Crack & Oaties

Sounds pleasant, no?  Trust me when I say that it’s more than pleasant.. it’s deeeelicious!

This weekend, while we finally got a break from temps in the 40′s, also brought rain.  Lots of it.  In accordance, I divided my time between the gym and the kitchen.  I whipped my leg muscles into shape, then whipped up some new things for our neighbor’s Christmas goodie plates.

Today’s workout left me very wobbly.  At this fabulous placecardio equipment is on the first floor, but the weight machines and free weights are on the 2nd.  I nearly lost my footing going downstairs after this session:

	Weight	Sets	Reps
Leg Press	90#	1	15
	180#	2	10
(Superset) Walking Lunges	20#	3	15/leg
(Superset) Standing Calf Raise	25#	3	15/leg
Smith-Machine Deadlift	70#	1	15
	80#	2	10
(Superset) Plie Squat	45#	3	20
Standing Calf Raise Machine	180#	3	12
(Superset) Walking Lunges	20#	3	15/leg
Seated Reverse Leg Curl	70#	1	15
	80#	1	12
	90#	1	10
(Superset) Jump Squats	Body	3	10

 

Followed it up with 3 rounds of my favorite glute workout, courtesy of Oxygen Mag.  I repeat this circuit 3 times and do 15 reps/leg.

1. Standing Rear Leg Raise
2. Prone Leg Raise
3. Lying Jacknife
4. Donkey Kick

I sandwiched the whole weight-traning session with 15 minutes of V-Stride and 15 minutes of elliptical.  I am officially pooped!  Kitchen recovery time was essential..and oh so worth it to my tummy!

Chocolate Toffee Cracker Crunch

(recipe modified from this version)

3/4 (about 16 crackers) package of Wasa Light Rye Crispbread

1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 C light brown sugar

2 C semisweet chocolate chips

Optional toppings (nuts, sprinkles, candies, dried fruit)

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place crispbread in a single layer on sheet.  Break crackers as necessary to fill your pan.  In a medium saucepan, melt butter and sugar.  Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes (until toffee begins to pull from the sides of the pan).  Immediately pour mixture over crackers and spread evenly. Place sheet in oven and immediately turn temperature down to 350 degrees.  Bake 15 minutes or until topping has bubbled and turned golden brown.  Remove from oven.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over toffee and let sit for about 5 minutes.  Spread chips evenly with non-stick spatula.  Sprinkle with optional toppings ( I used walnut pieces).  Refrigerate until set, about 3o minutes.  Break into pieces and serve.

 

Chocolate Toffee Crunch

 Seeing as this isn’t the most healthy recipe, I had to make a little something for myself!  Enter these babies

 Jammin’ Oaties

1 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour

2 C rolled oats

 3/4 C unpacked brown sugar

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 C sugar-free preserves (any flavor, but I used apricot)

1/4 C water

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 C unpacked raisins

 

In large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and cinnamon. 

Dry ingredients

Add preserves, water and vanilla and mix well. 

Wet ingredients

Fold in raisins.

Drop by rounded teaspoons full onto greased baking sheet or silpat.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.  

Jammin' Oaties

 I just knew that, because of their nutritional value, that Steve would hate them.  He not only ate one, he came back for more!  This made 60 cookies in all.  They have great stats too, as calculated by sparkrecipes.  35 calories, 0 g fat, 8 g carbs, 1 g protein, 4 g sugar, 1 g fiber, 0 cholesterol and 17 mg sodium (Those are rounded values – check the website for actual values).  It made for a good balance of healthy and not-so-healthy treats in the kitchen, and good practice for our holiday goodie plates.  I am definitely looking forward to my annual baking day with Mom now!

What’s your favorite thing to bake for the holidays?

Back to the norm

My tummy has been all out of sorts for the past few days, courtesy of bad food or a stomach bug.  Either way, it finally loosened its grip and let me have my life back, starting with an awesome cardio/upper body morning at the gym. 

