Best Body Bootcamp 2 - Week 7

I'm a little late to the Best Body Bootcamp party this week! I think the holiday weekend threw me off... I am headed to Atlanta tomorrow for a work trip, so fitting in workouts is going to be a struggle with commitments after work each night. I am not a morning workout person. It just doesn't work for me.

As far as planned workouts go, I am going to try and fit in some sort of activity each day! There is a gym at my hotel, so hopefully I will have some spare time to utilize that. I may just need to suck it up and wake up early.

Monday: off
Tuesday: Workout A
Wednesday: TBD
Thursday: TBD
Friday: Walking
Saturday: TBD
Sunday: Workout C

Goal 1: Smoothie every day for breakfast (again!)
Goal 2: Fit in at least one fruit or veggie at each meal (preferably more)

Best Body Bootcamp 2 - Week 6

Checking in on boot camp - I can't believe there are only 3 weeks left! This week looks a lot like last week... which was hard but gave me some really great workouts. Tina is upping the ante this week and adding in an additional set of weights!

Low carb week last week went pretty well.  I gave in to some cravings during the week, but I kept it all under control. I felt a lot better: less bloated, skinnier, even though the scale didn't say so.

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Workouts:

Monday - Workout A (strength + active recovery intervals)
Tuesday - Walk outside or on Treadmill
Wednesday - Workout B (strength + active recovery intervals)
Thursday - Elliptical (long) intervals
Friday - Workout C (cardio circuit training)
Saturday - Off
Sunday - Off

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Healthy Goals:

Goal 1 - Make a smoothie every AM for breakfast (no eating out for breakfast!)

Goal 2 - Bed by 11 PM - I am really tired this week, and making sure I am getting 8 hours of sleep each night is important!

Best Body Bootcamp 2 - Week 5

I am a little behind on posting this week... I have been continuing to do well with Boot Camp though! I feel like I have been taking it more 'seriously' this time around: doing the workouts as prescribed (with the exception of some of the cardio), and focusing on my diet/water intake. Last time I did this, I was struggling with some food issues which were impacting my weight loss. Over halfway through and feeling much better this time around. Seeing a difference in my clothes is really motivating me!

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Workouts:

Monday - Workout A (strength + active recovery intervals)
Tuesday - Walk 3.5 miles + Run 1 mile (outside)
Wednesday - Workout B (strength + active recovery intervals)
Thursday - Elliptical (long) intervals
Friday - Workout C (cardio circuit training)
Saturday - Off
Sunday - Off

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Healthy Goals:

Goal 1 - Limit my carb intake

Goal 2 - No boozing it on weeknights

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I will be in Washington DC this weekend, so the healthy goals will probably fall short - but I have been doing pretty well during the week with limiting my carbs. I have had a few cravings (tortilla chips *ahem*) that I have 'smartly' indulged in... just having one portion! I am OK with that. Last week I had a few beers/wine throughout the week. Trying to limit that this week. So far, so good.  

Getting back on track

The past 5 days or so have really not been good, food-wise (workouts have been going as planned most of the time). I have been eating like crap: whatever I want, whenever I want. And for at least a week (or two) prior to that, I felt myself slipping in to old habits when it came to food. And I can see it reflecting in my waistline. While I don't think I have actually gained weight, I know I am doing something wrong and I need to get it back in check ASAP!

Today I had a really bad food day, and I didn't work out. A recipe for disaster.

I also took a 7 day (!!) hiatus from eating out, ending this past Friday night. I have more than made up for that this week, and now I feel like I am FULL of sodium and ridiculously bloated. Sorry to be so descriptive, but I really just have to get all this out here!

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Here are some short-term SMART goals to help me get back on track...

Tomorrow: no eating out (period. it's just 24 hours.), start the day with a protein shake, bring cheese sticks to work for something healthy to hold me over between meals (if necessary), eat something green with my lunch and dinner (edamame with lunch, dinner is TBD).

This week: no boozing it Thursday or Friday nights, workout in the evenings, keep on drinking a ton of water.

This weekend: no eating out with the exception of Saturday night, because I will not be at my apartment (possibly Sunday AM too, depending on how I feel). Get a workout in on Saturday AM.

Next week: eat low-carb Sunday (dinner) through Friday (lunchtime). Workout every day after work (no excuses). Note: The last time I did a low-carb diet I was in high school and I tried South Beach. I was a raging bitch the entire time and I think I made it through 4 days of Phase 1. We'll see how this goes....

Next weekend: I will be in DC so all bets are off food-wise. I need to keep my snacking in check, focus on getting veggies in as often as possible, chug water, and plan to walk as much as I can while I am there! All very reasonable goals!

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If you made it this far, thanks for listening to me vent and plan!

These goals should help me get back on track food-wise... starting NOW! Will I be eating intuitively? Not exactly, but I will be eating when my body tells me it wants food instead of the random grazing I have been doing the past week or so. I do so much better starting my morning with some eggs and having a higher protein lunch and dinner, instead of filling myself up with carbs (*ahem* today *ahem*). It also helps when I have a tough workout - I am much more inclined to make good food choices.

