Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Building Blocks

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The human body is pretty incredible.

25 days ago (pre-cleanse) I was nowhere near the abs I wanted.  My diet was not terrible, but could use improvement.  I was lifting weights, but had hit a plateau with my upper body and all but neglecting legs.  It was time to take the next step in building a better me.

The pictures below are my progress:

The top pic is upper body.  I’ve managed to up my weight on many exercises, not the least of which is lat raises.  Those has always been a weak point for me.

The bottom left ab pic was taken at week 2 of the cleanse and the right was taken yesterday (11 days later… I promise I washed this outfit in that time).  I wish I’d had a before!  I’ve ALWAYS wanted 6-pack abs and I’m so close right now it hurts.

This is thanks to 25 days of pushing harder and building a solid foundation with a clean, plant-based diet.  It can be done!

Believe in yourself and anything is possible.

I also have to make a confession – I almost didn’t post the ab pic.  In fact, yesterday I posted it on Instagram and purposefully didn’t like it to Twitter.  I was scared to share my progress with a larger audience!

Then I remembered this post by Lindsay where she showed off her incredible abdominals.  She posted her post-baby ab pic to celebrate hard work, to motivate, and because she was PROUD.  And she should take pride in her hard work paying off!

Change is hard!  It’s overwhelming to begin cleaning up your diet.

In the spirit of building, here’s how I built a healthy lunchtime wrap.  At least it was supposed to be a wrap… I got a little carried away with the fillings. 🙂

Step 1:

Prep veggies and slather a tortilla with spread.  I used my Raw Sweet Potato Hummus.

Step 2:

Layer your veggies on the tortilla.

My Fillings:

  • Kale
  • Broccoli and mustard sprouts
  • Beets (raw)
  • Asparagus (raw)
  • Onion
  • Carrots
  • Lentils  – ***These are key to making your wrap filling.  Lentils are prepared for the week every Sunday so I can quickly add bulk and protein to veggie dishes.***

Step 3:

Attempt to wrap the monstrosity up!  I had to eat the carrots in the side to make way for the lentils.

Step 4:

Devour.

***

Tomorrow I am trying out CrossFit for the first time!  I love a new workout. 🙂

Have you ever tried CrossFit?  Do you have any tips to share?

Celebrate Friday with some self-love – What accomplishment are you proud of?

Cleanse Recap + A New Addition

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There is a new addition in my family.

 

Hang with me and you’ll see what the addition is and why I went for it…

Friday night we had another cleanse buddies dinner.  My friend Kathleen decided to begin the cleanse on Friday, so Mallory and I had a great time re-hashing our experiences with her.  (Click here for the “rules” and post #1.)

 

My first experience doing this cleanse was in November of 2010.  It was HARD.  My eating habits were not clean – I ate too many burgers, drank too much booze, and had a sugar addiction.  Needless to say, the first few days were a shock to my body.  I was tried, cold, and grouchy.  And constipated.

1 week before the 2010 cleanse

 

This time around I didn’t have as difficult a time.  My eating habits had remained fairly clean since that first cleanse; however, I noticed some old habits beginning to creep in and wanted to give my body a little reminder of how good clean feels.

 

Some observations:

  • Caffeine wasn’t as hard as I thought to give up.  My friend, Mallory, who also cleansed noted that after day 4 she actually had MORE energy without her previous 5-6 caffeinated beverages a day habit.
  • My overall energy level was excellent.  I slept better and the circles under my eyes lightened.
  • Digestively speaking… I’ve always struggled with “regularity.”  That was all better by day 3 of the cleanse.
  • At the risk of TMI, I must warn you to beware of gas – all of those greens are potent.  It’s healthy, but others around you may not appreciate that. 😉
  • My daily exercise didn’t change, and there wasn’t any difference with the amount of effort I was able to exert.  In fact, I increased my weight toward then end of week 2.  Popeye was on to something!
  • Creatively this cleanse has been a win.  Tighter food parameters force you to think outside of the box, which has resulted in some of the best meals I’ve had in a while.
  • Weight loss was NOT my goal.  I maintained my weight throughout the cleanse.  Again, my eating habits didn’t drastically change and I made an effort to have an extra protein shake or chia pudding every day.  My cleanse buddy’s eating habits changed pretty drastically… she lost 10 lbs!!!  Congrats, my bestie!
  • Hunger was never a problem.  People were always asking “aren’t you starving?”  Nope.  You would be shocked how filling veggies can be.  I actually was forcing myself to eat more some days!  I also planned ahead (see tips below) to make sure I was never caught without a food option.