• 30 minute elliptical with intervals 

	Weight	Sets	Reps
Chest Flye	75#	1	15
	90#	1	8
	90/75/60# drop	1	4; 5; 3
5 stair runs
Straight-Arm Pulldown	50#	1	12
	60#	1	10
	65#	1	8
5 stair runs
Tricep Pressdown	60#	1	15
	70#	1	12
	80#	1	12
5 stair runs
Dumbbell Concentration Curl	12#	1	15/arm
	15#	2	8/arm
30 seconds jacks
30 seconds high knees
Single-Arm Overhead Press	15#	2	10/arm
Kettlebell Swings	15#	3	20

• 10 minute cooldown on the elliptical

900 calories in 75 minutes.. not too shabby! 

I really enjoyed my bowl of apple-cinnamon custard oats after this, but it feels almost inappropriate today as it is supposed to be 73 degrees.  On November 23rd… 73 degrees.  I’m not sure our trees, dressed for Fall, will know what’s going on!

I was on a roll this morning and decided to throw together another batch of White and Dark Chocolate Berry Bark using this recipe.  This time, I threw some Multi-Grain Cheerios on top:

The swirl is a bit better.  Practice makes perfect, I suppose!  My mom has already insisted that we make this for our Christmas plates.  It’s so easy to make huge batches for giving as gifts and it’s extremely affordable!

I’ve got another few hours to kill before work and with this much energy, I think I’ll use it to do some cleaning… or dog-walking.  With the latter, I can enjoy this beautiful day before it drops to the low 50′s on Thursday.  I think Maggie will appreciate if I choose the latter.  She clearly needs to get some motivation and some energy of her own!

 

What things do you try to tackle when you’re full of energy?

On a side note, check out my Steaz bottlecap from this morning’s sparkling raspberry green tea.  Yup, I sure am!  Who wouldn’t be with Thanksgiving 2 days away?!

DOMS IOMS

I had a KILLER leg workout yesterday morning and I was expecting some serious DOMS.  Yes, I was expecting DELAYED onset muscle soreness when I woke up today.  Imagine my surprise when 12 hours post-workout, I could barely squat down to feed the cats.

 ”Feed me or feel my wrath!”  I can’t deny my boys their food, so squat I must!

Here’s what I had going on yesterday morning:

Circuit 1 repeated 3 times
Leg Extension	75#	12 reps
	80#	10 reps
	90#	10 reps
Lunges with Plates (the weighted, not-for-eating kind)	25# plate	2×12/leg
	35# plate	1x 12/leg
Single-Leg Calf Raise with Plates	25# plate	2×12/leg
	35# plate	1×12/leg
Circuit 2 repeated 3 times
Leg Press	90#	15 reps
	115#	15 reps
	140#	12 reps
Kneeling Leg Curl	25#	3×10/leg
Standing Calf Raise	160#	15 reps
	180#	15 reps
	200#	12 reps
Circuit 3 repeated 3 times
Smith Machine Barbell Squat	50#	3×10 reps
Stiff-Leg Deadlift	70#	3×10 reps
Incline Calf Press	180#	15 reps
	225#	15 reps
	270#	12 reps

I sandwiched this strength routine with 15 minutes of elliptical (following the Body for Life exertion pattern) and 10 minutes of V-stride.  It was glorious!

The soreness, however?  Not so glorious.  12 hours post-work.  Tonight, I can barely move!  I know a bubble bath is in order for me – a long, very warm bubble bath.  Thank you BFL for allowing me to feel my workouts.  Seriously, I love the pain, because it is something I have not experienced in a while which basically means I had stopped pushing myself.

The post-workout eats today, I gotta say, made me more excited than a cooked meal.  I stopped by the Harris Teeter salad bar for a delicious mix.

Colorful and delicious-looking, no?  There’s no way I can down 5 eggs.  I’m an egg white only type of girl.  Something about powdery egg yolks.. ick!!  My belly was happy, but probably not quite as happy as these guys!  Food-induced nap?  I think so!

 

What type of workout has given you the most painful DOMS?  I love new routines, ya’ll!

