Hi, happy Saturday!

It’s been a busy weekend in our neck of the woods…

Yesterday I headed to the gym bright and early for a workout, work, and training.  I started my day with a quick and easy breakie:

[cereal, plain greek yogurt, frozen blueberries, cinnamon]

My body was feeling a little sore from Thursday’s treadmill workout, so I decided on a 25-minute, “quick-but-effective” workout.  It was hard!

5-min warm-up:  stairs
20 sec. mountain climbers
20 sec. jumping lunges
repeat three times
2-min jumping rope
45-sec. kettlebell swings
45-sec. burpees
45-sec. pushups
repeat three times
2-min jumping rope
5-min cool-down:  walking

It was a dooooozy

***

I got home last night around 8 and crashed, hard, which was good since I had a big day today!

My alarm went off at 5:30 am (yes, I know it’s Saturday ) so I could venture to the rec for my spin cycle certification.  This one was presented by Keiser and was great!  We spent the early part of the morning working on proper adjustments, body alignment, and biomechanics.  Then we did a power test and a master class before taking a break.

[What's really cool about Keiser is that each bike has a screen flashing RPMs, Watts and heart rate which definitely increases the overall effectiveness of the class.]

After taking over 6-months off of teaching cycle, I have to say it was quite challenging for me in the saddle!  Although I’ve been running, my quads were on fire…and it hurt SO good.

***

This evening I worked on bunch of homework while baking some special treats (healthified lactation cookies, anyone?) for my dear friend and new mama.  We’re heading over there in a little while to watch the KU game snuggle baby Hudson and I can’t wait!!

See ya later…

*TIP TIME*
Invest in a HR monitor if you’re curious about your overall exercise expenditure and caloric burn.  By targeting your desired heart rate zones (65-75% of max) you can see how it feels to be working at different levels!

Question:  Do you use exercise “gadgets” ?

Hey, hey!

The countdown to the weekend has definitely begun.  I already know mine will be crazy busy…I’m getting my spin certification on Saturday and will be doing homework all Sunday.  Next week I have a presentation and two proposals due, so I think my work is cut out for me

This morning I ventured to the gym at 5 am for my early morning group.  They seemed a little more tired than usual, but it didn’t stop ‘em from working out hard and getting a great sweat!  After group I hopped on a treadmill for a little speedwork.

1-2-3 Intervals
1-min walk @ 4.6 mph
2-min jog @ 6.2 mph
2-min run @ 6.7 mph
1-min @ 7.7 mph
1-min @ 6.7 mph
2-min @ 7.7 mph
2-min @ 6.7 mph
3-min @ 7.7 mph
3-min @ 6.7 mph
repeat intervals three times
3-min @ 8.0 mph
2-min @ 6.5 mph
3-min @ 6.2 mph
1-min @ 4.5 mph

This was challenging cardiovascularly, but felt great.  I covered well over 5-miles and was nice ‘n sweaty   The time went quickly too!  I rounded out my workout with some core work and stretching before calling it a day.

***

After running I did some work before coaching boxing class.  I had 9 of 12 people who signed up attend and it was great!  I warmed ‘em up, we focused on technique for a while, then we did 3-minute rounds using focus mitts, the waterbag, and shadowboxing.  They seemed super tired by the end and I got some awesome feedback…success!

I knocked out some more work before heading home to work on a presentation and finish some readings for class, headed to class, then back to the gym to coach the 7:30 PM boxing class.  Phew!  I’m wiped out.

Luckily dinner was quick and easy:

[romaine, spinach, shredded chicken, black beans, salsa, and avocado]

I’m about to make a bag of popcorn and call it a night…

*TIP TIME*
If you know you want an extra carb-y evening snack (popcorn, cake, a cookie, etc.) have a lighter dinner.  This will help to keep your blood sugar balanced!

Question:  What’s your go-to evening snack?

Hi!

I hope you’re having a great humpday

Mine started with a lovely walk with the dog, some cardio, and team teaching BodyPump with Elisa.  It was a fantastic morning!