 

 

The most common question I’ve been asked is surrounding how time-consuming making all of this food is.  The short answer is that yes, it takes more time.

The longer answer is that it isn’t that hard if you PLAN.  I have a full-time job and am perpetually running late – I’m not someone who has hours to spend on cooking during the week.  My cleanse-buddy has a full-time job, a 7 month old baby, and a husband that travels all week.  If we can eat clean, you can too!

 

 

Here are some ways to make clean eating easier, whether you are cleansing or simply trying to eat better.

Preparation tips:

  • Bookmark/pin/note recipes you like and write down your weekly menu.  This way when you go to make your grocery list and/or prepare meals, you can do so quickly and not worry about scrounging through the fridge to see what you could throw together.
  • Reserve time to prepare food.  On Sunday nights I make a big pot of soup, roast veggies (squash, beets, eggplant, etc), pre-cook wild rice and/or lentils, and pre-cut veggies.
  • Always keep snacks on hand.  If you are anything like me, when you don’t have anything to eat you go into “panic” mode and have the urge to grab whatever is nearby.  Don’t let that happen!  Keep veggie sticks, fresh fruit, and other healthy snack items on hand so you never have to worry.
  • Don’t be afraid to get creative.  Creative doesn’t mean difficult (these roasted tomatoes looked impressive, but were incredibly easy), but it does mean you won’t get bored with your food and abandon clean eating.  There’s no need to eat a salad every meal.
  • Prepare extra food.  Leftovers make great work-bag lunches and are easy to grab when you end up getting home later than you intended.
  • Get a good blender.  Smoothies are fast and easy, especially in the morning as you’re rushing to get ready for work.  They are also an easy way to get extra protein by adding a scoop of a good (low-sugar) protein powder, and an extra serving of veggies add a cup of spinach (the only evidence is the color).  I love my Magic Bullet because it makes the drink right in the cup… I also love my new toy.

 

A HUGE bonus to the cleanse was cost savings.  My pre-cleanse spending habits cost me about $300 more each week than I spent on the cleanse.  That means I’ve saved $900 in 3 weeks.

My bad influence friend Kathleen suggested that I take that some of that money and use it on something to help me maintain a healthy lifestyle.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Aaaaaand that brings me to the new addition.

 

I got a VITAMIX!!! I’ve had it for 2 days and it has already changed my life.  They are pricy…. but I think it’s going to be worth every penny.

Saturday night I celebrated with Sweet Potato Ice Cream.

Vitamix > Magic Bullet

 

Sunday morning I celebrated with a thick Carrot-Mango-Ginger Smoothie.  I’ve never had such a smooth, delicious breakfast.  I’ll be adding ginger to everything I can now; it added a great zing without overshadowing the sweetness from the carrot and the mango.

Check out the recipe at the bottom of this post.  I’m dying of happiness.

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This week was a little ADD in terms of workouts.  I didn’t have a clear focus of what I wanted to do and have (once again) been slacking on cardio.  I find it really hard to do without being able to run!

I DID do my final BodyRock fit test.  Extreme soreness had me waiting a couple of days, and clearly I didn’t stick to the 30 days exactly.  Each move is done for 50 seconds, with a 10 second rest in between.  I didn’t really except to see much more progress… but I did make a little more!  Funny thing is that I’m getting worse at burpees.  I blame the push-ups leading in to them.

 

There were a couple of fun new workouts this week.  Atlanta Fitness Diva gym contacted me asking if I’d like to try a workout.  Of course I would!  That took place Thursday and kicked my butt.  Literally.  We focused on glutes and I am STILL sore.  They are a but pricey to join, but I really enjoyed the small-group circuits we did.

 

The other new addition was the GAINfitness app.  Cait @ Beyond Bananas posted about it last week.  This app will let you tell it time, equipment available, and what you want to focus on and then put together a workout for you.  All you do it hit “start” and it walks you through with a timer for rest periods!  Check out  Cait’s post for a more thorough explanation.

 

Workout Recap (2/20 – 2/26)

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Carrot-Mango-Ginger Smoothie

  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1/4 large mango
  • 1-in piece of fresh ginger
  • 1/2 C unsweetened coconut milk (or other liquid)
  • 1 tsp maca (optional)
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 capful vanilla extract
  • 6-7 drops liquid stevia
  • Ice, to taste (I used a LOT)

 

Place everything in blender and mix to combine.