How do you feel about hard-boiled egg yolks?  I’ll take them mixed with some relish, yogurt and paprika a la deviled eggs, but other than that.. fuhgeddaboutit!

Berry Season

One of my favorite things about the oncoming heat?  The freshest berries imaginable!  We had some epic rain this past winter and the fields, according to the experts, are producing the best berries yet! 

It was a perfect 85-degree day and Brookdale Farm was calling out loudly to Momma & I.  Usually, it takes a good hour or so to pick 4 or 5 large buckets of berries.  Today, we were fully stocked in 30 minutes.  Check out my take!

Purty, no?  I am already searching for fabulous strawberry recipes.  Got any suggestions?  After breakfast, Momma & I met up with Omah for a post-election day catch-up breakfast.  There’s a place near us called Pop’s Diner which serves amazing breakfasts and has wonderful service.  I downed 4 egg whites and a fruit plate and it was oh so tasty.  My body needed some protein in a bad way..

Why, praytell?  Before berries and breakfast, I made it to the gym (by 5:30 am, no less) and got in a killer cardio/back & bi workout:

Elliptical	30 minutes
Back & Bi’s
Close-Grip Lat Pulldown superset with	50#	1 x 12
	70#	2 x 10
Cable Bicep Curl	50#	1 x 12
	60#	2 x 10
1-Arm Kneeling Row super set with	30#	3 x 10
Concentration DB Curl	15#	3 x 10/arm
Exercise Ball Back Extension		3 x 10

I’m really loving this time off!  I debated heading back for a 2nd round at the gym, but my ankle is throbbing a bit from yesterday’s Arc Trainer mishap and I decided to rest it tonight in preparation for tomorrow’s shoulder and leg session.  I have written out a doozy!  Good thing I have the Wakeup Call Challenge to get me going.  Who needs coffee?!

Time off is also giving me opportunity to make some seriously good dinners like a taco celebration with hubby -

I had leftovers to use up as well, so tonight I concocted a Morningstar Grillers/Veggie/Shirataki mash up (like a complex, exciting Glee mash up for the tummy).  Feast your eyes -

Yummy, but it still left room for an evening snack.  And since it’s 9:40, I better hustle!  Til tomorrow…

Motivation

I read a recent post by Gina about utilizing an emotion to fuel your workouts.  For Gina and one of her readers, anger is sometimes used. 

This past year, I took part in far more “angry gym sessions” than I care to count.  I had been so angry about the loss of many family members (both 2 and 4-legged) and friends, my cancer diagnosis and my inability to find a job that I was happy with and felt truly needed in.  Mixed with the anger, I held in confusion and sadness.  It seemed the only thing that I could control was my gym sessions and the progress that I made.  It definitely worked and it gave me an outlet to release some of the tension.

This morning, I was motivated by something new – relief.  Relief led me to a “2-a-Day” and it felt oh so gooooood

Workout 1: 5:30 am

Warm Up
Arc Trainer	15 minutes
Stairmill	15 minutes – alt. 2 mins. single step/2 mins. double step
Chest & Tri’s
DB Chest Press	20# DBs – 3 x 12 superset with
DB OH extension	20# DB – 3 x 10
	30 seconds plyo between sets
Seated Flye	45# – 1 x 15; 55# – 1 x 12; 60# – 1 x 10 superset with
Bent-over Tri Extension	10# – 3 x 10/arm
	30 seconds plyo between sets
Seated Incline Press	40# – 3 x 10
Tricep Cable Pressdown	35# – Elbows out 3 x 8 + Elbows in 3 x 5
Glute Circuit
Standing Rear Leg Raise	2 x 15/leg
Supine Exercise Ball Jacknife	2 x 15
Lying Rear Leg Raise	2 x 15/leg
Abs
Crunch	2 x 15
Weighted Standing Oblique	20# Med Ball 2 x 10/side
Cooldown
Elliptical	15 minutes

Workout 2: 3:30 pm

Elliptical	30 minutes
Back
Reverse Grip Bent-Over DB Row	50# 2 x 15
	70# 2 x 10
Seated Row (holy poo this machine was hard!)	42.5# 3 x 10
Seated Reverse Flye (drop sets)	45# 1 x 15
	60# 2 x 5; 45# 2 x 5

What kind of relief would lead to these 2 sensational workouts, you might ask?  Ch-ch-ch-changes!  I said a hearty “farewell” to my job!  No more late night hours.  No more boredom at the front desk.  No more annoying member questions.  No more hypocrites (in that venue, anyway).  Good riddance!  Happy Heidi!

