have eaten it 3 times and STILL have leftovers. and each time, it makes me full. So...I'm thinking 4 servings for me. :)

before i get ready to go work out...

next up... no bake vanilla cake batter chocolate truffles!

original recipe is here
just follow that....exactly. and you'll have an amazing dessert. and be careful not to eat every single one. I used sugar free cake mix, vanilla extract, sweetened condensed milk, and hersheys dark chocolate chips.

you're stronger than you think

2011-04-07T14:53:00.004-05:00

my quads are extremely sore today.
i think its a combination of running, that barre works class from tuesday, and bootcamp yesterday.
and today i ran 2 miles in 20 minutes and then took TNT at my gym. T-N-T is "total noon transformation." it's a circuit training class and i absolutely love it. today we tested our strength.
we did 3 rounds of each exercise for 30 seconds each and wrote down how many reps we did for each round. after each exercise, we ran for 3 minutes and tracked how many laps we got in.

#1: Squats w/ barbell (i put 24 lbs on mine)

Run 3 minutes - i did 4 laps

#2: cross lunges alternating (w/ 10 lb plates at side)

Run 3 minutes - 4 laps

#3: pushups

Run 3 minutes - 4 laps

#4: tricep dips

Run 3 minutes - 4 laps

#5: push press (w/ 24 lb barbell)

Run 3 minutes - 4 laps

i was actually surprised to see how many reps of each exercise i did in all 3 rounds. i am a lot stronger than i thought! im sure bootcamp has something to do with it... :)

after all that hard work, my body was craving protein like no other.
usually i don't crave meat...but today i wanted chicken. and so chicken it was.
spinach, mozz, and mushroom stuffed chicken to be exact.

Spinach Mozzarella Mushroom Stuffed Chicken
serves 2

1 large chicken breast (8-10 oz)
2 handfuls spinach
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
4 button mushrooms
drizzle olive oil

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Saute garlic and mushrooms in olive oil until soft. Add spinach until it wilts. Cut chicken breast in half and cut a slit in the middle to make a hole. Stuff spinach mixture and cheese into each half. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

I had frozen mixed veggies on the side (green beans, corn, carrots, lima beans, and peas) & half a sweet potato w/ little bit of butter.

Satisfied!

here's yesterdays lunch:

veggie burger wrap w/ ketchup, mustard, spinach, and cottage cheese
and roasted baby carrots on the side

well..im watching due date right now with my room-mate so im going to end this. but i might be back later to tell you my goals. :)

nothing goes as planned

2011-04-06T18:40:00.002-05:00

so i drive to my night class today to find out that it's cancelled. :) well, it wasn't supposed to be, but my professor couldn't get the computer to work and we had group presentations today...so we kind of needed it. so yay...good thing because i have an exam tomorrow that im not quite ready for.

lately i have been OBSESSED with this song. i listen to it everyday.
andrew belle can come over anytime and sing me to sleep and i'd be completely okay with that.

maybe ill be lucky and he'll play at lollapalooza?
speaking of, i got my ticket! the early bird ones sold out in 20 minutes. i couldn't believe it.
if you don't know what it is..it's a 3 day concert festival in chicago at grant park every august. they have amazing bands and amazing headliners. like this year so far i know foo fighters, muse, and EMINEM is going to be there. AH. okay, maybe this makes me a little pathetic, but i have been a huge eminem fan since i was 13.

yesterday was an awesome day of exercise.
i stuck with my training plan and walked 2 miles, ran 2 miles, and speed walked 2 miles. finished in about 70 minutes with a calorie burn of 850.
also, i tried my first hot yoga class last night!
i chose to go to "barre works" which is...

Zenergi’s new Barre-Works class incorporates a series of low impact, high intensity strength and stretching postures for all major muscle groups in the body. It combines use of the balancing barre with core conditioning, stretching and is mixed with traditional Pilates and Yoga postures.

In addition to the major muscle groups, Barre-Works will focus on the core as well as smaller muscles in the seat and thighs to sculpt, chisel and define. While the entire body is working through the series, trouble areas of the body will be reached with this system through the individual motions and subsequent lengthening exercises. With this practice your body, posture and physical awareness will transform. Barre-Works will compliment your other physical routines including Yoga and Pilates.

i felt like i was doing ballet dancer work-outs! haha it was great. and i definitely feel it today, holy crap.

bootcamp was this morning. yet another good one. can't believe friday is the last day.

we did 5 minute rounds of each set:

1) step-ups with dumbbells - 10 reps each leg
incline pushups - 10
decline pushups - 10

2) run 1 lap
split squats off step - 12 each leg
30 mountain climbers

3) bicep curl w/ push press - 12
suitcases - 20
3 sets of stairs

4) squat jumps - 20
tricep dips - 15
burpees w/ pushup - 12 (THESE WERE KILLER)

5) our choice of any set of the above
i started out with #3, but suzi (trainer) called me out for choosing the easy one so i chose #4

6) (core)
pushup/planks (up, up, down, downs) - 10
hip raises (in side plank) - 10 each side
jack knifes - 10 each side
bicycles - 15 each leg

at the end we ran 3 laps while doing core toe touches in between each lap

phew. it was a good one.

i ate a lot of random-ness today.
protein pancakes
kashi trail mix granola bar
egg scramble w/ veggies in a tortilla topped with cheddar cheese
apple & crunchy all natural pb
apple pie low fat yogurt
handful of granola

should probably start studying.....

unless you accept your faults, you will always doubt your virtues.

2011-04-04T20:11:00.003-05:00

so true. lunges, squats, and every exercise that supposedly makes you have "thin thighs" has definitely made mine bigger. along with my butt. but, you know what? i'm fine with that. toned is better. ill choose strength over weak any day. im just mad my jeans dont fit. hah :)

so bootcamp was another killer today. i can't believe its the last week. im debating on whether to join in on the next one. we get a week off, the following week is free, and then the 8 weeks starts again. but ill also be training to be a group fitness instructor. and i want to start insanity. and i got an unlimited month of hot yoga to use. and im training to run 8.8 miles may 1st. so i pretty much just made up my decision for me. its a no.

so would you like to see how i suffered this morning @ 6:00 a.m.? no? well i'm going to show you anyway...

LADDERS.
a ladder work-out is when you do so many reps, recover, then come back and do more reps, and keep going until you hit a middle and then come back down the ladder. it'll make more sense in a second.

5-10-15-20-15-10-5

squats
pushups
renegade rows
side steps w/ bands
situps
burpees

we had to 5 reps of each of the above exercises, then SPRINT 2 laps, then come back and do 10 reps, then SPRINT 2 laps, then come back and do 15 reps of each exercise, etc...
this lasted the entire hour. i was SO out of breath by the time i was finished.
and i counted....we ended up doing 80 burpees! HOLY CRAP. thats a lot for me. i hate those things.

i dont have any food photos today. honestly, i didn't eat anything picture worthy.
i had my usual protein pancakes. this time with applesauce instead of banana so they tasted more like apple cinnamon pancakes.
morning snack was a luna protein bar..cookie dough flavor. last one =(
lunch was 1/2 protein shake (vanilla protein, pb, sf strawberry syrup, oats)
tuna melt (made w/ light mayo, mustard, tomato, spinach, mozz on a wheat thin bagel)
afternoon snack was graham crackers w/ pb
dinner....i have no clue what im going to eat.

tonight i was going to start my hot yoga, but i was super exhausted and didnt feel like getting up for the life of me. will start tomorrow though. i need to get out of this funk im in. maybe it will "rejuvenate" me.

ill leave you with some inspiration...
There's no shame in being afraid. Hell, we're all afraid. What you gotta do is figure out what you're afraid of, because when you put a face on it you can beat it. Better yet, you can use it.

you are beautiful.

