Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Sleep more please

I opted to sleep in today. I mean, who doesn't need to catch up on sleep?


Also, I had no idea which class to take today or what workout to complete - fail.

I planned on cleaning out my car and vacuuming it, but alas, not able to do that since our extension cord is hidden somewhere. :/

So here I am, eating some oatmeal then getting geared up for work xs 2.

Maybe a little something after to go with my Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Though I might skip that to make myself not feel like crap.
Off to make my packed lunch for the day! Enjoy your day!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Fitness wish list

New workout gear is always on my wish list!

I'm short so capris are a better length than pants. Pants always run too long even when "short" sometimes!

Under Armor Varsity Women's Capri Pants $29.99

I hope we get 70% off. If so, this is on the top of my list and maybe another Ultimate Hoodie!

Lucy Luxe Burnout Tee $59

Lululemon is pretty expensive, but I love this tummy-hiding doubled-up tank.

No Limit Tank $64

These shorts looks so freeing!


Weightless Split Short $49

Cutest shorts ever! They're heather-colored and the band seems to fit flat. I have a pair of Brooks that are my favorite.

Glycerin Short $23

Cheap and tummy-hiding

C9 Babydoll Athletic Tank

This looks like the lululemon logo but cheaper! Yay Target!


C9 Long-Sleeve Seamless Athletic Tee $24.99

Other bras run for much more and the Champion bras I've purchased have been my favorite ones.

C9 Seamless Cami Sports Bra $16.99

The color is fantastic and I've heard so many great things about Brooks.

Brooks Women's PureConnect Running Shoe $89.99

A super functional bag: a yoga mat carrier and a water bottle compartment

Crazy Zips Gym Bag $139

Mint is my favorite color and it's sparkly but not tacky.

Pleated Pocket Yoga Bag $110

Made in one of my hometowns, Fountain Valley, and the sleekest bottle I've ever seen.

KOR Vida $24.95

Post logs

Sunday

Workout notes:
Last day of Thanksgiving break and I started off with the elliptical. It felt great actually and my ankles were fine. I attempted lunges and squats. Boy were those squats hard. Lunges, however, went well. Zumba was difficult. Its been awhile and I could barely see the instructor so I had trouble following the moves. I haven't been as jumpy lately. A little more practice and an instructor with more hip hop and less salsa will help too.

Food log:
Shakeology pre-workout
Butternut squash & shrooms w/ 1/2 goat cheese & egg on a low carb tortilla
Some beignets mom bought
Fro-yo from Icicles
Butternut squash & shrooms w/ broc & salmon


Apple
Fage 0% mixed w/ low sugar strawberry preserve

Work:
Worked today. We still had 30% off all sale items so while we sold quite a bit, $-wise, it didn't amount to too much. However, on Friday and Saturday, we did well and if we are #1 in our district, we get a 70% off shopping spree! *crosses fingers* I held my first black card and whoa, it was heavy. The customers I worked with were nice and I'm getting the hang of selling things.

Today

Workout notes:
I need more sleep, clearly, but in any case, I did okay. I woke up and headed over to the gym for 20 minutes on the upright bike. I usually set a resistance of 12 and it wasn't terrible. I need to go back to the stationary bike to change it up because last time I was on that, I had trouble.

Food log:
Fage 0% w/ strawberry preserve
Butternut squash & shrooms w/ 1/2 goat cheese & egg on a low carb tortilla
1/2 bar of Luna Protein cookie dough
Fro-yo from Great American Yogurt (eggnog, pistachio)
Shrimp & Miracle Noodles with lettuce


Fage 0% w/ strawberry preserve
Apple w/ 1 tbsp. crunchy Barney almond butter

Work:
Back to work with the kiddos. Sadly, I didn't see all my darling boys this morning because they're gone to a different class on Mondays. :/ Things change and the freshman study skills class I work with is the worse - they're not very nice. My juniors and science class freshmen are better and sweeter to the surprise of others.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Light & sparkly day

I've resorted to watching "The Bee Movie" on TV since it's that strange time during the night when they show sports news and well, the NBA lockout no longer concerns me. For a long long time, I loved basketball, was obsessed with it - I'd tear up during games. Now, I'm more into MMA but not really all that much.

Anyways, I just finished "The Family Tree," which I rented because the cast was rather interesting: Chi McBride, Rachael Leigh Cook, Selma Blair, Christina Hendricks, Bow Wow, Jane Seymour, and Evan Ross among those I know. None of them were the main characters, but I was pleasantly engaged.