There’s one slight downside – I haven’t actually gotten that laboratory job that I interviewed for, but I’m waiting for news and still cautiously optimistic.  On the other hand, I am devoting more of my hours to my Event Staff job, have gotten a call from a new pet-sitting client and am otherwise back to the career hunt!  Odds are, if I don’t get this job, I will quickly grow bored but, right now, nothing can surpass this feeling of elation!  Not even gym-related injuries (Warning: pictures of feet ahead!)

See that icky red welt on the ankle?  Arc trainers bite – Hard! I had finished my 15-minutes this morning and had stepped down to grab the equipment cleaner.  Well, the pedals return to a neutral position by themselves.  This is a fact that wasn’t unfamiliar to me, I just wasn’t paying any attention and WHACK!  Took it right in the ankle.  I am prepared for a nasty bruise to accompany the welt since, 12 hours later, it’s still bright red.  Owwie!

Injuries aside, I feel amazing and relieved (did I say that already?).  Work-related anxiety is gone!  Celebrations continue tonight with tacos and, hopefully, tomorrow I will celebrate by picking berries with Mom! 

What emotions do you use the most during your workouts?

Spring has returned!

We have had some amazing weather over the past few days, so I have been trying to avoid my computer and embrace it as much as possible recently.  After some odd snow days and unbearable cold temperatures, we earned the sunshine!  Unfortunately, the avoidance of the computer was more due to the full schedules over the past few days as opposed to the weather.  Sad, huh?

Friday was a very long work day, but it was preceded by a great cardio session, some fabulous meals and a sweet shopping trip.  When I hit the gym in the am, I did 25 minutes on the elliptical, ran 2 miles on the treadmill and finished with another 15 minutes on the crosstraining elliptical.  My legs spent the rest of the weekend yelling at me for this workout! 

Check out the good eats (although, they don’t look so purty..)

 

1/2 C rolled oats, 4 egg whites, 5 drops of stevia and some defrosted Trader Joe’s strawberries.  Heaven!

Lunch was also yummy, but far less photogenic.

2/3 C of Morningstar Sausage Style Crumbles + 4 egg whites + 1/2 C frozen spinach.  It looks like the remnants of a meal, but it was so tasty!

That shopping trip resulted in new goodies for my pantry -

A new blender bottle was desperately needed.  I finally found some Nutritional Yeast (aka “nooch” – stay tuned for fabulous recipes to result).  And I splurged on the liquid Stevia.  Let’s face it – I’m sick of opening individual packets and find the amount of paper that I throw away from them to be wasteful.  The liquid is so easy to mix into ANYTHING.  Sometimes, when I use the powdered form in oatmeal, it forms incredibly sweet, icky clumps. They are not fun to bite into!

I started Saturday with a very long class and ended with a CPR and AED certification. Sweet!  I don’t think the man that I rescued will be able to tell you how awesome my skills were, but trust me, I rocked it and am now certified for 2 years!

I was hoping that when we attached the AED and it provided the shock, he might do a little dance, but no luck.  Perhaps the rubber body..

When I returned Saturday, my new furniture had arrived and Steve was very hard at work assembling the tables.  He did a great job and we are both so happy with how cozy our living room is now!

It would have been so much better if we had it for the super cold winter and the times when our heater was broken, but I’ll take it now!  It warms up the wood floors.  Next upgrade?  Tall plants and a throw rug! Hubby & I soaked up some time on the new couches and headed to dinner at our fave Mexican joint, Plaza Azteca.  I had a yummy Azteca salad – lettuce, sauteed mushrooms and onions, chicken and shrimp.  I had just a couple of chips and their delicious salsa.