2011-04-02T15:04:00.002-05:00

fat.
ugly.
worthless.
we have all had those feelings. that's what living in a society that strives for perfection does to us. no matter what our age, gender, or social status. our role models are those who have an unattainable image that we try to imitate through our clothes, bodies, speech, everything little detail about us.

beautiful.
pretty.
amazing.

these are the words that should be going through our minds. these are the words we should be using towards others in order to boost their self-confidence as well. each and every person has beauty in them. why not let that shine? why not tell others what you think is beautiful about them? it's more then just complimenting their hairstyle or their shoes. tell them they are an amazing person. you look up to them. anything. we all need to hear it. we all need confidence to be who we were supposed to be in this world.
so many of us hate the way we look. women about their bodies especially. it's such a sad thing for me to see girls struggle with trying to be so incredibly skinny that it makes me cringe and sick to my stomach.
i want girls to be healthy. feel healthy. and "skinny" is not healthy.
healthy is eating right. and less than 1500 calories a day is NOT healthy. neither is eating over 2500. fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains is healthy and should be eaten every day. not one granola bar and a bottle of water. it makes me want to cry.
healthy is staying active at least 20 minutes each day if not more.
healthy is being able to enjoy spending time with others and not constantly worrying about having to avoid restaurants because of temptation or skipping a much needed work out. support of friends and family is more important than anything else can and will ever be. emotionally, we need people in our lives. or we cannot socially develop.

tell someone their beautiful.
every day.
i don't care who it is. i don't care if it's embarassing.
do it.
and maybe they will tell someone too.
and then we can feel less hateful towards ourselves and gain a sense of self-confidence that everyone needs.
because we all deserve to be happy.

chocolate covered strawberry protein pancakes

2011-04-01T08:09:00.005-05:00

i apologize for the emotional post last night. i get in moods like that. especially around this time of year. in fact march-april is ALWAYS my most stressful time each year.

anyway, this morning i woke up feeling extremely tired and "fat." does anyone else ever wake up just feeling fat? because i have generalized anxiety, i have learned i'm very in tune with my body and i can "feel" when my body changes and anything physical that is happening to it. it's weird.

that feeling quickly changed after i went to bootcamp today. i always feel awesome afterwards because our trainers push us to the limit and make sure we get the most out of the 55 minutes we are there. today we did stations...which i LOVE.

6 stations, 3 exercises at each station, 5 minutes of as many rounds you can do.

i was each station by myself, which i was okay with. i dont like the competitiveness.

station 1:
wall balls - 15 reps (use a 14-20 lb ball. squat and throw the ball up to the wall when you come up)
donkey kicks - 20 reps --> picture of it here you jump back and forth with your legs on the floor and the wall
throw downs - 10 reps (use 14-20 lb ball and throw the ball towards the bottom of the wall

station 2:
row 250 m (on highest level)
plank (move up and down) - 20 reps
side/side plyo (aka skaters) - 20 reps

station 3:
prowler push - x2 (low push on the way down, high push on the way back)
push press w/ barbell - 15 reps (i used a 25 lb barbell)
ball slams (10 lb ball) - 10 reps

after this station we did a 3 lap run

station 4:
jump rope - 40 reps
tricep dips - 20 reps
burpees - 10 reps

station 5:
mt. climbers - 30 reps
renegade rows (10 lb dumbells) - 20 reps
russian twists (10 lb plate) - 20 reps

station 6:
box jumps - 15 reps
lunges w/ medicine ball overhead - 10 reps
stairs - 2x

walk 1 lap
stretch

after this sweat sesh, i had protein 'cakes on the mind. per usual to help replenish my muscles.

chocolate-covered strawberry protein pancakes
yields 3 pancakes (serves 1)

1/2 scoop chocolate protein whey powder
1/4 cup egg whites
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tbsp buckwheat flour (or any other flour)
2 raw strawberries (frozen would work if thawed)
1/2 mashed banana (or applesauce would work)
pinch of baking powder, pinch of cinnamon
1 packet pure via (stevia or any other natural sweetener)
almond milk to moisten

toppings are endless. i chose unsweetened shredded coconut, peanut flour sauce, and sf maple syrup

nutrition stats: 320 calories, 7g fat, 43g carbs, 11g fiber, 21g protein

my topping for these pancakes was "peanut sauce" made with 2 tbsp trader joe's peanut flour mixed with water and cinnamon

since it's april 1st today, i want to start a challenge for myself.
- train for my 8.8 mile run that's happening may 1st
- do yoga at least 3 times a week
- track my meals on livestrong

if not now, then when?

2011-03-31T20:51:00.002-05:00

this has been a very stressful month. besides when i went to virginia during spring break. that was very relaxing and fun. :) wish i was back there though. once i got back, i had no motivation for school whatsoever. or exercise. don't worry, i still let the bootcamp trainers kick my butt and ran a couple times here and there. and maybe went to a class or two. but i feel... different.

i feel like i'm never going to accomplish what i want to. and maybe it's because i want to do SO many different things.
i want to finish my psychology degree and eventually get my masters in it. and use it to counsel patients going through eating disorders.
i want to take this one last class to get a sociology minor. [will do in fall!]
i want to get a health promotion minor with all my extra electives. [will hopefully do this next year]
i want to take digital photography classes to learn how to use my canon rebel. [no time and no money]
i want to start riding a bike.
i want to be able to call myself a "runner" but the most i can run without wanting to fall over and die is 3 miles.
i want to get a personal training certification.
i want to become a group fitness instructor. [I START IN TWO WEEKS!]
i want to become kickboxing certified.
i want to move out of iowa. [im too scared]

see why im stressed? i need to pick just one thing and stick with it. but its SO HARD.

more protein? dilemma solved.

2011-03-04T21:57:00.002-06:00

oh lonely blog, i'm sorry i have left you for so long.
school is taking over my life again.
in fact, it's stressing me out. cortisol is releasing out my body at full speed. no bueno.
deep breaths, sharelle, deep breaths.

on a more positive note.. i made two amazing recipes tonight. yes, i completely think baking on a friday night is ...fun. haha my social life is pretty non-existent so this is what i do.

one of my trainers (the one that killed me today in bootcamp, ahem) told me i need to eat more protein in my diet. 30% should come from protein because of my high levels of activity. now, for meat eaters this probably wouldn't be such a big deal. but since the only meat i eat is chicken or fish about once a week..whey powder is my new best friend.

the following recipes are both from foodsofapril. i take no credit for this amazing-ness. but i do take credit for wanting to eat the whole batch in one sitting. (i fought the temptation even though it was hard with all that chocolate goodness staring at me in the face.)

first up... PROTEIN BROWNIES. no i did not stutter. i said brownies. and they are completely healthy. full of protein and zero flour.

Makes 8 servings @ 49 calories, 7 grams of protein, 3 net carbs, 1 gram of fat each

Ingredients:

1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup egg whites
2 servings chocolate protein powder (i used chocolate peanut butter flavored whey)
1/4 cup 100% dark cocoa powder (i used hersheys unsweetened)
1/2 cup 0% Fage yogurt (i used plain nonfat greek)
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tbsp vanilla (i accidently used only 1 tsp but they still turned out awesome)
1/2 tsp pure stevia extract (i used a packet of pure via)
Pinch of baking soda
Pinch of baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8 x 8 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into the pan.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

yeah it takes willpower not to grab a spoon and dig right in..
cut this big brownie into 8 servings. eat one or 6 and freeze the rest. :)
i topped mine with drippy natural peanut butter. YUM.

okay..now if that wasn't enough... we've got low cal & low carb protein bars. (or muffins..the way i made it.)