After next weekend in DC, I will come back to revisit these goals and see how I did. I am not weighing myself or anything like that - I just want to feel better and beat the bloat! I don't need to be counteracting all of the hard work I am doing with Best Body Bootcamp by eating badly.

Any delicious or creative low-carb snack or breakfast ideas?? I am looking for alternatives to egg-in-a-mug and string cheese. 

Best Body Bootcamp 2 - Week 4

Holy cow! Week 4 already? Didn't we just start?! I'm going to keep this short since I am seriously sleepy!!!

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Monday: Push supersets with cardio intervals 
Tuesday: Treadmill cardio intervals + core
Wednesday: Pull supersets with cardio intervals
Thursday: Progression intervals + core
Friday:  Circuit training
Saturday: Off 
Sunday: Off

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Here are my healthy goals for the week!

Goal 1: I am upping the water ante this week. Drink 96 oz of water every day.

Goal 2: Be asleep before 11 PM every night.

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And I will leave you with a bit of inspiration from my Best Body Bootcamp Facebook friends... 

Best Body Bootcamp 2 - Week 3

And we are on to Phase 2 of BBB! Hard to believe. I had a really good week last week.

Biggest accomplishments: I had some amazing workouts during the week. There were multiple days at work where I said: I can't wait to go home, work out, shower, and drink wine. After I was done with my workout and shower, no wine was needed! It helped me decompress, and the rough week at work just fueled my workouts and made them awesome. I worked out really hard during the week, so I decided to take Saturday and Sunday off. It was a nice break! I also didn't go out to eat at all this weekend. That is virtually unheard of.

Monday: Push supersets + core
Tuesday: Treadmill cardio intervals
Wednesday: Pull supersets with cardio intervals
Thursday: Progression intervals + core
Friday:  Gym + abs DVD
Saturday: Off 
Sunday: Off

I am going to stick with similar goals from week 2:

Goal 1: Drink 64 oz of water before end of work day/dinnertime on weekends - and then some! This is becoming a habit again, which is great. 

Goal 2: No eating out for breakfast during the week! No eating out for lunch or dinner either during the week - this shouldn't be too hard since I have a fully stocked fridge. This weekend, all bets are off... I have guests in town. But, I am going to limit my eating out during the week, because I really have no excuse to eat out for any meal this work-week. I have more than enough food! This is to eat healthier and save money!

Eating Intuitively

It's time for me to come clean. Most of the people I talk to on a regular basis are familiar with my struggles with food. I want to open up and share it with all of you, reinforcing my commitment to a healthy lifestyle through eating intuitively.

There are a lot of articles, books, and information out there about eating intuitively. I, for one, am inclined to emotional binge eating. For me, emotional eating stems from boredom, sadness, and loneliness. Loneliness being the big one. My weight gain went full speed ahead when I lived in Knoxville. I was bored, sad, and lonely a lot of the time. I also had absolutely no structure around my meals; I went from gross dining hall food, walking miles and miles a day on-campus, and home cooked family dinners, to eating literally whatever I wanted for dinner. I remember specifically one night thinking: I'm an adult. I can eat whatever I want for dinner. That night, I had some Cheez-its and beer for dinner. Domino's delivery? Why not! I also lived in the fast food capitol of the South - the intersection of Interstates 40 and 75. It was far more convenient to hit the McDonald's drive through than prepare something healthy for dinner. The emotions I felt that year just exacerbated my disordered eating tendencies. Because I usually never had anything to do on Friday and Saturday nights, I would treat myself with some take-out.

That's me on the right at the peak of my weight gain, and my biggest weight loss inspiration on the left

My weight loss has been a progression through many different methods. It started out trying to lose weight on my own through calorie counting and journaling when I lived in Tennessee (-5 lbs), then Weight Watchers when I lived in Atlanta(-13 lbs), then calorie counting with My Fitness Pal when I moved back to NC (-2ish lbs). Then I got wrapped up in a few months of craziness. Well, in those few months, I stopped tracking food and kept myself busy. Food was no longer the center of my universe. Life was. Ok, ok, food is still a really big deal to me... but I find myself obsessing over it a fraction of the time that I used to.

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I had an ah-ha moment one day. I realized my trying to 'control' my food intake was having the opposite effect. Food was controlling me. If i had 50 calories left for the day, or 2 points, or whatever, I would eat those calories or points - and didn't care if I was full or hungry. I didn't care what I was craving. I would eat to fulfill a calorie or points threshold. Which would lead to bingeing (embarrassingly frequently) - I would eat something to try and satisfy my appetite, but that something had to fit with my daily calorie goal. It wouldn't usually be what I was craving, which would almost always lead to me binge eating.

I was not listening to my body, but rather an online tracking tool. If I went out for lunch or dinner and had a 'bad day' - I would use that as an excuse to just eat whatever I wanted when I got home that night. I would tell myself: Tomorrow is a new day, right? Yea, I will just start over tomorrow.