For breakfast, I decided to bring pumpkin back into my life.  It’s been a long time since I broke open a can of it, and I have quite a stock in the pantry.  I couldn’t decide if I wanted a shake or oatmeal, but I knew I wanted something that would keep me fueled for a while.

I simply mixed 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese, 1 tbsp. ground flax, 1/2 cup uncooked oats, 1/2 cup of pumpkin, a drizzle of raw honey, and a TON of cinnamon.  It was delicious!

***

I spent the rest of the day at the gym working before an evening full of training clients.  I had two individual sessions and one group.  Last week I made this group do 10 different burpee variations (nearly 200 total!), and tonight I put them through another tough one.  And because I want to go through this one myself soon:

Group Training Workout
After a 15-minute dynamic warm-up, complete 1-minute of each exercise circuit style.  Repeat each circuit three times through.

1.  Med Ball Pushups
2.  Furpees
3.  TRX Rows and Ys
4.  Wall Balls
5.  W-Shoulder Raises w/ Leg Extension

1.  TRX Hip Drops
2.  Back Extensions w/ Med Ball
3.  High Box Toe Taps-Right
4.  High Box Toe Taps-Left
5.  Plank w/ Feet on Bench and Elbows on Ball

Half-way through the second circuit our high-toe taps became “Darrah taps” which originated as an idea to make them easier…but actually made them way harder   It was pretty funny.

***

It’s a quick turnaround to tomorrow morning’s group, followed by my first boxing small group, and a full day of homework.  I have a research proposal, presentation, and a bunch of reading to do for school…it’s going to be a busy one!

Have a great night.

*TIP TIME*
Buy in bulk for seasonal items.  Pumpkin during the holidays can be up to $1 cheaper per can which can add up quickly!  Canned and frozen goods store well and stay good for months at a time.

Hey!

How’s the day been?

Mine’s been long, but good.

This morning my alarm went off at 4:45 AM to train my early morning small group.  Since it’s been extra warm outside lately, the gym’s been hot too…even that early!  About 5-minutes into their workout my ladies were dripping sweat, and it didn’t let up for the entire hour.  I kept teasing them that they were letting go of LOTS of toxins

Knowing that my only chance to workout would be right after group, I laced up my running shoes and hit the treadmill for a tempo run.  After a quarter mile warm-up, I set the treadmill to 7.5 mph for 3-miles, then cooled down for another quarter mile.  It was a nice, quick sweat.

I rounded out my workout with the following core routine and some foam rollin’.

10-minute Abs
50 crunches
50 alternating oblique crunches
50 reverse crunches
50 crunches w/ legs up
50 side crunches (right)
50 side crunches (left)
50 bicycle crunches
50 tuck-ups
2-minute plank

Post-workout I did a little work then raced home to shower and eat.

Breakfast:

In the mix:
-1/2 cup oatmeal
-1 tbsp. ground flaxseed
-1 tiny granny smith apple
-cinnamon
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
-drizzle raw honey

Um, yeah.  This tasted as delicious as it looks.

***

After breakfast Colin and I headed to campus.  I trekked to my class (it’s like a 15-minute walk) where we spent the next 3-hours talking about women’s health, which was extremely interesting as usual!

I raced from class back to the gym (lunch in hand) to do a few hours of work before training all evening.  Training is always the highlight of my day…seriously!  Call me psycho crazy (for you, Lowen ) but I love seeing my clients gain strength and confidence with every session.  It’s pretty amazing to witness!

When I was done for the evening I was hungry and delighted to have an super fast dinner on the menu.  I zipped to campus to pick Colin up, threw together our meal, and we were eating…all within about 30-minutes.

Over the weekend I baked a few organic chicken breasts to have for dinners this week and tonight they came in quite handy.  I simply chopped up romaine, mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and the chicken, threw it in a bowl and sprinkled with toasted sliced almonds, then tossed with a few tbsps of this dressing:

Lemony Vinaigrette
makes 6-8 servings
•3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
•1 minced garlic clove
•2 tsp. lemon zest
•1/2 tsp. salt
•1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake well.  Store at room temperature.