Makes 8 bars @ 68 calories, 11 grams of protein, 2.5 net carbs, trace of fat each

Ingredients:

3/4 cup peanut flour (i used trader joes..but since it's discontinuing you can buy PB2)
1 serving (30 grams) vanilla protein powder
3/4 cup liquid egg substitute
1/4 cup pure pumpkin
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp NuNaturals No Carb Blend (i used pure via)
Cinnamon to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 pan (or muffin tins) with nonstick baking spray.
Mix all ingredients together.
Pour batter into pan.
Cook for about 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

perfection.
and since i wanted both a brownie and a muffin..i went ahead and ate both. cut this in half and spread natural pb on both sides.
best thing..ever.

take every change; drop every fear

2011-02-25T11:45:00.003-06:00

this week has been insane. i didn't take any pictures of my food, but it mostly consisted of either protein pancakes or oatmeal for breakfast, a sandwich or salad for lunch, and very random dinners of either a bowl of yogurt to eggs and veggies.
buuuuut. i just went grocery shopping today and plan on making some very delicious recipes this next week. :) speaking of that i should probably start lunch...

so i am on week number two of bootcamp already finished. i dont think i've lost any weight or inches but i feel really good! getting up at 5 or 6 a.m. every morning for the past 14 days has definitely made me tired, but i think it's good for me to have a set schedule.
this weeks work outs included a lot of different things and stuff that i actually don't normally do in a usual work out so it was pretty awesome.

for example today we did bear crawls, crab walks, work that i've never done on a bosu (and after each set we had to run a lap while carrying the bosu over our heads!), agility on the track using a "ladder", lots of sprints and shuffles. overall it was a really good work out and i burned 6OO calories.
my legs are definitely feeling sore today. last night i ran 3 miles (without stopping! that's unheard of for me..) and i also took bodyattack, which is a sports inspired high intensity cardio class. yesterday my total calorie burn from exercise was 1200! i ate like a mad woman last night haha. actually i only had eggs, veggies, 1/2 sweet potato, and some yogurt. but i ate it real fast.

all i have been doing today is resting. i watched jersey shore, grey's anatomy, and americas next top model. i watch too much tv. :)

does anyone else watch pretty little liars?
i love this match up. :)
lately i have been feeling like i need a hobby. or some inspiration to do one of the million things i want to do.
well..i should probably make lunch, clean, and maybe do some homework

2011-02-18T14:41:00.004-06:00

live it out

2011-02-11T09:20:00.005-06:00

bootcamp: day number 3
let's just say i should not have told the trainer to kick my butt. because she did more than just that. i was dying by the end of it. :)
started out with a 5 minute warm up including jogging, high knees, stretching, & shuffles.

bootcamp was set up in 5 different stations. we did each station for 5 minutes trying to get as many rounds in as we could. (we had a goal of beating the best person at each station because we wrote down how many rounds we did so everyone could see)

Station #1 (i started here):
15 Kettlebell swings, 30 mountain climbers, & 15 jump squats

i did 3.5 rounds

Station #2:
15 thrushers (squast w/ overhead press) i used 10 lb weights
10 pushups (tried to stay on my toes as long as i could!)
side squats with push outs x 10 each side (used a 10 lb to "push out" each time i took a step)

i did 2.5 rounds

Station #3:
1 backwards lap (this killed my quads!)
plie squat and high pull w/ barbell (i think i used 15 lb)
12 lunge jumps

i did 2 1/3 rounds

Station #4: (HARDEST ONE)
3 sets of stairs
15 ball slams
10 burpees

i did 2 rounds and 2 sets of stairs

Station #5:
10 side wall ball throws each side
10 wall balls (squat and throw ball up towards wall - she encouraged me to jump too)
1 regular lap

i did 3 rounds

after all that we did ab work. 20 russian twists, boat pose while pushing weight up (10 lb), and holding boat pose with weight above our heads for 30 seconds
and THEN we did a plank challenge. whoever held plank the longest got a free shake. i was 4th to the last person down. i should practice every day. =)

this is what i looked like afterward. that smile is fake.

overall..great class today. i loved it. i am so excited to actually start. (this week was just a free trial and it starts monday.) we will be getting measured which includes: weight, bmi, body fat %, waist & hip measurements and we also have to take a push-up and sit-up test.

okay enough of bootcamp..let's move on to FOOD. haha.

after my sweat sesh i made some pumpkin protein flax pancakes. mmm.

Pumpkin Protein Flax Pancakes:
yields 3 pancakes

1/2 cup egg whites
>1/4 cup non-dairy milk (i used so delicious coconut milk)
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder

Combine all ingredients and mix(whisk) well. Cook like regular pancakes!

Toppings are endless. Today i used natural peanut butter (melted with warm coconut milk), sugar free syrup, and unsweetened coconut!

i love these pancakes because there is no flour involved. :) So mom, take note, they are low-carb & diabetic friendly!

i ate these while catching up on a hilarious episode of jersey shore

and i found a recipe that im going to making for lunch. baked mac n' cheese!

here's a couple of dinners i had the past couple nights.

monday dinner: carrots, hummus, soy joy bar, & vanilla organic yogurt
very random, but i had to work at the gym so i had to snack instead of cook. =\
tuesday night i made NACHOS. and they were the best damn nachos i ever had.
Best Damn Nachos:
yields 1 large plate-ful

1/4 green pepper, chopped
1/2 small jalapeno pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1 handful spinach
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 avocado, chopped
chili pepper
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
a serving size of jalapeno "foods should taste good" chips

Start by sauteing the veggies with a shake or two of chili pepper. When soft, add spinach until it begins to wilt. Place the chips on a greased baking sheet. Add your veggies, salsa, avocado and sprinkle cheese over the top. Place in the oven and turn it on to broil. WATCH CAREFULLY otherwise your chips will burn like some of mine did. It should only take 3-5 minutes.

Wednesday dinner: eggs, spinach, feta in a pita

Spinach & Feta Egg Stuffed Pita
yields one serving or two if you're feeling generous

1/3 cup egg whites
1 egg
mrs. dash original blend seasoning (couple shakes)
s&p (salt and pepper) to taste
2 handfuls of spinach
1 oz feta
1 whole wheat pita

Cook eggs in a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Season with s&p and mrs. dash. Scramble and add spinach. Cook until it wilts. Throw some feta on top and stuff into your pita. Then stuff your face! =)

i should probably study now for my chemistry exam. and my human biology exam.
asdlkjfaoeiruwpoeru. not excited.

2011-02-09T09:02:00.003-06:00

bootcamp day 2:
not as big of a calorie burn as monday, but lots of different exercises that really focused on strength.
i am still sore from monday and i have a feeling i will be even more sore tomorrow. but i like that feeling :)
i am still debating on whether to sign up for the 8 weeks or not. this week is just a free "trial" week and so far i am really liking it, but im afraid im not going to be able to wake up every day. for the next couple weeks i have to get up at either 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. every single day. blahhhh. lots of naps, yes?

my meals have been pretty normal the past couple days. [no pictures, sorry!]
i have been eating my protein pancakes every morning instead of my oats. but they are just as good and filling. =)
yesterday for lunch i had the salad bar @ the bread garden market. a cup of tomato lentil soup, spinach salad with feta, onion, peppers, & tomatoes & a 2% organic peach yogurt for dessert.
last night i just kind of snacked for dinner. i babysat my 3 little cousins so i didnt have time to cook.

my first exam for this semester is next week and its chemistry. i have so much to memorize before then...... ugh.........

oh, by the way, i used to be vegetarian but now i eat poultry & fish and occasionally red meat, but i came across this link that is "10 Vegetarian Lunches You Can Make At Work" and these are some really great ideas for those of us who are always on the run. I need to start packing a lunch again because i keep spending my $$ on the salad bar!

have a great day. :)

the future belongs to the few of us still willing to get our hands dirty

2011-02-07T08:23:00.003-06:00

i loved this past weekend. i finally got out and did more than just homework.
friday night i drove to des moines to see my dad and to celebrate my little sister's birthday. it was fun and i hated that i had to leave early saturday to drive back since i had to work.

saturday night after work i headed to "the red stripe" where i got to see all my friends who i havent seen in months. i got to catch up with most of them and it just makes me miss the old times so much more.

and then sunday i worked my normal shift with my sunday "crew." :)
afterward i went to outback with the family for my grandma's birthday.
annnnd my steelers didn't win. =( sad story. at least the packers made the bears look better, right?

i crashed way early last night. which is good because i got up @ 5 this morning to go to the free trial bootcamp at my gym.
holy crap was it intense. my heart rate stayed between 150 and 180 the entire time. we did "ladders" where we would do a set of three work outs and do each move once then twice then 3 times and so on until 10. and then we would run 3 laps as fast as we could. and then we would go "down the ladder" and start with 10 and work our way down and run 3 fast laps again. and after that we would start on a whole new set.
i only got through 2 full sets in the hour that we had. but i burned 580 calories.

with that crazy calorie burn, i decided pancakes would be a much needed and satisfying breakfast. i made the flax protein pancakes again, but added a banana. :)

i'll remember someday all the chances we took; we're so close to something better left unknown .