Top as desired (I sprinkled some flax and cinnamon), and enjoy!

***

Sunday I was honored to make the FoodBuzz Top 9 for my Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes.  Thank you for the Buzz, and welcome new friends! 🙂

Also, it’s time for the February edition of Spicie Foodie’s Your Best Recipe.  Click the badge for more info on joining, and be sure to check back when recipes are posted on March 1st!

Do you have a Vitamix?  Please share recipes! 🙂

Do you have any tips for eating well?

 

Sesame Root Veggie Fries

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I can be really lame.

Saturday night I put the French station on Pandora and curled up in my PJs to finish my book for tonight’s book club,  The Sharper the Knife, The Less You Cry.  It’s my turn to host this week and I terrified everyone with promises of cleansing food.  A flurry of emails volunteering meat, desserts, and wine followed.  Whatever – I think my food is good!  😉

Anyhow… Saturday while reading I snacked on lavar and kombucha… and it was one of the most glorious nights ever.  Cheers to fermented tea, PJs, and being lame.

Here’s what I thought of the book:

The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking SchoolThe Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World’s Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun, easy read. The book is well-written; it isn’t going to be a classic, but if you love food you’ll enjoy it. It is an eye-opener for anyone who’s dreamed of going to Le Cordon Bleu. I don’t know that I could stomach some of the butchering they were required to do! The best part is that she includes recipes for some of her favorite dishes.

View all my reviews

That pretty much sums up my weekend.  I worked out with 2 friends on Saturday morning (2 separate workouts – I was gassed!).  The second work out was followed up with this Butternut-Cherry Bomb protein shake… I made one for my “normal” eating workout buddy too and she loved it despite its color!!!  It kind of made my day.

Other than that it was an anti-social, errand-running weekend.  Perfectly punctuated with fries.  Surprise, I got a little too excited over dinner.

These baked Sesame Root Veggie Fries were better than the real thing to me!  Disclaimer: I don’t actually like white potatoes.

The seasoning I came up with is one I’ll be repeating in other dishes – the sweet coconut oil combined with the nutty sesame seeds, a little cayenne heat, and a touch of cinnamon made my taste buds jump for joy.  It was like some Thai-fry-fusion gloriousness.

Served with a side of dijon-spiked lentils.

I loved the parsnips.  They were the most french fry-like of the mix, and their milder taste lets the seasoning shine.

The beets didn’t wow me.  They weren’t bad, but their flavor overpowered the rub.

You know it’s good when the decision about which piece to save for the last bite is a tough one.  The sweet potato ended up being the last bite – that added sweetness from the potato made it seem almost like dessert.

Recipe at bottom of post.

This week was killer for weights.  I’m still “meh” on the cardio… I attempted to run again on Friday and had to give it up after 1.25 miles due to the pain.  Saturday I was able to tag along with a friend to a spin class.  It was awesome! Such a different workout for me.  A different workout that meant I was so sore Sunday I didn’t do my final BodyRock fit test.  That’s going to happen over a lunch workout today – I can’t wait to see the progress, and to start the February challenge!

I also checked out a new workout in this month’s Food & Wine.  This is a routine I could get into.  Who’s with me? 🙂

Workout Recap (2/13 – 2/19)

Sesame Root Veggie Fries

Inspired by YumUniverse

  • 1 medium beet
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 parsnip
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1/2 – 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp liquid coconut oil
  • S+P, to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place sesame seeds, cayenne, and cinnamon into a small food processor (I use my Magic Bullet) and blend until seeds are broken into tiny pieces (~20 secs).

Slice veggies into thin slices and spread evenly across a foil-lined baking sheet.  Pour melted coconut oil over the veggies, sprinkle seed mixture over it, and toss until evenly combined.

Bake for 30-45 mins, tossing once halfway through.

Enjoy!

***

Sunday I was honored to make the FoodBuzz Top 9 for my Butternut Thyme Hummus.  Thanks for the Buzz, friends! 🙂

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Is anyone else in a book club?  What is the last book you read?

Work it Out: Legs, Glutes, and Core

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It’s no secret that I love weights.

I’ve been doing a lot of great workouts, but have been slacking on sharing them with you all.  I promise to do better!

To start, I want to share a Leg/Glute/Core routine I wrote last weekend.