Please note, I am not knocking calorie counting or Weight Watchers. They are great programs and helped me lose 20 lbs. Weight Watchers taught me portion control and the importance of fruits and vegetables. My Fitness Pal taught me truly how many calories I was burning during exercise (by wearing a heart rate monitor) and how to eat to compensate for those calories and keep my metabolism going. In the end, neither of these programs were quite right for my weight loss journey and maintenance because of my (self-diagnosed) tendencies towards disordered eating. I have never been to a doctor about this, but it is also not something to which I am opposed. I am a huge proponent of therapy! I just have never been for weight loss or disordered eating.

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Where am I now? I am learning to intuitively eat. To me, this means eating when I have physical signs of hunger, not based on what the clock says. It means not tracking my food on paper or online (I do mentally keep a general mental record of what I have eaten for the day). It also means if I am seriously craving something, I need to just indulge in an appropriate-sized portion of what I am craving. I can't try and substitute it. It won't work (for me). Since I stopped tracking food, I have lost 5 lbs. It also doesn't hurt that it's summertime, I am regularly working out, and more inclined to eat generally healthier anyway... I fit in to my 'skinny' jeans for the first time since college, and I just feel good.

Is everyday perfect? No. Here's a great example. Sunday night, I wanted a Mcdonald's hot fudge sundae. I told myself it wasn't a great idea, but I was craving it. I wouldn't let myself go get it. I ended up eating a 150 calorie Magnum ice cream bar, a cheese stick, some chips, another cheese stick, and some turkey pepperoni. Had I just indulged in the McDonald's sundae, I very likely would not have gone on that binge. Could it have been worse? Oh yea, and I'm not beating myself up for it. Nights like this used to happen very frequently when I was actually tracking my food. Now they are few and far between. Side note: today I got that hot fudge sundae and it was so good.

Since I made the commitment to lose weight, I have lost about 25 lbs! That is no small feat, and I am very proud of my accomplishments so far! I have about 5 more lbs to lose before I am back to a 'healthy' weight for my height. Ideally, I would like to lose about 10 more lbs. It is going to be a slow but steady journey. I am sure I will still struggle, but I know now I am on the right track.

I've come a long way, baby! And so have you, Betsy (my weight loss inspiration from the picture above)!!

Best Body Bootcamp 2 - Week 2 Goals

Well, here we are in week 2 of Best Body Bootcamp! The entire week didn't go quite as planned, at least meal-wise. I kept true to my workout schedule for the most part, but took an unplanned rest day earlier in the week because I was just plain exhausted!

I ate out a lot last week - one of my goals this week is to only eat out once per day (with a 'stretch goal' of not eating out at all every day). I know that just isn't realistic, and I have to be flexible in case a work lunch, etc. pops up. But, I went to the grocery store this weekend and got all sorts of delicious goodies, and I should have no issues eating-in for breakfast, lunch, and dinner most days. Of course, this will help save me a little money this week too...

Here's my plan for boot camp week 2, which looks a lot like week 1...

Monday: 20 minutes of HIIT + upper body strength training
Tuesday: 20 minute walk (maybe a run?) + lower body strength training
Wednesday: 40 minutes of eliptical intervals + core work
Thursday: 20 minute walk (maybe a run?) + full body strength training
Friday: Walk or workout DVD (or both:?)
Saturday: 40 minutes of eliptical intervals + core work
Sunday: Rest day

Goal 1: Drink 64 oz of water before end of work day/dinnertime on weekends - and then some!

Goal 2: Allowing myself to eat only one meal out per day, if necessary. No eating out for breakfast this week!

Thought Catalog: 15 Signs you are Growing Up

Thought Catalog is one of my favorite websites - not all of their articles I can identify with, but when one comes along that hits home... it really hits home. And, they make me feel like I am not alone in my 'young professional but no way am I really an adult?' mindset.

If you are a 20-something or beyond, please read this and tell me you feel the exact same way... 

15 Signs you are Growing Up

Meal Plan - week of 7/23

I have stopped 'tracking' food in MyFitnessPal (more on that in a later post) but I do need to plan my meals for the week. Why not share them with the blog world? Throughout the week, breakfasts are any variation of an Atkins shake, Subway breakfast sandwich, fruit, or any other breakfast-y item I may have so I will not be 'planning' them out. This week I have quite a few leftovers that I am trying to work my way through, as well as lots of good veggies from the Farmer's Market!


Monday
Lunch: Portabello mushroom with crab and lobster salad, cucumber salad (leftovers)
Dinner: Pizza from Jets (leftovers)

Tuesday
Lunch: Cucumber salad, lemon orzo pasta salad (leftovers)
Dinner:  TBD (out)

Wednesday
Lunch: Pizza from Jets (leftovers)
Dinner: Crustless Zucchini Pie, couscous

Thursday
Lunch: Crustless zucchini pie, couscous (leftovers)
Dinner: TBD (out)

Friday
Lunch: TBD (out)
Dinner: Fried eggs and okra

Saturday
Breakfast: Fried eggs and okra
Lunch: Crustless zucchini pie, couscous (leftovers)
Dinner: TBD (out?)