Both Colin and I agreed this was a “restaurant good” salad

***

Okay, I’m off.  Tomorrow will be another busy one…but we’re on the downward slope to the weekend!

*TIP TIME*
Pre-make a few protein options to toss into a salad or wrap throughout the week.  Protein tends to take the longest to cook, so if that’s already made, it’s easy to throw together a healthy meal in mere minutes!

Question:  Do you make your own salad dressing?

Hi friends!

I hope you had a lovely Monday

Mine looked like this:  work-teach pump-cardio-work-meeting-work-shower-train-work-vet-school-work.

PHEW!

This morning, after walking the dog, I enjoyed some protein pancakes to fuel my morning workout.

I had some cottage cheese to use up, so whipped up an old favorite.  Although you can’t tell, there are fresh blueberries hidden inside…YUM!

Blueberry Protein Pancakes
·1/2 cup oats
·1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
·1 egg white
·1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
·1/2 tsp cinnamon
·1/2 tsp. baking powder
·1/4 cup blueberries
·2 tsp. of maple syrup

Preheat griddle pan to 350°.  Combine first four ingredients in blender or hand-blender cup and puree until smooth.  Stir in cinnamon and baking powder.  Pour onto griddle pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray, top with blueberries,  and cook about 5-minutes or until bubbles form on pancake surface.  Flip and cook 3-4 minutes more.  Drizzle with maple syrup.

***

Elisa and I team taught BodyPump again, and it was a blast!  I did the front half of the release (warm-up, squats, chest, back, and biceps) and she did the last half.  I upped my weight on both squats and chest, so it was an extra killer workout.

After class I hopped on the elliptical for a nice and easy 30-minute sweat session…mostly for my mental health/sanity! I flipped though an older issue of Shape, which made the time go fast.

The rest of my day was quite a blur.  I had to get Zoey into the vet because she woke up yesterday with eye infections in both eyes, and I somehow managed to squeeze it into my packed afternoon!  It was also near her annual visit (or “well-dog” checkup as my mother-in-law calls it!) so we were able to do it at the same time.

Even though she had the eye infection, our vet said she was amazingly healthy.  We also found out that she’s lost about 8lbs since last year, so we can give her a few extra treats.  Her ears perked right up when she heard that

***

I dropped Zoey at home, headed to campus for class, then eventually back home for dinner…leftovers, of course!

Turkey meatloaf with roasted broccoli…followed by two Dove dark chocolates.  Easy and delicious.

Okay, I’m off…I’ve got a FULL day tomorrow (like 5a-8p) away from home, so I have to get my bag(s!) packed.

Have a great night!

*TIP TIME*
Roast vegetables as an easy alternative to steaming or sauteing.  Simply spray with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and place in a 350° oven for 20-30 minutes or until tender.

Hey there!

Cripes…it’s almost been a week since I last posted.  And I was on such a roll there for a while!

I’m hoping my consistency will pick back up (though I’m not holding my breath!) because I believe this week should be a little lighter on the work + school + training front.  We shall see!

Rather than post day-by-day for the last week, I’ll just give you a brief rundown of the highlights.  I got my usual daily sweat in, and a few stick out in my mind as extra noteworthy.

1.  Treadmill Pyramid Workout.

2.  Weight’s session with Elisa.

3.  Teaching kickboxing.

On Thursday after training my early morning group, I hit the treadmill for some speed.  Speedy it was!  My earphones broke and my running partner just had a baby, so I pounded away in solitude.  I think I picked up the pace to get done faster   Regardless, it was an awesome workout…I highly recommend this one!