The movie was funny and no one dies. I honestly didn't expect it to be good or have much development. I mean, not that it really does, but it does offer a clear resolution.

Because I didn't have much else to do this afternoon, I saw "Bond of Silence." I enjoy Kim Raver and was glad I rented this film. I thought it would be much scarier with Kim Raver taking on those kids in some creepy and violent way. Nope. Yet it was still good to go.

I took off the chipping chocolate burgundy on my nails yesterday and want to paint it either a muted pastel or a sparkly color. Any ideas? What's a hot fall-winter color?





More sparkles here!

The days after...

Yesterday involved:

Very stiff TurboKick & Amp'd Abs. Maybe because I wore pants and could not be as aerodynamic as usual. I had leftover turkey and veggies then went to my first Black Friday in retail. I bought a shirt and headband (maybe too wide for my head) on sale.


I came home and ordered this BABY online for $65.

Nike Move Fit

I'm so excited to get new sneakers after watching multiple videos on Nike technology (Lunarlite [super light foam], Free [barefoot movement], & Flywire [stitching that supports foot in shoe]). I had the Nike Free Quick Fit XT previously and they were amazing.


(source)

However, there weren't many other colors I wanted. The only other one I want is in pink and grey, but it's unavailable in my size (7.5). :/


All the excitement required a Super Cleansing Cocktail from Mother's.



Dinner was the same thing as lunch.


My cousins and I went out to rent movies ("Monsters vs Aliens" and "Bond of Silence"). We got through "Monsters vs Aliens," which I've seen and enjoyed.


We also got frozen yogurt. Only a pump of it for me though: cinnamon roll flavored.

Theraflu nighttime put me bed.

Today started with BodyPump. I did great on the lunge track but the opening squat tracked killed me. I was dripping a ton. The chest and arms track went okay too, but I struggled with the back track.

I went to the farmer's market for organic Pink Lady apples and to numerous healthy food stores for a Cleansing Cocktail, peppermint and white chocolate covered pretzels for my cousin, pumpkin tofu pudding 50% off, and butternut squash to add to my 'shrooms and asparagus.



The combo is so good that I had it for a late lunch with half of a goat cheese & chicken quesadilla. Then I ate the rest of the veggies for dinner.

I realized I love snacking throughout the day so I'm never grossly full. While watching "Bond of Silence," I had a SmartPop! kettle korn single then attempted to make a microwaveable coffee cake.


Not bad, but I made it with all whole wheat so it was dense. I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. The crumbly topping was the best part and everything else was donated to the trash can.


I can't wait to get back into eating apples. And off to rent a movie and read The Help. It's so good, but when I have the choice between a book and a movie, the latter wins.


Thursday, November 24, 2011

I can do it tomorrow

Woke up late after a night of shots over at an old high school acquaintance's house. I missed my class, which was probably packed anyways and I hate waiting in line for classes. A little hungover but food and fresh air helped.

So today will be my 2nd day off this week. It'll be okay. I always get more excited about working out when I've had a break. And 2 days off is so rare for me.

11:30 low carb tortilla, poached egg, and goat cheese! (250)
2:30 kettle popcorn & asparagus (150)
6 turkey breast meat & ham ~5 oz., butternut squash & asparagus, mashed potatoes (500)
7:30 sliver of cake that wasn't very good & small slice of pumpkin pie (300)

Before the turkey made it to the table...


My cousin bought this cake from Extraordinary Desserts, but it was way too sweet and dense.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Cold turkey

Clean eating continues after some bad food yesterday. A little treat here and there isn't going to work for me. When I quit French fries and sourdough Jacks, I had to go cold turkey. Thankfully, soda was never a problem and I lost a lot of weight drinking water. I have to reassess my hunger levels and make sure I always pack a snack.

I did it with fast food, I can do it with sweets too.

7:15 woke up
7:45 Shakeology (150)
8:10 15 mins stationary bike
8:30 50 mins yoga
9:30 50 mins TurboKick
10:45 shower
11:15 1/2 banana (50)
11:20 protein pancakes (1 scoop protein powder [65], real egg white [20], 1/2 banana [50], flax [30] = 165)
3 Fage 0% mango guava yogurt (120)
6:15 a few edamame
7:45 lightly pan-fried salmon & asparagus (300)
9 drunk off 4 whiskey shots (350)

Day 10: Nature

The most beautiful place I've ever been: Banff, Canada.