Sunday
Breakfast: Fried eggs and okra
Lunch: Crustless zucchini pie, couscous (leftovers)
Dinner: Veggie quesadillas

Best Body Bootcamp 2 - Week One Goals

Back at it, Round Two of Best Body Bootcamp! I am really excited. The next 8 weeks are going to be awesome. I am really trying to lose the last 5 or so lbs, but even more so, to tone up. This boot camp will give me just the boost that I need. I've recently settled in to the habit of working out after work every day, but incorporating some intentional healthy goals will help turn these goals in to habits. I really need to be better about drinking water throughout the day because I have felt a little dehydrated these past few weeks. This summer has been chaotic, to say the least, so I am looking forward to getting back in to a structured workout routine.

Side note: I really needed to get new running shoes, and I finally ordered some replacements so I can run again. Thank you Brooks for releasing some new Glycerin's just in time, so that I could get my old ones on sale. Although I love my shiny new shoes, I will only be wearing them for running. I'll do all of my other cardio in my old shoes.

  

Here are my planned workouts for the week - I may end up switching them up depending on my schedule

Monday: 20 minutes of HIIT + upper body strength training
Tuesday: 20 minute walk (maybe a run?) + lower body strength training
Wednesday: 40 minutes of eliptical intervals + core work
Thursday: 20 minute walk (maybe a run?) + full body strength training
Friday: Long walk, exploring the greenway near my new apartment
Saturday: Rest day
Sunday: 40 minutes of eliptical intervals + core work

Goal 1: Drink 64 oz. of water before the end of the work day (then drink more at home)

Goal 2: Be in bed by 10:30 PM

Week 1, here I come!

Lucky

Today, I was reminded how lucky I really am. I have a tendency to... be pessimistic about things. That's putting it gently. I have a lot to be thankful for.

As my family knows, I was miss pissy-pants while I was home this weekend. Completely unnecessary, but I was just in a mood. And when I get in a mood... watch out! (Sorry, Dad.) For some reason, today things just clicked. Nothing in particular happened. I just had (dare I say it?) a good day.

Warning: this post is a little sappy, but I wanted to write it while I was feeling this way, so when I turn in to miss pissy-pants again, I can remember how lucky I am.

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I have a flexible job, a hilarious boss, and through my job, I have made some wonderful friends. Friends that I know will always be there for me, and friends that always, always listen to me... no matter the topic. I got to reunite with a dear friend of mine tonight. A friend that I made when I lived in Tennessee, and now we live close to each other once again! And I have some of my best friends from middle and high school coming this weekend as well as one of my wonderful work friends. I am grateful to live somewhere that I can easily get home when I want, and people can easily come visit me.

I have a gorgeous apartment and a great neighborhood. I complain about moving so much, but I have always been blessed and very lucky with the apartments where I have lived. I may not have loved the cities, but I have loved my apartments. Moving every year has taught me many lessons, one of which is how to tolerate change. I'll never love change, or even enjoy it, but I can finally see the good in it.

I am healthy.

In general, I have it pretty good. My life might not be perfect, but whose really is? I have a lot of people who love me, and that is all that really matters.

I have these people. A family that loves and cares about me, and has an open door for me anytime that I want to come home. A mom who I can call up and talk about truly everything, even though I know she thinks I'm crazy. A dad who is always happy, but becomes even happier when both of his kids are home. One that will do literally anything for me, and always takes car of my car: a task that I am just not as skilled at. A 'little' brother who has grown up to be a wonderful young man who values my advice, and I am flattered every time he asks me for it. 


A family that will take me to Las Vegas for my 24th birthday, and despite flight delays... arrive at 1 AM ready to have the best time of our lives. 

I have the best family in the whole world. 

Ok, I'm done being uncharacteristically sappy. Thanks for listening, if you made it this far. Back to Real Housewives of New Jersey I go... 

What are you most thankful for today?

Two and a half months

Well, it's been two and a half-ish months of craziness since I last posted in my blog. I've done quite a bit in the past few months!

Brace yourself for some highlights:

• Went to a horse race
• Went to Washington DC, again... I go there a lot!
• Celebrated some college graduations (Go Wolfpack!)
• Went to India!
• Packed up my Charlotte apartment (all by myself, I may add!)
• Big Red (my car) hit 60,000 miles
• Saw Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney in concert! 
• Moved to a new apartment, closer to work

Thrilling, I know... the most exciting 2 weeks in that time period was definitely my trip to India. I went for work. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I had an amazing experience!

What is up next on my horizon? Why am I back to blogging? Well, I have always used this blog as a record of my fitness accomplishments and culinary creations. And, next week starts round two of Tina Reale's Best Body Bootcamp!

The deadline to join is FRIDAY! So get on it! For $25, you get 8 (EIGHT!) weeks of workout plans. I have to say, the first round of bootcamp kicked my butt, and I am looking forward to seeing what Tina has in store for us this time!

Also, thanks to my mom, I am all settled in to my new apartment. My life has been in moving shambles pretty much since I last posted, and I really haven't cooked much at all. My bank account hates me for eating out so much. I am ready to get back in to the healthy living swing of things! Last night, I made coleslaw and vegan banana everything cookies. I don't bake often, so this was an accomplishment. I am starting to feel back-to-normal after a few months of chaos...