Treadmill Pyramid #1
1-min @ 4.5 mph
1-min @ 6.0 mph
1-min @ 6.1 mph
1-min @ 6.2 mph
1-min @ 6.3 mph
1-min @ 6.4 mph
1-min @ 6.5 mph
1-min @ 6.6 mph
1-min @ 6.7 mph
1-min @ 6.8 mph
1-min @ 6.9 mph
1-min @ 7.0 mph
1-min @ 7.1 mph
1-min @ 7.2 mph
1-min @ 7.3 mph
1-min @ 7.4 mph
1-min @ 7.5 mph
1-min @ 7.6 mph
1-min @ 7.7 mph
1-min @ 7.8 mph
1-min @ 7.9 mph
1-min @ 8.0 mph
1-min @ 7.9 mph
1-min @ 7.8 mph
1-min @ 7.7 mph
1-min @ 7.6 mph
1-min @ 7.5 mph
1-min @ 7.4 mph
1-min @ 7.3 mph
1-min @ 7.2 mph
1-min @ 7.1 mph
1-min @ 7.0 mph
1-min @ 6.9 mph
1-min @ 6.8 mph
1-min @ 6.7 mph
1-min @ 6.6 mph
1-min @ 6.5 mph 37
repeat @ 30 seconds from 6.6-8.0 mph and back down
1-min @ 6.5 mph
1-min @6.4 mph
1-min @ 6.3 mph
1-min @ 6.2 mph
1-min @ 6.1 mph
2-min @ 6.0 mph
2-min @ 4.5 mph

This workout took about 55-minutes total and I averaged about 8:15/8:20 pace…which isn’t too shabby for me!  I stretched and foam rolled for a while before calling it quits.  Man, was I tired

Post-workout I ran home for replenishment in the form of a protein smoothie.

***

Some other exciting eats of the week:

[veggie and hummus plate]

[veggie scramble and grapefruit]

[Organic Cottage Cheese and Blubes<<<on sale...eaten especially for Katie]

[Quinoa Salad]

Oh wait, I think I promised you that recipe like a year ago This is definitely worth making.  It’s delicious!

Veggie Confetti Quinoa Salad
adapted from The Beauty Detox Solution
•1.5 cups cooked quinoa
•3 tbsp. coconut oil
•1 large onion, diced
•6 cloves of garlic, minced
•2 large red bell peppers, diced
•4 cups kale, finely chopped
•2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
•2 large carrots, diced
•2 tsp. salt
•1/2 tsp. pepper
•1 tsp. oregano
•2 tbsp. low sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce

In a large dutch oven, heat coconut oil over medium heat until melted.  Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes.  Add onion and stir occasionally until translucent.  Add broccoli, kale, carrot and pepper.  Cook until tender (about 15-minutes) stirring frequently.  Add seasonings, quinoa, and tamari.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve warm or cold.

There you have it!  This is one of my new, favorite recipes.  It is delicious as a main dish and great as a side dish too.

***

Okay, I think that’s long enough for today!  I am about to hit the books…I have a TON of homework.

Have a wonderful evening!

*TIP TIME*
Cut up a big ‘ole container of veggies on Sunday evening for munching throughout the week.  If they begin to start looking questionable (drying out, etc) chop them up and pop ‘em in the freezer.  You can easily pull out your stash and whip up a quick veggie soup or stir fry!

Question:  What spring/summer food are you most looking forward to?

Hello!

How’s your Monday treatin’ ya?

Mine has been pretty good.

I took Zoey on a brisk walk this morning before eating some breakfast and heading in to work.  I woke up craving eggs, so I made a repeat breakfast from Saturday.  There’s something about eating spinach with breakfast that makes you feel extra healthy!

Elisa and I met for some cardio before team teaching the new release of BodyPump.  We’ve decided to partner up for the next few classes so we both feel comfortable teaching the new choreography…and because it’s way more fun with a friend

We ended up doing about 25-minutes of the following, so we were good and sweaty by the time class began.

25-Minute Cardio Blast
10-minutes of stair running
1-min jump rope
1-min jacks
1-min lateral hops
1-min high knees
1-min quick feet
repeat last 5-minutes twice more

***

After teaching, I had a meeting then got a quick shower before training a client and knocking out a bunch of work.  I ate lunch desktop dining style (kale/quinoa salad…recipe still to come, promise) and it was delicious!