(source)

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Day 11: Something Old


Heck yea. Sometimes I get on a musical kick of Spice Girls, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, Britney Spears, Christina, hm LFO (RIP Rich Cronin), and uh, O-Town.

I liked the not-as-famous ones and will listen to them more than the others since they weren't so played out.

I used to love Brad Fischetti, the dark not curly haired one.


Then I saw this and whoa, these dudes are on something...


Erik-Michael was my favorite then. I loved them and collectively, they were cuter than the other bands.



Meal plan Wednesday?

Eek, meal plan Wednesday? Anyways, I'm behind, but I need to reassess. I had a cupcake today and I didn't work out. I have to be okay with that... but I saw my arms and ugh, I was so unmotivated. Let's get back on track.

#1. Work out in the morning.

Wednesday, November 23
*yoga, TurboKick
Meals: Shakeology, asaparagus + egg-rito with goat cheese!, Fage 0%, apple
work 3:30-7:30

#2. Incorporate more Zumba and dance.

Thursday, November 24
*Zumba
Meals: oatmeal, turkey, giant salad!, apple

#3. Cut out sweets. Again. Buy lots of fruit! I was once able to do this and only had a sweet ONCE a week. For some reason, I treat myself all the time now. :(

Friday, November 25
*TurboKick, Amp'd Abs
Meals: Shakeology, leftover turkey, giant salad
work 2-6

#4. More strength classes, including yoga and lifting.

Saturday, November 26
*Pop Physique
Meals: oatmeal, turkey and salad otra vez

Sunday, November 27
*BodyPump

Monday, November 28
*TurboKick

Tuesday, November 29
*BodyPump

Ugh day

Worked today but did not work out. I headed home and am laying down, watching TV and "Beginners." I need a rest. My family is sick so I think it's gotten me a bit down. That and I've been sleeping late, waking early, and taking naps! Definitely will need to workout in the MORNING tomorrow.
  • Cranberry & ginger oatmeal + ham
  • Still hungry: soft boiled egg and sampling of organic pumpkin muffin from Le Pain Quotidien
  • 8 oz carrot-beet-kale-cucumber-pear juice from Mother's
  • Slice of whole wheat cheese pizza from Mother's
  • Blackberry lemon cupcake from Sensitive Sweets, and a cookie too
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 whites & one yolk
I did work up a sweat at work. Does that count? Okay, maybe not but sleep is good for me. *I just did a couple of Blogilates workout (new thighs ones!). Since my body was warm, I got a bit drippy quickly.

Tomorrow I have to BLAST my flabby arms. I have thin wrists and forearms but terribly flabby upper arms! :/ *Hopefully I can sleep tonight!

Day 8: Favorite Color

This was easy. :)


(source)


(source)


(source)

Day 6: Books

Monday, November 21, 2011

Day 7: Something Funny



Not a picture but something I found recently funny:

Season of oatmeal

It rained yesterday. A lot. Thus, oatmeal has become a staple. In addition to a store brand low sugar brown sugar variety I bought at the grocery store, I tried Quaker's raisin, date, and walnut we had on hand. Pretty good as well.


I bought a couple of new ones.

I had Nature's Path cranberry ginger this morning. It was extremely hearty in comparison to the typical instant oatmeal and had noticeable pieces of ginger.


My second purchase was from Target for just $1.50. I'll let you know later.


As with everything I try, I'll seek out some more oatmeal to try.

I will eventually make my own (like pumpkin pie oatmeal!), but I love the readiness with which I can add hot water and microwave oats right now.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

I.Was.Not.Entertained.

Just wrapped up watching the AMAs with my cousin. The grand finale with LMFAO was amazing as it included Bieber and The Hoff. Another amazing show was put on by J. Lo, who has still got it, and Will.I.Am. However, everything else was pretty eh.
  • Taylor Swift winning artist of the year?
  • Katy Perry's performance?
  • Those plain dresses, except J. Lo did us well of course.
  • Christina looking either pregnant or dressed in too tight of a dress?
  • Drake as a bank robber with pretty bad vocals?
Granted, I only saw half of the show, but I was disappointed. Singers used to perform and entertain. The performances I saw tonight by Drake, Katy Perry, and Mary J. Blige did not entertain. The songs weren't even very good. I had seen Maroon 5 on SNL and while I love them, their performances are dull.

I definitely missed a Beyonce-like performance or those by Britney.

