Thanksgiving Treat

Made it through Thanksgiving, and I didn't over eat! Whoo-hoo...I think that is a first! I did break down and made myself a little treat, but it wasn't your typical Thanksgiving treat. I had a cup of yogurt, sliced half of a banana on top and then sprinkled it with about a cup of Lucky Charms. It was really sweet and oh so good!

The past couple of days I've actually been sick. I'm not supposed to eat carbs (other than veggies) at night, but when I'm sick that is the only thing I crave. So last night I had a bunch of homemade, whole wheat pancakes. That definitely hit the spot. I wanted them again tonight, but am trying to resist the temptation since I haven't been working out as hard I definitely don't need the extra carbs. There are days when I think I could live off of carbs! :)

Don't Give Up

Whew...time is flying by! I've been super busy lately with work, which makes it difficult to stick to my workout and nutrition plan. When things get tough, it's easy to give in. You're tired and stressed out...but you MUST fight through it. Although I did slip one week, I told myself I wasn't going to let everything I had worked so hard for slip away from me. So I did some extra planning with my meals and made sure I got my workout in even if it was a shorten version. Well, I'm pleased to say that it has paid off. I weighed myself today, and I'm down 2 pounds for the week. No matter how challenging life gets, don't give up on your goals!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Remember...the decisions you make today will affect how you feel tomorrow. Make smart and healthy decisions!
-H

Hidden Sugars

Often times people forget to look at the sugar content of the foods they eat. There are a ton of foods out there that are advertised as low fat, but they are LOADED in sugars. Four grams of sugar equals one teaspoon of sugar. So the next time you look at a nutrion label keep that in mind. Do you really want to dump a teaspoon of sugar down your throat....I don't think so!! If you are craving something sweet, stick to the natural sugars. Your body will thank you!

Livin' the good life...
-H

Lovin' the Outdoors

Another gorgeous day outside so what did I do...you got it. I took advantage of the beautiful weather and did my HIIT session outdoors. I was originally going to do sprints, but decided to mix it up. I did sprints, broad jumps, high knees, line jumps, lunges with a jump (not sure what they are called.) Anyways, it was a killer workout. Seriously, my butt muscles were on fire...it hurt to walk! It only took about 25 minutes, and I was completly exhausted. It was a great way to start my day!


I've been on target with my nutrition plan. Tonight I had a spinach salad, grilled chicken and grilled peppers - yellow, orange and red. Delish! However, my husband made a homemade, whole wheat pizza on the grill and it looked soooooo good. It was hard to resist, but I did. The way he made his pizza was healthy, but I try not to eat carbs late in the day so that's why I had my salad. I kept reminding myself of my goals and knew I would rather reach my goal than eat that darn pizza!!


I'm excited because tonight I get a treat...chocolate milk flavored muscle milk. Mmmmm...it's one of my favorites. Sometimes I mix it up in the blender with ice so it tastes like a milk shake and other times I warm it up in the microwave like hot chocolate. Either way tastes amazing!


Stay Focused on Your Goals-
-H

Just 15 Minutes...

Sometimes all you need is 15 minutes...

I was so tired this morning, I literally had to use every ounce of motivation I had to get out of bed and get to the gym today. I told myself I had to work hard for 15 minutes, and if I still couldn't keep my eyes open then I could go back to bed. However, all it took was 15 minutes to wake me up. I'm so glad I made myself get out of bed because I had an awesome HIIT session!


The same thing happened tonight. It was absolutely gorgeous outside and since our nice days are numbered I really wanted to go for a walk or run, but I was so tired. So I once again told myself to walk for 15 minutes to get some fresh air and wouldn't you know...I ended up running about 1.5 miles at a killer speed (did I mention it was mostly down hill!! HA!) then I walked for about 25 minutes. It was AWESOME...I absolutely love, love, love being outside this time of year. The air is so crisp and clean.


So it was a great day. Had two enjoyable workouts and was 100% on target with my meal plan. It's now time for me to get some zzz's so I am ready to take on whatever life throws my way tomorrow.


Train Hard
-H

Alrighty, so I tried the pumpkin protein shake last night, and it was not so good. I put waaaaay to much pumpkin spice and sugar free carmel syrup in it. I also added cinnamon and nutmeg which were good. I may try it again and not even add the carmel. We'll see if that tastes any better.

So now that it's getting pretty cold outside and dark super early, I decided to take my HIIT training to the basement. I pulled out some old fitness articles I had torn out of my Oxygen magazines and got to work. My HIIT consisted of 15 seconds going 100% and then 45 seconds at 50-60% intensity for 15 minutes. Then I did another 15 minutes of exercise at 70-80%. I did everything from burpees to mountain climbers to high knees and even did some good'ol jumping jacks for my 45 seconds. I originally wanted to run sprints outside, but since it was so cold and dark I opted for the basement so I was worried I wouldn't get as good of workout as doing sprints. Contrary to my initial thoughts...I got my butt kicked! And I actually had a lot of fun with it. It was fun to try new exercises including a killer ab workout. It was a much needed change of pace. Thank goodness for the change in seasons; otherwise, I probably wouldn't be motivated to mix up my workouts.

Well, I'm getting hungry so I'm going to go experiment, once again, with my pumpkin protein shake. Hopefully, I'll have better luck this time!

-H

"Protein Funk"

When it comes to building muscle and losing body fat, protein is an absolute MUST have! Protein is critical in reparing, building and maintaining muscle mass. You feel more satisfied when you eat protein especially when you eat it in the morning because it helps decrease hunger and satisfy cravings. On top of that, protein is more difficult to digest then carbohydrates and fats so your body burns more energy digesting it. AND...like I said, protein helps build and maintain muscle and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn each day. So as you can see there are a ton of good reasons to eat your protein.


So even after knowing all the benefits of eating protein, I can hardly make myself do it. I'm in a "protein funk" lately. The thought of every type of protein makes me cringe...all I want to eat are carbohydrates. It was my birthday this weekend, and I made myself some special treats...cream cheese pumpkin pie (I did add some protein powder to it!) and whole wheat pumpkin bread. Although I made both of those treats as healthy as possible, they are still high in carbs and low in protein. Hmmm...since I'm on a pumpkin kick, maybe I'll try to make myself a pumpkin protein shake. That should be interesting. I'll let you know how it goes, and whether or not I have to choke it down!

Monday

Good day today. I lifted lower body this morning. High weight, low reps to build strength. I followed the weights with a 45 minute spin class.

Tonight, after work, I did 15 minutes of sprinting outside. I finished with a one mile run and a good stretch.

Fall is definitely here, but there are still nice days left, so I had to get out and take advantage before the snow comes!

-H

A reintroduction

My big intentions with this blog have been reignited. Expect to see more regular posting here again. In the past year and a half I've had to deal with getting laid off at my real job and I had to focus on my career and on getting married. Things have settled down in both of those pieces of my life and I am refocusing my efforts on building my health and wellness career.

In the coming days, I'll be writing more about my diet and workouts, amongst other health related topics.

-H