I ran home to make a protein smoothie, then headed off to pick up a book from the library and eventually to class.

Since I wasn’t quite hungry, I packed my smoothie to enjoy during my break at school!

•unsweetened almond milk
• chia seeds
•maca powder
•cacao powder
•protein powder
•frozen banana
•frozen strawberries

(I would really love to find a glass smoothie to-go container, if anyone has any recommendations, let me know!!)

***

Class was good.  I’ve officially had all three of three and it looks like my load will be intense, but manageable.  My largest class has 8 people in it, and I’ll have the opportunity to do some major eating disorder prevention/body image work that I feel so passionate about!

With that, I’d better go do some reading.  I have 50-pages of articles that need to be summarized for tomorrow’s class…yikes!

Have a great night

*TIP TIME*
Plan your snacks accordingly.  If you know you will be somewhere at a time when you “usually” eat, pack a little snack or eat a larger snack to hold you over.  This will help prevent you from being ravenous and ultimately overeating when you get home!

Hi friends

I hope you had a lovely weekend.

Mine has been so busy!  Friday marked the launch of not only the new Les Mills choreography, but also one of my big projects of the last few months, grouPTraining45.  It’s a combination of small group personal training and group fitness, to give participants unique workout experience!  Pretty cool, eh?

Friday
I woke up bright and early and bundled up to take Zoey on a nice walk before heading to work.  I really wanted a smoothie for breakfast, but I was freezing, so ended up making oatmeal.  This tasted amazing…similar to apple crisp!

I chopped a small apple, combined it with about 1 tsp. of raw honey and 1/4 cup of water, and microwaved it for 2-minutes.  I added 1/2 cup of oats and about 1/2 cup of additional water, plus a hefty dose of cinnamon, and cooked it for another 3-minutes.  Topped with a sprinkling of sliced, toasted almonds.

***

I trained a client, did a bunch of work, then ran back home to eat lunch and go through BodyPump choreography.  Colin was asleep on the couch (he pulled an all-nighter on Thursday night), so I popped in my headphones and tried my best not to wake him as I practiced in the kitchen

I got changed then headed back to the gym to film some video of our first grouPTraining class demo and then teach class.  I had tracks 1 (warm-up), 4 (back), 7 (lunges), and 10 (cool-down) and they all seemed to go really well.  This release is a doozy!

I had another client after class, then headed home for dinner…pizza dinner, that is.

And not just any pizza.  This is socca pizza.  Basically, I halved the recipe linked here and reduced the oil to about 2 tsp.  I cooked it in a nonstick skillet for about 5-minutes then popped it under the broiler.  It made a delicious crust alternative and was loaded with protein and fiber!  When it was slightly cool, I topped it with sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil and put it back under the broiler until the cheese melted.

Saturday

Yesterday I sat my alarm for 6am (ugh!) so I could be to the gym early and set up for my grouPTraining45 demo.

Breakfast:

[1 egg/2 whites scrambled with spinach and 2 slices of millet/chia bread with a smidge of organic butter]

I pulled out ropes, kettlebells, sandbags, and BOSUs and put my participants through a good, tough workout.  A few people commented when it was all over that “it was one of the best workouts I’ve ever done”.  I’ll take it!

After class I ended up taking pump, even though I did it the night before, because there were some open slots.  I also wanted all the practice I could get with this release because I need to learn a few more tracks down pat before I teach solo.  By the end, I had very tired muscles

***

In the afternoon Colin and I ventured out on a few errands, met up with some friends, then grabbed dinner and a movie to-go style.

Salmon salad!  This is my absolute favorite combo:  perfectly grilled salmon, roasted red peppers, black beans, pico, cilantro, and mixed greens.  With chipotle dressing on the side.  YUM!

Sunday

After a fantastic night sleep, I fixed some breakfast before heading to the gym for day 3 of launch.

Pancakes!

I tried a recipe using almond flour (tweaked a bit) and it turned out great!  I just did a google search on almond flour pancakes and an overwhelming amount came up…so I rolled with it.