Before you get started with any workout, do at least do 5-10 mins of light cardio to warm up.  This is especially important if you workout first thing in the morning before your muscles have a chance to loosen up.  It will go a long way in injury prevention!  It can be anything from a jog to jumping jacks.

Since I did this first thing, I completed 20 mins of intervals on the elliptical.  It was enough to get my heart rate up, loosen my muscles, and get me in the right mindset to tackle this workout.

Throughout this workout, concentrate on keeping your core tight, as if you are bracing to be punched in the stomach. This way you are protecting your back and getting some extra core work!

The Workout: Legs, Glutes, and Core

1. Goblet Squat

Source: fitbit.msn.com

Hold a dumbbell (or kettleball) to your chest, with your elbows pointed to the floor as pictured.  Do a squat, lowering your butt as close to the ground as possible.  Take care to ensure your knees stay over the center of your feet and your weight stays on your heels.

Pause, then return to the start position.  Repeat 8-10 times for 4 sets, taking a short rest (30-60 secs) in between sets.

2. Elevated Back Foot Weighted Split Squat

Source: www.citygeisha.com

Holding a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length.*  Stand in a staggered stance, with your back foot on a bench (the higher your foot is, the harder the exercise).  Slowly lower your body as far as you can into a lunge squat.  Pause for a second, then return to start position.  Repeat 10-12 time for each leg, 2 sets each.

*If you are just starting out, try this move without weight first!

3. Single Leg Standing Calf Raise w/ Dumbbell

Source: menshealth.com

Stand on a step, or weight plate.  Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and cross your left foot behind your right ankle.  Your right heel will be hanging off a step or on the floor.  Lift that heel as high as you can. Pause for 2 seconds, then lower and repeat.  Do as many reps as you can with your right leg.

Transfer the dumbbell to your left hand, switch feet, and do the same number with your left.

4. Single Leg Bent Knee Calf Raise

Complete this exercise like the one above; however, do so with your knee bent as pictured above.  Hold it that way throughout the exercise.

Do as many reps as you can with your right leg, then repeat with the left.

5. Single Leg Donkey Calf Raise

Source: healthxwellness.com

Place both hands on a wall or bar for support.  Bend over at your hips so that your upper body is parallel with the floor.  Be sure not to round your back!

Do as many reps as you can with your right leg, then repeat with the left.

6. Single Leg Hip Raise w/ Swiss Ball

Source: menshealth.com

Laying on your back, place your left heel on a Swiss ball and hold your right leg in the air.*  Engage your glutes and push your hips upward until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees (like in the middle pic above).  Keep your core TIGHT!

Roll the ball toward your arse, bending your left knee and pulling the ball with your heel.  Return to the starting position, and repeat 12-15 times.  Switch and repeat with left leg in the air.  Complete 2 sets with each leg.

*If you’re just beginning, do this exercise with both feet on the Swiss-ball, or try it using a bench.

7. Plank

Source: www.mybodymyway.com

Planking is the single most effective this you can do for your abs – better than crunches!!!

With your elbows bent and weight resting on forearms, tighten your core and lift your butt so that your body forms a straight line from shoulders to ankles.  Be sure not to let your hips sag, and that your elbows are directly under your shoulders.

Hold for 60 seconds, rest for 30, and repeat.*

*Too hard?  Hold it for 30 seconds.  Too easy?  Try it with your feet elevated on a bench.

8. Swiss Ball Jack Knife

Begin in a push-up position with your toes on a Swiss ball and your arms in push-up position.  Keeping your legs straight, raise your butt toward the ceiling while pulling the ball toward your chest with your feet.  Take care not to round your back.  Pause for 1-2 seconds, and lower your hips to roll back to the start position.

Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

9. Single Leg Side Plank w/ Knee Tuck

Source: oprah.com

Lie on your left side and position your body in a side plank, with your legs straight and your weight resting on your left forearm.  Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles.  Be sure to keep your elbow under your shoulder!

Place your right hand on your hip.  Lift your bottom leg so that your foot is next to the inside of your right knee.*  Be sure to keep your core tight without rounding your lower back.

Hold for 30-60 seconds, then repeat on the other side.  Complete 2 sets on each side.

*Too hard?  Keep both feet on the floor.

This whole routine (minus the warm up) took me about 30 minutes.

Printable version you can take to the gym: 

Don’t forget your 20g of post-workout protein to aid in recovery and muscle building!*

*No, it won’t result in you looking like She-Man.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?