2011-02-02T09:11:00.005-06:00

February 2nd breakfast... drumroll... not oatmeal? whhhhhhat?
i decided to make pancakes instead.

Flax Protein pancakes:
(makes 3 big ones!)

1/2 cup egg beaters (or egg whites)
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (i used so delicious coconut milk)
2 tbsp flax
1 scoop protein powder (i used chocolate peanut butter whey)
dash of cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder

(toppings: could be pure maple syrup, pb, banana, etc - i used natural pb & sugar free syrup)

i enjoyed my cakes with lemon water & black coffee. and i have already drank 3 cups.....caffeine overload..

Once again these days are just flying by.
I am more than okay with that though because that means I am getting closer to spring break.
Why am i so excited for spring break, you ask? Because I'm going to Norfolk, Virginia. =D less than 6 weeks!

currently i am snowed in my apartment. classes cancelled...which is CRAZY because the university of iowa never cancels for anything. it's really bad outside though. we got like 14-16 inches of snow overnight.
wow.
looks like ill be doing some work out videos and homework all day. :)

Last night i decided to do some experimenting with a some vegan "burgers."
I used a recipe from anne @ fANNEtasticfood to make black bean and spinach burgers. And i was definitely impressed.

(makes two patties)

Ingredients:

1 C black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 C fresh spinach
2 Tbsp. whole wheat pastry (or regular) flour
1 small garlic clove
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
Juice from half a lemon

Instructions:

Toss it all into a food processor and whirl away! (Or you can mix it by hand for a chunkier texture – just chop the spinach and mince the garlic separately.)

Once it’s mixed, form into two patties. Toss them onto a skillet coated with cooking oil and cook on medium low for about 10 minutes, flipping every once in awhile, until they are evenly warm and have a bit of a crust on them.

i made it non-vegan by putting some feta cheese on top with some ketchup and a side of steamed broccoli & spinach.
yum.

One of my favorite meals this week was "Saucy Tomato & Spinach Chicken" I got the recipe from Anne over at fANNEtasticfood

Ingredients:

(serves two)

2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
Few huge handfuls fresh spinach
1/2 C black beans (optional – rinsed and drained)
2 servings cooked brown rice (or whole wheat pasta)
Cracked pepper and Chili powder to taste

Instructions:

1) Start by tossing the chicken, garlic, and olive oil (plus some cooking spray if your pan tends to stick) into a pan on medium/medium high heat. Sauté until the chicken is fully cooked.

2) Once the chicken is cooked, add in the can of diced tomatoes, stirring until mixed.

3) Next, add in a few huge handfuls of fresh spinach – don’t worry about adding a lot as it will cook down! Stir until fully wilted – this will only take a minute or two.

4) Next, add in the black beans and whatever grain (already cooked) you want to use. (I used cooked brown rice)

5) Since the grain was already cooked, just stir it around until it’s all mixed (you can cook it longer if you want more of the liquid to boil off), then add some cracked pepper and chili powder to taste.
I added some mozz cheese on top. & It was delicious!

Veg & Egg "Tostadas"
1/2 cup broccoli
1/4 white onion
chili powder
green peppers (chopped)
2 eggs
cheese (low fat mozz or cheddar)
2 la tortilla factory tortillas

saute everything and place on tortillas and bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes

i forgot what this meal was, but it looks like sweet potato "chips" & chicken with spinach, mushrooms, and mozz?

2011-01-29T12:29:00.004-06:00

This week has flown by me! Having class three days a week really makes things go really fast for some reason. I'm not complaining. :)
Besides the fact that I really suck at getting homework done...

Anyway.. I only took pictures of three meals I've had this week so here they are:

Sweet potato "chips", Pesto Chicken w/ Mozz, & Brussel Sprouts

For the sweet potato chips i just cut up a sweet potato and threw it in the oven @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
For the chicken i cut a breast up into strips, put pesto sauce over it, baked it @ 350 for about 15-20 minutes and then added some mozz on top and broiled it for another 5 minutes.
This was my first time trying brussel sprouts. (I used steamfresh) and i didn't really like them...

Eggs, veggies, & potatoes:

Veggie Tostadas

just throw a bunch of veggies on a tortilla, add some shredded cheese, broil in the oven, and there you have it. :)

<3

never let go of hope.

2011-01-24T14:29:00.007-06:00

my tattoo i got on saturday :)
i love it. it didn't hurt at all either, surprisingly!

im finally feeling like myself today. i have been sick with a terrible head cold for the past 4 days. so that equaled lots of soup, vitamin c, sleep, and no exercise. i rested instead.

but i decided to crank it up a notch today and go back to my usual mondays with 3.5 hours in the gym. t-n-t, power yoga, 20 min treadmill, bodyattack. i think my physical activity today kicked my cold's butt.

my eats:
i decided to change up my oats a little bit this morning and had overnight oats! last night i put these together using a recipe from the edible perspective.

Overnight Pumpkin Oats:

1/3c oats
1/3c pumpkin (these turned into normal overnight oats because my pumpkin was moldy!)
1/3c plain SF greek yogurt (i ran out of greek so i just used nonfat plain)
1/3c unswt. vanilla almond milk
1 small bananer
1/2t cinnamon
few shakes of nutmeg + ginger
vanilla extract splash
i added 1/2 scoop of chia seeds as well
i also added 2 organic figs

i put the dry ingredients together first
these figs were only 75 cents @ walmart the day i got them!
i added in the milk, yogurt, banana, and cut up figs
and mashed it all up together
put it in the fridge overnight in a bowl covered with saran wrap.
this morning i added more cinnamon, sugar free maple syrup, & 1 tbsp of chopped walnuts
cold oats are definitely not as delicious as hot oats...but i still liked them =)

for lunch today i decided to eat swiss chard. i've never had swiss chard and it looks so pretty.
i found a recipe that used eggs and after working out for 3.5 hours, i needed some protein.

here is where i got the recipe.

Swiss chard scramble

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 bunch chard, leaves and stems chopped separately

4 eggs

1 tsp turmeric

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute onions until tender, and then add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Add chard stems and let cook until tender (about 5 min). Then stir in chard leaves, cover skillet, and let cook until chard is wilted (about 3 min). While chard is cooking, whisk together eggs, turmeric, and salt and pepper. Pour eggs into the skillet and stir with the chard until eggs are cooked (about 4 min). Serves 2-3.

i cut everything in half to make it serve only one! except i did end up using a bunch of chard... i needed to get rid of it. and lettuce doesn't have many calories :)

first saute your onions
make sure to chop your swiss chard stems & leaves separately
add garlic and red pepper to your onions
add stems & cook until tender then add leaves. cover & cook until leaves are wilted
mix eggs, turmeric, salt & pepper
add to the skillet
and enjoy the foodgasm. i added some hot sauce on mine to help clear out my senses. hah
with some cottage cheese too. just to get rid of it!

well....off to studying now. joy.

life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about

2011-01-20T06:58:00.003-06:00

- marilyn monroe

last day of school for the week. yes, already. i luckily only has class tuesdays (all freakin day), wednesday nights, and thursdays (all freakin day).

chemistry: seems like it will be pretty easy. but mega boring.

social & personality development: interesting topics, professor's accent is awesome, but lectures may be a little boring.

human biology: professor is hilarious, lab seems like it will be fun, seems like a pretty easy class

health psychology: may be more difficult, but the topics are what i'm passionate about and my professor seems really cool

behavior modification: thank god i have two semesters to complete this online course.

breakfast this week has been the same everyday. simple whipped banana oats. :)

lunch yesterday was grilled cheese & tomato soup. reminded me when i was little. definitely was one of my favorite combinations.
for this sandwich i used Ezekiel bread, 2 tomato slices, mozz cheese, and goat cheese. mmm.

i woke up this morning @ 3:30 am with a horrible sore throat & a runny nose. ughhhhhh i thought i wasn't going to get sick this year. time to get rid of this asap.

never let go of hope.