Blueberry Almond Flour Pancakes
·1 egg
·1 egg white
·1/2 cup almond flour
·1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
·1 tsp. coconut oil
·2 tsp. raw honey
·1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Let stand 10-minutes.  Preheat griddle to 350°.  Melt coconut oil.  Pour batter onto hot griddle and top with berries.  Cook 4-minutes, flip, and cook 3-4 additional.  Drizzle with honey.

***

I got to the gym in time to get my workout on before helping coach the last of our grouPTraining demos.  I hopped on a treadmill and pounded out a little under 7-miles in about an hour.  It felt fantastic!  The only thing missing was my running buddy who I’m sure was busy snuggling her new little one.

Our third and final demo went extremely well!  I sighed a huge sigh of relief then headed home to eat some lunch.

[black beans, quinoa, salsa + an unpictured pear]

I spent the afternoon doing some work, cooking, and homework.  I suppose it’s homework time

Have a great night!

*TIP TIME*
If your gym offers free programs or classes, sign up!  Instructors and trainers LOVE having full classes and a chance to connect with new people.

Question:  What was the highlight of your weekend?

Hi!

Sorry for the lack of posting last night, but I was running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off.  In fact, I was in quite the tizzy all day because early in the morning I found out that Lauren was in labor!  That’s right, she had her (perfect) baby boy nearly 10-days early.

Backing up a bit…

In the morning I had a great workout, followed by a full day of work, and three training appointments.  It was a looooong day!

For the workout portion, I met Elisa for a good, sweaty strength session.

Here’s what we did:

Full-Body Superset Circuit
1a.  15 Incline Chest Fly w/ 15# dumbbells
1b.  15 BOSU Pushups (blue side down)

2a.  25 TRX Jumping Squats
2b.  15 Kettlebell Squat Overs

3a.  15 TRX Rows
3b.  15 Reverse Flyes w/ 15# dumbbells

4a.  12 Walking Lunges (each leg) w/ 10# dumbbells overhead
4b.  15 Curtsey Lunges (each leg) w/ 15# dumbbells

5a.  15 Hammer Curls on BOSU w/ 12.5# dumbbells
5b.  12 Low Cable Curls on 25# setting

6a.  12 Side Lunges and Knee Lift (each leg) w/ 35# bar
6b.  25 Lateral Band Walks

7a.  15 TRX Tricep Extensions
7b.  10 Tricep Dips (each way) w/ leg elevated

8a.  15 TRX “Ys”
8b.  10 Plank Ups (each arm)

I finished with a brisk 15-minute walk on the treadmill and called it good.

Lunch:

So simple, yet so delicious and satisfying!

Over lunch I had a great conversation with a fellow trainer, Lisa, about simplicity of food.  We were actually talking about the Paleo diet and that we both like the concept (if you’re not familiar, it’s all about eating real food as our ancestors did) but agreed that the rigidity associated with eliminating specific food groups (no grains, legumes, dairy) is a recipe to be unsuccessful in the long-term.

I started thinking about my food and how I feel the most balanced and healthy when I’m eating foods with few ingredients.

For example:

Ingredients:  pear.

Ingredients:  steel cut oatmeal.

Ingredients:  Eggs.

Okay…enough of that

***

This morning I headed to the gym bright and early to train my small group.  I planned the time right after to workout, but I was NOT feeling motivated at all.  I told myself “just do 30-minutes”, and hopped on a treadmill.  Of course, that’s the oldest trick in the book…I always end up doing more once I’m in motion!

I had an awesome run.

30-60-90 Revamped

2 min walk @ 4.5 mph
2 min jog @ 6.0 mph
6 min run @ 6.7 mph
30-sec run @ 9.0 mph
30-sec jog @ 6.5 mph
60-sec run @ 8.2 mph
60-sec jog @ 6.5 mph
90-sec run @ 7.5 mph
90-sec jog @ 6.5 mph
repeat bold intervals 7 times
2-min jog @ 6.0 mph
1-min walk @ 4.5 mph

I listened to my BodyPump music the whole time and it actually went really fast (considering I was sans running partner!).  Tomorrow night I am launching the new pump choreography with my team and I’m getting nervous excited…I hope it all goes well!