Sunday was an incredibly full day that started with an early call time at work and another morning full of cheerleaders and their moms.  After work, we relocated our old furniture to it’s new storage place at Omah’s garage and I hit the gym for an AMAZING upper body circuit that kicked my butt.  I had picked up the new Muscle and Fitness Hers mag and it had a bikini body, 4-week workout plan. 

I got through 3 circuits after a 15-minute elliptical warmup.  Each exercise was performed for 15-20 reps with no rest until after the 5-minute cardio.

1. Barbell Chest Press (30# + bar)
2. Dumbbell Overhead Press (15# DB’s)
3. Bent-over Dumbbell Row (20# DB’s)
4. Dumbbell Bicep Curl (10# DB’s)
5. Lying Tricep Extension (12# DB’s)
6. Exercise Ball Crunch (to failure)
7. Reverse Crunch on Bench (to failure)
8. Exercise Ball Bridge (to failure
9. 5 minutes of treadmill running

3 rounds of this and I was pooped.  It was a very easy circuit to complete in one area of the gym, so I could keep my rest time minimal between exercises.  I plan to keep up with the 4-week routine and see where it goes.

Sunday night was GIRL’S NIGHT with a few of my favorite girls from dance.  We hit up Cheesecake Factory – a restaurant notorious for huge meals and insane calorie counts.  I ordered the Weight Management (yes, they actually call it that..) Asian Chicken Salad with no crunchy noodles or nuts.  I was so engaged in chatting that I forgot to take a pic, but it looked a bit like this:

(source)  I absolutely loved it!  After dinner, we walked to a gelato shop called Melt and indulged our sweet tooth.  We were not about to eat one of those ridiculous cheesecakes!  As soon as I walked into Melt, I was in love.  It’s a very open space that looks really great for having some ice cream or a coffee and catching up with old friends.  (It was a bit too nice outside so we walked).  The trays of different gelatos were stunning!  Most had delicious toppings like chopped up PB cups, lady fingers (Tiramisu), coconut shreds, chocolate chips and fresh fruits.  I was feeling like playing safe so I got a mix of raspberry and mango sorbetto.  The raspberry was a bit tart so the sweetness of the mango balanced it perfectly.  Their menu also boasts paninis, coffee concoctions and both sweet and savory crepes.  I will definitely be returning!  I haven’t tried a savory crepe so I am intrigued.  My sorbetto mix was halfway gone before I remembered my camera!

 

This certainly made for a perfectly sweet end to an amazing weekend.  I’m hyped up for the week – I leave tomorrow for a 2-day orientation for a NEW JOB in Fredericksburg.  I’d share more details, but its top secret.  No, seriously.. it’s a Department of Defense position that will require travel, but I am so eager to dive in!  Both of my parents are retired civil service employees and my mom worked for the DoD, so I am excited to start working for an organization that treated them both so well. 

Tomorrow’s agenda includes much packing and grocery shopping for healthy, hotel room eats!  Luckily, the hotel has a 24-hour gym and free Wi-Fi!  Can’t wait.  See you in a few days!

PS:  Got a granola craving?  Heather over at Hangry Pants might help you solve it with her granola bar giveaway!  Not only that, but there’s also an awesome PB giveaway over at Simply Life.  To top things off, Lara is celebrating 2 happy blogging years and having an Amazing Grass giveaway .  Go get in the game!

A funky day

It’s odd, but I had a day of no work yesterday, a job interview, 2 stellar workouts and I still feel as if I am in a funk that I can’t pinpoint.  Ever had one of those days?  The only thing I desire to do is to crawl back into bed and take a nap. Oh, a nap…

I am hoping that a good, warming breakfast of oats and yogurt will return me to my normal state. 

That’s a glob of raspberry preserves sitting on top of my custardy yumminess!

And that’s my Hawaiian Happiness MixMyGranola on top! (Muesli, dried papaya, dried mango and chia seeds)

I added a cup of sugar cookie hot tea to aid in de-funking.  So far, it’s working – with a little help from the DVR & last night’s Housewives.  If anything, my life will never be quite as crazy as those ladies! 