Thank goodness Adele won over Gaga and Rihanna. And that Bruno Mars beat out Bieber. Though I do have respect for Bieber after seeing him with LMFAO and with Boyz II Men on DWTS the other night. Looks like he's working hard, but he's definitely the "Twilight" series of music.

Speaking of movies real quick, I attempted to watch "Larry Crowne" but fell asleep. I just saw "Forrest Gump" and my first thought was that Tom Hanks was reprising his role! Hah. Maybe I should have gotten "Beginners" or started watched Harry Potter.


I'll most some AMA fashion tomorrow but till then, I'm off to reading and bed. Its been a very pouring & rainy day here and I only got out ONCE all day!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

A week to get it done

I took a nice little 1 1/2 hour nap before getting dinner: spinach, chicken breast, and crushed almonds in mustard, and an apple with some PB2. Now I'm eating PB2 straight... well, with water.

I'm also really into The Help and gave up the last book I tried to read. Sometimes, you just have to. I'll get about 1/4 of the way into a book and realize how slow I'm reading because well, it's not capturing my attention. The Help is definitely a good one as everyone already knows.

Right now, I'm on an America Ferrera kick and watching "How The Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer." I'm kind of watching it, but it's a bit silent at times.


I also spotted the newest Harry Potter and realized I don't know where I've left off. I'm sure I saw the 5th one, where I stopped reading. It was so dull! My goal for this Thanksgiving break is to watch the 5th-7th ones, only 3 movies really.

Other Thanksgiving goals:
  • Watch Harry Potter movies 5-7
  • Read and finish The Help
  • Watch Chalene's PUSH Jump Start videos
  • Buy some oatmeal
We're roasting a whole chicken tomorrow and instead of turkey, having steaks for Thanksgiving. Wacky. Hopefully I can conjure up some side dishes like corn bread pudding with cranberries, leeks, and sausage.

Afternoon naps & resting

Vacation time! We have a whole week off of school for Thanksgiving AND I have a few days off my other job.

Since I got my workout in the morning, I got to just relax, eat, and take a nap.

While I have trouble sleeping in, I can make it up by taking a siesta during the day.

After work is the perfect time. The sun is shining too bright and low. It has always just been a transition time for me. Who doesn't remember coming home from school and wanting to rest a little? I always needed to recharge after a day at school whether I was 6 or 16 and even when I was college.

So after a wacky meal of spinach, corn, edamame, and an egg over easy plus almonds and a mango, I napped for 3 hours. Then woke up to feast again! I've been cold lately so I had oatmeal with Fitnessista's 2-minute microwaved apple.

I finished up "Real Women Have Curves," which was pretty good with the pubescent America Ferrera - she was a star then.


Today began by heading to the farmer's market. Nothing purchased there, but I did swing over to Trader Joe's for cocoa almond spread. Ours doesn't have it yet. It's very much like Nutella yet I was disappointed that this "almond" spread has very little protein!


I biked lightly for 15 minutes to warm my legs up before Turbo and BodyPump.


A lot of the girls do what I did: take 3 classes in a row. I can't anymore. However, I totally did it at a high intensity and with more energy than they did. :) Now though, I'm falling apart in the second class. :( What I've realized is that all that working out hasn't quite helped any of them like it didn't help me later on.

Pump was hard. I really need to start lifting on my own because I haven't added weights in a really long time... like 5 months. I accidentally added weight to the back track today and paid for it later in plank. I was hazy when putting on weights and added an extra 5 lbs rather than 2.5. The triple overhead presses xs 4 per set kicked my butt. I was proud though. :)

I met up with the family at Costco. I bought some more cold cuts and cheese. Yum!


All the samples were sweet so that didn't help my post-workout hunger.

I went over to Mother's nearby. It's a more spacious location and had tons of samples. Mmm. I ended up with a slice of pesto based pizza and an 8 oz juice. Sadly, I didn't want pesto; I love tomato sauce! The pizza was still delicious though. I purchased the wrong soda and only noticed after I sipped it so I tossed that. Whoops.


My last trip was to buy some PB2 at Miss Bobbie's. I saw it last time and bought a jar of regular and chocolate to try, mostly because I had to spend $10 to use my card. I can't wait to make things with it!



I was close so I made the trip over there as well as tasti D lite. The employee graciously explained the product to me and let me try it but I was so turned off by the frothiness of it.

I'm feigning for a nap but just showered. Maybe in a little bit. Till then I will read some of The Help.

Stay tuned for more!