I ran home to clean up, get some work done, head to a meeting, then snuggle the baby, and finally to class.

Lauren asked me to bring her a smoothie, so I packed up a classic for the two of them, and enjoyed a smoothie snack of my own:

***

Class #2 (health behavior modification) seems good, though I think it will be a LOT of work.  We have quite a few readings and two big papers on the syllabus!  Luckily it’s in an area I kinda like

Okay, I’m off to give my pup some attention and tuck in early.  I’m tired!

*TIP TIME*
Try to eat a good portion of foods with only one ingredient.  This will ensure you are eating plenty of quality, healthy food!

Hey, hey!

How’s the day been?

Mine…pretty good.  I got into bed a lot later than I wanted to last night, so 4:45 AM came extra quickly.  I knew I was on a super strict time schedule today, though, so I hopped my buns right out of bed and to the gym.

I trained my early morning group, got in a sweaty workout (50-minutes on the elliptical + abs), and ran home to clean up before class.

It was a game-time decision last night to come home and shower, rather than stay at the gym, so I had breakfast all packed up and ready to go.  So, I ate it anyway

I based my recipe on one for no-bake protein bars from an old issue of Oxygen magazine, but made a few changes.  Instead of the honey I used 1/2 smashed banana and I omitted the flaxseed.  I also made it a single serving.

No Bake Protein Square
(serves 1)
•1/2 cup uncooked quick oats
•1 heaping tbsp. protein powder
•1/2 mashed banana
•2 tbsp. water or milk/alternative
•2 tbsp. almond or peanut butter, divided

In a small bowl, mix oats and protein powder.  Add banana and 1 tbsp. of almond butter, blending well to combine.  Add water and stir until dough sticks together but is not too wet.  Press into the bottom of a tupperware and refridgerate overnight.  To serve, spread with remaining almond butter and enjoy.

Check out the layers:

This was SO good.  In fact I plan to eat this again very, very soon.

(Um, yeah…I did all that damage with just the spoon )

***

My Tuesday morning class is on the opposite edge of campus, so I’m going to have to figure out the best way to get there.  Right now I’m thinking bus, but I’m not sure yet!  When class was out, I walked for like 30-minutes before figuring out that I missed the bus I needed.  I resorted to taking the car home and picking Colin up after work.  Not gonna lie…I’m a little bus route challenged.  Those things are confusing!

Class was great, though.  This is Psychology of Women’s Health and is a grad-level class in the psych department.  All of the issues we’re going to talk about look very interesting and I like the class dynamic.  It looks like it’ll be a lot of reading, but I’m ready for that.

I hurried home to eat some lunch before heading to work for the afternoon/evening.

I whipped up some curried egg salad using:  2 hardboiled eggs, 2 tbsp. non-fat plain greek yogurt, 1 tsp. of dijon, a pinch of salt, and about 1/2 tsp. of curry powder.  It was delicious!  Served in a red bell pepper for a good dose of vitamin c.

Plus some leftover spaghetti squash with a little organic butter, garlic powder, and sea salt.

Lunch was super filling!  I ate at like 11:45 and didn’t get hungry for my afternoon snack until after 4.

[This is big for me...I usually eat every three hours like clockwork ]

***

I got a bunch of work done, drank a kefir smoothie (which tasted like frozen yogurt!), and trained an evening full of clients.  By the time I picked Colin up, we were both exhausted.

Luckily, I had a pre-made butternut squash and kale salad that  Elisa, brought me earlier in the day.  Colin ate up leftovers and I had the salad plus a delicious treat she made too.  Thanks, friend!

Okay…off to bed.

Night!

*TIP TIME*
Use veggies instead of chips or crackers!  Peppers, cucumbers, and zucchini make healthy chip alternatives and allow you to really taste the dip.