2011-01-19T08:48:00.003-06:00

even though i don't have many readers. i think it's only my mom who actually reads this... i am still sorry for not updating!
i started class yesterday. :)
im actually pretty excited.

i dont have any new pictures today of my recent eats, but i've been having oatmeal every day for breakfast. it's easy and satisfying. why change that right now? ill wait until im sick of it.

i've been keeping up with my work outs for sure. i also started training this week for a 15K. monday was "stretch & strengthen" which was perfect since i took a strength class & a power yoga class.
tuesday was "run/walk 2 miles" which i did at the rec center after class. and holy crap it was like pulling teeth to get a treadmill around 5 pm. EVERYONE was there. i also took a cardio/muscle class. which kicked my butt.

in other news..i'm getting another tattoo on saturday. its going to be one of the those dandelions that you blow and the things will turn into birds. hard to explain. & its going to say "never let go of hope" underneath.
ahh im so excited.

be open to whatever comes next

2011-01-15T13:16:00.007-06:00

the last couple of days of eats in picture form.

i've also done a lot of working out.
almost too much.
too much? how does that happen?
well, i strained my Achilles tendon. grrrreat. and do you think that stopped me? no.
because im stubborn.
okay....i know i should let it rest. but that's hard for this girl who is addicted to sweating it out at the gym.
and sometimes at home. like i did yesterday with bob harper who kicked my ass with his dvd cardio conditioning. i even got yelled at by the neighbors below because of my hardcore jumping. hah WHOOPS. probably shouldn't be doing tuck jumps when i live above people. thanks bob, getting me in trouble...

i should show you all my entire work-out dvd collection. it's a little overwhelming. and embarassing. i haven't even tried all of them yet...but most are good enough to replace a good work out at the gym.

yeah i am insane. whatever, i don't care.

anyway so the past couple days i haven't been doing much besides working. i've watched a couple movies too since i've been all alone at home. =(
i watched the social network. pretty good.
charlie st. cloud. so sad. =( i cried. twice.
and the backup plan. it was cute, but im kind of over predictable chick flicks.
weird, i know. im a chick flick junkie.

officially 8 weeks and a few days until my goal of getting in shape for the beach. :D

im all over this ice cream beat like sprinkles

2011-01-13T13:57:00.004-06:00

i love listening to lil wayne while working out. actually i love listening to him period. he brings out the inner ghetto in me. haha.

today was another 3 hour day at the gym. 3-2-1 fit class, 2.5 miles on the treadmill with hills, and a step-n-sculpt class.

i think i did something to my calf. it hurts alot. i've been icing it with frozen broccoli. :D

this morning i had the usual oatmeal. add-ins were chia seeds, pink lady apple, cinnamon, and natural pb.

for lunch i had leftover tempeh, mushroom, & onion linguine that i made the other day. delish. with a side of orange and carrots. lots of orange on my plate for vitamin c. people around me are getting sick, but i refuse!

now it's....nap time!

without struggle there is no progress

2011-01-11T08:32:00.003-06:00

i was feeling like pancakes this morning. they seem to do the trick in filling me up.
plus im going to a step-n-sculpt class later and i need the extra carbs to last during the step portion. it always winds me.

i made pumpkin pancakes with a caramel sauce for the topping adapted from cleaneatingchelsey

Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes

What you’ll need

* 1/4 cup gluten free flour (i just used a whole wheat flour pancake mix)
* 1/4 cup gluten free oatmeal (i just used old fashioned oats)
* 1/4 cup almond milk (used skim, i ran out of almond!)
* 1/4 cup pumpkin (Libby’s, of course!)
* 1/3 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1 tbsp flax
* 1 tsp vanilla

How it’s done:

1. Mix dry ingredients – flour, oats, flax, baking soda, cinnamon.
2. Mix wet ingredients – milk, pumpkin, vanilla.
3.Combine.
4. Heat a large skillet with cooking spray to medium high heat. Drop three good sized portions of the batter onto the skillet and heat for 3-4 minutes. Flip, smush (just a little!), and heat the other side until cooked thoroughly.
5. Devour.

and if that isn't good enough, chelsey made a caramel sauce for the topping. it was the best thing ever.

Caramel Apple Sauce

What you’ll need:

* 1/4 small apple, chopped (i used gala)
* 1 tbsp peanut butter (i used smuckers natural)
* 2-3 tbsp almond milk (skim again)
* 1 tbsp maple syrup (i used sugar free)
* 1/2 tsp cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp vanilla

How it’s done:

1. Chop your apple and combine with vanilla, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a microwaveable cup or bowl. Microwave for 90 seconds.
2. Once that is heated, set aside and place 1 tbsp peanut butter with 2-3 tbsp almond milk in another microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds.
3. Stir the peanut butter and almond milk with a fork until smooth and combine with the maple syrup/apple mixture. Stir until “smooth” (it won’t be completely smooth because of the apples obviously).
4. Heat for another 20 seconds.
5. Try not to eat the sauce before it makes it to your plate.

this recipe really got my kitchen dirty. too many dishes used! it was worth it.
now im just drinking my daily cup of coffee, listening to metric on pandora, & letting my stomach settle before i clean and organize my room. then going to go work out. :D i might try my kettlebell today too. i've been looking up routines to use.

i might either do this one: from self magazine or this one.

be back for lunch? maybe.

replace the fear of the unknown with curiosity

2011-01-10T14:28:00.003-06:00

3 hours at the gym makes me very, very tired.
t-n-t, power yoga, and bodyattack. i love mondays. :)
even though it makes me tired, it also makes me feel great. on top of the world.
and...hungry.

pre-work out i ate cinnamon swirl oatmeal made with almond milk and 1 tbsp of pb mixed in. and 2 figs on the side.
post-work out i made a whey protein shake with chocolate peanut butter flavored whey protein + milk.

and for lunch i tried something different. way different. but good.
a tempeh wrap. =)

Pesto Tempeh Wrap

1/2 block of tempeh (2 oz) cut into cubes
1 tbsp pesto sauce
1/4 green pepper chopped
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 whole grain tortilla (i used la tortilla factory)

Saute tempeh, green pepper, and mushrooms in pesto sauce. Add spinach and saute until wilted. Put all ingredients in wrap and eat.

other lives, always tempted to trade

2011-01-09T22:42:00.003-06:00

yes that line is from the song "all yours" by metric.
yes from the twilight movie, eclipse.
yes, i watched it tonight. by myself.
lusting over jacob. lol just kidding, im not one of those girls.

but i am one of those girls who takes pictures when she's bored at work instead of cleaning like i should be. because i am a manager and all....

life is an beautiful piece of artwork today.
if only i would do the things i say im going to.

tomorrow is the start of another new week.
lets hope i meet my goals this time.
i bought a huge calendar to keep track of the things i want to accomplish.

:)

2011-01-07T08:53:00.002-06:00

i know my breakfast looks gross. but it's sooooo good. :) apple pumpkin cinnamon oats.