Perhaps a hot shower to rid myself of the serious DOMS I got from these workouts too.

Oddly enough, the only thing that is really hurting are my shoulders, but they did get most of the focus during workout #1.  I anticipate that other pains will surface throughout the day. 

Another cup of tea and a hot shower are next on the list and perhaps a little cleaning.  Here’s hoping that something works soon.  I’d like to be a bit more upbeat when I head to work tonight.  What do you do to get rid of blah feelings?

Saturday Stroganoff

Sadly, my weekend with no work is half over, but on the up side, I made a ridiculously delicious dinner tonight!  I also got in an amazing workout this morning.  (In fact, when rating it on my log, I confidently scored it a 9 of a possible 10.  Score!).

I felt back to 100% when I woke up, so I dressed and was in the parking lot 15 minutes prior to opening.  I knocked out a hardcore 45 minutes of intervals on the elliptical, alternating between resistance of 8 and 10/12.  I managed to hit 5.25 miles and my legs still felt strong enough for a good weight session:

1. Barbell Squats – 1 set of 20 with 20# SUPERSET with
2. Barbell Deadlifts – 1 set of 20 with 20#
3. Hill Climbers – 3o seconds
4. Leg Press – 1 set of 10 with 90#, 1 set of 10 with 160# and 1 set of 8 with 180# SUPERSET with
5. Calf Presses – 1 set of 15 at 90#, 1 set of 15 at 160# and 2 sets of 10 with 180#
6. Jog – 30 seconds
7. Reverse Lunges with Glute Squeeze - 2 sets of 15/leg with 20# DBs
8. Jog – 30 seconds
9. Reverse Leg Curl – 2 sets of 10 at 70#, 1 set of 8 at 75#
10. Leg Extension – 2 sets of 10 at 70#

I finished up with 15 minutes on the crosstrainer on the “fat burn” program and averaged a heart rate of 140.  Overall, I burned 915 calories in 90 minutes.  I was so elated to be able to work out again.  I don’t know about you, but I tend to get guilt-gut if I miss more than 2 consecutive gym days.  It’s bad.. I know.  But I haven’t yet learned how to overcome those emotions.

Steve & I ventured out this afternoon with 1 task in mind – picking out new furniture.  We were victorious!  Check out our new living room set:

(source)

Ignore the rug.  We got the sofa, loveseat, chair, 3 tables and lamps.  I like the furniture we have now – it’s been all over Hampton Roads and in 4 of my dwellings, but it’s tired and worn out.  We will likely end up donating it, but I first want to try my hand at selling them on Craig’s List.  Have you sold anything on that site?  Any words of wisdom?

Now.. on to the best part of the day – DINNER!  Hubs used to really enjoy his mom’s stroganoff, so I wanted to attempt a healthified version.  I seem to be doing that to every meal I make for us.  Oh well.. tonight’s healthy stroganoff had all the taste of the real thing, even if it wasn’t as creamy as he is used to.

Easy Stroganoff

1 lb. ground chicken or turkey breast

1/2 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 C mushrooms, sliced

2-3 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce

2 C chicken broth

1 C 0% Greek Yogurt (I used Fage)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Brown chicken/turkey in large skillet with onions and garlic until cooked through.

1. Add mushrooms, chicken stock, worcestershire and salt and pepper and return to a boil.
2. Cook about 10 minutes and remove from heat.  Stir in yogurt.
3. Serve over white rice, brown rice, quinoa or…

Mashed Cauliflower

No, you need not adjust the settings on your computer monitor.  This is definitely green cauliflower.  It didn’t start that way.  It was white when I steamed it in the microwave, white when I added it to the blender and then I made the mistake of adding chives BEFORE I blended (with chicken stock, salt and garlic powder).  Pesky chives.  It tasted awesome, but it probably grossed out hubby.  Gross looking or not, it was good in my belly and it will be made again!  I stocked up on ground chicken breast at the store today – they were all $2.00 off and ended up being only $2.99/pack.  Nice!