I'll be back soon, I promise!

The longest love affair

I have had a long standing obsession love affair with one man since I was ohhhh about 13 years old. His name is John Mayer - ask any one of my high school friends or my mom, they would confirm. I have seen him countless times in concert, and I certainly can forgive his transgressions. Just look at this baby face (circa 1999). I definitely cut this picture out of a magazine and put it in one of me and my bff's legendary 'notebooks' that we would pass around. Oh, the memories...

It has been a few years since John released a new album (Battle Studies has been in my 6 disc cd changer since 2010). John Mayer is BACK! His new album comes out on May 22nd. I am going to be out of the country. WHAT is a girl to do?!?!?

I'll just have to watch the video on repeat until Memorial Day weekend. No worries. It makes me want to go to Arizona, but the Las Vegas desert will just have to do.

Best Body Bootcamp - Wrap Up

So, as you may have noticed... I kind of fell off the boot camp bandwagon. Things have just been insane at work, my travel schedule has been ridiculous (a lot of that has been self-imposed), and in general I have just been stressed out. Not an excuse to not work out, but a lot is going on and changing, and exercise has fallen to the wayside. I have also picked up some of my old bad habits - eating out a lot, making TV a priority over everything else, and making bad food choices.

I am not stepping on the scale because #1 it just ruins my day, and #2 I don't want my life to be dictated by the scale anymore. My clothes still fit, and I can't complain too badly.

Boot camp has been a GREAT experience for me. While I have fallen (recently) back in to old habits, it is nice to know that I have a plan to follow when life gets in the way. I took the time today to plan out my next few weeks of workouts and am going to do my absolute, very best to stick to it!

Yes... I am doing it again! Once this week is over, I plan to start boot camp all over again. And just keep repeating the weeks until a new boot camp starts again :) Part of my hesitance this past week is that I haven't felt good - allergies or a cold? I am not sure... also, I feel like my fitness level has dropped because I missed a week of the 'intense' workouts in week 7. So I haven't really had the confidence to really kick butt. I think starting over at week 1, and repeating weeks as necessary, will really help me get to where I want to go!

I have enjoyed the boot camp community and am going to enjoy interacting even after round 1 of boot camp is over. Formal updates will stop, but I will still check in occasionally on my progress!

Yellowfin Tuna Pasta

Can you believe it is already Wednesday? Has anyone else's week flown by? It is really making a difference that work is so busy now. The day goes by quickly and I only find myself staring at the clock to make sure that I am on time for meetings! Even that hasn't gone so well this week, and I am not a 'late' person.

I am glad it is going quickly because this weekend coming up is the Raleigh Beer Festival, and I am going home for it. Another Amtrak trip... I'm becoming a frequent rider!

On to the real reason you visited this post... were you lured in and intrigued by the title of this post?

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So, you know how sometimes the cooking stars just all align, and you are able to make something amazing out of what you have in your kitchen? Ok, the farmshare does help... I concocted a creation last night that (in my opinion) was totally restaurant quality, but so simple! It felt like an episode of Chopped in my kitchen, but with no pressure, other than my stomach growling. NBD.

This could be considered 'high' in calories - but it was a large portion and really kept me full. Also, something like this in a restaurant would be SUPER full of sodium and much more oil and butter. Let's be real here...

Yellowfin Tuna Pasta

Ingredients:

2 servings of fresh (or dried) fettucini noodles - I used herbed
1-ish cup of fresh spinach
1-ish cup of swiss chard, torn roughly
2 tsp olive oil
2 tablespoons butter - I used smart balance light
Fresh oregano, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 packet Starkist Yellowfin Tuna in olive oil
4 tsp grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Boil pasta. While pasta is boiling, put spinach and swiss chard in to colander. When pasta is done, drain pasta over spinach and swiss chard.

Return pasta and veggies to the pot. Add olive oil and butter. Let melt. Add in fresh oregano, salt, and pepper.

Serve in two bowl - top with half of the packet of tuna and 2 teaspoons of grated parmesan cheese.

Serves two.

Calories: 511, Fat: 20, Carbs: 59, Protein: 24, Fiber: 1, Sodium: 348

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This seriously was so delicious. It reheated very well for lunch today, as well. Buying the tuna in the packet was not quite as good as fresh, but it had a nice lemon-y tang to it - and allowed me to add some extra protein for a really low cost.

Please let me know if you try this out, or if this inspired you to try something new in the kitchen!!! What have you thrown together lately that turned out well (or not so well)?

Best Body Bootcamp - Week 5 Recap/Week 6 Plan

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Update on Week 5: I did well on my goals and plan to keep them the same for this week, so I will keep maintaining the habit... I did not so well on my weekend workouts (and eating)...