1/3 c old fashioned oats, 1/2 c water, 1/2 c almond milk, 1/2 scoop chia seeds, 1 chopped apple, cinnamon, 1/4 c pumpkin

here's yesterdays lunch. i roasted a sweet potato and had a boca burger with pesto, mayo, and ketchup. a little cottage cheese on the side also.

yesterday was boring. i didn't do much. i went to a 3-2-1 fit class which kicked my butt. amy is one of the most difficult instructors at my gym. but that's a good thing! after that i did a 20 minute incline work out on the treadmill. then i came home and did a 30 minute ab video. :)

then i worked 5-close as usual. blahhhhh.

i'm excited for tomorrow. going to see my dad's side of the family. =)

OIAJ!

2011-01-06T08:01:00.006-06:00

as a healthy food blog reader, i have been wanting to try oiaj for so long. [oats in a jar]. you put your cooked oatmeal with all your delicious add-ins in a almost empty peanut butter jar. delish.

the oatmeal recipe is called "whipped banana oats" adapted from kath eats real food

Whipped Banana Oatmeal

* 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
* 1/3 cup 1% or skim or soy milk
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 a banana, sliced
* 1 tbsp chia seeds (they give the best fluffy texture!)
* Pinch of kosher salt
* Vanilla, stirred in at end

For two servings, start by combining rolled oats, water, and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Slice a banana into VERY thin pieces, leaving just a few bigger chunks. Walk away for a few minutes while the oatmeal heats. Once it begins to steam or bubble, stir vigorously at times to “whip” the banana into the oats. The oats will take about 5 minutes on medium heat from start to finish to fully absorb the liquid. They’re done when they reach your desired consistency!

the only thing i added was cinnamon. :D

breakfast of champions. and good fuel before i head to the gym to do a 3-2-1 fit class, incline work out on the treadmill, kettlebells, and a t-n-t class. yep, another 3 hour day at the gym. i love working out far too much. haha.

the other night nikki, cathy, and i went out for sushi. and im dumb and forgot to take lots of pictures. i only took a few.
i had edamame, volcano roll, and a couple pieces of nikki's iowa city roll. yum.

after that i went over to my mom's and we did jillian michael's six weeks to six pack abs video. i really really liked it. i know a lot of people don't like jillian because she's everywhere and they don't think she's a "real" trainer. but i love her. she is what has motivated me more than anything these last few years. and she does exactly what i want to do. use psychology to understand why people use food to cope with their problems and how to re-train their brain to get fit and healthy.
yes, i don't agree with her pill endorsements and i haven't done much research in that, but i think that's just the publicity kicking in.

im watching mtv's "i used to be fat" right now. it really makes me sad. these are the people i want to help. it makes me so sad that most americans are just becoming so lazy and ruining their health.

hot water

2011-01-03T14:10:00.005-06:00

today i learned not to take hot water for granted. for some reason i haven't had hot water in my apartment all weekend. i tried taking a shower and it was freeeezing cold. i thought it would be okay since i just sweated it out at the gym for 3 hours, but nope. still felt way to cold.
so im sitting here smelling like sweat waiting for maintenance to come.

lunch today was delish. i decided to have a "breakfast burrito."

2 eggs seasoned with crushed red pepper, black pepper, basil
1/4 small onion
1/4 green pepper
1/4 tomato
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup shredded mozz
1 low-carb tortilla
hot sauce to taste

i gotta work tonight. and almost every night until school starts. blahhhhhh

here's to starting over: 2011

2011-01-03T08:11:00.004-06:00

im listening to the most amazing pandora radio right now: joshua radin. such soothing music for a cold morning. =)

since today is monday i have decided it is a great chance for me to begin my new healthy lifestyle. my goals from this plan is to have high energy, clear skin, and feel great about myself. :D

this girl that i work with at java creek wants to look good a wedding she is going to be in in 4 months so i sent her this plan that i used from lots of different resources. i will be following it with her.

for the first two weeks we will be adding food to our normal eating patterns, not taking away food.
2 eggs daily, 1 cup of oatmeal daily, 2-3 cups of vegetables, 2 fresh fruit servings, water with lemon juice (2-3 liters), whey protein shake, and herbal tea every night.

so far, so good. had my oatmeal for breakfast.

in the mix:
1 packet high fiber cinnamon swirl oatmeal
small apple cut up into cubes
almond milk
cinnamon

after the first two weeks, we will be eating clean food for five days (mon-fri) and have two treat meals on the weekend.
the daily eating plan will consist of four 4 oz proteins, 3 vegetables, 2 fruits, 2 grains, and 1 fat.

ill be giving more details about it once i am more into it. it is adapted from jackie warner's book "this is why you're fat." most of what she has written in there is stuff i already knew or have read before, but she says things in such a simple way that makes it easy to follow.
it's not a "diet", its a lifestyle.
yep.

well im going to get ready to go work out now. i'm going to 3 group exercise classes. t-n-t (mix of cardio and strength), power yoga, and bodyattack (intense cardio)
i'm real excited. i love sweating it out at the gym. makes me feel empowered for the rest of the day.

cheer to new beginnings

2011-01-01T08:42:00.002-06:00

happy new year! i'm excited for 2011.
i know it seems cliche and kind of pointless to say that i'm going to change and i get to start over because it's the new year, but i really am. and i'm really excited about it.

i'm going to start off today with a 2010 survey because i like remembering the previous years. :)

. I know it's hard, but think of one of your favorites memory of 2010?:
my 21st birthday! i had my whole family there with me and people i care about. they took care of me when i was long gone. haha

2. Did you do any community service this year? What was it?:
i ran in a couple races which donated my money to good causes..does that count?

3. Are you planning on making a New Year's resolution? What will it be?:
of course. to start working hard towards my bachelors degree & get the heck out of here.
also to get off my medication for anxiety.
& become a fitness instructor!

4. How many people have you kissed this year?:
2

5. Did you have any significant others this year? Who?:
yes, josh.

6. Was 2010 a good year of love for you? Why or why not?:
for the most part

7. Did you go to any concerts? Which ones?:
yep; kate nash, iron & wine were the most recent. i can't remember the ones in the beginning of the year if i even went to any.

8. What was your biggest accomplishment?:
passing my classes at iowa.

9. Did you stay awake two nights in a row?:
no way. i love my sleep. i did however stay up all night a few times.

10. What was something you really hoped you didn't do that you did?:
kept my job @ java. i love it and everything..it just takes a lot of me. oh well!

11. Did you do any hardcore drugs? Which ones?:
no thanks

12. Are you gonna party New Year's Eve? Where?:
i had fun partying with a bunch of little kids playing games and laughing a lot =)

13. Will you drink on New Year's?:
no, i didn't. didn't want to either.

14. Did you see a torando/hurricane this year?:
no

15. Did you travel out of state? Where to?:
minnesota. thats it!

16. Have you been in a car accident this year?:
no

17. Did you try something new this year? What was it?:
lots of new food, new work outs

18. Are you hoping to try something new in 2011? What will that be?:
a spin class :)

19. Did you have a yard sale this year? How successful was that?:
nope

20. Did you go to any amusement parks? Which ones?:
valley fair in minnesota

21. Are you a nervous/anxious about 2011 coming?:
not really. just nervous about the school aspect

22. Was there a life changing experience that happened to you this year? What was it?:
getting rid of my panic attacks. i have never felt better.
also, living in a new city and going to a university.

23. Did you get a new piercing?:
no

24. Have you gotten in a physical fight with someone?:
nope.

25. What about verbal?:
i guess

26. Who hurt you the most this year?:
i started 2010 off being hurt really bad by someone

27. Who made you the happiest?:
mama

28. Did your significant other do any 'cute' things for you?
yeahh

29. Did you try a new weird food this year? Did you like it?:
kale. it's delicious.

30. Have you found a new hidden talent? What is it?:
motivating people. :)

31. Did you go streaking/skinny dipping this year?:
lol no

32. How did you do in school? (Before summer came):
my first semester at iowa was difficult, but i still did pretty good

33. Did you fall in/out of love in 2010?:
...

34. How many new friends do you think you've made?:
oh, a lot. between school and my new job. i don't really "hang out" with any though.

35. Have you lost any friends? Why?:
yeah a bunch. my whole friend group is just growing up and drifting away from each other.