 

A lazy night awaits with Olympic viewing, popcorn snacking and some sleep thrown in with hopes for another great gym day!

What’s the most disgusting-looking yet tastiest thing you’ve ever eaten?

 

 

 

Tuned up Tuesday

I think I got an overnight tune-up – or maybe my immune system rocks harder than I give it credit for (knock on wood).  Whatever the case, I woke up feeling much more rejuvenated.  I’m still a bit stuffy in the head and the nose will not quit running, which has resulted in the painful-overrubbed-snozz syndrome, but I can function normally.

In fact, I got a really amazing workout in at 5:30 am and didn’t feel the need to quit halfway through.  I started off with 45 minutes on the elliptical (average HR = 158) and hit my back and shoulders.  I did a bit of back on Sunday, but that was a gigantic flop!

1. Circuit 1

A. Overhead Shoulder Press – 3 sets of 10 with 20# DBs

B. Bent-Over Row – 3 sets of 10 with 20# DBs

C. Jumping Jacks/High Knees/Jump Plie Squats – 1 set of each for 30 seconds

2. Circuit 2

A. Front Raise – 1 set of 10 with 10# DBs; 2 sets of 10 with 12# DBs

B. Seated Low Row - 1 set of 10 at 60#; 2 sets of 10 at 70#

C. Jumping Jacks/High Knees/Squats – 1 set of each for 30 seconds

3. Kettlebell Swings – 3 sets of 15 with 20# KB

4. Kettlebell Upright Row - 3 sets of 10 with 20# KB

I followed strength training with 15 minutes of “fat burn” on the crosstrainer (Average HR = 135)

In 75 minutes, I managed to burn 850 calories, have a max HR of 175 and an average HR of 134.  Not too shabby!

I was a very hungry girl after that workout.  The hunger beast could only be quieted by a big, hot bowl of custard oats.

1/2 cup of this

1/2 cup of this

Plus a little squirt of this

Topped with some frozen raspberries and blueberries = HEAVEN!  PURE HEAVEN!

My lunch was almost as good as my breakfast!

 

Are you grossed out?  Don’t be!  It was way tastier than it looked!

Another 1/2 cup of this

2/3 cup of this

Thrown in a carrot (or two) = HEAVEN PART DEUX!

I worked this afternoon and threw together some tasty snacks to carry me through my shift.

A very crispy, very sweet Fuji tossed in cinnamon and a Blueberry Clif Z-Bar which will hopefully keep my tummy occupied until dinner.

On a non-food related, more serious note, I am visiting a doc tomorrow and am a little queasy about it.  This past weekend, I felt a lump so I am getting it checked out tomorrow.  After last August’s skin cancer diagnosis, I am nervous.  Probably more nervous than need be, but would love some extra good vibes and prayers if you’d like to send them my way.  I’m planning to complete my normal 5:30 workout to appease my anxiety, but will give updates as soon as I can.

Lots of cinnamon-covered thanks for your support and happy thoughts!

PS: I’ve gone a little Cracker Crazy recently and so has Lily.  Head over to her blog and enter the Mary’s Gone Crackers giveaway!

Also, if your skin sucks up moisture like mine does during the winter, you can go see Jolene at Everyday Foodie and enter her giveaway.  It’s a giveaway extravaganza!

And if those amazing giveaways weren’t enough, Lara is giving away… wait for it.. CHOCOLATE! Attune probiotic chocolate to be exact and you can enter here!  Do it now!

Dear winter, please go.

I am now a devotee of early morning workouts.  I am not, however, a fan of the frigid temperatures that await me as I walk out of my front door.  I believe this has been the coldest winter that we have experienced in Hampton Roads in a very long time.  It’s cold.  It’s uncomfortable. And it’s just plain icky!

Luckily, it did not slow my momentum.  I’ve had really great workouts the past 4 days.  Let’s rewind, shall we?