I offer personalized online training and nutrition programs!  Check out my philosophy here and fill out the from for more info.

Also, check out my free Macro Calculator, which helps time your meals to get the most out of your workouts!

***

I am not a trainer.  I am not a certified anything.  Don’t sue me if you hurt yourself, don’t like the workout, or fail to magically have a Kardashian ass after doing this.  I don’t have any money anyway.

What is your favorite body part to work?

Where do you get motivation to work on your fitness?  Fergie?

High 5 for Monday

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So many new things to talk about!

 

This weekend has been the most low key I’ve had in a while, but it was much needed.  I hit the ultimate level of productivity: not only did I wash the sheets, but I also washed the mattress cover and flipped the mattress.  Be honest: when was the last time you washed you mattress cover?

 

As much as I know you all are riveted by my cleaning accomplishments, here are 5 other announcements that might be more interesting to you (I know my mattress is riveting).

 

1. I am excited to announce that I am a Recipe Guru @ Around the Plate.

You can just call me “Guru” if you wish. 😉

There’s a new button on my side bar for easy access to the site.  If you click on it, go to “thePlate Community” tab and click on Recipe Gurus.  I’m the second from the bottom.

I am excited about the chance to share fun food ideas with more people… and the added motivation to keep it clean. 🙂

 

2. My Recipage is live!

This is really exciting because it will be MUCH easier to search recipes, ingredients, etc on Sprint 2 the Table.  I’m done with Breakfasts and Mains.  All new recipes will be added on Recipage from now on.  Check it out on the top menu bar!

It’s a slow process, but I thought I’d go ahead and unveil it… which will force me to speed it up. 😉

 

 

3. The Blend Retreat is May 4-6th in Boulder, CO.

 

Blend was named from the combo of two things: Blogger + Friend = Blend!  It’s designed to be “relaxed, laid back retreat for healthy living, food and fitness bloggers across North America!!  Instead of focusing on seminars and speakers, the focus will be on FELLOWSHIP and having a weekend away to get to know one another in real life!”

I’m going and you should too!  Tickets are just $75 and there are some great sponsors and activities planned (dinners, hikes, bootcamp class, etc).  Seriously – for this price I was shocked to see how much is included.  Click here for the schedule and here for the list of attendees.

 

4. The dinner with my cleanse buddies was a win.

 

We had so much fun.  One friend brought a delicious avocado-red pepper soup and the other brought an awesome fruit blend covered in cinnamon for dessert.

I brought back another old cleanse recipe – Mamma’s Italian Stir-Fry.  It was just as good the second time around!  This is a great recipe for using what you have.  I used portobello mushrooms rather than shiitake, used 1 huge eggplant, added a red pepper, and tossed in some apple cider vinegar and ground oregano.

 

We ate dinner (sans wine for the first time ever), enjoyed fruit for dessert out of martini glasses, talked about the random smoothies we’ve been making (no one likes what blueberries do texture-wise when blended), and then enjoyed a rousing game of Clue.  Old school and awesome.  Until I lost.

 

5. I ate some ugli.

Ugli fruit, that is.  Have you guys ever seen these?  They are indeed ugly on the outside, but taste like an orange-y grapefruit.  Not quite as sweet as an orange, but it lacked the bitterness of a grapefruit.  I loved it as part of my breakfast!

 

According to Wikipedia, the Ugli fruit was discovered growing in the wild and is a hybrid of a grapefruit, orange, and tangerine.

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This week was a good one for weights… a little lacking on cardio.  I get to try running again on Wednesday and I think my body know that and is subsequently rebelling against the elliptical.  I hate that thing!

Most exciting is my BodyRock progress.  This week’s first video included a progress check – we were to re-do the fit test from Day 1.  I honestly didn’t think I’d improve that much.  For 50 seconds you do as many of each exercise below, take 10 seconds of rest, and then move on to the the next.

 

Apparently I wasn’t feeling the burpees (I was really sore… also, I hate them), but I was really blown away at the improvement in tuck jumps!  All of this without buying any of their equipment.  It can be done with free weights and a bench (or couch).

I can’t wait to see what the final 2 weeks of the BodyRock 30 Day Challenge brings!

 

Workout Recap (2/6 – 2/12)

***

Added benefit of the cleanse: I spent about $350 less this week than I normally do.  Holy cost savings.