Monday: 20 min jog, 20 min strength intervals
Tuesday: 30 minute treadmill (hills) workout + strength training
Wednesday: 20 minute jog + 30 minutes of strength intervals
Thursday: shopping spree + strength training
Friday: 15 minute walk around shopping complex
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 15 min walk while waiting for the train

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Here are the goals for week 6... (repeat of last week's goals)

Record my food intake 100% in My Fitness Pal
Drink at least 64 oz of water each day

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And my workout plan:

Monday: 20 min jog + 30 min strength intervals
Tuesday: 30 minute treadmill (hills) workout + strength training
Wednesday: 20 minute jog + 30 minutes of strength intervals
Thursday: 20 minute treadmil (HIIT) + strength training
Friday: Hopefully a 20 minute jog after work... if not...
Saturday: Quick jog around neighborhood...
Sunday: Rest

I want to make this week's workouts the best ones yet!!  I also want to keep my eating in check this weekend - minus Saturday. Saturday doesn't count :)

A Little Easter Greeting...

Happy Easter from a little bunny!!!

Circa 1988 - not even a year old, me and my Dad

Cast Iron Tofu

I am continuing to experiment with tofu, but I think I have finally found my favorite way to cook it. Sautéing it on the cast iron skillet! It gets such a good flavor, and crisps up so nicely. You really do not have to do anything with it once it comes off the skillet. Just serve with a side of veggies for a super healthy meal! 

The marinade below is my favorite way to flavor tofu, but any combination of ingredients would work well here. I have tried worcestershire sauce instead of soy. Still delicious! I also think a soy-ginger marinade would taste yummy! 

Cast Iron Tofu

Ingredients:

1 block extra-firm tofu
4 - 8 tablespoons of soy sauce
4 - 8 teaspoons of dijon mustard
1 - 2 tablespoons of fresh horseradish (optional)
Cooking spray (or oil)

Instructions:

Drain and press tofu (I prefer overnight) but at minimum 4 - 6 hours. I use the tofuxpress that I got for Christmas (thanks, Mom and Dad!). If you do not have one, here is a good blog post on how to press tofu with things you have around the house!

Mix up remaining ingredients into a marinade. This can be as thick or as thin as you want to make it based on the proportions of soy sauce to mustard to horseradish.

Slice the block of tofu in to 10 slices. I think this is the perfect thickness for skillet cooking.

Then transfer the tofu and lay each slice flat in a large dish. Pour the marinade, making sure each slice of tofu gets a good coating. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, but you can also let this sit overnight (this is a plan-ahead but really easy meal).

Pre-heat your cast iron skillet on medium. Once heated, coat the bottom of the pan with some sort of oil. I just used cooking spray. Then place the tofu in the skillet. Let cook on each side for appx. 8 - 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, you want to make sure you flip it once the tofu gets brown and crispy on each side!

I think this is a good serving for two, but with the right sides you could definitely stretch this to four people! I served it with a side of steamed frozen veggies and smart balance light. So delicious!

Let me know how the cast iron method of cooking tofu works for you! What are some of your favorite ways to prepare tofu? 

Best Body Bootcamp - Week 5 Plan

I can't believe that we are halfway through Best Body Bootcamp already! I wish I were seeing more results, but I know I have not been 100% on the bootcamp plan all the time... However, I am getting in more activity each week than I ever have before! Especially with the strength training - cardio is much less exciting to me now that I have these strength + cardio workouts to supplement! Going for a quick run or a long walk is still fantastic, but I find myself looking forward to the workouts with weights more than anything else.

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Here are the goals for week 5... (repeat of past weeks' goals)

Record my food intake 100% in My Fitness Pal (while doing my best to stay under my calorie goals, especially this weekend at home)
Drink at least 64 oz of water each day

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And my workout plan:

Monday: 20 min jog, 20 min strength intervals
Tuesday: 30 minute treadmill (hills) workout + strength training
Wednesday: 20 minute jog + 30 minutes of strength intervals
Thursday: 20 minute treadmil (HIIT) + strength training
Friday: 5K around parents' neighborhood
Saturday: long walk around neighborhood + abs video (?) = ambitious...
Sunday: Rest!

Hope it all goes well! Here's to a successful week 5!

Best Body Bootcamp - Week 4 Recap

All of week 4, I was traveling all over the Eastern Seaboard! I always have issues when I get out of my normal routine, so I sent my healthy goals to help me stick to it!

Goal 1: Record my meals and snacks in My Fitness Pal
Goal 2: Floss every night

I did OK on both of these goals... far better at the beginning of the week than towards then end, when I was too tired to care any more!

I didn't make a specific workout plan this week, but I figured I would squeeze in as much working out as I could, with the hopes of getting 5 days in. I consider this week to be a workout success. I have never made it a point to fit in some intense workouts on a work trip - there is a first for every thing!

Here is how week 4 went, workout-wise:

Monday: 60 min plant tour (all walking!)
Tuesday: 30 min walk outside
Wednesday: 30 min circuit training - lower body and jogging/walking interals
Thursday: 45 min walk (another plant tour!)
Friday: 30 min walk (yet another tour..), 2.5 mile jog, 30 mins of abs
Saturday: 60 min strength training intervals, walking ALL day around DC
Sunday: REST!