Monday – Leg Day + 30 minutes HIIT elliptical and 15 minutes of steady-state elliptical

Exercise	Weight	Sets	Reps
1. Leg Press	90#	1	10
	110#	1	10
	140#	1	10
2. Calf Press	90#	1	20
	110#	1	20
	140#	1	20
3. Dumbell Boxing	8# DBs		30 seconds
4. Side Lunges	15# DBs	3	5/leg
5. Front Lunges with Kick	15# DBs	3	5/leg
6. Jog			2 laps (1/5 mile)
7. Leg Extension	75#	3	10
8. Reverse Leg Curl	70#	2	10
	75#	1	10

Tuesday – find it here 

Wednesday – Back & Bi Day + 45 minutes of HIIT elliptical and 10 minutes of steady-state biking

Exercise	Weight	Sets	Reps
1. High Row	60#	2	10
	70#	1	10
2. DB Cross Curl	10# DBs	1	12/arm
	12# DBs	2	12/arm
3. Rear-Kick Jog		3	2 laps (1/5 mile)
4. Back Extension on Ball	Body	3	15
5. Incline DB Curl on Ball	12# DBs	3	12
6. Jump Squats		3	15
7. Kneeling Bench Row	30#	3	8/arm
8. 21′s	10#	3	21..duh
9. High Knees		3	30 seconds

I had some SERIOUS issues during this workout.  During my first set of kneeling bench rows, I pulled my left trap.  I have never had pain that strong in my shoulder – so much that it radiated down my entire arm and lasted a good 2 minutes.  It was like having a charlie horse in the arm.. ugh!  Once it subsided and I stretched a bit, I continued and felt ok for the rest of the day.  It’s pretty sore now though!

Thursday – Chest & Tri Day + 65 minutes of steady-state elliptical (avg HR = 144) and 15 minutes of steady-state crosstrainer elliptical (avg HR = 127)

Exercise	Weight	Sets	Reps
1. DB Chest Press	20# DBs	1	10
	25# DBs (woot!)	2	10
2. High- Pulley Overhead Cable Tricep Extension	40#	1	10
	45#	1	10
	50#	1	10
3. High Knees		3	30 secs.
4. Incline DB Chest Press	15#	3	10
5. Bench Dips	Body	3	8
6. Jump Plie Squats		3	15

Not gonna lie.. the weight-lifting was sorely lacking today, but after 65 minutes of cardio, I didn’t have much strength left in me for the weights.  I’m sure I’ll make up for it tomorrow! 

I’ve been a bit lazy with the food pictures.  It’s been pretty monotonous due to work, but I FINALLY remembered to capture my favorite meal at my favorite breakfast joint, The Broken Egg in Chesapeake.  Yes, I did eat part of my breakfast yesterday when I finally remembered that my camera was nearby, but it was heavenly -

Blueberry pancakes (no butter + sugar free syrup) and fresh fruit.  They never do me wrong!

They also serve Tazo teas so I had a Zen green tea to go along side my yummy jumpstart!

After work last night, I wanted a snack that wasn’t popcorn (shocker, I know!).  I am really trying to incorporate some protein if I need a snack at night, so I ventured into the world of custard-ish oats.  I cooked 1/2 C in the microwave with a bit of water.  About halfway through the cooking, I added 2 squirts of Egg Whites Int. (about 2.5 whites), and some frozen berries and finished cooking.  What I got was a HUGE bowl of oats that were super yummy!

My oats somehow don’t look as pretty as my fave bloggers, but I’m sure they tasted just as good!  Breakfast food for snacks just feels so right.

This morning, I returned to a more traditional breakfast. 

Egg Whites + spinach, 1/2 Sun Dried Tomato Flatout with Laughing Cow + fruit.  I love this combo and it keeps me full for several hours on only about 350-400 calories (depending on how much fruit I have).  Yes!

And now – a new snack to go with my hot cocoa and then it’s off to work!  Gotta tell ya, I really like this Kashi Crunchy Chocolate Caramel Bar, and it’s stats.  Maybe because it’s got whole pieces of popcorn in it..  maybe.

Work calls!