What did you do this weekend?

Did it suddenly become arctic where you live?  I actually saw snow flurries!

 

Guilty as Charged

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Are you a Foodie?

 

Watch Shit Foodies Say for help deciding:

 

If I’m guilty of saying nearly everything in that video… am I a Foodie?

Just please tell me I’m not intolerable… 🙂

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Speaking of foodies… we had an Atlanta Blogger Potluck on Saturday night.

It was awesome to get to try the food from the people whose posts make my stomach growl.

Photo Courtesy Lee @ inmytummy.com

 

In attendance: Emily (former blogger), Tina, Stacy, Carol, Traci, Laura (another former blogger), Alayna, and me.

 

Lee was the photog… and was also nice enough to offer up her house to us, which was fantastic because we could all sit around a coffee table and talk.  It’s hard to have a group conversation in noisy restaurants at long tables!

 

 

The food was delicious, as you might imagine.

 

At our table:

  • Sweet Potato Tot Casserole from Stacy (Mama Pea recipe!)
  • Greek salad from Tina
  • Japanese Sweet Potato Casserole from Alanya (which is going to be in her cookbook!)
  • Broccoli Salad from Carol
  • Spinach Balls from Laura
  • Spinach and Artichoke Dip from Lee
  • Olive tapenade on toasts from Traci *I think*
  • Brie and apples on water crackers from Emily *I think*
  • My Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
  • My Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
  • Nutella Sandwich Cookies from Laura *I think*
  • Carrot cake from Alanya

 

My plate didn’t have an inch of room to spare…

 

 

And you better believe I cleaned my dessert plate too!

 

 

We sat around talking and eating for 4 hours!  Topic ranged from running to general gossip to horror stories.  Seriously – do NOT ever see the Human Centipede.

As you might imagine, it was all amazing and I left Lee’s house smiling and stuffed.

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Now that the gluttony portion of this post is complete… it’s time for the workout recap.

The Dr. said to take 2 weeks off of running and focus on correcting the balance or strength between my hamstrings and quads, so I’ve been good.  Today’s 70 degree Southern California-esque weather made me miss running a lot, but I did get out for a good walk.  And a treat.

 

 

Workout Recap (1/30 – 2/5)

***

Three exciting things to cover:

  1. Thanks to all for the “Buzz.”  I made the FoodBuzz twice this weekend!!!  Check it out here and here. 
  2. I actually wrote a weekend post in honor of the #ChocolateLove Bloghop.  Check out my Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies here and link up your favorite chocolate recipe.
  3. Stay tuned for an AWESOME giveaway tomorrow!!!


What did you think of the Super Bowl?  (By Super Bowl I mean Madonna’s rockin’ performance.)

 

If you could have a dream-blogger potluck, who are a couple of bloggers you would invite?

 

Underground Eating

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Atlanta is the place to be if you like to eat in secret locations.

It seems like there is an event every weekend!  

This Sunday was the first brunch edition of the Atlanta Underground Market.  The previous markets have been in the evening and didn’t have themes.  Brunch was fun because it forced the vendors to try something new… and who doesn’t love brunch?  I met Lee, Felix, and Heather there for a gut-busting good time. 🙂

Dr. Sweets Cake Emporium was serving up mini, gluten-free pancakes.  They were ok, but the sauce is what got me excited.  Apple-Jalapeno Jelly and Raspberry-Lime Jelly.  I could have eaten the raspberry by the spoonful.

Next up was a Bloody “Maria” Cupcake from S’More Cupcakes.  Whoa.  The mini cupcake included tomato juice, clam juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, fresh horseradish, and Silver Patron tequila, and was topped with cream cheese, celery, and a cherry tomato.  A risky dish, this turned out to be everything I hoped it and more.

Ciao Bocca offered a Zucchini Frittata with tomatoes, arugula, and fresh mozzarella was a tasty bite.  I was impressed that the quality of the mozzarella!

One of my favorite items was a Margarita Cookie from Cookie Underground.  We also tried the Mimosa and Strawberry Margarita cookies.  All fantastic.  I took a couple of Chocolate Sweet Potato cookie thins to go. 🙂  Vegetable in cookies, FTW.

The runaway hit was Arepa Mia.  We waited in line for a solid 45 minutes to get the most incredible arepa I’ve ever had.  Today’s was eggplant, black beans, collards, and butternut squash.  It was supposed to have a fried egg (for brunch), but they ran out.  I was a little sad… however this didn’t stop me from scarfing my arepa down in record-time.