Overall, it was a good week - especially with traveling from Sunday to Sunday. Looking forward to getting back to normal this week! I just opened up the Phase 3 plan for Best Body Bootcamp (can we say intense?), so details on my week 5 plan to come tomorrow! Also, stay tuned for details from my epic road trip and weekend in DC!

Best Body Bootcamp - Week 3 Recap

Week three was overall a really good week.  Late this week, I finally felt like I was starting to see the effects of bootcamp on my body, and it feels really great! If I am starting to see it just three weeks in, I can't wait to see how I look (and feel) at the end of this. Next week will be more of a challenge though. I will be on the road for work all week, but I am going to do my best to make reasonably healthy food choices as well as try and fit in mini-workouts where I can. 

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Week three's goals:


Goal 1: Eat at least one serving of fruit or vegetables with every meal
Goal 2: Take my vitamins every day


I did very well on both of my goals this week! I ate fruit and/or veggies at (almost) every meal. Thursday was my only 'bad' day. I was exhausted, and while not an excuse, I did fall asleep around 8:30 PM and it was still daylight when I got in bed! 

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And here are how my workouts for the week went. Not quite as planned (it never is!), but still a great week.

Monday: cardio + lower body strength training circuits (this felt awful and great at the same time)
Tuesday: 20 minute jog + 10 minute walk + core work (another great run!)
Wednesday: 40 minute mixed intervals (I hate the treadmill, but I did it)
Thursday: unplanned rest day
Friday: cardio + upper body strength training (can't wait for the sculpted arms to come out!)
Saturday: full body strength training + Crunch abs DVD
Sunday: planned rest day


I am not going to plan any specific workouts for week 4, but I am going to squeeze in a workout wherever I can and hopefully I can get 5 days of workouts in. Even if it is a quick Pilates DVD, or another workout from Netflix. Not sure what the gym situation will be like at the hotels...


Have you ever checked out all of the workout selections on Netflix? So awesome to have when you are traveling. 

Cake Batter Blondies

I really don't have a whole lot to say about this other than OMGamazing. I borrowed this recipe, and it was the best life decision I have ever made. Also, I did not alter the recipe one bit. I just did not add the optional white chocolate chips. It would have been too much. This was already very sweet.

3/4 of the blondies were consumed between last Friday night and Saturday morning (ok, it wasn't just me! Sehar was there too!) The last 1/4 was consumed at some point during the St. Patty's Bar Crawl.

Just go here, now. And make these. Eat them for dessert. Eat them for breakfast. You won't regret it until you wake up from your sugar coma covered in rainbow sprinkles.

St. Patty's Day

I don't usually celebrate St. Patrick's Day. This year things were a little different. I had some guests coming in to town, and we had to celebrate in style. How did we choose to celebrate, you may ask? Well naturally, by participating in the world's largest bar crawl. Duh.

It happened to be taking place in uptown Charlotte, so the convenience factor definitely played in to our choice to celebrate this way. Also we got shirts and coozies. How could you pass that up?

The day started innocently enough. Sehar and I had to make a Target run, so we decided to make the most of the nice morning and walk there! About 5 miles later, we ended up back at my apartment. We took the long way around, and the only thing we actually left Target with was an Iced Passion Tea from Starbucks, but that is neither here nor there. By the time we got back, it was time to start showering and getting ready for the bar crawl (that started at noon, by the way.)

We finally made our way there by cramming ourselves on to a completely full light rail car, and by the time we got to Dixie's Tavern, we were all very familiar with our light rail neighbors.

The bar crawl started at Dixie's. They corralled all of the participants in to a fenced off parking lot (above), which actually worked out quite well. It was a good place to meet up with our friends, and they had plenty of outdoor bars set up where you could get your Bud Light on.

I saw this on Facebook - an aerial shot of the 'holding area' 

At 3 PM, the masses began the crawl portion of the bar crawl. We made our way to Fox & Hound and got super lucky in grabbing a table outside, so we could get a good view of all the action, and we had a waitress so we could easily order food. And more Bud Light of course. Because of our amazing table, we hung out here for a while.

Then it was time to head to the next bar. We headed to Howl at the Moon (because I love piano bars). We lucked out again and got a table there, and started ordering what I like to call 'booze bowls.' Good times were had by all... let the photo shoot begin.... I warned you...

By the time we left Howl at the Moon, it was really time for me to go home. I was in bed by 10 PM - I would call that a successful bar crawl, even though we really only made it to three places. Oh welllll! All in all it was a very fun day drinking event and I had a great time with Courtney, Jess, and Sehar! These pics and more can be found here for your viewing pleasure.

Me, Sehar, Jess, Courtney

Best Body Bootcamp - Week 2 Recap/Week 3 Plan

Week 2 of Bootcamp has gone MUCH better than week 1. No unexpected illnesses! I did have some unexpected late days at the office, but that frustration just gave me some awesome workout fuel...

As far as my healthy goals went, I did pretty well...