36. Did you throw a huge banger this year?:
erica and I did for the orange bowl

37. Have you changed a lot from the beginning of 2010 to the end? How so?:
yeah a lot. i'm less emotional and more focused on myself in a good way

38. What would you like to change about yourself when 2011 comes?:
study more for exams. i suck at that.

39. What was your favorite holiday this year?:
christmas :)

40. Did you get caught in a big lie this year?:
sort of. i wanted to tell the truth.

41. Did you drastically change your style?:
not at all

42. Are you graduating in 2011?:
i wish

43. What was your least favorite month in 2010? Why?:
mehh...probably march.

44. Were you depressed at all this year? Why?:
not "depressed", just sad

45. Are you happy/excited to start the new year?!:
YES

So this morning I started off my new year right with a Green monster smoothie! I don't have any photos, but i'll give the recipe!

PB Green Monster Smoothie:
makes one large smoothie

6 ounces water (sometimes i used almond milk)
1-2 cups of spinach
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1/2 banana
1/2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 scoop of chocolate peanut butter whey protein
2 pumps sugar free chocolate syrup (sometimes i omit this)

So delicious and refreshing this morning.
I'm running on two hours of sleep. Yeah, i'm crazy. Had to work @ 7:00 a.m. at the gym after new years eve. not fun. at least everyone working out is friendly and cheerful.

I plan on going to Bodyattack today. It's an intense cardio class with some intense push-ups, abs, and lunges included. my all time favorite group exercise class. my heart-rate blasts up to 180 and i usually burn over 500 calories in this class. much needed after a few days of not working out. whoops.

I can't wait to sleep later. wish i didn't have to work at java tomorrow morning, but oh well.

maybe ill come back with some food posts. oh yeahhhh. my fave. & take pictures with my awesome camera that my wonderful mama got me. :)

<3

xoxo - gossip girl

2010-12-29T07:52:00.008-06:00

i am completely obsessed with gossip girl right now. im on season 3 and i cannot stop watching it! this is almost as bad as me and the o.c.

yesterday i worked out everything i ate over the weekend. i hope. haha.
i started with a mile run on the treadmill, followed by a 3-2-1 fit class, drove to the rec center and walked for 30 minutes, and then ended with a step n' sculpt class.
yep 2.5 hours of sweat. :)

this morning i had yummy protein pancakes.

protein pancakes [chocolate peanut butter flavored]
makes about 3 large pancakes

1/2 cup egg substitute
2 tbsp of almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk)
1 scoop whey chocolate peanut butter protein powder
1 tbsp flaxseed
1/2 scoop chia seeds
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

mix everything together in a bowl and make these delicious pancakes.

"this is why you're fat"

2010-12-27T06:25:00.002-06:00

Yes, that's the quote from hollywood trainer Jackie Warner.
As you all know, i'm pretty obsessed with jillian michaels. Well, Jackie Warner is about to be right up there. i know it's silly to love these popular trainers, but hello, look at their rockin' bodies. i mean..those abs! haha. i definitely think fit women look WAY better than the models you see on the runways.

i did jackie warner's power circuit training video yesterday. holy burn. im feeling it today. i really liked how short the circuits were and that there was a "power burn" at the end. i now have all of her work out dvds (christmas present) to add to my at-home fitness collection. i hope my neighbors who live below me don't get too upset.

i also got warner's book, "This Is Why You're Fat." A lot of the information that I've read so far, I already knew, but there's also some that I never really thought about. I think I'm really going to like it.

I'm also going to try to give up sugar. (definitely went through sugar overload this weekend). I know when i got to my dad's side Christmas (which isn't until January 8th) this will be hard to do so I'll just take a day off.

oh and guess what! I got a DSLR camera finally! from my very generous mother. :D once i learn how to properly use it, i will definitely be adding more zest to this blog and post more often too because i am really slacking.

<3

life is full of beauty.

2010-12-08T14:24:00.003-06:00

i have neglected this for a month now.
it's been a crazy month to say the least.
during thanksgiving break, i worked 70 hours with both jobs. yeah. 70. nice paycheck though. :D
and now it's even crazier because finals are next week. and do you think i've written my 12 page paper for sociology of sexuality? nope. and do you think i've even glanced at what's going to be on my other tests? nope. im not very motivated right now. and im not sure why. im also extremely tired all the time too.
but not today.
maybe it's because i exercised twice today? and really got my heart rate up? and according to my polar watch, i burned 850 calories. holy cow, i think that's even more than i ate so far today. not that i care about the calorie intake or outtake for that matter. just as long as im eating healthy and getting much needed exercise in.

exercise is my way of waking up from this tired feeling. and so far, it's helping.
being lazy just makes me fall asleep. and not want to do anything at all. i dont want to be like that..ever. i already dont have much of a life as it is.

today i was thinking a lot about goals for 2011. the year is coming to an end..and even though i've only succeeded in one new years resolution my entire life (not eating french fries for a whole year) i really want to try and conquer the things i've wanted to do for so long.

so here are my goals for 2011. i may modify them later, but this is what i can think of right now:

1) run a half marathon. [i was watching the biggest loser this morning and they ran a marathon. 26.2 miles! if they can do it, i can do it. definitely. plus i really want to run another race with my mom and stick with her this time.]

2) eat greens everyday.

3) get rid of stuff i dont need [organize my closet]

4) cook a new recipe at least once a week. (and try different ethnic recipes every once in a while)

5) try a spin class! (i might actually do this before 2011)

6) do yoga at least 2-3 times a week.

7) hang out with friends at least once a week or every other. (it's sad..i never see them.)

8) start saving money again.

9) buy a bike for the spring!

10) get a DSLR camera

11) become a group exercise instructor (already applied!)

quite the list already. but it feels good to actually write those out.

<3

two years

2010-11-02T08:47:00.002-05:00

yesterday was josh and i's two year anniversary. :) he got me beautiful roses [two - one for each year] & we went out to lunch, a movie, and he paid for me to get my hair done. it was a good day. i know it doesn't seem like we did anything special, but it was because we hardly hang out anymore since we are both so busy.

in other areas of my life, south beach is succeeding for me. i have already lost almost 6-7 pounds in less than a week. who knew giving up fruit and starches would do this? wow. amazed.

this morning i made "mock pancakes." ricotta cheese, egg whites, cinnamon, vanilla extract, sugar free syrup, and natural pb. mmm.

first day...success. :)

2010-10-28T09:44:00.002-05:00

First day of south beach was a success. I am surprised I didn't give in at eat fruit or some kind of bread. I was definitely craving it though. hopefully this two weeks goes by fast because I already miss my apples.

after work yesterday i took bodycombat and bodyjam. i really enjoyed bodycombat..maybe because i used to do taebo when i was younger with my mom so kickboxing has become a secret love of mine. [and punching invisible enemies helps me get out any stress.]

i liked bodyjam, but the choreography is so intense that i didn't get much of a workout because i was trying to follow what moves to do. the instructor said you have to take it at least 3 times before really being able to do it and i just dont really have time for that because it's only offered once a week at my gym.

i meant to wake up at 5:30 this morning to go to bodypump @ 6 but that didn't happen. instead i watched all my wednesday night shows online. hah :D

this morning i had 2 scrambled eggs, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, and spinach for breakfast. along with my daily coffee + almond milk.

i decided to make some kale chips for a snack today & some boiled edamame. not sure what to pack for lunch yet but most likely soup because it's so freaking cold outside. iowa, your weather confuses me. last week it was 7O's and this week it has dropped 20 degrees!

south beach diet supercharged

2010-10-27T07:26:00.004-05:00

i've been really upset at myself lately.
i have gained about 20 pounds in the last year. 20!
i know that i shouldn't look at my weight because most is probably muscle, but my clothes don't fit as nicely as they used to. especially my beloved jeans. i miss my jeans that wore last year.

so i have decided to try the south beach diet supercharged. now i don't look at it as a diet. i look at it as trying to help me eat a more balanced diet. right now i eat way too many carbohydrates and tend to binge eat at night. this could probably be the big culprit on why i have gained weight.

i exercise a LOT. but i'm going to try and focus on getting enough cardio and strength training rather than one or the other.

so i am starting in the middle of the week because i still had some fruit in the refrigerator to eat before i could start. [i have to give up fruit for a whole two weeks! ahh!]

today is day one.
for breakfast [sorry forgot to take a picture] i had mock pancakes.