This next item I have to introduce by assuring you that I did NOT try them.  “Dad’s Nads” were cleverly named testicles by The Original Yay Yay.  As much as I talk about balls on this blog, these were no-go-nads for me!

All of that food makes me glad I had a good week of workouts!

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My modified to cardio-a-day / Mile-a-Day Challenge has been a success!  Two more days and I will have completed it with only a couple of missed days.  Sometimes you just need to rest though. 🙂

I’m officially addicted to shorter workouts – between Body Rock and Pinterest workouts, there is no excuse not to move for at least 15 mins every day.  This week I did this Pinterest find 2x through:

Workout Recap (1/23 – 1/29)

***

Busy weekends are lots of fun… but they sure go by FAST.

Would you have tried Dad’s Nads?

What was the best part about your weekend?

Greek Protein Mess

By

By Friday of last week I had to force myself out the door for a workout.  

 

 

I say forced because I am determined to do cardio everyday and I just wasn’t feeling it.  Not being able to run is dragging me down… 30 mins on the elliptical (or any machine) is not my idea of fun.  My ADD and I need scenery!  I tried to push it this week with running… every time the pain becomes excruciating at 0.8 miles.

 

 

Anyway, Friday I stayed on the elliptical by promising myself that if I was really miserable I could stop after 10 min… then 20 mins.  This works really well for me – by the time I get to those marks, I tell myself “10 more mins isn’t going to KILL you.”

30 looooong minutes later, I did 45 mins of Back/Biceps.  I coaxed myself through some heavier weights with thoughts of breakfast. #fatkid

 

Specifically the Greek Protein Mess waiting in my fridge.  I wish I’d heated it so I could call it a hot mess.

 

 

Have you guys seen the Wallaby Greek Yogurt?  I found it a Whole Paycheck Foods last week and fell in love.  This is the creamiest, most flavorful Greek I’ve tried (that’s what she said)!  17g of protein and just 4 g of sugar, its my dream yogurt.

 

With the last of the container I was hoarding, I made a post-workout protein-filled mess.  Mess because it was a total hodge podge… and I had the shakes (sure sign of a good gym session) so bad that I spilled the protein powder and the cinnamon and then sloshed the chocolate milk out of my bowl.

This is one mess I plan to make  again!  Recipe following the recap.

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So… yeah.  My knee.  I’m frustrated.  It better not ruin my plans to run the Nashville Rock ‘N Roll Half in April!  I’ve been really good about getting cardio in with the elliptical and the stationary bike.  The Mile-a-Day Challenge has been just the motivation I need.

I’ve also been loving Body Rock.  The hotel I stayed in last week had a terrible gym, but Body Rock saved the day.  The 30 Day Challenge is no joke!  Especially the Sean’s part of the Day 3 workout.  Holy quad burn, Batman.

 

 

 

Workout Recap (1/16 – 1/22)

  • Monday – 100 push-ups
  • Tuesday – Body Rock Day 2, 1 mile run, Shoulders, 100 push-ups
  • Wednesday – This Body Rock, 1 mile run, Ab Ripper X
  • Thursday – Body Rock Day 3, Stationary bike (intervals)
  • Friday – Bis/Back, Elliptical (intervals)
  • Saturday – Body Rock Day 4, 1 mile run, 20 spiderman push-ups
  • Sunday – 1/2 mile run (knee gave up), Tris/Chest, Ab work*, 100 push-ups

*Sunday’s ab work was basic but good – if you ever need a quickie just try doing 100 reps of your favorite ab exercises.  I did 100 sit-ups on the exercise ball, 100 bicycle abs, and 100 baby crunches.  Then I did Hayley’s 6 minute plank rotation.

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Greek Protein Mess

  • 1/2 C plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 2 tsp peanut flour
  • 1 tsp maca 
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 5-6 drops NuNaturals Liquid Coca Stevia
  • Apple

 

Mix everything (except the apple) in a bowl and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.  Remove and stir, adding more milk if necessary.

Top with diced apple, or other fruit of choice.

Refuel yourself!

***

This weekend I completed a fun art project (and I’m NOT artsy like my aunt).  Can’t wait to share with you tomorrow!!!

Do you like doing cardio on machines?  How do you get through it?

Some of you said last week you were doing/wanted to do  Body Rock.  How do you like it so far?

 

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