Goal 1 was to drink at least 64 oz. of water each day. I successfully accomplished that 6 out of 7 days this week! Goal 2 was to eat a fruit or vegetable with each meal. I accomplished that at the beginning of the week... I kind of fell off the wagon at the end of this week, so I will be re-attempting this goal again this week!

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As far as workouts go, I planned on starting the week slowly, eventually building back up to running again. I love the flexibility of this plan. As long as I get up and get moving almost every day, and incorporate the strength and circuit training in with my normal cardio, I know that by week 8 that I will be seeing some serious results.

Here is my workout recap for Week 2:

Monday: 50 minute walk
Tuesday: 20 minute run + 10 minute walk + strength training
Wednesday: 30 minutes on elliptical + 15 minutes walking on the treadmill + circuit training
Thursday: 20 minute run + 10 minute walk
Friday: 30 minute run + 45 minute walk
Saturday: 5 mile walk
Sunday: Rest

Yesterday was a WELL deserved rest day. I probably ate way too much, and was totally worthless watching Saved By the Bell all afternoon, but I earned it! 

So far so good with Best Body Bootcamp. I feel great. The scale isn't reflecting a weight loss, but I am not worried about that. I can see and feel my body toning, and I can feel muscles working that I really didn't even know that I had. I still need to work on getting more strength in to the routine. Due to schedule conflicts, I was only able to do strength training one day this week, and circuit training one day. I'd like to take this a bit more seriously in week 3! I think the way that the workouts are structured, I will be getting some more strength work in naturally.

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And now for the week 3 plan... 

Goal 1: Eat at least one serving of fruit or vegetables with every meal (Did not work out so well last week)
Goal 2: Take my vitamins every day (Again, I slacked this past week)

Exercise Plan... Weekday workouts are clearly defined. Weekend workouts are still kind of TBD!

Monday: Circuit intervals + lower body strength training
Tuesday: 30 minute interval training + core work
Wednesday: 40 minute mixed intervals + core work
Thursday: Full body strength training
Friday: Circuit intervals + upper body strength training
Saturday: Cardio - maybe a long walk, maybe Pilates, maybe both? Kind of depends on the weather
Sunday: Off - traveling to MA

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Cheers to a good week 3!!!

My running legs...

I feel like they are back! I have had some serious doubts recently on whether or not I want to keep running.  Last week's cold set me back once again, and not to continue making excuses... but I am not a natural runner, so pretty much any semi-lengthy break feels like I am just starting over again. I have come to terms with the fact that running will probably never be easy for me, but I will have good days and bad days, and it is totally OK to walk whenever I feel like it! I am trying to take the pressure off myself, but I am a perfectionist in a lot of areas in my life, and that is starting to rub off on my exercise habits. I don't think that is the best feature, so I am working on it... one day at a time, right?

This week has been kind of rough at work, and instead of coming home to pout on the couch and emotionally eat like 'old Katie' would do, I got my running shoes on and worked it out!

This is my excited face. 

I just have to share my success story from today. I wasn't sure what I was going to do workout-wise, but I got my shoes on and headed out the door anyway. It was too gorgeous to just stay inside. I figured my legs would take me somewhere, at some pace, and I'd eventually end up back at my apartment. Well, my legs started running, and (for me) my legs started running fast! I decided to do a 2-mile, mostly flat loop, because I am still warming back up to running since my few days off due to my cold. I finished the first mile at a 10 minute per mile pace, and then I had to slow myself down for the second mile. I wanted to bring my heart rate down a bit, so I slowed it down to a sub-12 minute per mile pace. I finished the 2 miles in 22 minutes flat (with one 20 - 30 second delay waiting at an intersection). I think that is the fastest that I have ever completed a run!

Today's run was a great one. I felt powerful and strong! It definitely gave me some inspiration to 'just keep running...'

Best Body Bootcamp - Week 2 Plan

Well here we are, week 2 of Best Body Bootcamp! Last week didn't quite go as planned for me, but I am feeling mostly recovered from whatever illness knocked me down. I am still not going to do anything intense today or tomorrow, since I am pretty stuffy - I will probably just stick to walking outside until at least Wednesday... notice I was generic with 'cardio intervals'

The weather is supposed to be gorgeous here all week, so I should have no problems getting outside after work! While this time change is hard to adjust to, I love the extra hour of daylight at night and not having to rush home and cram an outdoor workout in.

Basically, perfect weather! If that isn't incentive to get outside, I don't know what is!

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Here are my two healthy goals for the week!

Goal 1: Drink at last 64 oz. of water each day - this stayed the same from last week, still trying to drive this healthy habit home!
Goal 2: Eat at least one fruit or vegetable with every meal!

 Love my 32 oz. Rubbermaid bottle!

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And here is my workout plan! Hopefully by Wednesday I will be back to jogging again!

Monday: 50 minute cardio intervals
Tuesday: 20 min cardio + workout B
Wednesday: 50 min cardio intervals
Thursday: 20 min cardio + strength training
Friday: 20 min HIIT + circuit training
Saturday: Bar Crawl = lots of walking
Sunday: Rest

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Looking forward to kicking bootcamp booty this week in preparation for some special visitors this weekend!!!