Good Morning Fitness Goddesses!

I began on this 30 day challenge a bit early, (Jan.30th) and will be carrying this out a few days past my 30 days.  So far I’ve slipped up on a few goals I had set for myself. I’m not mad at myself by any means, it just means there’s room for improvement in this new month ahead!  It’s all about forming new, healthy habits!

The Good:

I’ve been cooking my own meals, and keeping my cheat meals as healthy as possible if we go out.  What I consider a cheat meal is one that I did not make myself.  I do not consider a double bacon cheeseburger a cheat meal, that’s more of a f*ck up in my book if one is trying to get healthier!  So I do the best I can while not allowing myself to undo all of my hard work.

No alcohol this month, with the exception of two evenings.  One was a friend’s party I recently attended and well, I did partake in some liquor and arcade games.  The second time was Saturday evening, I had one small glass of red wine.  Followed up with water for the night.  I am hopeful I can do better in March to last a full month sans alcohol!

Drinking water, and lots of it!  This has never been a problem, so I’ll leave it at that.  Chugging water with lemon now!

Working out 5 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes. Again, not a problem, in fact I usually work out 7 days a week and rarely allow myself  a true rest day.  I believe in active rest days, even if it’s a walk around the neighborhood.  Fridays are my hardest days to get a workout in, so if it’s not done in the morning, chances are I won’t have time to when I get home from work.  This is usually due to events friends have planned for the evening.  I’m ok with that as long as my food choices are good for the day and I sneak in mini workouts throughout the day.

Going to bed early during the weeknights.  For the most part, I’m doing well with this.  I love getting my sleep so you don’t have to twist my arm to get me in bed! 

Needs Improvement:

Avoiding sweets.  I’ve done well for the most part, with the exception of those days I indulged in Servatii’s Pastry cookies, Welch’s Mixed Fruit snacks, and the worst of all, Girl Scouts cookies.  I’m going to try extra hard to finish out this month strong with no sweet treats.  I must admit that I’ve done exceptionally well for the most part though, so I’ll consider this an opportunity to learn from my mistakes and move on.

I never did make it to a yoga class, let alone once a week as I wrote down in my goals.  My body isn’t ready for a normal flow, so I do my own yoga at home to keep myself limber.  In time, my hip should be strong enough to allow me to participate in a class.

Meditation.  I don’t dedicate enough time to it.  I would say I did well for the first half of this month, and few days in between, but this needs to become a daily part of my life.

So that’s where I’m at in my challenge and I’m looking forward to my goals in March!  I will be including some physical challenges for myself such as a number of push-ups to be completed in the month, and miles ran.  Two of my weak spots in physical training.

Looking forward to taking measurements March 1st!

Good Morning Fellow Foodies!  

It’s been a chilly winter here in Cincinnati, but fortunately, not a whole lot of snow has fallen.  Because I crave healthy soups this time of year, I decided to pick up a bag of Bob’s Red Mill 13 Bean Soup mix from Whole Foods to try.  There are great recipe suggestions on the back, but I decided to make a simple, clean version of my own.  Here’s what the package looks like and all its yummy legume contents!  The mix is a dry bean variety.  

Here’s what I did with it!

 It’s a guilt-free, high fiber, low fat, easy healthy dinner you can whip up and eat on for days!  Naturally with any soup, the longer it sits, the better it tastes! 

Ingredients

• Bob’s Red Mill - 13 Bean Soup Mix, 2 cups (soak overnight)
• Organic yellow onions - 2 medium, diced
• Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
• Minced Garlic - 2 tsp
• Broth of your choice - 5 cups (I used Organic Imagine No-Chicken Broth)
• Organic celery - 3 stalks, diced
• Organic carrots - 2 medium, diced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• Goat cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper to taste

Make It

1. Sort through beans, rinse, and soak overnight or for 8 hours.  I left mine to soak before I left for work and when I came home they were ready for cookin!
2. Heat coconut oil in a stockpot over medium heat, once melted (it will be solid at room temp), add diced onions, garlic, celery and carrots.
3. Pour in the broth, add beans and cumin, cover and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and cook approximately 3 to 3.5 hours on a low simmer.
5. Serve with goat cheese crumbled atop, crushed red pepper flakes and a dash of cayenne pepper.

Last night my boyfriend and I went out to eat after work.  We’ve been craving sushi as we haven’t had it in a long time!  I however, wasn’t craving the white rice so I ordered Shrimp Teriyaki with vegetables and a side of Sriracha.  We each had a sesame ginger salad and bowl of tofu miso soup.  I ate half of my dish, didn’t touch the rice and helped him with his sushi.  Overall, best cheat meal ever.  

Adapted from The Healthy Foodie.

Recipe: http://thehealthyfoodie.net/2011/05/27/raspberry-oatmeal-protein-pancakes/

NOTE: Replaced Raspberries with Blueberries, used less agave nectar for topping.

There are a plethora of cardio exercises you can do that will get your heart pumping and have you feeling amazing at any age and physical ability level.  Improved mood, productivity, alertness and weight loss are just a few of the benefits of exercising regularly.  Also, building endurance and stamina is a walk in the park when you choose an activity that you enjoy.  Remember, exercise should be something you look forward to, not a chore.  Start with walking for 30 minutes  3-4 days a week.  It’s a simple, yet effective place to start.

Here is a great list of cardio exercises that can be done indoors or outside.  Don’t forget to stretch the muscles you worked at the end of your workout.  

• Walking, Running, Walk & Run intervals  
• Jumping Rope
• Cycling  (bicycle or stationary)
• Jumping Jacks
• Lunges & Squats (in proper form, these will get your heart pumping!)
• Mountain Climbers
• Push-Ups
• Jump Squats
• Burpees
• Swimming
• Elliptical
• Aerobics
• Yoga
• Kickboxing
• Hula Hooping (with or without a weighted hoop)
• Dancing
• Toss a frisbee with a friend
• (And so much more!)

A few tips I’d like to share before you get started:

• Start slowly and build up to lengthier workouts in time.  You don’t want to injure yourself or burn out too soon.
• Change up your activities to prevent boredom. 
• Find a workout buddy! (Dogs count!)
• Most importantly, stay hydrated with lots and lots of water throughout your day, not only during a workout!

An excellent source for cardio for beginners: http://exercise.about.com/cs/exbeginners/a/begcardio.htm