1/2 C - Egg beaters
3 T Ground Flaxseed
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Vanilla
Sugar substitute
Cinnamon

Whisk egg beaters in Pyrex measuring cup. Add Flaxseed, Baking soda, vanilla, splenda and cinnamon. Let stand for about a minute and mix again slightly. Pour onto skillet spray with Pam and cook like regular pancake.

Makes 2 decent sized pancakes.

One of the pancakes was HUGE! they were nutty and delicious. :D
i topped them with 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt, cinnamon, and i can't believe it's not butter spray. MMM.

i am somehow supposed to eat a minimum of 1/2 cup vegetables for breakfast too, but im stuffed! ill incorporate it into my mid morning snack somehow.

im so glad i can still have coffee. im dragging this morning.

after class i gotta work 1-5 and then im going to take bodycombat and bodyjam.

alter your attitude

2010-10-20T08:01:00.003-05:00

this made me laugh.

watching the biggest loser right now while i drink my coffee and wait for class. i hate the "game" part of it. i just wish they were all individually trying to win.

for workouts today i am taking a step class and hopefully zumba but we'll see how it goes. :D

yesterday's lunch was a mexican-ish salad with kale, salsa, chedda chz, black olives, black beans, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

todays breakfast was some bulgur wheat with green apple, cinnamon, almond milk, and a blob of natural pb. :D

and in that moment, we were infinite.

2010-10-19T07:35:00.004-05:00

i love love love this book. i just hope hollywood doesn't ruin it for me.
but emma watson is amazing.
yes i am a harry potter fan.
:D
my friends & i are going to have a hp marathon before the new one comes out. and im dressing up. mmhmm. a lot of people have told me i look like luna lovegood.
lets compare shall we?

im not sure that i see it...

anyway yesterday i made spinach enchiladas. delish. i dont have a picture, sorry. but they were yummy. :)

this morning im eating bulgur wheat with banana, raisins, almond milk, and almond butter. YAY.

today is going to be lonnnnnnnng. boo.

t-shirt timmmmmmme

2010-10-15T13:56:00.004-05:00

haha the title is from jersey shore. yes i watch it. and yes i think it's obnoxious and stupid. and yes i am addicted.

zumba was awesome like always.
i tried some new machines for 25 minutes.
then 3-2-1 class... holy burn. instructor martha kicked my butt.

now im eating leftover eggplant parmesan. the seeds kinda freak me out... hah
and yummy spicy sauteed kale. :)

sauteed kale:

1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 garlic glove
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 large bunch kale
1/2 tsp salt (kosher)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup vegetable stock or water

heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat for 10-15 seconds. add crushed red pepper and garlic clove for 30-45 seconds. add pieces of kale and it begins to wilt. continue to add for about 2 minutes and stir. add water, salt, and pepper, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.

enjoy!

punnnkins

2010-10-15T08:52:00.002-05:00

my roommate's pumpkin is bigger than my head!

yeah so we are having people over tonight to carve pumpkins, drink yummy jello shots, and watch hocus pocus. second annual halloween night. :D
ill remember to take pictures.

breakfast was the usual bulgar wheat, almond butter, almond milk, raisins, banana, and cinnamon. this breakfast fills me up like no other.
but whenever i get my south beach diet book i won't be eating high carb foods for two weeks! Ahhhhhh. eggs for breakfast? im not that kind of person. oh well ill get through it.

i dont like calling the south beach diet a "diet" because i think its more of an eating lifestyle. the only reason im going to follow it is because i've gained about 20, yes 20, pounds in the last year. (i really dont know how i think it may have to do with my medication) but i just want to shed off the "excess" in order to feel comfortable and healthy again. none of my 13 pairs of jeans fit me like that did last year. some i cant even get up my thighs! lol.

ill be continuing to take my exercise classes because they make me feel better & refreshed. and speaking of.. im going to zumba in an hour and then a 3-2-1 training class at noon.
then cleaning and getting ready for the halloween festivities!

sharelle

........ahhh!

2010-10-13T22:26:00.002-05:00

so i have two mid-term exams tomorrow.
that i am not ready for. at all.
i think ill wake up at 6 a.m. and study for as long as possible. i might even skip two classes. yay or nay? hmm... maybe i should.
=/

anyway after class i took my usual wednesday awesome intervals. awesome as usual. a lot of squats. love it.

then i made eggplant parmesan for lunch! i've never touched an eggplant before. i think i did pretty damn good and it was pretty tasty. [recipe was from a hungry girl cookbook.]

i also had two protein smoothies today...hahaha whoops. i loaded up on protein today.
i think it's a good thing though because i stopped eating a lot of meat again. (i used to vegetarian..now im more like a flexitarian.) i still eat meat occasionally but only if someone else makes it or if its already in something like pasta.
i still eat fish too.

i should start studying now. BYES.

wake up; it's no use pretending

2010-10-13T07:43:00.005-05:00

iron and wine was amazing last night. as usual, he never ceases to amaze me. i always just zone into his voice.

currently i'm watching the biggest loser. i am so in love with this show. i am so in love with both bob and jillian. they are so motivational to everyone.

i had a delicious breakfast today. actual i have been eating this everyday for a week now. bulgar wheat, raisins, banana, cinnamon, almond milk, and a blob of almond butter.

pretty soon i have to go to class. & afterwards i'm going to one of my favorite group exercise classes: awesome intervals. the instructor is probably in her 60's...but WOW she loves to dance, she loves to push us, she makes us laugh. it really is awesome; no pun intended.
the class is mostly step aerobics which get me to sweat my ass off..literally. along with lots of squats and arm toning.

i should really be studying for my two mid-term exams that i have tomorrow. ehh...
work & family institutions and research methods. yikes.

ill do that later... :)

who's seen jezebel?

2010-10-12T08:09:00.002-05:00

the title is a lyric from iron & wine's jezebel. because.... i get to see them tonight. i'm so excited. even though i saw them at lollapalooza 2009. it was amazing.

anyway. i started a new blog. i needed a fresh start. and i feel like this one will explain me most. i am all about exercising. some think i'm obsessed, but im really not. i'm just obsessed with the feeling it gives me afterward. :)

my name is sharelle and i'm twenty-one years old. i go to the university of iowa, pursuing a double major in psychology and health & human physiology. i thought about doing something with psych, but i can't see myself being that happy with it because individuals are pretty depressing and i think i would start to go crazy. so instead, i decided i want to help others by something i know and that im extremely interested in: nutrition and exercise! woo. exciting. im going to be a younger version of jillian michaels. yep.

right now my life mostly consists of school, homework, work (as a service desk associate at a local gym & a shift manager at a coffeeshop in my hometown), taking group exercise classes, trying to run, learning how to cook my own meals, and sleep.

some interesting facts about me:
- i eat a jar of nut butter a week.
- i watch way too much tv (online since i dont have cable): project runway, antm, biggest loser, teen mom, real world, grey's anatomy, gossip girl, keeping up with the kardashians, and jersey shore. go ahead make fun, but i know you watch it too.
- i spend more money on groceries than on entertainment
- i gained 20 pounds in the last year. (AHHH. i think its mostly muscle.)
- i have generalized anxiety disorder and am prescribed with paxil which has made me EMOTIONLESS! sometimes good, sometimes not so good.
- i've got a brother in the philippines who doesn't have the greatest lifestyle. i eventually want to travel over there and bring him back to the states with me.
- i'm too scared to take a spin class.

thats all i cant think of right now. but im a really weird, awkward person who doesn't talk that much. haha

<3